CBN POW, Week XXII - Carter Loewen

Former Abbotsford Cardinals RHP Carter Loewen (Abbotsford, BC) had a strong week in the San Diego Padres system.

September 6, 2023

By George Farelli

Canadian Baseball Network

This writer I know -- Bob Elliott -- tells the story of meeting a green reporter from The Fan in Toronto in the SkyDome pressbox one night in 1994.

“Don’t you mess up that name -- it’s a good name,” the elderly Elliott said to the man he calls his pretend cousin named Elliotte Friedman, who was beginning his career.

Now the founding father of the Canadian Baseball Network tells a different story ... how he respects Friedman, the most respected Hockey Night in Canada voice when it comes to news. Now, Elliott says that it is he who “tries not to blemish the Elliotte’s good name” as the ball writer plugs along.

It’s not quite the same as Adam Loewen -- who made the big leagues three times at three separate positions -- and Carter Loewen ... but it’s getting closer.

Adam Loewen became the highest Canadian-born player ever chosen in the MLB draft when he was selected fourth overall in North America by the Baltimore Orioles from the Whalley Chiefs. He was part of the golden class of 2002 which also included Jeff Francis (North Delta, BC), ninth overall; Joey Votto (Etobicoke, Ont.) 44th overall and Jesse Crain (Toronto, Ont.), 61st overall. Four of the first 61 ... Canada’s best showing ever.

Adam made the majors as a left-handed starter in 2006 with the Orioles, as an outfielder with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011 and as a lefty reliever with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2015 and Arizona Diamondbacks in 2016.

Carter (Abbotsford, BC) is a few rungs on the ladder away from the majors, but he is our Canadian Baseball Network minor league Player of the Week for Week XXII, the best of 163 Canadians we are tracking.

_ Carter worked 2 1/3 scoreless for the Fort Wayne Tin Cups in a 3-2 win over the South Bend Cubs before 3,995 at Parkview Field. He allowed three singles throwing 45 pitches -- 31 strikes (68.9%) -- striking out five.

In the fifth he entered with Fort Wayne winning 3-1, two outs and a man on third ... allowing a run-scoring single and another single before retiring the third out on a fly ball to right.

In the sixth ... it went strikeout swinging, strikeout swinging, a single to right and a strikeout looking.

And in the seventh ... a strike out looking, a strikeout swinging and a fly ball to centre.

_ In his second outing of the week, he came on to pitch a scoreless ninth and gain the save in a 2-0 win over South Bend in front of 7,343 at Parkview Field. He needed only nine pitches -- five strikes (55.6%) -- to get the job done.

With the wind blowing out at 12 mph, he retired Felix Stevens on a grounder to short, Yohendrick Pinango on a pop to third and Josh Rivera on a pop to short.

LHP Miguel Cienfuegos (Laval, Que.) started and had a no decision in an 8-5 win over South Bend in front of 6,725 at Parkview Field. Cienfuegos allowed five runs -- four earned -- on six hits and two walks.

Highlight I _ Noah Myers (Tilbury, Ont.) of the Evansville Otters.

The former Great Lake Canadian was named winner of the Jason Simontacchi Award as IND Frontier League’s 2023 Rookie of the Year. His final league statistics:

GMS AB RUNS HITS AVG HR RBI TB SLG OBP

93 354 86 114 .322 18 58 201 .568 .438

Highlight II _ Matt Warkentin (Leamington, Ont.) of the Joliet Slammers.

The former Ontario Blue Jay was named as the first baseman on the 2023 IND All Frontier League Team. Following are his final league statistics.

GMS AB RUNS HITS AVG HR RBI TB SLG OBP

74 282 52 83 .294 27 64 180 .638 .364

Best Offensive Performances

NAME CLASS TEAM AB R H HR RBI Avg

Damiano Palmegiani AAA Buffalo 22 5 9 1 4 .409

Jared Young AAA Iowa 22 6 8 2 9 .364

Owen Caissie AA Tennessee 17 3 6 - - .353

Tristan Peters AA Midland 24 3 8 - 4 .333

Dylan O’Rae A Carolina 18 1 6 - 1 .333

Abraham Toro AAA Nashville 20 2 6 - 2 .300

Max Hewitt AA Great Lakes 10 - 3 - 1 .300

Andy Yerzy IND Kansas City 17 4 8 1 4 .471

Mike Crouse IND Milwaukee 23 6 10 - 4 .435

Brendon Dadson IND Trois Rivieres 26 7 10 - 6 .385

Connor Panas IND Lincoln 32 6 12 3 7 .375

Wes Darvill IND Washington 14 5 5 - - .357

Kole Cottam IND Spire City 17 4 6 2 2 .353

Noah Myers IND Evansville 23 4 8 1 3 .348

Matt Lloyd IND Sioux City 35 5 11 2 8 .314

Justin Gideon IND Quebec 20 4 6 - 5 .300

(Minimum 10 ABs)

