Photo Courtesy of ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Blah, blah, blah. Do you even read this? No you don’t, you never read this. You skip over these words and immediately look at the names below. Maybe you read the blurbs, maybe you look at the stats. I don’t know what you do but I ask. Wash your hands and cover your month when you sneeze. I mean what are you a savage?
Ralph - Triple-A and Double-A
Matt - High-A and Low-A
Alek Manoah, RHP TOR (Triple-A) 6 IP, 2 H, 12 K
Did all this on just 81 total pitches as he bullied the Woo-Sox lineup all night. The fastball+slider combination looked deadlier than it had three summers ago on the Cape, he mixed in the changeup, and worked around the strike zone flashing improved command. Frankly, he looked better than Nate Pearson. Wouldn’t shock me if we see Manoah in the bigs by June 15th.
Josiah Gray, RHP LAD (Triple-A) 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
Jo-Jo got into some trouble in the second giving up a walk, home run, and single before punching out Delino DeShields to end the inning. He then was clean until the fifth where he gave up a leadoff single before retiring the next three batters three via the strikeout. He flashed the strong fastball shape he’s known for with better command of his secondaries than we’ve seen previously.
Matt Liberatore, LHP STL (Triple-A) 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 5 K
The former Rays farmhand was making his Cardinals debut against the Rays Triple-A squad. Liberatore got taken deep by Vidal Brujan, but overall pitched very well against a major league caliber Durham lineup. I don’t have any velocity readings available (if you do hit me up) but he looked effective and that slider was a big reason why. Liberatore looks noticeably slimmer and profiles as a mid-rotation starter if everything breaks right.
Brent Honeywell, RHP TB (Triple-A) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Honeywell looked strong in this abbreviated outing, commanding the fastball and showing off his breaking ball while striking out three and allowing weak contact. He threw 29 pitches, 20 of which were strikes.
Vidal Brujan, OF TB (Triple-A) 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, playing left field
At this point I’m ready to move Brujan to number one overall. Change my mind, but you can only use 2021 Triple-A stats. In all seriousness Brujan has looked dynamic a top the Durham lineup. He does a little bit of everything, and this early power surge is a promising development.
Taylor Walls, 2B TB (Triple-A) 3-for-3, R, RBI, BB
A name that often pops up on “underrated prospect” lists, Walls can hit and he’s solid at second. Unfortunately for him he slips into the “Tampa is packed in the middle infield” territory. Just another future MLB player in the Durham lineup.
Edward Olivares, OF KC (Triple-A) 2-for-4, R, BB
Continues to hit early, continues to get on base and can play all around the outfield. There’s a shot he’s in Kansas City some point this season, a likely next man up if there’s some injuries.
Trevor Larnach, OF MIN (Triple-A) 1-for-5, HR, 2 R, BB, 4 K
But four strikeouts… Larnach has hit for power here in the early going but there’s been concerning swing and miss. Just something to keep an eye on, unless he homers every game the rest of the season, then sure go ahead and forget it. Let me know if you want to place bets on that.
Jesus Sanchez, OF MIA (Triple-A) 2-for-3, R, BB
No homers last night but two more hits and a walk. I still very much believe that Sanchez will hit at the MLB level. The early returns have been nice to see, and he’s another fun player on his way to Miami.
Deivi Garcia, RHP NYY (Triple-A) 3.1 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 7 BB, 3 K, HR allowed
GOO! Rough look for Deivi, to say the command wasn’t there is a bit of an understatement. I still like the player, like the pitch, and believe in the fastball command we’ve seen early in his career. Take a deep breath. I farted.
Vladimir Gutierrez, RHP CIN (Triple-A) 6 IP, H, 2 BB, 6 K
Gutierrez showed better command than usual as he cruised through a not terrible Columbus lineup, allowing only three base runners while needing only 76 pitches to get through six. He rocked a 67% strike rate on the night and had good feel for breaking ball all night.
Jarred Kelenic, OF SEA (Triple-A) 2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI
Mr. Kelenic saw Wander’s homer Wednesday night off a lefty and said I need to hit myself a piss missile. He did just that. He then came back up to the plate and said “Why the &@$* am I in Triple-A? He proceeded to his this bomb out to the same area of right as his first.
