Pipeline preview: Lamet to start Game 4

September 10th, 2016

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)
(Braves' No. 11), Rome at Charleston (Class A)
Jose Suarez (Dodgers' No. 30), Orem vs. Ogden (Rookie)