Saturday's top prospect performers

July 18th, 2021

Here's a look at Saturday's top Minor League performers from each team's Top 30 Prospects list:

Reds: Nick Lodolo, LHP (MLB No. 43), Double-A Chattanooga
Hunter Greene, RHP (MLB No. 54), Triple-A Louisville
Case Williams, RHP (No. 20), Low-A Daytona

Lodolo made the most of his outing on Saturday, fanning seven over four innings of three-hit, one-run ball. After striking out three of the first four batters he faced, Lodolo got into a bit of trouble after a double and a walk put men on first and second with one out. The Reds’ top prospect gave up an RBI single, but it was sandwiched between two key groundouts to limit the damage before he struck out four of the next seven batters to finish off his night. The 2019 first-rounder (7th overall) threw 39 of his 65 pitches for strikes and has a 1.00 ERA on the year with a 53-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 36 innings.

Originally drafted as a two-way player when he was taken No. 2 overall in the 2017 Draft, Greene showed off his all-around skills in his best Triple-A outing of the season thus far, working around a pair of hits to strike out nine over five scoreless innings -- oh, and he singled in the sixth, too. The 21-year-old issued two walks but didn’t allow any damage in his first scoreless start since June 23. Greene’s Triple-A ERA improved to 4.28, and the righty has amassed 34 strikeouts through 27 1/3 innings for Louisville.

Williams turned in his second scoreless outing of the season for Daytona. The 2020 fourth-rounder went five strong innings and struck out five while working around three hits and a walk. The one free pass is the fewest he’s issued in a start this year, and the 19-year-old is pitching to a 5.86 ERA with 32 strikeouts across 43 innings in his first Minor League season. Reds prospect stats »

Cubs: Brennen Davis, OF (MLB No. 45), Double-A Tennessee
Davis has been rolling in July, and kept his strong month going with a solo home run and a double in Tennessee’s 2-0 win over Mississippi. The 2021 Futures Game MVP is slashing .381/.480/.786 with eight doubles, three homers and 10 RBIs this month. On the year, Davis has hit seven long balls, which is one off the career high he set in 2019. In 179 plate appearances, the 2018 Draft second-rounder has a .916 OPS. Cubs prospect stats »

Mets: Ronny Mauricio, SS (MLB No. 50), High-A Brooklyn
Mauricio launched a three-run homer, his 10th of the season, as part of a 2-for-5 day at the plate in Brooklyn’s 6-1 win over Jersey Shore. The 20-year-old has been on a tear as of late, recording multihit games in five of his past 10 contests and slashing .316/.350/.526 over that stretch. On the season, Mauricio is batting .238 with 10 home runs, 10 doubles and 35 RBIs across 56 games. Mets prospect stats »

Royals: Jackson Kowar, RHP (MLB No. 92), Triple-A Omaha
Kowar has dominated at Triple-A all year, and Saturday’s outing in Omaha’s 2-1 win against Indiannapolis was no different. The 6-foot-5 righty tossed five scoreless innings and fanned eight, allowing two hits and one walk on 87 pitches. It was Kowar’s fifth start of the season with eight or more strikeouts, and his fourth allowing no runs. The 2018 Draft first-rounder holds a 2.02 ERA over 49 innings at the Triple-A level, with 69 strikeouts and 17 walks to go with his 6-2 record. Royals prospect stats »

Blue Jays: Orelvis Martinez, SS (No. 7), Low-A Dunedin
It’s hard to comprehend the stretch that Martinez is having, but let’s try our best. In this series against Clearwater (five games), he’s racked up 13 hits, seven home runs and 16 RBIs. On Saturday, he drilled three -- yes, three -- home runs, drove in nine runs, and scored four in Dunedin’s 17-5 rout. In his past five games, the 19-year-old is is hitting .542. Blue Jays prospects stats »

