Wednesday's top prospect performers

Here's a look at Wednesday's top Minor League performers from each team's Top 30 Prospects list:

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays: Nate Pearson, RHP (No. 2, No. 39 in MLB) -- 5 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K (Double-A New Hampshire)
Pearson was unhittable as he set a career high for innings and threw 52 of his 74 pitches for strikes. The 22-year-old carved his way through the Harrisburg lineup, only issuing a second-inning walk and allowing a runner to reach base via a third-strike wild pitch in the fifth. Pearson, who missed nearly all of last season after a line drive fractured his forearm, has shown why he was a first-round pick (2017) so far this season. The right-hander has pitched to a 2.93 ERA with the Fisher Cats and has held opponents to one run or fewer in six of his past seven starts. Blue Jays prospects stats »

Orioles: Dean Kremer, RHP (No. 9) -- 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K (Double-A Bowie)
That makes back-to-back scoreless starts for Kremer, who fired 59 of his 98 pitches for strikes and hasn't yielded a run over his past 13 innings. While his scoreless streak only lasts two starts, the 23-year-old, acquired last year from the Dodgers, has been good all year. Kremer has pitched to a 3.04 ERA through 12 starts with Bowie and has struck out 66 in 68 innings. While Kremer did issue a trio of walks on Wednesday, he typically has solid command to pair with his low-to-mid-90s fastball and his plus curveball. Orioles prospects stats »

Rays: Wander Franco, SS (No. 1, No. 1 in MLB) -- 2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 1-for-3 (Class A Advanced Charlotte)
The summer of Franco continues. The 18-year-old has been raking all year and clearly shows no signs of slowing down. Franco extended his hitting streak to five games with hits across both ends of a doubleheader and is hitting .354 through 23 games with Charlotte. Prior to his stint with the Stone Crabs, Franco was equally impressive as he hit .318 over 62 games with Class A Bowling Green. What's more, Franco is more than just an offensive-minded shortstop. The Dominican native has also impressed with hands and range and at the rate he's on, there's certainly a chance he reaches the Majors while he's still a teenager. Rays prospects stats »

Red Sox: Thad Ward, RHP (No. 30) -- 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K (Class A Advanced Salem)
Ward, a fifth-round pick from the 2018 Draft, has been lights-out across two levels in his full-season debut. The Central Florida product began the year with Class A Greenville, where he posted a 1.99 ERA over 13 starts before he was promoted. Once in Salem, the 22-year-old has actually been a tick better. Ward has made six starts for the Red Sox and held the opposition to one run or fewer in five of those, while surrendering just two runs in the other start. Ward has pitched to a 1.91 ERA with Salem and has racked up 34 strikeouts over 28 1/3 innings. Red Sox prospects stats »

Yankees: Luis Medina, RHP (No. 14) -- 5 2/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 7 K (Class A Charleston)
Medina has struggled throughout the current campaign, but Wednesday's start was certainly one of his better performances. The 20-year-old, whom the Yankees signed in 2015, threw 55 of his 97 pitches for strikes, and the gem lowered his ERA to 6.90. Command has been one of the bigger issues for Medina so far this season as he's issued 60 walks in 75 2/3 innings. If he can harness his command, Medina has a pair of potential plus-plus pitches -- his fastball and curveball -- which he has used to amass 88 strikeouts so far this season. Yankees prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Indians: Carlos Vargas, RHP (No. 19) -- 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K (Class A Short-Season Mahoning Valley)
After a pair of rough starts to begin the month (14 runs over 8 1/3 innings), Vargas has bounced back with a pair of gems. Over those two starts, the 19-year-old has given up just one run over 12 innings, struck out 12 and given up five hits. The Indians signed Vargas out of the Dominican Republic in 2016, and he made his professional debut last year in the Arizona League. Vargas, despite still growing into his body, already touches triple digits with his fastball and has a slider that is inconsistent now, but shows signs of being a plus pitch and can be overpowering. Indians prospects stats »

Royals: Gerson Garabito, RHP (No. 28) -- 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K (Double-A Northwest Arkansas)
Garabito got off to a strong start, retiring six of the first seven batters he faced and ultimately taking a no-hit bid into the sixth inning. The 23-year-old threw 61 of his 95 pitches for strikes and lowered his ERA to 3.68, but he has actually been pitching much better than those numbers would indicate. Garabito has allowed one earned run or fewer in four straight starts and has amassed 20 strikeouts compared to just five walks over that span (25 innings). Royals prospects stats »

