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Prospect Watch: Austin Meadows Returns to Indianapolis

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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, 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 Mid-Season Update, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.

1. Mitch Keller, RHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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2. Austin Meadows, CF, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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3. Shane Baz, RHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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4. Cole Tucker, SS, Altoona – [insert_php]
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5. Kevin Newman, SS, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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6. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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7. Will Craig, 1B, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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8. Elias Diaz, C, Pirates – [insert_php]
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9. Taylor Hearn, LHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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10. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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11. Calvin Mitchell, OF, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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12. Braeden Ogle, LHP, Bristol – [insert_php]
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13Edgar Santana, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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14. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Altoona -[insert_php]
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15. Steven Brault, LHP, Indianapolis– [insert_php]
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16. Clay Holmes, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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17. Jordan Luplow, LF, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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18. Luis Escobar, RHP, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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19. Max Kranick, RHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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20. Steven Jennings, RHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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21. Adrian Valerio, SS, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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22. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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23. Conner Uselton, OF, GCL Pirates – Disabled List

24. Max Moroff, INF, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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25. Dovydas Neverauskas, RHP, Pirates – [insert_php]
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26. Eric Wood, 3B, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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27. Eduardo Vera, RHP, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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28. Logan Hill, LF, Altoona – [insert_php]
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29.  Tyler Eppler, RHP, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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30. Lolo Sanchez, CF, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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P2 Top Performers

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Prospect-Watch-Indy

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Indianapolis won 8-3 over Buffalo, as Austin Meadows was in the lineup for the first time since June 21st. Meadows hit a double in the left-center gap in his second at-bat, then came around to score a run. He added a single later in the game, finishing the day by going 2-for-5 at the plate. He played center field.

While the return of Meadows was the big story, Gift Ngoepe did he best to try to overshadow him. He hit a three-run homer in the second inning, then a two-run homer in the fourth, giving him five home runs on the season. Ngoepe has really struggled this time around at Indianapolis, now hitting .198, with strikeouts in 1/3 of his plate appearances, but he came through big on this night and should still get a chance in Pittsburgh due to his defense when the rosters expand.

Max Moroff had a single, double, walk and an RBI in this game. Edwin Espinal had two hits, scored two runs and somehow stole a base. Christopher Bostick hit his 30th double of the season. He also had a single, walk, RBI and a run scored. Jacob Stallings had three hits, including two doubles.

Drew Hutchison allowed three runs on six hits and no walks in seven innings. Dan Runzler and Johnny Barbato each threw a scoreless inning to finish off the game.

Prospect-Watch-Altoona-Curve

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Altoona took a 2-0 lead two batters into the game and never looked back in their 5-3 win. Cole Tucker led off the game with a triple, then scored on the ninth home run of the season by Pablo Reyes. They didn’t score again until the seventh inning, when their attempt to play some small ball turned into three runs. After a Michael Suchy single, Elvis Escobar reached on a bunt, then both runners moved up on a bunt. That was followed by a hit-by-pitch, ground out, walk and a two-run single by Jordan George.

Both Pablo Reyes and Elvis Escobar had three hits on the night, with Escobar picking up his tenth double. Tucker’s triple was his third for Altoona and ninth on the season.

JT Brubaker started and did a great job of limiting the damage. That means too many runners were on against him, but only one scored in his five innings of work. He allowed eight hits (all singles), three walks and hit a batter. Brubaker struck out four and posted a 7:1 GO/AO ratio. While he walked three batters, they all came in the first inning, so he was throwing strikes the rest of the outing.

Sean Keselica allowed just one runner on a walk in his 2+ innings and that runner ended up scoring. Luis Heredia allowed an inherited run to score, as well as his own run in his only inning of work. It was the first run he gave up since July 20th. Tate Scioneaux pitched the ninth for the save.

Prospect-Watch-Bradenton

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Bradenton won 5-3 over Daytona, scoring four of those runs before there was a single out in the bottom of the first inning.

The Marauders got a lead-off homer by Casey Hughston, his seventh of the season. After Stephen Alemais and Will Craig walked, Ty Moore hit a three-run homer. They didn’t score again until the eighth inning when a Ty Moore single was followed by an error, a bunt single and an RBI ground out. Hughston also hit a double. Alemais had two walks and a stolen base. Craig had a single to go along with his walk.

