Here are Saturday's 10 best prospect performers
Here are the 10 best performances by players on team Top 30 Prospects lists from across the Minor Leagues on Saturday:
Sherten Apostel, OF, Rangers No. 10
Apostel launched the first of his two homers of the day, a two-run home run in the first inning for Down East, which squeaked out a 5-4 walk-off win over Fayetteville in Game 3 of the Class A Advanced Carolina League semifinals. The Rangers’ No. 10 prospect went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and added a walk in the first half of Saturday’s doubleheader, which put Down East up 2-1 in the series. Apostel connected on his second home run in the latter half of the twin bill, going 1-for-2 with a walk, but Down East only managed five hits as a team and ended the day with the series tied 2-2. Rangers prospect stats »
Cristian Pache, OF, Braves No. 1
Pache went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI on Saturday for Triple-A Gwinnett, but the three-hit night from the No. 10 prospect in baseball wasn’t enough to lift Gwinnett over Columbus. The Stripers fell 5-4 to the Clippers, who jumped ahead with a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning to win the International League semifinals series three games to one. The 20-year-old outfielder is one of the best athletes and defenders in the Minor Leagues, but he's proven to be more than capable at the plate, batting .277 across two levels this regular season with 57 extra-base hits. Braves prospect stats »
Alex Kirilloff, OF/1B, Twins No. 2 and Ryan Jeffers, C, No. 10
Kirilloff belted his fourth home run in as many games in Pensacola’s 10-5 win over Biloxi on Saturday. Major League Baseball’s No. 15 prospect finished the day 2-for-4 with the home run and two RBIs, including driving in the go-ahead run on a single in what would be a five-run ninth inning to win the game. He got off to a slow start while recovering from a wrist injury and spent time on the injured list, but he's finished strong and is showing why he's viewed as one of the best all-around hitters in the Minors.
Jeffers joined Kirilloff in homering for the Blue Wahoos Saturday, swatting a two-run blast in the third inning to tie the game at four. He also picked up an RBI single in the ninth to add an insurance run as Pensacola padded their lead heading into the final half-inning. The 22-year-old was drafted in the second round of last summer's MLB Draft and earned a promotion to Double-A after performing well for Class A Advanced Fort Myers earlier this season. He hit 10 homers with the Miracle, batting .256 across 79 games in a pitcher-friendly league. Twins prospect stats »
Luis Garcia, RHP, Astros No. 29
Garcia struck out 10 batters over six innings of two-run ball to earn the win for Fayetteville in the second half of a playoff doubleheader. The 22-year-old was a strikeout machine in the Minor Leagues this season, fanning 168 hitters over 108 2/3 innings. He's seen his fastball velocity jump this season and has immense strikeout potential, but will need to refine his secondary pitches and command to stick as a starter in the higher levels of the Minors. But even if he can't, there's plenty of upside for a hard-thrower with strikeout stuff in the bullpen. Astros prospect stats »
Austin Cox, LHP, Royals No. 21
Cox was the second Blue Rocks starter and Royals prospect in as many days to spin a gem in what would turn into a hectic late-inning affair. The team's No. 21 prospect made his first career postseason start and went six scoreless innings, allowing seven hits but issuing no walks and striking out eight. That came on the heels of Kris Bubic (Royals No. 6 prospect) striking out 11 over seven one-run innings on Friday. Both games were won by walk-off hits by the Blue Rocks, but it's safe to say they wouldn't have been in a position to walk it off were it not for the efforts of Bubic and Cox. Royals prospect stats »
Evan White, 1B, Mariners No. 4 and Kyle Lewis, OF, No. 10
White, the No. 70 prospect in MLB, hit a two-run homer on Saturday as the Double-A Arkansas Travelers forced a fifth and deciding game in their Texas League semifinals with a 4-1 win over Tulsa. No. 10 prospect Kyle Lewis went 2-for-4 with a home run of his own, a solo shot on the first pitch of the seventh inning to give the Travelers a lead they would not relinquish. Mariners prospect stats »
Alex Wells, LHP, Orioles No. 20
Wells kept the Harrisburg lineup in check to let his offense do their thing in Bowie's 12-5 victory to advance in the Eastern League playoffs. The 22-year-old lefty tossed six innings of one-run ball, allowing six hits and a walk while striking out six. Wells is coming off a strong season at the Double-A level, where he posted a 2.95 ERA over 137 1/3 innings. Orioles prospect stats »
Tucupita Marcano, 2B, Padres No. 13
Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore punched its ticket to the California League championship series on Saturday with an 11-2 win over Rancho Cucamonga to take the best-of-five series three games to one. No. 13 prospect Tucupita Marcano had a strong day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs. The 19-year-old made his full-season debut this season after signing for the Padres in 2016 and making his organization debut a year later. The lefty has incredible potential at the plate, and is projected to be an on-base machine, but his defense might not be much of an asset as he moves up to higher levels. It's worth noting that he served as the designated hitter on Saturday night. Padres prospect stats »