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Prospect Watch: Gregory Polanco Homers, Nick Kingham Throws Six Shutout Innings

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TOP OF THE SYSTEM

A look at how the current top 20 prospects did today.  Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors (Tony Sanchez #11, Stolmy Pimentel #13). If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, everyone below him will be shifted up a spot, and a new player will be added to the bottom of the list. If a player is out for the season (Clay Holmes #12), he will be removed and everyone below him will move up a spot. Removing these guys doesn’t mean they have lost prospect status. It is just an attempt to get 20 active prospects on the list. Rankings are from the 2014 Prospect Guide, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.

1. Gregory Polanco, CF, Indianapolis – 3-for-5, HR

2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Indianapolis – Out for the Season (Jameson Taillon to Have Tommy John Surgery)

3. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Bradenton – Disabled List (3/22 Update)

4. Austin Meadows, CF, West Virginia – Disabled List (4/2 Update)

5. Alen Hanson, SS, Altoona – 1-for-4, 3B

6. Nick Kingham, RHP, Altoona – 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 0 HR

7. Reese McGuire, C, West Virginia – DNP

8. Josh Bell, RF, Bradenton – DNP

9. Luis Heredia, RHP, West Virginia Power – 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 0 HR

10. Harold Ramirez, OF, West Virginia – 0-for-3

11. Andrew Lambo, 1B, Indianapolis – 0-for-4, BB, K

12. Joely Rodriguez, LHP, Altoona – DNP

13. Blake Taylor, LHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP

14. Cody Dickson, LHP, West Virginia – DNP

15. Barrett Barnes, CF, West Virginia – 1-for-3

16. JaCoby Jones, SS, West Virginia – 2-for-4, 2B

17. Michael De La Cruz, OF, Extended Spring Training – DNP

18. Wyatt Mathisen, 3B, West Virginia – 0-for-4

19. Jin-De Jhang, C, Bradenton – 2-for-5, HR

20. Brandon Cumpton, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP

 

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The 2014 Prospect Guide is now available, and is the perfect resource to follow the minor league system during the 2014 season. You can order your copy on the products page of the site.

 

DAILY SUMMARY

Top Pitcher: Nick Kingham, RHP – 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Gregory Polanco, RF – 3-for-5, HR

Home Runs: Gregory Polanco (1), Jin-De Jhang (1), Jonathan Schwind (1)

 

AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS    

Box Score

Result: Indianapolis 8, Columbus 3

Starting Pitcher: Adam Wilk, LHP – 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR

Top Hitter: Gregory Polanco, RF – 3-for-5, HR

Other Notable Performers:

Brent Morel, 3B – 3-for-5, 2B

Chris Dickerson, CF – 2-for-5, 2 2B

Michael Martinez, SS – 2-for-5, SB

Blake Davis, 2B – 2-for-4, 2B, BB

Andy Oliver, LHP – 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 0 HR

Game Notes: Gregory Polanco had a big day at the plate, picking up three hits in his first three at-bats, including a two run homer in the fourth inning for his third hit of the day. Brent Morel, Chris Dickerson, Michael Martinez, and Blake Davis also had multi-hit games. Adam Wilk made his first start of the year, and had a strong outing. Wilk is deep rotation depth for the Pirates, and would probably need about eight starters to go down before the Pirates would need him in the major league rotation. However, he could be this year’s version of Kris Johnson. Andy Oliver threw 2.1 shutout innings, but still had his usual control problems with two walks.

 

AA: ALTOONA CURVE

Box Score

Result: Altoona 5, Erie 1

Starting Pitcher: Nick Kingham, RHP – 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Alen Hanson, SS – 1-for-4, 3B

Other Notable Performers:

Stetson Allie, 1B – 0-for-3, BB, K

Elias Diaz, C – 1-for-2, 2B, BB, SB

Game Notes: Nick Kingham had his first start of the year, and pitched great. He threw six shutout innings, with 86 pitches and 52 strikes. With Jameson Taillon needing Tommy John surgery, Kingham now becomes the top pitching prospect who could make an impact in Pittsburgh this year. I wrote about how Taillon’s injury could impact Kingham, noting that this could open a spot in Triple-A for him sooner, rather than later. Alen Hanson picked up his first hit of the year, hitting a triple in the eighth inning to give Altoona some insurance. Elias Diaz followed up a nice 3-for-3 day yesterday by going 1-for-2 with a walk and a double today.

 

A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS   

Box Score

Result: Bradenton 11, Charlotte 3

Starting Pitcher: Orlando Castro, LHP – 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 1 HR

Top Hitter: Jonathan Schwind, LF – 1-for-3, HR, 4 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Jin-De Jhang, DH – 2-for-5, HR

Jeff Roy, CF – 3-for-4, 2B, SB

Raul Fortunato, RF – 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 SB

Game Notes: The Marauders got a huge boost in the first inning when Jonathan Schwind hit a grand slam, putting them up 4-0. Orlando Castro gave up three runs in five innings, with most of the damage coming in the fifth inning of work. Castro left with the score 5-3, and Tyler Waldron, Robby Rowland, and Bryton Trepagnier combined for four shutout innings. The Marauders added two runs in the seventh, and four in the eighth, with the highlight of the eighth inning being Jin-De Jhang’s first home run of the season.

 

A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER   

Box Score

Result: Lexington 5, West Virginia 2

Starting Pitcher: Luis Heredia, RHP – 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 0 HR

Top HitterJaCoby Jones, DH – 2-for-4, 2B

Other Notable Performers:

Francisco Diaz, C – 2-for-3, 2B

Isaac Sanchez, RHP – 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR

Game Notes: Luis Heredia made his season debut for West Virginia, giving up four runs in five innings of work, with three of those runs coming in the final two innings. The positive sign for Heredia was that he only walked two batters in his five innings of work. JaCoby Jones picked up two more hits, giving him his second multi-hit game in four games so far. The Power went up against Luis Santos, who was one of two pitchers the Pirates traded for Vin Mazzaro. Santos went 5.1 innings, giving up two runs, one earned, with no walks, five hits, and three strikeouts. Harold Ramirez and Barrett Barnes were both injured in the game.

Tim Williams
Tim Williams
Tim is the owner, producer, editor, and lead writer of PiratesProspects.com. He has been running Pirates Prospects since 2009, becoming the first new media reporter and outlet covering the Pirates at the MLB level in 2011 and 2012. His work can also be found in Baseball America, where he has been a contributor since 2014 and the Pirates' correspondent since 2019.

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