Jordan Groshans, SS TOR (Double-A) Doubleheader 2-for-5, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB
Despite very limited minor league time due to injuries and 2020, but Groshans (like oceans) has been holding his own, barreling up and working deep into counts. One of the players I’m most excited to catch this season.
Simeon Woods-Richardson, RHP TOR (Double-A) 4 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 8 K
Cruised through the first three innings before being undone by some hits and errors in the fourth. Flashed four pitches, fastball sat 91-94 mph touching 95, mixing in his curveball and changeup, showing a harder slider as well.
Nick Lodolo, LHP CIN (Double-A) 5 IP, 2 H, 10 K
Our friend Chris Blessing was there again and I’ll let him handle this.
Jose Garcia, SS CIN (Double-A) 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Homered for the second time in two days, another clip from Chris Blessing. There’s always been power and defensive ability. The bigger issue has always been the consistency of his contact. If that comes along he could push his way back to the bigs by this summer.
Jake Eder, LHP MIA (Double-A) 5 IP, H, 3 BB, 12 K
He opened the game with four strikeouts… in the first inning. Don’t talk to John Means about dropped third strikes. Trevor Hooth was tuned into the Pensacola vs Mississippi game and he was very impressed with Eder overall. The breaking ball is filthy and the fastball worked high.
Peyton Burdick, OF MIA (Double-A) 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Nothing like a Burdick tater to make you feel like baseball is back. One of my favorite players on the 2018 Cape. He packs serious power in the bat with good supporting skills that likely fit best in an outfield corner. There’s some swing and miss, but the bat speed is violent. Loud stuff.
Jerar Encarnacion, OF MIA (Double-A) 2-for-2, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB
Got on base four times in the first game, gets on base twice in the second game. Jerar is a #massivehuman. He’s 6-foot-5, 240+ lbs. He’s not just a masher either, there’s feel to hit and the approach is advanced. He’ll have to hit, as there’s not much supporting the rest of the profile.
Adley Rutschman, C BAL (Double-A) 2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB
Had two very hard hit balls to the opposite field including this home run linked below for your viewing pleasure. He put a charge into a double later in the contest and missed his second homer to the opposite field by mere inches.
Mason Martin, 1B PIT (Double-A) 2-for-4, R, RBI, BB
Off to a strong start to begin the season. Martin is a muscled up masher that has to hit and avoid the strikeouts to cut it as a first base only profile. His powerful lefty swing and strong build provides plenty of power, and he has been productive throughout his minor league career.
Heliot Ramos, OF SF (Double-A) 3-for-4, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, BB
Homered in the second inning and proceeded to collect two more hits, crossing the plate twice. The homer was an off balance swat to the opposite field. Those are some seriously strong wrists to do that. He started in centerfield as well, it’s only a matter of time until he’s up with the big club.
Elehuris Montero, 3B/1B COL (Double-A) 3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI
He continues to slug as he connected for his second home run of the season, as well as a double. Is he the jewel of the Nolan Arenado return? Or just the weight a jewel thief leaves to not trip the alarm? Food for thought. (Matt’s note: Well the Cardinals traded him so he should go off right?)
Mark Vientos, 3B NYM (Double-A) 2-for-4, HR
He hadn’t done much through the first few contests and opened up in this one connecting for a long homer to right field. He’s still extremely young and there’s power projection in the bat. I’m not sure if his defensive chops are up for the task at third but he can hit.
Miguel Amaya, C CHC (Double-A) 3-for-4, R, 2 RBI
A catcher that can really swing it. He DH’d in last nights game but the skills are solid behind the plate, and he shows above average power in game. Could develop into a strong offensive catcher.
Pedro Leon, SS HOU (Double-A) 1-for-4, R
Gets off the schnide with his first hit stateside but he struck out three times as well. It might take some time to shake the rust off but the struggling hyped up Cuban players have missed big in the past. In no way am I saying I anticipate that happens. Here’s the single from yesterday’s contest.
