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Prospect Watch: Strong Outing for Trevor Williams as Indianapolis Bats Fail to Show Up

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P2 Top 30

A look at how the current top 30 prospects did today. If a player is in the majors and loses his prospect eligibility, 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 mid-season update, 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, Pirates -[insert_php]
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2. Austin Meadows, CF, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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3. Josh Bell, 1B, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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4. Kevin Newman, SS, Altoona – [insert_php]
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5. Mitch Keller, RHP, West Virginia -[insert_php]
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6. Nick Kingham, RHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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7.Cole Tucker, SS, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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8. Chad Kuhl, RHP, Pirates – [insert_php]
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9. Will Craig, 3B, Morgantown –  [insert_php]
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10. Steven Brault, LHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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11. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, West Virginia -[insert_php]
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12. Elias Diaz, C, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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13. Clay Holmes, RHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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14. Yeudy Garcia, RHP, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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15. Gage Hinsz, RHP, West Virginia  – [insert_php]
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16. Trevor Williams, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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17. Alen Hanson, 2B, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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18. Tito Polo, OF, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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 19. Stephen Tarpley, LHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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20. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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21. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Altoona -[insert_php]
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22. Max Moroff, 2B, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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23. Taylor Hearn, LHP, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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24. Adrian Valerio, SS – Bristol – [insert_php]
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25. Braeden Ogle, LHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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26. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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27. Travis MacGregor, RHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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28. Max Kranick, RHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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29. Frank Duncan, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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30. Dovydas Neverauskas, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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P2 Top Performers

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Prospect-Watch-Indy

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Indianapolis lost 1-0 on Wednesday night, as their bats failed to show up for the game. On the bright side though, Trevor Williams put together an outstanding effort. His only mistake that Buffalo cashed in on was a first inning solo home run. Williams kept the opposition off the board for the rest of the game, limiting them to four hits and no walks. He had six strikeouts and a 12:1 GO/AO ratio. Of his 94 pitches, 65 went for strikes. Williams worked nicely out of a jam in the third inning after back-to-back errors put two runners on with no outs. Buffalo sacrificed the runners up, then he got a ground out with the infield in, followed by a foul out to Josh Bell to end the threat.

The problem on this night was that Williams got out-pitched by Scott Diamond, who threw eight shutout innings for the win. Danny Ortiz picked up the only extra-base hit, his 12th double. Austin Meadows singled, and Elias Diaz picked up two singles. Diaz had some issues on defense though, committing two errors. Indianapolis had four errors in the game. Meadows is 3-for-13 with two walks since returning to Indianapolis.

Prospect-Watch-Altoona-Curve

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ALTOONA, PA – Tyler Eppler made his 22nd start of the season for the Altoona Curve on a thunderous, rainy Wednesday evening in Curve, PA. Last time out, Eppler gave up one run, a solo home run, in seven innings while striking out six and walking one. Tonight, Eppler never really found a rhythm, giving up five earned runs in six innings, emphasized by a first inning monster home run over the left field wall.

Eppler allowed 11 hits to Washington’s Double-A affiliate Harrisburg Senators, with eight singles (mostly short line drives in front of the outfielders), two doubles (including a line drive off of the top of the right field wall in the first inning), and that home run in the first.

He continues to command the strike zone well, as he didn’t walk any batters tonight after only walking one batter in his last outing. However, he continues to give up a lot of hits with tonight being the fifth time this season that opposing teams had more than ten hits against him.

Eppler has done a good job this season keeping his team in games and not allowing games to get out of hand, but he has now allowed 11 home runs in 133.2 innings pitched this season, which is much more than his career norms. Through 178.1 innings at Sam Houston State College, Eppler only allowed six home runs. He did have a little home run problem in Jamestown right after being drafted, allowing six homers in 68.2 innings, but he controlled it very well last year between Bradenton and Altoona, only letting up two homers in 71.2 innings pitched.

He struck out five batters tonight, using his change up for one strikeout looking, fastball for two strikeouts swinging, and curve ball for one swinging in the dirt and the other looking on the outside corner. Simply put, his stuff was just too hittable tonight.

The first run of the game was a result of a passed ball by Jin-De Jhang on a pitch that Jhang really should’ve been able to come up with. The run would have scored anyway in the next at-bat with the monster home run against Eppler, but it was still significant that Jhang allowed it past him.

Another run came across for Harrisburg in the fourth on a sacrifice fly, and they were fortunate on the play. Elvis Escobar read the hit well and made a fantastic throw to the plate, only to have it hit the top of the mound and skip wide of home. Escobar would have gotten the runner if not for deflecting off of the pitcher’s mound, but he was instead given an error because it allowed two other runners to move up.

