We're done with roughly a month of the minor league season, and by now most people know what Jeremy Hellickson did(which is: dominated). We know that a couple top guys struggled(Chris Mason, Ryan Royster, etc)... but what about the less-heralded guys? Just because a player doesn't make a top 30 prospect list doesn't mean he won't contribute someday, especially in an organization as deep as ours. So after the jump I take a look at some things that happened in the first month that may have slipped through the cracks.

In Vero Beach, right-handed reliever Ryan Reid was exceptional. In 11 appearances spanning 15.2 innings, Reid allowed just 6 hits, 2 walks, and 1 earned run. He struck out 24 and opponents hit .115 off of him. And he's done it getting groundballs, with an GO/AO rate of 1.75. This isn't exactly out of nowhere since he did much of the same in Columbus last year. Now, it needs to be mentioned that Reid is a 23-year old in high-A, so he's definitely old for the FSL, which is pitcher-friendly to begin with. He's only 5'11", so he'll have to fight the bias against short righties. Reid was the Rays' 7th round pick in 2006 out of James Madison. I'd really love to hear a report on his stuff because his stats are ridiculous so far in 2008. One last caveat: His BABIP is an abnormally low .214, so as that regresses toward the mean, his hit rate will rise. Still, his strong K/BB and groundball rates bode well for continued future success.

In Columbus, another short college guy is putting up pretty good numbers: 2007 13th rounder Brian Flores. The lefty has made 2 starts and relieved in 7 other games, sporting a 3.86 ERA in 18.2 innings. Like Reid, Flores has racked up strikeouts, 25 of them, to be precise. He's walked 9, which is more than you'd like, but the thing that caught my eye were his numbers against lefties. Admittedly, this is a very small sample size, but take a look: In 6 innings, lefties are hitting just .105 off him, with 8 strikeouts. Last year in Hudson Valley, in an otherwise disappointing year for Flores, lefties hit just .150 against him with 12 strikeouts in 38 at-bats. Again, we're talking about 60 or so at-bats, but it seems that lefties are really having problems with this guy. Also, it's a 23-year old in low-A ball, so it's nothing to get very excited over. It looks like the Catfish have him relieving/spot starting for now, but ultimately he'll wind up in the bullpen as he moves through the system. His ceiling is limited to a loogy role, but if he continues to give lefties fits, he could eventually crack the big leagues.

Keeping it in Columbus, Shawn O'Malley finally reported to the Catfish from XST and has played in two games so far, going 3-8. The 2005 5th rounder is a speedy shortstop who's worth keeping an eye on. His small size(5'10" 155) might prove too much to overcome, though, Speaking of speed in Columbus, centerfielder Emeel Salem has already swiped 22 bases. He's hitting for decent average and getting on base, but his low slugging percentage(.355) needs to be improved.

In Montgomery, there isn't a whole lot going on that would surprise you. My 2008 super-sleeper Jeff Kamrath hasn't quite come through, sporting and ERA over 15 and currently on the disabled list. Ronnie Merrill leads the team in hitting, while Richard De Los Santos leads the Biscuits in innings pitched. Don't expect either to last all that long.

Lastly, we go to Durham. The Bulls have had about a hundred different players make appearances for them with all the injuries in the organization. Dale Thayer, a 28-year old right-hander who came over in the Russell Branyan trade, has an ERA of 2.57 and has struck out 20 in 14 innings. Unfortunately, he's also walked 9 in that span, and he's probably pretty far down the list of guys to call up. Another guy I really like, Calvin Medlock, is back with the Bulls after clearing waivers when he was taken off the 40-man roster. One of the guys we got for Jorge Cantu, Medlock is another short righty(just 5'10"). Like Thayer, opponents aren't hitting him(.186 OBA) but he's putting too many guys on base(9 walks in 13 innings). He walked 5 in 47 innings with Cincy's AA team last year, but for whatever reason, hasn't been able to keep the ball in the zone at AAA(32 walks in 44 innings). The fact he was taken off the 40-man probably means he won't be coming to a Tampa Bay bullpen near you any time soon.

Quick hits: Jesse Darcy has walked just 1 guy in 17 innings at Columbus... Austin Hinkle, 2007 41st rounder, reported to Columbus from XST... Not a prospect, but Grant Balfour hasn't allowed a run in 10 innings. He recently returned after an injury... Nevin Ashley is still looking for his first extra-base hit...