Wednesday's top prospect performers

June 13th, 2019

Here's a look at Wednesday's top Minor League performers from each team's Top 30 Prospects list:

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays: Anthony Alford, OF (No. 9) 2-for-4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, SB (Triple-A Buffalo)
Alford extended his hitting streak, which includes four multihit games, to six. The 24-year-old hit his fifth homer of the year, a three-run blast in the sixth inning, and matched his season-high with four RBIs. Alford is hitting .242 over 52 games with Buffalo and went 0-for-3 in his lone game with the Blue Jays this year.
Blue Jays prospects stats »

Orioles: Yusniel Diaz, OF (No. 2, MLB No. 78) 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB (Double-A Bowie)
Diaz snapped out of his 1-for-13 mini-slump with his second homer of the year and his first multihit game since May 29. The 22-year-old, whom the Orioles acquired from the Dodgers as part of the Manny Machado trade, was on the injured list for most of May and is hitting .220 over 27 games with Bowie.
Orioles prospects stats »

Rays: Shane McClanahan, LHP (No. 11) 5 1/3 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K (Class A Adv Charlotte); Nick Solak, 2B (No. 12) 2-for-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI (Triple-A Durham)
McClanahan, 22, put on a show in his Class A Advanced Charlotte debut, establishing a career high with 10 strikeouts in a no-decision against Bradenton. He struck out the side in the second and fourth innings and recorded a strikeout in all but one frame. The 6-foot-1 southpaw has been a strikeout machine so far in his first full season, tallying at least six strikeouts in 10 of his 12 outings, including nine straight. Overall, McClanahan, whom the Rays took with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2018 Draft, has pitched to a 3.09 ERA across two levels, with 84 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings (13.0 K/9), though he’s also issued 33 walks (5.1 BB/9) in that span. Solak made his only two hits of the night count for the Bulls, clearing the fences twice, both times with men on base (three-run homer in the first and a two-run blast in the fourth). It's his second multihomer game of the month and brings him to 12 on the season, just 7 shy of his career high. He set that mark last season in 126 games, and has 12 in only 60 appearances in 2019.
Rays prospects stats »

Red Sox: Tanner Houck, RHP (No. 5) 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K (Double-A Portland)
The 2017 first-round pick lowered his ERA to 3.98 -- the lowest it’s been since April 27 -- as he posted his fourth straight quality start for the Sea Dogs. Houck, a 22-year-old righty, is 3-0 in that span, with a 2.16 ERA and 31/4 K/BB ratio in 25 innings. Last year, in his first full season, Houck tried to reinvent himself by pitching primarily with his four-seam fastball and curveball, and it resulted in a first-half ERA of 6.16 at Class A Advanced Salem. He subsequently reverted to the approach he used at Missouri and posted a vastly improved 2.86 ERA during the second half.
Red Sox prospects stats »

Yankees: Albert Abreu, RHP (No. 3) 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 HBP, 8 K (Double-A Trenton)
Abreu was treated to an early lead, as Trenton pushed across five runs between the first two innings, but the 23-year-old righty also did his part by matching his season high in strikeouts while recording a solid start. He allowed just two hits, both singles, and the second of the two runs scored against him in the fourth inning occurred on an errant pickoff throw. Abreu continues to flash his potential in bursts, though his overall consistency -- from start to start and even pitch to pitch -- leaves much to be desired. He owns a 3.79 ERA this season in 59 1/3 innings, during which he’s totaled 53 strikeouts against 37 walks.
Yankees prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Indians: Bobby Bradley, 1B (No. 6) 2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI (Triple-A Columbus)
Bradley put his power on display once again as he hit his 18th homer of the season. The 23-year-old went on a tear, connecting on 12 home runs in May, but that sort of outburst nothing new for the Clippers' slugger. Bradley has hit 20 or more homers in each of the past three seasons, but has struggled with strikeouts through his career and has struck out 81 times in 59 games this season.
Indians prospects stats »

Royals: No Royals prospects had noteworthy performances in the Minors on Wednesday.

