Pipeline preview: Gray aims to remain sharp for Tulsa

A bevy of aces-in-the-making will take the mound Thursday, with a number of clubs' top pitching prospects slated to pitch throughout the Minor Leagues.

Leading that group is right-hander Jon Gray, ranked No. 13 on MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects list. Gray, the Rockies' No. 1 prospect, will take the mound for Double-A Tulsa against Frisco at 12:05 p.m. ET.

Gray has been outstanding so far for Double-A Tulsa, going 4-2 with a 2.98 ERA and a 0.969 WHIP in 42 1/3 innings over eight starts.

But the real headliner of the aces on deck may be Marlins lefty Andrew Heaney, slated to make his Triple-A debut for New Orleans against Oklahoma City at 8 p.m. ET. Heaney, the top-ranked left-hander in the Minors and the Marlins' No. 1 prospect, went 4-2 with a 2.35 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings for Double-A Jacksonville before earning the promotion to Triple-A.

Also slated to pitch Thursday are right-handers Robert Stephenson, Tyler Glasnow, Alex Meyer, Kyle Crick, Lucas Sims and A.J. Cole, all of whom are ranked among MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects. Left-hander Enny Romero, the Rays' top-ranked active pitching prospect, is also scheduled to take the mound.

Fans can watch on MiLB.TV as Heaney, Gray, Stephenson, Meyer, Crick, Cole and Romero continue their development into top-tier big-league pitchers.

Stephenson is the Reds' top prospect, having racked up 55 strikeouts and a 3.74 ERA in 45 2/3 innings for Double-A Pensacola. He'll face Birmingham at 7:30 p.m. ET. Glasnow, the Pirates' No. 3 prospect behind Gregory Polanco and the injured Jameson Taillon, will get the ball for Class A Advanced Bradenton against Daytona at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Meyer, the Twins' No. 3 prospect behind Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano, will take the ball for Triple-A Rochester at 6:35 p.m. ET against the Yankees' Scranton/Wilkes-Barre affiliate. Crick, considered the Giants' top prospect, will scale the mound for Double-A Richmond at 10:35 a.m. ET against New Britain.

Sims is the Braves' top-ranked prospect, and he's scheduled to start for Class A Advanced Lynchburg at 7:05 p.m. ET against Potomac. Meanwhile, Cole, the Nationals' No. 2 prospect, will take the mound for Double-A Harrisburg against Trenton.

Romero, the Rays' No. 4 prospect, is slated to start for Triple-A Durham at 7:05 p.m. ET against Columbus.

Top prospect probables
Matt Barnes (Red Sox's No. 6), Pawtucket at Syracuse
Corey Black (Cubs' No. 16), Tennessee vs. Mobile
Paul Blackburn (Cubs' No. 14), Kane County vs. Clinton
A.J. Cole (Nationals' No. 2), Harrisburg at Trenton
Dylan Covey (A's No. 13), Beloit vs. Wisconsin
Kyle Crick (Giants' No. 1), Richmond at New Britain
Cody Dickson (Pirates' No. 19), West Virginia vs. Lakewood
Drew Gagnon (Brewers' No. 16), Huntsville at Montgomery
Tyler Glasnow (Pirates' No. 3), Bradenton vs. Daytona
Severino Gonzalez (Phillies' No. 6), Reading vs. New Hampshire
Jon Gray (Rockies' No. 1), Tulsa at Frisco
Andrew Heaney (Marlins' No. 1), New Orleans vs. Oklahoma City
Dace Kime (Indians' No. 14), Lake County at Bowling Green
Tyler Matzek (Rockies' No. 12), Colorado Springs vs. Memphis
Alex Meyer (Twins' No. 3), Rochester at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
Francellis Montas (White Sox No. 16), Winston-Salem at Salem
Aaron Northcraft (Braves' No. 14), Mississippi at Chattanooga
Victor Payano (Rangers' No. 17), Myrtle Beach at Frederick
Joe Ross (Padres' No. 9), Lake Elsinore vs. High Desert
Enny Romero (Rays' No. 4), Durham at Columbus
Antonio Senzatela (Rockies' No. 20), Asheville at Hagerstown
Lucas Sims (Braves' No. 1), Lynchburg at Potomac
Kyle Smith (Astros' No. 19), Corpus Christi at Arkansas
Robert Stephenson (Reds' No. 1), Pensacola vs. Birmingham
Chris Stratton (Giants' No. 7), San Jose vs. Stockton
Alberto Tirado (Blue Jays' No. 7), Lansing at Fort Wayne
Nick Tropeano (Astros' No. 17), Oklahoma City at New Orleans
Trevor Williams (Marlins' No. 10), Jupiter at Tampa
Mike Wright (Orioles' No. 5), Norfolk at Gwinnett