Monday's top prospect performers

June 4th, 2019

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

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays: Kevin Vicuna, SS/2B (No. 27) -- 1-for-4, 2B, R (Class A Adv Dunedin)
Vicuna scored Dunedin’s only run of the game in the fourth inning after hitting a leadoff double, which was one of his team’s three hits in the contest. The 21-year-old is regarded as a plus defender at either middle-infield position and has good feel to hit from the right side of the plate, albeit with very little power. Through 50 games, he’s batting .257/.317/.339 with 11 extra-base hits (1 homer) and nine stolen bases.
Blue Jays prospects stats »

Orioles: Adam Hall, SS (No. 14) -- 1-for-4, 2 R, BB, SB (Class A Delmarva)
The 2016 second-round pick (No. 60 overall) scored a pair of runs from the two-spot in the lineup and he’s now hit safely in six of the last seven games for the Shorebirds. Off to a strong start in his first full season, the 20-year-old middle infielder is currently third among South Atlantic League hitters in average (.322) and hits (65), has scored the second-most runs (tied-39) and ranks fourth in OBP (.403). He’s also swiped 14 bags in 18 attempts.
Orioles prospects stats »

Rays: Brendan McKay, LHP/DH (No. 3, MLB No. 29) -- 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 6 K (Triple-A Durham)
The former No. 4 overall Draft pick (2017) allowed his first runs at the Triple-A level as Norfolk’s Joey Rickard tagged him for a two-run homer in the fifth inning. Beyond that, it was another excellent start by the 23-year-old left-hander, who’s fanned 10 batters and allowed just six hits over 10 innings in two Triple-A starts. The Rays promoted McKay to the Minors’ highest level after he posted a 1.30 ERA with 62/9 K/BB and a .172 BAA over 41 2/3 innings at Double-A Montgomery. He continues to serve as a designated hitter when his pitching schedule allows it, though the results have paled in comparison (.165/.271/.231 in 91 ABs) to his success on the mound.
Rays prospects stats »

Red Sox: Pedro Castellanos, 1B (No. 25) -- 2-for-4, 2B, RBI (Class A Adv Salem)
The only player to tally multiple hits for Salem on Monday, Castellanos, 21, also plated his team’s only run of the game with a fourth-inning double. The Venezuelan first baseman has recorded three multiihit performances during his eight-game hitting streak, and, overall, he’s batting .289 with 37 RBIs through 52 games.
Red Sox prospects stats »

Yankees: Estevan Florial, OF (No. 1, MLB No. 51) -- 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI (Class A Adv Tampa)
After missing the first two months with a broken hamate bone, Florial made his 2019 debut on Monday and made an immediate impact by hitting a single and a home run in his first two at-bats, respectively, for Tampa. The latter was a line-drive, three-run shot to his pull side (right field) off of veteran Ervin Santana. The tooled-up, 21-year-old outfielder has spent parts of the last two years in the Florida State League, hitting .262/.353/.376 with five homers and 17 steals in 96 games.
Yankees prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Indians: Junior Sanquintin, SS (No. 26) 1-for-2, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB (Dominican Summer League)
A switch-hitting shortstop out of the Dominican Republic who signed with Cleveland for $1.25 million last July, Sanquintin connected on his first pro home run on Monday, hitting a three-run shot in his first at-bat for the Indians/Brewers shared DSL affiliate. The 17-year-old projects for average or better tools across the board, with a plus bat speed from both sides of the plate that lead scouts to peg him as someone who ultimately hits for both average and power.
Indians prospects stats »

Royals: MJ Melendez, C (No. 4) -- 2-for-3, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R (Class A Adv Wilmington)
Melendez, a second-round pick in 2017, is starting to consistently sting the ball after a slow start at the plate this season. He belted a fifth-inning grand slam for his fourth home run of the season as part of his second multihit performance in three games. His four RBIs, meanwhile, marked a season-high for the 20-year-old backstop, who’s driven in seven over his last three games. Defensively, Melendez has thrown out 15 of 25 (60 percent) attempted basestealers this season, giving him a career caught-stealing rate of 39.3 percent (55 of 140).
Royals prospects stats »

