Friday's top prospect performers

June 15th, 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: Bo Bichette, SS (No. 1, MLB No. 7) 2-for-4, HR (Triple-A Buffalo)
Bichette smashed the third pitch of the game (on an 0-2 offering) over the wall in straightaway center field for his second home run of the season and first since he returned from a six-week stint on the injured list due to a broken hand. The 21-year-old has hit safely in five of six games between Class A Advanced Dunedin and Buffalo, with a pair of multihit performance, since coming off the shelf.
Blue Jays prospects stats »

Orioles: Zac Lowther, LHP (No. 8) 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 7 K (Double-A Bowie)
Lowther spun his sixth scoreless outing of the season to lead the Baysox to a victory over Trenton. He struck out five of the last six batters he faced to finish the game strong and wind up with a 1.96 ERA on the season. The 2017 Draft choice (Competitive Balance Round B) out of Xavier is getting his first taste of Double-A after earning an in-season promotion last year and flying through the Class A and Class A Advanced levels with a combined 2.18 ERA.
Orioles prospects stats »

Rays: Nate Lowe, 1B (No. 9) 2-for-4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB (Triple-A Durham)
Lowe produced a quarter of the Bulls’ runs when he connected on a grand slam in the second inning to cap a seven-run frame in Durham’s 16-3 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. It was the sixth homer this season by the 23-year-old first baseman, and he’s now gone deep three times in 11 games this month, while batting .361. A 13th-round pick out of Mississippi State in 2016, Lowe raked his way up three levels to Triple-A last season, hitting .330/.416/.568 with 27 home runs and 102 RBIs. He made his big league debut in late April and batted .263 in 10 games with the Rays before returning to the Triple-A level.
Rays prospects stats »

Red Sox: Bryan Mata, RHP (No. 7) 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K (Class A Adv Salem)
Mata is up to 11 scoreless innings in a row since returning from the IL after his latest gem for the Carolina League Sox. You wouldn't be able to tell that the 20-year-old was out for a month by his recent performances, which include five hits, three walks and 10 strikeouts over two starts. His ERA is down to 1.56 on the season, an improvement of almost two full runs compared to his first campaign with Salem last year.
Red Sox prospects stats »

Yankees: Anthony Seigler, C (No. 6) 2-for-4, 2B, 2 R, BB (Class A Charleston)
The ambidextrous Seigler (he's both a switch-hitter and capable as a switch-pitcher, although he's not been used on the mound as a pro) made his full-season debut Monday and now has back-to-back multihit efforts in his first week with the RiverDogs. A potential star defensively behind the plate, Seigler is demonstrating his well-regarded hit tool with a pair of doubles in his past two games. The 2018 first-rounder out of the Georgia prep ranks is one to watch as he adjusts to life in Class A ... and the early returns have been very good.
Yankees prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Indians: Bobby Bradley, 1B (No. 6) 2-for-5, 2 HR (Triple-A Columbus)
Bradley bounced back from a hitless performance Thursday to return to his slugging ways, hitting the 20-homer mark for his fifth straight Minors campaign thanks to two blasts for the Clippers. Homers seem to come in bunches for Bradley, who has three multihomer games this season and four different three-game stretches with three homers, including his current outburst.
Indians prospects stats »

Royals: Austin Cox, LHP (No. 21) 8 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K (Class A Lexington)
Cox delivered his longest start as a pro, and it could also be considered his best. Things almost went sideways in the second -- when a ground ball turned into an out at home plate to preserve his scoreless day -- and he worked around a triple in the fifth inning. But four perfect innings scattered throughout his start kept him on the mound for a career-high 119 pitches, 84 of which were strikes. One of several promising young pitchers in the Kansas City system, Cox is making his first pass through the full-season ranks after being selected in the fifth round of the 2018 Draft out of Mercer. He's adjusted well, pitching to a 2.75 ERA over 13 starts.
Royals prospects stats »

Tigers: Jacob Robson, OF (No. 16) 2-for-5, 3B, RBI, SB (Triple-A Toledo)
Robson and fellow prospect Daz Cameron (Tigers' No. 5) went back-to-back with triples in the ninth to tack on insurance runs for the Mud Hens, who won 7-2 over Norfolk. Robson also singled and made his way to second on his ninth steal of the season earlier in the game, earning him the nod in the article over his colleague. Robson now has four multihit games in a row, raising his June OPS to 1.010. It's a welcome change from his performance in May, a month during which he had only three extra-base hits in 19 games and hit .177.
Tigers prospects stats »

