A trio of No. 1 prospects took the mound on Tuesday in Lucas Giolito, Blake Snell and Michael Fulmer, and together they combined to allow just five hits in 14 1/3 scoreless innings.
Giolito, MLBPipeline.com's new No. 1 overall prospect following the graduation of Corey Seager, fired four innings of one-hit ball in his season debut for Double-A Harrisburg, which went on to defeat Binghamton, 4-3, in 11 innings. The right-hander walked three and struck out four, throwing 37 of his 59 pitches for strikes.
Snell's second start of the season for Triple-A Durham saw the Rays' No. 1 prospect (No. 12 overall) strike out nine hitters before departing after 4 2/3 innings due to an elevated pitch count. The 23-year-old southpaw yielded two hits but struggled to get ahead of hitters consistently, throwing 61 of his 100 pitches for strikes. Snell threw 31 pitches and issued three walks in his final inning of work, including back-to-back free passes to load the bases with two outs. Through his first two starts for Durham, Snell has a 1.86 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings.
Fulmer, meanwhile, was sharp in his Triple-A debut, firing 5 2/3 scoreless innings to pace Triple-A Toledo in a 3-0 shutout of Indianapolis. The Tigers' No. 1 prospect (No. 52 overall) scattered four hits, issued one walk and struck out seven hitters, while his heavy fastball generated six ground-ball outs.
The rest of the best performances from top prospects Tuesday
• No. 6 overall prospect Dansby Swanson went 3-for-4 with a double, three runs scored and a stolen base to help pace Class A Advanced Carolina to a decisive 15-4 win over Lynchburg. The 2015 No. 1 overall Draft pick and Braves' top prospect is hitting .400 (10-for-25) with five doubles and has collected multiple hits in four of the Mudcats' first six games.
• No. 9 overall prospect Trea Turner had a big day at the plate, going 5-for-6 as Triple-A Syracuse and Buffalo split a doubleheader. The Nats' No. 2 prospect went 1-for-2 in the first game and turned in a 4-for-4 performance in the nightcap that included a double, RBI and stolen base.
• Rays No. 2 prospect Brent Honeywell struck out six hitters in six scoreless innings as Class A Advanced Charlotte edged Clearwater, 2-1. The 21-year-old right-hander, baseball's No. 41 overall prospect, has been excellent in the early going, with a 0.75 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 11 strikeouts in 12 innings.
• Astros No. 4 prospect Kyle Tucker (No. 72 overall) went 3-for-3 with his first first full-season home run and a stolen base as Class A Quad Cities shut out Peoria, 2-0.
• Angels No. 3 prospect Nate Smith matched his career high with nine strikeouts in five innings for Triple-A Salt Lake, though an unearned run kept him from picking up his second win. The 24-year-old southpaw struggled in his seven starts at Triple-A in 2015 but has pitched well this year in his return to the level, with one earned run allowed in his first 10 2/3 innings (0.84 ERA).
• Braves No. 13 prospect Mike Soroka, the No. 28 overall pick in the 2015 Draft, was nearly untouchable in his second start for Class A Rome, throwing six scoreless innings of one-hit ball during which he issued one walk and struck out five.
• Giants No. 20 prospect Austin Slater homered for the second straight day and scored three runs as Double-A Richmond defeated Reading, 7-5. The 23-year-old outfielder finished 2-for-3 with a double and two walks, giving him multiple hits in each of the last three games.
• Phillies No. 9 prospect Andrew Knapp hit his first Triple-A home run and went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored in Game 1 of Triple-A Lehigh Valley's doubleheader against Rochester, while No. 24 prospect Darnell Sweeney, who played in both games, finished the day 5-for-7 with two triples, a double and two runs scored.
• Rays No. 25 prospect Jake Hager missed all of 2015 while recovering from knee surgery, but he's fully healthy this season and off to a hot start at Double-A Montgomery. Hager, who was 3-for-5 with three runs scored on Sunday, pounded out three extra-base hits -- two doubles and a triple -- and drove in four runs in a win over Mississippi.
• A tough-luck loser last week in his Double-A debut, Alec Mills, the Royals' No. 14 prospect, was dominant in his second turn for Northwest Arkansas, striking out nine hitters in six scoreless innings in a win against Midland. After an injury-plagued 2015 campaign, the 24-year-old righty owns a 0.82 ERA and 16/1 K/BB ratio in 11 innings this season.
• After a shaky season debut last week for Class A Advanced Winston-Salem, White Sox No. 3 prospect Spencer Adams fired six scoreless innings in a win over Myrtle Beach. The 2014 second-rounder scattered six hits, struck out six and did not issue a walk while throwing 63 of his 88 pitches for strikes.