The idea that the Padres’ Triple-A sluggers are quite comfortable at Southwest University Park isn’t limited to the ball that Ryan Schimpf hit across the street and into downtown or the home run that Alex Dickerson drilled off his home park’s scoreboard.

The so-called defensive-minded catcher of the future has collected a career-high 18 homers in just 63 games, his backup is slugging more than 100 points better and El Paso is Minor League Baseball’s only full-year affiliate with a team batting average above. 300, with much of that production spurred by the comfortable confines of the Chihuahuas’ 3-year-old park.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS (Through Friday; min. 160 ABs; 55 IP) Avg.: .382, OF Alex Dickerson (AAA)

.382, OF Alex Dickerson (AAA) OBP: .432, INF Ryan Schimpf (AAA)

.432, INF Ryan Schimpf (AAA) SLG: .729, Schimpf

.729, Schimpf HRs: 27, OF Hunter Renfroe (AAA)

27, OF (AAA) RBIs: 93, Renfroe (AAA)

93, Renfroe (AAA) Steals: 32, OF Michael Gettys (A, A+)

32, OF Michael Gettys (A, A+) Wins: 11, RHP Carlos Pimentel (AAA), RHP Dinelson Lamet (A+, AA)

11, RHP Carlos Pimentel (AAA), RHP Dinelson Lamet (A+, AA) ERA: 1.07, LHP Kyle McGrath (A+, AA)

1.07, LHP Kyle McGrath (A+, AA) WHIP: 0.75, McGrath

0.75, McGrath Saves: 14, RHP Jason Jester (AA, AAA)

14, RHP Jason Jester (AA, AAA) Strikeouts: 134, RHP Brett Kennedy (A, A+)

134, RHP Brett Kennedy (A, A+) SO/W: 9.86, McGrath

Indeed, the video-game like numbers piling up nightly in the Pacific Coast League makes it difficult to assess a player’s progression strictly by conventional numbers.

So Andy Green doesn’t.

“I didn’t expect Alex Dickerson to come up here and hit .382, but what I liked about Alex Dickerson was the low K-rate,” the Padres’ rookie manager said recently. “You’ve continued to see that plummet here, and the consistent quality of contact you saw when you watched games down there. Those things are great indicators. Is he in the strike zone? Is he swinging at pitches that he shouldn’t be swinging at, is he taking pitches that he should be swinging at?

“ … Plate discipline is really important to me.”

It’s also necessary because just about everyone in El Paso’s lineup is clamoring for a big league call-up based on batting averages alone.

Dickerson’s .382 mark still leads the Chihuahuas’ qualifiers, followed by Schimpf (.355), Hector Sanchez (.352), Austin Hedges (.346), the departed James Loney (.342), Carlos Asuaje (.322), Nick Noonan (.321), Hunter Renfroe (.321) and Manuel Margot (.312).

Renfroe also leads all Padres minor leaguers with 27 homers and 93 RBIs, although the organization is as invested in balancing his home/road splits – 1.120 OPS at home and a .746 OPS on the road – as it is his chase rates, in-zone swing percentages and pitch selection.

As favorable as the home park is, those principles sinking in up and down the Chihuahuas roster – as talented a Triple-A roster as the Padres have field in years – has a great deal to do with the surge in offense in El Paso, Padres farm director Sam Geaney said.

“We’re more process-driven than results-based,” Geaney said. “The years those guys are having is because they are going about things the right way.”

AROUND THE FARM

El Paso (AAA): OF Hunter Renfroe struck out as a pinch-hitter Friday night in his first at-bat since he was hit by a pitch in the right hand/wrist on Aug. 6.

OF Hunter Renfroe struck out as a pinch-hitter Friday night in his first at-bat since he was hit by a pitch in the right hand/wrist on Aug. 6. San Antonio (AA): RHP Dinelson Lamet turned in his best outing since his Texas League promotion on Tuesday, scattering three hits and no walks while striking out seven over six shutout innings. He is 4-6 with a 3.86 Era for the Missions.

RHP Dinelson Lamet turned in his best outing since his Texas League promotion on Tuesday, scattering three hits and no walks while striking out seven over six shutout innings. He is 4-6 with a 3.86 Era for the Missions. Lake Elsinore (A+): In 12 games since arriving in the Andrew Cashner trade, 1B Josh Naylor is hitting .288/.278/.385 with one homer, 13 RBIs and one steal.

In 12 games since arriving in the trade, 1B Josh Naylor is hitting .288/.278/.385 with one homer, 13 RBIs and one steal. Fort Wayne (A): C Austin Allen extended his hitting streak to a TinCaps’ record 24 games with two hits on Friday. Former Padres INF Sean Burroughs held the previous record at 23.

C Austin Allen extended his hitting streak to a TinCaps’ record 24 games with two hits on Friday. Former Padres INF Sean Burroughs held the previous record at 23. Tri-City (SS): Top picks Cal Quantrill and Eric Laurer were unscored upon this week. Quantrill struck out eight over 4 2/3 innings and Laurer struck out seven over four innings.

Top picks Cal Quantrill and Eric Laurer were unscored upon this week. Quantrill struck out eight over 4 2/3 innings and Laurer struck out seven over four innings. AZL Padres (R): LHP Logan Allen has turned in three shutout innings in two appearances while rehabbing a sore left elbow. He is expected to return to Fort Wayne before the end of the season.

LHP Logan Allen has turned in three shutout innings in two appearances while rehabbing a sore left elbow. He is expected to return to Fort Wayne before the end of the season. DSL Padres (R): LHP Omar Fernandez (3-0, 0.81) had a string of 22 1/3 scoreless innings snapped when he allowed two runs in three innings Thursday.

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