Arencibia keeps up torrid pace

Two months ago, 51s catcher J.P. Arencibia was batting .219.

Since then, Arencibia has established himself as the hottest hitter in minor league baseball and put himself in contention to capture the Pacific Coast League's Triple Crown this season.

He leads all of professional baseball in home runs, with 28, and entered Wednesday's 10-5 loss to Tacoma at Cashman Field sixth in the PCL in batting (.321) and second in RBIs (71).

The 24-year-old also leads the league in slugging percentage (.673), extra-base hits (57) and total bases (218) and is second in doubles (28).

A 2007 first-round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays, Arencibia has enjoyed success at every level of baseball.

But he's never been on such an extended tear, staying hot for nearly seven weeks.

Arencibia, who went 0-for-3 with a walk Wednesday, has hit safely in 33 of his last 37 games, dating to June 5.

He has batted .399 (61-for-153) with 20 home runs and 45 RBIs in that span, homering in four straight games once and in three straight games twice.

"I'm at a loss for words," said Arencibia, who typically never stops talking. "You always imagine yourself doing well, but this has been unbelievable."

In his third full season in the minors, Arencibia credits Las Vegas hitting coach Chad Mottola with much of his success.

"He worked with me a lot learning the proper way to get ready (for the pitch) and helped me out with my timing," Arencibia said. "That was my biggest problem -- I was never consistent with my timing.

"He helped make it simple for me to be consistent, and it's helped me take off."

Mottola, who played 16 seasons of pro baseball, said it was simply a matter of finding the right routine and point of contact that worked for Arencibia.

"It's been unbelievable, but it's been real simple," Mottola said. "I've been around the game a long time, and I haven't seen anything like it, at this length. I've seen guys with a good couple of days or a good week, but six weeks? You just kind of shake your head."

Now that Arencibia knows his swing well enough to fix flaws in it himself, Mottola said pitchers don't know how to pitch to him.

"I've watched for these (six) weeks, and I couldn't tell you where his hole is, if there is a hole," he said.

Arencibia, who has made big strides on defense as well, also attributes his success to having laser eye surgery in the offseason.

"I went from 20-50 (vision) with a really bad astigmatism to 20-15 and the astigmatism pretty much nonexistent," he said. "It's huge. Last year at night, the ball kind of looked like a cue ball to me. But I'm able to see spin now and the seams on the ball, and it makes a big difference."

It will be only a matter of time before Arencibia breaks into the big leagues with the Blue Jays.

"He's a big part of our future," said Charlie Wilson, Toronto's director of minor league operations. "We feel he's going to be an impact player at the major league level."

■ NOTES -- 51s first baseman Brian Dopirak was placed on the disabled list with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and is expected to miss the rest of the season. The former second-round draft pick hit .274 with 11 homers, 53 RBIs and 26 doubles for Las Vegas this season, after compiling 56 homers and 203 RBIs the past two years. ... Catcher Raul Chavez was placed on the temporary inactive list. ... Outfielder Danny Perales and pitcher Zach Jackson were activated from the disabled list.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.