Wednesday's top prospect performers

May 16th, 2019

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

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays: Patrick Murphy, RHP (No. 17) -- 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 10 K (Double-A New Hampshire); Gabriel Moreno, C (No. 18) -- 3-for-5, HR (1), 3 RBI (Class A Lansing)

Not many pitchers are throwing the ball better than Murphy these days. The 23-year-old has picked up wins in each of his past two starts and has thrown 14 innings of one-run ball, while racking up 17 strikeouts, in that span. Murphy gave up a solo homer in the third, but retired 10 of the next 11 batters he faced and ultimately set a career high with 10 strikeouts. Moreno, 19, homered in his first at-bat of the season and later added a two-run single in a three-hit performance -- he also threw out two basestealers -- for the Lugnuts. The Venezuelan catcher batted .359/.395/.575 with 23 extra-base hits last season across two Rookie levels.
Blue Jays prospects stats »

Orioles: Dean Kremer, RHP (No. 9) -- 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K (Class A Adv Frederick); Alex Wells, LHP (No. 26) -- 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K (Double-A Bowie)
Kremer, 23, dominated for the Keys, racking up nine strikeouts over six two-hit innings in a no-decision against Wilmington. It was the 23-year-old's second start this season after he missed all of April while recovering from an oblique strain that he suffered during Spring Training. Acquired from the Dodgers last summer in the Manny Machado trade, Kremer led all Minor League hurlers with 178 strikeouts in 2018. As for Wells, he set a season high in strikeouts while completing seven innings for a second time in five starts for Bowie. He threw 69 of 96 pitches for strikes in the performance, which lowered his ERA to 2.28.
Orioles prospects stats »

Rays: Wander Franco, SS (No. 1, MLB No. 5) -- 2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB; Matthew Liberatore, LHP (No. 5, MLB No. 51) -- 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K (Class A Bowling Green)
Franco tallied two of the Hot Rods' 21 hits in their 17-0 win over South Bend. It was the third straight two-hit performance by the 18-year-old shortstop, who's hitting .305/.396/.525 with 15 extra-base hits and more walks (19) than strikeouts (13) through 33 games in his first full season. Liberatore, 19, earned the win in his 2019 debut, scattering four hits over five innings on 62 pitches (44 strikes). The No. 16 overall pick in last year's Draft, he pitched to a 1.38 ERA last summer across a pair of Rookie levels.
Rays prospects stats »

Red Sox: Tanner Houck, RHP (No. 6) -- 6 2/3 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K (Double-A Portland)
Houck logged his longest start of the season, tossing 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball in a loss against Hartford. His seven strikeouts matched his combined total from his previous two starts. The 2017 first-rounder out of Missouri owns a 4.67 ERA in 34 2/3 innings (seven starts) this season in his first taste of the Double-A level.
Red Sox prospects stats »

Yankees: Deivi Garcia, RHP (No. 4) -- 5 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 9 K (Double-A Trenton)
Garcia has now racked up at least nine strikeouts -- he fanned 11 over four innings in his Double-A debut -- in four of his seven starts this season between Trenton and Class A Advanced Tampa. The 19-year-old righty is averaging 16.5 K/9, with 58 punchouts in 31 2/3 frames, though he has also issued 18 walks, including 10 in 14 innings at the Double-A level.
Yankees prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Indians: Sam Hentges, LHP (No. 10) -- 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K (Double-A Akron)
The 6-foot-8 lefty turned in his best outing at the Double-A level, tossing a season-high seven innings in which he allowed just four hits and a walk. It marked the third straight quality start by Hentges, the Indians' fourth-round pick from the 2014 Draft. He's pitched to a 0.95 ERA over 19 innings in those outings, lowering his overall ERA from 8.02 to 4.69.
Indians prospects stats »

Royals: Daniel Lynch, LHP (No. 4) -- 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K (Class A Advanced Wilmington)
Lynch followed up his worst outing of the year with his best as he set a career high for strikeouts and threw 70 of his 100 pitches for strikes. Lynch, the 34th overall pick from last year's Draft, has been solid in his full-season debut, pitching to a 3.95 ERA with 42 strikeouts and 11 walks in 41 innings. The 22-year-old gave up hits in each of the first two innings and hit a batter in the seventh. In between, he retired 16 in a row and has held opponents to one run or less in four of his eight starts..
Royals prospects stats »

