When I tuned in to the Tulsa Drillers game on Thursday evening I was surprised to see that catcher Kyle Farmer was making his AA debut in the Texas League. Farmer in his third year of professional baseball was selected by the Dodgers in the eighth round of the 2013 First Year Player Draft out of the University of Georgia.

After being drafted he reported to the Ogden Raptors of the Rookie Pioneer League in June. In 41 games he proceeded to hit .347 with 36 runs batted in. Farmer continued to hit well in 2014 with the Great Lakes Loons of the Class A Midwest League with a .310 batting average in 57 games while driving in 35 runs. On June 20th he was promoted to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the Advanced A California League. He struggled a bit with the Quakes hitting .238 in 36 games although it appeared he had been slowed by a nagging type injury.

Farmer again reported to the Quakes for the 2015 season and this time there was no struggle. In 14 games he hit .375 the second highest average in the league behind teammate Adam Law. His .413 OBP ranked fifth in the league while his 1.020 OPS found him in third place. In his last ten games with the Quakes he hit .410 with six multiple hit games while driving in seven runs. On the season he had nine hits in 16 at bats with two outs.

Losing Kyle Farmer’s bat was a huge blow to the Quakes. Fortunately, they got power-hitting third baseman Paul Hoenecke back. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

In his AA debut the Atlanta, Georgia native looked at home at the plate as well as behind the plate.

In his first Class AA at bat in the second inning Farmer lined out sharply to center field. He singled in both the third and fourth innings with ground balls up the middle. In the fifth inning he was hit by a pitch and in the sixth inning he again flew out to center fielder Chad Hinshaw. By this time the Drillers were ahead of the Arkansas Travelers 14-2 with Farmer having contributed two runs batted in and scoring a run. Through eight innings all 11 Tulsa hitters who entered the game had scored at least one run.

In the top of the ninth inning Kyle Farmer hit a ground ball just inside the third base bag. Not satisfied with a single he headed for second base looking like an easy out with the ball waiting for him. Somehow with somewhat of a swimming move with his slide he avoided the tag. In his first game at the AA level Farmer went three for five.

Behind the plate the 6’0, 200 lb catcher first handled left-handed starter Dustin Richardson who gave up five hits and two runs in five innings of work while striking out seven. Richardson was followed by Farmer’s former teammate Jacob Rhame. The two had played together with the Ogden Raptors and Great Lakes Loons as well as the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Rhame pitched two scoreless innings giving up no hits, walking one and striking out three. He touched 97 on the radar gun on a couple of pitches.

Fabio Martinez came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and pitched a scoreless inning. He ran into trouble in the ninth walking four consecutive hitters to start the inning along with a wild pitch. Manager Razor Shines reluctantly brought in left-hander Mike Thomas to try to finally get the game completed. Thomas proceeded to hit the next batter forcing in another run. Mercifully Thomas then brought the game to a close by striking out the side. Drillers won 15-4.

I expect Kyle Framer might get the day off on Friday as his first game as a Driller lasted over three and one half hours.