Thursday's top prospect performers

June 7th, 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: Chavez Young, OF (No. 19) 3-for-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R, SB (Class A Adv Dunedin)
Young recorded three run-scoring hits -- he put Dunedin on the board with a second-inning solo shot, hit an RBI double in his next at-bat and plated a run with a single in the seventh. The 21-year-old switch-hitter, a native of the Bahamas whom the Blue Jays took in the 39th round in the 2016 Draft, is hitting .316 with two homers in six games this month after finishing May with a .226 average and two homers in 18 games.
Blue Jays prospects stats »

Orioles: Rylan Bannon, 2B/3B (No. 22) 3-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB, SB (Double-A Bowie)
Bannon reached base four times for the Baysox, hitting a double as well as a pair of singles to go along with a walk in their win against New Hampshire. It was the fifth time this season that the 23-year-old Xavier product has collected three ore more hits, and the double was his 14th in 56 games. Acquired from the Dodgers last summer in the Manny Machado trade, Bannon has produced a .365/.342/.395 line this season in his first full Double-A campaign. His power, however, has backed up a bit, as he’s gone deep only four times so far after clubbing a career-best 22 homers in 2018.
Orioles prospects stats »

Rays: Lucius Fox, SS (No. 10) 3-for-4, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 SB (Double-A Montgomery)
The Bahamas native stuffed the stat sheet in Montgomery’s extra-inning victory over Tennessee, tallying two doubles, two runs and two steals as part of a three-hit performance. Fox, a 21-year-old switch-hitter, is beginning to heat up after a slow start, as Thursday’s performance gives him a .314 average over his last 10 games. It also pushed his season average above the .200 mark (.208) for the first time since May 5. Even with his struggles, Fox is continuing to get on base at a healthy .338 clip, and his 20 stolen bases are tops in the Southern League.
Rays prospects stats »

Red Sox: Tanner Houck, RHP (No. 5) 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 11 K (Double-A Portland)
Houck, Boston’s first-round pick in 2017, set a career high in strikeouts in his longest start of the season for the Sea Dogs. He struck out the side in the second and fourth innings and recorded multiple strikeouts in four separate frames in the outing, while throwing 78 of 110 pitches for strikes. The 22-year-old has thrown the ball well of late, lowering his season ERA from 5.17 to 4.24 over his last three starts while racking up 25 strikeouts in 19 innings. 
Red Sox prospects stats »

Yankees: Tanner Myatt, RHP (No. 28) 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K (Class A Charleston)
Myatt, an 11th-round pick a year ago, posted his second straight scoreless relief appearance of three innings to lower his ERA to 1.53. The 6-foot-7, 220-pound right-hander, with a mid-90s heater that can reach 99 mph and a curveball that has improved since he’s entered the pro ranks, has allowed just six hits while fanning 18 batters in 17 2/3 innings (.103 BAA) this season, albeit with below-average control that has resulted in 14 walks.    
Yankees prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Indians: Quentin Holmes, OF (No. 27) 2-for-4, HR, 3B, 5 RBI (Class A Lake County)
The Indians’ second-round pick from the 2017 Draft snapped out of an 0-for-12, 10-strikeout skid with his best performance of the season. After grounding out in his first at-bat, Holmes connected on a three-run homer to left-center in the fourth inning and then added a two-run triple in the following frame en route to a career-high five RBIs. The 19-year-old outfielder hasn’t offered much in the way of average or on-base skills so far this season, hitting .188 in 48 games, but he is showing some power, with a career-best four homers (13 total XBH), to go along with his blazing speed (12-for-14 in SB).
Indians prospects stats »

Royals: Seuly Matias, OF (No. 6) 2-for-4, 2 2B, R (Class A Adv Wilmington)
Matias’ two-hit effort was his first since April 27, and he hadn’t had a game with multiple extra-base hits since April 14. Suffice it to say that it’s been slow going so far this season for the 20-year-old, who’s hitting .153/.262/.322 with 91 strikeouts in 53 games. And after emerging as one of the premier sluggers in the Minors last season by hitting 31 homers in 94 games, Matias has gone yard only four times in 2019.
Royals prospects stats »

