A look at how the current top 30 prospects did today. Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors. 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, 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 30 active prospects on the list. Rankings are from the 2016 prospect guide, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.
We’re working on a solution for the PHP stat codes not working in the app.
1. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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2. Austin Meadows, CF, Altoona – [insert_php]
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3. Josh Bell, 1B, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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4. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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5. Alen Hanson, 2B, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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6. Harold Ramirez, OF, Altoona -[insert_php]
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7. Reese McGuire, C, Altoona -[insert_php]
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8. Elias Diaz, C, Pirates – Disabled List.
9. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List
10. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, West Virginia -[insert_php]
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11. Kevin Newman, SS, Bradenton – Disabled List
12. Yeudy Garcia, RHP, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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13. Steven Brault, LHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List
14. Stephen Tarpley, LHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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15.Cole Tucker, SS, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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16. Chad Kuhl, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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17. Max Moroff, 2B, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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18. Mitch Keller, RHP, West Virginia -[insert_php]
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19. Clay Holmes, RHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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20. Willy Garcia, OF, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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21. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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22. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Altoona -[insert_php]
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23. Barrett Barnes, OF, Altoona -[insert_php]
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24. Trevor Williams, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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25. Gage Hinsz, RHP – [insert_php]
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26. Adrian Valerio, SS – Extended Spring Training
27. Adam Frazier, INF/OF, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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28. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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29. Jordan Luplow, OF/3B, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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30. JT Brubaker, RHP, West Virginia -[insert_php]
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INDIANAPOLIS — After three consecutive subpar starts, Indians manager Dean Treanor lamented at not seeing the Chad Kuhl that dominated the first two months of the season.
Kuhl pitched 5.1 innings against Syracuse on Friday, allowing eight hits and four earned runs. He struck out three and walked three, throwing 91 pitches, 59 for a strike.
It’s the second consecutive outing that Kuhl has allowed two home runs. Also, he has allowed a home run in five consecutive outings.
“That’s three in a row now,” Treanor said. “That’s not the Kuhl we saw early. He’s leaving balls over the plate and not executing pitches very well.”
Kuhl allowed four runs in 3.2 innings in his previous start at Toledo. Against Rochester on May 31, Kuhl let his emotions affect his pitching in a 5.1 inning outing.
“He’s leaving pitches over the plate,” Treanor said. “There seems to be kind of a change with how he goes about his business out there. It seems like the edge he had early, he’s lost that and he’s having difficulty getting it back.”
When asked to elaborate on reasons Kuhl may have changed how he goes about his business, Treanor replied, “I think you can figure that out.”
“These guys can have a tendency to get ahead of themselves. So, that’s just not him. He’s always down in the zone.”
Kuhl earned run average has nearly gone up a run over his last two outings, from 1.24 prior to his start at Toledo to 2.15 after Friday’s game.
“There was definitely times I felt a little out of whack,” Kuhl said. “I’m going through a little bit of a tough stretch and he’s right for saying that. It’s not been the typical pound the bottom of the zone and get quick ground balls, that we’ve been accustomed to.”
Kuhl felt Treanor was accurate to say his command isn’t where it needs to be. But he didn’t feel like his approach was any different in recent outings, but instead he was mired in a slump.
The time before his next start will be spent working on getting his delivery more quiet and calm, while maintaining good arm speed. But in general, he’s labeling this recent string of outings as a bad streak that comes with the game.
“I just think it’s one of those baseball stretches,” Kuhl said, noting he needs to simply get back to the normal work that comes between starts. “I think it’s something everybody goes through and it’s happening to me right now.”
Kuhl’s outing started pretty innocuously. Trea Turner, the Nationals’ second-ranked prospect, hit a chopper back to Kuhl and grounded out. Steve Lombardozzi then grounded out.
That’s when things took a turn for the worst. Kuhl hit Brian Goodwin. Matt Skole then took a 94 MPH fastball over the right field fence for a two-run home run.
Matt den Drekker followed that by hitting a double to the left field wall on a 94 MPH fastball from Kuhl. But Kuhl got Jason Martinson to ground out to end the inning.
Kuhl made it through the next three innings relatively unscathed. But in the fifth inning a pair of hard-hit doubles led to another run scoring. Turned ripped a double to left field, and he scored on Brian Goodwin’s double down the first base line.
Martinson hit an opposite field home run in the sixth inning on a fastball away that was left over the plate. The eight home runs Kuhl has allowed this season are tied for second-most in the International League.
Kuhl also walked A.J. Cole, the Syracuse starting pitcher, twice. The second walk came in an at-bat when Cole squared up to bunt. The frustration showed after his second walk to Cole. When he was taken out of the game, he was visibly yelling into his glove.
Adam Frazier and Josh Bell continued their impressive offensive performances, hitting in the third and fourth spots in the lineup, respectively.
Bell reached in four of his five plate appearances, with one single, two walks, and he was hit with a pitch.
The first three of his plate appearances came against Cole, a right-hander ranked the seventh-best prospect in the Washington Nationals’ organization. Batting lefty, Bell singled, was hit by a pitch, and walked against Cole.
Frazier went 3-for-5 and is hitting .333, which ranks second in the International League.
