Reyes, Cabrera still atop batting, pitching categories

  As of Thursday’s Saipan Major League matchup, St. Michael’s Medical Response Angels’ John B. Reyes and Manny Cabrera remain atop their respective statistical categories for batting and pitching.

Reyes has so far belted 19 hits in 39 at bats for an impressive 0.513 batting average. He is the only batter in the league with at least 31 at bats swinging above 0.500.

Although Cabrera (3-0) had his perfect 0.00 earned run average from the rubber blemished last week, he still leads a pack of nine other hurlers with just one earned run credited through 22 and 2/3 innings for a miniscule 0.040 ERA. A dozen other runs scored on his watch were all unearned.

Behind Reyes in the batting race comes IP&E-Shell Fielders’ Anthony Tenorio (0.486), Aces’ Jesus Iguel (0.472), Saipan Stevedore Co. Northern Yankees’ Ben Jones Jr. (0.432) and Chris Camacho (0.424), Aces’ J.D. Dikito (0.387) and Juan Maratita (0.371), Angels’ Nunu Kapileo (0.343) and Marvin Kaipat (0.342), Aces’ Nokki Saralu (0.333), and Rep. Ray Yumul D-9ers’ Isaiah Lizama (0.313).

Tan Holdings Brewers’ Byron Kaipat still leads in runs batted in (RBI) with 13, with Camacho (12), Saralu (11), Yankees’ Jerome Delos Santos (9), the Aces duo of Juan Iguel (9) and Ben Taisacan (9), and Brewers’ Manny Sablan (9) all within range.

Delos Santos, Saralu, and Yankees’ Tom Agulto all have one home run under their belts, while Jones Jr. and Tenorio are knotted up with three triples apiece. Yankees’ Dave Camacho has two triples thus far.

Kapileo and Brewers’ Roy Celis share the lead in doubles with four each with D-9ers’ Lawrence Dikito, Aces’ Juan Iguel, Reyes, and Tenorio all trailing by one.

Jesus Iguel and Jones Jr. have both crossed the plate a league-leading 18 times, but have some company with Reyes, Saralu, and Tenorio sitting close behind at 16. Juan Iguel (15), Delos Santos (14), Celis (12), Maratita, (12) and Sablan (12) are also in striking distance of the leaders in runs scored.

In pitching, Cabrera’s ERA was recently dialed up to 0.40, but he is still the man to beat. Brewers’ Thomas Camacho (0.55 ERA), Yankees’ Joshua Jones (0.62 ERA), and Brewers’ Vince Cepeda (0.70 ERA) also hold ERAs under 1.00, while other strong notables include Angels’ Franco Flores (2.25 ERA), Aces’ Maratita (2.32 ERA) and Taisacan (2.46 ERA), Angels’ Peter Tenorio (2.53 ERA), Aces’ Juan Iguel (2.70 ERA), and Angels’ Tom Joab (3.00 ERA).

In strikeouts, Joshua Jones’ 62 acquired in just three complete games at the start of the season is still by far the mark to beat. IP&E-Shell’s Elton Santos (45), Cepeda (41), IP&E-Shell’s Brandon Santos (23), Flores (21), and Juan Iguel (18) are all on the chase.

By Walter J. Sutherland
Reporter