American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition, This Week in the Association and the Minor League Sports Report name Sioux City Explorers right-hander Solomon Bats as American Association Pitcher of the Week for Week 7 of the 2023 season.

Explorers RHP Solomon Bates Named Pitcher of the Week

On Monday, This Week in the Association and the Minor League Sports Report named Sioux City Explorers right-hander Solomon Bates as the Pitcher of the Week for Week 7 of the 2023 American Association season. Solomon had a great week, going 2-0 with a 0.61 ERA in two starts.

Bates began the week with an impressive outing against the Kansas City Monarchs, allowing one run in 7.0 innings. He struck out a season high 15 in the game, the most by any pitcher in the American Association this season. The right-hander struck out the first four batters of the game and retired the first five, then gave up three straight singles to knot the game at one. From there, Bates was nearly untouchable, retiring the next nine batters, seven by strike out. He gave up a walk and two more singles before his evening was over, allowing five hits and a walk. He struck out the side in two innings and struck out at least one batter in all seven frames. Of his 115 pitches, 83 went for strikes.

The next start for Bates came on Sunday against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, and the starter was no less impressive, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth before finishing with two hits allowed in 7.2 scoreless frames. He walked four and struck out seven. Bates allowed a walk in the second and third innings as the only blemishes through the first five innings. The no-hit bid ended when Evan Alexander led off the sixth with a double. He gave up one more hit in the eighth. Bates threw 126 pitches, 79 for strikes, and he struck out seven.

For the week, Bates pitched 14.2 innings, allowing seven hits and five walks while striking out 22. He posted a miniscule .137 opponent batting average and a 0.82 WHIP.

Solomon Bates was selected in the eighth round of the 2018 MLB draft by the San Francisco Giants. He spent four years in the Giants organization, reaching AA-Richmond in 2022. The right-hander was 17-6 in his four seasons with a 4.30 ERA, appearing in 93 games, just three as a starter. This season is the first for Bates in the American Association. He is tied for the league lead in victories and is 5-3 with a 3.27 ERA in nine starts. He easily leads the league in strikeouts with 70.

2023 American Association Pitchers of the Week

Week 1 – Akeem Bostick, RHP, Sioux Falls Canaries
Week 2 – Jake Dahlberg, LHP, Chicago Dogs
Week 3 – Davis Feldman, RHP, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
Week 4 – Nick Herold, Lake Country DockHounds
Week 5 – Jalen Miller, Kansas City Monarchs
Week 6 – Nick Green, Chicago Dogs

By Robert Pannier