Minor League Baseball Stats: Who Is Leading Major Categories? (2024)

Image credit:Deyvison De Los Santos (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)

With just three weeks left to play in Class A, four weeks left in Double-A and a little over a month to go in Triple-A, here’s a look at which minor leaguers are on pace to lead MiLB in major hitting and pitching categories.

Hitting Statistics

Stolen Bases

What Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson is doing this year is something we haven’t seen since Billy Hamilton ran wild through the minors. Simpson averages .91 steals per game and his 83 stolen bases are 23 more than anyone else in MiLB. With 24 games remaining in the Double-A Montgomery season, he’s on pace to steal 105 bases. A promotion to Triple-A would give him time to steal a few more.

It has to be noted that the rules have been liberalized to encourage stealing. But if Simpson reaches 100 steals, he’ll be the first since Hamilton stole an MiLB-record 155 bags in 2012 and Delino DeShields Jr. stole 101 that same year. Hamilton also stole 103 in 2011, and no one else has topped the century mark since Chris Morris stole 111 in 2001 and Esix Snead stole 109 in 2000.

Simpson led the minors last year as well (his 94 steals were tied with his friend Victor Scott for the 2023 lead). Barring something shocking, Simpson will become the first two-time MiLB stolen base champ since Hamilton. No one else has led the minors in steals twice in the past 45 years.

Batting Average

In additional to his eye-popping steal numbers, Simpson is also hitting .362, which means he currently leads fellow Rays first baseman/outfielder Tre’ Morgan by four percentage points in the MiLB batting race. Further away, Red Sox first baseman/catcher Mickey Gasper is third at .341 and fellow Boston infielder Kristian Campbell is fourth at .340.

Simpson’s season is remarkable here, as well. If he wins the MiLB batting title, he will become the first player to win both an MiLB batting title and an NCAA Division I batting title since 1980 (which is how far back BA’s records on MiLB batting champs go).

In case you are wondering, there is one NCAA D-I batting champ who won an MLB batting crown: Buster Posey, who led D-I in 2008 and the NL in 2012. And there’s one MiLB batting champ who went on to win MLB batting titles: Jose Altuve, who led MiLB in 2011 and the AL in 2014, 2016 and 2017.

Home Runs

Recently-acquired Marlins first baseman Deyvison De Los Santos leads the minors with 34 home runs. He has a solid shot at 40 home runs. If De Los Santos goes on a late-season tear, he could reach 42 home runs, which would be the most in the minors since Kris Bryant hit 43 in 2014. Triple-A Memphis first baseman Luken Baker is only two home runs behind him at 32. Baker has yet to win a MiLB home run title, but he came very close last year, and he’s now hit 86 home runs in Triple-A in the past three seasons.

RBIs

De Los Santos also leads in RBIs (100) and assuming he doesn’t get a callup to the majors, his seven RBI lead is a little safer than his two-home run lead. Triple-A D-Backs outfielder Kyle Garlick (93), High-A Everett outfielder Lazaro Montes (92) and recently-called-up Astros’ outfielder Shay Whitcomb (91) are also within range.

On-Base Percentage

Mickey Gasper is one of the standout success stories of the 2024 MiLB season. A MiLB Rule 5 pick last offseason, he’s been one of the best hitters in the minors this year. His .458 on-base percentage leads the minors by 10 points over High-A Brewers third baseman Luke Adams (.448). Two other Red Sox prospects– Campbell (.444) and Chase Meidroth (.445)–are right behind.

Slugging Percentage

Orioles third baseman Coby Mayo has been sent back to the minors, but he had already enough plate appearances to qualify for the slugging crown even if he had remained in the majors the rest of the year. His .619 slugging percentage leads De Los Santos (.618) and D-Backs catcher Adrian Del Castillo (.608).

OPS

Campbell is among the top 10 in batting average and on-base percentage and slugging percentage, so his well-rounded game means he leads the minors with a 1.022 on-base-plus-slugging percentage (OPS). Gasper (1.117) is right behind him, while Del Castillo (1.011) and Mayo (1.003) are also above 1.000.

Hits

In addition to batting average and stolen bases, Chandler Simpson’s 136 hits is tops in the minors. Simpson is having quite the year, as should be obvious by now. Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros (133) and Nationals infielder Andres Chaparro (132) trail closely behind.

Extra-Base Hits

A’s outfielder Colby Thomas has 64 extra-base hits for Amarillo and Las Vegas, which is one more than Del Castillo’s 63.

Total Bases

De Los Santos’ excellent season also has him running away with the total bases crown.

Runs

White Sox Class A second baseman/outfielder Rikuu Nishida’s 94 runs scored are six more than anyone else.

Pitching Statistics

Earned Run Average

Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinsonis having a storybook season.

Wins

Robert Kwiatkowski, Austin Peterson and Robinson Pina are all tied for the wins lead with 12. That’s right on pace with recent trends. Keider Montero’s 15 wins led the minors in 2023, while Taylor Dollard’s 16 wins in 2022 is the most since 2017 when Zack Littell won 19.

Strikeouts

Cardinals lefthander Quinn Mathews began the season by dominating Low-A. He was quickly bumped up to High-A, where he remained just as dominant. A subsequent promotion to Double-A hasn’t slowed him down either. His 168 strikeouts lead Wilkinson by 12.

Saves

Being an MiLB closer isn’t a great sign for long-term MLB success, but it is a sign of durability and effectiveness in the minors. Triple-A Sugar Land closer Wander Suero (Astros) has 28 saves, which already is the most of the 2020s, and has him on track to be the first closer to top 30 MiLB saves since Aaron Barnett saved 31 in 2019. After Suero, no one has more than Double-A Springfield closer Matt Svanson’s (Cardinals) 22.

Innings Pitched

Guardians’ Double-A Akron righthander Austin Peterson has thrown 138 innings. That’s a very modest number, but with how teams’ restrict young pitchers’ workloads, that leads the minors.

Strikeout Percentage

We took a look at Craig Yoho’s changeup in Monday’s Statcast Standouts. His current 47.1% is the highest in a MiLB season since Indigo Diaz’s 47.4% in 2021.

Walk Percentage

Sann Omosako leads among pitchers with 40+ innings, but Zebby Matthews nearly identical microscopic walk rate stands out because he’s thrown almost 100 innings.