Pipeline Preview: Bauers heating up for Durham

August 17th, 2017

Here's a look at top prospects to watch in today's Minor League action:
Hitter to watch: (Rays' No. 5), Durham at Syracuse (6:35 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Bauers, MLB Pipeline's No. 82 overall prospect, went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and two RBIs on Wednesday as he helped Triple-A Durham edge Syracuse, 3-2. It marked the second straight game with a home run for the 21-year-old outfielder, who had gone 1-for-26 at the plate over his previous eight contests before breaking out with homers in back-to-back games. Overall, Bauers has produced a .266/.369/.425 slash line with 41 extra-base hits (12 home runs) and 15 stolen bases in 112 games this season.

Pitcher to watch:Duane Underwood Jr. (Cubs' No. 17), Tennessee vs. Chattanooga (7 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Underwood took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before finishing with seven scoreless frames of one-hit ball in his last start for Double-A Tennessee. The 23-year-old right-hander is 6-1 with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP in 53 1/3 innings (eight starts, nine appearances) since the midseason mark, and he's thrown the ball particularly well of late, posting a 1.33 ERA and a 23-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his past 27 frames (four starts).

Duel of the day: Forrest Whitley (Astros' No. 2) vs. Mitchell White (Dodgers' No. 6), Corpus Christi at Tulsa (8:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Whitley is set to make his Double-A Corpus Christi debut, marking the second promotion this season for the Astros' 2016 first-rounder. No. 40 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list, Whitley, a 19-year-old right-hander, was promoted to the Texas League after going 3-1 with a 3.16 ERA and a 50-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 31 1/3 innings with Class A Advanced Buies Creek. Including his time in the Midwest League, Whitley has pitched to a 3.01 ERA with 117 strikeouts and 30 walks over 77 2/3 frames in his full-season debut.

White, 22, has thrown back-to-back five-inning gems for Tulsa during which he's allowed a total of three hits while striking out 13. A second-round Draft pick in 2016, White has posted a 2.73 ERA with 73 strikeouts and a .164 batting average against in 62 2/3 innings (16 starts) across three levels in his first full season.

Thursday's Top 100 prospect probables
No. 22 Mitch Keller (Pirates' No. 2), Altoona at Portland (noon ET on MiLB.TV)
No. 35 Kyle Wright (Braves' No. 4), Florida vs. Tampa (5:05 p.m. ET)
No. 38 Mike Soroka (Braves' No. 5) vs. (Reds' No. 22), Mississippi vs. Pensacola (8 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
No. 48 Jay Groome (Red Sox's No. 2), Greenville at Charleston (7:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
More top prospect probables
(Rays' No. 23), Durham at Syracuse (Triple-A)
(Tigers' No. 25), Toledo at Charlotte (Triple-A)
Rogelio Armenteros (Astros' No. 26), Fresno vs. Las Vegas (Triple-A)
(Rangers' No. 4), Frisco vs. Arkansas (Double-A)
Domingo Acevedo (Yankees' No. 8), Trenton vs. Akron (Double-A)
Sandy Alcantara (Cardinals' No. 9) vs. Joey Lucchesi (Padres' No. 9), Springfield vs. San Antonio (Double-A)
Grayson Long (Angels' No. 9), Mobile vs. Jacksonville (Double-A)
Josh Staumont (Royals' No. 10) vs. Heath Fillmyer (A's No. 20), NW Arkansas at Midland (Double-A)
Brad Keller (D-backs' No. 12), Jackson vs. Biloxi (Double-A)
Genesis Cabrera (Rays' No. 15) vs. Jordan Stephens (White Sox No. 21), Montgomery at Birmingham (Double-A)
Thomas Pannone (Blue Jays' No. 21), New Hampshire vs. Hartford (Double-A)
Yefri Ramirez (Orioles' No. 23), Bowie at Reading (Double-A)
(White Sox No. 11), Winston-Salem vs. Myrtle Beach (Class A Advanced)
(Tigers' No. 15), Lakeland at Fort Myers (Class A Advanced)
Shaun Anderson (Giants' No. 17), San Jose vs. Lancaster (Class A Advanced)
(Marlins' No. 22), Jupiter vs. Charlotte (Class A Advanced)
Kodi Medeiros (Brewers' No. 23), Carolina at Down East (Class A Advanced)
Chris Rodriguez (Angels' No. 7), Burlington vs. Cedar Rapids (Class A)
Tony Santillan (Reds' No. 14), Dayton vs. West Michigan (Class A)
Michael Matuella (Rangers' No. 22), Hickory vs. Hagerstown (Class A)
Patrick Murphy (Blue Jays' No. 24), Lansing at Great Lakes (Class A)
Garrett Davila (Royals' No. 28), Lexington at West Virginia (Class A)
Jesus Luzardo (A's No. 6), Vermont vs. Lowell (Class A Short Season)
Ryan Lillie (Marlins' No. 16), Batavia vs. Mahoning Valley (Class A Short Season)
Oliver Jaskie (Mariners' No. 21), Everett vs. Tri-City (Class A Short Season)
Jhoan Duran (D-backs' No. 23), Hillsboro vs. Eugene (Class A Short Season)