Friday's top prospect performers

May 25th, 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: Reese McGuire, C (No. 20) 3-for-4, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI (Triple-A Buffalo)
McGuire hit his first homer of the season as part of his first three-hit game of the year. The defense-minded catcher whom the Blue Jays acquired in a trade with the Pirates got off to a slow start at the plate this season, but he has picked things up of late and is hitting .275 through 15 games this month. The 24-year-old has hits in three of his past four games and is looking to get back to Toronto, where he hit .290 over 14 games last season.
Blue Jays prospects stats »

Orioles: Adam Hall, SS (No. 14) 2-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI, BB (Class A Delmarva)
Make that a seven-game hitting streak for Hall, who boosted his average to .327 with his third straight multihit effort. Hall, a second-round pick from 2017, broke out in the second half last year, hitting .358 over his final 36 games and carried that momentum into 2019. Hall hit .354 in April and is hitting .303 in May, including a .481 average over his past seven games.
Orioles prospects stats »

Rays: Wander Franco, SS (No. 1, MLB No. 5) 2-for-4, RBI (Class A Bowling Green)
After a bit of a skid to begin the month, Franco is heating up and has two hits in four of his past six games. The 18-year-old has boosted his average from .274 to .292 over the past 11 games and is continuing to show why he’s one of the most hyped prospects in baseball. Through 40 games of his first full season, Franco is hitting .292/.370/.844. This is coming after a pro debut in which he hit .351/.418/.587 over 61 games in Rookie ball.
Rays prospects stats »

Red Sox: Denyi Reyes, RHP (No. 19) 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K (Double-A Portland), Jarren Duran, OF (No. 10) 4-for-4, BB (Class A Advanced Salem)
While it took until late May for Reyes to pick up his first win of the year on Friday, that's not an indictment on his pitching. The right-hander has yielded one run or fewer in three of his past four starts after struggling a bit early in the season. Reyes, 22, signed with the Red Sox in 2014 and is pitching at the Double- A level for the first time. Duran extended his hitting streak to 16 games, nine of which are multihit efforts, as he continues to be one of the hottest hitters in the Minors. Duran is hitting .422 this season and a ridiculous .443 over 20 games in May.
Red Sox prospects stats »

Yankees: Josh Stowers, OF (No. 25) 3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI (Class A Charleston)
Stowers, a second-round pick of the Mariners in the 2018 Draft, was traded to the Yankees prior to his first full season and the results have been promising. The 22-year-old is hitting .288/.371/.479 through 37 games and has a pair of three-hit performances over his past four games.
Yankees prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Indians: Will Benson, OF (No. 25) 2-for-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI (Class A Lake County)
Power has never been Benson’s problem, and he proved it again Friday with a two-homer performance, his second multihomer game of the season. The Indians selected Benson in the first round, 14th overall, of the 2016 Draft. Benson, who actually homered four times in a game in April, has struggled to hit for average and began the season with a .201 average over his first three pro seasons. The sample size is small -- only 42 games -- but Benson is hitting .265 this season, an encouraging sign.
Indians prospects stats »

Royals: Michael Gigliotti, OF (No. 13) 3-for-5, 2B (Class A Lexington)
Gigliotti is 5-for-9 over the past two games and has a modest five-game hitting streak going for Lexington. Gigliotti, 23, was the Royals’ fourth-round pick from the 2017 Draft and he immediately impressed and hit .320 in his debut. However, just six games into the 2018 season he tore his ACL and missed the entire year.
Royals prospects stats »

Tigers: Alex Faedo, RHP (No. 9) 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K (Double-A Erie)
After giving up 11 runs over his past two starts (9 2/3 innings), Friday's outing what exactly what Faedo needed. The 23-year-old has struggled a bit with inconsistency this season -- he's been part of a combined no-hitter, but also allowed five or more runs three times. He threw 62 of his 93 pitches for strikes against Bowie, and the seven strikeouts tied for his second-highest total of the season.
Tigers prospects stats »

