Saturday's top prospect performers

May 27th, 2018

Here's MLB Pipeline's roundup of the top prospect performances in the Minor Leagues on Saturday.
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's flair for the dramatic was on full display Saturday as the White Sox top prospect delivered a go-ahead grand slam to cap a six-run ninth inning in Double-A Birmingham's 8-5 win against Jackson.
It was the third career grand slam for Jimenez, MLB Pipeline's No. 3 overall prospect, and his first since joining the White Sox organization last July in the deal that sent to the Cubs. He also hit a double in the contest, finishing 2-for-5.
Jimenez's multihit performance was his fourth during his current seven-game hitting streak. The 21-year-old outfielder owns a .331/.372/.620 batting line through 35 games and ranks second in the Southern League in both home runs (nine) and RBIs (35) despite missing the first two weeks of the season with a pectoral strain.

MILB Video - Title: Jimenez hits go-ahead slam - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2087754483

The rest of the best performances from top prospects Saturday
• No. 2 overall prospect Vladimir Guerrero (Blue Jays' No. 1) tallied a single in his first at-bat in both games of Double-A New Hampshire's doubleheader against Hartford to extend his on-base streak to 35 games. He finished both contests 1-for-3, lowering his Minor League-leading batting average to .431.
• No. 65 overall prospect (Marlins' No. 1) connected on his seventh home run in his second straight multihit game for Double-A Jacksonville, finishing 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. The 22-year-old outfielder has tallied a hit in six of his past seven games to raise his average from .234 to .251.

MILB Video - Title: Harrison goes yard - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2087615483

• Having already started a pair of combined no-hitters for Double-A Mobile this season, Angels' No. 7 prospect Griffin Canning nearly headlined another as he worked 3 2/3 innings of hitless ball in a no-decision. The 22-year-old righty issued three walks and struck out five, throwing 35 of his 59 pitches for strikes. He's posted eight hitless frames over his past two starts and has allowed just one earned run across his past five turns, totaling 28 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings in that span.
Astros' No. 20 prospect Myles Straw hit a pair of doubles in his second career 5-for-5 performance as Double-A Corpus Christi defeated Tulsa, 7-2. He scored three runs out of the leadoff spot and also stole his Texas League-leading 31st base of the year. Through 47 games, the 23-year-old outfielder ranks first in the circuit in hits (63) and runs (37), second in average (.362) and third in OBP (.459).

MILB Video - Title: Straw's fifth hit - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2087875483

Cardinals' No. 3 prospect Dakota Hudson worked eight scoreless innings and set a season high with nine strikeouts, leading Triple-A Memphis past Colorado Springs, 4-0. He yielded four hits and issued one walk, throwing 68 of his 103 pitches for strikes in the outing. The 23-year-old right-hander has allowed one or fewer earned runs in four straight starts, while lowering his ERA from 3.90 to 2.30 in that span. Hudson owns a 6-1 record through nine starts.
Cubs' No. 18 prospect Keegan Thompson posted a career-best eight strikeouts over six scoreless innings as Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach blanked Carolina, 1-0. He allowed one hit and faced one over the minimum in the outing, retiring the final 16 batters he faced. A 2017 third-round pick out of Tulane, Thompson has pitched to a 3.61 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 46 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings (nine starts) in his first full season.

MILB Video - Title: Thompson notches a strikeout - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2087419183

• Making his Triple-A debut, Dodgers' No. 16 prospect Caleb Ferguson whiffed a season-high 10 batters over five innings, allowing three hits and three walks in a no-decision for Oklahoma City. The 23-year-old lefty received a promotion to the Minors' highest level after posting a 1.38 ERA with 40 strikeouts and a .217 opponents' average in 39 innings (eight starts) with Double-A Tulsa.

MILB Video - Title: Ferguson fans garcia - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2087841483

Indians' No. 28 prospect Eli Morgan picked up his first Carolina League win in his second start for Class A Advanced Lynchburg. Matching his season high with seven innings, Morgan allowed one earned run on five hits while striking out seven. The 22-year-old righty has been excellent in his first full season, registering a 2.08 ERA with a 0.91 WHIP and a 68-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 56 1/3 innings (10 starts) across two levels. 21-year-old outfielder Conner Capel (No. 12) went 2-for-4 and hit one of Lynchburg's three solo homers, his third of the season. He's slashing .299/.388/.425 through 45 games.
Mets' No. 4 prospect Peter Alonso struck out in his first three at-bats before delivering a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the ninth of Double-A Binghamton's 3-1 win against Bowie. The homer was Alonso's Eastern League-leading 14th blast of the season, and he's now gone deep in back-to-back games and three times in in his past four contests. The 23-year-old first baseman is slashing .344/.465/.656 overall, with 56 hits and 42 RBIs through 47 games.

MILB Video - Title: Alonso hits two-run homer - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2087221783

• Down at the Class A level, Mets' No. 14 prospect Anthony Kay recorded his second professional win as he set career highs with eight strikeouts and seven innings for Class A Columbia. The 2016 first-rounder threw 65 of his 96 pitches for strikes, allowing one earned run on five hits and one walk with one hit-by-pitch. He's pitched to a 3.59 ERA in 42 2/3 innings (eight starts), compiling 40 strikeouts and 14 strikeouts while holding hitters to a .248 average.
Phillies' No. 16 prospect went deep twice, hitting solo and two-run home runs to help power Triple-A Lehigh Valley past Pawtucket in Game 1 of a doubleheader. The 23-year-old slugger has homered nine times in 46 games for the IronPigs after totaling 27 homers in 135 games last season in his first Triple-A campaign.

MILB Video - Title: Cozens' second homer - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2087089083

Twins' No. 8 prospect Brent Rooker went 4-for-5 with a home run and two doubles as he helped power Double-A Chattanooga past Montgomery, 11-10. His four hits matched a career high, and Rooker also tallied three RBIs and three runs in the big performance. He's slashing .254/.295/.441 with seven home runs and 10 doubles over 45 games in his first full season.