Thursday's top prospect performers

June 21st, 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: Bo Bichette, SS/2B (No. 1, MLB No. 8) 3-for-5, HR, 2B, 5 RBI, 2 R (Triple-A Buffalo)
Bichette tallied all of his season-high five RBIs in one inning -- he connected on a three-run homer to right-center field and later added a two-run single as the Bison batted around during an eight-run fifth inning. The homer was Bichette’s third in his 21 Triple-A games this season, surrounding his six-week stint on the injured list with a broken hand, and he’s now posted a pair of multihit performances in six games since making his return to Buffalo’s lineup on June 13.
Blue Jays prospects stats »

Orioles: DL Hall, LHP (No. 3, MLB No. 67) 5 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 5 K (Class A Adv Frederick)
Hall, 20, struggled early on Thursday, allowing two runs on one hit, one hit-by-pitch and two walks in the first inning before settling in and retiring the last 12 he faced over the next four frames. The former first-round pick’s (2017) control has escaped him at times this season and especially of late, with the left-hander issuing 13 free passes in 14 2/3 innings over his last four starts since he fired a 10-strikeout gem on May 23. He’s still having a good campaign overall, with a 4.03 ERA, .217 BAA and 70 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings for the Keys.  
Orioles prospects stats »

Rays: Shane McClanahan, LHP (No. 11) 6 1/3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K (Class A Adv Charlotte)
McClanahan, the No. 31 overall pick by the Rays in the 2018 Draft, turned in his longest pro start on Thursday to lead the Stone Crabs in a combined five-hit shutout over Lakeland and record his first Florida State League win. The 22-year-old southpaw has yet to give up a run in the FSL, where he’s racked up 17 strikeouts against two walks and nine hits over 11 2/3 frames. McClahanan was bumped up to Charlotte after he had pitched to a 3.40 ERA with 74 strikeouts and 31 walks over 55 innings at Class A Bowling Green.
Rays prospects stats »

Red Sox: Brandon Howlett, 3B (No. 14) 2-for-4, HR, 2B (Class A Greenville)
Howlett is only 19 years old, signed away from a commitment to Florida State by the Red Sox after they selected him in the 21st round of the 2018 Draft. He impressed in Rookie ball last year but has taken a bit of a step back after jumping up to a full-season assignment with the Drive. His homer and double break him out of a bit of a slump in the power department, with his last extra-base hit coming on June 7. However, he’s been hitting the ball well, raising his batting average 27 points in June up to .255 on the season.
Red Sox prospects stats »

Yankees: Nick Nelson, RHP (No. 11) 5 1/3 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K (Double-A Trenton)
Nelson carried a no-hit bid into the sixth inning before he finally yielded a one-out, run-scoring single, after he had issued a leadoff walk. That baserunner would eventually come around to score after he departed the game, thus closing the book on his strong outing. The 23-year-old established a season high with eight strikeouts, while the 5 1/3 innings marked his longest outing of 2019. The former fourth-rounder (2016) from Gulf Coast CC owns a 2.66 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings so far this season at the Double-A level, which is where he finished his breakout 2018 campaign after strong showings with Class A Charleston and Class A Advanced Tampa.
Yankees prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Indians: Bobby Bradley, 1B (No. 6) 2-for-3, 2 HR, 3 RBI, BB (Triple-A Columbus)
Bradley’s recent power surge is impressive even for him. The 23-year-old went deep twice on Thursday, as he connected on a solo shot in the fourth inning before launching a game-tying two-run blast in the sixth for his third two-homer performance in his last six games, during which he’s hitting .478 with seven RBIs and nine runs scored. Overall, Bradley has teed off 24 times in 66 games for the Clippers this season and has hit at least 23 home runs in five straight seasons.
Indians prospects stats »