Tigers: Franklin Perez, RHP (No. 3, MLB No. 71) -- 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 3 K (Class A Adv Lakeland)
Perez completed four innings on 66 pitches (40 strikes) in his 2019 debut, striking out three with five ground-ball outs for Lakeland. He had been sidelined while rehabbing right shoulder tendinitis that cropped out toward the end of Spring Training. Acquired from the Astros in the August 2017 Justin Verlander trade, the 21-year-old righty has logged just 23 1/3 innings (eight starts) since joining the Tigers’ system.
T
igers prospects stats »

Twins: Trevor Larnach, OF (No. 5) -- 2-for-4, 2B, R, BB (Class A Adv Fort Myers)
Larnach was one of two Miracle players to collect multiple hits in their loss against Bradenton. The multihit effort was his seventh in 13 games this month, during which he’s batting .412/.483/.467 with 21 hits. In his first full season, the 2018 first-rounder out of Oregon State owns a .305/.365/.440 line with two homers and 13 doubles in 36 games.
Twins prospects stats »

White Sox: Luis Robert, OF (No. 2, MLB No. 18) -- 2-for-5, 3B, 2B, 2 R (Double-A Birmingham)
Both of Robert’s hits went for extra bases, as he tripled to center field in his first at-bat and hit a leadoff double in the eighth inning. It was the 21-year-old’s third multihit performance in 12 games since his promotion to the Double-A level. Including his time in the Carolina League, Robert has compiled a .380/.449/.752 line with nine homers (23 extra-base hits), 11 steals and 30 RBIs in 31 games this season.
White Sox prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

A’s: Brian Howard, RHP (No. 21) -- 5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 5 K (Double-A Midland)
Howard's defense let him down a bit, but the 2017 eighth-round pick put together another solid outing. Howard, who threw 65 of his 100 pitches for strikes, has allowed two earned runs or less in six of his eight starts this season and has a 2.06 ERA through 43 2/3 innings. Howard pitched across two levels last season, including Double-A, and finished with a 2.91 ERA over 139 1/3 innings.
A's prospects stats »

Angels: Jeremy Beasley, RHP (No. 24) -- 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K (Double-A Mobile)
Beasley, a 23-year-old that the Angels grabbed in the 30th round of the 2017 Draft, was torched for seven runs in his last start, but bounced back with his third scoreless start of the season. Beasley threw 58 of his 90 pitches for strikes and was able to limit keep Jackson off the board, despite issuing a trio of walks. Command has been a bit spotty for Beasley this year, as he's walked 17 in 30 2/3 innings. In that span, he's also struck out 35.
Angels prospects stats »

Astros: Bryan Abreu, RHP (No. 7) -- 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K (Double-A Corpus Christi)
Abreu, 22, fired five no-hit frames in his best outing this season, which was also his longest at the Double-A level. Throwing 59 of 89 pitches for strikes, he struck out six and had five ground-ball outs. A member of Houston’s 40-man roster, Abreu has powerful swing-and-miss stuff that has netted him 42 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings this season, but with his ongoing control issues (16 walks), it looks as though he may be a better long-term fit in the bullpen.
Astros prospects stats »

Mariners: Justin Dunn, RHP (No. 3, No. 76 in MLB) -- 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K (Double-A Arkansas)
Dunn, who the Mariners acquired in an offseason trade with the Mets, has impressed in his first season with the Mariners organization, and that trend continued as he threw 64 of his 92 pitches for strikes. The former first-round pick (2016) has accumulated 45 strikeouts over 33 1/3 innings and has pitched to a 3.51 ERA. Albeit in a different organization, Dunn got some experience at the Double-A level last year and went 6-5 with a 4.22 ERA over 15 starts.
Mariners prospects stats »

