CBN Player of the Week XIII: Jordan Nwogu
Jordan Nwogu (Ottawa, Ont.) has earned CBN minor league Player of the Week honours. Photo: University of Michigan Athletics
August 9, 2021
By George Farelli
Canadian Baseball Network
It took a few months for Jordan Nwogu to adjust to the professional ranks, but the right-handed hitting outfielder has started to inflict some “capital punishment” on baseballs for the Chicago Cubs’ low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans.
Born in Ottawa, our nation’s capital, Nwogu went 8-for-20 (.400) with two home runs, nine runs and eight walks during the period from July 28 to Aug. 3, which has earned him the Canadian Baseball Network’s minor league Player of the Week honours for Week 13.
Selected in the third round (88th overall) by the Cubs in the 2020 MLB draft, Nwogu had a batting average of .206 when the week began, but after his hot stretch, he boosted it to .223.
Among his highlight performances from the week were:
July 28 - He went 1-for-1 with a home run, four walks and three runs in a Pelicans’ 7-3 win over the Augusta Green Jackets.
July 29 - He went 2-for-5 with two doubles and a run in a Pelicans’ 9-4 win over the Green Jackets.
July 30 - He went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a single in the Pelicans’ 10-3 loss to the Green Jackets.
Aug. 1 - He went 1-for-2 with a single, two walks and three runs in Pelicans’ 8-6 loss to the Green Jackets.
Best Offensive Performances
Player / Class / Team AB R H HR RBI AVG
Jordan Nwogu - Low A Myrtle Beach 20 9 8 2 3 .400
Tanner Kirwer - AA New Hampshire 15 4 6 - 1 .400
Owen Caissie - Rkie ACL Cubs 16 4 6 1 3 .375
Jacob Robson - AAA Toledo 14 5 5 - 3 .357
Kyle MacDonald - Hi A Hudson Valley 17 1 6 - 2 .353
T.J. Schofield-Sam - Low A Stockton 20 6 7 1 5 .350
Francisco Hernandez - Hi A Peoria 23 4 8 - 2 .348
Gareth Morgan - Hi A Tri City 16 3 5 1 2 .313
Demi Orimoloye - AA New Hampshire 13 2 4 1 1 .308
Brandon Hernandez - Rkie FCL Cardinals 10 3 3 - 4 .300
Raphael Gladu - IND Equipe Quebec 14 3 6 1 2 .429
Myles Miller - IND Boise 23 5 9 - 4 .391
Wes Darvill - IND Winnipeg 26 6 10 - 2 .385
L.P. Pelletier - IND Equipe Quebec 25 6 9 - - .360
Connor Panas - IND Equipe Quebec 22 2 7 - 2 .318
Mike Crouse - IND Chicago 29 5 9 2 10 .310
*Minimum 10 ABs Required
Ontario Terriers and Okanagan College alum Trevor Brigden (North York, Ont.) excelled for the low-A Charleston River Dogs in the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization earlier this year before being promoted to the High-A Bowling Green Hot Rods. Photo: OC Coyotes/Twitter
Best Pitching Performance
Trevor Brigden RHP - High A Bowling Green Hot Rods
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
2 4.0 3 3 2 2 6 2-0 - 1.25 4.50
In his first year as a professional, Trevor Brigden has had an excellent 2021 season in the Tampa Bay Rays’ minor system, and has already earned a promotion from low-A Charleston up to High A Bowling Green. This week, the 25-year-old native of North York, Ont., made two more very good relief appearances for Bowling Green, the first of which was on July 30 in a 10-9 win over Aberdeen Ironbirds when he pitched two innings, gave up three base hits and two earned runs while striking out four Aberdeen batters, to earn the win. His next appearance was on August 3 in a 2-1 victory over Wilmington Blue Rocks, he threw two innings again and surrendered no hits and no runs while striking out two Wilmington batters, to pick up his second win of the week. His record with the Hot Rods in 13 High A appearances is 3-0 with two saves and a 3.43 ERA.
His overall record for the season, including the stint with the low-A East Charleston River Dogs, in 19 total relief appearances, now stands at 4-1, with three saves and a 3.38 ERA. He also has 50 strikeouts in 32 innings pitched.
Player of the Week
Week I _ Noah Skirrow (Stoney Creek, Ont.) Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies).
Week III _ Andrew Yerzy (Toronto, Ont.) class-A Hillsboro Hops/class-A Visailia Oaks (Diamondbacks)
Week IV _ Indigo Diaz (North Vancouver, BC) class-A Rome Braves (Braves)
Week V _ Edouard Julien (Ancienne-Lorette, Que.) class-A Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Twins).
Week VI _ RHP Logan Hofmann (Muenster, Sask.) class-A Bradenton Marauders (Pirates)
Week VII _ INF-OF Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Jays).
Week VIII _ RHP Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC) class-A Lynchburg Hillcats (Cleveland)
Week IX _ RHP Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) double-A Wichita Wind Surge (Twins)
Week X _ C Kole Cottam (Knoxville, Tenn.) class-A East Greenville (Red Sox)
Week XI _ RHP Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) double-A Wichita Wind Surge (Twins)
Week XII _ OF Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) rookie-class Arizona Complex League (Cubs).