Thursday's top prospect performers

August 9th, 2019

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

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays: Alek Manoah, RHP (No. 4) -- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K (Class A Short-Season Vancouver); Orelvis Martinez, SS (No. 8) -- 1-for-5, HR, 3 RBI (Dominican Summer League)
Manoah, like Nate Pearson before him, has come straight out of the first round and dominated for Vancouver. He now has scoreless outings of one, two, and three innings and racked up seven strikeouts Thursday. There isn't much time for Manoah to really stretch out in the Northwest League this season, but his pro debut has been exceptional. Martinez hit his second career home run in his 28th game with the GCL Blue Jays and early reviews have been encouraging. The 17-year-old already projects to hit for average with some pop, but his power projection could really jump as he grows into his strong frame. Martinez has started 17 games at shortstop in the Gulf Coast League and nine at shortstop, where he's likelier to project long term. While he's still several years away, Martinez is a great candidate to put up some big numbers in the Blue Jays' system once he reaches full-season ball. Blue Jays prospects stats »

Orioles: Austin Hays, OF (No. 6) -- Game 1: 2-for-3, R, 3B; Game 2: 1-for-3, R, SB (Triple-A Norfolk)
Hays fueled Norfolk's walk-off comeback in the opener when he led off the seventh inning with a triple and scored the first run in the Tides' three-run frame. It was the second hit of the game for the 24-year-old outfielder, who added a single and a steal in the nightcap. Hays returned to Triple-A in early July after a stint on the injured list for a hamstring injury -- he also missed much of the first half while recovering from a thumb injury -- and has shown plenty of power, hitting four home runs, a triple and 11 doubles in 26 games. But his average (.236), on-base rate (.288) and BB/K (5/27) in that span haven't been particularly encouraging on the heels of his .242/.271/.432 showing in 66 Double-A games in 2018. A fourth-round pick in 2016, Hays became the first hitter from his class to reach the Major Leagues the following year. While he ultimately batted .217 with a homer and three doubles in parts of 20 games for the Orioles, Hays hasn't been back in the big leagues since due to myriad injuries and inconsistent performances in the upper Minors. Orioles prospects stats »

Rays: Ben Brecht, LHP (No. 29) -- 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K (Class A Short-Season Hudson Valley)
Brecht has made a fine first impression on the Rays' organization since being selected in the fifth round of the 2019 Draft. The lefty out of UC Santa Barbara tossed three innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts on Thursday, which leaves him with a 1.35 ERA over 13 1/3 innings in the New York-Penn League. He's walked just one batter over that span, which is what you can expect from the 6-foot-7 starter. Taller pitchers sometimes struggle to repeat their deliveries and find the zone, but that isn't the case with Brecht, who not only controls the strike zone but adds a layer of deception and extension which help his low-90s fastball play harder than it is. Rays prospects stats »

Red Sox: Jarren Duran, OF (No. 4) -- 1-for-3, HR, BB (Double-A Portland)
Duran's solo homer in the seventh inning Thursday was his first in 58 games at the Double-A level and gives him five on the year in 108 games between Portland and Class A Advanced Salem. Though he does have some sneaky pop from the left side of the plate, Duran is better known for his plus hitting ability and blazing speed -- a combination that's enabled the 2018 seventh-round pick to slash.320/.384/.810 with 137 hits (31 XBH) and 39 steals in his first full season. Red Sox prospects stats »

Yankees: Nick Nelson, RHP (No. 15) -- 6 1/3 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 11 K (Double-A Trenton)
Starting the nightcap of Trenton's doubleheader against Bowie, Nelson matched his season high with 11 strikeouts and came within two outs of tossing his second complete game of 2019. He opened the seventh inning with his 11th strikeout but allowed singles to the next two batters and subsequently departed the game after 100 pitches (70 strikes). The 23-year-old right-hander's second straight scoreless start was also his third in his past four turns for the Thunder, and overall he's allowed two earned runs or fewer in 11 of his 13 outings in the Eastern League. That translates to a 2.35 ERA for the 2016 fourth-rounder, who's fanned 90 batters and allowed just four home runs in 68 2/3 innings. Yankees prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Indians: Ethan Hankins, RHP (No. 8) -- 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 3 K (Class A Lake County)
Hankins' control wasn't there for him in his full-season debut Thursday, as he matched his career high by issuing five walks, hit a batter and threw 41 of 77 pitches for strikes over four innings. Even with those struggles, the highly touted 19-year-old right-hander still allowed just one hit, struck out three and recorded six ground-ball outs in his first start for the Captains. Hankins, whom Cleveland selected with the No. 35 overall pick in the 2018 Draft, was bumped up to the Midwest League after posting a 1.40 ERA with 43 strikeouts and a .178 BAA across 38 2/3 innings at Class A Short Season Mahoning Valley. Indians prospects stats »

