Friday's top prospect performers
Here's MLB Pipeline's roundup of the top prospect performances in the Minor Leagues on Friday.
A pair of top White Sox prospects starred in Double-A Birmingham's 3-1 victory over Chattanooga, as right-hander Dylan Cease struck out nine over five scoreless innings and was backed by a Zack Collins three-run homer.
Cease, Chicago's No. 4 prospect and the No. 40 prospect overall, lowered his season ERA to 2.95 over 16 starts (13 for Class A Advanced Winston-Salem and three for Birmingham). Over his last two starts, he's given up one run over 12 innings (0.75 ERA) with 16 strikeouts and five walks.
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Collins, the organization's No. 8 prospect and No. 94 overall, went 1-for-4 with the homer, his 11th of the season. He's hitting .254/.413/.448 with 70 walks in 76 games this year.
Other top prospect performances from Friday's action:
• Angels No. 5 prospect -- and the No. 91 prospect overall -- Griffin Canning gave up a run over 4 2/3 innings during Triple-A Salt Lake's 7-3 loss to El Paso. The right-hander allowed two hits, walked three and struck out seven. In four Triple-A starts this season, Canning's ERA is 8.27. Prior to that, he posted a 1.97 ERA in 10 starts for Double-A Mobile.
• Another Angels prospect, Brennon Lund (No. 18) had a big night in Double-A Mobile's 7-3 win over Jacksonville, belting a pair of two-run homers -- his first career two-homer game -- as part of a 3-for-5, five-RBI performance. The outfielder is hitting .264/.345/.407 with six home runs and 17 steals in 70 games this season.
MILB Video - Title: Lund's second homer - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2241995683
•Astros No. 29 prospect Brandon Bailey tossed six scoreless innings during Class A Advanced Buies Creek's 11-0 win over Myrtle Beach. The right-hander scattered six hits while striking out six. In 16 games (12 starts) this season, he has a 3.30 ERA over 73 2/3 innings.
• William Contreras, the Braves' No. 16 prospect, went 3-for-3 with a solo home run -- his eighth homer of the season -- in Class A Rome's 7-4 loss to Asheville. The 20-year-old catcher has seven hits over his last 11 at-bats and his slashing .303/.367/.439 in 64 games this season.
• Blue Jays No. 6 prospect Danny Jansen went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in Triple-A Buffalo's 6-4 victory over Syracuse. The catcher is 4-for-7 with two homers over his past two games, and is hitting .292/.404/.481 with seven homers in 62 games.
MILB Video - Title: Jansen goes deep - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2239934783
In the same game, Toronto's No. 10 prospect, Sean Reid-Foley, gave up three runs on six hits while walking one and striking out eight. He's got a 3.11 ERA in 17 starts across two levels this season (2.03 ERA in eight starts for Double-A New Hampshire, and a 4.10 ERA in nine starts for Buffalo).
• Phillies No. 6 prospect JoJo Romero turned in seven strong innings in Double-A Reading's 2-1 victory over New Hampshire, surrendering just one run on five hits, walking four and fanning eight. The performance lowered his season ERA to 4.06 in 17 starts.
• Taylor Hearn, the Pirates' No. 9 prospect, tossed 6 1/3 innings for Double-A Altoona in its 3-1 victory over Trenton, giving up a run on three hits while walking three and striking out seven. The left-hander has a 3.35 ERA over 16 starts this season, with 94 strikeouts in 86 innings.
• Reds No. 21 prospect Scott Moss threw seven scoreless frames in Class A Advanced Daytona's 8-0 victory over Jupiter. The left-hander yielded only two hits while walking one and striking out eight. In 15 starts this season, he owns a 3.61 ERA.
• Twins No. 8 prospect Blayne Enlow lowered his season ERA to 3.73 with six scoreless innings in Class A Cedar Rapid's 1-0 loss to Kane County, scattering six hits while walking three and striking out three. The right-hander has given up just one run in his last 14 innings pitched over three outings (0.64 ERA).
• Matthew Liberatore, the Rays' first-round selection in this year's MLB Draft, made his professional debut and gave up an unearned run in 1 2/3 innings during the Gulf Coast League Rays' 8-2 loss to the GCL Orioles.