Thursday's top prospect performers

June 25th, 2021

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

Mariners: Jarred Kelenic, OF (MLB No. 4), Triple-A Tacoma
The power that helped Kelenic rise to the top of prospects lists was on display in a 2-for-3, two-homer performance. He also drove in four runs, his highest total since a five-RBI game (which also featured two home runs) back on Sept. 1, 2019. Kelenic notably had the rise and quick fall out of the Majors earlier this season, but he’s largely picked up where he left off in his return to Tacoma: The 21-year-old has reached safely in 10 of his past 11 games, bringing his Triple-A OPS up to .926. Mariners prospect stats »

Marlins: Edward Cabrera, RHP (MLB No. 52), Double-A Pensacola
Strikeouts demonstrate how dominant Cabrera has been so far this season, and he added nine more in six innings. Oh, and he also didn’t allow a run, bringing his deGrom-esque ERA down to 0.55 through four starts. Workload might be the only thing that can slow Cabrera’s ascent. He made it as high as Double-A back in 2019, but he still only has 49 career innings at that level. Marlins prospects stats »

Nationals: Cade Cavalli, RHP (MLB No. 78), Double-A Harrisburg
Just two starts into his Double-A promotion, Cavalli flashed the type of strikeout stuff that helped him get to that level so quickly. Washington’s 2020 first-round pick fanned 11 over 5 2/3 innings while allowing two runs on six hits and four walks. He now has four walks apiece in both Double-A starts, after not walking more than three in any of his seven outings with High-A Wilmington. He owns a cool 2.05 ERA across the two levels this season. Nationals prospect stats »

A's: Nick Allen, SS/2B (No. 3), Double-A Midland
With two home runs in a 2-for-5 performance, Allen doubled his homer total for the season and surpassed that of his 2019 campaign (when he homered three times in 288 at-bats). In his first two pro seasons, Allen combined for just one home run in 598 at-bats, so it’s clear that leaving the yard isn’t his specialty. The two-homer night marked a career first for Allen, but the 5-foot-8, 166-pound infielder sure can hit: He’s batting .358 in the month of June (24-for-67), and he’s working on a four-game multihit streak right now. Athletics prospect stats »

Astros: Hunter Brown, RHP (No. 3), Double-A
Tyler Brown, RHP (No. 17), High-A Asheville

For Hunter Brown, six innings of two-hit, scoreless ball marked the best start of his season, and it came on the heels of one of his worst. Brown allowed four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings his last time out, thanks in large part to issuing four free passes. One thing he’s had no problem with? Strikeouts. The 22-year-old has 29 punchouts in his past three starts (16 innings), part of a 14.4 strikeouts-per-nine rate on the year.

Tyler Brown’s first pro season has been turbulent so far, as he entered Thursday with an 8.26 ERA and a 1.694 WHIP through eight games (four starts). He’s been much better of late, though, which includes five scoreless innings Thursday. In the process, Brown allowed four hits and two walks while striking out six. Over his past three outings -- two as a starter and one in long relief -- Brown has allowed just two runs over 14 innings (1.29 ERA), with 13 strikeouts versus four walks. Astros prospect stats »

Blue Jays: Orelvis Martinez, SS (No. 7), Low-A Dunedin
Hits are starting to come in bunches for the 19-year-old Martinez, who went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and four RBIs in Game 1 of a doubleheader. That’s the exact stat line he had the night before, and it marks his fourth three-hit night in his past 11 games. In Game 2, Martinez added two more hits, including another double, and an RBI. But perhaps what’s most encouraging for the shortstop is his recent plate discipline. After striking out 18 times in his first nine games this month, Martinez has struck out just four times in his past eight games. Blue Jays prospect stats »

Indians: Logan Allen, LHP (No. 23), High-A Lake County
Bryan Lavastida, C (No. 26), High-A Lake County

Allen’s unbeaten streak in pro ball stayed alive with six scoreless innings in a winning effort. He allowed four hits and a walk while striking out a career-high nine batters in his third quality start of the year. The 2020 second-round selection now has 58 punchouts in 45 1/3 innings to go with his 4-0 record and a 1.79 ERA in eight starts.

Behind the plate for Allen’s excellent start was Lavastida, and he did his part with a bat in his hand, too. The 22-year-old went 3-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs, matching his season-high home run total from 2019 (212 at-bats). Lavastida also enjoyed his first three-hit game of the season, and now he’s batting 8-for-21 with five RBIs in his past six games. Indians prospect stats »

Mets: Mark Vientos, 3B (No. 8), Double-A Binghamton
If you’re wondering where Vientos’ power is coming from all of a sudden, you’re probably not alone. With two more home runs on Thursday, he’s up to 11 in just 35 games this year and it seems like a foregone conclusion that he’ll pass his career high of 12, set back in 2019 (111 games). The 21-year-old has been on a staggering power surge recently, with a homer in four consecutive games (and five of six). He’s clearly earned cleanup honors in Binghamton. Mets prospect stats »

Rays: Blake Hunt, C (No. 16), High-A Bowling Green
Hunt’s mini tear over the past four games includes an 8-for-17 clip (.471), with three doubles, a home run and four RBIs. He did a good deal of that damage Thursday, batting 3-for-4 and finishing a triple shy of the cycle. The 22-year-old doesn’t have a triple this season, but we can probably forgive him for that; his .828 OPS through 33 games is currently the highest of his four-year pro career. Rays prospect stats »

Royals: Zach Haake, RHP (No. 18), High-A Quad Cities
Haake allowed zero runs on four hits and a walk to extend his scoreless streak to 12 2/3 innings. He added five strikeouts, bringing his total up to 19 over his past four starts (20 innings). The 24-year-old’s most dominant showing might’ve been his lone relief performance of the season (seven strikeouts over four innings of one-hit ball on May 13), but he’s shown lately what he can do as a member of the rotation. Royals prospect stats »

Tigers: Dillon Dingler, C (No. 4), Double-A Erie
Nobody tell Dingler that June is almost over, because he’s probably not going to be very happy about that as he is absolutely raking this month. The catcher's 2-for-5, two-RBI night included his first multi-triple game as a pro. For as well as he performed with High-A West Michigan (.925 OPS in 32 games), he’s been even better since being called up to Erie on June 15 (.974 OPS in seven games). He has at least one hit in six of seven Double-A games. Tigers prospect stats »

Yankees: Josh Breaux, C (No. 19), High-A Hudson Valley
Breaux went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs to secure just his third multi-RBI game of the season -- and his first multihomer game since April 30, 2019. The Yankees’ 2018 second-rounder started slow, with a .149/.219/.269 slash line in May. But thanks to a strong past two weeks (14-for-35), his OPS has climbed to .661. He was batting third on Thursday, which gives an indication of how Hudson Valley feels about him. Yankees prospect stats »