Sunday's top prospect performers

August 9th, 2021

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

Tigers: Spencer Torkelson, 3B/1B (MLB No. 2), Double-A Erie
Torkelson got off to a slow start in August, but got back on track with two extra-base hits in Erie’s come-from-behind victory. The 21-year-old swatted his 16th homer and 20th double, driving in two runs, scoring twice and striking out twice. Torkelson’s bat is his standout tool and it has played differently across the two levels he’s played at. At High-A, he was more contact oriented with a .312 batting average. At Double-A, he’s seen an uptick in power with 11 homers in 45 games. Put it all together, and the top pick in the 2019 Draft has mashed his way to a .934 OPS in 332 plate appearances this season. Tigers prospect stats »

Braves: Cristian Pache, OF (MLB No. 8), Triple-A Gwinnett
After slashing .233/.311/.390 through his first 45 games with the Stripers, Pache has had improved numbers at the plate of late and continued that success by going 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBIs and a walk on Sunday. His home run and double came in Game 2 of the Stripers’ doubleheader against the Knights. In the last 22 at-bats, the Braves’ top prospect is slashing .318/.400/.545. Braves prospect stats »

Pirates: Nick Gonzales, 2B (MLB No. 27), High-A Greensboro
Ji-hwan Bae, INF (No. 14), Double-A Altoona
Jared Jones, RHP (No. 17), Low-A Bradenton
Gonzales, the Pirates’ top prospect, had his first two-homer performance of his Minor League career after going deep twice for the Grasshoppers on Sunday. The seventh overall pick from the 2020 Draft connected on a solo home run in the third inning, then cleared the bases with a grand slam in the eighth for a total of five RBIs. In all, he went 3-for-3 at the plate in an effort that also included a double and two walks. Gonzales is batting .270 with an .843 OPS, but has had a strong stretch at the plate recently. The New Mexico State product has batted .354, doubled five times, homered four times and driven in 16 runs in his last 20 games.

Bae went 3-for-6 as he homered and had a pair of doubles during Altoona’s 9-8 win over Akron. The 22-year-old missed action after being placed on the IL on June 9 before making his eventual return for the Curve on July 6. Since coming off the injured list, the Daegu, South Korea native, has batted .283 in 99 at-bats and has driven in 12 runs in that span.

Jones picked up his third win of the season in a dominant five inning scoreless start for Bradenton. The right-hander struck out seven, scattering two hits and three walks in a 14-0 win over Clearwater. In his first professional season, Jones has flashed the talent that made him a second round pick in the 2020 Draft. In 12 games and 46 innings, Jones has a 3.33 ERA with 70 K’s, good for a 13.7 K/9. The 20-year-old is prone to allowing baserunners with a 1.35 WHIP, 43 hits and 19 walks, but with an MLB ETA of 2024 he has plenty of time to hone his command. Pirates prospect stats »

Rays: Vidal Bruján, 2B (MLB No. 34), Triple-A Durham
When the game mattered most, the Rays’ top prospect came through in the clutch. Bruján capped off his 3-for-5, two RBI showing by pushing across the game winning run with his second double of the day that lifted Durham to a 4-3 win over Memphis in the 10th inning. Bruján, who made his MLB debut on July 7, batted .077 in 26 at-bats during his first stint in the Majors with the Rays. Since his return to Durham on July 22, the 23-year-old has been a force at the plate batting .396 with nine doubles and 10 RBIs. Rays prospect stats »

Red Sox: Nick Yorke, 2B (No. 8), Low-A Salem
Yorke flashed some power and speed as he went 3-for-3 with two solo homers, two RBIs and a stolen base for Salem on Sunday. The 19-year-old has now homered three times in his last three games in what has been an impressive offensive turnaround at the plate in his first pro season. Yorke slashed .195/.264/.220 at the end of May, but has batted .369 in 168 at-bats since June 1. The No. 17 pick in the 2020 Draft is now sporting a .312 average with an .861 OPS through 65 games this season with Salem. Red Sox prospect stats »

