3 LA Angels prospects clean up minor league honors during big-league All-Star Break
Here's what you missed at the minor league level during MLB's All-Star festivities.
![Gustavo Campero](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3207,h_1803,x_0,y_56/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/107/01j35px3gkdjfqvea7mv.jpg)
Welcome back, baseball fans.
Major league games have returned to the schedule starting today, meaning that the MLB All-Star break and MLB Draft are over. During the hiatus, Angels fans may have missed action that earned a few prospects some hardware.
Three Angels minor leaguers received Player of the Week honors this past week. In Double-A, Rocket City's Gustavo Campero was named Southern League Player of the Week as part of a major hot streak at the plate.
In High-A Tri-City, the Dust Devils swept the trophies this week. Chris Clark was selected as Northwest League Pitcher of the Week, and Chad Stevens surged for NWL Player of the Week honors.
Red-Hot July for LA Angels Prospects
Campero, the Trash Pandas' catcher, has been unstoppable this month. He has at least one hit recorded in a dozen games in July, batting 21-for-44 (.477) with four home runs and 10 runs batted in.
Six of those game saw a multi-hit performance. He has also walked 10 times (once intentionally) in July alongside three hit-by-pitches.
Entering Friday, Campero is 8-for-his-last-19. This season, he is a .312 hitter with 13 home runs, 40 RBI, 29 stolen bases and a .981 OPS to his name.
Gustavo Campero has been selected as the Southern League Player of the Week! 🏆
— Rocket City Trash Pandas (@trashpandas) July 15, 2024
Since the start of July, he’s raised his batting average from .278 to .312, his OPS from .855 to .981, and has 26 hits in his last 15 games. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/g8KPBNCJSS
Entering Friday, Rocket City is one game back of first place in the North Division of the Southern League. The Trash Pandas finished third place in the standings of the first-half of the season.
LA Angels' Prospect Needed This One
Chris Clark had been struggling this season. He's allowed four or more runs in five starts in 2024 with an ERA north of 6.00 entering his previous start.
The 22-year-old right-hander turned things around on July 10 against Hillsborough, however. He twirled his first scoreless start of the summer, firing four strikeouts in six shutout frames.
Clark issued two hits, two walks and one hit batsman, picking up his first victory since June 5 (six starts).
Clark has 74 strikeouts across 80 2/3 innings this season, dipping his ERA to 5.80.
LA Angels Infield Prospect Finding His Groove
Chad Stevens has been difficult to get out over the last seven contests.
The Dust Devils infielder is riding a seven-game hitting streak entering Friday, batting 16-for-30 with 10 runs scored and three home runs.
He had three home runs in his previous 56 games and has doubled his season total in just one week. Across this stretch, Stevens posted two three-hit games and one four-hit game.
![Corpus Christi Hooks v Amarillo Sod Poodles](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/w_480/images/GettyImages/mmsport/107/01j35q2eb0de3amh163t.jpg)
He's now batting .253 overall this year in 63 games. After being released by the Astros in early May, the Angels may have found a gem. In 35 contests with Tri-City, Stevens is a .304 hitter with 14 doubles.
Tri-City (6-15) has won five of its last seven games after beginning the second half of the season with a 1-13 record. Stevens' eruption has helped the Dust Devils settle in after the club placed last in the first half of the NWL season.