We Dem Sheet Boyz! We dem boyz! Geoff Pontes, Triple-A and Double-A dungeon master, Rhys White the Meister of High-A, and the Minister of Low-A Matt Thompson. Yes, we use an ad libs book to write these.
Domingo Leyba, 2B BAL (Triple-A) 2-for-5, HR, 5 RBI
A long time ago Lebya was traded to the Diamondbacks alongside Robbie Ray. Last week his tenure with the organization ended after he was designated for assignment. The Orioles claimed him Friday and this was his second game with Norfolk. He’s mashed in Triple-A in 2021 as he now has five home runs in just ten games between Reno and Norfolk. He was also 0-for-22 at the major league level in 2021.
Josh Lowe, OF TB (Triple-A) 1-for-4, 2 R, BB, 2 SB
Anytime the Yung Bulls do anything it’s going to get a couple of mentions. Lowe showed off the speed and baserunning ability last night, swiping a couple of bags and crossing the plate twice.
Wander Franco, SS TB (Triple-A) 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
This was his 6th home run of the season as he hits .311/.370/.566. He’s one of the top if not the top prospect in baseball. You don’t need me to say much else.
Vidal Brujan, OF TB (Triple-A) 1-for-3, 2 RBI, R, BB, SB
Up to 14 steals in the year, as he continues to get on base and abuse opposing batteries. Started in right field, and continues to see most of his time in the outfield corners.
Drew Rasmussen, RHP TB (Triple-A) 2 IP, H, BB, 5 K
Acquired in the Willy Adames swap, Rasmussen came on in the eighth and nailed down the dub for Durham. I am very interested in Rasmussen as a potential pen stud for Tampa, like they need another, amirite?
Alex Jackson, C ATL (Triple-A) 1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI (Game One of Doubleheader)
Once upon a time Jackson was a top prospect, now he may be fourth or fifth on the organization’s depth chart by the end of 2021. Still a bunch of power at the point of contact but not much else.
Marcus Wilson, OF BOS (Triple-A) 2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R
It might be time to believe in Marcus Wilson but it’s a concept I struggle with. There’s certainly power, on base ability, and speed. However, there’s serious swing and miss issues. It’s not a matter of being passive either, he has legit contact issues. Perhaps his power and approach are enough to get him some time in 2021, but there would have to be injuries. Anyway, this was his 5th homer over the last eight days.
Johan Mieses, OF BOS (Triple-A) 1-for-5, HR
Johan Missiles was sending rockets into orbit again last night. He did strikeout twice.
Kyle Muller, LHP ATL (Triple-A) 6 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K
The lefty started the season with three out of four rough outings, allowing 13 ernies over 15.1 IP. Since that time Muller has been money like he went to Vegas with Vince Vaughn. Over his last three starts the 6-foot-7 lefthander has allowed just three runs over his last 16 innings while striking out 20 and walking just three. If Muller can command his stuff he can be a rotation arm this year for Atlanta.
Enyel De Los Santos, RHP PHI (Triple-A) 2 IP, 5 K
Brent Hershey of Baseball HQ had a nice report in Enyel’s bullpen work last night.
Matt Manning, RHP DET (Triple-A) 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Our Director of Scouting James Chipman was at this game with other Prospects Live evaluators Jake Boes, and Rogelio Castillo. The box score looks good but he wasn’t much different from previous starts and the issues were detailed perfectly by Jake Boes in his report on Manning.
MJ Melendez, C KC (Double-A) 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
This Northwest Arkansas team is a blast. If it’s not Nick Pratto having a big night it’s Melendez or Bobby Witt Jr. As for Melendez, he’s confined to hold his early approach gains and hasn’t sacrificed power. What was going on at Wilmington in 2019?
Nick Pratto, 1B KC (Double-A) 1-for-3, RBI, R, BB
Speaking of Nick Pratto doing things he did a little bit of everything last night. In fact one of everything. The Royals really have no incentive to promote any of the Pratto, Melendez, Witt Jr. trio at the moment. So I wouldn’t expect a promotion for any of the three until mid-July.