Twins: Trevor Larnach, OF (No. 5) 2-for-4, 2 2B (Class A Advanced Fort Myers)
Larnach’s slump is over. After going 1-for-17 over a six-game stretch, Larnach hit his 14th and 15th doubles of the season. The 22-year-old, a 2018 draftee, rose up Draft boards after a strong junior season at Oregon State and continued to hit after the Twins took him 20th overall. Larnach hit his way to full-season ball last year and was elevated to Fort Myers to begin the 2019 campaign.
Twins prospects stats »

White Sox: Blake Rutherford, OF (No. 9) 2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI (Double-A Birmingham)
Rutherford has had a rough go of things this year, but he did match his season high with a trio of RBIs for Birmingham. He gave the Barons an early lead with a two-run single in the first and later drew a bases-loaded walk to pick up his third RBI of the game. Rutherford posted a career-best line of .293/.345/.436 last year and is hitting .187/.231/.302 this year.
White Sox prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

A’s: James Kaprielian, RHP (No. 6) 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K (Class A Advanced Stockton)
Tommy John surgery and subsequent setbacks have kept Kaprielian off the mound since 2016. The 25-year-old, a first-round pick out of UCLA whom the A’s acquired via a 2017 trade with the Yankees, threw 46 of his 70 pitches for strikes. Kaprielian gave up a homer, but the results on the mound are hardly as important as the fact that he’s finally healthy and pitching.
A's prospects stats »

Angels: Patrick Sandoval, LHP (No. 12) 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K (Triple-A Salt Lake)
Sandoval put together his best start since he was promoted to Triple-A on May 4 and his second best start of the season overall (He struck out 11 over five scoreless innings on April 14). The Astros traded Sandoval to the Angels in 2018 and the trade has worked out well for Los Angeles. Sandoval made seven starts, across two levels, after the trade and surrendered just three runs over 34 1/3 innings. Sandoval has worked his way up to Triple-A this year and has a 2.35 ERA over four starts. In those four starts, he’s struck out 17 over 15 1/3 innings.
Angels prospects stats »

Astros: Ross Adolph, OF (No. 28) 2-for-5, 2 3B, RBI (Class A Quad Cities)
Adolph, despite multiple knee surgeries early in his career, grades out as a plus runner and showed that ability on Friday with a pair of triples, bringing his season total to three -- he tripled 12 times in 2018. While Adolph’s speed is exciting, he hasn’t been able to hit much this year and is hitting just .149 through 38 games.
Astros prospects stats »

Mariners: Evan White, 1B (No. 4, No. 91 in MLB) 1-for-4, R (Double-A Arkansas)
White, the best defensive first baseman in the Minors, hit an even .300 over 124 games last season, but hasn’t been able to generate the type of offensive success this year, his first at the Double-A level. White is hitting .234 on the year and is 2-for-16 over his past five games.
Mariners prospects stats »

Rangers: Demarcus Evans, RHP (No. 24) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (Class A Advanced Down East)
Evans has a 70-grade fastball and a curveball that grades out as plus when he’s got everything working. However, command has been an issue for Evans at times, and while it was again on Friday -- the third time he’s walked three or more in an appearance this season -- he was able to rack up five strikeouts over two innings. Evans, a 25th-round pick from the 2015 Draft, has pitched to a 0.87 ERA this season and hasn’t allowed a run since April 17 -- a span of 11 appearances and 15 innings.
Rangers prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Alex Jackson, C (No. 26) 2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI (Triple-A Gwinnett)
After hitting a career-high 19 homers in 2017, Jackson saw that total dip to eight last year. However, it appears Jackson’s home run total will be back on the rise in 2019 as the 23-year-old has already gone deep 10 times. After his two-homer game, his first since 2017, on Friday, Jackson has now gone deep three times in three games and is hitting .236 through 24 games with the Stripers. Jackson also made his Major League debut earlier this year and appeared in three games, but he went 0-for-10.
Braves prospects stats »