Tigers: Kyle Funkhouser, RHP (No. 10) -- 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K (Double-A Erie); Matt Hall, LHP (No. 27) -- 6 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K (Triple-A Toledo)
Funkhouser missed all of May with an injury and struggled with Triple-A Toledo upon his return. The 25-year-old gave up 24 runs over 21 2/3 innings with Toledo before he was sent to back to Erie. Funkhouser has made a pair of starts for the SeaWolves and fared much better, allowing three runs over 12 2/3 innings. A fourth-round pick from the 2016 Draft, Funkhouser, sits in the mid 90s with his fastball and has a trio of secondary pitches that all receive average grades. Meanwhile, in Triple-A, Hall extended his scoreless streak to 10 frames with his second straight scoreless start. In fact, the 26-year-old has held his opponent scoreless in six of his past eight appearances, although some of those are short relief appearances. Tigers prospects stats »

Twins: Nick Gordon, SS/2B (No. 11) -- 3-for-5, 2B, RBI (Triple-A Rochester)
After a disappointing 2018 season, Gordon has quietly bounced back and is putting together a strong campaign this year. The 23-year-old, hitting .292 through 62 games, is working on a five-game hitting streak and also has a hit in 18 of the 20 games he's played this month. The 2014 first-round pick has a line-drive approach and after last season's struggles, he worked hard in the offseason to add strength to his frame, which clearly seems to be paying dividends. Twins prospects stats »

White Sox: Nick Madrigal, 2B (No. 4, No. 37 in MLB) -- 1-for-4, 2B, RBI (Double-A Birmingham)
Madrigal extended his hitting streak to seven games and continues to rake for Birmingham. The 2018 first-rounder is hitting .367 over 35 games and has hits in 23 of his past 24 games. Prior to his promotion to Birmingham, Madrigal hit .272 over 49 games with Class A Advanced Winston-Salem. The 22-year-old is a solid defender and Gold Glove Awards may be in his future, but his bat is what truly stands out and separates him from other prospects. White Sox prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

A’s: Sheldon Neuse, 3B (No. 9) -- 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI (Triple-A Las Vegas)
Neuse hit his 19th homer of the year in his second consecutive multihit effort. The 24-year-old, whom the A's acquired via a trade with the Nationals, is hitting .316 through 95 games in his second Triple-A season. Neuse is putting forth a solid effort offensively as he's bounced back from hitting .263 last year and has also shown some more defensive versatility this year, having played second base, shortstop, third base and a bit of left field. A's prospects stats »

Angels: Jared Walsh, 1B/OF/LHP (No. 18) -- 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI (Triple-A Salt Lake)
Walsh did it again. After hitting a trio of homers on Tuesday, Walsh decided he wasn't done and hit his 24th homer of the year on Wednesday. The 25-year-old is hitting .316 through 72 games with Salt Lake and .242 through 12 games in the Majors. Walsh has also made four Major League appearances on the mound and gave up one run over 4 1/3 innings. Angels prospects stats »

Astros: J.B. Bukauskas, RHP (No. 4, No. 95 in MLB) -- 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K (Double-A Corpus Christi)
Whether he's starting or coming out of the bullpen, it doesn't seem to matter these days for Bukauskas. The right-hander threw 46 of his 72 pitches for strikes on Wednesday and picked up the win with five strong innings of relief. The North Carolina product has given up two runs over his past 17 innings as he starts to turn his season around. Bukauskas' ERA still sits at 5.22 after he got off to a rough start, but he's certainly thrown better lately. The 22-year-old struggles with command at times, but does have a solid slider and a mid-90s fastball. Astros prospects stats »

Mariners: Evan White, 1B (No. 5) -- 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI (Double-A Arkansas); Jarred Kelenic, OF (No. 1, No. 22 in MLB) -- 3-for-5, 3 2B, 2 RBI (Class A Advanced Modesto)
White is one of the best defensive prospects in the Minors, but that doesn't mean he can't also hit. The 2017 first-round pick hit .300 last year in his full-season debut and is hitting .295 through 67 games in his first Double-A campaign. White, who has an advanced approach at the plate, showed off his power in Arkansas' loss to Midland as he went deep in both the first and eighth innings for the first two-homer game of his career. White has gone deep 13 times this season, a career-high. Kelenic continued his strong campaign with a career-high three doubles in his second game back from the injured list. The 20-year-old is hitting .259 with the Nuts and .285 through 81 games across two levels. Mariners prospects stats »

