Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

8/25/2010 at 6:15pm

The best-kept secret in the state of Arkansas is the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. And the Naturals might be the best team in minor league baseball.

If you’ve ever been to a game at Arvest Ballpark chances are you watched the Naturals beat up on one of the other seven Texas league teams this season. Because of the terrific atmosphere and great fun that comes with every game, people might forget this is actually one great team.

In an area dominated by the Arkansas Razorbacks (and understandably so) the Naturals have quietly and consistently been the best show in town.

With one of the three best records in all of class AA baseball the Naturals point to a bright future for one of Major League Baseball’s most beleaguered clubs, the Royals.

The Naturals (77-50 at press time) have been trading places with the New York Yankees’ and Chicago Cubs’ class AA affiliates all season. The Tennessee Smokies (Cubs) are an impressive 79-49 and the Trenton Thunder (Yankees) are an equally impressive 75-50.

But the simple number of wins and losses don’t really tell the full story of what the Naturals have accomplished this season.

The purpose of a minor league club is to improve and grow the players given to them by their Major League club. Ultimately, they want to see their prospects turn into major league ball players.

In that regard, the Naturals are succeeding.

If people didn’t get an opportunity to see Mike Moustakas, they missed out.

In just 66 games with the Naturals this season Moustakas held a .347 batting average, scored 58 runs, had 76 runs batted in, and had a .413 on base percentage. Add those numbers to the impressive 21 times he hit a home run — a league best mark he held for a solid month after he left for Class AAA Omaha — and you are talking about the best prospect in the Royals’ farm system.

The Naturals prospects don’t drop off very far after Moustakas. Players like first basemen Clint Robinson, pitchers Everett Teaford and Edgar Osuna make up an impressive class of talent that promises to take the Royals back to the top of the American League Central and maybe even put them in contention for a World Series.

But perhaps the most impressive thing about the Naturals is their ability to consistently play team baseball, a rarity in the minor leagues.

The Naturals boast the league’s highest run total by 21 runs over the second place Springfield Cardinals. The third place team, Midland 106 runs behind the Naturals. Northwest Arkansas also leads the league in OBP and stolen bases. The Naturals remain in the top half of the league in pitching and are almost unbeatable at home, boasting a 42-20 record at home.

I urge you to go out and see the best kept secret in Arkansas, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals as the Texas League season draws to a close. Next week is a great opportunity as the Naturals host the rival Arkansas Travelers (Aug. 31-Sept. 3) and the Tulsa Drillers (Sept. 4-6).

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TJ Carpenter host of The TJ Carpenter Show on ESPN 92.1 The Ticket in Northwest Arkansas, every weekday from 3 to 6 pm.

Tagged: Northwest Arkansas Naturals, Arkansas Razorbacks, T.J. Carpenter