Pipeline Preview: O'Neill looks to stay hot

Cardinals' No. 4 prospect has three homers over the past two games

April 8th, 2018

Here's a look at top prospects to watch in today's Minor League action:
Hitter to watch: (Cardinals' No. 4), Memphis at Round Rock (2:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
MLB Pipeline's No. 94 overall prospect belted a pair of two-run home runs and a double on Friday in Triple-A Memphis' win over Round Rock, and then connected on another two-run shot in his second at-bat Saturday for the Red Birds, giving him three in his first three games.
Pitcher to watch: Mitch Keller (Pirates' No. 1), Altoona vs. Akron (2 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Keller, MLB Pipeline's No. 16 overall prospect, will be making his season debut when he takes the mound for Double-A Altoona. The 22-year-finished his impressive 2017 campaign in the Eastern League, posting a 3.12 ERA and a .197 opponents' average with 45 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings (six starts). Altogether, he pitched to a 3.03 ERA, while averaging nine strikeouts-per-nine innings, in 116 frames across three levels.

Duel of the day: Peter Lambert (Rockies' No. 5) vs. (Blue Jays' No. 10), Hartford vs. New Hampshire (1:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV) (Double-A)
Speaking of debuts, Lambert, 20, is set to make his first Double-A start against a New Hampshire lineup that could include phenoms Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, MLB Pipeline's Nos. 3 and 13 overall prospects. Spending all of 2017 in the Class A Advanced California League, Lambert posted a 4.17 ERA with 18 home runs allowed, but also 131 strikeouts in a career-high 142 1/3 innings (26 starts).

Reid-Foley, meanwhile, is returning to New Hampshire after struggling in his first Eastern League exposure last season. Making 27 starts, the 22-year-old right-hander logged a 5.09 ERA, while posting 122 strikeouts against 53 walks, in 132 2/3 frames. A ground-ball pitcher early in his career who yielded just eight homers in his first two full-season campaigns, Reid-Foley saw that total spike to 22 last year with the Fisher Cats.

Sunday's Top 100 prospect probables
No. 38 (Cardinals' No. 2), Memphis at Round Rock (2:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
No. 61 (White Sox No. 5), Winston-Salem at Carolina (1 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
No. 83 (Braves' No. 7) vs. (Cubs' No. 3), Tennessee at Mississippi (2 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
No. 100 Riley Pint (Rockies' No. 3) vs. Brenan Hanifee (Orioles' No. 10), Asheville at Delmarva (2:05 p.m. ET)
More top prospect probables
Triple-A (Nationals' No. 4), Syracuse at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A)
Rogelio Armenteros (Astros' No. 12), Fresno at Reno (Triple-A)
(Phillies' No. 15) vs. (Red Sox's No. 15), Lehigh Valley at Pawtucket (Triple-A)
(Rockies' No. 17), Albuquerque at Salt Lake (Triple-A)
(Orioles' No. 18), Norfolk Gwinnett (Triple-A)
(Mets' No. 24), Las Vegas vs. El Paso (Triple-A)
Double-A Kyle Funkhouser (Tigers' No. 6), Erie at Reading (Double-A)
Mike Shawaryn (Red Sox's No. 9), Portland at Binghamton (Double-A)
(Twins' No. 12), Chattanooga vs. Birmingham (Double-A)
(Marlins' No. 16), Jacksonville at Jackson (Double-A)
(White Sox No. 17), Birmingham at Chattanooga, Game 2 (Double-A)
Joey Wentz (Braves' No. 10), Florida vs. Daytona (Class A Advanced)
Cody Sedlock (Orioles' No. 12) vs. Bryan Hudson (Cubs' No. 24), Frederick at Myrtle Beach (Class A Advanced)
(Pirates' No. 12), Bradenton vs. St. Lucie (Class A Advanced)
Anthony Kay (Mets' No. 14), Columbia vs. Augusta (Class A Advanced)
Class A Blayne Enlow (Twins' No. 9), Cedar Rapids vs. Quad Cities (Class A)
A.J. Alexy (Rangers' No. 17), Hickory at Greensboro (Class A)
Spencer Howard (Phillies' No. 22), Lakewood at Kannapolis (Class A)
Oliver Jaskie (Mariners' No. 26), Clinton vs. Kane County (Class A)
Tomas Alastre (Nationals' No. 26), Hagerstown at Rome (Class A)