As the fifth week of the AFL concludes the teams have played close to 30 games each. Four more and the regular season will conclude. At this point some players are certainly fatiguing. John Sickles noted that Domonic Brown’s swing appeared long, for example. This is anecdotal, but in comparing players last year I noticed many that struggled were playing for their third or fourth team. This is also shaping up to be a lower scoring year on the whole than 2008. I will give more details about that in next week’s end of season wrap.

Hitting Highlights

Josh Vitters (CHC – 3B) has a quiet ten game hitting streak going and is up to a .359 average. He is making contact well for a young hitter (15.9% K) but is coming up short in walks and power. On Baseball America’s just-released Cubs top 10 he is third, after being ranked first in the last two years.

Jose Iglesias (BOS – SS) was 8-16 on the week with three doubles and is hitting .295 in the AFL. This can only boost his confidence heading into 2010.

Steve Singleton (MIN – SS) popped two home runs this week, but he had just six in 126 minor league games. The recent power is not likely to be replicated outside the AFL.

Bryan Petersen (FLA – OF) was 9-16 this week and leads the league with a .422 average. In AA he hit .297 with 50 walks and 66 strikeouts in 494 plate appearances. He was named Player of the Week, and I am starting to think he could be more productive than Cameron Maybin.

Brent Morel (CHX – 3B) was 9-18 and is hitting .362, but suffers from the same slap-hitting affliction that haunts Vitters. Morel has one extra base hit in Arizona.

Dustin Ackley (SEA – OF) has a five game hitting streak alive. He has just one hit in each game, but has also driven in six.

Lance Zawadzki (SD – SS) was 9-22, he is logging lots of playing time. He is hitting .326 in his last ten and has seven stolen bases this fall.

Chris Heisey (CIN – OF) is 1-15. His stats alone suggest he is wearing out.

Nevin Ashley (TAM – C) hit .230 in the regular season but is pushing .400 with power in the AFL. He had six extra base hits this week.

Josh Bell (BAL – 3B) has an eight game hitting streak

Corey Brown (OAK – OF) was quiet this week except for a 3-3, 3 R, HR, 3 RBI game on November 12.

Grant Desme (OAK – OF) has tailed off too, but popped home run #11 this week. He and Brown are in the top five for home runs, RBI, and total bases.

Hector Gomez (COL – SS) has two hits in four consecutive games, and four of them are doubles.

Domonic Brown (PHI – OF) played every day, going 6-24.

Jose Tabata (PIT – OF) was 6-19. He and Brown are the only players with over 100 at bats when the week ended.

Brandon Laird (NYY – 3B) is tied for second after hitting his sixth home run on November 11.

Colin Curtis (NYY – OF) went 7-14 with 6 RBI. His slash line of .388/.453/.687 places him among the league’s best.

Pitching Highlights

Robbie Weinhardt (DET), highlighted last week, took the outright strikeout lead with seven Ks in four shutout relief innings. He was the Pitcher of the Week.

Josh Fields (SEA) has six straight scoreless appearances

Mike Leake (CIN) went four innings for the first time and did not allow an earned run. He has a 1.72 ERA in 15.2 IP.

Craig Kimbral (ATL) was blown up in his two games. 1.1 IP, 6 ER, 5 BB.

Stephen Strasburg (WSH) was back on the mound November 14 for 3.2 scoreless innings with six strikeouts. He is on track to possibly start the championship game on November 21.

Drew Storen (WSH) bounced back from his loss in the Rising Stars Showcase with three shutout innings.

Bryan Augenstein (ARI) pitched four scoreless innings on November 10. His ground out to air out ratio in 13.1 IP is 6.25

Joe Martinez (SF) struck out seven in his November 13 start, bringing him to 24 K in 20.2 IP.

Donald Veal (PIT) allowed multiple runs for the first time on November 12. His ERA rose to 1.89.

Aaron Crow (KC) notched a rare two-start week for an AFL pitcher. Overall he threw eight innings, allowing 4 runs (all in one game), no walks, and striking out eight. His GO/AO was 13/2. He is pitching better than his 5.87 ERA indicates.

Toshiyuki Yanuki (JPN) is the only qualifying pitcher with a spotless 0.00 ERA. Storen and Josh Judy (CLE) are both under 1.00.