Royals: Kris Bubic, LHP (No. 9) 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K (Class A Adv Wilmington)
Bubic, 21, has scuffled a bit lately, allowing five earned runs in two of four starts since his promotion to Wilmington, but he returned to his early-season form, tossing six two-hit frames on 90 pitches (60 strikes), while facing one over the minimum in the Blue Rocks’ win against Frederick. Taken with the No. 40 overall pick out of Stanford in last year’s Draft, Bubic, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound lefty, has been very sharp across two levels so far in his first full season, posting a 2.75 ERA with 100 strikeouts and a 1.96 BAA in 75 1/3 innings (14 starts).
Royals prospects stats »

Tigers: Jake Rogers, C (No. 12) 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI (Triple-A Toledo)
Known first and foremost for his incredible ability as a receiver at the catcher position and his strong arm, Rogers is showing a healthy amount of pop this season, too. He clearly deserved a promotion from Double-A Erie, and while he hasn't hit for average since joining the Mud Hens, he's still connecting on homers at a healthy pace. His .458 slugging percentage with Toledo is ahead of his career number in the category, and he's trending toward his first 20-homer season as a pro. His prowess behind the plate is definitely still there, too, as he's thrown out 8 of 20 potential basestealers since his promotion.
Tigers prospects stats »

Twins: Royce Lewis, SS (No. 1, MLB No. 7) 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, BB, SB (Class A Adv Fort Myers)
It was only a matter of time until Lewis, the No. 1 overall pick from the 2017 Draft, went off at the plate for the Miracle, and it appears that time is now. He pushed his season home run total to five by going deep for the third time in his last three games, and the multihit performance was his third in six contests. The 20-year-old got off to a somewhat surprisingly slow start this season in the Florida State League, hitting .226/.281/.325 over 61 games during the first half.
Twins prospects stats »

White Sox: Luis Robert (No. 1, MLB No. 5) 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SB (Double-A Birmingham)
Robert had been mired in an 0-for-17 skid -- not including an MVP-earning performance in Tuesday’s Southern League All-Star Game (2-for-3, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI) -- before he blasted his 13th home run of the season, a two-run shot that temporarily gave Birmingham a lead over Chattanooga. Robert also swiped his 19th bag in the contest, and in the process, he improved his chances of reaching the 20-homer, 20-steal plateau in what has been a breakout 2019 season for the 21-year-old outfielder. To go along with the power and speed, he's also produced a .351/.403/.636 line in 61 games.
White Sox prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

A’s: Lazaro Armenteros, OF (No. 4) -- 2-for-5, HR, 2B (Class A Adv Stockton)
Lazarito snapped out of a 4-for-36 slump with a pair of extra-base hits including a solo home run in the fifth inning of Stockton's win over San Jose. The 20-year-old's dinger was his second of the month and 11th this season, but he's also struck out 117 times in only 65 games while hitting just .232. Even with the swing-and-miss issues, the emergence of Lazarito's power this season is an encouraging development for the Cuban outfielder after he totaled 12 homers in his first 116 games as a pro.
A's prospects stats »

Angels: Jo Adell, OF (No. 1, MLB No. 4) 2-for-3, HR, BB (Double-A Mobile); Hector Yan, LHP (No. 29) 6 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 7 K (Class A Burlington)
The BayBears weren't getting any hits over the first 5 2/3 innings until Adell went deep to right-center field for his fourth home run of the season and second in 13 games since joined Mobile on June 2. After a ridiculous first full season in 2018 in which the former first-rounder (2017) hit .290/.355/.543 with 20 homers, 56 extra-base hits and 15 steals while ascending three levels, the 20-year-old Adell was sidelined for much of the first two months this season as he recovered from knee and ankle injuries he suffered on the same play during Spring Training. Speaking of not getting any hits ... Yan's opponents haven't collected one in over 11 innings. The lefty finished his previous outing after five hitless frames and carried Thursday's no-hitter into the seventh. His ERA in June is a sparkling 0.44 and he's struck out 29 batters while walking only nine this month. The 20-year-old is playing full-season ball for the first time and seems to really be settling into the schedule after spending three years in Rookie ball.
Angels prospects stats »