Rangers: Jonathan Ornelas, INF (No. 18) -- 1-for-4, HR (4), 2 RBI (Class A Hickory)
Ornelas plated two runs out of the leadoff spot, as he connected on a solo shot in the fifth inning before adding a sacrifice fly in the following frame. The homer was the 2018 third-round pick’s second in the last three games and fourth of the season, and he’s now recorded a hit in 15 of his last 16 games. Altogether, Ornelas is batting .336/.395/.509 in his first full season. 
Rangers prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Kyler Muller, LHP (No. 12) -- 6 2/3 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K (Double-A Mississippi)
Muller held Montgomery to one run on five hits as he fell one out short of recording his third straight seven-inning start. The 6-foot-6 left-hander has not allowed more than three runs in any of his eight starts this season, pitching to a 2.27 ERA in 39 2/3 innings overall.
Braves prospects stats »

Marlins: Trevor Rogers, LHP (No. 15) -- 5 2/3 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 K (Class A Adv Jupiter)
The 2017 first-rounder established a season high in strikeouts en route to his first win of the season in seven starts for the Hammerheads. After a pair of so-so starts to open the season, the 21-year-old lefty has pitched to a 1.80 ERA in 30 innings over his last five starts. His ERA sits at 2.58 for the season, and he’s compiled 40 strikeouts against 27 walks in 39 2/3 innings.
Marlins prospects stats »

Mets: Patrick Mazeika, C/1B (No. 26) -- 3-for-4, HR (3), 2B, 6 RBI (Double-A Binghamton)
Mazeika hit a three-run homer in his first trip to the plate, capping a five-run first inning by the Rumble Ponies, plated a run with a single in the following frame and added a two-run double in the ninth to finish with a career-high six RBIs. The 25-year-old has been on a tear of late, batting .365 with with 18 RBIs during his 13-game hitting streak. The 2015 eighth-round pick out of Stetson has hit all three of his homers in the past four games while racking up 14 RBIs.
Mets prospects stats »

Phillies: Jhailyn Ortiz, 1B (No. 11) -- 1-for-3, HR (2), 2 RBI, BB (Class A Adv Clearwater)
Ortiz has been struggling at the plate this season and entered the day mired in an 0-for-15 skid, but perhaps his second homer of the year, a two-run blast in the eighth inning, is what he needed to get going. The 20-year-old, who signed with the Phillies in 2015, hit .225 over 110 games at the Class A level last year and is hitting .167 through 24 games in his first Class A Advanced experience.
Phillies prospects stats »

Nationals: Ben Braymer, LHP (No. 24) -- 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K (Double-A Harrisburg)
Braymer retired the first 13 batters of the game and ultimately faced two over the minimum, allowing just a pair of singles as he completed seven innings for a third straight start. The 25-year-old lefty, Washington's 18th-round pick from the 2016 Draft, set a season high with nine strikeouts while throwing 62 of 92 pitches for strikes. His ERA sits at 2.51 after the performance, and opposing hitters are batting just .176 against him.
Nationals prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Je’Von Ward, OF (No. 23) -- 1-for-3, HR (1), 2 RBI, BB (Class A Wisconsin)
Ward put the Timber Rattlers on the board with his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the fourth inning. In the process the 19-year-old extended his hitting streak to six games, during which he's lifted his season average from .190 to .227. The 2017 12th-round pick is playing in his first full-season campaign after batting .307/.391/.403 last summer over 64 games with Rookie-level Helena.
Brewers prospects stats »

Cubs: Nelson Velazquez, OF (No. 15) -- 2-for-4, 2B (Class A South Bend)
That’s now three two-hit performances in a four-game span for Velazquez after he tallied a pair of singles in South Bend’s loss against Bowling Green. While the 20-year-old, a fifth-round pick in 2017 out of Puerto Rico, is off to a strong start this season, batting .314/.352/.438 with 12 extra-base hits through 33 games, he’s also struck out 37 times compared to seven walks.  
Cubs prospects stats »

