Thursday's top prospect performers

July 12th, 2019

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

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays: Alejandro Kirk, C (No. 22) -- 2-for-3, 2B (Class A Advanced Dunedin)
Kirk’s strong offensive season continued with another multihit performance for the Blue Jays. Kirk, a career .333 hitter, began the year with Class A Lansing, where he hit .299 over 21 games and was then promoted to Dunedin, where he’s hitting .323 over 41 games. The Blue Jays signed Kirk in 2016, and in addition to putting up impressive numbers offensively, he’s also a good blocker with strong catch-and-throw skills. Blue Jays prospects stats »

Orioles: Michael Baumann, RHP (No. 24) -- 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K (Double-A Bowie)
Baumann retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced en route to another gem for Bowie. The 23-year-old, a 2017 third-round pick, threw 56 of his 87 pitches for strikes and has yielded just one run over 18 innings with Bowie. Prior to his promotion to Double-A, the right-hander pitched to a 3.83 ERA over 11 starts with Class A Advanced Frederick. Orioles prospects stats »

Rays: Moises Gomez, OF (No. 13) -- 2-for-4, 2B, 4 RBI (Class A Advanced Charlotte)
Gomez matched his season high with his third four-RBI game of the year. The 20-year-old, whom the Rays signed in 2015 out of Venezuela, did his damage late in the game. Gomez drove in two runs with a base hit in the seventh and then added to his total with a two-run double in the ninth. The outfielder is hitting .211 through 77 games and has swing and miss in his profile, but when he connects, Gomez has plenty of raw power. Rays prospects stats »

Red Sox: Triston Casas, 1B/3B (No. 1, No. 95 in MLB) -- 1-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI (Class A Greenville)
After going 0-for-11 over his past three games, Casas got back in the hit column with a three-run double in the fifth inning of Greenville's win of Asheville. Casas, the Red Sox's first-round pick from last year's Draft, is hitting .261 through 78 games of his first full season. The 18-year-old was regarded as one of the top power hitters in his Draft class, and that's come to fruition as he's already hit 15 homers, and 37 of his 72 hits (51 percent) have gone for extra bases. Red Sox prospects stats »

Yankees: Luis Medina, RHP (No. 14) -- 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K (Class A Charleston)
The 2019 season hasn't been kind to Medina, but everything was working as he spun a gem against Rome. The 20-year-old threw 62 of his 95 pitches for strikes and set a season high with 10 strikeouts. Entering Thursday, Medina had surrendered 16 runs over his past three starts (12 innings) so the six scoreless frames were much needed. Medina has an electric fastball and an above-average curveball, but command has been the issue early in his career. Yankees prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Indians: Yu Chang, SS/3B (No. 11) -- 2-for-3, 2B, HR, RBI (Triple-A Columbus)
Chang has two hits in three of his past four games after turning in another multihit performance for the Clippers. The 23-year-old shortstop is hitting .250 through 28 games this season and also made his Major League debut in June, but went 0-for-4 over two games. Signed out of Taiwan back in 2013, Chang is an average defender at shortstop, but could be a solid defender at third base. His best tool is also his raw power, which is pretty unique as far as shortstops are concerned. Indians prospects stats »

Tigers: Logan Shore, RHP (No. 15) -- 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (Double-A Erie)
Shore lowered his ERA to 3.94 and picked up his first win since May 12 in the process. The 2016 second-round pick made 13 starts for Double-A Midland last season, but this is his first year in the Tigers' organization after he was acquired from Oakland last September. Shore is able to command all three of his pitches -- a fastball, slider and changeup -- and is able to use his sinking fastball to generate a lot of ground-ball outs. Shore struggled a bit early in the season, but his past two starts have been promising as he's allowed just one earned run over 12 2/3 innings. Tigers prospects stats »

Royals: Khalil Lee, OF (No. 3) -- 2-for-2, RBI, 2 BB (Double-A Northwest Arkansas)
Lee, who is hitting .258 through 81 games, reached base four times on Thursday. The 21-year-old got a brief taste of Double-A at the end of last season, but the 2019 campaign has been his first extended look at the level. Selected in the third round of the 2016 Draft, Lee has the tools to make an impact on both sides of the ball with excellent plate discipline and a cannon for an arm. Royals prospects stats »

Twins: Travis Blankenhorn, 2B/3B/OF (No. 28) -- 2-for-4, 2B, RBI (Double-A Pensacola)
After starting the year with 15 games for Class A Advanced Fort Myers, Blankenhorn was bumped up to Pensacola, where he's hitting .299 and has hits in eight of his past nine games. The 22-year-old third-round pick (2015) has shown glimpses throughout his career, but had never really been able to put it all together at once. Blankenhorn hit well in 2016, but didn't fare as well in 2017 or 2018. The current campaign, however, has been a bit of a breakthrough and may be a good sign of things to come.
Twins prospects stats »