Astros: Seth Beer, OF/1B (No. 8) 3-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, BB; Cristian Javier, RHP (No. 28) – 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 10 K (Double-A Corpus Christi)
Beer received a deserved in-season promotion to the Hooks in May and came out of the blocks red hot. He has slowed down a bit in June, but this huge performance might get him back on track. It’s his first multihomer game this season, and the four RBIs are a 2019 best for the Clemson product, as well. Javier didn’t need to pitch that well with Beer and a rehabbing George Springer helping the Hooks score 10 runs, but he delivered an incredible outing anyway. The 22-year-old out of the Dominican Republic joined Beer in receiving a mid-May promotion from Class A Advanced Fayetteville and has turned in a 2.36 ERA since, striking out 43 in 34.1 innings. The 10 strikeouts set a season-high and tied a career-best for Javier.
Astros prospects stats »

Mariners: Julio Rodriguez, OF (No. 6, MLB No. 88) 1-for-3, HR, 2 BB (Class A West Virginia)
Rodriguez’s second home run of the season was a game-tying solo shot in the eighth inning for the Power, who would go on to lose in extras to Lakewood. Rodriguez has limited playing time this year due to injury, but has been hitting well since returning, batting .357 with four extra-base hits in eight games. He has hits in five straight games and seems to have hit the ground running despite the injury layoff and the jump in levels from last season, when he played in the Dominican Summer League.
Mariners prospects stats »

Rangers: Eli White, SS (No. 16) -- 1-for-3, R, 2B, SB (Triple-A Nashville)
White was one of only five Sound players with a hit as Nashville fell 6-2 to New Orleans, but he did contribute to one of his team's two runs. Trailing 6-1 in the ninth, he doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a single. His team couldn't keep the rally going, but it was an example of what the Rangers were looking for out of White when they acquired him from the Athletics as a part of the Jurickson Profar trade. A solid defensive middle infielder, White had a surprising offensive breakout in 2018 with a .388 OBP and eight triples, and the ability to take a walk and collect doubles and triples has carried over as he's moved up to the Triple-A level.
Rangers prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Cristian Pache, OF (No. 1, MLB No. 14) 3-for-5, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 2 BB (Double-A Mississippi)
Pache has soared up our prospect lists, and for good reason. He and fellow 20-year-old Drew Waters have been raking against Double-A pitching all season, racking up multiple hits for the 20th time in 66 games. The 5 RBIs are a season-high and tie a career-high for the signee out of the Dominican Republic, and the pair of doubles bring him up to 32 extra-base hits on the season.
Braves prospects stats »

Marlins: Isan Diaz, 2B (No. 6) 2-for-3, 2 HR, 3 R, BB (Triple-A New Orleans)
Diaz has been lights out since the start of May, and this outburst is more proof that his slow April is a distant memory. After batting .226 with a .645 OPS in April, he’s batted .323 since with an OPS of 1.059. Acquired from the Brewers as a part of the Christian Yelich trade in 2018, Diaz is a middle infielder with a lot of pop in his bat, yet this is his first multihomer effort since 2016. Still, he consistently winds up with double-digit homers, and a stint in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League has him on track to surpass his career high of 20 in 2019 – he has 16 on the year in 70 games.
Marlins prospects stats »

Mets: Mark Vientos, 3B (No. 4) 2-for-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R (Class A Columbia)
Vientos’ second straight two-hit performance featured a pair of extra-base hits, as the 19-year-old third baseman opened the third inning with a solo homer, his sixth of the year, and then delivered a two-run double in the following frame. Though he’s hitting just .244/.292/.385 through 60 games this season, it’s important to remember that Vientos, the Mets’ second-round pick from 2018, also started his pro debut slowly, hitting .230 with three homers over his first 33 contests before erupting for a .333/.450/.585 line with eight homers over his final 35 games in the Appalachian League
Mets prospects stats »