Michael Busch, 2B LAD (Double-A) 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Another one of my Cape favorites Busch has some questions about where he fits in the field - he DH’d last night - but the bat plays everywhere. There’s power and a very advanced approach leading to tons of walks and quality at bats.
Alek Thomas, OF ARI (Double-A) 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
Also struck out three times, but he did hit a tank shot off of Michael Grove in the third. It was to centerfield and he showed some of that pop many expected to begin to materialize at some point. There’s good strength here and he’s always had a polished element to his game that leads to strong at bats.
Connor Thomas, LHP STL (Double-A) 5 IP, 5 H, 5 K
Thomas is here not because he has tremendous stuff or I believe him to really even be much of a prospect. But he competes every time he’s on the mound has always gotten results you wouldn’t expect based on his velocity. He does however know how to pitch, keep hitters off balance, and move the ball around the zone.
Bubba Thompson, OF TEX (Double-A) 3-for-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 5 RBI
Always a player with tons of tools who showed promise in flashes at the plate this is a big momentum shift for Thompson. If he continues to show offensive productive his supporting skills are as such that he’s an easy everyday player.
Davis Wendzel, SS TEX (Double-A) 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB
While he was presumed to be a third baseman, Wendzel’s defense is legitimately good enough to handle short. The bat is good, strong bat to ball skills, professional at bats, and some sneaky pop Wendzel will be an asset in a variety of roles once he matriculates to the major league level.
Cade Cavalli, RHP WSH (High-A) 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K
For Cavalli it was business as usual, as he had little difficulty with Aberdeen’s lineup. Cavalli has a chance to get to Double-A quickly if he keeps shoving. Fought his command a bit today, although it doesn’t show up in the numbers. He tossed 75 pitches and 47 strikes.
Luis Santana, 2B HOU (High-A) 3-for-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R
Santana had a monster day at the plate against his old organization but enough about that. This is all you need to see from his day. Incredible.
Bret Baty, DH NYM (High-A) 2-for-3, 2 2B, 1 RBI
Baty continues to hit, and his average is up to .444 on the young season. Mets have some exciting young bats at the top of the system that have all been featured prominently on these write ups thus far.
Blaine Crim, 1B TEX (High-A) 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
I love including under the radar prospects on these writeups, and Crim flat out deserved it after this outing. That’s three homers in two days for those that are keeping track. Crim was the 2019 Northwest League MVP when he hit .335/.398/.528 with 8 bombs in 53 games. The 2019 19th round pick out of Mississippi College is putting himself on the radar. He’s an older prospect, but he can swing it.
Liover Peguero, SS PIT (High-A) 2-for-4, 2 SB
Peguero continues to hit. The leadoff hitter in Greensboro is becoming a permanent fixture on this list already. Stock climbing after a fast start.
Alec Burleson, OF STL (High-A) 3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
The ECU grad is off to a blistering start, hitting .455 with a pair of homers for the Peoria Chiefs. He’s even made a diving catch in the outfield. While on campus he pitched and played first base but he’s only played outfield thus far.
Malcolm Nunez, 3B STL (High-A) 3-for-5, RBI
Remember this guy? Nunez is most famous for turning the DSL into his own personal playground a few years back but there’s more to the story now. Nunez has put in the work and got in better shape and has put 2019’s struggles behind him to this point. He’s hitting .455 on the young season.
Matt Wallner, OF MIN (High-A) 2-for-2, 3B, BB
Wallner is back at it again, the extra base hit machine has added a triple to his tally and is putting on a show so far in the early going.
Connor Scott, OF MIA (High-A) 3-for-5, 3B, HR
The Marlins at it again. They may have something with Scott, as the 2018 first rounder is driving the ball and can run like hell. If you like Evan Carter you should already love Connor Scott.
Kyle Nicolas, RHP MIA (High-A) 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 8 K
The latest Ball State arm made his pro debut and threw 80 pitches in this outing. His fastball command got away from him at times, see the four walks, but he battled and kept the Timber Rattlers on their toes. Reports I have on velo say mostly 93-94 with the heater. Encouraging start.