Dodgers: Jacob Amaya, SS (No. 8), Double-A Tulsa
Amaya went 3-for-4 on Sunday with a homer and drove in one run, tying the most hits he’s had in a game this season. The homer also gives the 22-year-old back-to-back games with a longball. Amaya has batted a career low .222 through 79 games with Tulsa, but has set career highs in homers with 11. The most Amaya had hit in a season coming into 2021 was seven, which he hit across 124 games in 2019. Dodgers prospect stats »

Reds: Ivan Johnson, SS (No. 11), Low-A Daytona
Johnson went 3-for-4 on Sunday which included a homer, a double and two RBIs in the Tortuga’s 4-3 loss to the Flying Tigers. The multihit game continues the 22-year-old’s hot start to August as he has slashed .370/.469/.704 with five extra-base hits in his first 27 at-bats to begin the month and continues his season turnaround. After batting .156 in his first 18 games with Daytona, the switch-hitting middle infielder has posted a .320 average in his last 34 games. Reds prospect stats »

Mets: Jose Butto, RHP (No. 14), Double-A Binghamton
Butto took a no-hitter into the sixth before allowing a hit with two outs, but finished off the inning to wrap up an impressive start. The 23-year-old twirled six scoreless innings and struck out eight en route to a 5-0 Binghamton victory. It was Butto’s second straight start going six innings and not allowing a run. Since his call up to Binghamton on July 19, the righty has elevated his game. In four Double-A starts, Butto owns a 2.35 ERA with 29 strikeouts to three walks. Mets prospect stats »

Mariners: Alberto Rodriguez, OF (No. 14), Low-A Modesto
Of late, Rodriguez has been a hit machine at the plate. Having had multi-hit performances in three of his last four games, which included a four-hit game on Aug. 3, Rodriguez went 5-for-6 and drove in three runs on Sunday. His five hits set a single-game career high in hits for the 20-year-old. Rodriguez went 5-for-5 which included RBI doubles in the fourth and fifth innings, before hitting into a double play during his last at-bat. In his last 21 games, Rodriguez has posted a .383 batting average across 94 at-bats. Mariners prospect stats »

Marlins: Connor Scott, OF (No. 14), High-A Beloit
Scott finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-6, and scored three runs out of the leadoff spot for Beloit. It’s his second multihit effort in a row and second three-hit game in his last 10 contests. The 21-year-old belted a solo shot in the fifth to drive in his only run of the day, and he’s now tied his career mark in dingers with five this season. On the year, Scott is hitting .250 with 26 RBIs, 25 walks and 15 doubles in 64 High-A games. Marlins prospect stats »

Royals: Seuly Matias, OF (No. 16), High-A Quad Cities
Matias did it all for Quad Cities -- he slugged his sixth homer in his last 10 games, drove in three runs, scored two and stole a base in a 3-for-4 performance. He got the scoring started in the top of the first after the first three men reached base via singles. The 22-year-old grounded out to bring in the game’s first run, and he singled on the first pitch he saw in the third to extend the score to 2-0. His fifth-inning solo shot was his 10th of the year in High-A (11th overall), and he added a single to cap off his day. Matias is batting .210 with 28 RBIs through 31 games for the River Bandits. Royals prospect stats »

Yankees: Randy Vasquez, RHP (No. 25), High-A Hudson Valley
On Tuesday, Vasquez fanned a career-high 10 batters over six one-hit innings against Brooklyn. On Sunday, he one-upped himself against the same team by setting a new career high in strikeouts with 11. He gave up seven hits, but in the end, he allowed just one earned run and no walks over 5 2/3 innings. The Dominican Republic native needed only 12 pitches to strike out the side to begin his outing, and he fanned two to start the second before a groundout broke his streak. The only blemish came in the third, when a wild pitch brought home a run with runners on the corners and two out. He ended his night with a four-pitch strikeout to cement his new career high, giving him a 2.74 ERA with 38 strikeouts across 23 innings in High-A. Yankees prospect stats »