Phillies: Luis Garcia, SS (No. 4) 1-for-3, HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB (Class A Lakewood)
Garcia had his best game at the Class A level, reaching base three times via the walk (one intentional) and hitting a grand slam in a BlueClaws win. The 18-year-old made his pro debut last season in the Gulf Coast League and dominated, batting .369 with plenty of doubles and a good eye at the plate (21 strikeouts compared to 13 walks). The jump to the full season South Atlantic League has proved tough for the shortstop, but he's showing signs of the player worthy of a $2.5 million signing bonus in 2017. Power was not expected to be a part of his game, so if he can get back to his on-base ways and keep this bit of pop (three homers this season after hitting only one last year), he could be a very interesting player as he moves up the Phillies' system.
Phillies prospects stats »

Nationals: Kyle Johnston, RHP (No. 24) 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 7 K (Class A Adv Potomac)
It has been a roller-coaster of a season for Johnston, and this outing was another move in the right direction, marking his second straight quality start. He started the season with an ERA just shy of 9.00 in April, and was then lights out in May, pitching to a 2.03 ERA over the course of the month. He then stumbled in his first two outings in June before two straight gems, including the seven-whiff performance. A 2017 sixth-round pick, Johnston is back at the Class A Advanced level after spending time with the P-Nats last summer, and his numbers are better across the board, even with the poor start to the campaign.
Nationals prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Trent Grisham, OF (No. 30) 2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, BB (Triple-A San Antonio)
Grisham has been incredible of late, and the Brewers apparently took notice. He made his Triple-A debut and continued to swing the same hot bat he held at Double-A Biloxi. A 2015 first-round Draft selection out of the Texas prep ranks, Grisham never eclipsed eight homers in a season, but Thursday's blast was his 14th of 2019. His slugging percentage would be a career-best by 87 points and his 31 extra-base hits in 64 games are more than he collected in 107 appearances last season.
Brewers prospects stats »

Cubs: There were no notable performances by Cubs prospects on Thursday.

Cardinals: Nolan Gorman, 3B (No. 1, MLB No. 31) 1-for-2, R, 2 BB (Class A Adv Palm Beach)
Gorman reached base three times in his Florida State League debut, tallying a single and two walks from the six-spot in the lineup in Palm Beach's 5-4 win over Dunedin. The 2018 first-round pick (No. 19 overall) was bumped up to FSL after he batted .241/.344/.448 with 10 homers in 67 games with Class A Peoria. Gorman had steadily cooled off in the Midwest League prior to his promotion, hitting .233 (.766 OPS) in May and .138 (.497) in June after a .325 (1.039) month of April in which he belted six of his 10 home runs, so surely the Cardinals are hoping that the midseason change of scenery prompts a return to form for the 19-year-old slugger.
Cardinals prospects stats »

Pirates: Cody Bolton, RHP (No. 23) 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K (Class A Adv Bradenton)
Bolton threw four perfect frames to lead the way as the Marauders fired a combined three-hit shutout against Tampa. He threw 32 of 50 pitches for strikes, striking out five and recording another four outs via ground balls. With his stellar performance, the 21-year-old righty -- the Pirates’ sixth-round pick in 2017 -- lowered his season ERA to 1.61, which is the second-best mark among qualified hurlers in the Florida State League. His 0.86 WHIP is tops in the circuit, and he’s compiled 69/14 K/BB ratio in 61 2/3 frames. Meanwhile, that Bolton has now thrown roughly 50 pitches in back-to-back starts suggests that the Pirates are attempting to dial back his workload, and the fact that Bolton has been consistently efficient in the majority of his starts only aids the club’s effort.
Pirates prospects stats »

