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: Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP (No. 7) -- 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 8 K (Class A Advanced Dunedin)
The Blue Jays are believers in Woods Richardson's long-term potential, but they also showed their belief in his current ability by assigning the 18-year-old straight to Class A Advanced after he came over from the Mets in the Marcus Stroman deal. Even with the three runs allowed over five frames, Woods Richardson's eight strikeouts and zero walks are very encouraging given his age relative to the level. The Blue Jays have plenty of young arms who project as back-end rotation pieces presently and down the road, but Woods Richardson is one of a handful of prospects in the system whose ceiling could someday make him a high-end starter in the Major Leagues. His plus fastball and above-average curveball are great building blocks to start with. Blue Jays prospects stats »
Orioles: Alex Wells, LHP (No. 20) -- 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K (Double-A Bowie)
Wells had his night cut short when Bowie's game was suspended in the bottom of the fifth inning due to weather, but he still managed to get some good work in. Wells tacked this outing on the back of an excellent start his last time out, where he tossed seven innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts. Wells now owns an ERA of 2.11 with Double-A Bowie and has passed every test this season. He's already built up after two full seasons in 2017 and 2018, so that shouldn't be an issue going forward for the 22-year-old. He's earned the opportunity to show just how high his ceiling can be in Triple-A next season, but his production this year and consistent control give him a safe floor. Orioles prospects stats »
Rays: Joe Ryan, RHP (No. 16) -- 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 13 K (Class A Advanced Charlotte)
Few starting pitchers in the Minor Leagues, let alone the Rays' system, have put up numbers like Ryan has in 2019. Wednesday's dominant outing gives Ryan a new career high in strikeouts with 13, just edging his totals of 11 and 12 from earlier this season. The 23-year-old now owns a 1.79 ERA between Class A and Class A Advanced this season, and he's only getting better as the summer stretches on. Ryan's ERA over his last 10 starts sits at just 0.97 and you have to go all the way back to June 26 -- seven starts ago -- to find the last time that he allowed more than one earned run. With 159 strikeouts over 110 1/3 innings, Ryan's exceptional swing-and-miss stuff has been front and center and he's passed every test up to this point. Rays prospects stats »
Red Sox: C.J. Chatham, SS (No. 10) -- 2-for-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI (Double-A Portland)
Chatham now has five multi-hit games over his last 10, which has raised his average to .296 with a .734 OPS. That high average is to be expected from Chatham after he finished 2018 with a .315 average, placing him second in the Class A Advanced Carolina League batting race. Line-drive contact is the name of the game when it comes to Chatham, and he showed that again on Wednesday with a double and home run. He now has 24 doubles and three homers on the season. Add that to a steady defensive profile, and Chatham has one of the highest floors in the system. Red Sox prospects stats »
Yankees: Josh Smith, SS (No. 19) -- 1-for-4, HR, RBI, 2 BB (Class A Short Season Staten Island)
Smith's strong pro debut continued on Wednesday with a home run, his second of the season, to give him homers in back-to-back games. He's only played in 11 games since being drafted in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft, but it's hard to argue with the early .361 average and 1.035 OPS. Smith may not have a standout tool, but he's a very solid young player across the board, so it's not surprising that he didn't need much time to settle in. Yankees prospects stats »
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Indians: Bobby Bradley, 1B (No. 7) -- 1-for-4, HR, RBI (Triple-A Columbus)
Bradley launched his first home run in eight games on Wednesday, which isn't much of a gap for your average hitter. For Bradley, it was already his 28th of the season and put him within one of his career high, set in 2017 with Class A Advanced Lynchburg. The slugging first baseman is now hitting .277 with a .946 OPS in Triple-A this season. Strikeouts will always be an issue for Bradley and he's limited as a first baseman, but his bat has been more than enough to carry him this season. If you're a fan of three-true-outcomes players, Bradley is your guy. Indians prospects stats »
Royals: Kelvin Gutierrez, 3B (No. 17) -- 4-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI, SB (Triple-A Omaha)
Gutierrez did a little bit of everything on Wednesday as he recorded four hits, drove in three runs and stole a base. The 24-year-old's numbers dipped a bit over 20 games in the Major Leagues with the Royals, but he's kept things steady in Triple-A with a .272 average and .767 OPS. His eight home runs over 66 games represent a safe floor for his power, but there's still the potential for Gutierrez to add a little more pop. Doing so would make him a more natural fit at third base, too, where he already has a chance to be a plus defender with a good arm. Royals prospects stats »
