Monday's top prospect performers

May 21st, 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: Gabriel Moreno, C (No. 18) -- 3-for-5, 2 RBI, SB (Class A Lansing)
Moreno, a Venezuelan native who signed with the Blue Jays in 2016, has only played in four games this season, but already has a pair of three-hit performances. The 19-year-old is 6-for-17 this season and coming off a year in which he hit .359 over 40 games of Rookie ball.
Blue Jays prospects stats »

Orioles: Austin Hays, OF (No. 5) -- 2-for-5, solo HR (1) (Class A Adv Frederick)
Hays, playing in his seventh game of the season, hit his first homer of the year. The 2016 first-rounder is just 4-for-28 to begin the season and will likely be bumped up to Double-A Bowie once he starts to heat up at the plate. Hays, who missed time with both shoulder and ankle injuries in 2018, hit .242 over 66 games with Bowie last year.
Orioles prospects stats »

Rays: Ronaldo Hernandez, C (No. 7, MLB No. 89) -- 2-for-5, HR (3), 4 RBI (Class A Adv Charlotte)
Hernandez needed just two hits to match his season high for RBIs as he came through with a sacrifice fly in the third inning and a three-run homer in the seventh. Hernandez, who signed with the Rays in 2014, hit .284 with Class A Bowling Green in 2018 and is hitting .259 this year, while playing up a level.
Rays prospects stats »

Red Sox: Tristan Casas, 3B/1B (No. 2) -- 2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI (Class A Greenville)
Casas bumped his RBI total up to 32 (39 games) and hit his 12th double of the year as part of a multihit performance. The Red Sox first-round pick from last year's Draft only played in two games last year, which essentially makes the 2019 campaign his pro debut. Casas, 19, got off to a slow start and hit .208 in April, but things have started to click and he's hitting .333 in May.
Red Sox prospects stats »

Yankees: Clarke Schmidt, RHP (No. 5) -- 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K (Class A Adv Tampa)
Clarke completed a season-high six innings in his first scoreless start since his season debut. The 23-year-old righty recorded five of his first six outs via the strikeout and ultimately fanned at least one batter in all but one frame to finish with nine punchouts, matching the combined total from his three previous starts. Overall, the 2017 first-rounder out of South Carolina has racked up 36 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings (seven starts) this season while pitching to a 3.48 ERA.
Yankees prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Indians: Nolan Jones, 3B (No. 2, MLB No. 60) -- 2-for-5, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 R (Class A Adv Lynchburg)
Jones broke out for a career high 19 homers in 2018, but it took him a little bit to tap into that power this year as he didn't hit his first homer until the 40th game of the year. However, Jones, a former second-round pick (2016), hasn't let the lack of homers have a negative impact on his swing or his approach. The 21-year-old is hitting .295/.422/.371 this season after hitting .283 over two levels last year.
Indians prospects stats »

Royals: Daniel Lynch, LHP (No. 4) -- 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K (Class A Adv Wilmington)
Lynch has been showing why the Royals grabbed him with the 34th overall pick in last year's Draft. The 6-foot-6 lefty has put up nothing but zeros over his past two starts, a span of 13 innings. Over those starts Lynch has shown tremendous command, striking out 11 and walking just two. Overall the 22-year-old has pitched to a 3.45 ERA, struck out 44 and walked 14 over 47 innings this season.
Royals prospects stats »

Tigers: Casey Mize, RHP (No. 1, MLB No. 6) -- 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K (Double-A Erie)
The No. 1 overall pick from last year's Draft struggled a bit early, throwing 47 pitches while allowing three baserunners during the first two innings, but subsequently settled in to complete six scoreless frames en route to his third win in five starts since being promoted to Double-A. He struck out six, induced seven ground-ball outs and retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced before departing after 89 pitches (62 strikes). Mize, 22, has been spectacular in his first full season, pitching to a 1.11 ERA with a 64/6 K/BB in 56 2/3 innings (nine starts) across two levels.
Tigers prospects stats »

Twins: Luis Rijo, RHP (No. 30) -- 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K (Class A Cedar Rapids)
Rijo, 20, picked up his first win in his seventh start for the Kernels, tossing the first five innings as he and two relievers combined for a four-hit shutout against Burlington. He faced three above the minimum in the outing, throwing 52 of 86 pitches for strikes in his first scoreless performance of 2019. The Venezuelan right-hander owns a 3.47 ERA on the season, with 30 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings.
Twins prospects stats »