Twins: Luis Arraez, SS (No. 17) 3-for-5, 2B, 2 R (Triple-A Rochester)
Arraez set the table for success for the Red Wings on Friday night, leading off and scoring twice while getting on base in three of his first four trips to the plate. The 22-year-old got his first taste of The Show earlier this season, spending 10 games with the Twins and posting solid numbers as a Major Leaguer. MLB was his third different level of the season, as he started at the Double-A level and earned an in-season promotion. No matter where he's been, he's raked, as his batting average is at least .340 at every level.
Twins prospects stats »

White Sox: Steele Walker, OF (No. 10) 4-for-5, HR, 3B, 2B, 4 RBI (Class A Adv Winston-Salem)
Batting in the ninth inning, needing to hit a single to complete his cycle, Walker did just that, hitting an 0-1 pitch into left field for an RBI knock. After grounding out in his first at-bat, Walker put the Dash on the board with a two-run homer in the fourth inning, hit an RBI triple in the sixth and added a double in the eighth before completing Winston-Salem’s first cycle since April 2016. The 22-year-old center fielder finished with four hits and four RBIs, both season-high totals. A 2018 second-round Draft pick out of Oklahoma, Walker is batting .246 (.749 OPS) with three homers and 18 RBIs through 34 games with the Dash after slashing .365/.437/.581 in 20 games with Class A Kannapolis to open the season.
White Sox prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

A’s: Luis Barrera, OF (No. 13) 3-for-6, 3B, R, SB (Double-A Midland)
Friday was Barrera's eighth multihit game of the month already, as the 23-year-old is certainly happy to see the calendar change over from May. Barrera slashed .225/.266/.360 last month and is raking to the tune of .397/.419/.586 in June. The triple was his fourth of the month, and three-baggers have become a bit of a trend for Barrera. He picked up 11 last season and now has 35 in his Minors career.
A's prospects stats »

Angels: Matt Thaiss, 1B (No. 8) 3-for-5, HR, 3 R (Triple-A Salt Lake)
Thaiss' homer was his fourth in five games, a remarkable streak for the previously struggling first-rounder. Thaiss lacked pop to begin the season, slugging .416 in April and .407 in May, both shy of his .439 career mark. His .583 mark so far in June isn't sustainable, but it's a nice rebound effort for a first baseman known for his strong approach at the plate. He certainly hasn't lost that element of his game this season, walking more than he's struck out in June and taking free bases at a healthy clip all season (.372 on-base percentage).
Angels prospects stats »

Astros: Freudis Nova, SS (No. 6) 4-for-4, 2B, R (Class A Quad Cities)
Signed out of the Dominican Republic for $1.2 million in 2016, Nova is playing full-season ball for the first time in 2019. He raked in the GCL last season, batting .308 with decent pop, and he's doing more of the same with the River Bandits this year. Friday's four-hit effort brought his average up over .300 for the first time all year as the 19-year-old logged his 16th game of the season for Quad Cities.
Astros prospects stats »

Mariners: Julio Rodriguez, OF (No. 5, MLB No. 91) 3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI (Class A West Virginia)
Rodriguez played in what was only his 13th game of the season for the Power due to a lengthy injury absence, but he's announced his return in style with a massive outing in only his fourth game back. The homer was his first of the season and the RBIs were three of his seven on the campaign as the 18-year-old out of the Dominican Republic returns from a hand injury that sidelined him for two months. He will now look to settle into full-season ball after crushing Dominican League pitching last summer (.929 OPS in 59 games).
Mariners prospects stats »

Rangers: Sam Huff, C/1B (No. 21) 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI (Class A Adv Down East)
Huff isn't homering at the historic pace he displayed while at Class A Hickory, but he's still posting solid numbers after earning a deserved promotion back in early May. The homer was only his fifth for the Wood Ducks, but it's his 20th of the season thanks to his ridiculous power numbers with the Crawdads. Huff is batting .293 for Down East a big step up from the .241 average he posted last season, so even if he's not hitting homers every other day, he's still showing vast improvement in his second year of full-season ball.
Rangers prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Kyle Wright, RHP (No. 2, MLB No. 26) 7 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 1 HBP, 10 K (Triple-A Gwinnett); Drew Waters, OF (No. 5, MLB No. 59) – 4-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI (Double-A Mississippi)
It’s been a challenging season so far for Wright, who, after opening the year in the Braves’ rotation, has largely struggled back at Triple-A Gwinnett, posting a 6.02 ERA in nine starts. On Friday, however, the 23-year-old righty was at his best, setting a pair of season highs with 10 strikeouts in 7 2/3 frames in a win over Syracuse. He allowed just two hits, including a solo home run, and induced 10 groundouts while throwing 63 of 98 pitches for strikes. Waters has been excellent overall this season, hitting .335/.378/.525 with a Southern League-leading 34 extra-base hits in 65 games for the M-Braves, but the 20-year-old switch-hitter has been especially good since the calendar flipped to June, batting .471/.518/.804 with 11 extra-base hits in 14 games this month. The four-hit performance was his fourth this season.
Braves prospects stats »