Tigers: Tarik Skubal, LHP (No. 4) -- 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K (Double-A Erie)
Skubal is the definition of an arrow pointing upward right now, as Jonathan Mayo discussed in the latest MLB Pipeline Inbox. After striking out the first six batters he faced on just 26 pitches on Wednesday, Skubal rolled through five shutout innings with just one hit allowed and 10 strikeouts. That gives Skubal double-digit strikeouts in six of his last nine outings. The 22-year-old now owns a 1.86 ERA over six starts in Double-A after posting a 2.58 ERA over 15 starts with Class A Advanced Lakeland. While much of the attention in Detroit's system still falls on Casey Mize and Matt Manning, Skubal is dripping with talent and momentum. Tigers prospects stats »
Twins: Lewis Thorpe, LHP (No. 11) -- 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K (Triple-A Rochester) Jose Miranda, 2B/3B (No. 20) -- 3-for-4, 3 R, HR, 2 RBI (Class A Advanced Fort Myers)
Thorpe is coming off his second taste of the Major Leagues, and he's fared pretty well, overall, with a 3.18 ERA over 11 1/3 innings with the Twins this season. Back in Triple-A, he's been improving as the season has gone on, which continued on Wednesday with six innings of one-hit ball where he struck out seven. He's now struck out 109 batters over 90 1/3 innings in Triple-A. Down in Class A Advanced, Miranda put together a big day of his own with three hits, three runs and a homer in the second half of the doubleheader. Now an even 100 games into his 2019 season with Fort Myers, Miranda is hitting .247 with a .654 OPS. Twins prospects stats »
White Sox: Seby Zavala, C (No. 26) -- 2-for-3, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB (Triple-A Charlotte)
Zavala put together a great all-around game on Wednesday as he homered, reached base four times and drove in four. The 25-year-old is only hitting .224 with a .289 on-base percentage this season, but his 17 homers represent his value at the plate while the White Sox love his makeup behind it. Down the stretch, Zavala will have a chance to take a run at his career high of 21 home runs, set in 2017 between Double-A and Triple-A. White Sox prospects stats »
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
A’s: Sheldon Neuse, 3B (No. 8) -- 1-for-2, HR, RBI (Triple-A Las Vegas)
Neuse wasn't in the starting lineup on Wednesday for Las Vegas, but he entered as a pinch-hitter and managed to hit his 22nd home run of the season. The solo shot was also his 89th RBI of 2019 as the slugging third baseman continues to pile up the counting stats. Through 107 games in Triple-A, the 24-year-old is now hitting .330 with a .964 OPS. He's entered August with plenty of momentum, too, as Neuse has hit .421 with three homers over his last 10 games. A's prospects stats »
Angels: Livan Soto, SS (No. 18) -- 3-for-4, R (Class A Burlington)
Soto has produced in bursts in 2019, with a handful of four and three-hit games. Wednesday saw him string together three singles, which raised his average for the season to .253 in Class A. Soto is still just 19, but he's showing the early signs of a strong plate approach with 20 walks and 26 strikeouts through 42 games with Burlington. As he continues to add strength to his frame, Soto should be able to add some line-drive power on top of what should be a strong on-base percentage. Angels prospects stats »
Astros: Kyle Tucker, OF (No. 1, MLB No. 13) -- 3-for-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI, BB (Triple-A Round Rock)
When your team scores 20 runs -- including a run in every single inning -- on 23 hits, it's hard to stand out. Tucker did exactly that, though, with a pair of home runs to give him 30 in Triple-A this season. The 22-year-old has flashed his plus power all season long and continues to pass every test as he's climbed the ladder with the Astros. Wednesday was Tucker's fourth two-homer game of the season and raised his Triple-A OPS to .903. Astros prospects stats »
Mariners: Cal Raleigh, C (No. 7) -- 2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI (Double-A Arkansas)
Wednesday's performance will bring some relief to Raleigh, who hadn't homered since July 14. This one was his first at the Double-A level since being promoted and gave him a new career high, with 23. The jump to Double-A has seen Raleigh's numbers dip overall, but his excellent start to the season in Class A Advanced suggests that he's due to put up some bigger numbers over the last month. Beyond the bat, Raleigh has held his own against the running game this season, too. He's thrown out 32 of 90 attempted basestealers, good for a success rate of 35.6 percent. Mariners prospects stats »
Rangers: Tyler Phillips, RHP (No. 15) -- 7 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 3 K (Double-A Frisco)
This is what Phillips looks like when he's at his best. The strikeout total won't always be high, but his ability to force weak, ground-ball contact allows him to work deep into games when he's on. Phillips worked seven full innings a handful of times earlier this season, but hadn't done it since April 29. After starting the season with a 1.19 ERA over six starts for Class A Advanced Down East, he's posted a 5.40 ERA over his 14 starts in Double-A. The truth lies somewhere in the middle of these two extremes, of course, and Phillips has started to pitch better of late. Rangers prospects stats »
