Sunday's top prospect performers
Here's a look at Sunday's top Minor League performers from each team's Top 30 Prospects list:
Royals: Asa Lacy, LHP (MLB No. 22), High-A Quad Cities
It’s been something of an adjustment for Lacy at the professional level, but the No. 4 overall pick of the 2020 Draft flexed his pitching arsenal on Sunday with nine strikeouts in four innings of one-hit, one-run ball. Though he walked three batters and allowed a steal of home plate, the 6-foot-4 southpaw threw 46 of his 79 pitches for strikes and all nine of his whiffs came on swings and misses. He’s now up to 58 strikeouts through 35 innings. Royals prospect stats »
Indians: Nolan Jones, 3B (MLB No. 26), Triple-A Columbus
Angel Martinez, 2B (No. 13), Low-A Lynchburg
It was an encouraging day for Cleveland’s No. 1 prospect, as Jones flexed his power to smack a double and a home run on a 2-for-4, four-RBI day at the plate. Hits have been hard to come by for Jones, whose average sits at .222 through 46 games, but he’s reached base in nine of his last 11 games and his .368 OBP in June is a bit more of what we’re used to seeing from him.
Martinez led the way for Lynchburg’s offense from the leadoff spot, equaling a career high with four hits. The 19-year-old belted his fifth home run, doubled, scored three runs and drove in two. He also added his sixth stolen base. Martinez is enjoying a tremendous season, batting .294/.370/.524 with 19 extra-base hits, 26 RBIs and 26 runs in 37 games. Indians prospect stats »
Rays: Shane Baz, RHP (MLB No. 71), Triple-A Durham
Cole Wilcox, RHP (No. 8), Low-A Charleston
Durham got a few glimpses of what Baz is capable of in his first two Triple-A starts. On Sunday, they saw the entire package. The 24-year-old was in complete command, matching his career high with 10 strikeouts and allowing two hits over five shutout innings. He retired the last 12 batters to put an exclamation point on his fourth scoreless outing of the year. After posting a 3.57 ERA in May, the right-hander has been nearly untouchable in June. Baz will finish the month allowing two runs in 24 innings across five starts with Durham and Double-A Montgomery. Overall, he has a 2.12 ERA, an 0.77 WHIP and a 69-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 46 2/3 innings.
Wilcox only went 2 1/3 innings before exiting with an apparent injury, but he made the most of it by striking out five with no hits or walks allowed. Acquired from the Padres as part of the Blake Snell trade, the 2020 third-round Draft pick has been impressive in his first Minor League season with a 2.14 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, a 10.4 K/BB ratio and just one home run allowed through 20 IP. Wilcox has struck out 33 batters in June alone, boosted by a season-best nine-strikeout performance on June 22. Rays prospect stats »
White Sox: Micker Adolfo, OF (No. 6), Double-A Birmingham
As the weather gets hotter, so does Adolfo, who is well on his way towards having the best season of his professional career. The 24-year-old hit a grand slam, doubled and equaled his personal best with five RBIs to power Birmingham on Sunday. Adolfo has gone deep four times in his last six games and has slugged half of his 12 roundtrippers this month. Coming off an injury-plagued 2019 when he appeared in just 36 games, the Dominican Republic native has 23 extra-base hits, 33 RBIs and an .859 OPS in 42 games. White Sox prospect stats »
Mets: Alex Ramirez, OF (No. 9), Low-A St. Lucie
The 18-year-old Ramirez put together his best all-around day at the plate this season, going 3-for-5 with a homer, his second of the year, and two runs scored. It’s the fifth time in the past 10 games that he’s had a multihit effort and just the third time all season that he didn’t strike out at least once in a game. Ramirez has struggled so far to keep the whiffs down, but his .333 average and .375 OBP in his last 10 games are encouraging signs. Mets prospect stats »
Pirates: Jared Jones, RHP (No. 16), Low-A Bradenton
The 16th-ranked Pirates pitcher recorded all of his outs but one via strikeout while he was on the hill Sunday. Jones worked around a pair of hits and a walk to fan 11 over four scoreless frames. The 19-year-old whiffed the side in the first, third and fourth innings, and the only out he recorded that wasn’t via strikeout was a caught stealing, 2-5, in the second. Jones is sporting a 2.41 ERA and has amassed 33 strikeouts over 18 2/3 innings this season. Pirates prospect stats »
Brewers: Thomas Dillard, C/INF (No. 22), High-A Wisconsin
When you’re hot, you’re hot: not only was it the fourth multihit game in his last six contests, but for the first time in his career, Dillard went yard twice in one game and had a four-RBI day at the plate in Wisconsin’s 6-2 win. The 23-year-old hasn’t yet flashed his potential power, but he’s slashing .324/.405/.595 in his last 10 games to bring his average up to a season-high .240. Dillard is a hitter, and the 2019 fifth-rounder has fared much better in June with a .278 batting average this month. Brewers prospect stats »
Padres: Eguy Rosario, SS (No. 18), Double-A San Antonio
Rosario homered twice in the same game for the first time since 2018 and collected three hits and three RBIs to continue a strong June. The 21-year-old was off to a rough start, hitting .206 with a .585 OPS across 68 at-bats in May. However, Rosario has kicked things into gear this month, compiling a .310/.406/.575 slash line and 12 extra-base hits, including five of his six homers, and 21 RBIs in 24 games. Padres prospect stats »
Twins: Chris Vallimont, RHP (No. 18), Double-A Wichita
Vallimont started his season a little late with an undisclosed injury that kept him out of action until May 16, but the former fifth-rounder looks to be coming back into form. Vallimont tossed a season-high 5 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up five hits and two walks while striking out nine. Acquired from the Marlins as part of the Sergio Romo deal in 2019, the 6-foot-5 right-hander is pitching to the tune of a 3.22 ERA in June with 34 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings. Twins prospect stats »
Giants: Jaylin Davis, OF (No. 26), Triple-A Sacramento
Davis has been dialed in at the plate of late. The 26th-ranked Giants prospect clubbed his second grand slam in 10 days, and his sixth long ball in 12 games -- including his third time going yard in consecutive outings. The 26-year-old lined a single into right in the first inning and came around to score the River Cats’ first run in what would become a four-run frame. After being hit by a pitch in the second, Davis crushed a grand slam to right with two outs in the fourth. The outfielder reached base two more times: getting hit by a pitch again and scoring in the seventh before working a six-pitch walk in the eighth. Giants prospect stats »