Jones, Kaminsky are Pipeline Prospects of the Week
Pirates shortstop hit .500, had five homers, Cards pitcher had 0.68 ERA in two games
Throughout the season, the MLBPipeline.com staff will name Pipeline Prospects of the Week -- one hitter and one pitcher who excelled over the previous seven days. To qualify for selection, a player must rank among their organization's Top 20 Prospects, as listed on our Prospect Watch.
Pipeline Hitting Prospect of the Week: JaCoby Jones, SS, West Virginia Power (Pirates' No. 15 prospect), 6 G, 12-for-24 (.500/.538/1.167), 1.705 OPS, 5 HR, 7 RBIs, 7 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 SB
When the Pirates drafted Jones out LSU in the third round of the 2013 Draft, they liked his power-speed potential. The power part was particularly on display, as his five homers was a big reason why he was chosen as this week's Pipeline Hitting Prospect of the Week.
Jones hit in all six games he played this past week, with four multihit performances. He homered in three straight games to finish the week off, capped by a two-homer outburst on Sunday.
The week was a nice bounce-back for Jones, who hit just .231/.268/.346 in June and missed a week late in the month after he tweaked his knee. The shortstop is now hitting .284/.354/.482 with 13 homers and 13 stolen bases in 75 South Atlantic League games this season.
Honorable mention
Juan Herrera, SS, Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals' No. 14 prospect), 6 G, 12-for-19 (.632/.696/.737), 1.432 OPS, 2 2B, 5 RBIs, 3 R, 4 BB, 2 K
Daniel Robertson, SS, Stockton Ports (A's No. 1 prospect), 6 G, 10-for-23 (.435/.500/.870), 1.370 OPS, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBIs, 8 R, 4 BB, 4 K
Kris Bryant, 3B, Iowa Cubs (Cubs' No. 2 prospect), 8 G, 12-for-29 (.414/.469/.828), 1.296 OPS, 3 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBIs, 7 R, 3 BB, 7 K, 3 SB
Austin Dean, OF, Greensboro Grasshoppers (Marlins' No. 18 prospect), 7 G, 13-for-32 (.406/.457/.719), 1.176 OPS, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBIs, 9 R, 3 BB, 5 K
Kyle Wren, OF, Mississippi Braves (Braves' No. 16 prospect), 7 G, 12-for-25 (.480/.519/.520), 1.039 OPS, 1 2B, 3 RBIs, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 4 SB
Pipeline Pitching Prospect of the Week: Rob Kamnisky, LHP, Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals' No. 3 prospect) 1-0, 0.68 ERA, 2 GS, 13 1/3 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 8 K
Kaminsky, the Cardinals' first-round pick (No. 28 overall) in 2013, didn't make his 2014 debut until May 4, but he's been making the most of his time in the Midwest League since.
Kaminsky pitched into the seventh inning in both of his starts this past week, completing seven full for the first time on June 30. He allowed just three hits and no walks while striking out seven in that shutout performance. While Kaminsky walked four in his second start of the week, he yielded just one run on three hits over 6 1/3 innings in his next outing.
In Kaminsky's 10 starts to date, the 19-year-old southpaw has gone 4-1 with a 1.28 ERA, which would easily lead the Midwest League if he had enough innings to qualify. He's allowed just 36 hits in 56 1/3 innings for a .177 batting average against, giving up 16 walks while striking out 48.
Honorable mention
Michael Feliz, RHP, Quad Cities River Bandits (Astros' No. 9 prospect), 2-0, 0.84 ERA, 2 GS, 10 2/3 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 13 K
Henry Owens, LHP, Portland SeaDogs (Red Sox's No. 1 prospect), 2-0, 1.98 ERA, 2 GS, 13 2/3 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 16 SO
Pierce Johnson, RHP, Tennessee Smokies (Cubs' No. 8 prospect), 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 7 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Mitch Gueller, RHP, Williamsport Crosscutters (Phillies' No. 17 prospect), 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Trey Ball, LHP, Greenville Drive (Red Sox's No. 7 prospect), 0-0, 0.90 ERA, 2 GS, 10 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 11 K