Pipeline Preview: Martes, Meyer face off in duel of the day

April 16th, 2017

Here's a look at top prospects to watch in today's Minor League action:
Hitter to watch:  (Cubs' No. 4), Iowa vs. Round Rock (2:08 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Candelario is having himself some start to the season. The slugger is showing why he is the No. 92 overall prospect in baseball by hitting .343 with a Minor League-best 16 RBIs for Triple-A Iowa on the young season. Candelario already had a cup of coffee with the Major League club last summer, and he is looking to force his way back onto the roster again -- if he can find a place to fit.

Pitcher to watch: Josh Hader (Brewers' No. 3), Colorado Springs at Nashville (3:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Hader is coming off a start in which he allowed three solo homers in three innings in Memphis while failing to notch a strikeout. The No. 35 prospect in baseball is certainly capable of performing better than that, although he struggled last year in his first stint with the Sky Sox to the tune of a 5.22 ERA in 14 starts. Brewers fans will be eager to see how he can handle the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League this season -- especially while calling Colorado Springs home.

Duel of the day: (Astros' No. 1) at (Angels' No. 8), Fresno at Salt Lake (3:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Martes, the No. 18 overall prospect in baseball, was lights-out in his Triple-A debut, firing five scoreless frames for Fresno on April 10. After being involved in a number of trade rumors in the offseason, the right-hander will look to continue his solid start to 2017 against the Bees. Martes raised his stock considerably in the past two years, posting a 2.04 ERA across three levels in 2015 and a 3.30 mark at Double-A Corpus Christi last season before a solid campaign in the Arizona Fall League.

Meyer is a former top prospect that is looking to deliver on his potential in the Anaheim system. The 27-year-old appeared in the Major Leagues in each of the past two seasons, and he's started his 2017 off with two solid starts for Salt Lake, fanning 13 batters across 10 frames. Meyer holds a career 3.42 ERA with 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings in the Minor Leagues and could work his way into a role with the Angels before long.

Sunday's Top 100 prospect probables
No. 41 (Rockies' No. 2) at Chase De Jong (Mariners' No. 15), Albuquerque at Tacoma (Triple-A)
No. 43 (White Sox No. 4), Charlotte at Norfolk (Triple-A)
More top prospect probables
(Pirates' No. 9), Indianapolis at Toledo (Triple-A)
(Rays' No. 9), Durham vs. Gwinnett (Triple-A)
(Dodgers' No. 17), Oklahoma City at Memphis (Triple-A)
(Yankees' No. 22), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre vs Buffalo (Triple-A)
Alex Young (D-backs' No. 11), Jackson at Mobile (Double-A)
Corey Ray (Royals' No. 26), NW Arkansas at Corpus Christi (Double-A)
Matt Cooper (White Sox No. 28), Birmingham vs. Montgomery (Double-A)
Beau Borrows (Tigers' No. 3) at Genesis Cabrera (Rays' No. 29), Lakeland at Charlotte (Class A Advanced)
Brett Martin (Rangers' No. 5) vs Travis Lakins (Red Sox's No. 7), Down East vs Salem (Class A Advanced)
(Braves' No. 10), Florida at St. Lucie, (Class A Advanced)
Ofelky Peralta (Orioles' No. 18), Frederick at Carolina (Class A Advanced)
Framber Valdez (Astros' No. 30), Buies Creek at Winston-Salem (Class A Advanced)
Nolan Watson (Royals' No. 16), Lexington vs West Virginia (Class A)
Shaun Anderson (Red Sox's No. 17), Greenville at Asheville (Class A)