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Prospect Watch: Rehab Start for Mitch Keller in Morgantown Opener

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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 for an extended time (Jose Osuna), or loses his prospect eligibility, he will be removed from this list. 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 more active prospects on the list. Rankings are from the 2017 Prospect Guide, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.

1. Austin Meadows, CF, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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2. Mitch Keller, RHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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3. Kevin Newman, SS, Altoona – [insert_php]
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4. Cole Tucker, SS, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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5. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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6. Will Craig, 3B, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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7. Taylor Hearn, LHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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8. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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9. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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10. Steven Brault, LHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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11. Clay Holmes, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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12. Braeden Ogle, LHP, Extended Spring Training – [insert_php]
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13. Max Kranick, RHP, Extended Spring Training – [insert_php]
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14. Elias Diaz, C, Pirates – [insert_php]
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15. Edgar Santana, RHP, Pirates – [insert_php]
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16. Luis Escobar, RHP, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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17. Dovydas Neverauskas, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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18. Yeudy Garcia, RHP, Altoona -[insert_php]
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19. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Altoona -[insert_php]
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20. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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21. Stephen Alemais, SS, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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22. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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23. Travis MacGregor, RHP, Extended Spring Training – [insert_php]
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24. Barrett Barnes, LF, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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25. Max Moroff, 2B, Pirates -[insert_php]
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26. Eric Wood, 3B, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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27. J.T. Brubaker, RHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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28. Chris Bostick, INF/OF, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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29. Connor Joe, 3B, Altoona – [insert_php]
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30. Jin-De Jhang, C, Altoona – [insert_php]
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P2 Top Performers

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Prospect-Watch-Indy

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INDIANAPOLIS — Drew Hutchison threw seven shutout innings, but that wasn’t his most impressive feat against Toledo on Monday.

He also produced a nifty hidden ball trick in the Indians’ 8-2 win.

Hutchison put together arguably his best outing since joining the organization, allowing seven hits over seven shutout innings. He struck out 10 and walked nobody. That’s the second consecutive start Hutchison has gone seven innings and the first time he didn’t allow a walk.

“Lately he’s just had a lot of conviction in himself and conviction in his pitches,” Indianapolis manager Andy Barkett said. “He’s pitching with confidence. He’s a veteran, major league pitcher so he knows how to navigate through a game. His stuff is coming out a little crisper than it was earlier in the year. I think he’s just convicted with what he wants to throw when he wants to throw it.”

As for his magic trick, Hutchison induced one of the more unique groundouts of the season. A groundball came back at Hutchison in the second inning, deflecting off his chin and going into his jersey. He reached into his jersey to grab the ball out and threw to first for the groundout.

Indianapolis catcher Jacob Stallings isn’t sure what happened on the play, but said Hutchison told him he trapped the ball against his shoulder.

The umpires gathered to discuss the call for a minute, because if the ball had gone into his jersey, the play would have been ruled dead. The play stood and the groundout ended the inning.

Magic act or not, Hutchison’s performance was solid. His career high for strikeouts is 11, accomplished twice, most recently with Toronto in the major leagues in 2014. His previous high strikeout total this season was seven in his second start of the season.

Hutchison struck out the side in the fourth inning and he struck out four consecutive batters at one point. His 10 strikeouts on Monday came on the strength of his changeup.

“We used it to both sides and we struck two or three righties with it at least,” Stallings said. “He did a really nice job of commanding it in and down to those righties. We were able to play his slider and fastball off of that, but I thought the difference today was his changeup.”

Hutchison worked around minimal trouble, inducing a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play to get out of a bases loaded in the sixth inning. Other than that, Hutchison worked around a two-out double in the first inning, a one-out single in the third inning, a two-out double in the fifth inning, and a one-out double in the seventh inning.

Indianapolis scored five runs in the third inning, more than enough offense to back up Hutchison’s impressive performance. Austin Meadows went opposite field for a two-run double with the bases loaded, and he’s hitting .276 with runners in scoring position.

Phil Gosselin and Eric Wood each had an RBI single in the third inning, while Meadows scored on an error on a pick-off. Jacob Stallings added an RBI single in the fifth inning.

Stallings was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, and he threw out the only Toledo baserunner trying to steal.

Meadows later drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning. Gosselin added an RBI fielder’s choice later in the inning. Christopher Bostick was 2-for-5 with one run scored.

Gift Ngoepe left the game in the third inning after legging out an infield single. Ngoepe immediately slowed up after running over first base, and after a brief conversation was taken out of the game. Ngoepe walked off on his own power and did not appear to be limping.

Barkett said Ngoepe slightly cramped up and was taken out as a precaution. He is day-to-day, but Barkett labeled the incident as “nothing earth-shattering,” and Ngoepe was moving around fine after the game.

Casey Sadler worked around a lead-off error in the eighth inning, getting a pair of groundouts and a popout to end that inning. He did allow two runs on four hits in the ninth inning, but struck out Matt den Dekker and Jacoby Jones to end the game. – Brian Peloza

Prospect-Watch-Altoona-Curve

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Altoona has off today.

Prospect-Watch-Bradenton

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Bradenton returned from their All-Star break and lost 3-1, eliminating them from the first half playoff race. They trailed by 2.5 games with three games left in the first half coming into today’s game. Bret Helton started and went just four innings, allowing all three runs. Logan Sendelbach and Jess Amedee each threw two shutout innings, to keep the Marauders in the game, but the hitters went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base.