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Braves: Kyle Wright, RHP (No. 4) -- 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K (Triple-A Gwinnett)
Wright turned in another strong outing for the Stripers, who recently loaded up for their International League playoff run with a fresh wave of top prospects. The right-hander now has a streak of six consecutive quality starts in Triple-A, which has lowered his ERA from 6.08 to 4.33. A slight improvement to Wright's walk rate has helped him in 2019 and its encouraging to see the 2017 first-round Draft pick shake off a tough start in Triple-A after opening the season in the Majors. Braves prospects stats »
Marlins: JJ Bleday, OF (No. 2, MLB No. 32) -- 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI (Class A Advanced Jupiter)
It's understandably taken some time for Bleday to settle in after he was challenged with making his professional debut at the Class A Advanced level, but he showed his advanced hitting tool in the first half of Jupiter's Wednesday doubleheader with a two-run double. This was Bleday's third double in 17 games and leaves him with 11 RBIs. The final month of the Minor League season will be valuable to the No. 4 overall pick from the 2019 MLB Draft as he looks to enter his first offseason with some momentum. Marlins prospects stats »
Mets: Freddy Valdez, OF (No. 18) -- 2-for-5, HR, RBI (Dominican Summer League Mets)
It's been an impressive pro debut for Valdez in the DSL, where he's now hitting .271 with a .787 OPS. His fourth home runs of the season comes in his 47th games, but it's also encouraging to see that the 17-year-old has taken 26 walks compared to 35 strikeouts. There is loads of physical projection ahead for Valdez, who stands 6-foot-3, 212 pounds, and that approach will be particularly important when he's ready to tap into his natural power more consistently. Mets prospects stats »
Phillies: Mickey Moniak, OF (No. 9) -- 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI (Double-A Reading)
The No. 1 pick from the 2016 Draft is enjoying his best statistical season in many categories and put together one of his best games of the season on Wednesday with two home runs. Moniak now has nine homers on the season, nearly doubling his previous high of five, which he set in both 2017 and 2018. The 21-year-old is now hitting .266 with a .783 OPS in Double-A this season and has 15 stolen bases. Moniak lost some prospect shine over the past couple of years, but his added strength is showing up on the field and he is slowly starting to earn back some of his previous projections. Phillies prospects stats »
Nationals: Jackson Tetreault, RHP (No. 24) -- 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 3 K (Double-A Harrisburg)
Pitching five innings in a seven-inning game should count as a quality start, or at least Tetreault should consider it as such as he picked up the win for the Senators in Game 1 of a twin bill. It's the second straight solid outing for the 23-year-old, who allowed no runs over 5 1/3 innings last time out. His ERA has dropped half a run as a result of those two starts, although walks remain an issue. He's issued multiple free passes in six straight starts, walking 23 batters over that span. Nationals prospects stats »
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Brewers: Lucas Erceg, 3B (No. 15) -- 4-for-5, 3 R, 3 2B, 3 RBI (Triple-A San Antonio)
Erceg is not having his best season in 2019, but Wednesday was a nice reminder of the all-around game at the plate. He's batting only .220 in the hitter-friendly PCL, but that's up from .210 just a day ago ... a reminder of how quickly batting averages can shift thanks to a big day at the plate. It continues a little hot streak for Erceg, who has multiple hits in three straight and five RBIs to go along with four doubles over that span. Brewers prospects stats »
Cubs: Miguel Amaya, C (No. 2, MLB No. 91) -- 2-for-3, 2 RBI, BB (Class A advanced Myrtle Beach)
Make it three multi-hit games over his last six appearances for Amaya, who is now hitting .238 with a .753 OPS for Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach. Amaya has shown some power this season, too, with nine home runs after totaling 12 last season for Class A South Bend. The 20-year-old catcher has been particularly tough on left-handed pitching this season, as he owns a .849 OPS against them compared to a .698 OPS against right-handed pitchers. He's now hitting .303 over his last 10 games and has set himself up for a strong finish. Cubs prospects stats »
Cardinals: Conner Capel, OF (No. 25) -- 1-for-4, HR, RBI (Double-A Springfield)
Capel is known as a quick, smart player who is a capable center fielder, who doesn't have the biggest bat in the Cardinals' system. So it's always worth noting when Capel picks up a homer as he did Wednesday. He's up to 11 on the season, including nine with Springfield. He's batting only .219 at Double-A and .242 overall, which would be his lowest average since his season in Rookie ball.