White Sox: Luis Robert, OF (No. 1, No. 5 in MLB) -- 3-for-5, 2 HR, 7 RBI (Triple-A Charlotte)
New level? No problem for Robert, who seemingly rakes regardless of the competition level. After a scorching first half, the 21-year-old was promoted to Triple-A Charlotte where he simply set a career high with seven RBIs and turned in the second two-homer game of his career in his debut. Robert -- who began the year with Class A Advanced Winston-Salem, then hit .314 through 56 games with Double-A Birmingham -- announced his presence with a grand slam in the third inning, followed up with a solo homer in the fifth and then, just for good measure, added an RBI single in the sixth. Robert boasts loads of potential, which is why Chicago signed him for $26 million in 2017. However, injuries hampered him early in his career and now that Robert is healthy, it's easy to see why there is so much hype. White Sox prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

A’s: Jordan Diaz, 3B (No. 26) -- 3-for-4, 2B (Class A Short Season Vermont)
Diaz extended his hitting streak to six games and boosted his average to .295 with his second straight multihit performance. The 18-year-old, signed in 2016 for $275,000 out of Colombia, spent the past two seasons in the Rookie-level Arizona League, but he was bumped up to Vermont this year and is hitting .295 through 27 games. A's prospects stats »

Angels: Kevin Maitan, 3B/SS (No. 12) -- 1-for-4, HR, RBI (Class A Burlington)
Maitan hit his sixth homer of the year in Burlington’s 5-0 win over Fort Wayne. The 19-year-old is hitting .214 through 80 games this season, his second in the Angels’ organization. Maitan originally signed with the Braves for $4.25 million in 2016, but he was later declared a free agent after the Braves were punished for international violations. With Maitan back on the market, the Angels swooped in and signed him for $2.2 million. Angels prospects stats »

Astros: Jeremy Pena, SS (No. 24) -- 3-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI (Class A Advanced Fayetteville)
Pena began the 2019 campaign with Class A Quad Cities but was bumped up to Fayetteville after 66 games. The change in scenery has hardly had any impact on his game. The 21-year-old is working on a six-game hitting streak and hitting .333 through 11 games with the Woodpeckers. The Astros grabbed Pena out of Maine in the third round of last year’s Draft, and he’s already the top defensive shortstop in Houston’s system. Astros prospects stats »

Rangers: Jose Trevino, C (No. 25) -- 2-for-3, 3 RBI (Triple-A Nashville)
Trevino turned in his third three-RBI performance of the season as he helped lift Nashville to a win over New Orleans. The catcher, who won Minor League Gold Glove awards in 2016 and 2017, stands out for his work behind the plate more than his performance at it. Trevino is a career .260 hitter and is hitting .240 through 27 games with Nashville this season. Rangers prospects stats »

Mariners: Logan Gilbert, RHP (No. 3) -- 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K (Class A Advanced Modesto)
Gilbert retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced and carried a no-hit bid into the sixth inning of his latest gem for the Nuts. The 22-year-old hasn’t surrendered an earned run in three straight starts, a span of 15 innings, and has pitched to a 1.73 ERA through 12 starts with Modesto. Prior to his time with Modesto, the 2018 first-rounder began the year with Class A West Virginia, where he posted a 1.59 ERA. All in all, Gilbert has used his solid four-pitch mix to rack up 109 strikeouts over 85 innings this season. Mariners prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Alex Jackson, ATL (No. 22) -- 4-for-5, 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI (Triple-A Gwinnett)
Jackson's big night was overshadowed by Robert's Triple-A debut, but a two-homer game, Jackson's third of the year, is always worth noting. The 23-year-old set a career high with six RBIs and is closing in on his career best home run total of 19. Jackson, who has gone deep 17 times this season, hit a two-run homer in the fifth and a three-run homer in the sixth. Braves prospects stats »

Marlins: Jorge Guzman, RHP (No. 10) -- 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K (Double-A Jacksonville)
Guzman spun his first scoreless start since mid-May and threw 55 of his 92 pitches for strikes. The 23-year-old, whom the Marlins acquired from the Yankees in the Giancarlo Stanton trade, has pitched to a 3.93 ERA so far this season. Guzman has an 80-grade fastball and sits in the mid-to-upper 90s, but is certainly capable of running it up into the triple digits. The command, however, is not quite as refined and is something Guzman needs to improve upon moving forward. Marlins prospects stats »

Mets: Simeon Woods-Richardson, RHP (No. 7) -- 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K (Class A Columbia)
Woods-Richardson has given up just one run in back-to-back starts and allowed two runs or fewer in 11 of his 18 starts this season. The 18-year-old, a 2018 second-round pick, has pitched to a 4.63 ERA through 68 innings this season and is coming off a strong professional debut, during which he posted a 1.56 ERA with 26 strikeouts over 17 1/3 innings. Mets prospects stats »

Phillies: JoJo Romero, LHP (No. 7) -- 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K (Double-A Reading)
Romero retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced en route to one of his better starts this season. The 22-year-old, a 2016 fourth-round pick, started the year off with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, but struggled through seven starts (9.64 ERA) and was bumped back down to Double-A. While the results have been a bit better, they haven't been great, as Romero has a 5.55 ERA through nine starts. Romero struggled a bit in Double-A last year, but started to turn a corner ... just in time for an oblique injury to bring his season to an abrupt end. Phillies prospects stats »