C.J. Abrams, SS SD (Double-A) 2-for-4, R, SB
One of the top prospects in baseball showing off the wheels last night. Okay that’s a bit much, but he continues to be a really productive player despite being the youngest player in Double-A.
Logan Davidson, SS OAK (Double-A) 1-for-3, RBI, R, 3 BB
Make that 13 consecutive games on base and an eight-game hitting streak. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!
Brady Feigl, RHP OAK (Double-A) 6 IP, 2 H, 6 K
A strike thrower who works primarily with his sinker that has a unique pitch movement profile. Feigl was a Padres rule five pick a few years back but was returned to Oakland, he’s been pretty good throughout his minor league career, and might be worth watching as a solid rotation depth guy.
Nolan Gorman, 3B STL (Double-A) 2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI
Old Gorman is New Gorman. Dingers on consecutive nights, as his slash is up to .319/.396/.479. If he can balance his new found contact skills with his natural raw power, he could develop into one of the most fearsome hitters in the game. Now that said, he needs to maintain these gains and continue to show the power simultaneously. Easier said than done.
Alec Burleson, OF STL (Double-A) 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
This was an absolute bomb off the bat of Burleson. As he hit the roof of the facility in right field. If other teams knew that Burleson was showing this kind of power he may have gone a little higher than 70th overall last June.
Brian O’Keefe, C SEA (Double-A) 4-for-5, HR, 6 RBI
Okay I’ll include him! O’Keefe turns 28 in July, but he’s murdering the ball at the moment. He has four home runs and eleven RBIs over his last four games. Guess what organization he used to play for?
Braden Shewmake, SS ATL (Double-A) 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
It’s been a wretched start for the 2019 first rounder, as he connected for his first home run in close to a month. He’s slashing .122/.173/.214, but there’s definitely some luck at play here, as his batting average on balls in play is incredibly low, despite average or better contact and swinging strike rates. He’s not selling out for flyball contact either. At some point Shewmake will break out of this slump. Not the offensive star many anticipated, but he should be a solid second division regular type.
Odalvi Javier, RHP ATL (Double-A) 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 6 K
This was Javier’s best game of the season, he combined for 25 looking and swinging strikes as he dominated Biloxi.
Trey Harris, OF ATL (Double-A) 2-for-3, HR, 2 R, BB
Another player on Mississippi running an unusually low BABIP for a player of his skillset. He’s a strong bat to ball hitter with very little swing and miss. But perhaps the combination of ground balls and a lack of average or better speed dooms him.
Shane Baz, RHP TB (Double-A) 5 IP, 6 K
The Tampa righthander was tremendous, needing only 53 pitches to get through five. He was owning the gloveside part of the plate while mixing in his fastball, curveball, and changeup. Baz now only has 2 walks allowed this season, as he shows significant improvement to his overall command.
JJ Bleday, OF MIA (Double-A) 1-for-4, HR
He. Is. On. A. Burner. That’s it, that’s the blurb.
Jose Barrero, SS CIN (Double-A) 4-for-5, 4 RBI, 3 R
I believe this is the first time we’ve seen Jose Barrero appear here as Jose Barrero. You may know him as the Reds shortstop formerly known as Jose Garcia. He’s been arguably the Reds strongest performing position prospect in the upper-minors.
Kevin Smith, LHP BAL (Double-A) 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 8 K
I saw Smith follow Grayson last Saturday and he was solid, 92-95 mph from the left side with an above-average slider and a solid changeup. Just another arm in the Baltimore stable, they’re slowly turning into a development machine.
Oneil Cruz, SS PIT (Double-A) 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB
Over the last two weeks or so Cruz has been among the hottest hitters in the upper-minors. He’s showing a well rounded skill set as well, as he’s hitting for power, average, getting on base and running. This is the potential offensive superstar we have all been dreaming of.
