Here are Saturday's 10 best prospect performers

September 1st, 2019

Here are the 10 best performances by players on team Top 30 Prospects lists from across the Minor Leagues on Saturday:

Jeremiah Jackson, SS/2B, Angels No. 5
Jackson’s numbers in the Pioneer League would lead you to believe that it was a full-season league … it’s not. Jackson has racked up 23 homers and 59 RBIs in 60 games this season, the former tying the league’s single season record. The Angels’ No. 5 prospect was a 2018 MLB Draft pick, selected in the second round out of the Alabama prep ranks. He made his organization debut last season in the Arizona League and fared well, then made the leap to Orem in the Rookie Advanced Pioneer League and stumbled a bit. But in his first “full” season with the Owlz, he’s led the team’s offense and set himself up for another step up in 2020. Angels prospect stats »

Vladimir Gutierrez, RHP, Reds No. 11
Gutierrez established a new career high in strikeouts for the second time in his past four starts for Triple-A Louisville. The Reds’ No. 11 prospect punched out 13 batters over six innings on Saturday to surpass his previous high-water mark of 10 strikeouts, which he reached back on Aug. 15. To go along with the whiffs, Gutierrez allowed just one unearned run on three hits and three walks. He threw 102 pitches, including 67 strikes. The 23-year-old right-hander has had a rough season in the International League, pitching to a 6.04 ERA over 27 starts, though he has thrown the ball better of late, posting a 2.83 ERA with 39 strikeouts over his last 28 2/3 frames (five starts). Reds prospect stats »

Deivy Grullon, C, Phillies No.19
Make it back-to-back seasons with 21 homers for Grullon. The Phillies’ No. 19 prospect went deep twice for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday, hitting a pair of solo blasts in his second multihomer game this season for the IronPigs. The 23-year-old backstop has four homers in his past eight games and leads all Phillies farmhands in dingers. More than just a right-handed slugger, Grullon has compiled a .283/.354/.496 batting line with 77 RBIs in 108 games this season in his first Triple-A campaign. Phillies prospect stats »

Connor Wong, C/2B, Dodgers No. 28
Another day, another huge performance from Wong. The Dodgers’ No. 28 prospect entered play Saturday with five three-hit efforts over his past six games … so of course he had to collect another three hits in the Drillers’ 6-4 win in extras. One of those three hits was a home run, his fourth in five games and 24th on the season. Wong is an interesting prospect who is capable defensively behind the plate and on the infield, but given the Dodgers’ track record of backstops who can play elsewhere on the diamond, it’s no surprise that Los Angeles selected Wong in the third round of the 2017 MLB Draft. Dodgers prospect stats »

Peyton Burdick, OF, Marlins No. 29
After hitting a two-run homer, a single and an RBI triple in his first three at-bats, Burdick was just a double short of completing his cycle through four innings for Class A Clinton. The Marlins’ No. 29 prospect added a second single in the sixth inning but struck out in the eighth to finish 4-for-5 with three RBIs and runs in the LumberKings’ win over Peoria. The 2019 third-round pick from Wright State has opened eyes this summer in his pro debut -- .313/.414/.552 with 11 homers, 34 extra-base hits and 64 RBIs in 67 games spanning two levels -- and already looks as though he could be one of the bigger steals from this year’s class. Marlins prospect stats »

Isaac Paredes, INF and Joey Wentz, LHP, Tigers Nos. 5 and 10
Paredes drove in all four runs for Double-A Erie in the SeaWolves’ 4-1 victory over Akron. Paredes, the Tigers’ No. 5 prospect, hit an RBI single in the fifth inning to put Erie on the board and then connected on a three-run homer in his next trip to the plate to finish 2-for-4. The 20-year-old infielder has hit nine of his 13 homers in the second half of the season -- a stretch during which he’s also batting .303/.385/.459 with 38 RBIs and nearly as many walks (28) as strikeouts (29).

Paredes’ big night at the plate backed another strong effort on the mound from Wentz. Making his fifth SeaWolves start since the Tigers acquired him from Atlanta in the Shane Greene trade, Wentz, Detroit’s No. 10 prospect, gave up one run on four hits and matched his career high with 10 strikeouts 5 1/3 innings. The 21-year-old southpaw has completed at least five frames in each of his five turns for Erie while pitching a 2.10 ERA with 37 strikeouts and four walks over 25 2/3 innings in that span. Tigers prospect stats »

Brendan McKay, LHP and Greg Jones, SS, Rays Nos. 2 and 9
In his return from a stint on Triple-A Durham’s seven-day injured list (left shoulder fatigue), McKay recorded eight of his nine outs via the strikeout -- all swinging -- while tossing three scoreless frames against Gwinnett. The former first-round pick (2017) and current Rays No. 2 prospect (No. 14 in MLB) allowed one hit and one walk in the outing, throwing 39 of 55 pitches for strikes. Prior to him landing on the shelf with Durham, McKay had posted a 5.55 ERA with 41 strikeouts and 12 walks in 35 2/3 innings (eight starts) with the Rays.

Speaking of first-round picks, Greg Jones, whom the Rays selected with the No. 22 overall pick this past June, enjoyed a perfect 5-for-5 night at the plate for Class A Short-Season Hudson Valley. He drove in three runs via an RBI single and a two-run double and also scored three runs out of the leadoff spot. An advanced switch-hitter with top-of-the-scale speed, Jones has made a smooth transition into the professional ranks in the New York-Penn League. After Saturday’s performance, the Rays’ No. 9 prospect is batting .332/.408/.449 with 17 extra-base hits and 18 steals through 47 games. Rays prospect stats »

Bryan Mata, RHP, Red Sox No. 3
Mata has had his ups and downs since being promoted to Double-A, but on Saturday the Red Sox No. 3 prospect was at his best, setting career highs in strikeouts (nine) and innings pitched (seven) in a dominant performance for Double-A Portland. The 20-year-old right-hander issued a season-high five walks and threw only 56 of 103 pitches for strikes, but he also allowed just one hit and recorded eight groundouts. Mata sports a 5.03 ERA in 11 starts for the Sea Dogs, with 59 strikeouts and 24 walks 53 2/3 innings, after compiling a 1.75 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 51 1/3 frames (10 starts) with Class A Advanced Salem. Red Sox prospect stats »