Friday's top prospect performers

June 29th, 2019

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

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays: Hector Perez, RHP (No. 13) 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 9 K (Double-A New Hampshire)
Coming in as the bulk man after an opener, Perez got the Fisher Cats deep into the game with a great chance at a victory after six strong innings in "relief." His nine strikeouts were a season-high, and it's his first one-run outing this month. Acquired from the Astros in the Ken Giles/Roberto Osuna trade, Perez settled in nicely at New Hampshire last season after the transaction, but has struggled out of the gate in his first full campaign as a member of the Toronto organization. Signed by the Astros in 2014 for a modest $45,000 bonus, Perez has pitched to an ERA below 4.00 in every season as a pro, making his 5.05 mark this year almost certain to fall -- as it did on Friday night.
Blue Jays prospects stats »

Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle, 1B (No. 2, MLB No. 55) 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI (Triple-A Norfolk)
Mountcastle extended his hitting streak to eight games in powerful fashion, connecting on his 14th home run of the season for the Tides. A former shortstop and third baseman, Mountcastle got the start at DH on Friday evening, a break from his usual role as Norfolk's first baseman.The move to first seems to have unlocked his bat, as he's posted a career-high batting average and slugging percentage so far, and his 14 homers are four shy of a career best.
Orioles prospects stats »

Rays: Wander Franco, SS (No. 1, MLB No. 1) 2-for-3, 2 R, HR, 2 BB (Class A Adv Charlotte)
Franco homered and collected two hits for a second straight game, giving him multiple hits in all four games since his promotion to the Florida State League. The 18-year-old phenom has gone 9-for-15 with three extra-base hits and five RBIs in that span and has yet to strike out (surprising, I know). He’s racked up 33 walks against 20 strikeouts in 66 games overall this season, all while hitting a ridiculous .335/.407/.540 with 30 extra-base hits (8 HR) and 15 steals. And for those wondering about his career numbers, the switch-hitting shortstop has produced a .343/.412/.563 line with 19 homers, 19 steals and 60/39 BB/K in 127 games spanning three levels.
Rays prospects stats »

Red Sox: Denyi Reyes, RHP (No. 18) 8 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 3 K (Double-A Portland)
The jump to Double-A this year hasn't been an easy go by any means for Reyes, who earned Pitcher of the Year honors in the South Atlantic league last season (1.97 ERA, 0.91 WHIP). However, even with a 4.66 ERA, he's continued to show his ability to stretch out starts, something he proved once again with his season-high eight innings on Friday against Reading. The 22-year-old allowed only five baserunners (four hits and one HBP), though his three runs allowed all came on a home run.
Red Sox prospects stats »

Yankees: Anthony Seigler, C (No. 6) 2-for-2, 3 RBI, 3 BB, SB (Class A Charleston)
Asheville couldn't keep Seigler off the basepaths on Friday, as he reached in all five plate appearances for the Riverdogs. The 20-year-old drew a career-high three walks on the day and recorded two hits. Both went for singles, but each made an impact, as he drove in two runs in the fourth inning and one in the seventh inning. As icing on the cake, the 2018 first-rounder stole his first base as a pro in the fourth inning. Seen as a defense-first catching prospect, with a 60-grade arm, he's been adept at reaching base with his .405 OBP over 38 Minor League games.
Yankees prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Indians: Bo Naylor, C (No. 4) 2-for-5, 2 R, 2B, 3B, RBI (Class A Lake County)
Naylor has had a strong month of June, and it didn't slow up any on Friday. With a double and triple for Lake County, the 2018 first-round Draft pick posted his fifth multihit game in his past 10 contests, a stretch in which he's hit two doubles, a triple and three homers. His two extra-base hits on Friday both converted into runs, which fueled half of Lake County's production in a 9-4 loss to Lansing. The 22-year-old's power has begun to translate in June, during which he's slashed .284/.333/.522 after batting just .223 through 38 games in April and May.
Indians prospects stats »

