Eye on the Farm: Salt Lake Bees Playoff Race

With 13 games left, the Bees are 2.5 games out of first place. Two of the stalwarts in their lineup are Mark Trumbo and Hank Conger. If the Bees are going to have any legitimate shot at the playoffs, it will be with them in the lineup.

Additionally, to help the Bees get to the playoffs (and because they have earned the promotion), the Angels recently promoted 2B Alexi Amarista (.300/.344/.408 with 22 SBs across 3 levels) and CF Tyson Auer (.319/.373/.433 with 53 SBs across 3 levels) to the Bees. At age 21, Amarista has established himself as an exceptional 2B (winning the Double-A Texas League award for best defensive 2B) and is a sparkplug to the lineup. At age 24, Auer is a bit behind the curve, but could fill in very nicely as a 4th OFer. His range isn’t as great at Bourjos’, but, it would be better than Willits’.

The Bees have a critical road trip right now which could bury them in the standings or propel them to the top. How they fare will have an effect on who gets called up to the Majors and when they get the call. It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on as a fan.