Pair of Cubs headline Prospect Team of the Week

June 20th, 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.
This is an exciting time of year in prospect land. Short-season ball is underway, so we might start seeing some 2016 draftees making their way onto the Prospect Team of the Week. Players in full-season ball are getting named to All-Star teams and some are earning promotions, and excelling once they get there.
The week of June 13-19 had all of those things. Two members of this week's PTOW moved up to Triple-A just recently. Some of the others could be in line for a move soon based on how they've performed. Three have been named to their respective league's All-Star Game, with roster announcements still to come from some Minor League circuits.
C: Raudy Read, Potomac Nationals (Class A Advanced)
Nationals No. 27 prospect
5 G, .375/.476/.875, 4 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 1 SO

It's been on-again, off-again for Read so far in his first full season in the Carolina League (he finished the 2015 campaign there). He hit well in April, then slumped in May. So far in June, he's hitting .302/.356/.472, thanks in part to last week's four extra-base hits (out of six hits total) performance. He homered on Friday and Sunday.
1B: Josh Ockimey, Greenville Drive (Class A)
Red Sox No. 16 prospect
6 G, .500/.640/.889, 7 R, 4 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 7 BB, 5 SO, 1 SB

Ockimey's first taste of full-season ball has gone well, especially this past week in which he hit in all six games he played. The 20-year-old left-handed hitter now tops the South Atlantic League in OPS (.966), thanks to his league-leading .435 on-base percentage and .531 slugging, which places him fourth.
2B: Ian Happ, Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Class A Advanced)
Cubs No. 3 prospect
7 G, .520/.571/.960, 2 R, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 4 SO

After starting well in April, the Cubs' 2015 first-round pick cooled off in May, but he's finding the groove again in June. His five multihit week gives him a robust .361/.461/.607 line this month. He's currently third in the Carolina League in OBP (.410) and fourth in both batting average (.296) and OPS (.885), all while continuing to get comfortable at second base.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Happ drives in run - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=816732583

3B: Kevin Padlo, Bowling Green Hot Rods (Class A)
Rays No. 20 prospect
5 G, .471/.583/.765, 9 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 6 BB, 4 SO, 1 SB

It's been a rough go for Padlo in his first season in the Rays' organization after coming over from the Rockies in the Jake McGee-Corey Dickerson deal, but his power bat is showing signs of life. He has a modest five-game hitting streak going and his nine homers on the year put him in a tie for third in the Midwest League.
SS: Gavin Cecchini, Las Vegas 51s (Triple-A)
Mets No. 3 prospect
7 G, .409/.500/.727, 6 R, 4 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 4 BB, 1 SO

After getting off to a ho-hum start in April (.258/.364/.333), Cecchini has been raking in the Pacific Coast League. He hit .370 in May and is at .362 so far in June while also finding some extra-base pop along the way. Two of his four homers came last week, as did four of his 13 doubles. He's snuck into the top 10 batting average leaders in the PCL at .328.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Cecchini goes yard - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=837946383

OF: Austin Meadows, Altoona Curve/Indianapolis Indians (Double/Triple-A)
Pirates No. 2 prospect
5 G, .381/.409/.905, 5 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 SB

With a 24-game hitting streak going, Meadows was asked to move from Double-A to Triple-A. The center fielder had no problems with the transition, going 3-for-4 in his International debut on Saturday, then hitting his first home run at that level to finish off the week. After starting the season late following a fractured orbital bone, Meadows has hit .318/.369/.631 in 47 games, not to mention that active 26-game hitting streak.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Meadows triples - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=831021283

OF: Jordan Patterson, Albuquerque Isotopes (Triple-A)
Rockies No. 19 prospect
6 G, .444/.524/.944, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 5 SO, 2 SB

After a half-season in Double-A in 2015, Patterson has had no trouble making the leap to the PCL, hitting .323/.429/.489 for the season. That line was certainly helped last week, when he had three multihit games and hit two of his three homers on the season. Patterson's on-base skills stand out, with his .429 OBP good for fifth in the league.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Patterson goes yard - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=824776883

OF: Mark Zagunis, Iowa Cubs (Triple-A)
Cubs No. 18 prospect
7 G, .440/.533/.720, 8 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 5 BB, 4 SO, 1 SB

Like Meadows, Zagunis has shown little difficulty in making the move to Triple-A ball, with a .381/.469/.595 mark in 11 games. He had four multi-hit games this past week and six extra-base hits, though he's still looking for his first PCL home run. His .317 combined average is fourth in the Cubs' system.
LHP: Anthony Banda, Mobile BayBears (Double-A)
D-backs No. 14 prospect
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 SO, 0.63 WHIP

Zeros have become the norm for Banda in the month of June. After putting up eight of them last Wednesday, the lefty has now tossed 20 innings in June without allowing an earned run. His nine strikeouts in his start last week matched a season high and the outing brought his ERA down to a third-best 2.12 in the Southern League.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Banda picks up K - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=819526383

RHP: Tyler Mahle, Daytona Tortugas (Class A Advanced)
Reds No. 11 prospect
1-0, 1 GS, 9 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO, 0.00 WHIP

Speaking of zeros … If it weren't for a hit by pitch, Mahle would have tossed a perfect game. He still managed to face the minimum in his no-no last Monday. It was the first nine-inning no-hitter by one pitcher in the Florida State League since 2013. The right-hander now leads the FSL in strikeouts, is tied for the league lead in wins and has moved into 10th place with his 2.50 ERA.