Thursday's top prospect performers

June 28th, 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: Kevin Smith, SS/3B (No. 5) -- 2-for-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI (Double-A New Hampshire)
Smith continued his recent turnaround with a pair of hits, including his eighth of the season. That comes just three days after another multihit effort, in which he went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles on Monday. Smith is hitting only .179 on the year, but nine of his 14 hits this month have gone for extra bases (six doubles, one triple and two homers).
Blue Jays prospects stats »

Orioles: Cadyn Grenier, SS (No. 16) -- 2-for-4, 2 2B, BB (Class A Delmarva)
Grenier reached in three of his five plate appearances, extending his on-base streak to 17 games. The 22-year-old has collected at least one hit in 16 of those 17 games, with the lone exception coming on June 15 when he went 0-for-2 with a pair of walks. Grenier is hitting .354 with a .411 OBP during that 17-game span.
Orioles prospects stats »

Rays: Shane McClanahan, LHP (No. 11) -- 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 3 K (Class A Advanced Charlotte)
McLanahan has been lights out since arriving in Charlotte, allowing just one run over 18 2/3 innings in his three starts with the Stone Crabs. He's racked up 20 strikeouts to just three walks in that span. McLanahan is now 3-0 with a 0.48 ERA with Charlotte after going 4-4 with a 3.40 ERA with Class A Bowling Green to begin the year.
Rays prospects stats »

Red Sox: No Red Sox prospects had noteworthy performances in the Minor Leagues on Thursday.

Yankees: Estevan Florial, OF (No. 1, No. 47 in MLB) -- 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, SB (Class A Advanced Tampa)
Florial crushed a leadoff home run -- his first since hitting one in his June 3 season debut -- on his way to a big day at the plate. The Yankees' top prospect later worked a walk, then chipped in an RBI single before promptly swiping second base, his fifth steal in 18 games this season. Florial now has three hit in his last two games after going 0-for-18 over his previous five contests.
Yankees prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Indians: Aaron Civale, RHP (No. 24) -- 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K (Triple-A Columbus)
Less than a week after his impressive Major League debut, Civale turned in his best Minor League start of the season, holding Indianapolis without a run over a season-high seven innings. Civale improved to 6-0 with a 2.44 ERA in eight combined starts between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus this season. The right-hander also turned in six scoreless innings in his big league debut on Saturday with Indians.
Indians prospects stats »

Royals: Brady Singer, RHP (No. 1, No. 45 in MLB) -- 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 6 K (Double-A Northwest Arkansas)
Singer turned in his best outing since joining Double-A Northwest Arkansas. The right-hander entered with an 8.10 ERA to go along with eight walks and eight strikeouts in his first four starts with the Naturals, but he allowed just one run while racking up six strikeouts on Thursday. The performance was much more in line with Singer's first 10 outings of the season with Class A Advanced Wilmington, where he put up a 1.87 ERA and 53 strikeouts to just 13 walks.
Royals prospects stats »

Tigers: Tarik Skubal, LHP (No. 17) -- 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K (Class A Advanced Lakeland)
Skubal matched a season high by tossing seven innings, while also turning in his third scoreless outing in his last four starts. He lowered his season ERA to 2.70 in 14 starts, and has now racked up 91 strikeouts in just 73 1/3 innings. The left-hander has been particularly dominant of late, allowing just one earned run over 23 innings in his last four starts, good for a 0.39 ERA.
Tigers prospects stats »

Twins: Ryan Jeffers, C (No. 17) -- 2-for-4, HR, RBI (Class A Advanced Fort Myers)
Jeffers turned in his third multi-hit effort in his last five games, a span in which he's also racked up six RBIs. The catcher has also started to flash some of his power, clubbing five homers over the last dozen games, which matches his total from his first 48 games of the season combined. He's put up an impressive .863 OPS since the start of May, after posting a .668 OPS in April. 
Twins prospects stats »

White Sox: Luis Robert, OF (No. 1, No. 5 in MLB) -- 3-for-5, R (Double-A Birmingham)
Robert continued his recent tear, recording his fourth multi-hit effort in the last five games. He's 10-for-23 (.435) with six runs, four RBIs and three stolen bases in that span. The club's top prospect is hitting .320 with an .896 OPS in 48 games with Double-A Birmingham after his scorching start to the year with Class A Advanced Winston-Salem, where he hit .453 with a 1.432 OPS in 19 games.
White Sox prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

A’s: Brian Howard, RHP (No. 21) -- 7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K (Double-A Midland)
Howard matched a season high with seven innings as he spun his fourth scoreless start of the season. The 2017 8th-round pick out of Texas Christian pitched his way to Double-A last year, but is getting an extended look at the level this year. Howard, 24, has pitched to a 3.04 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings.
A's prospects stats »