Logan Sendelbach started and went 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits. Two of those hits were home runs. Daniel Zamora threw 2.1 near-perfect innings, with one runner reaching on an error. Geoff Hartlieb picked up his second save. The three pitchers combined to not allow a walk.

Prospect-Watch-WV-Power

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West Virginia won 3-2 on a walk-off sacrifice fly by Ryan Nagle in the bottom of the ninth, which brought home Oneil Cruz with the winning run.

Oddy Nunez started this game and was strong through three innings, allowing just two runners, both on hit batters. In the fourth, Lexington started the inning with a single and a double. Those runners would score on two ground outs and a bunt single. Nunez would throw two more scoreless innings before his night ended. He had five strikeouts and a 10:1 GO/AO ratio.

Angel German followed and threw a scoreless inning, although he allowed a hit and a walk, throwing a total of 22 pitches. Blake Cederlind and Ronny Agustin each retired the side in order in their only inning of work.

The Power did just enough on offense to win. They had three hits all night, all singles. They walked four times and had 11 strikeouts. They scored twice in the first inning with help from Lexington. Adrian Valerio reached on an error, then Clark Eagan walked. Oneil Cruz tried to bunt them over, but ended up reaching on a bunt single instead, loading the bases. The two runs then scored on a balk, followed by a ground out. Their only other hit until the ninth inning was an infield single by Ryan Nagle in the seventh. Cruz reached in the ninth on a single, then moved up on a walk and sacrifice bunt, before Nagle ended the game.

Prospect-Watch-Morgantown

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Morgantown is off for their All-Star break. They resume play on Wednesday.

Prospect-Watch-Bristol
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Bristol lost the completion of Sunday’s game by an 11-10 score on a bases loaded walk-off walk. The game resumed with Bristol holding a 6-4 lead in the third inning and on the first pitch today, Ryan Peurifoy hit a grand slam. Pulaski came back with three runs in the sixth inning and another three in the eighth to tie the game up, before winning it in the ninth.

Hunter Stratton was on the mound when the game resumed, taking over for starter Jacob Taylor, who gave up four earned runs in two innings. Stratton went four innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk. Ryan Valdes allowed the three runs in the eighth, though only one was earned. Chris McDonald took the loss.

Kyle Watson and Henrry Rosario each homered on Sunday. Edison Lantigua went 0-for-3 with two walks.

Game Two Recap: The Pirates basically did nothing after the first pitch they saw on the entire night. That Ryan Peurifoy home run was followed by one bunt hit by Luis Perez over the next seven innings in game one and one single by Perez in the second game.

In summary, they played 14 innings after the grand slam and had two hits, both by the same person, one on a bunt.

Domingo Robles started game two and was on a low pitch limit, going three innings while allowing one run on two hits, with no walks and one strikeout. Luckily this game was only seven innings, so the bullpen couldn’t allow more than the five runs they did over the final three innings.

Prospect-Watch-GCL

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The GCL Pirates won 3-1 over Tigers East. Cody Bolton started and threw three shutout innings. He gave up two hits and a walk, with two strikeouts. Bolton now has a 2.12 ERA through six starts. Brian Sousa followed him and threw four no-hit innings, although he issued four walks. David Lee allowed one run over the final two innings.

Jeremias Portorreal had a strong game, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Lolo Sanchez went 1-for-3 with his eighth double. He also walked and had an RBI. Gabriel Brito was 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Victor Ngoepe went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Mason Martin went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, but his walk in the seventh means that he has reached base safely in 23 of his 26 games. His .445 OBP would rank second in the GCL, but he is seven plate appearances short of qualifying for league leaders.

Prospect-Watch-DSL

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The DSL Pirates won 4-2 over the Indians on Tuesday, moving to 34-28 with ten games left in their schedule. Luis Arrieta started and allowed two runs over five innings on three hits and three walks. He struck out seven batters and had a 6:1 GO/AO ratio. Relievers Randy Jimenez and Francis Del Orbe combined for six strikeouts over four no-hit innings, although they walked five batters.

The Pirates got offense from Carlos Garcia, who hit his third home run of the season yesterday. In this game, he went 2-for-3 with a single, double, RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases. The rest of the team combined for three hits, all of them being singles. Ronaldo Paulino drove in two runs with a fourth inning single. He also walked and stole a base. Francisco Acuna drew his 47th walk to take over the league lead from Sherten Apostel, who had the day off.

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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