Tigers: Alex Faedo, RHP (No. 9) 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 10 K (Double-A Erie)
After not recording a strikeout against Reading during the first two frames, Faedo struck out the side in the third inning, punched out a pair in the fourth and fanned the side again in sixth to finish with 10 strikeouts. It was his third double-digit strikeout performance this season, and all have occurred in his last six starts. The 2017 first-round pick has racked up 82 strikeouts overall on the season, including 22 in 12 1/3 innings against Reading alone. He’s also pitched to a 3.70 ERA in 65 2/3 innings this season, after he posted a 4.95 ERA over 60 frames for Erie during the second half of 2018.
Tigers prospects stats »

Twins: Lewis Thorpe, LHP (No. 8) 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K (Triple-A Rochester)
The Thorpedo struck out five of the first six batters he faced en route to nine strikeouts on 88 pitches (56 strikes) in his first scoreless performance of the season. He issued back-to-back walks in the third inning, and the lone hit he allowed in the outing was a fourth-inning double with one out. The 23-year-old lefty out of Australia has allowed one earned run or fewer in four of his last five starts, pitching increasingly well as the season progresses after an inconsistent start. Thorpe’s 5.46 ERA for the Red Wings is inflated due to his 10 home runs allowed in 12 starts, but he’s continue to miss bats at the Minors’ highest level, racking up 79 strikeouts in 61 innings. 
Twins prospects stats »

White Sox: Luis Gonzalez, OF (No. 9) 1-for-3, RBI (Double-A Birmingham)
Gonzalez broke up Jacksonville’s no-hit bid in the eighth inning, when he put the Barons on the board with a one-out single. The hit, which also extended Gonzalez's hitting streak to five games, turned out to be all the offense Birmingham needed as it topped Jacksonville, 1-0. The third-round pick from the 2017 Draft, hit .307 across two levels last season, his first full season, and is hitting .231 through his first 62 Double-A games.
White Sox prospects stats »

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

A’s: Darion Blanco, OF (No. 30) 2-for-3, HR, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 SB (Double-A Midland)
Blanco, whom the A's signed last April out of Cuba, impressed by hitting .291 over 82 games last year and is putting together the pieces of another strong season in 2019. The 26-year-old is hitting .280 through 54 games in his first taste of Double-A. Blanco's speed, an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale, is his calling card, but he's also shown a solid approach at the plate early in his career.
A's prospects stats »

Angels: Jahmai Jones, 2B (No. 4) 3-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB (Double-A Mobile)
Jones, the Angels' second-round pick from the 2015 Draft, hit his second homer of the year and also set a season high for hits. Jones fared well in 2016 and 2017, but saw his average dip to .239 across two levels last season and he's struggling again this year. The 21-year-old is hitting .186 through 59 games, but is 4-for-6 over the past two days, so perhaps he's starting to heat up.
Angels prospects stats »

Astros: J.B. Bukauskas, RHP (No. 5) 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 10 K (Double-A Corpus Christi)
Bukauskas is still seeking his first win of the season, but his no-decision doesn't take away from his strong performance. The right-hander threw 66 of his 98 pitches for strikes and the 10 strikeouts represented a season high. The Astros picked Bukauskas in the first round of the 2017 Draft and he threw well last year, going 4-2 with a 2.14 ERA over 14 starts. This year has been a bit rougher as he's pitched to a 5.65 ERA over 51 innings, but he's allowed one run in each of his past two starts so things are starting to turn around.
Astros prospects stats »

Mariners: Evan White, 1B (No. 4) 2-for-4, HR (Double-A Arkansas)
White has been on fire offensively and hasn't shown any signs of slowing down -- especially as he extended his hitting streak to 14 games with another multihit performance on Wednesday night. The 23-year-old, a 2017 first-round pick, is widely regarded as the best defensive first baseman in the Minors, but that doesn't mean he can't also hit. White hit .300 over 124 games in his full-season debut last year and is slashing .290/.363/.463 through 42 games this season.
Mariners prospects stats »

Rangers: Julio Pablo Martinez, OF (No. 4) 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB (Class A Adv Down East)
Martinez, whom the Rangers signed in March 2018, hit his eighth homer of the season and his third of the month in the Wood Ducks' 4-1 win over Potomac. Martinez has good speed and plate discipline, but his swing gets long at times. The 23-year-old has struggled this year and is hitting .202 through 57 games.
Rangers prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Kolby Allard, LHP (No. 9) 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K (Triple-A Gwinnett)
Allard lowered his ERA to 3.88 as he yielded just one run for the second time in as many starts. The 21-year-old, a 2015 first-round pick, threw 61 of his 94 pitches for strikes and struggled with his command a bit, but still limited the damage to just the one run. Allard made his Major League debut last summer, but struggled and gave up 12 runs over eight innings (three appearances).
Braves prospects stats »