Royals: Kris Bubic, LHP (No. 6) -- 9 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 11 K (Class A Advanced Wilmington)
Bubic absolutely dominated Thursday as he racked up 11 strikeouts and nine groundouts for Wilmington en route to his first career complete game. He had faced two less than the minimum entering the ninth inning before surrendering a leadoff double that led to a one-out sacrifice fly. Bubic rebounded to record a swinging strikeout for the game's final out to put an exclamation point on his sixth double-digit strikeout performance in 22 starts this season. He's recorded four of them in 13 starts with the Blue Rocks, for whom he's posted a 2.62 ERA with 88 strikeouts in 75 2/3 innings. Altogether, the 21-year-old southpaw has pitched to a 2.41 ERA with 163 strikeouts and 36 walks across 123 1/3 innings in his first full season after being selected by the Royals with the No. 40 overall pick in the 2018 Draft. Royals prospects stats »

Tigers: Riley Greene, OF (No. 3, MLB No. 49) -- 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI (Class A West Michigan)
Greene had already notched his first full-season hit (single) and RBI (sacrifice fly) on Thursday before making a pair of highlight-reel plays, one on each side of the ball, during the final two innings of West Michigan's loss against Bowling Green. The 2019 No. 5 overall pick showcased his range in the eighth when he made an all-out, full-extension grab deep in right-center field, then blasted a towering drive off the wall in center field for an inside-the-park home run with two outs in the ninth. The homer was the fourth in 34 pro games for Greene, who scouts viewed as one of the impact prep hitters in his class. Overall, the 18-year-old left-handed hitter has produced a .318 average with 11 extra-base hits and 17 RBIs across three levels. Tigers prospects stats »

Twins: Jordan Balazovic, RHP (No. 4, MLB No. 82) -- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K (Class A Advanced Fort Myers)
Balazovic allowed a pair of two-out hits in the first inning before settling in and retiring 13 of the final 15 batters he faced in Fort Myers' 3-0 win over Jupiter. He struck out the side in the second inning and recorded multiple strikeouts in four of five frames in the outing, throwing 60 of his 89 pitches for strikes. The 20-year-old right-hander has enjoyed a breakout campaign this season across two levels, compiling a 2.61 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 110/21 K/BB in 79 1/3 innings between Fort Myers and Class A Cedar Rapids. In July, the former fifth-round pick (2016) represented the Twins in the SiriusXM Futures Game alongside top prospect Royce Lewis. Twins prospects stats »

White Sox: Andrew Vaughn, 1B (No. 2, MLB No. 23) -- 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, RBI (Class A Advanced Winston-Salem)
Vaughn hit a double in his final at-bat Wednesday and then doubled in his first two at-bats Thursday for the Dash in his second straight multihit game. The No. 3 overall pick in this year's Draft has driven in at least one run in four straight games and has as many RBIs as games played (eight) since his promotion to Winston-Salem. Regarded by scouts as perhaps the best overall hitter in the 2019 Draft, Vaughn has lived up to that reputation to begin his career, slashing .304/.412/.496 with four homers, 12 doubles and 23 RBIs in 34 games across three levels. The 21-year-old first baseman took home the Golden Spikes Award as a sophomore in 2018 and ultimately batted .374/.495/.688 with 50 homers in 160 games in three seasons at California. White Sox prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

A’s: Brady Feigl, RHP (No. 28) -- 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K (Class A Advanced Stockton)
Feigl was sharp in one of his better starts this season, tossing six scoreless innings in a no-decision against Visalia. It was the 23-year-old right-hander's first scoreless performance since July 13 and followed a rough four-start stretch during which he allowed 20 earned runs on 26 hits over 13 innings. His season ERA spiked from 3.24 to 4.49 across those four starts, but now sits at 4.26 after Thursday's outing. He's also posted 101 strikeouts against 31 walks in 116 1/3 innings. A's prospects stats »

