Wednesday's top prospect performers
Here's a look at Wednesday's top Minor League performers from each team's Top 30 Prospects list:
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Blue Jays: T.J. Zeuch, RHP (No. 17) -- 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K (Triple-A Buffalo)
Zeuch looked strong as he bounced back from a string of subpar outings and posted his first scoreless start since late June. The 24-year-old had given up three runs or more in six straight appearances before stifling the Toledo offense Wednesday. The 6-foot-7 pitcher uses his height to create a downward plane toward the plate and has a plus sinker that he uses to generate a bunch of ground-ball outs. Blue Jays prospects stats »
Orioles: Michael Baumann, RHP (No. 9) -- 9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K (Double-A Bowie)
For the second time in as many months, Baumann spun a complete game for Bowie. The 23-year-old, a third-round pick from the 2017 Draft, got off to a strong start as he retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced and then punctuated the strong outing by striking out the side in the ninth. Baumann, who threw 64 of his 97 pitches for strikes, has been impressive in his first taste of Double-A ball. The right-hander was promoted to Bowie in late June and has pitched to a 1.86 ERA over 10 games (eight starts), including a pair of shutouts. Orioles prospects stats »
Rays: Shane Baz, RHP (No. 6) -- 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K (Class A Bowling Green)
The last time Baz put up a scoreless start, it was his third in as many trips to the mound, so if history repeats itself, the 20-year-old is about to string together some impressive outings over the final weeks of the season. Baz, whom the Rays acquired as part of the Chris Archer trade on this day a season ago, threw 52 of his 82 pitches for strikes and has posted a 3.10 ERA over 14 starts in his first full season with the Rays organization. Rays prospects stats »
Red Sox: Mike Shawaryn, RHP (No. 22) -- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K (Triple-A Pawtucket)
Shawaryn threw 10 of his 19 pitches for strikes and has posted back-to-back scoreless outings. The 24-year-old Maryland product made his Major League debut earlier this year and spent the month of June pitching out of the Red Sox bullpen. In the Majors, Shawaryn gave up 12 runs over 12 2/3 innings (eight appearances) and in Triple-A, he has pitched to a 4.90 ERA over 71 2/3 frames. Red Sox prospects stats »
Yankees: Roansy Contreras, RHP (No. 13) -- 7 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 10 K (Class A Charleston)
Contreras gave up an earned run for the first time since July 25, but he also set a season high with 10 strikeouts. The Yankees signed Contreras, 19, in 2016 and he's been impressive thus far in his career. Contreras has a 3.62 ERA and 94 strikeouts over 114 1/3 innings. Yankees prospects stats »
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Indians: Nolan Jones, 3B (No. 1, No. 39 in MLB) -- 2-for-5, 3B (Double-A Akron)
Jones hit his third triple of the year as part of his first multihit performance since July 28. While Jones hasn't necessarily struggled at Double-A -- he's batting .244 through 32 games -- there has been a drop off in his numbers. The 2016 second-round pick began the year with Class A Advanced Lynchburg, where he hit .286 over 77 games before he was bumped up to Double-A following an appearance in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. Jones does have an advanced approach at the plate and uses the whole field well, so it's likely those numbers will start to tick back up as he continues to adjust to Double-A pitching. Indians prospects stats »
Royals: Jonathan Bowlan, RHP (No. 16) -- 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K (Class A Advanced Wilmington); Brady Singer, RHP (No. 2, No. 55 in MLB) -- 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K (Double-A Northwest Arkansas)
