Pipeline preview: Bucs' Hayes, Rockies' Hoffman heating up

May 6th, 2016

Here's a look at top prospects to watch in today's Minor League action:
Hitter to watch: Ke'Bryan Hayes (Pirates' No. 7)
Drafted 32nd overall by Pittsburgh in 2015, Hayes -- the son of former big leaguer Charlie Hayes -- was lauded as one of the best prep hitters in last year's Draft class, and he's had no trouble upholding that reputation in his first full pro season. On Thursday, Hayes went 2-for-4 with his second home run in as many games for Class A West Virginia, for whom he's hitting .341/.367/.512 with three home runs and 17 RBIs in 22 games. The 19-year-old third baseman will attempt to extend his homer streak on Friday night when West Virginia takes on Columbia in a game that can be seen on MiLB.TV at 7:35 p.m. ET.

Pitcher to watch: Jeff Hoffman (Rockies' No. 4)
Hoffman, MLBPipeline.com's No. 48 overall prospect, has made pitching in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League look easy so far this season, going 2-0 with a 1.52 ERA and a 25/9 K/BB ratio in 29 2/3 innings for Triple-A Albuquerque. The hard-throwing righty, acquired from Toronto last July in the Troy Tulowitzki blockbuster, was dominant in his latest outing for the Isotopes, scattering three hits over seven scoreless innings, and he has yet to allow more than two runs in any of his five starts for the Isotopes. Hoffman will attempt to keep that streak alive Friday when he takes the mound for Albuquerque at 9:35 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV.

Duel of the day: No. 57 Josh Hader (Brewers' No. 4) vs. Rookie Davis (Reds' No. 12), Biloxi at Pensacola (7:30 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Friday's matchup between Hader and Davis has all the makings of a duel, as both hurlers enter the day tied for second place in the Double-A Southern League with a 0.78 ERA. Hader has been outstanding this season in his return to Double-A Biloxi, with 32 strikeouts in 23 innings to go along with his miniscule ERA, but the 22-year-old lefty is still searching for his first win despite allowing no more than one run in any of his six starts for the Shuckers. Davis, meanwhile, is coming off of arguably his best start of the season on April 30, when he fired five scoreless innings of two-hit ball for Pensacola. Overall, the 23-year-old righty sports an impressive 0.78 WHIP in 23 innings, and he's held opposing hitters to a paltry .188 average in that span.

Friday's Top 100 prospect probables

No. 18 Sean Newcomb (Braves' No. 2), Mississippi at Tennessee (7:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
No. 34 Carson Fulmer (White Sox's No. 1), Birmingham at Montgomery (8:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
No. 63 Braden Shipley (D-backs' No. 1), Reno at Salt Lake (8:35 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
No. 48 Jeff Hoffman (Rockies' No. 4), Albuquerque vs. Tacoma (9:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
More top prospect probables

Edwin Diaz (Mariners' No. 2), Jackson vs. Jacksonville (AA)
Taylor Guerrieri (Rays' No. 6), Montgomery at Birmingham (AA)
Keury Mella (Reds' No. 6) vs. Tom Robson (Blue Jays' No. 22), Daytona at Dunedin (A Adv)
Mike Clevinger (Indians' No. 7), Columbus at Toledo (AAA)
Chris Lee (Orioles' No. 8) vs. Myles Jaye (Tigers' No. 25), Bowie vs. Erie (AA)
Ian Clarkin (Yankees' No. 10), Tampa vs. Clearwater (A Adv)
Ricardo Pinto (Phillies' No. 10), Reading vs. Portland (AA)
Matt Strahm (Royals' No. 10), Northwest Arkansas vs. Springfield (AA)
Dillon Overton (A's No. 10), Nashville vs. Memphis (AAA)
Brett Lilek (Marlins' No. 11), Greensboro vs. Columbia (A)
Jairo Labourt (Tigers' No. 11), Lakeland at Brevard County (A Adv)
Brad Keller (D-backs' No. 12), Visalia at Lancaster (A Adv)
Grayson Long (Angels' No. 13), Burlington vs. Bowling Green (A)
Chase Johnson (Giants' No. 14) vs. Tyler Eppler (Pirates' No. 28), Richmond at Altoona (AA)
Roniel Raudes (Red Sox's No. 14), Greenville vs. Augusta (A)
Anthony Banda (D-backs' No. 15), Mobile vs. Chattanooga (AA)
Ofelky Peralta (Orioles' No. 16), Delmarva at Lexington (A)
Chad Kuhl (Pirates' No. 16), Indianapolis vs. Louisville (AAA)
Yeudy Garcia (Pirates' No. 18), Bradenton vs. Charlotte (A Adv)
Jaime Schultz (Rays' No. 19), Durham vs. Norfolk (AAA)
Jeremy Rhoades (Angels' No. 18), Inland Empire at Bakersfield (A Adv)
Cody Poteet (Marlins' No. 19), Greensboro vs. Columbia (A)
Jordan Montgomery (Yankees' No. 20), Trenton vs. Harrisburg (AA)
Thad Lowry (White Sox's No. 21), Winston-Salem vs. Salem (A Adv)
Sam Howard (Rockies' No. 25), Modesto at Stockton (A Adv)
Michael Mader (Marlins' No. 25), Jupiter vs. Palm Beach (A Adv)
Chris Stratton (Giants' No. 27), Sacramento vs. Las Vegas (AAA)
Alec Asher (Phillies' No. 27), Lehigh Valley vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA)
Conner Sadzeck (Rangers' No. 27), Frisco at San Antonio (AA)
Kyle Wilcox (Mariners' No. 28), Clinton vs. Lake County (A)