Angels: Michael Hermosillo, OF (No. 28) -- 2-for-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI (Triple-A Salt Lake)
That's back-to-back two-homer games for Hermosillo, who's hit five of his nine Triple-A home runs this season in his past four games. On Thursday the 24-year-old outfielder connected on a three-run homer in the third inning and a two-run blast in the eight to finish with five RBIs -- a new season-high mark for him, surpassing his four-RBI performance from the previous day. Hermosillo was sidelined by a core muscle injury out of the gate and didn't begin his season in earnest until early June. Unsurprisingly, the former 28th-round pick (2013) has scuffled during two months in the Pacific Coast League, hitting .247/.352/.456 across 45 games separated only by a one-day trip to the Majors in July. He's starting to heat up at the right time, though, as he's now hit safely in six of his past seven games while authoring four multihit performances. Angels prospects stats »

Astros: Abraham Toro, 3B (No. 6) -- 5-for-6, 2 R, 2B, 3 RBI (Triple-A Round Rock)
After an 0-for-3 Triple-A debut on August 2, Toro has rattled off 10 hits in his last 21 at-bats. He collected a career-high five knocks Thursday, including a two-run double in the top of the ninth that proved the deciding hit in Round Rock's 12-11 victory against El Paso. Toro, a fifth-round pick from the 2016 Draft, was bumped up to the Minors' highest level after he batted .306/.393/.513 with 25 doubles and 16 home runs in 98 games at Double-A Corpus Christi. The 22-year-old switch-hitter also has driven in 75 runs so far this season and seems poised to blow well past the career-best RBI total (78) he posted last season. Astros prospects stats »

Mariners: Logan Gilbert, RHP (No. 3, MLB No. 51) -- 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 K (Double-A Arkansas); Jarred Kelenic, OF (No. 1, MLB No. 24) -- 3-for-5, 3 R, HR, 2 RBI (Class A Advanced Modesto)
Gilbert has completed at least five innings in all five of his Double-A starts, though Thursday's outing was just the second in which he allowed one earned run or fewer. The lone run allowed by the 2018 first-rounder came on fourth-inning solo homer to Dylan Carlson, as he otherwise surrendered a pair of singles while striking out and throwing 57 of 84 pitches for strikes. Gilbert, a 22-year-old righty out of Stetson, has been tremendous in his pro debut, ascending from Class A West Virginia to Double-A while posting a 2.14 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 138/26 K/BB in 113 2/3 innings (22 starts). One level down in the California League, Kelenic extended his hitting streak to nine games with his fifth multihit performance in that stretch. The 20-year-old outfielder has been a .301 hitter across two levels in his first full season and is rapidly approach a 20-20 campaign with 17 homers and stolen bases apiece. Mariners prospects stats »

Rangers: Brock Burke, LHP (No. 7) -- 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K (Triple-A Nashville)
Burke matched his season high in strikeouts and tossed five innings of one-run ball in his Triple-A debut. He pitched in and out of trouble in the fifth, recording two straight swinging strikeouts to open the frame before loading the bases via a single, a hit by pitch and a walk. He escaped the threat with by recording his third swinging strikeout of the frame, finishing with outing with 85 pitches (55 strikes). Acquired from the Rays in December as part of a three-team deal with the A's, Burke, a 23-year-old lefty, has pitched to a 3.19 ERA across four levels this season, striking out 61 batters in 59 1/3 innings. Rangers prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Trey Harris, OF (No. 18) -- 3-for-4, 2B, 3B (Double-A Mississippi)
Harris extended his hitting streak to eight games on Thursday and fell a home run shy of the cycle. The 23-year-old opened the season in Class A Rome before earning promotions to Class A Advanced Florida and now to the M-Braves. His numbers over 17 games with Mississippi have still been impressive, as Harris is hitting .305 with a .779 OPS, but his overall numbers across the three levels are even better. Across 107 games this season, Harris is hitting .337 with a .929 OPS, 23 doubles, six triples and 12 home runs. He's stuffed the stat sheet at every level and already looks like a tremendous discovery by the Braves in the 32nd round of the 2018 Draft. Braves prospects stats »

Marlins: Lewin Diaz, 1B (No. 13) -- 2-for-3, HR, RBI, BB (Double-A Jacksonville)
Diaz launched his fourth home run in his last seven games, giving him 23 on the season. Diaz is on his third team of the season after swapping Double-A squads when he came over from Minnesota via trade ahead of the Deadline, but he's produced at each stop. Between Class A Advanced and Double-A this season, Diaz is hitting .292 with a .905 OPS. DIaz is already setting career highs in plenty of areas and, while his value leans very heavily on his bat, that might not be a bad thing given how well he's performed in 2019. Marlins prospects stats »