Marlins: Monte Harrison, OF (No. 3, MLB No. 88) 1-for-4, solo HR (Triple-A New Orleans)
After missing three weeks with a hamstring injury, Harrison picked up right where he left off, homering in his second straight game -- separated by a stint on the injury list. Harrison's combination of power and speed has been on full display this season for the Baby Cakes, as he's racked up eight homers and 19 steals (on 20 attempts) in 44 games played.
Marlins prospects stats »

Mets: Ali Sanchez, C (No. 26) 3-for-5, RBI, R (Double-A Binghamton)
Sanchez played a part in both of the Rumble Ponies' runs scored Friday, scoring in the fourth and driving in a run in the fifth. The three-hit effort raised his average to .275 on the year and he also caught a runner stealing, which has been his calling card in the Minors so far. He's thrown out 16 runners while allowing 17 steals for Binghamton in his first trip through the Double-A level. He's caught 47 percent of would-be basestealers since his pro debut in 2014.
Mets prospects stats »

Phillies: JoJo Romero, LHP (No. 7) 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K (Double-A Reading)
Boy, did Romero need an outing like this. The 22-year-old southpaw recorded his first scoreless start of the season, setting season highs in strikeouts and innings while throwing 53 of 75 pitches for strikes in his fourth start since being demoted from Triple-A Lehigh Valley (9.64 ERA in 7 GS). Back in Double-A, where Romero pitched to a 3.08 ERA while making 18 starts a year ago, he’s posted a 5.86 ERA over his first 27 2/3 frames. 
Phillies prospects stats »

Nationals: Israel Pineda, C (No. 7) 3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI (Class A Hagerstown)
Pineda showed promise last season as an All-Star in the New York-Penn League, batting .278 while catching 13 of 32 potential basestealers. He hasn't kept up that pace in the big jump in level to full-season ball, but Friday's performance is a reminder of what this 19-year-old is capable of at the plate. He's not expected to become a world-class hitter, but he's strong enough to drive the ball to all fields ... or beyond the field, as he did for the Suns in a narrow loss to West Virginia.
Nationals prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Keston Hiura, 2B (No. 1, MLB No. 11) 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI (Triple-A San Antonio)
What more is there to say about Hiura, one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball at any level? His homer is his 21st across the Minors and Majors, and his third in two days. Since returning to the Missions in early June, Hiura is batting .333 with four homers, 13 RBIs and a stolen base for good measure.
Brewers prospects stats »

Cubs: Adbert Alzolay, RHP (No. 4) 6 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 9 K (Triple-A Iowa)
Alzolay cruised through the first four innings before Fresno tagged him for runs in the fifth and sixth innings. The six-inning outing was his third in his last four starts for Iowa, and his nine strikeouts matched his season high. The 24-year-old righty has punched out at least eight in each of those past four appearances, giving him 45 punchouts in 32 innings (six starts) for Iowa to go along with a 3.09 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. Alzolay made only eight starts last season before suffering a season-ending lat injury that also delayed his start to the 2019 campaign.
Cubs prospects stats »

Cardinals: Conner Capel, OF (No. 17) 2-for-4, solo HR (Triple-A Memphis)
Capel's Triple-A debut was a memorable one as the 22-year-old singled in his first at-bat and then went deep to left-center field in his next trip to the plate. The Cardinals bumped Capel up to Memphis from Double-A Springfield, where he owned a .216 average but had hit eight homers in 58 games. A fifth-round pick by the Indians in 2016 out of the Texas prep ranks, Capel was dealt to the Cardinals along with outfielder and Cardinals No. 5 prospect Jhon Torres at last year's Trade Deadline in exchange for Oscar Mercado.
Cardinals prospects stats »