Royals: Khalil Lee, OF (No. 3) 2-for-3, R, 2B, HR, RBI, BB (Double-A Northwest Arkansas)
Lee has enjoyed a steady rise up the ranks since he was drafted in the third round of the 2016 Draft, and he again showed his upside at the plate for Northwest Arkansas in its 7-6 loss to Springfield. The 21-year-old reached base in each of his first three at-bats, a stretch that he capped off with his sixth homer of the season. In fact, his month of June has gone extremely well, with a slash line of .312/.459/.532 -- a far cry from his struggles in his first taste of Double-A last season (.245/.330/.353 in 29 games).
Royals prospects stats »

Tigers: Isaac Paredes, INF (No. 83) 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI (Double-A Erie)
Paredes connected on his fifth home run of the season when he took Nationals No. 4 prospect Wil Crowe (who has allowed 0.8 HR/9 in his career) deep for a two-run shot in the third inning, but it wasn't enough to keep Erie from falling to Harrisburg, 6-4. After a breaking out at the plate to hit 15 homers while reaching Double-A in 2018, Paredes' power has backed up a bit this season in his return to the Eastern League. He is, however, once again demonstrating ridiculous bat-to-ball skills (37 K, 32 BB), all while holding his own with a .259/.349/.373 line as a 20-year-old in an advanced league.
Tigers prospects stats »

Twins: Wander Javier, SS (No. 6) 2-for-3, R, 2 2B, BB (Class A Cedar Rapids)
Javier entered Friday mired in an 0-for-20 slump over his previous seven games before breaking out with a pair of doubles while reaching base three times for the Kernels. The 20-year-old shortstop has struggled so far in 2019, batting .178 over his first 25 games in full-season ball, though it's important to remember that he lost all of 2018 to labrum surgery on his non-throwing shoulder. Prior to that, Javier had been one of the more impressive players in the Rookie-level Appalachian League in 2017, two years after he signed with the Twins for $4 million.
Twins prospects stats »

White Sox: Nick Madrigal, 2B (No. 4, MLB No. 39) 2-for-4, R (Double-A Birmingham)
It seems virtually impossible to stop Nick Madrigal from getting on base. The 2018 first-rounder out of Oregon State has failed to reach base via a hit or walk only 12 times in 68 games across two levels this season, and Friday's pair of hits extended his latest hitting streak to seven. Madrigal certainly shows why we've given him a 65-grade hit tool, as he's hitting .384 at Double-A after receiving an in-season promotion to join the Barons. His plate discipline has been incredible this season, as he's walked 24 times with only seven strikeouts, including only one so far against Double-A pitching.
White Sox prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

A’s: A.J. Puk, LHP (No. 2, No. 35) 1 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K (Double-A Midland)
After making three starts at Class A Advanced Stockton, Puk moved up to Double-A on Friday and worked 1 1/3 innings out of the bullpen, scattering three hits and striking out four. He threw 35 pitches, including 23 strikes. The 24-year-old southpaw and former first-round pick (2016) appeared to be on the fast track to the Major Leagues before Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2018 campaign. In Puk's lone healthy full season, he posted a 4.03 ERA with 184 strikeouts in 125 innings between Stockton and Midland.
A's prospects stats »

Angels: Jo Adell, OF (No. 1, MLB No. 4) 2-for-4, RBI (Double-A Mobile)
Friday was Adell's 10th multihit effort since joining the BayBears and gives him hits in 16 of 20 contests this season at the Double-A level, where he's slashing .392/.458/.635 with three homers, nine doubles and four steals. It hasn't taken the talented 20-year-old outfielder long to find his groove at the plate this season, and he's shown no lingering effects from the knee and ankle injuries that cost him all of April and most of May.
Angels prospects stats »

