Monday's best: Whitley fires five no-hit frames

The Astros viewed Forrest Whitley as one of the top high school pitchers in the 2016 Draft before selecting him with the 17th overall pick. So far, the young right-hander has done nothing but confirm their assessment.
Whitley, Houston's No. 5 prospect (No. 71 overall), fired five no-hit innings with a career-high nine strikeouts on Monday in his debut for Class A Advanced Buies Creek, a 6-0 victory over Potomac. He was perfect for much of the outing, too, as a two-out walk in the fifth inning represented the only blemish in a performance that saw him record multiple strikeouts in four of his five frames while throwing 70 pitches (48 strikes).
The Astros pushed Whitley, 19, up to the Carolina League after he posted a 2.91 ERA with 67 strikeouts (13.0 K/9) in 46 1/3 innings over 10 starts, 12 appearances for Class A Quad Cities. What's more, Whitley also made a strong first impression in his Bandits debut, tossing five innings of one-hit ball with six strikeouts to record the win.
Altogether, Whitley has compiled a 2.63 ERA with 76 strikeouts (13.3 K/9) and 22 walks (3.9 BB/9) in 51 1/3 innings his first full season.
The rest of the best performances from top prospects Monday
• No. 8 overall prospect Eloy Jimenez (Cubs' No. 1) hit a go-ahead two-run home run to the opposite field in the top of the 11th inning to cap a 4-for-6 night and lead Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach past Down East, 11-7. The homer was Jimenez's eighth in 38 games this season and marked his first since June 18.
• After earning Prospect Team of the Week honors earlier in the day, No. 12 overall prospect Rafael Devers (Red Sox's No. 1) stayed red hot for Double-A Portland as he went 2-for-4 with his 18th home run and four RBIs. It was also the fourth homer in six games for the 20-year-old third baseman, who's hitting .500 (11-for-22) with 11 RBIs in that span.

MILB Video - Title: Devers goes deep to right - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=1569568283

• No. 19 overall prospect Nick Senzel (Reds' No. 1) connected on his first Double-A home run, a two-run shot in the eighth inning, though it wasn't enough to keep Pensacola from falling to Montgomery. He finished the game 3-for-4 with three RBIs, giving the 22-year-old third baseman at least one RBI in each of his past five contests. Overall, Senzel is hitting .306 through 11 games since moving up to the Southern League.
• Making his highly anticipated professional debut, No. 24 overall prospect Kevin Maitan (Braves' No. 2) drew a walk and hit an opposite field single in two plate appearances for the GCL Braves. Signed for $4.25 million out of Venezuela a little more than a year ago, the 17-year-old, switch-hitting shortstop has had his ceiling compared to the likes of Miguel Cabrera and Chipper Jones.
• No. 52 overall prospect Dominic Smith (Mets' No. 2) extended his hitting streak to 19 games for Triple-A Las Vegas with a 3-for-5 effort that included a pair of home runs, a double and four RBIs. He's putting up big numbers in the Pacific Coast League this season, with a .325 average, 10 home runs and 50 RBIs through 83 games.
• No. 81 overall prospect Bobby Bradley (Indians' No. 3) fell a single shy of the cycle after hitting a double, a home run and a triple in his first three at-bats for Double-A Akron. The 21-year-old first baseman still had a monster game, as he finished 3-for-4 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Overall, Bradley has made impressive progress this season in the Eastern League, where he's hitting .267/.359/.510 with 15 homers, 56 RBIs and, perhaps most notably, 68 strikeouts (35 walks) through 73 games.
"Jumping levels every year is not easy and you have to make adjustments," Akron manager Mark Budzinski told MiLB.com. "[Bradley] continues to do that at every level he goes to."
• Brewers No. 20 prospect Corbin Burnes was masterful yet again as he lowered his Minor League-leading ERA to 1.13 with six scoreless frames for Double-A Biloxi. He permitted five hits while striking out five and generating another 10 outs via ground balls. The 22-year-old right-hander has posted a 1.27 ERA in 35 1/3 innings across six starts since being promoted from the Carolina League, where he had dominated to the tune of a 1.05 ERA in 60 innings (10 starts).
• Playing for the first time since May 20, Cubs No. 9 prospect D.J. Wilson went 2-for-3 with a pair of homers while on a rehab assignment in the Rookie Arizona League. A fourth-round Draft pick in 2015, the 20-year-old outfielder was hitting .206 with 11 extra-base hits and eight steals in 39 games with Class A South Bend before being hit by a pitch and landing on the disabled list.
• Indians No. 20 prospect Aaron Civale fired seven scoreless frames en route to his fifth win (5-1) in seven starts for Class A Advanced Lynchburg. The 22-year-old right-hander scattered four hits in the outing while striking out eight and throwing 62 of his 85 pitches for strikes. He owns a 2.08 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP, with 40 strikeouts and three walks, in 43 1/3 innings since joining the Hillcats.
• Tigers No. 17 prospect Matt Hall has not allowed an earned run in his last 36 innings after tossing five scoreless frames in a no-decision for Class A Advanced Lakeland. He scattered five hits, walked one and struck out three before departing the game after 75 pitches (46 strikes). During his streak, which began on May 28, the 23-year-old has lowered his season ERA to 2.88 from 5.36.
• Yankees No. 25 prospectJorge Guzman set a pair of career highs as he struck out 10 over 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a dominant performance for Class A Short Season Staten Island. The 21-year-old righty, whom the Yankees acquired last fall from Houston as part of the Brian McCann trade, allowed two hits and two walks while throwing 64 of his 90 pitches for strikes. He's 3-0 in three starts this season, with a 1.53 ERA, .123 opponents' average and 21 strikeouts in 17 2/3 frames.