Wednesday's top prospect performers
Here's MLB Pipeline's roundup of the top prospect performances in the Minor Leagues on Wednesday.
Keston Hiura's first Double-A home run sent Biloxi home winners.
Hiura, Milwaukee's top-ranked prospect (No. 48 overall), blistered the fourth pitch he saw leading off the bottom of the ninth over the wall down the left-field line to lead the Shuckers past Mississippi, 6-5.
MILB Video - Title: Hiura hits walk-off homer - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2152518683
The walk-off blast capped a 3-for-4, two-RBI showing at the plate that included a double, two runs scored and a walk. The three-hit performance, meanwhile, was Hiura's second with the Shuckers and marked the 10th time this season he's collected at least three hits.
Promoted to Biloxi from Class A Advanced Carolina on June 1, Hiura, 21, has made a smooth transition to the Southern League by hitting .378/.440/.578 with seven extra-base hits in his first 12 contents. Combined with his time in the Carolina League, the 2017 first-round pick out of UC Irvine has compiled a .331/.392/.538 batting line with eight homers, 22 doubles and 46 runs scored in 62 games.
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The rest of the best performances from top prospects Wednesday
• No. 7 overall prospect Forrest Whitley (Astros' No. 1) posted four scoreless innings in his second start of the season for Double-A Corpus Christi. The 20-year-old righty allowed two hits and two walks, while striking out six on 72 pitches (46 strikes). Whitley has been lights-out since returning from a 50-game suspension to open the season, throwing eight scoreless innings during which he's fanned 11 batters and allowed just two hits.
• No. 25 overall prospect Kyle Wright's (Braves' No. 2) trend of pitching well on the road continued as the 2017 first-rounder worked 6 2/3 strong innings for Double-A Mississippi in a no-decision versus Biloxi. He allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits while walking three and striking out six. Wright, 22, owns a 1.91 ERA with a .195 BAA on the road this season compared to an 0-6 record, 8.23 ERA and .365 BAA in Mississippi. Alex Jackson (Braves' No. 14) hit a two-run shot in the fifth inning, his second homer in as many games and fifth this season.
• No. 53 overall prospect Jo Adell (Angels' No. 1) hit a home run and collected three hits for the third time in six games for Class A Advanced Inland Empire. The 19-year-old outfielder connected on a solo shot in his first at-bat and finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. The homer was Adell's sixth in 21 games with Inland Empire and 12th of the season in 46 games spanning two levels.
• No. 67 overall prospect Chance Adams (Yankees' No. 4) completed seven innings for the second time this season in a no-decision for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Adams allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and one walk in the outing, striking out five and inducing another 10 outs on the ground. The 23-year-old right-hander has pitched to a 4.96 ERA with 70 strikeouts and 27 walks in 61 2/3 innings (13 starts).
• No. 74 overall prospect Tyler O'Neill (Cardinals' No. 2) went deep twice in his fourth two-homer game of the season for Triple-A Memphis. O'Neill bookended his performance by hitting solo shots in the first and ninth innings before finishing 2-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored. He's up to 15 home runs in 38 games for Memphis, and 18 total including his time in the Majors. On the mound, Dakota Hudson (Cardinals' No. 3) fired eight scoreless frames en route to his fifth win in six starts. The 23-year-old righty is 8-2 with a 2.18 ERA in 12 starts so far this season and a candidate to join the Cardinals' rotation in the near future.
MILB Video - Title: O'Neill hits second homer - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2152672483
• No. 76 overall prospect Max Fried (Braves' No. 7) set a pair of season bests as he struck out 11 batters in seven innings in Triple-A Gwinnett's 10-2 win over Norfolk. It arguably was the best performance of the year for Fried, as he allowed one earned run on three hits and two hit-by-pitches. Of his 99 pitches, 66 were strikes. Expect Fried to get another chance with the Braves soon, either as a starter or a reliever.
MILB Video - Title: Fried's 11th strikeout - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2152277283
• Astros' No. 18 prospect Cristian Javier was untouchable in his Carolina League debut, tossing six hitless frames in Class A Advanced Buies Creek's 2-1 over Carolina. The 21-year-old righty issued three walks, struck out five and found the strike zone with 54 of 90 pitches. Javier was promoted to Buies Creek after he posted a 1.82 ERA and a Midwest League-leading 80 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings for Class A Quad Cities.
• Braves' No. 18 prospect Drew Waters hit a double in both ends of Class A Rome's doubleheader against Greenville to extend his hitting streak to 17 games. He posted four hits on the day, going 1-for-5 with two runs scored in the opener and then adding a 3-for-4 performance that included a stolen base in the nightcap. In what has been an impressive first full season, the 19-year-old Waters, a second-round pick in 2017, is hitting .317/.366/.561 with six homers, 20 doubles and 11 steals.
• D-backs' No. 4 prospectTaylor Widener set a career high with 12 strikeouts as he pitched Double-A Jackson past Jacksonville, 11-3. The 23-year-old righty scattered three hits with two walks while throwing 90 pitches (57 strikes) over six scoreless innings. He's been one of the top pitchers in the Southern League, where he ranks among the circuit leaders with a 2.53 ERA (third) and 89 strikeouts (first) in 67 2/3 innings.
MILB Video - Title: Widener notches 12th strikeout - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2152744983
• Pirates' No. 5 prospect Cole Tucker and Bryan Reynolds (No. 6) both hit their first home run of the season to help power Double-A Altoona past Binghamton, 7-2. Reynolds connected on a first-inning grand slam to give the Curve an early lead; Tucker added a solo shot in the following frame. They both finished 2-for-5 at the plate while combining for six RBIs.
MILB Video - Title: Reynolds hits grand slam - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2152924683