Rodolfo Castro, 2B PIT (Double-A) 4-for-5, HR, 4 RBI, 4 R
He’s been on a heater, as he has homers in consecutive games and his fourth in the last four games. He already saw some service time in Pittsburgh, and at 22 has a good shot to click as an everyday regular.
Mason Martin, 1B PIT (Double-A) 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 R
Altoona, more like Albooma, amirite? Okay, okat terrible dad joke. Martin hasn’t hit for as much power as I anticipated, and the swing and miss is plaguing him, but I still like the upside as a power hitting left handed bat.
Cal Mitchell, OF PIT (Double-A) 2-for-4, 4 RBI
I guess they were using those 2019 MLB balls for this one last night? Was there a wind turbine being the plate blowing everything out?
Richard Palacios, 2B CLE (Double-A) 4-for-6, RBI, 3 R, 2 SB
One half of the Brooklyn born Palacios brothers. He tore his labrum prior to the 2019 season and missed the entire campaign recovering from surgery. He’s a high contact hitter, with some wheels, and a little pull-side power. There’s likely a bench outfielder ceiling with an up and down outcome more likely.
Alex Call, OF CLE (Double-A) 3-for-4, RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, 2 SB
Another older player I’ve been skipping over on a nightly basis, but he’s been too good. He’s 26, he’s been in pro-ball since 2016, and this is his third run through Double-A. That said he’s hitting .337/.404/.547 this season, and the gains in contact rate, K-rate, and walk-rate are noticeably improved. He’s also showing more power, is this perhaps a late career breakout post COVID shutdown? There’s going to be a few, I reckon...
Samad Taylor, OF TOR (Double-A) 3-for-4, HR, RBI, 2 R
I’m not going to rewrite last night’s blurb but you need to be buying in on Samad. He may only be a utility guy, but I believe he can be a very good one. His hot streak continues.
Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP TOR (Double-A) 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K
We published the first of my northeast live looks yesterday and SWR was detailed heavily. Go read that! This was his first start post-Olympic qualifying. All dem USA boys are back!
Norel Gonzalez, 1B HOU (Double-A) 2-for-4, HR, BB
The less famous Cuban import on Corpus Christi’s roster but he’s out hitting Leon. He hit .315/.395/.457 over five seasons in Cuba, and perhaps offers a little upside, as he may go unnoticed due to his age.
Pedro Leon, SS HOU (Double-A) 0-for-1, 4 BB
I guess this qualifies as a hot streak? I’m very confused by all of this. He had double dongs, and now four walks. So while he was 0-fer, he still got on base four times. Is that sheet worthy? I think it is. Cuban star shaking off the rust, I’d buy in now and ignore the early struggles.
Brett Baty, 3B NYM (High-A) 2-for-3, HR, 2 R, RBI (Game 1 of Doubleheader)
The former 2019 first round pick has hit the ball much better than expected and is now hitting for both average and power in the 2021 minor league season.
Josh Smith, SS NYY (High-A) 1-for-3, HR, R, RBI (Game 1 of Doubleheader)
After having Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe the Pistons decided to sign Josh Smith to a catastrophic 4 year $54,000,000 deal...oh wait wrong Josh Smith thank goodness what a disaster that was. Recently getting the call up from Low-A in his first game with the wanna see my Renegades he hit his first homer. The LSU man recently posted this Tik Tok on what it’s like to get promoted.
Drew Millas, C OAK (High-A) 2-for-6, HR, R, 3 RBI
Glove-first backstop gets himself his first homer of the season, which is something you love to see. He’s not hit particularly well this season but with his glove and arm you can always find a spot for someone like this in your organization.
Xzavion Curry, RHP CLE (High-A) 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
The long lost Curry son has always been a favorite of mine and when he was drafted by a progressive pitching organization I was excited for Xzavion. Seems like a great teammate and he pitched well in his first start at this level. 80 grade first name.
