The Big Island’s four minor league farmhands — Kean Wong, Kodi Medeiros, Quintin Torres-Costa and Jodd Carter — have all earned promotions at their assigned affiliates. ADVERTISING The Big Island’s four minor league farmhands — Kean Wong, Kodi Medeiros, Quintin
The Big Island’s four minor league farmhands — Kean Wong, Kodi Medeiros, Quintin Torres-Costa and Jodd Carter — have all earned promotions at their assigned affiliates.
Wong, a 2013 Waiakea graduate, has been assigned to the Double-A Montgomery (Ala.) Biscuits in the Southern League by the Tampa Bay Rays.
The second baseman, ranked at No. 28 on mlb.com’s Top 30 team prospect list, has been promoted each year, playing rookie ball, then Single-A, and Advanced-A last season.
The 2013 fourth-round draft pick batted .274 with a .319 on-base percentage and .652 OPS last year.
Wong, who turns 21 on Sunday, missed a week and half last year after he hurt his right wrist on a check swing. He rehabbed the wrist during the offseason.
That cost him a chance to play in the Arizona Fall League, considered the most competitive offseason league for top prospects.
Medeiros, a 2014 Waiakea graduate, is also jumping levels. The Milwaukee Brewers assigned the left-hander to the Advanced-A Brevard County (Fla.) Manatees in the Florida League.
After the Brewers drafted Medeiros with the 12th overall pick in 2014 out of Waiakea, he was assigned to the rookie league and played Single-A ball last year.
Medeiros, 19, went 4-5 with a 4.44 ERA in 93 1/3 innings with just 79 hits, 40 walks, and 94 strikeouts last season.
He’s listed as Milwaukee’s No. 7 prospect on mlb.com’s Top 30 team list.
Torres-Costa, a 2012 Waiakea grad, dominated at two rookie league stops last year after being drafted in the 35th round by the Brewers out of the University of Hawaii.
The left-handed reliever went 2-0 with a 3.66 ERA in 32 innings. He struck out 43, allowed 35 hits and eight walks.
Torres-Costa, 21, has been assigned to the Single-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Midwest league, Medeiros’ pit stop last season.
One of Torres-Costa’s Wisconsin teammates is Jordan Yamamoto, who was the Saint Louis Schools ace in 2014 and outpitched Medeiros in the HHSAA state quarterfinals, 2-0.
Yamamoto, a right-hander, was drafted in the 12th round and followed Medeiros in 2014 to the Arizona rookie league, where he struggled.
Carter, a 2014 Hilo graduate, has been assigned to the Single-A Mahoning Valley (Ohio) Scrappers in the New York-Penn League by the Cleveland Indians.
The outfielder was a 24th-round pick by the Indians in 2014 and started last season in extended spring training before repeating the Arizona rookie league and getting in 41 games at Mahoning Valley.
Carter, 19, batted .233 with a .255 on-base percentage and .607 OPS in 159 at-bats at Mahoning Valley.