Rangers: Scott Heineman, OF (No. 28) -- 3-for-4, RBI (Triple-A Nashville)
That's back-to-back multihit performances for Heineman, who is working on a six-game hitting streak and has hits in all but one of his past 15 games. The 26-year-old, an 11th-round pick from the 2015 Draft, tore the labrum in left shoulder over the winter, so his season got off to a late start. Heineman is making up for lost time. The Oregon product is hitting .380 over 28 games after batting .295 over 107 games at the Triple-A level last season. Rangers prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Tucker Davidson, RHP (No. 18) -- 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 9 K (Double-A Mississippi)
Davidson has now spun a quality start in three of his last four trips to the mound. The 23-year-old, a 19th-round pick from the 2016 Draft, has pitched to a 2.01 ERA through 19 starts this season. Davidson, who has held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in 16 of those starts, dealt with baserunners in five of his six innings, but was able to consistently work his way out of jams, giving up just the one run, which came via a homer. Davidson has struggled a bit in 2018 and some wondered whether he'd remain a starter or move to the bullpen, but he appears to be back on track so far this season. Braves prospects stats »

Marlins: Thomas Jones, OF (No. 28) -- 1-for-3, HR, RBI (Class A Clinton)
Jones, a third-round pick from the 2016 Draft, hit his eighth homer of the year in Clinton's loss to Kane County. The 21-year-old hadn't homered since July 3, but had been hitting well with hits in eight of his past nine games. Jones is an elite athlete and has 70-grade speed, which allows him to make an impact on defense and on the basepaths. In order to do that, he'll need to both improve his routes and get on base more consistently. Marlins prospects stats »

Mets: Quinn Brodey, OF (No. 27) -- 2-for-2, HR, RBI (Double-A Binghamton)
Brodey doesn't hit for a ton of power -- his career high for homers is 13, set in 2018 -- but there is some power in his bat and he's certainly been tapping into it lately. The 23-year-old has eight homers this season, including three over his past five games. Brodey also has a trio of multihit performances over that span and is beginning to heat up offensively. After starting the year with Class A Advanced St. Lucie, where he hit .285 over 53 games, the 2017 third-rounder was promoted to Binghamton, where he's hitting .230 in 42 games. Mets prospects stats »

Phillies: Rodolfo Duran, C (No. 18) -- 2-for-4, HR, RBI (Class A Advanced Clearwater)
Duran has homered twice over his past three games, bringing his total to six on the season. The 21-year-old, a 2014 international signee, is 6-for-13 over the past four games and beginning to heat up in his first experience at the Class A Advanced level. Duran, who hit .260 over 88 games last year, is hitting .243 this year, but primarily stands out for his defense because of his plus arm and solid catch-and-throw skills. Phillies prospects stats »

Nationals: Jake Irvin, RHP (No. 16) -- 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K (Class A Hagerstown)
Irvin threw 59 of his 89 pitches for strikes as he twirled his third scoreless start of the season. The 22-year-old, a fourth-round pick from last year's Draft, retired 15 of 17 from the first to the sixth inning and was in control through the outing. Irvin, an Oklahoma product, doesn't have overpowering stuff -- he's whiffed 77 through 95 1/3 innings this season -- but is always around the strike zone (he's issued just 23 walks) and does a good job of keeping the ball down and generating ground-ball outs. Nationals prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Eduarqui Fernandez, OF (No. 22) -- 3-for-5, 2B, HR, RBI (DSL Brewers)
There's just no stopping Fernandez these days. The 17-year-old, who has racked up three straight three-hit performances and is working on a six-game hitting streak, has also homered four times in his past two games. The Dominican native is hitting .247 through the first 45 games, but his power -- part of the reason the Brewers gave him $1.1 million in July 2018 -- has been on full display. Brewers prospects stats »

Cubs: Trent Giambrone, 2B/SS (No. 20) -- 2-for-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI (Triple-A Iowa)
Giambrone extended his career high with his 20th homer of the season and his first since July 7. The 25th-round pick from the 2016 Draft is hitting .242 through 94 games this season, his first at the Triple-A level. Giambrone doesn't hit for much average as he has an aggressive approach, but he also has surprising power for his stature and doesn't strike out a ton, making consistent contact to all fields. Cubs prospects stats »

Cardinals: Dylan Carlson, OF (No. 2, No. 86 in MLB) -- 3-for-4, 2B (Double-A Springfield)
After hitting .246 over 112 games last season, Carlson has burst back on the scene and elevated his stock this year. The 20-year-old, a 2016 first-round pick, is hitting .289, including a .315 mark this month, in his first Double-A experience. Carlson has also already set a career high with 16 homers. Cardinals prospects stats »

