Swanson, Newcomb among top prospect performers Monday

Braves' No. 1 prospect rips go-ahead homer in extras, No. 2 prospect hurls six innings of three-hit ball

May 17th, 2016

The Braves' top two prospects turned in strong performances Monday, propelling Double-A Mississippi to a 4-3 extra innings win over Pensacola.
Dansby Swanson -- the Braves' No. 1 prospect -- hit a go-ahead solo homer in the 10th inning. Swanson, the No. 6 prospect in baseball, is 5-for-12 over his last three games, raising his average from .250 to .283.

MILB Video - Title: Swanson slugs a go-ahead homer in 10th - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=704372583

"With the positioning of the infield, I thought that dropping one down might be a good idea," Swanson said to MiLB.com of his homer. "But he threw me a first-pitch slider and I wasn't going to try and bunt that. Good thing I didn't bunt at all."
But before Swanson went deep, it was his teammate and the Braves' No. 2 prospect (No. 18 overall) Sean Newcomb who kept Mississippi in the game. Newcomb tossed six innings and limited the Blue Wahoos to three hits and three runs. The left-hander struck out seven batters and walked three.
The rest of the best performances from top prospects Monday
Baseball's No. 19 prospect Alex Bregman's adjustment to third base doesn't appear to have affected his bat. Bregman (the Astros' top prospect) batted 3-for-4 with two doubles and a home run, his eighth of the year, on Monday. He drove in four runs, scored three, and drew a walk. The Astros selected Bregman No. 2 overall in last year's Draft out of LSU as a shortstop, but the 22-year-old is making the transition to third base this season. He played his first game at third as a professional on Saturday.
"I feel like I'll be very comfortable here really soon -- really, really soon," Bergman told MiLB.com.

MILB Video - Title: Bregman rips a homer - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=704762683

The No. 34 overall prospect Carson Fulmer (White Sox No. 1) turned in his second scoreless outing for Double-A Birmingham. He allowed five hits and walked five batters, but kept the Birmingham Barons off the board for five innings in a 3-2 win. Courtney Hawkins (White Sox No. 9 prospect) was the difference in this one as he sparked a ninth-inning rally with a go-ahead solo homer.

MILB Video - Title: Hawkins hits go-ahead homer in ninth - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=704352483

The No. 57 overall prospect Josh Hader lowered his ERA to 0.89 with six scoreless frames against Chattanooga on Monday. Hader (the Brewers No. 4 prospect) allowed just five batters to reach base (four hits, one walk) and matched his season-high with eight strikeouts. Hader has yet to allow more than one earned run through eight starts with Double-A Biloxi this season.
The No. 87 overall prospect Nick Gordon extended his hitting streak to six games with a 3-for-5 performance for Class A Advanced Fort Myers. Gordon (the Twins' No. 4 prospect) went 3-for-5 with a home run and a stolen base against the Dundedin Blue Jays. He's collected multiple hits in three of his last four games.
Baseball's No. 88 overall prospect Hunter Renfroe homered for a second consecutive game, hitting a three-run blast for Triple-A El Paso. Renfroe (the Padres' No. 3 prospect) went 3-for-5 in his fourth straight multi-hit game as the Chihuahuas beat New Orleans, 7-6, at home. Renfroe's teammate Alex Dickerson, the Padres' No. 23 prospect, also contributed to the win, going 4-for-4 with three extra-base hits (two homers and a double).

MILB Video - Title: Renfroe rips a three-run homer - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=704712583

• Making his third appearance out of the bullpen for Double-A Jackson, the Mariners' No. 2 prospect Edwin Diaz tossed two scoreless frames. Diaz, who was recently converted from a starter to a reliever, has pitched four innings of relief since his last start, allowing just two hits and striking out seven batters in that span. As the Generals beat the Mobile BayBears in a 10-3 win, outfielder Tyler O'Neill (the Mariners' No. 4 prospect) homered for the second straight day. He went 1-for-3 with a solo shot and a walk.
Nationals No. 17 prospect Jakson Reetz went 3-for-3 and homered for Class A Hagerstown in its 12-9 win. Reetz homered for the first time this season. It was his first Minor League homer since August 7, 2014.
"It felt good but I'm not too worried about that," Reetz told MiLB.com of his homer. "I'm just trying to square the baseball up and good things will happen."
Pirates No. 16 prospect Chad Kuhl effectively shut down the Columbus offense, limiting the Clippers to just a single and a walk through seven scoreless innings. In addition, Kuhl didn't allow a hit until the sixth inning and has thrown 17 consecutive scoreless innings. Since allowing two earned runs in his season debut for Triple-A Indianapolis, Kuhl has given up as many in his last six starts combined, a span of 35 innings, lowering his ERA to 0.91.

MILB Video - Title: Kuhl records sixth strikeout - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=704204683

Rangers No. 21 prospect Travis Demeritte drove in two of his team's four runs as Class A Advanced High Desert beat Visalia, 4-3, on the road. Demeritte went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo homers, recording his third multi-homer game of the season and his fifth as a professional. The 21-year-old former first rounder has multiple hits in three of his last four contests.