Cardinals: Malcom Nunez, 3B (No. 5) -- Game 1: 1-for-3, RBI; Game 2: 2-for-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R (Class A Peoria)
Nunez plated Peoria's only run with a single in the opener and then paced the Chiefs' offense in the nightcap with a multihit performance that included a double. The three hits on the day were the first of the season for the 18-year-old Nunez, who was assigned to Peoria on May 12. The Cuban third baseman put himself on the prospect map last season by winning the Dominican Summer League triple crown via a .415/.497/.774 line with 13 homers and 59 RBIs in 44 games.
Cardinals prospects stats »

Pirates: Travis Swaggerty, OF (No. 3, MLB No. 73) -- 3-for-5, RBI, 3 R, BB, SB (Class A Adv Bradenton)
Swaggerty, 21, delivered a walk-off single in the 10th inning to cap a three-hit night in which he also scored a team-high three runs out of the leadoff spot. The three-hit effort, his second this season, boosted his average up to .250, and he’s tallied five hits while driving in four runs in his last three games. He batted .239/.332/.383 across two levels, including Class A, last summer after the Pirates selected him in the first round of the Draft.
Pirates prospects stats »

Reds: Jonathan India, 3B (No. 4, MLB No. 49) -- 2-for-3, 3B, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB (Class A Adv )
The 2018 No. 5 overall Draft pick extended his hitting streak to nine games with his second straight two-hit performance. He's improved his average from .231 to .276 during his streak and is swinging the bat very well since the calendar flipped to May, hitting .333/.455/.622 with seven extra-base hits in 13 games.
Reds prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Buddy Kennedy, 3B (No. 18) -- 4-for-5, 3B, 2B, RBI, 3 R (Class A Kane County)
Kennedy, 20, set a career high with four hits as he posted his seventh multihit effort in 12 games this month. A 2017 fifth-round pick from the same New Jersey high school as Mike Trout, Kennedy is batting .349 with eight extra-base hits so far in his first full season, though he has appeared in only 16 games. In 2018, he slashed .327/.396/.465 over 57 games in the Rookie-level Pioneer League.  
D-backs prospects stats »

Dodgers: Jeter Downs, SS (No. 7) -- 4-for-5, HR (6), 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R, BB (Class A Adv Rancho Cucamonga)
Downs has now notched at least two hits in five of his past six games for the Quakes after his season-high four-hit performance against Lancaster. He went deep in the sixth inning, hitting a three-run shot to left-center field on a 2-0 pitch for his sixth home run of the year. Downs, who the Dodgers acquired from the Reds in the offseason trade that sent Yasiel Puig and Alex Wood to Cincinnati, is batting .247 with 15 extra-base hits and eight steals through 35 games.
Dodgers prospects stats »

Giants: Jacob Heyward, OF (No. 30) -- 2-for-3, HR (5), 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB (Double-A Richmond)
The younger brother of Jason Heyward snapped out of a 0-for-16 skid to hit his fifth home run -- a two-run shot off of Erie right-hander Casey Mize, MLB Pipeline's No. 6 overall prospect -- in a multihit performance. The 23-year-old outfielder and former 18th-round pick (2016) is off to a solid start in his first Double-A campaign, hitting .280/.433/.520 through 28 games.
Giants prospects stats »

Padres: Xavier Edwards, SS (No. 11) -- 2-for-5, R (Class A Fort Wayne)
Edwards' hit streak is now at 10 games after his second consecutive multihit effort for the TinCaps. The No. 38 overall pick from last year's Draft has been outstanding in his first full season, ranking among the Midwest League leaders with a .369 average (first), a .432 OBP (first), 45 hits (first) and 11 steals (tied, second). Edwards, a 19-year-old switch-hitter, is faring well from both sides of the plate, too, hitting .300/.378/.367 as a righty and .391/.451/.446 from the left side.
Padres prospects stats »

Rockies: Vince Fernandez, OF (No. 24) -- 1-for-4, solo HR (8) (Double-A Hartford)
Fernandez put the Yard Goats on the board when he connected on a two-out solo shot in the first inning. The homer was his third in his last six contests and gives him eight on the season in 39 Double-A games. The 23-year-old hit a career-high 24 home runs last season after going deep 16 times during his first full season in 2017.
Rockies prospects stats »