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Myers Pads Home Run Lead

Omaha Storm Chasers outfielder Wil Myers has hit four homers in his last five games, giving him a Minor League Baseball best 33 and first place for the Joe Bauman Home Run Award.

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Reporter: Greg Ortiz

Omaha Storm Chasers outfielder Wil Myers has hit four homers in his last five games, giving him a Minor League Baseball best 33 and first place for the Joe Bauman Home Run Award.

The top regular season home run hitter in the domestic-based leagues wins the Joe Bauman Trophy and a check representing $200 for each one hit.

The 21-year-old Myers has increased his home run lead from one to five in the last two weeks over Oklahoma City first baseman Mike Hessman. Mike Olt also has 28 home runs, but he was called up by the Texas Rangers from Double-A Frisco Wednesday night. Cody Decker of San Antonio is next with 26.

Myers, whom the Kansas City Royals picked in the third round in 2009, hit 13 home runs for Northwest Arkansas to begin his season. He was promoted to Omaha in May.

Classification leaders, provided they are not the overall winner, receive a $500 cash award. Hessman, the active leader in career minor league home runs with 357, leads Triple-A by five over Charlotte’s Dan Johnson. Ernesto Mejia of Gwinnett is six back with 22.

Olt has a six homer lead in Double-A over Decker, who hit four homers with Triple-A Tucson to begin his season. Joseph Dunigan (Jackson), Nathan Freiman (San Antonio) and Luke Murton (Trenton) each have hit 21. Chris McGuiness (Frisco) and Huntsville’s Hunter Morris have 20 home runs apiece.

Telvin Nash (Lancaster) and Matthew Skole of Hagerstown are tied atop Class A with 23. However, Nash is currently on the disabled list. Skole recently returned from missing two weeks with a hand injury.

Aaron Baker, who is just one homer behind, was promoted from Hagerstown to Double-A Bowie a few weeks ago. Dusty Robinson (Stockton), Miguel Sano (Beloit), George Springer (Lancaster) and Trayce Thompson (Winston-Salem) are just two behind Nash and Skole.

Joey Gallo of the Rangers in the Arizona League leads all Short Season-A and Rookie league players with 14 dingers. Patrick Leonard (Burlington) trails Gallo by three. Saxon Butler (Staten Island) and Fred Ford (Burlington) have 10 each. Robert Maddox (Billings) is next with nine.

Chicago Cubs All-Star Bryan LaHair won the Joe Bauman Home Run Award last year when he hit 38 home runs for the Iowa Cubs.