Eppler was relieved by Jhondaniel Medina for two innings and Trey Haley for one. Medina allowed one single but faced the minimum over his two innings. Trey Haley faced the minimum as well, but not after hitting Harrisburg’s right handed batter in the helmet with a 95 MPH fastball. The batter was OK and took his base (ended up getting out in the next at-bat on a double play), but it was ultimately still a scary moment.

Barrett Barnes was the only Curve player to have a multi-hit night, as the bats were mostly quiet for the Curve all night long. They had a couple hits here and there, but they were not able to get anything really going until an Anderson Feliz RBI triple in the seventh inning. That run was the only one the Curve were able to get across the plate against Harrisburg starter Erick Fedde, who worked seven innings in his Double-A debut tonight. Curve batters went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

The Curve were down 5-1 going into the ninth inning, and they quickly got one run back on back-to-back doubles by Barrett Barnes and Stetson Allie. Anderson Feliz walked before Erich Weiss flew out to deep right-center field. Weiss’s deep fly out would’ve tied the game for the Curve if it had left the ballpark, but it was not meant to be tonight. The loss snaps the Curve’s ten game home winning streak and allowed Harrisburg to pull with 1.5 games back in the division. -Sean McCool

Prospect-Watch-Bradenton

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Bradenton was rained out on Wednesday night.

Prospect-Watch-WV-Power

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CHARLESTON, WV – With the heat index pushing triple digits and the West Virginia Power looking for their first series sweep in a month, Bret Helton took the mound. Helton struggled at first allowing back-to-back hits, which brought home Greensboro’s first run. He missed his spots high during the first two innings and, as a result, saw some hard hit balls. In his six innings of work, Helton gave up five doubles, four of which reached the warning track in the air. Fortunately, Helton also stranded all five of those runners on second.

On the positive side, Helton matched his career-high with seven strikeouts. He made great use of his curveball late in the count, setting it up with a fastball that sat 87-89 MPH. After the tumultuous first two innings, he threw only 13 balls in 53 pitches (four of which came on his only walk of the game).

Helton attributed this success to his curveball and a few well-timed fastballs up in the zone.

“They’re a really aggressive team,” he remarked after the game. “I knew if they were looking for something like that, they’d see it and swing at it.”

The muggy August weather may have also played a role in his success. “If anything, it gives me a little extra tack on the ball and helps my grip,” Helton said.

An NL scout in attendance said that Helton didn’t have as good of stuff tonight as he had earlier in the year. West Virginia Manager Brian Esposito had similar throughts after the game, noting that Helton was elevated, his stuff was flat, and he left a few breaking balls up in the zone. Esposito did like how Helton managed to put up good results, even while his stuff was struggling.

“I saw a guy go out there without his best stuff and his mentality and his ability to compete with what he had took over,” Esposito said. “His stuff was below standards for him. He was just competing as best as he could with what he had, which is in my opinion, what we’re looking for. Guys that are able to take what they have that particular night and go out there and do the best they can with it, his mentality, grit, and level of competition superseded his stuff.”

Offensively, though, the Power couldn’t push anything across. Their first baserunner came in the bottom of the third when Alfredo Reyes struck out swinging but reached when the Greensboro catcher dropped the third strike and pulled the first baseman off the bag. However, Casey Hughston grounded out to end the inning and stranded Reyes on first.

The next three baserunners had similar luck. Mitchell Tolman singled to lead off the fourth but was subsequently picked off. Logan Ratledge contributed a single of his own in the fifth and reached second before the inning ended, and Logan Hill bashed a double past third in the sixth before finding himself left on second.

Logan Ratledge has made the most of Ke’Bryan Hayes’s injury. Ratledge has reached in nine of his last ten games and has scored four runs in that span. Tonight, he tallied the only multi-hit game by a Power batter.

Casey Hughston’s strikeout numbers continue to soar. He struck out three times on the night, matching the total by the other Power hitters combined. This is his fourth three-strikeout performance in the month of August. In contrast to his at-bats in the month of July, Hughston’s plate discipline looks pretty shoddy. In his four at-bats this evening, Hughston saw only 15 pitches and went down on a poorly checked swing in the sixth.

On a night of quiet bats, Jess Amedee allowing a second run to the Grasshoppers should have sounded the death knell. However, a brief offensive explosion by the Power carried the team to their second walkoff win of the series. Carlos Munoz led off the ninth with his 20th double of the season, and Daniel Arribas followed with a timely walk. Ryan Nagle blasted a home run over the right center fence to put the Power on top 3-2.

Julio Eusebio took home his first win of the year as the pitcher of record. The win means that the Power are treading water 2.5 games back of the Lakewood Blueclaws for the second-half division title. – Abigail Miskowiec

Prospect-Watch-Morgantown

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Morgantown had their game suspended in the first inning. Stephen Alemais homered to make the score 1-0. The game will be completed on Thursday as part of a doubleheader.

