Sunday's top prospect performers

August 5th, 2019

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

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays: Chavez Young, OF (No. 22) -- 2-for-4 (Class A Adv Dunedin)
Make that back-to-back multihit games for Young, who has hits in six of his past seven games and is hitting .241 on the season. The 22-year-old, a 39th-round pick from the 2016 Draft, got off to a slow start this year, but hit .270 in July, his best month so far. Blue Jays prospects stats »

Orioles: Dean Kremer, RHP (No. 8) -- 6.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 8 K (Double-A Bowie)
Kremer, whom the Orioles acquired from the Dodgers as part of the Manny Machado trade, has pitched to a 2.82 ERA through 16 starts in his first full season with the Orioles organization. The 23-year-old threw 66 of his 100 pitches for strikes on Sunday as he continued his recent run of strong outings. Kremer, who went 4-0 with a 2.10 ERA over six starts in July, has held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in seven of his past nine starts. Orioles prospects stats »

Rays: Wander Franco, SS (No. 1, No. 1 in MLB) -- 1-for-4 (Class A Adv Charlotte)
Franco has hits in 12 of his past 13 games and is hitting .348 through 32 games with Class A Advanced Charlotte. The 18-year-old, whom the Rays signed in 2017, has an incredibly high offensive ceiling and he's shown it this year, despite playing against older competition. Franco is hitting .328 over 94 games across two levels this season and is a .337 career hitter. While Franco's offensive production is what stands out to most, he's also impressed evaluators with his defense. Rays prospects stats »

Red Sox: Jarren Duran, OF (No. 4) -- 3-for-4, R, 2 2B, RBI (Double-A Portland)
A day after his 12-game hitting streak came to a halt, Duran got back on track with his 15th three-hit game of the season. The 22-year-old has done nothing but hit since the Red Sox selected him in the seventh round of last year's Draft. Duran, a Long Beach State product, hit .357 last year in his professional debut and is hitting .323 through 105 games this season. Duran also boasts plus-plus speed and has swiped 38 bags this season. Red Sox prospects stats »

Yankees: Estevan Florial, OF (No. 2, No. 67 in MLB) -- 2-for-4, HR, RBI (Class A Advanced Tampa)
That's back-to-back two-hit games for Florial, who also hit his fifth homer of the year. The 21-year-old got off to a late start this season after breaking his wrist in Spring Training and then struggled out of the gate once he returned to the field. After hitting .198 in June, his first month back, and .250 in July, Florial is off to a fast start in August, going 5-for-12 with three walks. Florial has an exciting skill set, but injuries in each of the past two seasons have slowed his development. Yankees prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Indians: Carlos Vargas, RHP (No. 22) -- 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K (Class A Short-Season Mahoning Valley)
Vargas has allowed five earned runs or more in three of his past six starts in the New York-Penn League. In the others, the 19-year-old right-hander has give up no more than one earned run, while allowing just seven hits in 19 innings. That stretch was highlighted by Sunday's outing, as Vargas allowed just two hits and tossed a career-best seven innings in a tough-luck loss against Staten Island. He threw 56 of his 78 pitches for strikes and faced three over the minimum, striking out five. Vargas has power stuff, with a mid-90s fastball that touches triple digits and a plus slider, but he hasn't missed as many bats as expected this season, fanning 38 batters over 50 2/3 innings in the NYPL after averaging 9.7 strikeouts-per-nine last summer in Rookie ball during his pro debut. Indians prospects stats »

Royals: Kelvin Gutierrez, 3B (No. 17) -- 2-for-4, 3 R, HR, BB (Triple-A Omaha)
Gutierrez was one of seven Omaha players to collect multiple hits Sunday, and his second hit left the park for solo homer in the ninth. The 24-year-old is having a solid season in Triple-A, hitting .260/.349/.384 with seven home runs through 64 games, and he's likely to finish the year back in the Major Leagues after making his debut earlier in the season. Over parts of 20 games with the Royals, Gutierrez was a .260 hitter with four extra-base hits (one homer) and 11 RBIs. Royals prospects stats »

Tigers: Kody Clemens, 2B (No. 17) -- 2-for-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB (Class A Adv Lakeland)
After going roughly three weeks without hitting a home run, Clemens connected on a three-run shot in the eighth inning Sunday that helped fuel the Flying Tigers' seven-run comeback in their 8-7 win over Fort Myers. The homer was the 2018 third-round pick's 11th this season, and he also hit a double in the contest, his 19th. The 23-year-old second baseman has shown power potential in his first full season but little in the way of average, batting just .230 with a .308 OBP in 103 games. Tigers prospects stats »