Aaron Bracho, DH CLE (High-A) 1-for-4, HR, R, RBI
Bracho has not been hitting all that well to start the season but it is nice to see him hit the ball hard, but it would be nice to see him make more contact. A 83 wRC+ for a second base only prospect is less than ideal.
Miguel Vargas, 3B LAD (High-A) 2-for-5, HR, 2 R, RBI
Currently in the midst of a 25 game hitting streak, honestly there isn’t anything he has left to prove at this level. Oh and he hit a homer, he’s hitting .341/.385/.593 with 7 homers on the season.
Andy Pages, OF LAD (High-A) 2-for-3, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
What an absolute tank his homer was. Pages has been demolishing baseballs left and right after a slow start to the season.
Quinn Cotton, OF CIN (High-A) 2-for-4, HR, R
Former 8th round pick out of Grand Canyon University, which fun fact you can buy stock in Grand Canyon University if that is your thing. He’s been hitting the ball well in his past few games and showing some modest thump if you squint there's a chance for a fourth outfielder.
Wander Javier, SS MIN (High-A) 1-for-5, HR, R, RBI
Don’t look now but Wander Javier is starting to heat up, by his standard. Back-to-back games with a longball for the lesser Wander. He is currently in the midst of a five game hitting streak.
Spencer Steer, 3B MIN (High-A) 3-for-5, 2 HR, 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI
Over the past 3 games Steer has hit himself 5 homers.
Connor Scott, OF MIA (High-A) 2-for-4, R
Multi-hit day for the former 2018 first round pick. One thing I learnt about Connor Scott is that he has one of the longest necks in all of the minor leagues.
Korey Lee, C HOU (High-A) 1-for-3, 2 R (Game 1 of Doubleheader)
Korey Lee the singles hitter? Welp that’s what he has been for a while now, currently hitting .320 on the season with three homers, he’s gone full Madrigal.
Alex Mckenna, OF HOU (High-A) 1-for-5, HR, R, RBI (Game 1 of Doubleheader) 2-for-3, 3B, R (Game 2 of Doubleheader)
Mckenna is one of my favorite lesser heralded prospects that continues to perform. On the season he’s hitting .298/.383/.632. He’s semilocal to me being from Lancaster, California which might have some of the worst drivers in the world.
Jesse Franklin V, OF ATL (High-A) 1-for-2, HR, R, RBI (Game 2 of Doubleheader)
Go Blue! The former Wolverine is not known for making consistent contact but he has been flashing the power recently, hitting all four of his homers since June started.
Quinn Priester, RHP PIT (High-A) 4.2 IP, 6 H, 5 K
Young for the level Priester has been pitching well outside of one blow-up outing. He’s not overwhelming batters currently striking out 22 batters in his 25.2 innings, but he’s done a good job of limiting the walks this season. The Pirates have been doing well with their pitchers since the new regime has come in.
Lolo Sanchez, OF PIT (High-A) 1-for-4, HR, 2 R, RBI
Known mostly for his speed and versatility in the outfield it is nice to see Get Lolo sprinkle in some power.
Aaron Shackleford, 2B PIT (High-A) 2-for-5, HR, 2 R, RBI
Shackleford is an interesting prospect, being a three-true outcome second-baseman, don’t see too many of them, he has 10 homers on the short season and is rocking a .370 OBP. he also has some of the best hair for the level.
Zach Watson, OF BAL (High-A) 2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
Former LSU standout has been hitting the ball well in June. Of his eight hits, six of them have been of the extra-base variety. Must be something with those LSU guys when regionals start up.
Greg Jones, SS TB (High-A) 1-for-4, R, RBI
You wanna drink Bailey’s from a shoe. One of the more dynamic prospects in the minors, he shows that he is more than a power-speed guy being able to hit, and shows good strikezone recognition at this level currently rocking a .407 OBP.
