Weathers, Chisholm Jr. star for their clubs

April 17th, 2021

It was a pair of Top 100 prospects who took center stage for their respective clubs on Friday night. sparkled on the hill for the Padres in what was arguably the game of the night, and found the seats again for the Marlins in another multi-hit performance.

Weathers, MLB Pipeline's No. 93 overall prospect, made his first career start and twirled a gem for San Diego. He worked around a hit and pair of walks to fan three over 3 2/3 scoreless innings in the Padres 11-6 loss to the Dodgers. The left-hander lowered his ERA to 0.93 over four appearances this season and is sporting a .100 average against and 0.67 WHIP in 9 2/3 frames.

The fifth-ranked Padres prospect walked Mookie Betts on nine pitches to begin the game, but the Dodgers' star was quickly erased from the basepaths after Corey Seager grounded into a 5-6-3 double play. Weathers got Justin Turner to pop out to second to escape the inning unscathed.

The 21-year-old began the second with another walk -- this time to Will Smith -- but a flyout to left by Max Muncy and a punchout of Chris Taylor on three pitches quickly left Smith at first with two outs. A base hit to right by Zach McKinstry moved Smith into scoring position, but Luke Raley grounded out to second to end the threat.

Weathers retired the next four batters before Smith reached again on a fielding error by first baseman Eric Hosmer. The southpaw promptly whiffed Max Muncy on an 86.8 mph changeup before being removed from the game. Weathers was pulled after 79 pitches -- 46 were strikes.

Chisholm Jr., turned in his third multi-hit effort of the season to help propel Miami to a 4-1 victory over the Giants at loanDepot park. The fourth-ranked Marlins prospect went yard for the third time this season when he won a seven-pitch at-bat against Anthony DeSclafani by mashing an 86 mph hanging slider to right-center to get the Marlins on the board.

MLB Pipeline's No. 58 overall prospect also legged out an infield single in the second when he drilled a sharp ground ball to short that Brandon Crawford could not field cleanly. The 23-year-old's 55-grade speed was on display as he beat out the throw. Friday marked Chisholm's third multi-hit effort in 11 games this season, and he is batting .294/.405/.706 with six RBIs.

Here are more top rookie performances from Thursday's games:

Luis Campusano, C, SD (MLB No. 38)
The third-ranked Padres prospect put his club on the board with an RBI knock the other way in the second inning. With two on and two out, Campusano found some grass in right field on a first-pitch fastball from Walker Buehler that scored Manny Machado from third. It marked Campusano's first career RBI -- and it came in his seventh game of the season. Gameday »

Tyler Stephenson, C, CIN (MLB No. 87)
The fourth-ranked Reds prospect doubled his RBI total on the year with a two-run knock in the fifth inning. With two outs in the frame, Stephenson worked the count full against Cal Quantrill before connecting with a 95.1 mph fastball up in the zone and lining it into center to score Eugenio Suarez and Jonathan India. Stephenson reached base three times in the game as he was hit by a Logan Allen pitch in the third and scored later in the frame, and the 24-year-old also worked a seven-pitch walk to lead off the fourth. Gameday »

Justin Williams, OF, STL
The 18th-ranked Cardinals prospect launched his first career dinger in the eighth inning. The 25-year-old fouled off a 2-2 fastball to stay alive before mashing an 84.2 mph changeup from Zach Eflin to left-center. The jack scored Dylan Carlson and accounted for all of St. Louis’ offense in the game. The knock was also Williams’ first extra-base hit of the season and brought the rookie’s RBI total to five over 13 games. Gameday »

Connor Brogdon, RHP, PHI
The 22nd-ranked Phillies prospect continued his electric start to his Major League career by extending his shutout streak to six straight appearances. The righty also extended his hitless streak to three straight games as he tossed a perfect frame of relief with one strikeout against the Cardinals. Brogdon is sporting a .143 average against and 0.75 WHIP across 6 1/3 innings this season with seven punchouts to two walks. Gameday »

Luke Raley, OF, LAD
In his eighth career Major League at-bat, Raley blasted his first home run. The 26-year-old didn’t waste any time against Padres reliever Dan Altavilla as he turned around the first pitch he saw from the right-hander -- a hanging slider -- with one out in the fifth and deposited it into the seats in right-center. The tater was Raley’s second extra-base hit of the season and first RBI in five games. The outfielder had one extra-base hit, a double, in 11 Cactus League games this spring. Gameday »

Randy Arozarena, OF, TB
The 26-year-old did it all for the Rays on Friday. Arozarena notched his fourth extra-base hit of the year with a double down the line in left in the first inning. He came around to score on a Brandon Lowe double to spot Tampa Bay an early 2-0 lead. The Cuban native also drove in a run with an RBI groundout in the fifth and made a spectacular play in right to rob DJ LeMahieu of extra bases in the third. Gameday »

Zach McKinstry, INF/OF, LAD
The 15th-ranked Dodgers prospect turned in his fourth multi-hit performance of the season. McKinstry turned around a 3-1 fastball in the second inning and lined it into right for a base knock to keep the inning alive. The 25-year-old proved to be clutch in the eighth when he laced an RBI double to right to extend L.A.'s lead to 5-3. McKinstry now has three multi-hit games in the last five and is batting .326 with eight extra-base hits and 13 RBIs through his first career 13 games. Gameday »

Chas McCormick, OF, HOU
The 18th-ranked Astros prospect drilled a double to left in the fifth that plated Alex De Goti -- who had just recorded his first career hit and RBI in the frame -- and gave the Astros a 3-0 advantage. The knock snapped a three-game hitless skid for McCormick and was his third extra-base hit in seven games this season. The 25-year-old has also driven in six runs. Gameday »