Sunday's top prospect performers
Here's a look at Sunday's top Minor League performers from each team's Top 30 Prospects list:
Orioles: Grayson Rodriguez, RHP (MLB No. 19), Double-A Bowie
Drew Rom, LHP (No. 22), High-A Aberdeen
It’s not surprising when Rodriguez dominates on the mound, but the Orioles’ top pitching prospect outdid himself with a career-high 12 strikeouts through five innings in Game 1 of a doubleheader on Sunday. The 21-year-old threw 61 of his 83 pitches for strikes as he worked around a pair of singles and a walk against Bowie. The only run he gave up was unearned as a result of a fielding error. Through eight Double-A starts, Rodriguez has held opposing batters to a .162 clip and owns a 2.04 ERA with 57 strikeouts and eight walks through 39 2/3 innings.
Rom earned the win after tossing five scoreless innings in his first relief appearance of the season for Aberdeen, bringing his record to a perfect 7-0 on the season. The southpaw threw 41 of his 69 pitches for strikes and gave up three hits (all singles), walked two and struck out four. Rom lowered his ERA to 2.87 and has racked up 67 strikeouts over 62 2/3 innings.
Orioles prospect stats »
Cardinals: Nolan Gorman, 3B (MLB No. 28), Triple-A Memphis
Gorman had his third multihomer game of the season -- his first in Triple-A -- and drove in four runs (tied for a season high) on a 3-for-5 day at the plate in Memphis’ 12-1 win. The Cardinals’ No. 2 prospect has hit four homers over his last five games, driving in nine runs and totaling 22 bases in that span. Gorman is four homers shy of his career high of 17 he set in 2018, and after a multihit game yesterday-X Saturday, he’s brought his Triple-A average up to .220 with four homers and 12 RBIs since getting called up at the beginning of July. Cardinals prospect stats »
Pirates: Nick Gonzales, 2B (MLB No. 29), High-A Greensboro
Gonzales recorded four hits in a game for the first time this season, including his second career triple, in Greensboro’s 7-5 win over Rome on Sunday. The Pirates’ top prospect has tallied two multihit games in his last three efforts, bringing his slash line up to .248/.322/.457 with five homers and 14 RBIs through his first 32 Minor League games. Pirates prospect stats »
Rockies: Zac Veen, OF (MLB No. 39), Low-A Fresno
Veen continued his run on Sunday as one of the hottest hitters in the Minors with a home run, a double and four RBIs. The 19-year-old has gone 11-for-14 in his last four games -- all multihit efforts -- and is batting .333 with seven extra-base hits and 17 RBIs in 14 games this month. Overall, Veen has a .282/.399/.489 slash line with 27 extra-base hits, 46 RBIs and 27 stolen bases. Rockies prospect stats »
White Sox: Blake Rutherford, OF (No. 8), Triple-A Charlotte
Rutherford doubled home two runs and added his fourth home run of the season to extend his hitting streak to a modest four games. The 24-year-old has four multihit efforts in his last 10 games while going 12-for-44 (.273) with five extra-base hits and 10 RBIs in that span. Rutherford is batting .233/.276/.361 in 52 games with Charlotte. White Sox prospect stats »
Dodgers: Miguel Vargas, 3B (No. 11), Double-A Tulsa
Gerardo Carrillo, RHP (No. 17), Double-A Tulsa
DJ Peters, OF (No. 19), Triple-A Oklahoma City
Vargas got the scoring started for the Drillers with an RBI single in the first, then launched a two-run home run in the sixth as part of a five-run inning in Tulsa’s 9-1 win on Sunday. The 21-year-old scored three runs, drove in three and walked once to complete his 2-for-4 day at the plate. Vargas has tallied six multihit games over his last 11, and through 28 Double-A games, he’s slashing .277/.349/.509 with seven long balls and 21 RBIs.
Carrillo tossed his first quality start of the season on Sunday as the 22-year-old gave up a hit and a walk over six scoreless innings. Carrillo retired the first six men of the game before getting into some trouble in the third after a leadoff double and a one-out walk put two on. Carrillo then fanned the next batter he faced and induced a groundout to keep Tulsa’s two-run lead in tact. The righty didn’t allow another runner for the rest of his outing, and he now owns a 4.20 ERA and is holding batters to a .211 average through 14 appearances this season.
