Pipeline preview: Can Boston's Travis continue sizzling start?

April 20th, 2016

Here's a look at top prospects to watch in today's Minor League action:
Hitter to watch: Sam Travis (Red Sox's No. 7)
Travis was assigned to Triple-A Pawtucket to begin the season after his excellent showing during Spring Training, when he hit .469 (15-for-32) with two home runs and 13 RBIs over parts of 18 games with the Red Sox in big league camp. The 22-year-old first baseman has continued to swing a hot bat to begin the regular season, with a .327 average, two home runs and 10 RBIs through 13 games, while his 4-for-5 performance on Tuesday marked his third straight contest with multiple hits. On Wednesday, Travis and Pawtucket once again will square off against Rochester on the road in a game that can be seen on MiLB.TV at 1:35 p.m. ET.
Pitcher to watch: Max Povse (Braves' No. 26)
Povse has kept the opposing team off the board in his first two starts for Class A Advanced Carolina, but he's facing a tough Salem lineup today on MiLB.TV. The 6-foot-8 right-hander yielded just four hits through 13 innings for the Mudcats and has a 14/2 K/BB ratio in that span.
Pitching matchup of the day: Max Fried (Braves' No. 10), Phil Bickford (Giants' No. 3); Rome at Augusta
A pair of promising young arms are on display in Fried and Bickford as Class A Augusta attempts to complete a three-game home sweep of Rome. After he missed all of 2015 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Fried, 22, has returned to the mound healthy this season to post a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings between his first two starts, the latest of which saw the left-hander complete six scoreless innings. Bickford, the No. 18 overall pick in the 2015 Draft, has been better than his 0-2 record and 5.19 ERA suggests, as he's piled up 16 strikeouts and allowed just five hits in 8 2/3 frames for the GreenJackets.
Tuesday's Top 100 prospect probables
No. 53 Jake Thompson (Phillies' No. 2), Lehigh Valley at Syracuse at 4:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV (AAA)
No. 76 Erick Fedde (Nationals' No. 4), Potomac vs. Lynchburg (A Adv)
More top prospect probables
Roniel Raudes (Red Sox's No. 14), Greenville at Hickory (A)
German Marquez (Rockies' No. 14), Hartford at New Hampshire (AA)
Dario Agrazal (Pirates' No. 30), West Virginia vs. Kannapolis (A)
Ricardo Pinto (Phillies' No. 10), Adalberto Mejia (Giants' No. 10); Reading at Richmond (AA)
Mike Clevinger (Indians' No. 7), Columbus at Louisville (AAA)
Rob Whalen (Braves' No. 27), Mississippi vs. Chattanooga (AA)
Tyler Eppler (Pirates' No. 28), Altoona at Harrisburg (AA)
Dustin Driver (A's No. 27), Beloit at Kane County (A)
Kyle Wilcox (Mariners' No. 28), Jake Woodford (Cardinals' No. 12); Clinton at Peoria (A)
Joe Gunkel (Orioles' No. 22), Bowie at Erie (AA)
Ryne Stanek (Rays' No. 18), Montgomery at Tennessee (AA)
Dillon Overton (A's No. 10), Nashville at Colorado Springs (AAA)
Chad Kuhl (Pirates' No. 16), Indianapolis vs. Toledo (AAA)
Yeudy Garcia (Pirates' No. 18), Austin Gomber (Cardinals' No. 17); Bradenton at Palm Beach (A Adv)
Chris Flexen (Mets' No. 29), St. Lucie vs. Charlotte (A Adv)
Kendry Flores (Marlins' No. 5), New Orleans vs. Iowa (AAA)
Jordan Stephens (White Sox's No. 13), Winston-Salem vs. Myrtle Beach (A Adv)
Justin Steele (Cubs' No. 17), South Bend vs. Bowling Green (A)
Tyrell Jenkins (Braves' No. 8), Gwinnett vs. Durham (AAA)
Jacob Nix (Padres' No. 10), Fort Wayne at Lansing (A)
Kohl Stewart (Twins' No. 7), Fort Myers vs. Jupiter (A Adv)
Nolan Watson (Royals' No. 5), Peter Lambert (Rockies' No. 16); Lexington at Asheville (A)
Chris Beck (White Sox's No. 14), Charlotte vs. Norfolk (AAA)
Grayson Long (Angels' No. 13), Burlington vs. Cedar Rapids (A)
Albert Abreu (Astros' No. 11), Quad Cities at Wisconsin (A)
Michael Feliz (Astros' No. 10), Fresno vs. Salt Lake (AAA)
Sam Howard (Rockies' No. 27), Modesto vs. Bakersfield (A Adv)
Ariel Jurado (Rangers' No. 13), High Desert at Inland Empire (A Adv)