Astros: Alex McKenna, OF (No. 26) 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, SB (Class A Quad Cities)
McKenna, a toolsy outfielder whom the Astros selected in the fourth round of the 2018 Draft, turned in his third multihit performance of the season and was the lone Bandits player to score two runs in their 7-2 win over Burlington. The 21-year-old has been plagued by injuries and has already made three separate trips to the injured list that have limited him to just 14 games. In his 2018 pro debut, McKenna batted .311/.394/.512 with seven homers in 44 games between the New York-Penn League and Class A.
Astros prospects stats »

Mariners: Ricardo Sanchez, LHP (No. 24) 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 6 K (Double-A Arkansas)
Sanchez allowed one hit and faced three over the minimum in his most dominant start of the season, but he ultimately took a no-decision after Tulsa rallied to defeat the Travelers, 2-1. It was a much-needed bounce-back performance for the 22-year-old lefty after he was tagged for 11 earned runs on 19 hits over nine innings between his previous two starts. He's still had a solid season overall, pitching to a 4.11 ERA with 79 strikeouts over 81 innings (15 starts) in his first season in the Mariners' system after they acquired him in November after he was designated for assignment by Atlanta.
Mariners prospects stats »

Rangers: Scott Heineman, OF (No. 27) 2-for-2, HR, 2 RBI, BB (Triple-A Nashville)
Heineman has struggled to stay in the Sounds' lineup this season due to injury, but between his recent rehab assignment to the Arizona League and in his brief return to Nashville, he's been on fire at the plate. In fact, dating back to his May 21 debut this season, he's collected hits in all but two games (his first two), and he's batting .351 on the year. Since returning from injury he's connected on two homers and completed three multi-hit games in four appearances.
Rangers prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Kyle Wright, RHP (No. 2, MLB No. 25) 7 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 K (Triple-A Gwinnett)
Obviously, Ian Anderson's 14-strikeout performance in a no-hitter for Mississippi was the premier Atlanta prospect performance of Friday, but Wright wasn't that far behind. The Braves 2017 first-round pick has been shuttled a bit between Atlanta and Gwinnett in case the Braves need him in a pinch. That hasn't affected the righty of late, and his latest start was a testament to that. For the second time in three starts, Wright went 7 2/3 innings, this time allowing only three hits (two singles and a double) while striking out eight. In his past four starts, the Vanderbilt product has allowed seven earned runs in 24 innings while punching out 25 batters, shaking off a rough to 2019 campaign (14 ER in 10 2/3 innings with a .348 BAA in three starts).
Braves prospects stats »

Marlins: Isan Diaz, 2B (No. 6) 4-for-4, 2 R, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI, BB (Triple-A New Orleans)
Diaz apparently was pumped after being selected for the 2019 Futures Game, as he did it all for New Orleans in 9-7 win over Oklahoma City. The second base prospect reached base all five times he came to the plate, including a first-inning blast for his 17th homer of the year. Through 76 games this year, Diaz is now just three home runs shy of his career high, set in 2016 with Wisconsin (as a part of the Brewers' organization), where he played 135 games. With a strong .297/.384/.558 line and 36 extra-base hits, it's not outlandish to think that the 23-year-old's number could soon be called by the Marlins.
Marlins prospects stats »

Mets: Thomas Szapucki, LHP (No. 8) 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K (Class A Columbia)
Szapucki did not allow a hit in his longest outing of 2019, and the Fireflies had their bid at a combined no-hitter broken up with one out in the ninth inning. The 23-year-old southpaw struck out four, matching his season-high mark, and threw 31 of 50 pitches for strikes. A fifth-round pick by the Mets in the 2015 Draft, Szapucki was emerging as one of the top left-handed strikeout artists in the Minors -- he whiffed 86 over 52 innings in 2016 -- before losing most of 2017 to a shoulder impingement followed by Tommy John surgery, which wiped out his entire '18 campaign. Now fully healthy, he's returned the South Atlantic League to post a 2.55 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings.
Mets prospects stats »