Tigers: Dustin Peterson, OF (No. 29) -- 2-for-4, HR, 2B, 5 RBI (Triple-A Toledo)
Speaking of grand slams, Peterson hit one of his own and also plated a run with a double en route to a season-high five RBIs for the Mud Hens. The 24-year-old cracked Detroit’s Opening Day roster but was optioned to Toledo after hitting .227/.277/.318 over parts of 17 games. He’s fared better since returning the Minors, producing a .266/.302/.385 line with three homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games.
Tigers prospects stats »

Twins: Travis Blankenhorn, 2B (No. 28) -- 2-for-5, 2B, R (Double-A Pensacola)
The former third-round pick (2015) is hitting an even .300 at the Double-A level after recording a multihit performance out of the leadoff spot. On top of his average, the 22-year-old second baseman has hit nine homers in 36 games for the Blue Wahoos, giving him 10 homers in 51 games overall between two levels. He’s now achieved double-digit home runs in four straight seasons, and he’s poised to eclipse his career-high total (13) from 2017.
Twins prospects stats »

White Sox: Luis Robert, OF (No. 2, MLB No. 18) -- Game 1: 1-for-3, BB; Game 2: 3-for-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB (Double-A Birmingham)
Robert’s hitting streak is now at 13 games after the 21-year-old hit safely in both ends of the Barons’ doubleheader against Jackson. He’s batting .417 during said streak, with 10 extra-base hits and 13 runs scored, and owns a .339/.385/.570 in 30 games since his promotion to Double-A. Robert, a legitimate five-tool player, is showing no signs of slowing down in what’s already a breakout campaign. Across two levels, he’s hit .383/.435/.704 with 11 homers and 17 steals in 49 games.
White Sox prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

A’s: James Kaprielian, RHP (No. 6) 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 4 K (Class A Adv Stockton)
Pitching in a Minor League game for just the third time since April 2016, Kaprielian scattered five hits and struck out four over three innings while throwing 27 of 42 pitches for strikes. He made his 2019 debut on May 19, tossing five innings of two-run ball to earn the win, and followed it with a three-inning outing on May 29. A former first-round pick by the Yankees in 2015, Kaprielian missed most of ’16 with right elbow pain and ultimately underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2017, the same year that the A’s acquired him at the Trade Deadline in the Sonny Gray deal. His return from elbow surgery was derailed by a right shoulder injury that wiped out his 2018 campaign and continued to bother him as recently as this spring. Even with Kaprielian’s history of injuries, the A’s still added the 25-year-old to their 40-man roster during the offseason.
A's prospects stats »

Angels: Jahmai Jones, 2B (No. 4) -- 1-for-3, 2B, R (Double-A Mobile)
Jones hit a ninth-inning double and came around to score Mobile’s only run in a loss against Chattanooga. After reaching Double-A last season at age 20 and hitting .245/.335/.375 in 48 games, the former second-round pick (2015) has struggled at the plate so far this season in his return to the level, compiling a .178/.247/.234 batting line with 53 strikeouts in 52 games.
Angels prospects stats »

Astros: Seth Beer, OF/1B (No. 9) -- 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R (Double-A Corpus Christi)
Beer put the Hooks on the board in the third inning with a two-run double and came in to score when the next batter hit a home run. The 2018 first-rounder hasn’t skipped a beat since being promoted to Double-A, as Monday’s performance gives him a .328/.453/.492 line and 16 RBIs in 17 games. The 22-year-old slugger was promoted to Texas League after he torched Class A Advanced Carolina League pitching at a .328/.414/.602 clip with nine homers and 34 RBIs in 52 games.
Astros prospects stats »