Pirates: Steven Jennings, RHP (No. 10) 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K (Class A Greensboro)
Jennings, the Pirates' second-round pick from the 2017 Draft, continued his June turnaround with one of his better outings of the season, striking out seven over seven innings across one-run ball. The 20-year-old righty has improved with each month in his first full-season campaign, as he owns a 2.04 ERA in June after posting a 7.89 ERA in April followed by a 4.97 mark in May. Overall, Jennings has pitched to a 5.14 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings (14 starts) on the year.
Pirates prospects stats »

Reds: TJ Friedl, OF (No. 12) 3-for-5 (Double-A Chattanooga)
Friedl paced the Lookouts' offense with three hits, tallying three singles from the two-spot in the lineup in a one-run loss against Montgomery. He's collected three hits or more on three occasions this season, and overall, the 23-year-old outfielder has produced a .239/.348/.391 line with 18 extra-base hits and 12 steals over 57 games. It's the second taste of the Double-A level for Friedl, who batted .276/.359/.360 with 15 XBH and 19 SB over 67 games in the Southern League a year ago.
Reds prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Taylor Widener, RHP (No. 3) 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 9 K (Triple-A Reno)
Widener, 24, turned in one of his better performances of the season Friday, recording a quality start en route to win against Round Rock. He struck out nine batters, a season high, and found the zone with 64 of 90 pitches. Two of the four hits Widener allowed left the yard, continuing a trend that's seen the former 12th-round pick of the Yankees (2016) give up a career-high 13 homers this season in only 62 innings, though some of that can be attributed to the fact that he's pitching in the extremely hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Nonetheless, it's been a disappointing campaign so far for Widener, who owns a 9.00 ERA in 14 starts for Reno.
D-backs prospects stats »

Dodgers: Josiah Gray, RHP (No. 17) 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K (Class A Adv Rancho Cucamonga)
Gray's seven-inning outing on Friday was the longest of his career, as the 21-year-old went pitch-for-pitch against Lake Elsinore's MacKenzie Gore, the top left-handed pitching prospect in baseball. He allowed one earned run or fewer for the third time in six starts since being promoted to the California League, where he's compiled a 3.12 ERA in 34 2/3 innings after posting a 1.93 ERA in five starts with Class A Great Lakes. Originally selected by the Reds with the No. 72 overall pick in last year's Draft, Gray was dealt to the Dodgers in the offseason trade that sent Yasiel Puig and others to Cincinnati.
Dodgers prospects stats »

Giants: Gregory Santos, RHP (No. 8) 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K (Class A Augusta)
Santos' third start of the season for Augusta was also his longest, as the 19-year-old right-hander completed four innings on 48 pitches (36 strikes), striking out a pair while generating seven groundouts. Acquired from Boston -- who signed him for $275,000 out of the Dominican Republic in August 2015 -- in the July 2017 Eduardo Nunez trade, Santos features a heavy fastball at 92-96 mph fastball that touches 98 and pairs it with an above-average breaking ball in the low-to-mid 80s.
Giants prospects stats »

Padres: MacKenzie Gore, LHP (No. 1, MLB No. 4) – 4 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 K (Class A Adv Lake Elsinore); Ty France, 3B (No. 30) 2-for-3, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, BB (Triple-A El Paso)
Gore allowed a run on Friday without giving up a hit as he raised his California League-leading ERA to 1.21 after tossing four hitless frames against Rancho Cucamonga. The 20-year-old lefty and former No. 3 overall pick (2017) didn't turn in his sharpest performance, issuing a season-high three walks and throwing 39 of 68 pitches for strikes, but he still racked up six strikeouts. The run he allowed came in the fourth inning, when Rancho's Jeter Downs worked a leadoff walk, stole second base and came in to score on a sacrifice fly. As for France, he went deep for a fourth straight game for El Paso and then added a second solo blast later in the game, giving him five homers in his last four contests. The 24-year-old is batting .462 with 12 RBIs, with hits in six of seven contests, since being optioned to Triple-A by the Padres.
Padres prospects stats »

Rockies: Yonathan Daza, OF (No. 14) 2-for-4, 3B, RBI, R, BB (Triple-A Albuquerque)
Daza's multihit performance was his ninth during his current 12-game hitting streak -- a stretch during which he's batting an absurd .453 with 20 hits, including seven extra-base hits. The 25-year-old is crushing the ball in the Pacific Coast League, where he leads the circuit in average (.380) and ranks second in hits (84) through 49 games.
Rockies prospects stats »