In our final installment of our seven-week statistical update, we travel to the mound to look at leaders in essential categories—wins included.

A lot of analysts rant about how minor league wins mean nothing, and while that’s true to an extent, wins at the minor league level do give some sense of a pitcher’s ability to get through at least five innings–especially on those occasions when he doesn’t have his best stuff. Some things in this game can’t be quantified no matter how hard people try, and a pitcher finding a way to win is one of them.

“Good players are often easy to find,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore says, “but players who are winners—players who find a way to win—those kinds of players are sometimes a lot tougher to identify.”

STRIKEOUTS
Yovani Gallardo, rhp, Triple-A Nashville (Brewers) 66
Gio Gonzalez, lhp, Double-A Birmingham (White Sox) 62
Chris Cody, lhp, low Class A West Michigan (Tigers) 60
Zach Braddock, lhp, low Class A West Virginia (Brewers) 59
Alan Horne, rhp, Double-A Trenton (Yankees) 59

STRIKEOUTS PER NINE
Zach Braddock, lhp, low Class A West Virginia (Brewers) 13.03
Clayton Kershaw, lhp, low Class A Great Lakes (Dodgers) 12.79
Yovani Gallardo, rhp, Triple-A Nashville (Brewers) 12.21
Ramon Ramirez, rhp, high Class A Sarasota (Reds) 12.03
Taylor Buchholz, rhp, Double-A Portland (Red Sox) 12.03

AVERAGE AGAINST
Brett Smith, rhp, Double-A Trenton (Yankees) .153
Yovani Gallardo, rhp, Triple-A Nashville (Brewers) .161
Jesse Litsch, rhp, Double-A New Hampshire (Blue Jays) .164
Zach Braddock, lhp, low Class A West Virginia (Brewers) .175
Omar Poveda, rhp, low Class A Clinton (Rangers) .175

ERA
Henry Sosa, rhp, low Class A Augusta (Giants) 0.48
Brandon Hynick, rhp, high Class A Modesto (Rockies) 0.68
Jesse Litsch, rhp, Double-A New Hampshire (Blue Jays) 0.96
Rowdy Hardy, lhp, high Class A Wilmington (Royals) 1.02
Heath Rollins, rhp, low Class A Columbus (Devil Rays) 1.12

WINS
Adam Cowhart, rhp, low Class A Augusta (Giants) 7
Josh Geer, rhp, Double-A San Antonio (Padres) 7
Glenn Swanson, lhp, high Class A Bakersfield (Rangers) 7
Dallas Trahern, rhp, Double-A Erie (Tigers) 7
Keith Weiser, lhp, low Class A Asheville (Rockies) 7

SAVES
Steven Register, rhp, Double-A Tulsa (Rockies) 14
Chris Booker, rhp, Triple-A Columbus (Nationals) 13
Robert Delaney, rhp, low Class A Beloit (Twins) 13
Josh Roenicke, rhp, high Class A Sarasota (Reds) 13
Four tied with 11.

HITS ALLOWED
Andrew Baldwin, rhp, Double-A West Tenn (Mariners) 75
Matt Buschmann, rhp, high Class A Lake Elsinore (Padres) 70
J.R. Mathes, lhp, Triple-A Iowa (Cubs) 70
Brenton Carter, lhp, high Class A Lake Elsinore (Padres) 68
Jim Parque, lhp, Triple-A Tacoma (Mariners) 67

ERA—WORST
Matt Torra, rhp, high Class A Visalia (Diamondbacks) 9.74
Andrew Dobies, lhp, Double-A Portland (Red Sox) 8.90
Kristofer Johnson, lhp, high Class A Lancaster (Red Sox) 8.76
Jim Parque, lhp, Triple-A Iowa (Cubs) 8.24
Alfredo Simon, rhp, Triple-A Oklahoma (Rangers) 7.83