With a .329 average, Indianapolis' Neil Walker (Pirates) ranks 12th in the minors among switch-hitters. Just imagine what he'd be hitting if he wasn't 2-for-22 (.091) from the right side. While it seems like Walker has been in Triple-A forever—1,100 plate appearances on the nose—the 24-year-old appears to be making real progress this season, hitting for average, for power (.544) and drawing walks (11 in 20 games) at a rate that his surname suggests. Walker hit .407/.500/.667 last week, going 11-for-27 with four doubles and a dinger while stealing three bases and driving in 11 runs. But perhaps most interesting was his position tally: two games at second base, one at first and three in left field. Pittsburgh just might recoup value on Walker, it's native son and the 2004 draft's 11th overall pick . . . Blue Jays RHP Zach Stewart has made three starts for Double-A New Hampshire. He was solid in his first start, got completely shelled in outing No. 2, and was brilliant on Tuesday in his third start. He pitched five shutout innings at Trenton and was nearly perfect, facing just one batter over the minimum by allowing one hit with no walks and five strikeouts . . . Nothing says it's early quite like the fact that CF Mike Trout's .378 average not only does not lead the Midwest League, but it doesn't even rank among the 15 best in the minors. Don't hold that against the 18-year-old Angels phenom, though. Last week he batted .409/.409/.545 (9-for-22) with a double, a triple and three more stolen bases in five attempts for low Class A Cedar Rapids. Trout has hit in every game but one since April 11, but last week he lived dangerously, striking out five times while not drawing a walk . . . Royals C Wil Myers(Royals) pulled out of an early-season funk with three home runs and a double in 24 Midwest League at-bats last week. That's a .708 slugging for the 19-year-old low Class A Burlington catcher. In all, he went 7-for-24 (.292) while driving in nine runs in six games, drawing two walks and striking out three times. On the defensive side of things, Myers leads all MWL catchers with seven passed balls but has throwing out an above-average 38 percent of basestealers . . .  After leading the minor leagues in strikeouts last year, Rays LHP Matt Moore hasn't slowed down so far in 2010. The hard-throwing 20-year-old with high Class A Charlotte leads all Florida State League starters in strikeouts per nine innings at 12.67, having whiffed 23 hitters in 16 1/3 innings so far. Moore's start Sunday in Jupiter was his best of the young season, as he struck out eight over five innings while allowing one run on just two hits. Moore struggled with control early last year, and that's been the only thing holding him back again so far this year, as he walked four against Jupiter has issued 13 on the season . . . High Class A Salem RHPAlex Wilson (Red Sox) was roughed up in his first start of the year, giving up five runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings, but he's been solid since. The Red Sox were tempted to develop the 23-year-old Wilson, their second-round pick last year from Texas A&M, as a reliever thanks to his two-pitch mix of a low-90s fastbal and wipeout slider, but they've given him a chance to start. That move could pay dividends if he keeps going at the pace he did this week. Wilson made two starts and allowed just two runs on four hits over 9 2/3 innings for a 1.86 ERA, striking out 12 and walking four . . . The first big-name hitting prospect to leave Triple-A Sacramento (Athletics) for the big leagues? Not Chris Carter or Michael Taylor, but catcher Josh Donaldson. Sure, it's just because of an injury to A's starter Kurt Suzuki, but Donaldson, 24, was off to a fine start with the River Cats, batting .269/.320/.522 in his first taste of Triple-A and ranking third in the PCL with 19 RBIs, thanks to a torrid last week. Donaldson hit .444/.579/1.000 (8-for-18) with four doubles, two homers and 11 RBIs in his last five games for the River Cats, at least for now.
 

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