Pirates: Oneil Cruz, SS (No. 4, No. 76 in MLB) -- 2-for-4, 3B, RBI (Class A Advanced Bradenton)
Cruz has hits in six of his past seven games after putting together his latest multihit performance. The 20-year-old is hitting .303 through 21 games with Bradenton. Cruz missed roughly two months with a right foot fracture and has been even better since his return, hitting .333 in July. The Pirates acquired Cruz from the Dodgers in July 2017 and he impressed last year, hitting .286 with a career-high 14 homers in his first full season with the organization. Pirates prospects stats »

Reds: Ibandel Isabel, 1B (No. 24) -- 3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI (Double-A Chattanooga)
It's no secret that Isabel possesses tremendous power, but just in case any one forgot, he showed it off again on Wednesday. The 24-year-old, whom the Reds acquired from the Dodgers in April 2018, hit his 24th homer of the year in the Lookouts' win over Birmingham. Isabel tied for the Minor League lead with 36 homers a season ago and hit 28 in 2017. However, when he isn't hitting the ball out of the yard, Isabel struggles to make contact and has already struck out 140 times in 82 games (307 at-bats) this season. Reds prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Buddy Kennedy, 3B (No. 17) -- 3-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI (Class A Kane County); Kristian Robinson, OF (No. 6) -- 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI (Class A Short-Season Hillsboro)
Kennedy had a perfect night at the plate to boost his average to .258 through 68 games in his first year of full-season ball. The 2017 Draft pick (fifth round) played across two levels of rookie ball over the past two years. Kennedy has a quick bat and makes consistent line-drive contact. The 20-year-old should develop into an above-average hitter and while he has impressed at third base, the D-backs are also looking to add more positions to his skillset and increase his versatility. Robinson has collected hits in nine of his past 10 games to boost his average to .341, but it's been the recent power surge that has truly stood out. After hitting his ninth homer of the year in a win over Salem-Keizer on Wednesday, the 18-year-old has gone deep in four of his past five games. Robinson may have the highest ceiling of any prospect in the D-backs' system and he's certainly showing that early in his career. D-backs prospects stats »

Dodgers: Gavin Lux, SS/2B (No. 2, No. 29 in MLB) -- 2-for-4, 3B; DJ Peters, OF (No. 10) -- 3-for-5, HR, RBI (Triple-A Oklahoma City)
It's almost unfair to ask opposing pitchers to have to face both Lux and Peters in the same lineup these days. Lux, who has posted three straight multihit games and reached base in 33 straight, is hitting a ridiculous .482 over 20 games since his promotion to Triple-A. While Peters isn't flirting with .500 like Lux, he's still swinging a hot bat. Peters is 5-for-9 over the past two days and Wednesday's homer not only gives him five over the past six games, but also brought his total to 20, the third straight season he's reached the 20-homer mark. He's also working on an on-base streak, and he's one-upped his teammate by reaching for the 34th straight contest. Dodgers prospects stats »

Giants: Sean Hjelle, RHP (No. 5) -- 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K; Joey Bart, C (No. 1, No. 17 in MLB) -- 1-for-4, HR, RBI (Class A Advanced San Jose)
Hjelle lowered his ERA to 2.54 with his fourth scoreless start of the year. The 22-year-old, a second-round pick from last year's Draft, has spun a quality start in four of his past five outings, including three in a row. Hjelle threw 50 of his 83 pitches for strikes and although the three walks marked a season high, he managed to keep a zero on the scoreboard. While he didn't have a huge game at the plate, Bart reminded everyone why he's a former first-round pick (2018) as he hit his 10th homer of the year in the eighth inning. Giants prospects stats »

Padres: Luis Campusano, C (No. 12) -- 3-for-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI (Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore)
Campusano has strung together three straight multihit performances, has hits in 10 of his past 11 games and is hitting .328 in his first season with the Storm. The 2017 second-rounder is an aggressive hitter with plus raw power. Campusano has hit a career high 10 homers this season and is slugging .511, which is also a career-best mark. However, with that aggressive approach comes some swing-and-miss tendencies and his swing gets long at times. Still, he has a good amount of upside as a hitter and is also solid behind the plate with a strong, accurate arm. Padres prospects stats »

Rockies: Grant Lavigne, 1B (No. 4) -- 1-for-4, 2B, RBI (Class A Asheville)
Lavigne, the 42nd overall pick from last year's Draft, drove in his 47th run of the year in Asheville's 3-2 loss to Greensboro. Lavigne is hitting .239 through 95 games in his full-season debut after hitting .350 through 59 games last year after the Rockies drafted him out of the New Hampshire prep ranks. Rockies prospects stats »