Saturday's top prospect performers

October 3rd, 2021

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

Royals: Nick Pratto, 1B (MLB No. 65), Triple-A Omaha
Pratto has been just about unstoppable as the season winds down. The Royals’ No. 3 prospect has left the yard five times in his past six games, and he’s now clubbed a homer in two straight games. The slugger added a double and drove in three runs in his 2-for-5 performance at the plate, giving him 12 games with two or more extra-base hits this season. Pratto is five RBIs shy of the century mark and has posted an even .600 OPS in 122 games across two levels. Royals prospect stats »

Rays: Josh Lowe, OF (MLB No. 73), Triple-A Durham
Lowe showed why he was named the Rays’ Hitting Prospect of the Year by smacking his 22nd dinger of the year en route to a 3-for-5 day in Durham’s 5-3 win over Norfolk. The 2016 first-rounder bumped his average up to .291 and has reached base safely in nine of his past 10 games. Playing all 111 of his games in Triple-A, the 23-year-old has set new career-highs in hits (117), runs (76), homers, walks (61) and doubles (28). Rays prospect stats »

Angels: Ryan Smith, LHP (No. 27), Triple-A Salt Lake
Smith bounced back from a string of rocky starts to toss four two-hit innings in his fifth Triple-A start. The southpaw got tagged for two unearned runs, but he was otherwise smooth as he issued just one free pass and struck out six. The 2019 Draft pick started his season with Low-A Inland Empire and rose all the way to Triple-A in his first season as a starter, posting a 4.24 ERA in 129 1/3 innings. In 24 starts, he’s amassed 153 strikeouts. Angels prospect stats »

Astros: Shawn Dubin, RHP (No. 11), Triple-A Sugar Land
Dubin tossed four scoreless innings, allowing only a walk and two hits as he fanned three in his eighth start of the season. In his past six appearances, the 2018 Draft pick has allowed one or fewer runs and has fanned a total of 25 batters in 19 innings. Dubin tossed 41 of his 63 pitches for strikes as he lowered his ERA to 3.44 across 16 outings, with 69 strikeouts and just four homers allowed in 49 2/3 innings. Astros prospect stats »

Phillies: Mauricio Llovera, RHP (No. 23), Triple-A Lehigh Valley
Llovera was locked into a pitchers’ duel with Worcester’s Daniel Gossett, who took a no-hitter into the ninth for the WooSox, but the righty hurler still held his own with 4 2/3 one-hit innings in which he struck out four and walked two. Llovera tossed 54 of his 78 pitches for strikes as he allowed only two runners to reach scoring position. The 25-year-old lowered his ERA to 3.46 in 32 outings and held runners to a .212 clip in his 52 innings of work this season. Phillies prospect stats »

Twins: Jose Miranda, INF (No. 8), Triple-A St. Paul
Miranda sent the very first pitch of the game over the fence for his 30th home run of the season, and the 23-year-old added a double to his 2-for-5 day at the dish. Miranda is riding a nine-game hit streak and has collected four multihit games in that span. The Puerto Rico native is sprinting to the finish line as the season enters the final day -- he’s slashing .361/.397/.541 in his past 30 games and owns a .346 batting average in 126 games across two levels. Twins prospect stats »

Giants: Sean Hjelle, RHP (No. 13), Triple-A Sacramento
After enduring a rough stretch in September, Sean Hjelle finished his season with one of his best outings of the year. The 13th-ranked Giants prospect worked around a pair of hits and two walks to post six scoreless frames for Triple-A Sacramento. The 24-year-old whiffed five and didn't allow a runner to reach scoring position. Hjelle retired eight consecutive batters in a stretch from the fourth to the sixth inning. The right-hander finished with a 5.74 ERA across 10 starts with the River Cats. Giants prospect stats »