Tigers: Dustin Peterson, OF (No. 29) 2-for-4, solo HR (Triple-A Toledo)
Peterson, 24, homered in a fourth straight game and collected half of the Mudhens’ hits against Indianapolis. He has 10 RBIs during his home-run streak, and the multihit effort was his fifth straight. After cracking the Tigers’ Opening Day roster and then spending much of April in the big leagues, Peterson has returned to Triple-A to hit .293/.323/.472 with six homers and 22 RBIs in 32 games.
Tigers prospects stats »

Twins: Jordan Balazovic, RHP (No. 19) 5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K (Class A Adv Fort Myers)
Balazovic, 20, picked up his fourth win in six starts since joining Miracle, for which he’s posted a 2.03 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 42/6 K/BB ratio in 31 innings. The 6-foot-4, 175-pounder has carved up hitters this season with a three-pitch mix that’s headlined by a plus fastball that consistently reaches 95 mph. To go along with a 2.09 ERA and 0.81 WHIP in 51 2/3 innings (10 starts), Balazovic has compiled 75 strikeouts against 10 walks in 51 2/3 innings, while limiting hitters to a paltry .173 clip.
Twins prospects stats »

White Sox: Nick Madrigal, 2B (No. 4, MLB No. 43) 3-for-4, R, 2 SB (Double-A Birmingham)
The fourth pick in last year's Draft, Madrigal received a promotion to the Barons after doing what was expected of him with the Class A Advanced Winston-Salem Dash. The 5-foot-7 infielder out of Oregon State is a menace on the basepaths, and he swiped 17 bags for the Dash -- plus his first two with the Barons on Thursday. He also finished his time at Winston-Salem with a .346 on-base percentage, and got off to a great start getting on base three times in his first Birmingham appearance.
White Sox prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

A’s: Jonah Heim, C (No. 29) -- 2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI (Double-A Midland)
Heim collected multiple hits for the 12th time this season and drove in three runs for only the second time as the RockHounds dropped Frisco 5-2. Heim started the scoring with a two-run double in the first and provided insurance with another RBI in the seventh. The 2013 fourth-round Draft choice of the Orioles has been a part of the Rays' organization as well on his way to Oakland, and is having by far his best season now that he's slotted into the Midland lineup. His .290 average is 30 points higher than any other season, and the switch-hitter is almost a full 100 points ahead of his previous career best OPS (.811 compared to .718).
A's prospects stats »

Angels: Matt Thaiss, 1B (No. 8) 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB (Triple-A Salt Lake)
A 2016 first-round pick out of Virginia, Thaiss is back with the Bees after spending 85 games there last season. He started off hot, batting .281 in April with more walks than strikeouts, but he's lost that plate discipline since. That's why Thursday's walk is just as noteworthy as his pair of runs or RBIs. If he can show an understanding of the strike zone like he did to start the season, that will be a huge boost to his resume as he knocks on the door of the Major League club.
Angels prospects stats »

Astros: J.B. Bukuaskas, RHP (No. 5) 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K (Double-A Corpus Christi)
Bukuaskas struggled mightily to start the season, so it's beyond encouraging to see him back in the groove for the Hooks. He finished April with an ERA approaching 13, which is inflating all of his season numbers. His ERA since the start of May is only 3.90, much lower than his 6.20 ERA at the Double-A level. Thursday's outing was tied for his longest of the season, and he also threw a season-high 98 pitches. Going deep into games and limiting walks will be key for Bukauskas, as he's been keeping the ball in the park fairly well this year (only three homers allowed in 45 innings pitched).
Astros prospects stats »

Mariners: Keegan McGovern, OF (No. 28) 1-for-4, solo HR (Class A West Virginia)
A ninth-round selection in last year's Draft, McGovern was sent straight to full-season Clinton (then a Seattle affiliate) after a few games in Rookie ball, skipping all of Seattle's other short season affiliates. He did well for the LumberKings over 65 games last season, swatting 15 homers in 65 games. He missed the start of this season due to injury, but in his seven games since returning, the University of Georgia product now has four extra-base hits, including Thursday's homer.
Mariners prospects stats »