Will Craig continued his recent on base streak, getting a single and a walk in this game. He now has a .289/.395/.431 slash line on the season. Craig has reached base safely 26 times in 12 games this month. Ke’Bryan Hayes had a strong game, going 2-for-3 with two singles and a walk. He scored the only Bradenton run on a Jordan George ground out. The Marauders struck out 12 times in this game, including at least one from everyone except Hayes. Casey Hughston added three strikeouts to run his season total up to 70 in 55 games.

Prospect-Watch-WV-Power

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West Virginia is off until Thursday due to the South Atlantic League All-Star break.

Prospect-Watch-Morgantown

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MORGANTOWN, WV – Mitch Keller set the tone for the Morgantown Black Bears’ opening night with four strikeouts in two rehab innings. In fact, the Black Bears notched two strikeouts per inning over the first five innings of the game, but the Morgantown bats fell silent and provided no help to the pitching staff. After a long rain delay, the offense woke up and brought the Black Bears an opening night win in front of a sellout crowd.

Keller, who threw 30 pitches (21 strikes), looked in command throughout his appearance. He attacked the zone, painting the corners with the fastball and going to his curve a few times deep into at-bats. He allowed only one hit, a two-out single in the second inning, and he bounced back from that immediately with a dominant fastball-heavy strikeout. After the game, Keller said he wasn’t feeling any discomfort in his back.

Michael Suchy, who is also on a rehab assignment for a broken hamate, collected the Black Bears’ first hit of the season, a two-out single in the first. He did not hit the ball with much authority and only reached base due to a judgment error by the Mahoning Valley third baseman. Suchy reached base again with a two-out walk to load the bases in the third inning and a two-out walk in the seventh, but he was stranded both times. He struck out chasing a curveball in the sixth.

Morgantown collected only three hits before a torrential downpour stopped play in the top of the seventh inning with the score tied 0-0. Yoel Gonzalez led off the third with a single and Sandy Santos led off the fourth with a double.

Santos looked great in the field and showed some of his speed as well, nearly legging out a bunt. He covered significant ground in left field and made an all-out diving catch.

Scooter Hightower and Andrew Potter both turned in solid appearances in relief of Keller. Hightower needed only ten pitches to retire the side in the third inning, getting two swinging strikeouts in the process. Potter allowed a lead-off single in the fourth but then sat down the next six batters he faced, finishing with four strikeouts. He needed only eight pitches in the fifth inning.

Evan Piechota took over in the sixth inning. The Scrappers squared the ball up nicely off him, resulting in a single and three flyball outs. Piechota returned for the seventh inning and allowed a lead-off single before the skies opened up and led to a 1:10 rain delay.

Yoandy Fernandez, a 29-year-old reliever who has never pitched in the Minors, took the mound with a man on after the rain subsided. Fernandez showed spotty control, leaving a number of pitches in the dirt, but the swing-happy Scrappers chased and wound up striking out three times to end the seventh.

Perhaps it took the rain delay to spark the Morgantown offense, or maybe fresh legs off the bench shook the team awake. Either way, pinch-hitter Garrett Brown ripped a two-out line drive up the middle to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Brown made it to second when the throw came in to the plate, setting up another run-scoring double by Raul Siri.

After the game, Brown said, “He threw me a curveball for a ball so I was looking fastball. Good things happen when you swing the bat and know what you’re looking for.”

Despite coming off the bench, Brown felt prepared to come into the game. “You could see [the opposing pitcher] was throwing his breaking ball for a ball most of the time.” This enabled Brown to sit on the fastball he knew he could drive.

Fernandez’s control continued to degrade in the eighth inning when he got a quick grounder but then gave up a single and threw a wild pitch and three straight balls before getting a strikeout and an inning-ending groundout.

After the Black Bears failed to produce any offense in the eighth, Fernandez shut the Scrappers down for the win. He ended the night with seven strikeouts in three innings.

In total, the Black Bears pitchers wrung up 17 batters, an anomaly for a ground ball oriented organization.

Black Bears manager Brian Esposito admitted you shouldn’t judge the skills of the staff based on one game. “We just want to attack hitters,” said Esposito. “Strikeouts become a byproduct of when you attack the plate.”

“It’s up to the hitter to initiate contact,” said Esposito. “If they don’t initiate anything, you wind up piling up 17 strikeouts.” – Abigail Miskowiec

Prospect-Watch-DSL

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The DSL Pirates lost an embarrassing game to the first place Dodgers2 on Monday. It ended with a 9-0 score and the Pirates had just one hit while committing five errors. On the bright side, catching prospect Samuel Inoa was behind the plate for the first time since being put in the hospital after he got hit in the face with a pitch. He didn’t have a good day on defense with two errors, three passed balls and the Dodgers2 went 3-for-3 in steals. On offense though, his seventh inning single was the only hit for the Pirates and he also reached on a hit-by-pitch, which I’m sure he enjoyed.

The only other base runner was a walk to Pedro Castillo and the Pirates had just one runner reach second base.

The Pirates used four pitchers and they all allowed runs, though three of them were charged with unearned runs.

We mentioned in the season preview that the Pirates were a very inexperienced team, with over 20 players who were making their pro debut this season. That youth and inexperience has led to a .195 team batting average so far.

Outfield prospect Larry Alcime hasn’t played in ten days. He had a problem with cramping due to dehydration and hasn’t returned yet.

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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