Marlins: Will Stewart, LHP (No. 21) 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K (Class A Adv Jupiter)
Stewart, 21, struggled mightily during a four-start span, from April 25 to May 18, during which he recorded a 16.07 ERA while allowing 30 hits in 14 innings. In four starts since then, however, the left-hander has posted a vastly improved ERA of 1.73 over 26 frames while completing at least six innings in all four starts. The Marlins acquired Smith from the Phillies along with catcher Jorge Alfaro and top prospect Sixto Sanchez during the offseason in the J.T. Realmuto trade.
Marlins prospects stats »

Mets: Carlos Cortes, 2B (No. 19) 1-for-2, HR, 2 R, BB (Class A Adv St. Lucie)
Cortes, 21, scored both of St. Lucie's runs in its 7-2 loss against Clearwater. His lone hit left the park, as the 2018 third-round pick from South Carolina deposited a 1-0 pitch over the wall in right-center field in the sixth inning for his seventh home run of the season. One of the better pure college hitters from last year's Draft class, Cortes has lived up to that billing by producing a solid .263/.340/.438 line with 21 extra-base hits and 39 RBIs in 61 games, despite receiving a challenging assignment straight to the Florida State League for his first full season.
Mets prospects stats »

Phillies: Mauricio Llovera, RHP (No. 15) 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K (Double-A Reading)
For a second straight start, Llovera matched his season high with eight strikeouts while completing six innings. He's taken the loss in both starts, despite giving up two earned runs in each. The 23-year-old righty from Venezuela is missing plenty of bats this season in the Eastern League, with 57 strikeouts in 48 1/3 frames, though his 22 walks in that span underscore his need for better control and more consistent execution of his four-pitch mix, which is headlined by a plus fastball and above-average slider.
Phillies prospects stats »

Nationals: Ben Braymer, LHP (No. 23) 8 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K (Double-A Harrisburg)
Braymer was untouchable on Wednesday, as he retired the final 20 batters he faced to complete eight innings, a new career high, of no-hit ball. The 25-year-old southpaw departed the game after throwing 102 pitches (69 for strikes), only to watch the Senators get walked off in the 10th inning. Starting exclusively this season after serving as a swingman (2.28 ERA, 118/34 K/BB in 114 2/3 IP), Braymer has proved up to the challenge with a 2.55 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and .190 BAA in 74 innings (12 starts) in his first Double-A campaign.
Nationals prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Zack Brown, RHP (No. 6) 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 7 K (Triple-A San Antonio)
Making his 13th start of the season, the 24-year-old matched his season highs in strikeouts and innings en route to a quality start for the Missions. After a breakout 2018 campaign in Double-A (2.44 ERA, 119/37 K/BB in 127 2/3 innings) that netted him Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors, Brown has struggled to throw strikes and work deep into games this season, which is his first at the Triple-A level. To go along with a 5.07 ERA, the former fifth-round pick (2016) has posted only 47 strikeouts while walking 37 batters in 65 2/3 innings.
Brewers prospects stats »

Cubs: Alex Lange, RHP (No. 12) 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 9 K (Double-A Tennessee)
Lange was a tough-luck loser for Myrtle Beach despite turning in perhaps his best performance of 2019. A second-inning solo shot was one of two hits allowed by the the 23-year-old right-hander, who set a pair of season highs with nine strikeouts in seven innings. It's been a challenging season so far for the former first-round pick (2017), as he's now 1-9 with a 7.36 ERA in 11 starts after Wednesday's outing.
Cubs prospects stats »

Cardinals: Dylan Carlson, OF (No. 2, MLB No. 97) 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB (Double-A Springfield)
Carlson was one of three Springfield players to collect multiple hits on Wednesday, and it was his RBI double in the third inning that put the Cardinals on the board. The 20-year-old outfielder, a former first-round pick (2016), has been nothing but steady in his first Double-A campaign, as he's now hitting .278 (.867 OPS) in June after posting a .304 clip (.952) in May and a .287 (.853) April. Overall, he's put together an very impressive batting line of .293/.378/.522 in the Texas League, with nine homers, 29 extra-base hits and 11 steals in 61 games.
Cardinals prospects stats »

