Triple-A Norfolk
First baseman Christian Walker entered Friday with four multi-hit performances in eight games, a stretch that pulled his batting average up from .235 to .269. He isn't hitting for average the way he did in 2014 with Bowie — his only home run in his first 33 games came May 1, and he entered Friday slugging just .354 for the season. By comparison, he slugged .489 between Bowie and Norfolk in 2014.
Double-A Bowie
Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski was batting .194 on April 24, but used a 13-game hitting streak that began the following day to raise his average to .283. His hitting streak ended on May 10, but he had hits in his four games before Friday, and ranked second among Baysox regulars in average this season. Yastrzemski's nine doubles also stood second on the team behind outfielder Sean Halton.
High-A Frederick
In his third year in the Carolina League, second baseman Tucker Nathans is among the hottest hitters on the Keys roster through the first quarter of the season. Nathans, 26, began play Friday batting a team-leading .310, and his .828 OPS was 30 points higher than his nearest challenger, right fielder Brenden Webb. Nathans was signed as an undrafted free agent out of the Can-Am League in February 2013.
Low-A Delmarva
The two leading run producers in the South Atlantic League entering Friday, catcher Alex Murphy and outfielder Conor Bierfeldt, call Delmarva home. Murphy (Calvert Hall) led the league with 28 RBIs in his first 31 games, while Bierfeldt had 26 RBIs in 29 games. Murphy, a 2013 sixth-round pick, entered Friday batting .270 with a .767 OPS. Bierfeldt, drafted in the 29th round that year, is batting .222.