Angels: Kevin Maitan, 3B/SS (No. 12) -- 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI (Class A Burlington)
Maitan extended his hitting streak to five games with a pair of runs-scoring hits -- an RBI double in the first and an RBI single in the second. The 19-year-old initially signed with Atlanta in 2016, but was declared a free agent a year later as part of the penalties handed down against the Braves. He signed with the Angels and hit .248 over 63 games in his organizational debut last season. Maitan has struggled again offensively this year, but is starting to show signs that he may be on the verge of breaking out and is hitting .300 over his past 10 games.
Angels prospects stats »

Astros: Rogelio Armenteros, RHP (No. 21) -- 4.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K (Triple-A Round Rock)
Armenteros got stuck with a loss, but he still put together a solid outing on the mound. The 24-year-old right hander threw 51 of his 84 pitches for strikes and lowered his ERA to 4.74, the lowest it’s been since early May. Armenteros signed with the Astros from Cuba in 2014 and although he doesn’t have overpowering stuff, he’s able to produce because of his ability to locate his entire arsenal of pitches. Armentors is in Triple-A for the third straight year, but he did get a chance to make his Major League debut earlier this year as he pitched in two games and gave up two runs over five innings.
Astros prospects stats »

Mariners: Justin Dunn, RHP (No. 2, No. 67 in MLB) -- 5 1/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 9 K (Double-A Arkansas)
Dunn matched his season high with nine strikeouts, a mark that he had just set in his last outing against Corpus Christi. The 23-year-old has now tallied 18 strikeouts in just 11 1/3 innings over his last two starts, while allowing just three earned runs in the process (2.38 ERA). Dunn is averaging 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings this year, to go along with a 4.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Mariners prospects stats »

Rangers: Jonathan Hernandez, RHP (No. 8) -- 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K (Double-A Frisco)
Hernandez turned in a stellar bounceback effort, allowing just one unearned run, while matching a season high by tossing seven innings. The right-hander had allowed five runs in each of his last two starts, while tallying seven walks and eight strikeouts over 8 2/3 innings. Hernandez had much better control Thursday, racking up nine strikeouts and not walking a single batter. He's been hit-or-miss this season, allowing two earned runs or fewer in seven of his 14 outings -- and five earned runs or more in five of the other seven.
Rangers prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Alex Jackson, C (No. 22) -- 2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI (Triple-A Gwinnett)
Jackson boosted his home run total to 14 with his second two-homer game of the season. The 23-year-old has had power since the Mariners selected him in the first round of the 2014 Draft. However, the Mariners moved Jackson to the outfield and he never really hit all that well. Jackson was traded to the Braves in November 2016 and promptly moved back to catcher. Jackson struggles to hit for average and hasn't hit over .203 since 2017, but he has hit for more power in the Braves system, including his two highest home run totals.
Braves prospects stats »

Marlins: Trevor Rogers, LHP (No. 16) -- 8 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (Class A Advanced Jupiter)
Rogers matched his season high with 104 pitches (76 strikes) and set a career high as he completed eight innings. The lefty, a 2017 first-round pick, threw 72 2/3 innings in his 2018 professional debut and has already surpassed that this year, posting a 2.50 ERA with 80 strikeouts over 75 2/3 innings.
Marlins prospects stats »

Mets: Christian James, RHP (No. 24) -- 7 IP, H, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 K (Class A Colombia)
James threw 51 of his 89 pitches for strikes and set a season high for innings in what was arguably his best start of the year. The 21-year-old has pitched to a 4.31 ERA through 71 innings this season, but June has been his best month thus far. A 14th-round pick from the 2016 Draft, James doesn't have overpowering stuff, but is effective because he has advanced pitchability and his pitches have late movement.
Mets prospects stats »

Phillies: Alec Bohm, 3B (No. 1, No. 38 in MLB) -- 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI (Double-A Reading)
Bohm hit his second homer with Reading and has hits in three of the six games since his promotion. The 22-year-old Wichita State product, the Phillies first-round pick from last year's Draft, has already earned a pair of promotions this season as he hit .367 with Class A Lakewood and .329 with Class A Advanced Clearwater. Bohm was one of the best all-around college hitters in last year's Draft and he's certainly lived up to that billing early in his career. Overall he's hitting .331 on the year, but it will be interesting to see how he adjusts and handles the advanced Double-A competition.
Phillies prospects stats »

Nationals: No Nationals prospects had noteworthy performances in the Minor Leagues on Thursday.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Payton Henry, C (No. 10) -- 2-for-3, HR, RBI (Class A Advanced Carolina)
Henry hit his eighth homer of the season and now has hits in eight of his past nine games. The 22-year-old seems destined to set a new career high for homers this season as last year's mark, 10, is well within reach. Aside from showing an increase in power, Henry has actually made some strides across the board in his first season with the Mudcats and is hitting .247 through 72 games.
Brewers prospects stats »