Danny Ortiz hit an RBI single off the glove of Syracuse first baseman Skole in the sixth inning for the Indians’ first run of the game. Bell later scored on a fielder’s choice by Jacob Stallings.
Indianapolis added two more runs in the seventh inning, with all hits coming with two outs. Max Moroff led the inning off with a double to deep center field that bounced over the fence. Frazier scored him with a single to left field. Willy Garcia had an RBI single on a flare to shallow right field, while
Moroff had three hits in the game, including a lead-off single in the ninth inning between the first baseman and second baseman. Frazier followed by hitting a grounder to Turner at shortstop, that likely would have been a 6-4-3 double play, but Turner could not get the ball out of his glove to make the throw. Bell hit a line out to left field for the second out, before Garcia ended the game by flying out to shallow right field.
Cole allowed two earned runs and five hits over six innings, striking out eight. – Brian Peloza
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Alex McRae made his debut with Altoona on Friday night and things started off well, then went downhill in a hurry. Altoona was left short-handed when Frank Duncan was called up to start for Indianapolis on Thursday night. That led to McRae getting called up to Altoona. While he isn’t a top 50 prospect for us, he was having success this season for Bradenton.
McRae threw shutout ball in the first two innings on Friday, then things fell apart. He allowed two homers in the third inning and another two in the fourth, finishing with seven earned runs in 3.2 innings. His control has been good this season, but he walked four batters, giving up 12 base runners total in this game. Reading scored two unearned runs off Jhondaniel Medina in 2.1 innings, then Jared Lakind threw two shutout frames. Former Pirates prospect Joely Rodriguez finished off the game for Reading.
Altoona lost 9-2 in this game, yet there were some good signs on offense. Austin Meadows extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a first inning double. He has 23 extra-base hits in his last 29 games. Harold Ramirez had three hits, including his 11th double. He also drove in two runs and picked up an outfield assist. Jose Osuna collected his 13th double, while Edwin Espinal hit a pinch-hit double, his eighth of the season. He is now batting .319 after seeing his average drop to .236 exactly a month ago.
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Bradenton lost 3-2 on Friday night to Tampa. Jordan Luplow hit a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth to bring them within one run, but the comeback attempt came up short. In the first six innings, the Marauders had just one hit and no walks. That hit was a single from Cole Tucker and he was thrown out trying to steal. In the seventh, an error followed by two singles got them on the board. They had four hits total in the game, with Connor Joe and Jerrick Suiter picking up those seventh inning singles. Bradenton finished with no walks and 11 strikeouts, with everyone in the lineup except Kevin Kramer striking out at least once.
Colten Brewer got the start and allowed three runs (two earned) on nine hits and no walks over 6.2 innings. He struck out four batters and had a 7:3 GO/AO ratio. This was the first time all season that Brewer didn’t walk a batter. The one unearned run came after Connor Joe’s tenth error of the season.
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Mitch Keller might be one of the best pitchers in the South Atlantic League, but no one told that to Columbia. In two meetings against them this season, he has allowed eight earned runs in 11 innings. In his other nine starts combined, he has allowed eight earned runs over 51 innings. Keller was having trouble leaving his fastball up in the zone in this game. It didn’t help that umpire had a high strike zone, so Columbia hitters were swinging at those pitches and it led to two doubles and two triples. On six hits and a walk in five innings, Keller allowed four runs.
Keller was skipped in the rotation last time out so that may have affected his command. He threw 48 of his 83 pitches for strikes, but that does include a lot of pitches that looked up out of the zone that were either swung at or called strikes. His fastball still had good life and he threw some nice curves in the strike zone.
West Virginia lost 4-2 and all the offense could do was reach first base. They had six singles and two walks. Danny Arribas had a walk, single and a run scored. Alfredo Reyes had two hits and drove in a run. Logan Hill had a single and a run. Tyler Filliben had a hit and an RBI.
Carlos Munoz is trying to redefine the term streaky hitter. Back in late May, he broke an 0-for-17 streak with a barrage of hits, leading to a 15-for-28 stretch. He is now in an 0-for-21 slump since then.
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The DSL Pirates dropped to 1-5 on the season with a 4-3 loss to a Cubs1 team that came into the day with an 0-5 record. Sergio Cubilete started the game and lasted just two innings, allowing two unearned runs on an error and a wild pitch. He was followed by Adonis Pichardo, who allowed one run on one hit in five innings. Pichardo was supposed to be one of the top pitching prospects last year, but he had multiple injuries that cost him time and effectiveness as he initially tried to pitch through them. The game winning run scored in the bottom of the ninth on a single, followed by a steal, wild pitch and sacrifice fly.
Kyle Simmons led the offense with an RBI single in the second inning and an RBI double in the sixth inning. He helped with all three runs for the Pirates, scoring on a balk in the second inning. Johan De Jesus had a single and a walk, and scored on both hits from Simmons. Larry Alcime doubled for his first hit. He signed the second biggest bonus ($350,000) for the Pirates last July 2nd. He is 1-for-14 with eight strikeouts. Catcher Gabriel Brito hasn’t played yet due to injury, but he should return in the next few days. He was one of the top signings from the 2014-15 July 2nd class.