Prospect-Watch-Bristol
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Bristol won 5-4 over Danville on Wednesday, getting two runs in both the eighth and ninth innings for the comeback win. Danville had the lead twice in this game, scoring two runs early off starter Adam Oller, then making the score 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth with two runs off Shane Kemp. With the Pirates coming back in the ninth inning, Kemp actually got credited with the win despite allowing those two runs in his only inning of work.

Oller went five innings and one of those two runs he allowed was unearned. He gave up eight hits, but didn’t walk anyone. David Whitehead threw two scoreless innings and struck out four batters.

The Pirates scored their first run in the fourth, as a Raul Siri double was deflected off the glove of the shortstop and allowed Huascar Fuentes to score. In the eighth inning, their two runs scored on an error and a passed ball.

In the ninth, Michael de la Cruz tripled, then scored on a Henrry Rosario single. That was followed by a Rosario steal, then an error which allowed Rosario to score. Just two of Bristol’s runs were earned.

Victor Fernandez had a single, two stolen bases, and he threw a runner out at home.

Prospect-Watch-GCL

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The GCL Pirates played their first game since Saturday and they lost 5-1 to the Braves team they are chasing in the standings. Fourth round pick Braeden Ogle was the tough luck losing pitcher in this game, allowing one unearned run over his four innings. He gave up a walk and two hits, both singles in the first inning. Ogle had two strikeouts and a 6:3 GO/AO ratio. In five games now, he has a 1.32 ERA in 13.2 innings, with a .184 BAA, eight strikeouts, and a 1.75 GO/AO ratio.

This game saw the debut of Austin Shields, who was the 33rd round draft pick this year. Shields is a huge right-handed pitcher out of Canada, who signed an over-slot deal at the deadline after 41st overall pick Nick Lodolo decided to go to college. Because he signed late in the process, this is first game and he was on a limited pitch count. Unfortunately, his control was wild and he recorded just one out while giving up a solo homer, followed by three walks. Reliever Alex Martinez allowed all three inherited runners to score. We will have much more on Shields tomorrow.

Oddy Nunez finished off the day with an impressive outing, allowing one hit over four shutout innings, while striking out six batters.

The Pirates offense was quiet most of this game. They didn’t have their first base runner until a one out double in the fifth by Johan De Jesus. Sam Kennelly drew a walk with two outs, but Victor Ngoepe grounded out to end the inning. The sixth inning basically had a repeat, though everything happened with two outs. Felix Vincio doubled, then Boomer Synek walked, before Edison Lantigua ended the threat.

The Pirates finally scored with two outs in the ninth. Synek reached on a hit-by-pitch, then Yondry Contreras reached on an error and Kennelly drew his second walk to load the bases. Ngoepe brought home a run with a single, before Luis Benitez grounded out to end the game. The loss put the Pirates two games back in the standings, with three weeks left to the season.

Prospect-Watch-DSL

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The DSL Pirates have the hottest hitter in the system in Jeremias Portorreal, and his teammate Francisco Mepris is trying to make a push for that title the last two days. For the second game in a row, Mepris collected four hits. In his previous start, he had three hits. He had three doubles in Wednesday’s game, which matched his season total coming into the day. Mepris was batting .248 prior to this three-game stretch, and he now has a .309 average.

Portorreal has been on fire since the beginning of July, reaching base in 24 of his last 25 games. His OPS has gone up 260 points since the streak started. He went 2-for-3 with two walks in this game.

The big hit in this game was a fifth inning grand slam by Rudy Guzman, his second homer of the season. Top prospect Kevin Sanchez saw his average dip to .228 with an 0-for-4 day. Despite the low average, he has an impressive 20:12 BB/SO ratio.

Leandro Pina started this game and allowed one run over 4.1 innings. He now has a 1.57 ERA in 51.2 innings. Pina was showing tremendous control early in the season, but that has slipped by his standards. After issuing two walks in his first seven starts combined, he has walked six batters over his last four outings, twice getting knocked out of the game before the fifth inning was over. Oliver Garcia allowed one unearned run over 3.2 innings and Armando Bustamante threw a scoreless ninth to nail down the win.

John Dreker
John Dreker
John started working at Pirates Prospects in 2009, but his connection to the Pittsburgh Pirates started exactly 100 years earlier when Dots Miller debuted for the 1909 World Series champions. John was born in Kearny, NJ, two blocks from the house where Dots Miller grew up. From that hometown hero connection came a love of Pirates history, as well as the sport of baseball. When he didn't make it as a lefty pitcher with an 80+ MPH fastball and a slider that needed work, John turned to covering the game, eventually focusing in on the prospects side, where his interest was pushed by the big league team being below .500 for so long. John has covered the minors in some form since the 2002 season, and leads the draft and international coverage on Pirates Prospects. He writes daily on Pittsburgh Baseball History, when he's not covering the entire system daily throughout the entire year on Pirates Prospects.

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