Cubs: Trent Giambrone, 2B/SS (No. 20) -- 1-for-3, HR, RBI (Triple-A Iowa)
Giambrone has had some struggles offensively this season, but his power hasn't wavered. The 25-year-old, a 25th-round pick from the 2016, is hitting .224 through 74 games, but has also homered in back-to-back contests. The two homers bring Giambrone's season total to 17, matching his career high, a mark he set over 116 games last season.
Cubs prospects stats »

Cardinals: Genesis Cabrera, LHP (No. 8) -- 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K (Triple-A Memphis)
After a stint in the Majors, Cabrera was optioned back to Memphis on Tuesday and promptly put together a strong start in his return to the Redbirds' rotation. Cabrera, 22, retired nine of the first 11 batters he faced and threw 52 of his 78 pitches for strikes. Cabrera has a 5.44 ERA through 49 2/3 innings with Memphis this season and went 0-2 with a 6.17 ERA over 11 2/3 innings in the Majors.
Cardinals prospects stats »

Pirates: Ji-Hwan Bae, SS (No. 13) -- 3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI (Class A Greensboro)
Bae turned in his third three-hit game of the season as part of his second straight multihit performance. The 19-year-old, whom the Pirates signed last March, is hitting .289 through 29 games. Bae made a strong impression last year when he hit .271 over 35 games in the Gulf Coast League as part of his professional debut and although he has a strong ability to hit, the shortstop doesn't possess much power and has yet to homer as a professional.
Pirates prospects stats »

Reds: Jonathan India, 3B (No. 3, No. 42 in MLB) -- 2-for-4, 2B, 3B (Class A Advanced Daytona)
India, the No. 5 overall pick from last year's Draft, is hitting .257 through 70 games of his first full season. The 22-year-old put his power and speed on display as he came through with a couple of extra-base hits in Daytona's loss to Tampa. The multihit effort was India's first since June 18 and it was the first time he'd posted two or more extra-base hits in a game since May 14.
Reds prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Daulton Varsho, C (No. 4) -- 3-for-4, 3B, RBI (Double-A Jackson)
Varsho's sixth three-hit game of the season extended his hitting streak to four games and included his first triple of the year. The 22-year-old has put together back-to-back multihit games, continuing his trend of heating up along with the weather. Varsho got off to a slow start this season and hit just .221 in April, but he's picked up the pace since and is hitting .285 over the past 42 games. The past two months are more indicative of who Varsho is as a prospect as hit aggressive approach and short left-handed swing help him impact the baseball consistently.
D-backs prospects stats »

Dodgers: Gavin Lux, SS/2B (No. 2, No. 31 in MLB) -- 3-for-5, Run (Triple-A Oklahoma City)
Lux made his Triple-A debut with Oklahoma City, and picked up right where he left off with Double-A Tulsa. The 20th overall pick in the 2016 Draft recorded three hits out of the leadoff spot, including a fifth-inning double that ultimately led to Oklahoma City's first run in a comeback victory. The 21-year-old middle infielder joined Oklahoma City after hitting .313 with 13 homers and seven stolen bases in 64 games at Tulsa.
Dodgers prospects stats »

Giants: Chris Shaw, OF (No. 11) -- 3-for-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI (Triple-A Sacramento)
Shaw continued his big week at the plate, hitting his third homer in the last four games. It was also his second three-hit effort in the last three contests, after he went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs in Tuesday's series opener against El Paso. Shaw has now collected 13 RBIs in his last nine games, including at least one in seven of those nine contests.
Giants prospects stats »

Padres: Xavier Edwards, SS (No. 8) -- 3-for-4, HR, RBI (Class A Fort Wayne)
Xavier Edwards has homered. In his 113th game as a professional, the 19-year-old shortstop hit his first homer. While Edwards doesn't have much power, he's certainly able to hit. After hitting .346 over 45 games last year in his professional debut, the 2018 Draft pick is hitting .331 through 68 games this season. Edwards has an advanced knowledge of the strike zone and his ability to remain at shortstop long term only increases his offensive value.
Padres prospects stats »

Rockies: Willie MacIver, C (No. 27) -- 2-for-5, 2B (Class A Asheville)
MacIver made his first start of the season at third base on Thursday, but it was more of the same at the plate. He recorded his fourth multi-hit game in his last eight contests, a stretch in which he's hit .333 with four extra-base hits. As for manning the hot corner, it's the first time he's played third base at the Minor League level, though he did play the position plenty at the University of Washington, and also spent 11 games at third in the Cape Cod League in 2017.
Rockies prospects stats »