Phillies: Alec Bohm, 3B (No. 1, MLB No. 38) 1-for-5, 2 RBI (Double-A Reading)
Playing in his seventh game for the Fightin' Phils, Bohm broke out of whatever funk left him 0-4 and connected on a walk-off, two-run double in the 10th inning. It's his fourth game with at least one run batted in since joining Reading, a well-deserved promotion for the 2018 first-rounder out of Wichita State. Bohm hit well over .300 at both the Class A and Class A Advanced levels earlier this season, so the step up in challenge should serve him well as he continues his path to the big leagues. He's continued to demonstrate his incredible knowledge of the zone, as he's walked 34 times while striking out only 42 this season across all three levels.
Phillies prospects stats »

Nationals: Luis Garcia, INF (No. 2, MLB No. 61) 3-for-5, R, 2B (Double-A Harrisburg)
Luis Garcia's performance is solid at a glance, but when viewed through the lens of "a 19-year-old playing Double-A ball for the first time," you understand why he's such a highly touted prospect. Signed for $1.3 million in 2016, Garcia has risen up Washington's system in a hurry, receiving an aggressive placement to play with the Senators this season. He's not shown the decent amount of pop he demonstrated at previous levels, but he's batting .256 against players several years his senior and is heating up in his third month at Harrisburg. He's batting .330 in June with as many extra-base hits as he collected in the first two months combined.
Nationals prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Payton Henry, C (No. 10) 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI (Class A Adv Carolina)
Henry went deep and collected two hits for a second straight game as he powered the Mudcats to a 4-2 win over Potomac. The homer, a fourth-inning solo shot, was his ninth of the season and pushed his RBIs total to 45 through 73 games. The 22-year-old backstop is putting the final touches on what has been his best month of the season, as Friday's performance gives him a .338/.427/.563 line in 25 June games as well as an overall season line of .252/.328/.421. Defensively, Henry has thrown out 37.3 percent of attempted basestealers this year after hosing them at a 43.8 percent clip in 2018.
Brewers prospects stats »

Cubs: Brennen Davis, OF (No. 7) 2-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI (Class A South Bend)
Davis was moved up to the full-season Class A Cubs in May after only 18 games in the Arizona League last season. A basketball star in high school, Davis dedicated himself to a future in baseball and showed decent pop, plus speed and a strong defensive profile, making him more than worthy of a second-round Draft selection by the Cubs. However, in his first attempt at pro ball, he struggled to demonstrate any of that power, connecting on two doubles as his only extra-base hits last season. This year has been an improvement in that area, as Davis has 10 extra-base hits in 29 games -- all while batting .309. It's a very promising start to Class A ball for a prospect with tons of potential hidden in his 6-foot-4 frame.
Cubs prospects stats »

Cardinals: Dylan Carlson, OF (No. 2, MLB No. 88) 3-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI (Double-A Springfield)
Carlson showed why he'll be heading to Cleveland as a member of the American League Futures Game roster by raking once again for the Double-A Cardinals. The 20-year-old has tied or improved upon his career-highs in triples, homers, steals, average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage only 71 games into his first trip through the Double-A ranks. The 2016 first-round Draft pick cooled off a bit this month after a torrid start to the season, but Friday's effort is a reminder of what he's capable of.
Cardinals prospects stats »

Pirates: Oneil Cruz, SS (No. 4, MLB No. 78) 3-for-4, 2B, RBI (GCL Pirates)
Cruz went to the injured list with a fractured right foot on April 28, and he's returned in good time with good returns so far. The shortstop prospect collected two singles and a double for the GCL Pirates, which raises his average to 6-for-10 (.600) in three rehab games so far. The 20-year-old struggled a bit in his first taste of Class A Advanced ball with Bradenton, going .238/.304/.333 with a homer and a double in 11 games before the injury. But his results at Class A last season (.286/.343/.488 with 14 homers in 103 games) speak to his advanced power potential that has yet to fully be tapped into. Pirates prospects stats »