Jordan Qsar, OF TB (High-A) 2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
A 25 year old in High-A so he's old for the level but hey two homers in a game is notable.
Peyton Battenfield, RHP TB (High-A) 5 IP, 2 H, ER, 5 K
Tampa Bay pitching prospects are always hard to project going forward but when you have 31 innings and have struck out 49 batters they will probably find some sorta role for you.
David Hamilton, SS MIL (High-A) 2-for-7, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI
Another day another homer for David Hamilton I guess, despite him not being known for his power.
Garrett Mitchell, OF MIL (High-A) 2-for-5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB
After missing time with an injury Mitchell has hit the ground running currently in the midst of a 7 game hitting streak. The former UCLA Bruin is one of the more exciting prospects in the Brewers system because of the power and speed potential he has if he has tweaked his swing.
C.J. Van Eyk, RHP TOR (High-A) 5 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Van Eyk sounds like a good ball playing centre back who will be playing for the Netherlands in the upcoming Euros. Instead he is a pitching prospect in the Blue Jays system who after a rough go of it to start his professional career he is starting to settle in and pitch solidly.
Julio Rodriguez, OF SEA (High-A) 4-for-5, HR, 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI
Once Wander Franco and Jarred Kelenic graduate Julio is on the shortlist for the next top prospect in the game, and yesterday is one of the reasons why, hitting and hitting for power. He is the quintessential corner outfield profile, plus he’s a super charismatic personality.
Austin Shenton, 1B SEA (High-A) 3-for-5, HR, R, 3 RBI
Shenton is hitting everything in the month of June, and he’s hitting the ball far this month already collecting three homers in the early goings of June.
Matt Brash, RHP SEA (High-A) 4.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
Well that was rather Brash if you ask me. The former 4th rounder is known for bringing a solid fastball-changeup combination to the table and at this level that will get the job done, as he has 41 strikeouts in 26 innings.
Nasim Nunez, DH MIA (Low-A) 1-for-3, 2 BB, 3 SB
Nunez went wild on the basepaths in this one, stealing three bags. The stolen base attempts have almost completely ruined Low-A baseball with the rules limiting step offs on the mound, but Nunez has a ridiculous 23 stolen bases to this point.
Keoni Cavaco, SS MIN (Low-A) 3-for-4, 2B
Cavaco at it again. The Chula Vista native still has a bit too much swing and miss to his game, but he’s been hitting a bit as of late. He’s hitting .264/.328/.340 on the season, with only five extra base hits, but he’s been hitting the ball hard. It’ll be a slow climb through the minors, but Cavaco is an intriguing high upside play capable of swatting 25-30 homers as he matures and if he figures out how to make more consistent contact.
Louie Varland, RHP MIN (Low-A) 6 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 11 K
Six shutout innings for Varland. Varland was born in St. Paul and attended Concordia University, St. Paul. I’m sure he was thrilled to be selected by the Twins in the 15th round in 2019. They should be thrilled as well as they look like they have a legit pitching prospect here that features a nice fastball/slider combo and will mix in a change as well. He hit 95 in this one, and both offerings had CSW’s over 40%.
Steven Cruz, RHP MIN (Low-A) 2 IP, 0 ER, 2 K
The 6’7” righty out of the Dominican Republic was signed by the Twins in 2017. He throws flames, with a 100 MPH fastball and 90 MPH slider. Another Twins reliever, Bradley Hanner, worked in this one as well and featured a nasty 3200 RPM slider that had a 71% CSW.
Levi Prater, STL LHP (Low-A) 4 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
This is becoming standard for Prater, inefficient outings where he gets whiffs but still struggles with his command. Only 48 of his 89 pitches found the zone, and hitters struggle more with his secondaries than they do his 88-90 fastball.
