Kopech, Astros duo lead Prospect Team of the Week

July 24th, 2017

MLBPipeline.com's Prospect Team of the Week honors the best performances in the Minor Leagues from the previous seven days. Any player on an organization Top 30 Prospects list on our Prospect Watch is eligible.
This week's Prospect Team of the Week contains some familiar faces and some new faces in new places.
Prospect Team of the Week
Our first baseman joins the three-timers club, while our catcher is on the squad for the second time this season. Meanwhile, as the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline approaches, there are a pair of players who are getting used to new organizations and teammates while continuing to produce.
Here is the latest addition of Prospect Team of the Week, for the week of July 17-23.
C: Austin Allen, Lake Elsinore Storm (Class A Advanced)
Padres' No. 26 prospect
6 G, .519/.519/.963, 8 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 2 SO

With an active 12-game hitting streak, Allen is now hitting .407 and slugging .747 in July. He had four multihit games this past week, with two three-hit and one four-hit performance. He homered in that game, then finished off the week with homers on Saturday and Sunday. Allen is now third in the organization in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage.
1B: Ryan O'Hearn, Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple-A)
Royals' No. 7 prospect
7 G, .483/.529/.897, 7 R, 7 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 6 SO

This is O'Hearn's third time as a member of PTOW. After starting the week with an 0-for-3 performance, he hit in his next six games, five of them of the multihit variety. O'Hearn had nine extra-base hits, including a pair of two-double games. He's now doubled in four straight contests and has a 1.054 OPS in July.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: O'Hearn belts homer - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=1622234983

2B: , Midland RockHounds (Double-A)
A's No. 18 prospect
6 G, .478/.538/.783, 6 R, 4 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 2 SO

Schrock hit in all six games for the week, with the huge output coming in the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday. The second baseman went 4-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs, then drove in two more in the nightcap. After starting the year with a .228 April, Schrock has hit .371 in May, .342 in June and now he's up to .325/.416/.455 in July.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Schrock goes yard - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=1643305383

3B: , Erie SeaWolves (Double-A)
Tigers' No. 11 prospect
4 G, .308/.438/.769, 3 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB

Nothing like introducing yourself to a new organization in style, right? Lugo recently was dealt to the Tigers in the J.D. Martinez trade, and he made his system debut on Thursday. After an 0-for-3 debut, the infielder picked up a hit and a walk on Friday and Saturday, but then he really announced his presence with authority with a two-homer, four-RBI game on Sunday.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Lugo launches 2nd homer - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=1644510583

SS: Luis Rengifo, Clinton LumberKings (Class A)
Mariners' No. 30 prospect
6 G, .391/.440/.913, 8 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SO, 1 SB

The 20-year-old Rengifo had a pair of three-hit games this week, homering once among those three hits on Monday and twice more in his three-hit performance on Saturday. The infielder making his full-season debut now has 11 home runs for the season, nine of them coming in June and July.
OF: , Tacoma Rainiers/Memphis Redbirds (Triple-A)
Cardinals' No. 4 prospect
6 G, .400/.444/1.040, 8 R, 1 2B, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 2 BB, 5 SO

Talk about a fond farewell! In his last week with the Mariners organization -- he was traded to the Cardinals for -- O'Neill had three multihit games and five homers. That included a two-homer, five-RBI game in his final appearance with Tacoma. O'Neill joined Memphis in time to go 1-for-4 in his Redbirds debut on Sunday.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: O'Neill belts 2nd homer of game - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=1629090883

OF: , Fresno Grizzlies (Triple-A)
Astros' No. 4 prospect/MLB No. 69
7 G, .517/.576/.828, 11 R, 3 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 4 BB, 6 SO, 2 SB

The Futures Gamer began the week with back-to-back games that saw him homer and drive in a pair, the second of which was a four-hit affair. He finished the week with three-hit games on Thursday and Saturday (and a two-hit performance on Sunday), driving in two on Thursday and three more on Saturday.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Fisher goes yard - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=1623235583

OF: Jason Martin, Corpus Christi Hooks (Double-A)
Astros' No. 27 prospect
7 G, .450/.560/1.200, 4 R, 3 2B, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 5 BB, 4 SO

Martin was off and running with a 4-for-4 game on Monday to begin the week. He homered and drove in two in that contest, then drove in runs in four straight games, including a three-RBI performance on Friday. Martin added homers on Wednesday, Thursday and the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Martin rips leadoff homer - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=1618752583

LHP: Alex Wells, Delmarva Shorebirds (Class A)
O's No. 15 prospect
2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 GS, 12 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 SO, 0.42 WHIP

The Australian lefty turned in two six-inning shutout performances, allowing four hits and striking out five for a win on Monday, then coming back on Sunday with a one-hit, five-strikeout outing. He didn't walk a batter in either start. Wells has not allowed an earned run since his start on June 30, throwing 25 innings in July without allowing a run of any kind. He also hasn't yielded a walk since his start on June 25.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Wells retires 14th straight batter - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=1644536783

RHP: , Birmingham Barons (Double-A)
White Sox No. 3 prospect/MLB No. 11
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 8 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO, 0.50 WHIP

Kopech tossed eight shoutout innings for a win on Friday, allowing just four hits and striking out eight. Perhaps more important was the fact he didn't walk a batter, the first time all season the hard-throwing right-hander has done that. Kopech now leads the White Sox with his .197 batting average against, and his 114 K's puts him second. He's struck out an impressive 11.1 per-nine-innings this year.

MILB Video - Title: Watch: Kopech strikes out 8th batter - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=1630204683

RP: , Albuquerque Isotopes (Triple-A)
Rockies' No. 27 prospect
0-0, 1 SV, 0.00 ERA, 3 G, 4 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, 0.23 WHIP

Pitching in Albuquerque can be challenging, and for most of the time since he arrived from Double-A Hartford, it has been difficult for Farris. But not last week. The closer picked up his first Triple-A save and didn't give up a hit across three appearances, shaving 1.30 off of his Triple-A ERA in the process.