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 -[insert_php]
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12. Yeudy Garcia, RHP, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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13. Steven Brault, LHP, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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14. Stephen Tarpley, LHP, Bradenton – Extended Spring Training
15.Cole Tucker, SS, West Virginia – Disabled List
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 – Disabled List
25. Gage Hinsz, RHP, – Extended Spring Training
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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Quick analysis on Tyler Glasnow’s start – Glasnow dominated in this outing due to terrific fastball command. He was 92-96 (sitting 93-95) with the pitch, showing terrific downhill action and throwing it for strikes. There were a lot of swing and misses from Louisville hitters, but Glasnow was also hitting the corners for called strikes. He was also getting batters to chase whenever Jacob Stallings called for high strikes. Basically, this was as good as his fastball has looked. Of the four hits he allowed, two were well-placed grounders, the other two were line drives over the infield, all singles. He only walked one and it was after a 3-2 foul ball.
The curve has been better in the past. It didn’t have the big break you usually see, but he did get some good results and it was near the zone all the time. He controlled it well, just wasn’t the plus offering you usually see. He threw at least ten change-ups, and while there was no damage against them, he still had the same velocity issues with it, throwing it 88-91. He showed good control of the pitch and one of them had real nice late movement for a swing and a miss. His fastball (and control of all three pitches) was so good this game that he dominated for seven innings without his best curve. A terrific overall outing. – John Dreker
INDIANAPOLIS – In a match-up between two of the better starters in Minor League Baseball in Tyler Glasnow and Cody Reed, the hype was high. The game did nothing to disappoint as the duo dueled throwing up zeros, until Indianapolis picked up the 2-1 victory.
Glasnow started the game with a change-up and then blew two fastballs by the lead off hitter for a dominant strikeout. The velocity raised to 95 MPH on the second hitter, as he earned a pop out. Glasnow ended the nine-pitch first on an 89 MPH change up that induced another pop out to the right side.
Glasnow ran into a bit more trouble in the second. After throwing two change-ups for balls to the second hitter of the inning, Glasnow through three straight fastballs, the last at 96, for the strikeout. He also did not go back to the change in the inning after those early pair. He instead went to the curve, getting two ground balls. One was a ground out and another an infield hit. He snapped a nasty curve off to end the inning with his third strikeout of the game.
Indianapolis had similar struggled offensively against Reed, one of the Reds top pitching prospect. They struck out four times and went hitless through two innings, looking overwhelmed.
The third was Glasnow’s most dominant outing, as he struck out the side. All three were on fastballs, but he did use two change-ups to get ahead of the third hitter, who eventually went full. Glasnow got nice downward movement on one of those. He was effectively wild through the first two, but started hitting more spots in the third.
Indianapolis got its first hit in the third with one out, as Gift Ngoepe doubled to right. Glasnow and Alen Hanson grounded out and they were not able to plate a run.
Glasnow retired the side in just five pitches in the fourth. Three of the five were off-speed pitches. The first hitter bunted a change-up that Jason Rogers made a nice play coming in. After allowing a hit on a curve, Glasnow induced a ground ball double play on a fastball.
Sticking with the fastball and curve mix, Glasnow mowed through the fifth as well with two more strikeouts. He allowed a single on a grooved 93 MPH fastball, but earned a strikeout and a groundout on the curve. The pitch looked much more sharp on Saturday.
Josh Bell and Willy Garcia each picked up a single in the fourth and fifth, respectively. But the innings did not advance past that.
In the sixth, Glasnow had his most impressive inning mixing speeds. It was to the point where it was tough to tell the difference between a fastball and change. However, he still continued to mix in the effective curve. He added two more strikeouts to get to 10 through six innings.
Though it looked like Glasnow was running out of gas some in the seventh, he reached back to paint the corner with a 95 MPH fastball for his 11th strikeout on his final pitch. He continued to throw the off-speed pitches as well, tossing two changes and two curves each in the first five pitches.