Peters fell a homer shy of the cycle and equaled his career high with four hits, his second such game in nine days. The 25-year-old has found it hard to gain traction this season, but a solid July has him pointed in the right direction. Peters barely topped the .200 mark last month, but on the strength of a 10-game hitting streak, the outfielder is batting .304 with seven extra-base hits and seven RBIs in July. Dodgers prospect stats »
Rays: Heriberto Hernandez, C (No. 11), Low-A Charleston
A day after notching a season-high three hits, Hernandez produced his first multihomer game since 2018. His third-inning long ball was his first since June 25, a span of 67 at-bats. The 21-year-old has driven in nine runs during a five-game RBI streak, giving him 31 on the season. Rays prospect stats »
Mets: Jaylen Palmer, 3B/SS (No. 12), Low-A St. Lucie
Palmer legged out three doubles, drove in two runs and scored two as part of a 3-for-4 day at the plate in a 9-1 rout of Palm Beach. St. Lucie scored all nine of its runs in the first, and Palmer doubled twice in the opening inning as the Mets sent 12 men to bat. It’s just the second time in his career that Palmer has recorded multiple extra-base hits in the same game -- the first time came when he doubled twice against Fort Myers just a week ago. Palmer has now tallied two three-hit games in a row, and the 20-year-old is slashing .390/.432/.561 in his last 10 games. Mets prospect stats »
Reds: Graham Ashcraft, RHP (No. 17), Double-A Chattanooga
Ashcraft returned to form on Sunday after getting touched up his last time on the hill, tossing six shutout innings in Chattanooga’s 3-1 victory over Pensacola. The 2019 Draft pick struck out three of the first six batters he faced as he threw 58 of his 89 pitches for strikes and held Pensacola to 1-for-5 with RISP. Ashcraft has gone at least five innings with no earned runs in four of his first five starts since earning a promotion to Double-A on June 23, giving him a 2.33 ERA and a .156 BAA with 27 strikeouts in 27 innings. Reds prospect stats »
Tigers: Nick Quintana, 3B (No. 23), Low-A Lakeland
After finishing a triple shy of the cycle last night, Quintana followed up his 3-for-3 performance by homering for the second game in a row and driving in three runs on a 2-for-4 day at the dish. It’s Quintana’s third multihit game in a row and the second in which he’s tallied three RBIs. The 2019 second-rounder is batting .355 in his last 10 games with eight walks, eight RBIs and 21 total bases. Tigers prospect stats »
Red Sox: Hudson Potts, 3B (No. 24), Double-A Portland
Potts led the charge in Portland’s offensive onslaught. The 2016 first-rounder drove in five runs and scored two in a 3-for-5 day, highlighted by a fifth inning grand slam in the Sea Dogs’ 15-4 rout of Reading. Potts has been off to a slow start to the season, but has shown signs of turning it around recently. In his last four games, the 22-year-old is 5-for-16 with two homers, a double, and nine RBIs. On the year, Potts owns a .694 OPS. Red Sox prospect stats »
D-backs: Ryne Nelson, RHP (No. 19), Double-A Amarillo
Nelson spun his second scoreless start of the season on Sunday, racking up eight strikeouts across six frames of two-hit ball. The 2019 second-rounder worked around four walks and threw 64 of his 97 pitches for strikes in his best Double-A outing since being promoted on June 30. Through four starts for Amarillo, Nelson is pitching to a 4.34 ERA with 26 strikeouts through 18 2/3 innings. D-backs prospect stats »
Rangers: A.J. Alexy, RHP (No. 23), Double-A Frisco
Continuing to alternate between the rotation and the bullpen, Alexy came on in relief and turned in one of his finest outings of the season on Sunday. The 23-year-old walked one and struck out five over 4 2/3 hitless innings in his second-longest performance of the year. Alexy has a 1.55 ERA and is holding opponents to a .188 average while fanning 46 in 40 2/3 innings in 11 appearances, including five starts. Rangers prospect stats »
Blue Jays: Kevin Smith, SS/3B (No. 27), Triple-A Buffalo
Smith teed off at the plate on Sunday, going a perfect 3-for-3 with a two-run homer, double and two runs scored in Buffalo’s 4-0 victory. The 2017 Draft pick extended his hit streak to seven games and has strung together four multihit games in a row, giving him a strong .341/.372/.683 slash line over his last 10 games with three dingers, three doubles and nine RBIs . Blue Jays prospect stats »