The last minor league record book category for hitters is batting average. Let’s take a look:

2006-2019
1 Collin Cowgill Covington ’05 2011 0.354
2 James McOwen Luray ’05-06 2009 0.340
3 Clint Robinson Harrisonburg ’05-06 2010 0.335
4 John Raynor New Market ’04 2007 0.333
Tyler Kuhn Luray ’06-07 2011 0.333
6 Clint Robinson Harrisonburg ’05-06 2011 0.326
7 Tyler White Haymarket ’10 2015 0.325
8 Jeff Kindel Covington ’03 2007 0.317
9 Tyson Auer Luray ’05-06 2010 0.316
10 Ryan McBroom Haymarket ’11-’12 2015 0.315
Ryan McBroom Haymarket ’11-’12 2019 0.315

Boy, was Collin Cowgill good for Triple-A Reno in 2011. He hit .354/.430/.554 in 395 at-bats, with 24 doubles, eight triples, 13 home runs, and an excellent 51/63 BB/K ratio. He made his major league debut on July 26 of that year, and went on to get 759 plate appearances in the major leagues since then. The 33-year old is still active, too.

All-Time
1 Gene Richards Harrisonburg 1975 0.381
2 Luis Lopez Winchester ’92-3 1997 0.358
3 Collin Cowgill Covington ’05 2011 0.354
4 Billy Sample Harrisonburg ’75 1978 0.352
5 John Kruk New Market ’81 1985 0.351
6 Billy Sample Harrisonburg ’75 1977 0.348
7 Talmadge Nunnari Harrisonburg ’96 1999 0.344
Chad Tracy Staunton ’99 2002 0.344
9 John Kruk New Market ’81 1983 0.341
10 James McOwen Luray ’05-06 2009 0.340
11 Nick Stavinoha Front Royal ’03 2008 0.337
12 Clint Robinson Harrisonburg ’05-06 2010 0.335
13 John Raynor New Market ’04 2007 0.333
Tyler Kuhn Luray ’06-07 2011 0.333
15 Gene Richards Harrisonburg 1976 0.331
Juan Pierre Harrisonburg ’97 2000 0.331
17 Emil Brown Waynesboro ’94 1998 0.330
18 Kevin Reese Winchester ’98 2001 0.329
19 Luis Lopez Winchester ’92-3 2000 0.328
Ryan Shealy Harrisonburg ’99 2005 0.328

Luis Lopez played in Hagerstown in 1997- it is wholly possible, if not likely, that I saw him play that summer. Anyway, he hit a ridiculous .358/.430/.533 in 503 at-bats, with 47 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, and 99 RBIs… with a 60/45 BB/K ratio. It really looks like he should have been moved up, no? Anyway, he didn’t make his major league debut until 2001.

 

Cowgill
Lopez