It was the first time this season Glasnow worked into the seventh. He was dominating most of the way and his stuff is getting to the refined enough point that Pittsburgh could be calling soon.
Fatigue finally caught up to Reed in the eighth as well. Max Moroff led off with a singled and was bunted to second by Jacob Stallings. After Ngoepe struck out, Cole Figueroa drove in Moroff on a solid single into center.
Jorge Rondon worked a perfect eighth inning and was in line for the win, but trouble struck. Rondon allowed two walks and a hit. A run scored on a wild pitch.
Just went it looked like Indianapolis was going to play extras again, Josh Bell singled and was driven in on a walk-off double by Danny Ortiz. – Ryan Palencer
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Altoona won game one of a doubleheader on Saturday by a 3-1 score, as Tyler Eppler put up some strong results in his sixth start of the season.
Eppler needed just eight pitches to finish the first inning, but all four strikes he threw were put in play. He did a good job of keeping the ball down in the zone, though Richmond had no trouble putting the ball in the air with two line drives and a fly out to center field. Eppler threw all fastballs and he gave up a double in the gap, which basically just died in the outfield between fielders, allowing the runner to get to second.
Eppler retired the side in order in the second inning, throwing a total of 14 pitches. He mixed in his slider/slurve this inning, getting a swinging strikeout on the pitch. He also got an infield pop out and a routine grounder to shortstop.
In the third, Steven Lerud led off the inning with a home run. Some fans might remember him as a former Pirates prospect years ago and he’s one of those rare Double-A players with MLB experience. The next batter was the pitcher, who grounded weakly back to Eppler. That was followed by a fly out to center field and a soft liner for a single to center. Eppler walked the next batter on a 3-2 count, just missing on a couple of pitches. He then got a nice sliding catch from Harold Ramirez on a blooper to right field. This was a 24-pitch inning, 15 for strikes. Eppler was hitting 88-91 on the stadium gun, which I’ve been told is 2-3 MPH slow. He’s usually 92-94, so that sounds right.
Eppler breezed through the fourth inning on eight pitches. The first batter flew out to deep right field. After that, he got a swinging bunt and a short fly to right field for the final out. Through four innings, he had 54 pitches, 34 for strikes.
In the fifth, he struck out Lerud, going three pitches down in the zone, before getting him to chase the high fastball. The pitcher grounded out to shortstop two pitches later. Three pitches later, the inning ended on a nice diving play by second baseman Erich Weiss, who got a little help from Jose Osuna, who made a nice stretch/scoop for the out. This was another single digit pitch count inning, as he threw seven of his nine pitches for strikes. Eppler threw a nice change-up that it looked like the umpire missed, so he was really pounding the strike zone this inning.
Eppler jammed the first hitter of the sixth, getting him to hit a soft liner to second base. The next batter lined a single into center field. That was followed by a shallow fly to left field for the second out. The third out was a fly out to right-center.
Eppler came out for the seventh and final inning and got the first two outs on two pitches, both fly outs to left field, with Barrett Barnes making a nice diving catch on one. Two pitches later, the game was over on a grounder to shortstop by Lerud.
This was a quick game, with Eppler needing just 78 pitches for the complete game. He did a great job of keeping the ball down, though it resulted in a high number of line drives and fly balls. His defense was busy and there were three real nice plays that really helped him get through the outing with a strong pitching line. He also didn’t get many swing and misses. He was around the strike zone the entire game and finished with one run on four hits and a walk, striking out two batters. You’d like to see more grounders and strikeouts (or swinging strikes in general), but it’s hard to argue that he wasn’t effective in this game.
The offense was provided by some timely hits, as the Curve had just four hits (one double) and four walks, yet the pulled out a 3-1 victory. Harold Ramirez, Erich Weiss and Chris Diaz scored the runs, while Weiss and Jose Osuna each had an RBI. Weiss hit the only double and he also drew a walk. Ramirez reached on a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Barrett Barnes had a single and stole his third base of the season.
