OF Jordan Nwogu (Orleans, Ont.), left, of double-A Tennessee and LHP Adam Tulloch (Toronto, Ont.) of class-A Lynchburg shared CBN co-player of the week honours.

August 22, 2023

By George Farelli

Canadian Baseball Network

We don’t usually deal in dead heats -- as we did a week ago in Week XIX.

But here we are in Week XX and we have another tie.

All Jordan Nwogu (Orleans, Ont.) did with double A Tennessee was hit .529 (9-for-17) with three homers and five RBIs.

All Adam Tulloch did in his first start for the class-A Lynchburg Hillcats and pitch five hitless innings against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers.

So, Nwogu and Tulloch share Canadian Baseball Network co-Players of the Week honours for Week XX.

Jordan Nwogu (Orleans, Ont.) had a swingin’ week

If you were to ask OF Nwogu about his 2023 season to date, he would likely admit it’s been somewhat of a struggle from the get go. His batting average has lingered below the “Mendoza line” for most of the year but, those who know the person and recognize the huge talent level he possesses knew for certain, that trend would eventually end.

Well, this week, it appears the revival might be in the beginning stages, as he enjoyed his most productive week this season by far. In a five-game series against Rocket City Trash Pandas, he led his team to a 3-2 series win, putting up outstanding offensive numbers as follows ...

Games - 5, at-bats - 17, runs - 5, hits - 9, home runs - 3, RBIs - 5, total bases - 19 and a .539 batting average.

The Tennessee Smokies are the Chicago Cubs affiliate in the double-A Southern League, and currently lead the North Division with a 65-48 record, featuring an excellent roster including teammate and fellow Canadian Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.). Having Jordan Nwogu’s offensive numbers climbing to their current level will make this team noticeably more powerful.

In recognition of his offensive performance this week, the Minor League Baseball.com named Nwogu as the Southern League’s Player of the Week for the period Aug. 15-21.

*Adam Tulloch (Toronto, Ont.) records his eighth strikeout in pitching five scoreless for the Big W.*

* * *

Tulloch was selected by Cleveland Guardians in the 15th round of the 2022 MLB draft and when you consider he only appeared in two games at the Rookie level in 2022, this year can realistically be viewed as his first season as a pro.

The 23-year-old appeared in one game appearance this week for the Hillcats ... but it was a five-inning masterpiece. On Aug. 16, in a 4-0 win over Fayetteville, he had the start, working five scoreless and hitless innings. He recorded eight strikeouts for his fourth win of the season.

This result improved his overall record in 24 Single A Carolina League appearances, to 4-5 with a 5.33 ERA, and also includes an impressive 97 strikeouts in 74 1/3 innings pitched.

It’s quite easy to understand why Toronto native Tulloch, who grew up in Weston, Fla., was named by MiLB.com the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week.

* * *

Highlight: _ OF Noah Myers (Tilbury, Ont.) of the Evansville Otters) earned IND Frontier League as Player of the Week for Period August 15 - 21, 2023

Myers had an excellent year in 2022 with NCAA University of South Carolina-Upstate Spartans, ending up with nine home runs, 28 RBIs and a .320 batting average in 58 games played. In the off season he was signed by Evansville Otters IND Frontier League, and I’m quite certain that neither he or the Otters had any idea how big of an impact player he would become in his rookie year.

With Evansville, his overall numbers to date in 81 games include ... 99 Hits, 16 Home runs, 51 RBIs, 175 Total bases, a .320 average, .436 OPS and .566 slugging mark ... he currently leads his team in seven of those eight categories.

Based on these numbers, and considering the level of consistency, Myers has maintained the fact he’s now been named the Frontier League’s Player of the Week, comes as no surprise. As indicated below, his excellent week consisted of six games in which he put up the following numbers ...

At-bats - 22, Runs - 10, Hits - 10, Homers - 3, RBIs - 11, Total Bases - 24 and a .455 Batting Average. As well, on August 17th, in an 18-8 rout of the Florence Y’alls, he had a particularly good day with four base hits, three doubles, a triple and seven RBIs.

Best Offensive Performances

Name Class Team AB R H HR RBI AVG

Jordan Nwogu AA Tennessee 17 5 9 3 5 .529

Bryce Arnold A Dunedin 15 3 6 1 4 .400

Dylan O’Rae A Augusta 21 5 8 - 2 .381

Matt Coutney A Tri City 14 4 5 1 2 .357

David Calabrese AA Rocket City 24 8 8 1 2 .333

Dasan Brown A Vancouver 18 3 6 - 2 .333

Ty Black AAA Nashville 23 7 7 1 4 .304

Ryan Leitch A Clearwater 10 3 3 - - .300

Riley Jepson IND Great Falls 30 8 15 - 5 .500

Noah Myers IND Evansville 22 10 10 3 11 .455

Emile Boies IND Quebec 18 3 7 - - .389

Mike Crouse IND Milwaukee 21 3 8 2 3 .381

Matt Lloyd IND Sioux City 24 6 8 2 5 .333

Malik Williams IND Trois Rivieres 21 2 7 1 3 .333

Connor Panas IND Lincoln 28 9 8 3 7 .286

(Minimum 10 ABs)

Best Pitching Performance

Name Class Team GM WIN SAVE ERA INN K WHIP

Connor O’Halloran A Dunedin 1 1 - 4.50 2.0 1 0.500

Highlighting the pro debuts of young Canadian pitching prospects is one of the perks in preparation of this weekly summary and when the debut includes a win in their very first game at this level, it’s even more enjoyable. O’Halloran was a fifth-round selection by Toronto Blue Jays in the 2023 draft, and the 20-year-old native of Mississauga began his new pro career with Dunedin Blue Jays in the Single A Florida State League on Aug. 18. In a 10-7 win over Clearwater Threshers, a relief appearance saw him pitch two effective innings, giving up zero hits and one earned run while striking out one hitter, and he was rewarded with his first win as a professional.

It’s hard to overlook the “baseball bloodlines” Connor possesses -- his father Greg O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.) played with the Florida Marlins, and the expectations which might be associated with them, but the individual ultimately has to go out to the mound alone and perform to a certain standard and, it’s safe to say Connor O’Halloran met that threshold in his first game.

Previous Players of the Week

Week I _ Edouard Julien (Ancienne-Lorette, Que.) triple-A St. Paul Saints (Twins)

Week II _ Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC) double-A Akron RuberDucks (Guardians).

Week III _ Abraham Toro (Longuiel, Que.) triple-A Nashville Sounds (Brewers)

Week IV _ Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) double-A Midland (A’s) and Trei Cruz (Toronto, Ont.) double-A Erie (Tigers)

Week V _ Wesley Moore (Surrey, BC) class-A Clearwater Threshers (Phillies).

Week VI _ Matt Coutney (Wetaskiwin, Alta.) class-A Inland Empire (Angels).

Week VII _ Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, BC) double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Jays)

Week VIII _ Matt Coutney (Wetaskiwin, Alta.) class-A Inland Empire (Angels) annd David McCabe (Courtice, Ont.) and Augusta Greenjackets (Braves.)

Week IX _ Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) double-A Akron Rubber Ducks (Guardians)

Week X _ Mitch Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.) class-A Hickory Crawdads (Mets)

Week XI _ Jared Young (Prince George, BC) triple-A Iowa (Cubs).