Giants: Luis Matos, OF (No. 7), Low-A San Jose
Matos had a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate, clubbing a solo homer, a double and driving in a pair of runs on two singles to give him three RBIs on the night. It’s the second game in a row and fourth time this season that Matos has recorded three RBIs, and the 19-year-old has now hit in five straight games (four of them being multihit efforts). Matos is now slashing .304/.342/.458 on the season with 44 RBIs through 58 games. Giants prospect stats »

Marlins: Zach McCambley, RHP (No. 21), Double-A Pensacola
McCambley didn’t fare so well in his first Double-A start on June 10, so it’s safe to say Saturday’s outing was a big improvement. The 2020 third-rounder (75th overall) tossed his fifth quality start of the year, giving up three hits, two walks and one unearned run across six innings with six strikeouts. Across two levels this season, McCambley has a 4.07 ERA with 80 strikeouts and 13 walks through 66 1/3 innings. Marlins prospect stats »

Padres: Brandon Valenzuela, C (No. 26), Low-A Lake Elsinore Valenzuela had quite a night at the plate, going 3-for-5 with six RBIs. The 20-year-old wasted no time putting his stamp on the game as he got the scoring started with an RBI double in the first inning. He drove in two more with a base hit in the second and then hit a three-run homer, his fifth of the year, in the eighth, capping the career night. Padres prospect stats »

Phillies: Mickey Moniak, OF (No. 11), Triple-A Lehigh Valley
Although Lehigh Valley’s game was suspended in the fourth inning due to rain, Moniak still got his damage done. The former No. 1 overall pick went 2-for-2 with a three-run homer and a run-scoring double, and will bat first when the game resumes Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET. Moniak’s third-inning homer was his 10th of the year, one off the career high he set in 2019. The 23-year-old has been red-hot in July, slashing .340/.384/.660 with an 1.044 OPS in 52 plate appearances. Phillies prospect stats »

Rays: Josh Lowe, OF (No. 9), Triple-A Durham
Taj Bradley, RHP (No. 19), Low-A Charleston

Lowe cooled off in June, but has begun to pick up steam in the box with his recent performance. In Durham’s 9-5 win on Saturday, the outfielder went 2-for-4, driving in two with his 13th dinger in the sixth inning and also adding his 17th double of the year. The 2016 first-round pick broke a 24-game homer drought with two on July 13, and has regained his power stroke since. Over the past five games, Lowe has gone 6-for-18 with four homers, two doubles and eight RBIs. On the year, Lowe is slashing .294/.364/.569 with a .933 OPS.

Bradley’s ERA continues to drop as the season goes on after a tough start to the year. The 20-year-old tossed five scoreless innings of one-hit ball in Charleston’s blowout victory, striking out five and walking one. After allowing eight runs over his first three starts, Bradley has allowed five runs over his past seven starts, a stretch spanning 44 innings. On the year, the Georgia native has a 2.14 ERA, and has fanned 66 batters in 54 2/3 innings. Bradley has already surpassed his career-high marks for strikeouts and innings pitched, and his next start will set career highs for both games pitched and starts. Rays prospect stats »

Colorado: Grant Lavigne, 1B (No. 12), Low-A Fresno
Lavigne drove in four runs as part of a 2-for-5 day at the plate in Game 1 of a doubleheader. He started the scoring off for Fresno with a two-RBI triple in the bottom of the first before adding a two-run homer, his sixth of the year, in the fourth to make the score 10-0. The 21-year-old has tallied four multihit games in his past five contests. Rockies prospect stats »

Tigers: Nick Quintana, 3B (No. 23), Low-A Lakeland
Quintana had a big day at the dish, going a perfect 3-for-3 with a walk and finishing a triple shy of the cycle. The 2019 second-rounder got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in his first run, then drove in a run on an RBI double in the fifth before capping off his night with a solo homer in the ninth. Quintana is slashing .325/.481/.575 in July with two homers, nine walks and eight runs batted in. Tigers prospect stats »