Pipeline preview: Happ on fire at Double-A

July 13th, 2016

Here's a look at top prospects to watch Thursday in Minor League action:
Hitter to watch: Ian Happ (Cubs' No. 3), Tennessee vs. Montgomery (8:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Happ, the No. 66 overall prospect, is off to a fast start at Double-A. Happ was promoted after hitting .296 in 69 games with Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach, and the hits have continued to come in bunches. The second baseman went 2-for-4 Wednesday and, despite a three-game stretch where he went 0-for-12, is batting .364 through 18 games with the Smokies.

Pitcher to watch: Erick Fedde (Nationals' No. 4), Potomac vs. Winston-Salem (7 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
The 23-year-old right-hander appears to have figured it out. Fedde's ERA sat at 6.62 on May 22, but it has dropped to 4.13 after his recent string of quality outings. The Nationals' prospect has allowed one run or less in each of his last six appearances, five of which were starts. Fedde is coming off a performance in which he allowed just one run on three hits over six innings while striking out eight.

Duel of the Day: Brad Markey (Cubs' No. 28) vs. (Rays' No. 12), Tennessee vs. Montgomery (8:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Markey has adapted just fine to life at the Double-A level. The 24-year-old has a 2.59 ERA and has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 13 of his 15 starts. The right-hander threw six scoreless innings in his last outing and will look to string together some more zeroes against a Montgomery team that he fared well against earlier in the year (nine innings pitched, three earned runs in two starts).

Hu has thrown very well against the Smokies this season and will look for a repeat performance after struggling a bit in his last outing. In two starts against Tennessee, Hu has allowed one earned run in 11 innings. The 22-year-old has lost his last six decisions, but his 2.51 ERA in six Double-A starts indicates he's pitched better than his 2-6 record indicates.

Wednesday's Top 100 probables:

No. 31 Dillon Tate (Rangers' No. 3), Hickory vs. Lakewood (Class A)
No. 36 (Astros' No. 3), Corpus Christi vs. Frisco (Double-A)
No. 68 Erick Fedde (Nationals' No. 4), Potomac vs. Winston-Salem (Class A Advanced)
More top prospect probables:

Jacob Faria (Rays' No. 9), Durham vs. Syracuse (Triple-A)
Ryan Merrit (Indians' No. 26), Columbus vs. Toledo (Triple-A)
(Giants' No. 10), Sacramento vs. Round Rock (Triple-A)
(Dodgers' No. 26), Oklahoma City vs. Reno (Triple-A)
Tyler Mahle (Reds' No. 11), Pensacola vs. Jacksonville (Double-A)
John Means (Orioles' No. 28), Bowie vs. Richmond (Double-A)
Max Povse (Braves' No. 25), Mississippi vs. Jackson (Double-A)
Connor Sadzack (Rangers' No. 25), Frisco vs. Corpus Christi (Double-A)
Brad Markey (Cubs' No. 28), Tennessee vs. Montgomery (Double-A)
Chih-Wei Hu (Rays' No. 12), Montgomery vs. Tennessee (Double-A)
Sean Reid-Foley (Blue Jays' No. 3), Dunedin vs. Bradenton (Class A Advanced)
Michael Mader (Marlins' No. 21), Jupiter vs. Brevard County (Class A Advanced)
Kodi Medeiros (Brewers' No. 7), Brevard County vs. Jupiter (Class A Advanced)
Tyler Alexander (Tigers' No. 13), Lakeland vs. Charlotte (Class A Advanced)
Thad Lowry (White Sox No. 21), Winston-Salem vs. Potomac (Class A Advanced)
Trevor Clifton (Cubs' No. 21), Myrtle Beach vs. Frederick (Class A Advanced)
Phil Bickford (Giants' No. 3), San Jose vs. Lancaster (Class A Advanced)
Jordan Johnson (Giants' No. 14), San Jose vs. Lancaster (Class A Advanced)
Josh Sborz (Dodgers' No. 18), Rancho Cucamonga vs. Inland Empire (Class A Advanced)
Ryan Castellani (Rockies' No. 16), Modesto vs. Bakersfield (Class A Advanced)
Lachlan Wells (Twins' No. 28), Cedar Rapids vs. Lake County (Class A)
Peter Lambert (Rockies' No. 13), Asheville vs. Hagerstown (Class A)
Dario Agrazal (Pirates' No. 30), West Virginia vs. Augusta (Class A)
Ofelky Peralta (Orioles' No. 14), Delmarva vs. Columbia (Class A)
Justin Jacome (Marlins' No. 18), Greensboro vs. Greenville (Class A)
Mike Soroka (Braves' No. 11), Rome vs. Charleston (Class A)
Imani Abdullah (Dodgers' No. 22), Great Lakes vs. Burlington (Class A)
Nick Neidert (Marlins' No. 7), Clinton vs. South Bend (Class A)
Jake Woodford (Cardinals' No. 12), Peoria vs. Lansing (Class A)
Triston McKenzie (Indians' No. 6), Mahoning Valley vs. State College (Class A Short Season)
Tyler Mark (D-backs' No. 25), Hillsboro vs. Everett (Class A Short Season)
Antonio Santillan (Reds' No. 18), Billings vs. Grand Junction (Rookie)