Bowlan got off to a strong start as he retired eight of the first nine batters he faced and ultimately lowered his ERA to 2.98 with his sixth quality start in 10 trips to the mound for Wilmington. Prior to his promotion, Bowlan pitched to a 3.36 ERA with Class A Lexington. The 2018 Draft pick, a Memphis product, throws a solid slider and a low-to-mid 90s fastball, which he utilizes to generate a bunch of ground-ball outs. Singer put together his best start since being promoted to Double-A in June. The 2018 first rounder was dominant with Class A Advanced Wilmington to start the year -- pitching to a 1.87 ERA over 10 starts -- but has seen that number rise to 3.93 against the advanced competition. Singer threw 61 of his 91 pitches for strikes and has now turned in a quality start in five of his past seven outings. Royals prospects stats »
Tigers: Isaac Paredes, INF (No. 5) -- 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI (Double-A Erie)
Make that back-to-back multihit performances for Paredes, who also hit his 10th homer of the year Wednesday. The 20-year-old has been swinging a hot bat lately and is hitting .438 through 12 games in August. Paredes, whom the Tigers acquired from the Cubs at the 2017 Trade Deadline, is hitting .286 through 109 games this year after hitting .278 over two levels a season ago. Tigers prospects stats »
Twins: Alex Kirilloff, OF/1B (No. 2, No. 16) -- 3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI (Double-A Pensacola)
Kirilloff has now gone deep twice over the past four games and 10 times this season. The 2016 first rounder missed the entire 2017 season as he recovered from Tommy John, but broke out in a big way last year. Kirilloff hit .348 with 20 homers in his full-season debut and has continued to produce this season, hitting .273 over 78 games in his first experience at the Double-A level. Twins prospects stats »
White Sox: Zack Collins, C/1B (No. 11) -- 4-for-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI (Triple-A Charlotte)
Collins had a night he won't soon forget as he matched his season high for hits and homers and tied his career high for RBIs. The 24-year-old backstop went deep in the first and eighth innings, bringing his season total to 14 through 72 games. However, those 14 homers don't include the one Collins hit with the White Sox as the 2016 first-round pick made his Major League debut earlier this year and appeared in nine games. White Sox prospects stats »
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
A’s: Logan Davidson, SS (No. 7) -- 3-for-5, HR, RBI (Class A Short-Season Vermont)
Davidson has hits in four of his past five games and is hitting .333 in August after his second career three-hit game. The 21-year-old, a 2019 first-round pick out of Clemson, is batting .228 through the first 40 games of his professional career, but the switch-hitter has plus raw power and the potential to be a dynamic player on both sides of the ball. A's prospects stats »
Angels: Jordyn Adams, OF (No. 3) -- 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI (AZL Angels)
Playing in the Rookie-level AZL on a rehab assignment, Adams put his impressive abilities on display. The 17th overall pick from last year's Draft has been out since late July, but doesn't appear to have missed a beat. So far, Adams is 6-for-12 through three games in his rehab assignment and it may not be long until he rejoins Class A Burlington, where he's batting .246 through 90 games this season. Adams, 19, is filled with potential, but was a two-sport star in high school and still needs to refine some parts of his game. However, since he's now solely focused on baseball, the hope is that the learning curve won't take all that long. Angels prospects stats »
Astros: Luis Garcia, RHP (No. 29) -- 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 13 K (Class A Advanced Fayetteville)
It's hard to improve upon a start of 10 strikeouts over six scoreless innings, but that's just what Garcia did -- and set a new career high in the process. The 22-year-old has been racking up strikeouts all year and has now fanned 139 over 93 2/3 innings. Garcia struck out multiple batters in five of his six innings and also struck out the side on two separate occasions. Astros prospects stats »
Mariners: Noelvi Marte, SS (No. 13) -- 2-for-4, HR, RBI (DSL Mariners)
