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 (Kevin Newman, Nick Burdi and Pablo Reyes), 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 (Travis MacGregor), 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 updated 2019 Prospect Guide, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.
1. Mitch Keller, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
2. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Indianapolis – DNP
3. Cole Tucker, SS, Pirates – In Majors
4. Oneil Cruz, SS, Bradenton – DNP
5. Travis Swaggerty, CF, Bradenton – 3-for-5, SB
6. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Indianapolis – 0-for-4, BB
7. Bryan Reynolds, OF, Pirates – In Majors
8. Will Craig, 1B, Indianapolis – 1-for-4
9. Jason Martin, OF, Pirates – In Majors
10. JT Brubaker, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
11. Calvin Mitchell, OF, Bradenton – 1-for-4, 3 RBI
12. Cody Bolton, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
13. Tahnaj Thomas, RHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
14. Braxton Ashcraft, RHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
15. Lolo Sanchez, CF, Greensboro – DNP
16. Clay Holmes, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
17. Braeden Ogle, LHP, Greensboro – DNP
18. Stephen Alemais, 2B/SS, Altoona – DNP
19. Michael Burrows, RHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
20. Jared Oliva, CF, Altoona – 2-for-4, 2B, SB
21. Ji-Hwan Bae, SS, Greensboro – DNP
22. Max Kranick, RHP, Bradenton – 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
23. Luis Escobar, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
24. Osvaldo Bido, RHP, Greensboro – DNP
25. Eduardo Vera, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
26. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Altoona – DNP
27. Aaron Shortridge, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
28. Blake Weiman, RHP, Altoona – DNP
29. Steven Jennings, RHP, Greensboro – DNP
30. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Indianapolis – 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Indianapolis scored in every inning but one to eke out a 9-8 win over Charlotte. The Indians had to come from behind three times, including twice from three-run deficits. They tied the game, 8-8, on an error in the top of the eighth, then Erich Weiss supplied the winning run in the ninth with his second longball on the season. The normally light-hitting Steve Baron had a big day, going 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, three runs and two RBIs. Another veteran free agent signee, Nick Franklin, also reached base four times, going 2-for-2 with his second home run, three runs and two RBIs. Jake Elmore continued to sting the ball, with a single and double in five times up. Will Craig was 1-for-4 with his 17th RBI. Kevin Kramer had a tough game, going 0-for-4 with a walk and three strikeouts.
Alex McRae got hit hard, lasting three and two-thirds innings. He gave up five runs on eight hits and three walks. He now has an ERA of 7.13. That’s better than Jesus Liranzo, who gave up three runs in an inning and a third, leaving his ERA at 12.54. Brandon Waddell and Montana DuRapau were more effective, throwing two scoreless innings each. DuRapau has yet to allow an earned run this year, giving up just three hits and four walks in 11.1 IP, with 14 strikeouts.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Altoona got a two-run double from Bligh Madris to break a 6-6 and beat Richmond, 8-6. The Curve had taken a 6-2 lead into the top of the inning, but Matt Eckelman gave up four runs to tie the game, which led to him getting a very undeserved win. Madris finished 2-for-5. Hunter Owen continued to hammer the ball, getting his sixth double and sixth home run. Mitchell Tolman did even better, coming up a double short of a cycle in four ABs. The home run was his second. Jared Oliva was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
With Dario Agrazal moving up to Indianapolis to replace J.T. Brubaker, the Curve went with a bullpen game. Yeudy Garcia started and managed to last three and two-thirds, giving up six hits and two runs. Beau Sulser followed with two and a third scoreless innings, striking out four, although he let one of Garcia’s runs score. Jake Brentz and Vicente Campos each threw a scoreless inning, with Campos getting the save.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Bradenton survived six errors to beat Daytona, 10-6. Max Kranick managed to battle through five innings despite five errors behind him, including errors by third baseman Dylan Busby on the first two plays. Kranick gave up three runs, two of them unearned, on five hits and a walk. He struck out five and threw 62 of 93 pitches for strikes, which is probably quite a few more pitches than he would have needed with decent defense. Ike Schlabach gave up three runs, all earned, in relief. Ryan Valdes threw two scoreless innings for a save.
Busby had quite an adventurous day. He committed four of the six errors, but also belted a pair of home runs and drove in three. He now has eight longballs on the year. Travis Swaggerty had a good day at the plate, going 3-for-5 and stealing a base. Chris Sharpe reached base four times, going 1-for-2 with three walks. Cal Mitchell went 1-for-4 and drove in three runs. Jose Osuna continued his rehab, going 0-for-3 with a pair of walks. Deon Stafford, who’s been out with an oblique injury, played his first game of the season and the rust apparently showed, as he went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Greensboro erupted for nine runs in the first inning, capped off by a Jonah Davis grand slam, and cruised to a 14-4 win over Hagerstown. Every player in the Grasshoppers’ lineup had reached base by the time the inning was over, and every player in the starting lineup had a hit except Pat Dorrian, including Connor Kaiser, who replaced Dorrian late in the game. A day after blasting seven home runs, Greensboro hit three more. Apart from Davis — his only hit in six at-bats — Rodolfo Castro hit his fourth, a blast to center, and Chase Lambert his first of the year, a wind-blown flyball that dropped over the fence in right-center. Castro finished 2-for-4 and Lambert 3-for-5. Zack Kone, Grant Koch and Fabricio Macias all went 2-for-4, including Kone’s third double.
Alex Manasa started and threw seven innings. He gave up two runs on eight hits and two walks. Manasa fanned six and threw 59 of 90 pitches for strikes. Joe Jacques threw a scoreless eighth, although he had to leave the bases loaded. Logan Stoelke gave up a two-run home run in the ninth.
As noted above, Pat Dorrian came out of the game in the middle of the sixth inning. He had some hamstring tightness running to first and left as a precaution.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