White Sox: Nick Madrigal, 2B (No. 5, MLB No. 44) -- 2-for-5, 2B, R (Class A Adv Winston-Salem)
Madrigal extended his hitting streak to seven games with his fourth multihit performance over the past five games. Madrigal was regarded as the best pure hitter in the 2018 Draft and, as a result, the White Sox selected him with the fourth overall pick. While Madrigal is still just 22 and making his full-season debut, the early returns are suggesting that those scouting reports were correct and that Madrigal will have no problem hitting. Madrigal hit .303/.353/.348 last year and is hitting .274/.340/.377 this season.
White Sox prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

A’s: Brian Howard, RHP (No. 21) -- 6 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K (Double-A Midland)
The seven hits were a season high for Howard, but that didn't stop him from spinning his third scoreless start of the year. The 24-year-old made 12 starts at the Double-A level last year and that experience is clearly paying dividends this season. Howard has pitched to a 1.81 ERA through nine starts and has struck out 41, while issuing 16 walks. The A's picked up Howard, who typically generates a lot of ground-ball outs, in the eighth round of the 2017 Draft.
A's prospects stats »

Angels: Luis Rengifo, SS/2B (No. 7) -- 2-for-5, 2B (Triple-A Salt Lake)
Rengifo has had a couple of stints with the Angels this season and while he hasn't produced much (5-for-34) at the big league level, he has hit .275 over 26 games with Salt Lake. The Angels acquired Rengifo via a trade with the Mariners prior to the 2018 season, when he went on to hit .299 over a trio of levels. Rengifo makes consistent contact and doesn't strike out a lot, while offering added value because he's able to play a number of defensive positions.
Angels prospects stats »

Astros: Kyle Tucker, OF (No. 2, MLB No. 13) -- 2-for-2, solo HR (12), 2 BB (Triple-A Round Rock); Brandon Bielak, RHP (No. 13) -- 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 K (Double-A Corpus Christi)
Tucker's strong May continued with another impressive performance for Round Rock. After hitting .173 in April to begin the season, Tucker has exploded in May and is slashing .355/.459/.823 with seven homers in 17 games. Tucker hit 24 homers last year and is already halfway there through 39 games, although it's tough to see him matching that number in the Minors as he's likely headed to Houston at some point this season. While Tucker was crushing baseballs in Triple-A, Bielak was spinning a gem in Double-A. The 23-year-old, an 11th-round pick out of Notre Dame (2017) retired the first eight batters he faced and carried a no-hitter into the sixth before he ultimately yielded one run in his final frame. Bielak has given up one run in three of his past four starts.
Astros prospects stats »

Mariners: Shed Long, 2B (No. 12) -- 3-for-5, 2B, 3 R (Triple-A Tacoma)
Long went 0-for-9 over three games in the Majros, but has hits in four of five games since he's been back with Tacoma. The 23-year-old, who the Mariners acquired from the Yankees prior to the season, has been hitting well in Triple-A and is slashing .293/.362/.510. Long has shown a consistent ability to drive the ball in Minors and is seen as the Mariners' second baseman of the future, so it likely won't be long until he's back up in Seattle.
Mariners prospects stats »

Rangers: Diosbel Arias, INF (No. 19) -- 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, 3 R, BB (Class A Adv Down East)
Arias, whom the Rangers signed out of Cuba in 2017, reached base in three of his five trips to the plate and is hitting .297/.355/.406 through 44 games in his full-season debut. Arias debuted in Cuba's top national league at age 17 and has advanced hitting skills, which were on full display as he hit .366 over 61 games a season ago.
Rangers prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Kyle Muller, LHP (No. 12) -- 5 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K (Double-A Mississippi)
Muller has surrendered one run or fewer in four straight starts after his latest gem for Mississippi. The 21-year-old, a second-round pick from the 2016 Draft, has pitched to a 2.18 ERA with 48 strikeouts over 45 1/3 innings. However, Muller has struggled with command this season and has already issued 30 walks. Muller did throw 62 of 97 pitches for strikes on Monday and the two walks matched his lowest total of the season. The eight strikeouts were also a season high.
Braves prospects stats »