Rangers: Sherten Apostel, 3B (No. 22) 1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI, BB (Class A Hickory)
Apostel was red-hot in the month of May, collecting 13 RBIs and batting .282, both massive improvements over his eight runs driven in and .181 marks from the month prior. He's off to a strong start to June ... literally. His four homers in six games are as many as he collected in 49 games prior to this season. He's two shy of setting a new career-high for homers, 10, and at this rate, he'll have that milestone by the end of the week.
Rangers prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Kolby Allard, LHP (No. 9) 8 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K (Triple-A Gwinnett)
Allard set a season-high with eight innings pitched and tied his season-high with seven strikeouts to pick up the win for the Stripers against the Durham Bulls. It was arguably his best start of the season, and best start since his eight-inning, two-hit gem tossed for Gwinnett May 13, 2018. Allard struggled mightily when getting his first shot at MLB action last year and will need to reign in his walks – as he did on Thursday – to find a way into an Atlanta staff that could soon be bolstered by the addition of Dallas Keuchel.
Braves prospects stats »

Marlins: Sixto Sanchez, RHP (No. 1, MLB No. 26) 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 6 K (Double-A Jacksonville)
The Marlins' No. 1 prospect, acquired from the Phillies in the J.T. Realmuto trade, tossed his best start since his gem of a debut for the Jumbo Shrimp on May 14 (6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K). He allowed nine earned runs in the 15 1/3 innings sandwiched between his best outings, but has not given up more than three in a game since his promotion to Double-A. He took a hard-luck loss in Thursday's game, lowering his record to 1-4 in the Minors this season, but that's not indicative of how well he's pitching of late (3.42 ERA, 25/5 K/BB ratio with the Jumbo Shrimp).
Marlins prospects stats »

Mets: Ronny Mauricio, SS (No. 2, MLB No. 89) 3-for-4, HR, 2 2B, 3 R (Class A Columbia)
Mauricio extended his hitting streak to nine games with a three-extra-base-hit performance on Thursday, though it wasn’t enough to keep the Fireflies from falling to Hickory, 4-3. The 18-year-old shortstop led off the game with a double and laced his second two-bagger of the game in the sixth inning before going deep for the second time this season in the eighth. He’s batting .385 with 15 hits during his streak, and, overall, he’s produced a .293/.335/.386 line over 53 games in the South Atlantic League, despite being three and a half years younger than the circuit’s average player.
Mets prospects stats »

Phillies: Mickey Moniak, OF (No. 9) 2-for-5, 2 2B, RBI, R (Double-A Reading)
The top pick in the 2016 Draft collected multiple extra-base hits in a game for the third time this season, including a double in the sixth inning to give the Fightin' Phils a 2-1 lead in a game they'd win 3-2 over Akron. Moniak is giving a good account of himself in his first season at the Double-A level, posting his best OPS since Rookie ball. This is mainly fueled by some extra pop in his bat, as he's on pace to set Minors career-highs in doubles, triples and homers.
Phillies prospects stats »

Nationals: Malvin Pena, RHP (No. 13) 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K (Class A Adv Potomac)
Pena is turning his season around as of late, lowering his ERA more than two-and-a-half runs since a May 20 start in which he allowed six earned runs in three innings pitched. His latest effort is easily his best of the campaign, going a season-high seven innings and allowing only a trio of batters to reach via hit or walk, his lowest of any start this year. He could just be taking some time to adjust to a new level, as he pitched very well last season across 10 starts with Class A Short Season Auburn and Class A Hagerstown, collecting an ERA of 2.88 over 50 innings pitched.
Nationals prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Keston Hiura, 2B (No. 1, MLB No. 14) 2-for-5, HR (Triple-A San Antonio)
Hiura has crushed the ball since his return to the Minors, collecting eight total bases in his two games back with the Missions. His homer on Thursday was his 12th in the Minors this season, sandwiching a trip to MLB during which he swatted five long balls. The team’s top prospect was demoted to make room for Travis Shaw. The Brewers’ infield is certainly crowded at the moment, but at some point Milwaukee may need to find a way to get – and keep – Hiura in its lineup.
Brewers prospects stats »

Cubs: Christopher Morel, 3B/SS (No. 26) 2-for-3, solo HR (Class A South Bend)
Morel’s third home run of the season was a seventh-inning solo shot that helped power South Bend past Bowling Green, 4-1. The 19-year-old has hit safely in four straight games and owns a .281 average over his last 10 contests. He’s hitting .247/.288/.400 with three homers through 44 games in his first full season, and scouts expect him to begin to hit for more power down the road given his explosive bat speed and remaining physical projection.
Cubs prospects stats »