Reds: Jose Garcia, SS (No. 8) 3-for-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB (Class A Adv Daytona)
Garcia, a 21-year-old shortstop whom the Reds signed for close to $5 million in June 2017, was the Tortugas' lone player to collect three hits, matching his season-high total. While he's known primarily for his slick defense and high likelihood of sticking up the middle, Garcia is showing some potential with the bat this season in the Florida State League, where he's compiled a solid .260/.318/.409 line with 20 extra-base hits (3 HR).
Reds prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Matt Peacock, RHP (No. 30) 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K (Double-A Jackson)
Peacock kept Mobile out of the hit column for the first 5 2/3 innings before Jo Adell tagged him for a home run. He retired the next batter to complete an outing in which he recorded 11 groundouts while throwing 42 of 73 pitches for strikes. The 2017 23rd-round pick out of South Alabama has been excellent so far this season in his first Double-A campaign, pitching to a 2.01 ERA over 44 2/3 innings while averaging 5.31 groundouts for every fly-ball out. He averaged 3.83 GO/AO in 98 2/3 innings last season between Class A Kane County and Class A Advanced Visalia. 
D-backs prospects stats »

Dodgers: Edwin Uceta, RHP (No. 20) 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K (Double-A Tulsa)
After he struggled in his first three Double-A starts, allowing 14 earned runs in only 7 1/3 innings (17.18 ERA), Uceta righted the ship on Thursday with a dominant outing as he scattered three hits, struck out seven and did not issue a walk in his longest start of 2019. The 21-year-old righty was bumped up to the Texas League from Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga, where he'd pitched to a 2.15 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings (10 starts) for the Quakes.
Dodgers prospects stats »

Giants: Gregory Santos, RHP (No. 8) -- 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K (Class A Augusta)
Santos, 19, logged just two starts for Augusta in April before landing on the injured list with a right shoulder strain. He's shown no ill effects from the injury since returning, as Thursday's outing, in which he threw 40 of 58 pitches for strikes, was his longest of the season. A 6-foot-2, 190-pound righty, Santos features a plus fastball that sits at 92-96 mph with heavy sink and pairs it with an above-average slider in the low 80s. He also shows some feel for a changeup and generally throws strikes, although his command will require ongoing refinement in the coming years.
Giants prospects stats »

Padres: CJ Abrams, SS – 2-for-4, 3B, 2B, 2 R (AZL Padres 1); Joey Cantillo, LHP (No. 30) 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K (Class A Fort Wayne)
Abrams, the No. 6 overall pick by San Diego in this year’s Draft, furthered the torrid start to his pro career with his third straight multihit game in the Arizona League. The 2019 Gatorade player of the year for Georgia has gone 9-for-14 at the plate in those contests, tallying three extra-base hits and six runs scored. As for Cantillo, the 19-year-old southpaw set a career high with 10 strikeouts as he completed six innings for the second time in his last three starts. A 16th-round pick in 2017 out of the Hawaii prep ranks, Cantillo owns a 1.96 ERA and 0.87 WHIP that would rank second and first, respectively, in the Midwest League if he had enough innings to qualify. To go along with those impressive marks, Cantillo has also racked up 73 strikeouts and given up just two homers in 55 innings (12 starts).  
Padres prospects stats »

Rockies: Terrin Vavra, SS (No. 13) 4-for-7, 2 HR, 2B, 6 RBI, 3 R (Class A Asheville)
Vavra recorded his second six-RBI game of the season and racked up 11 total bases as he helped power the Tourists to a 26-9 win over Columbia in a game that featured 43 hits between the two teams. Vavra, whom the Rockies took in the third round of the 2018 Draft, collected four of those hits out of the leadoff spot, two of which cleared the fences in the form of solo and two-run home runs. It was the second multi-homer performance for the 22-year-old shortstop, who’s hitting .331 with eight homers, 23 doubles and 38 RBIs through 65 games this season in the South Atlantic League.
Rockies prospects stats »