1st Prospect Team of the Week of '21

MLB Pipeline's Prospect Team of the Week honors the best performances in the Minors from the previous seven days. Any player on an organization's Top 30 Prospects list or on our Prospect Watch is eligible.

The return of Minor League Baseball means the return of Prospect Team of the Week. Back for the first time since the end of the 2019 season, we’ll pick a mini-roster of prospects on Top 30 lists who stood out performance-wise the week prior from now until the end of the 2021 regular season.

If you’re bullish on the future of the Mets, this week’s squad will add fuel to your fire, as that system leads the way with three representatives on the roster. All but two, Vidal Bruján of the Rays and the Marlins’ Jesús Sánchez, are newcomers to PTOW.

Here is this week’s Prospect Team of the Week, from games on May 4-9.

C: Francisco Álvarez, St. Lucie Mets (Low-A)
(Mets No. 1/MLB No. 39 prospect)
6 G, .529/.667/.882, 8 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 9 BB, 2 SO, 1 SB

The 19-year-old backstop began his full-season debut with a bang, going 4-for-5 with a double and a pair of RBIs on Tuesday. He hit in four straight games from Thursday to Sunday, including picking up his first home run of the year on Friday.

1B: Michael Toglia, Spokane Indians (High-A)
(Rockies No. 3)
6 G, .222/.462/.889, 8 R, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 8 BB, 9 SO, 2 SB

Though an 0-for-4 outing on Sunday night knocked the batting average down a bit, it’s hard to look past the on-base and slugging on display from the Rockies’ 2019 first-round pick. He had four hits for the week, all homers, as he went deep in the first two games of the season, then went back-to-back again Friday and Saturday. He was close to a three true outcomes kind of guy with eight walks and nine strikeouts, though he did swipe a couple of bags as well.

Others receiving votes: Lewin Diaz, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Marlins Triple-A)

2B: Trevor Hauver, Tampa Tarpons (Low-A)
(Yankees No. 23)
5 G, .556/.654/1.611, 9 R, 1 2B, 6 HR, 13 RBI, 7 BB, 5 SO

The Arizona State product was announced as a second baseman in the third round of the 2020 Draft even though he played in the outfield for the Sun Devils, and he played all five of his games to start this season on the dirt. He homered in all five games, starting with two on Opening Day. He led all eligible prospects in home runs and RBIs while tying for the lead in total bases (29).

3B: Brett Baty, Brooklyn Cyclones (High-A)
(Mets No. 4/MLB No. 81)
4 G, .462/.632/.692, 3 2B, 6 RBI, 6 BB, 3 SO

Baty, the Mets’ top pick in 2019, played in just four games and hit in only three, but all three were of the multi-hit variety. The left-handed hitter picked up two hits each on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, driving in three runs in the opener, adding two doubles with an RBI on Thursday and driving in two more on Friday.

Others receiving votes: Taylor Jones, Sugar Land Skeeters (Astros Triple-A); Alexander Mojica, Bradenton Marauders (Pirates Low-A)

SS: Ronny Mauricio, Brooklyn Cyclones (High-A)
(Mets No. 2/MLB No. 56)
4 G, .368/.429/.895, 6 R, 4 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 7 SO

Mauricio hit in all four games he played in for Brooklyn last week, kicking off the season with a two-double performance on Tuesday. He had three hits -- two doubles and his first homer of the season -- on Friday, then added another homer on Saturday.

Others receiving votes: Liover Peguero, Greensboro Grasshoppers (Pirates High-A)

OF: Vidal Bruján, Durham Bulls (Triple-A)
(Rays No. 2/MLB No. 41)
6 G, .455/.571/1.000, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 6 BB, 3 SO, 1 SB

Known more for his hit tool and speed than his power entering the year, Bruján did plenty of hitting, with four multi-hit games highlighted by a three-hit affair on Saturday. If the power the infielder/outfielder (Bruján played four games in the outfield and two at second) displayed is legit -- he homered in back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday, then hit two out on Saturday -- he could vault himself to a higher level of prospect.

OF: Heliot Ramos, Richmond Flying Squirrels (Double-A)
(Giants No. 3/MLB No. 70)
6 G, .429/.520/.857, 8 R, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 BB, 6 SO, 2 SB

Ramos scuffled a bit in his first taste of Double-A in 2019, but if this first week is any indication, he’s made some adjustments. The 21-year old hit in all six games, picking up five extra-base hits along the way. Ramos homered in back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday. That Thursday contest was his best for the week, a three-hit, four-RBI performance.

OF: Jesús Sánchez, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Triple-A)
(Marlins No. 6)
6 G, .556/.571/1.074, 6 R, 1 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 1 BB, 3 SO

The last time we saw Sanchez in real game action, he was struggling mightily during his 2020 big league debut. Looking to right the ship, Sánchez hit in all six games, all but one of the multi-hit variety, headlined by a 5-for-5 performance on Wednesday that included a triple, a homer and four RBIs. That came on the heels of a five-RBI outburst in Jacksonville’s opener as Sanchez tied for the lead among qualified prospects with 29 total bases for the week.

LHP: John Doxakis, Charleston RiverDogs (Low-A)
(Rays No. 29)
0-0, 2 GS, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 13 SO, 0.29 WHIP

The Rays’ second-round pick in 2019 out of Texas A&M, Doxakis had a strong full-season debut across two shorter starts as he gets built up slowly. He started the opener for Charleston and went four scoreless, allowing just two hits while striking out five. He was back on Sunday and even stingier over three innings of hitless work. He struck out eight of the nine batters he faced in that outing.

RHP: Luis Medina, Hudson Valley Renegades (High-A)
(Yankees No. 7)
1-0, 2 GS, 9 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 15 SO, 0.67 WHIP

Medina’s electric stuff was on display in both of his starts last week. Last Tuesday, he tossed four one-hit innings, striking out eight on Opening Day. He went five and picked up his first win on Sunday, allowing just one hit again while fanning seven. He not only missed bats, he got weak contact on the ground with 10 ground-ball outs across both starts.

RP: Mauricio Llovera, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Triple-A)
(Phillies No. 17)
0-0, 3 G, 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 SO

The 25-year-old reliever made his brief big league debut last year and he’s already knocking on the door to get another opportunity. Llovera kicked things off with a perfect frame on Opening Day, then came back with two more hitless innings on Thursday. He gave up his first hit of the season on Sunday, but still didn’t give up a run and didn’t walk a batter across three outings.

Others receiving votes: Burl Carraway, South Bend Cubs (Cubs High-A); Damon Jones, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies Triple-A)