Jordyn Adams, OF LAA (High-A) 1-for-1, 2B
Adams doubled in his only at-bat but was later removed from the game due a leg injury. Hopefully he gets back on the field soon.
Spencer Torkelson, 3B DET (High-A) 0-for-5, 3K
If you include spring training, Spencer Torkelson is 2-for-38 with 25 strikeouts in a Tigers uniform. That is extremely concerning, and the lack of contact is troubling. I admittedly haven’t dug in and watched any of his High-A games thus far, but I was told “it looked like he was swinging a bat underwater” this spring. Hopefully they can get him right, because he was an absolute banger at ASU. It’s more fun to be a banger than a whiffer.
Dillon Dingler, DH DET (High-A) 1-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI
It’s not all bat in Detroit, as Dingler is on a mission to prove that he should’ve been a first round pick. Athletic catchers just do it for me, and there may not be a more athletic catcher in the minors.
Bryant Packard, OF DET (High-A) 3-for-4, 2 RBI
I included this one for Mr. Hooth, but Packard is an undervalued prospect that has shown some offensive skills. I heard that once Mike Trout got word that young Bryant Packard wanted to go to ECU he decided it was better for him to sign with the Angels. Jury still out on that decision.
Anderson Espinoza, RHP SDP (High-A)
Back after a long journey through several injury laden seasons. Espinoza looked strong in his first few innings, sitting 94-96 mph on the broadcast radar and showing feel for his secondaries.
Nick Loftin, SS KC (High-A) 1-for-2, HR
Loftin went long in his first professional at bat. He didn’t play the first two games for Quad Cities and he also left this game early. Looking for updates on this situation, if you have any please pass them along.
Chase Strumpf, 3B CHC (High-A) 3-for-3, 2B, 4 R, BB, E
When I was putting together the Cubs list for the site and reaching out to my sources for feedback everyone told me I was too low on Strumpf. I moved him up a few spots and I’m glad I listened. He can hit, and could hit Triple-A Iowa by the end of the season if this keeps up.
Jose Tena, SS CLE (High-A) 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI
Yet another middle infielder in this system that can hit, Tena has a good hit tool and excellent feel for contact. Superb hands and actions make him a strong fit up the middle. He lacks power and you can tell by looking at him it won’t be part of his game. He’s got a shot at a better than average hit tool down the road though, and that could be an everyday guy.
Bryce Jarvis, RHP ARI (High-A) 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K
Jarvis was making his pro debut tonight and danced in and out of trouble all day dealing with a lot of traffic on the bases but making the big pitches to get out of jams. Jarvis came out of the gate sitting 93-94 and T95 in the first but by the end of his 70 pitch outing he was sitting 89-92. He’s making an effort to utilize the curveball more often, but with his back against the wall he went back to the changeup and it still looked like the plus offering we saw at Duke. He allowed three stolen bases during this outing, so that’s something to watch going forward.
Emerson Hancock, RHP SEA (High-A) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Hancock was also making his pro debut. He was sitting 92-94 in the first and touched 96 while striking out Corbin Carroll in the first. The fastball had tremendous life. He only threw 31 pitches before being removed, but looked sharp.
Julio Rodriguez, OF SEA (High-A) 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Julio was playing center tonight for Everett and finally got the bat going after a slow start to the season. We expected him to mash with his conservative High-A assignment, and hopefully this is the start of good things to come. He also chipped in a stolen base.
Austin Shenton, 3B SEA (High-A) 2-for-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Shenton has looked great so far this season, and has Mariners fans excited about the quality of his at bats thus far. Shenton rakes.
Eddy Diaz, SS COL (High-A) 1-for-4, 1 BB, 2 Ks, 1 SB, 1 E
A little bit of everything from Diaz. Diaz will always be exciting because he’s a true burner, but there’s some offensive skills here too. As a team they stole five bags off of Eugene starter Seth Corry.
Logan Wyatt, 1B SF (High-A) 2-for-2, 3 BB
Wyatt is an odd profile for a first baseman, but he’s hitting .556 with a 1.289 OPS so far.