Nationals: No Nationals prospects had noteworthy performances in the Minor Leagues on Thursday.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Drew Rasmussen, RHP (No. 15) -- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K (Double-A Biloxi)
Rasmussen threw 30 of his 43 pitches for strikes and held the opposition for his fourth straight outing. The 2018 Draft pick (sixth round) has already pitched across three levels this season and has amassed 64 strikeouts over 50 1/3 innings. The Oregon State product has three effective pitches, including a 70-grade fastball, but he has also had a pair of Tommy John surgeries, so injury concerns will always linger. Brewers prospects stats »

Cubs: Duane Underwood, RHP (No. 25) -- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K (Triple-A Iowa)
Underwood walked the first batter he faced, who was eventually caught stealing, then retired five in a row as he cruised through his outing. The 24-year-old began the year in the rotation, but was bumped to the bullpen in late May. The results have been better as he’s pitched to a 3.00 ERA in relief. Underwood has held opponents scoreless in nine of his 12 outings and limited them to two runs or fewer in all 12. Cubs prospects stats »

Cardinals: Dylan Carlson, OF (No. 2, No. 88 in MLB) -- 2-for-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI (Double-A Springfield)
There’s just no stopping Carlson these days. The 2016 first-round pick is 8-for-15 over the past three games and the 14 homers are already a season high. Carlson, 20, was drafted in part because he had tremendous offensive potential from both sides of the plate and that is certainly ringing true this season. Carlson hit .240 and .246 over his first two full seasons, but he has exploded this year and is hitting .294 with a .902 OPS, both career highs. Cardinals prospects stats »

Pirates: Mitch Keller, RHP (No. 1, No. 17 in MLB) -- 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K (Triple-A Indianapolis)
After surrendering six runs over 5 1/3 innings on the Fourth of July, Keller got back on track with six scoreless innings for the Indians. Keller, who has pitched in three games at the Major League level this season, gave up a double to the leadoff man, walked the second batter, but then found his rhythm for the rest of the outing. Keller has plus stuff, but his walk rate rose a bit last year and he did issue six walks in 12 Major League innings this season. Pirates prospects stats »

Reds: No Reds prospects had noteworthy performances in the Minor Leagues on Thursday.

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Pavin Smith, 1B (No. 16) -- 3-for-3, 3B, 2 BB (Double-A Jackson)
Smith, one of the best college bats from the 2017 Draft class, is heating up. The 23-year-old has hits in five straight games and is hitting .375 this month after hitting .292 in June. Both of those numbers are significant for Smith, who was hitting .213 on May 28. The Virginia product has since boosted his average to .267 in his first season at the Double-A level and is showing why the D-backs felt he was worth grabbing with the seventh overall pick. D-backs prospects stats »

Dodgers: DJ Peters, OF (No. 10) -- 3-for-5, 2B (Triple-A Oklahoma City)
So far, Peters' introduction to Triple-A has been a smooth transition. After hitting .241 through 68 games with Double-A Tulsa, Peters was bumped up to Triple-A, where he immediately caught fire. The slugger has hits in 11 of the 13 games he’s played in and is hitting .370 with Oklahoma City. Of course, Peters, who is known for his power and has hit 56 homers over the past two seasons, has also hit a trio of homers in Triple-A. Dodgers prospects stats »

Giants: Heliot Ramos, OF (No. 2, No. 56 in MLB) -- 3-for-4, RBI (Class A Advanced San Jose)
Ramos boosted his average up to .304 with his second straight multihit performance. The 19-year-old is 5-for-9 over the past two days and has impressed in his first season with San Jose. Ramos, a 2017 first-round Draft pick, comes from an athletic family and boasts one of the more impressive power and speed combinations in the Minor Leagues. Giants prospects stats »

Padres: Luis Urias, INF (No. 2, No. 20 in MLB) -- 1-for-5, HR, RBI (Triple-A El Paso)
A night after going yard in the Triple-A All-Star Game, Urias kept the momentum rolling and hit his 18th homer of the year, a career high, for El Paso. Urias, 22, is working on a 10-game hitting streak and hitting .318 for the season. It appears as if it’s only a matter of time before he gets another shot in San Diego, where he went just 2-for-24 earlier this season. Padres prospects stats »

Rockies: Yonathan Daza, OF (No. 14) -- 3-for-5, 2 2B, RBI (Triple-A Albuquerque)
Daza just keeps on hitting. The 25-year-old outfielder is hitting a ridiculous .380 through 71 games with Albuquerque and has multiple hits in 10 of his past 15 games. While it’s important to note that the Pacific Coast League is very hitter friendly, Daza did hit .306 last year and is hitting .318 since the Rockies signed him in 2010. Daza has hit at every level he’s been at, except the Majors, although that was a small sample size. The 25-year-old made his Major League debut earlier this year and went 1-for-18. Rockies prospects stats »