Reds: Jose Siri, OF (No. 9) 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB (Double-A Chattanooga)
Siri has not yet found the same success with the long ball as he did in his 2017 and 2018 campaigns, when he hit 24 and 13, respectively. But he added his fifth homer of the year for Chattanooga in the eighth inning of a 10-1 rout of Tennessee. It was the third blast of June for the speedy center field prospect, who drew eyes in 2017 as he recorded a 39-game hitting streak, but struggled a bit to follow it up in '18 after injuring a ligament in his left thumb during Spring Training. Now the 23-year-old will need to prove a return to consistency at the plate -- his longest hitting streak so far this season is six games.
Reds prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Matt Tabor, RHP (No. 13) 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 K (Class A Kane County)
Tabor, 20, didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning, when he gave up a solo home run with one out, and allowed two hits overall while throwing 53 of 69 pitches for strikes in his longest start of the season for Kane County. The D-backs' third-round pick from the 2017 Draft has been excellent so far in his first full season, pitching to a 2.62 ERA and 0.87 WHIP with 58 strikeouts and six walks over 44 2/3 innings (10 starts) in the Midwest League. With advanced feel for throwing three pitches that project as plus or better, the 6-foot-2, 180-pounder is blossoming into one of the better pitching prospects in Arizona's system.
D-backs prospects stats »

Dodgers: Edwin Uceta, RHP (No. 20) -- 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 K (Double-A Tulsa)
After giving up 14 runs on 16 hits over 7 1/3 innings across his first three Double-A starts, Uceta, a 21-year-old righty, has now pitched well in back-to-back starts for the Drillers, allowing three hits in each outing while racking up 15 strikeouts in 13 innings. The Dodgers bumped him up to the Texas League after he carved up California League hitters to the tune of a 2.15 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings (10 starts). When he's at this best, the slender 6-footer is effectively mixing a three-pitch mix that includes an above-average fastball-changeup pairing.
Dodgers prospects stats »

Giants: Sean Hjelle, RHP (No. 5) -- 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 9 K (Class A Adv San Jose)
Hjelle, a 2018 second-rounder out of Kentucky, set a career high in strikeouts on Friday as he allowed one earned run or fewer for the fourth time in five starts since his promotion to San Jose. At 6-foot-11, he creates an unusual angle to the plate that makes him tough on opposing hitters, and he controls his body and repeats his surprisingly well for a player with such long limbs. The 22-year-old has been sharp in his first full season, pitching to 2.35 ERA with 84 strikeouts and 18 walks in 80 1/3 innings (16 starts) between San Jose and Class A Augusta.
Giants prospects stats »

Padres: Edward Olivares, OF (No. 19) -- 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 2 SB (Double-A Amarillo)
Olivares stuffed the stat sheet in the Sod Poodles' win over Corpus Christi. In addition to hitting a two-run home run -- off of Astros No. 5 prospect J.B. Bukauskas -- and a double, the 23-year-old went 2-for-2 on the basepaths to reach the 20-steal mark for a third consecutive season. The homer was his 10th of the year but only his second since his three-homer game on May 5. That power-speed combo is Olivares' calling card to the big leagues, and as a member of the Padres' 40-man roster, he could potentially get there this September.
Padres prospects stats »

Rockies: Yonathan Daza, OF (No. 14) -- 3-for-6, 2B, HR, 3 RBI (Triple-A Albuquerque)
Daza just doesn't stop hitting. His sixth multihit performance in his past seven games Friday was highlighted by his ninth home run and 23rd double this season, and he also drove in three runs for the second time in four games. He's batting .404 in June and .380 overall this season, the latter of which is (somehow) second among qualified hitters in the Pacific Coast League. Originally signed by the Rockies back in October 2010, the 25-year-old Venezuelan reached the Major Leagues for the first time earlier this season.
Rockies prospects stats »