Seth Corry, LHP SF (High-A) 2 ⅓ IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
Roller coaster outing for Corry, and you can see the control issues have carried over into 2021. In addition to the shaky command the Spokane club was five for six on the basepaths against him.
Trevor Hauver, 2B NYY (Low-A) 3-for-4 HR, 2B
Travor Hauver is sizzling right now for the Tarpons, hitting rockets all over the field. He posted exit velocities of 107.7, 103.1, 102.2 yesterday and continues to make Low-A pitchers pay. It’s normally too early to make such proclamations but his stock has risen considerably this past week. Hauver is hitting .800/.824/2.100 this year.
Anthony Volpe, DH NYY (Low-A) 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K
Volpe has been the table setter for all three games this season for the Tarpons. The 2019 first rounder has a solid all around game, and the offensive skills are showing early on.
Orelvis Martinez, SS TOR (Low-A) 1-for-4, HR
His only hit was a 416 foot homer that was a whopping 106.9 off the bat. The 19-year old has serious pop.
Nick Yorke, 2B BOS (Low-A) 2-for-4, SB
The surprise first rounder posts his first multi-hit game of the season. It’s an exciting top of the order for Salem, with Gilberto Jimenez and Nick Yorke hitting first and second.
Gunnar Henderson, DH BAL (Low-A) 2-for-4, HR
Henderson pops his second homer of the season, this one off of former Jayhawk Ryan Zeferjahn. We told you about Gunnar this winter, so hopefully you were able to snag a share because the price is going up as other sites have caught up.
Freddy Zamora, SS MIL (Low-A) 2-for-3, 3 RBI
Zamora is one of my high priority looks as it's been a while since he’s been in competitive game action due to a suspension and a torn ACL while at Miami. Good all around game with some fun offensive traits.
Evan Carter, OF TEX (Low-A) 1-for-3, 2 BB
Not a particularly strong game from Carter but he was getting some twitter buzz so I wanted to include him. He’s been batting leadoff and playing centerfield for the Wood Ducks and has his OPS north of 1.000 thus far. Prospects Live’s Ian Smith put a 50, meaning everyday regular, tag on Carter this winter as part of the Rangers board. You can check that out here.
Luisangel Acuña, SS TEX (Low-A) 2-for-5, 3B, 3 RBI, E
The 2018 J2 signee had a bases clearing triple for the Wood Ducks. The swing looks similar to his brother, but he lacks the explosiveness. He will be a fun watch this year as he moves navigates pro ball.
Francisco Alvarez, C NYM (Low-A) 1-for-4, 2 R, RBI, SB
It’s becoming a daily occurrence here. Alvarez does something impressive everyday. Today he stole a base and also ripped a single at 108.6. It’s going to be fun to see how much he rises up prospect lists as the season progresses. There isn’t a top 100 list he shouldn’t be on at this point, fantasy or otherwise. He will likely creep into the top 50 by season’s end.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, NYM (Low-A), 2-for-5, 2 R
Two singles today for PCA, as the Harvard-Westlake graduate continues to try and make 18 teams look foolish for passing on him. PCA has the Corbin Carroll skill set we all love, and he should also climb lists as the season carries on.
Jake Vogel, OF LAD (Low-A) 0-for-5, 4 Ks
Tough night for the 2020 draftee, but we did get some eyes on Vogel earlier this week courtesy of our man Rhys White, and it’s not all bad Dodgers fans, trust me.
Brent Killam, RHP LAA (Low-A) 3 ⅔ IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 10 K
Didn’t know much about Killam coming into tonight but did some research and I’m intrigued. Killam was the Angels 11th round selection out of Georgetown in 2019 where he set the single season strikeout record. The lefty utilizes a slider as his out pitch. Definitely need to learn more, as he got 10 of his 11 outs via the strikeout.
Robert Hassell III, OF SD (Low-A) 3-for-5, HR, 2B, BB, 3 RBI, 2 SB
Hassell filled up the stat sheet and hit his first professional homer as well. The most polished prep bat in the class, he showed off all of his tools with two stolen bases as well.