Jose Peroza, 3B NYM (Low-A) 2-for-2, HR, 2B, 2 BB
Not to be confused with Jose Peraza, the infielder that has seemingly played for half the league already before he turned 28. Ironically he’s in the Mets organization too. This Jose Per did some damage when he was pitched to, taking Levi Prater deep and also walking twice. He would also add a double later. He’s a non-prospect but he’s hitting .263/.443/.450 so perhaps he’s worth a second look.
J.T. Ginn, RHP NYM (Low-A) 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
A successful rehab outing for Ginn, who touched 93 with his sinker and was primarily sinker/slider/changeup in this one. Ginn threw 49 pitches for 34 strikes and got plenty of weak contact, except for the first inning bomb by L.J. Jones.
Santiago Florez, RHP PIT (Low-A) 7 IP, 5 H, 8 K
Florez has been really damn good this year, posting a 0.78 WHIP and 1.17 ERA in six games, striking out 45 over 30 ⅔ innings while issuing seven free passes. He hit 95 on the gun with the heater but his curveball is his best pitch and is just too much for Low-A hitters.
Orelvis Martinez, SS TOR (Low-A) 3-for-6, 3B, 2B
Martinez hit piss missiles all over the diamond in this one, his single was 109.6 off the bat, his double was 107.6 and his triple was 101.3. The three hardest hit balls of the game and they all belonged to Martinez. He did make an error at short and the Jays are still trying to figure out his future defensive home, but my man is hitting .262/.328/.434 as a 19-year old in Low-A.
Evan Carter, OF TEX (Low-A) 2-for-3, 2B, BB
Carter has as many walks as strikeouts on the season and is hitting .232/.422/.379 as an 18-year old in Low-A, which is very impressive. His 22% K rate entering the game isn’t all that high by today’s standards and especially when you factor in his age. His 22% walk rate is absolutely fantastic and he’s got 12 stolen bases to go with the walks.
Johan Rojas, OF PHI (Low-A) 3-for-6, HR
A nice three hit game highlighted by a dong. Good ball game from Rojas who is one of the more exciting players in the minors from a tools standpoint, and is a guy to invest in now before it all comes together.
Trevor Hauver, 2B NYY (Low-A) 2-for-4, 2B, 2 BB
He’s back. It’s been a quieter last month or so for Hauver, who had an unbelievable start to the season. In fact, he’s still hitting .304/.474/.569. He’s hitting .429/.538/.762 against left-handers as well. Just thought that was absurd enough to get included in the blurb.
Joe Gray Jr., OF MIL (Low-A) 1-for-3, 3B, 2 BB
Not much else to say at this point. JGJr. is ridiculous.
Chase Krogman, OF CWS (Low-A) 4-for-4, 2B
Krogman was the Sox 34th rounder in 2019, and that’s likely to be the last draft with that many rounds for a long time, and maybe ever? He’s only played in ten games this year but is hitting .344/.500/.594 with a pair of homers. That probably moves him ahead of Jake Burger as the White Sox second best prospect? I’m kidding but this system is really bad and they seemingly mess up every draft pick that isn’t the obvious choice (Vaughn/Madrigal). In reality I’d put Jose Rodriguez one and probably Jared Kelley two?
Gilberto Jimenez, OF BOS (Low-A) 0-for-5, 4 K
Being a top prospect or one of my most interesting Low-A guys is a gift and a curse. The Chase Krogman’s of the world don’t get a blurb when they go 0-for-5 with 4 Ks, but guys like Jimenez do. It’s tough in these prospect streets.
Cole Wilcox, RHP TB (Low-A) 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 7 K
Wilcox added another six groundouts to the seven strikeouts, and that’s the story here. He throws a power sinker in the low-to-mid 90s and keeps the ball on the ground while also limiting walks. The Rays can certainly figure out how to utilize an arm like that. (Most orgs would groom them as starters but the Rays will likely make him a bulk reliever and then go to arbitration with him down the line and point out how he hasn’t started many games for them.) I’m kidding, but kind of not?
Darryl Collins, OF KC (Low-A) 2-for-5, 2B
I love Collins’ game. A strong approach with budding power.
