Pipeline Preview: Guzman looks to stay hot for Staten Island

July 8th, 2017

Here's a look at top prospects to watch in today's Minor League action:
Hitter to watch: Nick Solak (Yankees No. 18), Tampa at Bradenton (6:30 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Solak extended his hitting streak to six games on Friday with a 2-for-4 performance for Class A Advanced Tampa that included his 14th double. The 22-year-old second baseman has shown advanced hitting ability in his first full season, with a .308 average, 24 extra-base hits and 43 walks (against 54 strikeouts) in 79 games.

Pitcher to watch:Jorge Guzman (Yankees' No. 25), Staten Island vs. Brooklyn, (Game 2 on MiLB.TV)
Guzman set a pair of career highs in his last start as he struck out 10 over 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a dominant performance for Class A Short Season Staten Island. The 21-year-old righty, whom the Yankees acquired last fall from Houston as part of the trade, allowed two hits and two walks. Guzman is 3-0 in three starts this season with a 1.53 ERA, a .123 opponents' average and 21 strikeouts in 17 2/3 frames. He'll start the nightcap of Staten Island's doubleheader following the completion Game 1, which begins at 6 p.m. ET.

Duel of the day: Taylor Clarke (D-backs' No. 5) vs. Jordan Stephens (White Sox No. 14), Jackson vs. Birmingham (7:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Clarke, 24, was sharp in his last start for Double-A Jackson as he allowed one unearned run on one hit with three walks and seven strikeouts in six innings. The 6-foot-4 right-hander lowered his ERA to 2.74 with the performance, and he enters Saturday's outing having compiled 87 strikeouts against 26 walks in 82 innings (16 starts).

A bout of right forearm tendinitis delayed the start of Stephens' season until June, but it hasn't taken him long to make up for that lost time. Through his first five starts for Birmingham, Stephens owns a 1.20 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP with 24 strikeouts in 30 innings. In his last turn, the 24-year-old righty worked a season-high 6 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run on four hits while striking out five.

Saturday's Top 100 prospect probables
No. 28 (White Sox No. 4), Charlotte at Louisville (6:35 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
No. 49 Erick Fedde (Nationals' No. 2), Syracuse at Rochester (7:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
No. 51 (Brewers' No. 4) vs. (Reds' No. 19), Biloxi vs. Pensacola (7:35 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
No. 72 (A's No. 3), Midland at Tulsa (8:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
More top prospect probables
Eric Skoglund (Royals' No. 3), Omaha at Iowa (Triple-A)
(Tigers' No. 15) vs. (Rays' No. 26), Toledo at Durham (Pirates' No. 18), Indianapolis at Gwinnett (Triple-A)
Chris Stratton (Giants' No. 21), Sacramento vs. Tacoma (Triple-A)
Julian Merryweather (Indians' No. 22), Columbus vs. Norfolk (Triple-A)
Ryan Castellani (Rockies' No. 3) vs. Corey Oswalt (Mets' No. 29), Hartford at Binghamton (Double-A)
Eric Lauer (Padres' No. 8), San Antonio vs. NW Arkansas (Double-A)
(Yankees' No. 20), Trenton vs. New Hampshire (Double-A)
Jake Jewell (Angels' No. 25), Mobile vs. Mississippi (Double-A)
Chris Ellis (Cardinals' No. 27), Springfield vs. Frisco (Double-A)
Keegan Akin (Orioles' No. 5) vs. Thomas Hatch (Cubs' No. 10), Frederick vs. Myrtle Beach (Class A Advanced)
(White Sox No. 11) vs. Kodi Medeiros (Brewers' No. 18), Winston-Salem vs. Carolina (Class A Advanced)
(Yankees' No. 13), Tampa at Bradenton (Class A Advanced)
Matt Hall (Tigers' No. 17), Lakeland at Daytona (Class A Advanced)
Jordan Romano (Blue Jays' No. 22) vs. JoJo Romero (Phillies' No. 24), Dunedin vs. Clearwater (Class A Advanced)
Jorge Alcala (Astros' No. 29), Buies Creek at Down East (Class A Advanced)
Brady Aiken (Indians' No. 4), Lake County vs. West Michigan (Class A)
Curtis Taylor (D-backs' No. 12), Kane County at Beloit (Class A)
Matthias Dietz (Orioles' No. 12), Delmarva at Hickory (Class A)
Josh Pennington (Brewers' No. 21), Wisconsin vs. Burlington (Class A)
Bryse Wilson (Braves' No. 24), Rome vs. West Virginia (Class A)
Bryan Mata (Red Sox's No. 26), Greenville at Lexington (Class A)