Marlins: Jordan Yamamoto, RHP (No. 17) -- 7 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K (Double-A Jacksonville)
Yamamoto, 23, was unhittable in his best and longest start of the season for the Jumbo Shrimp. A leadoff walk in the second inning followed by an infielder error in the following frame accounted for Montgomery's only baserunners against Yamamoto, who retired the final 14 batters he faced before departing with a season-high 107 pitches (69 strikes). The former 12th-round pick by Milwaukee (2014) from the Hawaii prep ranks has pitched to a 1.80 ERA over his last four starts and owns a 3.42 ERA in 50 innings (nine starts) on the season.
Marlins prospects stats »

Mets: Andres Gimenez, SS (No. 1, MLB No. 53) -- 2-for-5, RBI (Double-A Binghamton)
Gimenez supported Anthony Kay’s hitless start with a multihit effort that also snapped his 1-for-16 skid at the plate. That said, he still managed to collect multiple hits four times in his last eight contests. Overall, the 20-year-old shortstop owns a .241/.299/.362 line with 11 extra-base hits and six steals on the season in 35 games.
Mets prospects stats »

Phillies: Jhailyn Ortiz, OF (No. 11) -- Game 1: 2-for-3, HR (5), 2B, RBI, 2 R; Game 2: 2-for-4 (Class A Adv Clearwater)
Ortiz's recent hot streak continued Monday as the hulking 20-year-old outfielder recorded multiple hits in both ends of Clearwater's doubleheader. He recorded a pair of extra-base hits in the opener including his fourth home run in the last seven games, a stretch during which he's boosted his season average from .161 to .204 while batting .346.
Phillies prospects stats »

Nationals: Carter Kieboom, SS (No. 1, MLB No. 25) -- 1-for-3, solo HR (7) (Triple-A Fresno)
Kieboom celebrated his selection to MLB Pipeline's Prospect Team of the Week by drilling his third home run in the last four games for the Grizzlies. It gives the 21-year-old middle-infielder seven home runs in 28 Triple-A games this season, and nine home runs in 39 games including his 11-game taste in the big leagues. Along with the power, the former first-round pick (2016) is also hitting .356 with 29 RBIs and a 23/25 BB/K at the Minors' highest level.
Nationals prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Mario Feliciano, C (No. 14) -- 2-for-4, HR (8), 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R (Class A Adv Carolina)
Feliciano hit his second walk-off homer in the last three home games for the Mudcats as he connected on a two-run shot in the 10th inning after Lynchburg had taken the lead in the top half of the frame. The 20-year-old backstop, whom Milwaukee selected with the No. 75 overall pick in the 2016 Draft out of Puerto Rico, has hit half of his eight home runs in the last eight games while piling up 14 RBIs. For the season, Feliciano has produced a .267/.329/.467 line with 32 RBIs in 41 games.
Brewers prospects stats »

Cubs: Miguel Amaya, C (No. 2, MLB No. 81) -- 2-for-4, HR (5), 3 RBI, 2 R, BB (Class A Adv Myrtle Beach)
Amaya's first home run since April 26 was a ninth-inning solo shot that tied a bow on a three-RBI night in which he reached base three times. The 20-year-old backstop is hitting just .208 on the season but sports a .747 OPS (.347 OBP/.400 SLG) through 35 games, with 20 RBIs and a solid 22/29 BB/K rate. On the other side of the ball, Amaya has hosed 20 of 49 attempted basestealers (40.8 percent).
Cubs prospects stats »

Cardinals: Ivan Herrera, C (No. 18) -- 2-for-4, HR (5), 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB (Class A Peoria)
The 18-year-old catcher put the Chiefs on the board early when he deposited an 0-2 pitch in the first inning over the wall in left field for a two-run homer. He's hit five homers in 26 games thus far in his first full-season campaign after going deep twice in 79 games during his first two pro seasons. He's showing hitting ability and on-base skills to go along with the power, slashing .264/.389/.483 with 16 walks and 24 strikeouts after Monday's performance.
Cardinals prospects stats »