Twins: Gabriel Maciel, OF (No. 28) -- 4-for-5, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, SB (Class A Adv Fort Myers)
Maciel was a catalyst from the leadoff spot, as he padded Fort Myers' early lead with a two-run homer in the second inning before finishing with a season-high four hits. The 20-year-old outfielder has hit three home runs this season, and all have come during his time (38 games) in the Florida State League. He's also batting .301 for the Miracle since being promoted from Class A Cedar Rapids, where he had posted a .309/.395/.399 line in 45 games. Twins prospects stats »

White Sox: Steele Walker, OF (No. 7) -- 2-for-2, R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB (Class A Adv Winston-Salem)
That's five multihit efforts in six games for Walker, who reached base in each of his four trips to the plate out of the leadoff spot in the Dash's win against Carolina. The 23-year-old outfielder has improved his Carolina League average from .257 to .282 during that six-game stretch by batting .482 (13-for-27) with seven runs scored and five RBIs. White Sox prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

A’s: Kyle McCann, C (No. 18) -- 2-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI (Class A Short-Season Vermont)
McCann's three RBIs were the difference in Vermont's 7-5 victory over Aberdeen. The 21-year-old backstop put the Lake Monsters on the board in the first inning via a two-run single and plated another run in the fifth inning when he delivered a ground-rule double to left-center field. Selected by Oakland in the fourth round of this year's Draft out of George Tech, McCann has driven in 12 runs in his last six games, giving him 18 RBIs in 35 games for Vermont. A's prospects stats »

Angels: Will Wilson, SS (No. 4) -- 2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI (Rookie Orem)
The No. 15 overall pick (2019) is having a strong pro debut in the Pioneer League, batting .295/.340/.486 with 16 extra-base hits in 35 games after Sunday's two-hit performance. Wilson's home run, a two-run shot in the sixth inning, was already his fifth as a pro and second in his past seven contests. The 21-year-old North Carolina State product isn't a big guy but has a quick, twitchy swing that helps him generate surprising power, and scouts like his chances of sticking at shortstop even though he possesses below-average speed that's uncommon for the position. Angels prospects stats »

Astros: Forrest Whitley, RHP (No. 2, MLB No. 17) -- 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K (Double-A Corpus Christi)
It took some time, but Whitley finally appears to be back on track. After racking up nine strikeouts over five innings in his last start at Class A Advanced Fayetteville, Whitley returned to the Double-A level Sunday and turned in a strong performance, allowing two hits -- including a solo homer -- over four innings while striking out five. Together the two starts represent the best consecutive outings from Whitley in a 2019 season that's seen the 21-year-old right-hander miss time with shoulder fatigue and also receive an extended break in order to sort out his mechanics. Sustained success would be a very good sign for Whitley's season and overall development. Astros prospects stats »

Mariners: Ricardo Sanchez, LHP (No. 24) -- 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K (Double-A Arkansas)
Sanchez faced one over the minimum against Springfield, spinning seven innings of one-run ball while throwing 53 of 85 pitches for strikes. It marked the fifth time in 22 starts this season that the 22-year-old southpaw has completed seven innings, and he's now done it three times in his past six turns. While he only struck out three and allowed four baserunners, Sanchez recorded seven ground-ball outs including three double plays. He's pitched to a 4.03 ERA with 117 strikeouts in 120 2/3 innings this season, his first in the Mariners' system after they acquired him from Atlanta (who had designated him for assignment) in November. Mariners prospects stats »

Rangers: Bubba Thompson, OF (No. 8) -- 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI (Class A Adv Down East)
Thompson was the lone Down East player to collect multiple hits, the second of which, an RBI single in the seventh inning, proved the game-winner as the Wood Ducks edged Frederick, 5-4. The 2017 first-round pick has been slowed by injuries this season, limiting him to just 33 games, and he's largely struggled when healthy, slashing .208/.267/.350 in those contests. But Thompson, a tooled-up, 21-year-old outfielder, has swung the bat better of late, tallying at least one hit in five of his past six games, including a pair of multihit efforts. Rangers prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Braden Shewmake, SS (No. 9) -- 2-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI (Class A Rome)
Shewmake, whom the Braves took with the No. 21 overall pick in the first round of this year's Draft, has had no issues adjusting to pro ball despite being sent straight to the full-season Class A South Atlantic League. After Sunday's two-double, two-RBI performance in Rome's win over West Virginia, the 21-year-old shortstop out of Texas A&M is slashing .323/.388/.476 through his first 41 games. In that span, Shewmake has racked up 19 extra-base hits, including 15 doubles, while driving in 26 runs. Braves prospects stats »