Pirates: Cal Mitchell, OF (No. 6) 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI (Class A Adv Bradenton)
Mitchell played the hero for the Marauders as he delivered a walk-off two-run homer in the nightcap of Bradenton's doubleheader against Charlotte. The 20-year-old left-handed hitter turned around the seventh pitch of his at-bat, lining it over the wall in right field to send Bradenton home winners. The homer was Mitchell's seventh of the season, and he's now hitting .280/.319/.436 through 58 games in the Florida State League after producing a .280/.344/.427 line with 10 homers in 119 games last year in his full-season debut with Class A West Virginia.
Pirates prospects stats »

Reds: Lyon Richardson, RHP (No. 10) 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 1 HBP, 7 K (Class A Dayton)
Richardson, 19, yielded a pair of unearned runs in the sixth inning but still completed one of his better outings of the season, matching his season-high totals in both strikeouts and innings pitched. The 2018 second-round pick out of the Florida prep ranks has pitched increasingly well over his last three starts, posting a 1.13 ERA over 16 innings to lower his season ERA from 5.19 to 4.10. More importantly, the 6-foot-2, 192-pounder has been healthy this season after a balky right elbow prompted the Reds to shut him down early last August.
Reds prospects stats »

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Jackson Goddard, RHP (No. 28) -- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 2 K (Class A Kane County); Josh Green (No. 26) -- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K (Class A Adv Visalia)
Goddard struggled with his control on Wednesday, issuing a season-high four walks and throwing only 41 of 76 pitches for strikes, but he still managed to surrender just one hit, a leadoff single in the fourth inning. Selected in the third round of the 2018 Draft out of Kansas, the 22-year-old hasn't allowed an earned run in three straight starts and owns a 0.49 ERA over his last four turns. Green returned from the injured list in fine form. The righty hadn't pitched since May 15, but he came out and delivered his best start of the season. The 23-year-old was a 2018 Draft selection of the D-backs and is making his full-season debut with the Rawhide and performing well, pitching to a 2.12 ERA over 51 innings with a remarkably low seven walks allowed.
D-backs prospects stats »

Dodgers: Gavin Lux, SS (No. 2, MLB No. 40) 2-for-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI (Double-A Tulsa)
Lux is now two homers shy of matching his career-high mark (15) after recording his second two-homer game of the season. The 21-year-old hit the first pitch of the game out to right-center field and added a two-run shot in the fifth inning, once again hammering the first pitch he saw over the wall in right-center. It was the third straight multihit performance by the left-handed-hitting Lux, and, overall, he’s batting .305/.359/.538 through 54 games with the Drillers. The former first-round pick (2016) batted .324 across two levels during his breakout 2018 campaign and owns a .290/.366/.450 career line in 337 Minor League games.
Dodgers prospects stats »

Giants: Blake Rivera, RHP (No. 18) 5 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K (Class A Augusta)
The two hits Rivera allowed came against the first two batters he faced. The 21-year-old dominated the rest of the way, racking up seven strikeouts and seven groundouts while throwing 86 pitches (48 strikes). He’s fanned 17 batters and allowed just three hits over his last 11 2/3 frames, while lowering his season ERA from 4.12 to 3.25. A 6-foot-4, 225-pound righty, Rivera pitches with a low 90s fastball, at times reaching back for more, and pairs his heater with a plus curveball. His changeup, a potentially average offer, and overall control both leave something to be desired.
Giants prospects stats »

Padres: Ty France, 3B (No. 30) -- 4-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, SB (Triple-A El Paso)
France continued his assault on Triple-A pitching on Wednesday as he matched his season high by collecting four hits, including a tape-measure home run to left field. The 24-year-old is raking at a .433/.513/.897 clip in the Pacific Coast League, where he's now gone deep 11 times in 24 games, while driving in 37 runs. Promoted to the big leagues in late April, France slashed .235/.290/.357 and hit a pair of home runs in 34 games with the Padres before being optioned to El Paso on June 6.
Padres prospects stats »

Rockies: Yonathan Daza, OF (No. 14) -- 3-for-4, HR, 2 R (Triple-A Albuquerque)
Daza collected a team-high three hits out of the leadoff spot, including his sixth home run of the season. It was the seventh consecutive multihit game and the eighth during his 10-game hitting streak. He's hitting a robust .447 in that span and .379 on the season, which is the best mark in the Pacific Coast League. The 25-year-old made his big league debut with the Rockies earlier this season, but was optioned back to Albuquerque after going 1-for-18 at the plate over parts of six contests.
Rockies prospects stats »