Johnson City wins Appalachian League
Here’s a look at the top performances of the past week by Cardinals prospects in the Minor Leagues:
Wednesday, Sept. 4: Torres, Nunez lead Cardinals to title
The Johnson City Cardinals won the Rookie Advanced Appalachian League Championship on Wednesday night with an 8-6 win over the Burlington Royals. No. 7 prospect Jhon Torres and No. 16 prospect Malcom Nunez opened the scoring with a pair of RBI singles in Johnson City’s three-run first inning.
Nunez finished the night 2-for-5 with three RBIs after driving home another run on a groundout in the fifth and adding another RBI single in the seventh. Torres also added another hit to finish 2-for-4 with an RBI and a walk. Right-hander Dylan Pearce, a 31st-round pick in the 2019 Draft, closed things out with two shutout innings, where he walked one batter and struck out three.
The Cardinals dropped the opening game of the Appalachian League Championship 9-2 on Monday before storming back with 7-2 and 8-6 wins to take the best-of-three series. In the regular season, the Cardinals posted a 35-33 record in a tight Appalachian League West division. Wednesday's prospect stats »
Tuesday, Sept. 3: Nunez homers to help keep JC alive
Cardinals No. 16 prospect Malcom Nunez helped Rookie-level Johnson City extend the Appalachian League Finals to a decisive Game 3 by homering, walking twice, scoring two runs and driving in two in the Cardinals’ 7-2 Game 2 win. The 18-year-old walked and scored in the Cardinals' four-run first and belted a two-run dinger in the seventh. Signed out of Cuba last year, the third baseman slashed .415/.497/.774 in 44 games in his first pro campaign. Tuesday's prospect stats »
Monday, Sept. 2: Carlson flirts with cycle
Dylan Carlson tied a bow on his breakout campaign by flirting with the cycle in Triple-A Memphis’ final game of the season -- a 9-6 loss to Iowa. The Cardinals’ No. 2 prospect (MLB No. 49) lined the second pitch of the game into right field for a single and opened the fourth inning with his fifth home run in 18 games for the Redbirds. A leadoff double in the sixth inning left the 20-year-old switch-hitter a triple short of the cycle, but he was unable to come up with the hit in his final two at-bats (strikeout, flyout) and finished 3-for-5. The Cardinals’ first-round pick from the 2016 Draft, Carlson batted .292/.372/.542 with 26 homers, 60 extra-base hits and 20 steals in 126 games between Memphis and Double-A Springfield, where he garnered Player of the Year honors in the Texas League. Monday's prospect stats »
Sunday, Sept. 1: Nunez comes up big for Johnson City
No. 16 prospect Malcom Nunez delivered a two-run double in the seventh inning that powered Rookie Advanced Johnson City past Bristol, 7-5, and into the Appalachian League finals. Nunez’s double was his second in the three-game series and was the highlight of the 18-year-old third baseman’s 2-for-4 night at the plate. The Cardinals sent Nunez straight to Class A Peoria to open the season after he won the 2018 Dominican Summer League triple crown by batting .415 with 13 homers and 59 RBIs in 44 games. But Nunez was overmatched in his first taste of full-season ball (.183/.247/.193), and the Cardinals sent him down to Johnson City in early June. He fared much better in the more age-appropriate Appy League, batting .254/.336/.385 with a pair of homers in 58 games. Sunday's prospect stats »
Saturday, Aug. 31: Redbirds flirt with no-hitter
What was supposed to be a bullpen game for Triple-A Memphis nearly resulted in a no-hitter, as four Redbirds hurlers carried a combined no-hit bid for 7 1/3 innings in a 3-1 win over Iowa. Reliever Seth Elledge, the Cardinals’ No. 25 prospect, started the game and delivered three hitless frames, issuing two walks and striking out five in his second straight start for the Redbirds. The 23-year-old righty has thrived in the new role, allowing two hits and walks apiece while striking out seven in seven innings. Saturday's prospect stats »
Friday, Aug. 30: Carlson continues to rake for Memphis
Dylan Carlson, the Cardinals’ No. 2 prospect, is back on track after a mini-slump, picking up four total bases for the second straight game for Triple-A Memphis. The 20-year-old outfielder started his Triple-A career on fire, batting as high as .552 seven games into his time with the team. He’s hitting at a more believable .371 clip after Friday’s game, during which he picked up a triple and a stolen base. We can’t be sure that we’ll see Carlson in the Major Leagues before the end of this season, but after his performances across two levels this season, he’s running out of things to prove in the Minors. Friday's prospect stats »
Thursday, Aug. 29: Williams continues tear of homers
Even by the standards of the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, Justin Williams is thriving in his first taste of Triple-A ball. The Cardinals’ No. 15 prospect joined a six-homer party for the Redbirds on Thursday, launching a two-run blast in the team’s 8-6 win. Williams has hit four home runs in a seven-game span, and his slugging percentage has rocketed to a .663 mark in 32 games. Thursday's prospect stats »