Pipeline Preview: Bieber ready for next strong start

Pipeline Preview: Bieber ready for next strong start

April 10th, 2018

Here's a look at top prospects to watch in today's Minor League action:
Hitter to watch: (Blue Jays' No. 6), Buffalo at Pawtucket (6:15 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Jansen picked up where he left off in his 2018 debut, going 4-for-4 with a solo home run and two doubles in Triple-A Buffalo's extra-inning win over Pawtucket. Finally healthy in 2017, Jansen broke out to slash .323/.400/.484 with 10 homers and 25 doubles, with more walks (41) than strikeouts (40), across three levels and a career-high 104 games.

Pitcher to watch: Shane Bieber (Indians' No. 8), Akron at Binghamton (6:35 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Bieber was brilliant in his season debut for Double-A Akron, tossing six scoreless innings of two-hit ball with nine strikeouts and -- you guessed it -- zero walks in a no-decision against Altoona. Pitching at three levels last year in his first full season, the 22-year-old right-hander issued just 10 walks in 173 1/3 innings as he led all Minor League hurlers in both walk rate (1.5 percent) and walks per nine innings (0.5 BB/9).

Duel of the day: MacKenzie Gore (Padres' No. 2) vs. Maximo Castillo (Blue Jays' No. 24), Fort Wayne vs. Lansing (7:05 p.m. ET)
Few pitchers have more helium heading into the season than Gore, the No. 3 overall pick in last year's Draft as well as MLB Pipeline's current No. 19 overall prospect. He dominated in his professional debut, posting a 1.27 ERA with 34 strikeouts and a .184 opponents' average in 21 1/3 Rookie-level Arizona League innings, all while showcasing front-of-the-rotation stuff. Gore will be making his full-season debut when he takes the mound Tuesday for Class A Fort Wayne.

Castillo, meanwhile, is set to make his first start after striking out the side in a perfect inning for Lansing on Opening Day. The 18-year-old right-hander spent all of 2017 with Rookie-level Bluefield, where he won six of his 10 starts and posted strikeout and walk rates of 26.0 and 3.5 percent, respectively.
Tuesday's Top 100 prospect probables
No. 40 (Padres' No. 4) vs. (Royals' No. 10), San Antonio at NW Arkansas (12:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
No. 58 (Braves' No. 6) vs. (Rays' No. 27), Gwinnett at Durham (1:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
No. 78 Beau Burrows (Tigers' No. 4), Erie at Bowie (6:35 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
More top prospect probables
(Blue Jays' No. 8), Buffalo at Pawtucket (Triple-A)
(Mets' No. 16), Las Vegas at Albuquerque (Triple-A)
(Cubs' No. 21) vs. James Naile (A's No. 25), Iowa at Nashville (Triple-A)
(Royals' No. 23), Omaha at Memphis (Triple-A)
(Dodgers' No. 10), Tulsa at Midland (Double-A)
(Phillies' No. 11), Reading vs. Portland (Double-A)
(Cardinals' No. 22), Springfield at Frisco (Double-A)
Bryan Mata (Red Sox's No. 4), Salem vs. Wilmington (Class A Advanced)
Tony Santillan (Reds' No. 5), Daytona vs. Charlotte (Class A Advanced)
(Tigers' No. 8), Lakeland vs. Bradenton (Class A Advanced)
T.J. Zeuch (Blue Jays' No. 9), Dunedin at Palm Beach (Class A Advanced)
Sam Hentges (Indians' No. 17), Lynchburg vs. Buies Creek (Class A Advanced)
Bryse Wilson (Braves' No. 13), Florida at Fort Myers (Class A Advanced)
Melvin Adon (Giants' No. 19), San Joes at Lancaster (Class A Advanced)
DL Hall (Orioles' No. 5), Delmarva vs. Hickory (Class A)
Elijah Morgan (Indians' No. 28), Lake County at Dayton (Class A)
Kyle Muller (Braves' No. 12), Rome vs. Charleston (Class A)
Edward Cabrera (Marlins' No. 13), Greensboro vs. Augusta (Class A)
Tyler Watson (Twins' No. 22), Cedar Rapids at Peoria (Class A)
Brigham Hill (Nationals' No. 25), Hagerstown at Columbia (Class A)
Jhonathan Diaz (Red Sox's No. 30), Greenville at Lexington (Class A)