Sunday's top prospect performers
Here's a look at Sunday’s top Minor League performers from each team's Top 30 Prospects list:
Twins: Austin Martin, OF/SS (MLB No. 38), Double-A Wichita
Aaron Sabato, 1B (No. 16), High-A Cedar Rapids
Martin finished a triple shy of the cycle and drove in a pair of runs as he notched his second straight three-hit game. The Twins’ No. 2 prospect has recorded three three-hit games in August and five overall this year, bringing his season slash line up to .277/.422/.401. Martin has hit as many home runs in his past two games (2) as he had in 55 with New Hampshire before being traded to the Twins at the Deadline, bringing his Wind Surge dinger total to three and season total to five. The 2020 first-rounder has driven in 10 runs in his past 10 games.
Sabato clubbed two home runs in a game for the second time this month and added a walk to his 2-for-4, two-RBI day at the plate. The dingers were Sabato’s first homers since being promoted to High-A on Aug. 25, bringing his season total to 13. In 90 games across two levels, the 27th overall pick of the 2020 Draft has smacked 17 doubles, driven in 44 runs and walked 75 times -- good for the third-most walks in the Minor Leagues. Twins prospect stats »
D-backs: Alek Thomas, OF (MLB No. 42), Triple-A Reno
Thomas is making himself at home in Triple-A. The 21-year-old tallied four hits for the second consecutive game, doubling twice and driving in two runs in Reno’s loss. Thomas went hitless in 12 at-bats across his first three Triple-A games but has followed that up by going 16-for-25 since. Overall, the Chicago native is batting .294/.384/.517 with 41 extra-base hits, 62 runs and 42 RBIs in 81 games. D-backs prospect stats »
Pirates: Nick Gonzales, 2B (MLB No. 67), High-A Greensboro
Gonzales just keeps one-upping himself. The Pirates’ No. 4 prospect smacked not one, not two, but three home runs, the first such game of his career, just his second multihomer game this year. Not only that, but Gonzales also scored four runs and drove in a career-best eight as he finished 4-for-7 at the plate. It’s the 20-year-old’s third four-hit game this season, with three of those performances coming in the last three weeks. The 2020 first-rounder is slashing a scorching .353 /.411/.706 with eight homers, 10 doubles and 21 RBIs in 23 August games. Pirates prospect stats »
Dodgers: Eddys Leonard, INF (No. 18), High-A Great Lakes
Leonard joined the 2021 three-homer club with a big day of his own, smacking three long balls and driving in four runs on a 4-for-5 performance in Great Lakes’ 10-2 win. The four RBIs tie the career high Leonard set back on July 30, and the three long balls brings his season total up to 21; he only hit eight total in the past two seasons. The 20-year-old has thrived since his promotion to High-A, batting .348 with a 1.116 OPS, seven homers, 17 RBIs and 31 hits in 23 games. Dodgers prospect stats »
Nationals: Cole Henry, RHP (No. 9), High-A Wilmington
Henry earned the win as he pitched in relief in his first High-A start since landing on the injured list at the beginning of June. The 2020 second-rounder struck out six in the final four innings of Wilmington’s 7-3 victory, allowing no runs and tossing 40 of his 56 pitches for strikes. All of the trouble Henry faced came in the 7th inning, when two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out. Three pitches later, Henry induced a much-needed ground ball to erase the threat with a 4-6-3 double play. The 22-year-old is holding opposing batters to a .186 clip and has racked up 48 K’s in 32 innings. Nationals prospect stats »
Rays: Taj Bradley, RHP (No. 6), High-A Bowling Green
Tommy Romero, RHP (No. 18), Triple-A Durham
Since being promoted to the Rays’ High-A affiliate, Bradley has tossed five innings in each of his previous four starts. On Sunday, the righty continued the trend. The Rays’ No. 6 prospect went five innings and fanned six, earning a no-decision in the 5-3 loss. This was the second time this month that the right-hander shut out an opponent in five frames. In his fifth start for the Hot Rods, he threw 52 pitches, 34 for strikes. He retired the final 10 batters after allowing his only hit -- a single in the top of the second inning.
For the second time this season, Romero fanned 11 batters, tying his season high performance from July 1 with Double-A Montgomery. Over six innings of work, the righty allowed just one run off two hits. Of the 71 pitches he tossed, 58 were for strikes. After allowing a home run and a walk in the first inning, the right-hander settled in and retired 14 straight batters before giving up a single in the bottom of the sixth. Rays prospect stats »
Reds: Rece Hinds, 3B (No. 8), Low-A Daytona
Not only did Hinds connect for his first career multihomer game, but the 20-year-old added four RBIs, a stolen base and a walk as he recorded his fourth straight multihit game. Hinds missed most of June with a meniscus tear in his left knee and spent the first three weeks of August rehabbing, but since returning to Daytona on Aug. 24, Hinds is slashing .364/.391/.909 with two stolen bases, three homers, six RBIs and eight hits in five games. Reds prospect stats »
Red Sox: Nick Yorke, 2B (No. 4), High-A Greenville
Yorke is riding a 10-game hitting streak, eight of which are of the multihit variety. In Sunday’s game, the leadoff hitter went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a home run. The Red Sox No. 4 prospect has knocked in five home runs during the hitting streak -- two since being promoted to High-A on Aug. 24. His home run in the eighth inning was the second RBI the second baseman recorded for the Drive, who picked up the win 8-3 over the Hickory Crawdads. Despite the small sample size, Yorke is raking at the High-A level, slashing .435/.458/.826 in five games. Red Sox prospect stats »
Rockies: Brenton Doyle, OF (No. 7), High-A Spokane
Doyle capped off a three hit day with a home run -- his fifth in the last eight games. His power has been on display recently, batting .300 for the month of August. The outfielder also smacked two singles in Sunday’s game, continuing his three-game multi-hit streak. The Rockies' fourth-round 2019 Draft pick has lived up to his potential of being a power hitter in High-A this season. Doyle was caught stealing, but has successfully taken three bases this month. Rockies prospect stats »