The Buffalo Bisons will be back at Sahlen Field to host the Rochester Red Wings for a six-game series this week and Buffalo will have to deal with six of the Washington Nationals’ Top 30 Prospects.
Coming in ranked ninth is RHP Luis Perales. The Guacara, Venezuela native has a 3.67 ERA, 66 strikeouts, 44 walks, 1.31 WHIP and a 4-4 record in 73.2 innings pitched. Perales faced the Bisons once this season on April 17, when Buffalo won 6-2 in the first game of a doubleheader. He gave up two runs on three hits, one of them being a homer, and three walks while striking out five batters in 3.1 innings pitched. Perales relies on a high-90s four-seamer that topped out at 101.1 mph when he was in the Arizona Fall League, a low-90s cutter and a mid-80s slider and splitter.
Ranked 15th on the list is the southpaw Jackson Kent. Washington's 2024 fourth-rounder has a 4.69 ERA, 52 strikeouts, 15 walks, 1.21 WHIP and a 6-3 record in 48 innings pitched. Kent throws a low-90s fastball, low-80s changeup, mid-80s slider and a high-70s curveball.
Just inside of the Top 20 on the list is OF Christian Franklin. The former Chicago Cubs’ 2021 fourth-round pick has a .250 batting average, six homers, 30 RBI, and .378/.367/.745 in 81 games. Franklin has played 31 of those games in left field and has a .986 fielding percentage this season. He faced Buffalo five times this season, recording a .188 batting average, no homers, one RBI and .429/.313/.742.
Last year with the Red Wings, Franklin had a .290 average, four home runs, 23 RBI and .382/.427/.809 in 31 games. Also, he finished with a .962 fielding percentage.
Rounding out the Top 20 is OF Andrew Pinckney. The Nationals’ 2023 fourth-rounder is batting a .295 average, 12 home runs, 46 RBI and .366/.458/.824 in 82 games. Pinckney has played 33 games in center field and has a .993 fielding percentage. He has faced Buffalo four times this season, recording a .357 batting average, no home runs, three RBI, and .400/.429/.829.
While with Rochester last season, Pinckney boasted a .269 batting average, 20 homers, 66 RBI and .348/.431/.779 in 125 games. He also had a .967 fielding percentage.
Ranked 25th is 1B/OF Abimelec Ortiz. The Bayamon, Puerto Rico native has a .247 batting average, 17 homers, 66 RBI and .348/.509/.857 in 74 games. Ortiz has played 48 games at first base and recorded a .976 fielding percentage so far.
He has appeared against Buffalo four times this season. Against the Bisons, Ortiz has posted a .143 batting average, no home runs, two RBI and .250/.214/.464. He also got to play in one game for Washington, going one-for-two at the plate with a double.
Lastly, ranked 28th is 1B/3B Yohandy Morales. Drafted by the Nationals in the second round of 2023, Morales has posted a .294 batting average, 21 homers, 62 RBI and .369/.539/.908 in 84 games. He has played 39 games at third base for the Red Wings and has a .653 fielding percentage.
Morales played against the Bisons six times this season. Through those five games, he racked up a .476 batting average, one home run, two RBI and .455/.619/1.074.
Buffalo and Rochester are scheduled for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch on Tuesday at Sahlen Field. Pregame coverage on The Bet 1520 AM, the Audacy app, and Bisons.com begins broadcast coverage at 6:15 p.m.