Marlins: Will Stewart, LHP (No. 21) 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K (Class A Advanced Jupiter), Zac Gallen, RHP (No. 18) 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K (Triple-A New Orleans), Robert Duggar, RHP (No. 22) 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K (Double-A Jacksonville)
Stewart may have been stuck with his fifth straight loss, but the outing had to have been encouraging as it was his best start in over a month. Stewart, whom the Marlins acquired from the Phillies in February, had given up six runs or more in four straight starts entering play Friday. The 21-year-old had struggled with the adjustment to the Class A Advanced level, but this may be a sign that he's regaining the form that allowed him to go 8-1 with a 2.06 ERA over 20 starts in 2018. Gallen has been lights-out all year and the trend continued as he lowered his ERA to 1.74. The 23-year-old has held his opponent to one earned run or fewer in eight of his 11 starts and has issued just 11 walks in 67 1/3 innings. Dugger has given up one run over 14 innings in his past two starts as he's really settled into a nice rhythm for Jacksonville. The 23-year-old has a 3.19 ERA through 10 starts and a 55/16 K/BB.
Marlins prospects stats »

Mets: Quinn Brodey, OF (No. 27) 4-for-4, RBI (Class A Advanced St. Lucie)
Brodey, a third-round pick from the 2017 Draft, matched his career high with four hits in his third straight multihit performance. Brodey, after hitting .319 in April, has slowed down a bit and is hitting .203 in May, but is 8-for-13 over the past three games and may be on the verge of heating up again. The Mets drafted Bodey out of Stanford and while he did hit 13 homers last year in his full-season debut, his average was just .224 in large part because he struck out 124 times in 115 games.
Mets prospects stats »

Nationals: Luis Garcia, INF (No. 2, No. 69 in MLB) 2-for-4, RBI (Double-A Harrisburg)
Garcia has hit well since the Nationals signed him in 2016, posting averages of .302 in 2017 and .298 in ’18. However, the 19-year-old hasn’t been able to put it together at the plate this season and is hitting .219 through 44 games. Garcia is 4-for-12 over the last three games and while that sample size is obviously small, it could be a sign of things to come. Either way it’s important to remember that Garcia is just 19 and already in Double-A.
Nationals prospects stats »

Phillies: Alec Bohm, 3B (No. 1, No. 54 in MLB) 2-for-4, 2B, SB (Class A Advanced Clearwater)
Bohm picked up his seventh stolen base of the year and extended his hitting streak to seven games. The 2018 first-round pick (No. 3 overall) was considered one of the best pure hitters in the Draft and he’s certainly shown that to be the case in pro ball. Bohm raced out of the gates and hit .367 with Class A Lakewood, quickly earning a promotion to Clearwater, where he’s continued to rake and is slashing .309/.340/.505.
Phillies prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Trey Supak, RHP (No. 11) 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K (Double-A Biloxi)
Supak lowered his ERA to 2.12 with his fourth scoreless start of the season and hasn’t allowed an earned run since May 13, a span of 13 2/3 innings. The Pirates drafted Supak 73rd overall back in 2014 and traded him to the Brewers in December 2015.
Brewers prospects stats »

Cardinals: Dylan Carlson, OF (No. 6) 2-for-4 (Double-A Springfield)
After his 10-game hitting streak came to a close on Tuesday, Carlson got back in the hit column with a pair of singles on Friday. The 20-year-old, a first-round pick from the 2016 Draft, is getting his first taste of Double-A ball and has handled the advanced competition just fine, slashing .287/.357/.534. If that slash line holds, all three numbers would be career highs.
Cardinals prospects stats »

Cubs: Riley Thompson, RHP (No. 27) 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K (Class A South Bend)
Thompson, an 11th-round pick from last year’s Draft, threw 45 of his 71 pitches for strikes in his third scoreless start of the season. The 22-year-old, whom the Cubs selected out of Louisville, got off to a fast start and retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced in his longest start this year. Thompson lowered his ERA to 2.31 with the performance and has struck out 42, while walking 10, over 39 innings this season.
Cubs prospects stats »

