Swanson, Benintendi lead Prospect Team of the Week

May 2nd, 2016

MLBPipeline.com's Prospect Team of the Week honors the best performances from the previous seven days. Any player currently on an organization Top 30 Prospects list on our Prospect Watch is eligible, including big leaguers.
Dansby Swanson and Andrew Benintendi were viewed as two of the top college bats available in the 2015 Draft before going to the D-backs and Red Sox with the Nos. 1 and 7 overall picks, respectively. Swanson -- now with the Braves -- and Benintendi have blown past expectations so far in their first full pro seasons, and after starring at the plate last week, they both land on the latest edition of MLBPipeline.com's Prospect Team of the Week (April 25-May 1).
Swanson received a promotion to Double-A on Saturday and hit a go-ahead home run in his debut for Mississippi, while Benintendi, who already has made a strong case for a promotion to Double-A, delivered a pair of go-ahead extra-base hits en route to driving in 11 runs for Class A Advanced Salem.
Here's our complete Prospect Team of the Week:
C: Chase Vallot, Royals (No. 11 prospect)
5 G, .333/.400/.722, 3 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 2 RBIs, 2 BB, 9 K

Vallot paces all Top 30 catchers with five home runs on the season after he went deep twice last week for Class A Lexington. The 19-year-old backstop has fared better so far in his return to the South Atlantic League, where he owns a .296/.402/.577 batting line through 21 games.
1B: Bobby Bradley, Indians (No. 3 prospect)
6 G, .333/.429/.833, 8 R, 3 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBIs, 4 BB, 7 K

Bradley had a big week at the plate for Class A Advanced Lynchburg, tallying six extra-base hits -- highlighted by his home runs in back-to-back games to begin the week -- eight runs and six RBIs in six games for the Hillcats. He paced the Class A Midwest League with 27 home runs in 2015, and he's on his way towards contending for the Carolina League title, with six in his first 22 games.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Bradley goes yard - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=644390783

2B: Travis Demeritte, Rangers (No. 21 prospect)
6 G, .333/.429/.750, 7 R, 4 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, 4 BB, 11 K, 1 SB

Demeritte, 21, hit safely in five of his six games for Class A Advanced High Desert last week as six of his eight knocks went for extra bases. He homered in back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday to push his season total to eight and reclaim a share of the Minor League lead. Demeritte is still whiffing quite a bit, though, evidenced by his 11 strikeouts last week and 38 in 21 games this season.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Demeritte drives in run - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=97959583

3B: Ryon Healy, A's (No. 17 prospect)
7 G, .433/.471/.867, 8 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBIs, 3 BB, 7 K

Healy used four multihit efforts to collect 13 hits in 30 at-bats for Double-A Midland last week, also driving in 10 runs in that span. The 24-year-old third baseman has been one a force at the heart of the RockHounds' lineup, as he current paces the Texas League in hits (16), doubles (10), RBIs (24) and total bases (63).

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Healy hits solo shot - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=645577883

SS: Dansby Swanson, Braves (No. 1 prospect)
5 G, .429/.600/.929, 4 R, 4 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 5 BB, 0 K, 3 SB

Swanson didn't disappoint in his Double-A debut on Saturday, going 2-for-3 with a go-ahead two-run home run -- his first non-inside-the-park homer of 2016 -- and three RBIs to lead Mississippi past Jackson, 3-2. The 2015 No. 1 overall Draft pick is off to a great start in his first full pro season, batting .341/.446/.565 with 15 extra-base hits and seven steals in 23 games across two levels.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Swanson hits go-ahead homer - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=644067083

OF: Peter O'Brien, D-backs (No. 9 prospect)
6 G, .500/.500/1.167, 7 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 10 RBIs, 0 BB, 3 K

O'Brien hit three home runs in his first two games to begin the week, and then locked up PTOW honors on Sunday with a walk-off homer for Triple-A Reno in the bottom of the 12th inning. The 25-year-old slugger finished the week with 12 hits in 24 at-bats for the Aces, raising his season batting line to .372/.371/.733 through 21 games, while his eight home runs in that span has him tied for the Minor League lead.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: O'Brien launches walk-off homer - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=647757283

OF: Harrison Bader, Cardinals (No. 10 prospect)
6 G, .435/.480/1.043, 6 R, 2 2B, 4 HR, 7 RBIs, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 SB

The Cardinals assigned Bader, their third-round Draft pick last June, directly to Double-A Springfield for his first professional season, and, so far, the 21-year-old outfielder has made it look easy at the advanced level, hitting .345/.402/.560 in 21 games. Bader connected on four home runs in six games for the Cards last week, three of which came in consecutive games.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Bader belts homer - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=645559683

OF: Andrew Benintendi, Red Sox (No. 3 prospect)
5 G, .450/.542/.700, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBIs, 4 BB, 2 K, 2 SB

Benintendi played the hero twice last week for Class A Advanced Salem, as he delivered a go-ahead bases-clearing triple on Wednesday and then followed it with a go-ahead two-run double on Thursday. The 21-year-old outfielder has been nothing short of exceptional thus far in his first full season, evidenced by his .360/.426/.640 batting line, 17 extra-base hits and 22 RBIs in 22 games for Salem. He enters the week riding a 19-game hitting streak during which he's batting .368.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Benintendi extends hitting streak - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=645602583

LHP: Cody Reed, Reds (No. 3 prospect)
2-0, 0.75 ERA, 2 GS, 12 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 11 K, 0.75 WHIP

After he had already picked up his first win of the season for Triple-A Louisville with five innings of one-run ball against Norfolk on Tuesday, Reed put a bow on his outstanding week when he flirted with a no-hitter on Sunday in a win against Durham. The 23-year-old lefty ultimately allowed one hit in seven scoreless innings, and in the process, lowered his season ERA and WHIP to 1.62 and 0.90, respectively.
RHP: Tyler Glasnow, Pirates (No. 1 prospect)
2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 GS, 11 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 6 BB, 18 K, 0.91 WHIP

Glasnow's week saw the right-hander make a pair of scoreless starts for Triple-A Indianapolis for his first two wins of 2016. The hard-throwing righty struck out a season-high 11 hitters in six innings on Tuesday and then added seven more to his total on Sunday while blanking Norfolk over five innings. Glasnow surrendered two hits in both turns. Though he's struggled with his control this season (4.2 BB/9), his 37 strikeouts in 26 innings (12.8 K/9) has him tied for second in the Minor Leagues, while opposing hitters are batting .187 with just 17 hits against him in that span.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Glasnow fans batter - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=629184383