Friday's top prospect performers
Nick Trujillo
@TrujilloReports
Rob Terranova
@RobTnova24Here's a look at Friday's top Minor League performers from each team's Top 30 Prospects list:
Orioles: Grayson Rodriguez, RHP (MLB No. 21), High-A Aberdeen
Rodriguez has been untouchable at the High-A level in his first four starts of the year. He turned in his best performance of the short season in Aberdeen’s 5-2 victory over Wilmington, tossing six innings of one-run, one-hit ball with eight punchouts and no walks while picking up his second win. His lone blemish of the day was a third-inning home run off the bat of outfielder Gage Canning. The righty owns an ERA of 1.47, a WHIP of 0.71, has struck out 31 while allowing just four walks, and has a batting average against of .141 in his 18 1/3 dominant innings this season. Orioles prospects stats »
Cardinals: Nolan Gorman, 3B (MLB No. 31), Double-A Springfield
The second-ranked Cardinals prospect was the hero for the Cardinals on Friday night as he launched a game-winning three-run blast to left with two outs in the ninth. The long ball was his second of the season and completed a suspended game from Wednesday. In Friday’s regularly scheduled game, Gorman built on that momentum and went 4-for-5 with a double and three runs scored. It was the fourth four-hit performance of the 2018 No. 18 overall Draft pick’s career. The 21-year-old is sporting a .327/.431/.491 slash line with five extra-base hits, 11 runs scored and seven RBIs over 15 games this season. Cardinals prospects stats »
Dodgers: Keibert Ruiz, C (MLB No. 45), Triple-A Oklahoma City
Batting cleanup in Oklahoma City’s 13-3 victory, Ruiz was the driving force behind the Dodgers' offensive explosion. Ruiz finished 2-for-5 on the night, with both his hits being home runs. The powerful catcher drove in five runs and scored three, also reaching base on a walk. Ruiz kicked off the scoring with a three-run shot in the first inning, and added a two-run blast in the third to put Oklahoma City up 5-0. The pair of dingers were the first two of Ruiz’s Minor League season. Ruiz has spent time at both Triple-A and in the Majors this year, and the two shots were his first home runs since his May 4 blast against the Cubs. Dodgers prospects stats »
Giants: Heliot Ramos, OF (MLB No. 68) Double-A Richmond
Ramos broke a dry spell of run production with his big night. The slugging outfielder finished 3-for-4 out of the lead off spot in Richmond’s lineup, driving in four runs and scoring three with two extra-base hits. Ramos smacked a go-ahead, three-run, opposite-field blast in the fifth inning, his third dinger of the year, to give Richmond a lead it wouldn't relinquish in its 9-4 win over Bowie. The 2017 first-rounder’s home run and RBIs were his first since May 6, when he also homered and drove in four against Hartford. Ramos has a slash line of .304/.409/.571 with an OPS of .981 after his big day at the dish. Giants prospects stats »
Cubs: Ryan Jensen, RHP (No. 8), High-A South Bend
Jensen picked up his first win of the season in South Bend’s 5-0 blanking of Dayton. The right-hander twirled five scoreless innings with four strikeouts while allowing one hit. It was a career-long outing for the 2019 first-rounder, and his first scoreless start of the season. Jensen’s best pitch is his fastball, which he has powered past hitters to the tune of 13 strikeouts in 12 innings so far this season. With just 24 career professional innings under his belt, Jensen will look to build off his strong performance in his next start. Cubs prospects stats »
Marlins: Braxton Garrett, LHP (No. 7), Triple-A Jacksonville
The 2016 No. 7 overall Draft pick posted his first scoreless outing of the year in his longest start of the season. Garrett worked around four hits and did not issue a walk while striking out five over six frames to earn his second victory of the season. The southpaw retired the side in order in the first, fourth and sixth innings -- facing the minimum in the third after being aided by a double play. Garrett tossed 52 of his 84 pitches for strikes and ended his outing by getting Ryan McKenna swinging through a 2-2 fastball. The seventh-ranked Marlins prospect is sporting a 1.09 WHIP and lowered his ERA to 3.68 after a pair of rough outings. Marlins prospects stats »
Phillies: Adonis Medina, RHP (No. 11), Triple-A Lehigh Valley
The 11th-ranked Phillies prospect posted the first perfect outing of his career. Medina faced the minimum, 15, over five frames with four punchouts. He was pulled after 45 pitches -- 33 were strikes. The 24-year-old righty never needed more than 10 pitches to navigate through a frame -- getting through the third and fifth on just seven pitches each. Medina improved to 3-0 and is sporting a 3.50 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 14 strikeouts over 18 innings this season. Phillies prospects stats »
Pratto launched three homers in his first career multihomer game. The former Little League World Series star finished with a 4-for-5 line, driving in six and scoring four. The lefty slugger got the scoring started by drilling a solo shot in the top of the first. His second blast drove in three runs in the third, increasing Northwest Arkansas’ lead to 4-0. Pratto capped his monster night with a solo shot in the ninth, putting the Naturals up by a score of 15-4. Pratto now has five homers on the year, and has added 10 RBIs in 14 games.
Melendez posted a final line of 3-for-6, blasted his fourth home run of the year, drove in two runs and scored two. Melendez went back-to-back with Pratto on his solo shot in the third inning, and tacked on another RBI with his first double of the season in the fourth. The catcher upped his slash line to .244/.353/.561 with an OPS of .914 after his seven total base night. Royals prospects stats »
Twins: Matt Canterino, RHP (No. 7), High-A Cedar Rapids
Canterino fanned a career-high 10 over a career-long six innings while yielding a run on a pair of hits to earn his first victory of the season. The right-hander whiffed the side in the first and recorded at least one punchout in every inning he worked. The seventh-ranked Twins prospect was pulled after 78 pitches -- 53 were strikes. The 23-year-old is sporting a 1.29 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, .140 average against and has amassed 25 strikeouts in 14 innings this season. Twins prospects stats »
Yankees: Luis Gil, RHP (No. 5), Double-A Somerset
The fifth-ranked Yankees prospect posted his third scoreless outing of the season -- working around a pair of hits and a walk while fanning a season-high nine over 4 2/3 innings. Gil retired the first nine batters he faced -- whiffing the side in the second as part of a string of four punchouts in a row. A single from Manuel Melendez with one out in the fourth broke up the perfect outing. Gill tossed 57 of his 82 pitches for strikes. The 22-year-old is sporting a 1.76 ERA and has amassed 28 strikeouts with just five walks over 15 1/3 frames this year. Yankees prospects stats »