Class AAA Indianapolis: Adam Boeve is going nuts in his first week with the Indians, hitting .476/.522/.667 so far. He could be pounding on the Pirates' door in a month or two, but with the signings of Sean Casey and Jeromy Burnitz, there's no place for him to play. Scott Strickland has pitched 25 innings and still hasn't allowed a run. Jonah Bayliss, acquired in the Mark Redman trade, is quietly putting together a nice season, striking out 20 in 17.1 innings so far.
Class AA Altoona: Except for relievers Chris Hernandez and Jorge Vasquez pitching well, there's nothing to get even remotely excited about here. The Bucs have apparently signed former Yankees catching prospect David Parrish to play at Altoona, apparently because of the promotions of Ronny Paulino to the majors and Carlos Maldonado to Indianapolis.
Class A+ Lynchburg: 2004 second rounder Brian Bixler is suddenly having an excellent season with the Hillcats, hitting .320/.412/.438. The coming weeks will tell us whether or not that's a batting-average-fueled fluke. Neil Walker has started slowly, which probably is to be expected. Steven Pearce, who pounded the ball at Hickory, was promoted to Lynchburg yesterday.
Class A Hickory: Andrew McCutchen has tailed off a bit, but Brent Lillibridge keeps hitting. James Boone, the Bucs' third round choice in 2005, just made his season debut after sitting out most of the first two months with an injury.