Pirates: Ji-Hwan Bae, SS (No. 15) 4-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI (Class A Greensboro)
Bae, whom the Pirates signed in March 2018, has only played in seven games this season, but it’s been an impressive 10 games as he’s 10-for-31 (.323) in the early going. Bae, 19, is 8-for-13 over the past three games and hit .271/.361/.349 over a 35-game debut last season.
Pirates prospects stats »

Reds: Ibandel Isabel, 1B (No. 25) 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI (Double-A Chattanooga)
The homers just keep coming for Isabel, a 23-year-old whom the Reds acquired via a trade with the Dodgers last season. Isabel is hitting .233 this season, but he has gone deep in four straight games. However, big home run totals aren’t anything new for Isabel, as he’s hit 28, 35 and 36 blasts over the past three seasons.
Reds prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Buddy Kennedy, 3B (No. 18) 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI (Class A Kane County)
The D-backs took Kennedy in the fifth round of the 2017 Draft and he’s rewarded them with solid performances in his first year and a half in the organization. Kennedy hit .270 in his debut and then hit .327 and was named a midseason All Star in the Pioneer League in 2018. The D-backs promoted Kennedy to the Midwest League this year and he’s hitting .304 through 24 games.
D-backs prospects stats »

Dodgers: Connor Wong, C/2B (No. 13) 2-for-4, 2B (Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga)
The Dodgers grabbed Wong in the third round of the 2017 Draft and after a solid debut and first full season, he's struggled in 2019. Wong is hitting .209 this year, his second season with Rancho Cucamonga, and he has struck out 50 times in 37 games.
Dodgers prospects stats »

Giants: Tyler Beede, RHP (No. 23) 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 K (Triple-A Sacramento)
Beede retired the first 11 batters he faced as he cruised through his longest start of the season. The 26-year-old threw 71 of his 104 pitches for strikes and his lone mistake was a solo blast given up to Matt Thaiss. Beede had his fair share of struggles in 2018, pitching to a 6.64 ERA in the Minors, but after making some offseason adjustments, has looked more the player the Giants drafted in the first round in 2014. Beede has pitched to a 2.34 ERA this season in Sacramento and has appeared in three games with the Giants.
Giants prospects stats »

Padres: Logan Allen, LHP (No. 6, No. 68 in MLB) 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 10 K (Triple-A El Paso), MacKenzie Gore, LHP (No. 2, No. 8 in MLB) 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K (Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore)
After getting lit up to the tune of 11 earned runs over five innings in his first two starts of the year, Allen has been cruising for El Paso. The 22-year-old has allowed two runs or fewer in all eight starts since and is a perfect 5-0, as well. Allen threw 69 of his 104 pitches for strikes against Reno and also set a season high for strikeouts. Allen also retired 17 of 18 from the end of the first until he gave up a solo homer with one out in the seventh. Gore gave up his first run since May 11 via a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning. The 20-year-old has pitched to a 1.15 ERA this season and has struck out 64 while issuing 10 walks in 47 innings.
Padres prospects stats »

Rockies: Colton Welker, 3B (No. 2, No. 82 in MLB) 3-for-4, HR, RBI (Double-A Hartford), Peter Lambert, RHP (No. 4) 7 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K (Triple-A Albuquerque)
Welker has done nothing but hit since the Rockies selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 Draft. The 21-year-old has hit over .329 in every season and is hitting .309 through his first 44 games at the Double-A level. Welker hit his fourth homer of the year in the first inning and later added a pair of singles as he turned in his first three-hit performance since May 5. Lambert put together his first scoreless start of the season and matched his career high with 10 strikeouts. The 22-year-old gave up hits in four of the seven innings he pitched, but retired eight in a row at one point and was able to pitch successfully out of the stretch.
Rockies prospects stats »