MLB Pipeline's Prospect Team of the Week
MLB Pipeline's Prospect Team of the Week honors the best performances from the previous seven days. Any Minor Leaguer currently on an organization Top 30 Prospects list on our Prospect Watch is eligible.
This week has four different players making their second appearance on a Prospect Team of the Week, though none have been quite as hot as Francisco Mejia.
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After combining for a .189/.258/.293 batting line during the season's first two months, Mejia rebounded in earnest with a torrid month of June, hitting .455 with a 1.193 OPS. What's more, Mejia is raking at a .526 clip with 20 hits during his nine-game hitting streak, during which he's improved his season average from .251 to .291.
Among other PTOW returnees, Tyler O'Neill is back for the first time since the season's opening week after clubbing four home runs in five games in the Pacific Coast League, and Brandon Lowe is making his second straight PTOW appearance after another loud showing with Triple-A Durham.
The Padres are well represented on the latest PTOW with pitchers Logan Allen and Chris Paddack, both Top 100 overall prospects. It's the second time this season that two pitchers from the same organization garnered PTOW honors after Cardinals hurlers Ryan Helsley and Austin Gomber back in April.
Here's the complete Prospect Team of the Week for games of June 25 through July 1.
2018 Prospect Teams of the Week
C: Francisco Mejia, Columbus Clippers (Triple--A)
(Indians' No. 1 prospect/No. 16 overall)
7 G, .593/.645/.926, 8 R, 6 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB, 1 IBB, 2 K
Mejia officially put his sluggish start to the season behind him in June by hitting .455/.476/.717 and collecting hits in 22 of 24 games, including 18 multi-hit performances. The 22-year-old recorded at least one double in five straight games to pace all Top 30 prospects in two-baggers, and his 16 hits were tied for the most among Top 30 prospects.
1B: Kevin Cron, Reno Aces (Triple-A)
(D-backs' No. 19 prospect)
6 G, .462/.483/1.115, 9 R, 2 2B, 5 HR, 15 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K
That Cron led all Top 30 prospects in both home runs and RBIs was a product of two monstrous games. He erupted to hit three home runs and finish with a career-high seven RBIs on Wednesday, and then added a two-homer, six-RBI performance on Saturday. Overall, the 25-year-old has 10 multi-homer games in his career and 13 home runs in 50 games this season, putting him well on his way towards achieving his fourth straight season with at least 25 home runs.
2B: Brandon Lowe, Durham Bulls (Triple-A)
(Rays' No. 14 prospect)
8 G, .484/.590/.935, 9 R, 5 2B, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 8 BB, 7 K
Lowe may be appearing on his second straight PTOW, but it's his first as a second baseman after garnering honors as an outfielder last week. Another torrid week at the plate saw the 23-year-old produce 29 total bases, tied for the most among Top 30 prospects, while also ranking second in runs scored (tied), hits (15), doubles (tied) and RBIs. He's slashing .307/.409/.571 with 16 homers and 26 doubles on the season, thanks largely to a .341/.431/.716 line and eight home runs in 22 games with Durham.
3B: Elehuris Montero, Peoria Chiefs (Class A)
(Cardinals' No. 27 prospect)
6 G, .500/.565/.850, 4 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K
Montero, 19, hit safely in all six games for Peoria as he improved his season average from .302 to .316. He homered in two of those contests, giving the Dominican third baseman a career-best nine homers in 71 games after he totaled nine home runs in 170 games across his first three seasons.
SS: Royce Lewis, Cedar Rapids Kernels (Class A)
(Twins' No. 1 prospect/No. 12 overall)
6 G, .500/.577/.850, 8 R, 4 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 5 BB, 3 K, 3 SB
The 2017 No. 1 overall Draft pick went hitless at the outset of the week before collecting hits in five straight games, including back-to-back three-hit performances and three multi-hit games. It helped the 19-year-old shortstop tie a bow on his best month of the season, as Lewis finished June with a .330/.380/.604 batting line with five homers, 10 doubles and 22 RBIs in 23 games.
OF: Jacob Robson, Erie SeaWolves/Toledo Mud Hens (Double-A/Triple-A)
(Tigers' No. 26 prospect)
5 G, .471/.591/1.059, 7 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K, 3 SB, 1 CS
Robson began his week in the Eastern League, where he tallied three hits and three runs in two games before moving up to Triple-A Toledo and blasting two home runs in his first three games in the International League. The 23-year-old outfielder, an eighth-round pick in 2016, is putting together a breakout campaign, hitting .294/.389/.478 with nine home runs, 17 doubles and 13 steals through 70 games.
OF: Tyler O'Neill, Memphis Redbirds (Triple-A)
(Cardinals' No. 2 prospect/No. 52 overall)
5 G, .278/.381/1.000, 7 R, 1 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K
O'Neill went deep in three straight games to begin the week as he ultimately homered in four of his five contests for Memphis. It was the third time this season that the 23-year-old slugger homered in three consecutive games in the Minors -- four including his time in the Majors. He's hit 19 homers in 49 games this season, good for a share of second place in the Pacific Coast League, and has 21 homers in 65 games between the Minors and Majors.
OF: Corey Ray, Biloxi Shuckers (Double-A)
(Brewers' No. 6 prospect)
5 G, .353/.421/.941, 4 R, 1 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 6 K, 1 SB
While June marked Ray's worst month of the season (.223/.324/.404), the 23-year-old did finish it on a high note by hitting a home run in two of his final four games before opening July with another homer, giving him three for the week. After a disappointing first full season, Ray has gotten back on track this year at Biloxi, hitting .251/.345/.469 with a career-high 12 homers as well as 19 steals in 77 games.
LHP: Logan Allen, San Antonio Missions (Double-A)
(Padres' No. 9 prospect/No. 100 overall)
1-0, 1.29 ERA, 1 GS, 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K, 0.71 WHIP
Allen is making his second PTOW appearance in five weeks after the 21-year-old southpaw completed seven innings for the third time in four starts while striking out 10. He owns a stellar 0.36 ERA with 26 strikeouts and a .350 OPS against over 25 innings in those four outings, during which he's improved his overall ERA from 3.65 to 2.66, the second best mark among qualified pitcher in the Texas League. He also leads the circuit in WHIP (1.10) and strikeouts (95).
RHP: Chris Paddack, Lake Elsinore Storm (Class A Advanced)
(Padres' No. 8 prospect/No. 98 overall)
1-0, 3.60 ERA, 2 GS, 10 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 14 K, 1.20 WHIP
Paddack, 22, kicked off his week with a dominant four-inning outing in which he allowed just one hit while recording nine of his 12 outs via the strikeout. The right-hander didn't fare as well on Sunday, when he allowed four earned runs in six innings, though the performance still netted the right-hander his fourth win in 10 starts for Lake Elsinore. Fully healthy after Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2017 campaign, Paddack as returned to post a 2.24 ERA with a 0.90 WHIP and 83-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 52 1/3 innings in the hitter-friendly California League.
RP: Ray Black, Sacramento River Cats (Triple-A)
(Giants' No. 29 prospect)
0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 G, 1 SV, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 0.33 WHIP
Finally healthy after myriad injuries limited him in recent years, the flame-throwing Black is finally healthy and on the cusp of the Major Leagues. Now 28, Black logged three scoreless appearances last week in the Pacific Coast League, one of which led to his first career Triple-A save. He's racked up 33 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings with Sacramento, and 53 in 29 2/3 frames (16.1 K/9) including his time with Double-A Richmond.