Prospects showing off some big league stuff

Pitching remained the order of the day Sunday.

On Saturday, a pair of first-rounders recorded a couple of spring firsts. On Sunday, Alek Manoah joined the party in a big way.

The 2019 No. 11 overall selection fanned seven batters in a row over three perfect frames in the Blue Jays' 5-1 loss to the Yankees at TD Ballpark.

After coaxing Mike Tauchman to ground out to third base to start the game, Manoah got Luke Voit to swing over the top of an 82.7-mph slider before setting down Jay Bruce on five pitches. The right-hander retired the side in order on 15 pitches in the second, before punching out Tyler Wade and Thairo Estrada to start the third. All seven whiffs were swinging, and the 23-year-old tossed 29 of his 44 pitches for strikes.

It was Manoah's second appearance of the spring after allowing a hit and fanning four over two scoreless innings on March 3. He is sporting a 0.20 WHIP and a .067 average-against.

During his rookie campaign with Class A Short Season Vancouver in 2019, the West Virginia product posted a 2.65 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 27 punchouts and five walks in 17 frames spanning six starts.

Simeon Woods Richardson relieved Manoah and worked around a pair of hits and fanned three over three shutout innings. The No. 93 overall prospect has not allowed a run in two Grapefruit League appearances this spring while yielding a walk and amassing four strikeouts in five frames. Richardson posted a 2.54 ERA and a .182 average-against over 28 1/3 innings in the Florida State League in 2019.

Anthony Castro closed out the game by striking out the side in the ninth. The right-hander gave up a hit and walk, but promptly whiffed Oswald Peraza, Trey Amburgey and Estevan Florial on 15 pitches. Castro has allowed a run and one walk while striking out nine over 4 2/3 frames in five appearances this spring. The Venezuelan native is in his first Spring Training camp with Toronto since being claimed off waivers from the Tigers in December. More »

More top prospect performers from Sunday:

Wander Franco, INF, TB (MLB No. 1)

The top Rays prospect made his debut at third base and legged out an infield hit to lead off the third inning. It was the fifth knock for Franco in seven Grapefruit League games this spring. The toolsy infielder batted .328 across two levels of the Minors in 2019. More »

Bobby Witt Jr., SS, KC (MLB No. 7)

It was another big day for Witt, who teed off for the third time this spring. The second overall pick in the 2019 Draft led off for the Royals. He walked in the first and raced home from second on a fielding error by shortstop Corey Seager. In the second, he lined a solo homer to left off southpaw Julio Urias. The 20-year-old struck out in the fourth and exited the game after flying out in the sixth. Witt is batting .333 with a 1.046 OPS in 10 games this spring. More »

Vidal Brujan, 2B, TB (MLB No. 41)

The 23-year-old posted his first multi-hit effort of the spring after singling to left in the second and leading off the fifth with a double down the line. The performance halted a six-game Grapefruit League skid for Brujan. The Rays prospect accounted for 28 extra-base hits across two levels of the Minors in 2019. Gameday »

Shea Langeliers, C, ATL (MLB No. 65)

The 23-year-old backstop crushed his first homer of the spring -- a solo shot to left in the eighth. The blast was Langeliers' second hit of the spring, the other was also for extra bases -- a double. The Braves prospect collected 15 extra-base hits in 54 South Atlantic League games in 2019. Gameday »

Ryan Mountcastle, 1B/OF, BAL (MLB No. 90)

The Orioles prospect laced two doubles in his first multi-hit performance this spring. Mountcastle crushed a double to left in the fourth before going the other way for a two-bagger to right in the sixth. The 24-year-old hit .333 in 35 games with Baltimore last season. Gameday »

Brent Rooker, LF, MIN

Minnesota’s No. 13 prospect had three hits in his first six Spring Training games. He matched that mark Sunday. Rooker went 3-for-3 with a double as the Twins and Red Sox played to a 5-5 tie. The outfielder pulled a two-bagger down the left-field line in the third, singled to left in the fourth and singled to right in the sixth. His last hit registered 109.6 mph off the bat via Statcast. Gameday »

Deivi García, RHP, NYY

The Yankees' righty was stellar through three innings, allowing an unearned run on one hit in his third outing of the spring. That dropped Garcia's Grapefruit League ERA to 2.25. The 21-year-old struck out two and walked two, throwing 44 pitches -- the most of his three starts this year. More »

Zack Short, SS, DET

Tied 1-1, Tigers prospect Short gave his team the lead with a three-run blast to left-center in the eighth. Short’s homer was his first of the spring and his second extra-base hit in six games. The blast left the shortstop’s bat at 107 mph and traveled 409 feet according to Statcast, en route to Detroit's 5-1 victory over Baltimore. The Tigers acquired Short from the Cubs in August for big league outfielder Cameron Maybin. Gameday »

Akil Baddoo, CF, DET

Two batters after Short left the yard, Baddoo went yard for the second straight day. The left-handed-hitting outfielder went to the opposite field with his blast, pushing his Grapefruit League slash line to .400/.556/.800 through 11 games. Baddoo, a 2016 Draft selection of the Twins, went to the Tigers on a waiver claim in December. Gameday »

Moises Gomez, LF, TB

Coming off the bench in his seventh game of the spring, Rays prospect Gomez hammered his second long ball in four games -- a two-run blast to left in the eighth. Gomez has hits in three of his last five games and is batting .300 with a 1.264 OPS this spring. Gameday »