Cardinals prospects stats »
Pirates: Oneil Cruz, SS (No. 3) -- 2-for-4, 3B, RBI (Double-A Altoona)
Cruz is making the most of an injury-shortened season after fracturing his foot earlier in the year. The 20-year-old tripled on Wednesday, flashing his impressive physical tools that could be special if they all come together. The biggest question mark with Cruz remains his position, as a 6-foot-6 shortstop would the ultimate rarity in Major League Baseball, but the Pirates have kept him there where his cannon arm has played up. For that same reason, he could someday fit in a corner outfield spot. Cruz has backed up his physical projections with real game production since the beginning of 2018, which makes him one of the most interesting prospects in the Pirates' system. Pirates prospects stats »
Reds: Jameson Hannah, OF (No. 10) -- 2-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB (Class A Advanced Daytona)
Hannah drove in the first run of the day on an RBI double for Daytona before the Tortugas walked it off with a two-run triple in the bottom of the ninth. The 21-year-old continues to show some impressive line-drive power with his 28th double of the season, and that power should develop into more home runs in the coming years. Hannah earned the promotion to Class A Advanced Daytona last week after hitting .283 with a .723 OPS over 92 games in Class A. He's hit the ground running over these six games, too, going 7-for-23 (.304) with four extra-base hits. Hannah has only stolen six bases on 14 attempts this season, but his 60-grade speed should allow some room for growth in that area as he gets more opportunities. Reds prospects stats »
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
D-backs: Andy Young, INF (No. 23) -- 2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI (Triple-A Reno)
Young launched his 21st and 22nd home run of the season on Wednesday night for Triple-A Reno. Not bad for a 37th-round pick in the 2016 Draft. Fourteen of those homers have come at the Triple-A level this season after Young opened the season with Double-A Jackson, and he's put up big numbers at both levels. The 22 home runs are a new career high for Young, just edging his total of 21 from last season, and his 64 RBI already represent another high. Defensively, Young has seen time at shortstop, second base and third base this season. D-backs prospects stats »
Dodgers: Gavin Lux, 2B/SS (No. 1, MLB No. 10) -- 3-for-5, HR, RBI (Triple-A Oklahoma)
Lux is automatic. He's now reached base in 44 consecutive games and done plenty of damage along the way. Wednesday's home run was his 10th in 31 games in Triple-A and raised his OPS to an incredible 1.394 at the level. With 17 hits over his past 10 games, Lux isn't just extending this on-base streak with bloop singles. There is no part of Lux's offensive game that is lacking right now, obviously, but if there's one area that he might be more productive in down the road, it's on the bases. Lux has stolen nine bases this season and been caught five times, but his 60-grade speed could allow him to steal 20-plus bases if he pushes for it in the future. For now, he'll take the home run trots. Dodgers prospects stats »
Giants: Logan Webb, RHP (No. 5) -- 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 6 K (Double-A Richmond)
This game was postponed early due to weather on Tuesday, but Webb picked things up in the second inning on Wednesday and turned in another strong performance. Webb was suspended 80 games in May for testing positive for a performance enhancing substance but, since returning, he's made three starts in Double-A after building back up in the Arizona Rookie League and Class A Advanced. Webb lost control of the zone in his last outing, walking five batters over 3 2/3 innings, but he was much sharper this time and didn't issue a single free pass. The 22-year-old now owns a 2.18 ERA at the Double-A level in 2019 as his fastball and slider combination continues to play up as plus offerings. Giants prospects stats »
Padres: Austin Allen, C (No. 12) -- 2-for-5, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI (Triple-A El Paso)
Allen's homer was his 15th in the Minors this season in only 53 games played. That puts him on pace for a career-high in homers, but he might not have enough games left in the Pacific Coast League season to rack them up. Allen spent some time with the Padres earlier this year and bounced back and forth from MLB and Triple-A, which has limited his counting stats, but his per-game production is as good as ever. Padres prospects stats »
Rockies: Tyler Nevin, 1B (No. 11) -- 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI (Double-A Hartford)
While he couldn't match Mickey Moniak's two homers for the victorious Fightin' Phils Wednesday, Nevin was responsible for over half of his team's offense in an 8-5 defeat. It's his eighth homer of the season, and his three RBIs bring him up to 43. However, the most important stat this season for Nevin is games played. He's struggled with injuries throughout his career, and Wednesday was his 104th game of the season, four more than any previous campaign. Rockies prospects stats »