Marte has been red-hot lately, putting together multihit efforts in six of his past seven games. The 17-year-old, whom the Mariners signed in July 2018, has gone deep seven times and is hitting .276 through the first 57 games of his professional career. Marte needs to improve his offensive approach, but he already has strong bat speed. Additionally, Marte grades out as a plus runner and solid defender. Mariners prospects stats »
Rangers: Sam Huff, C (No. 2, No. 78 in MLB) -- 1-for-4, HR, RBI (Class A Advanced Down East)
Huff's breakout season continued as he hit his 28th homer of the year, further extending his career high. The 21-year-old has homered twice over his past three games and has seen his stock skyrocket with a .291 average. The 2017 seventh-round pick hit for a .241 average last year, but has really tapped into his power this year and developed as a hitter. Defensively, Huff has plus arm strength and is a strong framer. Rangers prospects stats »
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Braves: Jasseel De La Cruz, RHP (No. 14) -- 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K (Double-A Mississippi)
De La Cruz had struggled of late but put all those issues in the rear-view mirror as he twirled five solid innings against Birmingham. The 22-year-old, who surrendered 17 runs over 18 innings in his past four starts, threw 32 of his 53 pitches for strikes and retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced. De La Cruz didn't give up a hit until the fifth inning and ultimately picked up his fourth Double-A win. De La Cruz signed with the Braves in 2015 out of the Dominican Republic and has already pitched across three levels this season. Braves prospects stats »
Marlins: Jorge Guzman, RHP (No. 17) -- 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 3 K (Double-A Jacksonville)
After he fanned 13 in his last start, it's a bit surprising to see Guzman only put up three strikeouts this time around, but he still put together a strong performance on the mound. The 23-year-old has given up just one run over his past three starts (18 innings), marking his best stretch at the Double-A level. Guzman, whom the Marlins acquired from the Astros in 2016, sits in the upper 90s with his fastball but struggles with command and consistency. Marlins prospects stats »
Mets: Freddy Valdez, OF (No. 18) -- 2-for-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI (DSL Mets)
Valdez, whom the Mets signed last July, has been racking up extra-base hits in the Dominican Republic. The 17-year old hit his fifth homer of the season on Wednesday and has doubled in three of his past four games. Valdez is batting .277 through the first 57 games of his career. The 6-foot-3 outfielder -- signed for $1.45 million -- has tremendous raw power and has already impressed scouts with the adjustments he's made in his overall offensive approach. Mets prospects stats »
Phillies: Erik Miller, LHP (No. 10) -- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K (Class A Short-Season Williamsport)
Miller, who set a career high for strikeouts, continues to impress since the Phillies selected him in the fourth round of this year's Draft. The Stanford product has held opponents scoreless in four of his seven outings, including three of the past four. Miller has the stuff to be a solid pitching prospect, but struggled with command while in college. So far as a professional, he's walked eight (and struck out 33) over 19 2/3 innings. Phillies prospects stats »
Nationals: Nick Raquet, LHP (No. 29) -- 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K (Class A Advanced Potomac)
Raquet matched his season high for innings pitched in his second scoreless start of the year. The 23-year-old lefty stopped a string of five straight losses in his last outing and has now picked up the win in each of his past two appearances. Raquet, a third-round pick from the 2017 Draft, has seen his velocity tick up a bit this season and while he's been pitching out of the rotation, the expectation is that Raquet will eventually wind up being a reliever. Nationals prospects stats »
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Brewers: No Brewers prospects had noteworthy performances in the Minor Leagues on Wednesday.