Marlins: Sixto Sanchez, RHP (No. 1, MLB No. 26) -- 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K; Jazz Chisholm, SS (No. 4, MLB No. 59) -- 1-for-4, HR (Double-A Jacksonville)
Sanchez extended his scoreless innings streak to 19 with Sunday's performance -- a stretch during which he's allowed just nine hits while compiling 16 strikeouts against three walks. In the process, the 21-year-old right-hander has lowered his Double-A ERA from 3.52 to 2.76. To go along with his three strikeouts Sunday, Sanchez also induced eight groundouts while throwing 60 of 85 pitches for strikes. He's won five straight starts for the Jumbo Shrimp. Chisholm connected on his second home run -- an opposite-field solo shot in the sixth inning -- in four games since being acquired from the D-backs in a straight swap for right-hander Zac Gallen. The 21-year-old has hit 20 home runs this season in his first Double-A campaign, leaving him five dingers shy of the career-high mark he established last season in Arizona's system. Marlins prospects stats »

Mets: Mark Vientos, 3B (No. 6) -- Game 1: 1-for-4, RBI; Game 2: 3-for-3, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, HBP (Class A Columbia)
Vientos, 19, had a four-hit day, including a perfect 3-for-3 performance in the nightcap of Columbia's doubleheader sweep of Hagerstown. Two of Vientos' hits in the second game went for extra bases, as he delivered an RBI double in the fifth inning before padding the Fireflies' lead with a run-scoring triple in the seventh. The 2017 second-rounder had a shaky first half in the South Atlantic League, batting .240 (.650 OPS) with five homers and 25 RBIs in 59 games, but seems to have found his groove at the plate in the second half, with a .301 average (.871 OPS), six homers and 31 RBIs in his last 38 games. Mets prospects stats »

Phillies: Adonis Medina, RHP (No. 2, MLB No. 92) -- 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 8 K (Double-A Reading)
After allowing a combined 12 earned runs on 15 hits in 6 2/3 innings across his previous two starts, Medina bounced back with a quality start Sunday, spinning six innings of two-hit ball with a season-high eight strikeouts. The uptick in strikeouts was a very good sign for the 22-year-old right-hander, who didn't fan more than five batters in his first 17 starts. Overall, Medina has punched out 65 batters in 86 2/3 innings this season -- good for an average of 6.7 strikeouts-per-nine -- after he racked up 123 strikeouts in 111 1/3 Florida State League frames (9.9 K/9) last season, and 133 in 119 2/3 (10.0 K/9) during his first full season. Phillies prospects stats »

Nationals: Jackson Rutledge, RHP (No. 3) -- 5 IP, 1 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 2 K (Class A Hagerstown)
Rutledge, the Nationals' first-round pick from this year's Draft, was sharp in his third full-season start, tossing a career-high five innings during which he allowed just just one hit and found the zone with 40 of 62 pitches. The 6-foot-8, 250-pound right-hander had struggled in his previous start (3 1/3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER) but was lights-out in his Suns debut on July 21, when he tossed four hitless frames with three strikeouts. Now pitching at his third level in his pro debut, the 20-year-old Rutledge has compiled a 4.91 ERA with 15 strikeouts and seven walks in 18 1/3 innings spanning six starts. Nationals prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Je'Von Ward, OF (No. 29) -- 3-for-3, 2 R, 2 3B, 2 RBI, BB (Class A Wisconsin)
Ward enjoyed a perfect day at the plate Sunday, reaching base in each of his five trips to the plate via two triples, a single and a pair of walks. The two triples give Ward six so far this season, and, overall, he's racked up 19 extra-base hits in 85 games. The three-hit performance matched the 19-year-old outfielder's season-high mark, too, and gives him a .333 average across his past 10 contests. Brewers prospects stats »

Cubs: Miguel Amaya, C (No. 2, MLB No. 91) -- 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB (Class A Adv Myrtle Beach)
Entering the day mired in a 3-for-16 funk at the plate, Amaya busted out with a multihit performance that included a two-run homer, his ninth this season. The 20-year-old backstop and Futures Game selection is now three home runs away from matching his career-high total, and with 43 RBIs, is quickly approach his career-best RBI total (52), both of which he established last year in his first full-season campaign. Cubs prospects stats »

