Red-hot prospects lead Team of the Week

MLB Pipeline's Prospect Team of the Week honors the best performances from the previous seven days. Any Minor Leaguer currently on an organization Top 30 Prospects list in our Prospect Rankings is eligible.

No player has been named to our Prospect Team of the Week more than three times so far in 2021. This week’s squad, covering games Sept. 6-12, welcomes in a new member of the three-timers club and three others making repeat appearances. Two of our pitchers are really coming on strong at the end, making PTOW twice in the last four weeks.

C: Yainer Diaz, Asheville Tourists (High-A)
(Astros No. 14)
.480/.536/1.160, 6 G, 25 AB, 10 R, 12 H, 2 2B, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 3 BB, 2 SO

This is Diaz’s second time on PTOW, both coming since he was dealt to the Astros from the Indians at the Trade Deadline. Diaz hit in all six of his games last week and had two or more hits in five of them. He homered in four straight, Thursday-Sunday, after hitting a grand slam to start his week on Tuesday. Since getting promoted to High-A in mid-August, Diaz has gone off, with a .384/.432/.836 line to go along with 10 homers and 26 RBIs in 20 games for Asheville.

1B: Brendan Donovan, Memphis Redbirds (Triple-A)
(Cardinals No. 18)
.474/.583/.842, 6 G, 19 AB, 8 R, 9 H, 1 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 BB, 3 SO, 3 SB

The Cardinals’ corner infielder had three multi-hit games last week (two of the three-hit variety), homering on Wednesday and Saturday. The 2018 seventh-rounder began the year in High-A and has hit his way up to the highest level of the Minors. He’s done his best work in Triple-A, with a .328/.429/.603 line in 19 games with Memphis

2B: Matthew Lugo, Salem Red Sox (Low-A)
(Red Sox No. 12)
.435/.536/.652, 6 G, 23 AB, 7 R, 10 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 4 BB, 6 SO, 1 SB, 1 CS

Lugo just edged out his organization-mate Nick Yorke this week thanks largely to a weekend that saw him go 6-for-9 on Saturday and Sunday combined. His Saturday was a perfect 4-for-4 performance with a pair of doubles and RBIs that helped him boost his September line to .395/.481/.651 with 11 RBIs in 12 games.

Others receiving votes: Nick Yorke, Greenville Drive (High-A, Red Sox)

3B: Jordan Walker, Peoria Chiefs (High-A)
(Cardinals No. 3/MLB No. 59)
.381/.458/1.000, 5 G, 21 AB, 6 R, 8 H, 1 2B, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 3 BB, 8 SO, 1 SB

Walker is our third baseman of the week for the third time this season as the teenager continues to show High-A is not a problem for him. He finished the week with a two-homer game and has now hit in all nine games he’s played in this month, with a .368/.429/.711 line to show for it. For the year across both levels of A-ball, the 2020 first-rounder is now at .324/.396/.549 with double-digits in homers and steals.

Others receiving votes: Alex Binelas, Carolina Mudcats (Low-A, Brewers)

SS: Geraldo Perdomo, Amarillo Sod Poodles (Double-A)
(D-backs No. 9)
.429/.500/.857, 5 G, 21 AB, 8 R, 9 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 6 SO, 4 SB

Perdomo continues to right the ship after struggling for much of the 2021 season, hitting in all five games last week to extend his active hitting streak to eight. He’s now hit .385/.479/.718 over 39 at-bats in September, building off a .306/.398/.472 slash line in August and allowing him to raise his batting average nearly 80 points.

OF: Dominic Fletcher, Amarillo Sod Poodles (Double-A)
(D-backs No. 19)
.458/.481/1.167, 6 G, 24 AB, 9 R, 11 H, 1 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 5 SO

Fletcher trailed only Diaz among qualifying prospects last week with 28 total bases and had five multihit games in the process to become the second Sod Poodle on this week’s squad. He homered twice on Thursday and went deep on Saturday and Sunday in making his second PTOW for the season. He has a robust .400/.419/.850 line this month.

OF: Luis Matos, San Jose Giants (Low-A)
(Giants No. 3/MLB No. 79)
.563/.696/1.063, 5 G, 16 AB, 7 R, 9 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 6 BB, 2 SO, 1 CS

The 19-year-old Matos did all of his damage in the tail end of the week, going 9-for-11 in three games Friday-Sunday. He homered in both weekend games, driving in all five of his runs for the week. That upped his September line to .324/.444/.595, and he’s hitting .311/.353/.487 with 14 homers and 21 steals for the year.

OF: Jordan Brewer, Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Low-A)
(Astros No. 22)
.556/.667/.944, 5 G, 18 AB, 6 R, 10 H, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 BB, 4 SO, 4 SB

Brewer is putting a rough August behind him and now has an active 10-game hitting streak going after three multi-hit performances this past week. That’s enabled him to bump his season line up to .275/.375/.410 and he’s been a very efficient 21-for-23 in stolen-base attempts this year.

LHP: Chris Murphy, Portland Sea Dogs (Double-A)
(Red Sox No. 11)
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 SO, 0.33 WHIP

This is the second time in four weeks that Murphy has been our LHP choice on PTOW and gives the lefty spot to the Red Sox for the third time in that span (Jay Groome was on last week’s squad). Murphy threw just 76 pitches in his six-inning gem on Friday, his first start since Aug. 31. He’s held Double-A hitters to a .212 batting average in six starts since his promotion and has struck out 11.4 per nine across two levels combined in 2021.

RHP: Tommy Romero, Durham Bulls (Triple-A)
(Rays No. 18)
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 7 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 13 SO, 0.39 WHIP

Romero started the year dominating Double-A hitters, and he’s ending it by mastering Triple-A. He’s now tossed 12 2/3 scoreless innings over two starts in September and has held hitters at the level to a .186 BAA in nine starts. For the year, the right-hander has a very impressive 128/28 K/BB ratio in 93 2/3 IP (That’s 12.3 K/9) with a .195 BAA.

RP: Dylan Coleman, Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple-A)
(Royals No. 29)
1-0, 1 SV, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 3 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO, 0.55 WHIP

Coleman has now been our reliever in two of the past three weeks after two more scoreless outings this past week. Outside of a three-run blemish on Sept. 1, Coleman has been unscored upon in nine straight outings. Even with that hiccup, he has a 1.93 ERA and 15.4 K/9 rate over his last 10 appearances.