Cardinals: Edmundo Sosa, INF (No. 10) -- 3-for-4, HR, 3B, 2B, RBI, 3 R (Triple-A Memphis)
Sosa fell a single shy of the cycle Thursday as the Redbirds ran up the score in an easy 7-0 win over Tacoma. It was easily his best game of the season, collecting nine total bases -- four more than his previous season-best. Sosa signed with the Cardinals back in 2012 out of Panama, alongside fellow international signees and eventual big leaguers Alex Reyes and Magneuris Sierra. Sosa, too, has made the Cardinals' MLB roster, but is back with Memphis for his seventh season in the Minors. He's still only 23 and will be on St. Louis' radar if he keeps heating up with the bat and continuing to show his trademark skills in the field.
Cardinals prospects stats »

Pirates: Pablo Reyes, UTIL (No. 15) 2-for-4, 2B, RBI (Triple-A Indianapolis)
Reyes collected two hits and an RBI for the third time in his past four contests. The 25-year-old cracked the Pirates’ Opening Day roster but was optioned to Indianapolis on May 4 after batting .128 with zero extra-base hits in 39 at-bats. In the 25 games since returning to the International League, Reyes has produced a .239/.278/.457 line with four home runs and eight doubles. He continues to split time between the outfield and both middle-infield positions.
Pirates prospects stats »

Reds: Mike Siani, OF (No. 7) 4-for-5, 2 RBI, 3 R, 2 SB (Class A Dayton)
Siani was a catalyst out of the leadoff spot as he established season highs in hits and runs scored while also swiping two bases and driving in a pair of runs. It was perhaps the best offensive performance of the season for the 19-year-old, who's hitting .209 with 11 extra-base hits and 13 steals in the Midwest League. His younger brother, Sammy, was drafted by the Pirates in the first competitive balance round (No. 37 overall pick) on Monday.
Reds prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Pavin Smith, 1B (No. 16) -- 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, R (Double-A Jackson)
Smith, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 Draft, posted multiple hits for the fifth time in his last nine games. With a .486 average in that stretch, the 23-year-old first baseman has improved his overall average from .213 to .262. He's faring better in Double-A this year, his second full season, after a disappointing 2018 campaign in the hitter-friendly California League that saw him finish with a .255/.343/.392 line in 120 games.
D-backs prospects stats »

Dodgers: Miguel Vargas, 3B (No. 27) -- 1-for-3, 2B, BB, SB (Class A Great Lakes)
Vargas' double was one of Great Lakes' five hits on Thursday, and he was one of two players to reach base twice in their loss against Lansing. Signed by the Dodgers for $300,000 in September 2017, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Cuban infielder is batting .315/.404/.395 with 29 RBIs and an almost equal number of strikeouts (31) as walks (30).
Dodgers prospects stats »

Giants: Blake Rivera, RHP (No. 18) 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K (Class A Augusta)
Rivera, 21, retired the first 10 batters of the game, five via the strikeout, in what was ultimately the best start of his career. He struck out 10 on the night, a new career high, and threw 54 of 82 pitches for strikes while facing three above the minimum. A fourth-round pick last year out of Wallace State CC (Ala.), Rivera has pitched to a 3.62 ERA with 63 strikeouts in in 49 2/3 innings (11 starts) so far in his first full-season campaign.
Giants prospects stats »

Padres: Luis Urias, INF (No. 3, MLB No. 23) 3-for-5, 3B, 2B, RBI, R (Triple-A El Paso)
On a night when phenom Fernando Tatis Jr. returned to the Padres lineup, Urias continued to state his case for a return to San Diego and regular playing time with the big league club. He’s working on a seven-game hitting streak, raising his average to .368 in the Minors this season. The Chihuahuas’ shortstop now has nine games with three or more hits this year in the Minors.
Padres prospects stats »

Rockies: Colton Welker, 3B (No. 2, MLB No. 79) 2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI (Double-A Hartford)
Welker is trending toward matching or beating his career-high for home runs after swatting his sixth of the season for the Yard Goats. The 2016 fourth-round Draft pick isn’t known for overwhelming power, but surely the Rockies must be encouraged to see the 21-year-old showing a bit of pop before what should eventually be a promotion to the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He is, however, known for his hit tool, and his .304 average on the season means he’s on pace for his fourth straight pro campaign batting above .300.
Rockies prospects stats »