Cardinals: Griffin Roberts, RHP (No. 21) -- 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K (Class A Adv Palm Beach)
After surrendering five runs over five innings in his last start, Roberts bounced back with six scoreless frames and picked up his first win of the year for Palm Beach. The 23-year-old, a 2018 Draft pick (43rd overall), threw 50 of his 79 pitches for strikes in what was his best start of the season. Roberts, who has pitched to a 5.57 ERA this season, has struggled with command a bit in the past and some feel his future is in the bullpen, but the Cardinals are committed to developing him as a starter for the time being. Cardinals prospects stats »

Pirates: Will Craig, 1B (No. 10) -- 2-for-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI (Class A Indianapolis)
Craig's homer in the first put Indianapolis on the board, though it turned out to be all of the offense they would muster in a loss against Columbus. The two-run shot gives the 24-year-old 21 home runs on the season, a new career high, and he's now recorded multiple hits in five of his past seven games. He's having his best Minor League campaign to date in his first Triple-A season, batting .256/.327/.462 with 40 extra-base hits and 63 RBIs through 103 games. Pirates prospects stats »

Reds: Jameson Hannah, OF (No. 10) -- 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB (Class A Adv Daytona)
Hannah is fitting in just fine with his new organization, as he's now hit safely in two of three games for the Tortugas after the Reds acquired him from the A's at the Trade Deadline. Prior to being dealt, the 2018 second-round pick from Dallas Baptist had produced a .283/.341/.381 line with 31 extra-base hits (25 2B) and 48 runs scored in 92 games with Stockton. The 21-year-old outfielder is undersized but has a strong track record of making consistent hard contact, and the hope is that he'll develop some over-the-fence power to go along with his present gap pop. Reds prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Kevin Cron, 1B/3B (No. 27) -- 2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB (Triple-A Reno)
Cron blasted his third homer in five games since returning from his latest stint in the big leagues, where, collectively, he's posted an .800 OPS with five homers and 15 RBIs in 27 games. Back in Triple-A, the 26-year-old slugger has clubbed a Minor League-best 32 home runs, while also slashing at a robust .335/.448/.833 clip and driving in 86 runs in 61 games for Reno. Cron's 32 bombs are a career-high mark and give him at least 22 homers in five straight seasons. D-backs prospects stats »

Dodgers: Josiah Gray, RHP (No. 5) -- 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K (Double-A Tulsa)
Gray out-dueled 2018 first-rounder Brady Singer on Sunday in his fourth Double-A start, striking out seven over six innings of one-run, three-hit ball. Selected with the No. 72 overall pick in the same Draft by the Reds, who dealt him to the Dodgers in the offseason deal for Yasiel Puig and Alex Wood, Gray is now pitching well at his third level of the season, and Sunday's outing gives him a 1.54 ERA in 23 1/3 innings in Double-A. Including his time with Class A Great Lakes and Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga, the 21-year-old righty has pitched to a 1.97 ERA across 21 starts, during which he's racked up 126 strikeouts in 114 innings while holding hitters to a sub-.200 average. Dodgers prospects stats »

Giants: Seth Corry, LHP (No. 9) -- 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K (Class A Augusta)
During Corry's streak of four straight scoreless starts, the 20-year-old lefty has given up just five hits in 23 2/3 innings while striking out 32. He's also posted scoreless starts in six of his past seven turns --- a stretch during which he's lowered his ERA from 2.59 to 1.72, the best mark in the South Atlantic League -- and won eight straight starts. He also paces the circuit in strikeouts, with 136 in 99 2/3 innings (12.3 K/9), and opposing hitters are batting just .160 against him through 22 starts. Giants prospects stats »

Padres: Joey Cantillo, LHP (No. 19) -- 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K (Class A Fort Wayne)
Cantillo's stellar season just keeps getting better. The 19-year-old issued a trio of walks over the first two innings, but quickly settled down and retired 13 in a row to finish his outing. The outing, while impressive, was simply a continuation of what Cantillo has been doing all year as he's pitched to a 1.93 ERA through 19 starts. The lefty has yielded one earned run or fewer in 13 of those starts and has held the opposition scoreless in seven. Cantillo, a 16th-round pick from the 2017 Draft, has a quirky delivery and a solid fastball-changeup combo that have helped him pile up 128 strikeouts over 98 innings this season. Padres prospects stats »

Rockies: Tyler Nevin, 1B/3B (No. 11) -- 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI (Double-A Hartford)
Nevin hit his seventh homer of the year and his second of his past four games in Hartford's win over Trenton. The 22-year-old is hitting .240 through 102 games this season, but July was his best month of the year (he hit .264) and he also has hits in three of the four games he's played in the month. Nevin, who hit .328 across 100 games last year, has an advanced approach at the plate and a strong ability to barrel the ball. Rockies prospects stats »