Here's a look at Friday’s top Minor League performers from each team's Top 30 Prospects list:
Mariners: Julio Rodríguez, OF (MLB No. 2), Double-A Arkansas
Brandon Williamson, LHP (No. 7), Double-A Arkansas
We know this isn’t sustainable, but Rodríguez has doubled his hits total in every game so far this month. He doubled for his lone hit on Wednesday, then he singled twice on Thursday before adding a four-hit game (three singles and a double). The 20-year-old also had a pair of RBIs and a steal in his second four-hit game of the season (he went 4-for-5 with a home run and a double on June 9 with Advanced-A Everett). His on-base streak is up to 16 games, and he has a staggering 1.036 OPS since his promotion to Double-A.
Williamson continued to mow batters down with eight strikeouts over six scoreless innings, recording 16 swinging strikes and a hit with three walks. The left-hander has racked up 134 punchouts in 87 1/3 innings over two levels of the Minors, High-A and Double-A. Williamson is fresh off his best month of the season, posting a 1.31 ERA in four August starts with 34 strikeouts to nine walks, but did not record a win over that stretch. Mariners prospect stats »
Orioles: Grayson Rodriguez, RHP (MLB No. 8), Double-A Bowie
Kyle Stowers, OF (No. 11), Double-A Bowie
The type of dominance we’ve come to expect from baseball’s top pitching prospect was on display again as Rodriguez allowed just one hit over five scoreless innings, plus three walks and seven strikeouts. In his previous two starts, Rodriguez was uncharacteristically touched up, to the tune of seven earned runs over 8 2/3 innings. Of Rodriguez’s 21 starts this season, seven have gone at least four innings with zero earned runs allowed.
Stowers’ sour start to the month turned sweet with a 3-for-4 night in which he hit a home run and a double while driving in four runs and stealing a base. In a doubleheader on Thursday, the 23-year-old was hitless in five at-bats (plus one hit by pitch). But in the broader scope of the season, Stowers has been great. He owns a .920 OPS with Bowie in 64 games, tallying 15 homers and 15 doubles in that time. Orioles prospect stats »
Red Sox: Triston Casas, 3B (MLB No. 18), Double-A Portland
Despite what his August numbers showed, Casas wields some serious pop. The 21-year-old barreled three home runs — one of which traveled an estimated 472 feet — as part of a five-hit, seven-RBI doubleheader performance. That’s quite the breakout after Casas hit just one homer in 18 games last month while slugging .377. Though the power numbers had recently lagged, the on-base efficiency hasn’t: Casas has reached safely at least twice in five of his past six games. Red Sox prospect stats »
Rockies: Zac Veen, OF (MLB No. 53), Low-A Fresno
Veen cannot be stopped in the batter’s box or on the basepaths. And because of that, he’s climbing into Fresno’s history books. Veen’s 2-for-4 night was highlighted by four stolen bases, tying him for the most single-game stolen bases in the team’s history. He’s also up to 36 steals this season, which is tied for fifth all-time in Fresno. The 19-year-old has as many as 15 additional games to add to that total, and seven more steals would put him alone in third on the list. He’ll also look to build on his impressive on-base streak, which is up to 27 games. Rockies prospect stats »
Dodgers: Michael Busch, 2B (MLB No. 78), Double-A Tulsa
Five days ago, Busch had never had a four-hit game in his pro career. Now he has two. The 31st-overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft went 4-for-5 with a double, a walk and a pair of runs scored, following a 4-for-5 effort (with three doubles and a home run) on Aug. 31. Busch is having a solid season with Tulsa, but his batting average has never climbed terribly high. And yet, with two huge games in the past week, he’s batting above .250 for the first time since mid-June. Dodgers prospect stats »
Yankees: Luis Gil, RHP (MLB No. 98), Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
With nine strikeouts over five scoreless innings, Gil looked like the guy New York called up exactly a month before. Gil debuted with the Yankees on Aug. 3 and went on to throw 15 2/3 scoreless frames over three starts. Though Gil has yet to lose in 11 games (10 starts) with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, he owns a pedestrian 4.66 ERA. But perhaps his taste of the big leagues instilled some extra confidence in the 23-year-old. Yankees prospect stats »
Reds: Bryce Bonnin, RHP (No. 16), High-A Dayton
In just his second start with Dayton, Bonnin struck out nine in 4 1/3 innings while allowing a pair of unearned runs. He was tagged for four earned runs in his first Double-A outing, thanks in part to five walks, but this time he was in control. Bonnin has a 2.09 ERA across three levels in his debut pro season, which includes 63 strikeouts in 43 frames (13.2 K/9). Reds prospect stats »