While this is the nature of baseball and its triple-digit games, such inconsistency is not ideal for a team with plenty of future MLB'ers.
The Lookouts are 27-24 following a split six-game series with the Rocket City Trash Pandas.
The next series takes place away from home, following two weeks of home games. The Montgomery Biscuits will host Chattanooga, and can boast three of the Ray's top six prospects. Unlike some of the farm teams in the Southern League (........looking at Birmingham), Tampa Bay's affiliate is flush with talent on a year-in and year-out basis.
Sitting atop the rankings is Taj Bradley, a 6-2 righthander with a deep bag of pitches. His fastball sits in the mid-90s, and he utilizes a slider and curve to keep hitters off-balance. MLB.com says the Stone Mountain native also has a changeup, which gives him four pitches to lean on.
Corner infielder Curtis Mead has lived up to his billing as a top-tier hitter so far, slashing a .288/.389/.486 hit line and hitting five home runs and 12 doubles through the first part of the year. Because of his athleticism, Lookouts fans may see him play at three of the four infield slots during the series.
The reason Mead won't be playing at short is because Greg Jones has that position locked down for the Biscuits. The spindly 24 year old has wheels that would make Max Verstappen jealous, and his defensive skillset is top-notch. Although Jones has solid power and a quick bat, the hitting tool lags a tad bit behind his superb glove.
Matt McLain closed out the Trash Panda's series with a walkoff hit, something that shouldn't surprise many who have paid attention. He has 10 HRs on the season and has hit a team-leading 29 RBIs. His .236 batting average and 64 strikeouts aren't ideal, but McLain balances that out with 26 walks and 12 stolen bases.
Isiah Gilliam continues to roll after a slow start, and is now mashing with a .292 average and eight home runs. Robbie Tenerowicz has already matched last year's walk total with 27, and has cut down on his strikeouts to make himself a much more well-rounded threat at the plate.
The Lookouts' pitching has been led by their tandem of lefthanded aces. Brandon Williamson is 5-1 and has allowed only four home runs in 10 starts (and has a 1.36 WHIP). In four starts with Chattanooga, Andrew Abbott has been ruthlessly in-control. Abbott has struck out 28 batters in 21 innings while walking only nine. Both will be expected to continue their good form when they take the mound in Montgomery..