Mariners: Ricardo Sanchez, LHP (No. 25) 6 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K (Double-A Arkansas)
The 22-year-old southpaw had allowed just two hits over the first six innings before running into trouble in the seventh, when he allowed a leadoff solo home run, a one-out single and a two-out walk before departing the game with 99 pitches (69 strikes). Sanchez’s eight strikeouts marked a season high, and he completed at least six innings for a second straight start. Acquired by Seattle in November after being designated for assignment by the Braves, Sanchez has pitched to a 3.77 ERA and 54/14 K/BB this season over 62 innings (11 starts) in the Texas League.
Mariners prospects stats »

Rangers: Ronny Henriquez, RHP (No. 30) -- 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 9 K (Class A Hickory)
The 18-year-old righty picked up his first win in his eighth start for the Crawdads. Throwing 52 of 73 pitches for strikes in the outing, he established a pair of season highs with nine strikeouts in five innings. Signed for just $10,000 in July 2017 out of the Dominican Republic, Henriquez has an electric arm that generates a plus fastball capable of touching 98 mph as well as a high-spin rate curveball that projects as a second plus pitch.
Rangers prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Jefrey Ramos, OF (No. 20) -- 3-for-4, 2 3B, RBI, R (Class A Adv Florida)
The 20-year-old Ramos extended his hitting streak to 10 games with his second straight three-hit game for the Fire Frogs. With a .439 average during that 10-game stretch, Ramos has improved his season average from .232 to .273 while tallying seven RBIs and scoring nine runs.
Braves prospects stats »

Marlins: Brian Miller, OF (No. 14) 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, R (Double-A Jacksonville)
Miller improved his hit streak to 15 games on Monday with a multihit performance that included a double as well as an RBI groundout in his final at-bat. The 23-year-old is having a solid campaign in the Southern League, hitting .284/.335/.371 with 12 extra-base hits and nine steals through 53 games.
Marlins prospects stats »

Mets: Simeon Woods-Richardson, RHP (No. 6) -- 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K (Class A Columbia)
The 18-year-old right-hander faced one over the minimum while firing five hitless frames in what was his best start of his pro career. He established career highs with eight strikeouts and five innings pitched and also generated six groundouts while throwing 42 of 66 pitches for strikes. A second-round pick in 2018 out of the Texas prep ranks, Woods-Richardson enjoyed an excellent first month of the season (1.23 ERA) but struggled mightily in May (10.89 ERA).
Mets prospects stats »

Phillies: Adam Haseley, OF (No. 3) -- 2-for-5, SB (Triple-A Lehigh Valley)
The former first-round pick (2017) improved his Triple-A average to .320 as he recorded his third multi-hit effort in six games since being promoted to the Minors’ highest level. The 23-year-old was bumped up to the International League after he batted .268/.356/.471 with seven homers in 41 games for Double-A Reading.
Phillies prospects stats »

Nationals: Nick Raquet, LHP (No. 22) -- 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K (Class A Adv Potomac)
Raquet, a third-round pick in 2017 out of William & Mary, induced 10 groundouts over a season-high six innings in his second straight scoreless start for the P-Nats. He’s allowed just seven hits in 11 innings between the two outings. The 23-year-old lefty had rocky first month of the season (8.72 ERA in 21 2/3 IP), but since then he’s pitched to a 2.56 ERA over his last six starts.
Nationals prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Mario Feliciano, C (No. 14) -- 3-for-4, 2 solo HR (Class A Adv Carolina)
Feliciano, whom the Brewers selected with the No. 75 overall pick in 2016 out of Puerto Rico, hit solo homers in his first two at-bats as he recorded his second multi-homer game in the past month for the Mudcats. The 20-year-old backstop has gone deep 11 times this season after totaling seven homers over his first 179 career games. What’s more, he’s improved his average from .246 to .275 behind five multihit performances in his last seven games.
Brewers prospects stats »

Cubs: Tyson Miller, RHP (No. 19) -- 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 11 K (Double-A Tennessee)
Miller took the loss for the Smokies but turned in a quality start, setting a career-high with 11 strikeouts while completing at least seven frames for the third time in five starts. The 2016 fourth-rounder out of Dallas Baptist is enjoying a breakout campaign in the Southern League, where he’s pitched to a 2.26 ERA and 0.91 WHIP with 61 strikeouts and 11 walks in 63 2/3 innings (11 starts).
Cubs prospects stats »