Cubs: Nico Hoerner, SS (No. 1, No.49 in MLB) -- 2-for-4, 2B (Double-A Tennessee)
Hoerner is 6-for-14 (.429) over the past three games, but Wednesday's double was his first extra-base hit since Aug. 7. The Stanford product missed roughly two months with a hairline fracture in his wrist after getting hit by a pitch in late April. After taking some time to get back in a rhythm, Hoerner has started to show the hitting ability the led the Cubs to select him in the first round last June. Hoerner hit .232 upon his return from the injured list in July, but has bumped that up to .283 in August. He also missed time with an injury last year in his professional debut, but when he's been on the field, he's impressed. Cubs prospects stats »
Cardinals: Nolan Gorman, 3B (No. 1, No. 30 in MLB) -- 2-for-4 (Class A Advanced Palm Beach)
Gorman got off to a slow start with Palm Beach but has seen his average increase each month since being promoted from Class A Peoria. The 2018 first-round pick is batting .289 through 11 games this month and .260 through 46 games overall with Palm Beach. Gorman, 19, was considered one of the best power hitters in last year's Draft and has gone deep 15 times this season, but has just two homers since July 14. Cardinals prospects stats »
Pirates: Aaron Shortridge, RHP (No. 25) -- 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K (Class A Advanced Bradenton)
Shortridge has pitched particularly well lately, winning each of his past five decisions and lowering his ERA from 3.89 to 3.18 over that span. The righty, a fourth-round pick from the 2018 Draft, threw 67 of his 94 pitches for strikes on Tuesday. Although he spent a lot of time pitching out of the stretch, he limited the damage to just the one run. Shortridge, who is pitching at the Class A Advanced level for the first time this season, is a converted shortstop who originally started pitching as a reliever. He didn't become a starter until his junior year at Cal, meaning there's still plenty of potential left to unlock. Pirates prospects stats »
Reds: Jared Solomon, RHP (No. 22) -- 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K (Class A Advanced Daytona)
Solomon bounced back from a pair of shaky outings to toss his third scoreless start of the season. The 22-year-old, an 11th-round pick from the 2017 Draft, fired 63 of his 87 pitches for strikes and picked up his first win since being promoted in mid June. Solomon, a product of the Pennsylvania high school ranks, operates with a four-pitch mix -- fastball, slider, curveball and changeup -- but his command and control lack consistency. Reds prospects stats »
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
D-backs: Daulton Varsho, C (No. 5) -- 3-for-5, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI (Double-A Jackson)
It's hard to get much hotter than Varsho, who is batting .436 in August and has multihit efforts -- including a trio of three-hit games -- in five of his past 10 contests. The 68th overall pick from the 2017 Draft has always been regarded as a solid hitter and his career .297 average reflects that. So far this season, his first at the Double-A level, Varsho is hitting .292 with 16 homers, a career high. D-backs prospects stats »
Dodgers: Connor Wong, C/2B (No. 29) -- 2-for-4, HR, RBI (Double-A Tulsa)
Wong has been on a bit of a power surge of late, going deep in back-to-back games and also in three of his past five contests. The 23-year-old now has 18 homers this season, one shy of his career-best 19, a mark he set last year with Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga. Dodgers prospects stats »
Giants: Logan Wyatt, 1B (No. 14) -- 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI (Class A Augusta)
Wyatt, a 2019 second-round pick out of Louisville, went deep for the first time with Augusta in just his third game since being bumped up from Class A Short-Season Salem-Keizer. The 21-year-old has fared well with Augusta, albeit in a limited sample size, and is 4-for-10. Overall, Wyatt's professional career is off to a solid start as he's slashing .317/.417/.436 with three homers over 28 games. Giants prospects stats »
Padres: Edward Olivares, OF (No. 19) -- 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI (Double-A Amarillo)
The power outage is over. Olivares, who has matched his career high with 17 homers, went deep for the first time since July 21 in Amarillo's win over Midland. The 23-year-old, whom the Padres acquired via a trade with the Blue Jays, is batting .292 through 112 games in his first Double-A experience, but he's trailed off a bit after raking in June and July. Padres prospects stats »
Rockies: Ryan Rolison, LHP (No. 2, No. 88 in MLB) -- 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K (Class A Advanced Lancaster)
After getting lit up for eight runs over five innings in his last start, Rolison needed to put together a strong performance on the mound. That's exactly what he did on Wednesday, despite getting stuck with a no-decision as Lancaster ultimately lost to Rancho Cucamonga. The lefty threw 44 of his 67 pitches for strikes and gave up his lone run via back-to-back hits in the third. However, after that run, Rolison was dominant and retired seven in a row to finish the outing. Rolison, 22, has pitched to a 5.19 ERA with Lancaster, through that number would look better if it weren't for a few rough starts as Rolison has yielded six or more earned runs in five of his 18 appearances. Rockies prospects stats »