Pirates: Travis Swaggerty, OF (No. 3, MLB No. 73) -- 1-for-1, solo HR (3), 2 R, BB (Class A Adv Bradenton)
The 2018 first-rounder (No. 10 overall pick) from South Alabama scored a run in each of his first two trips to the plate, the second courtesy of a solo home run in the third inning. The skies opened up in the following frame, leading to a suspended game with Bradenton ahead, 3-1, against Fort Myers. It was a nice bounce-back performance for Swaggerty after his 0-for-4 showing on Sunday. Prior to that, the 21-year-old outfielder had put together a six-game hitting streak during which he improved his season average by 31 points (.234 to .265).
Pirates prospects stats »

Reds: Jose Garcia, SS (No. 9) -- Game 1: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI; Game 2: 3-for-4, HR (3), 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R (Class A Adv Daytona)
Garcia, 21, had three of his four hits go for extra bases and also drove in three runs on the day as Daytona and Clearwater split a doubleheader. The Cuban shortstop did most of his damage in the nightcap, hitting a leadoff home run before adding two more knocks, including his second double of the day. He's improved his season average from .231 to .286 amidst his nine-game hitting streak, during which he's batting .394 with seven runs scored.
Reds prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Domingo Leyba, SS/2B (No. 24) -- 3-for-5, HR (5), 2B, 2 RBI, 4 R, BB (Triple-A Reno)
Reno's offense turned in a historic performance, as it collectively went 25-for-47 at the plate with 17 extra-base hits including 10 home runs in a 25-8 victory against Tacoma. Leyba contributed a second-inning solo shot -- his fifth this season and second in the last three games -- and later added a double as well as a single. What's more, Leyba reached base four times and came around to score each time, making him one of three Reno batters to score at least four runs in the lopsided victory. The 23-year-old switch-hitter is batting .293/.349/.478 with 17 extra-base hits in 40 games this season in his first Triple-A campaign.
D-backs prospects stats »

Dodgers: Edwin Rios, 3B/1B (No. 12) -- 2-for-4, 2 RBI, R, BB (Triple-A Oklahoma City)
The 25-year-old drove in two runs for the third time in the last four games as he helped power the Dodgers past Omaha in Pacific Coast League action. He hit a pair of singles in the contest, the second of which, in the sixth inning, extended Oklahoma City's lead. Although he's batting only .229 with a .697 OPS and five home runs in 38 games this season, but, overall, he's put together a strong track at the Triple-A level, slashing .285/.343/.481 with 24 homers, 47 doubles and 107 RBIs over 177 career games.
Dodgers prospects stats »

Giants: Jacob Gonzalez, 3B (No. 19) -- 1-for-4, solo HR (2) (Class A Augusta)
Gonzalez's second-inning solo shot was his first home run since Opening Day and one of just four hits collected by the GreenJackets against Charleston. The 20-year-old third baseman -- San Francisco's second-round pick in the 2017 Draft -- is hitting .220/.323/.341 in his second tour of the South Atlantic League, though he does have hits in four straight games as well as four RBIs.
Giants prospects stats »

Padres: Josh Naylor, OF (No. 9) -- 3-for-5, 2 HR (10), 4 RBI, 4 R, BB (Triple-A El Paso)
Naylor, 21, set the tone with a two-run blast in the first inning and added a solo shot two frames later as he recorded his second multi-homer performance this season -- and the sixth of his career -- in a game that saw the Chihuahuas score 21 runs on 22 hits. He also plated a run with a walk to finish with four RBIs, a season-high. The former first-round pick (2015 by the Marlins) is off to a strong start in his first Triple-A campaign, hitting .303 with 10 homers and 35 RBIs through 43 games.
Padres prospects stats »

Rockies: Willie MacIver, C (No. 27) -- 2-for-4, 2 HR (7), 2 RBI, 2 R (Class A Asheville)
MacIver's solo home runs in the second and ninth innings were the difference as the Tourists edged Lexington, 2-1. It was the first career multi-homer performance by the 22-year-old backstop, who entered the day mired in a 2-for-25 funk at the plate. He's hit seven homers in 40 games for Asheville this season after going deep five times over 54 games last summer in the Class A Short Season Northwest League after the Rockies drafted him in the ninth round.
Rockies prospects stats »