(Palmegiani stats include three games with double-A New Hampshire)

BEST PITCHING PERFORMANCES

NAME CLASS TEAM GM WIN SAVE ERA INN K

Carter Loewen A Fort Wayne 2 1 1 0.00 3.1 5

Since his promotion to the Fort Wayne TinCaps on June 30, Loewen has been very consistent, and is now a key member of their bullpen. This week he made two more excellent relief appearances, the first of which was on Aug. 30 in a 3-2 win over South Bend Cubs, as he threw 2 1/3 hitless and scoreless innings while striking out five South Bend batters, to earn his fourth win of the season. He followed that up on Sept. 3 in a 2-0 win again over the Cubs with one inning of hitless and scoreless ball, which resulted in his second save of the year. His record with the TinCaps in 16 Midwest League relief appearances now stands at 4-0 with two saves and a 2.51 ERA. His overall record this season, including his stint with Lake Elsinore Storm in Single A California League, includes a total of 32 relief appearances, a 5-2 record, two saves, and a 2.33 ERA.

NAME CLASS TEAM GM WIN SAVE ERA INN K

Rowan Wick AAA Buffalo 3 - 2 0.00 2.1 7

It’s often said that a change is for the best. Well, it seems in Rowan Wick’s case, that’s true. Since being signed to a minor league contract by Toronto Blue Jays in the first week of August, and subsequently assigned to their triple-A affilate Buffalo Bisons, he has regained his previous level of excellent relief performance, which he exhibited for several years in the Chicago Cubs organization.

This week, he made three very good appearances in the closer’s role with the Bisons. The first was on Aug. 29 in a 2-0 win over Indianapolis when he pitched one scoreless, allowing zero hits while striking out all three batters faced, to earn his second save of the season. He followed that up on Aug. 31 in a 4-1 win again over Indianapolis as he threw one scoreless and again surrendered no runs and zero hits while striking out three hitters, to pick up his second save of the week.

His final appearance was on Sept. 3, in a 13-6 win over Indianapolis, when he struck out the only batter he faced. These three relief appearances improved his record with the Bisons, in 14 International League games, to 0-0 with three saves and a 1.84 ERA.

NAME CLASS TEAM GM WIN SAVE ERA INN K

Christian MacLeod A Cedar Rapids 1 1 - 0.00 5.1 3

Ever since his promotion to the Cedar Rapids Kernels at the end of May, MacLeod has been very consistent, pitching in the team’s starting rotaion. This week he made another solid start for the Kernels in a 12-0 win over Lake County Captains, as he pitched five scoreless, allowing three hits while striking out three, to earn his fifth win of the season. This result improved his record in 15 Single A Midwest League games to 5-2 with a 4.13 ERA.

NAME CLASS TEAM GM WIN SAVE ERA INN K

Adam Shoemaker A Augusta 1 1 - 5.63 3.1 2

Shoemaker is a 21-year-old native of Cambridge, Ont., who was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 2021 MLB draft. He is currently in his second season as a pro and is pitching with the Augusta Greenjackets in the Single A Carolina League. Since the beginning of the 2023 season, he has made 21 appearances, but the results have been mixed.

This week he enjoyed some success on Sept. 2, in a 4-3 win over the Salem Red Sox, when he pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs while striking out two Salem batters, to earn his first win of the season. In fact, it was the first win of his two-year pro career. He is now 1-7, with a save and a 6.40 ERA in 21 Carolina League appearances this season.

Previous Players of the Week

Week I _ Edouard Julien (Ancienne-Lorette, Que.) triple-A St. Paul Saints (Twins)

Week II _ Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC) double-A Akron RuberDucks (Guardians).

Week III _ Abraham Toro (Longuiel, Que.) triple-A Nashville Sounds (Brewers)

Week IV _ Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) double-A Midland (A’s) and Trei Cruz (Toronto, Ont.) double-A Erie (Tigers)

Week V _ Wesley Moore (Surrey, BC) class-A Clearwater Threshers (Phillies).

Week VI _ Matt Coutney (Wetaskiwin, Alta.) class-A Inland Empire (Angels).

Week VII _ Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, BC) double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Jays)

Week VIII _ Matt Coutney (Wetaskiwin, Alta.) class-A Inland Empire (Angels) annd David McCabe (Courtice, Ont.) and Augusta Greenjackets (Braves.)

Week IX _ Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) double-A Akron Rubber Ducks (Guardians)

Week X _ Mitch Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.) class-A Hickory Crawdads (Mets)

Week XI _ Jared Young (Prince George, BC) triple-A Iowa (Cubs).