Mets: Mark Vientos, 3B (No. 6) -- 2-for-6, HR, 2 RBI (Class A Columbia)
Vientos belted his 12th home run of the season in his 99th game with Class A Columbia on Thursday. The 2017 second-rounder is still just 19 years old in Class A, but his natural feel for hitting -- and really barreling it up -- is already showing. To go along with the 12 homers this season, Vientos also has 25 doubles, which could eventually start to clear the wall as he begins to draw more natural power from his impressive 6-foot-4 frame. He is now hitting .264 with a .747 OPS. Mets prospects stats »

Phillies: Bryson Stott, SS (No. 3) -- 2-for-3, HR (Class A Short-Season Williamsport)
Stott's strong pro debut continued on Thursday as the 2019 first-round pick hit his fourth home run in 27 games. Given Stott's advanced bat-to-ball skills, it's easy to project some real offensive value in his future and he's done well to show that early. Between the Gulf Coast League and New York-Penn League, Stott has hit .281 with an .861 OPS. Stott has tools across the board that are solid, if not better, and he should have a chance to flash all of them in full-season ball in 2019. Phillies prospects stats »

Nationals: Reid Schaller, RHP (No. 14) -- 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 K (Class A Hagerstown)
Schaller turned in one of his best outings of the season on Thursday, as he struck out eight batters over five innings of one-run ball. The right-hander has made just eight starts this season after an injury kept him out until late June. He now owns a 4.24 ERA, which would likely be lower if it weren't for the 19 walks he's allowed over 34 innings. Schaller has held opponents to a .202 batting average, but those free passes have added up. He's being used as a starter for now, but his 70-grade fastball has loads of potential in the bullpen down the road if the Nationals choose to go in that direction. Nationals prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Tristen Lutz, OF (No. 2) -- Game 1: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2B; Game 2: 1-for-2, HR, BB (Class A Advanced Carolina)
Lutz is bouncing back after a bit of a slump over the month of July by raking to start August. Through seven games he’s batting .483 with three homers – tying the most he’s had in a single month this year. That’s a welcome sign for the 2017 Draftee, selected No. 34 overall and signed for more than slot value out of high school. He was drafted with power and defense as his calling cards, and that power has translated more into doubles (54 over two full seasons) than homers (25 over that same span) but is still noteworthy for a player who is still developing and getting used to the rigors of full-season ball. Brewers prospects stats »

Cubs: Miguel Amaya, C (No. 2, MLB No. 91) -- 1-for-2, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB (Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach)
Amaya is enjoying a bit of a power surge recently, with two homers and a double in his past four games. Thursday’s home run brings him to 10 on the season, two shy of his career high set for South Bend last season. Amaya is more than halfway finished with his second season as a full-time catcher, a physically demanding position, so a late-season hot streak is more than just a little encouraging in terms of developing into a full-time backstop at the Major League level. He’s a threat behind the plate as well as standing beside it, throwing out 40 would-be basestealers this season on 117 attempts. Cubs prospects stats »

Cardinals: Dylan Carlson, OF (No. 2, MLB No. 52) -- 1-for-3, HR (Double-A Springfield)
If Carlson isn’t the Texas League Player of the Year this season, it will be a major upset. The 20-year-old breakout star leads the division in homers with 19, while ranking among the top 10 in average (ninth), RBIs (fifth), OBP (fifth), slugging (second), OPS (second), hits (seventh), walks (fourth), triples (sixth), extra-base hits (first), total bases (first) and runs scored (first). In other words, if there’s a leaderboard, Carlson is on it. He’s also tied or set career highs in most offensive categories in his fourth season of pro ball after being selected in the first round of the 2016 Draft. Cardinals prospects stats »

Pirates: Aaron Shortridge, RHP (No. 26) -- 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K (Class A Advanced Bradenton)
Shortridge retired 10 straight batters after allowing a two-out single in the first inning and sat down the final nine batters he faced to complete the longest start of his career. He faced two over the minimum in the performance, throwing 62 of 90 pitches for strikes. A fourth-round pick by the Pirates in last year's Draft, Shortridge, a converted shortstop, spent his first two years at Cal pitching out of the bullpen before moving into the rotation as a junior and flashing promise in the role. The Pirates have continued to develop the 22-year-old righty as such in the pro ranks, and Shortridge has responded to the challenge by posting a 3.26 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 118 2/3 innings (21 starts) for Bradenton in his first full season. Pirates prospects stats »