Reese McGuire went 0-for-3, though he did square up one ball that was caught on a line drive to right-center. He is in a 1-for-23 slump that includes five walks and just two strikeouts. Austin Meadows went 0-for-1 with a walk and a sacrifice bunt. He was busy in the outfield this game, with six balls hit to him, most of them line drives.
The game was completed in 94 minutes.
Game Two Altoona swept the doubleheader with a 2-1 win in game two, doing it despite collecting just two hits. Both hits brought in runs, with Anderson Feliz driving home Stetson Allie with the first run and Jonathan Schwind hitting a solo homer in the fifth inning for the lead and eventual winning run.
Cody Dickson started this game and probably had his best overall command despite issuing three walks. He gave up one run on four hits and struck out six batters, throwing 52 of his 78 pitches for strikes. This was the third time already this season that he has faced Richmond. They have accounted for his two best performances and 13 of his 16 strikeouts.
Austin Meadows went 0-for-2 with a walk. He is 7-for-41 in 11 games, for a .171 average.
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BRADENTON – The Marauders have seen a better offense in recent weeks, after most of their hitters started slow the first few weeks of the season. Tonight, the offense exploded, thanks to four home runs in the first three innings.
A few of those homers were a bit wind-aided, with the wind blowing out to right field early in the game. Chase Simpson and Jerrick Suiter both homered to right-center field in the first inning, and Logan Hill homered to the same area in the second. Jordan Luplow homered in the third with the wind not blowing as hard. He ended up bouncing his fly ball off the top of the wall and into the Marauders’ bullpen, putting the team up 6-1 at the time.
The Marauders got some strong pitching from Austin Coley, who gave up one run on four hits over six innings, while pounding the strike zone and working efficiently. He threw 80 pitches, with 50 going for strikes. Henry Hirsch and Luis Heredia came on to close things down, with Hirsch pitching two shutout innings, and Heredia pitching the ninth.
Bradenton managed a few more runs in the sixth inning, extending their lead to 9-1, which was the eventual outcome. Kevin Newman and Kevin Kramer both had two hits on the night, which was fitting, since the Marauders were running a “Seinfeld Night” promotion, with staff dressed up as Seinfeld characters, a Seinfeld character race, yadda, yadda, yadda, and the theme music playing at times between innings. – Tim Williams
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CHARLESTON, WV – After a trip down to Charleston, South Carolina, the Power returned to West Virginia tonight with many of the same problems they have faced all season. Bret Helton struggled with control, walking five, and the offense let several opportunities slip by, stranding ten runners. On defense, the team committed two errors and several mental lapses, including some sloppy footwork by Ty Moore in left field that let the go-ahead run score.
The Power’s big inning, the fourth, came as the result of some skillful small ball. Carlos Munoz singled to lead things off, and Daniel Arribas placed a beautiful sacrifice bunt to move the sluggish first baseman to second. Munoz moved to third on Ryan Nagle’s second single of the night. Ty Moore drove in the run with a sacrifice fly. Nagle later scored on a John Bormann double. The scoring concluded when Bormann came around from second on a wild pitch.
Newcomer Billy Roth saw time on the mound in relief. In his two innings, his fastball touched 93 MPH at least once, and his curve showed late movement. Roth does seem to be prone to allowing line drives, especially when he hangs the curve over the plate, as evidenced by two sharp doubles by the Suns, and a comebacker that nearly took his head off to start the top of the ninth. His changeup looked effective with many Suns batters lunging out over their front foot to take a swing. Unfortunately, Roth took the loss, allowing three runs in his two innings. The Power lost 6-5.
“He flew in this morning, and any time you come in like that, it’s tough.” Esposito said. “We’ve heard a lot about him from the Gulf Coast League, and we’re very excited to have him.”
Esposito commented that Roth would be working out of the bullpen for the time being, and that the team hopes to ease him into his new role. That’s a change for him, as he was a starter in the lower levels up until this point. – Abigail Miskowiec
