Friday's top prospect performers

August 18th, 2018

Here's MLB Pipeline's roundup of the top prospect performances in the Minor Leagues on Friday.
Pitching at his second level this season, Wyatt Marks is already producing similar results.
Marks, the A's No. 26 prospect, allowed one earned run on three hits while striking out 10 over six-plus innings a no-decision as Class A Advanced Stockton fell to Visalia, 3-2.
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Making his third start for the Ports since his promotion on Aug. 2, Marks struck out three of the first four batters before Pavin Smith (D-backs No. 4) tagged him for one-out double in the second inning. He rebounded to retire nine straight batters, and wrapped up his outing by striking out five of the final eight he faced. Marks threw 90 pitches in the outing, 60 for strikes.
A four-pitch walk to leadoff the seventh inning spelled the end of Marks' night, and he was ultimately charged with an earned run after Stockton reliever served up a game-tying, two-run homer to the first batter he faced.
Marks owns a 2.12 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 19 innings and has completed at least six innings twice in three starts with the Ports.
The 23-year-old right-hander was promoted to Stockton after posting a 3.23 ERA with a .227 opponents' average and a Midwest League-leading 138 strikeouts in 117 innings with Class A Beloit.
Other top prospect performances from Friday's action:
No. 10 overall prospect Royce Lewis (Twins' No. 1) hit a solo home run in the eighth inning that proved the difference in Class A Advanced Fort Myers' 3-2 win over Clearwater. He reached base three times out of the leadoff spot, going 2-for-3 with a walk to go along with his 14th home run of the season. The 19-year-old shortstop continues to have a remarkable first full season, hitting .316/.380/.498 with 46 extra-base hits, 74 RBIs, 82 runs scored and 28 steals.
• No. 22 overall prospect Luis Urias (Padres' No. 4) recorded his fourth straight multihit game for Triple-A El Paso with a 3-for-5 performance that included a double. The 21-year-old second baseman -- who started at the hot corner on Friday -- is hitting .647 (11-for-17) with five extra-base hits in that span, during which he's improved his season average from .270 to .285.
No. 37 overall prospect Keibert Ruiz (Dodgers' No. 2) homered for the third time in as many games and finished 2-for-3 in Double-A Tulsa's win over San Antonio in Game 1 of a doubleheader. The multihit performance was Ruiz's fifth during his six-game hitting streak, a stretch during which the 20-year-old switch-hitter has improved his average from .237 to .259. The homer, a solo shot with two outs in the first, was Ruiz's 12th of the year.

MILB Video - Title: Ruiz goes yard - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2397576583

Right-hander Dustin May (Dodgers' No. 4, No. 80 overall) pitched well in his third Double-A start, allowing just one hit over 4 2/3 scoreless frames. He issued two walks and struck out six before departing after 86 pitches (58 strikes). The 20-year-old sports a 3.39 ERA with 107 strikeouts and 22 walks in 114 innings (20 starts) this season across two levels.
• No. 58 overall prospect Matt Manning (Tigers' No. 3) racked up eight strikeouts over five innings in another strong outing for Class A Advanced Lakeland. Throwing 60 of his 94 pitches for strikes, Manning allowed one run on three hits and generated another six outs on the ground. In eight starts since his promotion to the Florida State League, the 20-year-old right-hander has compiled a 2.78 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings. Overall, Manning has fanned 131 batters in 101 innings across two levels.
• No. 78 overall prospect (Marlins' No. 1) hit a solo home run and a double as he recorded his fourth multihit performance in five games for Double-A Jacksonville. The 23-year-old outfielder is approaching his second straight 20-20 campaign, as he's now up to 18 home runs and 24 steals on the season after totaling 21 and 27, respectively, in 2017. He's also enjoying his best month of the season, sporting a .263/.311/.561 line and five home runs through 13 games in August.

MILB Video - Title: Harrison hits a homer for Jacksonville - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2397431483

Dodgers No. 24 prospect Cristian Santana continued his recent power surge by connecting on his fourth home run in six games for Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga. The home run was Santana's lone hit in the contest but it extended his hitting streak to 11 games -- a stretch during which he's lifted his batting average from .242 to .260. The 21-year-old corner infielder leads the California League in both home runs (23) and RBIs (100).
Mets No. 6 prospect David Peterson allowed two hits over five innings as he recorded his second straight scoreless start for Class A Advanced St. Lucie. The 2017 first-round pick issued three walks but also struck out five and induced seven ground-ball outs. After some initial struggles following a midseason promotion to the Florida State League, Peterson has rebounded to post a 1.06 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 17 innings over his last three starts.
Orioles No. 4 prospect fell a triple short of the cycle but still collected a season-high four hits to help lead Double-A Bowie past Erie, 6-4. The 23-year-old outfielder hit pair of doubles as well as his eighth home run to finish 4-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored. He's hit .364 with two homers, four doubles and 11 RBIs in eight games since returning from the disabled list.

MILB Video - Title: Hays hits a two-run homer - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2397053983

Pirates No. 23 prospect Mason Martin homered and finished with a career-high five RBIs as Rookie-level Bristol outslugged Burlington, 14-9. Martin's homer, a three-run shot in the third inning, was his 13th of the year, and he also tallied a double as well as a pair of run-scoring singles in the 4-for-6 performance.
Red Sox No. 7 prospect Darwinzon Hernandez fired six innings of one-hit ball as Class A Advanced Salem blanked Down East, 5-0. He issued a pair of walks and struck out nine. The 21-year-old left-hander has been a force since the calendar flipped to July, going 6-0 in his last eight starts, with a 1.29 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 42 innings. During that stretch, Hernandez has lowered his ERA from 5.19 to 3.56.

MILB Video - Title: Hernandez picks up his ninth strikeout - Url: http://www.milb.com/r/video?content_id=2396602683