Reds: Jonathan India, 3B (No. 3, MLB No. 96) -- 3-for-4, R, 2B, RBI (Double-A Chattanooga)
While it took India some time to find his footing in Double-A, the 2018 No. 5 overall pick has been on a tear at the plate for the past week. He's recorded multiple hits in three straight games and owns a six-game hitting streak for the Lookouts, during which he's batting .588 (10-for-17) with three extra-base hits, eight runs scored and seven walks. It's helped the 22-year-old third baseman record a .308 average (.877 OPS) over his first 17 games in Southern League, following a .256/.346/.410 showing in the Class A Advanced Florida State League, where he'd slashed .256/.346/.410 with eight homers and 28 extra-base hits in 87 games. Reds prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Kristian Robinson, OF (No. 2, MLB No. 93) -- 2-for-3, 2 R, 3B, HR, 3 RBI, BB (Class A Kane County)
It took Robinson all of five games to hit his first homer for a full-season affiliate, which he did Thursday when he connected on a solo blast in the sixth inning of Kane County's 8-0 win over Cedar Rapids. His homer came one at-bat after the 18-year-old outfielder had delivered a two-run triple to right field in the fourth inning. He's now hit safely in four games for the Cougars, though Thursday's multihit performance was his first at the new level. Signed for $2.5 million out of the Bahamas in July 2017, Robinson has put himself on the map this season by flashing five-tool potential on a nightly basis, with his pure hitting ability and massive raw power from the right side of the plate taking center stage. He was promoted to the Midwest League after a 44-game stay at Class A Short-Season Hillsboro during which he batted .319/.407/.558 with nine homers (20 XBH), 35 RBIs and 14 steals. D-backs prospects stats »

Dodgers: Gavin Lux, SS/2B (No. 1, MLB No. 10) -- 2-for-5, R, 2B (Triple-A Oklahoma City)
It's no longer necessary to ask if Gavin Lux reached base on any given night. The question, instead, is how many times. Lux extended his on-base streak to 45 games on Thursday with a single and a double, giving him multiple hits in each of his last three games and five of his last six. The jump to Triple-A only seems to have made Lux stronger, as the 21-year-old has hit an incredible .456 with a 1.380 OPS. With 23 home runs, 22 doubles, eight triples and a strong plate approach to back it all up, Lux is running out of things to prove in the Minor Leagues. Dodgers prospects stats »

Giants: Logan Wyatt, 1B (No. 14) -- 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI (Class A Short-Season Salem-Keizer)
Over the course of two innings, Wyatt provided the Volcanoes with all the offense they would need. He hit his first pro homer in the fourth inning and followed it up with a two-run single in the fifth as Salem-Keizer defeated Hillsboro 3-2. The 2019 second-round Draft pick out of Louisville is known for having raw power but reigning it in with an advanced approach at the plate, and that’s been on display so far in his time in the Minors. In 22 games across two levels, he has 12 walks and only 14 strikeouts, and an on-base percentage of .400. Giants prospects stats »

Padres: Tirso Ornelas, OF (No. 15) -- 3-for-6, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI (AZL Padres 1)
Ornelas has struggled to find his footing this season, so Thursday's three-hit effort is an encouraging performance for the 19-year-old to build from. He couldn't get going offensively over 71 games with Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore, where he hit .203 with a .566 OPS. He's been searching for a breakout back in the Arizona League, and the physical tools are certainly in place for him to pop when it all comes together. Despite the numbers, Ornelas has the potential to hit for above-average contact and power. Thursday's performance was just his second three-hit game of the season. Padres prospects stats »

Rockies: Michael Toglia, 1B (No. 5) -- 3-for-3, 2 HR, 2 BB (Class A Short-Season Boise)
Colorado's 2019 first-round Draft pick is built to hit at Coors Field someday, and his first steps in pro ball have been encouraging. The 6-foot-5 first baseman hit his eighth and ninth home runs in 41 games on Thursday, leaving him with a .248 average and .852 OPS. Toglia will need to make consistent contact to allow himself to show that exceptional raw power consistently, but the potential for his hit tool is very high. His overall defensive value is limited at first base, but he mans the position well as a plus defender and is athletic enough to play the corner outfield. He's also shown an impressive plate approach of late, with 10 walks compared to just six strikeouts over his last 10 games. Rockies prospects stats »