Manuel Espinoza, RHP CHC (Low-A) 5 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 10 K
Don’t know much about Espinoza outside of the biographical info on his player page, but he was fantastic in this outing. The Cubs have a strong pipeline of talent from Mexico, and Espinoza looks to be the latest from that well.
Joey Estes, RHP ATL (Low-A) 5 ⅔ IP, 3 H, 11 K
Damn. A strong pitching matchup in this one. Espinoza and Estes go blow for blow in this one, which was the exact opposite of the Paul/Mayweather fight which from what I was told had about five total punches thrown? Estes needs another challenge because Low-A ain’t it. Dude is rocking a 1.01 ERA and 0.79 WHIP with a 39 to 6 K to BB ratio in 26 innings. Can any of my Braves friends help me out with velocity on Estes?
Blake Walston, LHP ARI (Low-A) 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
Another solid outing from the lanky lefty. I’m anxiously awaiting his promotion to Hillsboro as it's one of the better broadcasts in all of the minor leagues.
Jeremiah Jackson, SS LAA (Low-A) 3-for-5, 2B
Jackson can hit bombs but has some well documented contact issues. He also has some issues in the field and made two errors tonight. It’s becoming more and more likely that Jackson ends up as a corner outfielder. None of that matters though if he can’t start making more contact.
Robinson Pina, RHP LAA (Low-A) 5 ⅔ IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 8 K
Pina started the season in High-A but was demoted to Low-A and this was his first start for his new club. Pina was awful in High-A, with 24 walks to 19 strikeouts in just 15 innings, so hopefully this is just a pit stop to get some new tires and a splash of fuel and he will be on his way back up the ladder.
Robert Hassell III, OF SD (Low-A) 2-for-4, 2B
Bobby Barrells might be one of the most boring prospects to write about on a nightly basis, but in a good way. He’s remarkably steady and looks like the best prep outfielder in a deep 2020 class.
Brandon Valenzuela, C SD (Low-A) 4-for-5, 3B, 4 RBI
A big night for Valenzuela, who returns to the list after seemingly going missing for a bit. The key for Valenzuela is sticking behind the plate long term, and while I confess I’ve only seen him catch a handful of innings, having seven errors in 20 games back there while also spending a considerable amount of time at first base doesn’t make me feel very optimistic about his chances of sticking back there.
Tyler Soderstrom, C OAK (Low-A) 3-for-4, 2B
Yo! He’s back at it. It’s a day that ends in Y so Soderstrom is hitting baseballs that are finding grass. A little bit of a wet blanket though, and I need to preface this by saying this is box score scouting at its worst but he did have two more past balls in this one. Obviously not all pass balls are created equal, but that’s eight on the year to this point. Is it something to worry about? No, but it could be something that keeps him in the minors for longer than the bat needs. That’s a problem for three years from now but worth pointing out.
Luis Matos, OF SF (Low-A) 2-for-5, 2B, SB
Matos is a dude. Putting all of his tools on display on a nightly basis. Love this dude.
Marco Luciano, SS SF (Low-A) 2-for-5, HR
Marco go boom. He continues to hit and is a top 10 or so prospect for me in fantasy leagues despite the ETA.
Alexander Canario, OF SF (Low-A) 2-for-5
He’s hitting his way out of his early funk. Good to see.
Casey Schmitt, DH SF (Low-A) 2-for-4, HR
Schmitt has been horrendous so far, and as a college bat he should be performing well in Low-A, not hitting .169/.235/.348. Wonder if he’s playing through something?
Noelvi Marte, SS SEA (Low-A) 1-for-3, HR
Luciano homered so Marte had to as well. It’s a fun debate with really no wrong answer, but Luciano or Marte?
Daniel Espino, RHP CLE (Low-A) 2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 K
This game was suspended due to weather, and his abbreviated outing was not due to injury. Just posting this to clear that up.