Pipeline preview: Gallo looks to power Myrtle Beach

After hitting five home runs last week to increase his Minor League-leading total to 18, Rangers No. 5 prospect Joey Gallo got a gift Monday from the Carolina League schedule makers: a day off.

Tuesday, however, Gallo and Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach will be back in action. The Pelicans begin a three-game series at Frederick at 7 p.m. ET.

Gallo, ranked No. 80 on MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects list, is the Minor League's reigning home run king. He hit 40 home runs last year and is nearly halfway to that total just 42 games into this season. But Gallo has done more than just hit home runs this season. He leads the Carolina League in on-base percentage (.459), slugging (.795), walks (33), runs (43) and is second in hitting (.342).

Gallo has been the driving force of the Pelicans' offense this season, but they also have gotten solid contributions form catcher Jorge Alfaro and outfielder Nick Williams, the Rangers' No. 1 and 6 prospects. Alfaro is hitting .270 with a .723 OPS. Williams enters the week with a .287 batting average and a .797 OPS.

The task of slowing Gallo and the rest of the Pelicans down Tuesday will fall to right-hander Parker Bridwell, the Orioles' No. 15 prospect. Though Bridwell started the season slowly, he came within two outs of a no-hitter in his last start. He enters Tuesday with a 1-5 record and a 5.61 ERA in eight starts this year.

While most players are deep into their seasons, shortstop Roman Quinn, the Phillies' No. 4 prospect, is just beginning his. He suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during the offseason and missed the first six weeks of the season as he completed his recovery. Quinn was activated from the disabled list Monday and played in his first game of the season for Class A Clearwater. He went 0-for-4 with a run in a 7-6 loss at Charlotte. Tuesday, Quinn will look for his first hit of the year as Clearwater continues its road trip at St. Lucie. The Mets' No. 16 prospect, Michael Fulmer, is scheduled to start for the hosts in a game that begins at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Elsewhere in the Minor Leagues, a few pitchers ranked in the Top 100 are scheduled to start Tuesday, including Kohl Stewart (No. 33), Jesse Biddle (No. 46) and Anthony Ranaudo (No. 97). Fans can watch Biddle and Ranaudo on MiLB.TV, beginning with Ranaudo and Triple-A Pawtucket hosting Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at 12:05 p.m. ET.

Top prospect probables
Chris Anderson (Dodgers' No. 5), Rancho Cucamonga at Inland Empire
Jesse Biddle (Phillies' No. 2), Reading vs. New Hampshire
Parker Bridwell (Orioles' No. 15), Frederick vs. Myrtle Beach
Chase De Jong (Blue Jays' No. 13), Lansing vs. Bowling Green
Michael Fulmer (Mets' No. 16), St. Lucie vs. Clearwater
Amir Garrett (Reds' No. 19), Dayton vs. Great Lakes
Brian Johnson (Red Sox's No. 12), Portland vs. Binghamton
Adalberto Mejia (Giants' No. 3), Richmond at New Britain
Keury Mella (Giants' No. 19), Augusta vs. Greensboro
Brian Mitchell (Yankees' No. 14), Trenton vs. Harrisburg
Ariel Pena (Brewers' No. 17), Nashville vs. Omaha
Anthony Ranaudo (Red Sox's No. 8), Pawtucket vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
Cody Reed (Royals' No. 14), Lexington vs. Hagerstown
Carlos Salazar (Braves' No. 13), Rome at Lakewood
Zeke Spruill (D-backs' No. 10), Reno at Tacoma
Ryan Stanek (Rays' No. 11), Bowling Green at Lansing
Kohl Stewart (Twins' No. 4), Cedar Rapids vs. Beloit
Eric Surkamp (White Sox No. 20), Charlotte vs. Norfolk
Drew VerHagen (Tigers' No. 12), Toledo at Rochester