Cardinals: Randy Arozarena, OF (No. 14) 1-for-4, SB (Double-A Springfield)
The 24-year-old outfielder is now in his third stint at Double-A Springfield, where he’s batted .293/.390/.473 with 12 homers and 24 steals in 96 games. He reached Triple-A for the first time last season but struggled to find consistency, hitting .232/.328/.348 in 89 games between two stints in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. 
Cardinals prospects stats »

Pirates: Ji-Hwan Bae, SS (No. 15) 1-for-4, 2B, 2 R, BB, SB (Class A Greensboro)
Bae, 19, is hitting .313 with six steals through 15 games so far in his first full season. The Braves initially signed Bae for $300,000 in September 2017, only to have the deal voided two months later as part of the penalty for their violations on the international market. He signed with Pittsburgh for $1.2 million the following December and had a strong pro debut in 2018, but was convicted in October of assaulting his girlfriend in Korea.
Pirates prospects stats »

Reds: TJ Friedl, OF (No. 13) -- 2-for-4, R, SB (Double-A Chattanooga)
Friedl was one of three players to collect multiple hits for the Lookouts on Monday, tallying a pair of singles from the two-hole in the lineup. The 23-year-old hasn’t hit particularly well so far this season, batting .233 in 47 games, but he has started to swing the bat better as of late, posting a .412 average over his last nine games to raise his season average by 49 points.
Reds prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Alvin Guzman, OF (No. 20) 4-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R (Dominican Summer League)
Signed for $1.85 million at the outset of last year’s international period, Guzman notched his first four professional hits on Monday including his first home run, a ninth-inning solo shot. The 17-year-old stands out more right now for his defensive abilities in the outfield, though evaluators believe he’ll eventually hit for average as well as some power as he adds strength to his projectable 6-foot-1, 166-pound frame. 
D-backs prospects stats »

Dodgers: Gavin Lux, SS (No. 2, MLB No. 43) 2-for-4, RBI, R, BB (Double-A Tulsa)
The 21-year-old shortstop reached base three times from the two-spot in the lineup for Tulsa while improving his season average to .314. The former first-rounder (2016) is hitting for more power this season with 11 homers in 47 games, and he should have no problem surpassing the career-high total (15) he posted last season in 116 games between two levels.  
Dodgers prospects stats »

Giants: Jalen Miller, 2B (No. 28) 1-for-4, 2 R, BB, SB (Double-A Richmond)
Miller’s two runs proved proved the difference on Monday as Richmond defeated Reading, 4-2. The 22-year-old second baseman also swiped a bag in the contest, his 14th in 19 tries this season. The former third-round pick (2015) has offered much in the way of average in the pro ranks, but he’s continued to flash an intriguing combination of power-speed while making a slow climb through the Minors.
Giants prospects stats »

Padres: Owen Miller, SS (No. 24) 1-for-4, solo HR (Double-A Amarillo)
The Padres’ third-round pick from last year’s Draft connected on his third home run in 10 games on Monday, though it wasn’t enough to keep the Sod Poodles from falling to Round Rock, 8-5. The 22-year-old middle infielder has now gone deep six times in 53 games this season while batting .306/.364/.440. Last year, in his pro debut, Miller ascended from the Class A Short Season Northwest League to Double-A, where he was the starting shortstop in the Texas League playoffs.
Padres prospects stats »

Rockies: Grant Lavigne, 1B (No. 5) -- 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI (Class A Asheville)
The lone Asheville player to record multiple hits on Monday, Lavigne, the No. 42 overall pick in last year’s Draft, plated two runs with a fifth-inning single (on a 3-0 pitch) and added a double in the ninth inning. The 19-year-old first baseman has five multihit games in his last 10 contests, during which he’s batting .368 with 10 RBIs. Overall, he’s .247/.360/.387 through 53 games in his fist full season.
Rockies prospects stats »