Sunday's top Spring Training prospect performers
Here's a look at Sunday’s top performers at Spring Training from each team's Top 30 Prospects list.
Mariners: Julio Rodríguez , OF (MLB No. 3)
Seattle’s top prospect – whose stellar spring made him all but a lock to break camp with the big league club – continued his torrid play at the plate with a three-hit performance. The 21-year-old launched his third Cactus League home run of the campaign, a solo blast to right-center off lefty Daniel Lynch. He drove in the Mariners’ final run with an RBI double to left in the seventh. Rodriguez also sprayed a single to right on the first pitch he saw in the opening frame and finished a triple shy of a cycle before being replaced by a pinch-runner in the seventh. The outfielder is batting .419/.471/.839 with four doubles and eight RBIs over 12 games this spring.
Tigers: Spencer Torkelson, 1B/3B (MLB No. 4)
Gage Workman, SS/3B (No. 11)
A day after the top Tigers prospect learned he had made the Tigers’ Opening Day roster, he celebrated by connecting on his first big league camp home run with a solo shot to left-center in the second inning. The 22-year-old battled the Phillies’ Aaron Nola for 11 pitches before turning around a 91 mph fastball and depositing it deep into the seats. The 2020 top overall Draft pick is faring much better in his second Major League Spring Training, sporting a .286/.400/.536 slash line with four doubles, four RBIs and a pair of walks over 12 Grapefruit League games.
Workman joined Torkelson -- his former Arizona State teammate -- in hitting his first homer of the spring, an eighth-inning, two-run shot driven 104.9 mph off the bat. The 22-year-old has seen limited action this spring but impressed with his combination of extra-base pop and speed last year. In 118 games split between Single-A and High-A, Workman hit 12 homers, six triples and 37 doubles while stealing 31 bases. He struck out 157 times with 53 walks, so there is room for improvement. If Workman can find a more contact-oriented approach, he could find himself rising up the Tigers’ prospect rankings this season.
Rangers: Ezequiel Duran, INF (MLB No. 83)
The fourth-ranked Rangers prospect finished with another multihit performance in the Cactus League. Duran launched his second long ball of the campaign with a solo dinger to left-center on a first-pitch fastball off Brandon Woodruff in the third inning. In the sixth, the 22-year-old drove in his seventh run of the spring with a base hit to right before coming around to score three batters later on a Nick Tanielu single to right. He was removed for a defensive replacement at second base in the bottom half of the frame. Duran has opened a lot of eyes with his showing at Major League Spring Training this year, posting a .417/.429/.917 slash line with five runs scored over seven Cactus League games.
Astros: Jeremy Peña, SS (No. 1)
With the departure of Carlos Correa this offseason, Peña is expected to take over as the Astros’ shortstop this season. The 24-year-old swatted his first two Spring Training homers -- both off of Josiah Gray -- driving in four runs before exiting in the sixth inning. Peña is 7-for-18 this spring, batting .389 with three extra-base hits and eight RBIs in seven games. Peña had surgery on his left wrist last April, but returned in August to hit 10 homers with a .297/.363/.579 slash line in 37 games, 30 of which came for Triple-A Sugar Land.
Orioles: Mike Baumann, RHP (No. 13)
Talk about a bounce back. After a rough 2022 spring debut, Baltimore’s 2017 third-rounder was nearly perfect against the Twins on Sunday. The right-hander’s only blemish was a one-out walk in the seventh, as he did not yield a hit and fanned a pair over the final 2 1/3 frames of the game. Baumann retired the first two batters he faced before walking Nick Gordon on five pitches. However, Gordon never made it into scoring position as Baumann set down the final five Minnesota batters of the game.
Phillies: Mickey Moniak, OF (No. 16)
Moniak is catching fire just in time for the regular season. The first overall pick of the 2016 Draft blasted two home runs -- his fourth and fifth of the spring -- with three RBIs while manning center field before exiting in the seventh inning. Moniak is tied for fourth in Spring Training home runs and has three doubles, nine RBIs and a 1.241 OPS in 12 games. The 23-year-old has had brief stints in the Majors in each of the past two seasons and has a chance to earn the Phillies’ starting center field job this season.
Cubs: Alexander Canario, OF (No. 18)
Playing time has been sparse for Canario, but he's made the most of his limited opportunities. The 21-year-old broke open the Cubs' Cactus League tilt with the Guardians, launching a three-run homer and walking in his four plate appearances. It was the second straight game Canario cleared the fences, making him 3-for-10 with a pair of long balls and five RBIs in four games. Although he batted just .230, the Dominican Republic native showed good extra-base prowess, amassing 42 extra-base hits, including 18 homers, in 107 games across two Minor League levels in 2021.