Monday's top prospect performers
Here's MLB Pipeline's roundup of the top prospect performances in the Minor Leagues on Monday.
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After back-to-back tough-luck losses, Ian Anderson returned to the win column behind a dominant performance.
Anderson, Atlanta's No. 5 prospect (No. 43 overall), matched a career high with 11 strikeouts over six scoreless innings as he led Class A Advanced Florida past Jupiter, 3-2. He allowed three hits and one walk in the outing, also recording five ground-ball outs and throwing 67 of 100 pitches for strikes.
Making his 15th start of the season, Anderson allowed a baserunner to reach second in both the second and third innings before settling in and retiring 11 of the final 12 batters. He struck out the side twice, in the fourth and fifth innings, and punctuated the performance with a pair of strikeouts in the sixth.
Anderson, 20, struggled out of the gate, posting a 7.07 ERA in four April starts, but has improved as the season's progressed. Since then, however, the 2016 first-rounder has pitched to a 2.21 ERA while compiling 69 strikeouts in 57 innings (11 starts). He's completed at least six innings in three consecutive starts and four of his past five turns.
For the season, he owns a 3.17 ERA with 87 strikeouts and 32 walks in 71 innings.
The rest of the best performances from top prospects Monday
• No. 6 overall prospect Brendan Rodgers (Rockies' No. 1) went deep for a second straight day, hitting a solo shot as part of a 2-for-4 performance in Double-A Hartford's 6-5 win over Reading. The 21-year-old shortstop is slashing .282/.339/.531 on the season and owns a share of the Eastern League lead with 16 home runs. Rodgers also ranks among the circuit leaders with 156 total bases (first), 21 doubles (tied, second) and 55 RBIs (tied, third).
MILB Video - Title: Rodgers homers for second straight game - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2225619883
• No. 18 overall prospect Hunter Greene (Reds' No. 2) set a pair of career highs by racking up 10 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings in Class A Dayton's 2-1 win over Lake County. He allowed two hits, both singles, and did not issue a walk. The 18-year-old right-hander has allowed two or fewer earned runs in eight straights starts, with a 1.87 ERA over 43 1/3 innings in that span. Overall, Greene owns a 4.18 ERA with 77 strikeouts and 19 walks over 60 1/3 innings (15 starts) in his first full season.
• No. 39 overall prospect Justus Sheffield (Yankees' No. 2) furthered his case for a big league promotion by tossing a season-high seven innings of one-run ball in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's 6-2 win over Buffalo. He allowed three hits and three walks in the outing, striking out six and generating another eight outs on the ground before departing with 100 pitches (60 strikes). The 22-year-old left-hander owns a 1.78 ERA over his past 30 1/3 innings (five starts) and a 2.49 ERA in 79 2/3 frames on the season.
• Brewers No. 24 prospect Carlos Rodriguez and Larry Ernesto (No. 27) both hit a home run and finished 4-for-6 for Milwaukee's Dominican Summer League affiliate. Rodriguez's homer, a three-run shot, was his first in 20 games as a pro, during which he's produced a .432 average. Ernesto, meanwhile, has totaled three homers and 14 RBIs in 20 contests. Both 17-year-old outfielders, Rodriguez and Ernesto signed with Milwaukee for $1.355 million and $1.8 million, respectively, exactly one year ago today.
• Dodgers No. 7 prospect Jeren Kendall launched a pair of two-run homers in Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga's win over Inland Empire. It was the first career multi-homer performance for the 2017 first-round pick, who's now homered seven times in 70 games this season, tripling the total he produced over 40 games last summer in his professional debut.
• Indians No. 25 prospect Ernie Clement is hitting .436 through his first 10 games in the Carolina League after a perfect 5-for-5 performance out of the leadoff spot for Class A Advanced Lynchburg. The 22-year-old infielder collected 17 hits in that span, thanks to a handful of multi-hit games. Eli Morgan (No. 28) tossed six innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and striking out four, en route to his third straight win. The 22-year-old righty has been outstanding at two levels this season, combining for a 2.08 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 104-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 90 2/3 innings (16 starts) between Lake County and the Hillcats.
• Marlins No. 8 prospectNick Neidert allowed one unearned run on four hits over a season-high eight innings as Double-A Jacksonville fell to Montgomery, 1-0. He struck out seven, induced 10 ground-ball outs and did not issue a walk. Acquired from Seattle in the offseason Dee Gordon trade, the 22-year-old Neidert has pitched to a 2.81 ERA with 87 strikeouts and 18 walks over 83 1/3 innings (15 starts) in the Southern League.
• Squaring off against Class Advanced Florida's Ian Anderson Marlins No. 19 prospectJordan Yamamoto racked up 12 strikeouts over six innings in another impressive outing for Jupiter. He allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits and one walk while pounding the zone with 61 of 89 pitches. It was the second double-digit strikeout performance in three starts for the 22-year-old righty, who fanned a career-high 13 in seven innings on June 20. After missing all of April and most of May, Yamamoto has made up for the lost time by posting a 1.55 ERA with a 0.84 WHIP and 47 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings (seven starts)
• Tigers No. 10 prospectDaz Cameron stayed red-hot as he connected on his second home run in as many games for Double-A Erie. The 21-year-old outfielder has now hit four homers in 14 games in the Eastern League, surpassing the total (three) he posted over 58 games with Class A Advanced Lakeland. What's more, Cameron has hit safely in 12 of those 14 contests en route to a .404/.469/.754 batting line, 10 extra-base hits, 15 RBIs and five steals. Matt Hall (No. 23) fired 6 1/3 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts in his third start of the season. The left-hander has not given up a run in his last 15 1/3 frames (seven appearances).
• Nolan Gorman, the Cardinals' first-round pick in the 2018 Draft, blasted his fourth home run in his 10th career game for Rookie-level Johnson City. Three of Gorman's homers have come in his past two games, during which the 18-year-old slugger is a combined 4-for-9 with five RBIs and five runs scored.
• Tigers second-rounder Parker Meadows went deep in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League for his first career home run. The younger brother of Pirates outfielder Austin Meadows, Parker, a 6-foot-5 outfielder, has collected two hits in three games after signing for above slot $2.5 million last week.
• Making his professional debut, Red Sox 11th-rounder Nick Northcut went 3-for-5 with three doubles, the last of which walked it off for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox in the ninth. The 19-year-old third baseman appeared to be headed to Vanderbilt until the Red Sox signed him for $565,000 after selecting him with their first pick on Day 3 of the Draft.