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Prospect Watch: Tyler Eppler Leads an All-Around Team Effort in Indianapolis Victory

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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 (Colin Moran, Edgar Santana, Kyle Crick, Max Moroff and Dovydas Neverauskas), 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 our 2018 Prospect Guide, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.

1. Mitch Keller, RHP, Altoona – DNP

2. Austin Meadows, CF, Pirates – In Majors

3. Cole Tucker, SS, Altoona – 0-for-4

4. Shane Baz, RHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP

5. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Altoona – 2-for-4, 2B

6. Kevin Newman, SS, Indianapolis – 1-for-5, 2B

7. Taylor Hearn, LHP, Altoona –  DNP

8. Lolo Sanchez, CF, West Virginia – 1-for-4

9. Bryan Reynolds, OF, Altoona – 1-for-4

10. Jordan Luplow, LF, Indianapolis – DNP

11. Luis Escobar, RHP, Bradenton –   5 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 7 SO

12. Clay Holmes, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP

13. Braeden Ogle, LHP, West Virginia – DNP

14. Nick Kingham, RHP, Pirates – In Majors

15. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Indianapolis – 2-for-5

16. Adrian Valerio, SS, Bradenton – 0-for-4

17. Calvin Mitchell, OF, West Virginia – 1-for-4

18. Oneil Cruz, SS, West Virginia – DNP

19. Nick Burdi, RHP, Pirates (disabled list) – DNP

20. Dario Agrazal, RHP, Altoona – DNP

21. JT Brubaker, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP

22. Will Craig, 1B, Altoona – 1-for-4, RBI

23. Stephen Alemais, 2B/SS, Altoona – 0-for-4

24. Jason Martin, OF, Altoona – 2-for-4, 2B

25. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Indianapolis – DNP

26. Eduardo Vera, RHP, Altoona –  DNP

27. Mason Martin, 1B, Bristol – DNP

28. Conner Uselton, OF, Extended Spring Training – DNP

29. Cody Bolton, RHP, West Virginia – DNP

30. Steven Jennings, RHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP

Prospect-Watch-Indy

Indianapolis won 7-1 over Pawtucket.

Tyler Eppler was a magician on this night, throwing shutout ball over 5.2 innings, despite seven hits, three walks, just two strikeouts and a 4:8 GO/AO ratio. Whatever works though, as he lowered his ERA to 2.84 through 63.1 innings, with 59 strikeouts. Since giving up seven runs over 4.1 innings on May 19th, he has now allowed four earned runs over his last four starts. Tanner Anderson allowed the lone run in his 1.1 innings, while Bo Schultz and Johnny Hellweg each tossed a scoreless frame.

Indianapolis put on a hit parade, while also putting on a sad parade back to the dugout. They had 14 hits and 15 strikeouts. Kevin Kramer, Jose Osuna, Ryan Lavarnway, Max Moroff and Erich Weiss each had two hits. Wyatt Mathisen and Weiss each hit homers. Osuna, Lavarnway, Moroff, Weiss, Kevin Newman and Jerrick Suiter all hit doubles. Surprisingly, Newman led the team with three strikeouts. He had 24 all season coming into this game.

Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.

You can view the season preview here.

Prospect-Watch-Altoona-Curve

Altoona lost 6-1 to Hartford.

Pedro Vasquez has had a rough time with the jump to Double-A after missing the beginning of the season with a Spring Training illness. It didn’t get any better on Saturday, as he allowed four runs over five innings, thanks to three home runs. He now has a 5.73 ERA on the season. Logan Sendelbach allowed one run over three innings and Geoff Hartlieb surrendered a run in the ninth.

Altoona scored just one run, but not for a lack of chances. Jin-De Jhang had three hits, Jason Martin and Ke’Bryan Hayes each had two hits and all three picked up a double. Bryan Reynolds also doubled. The Curve had two runners thrown out on the bases, but their ten hits didn’t come at the right time and they failed to draw a single walk. Will Craig’s RBI single led to the only run.

Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.

You can view the season preview here.

Prospect-Watch-Bradenton

Bradenton lost 11-2 to Tampa.

Jung Ho Kang was at shortstop again, despite rumors that he was going to Indianapolis this weekend. He went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. He’s hitting .417 through seven games with five extra-base hits. Mitchell Tolman hit his first home run since returning from his 50-game suspension. Jared Oliva went 1-for-3 with a run scored and his 19th stolen base. Hunter Owen had two singles and his first stolen base.

Luis Escobar was tough to hit in this game, but got into trouble by not throwing enough strikes. In five innings, he allowed three runs on two hits and four walks, throwing just 47 of 89 pitches for strikes. Escobar struck out seven batters, which ties a season high. He now has a 3.77 ERA in 59.2 innings, with 52 strikeouts. The bullpen let the game get out of hand, as Jordan Jess and Angel German gave up a total of eight runs.

Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.

You can view the season preview here.

Prospect-Watch-WV-Power

West Virginia lost 5-4 to Hickory.

Hunter Stratton has struggled in each of his last three starts coming into Saturday’s game. This game he allowed just two runs, but he had trouble throwing strikes, which led to 85 pitches in just four innings. Stratton allowed three hits and three walks, while striking out three batters. Drew Fischer was out next and he allowed three runs in three innings. Matt Seelinger tossed a scoreless eighth.

There were no big days on offense for the Power. Brett Pope, Rodolfo Castro and Ben Bengtson each had doubles. Calvin Mitchell, Lolo Sanchez and John Bormann each had singles. Castro also had a walk and an RBI. Chris Sharpe had an RBI and stole two bases to give him eight on the year.

Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.

You can view the season preview here.

Prospect-Watch-DSL

The DSL Pirates1 won 15-9 on Saturday.

Jesus Valles got the start and allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits and no walks in five innings. In his pro debut on Monday, the 20-year-old right-hander gave up one earned run over 4.1 innings. Andres Arrieta allowed one unearned run in his two innings. Jose Amaya pitched a scoreless eighth before allowing four ninth inning runs, with Valentin Linarez coming in to get the final out.

The Pirates trailed 5-3 going into the eighth when they decided the best offense was to not do anything at the plate. Six walks, a hit batter and four wild pitches later, they had a 7-5 lead. Then things really got out of hand in the ninth inning. They scored eight runs with the help of four walks, four wild pitches and a hit batter.

Emilson Rosado, who received a six-figure bonus last July, wasn’t doing much this season until he hit a ninth inning grand slam. He also a single and two walks. Daniel Rivero is now hitting .400 after a four-hit game. He drove in three runs and also walked. Juan Pie lost his hitting streak in this game, coming in as a pinch-hitter in the eighth and going 0-for-2. Ronaldo Paulino had two hits and drove in two runs. Norkis Marcos walked thrice and and scored twice.

Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.

The DSL Pirates2 dropped to 1-6 on the season with a 4-3 loss in ten innings.

Willy Basil started and allowed just one unearned run in 4.1 innings of work. He gave up four hits and two walks, while striking out five batters. Braham Rosario followed and allowed two unearned runs in 2.2 innings. Oscar Echarry allowed a run in the tenth for the loss.

The Pirates showed no offense until the ninth inning and on one swing they tied the score with a three-run homer from Matthew Mercedes. It was his third home run of the year. After going down a run in the top of the tenth, they struck out three times in the bottom of the inning. Mercedes, Bryan Mateo and Tilsaimy Melfor each had two hits. The rest of the club had a single and three walks. Mateo also reached on a hit-by-pitch.

Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.

You can view the season preview for both teams here.

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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