Pipeline preview: Lamet to start Game 4
Here's a look at top prospects to watch in today's Minor League action:
Hitter to watch: Rhys Hoskins (Phillies' No. 13), Reading vs. Trenton (7:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Hoskins belted a two-run home run in a 2-for-4 performance on Friday to help power the Fightin Phils past Trenton, 13-5, and stave off elimination from the Eastern League semifinals. After finishing the regular season with the second-most home runs (38) and RBIs (116) in the Minor Leagues, the 23-year-old will need to continue to swing a hot bat to keep Reading's chances of a title alive.
Pitcher to watch: Dinelson Lamet (Padres' No. 18), El Paso at Tacoma (10:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Lamet threw the ball well during the final month of the regular season, posting a 1.93 ERA with 36 strikeouts and a .219 opponents' average in 28 innings (five starts). His final two outings in that stretch were his first with Triple-A El Paso, and he held his own by allowing a combined five earned runs in 10 2/3 innings, with 13 strikeouts and four walks. Overall, the 24-year-old righty owns a 3.00 ERA with 158 strikeouts in 150 innings (28 starts) entering Game 4 of the Pacific Coast League semifinals against Tacoma.
Duel of the day: Josh Staumont (Royals' No. 11) vs. Austin Gomber (Cardinals' No. 19), Northwest Arkansas vs. Springfield (3:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Staumont turned in a career performance in his final regular-season start for Double-A Northwest Arkansas, when he tied his career best with 12 strikeouts and fired six scoreless innings to help the Naturals clinch the Texas League North Division second-half title. The hard-throwing 22-year-old finished second among all qualified Minor League hurlers with 167 strikeouts and first with 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings. Unfortunately, his 104 walks and walks-per-nine rate of 7.6 were both the worst in the Minors.
After a strong showing in the Class A Advanced Florida State League, Gomber, 22, was promoted to Double-A Springfield in late July and posted a 1.40 ERA with just 11 hits allowed in 19 1/3 innings across four starts. He spent much of August on the disabled list and logged a combined 6 1/3 innings in his final two regular-season starts as a result, but the left-hander should be able to offer his normal workload in Game 4 of the Texas League semifinals.
More top prospect probables
Dinelson Lamet (Padres' No. 18), El Paso at Tacoma (Triple-A)
Tyler Mahle (Reds' No. 7) vs. Lucas Sims (Braves' No. 14), Pensacola at Mississippi (Double-A)
Hunter Wood (Rays' No. 18), Montgomery vs. Jackson (Double-A)
Brandon Waddell (Pirates' No. 19), Altoona at Akron (Double-A)
Alex Young (D-backs' No. 5), Visalia vs. Bakersfield (Class A Advanced)
Walker Buehler (Dodgers' No. 7), Great Lakes at Bowling Green (Class A)
Max Fried (Braves' No. 11), Rome at Charleston (Class A)
Jose Suarez (Dodgers' No. 30), Orem vs. Ogden (Rookie)