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 Cole Tucker), 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 – 1-for-3, 3B, BB
3. Oneil Cruz, SS, Bradenton – DNP
4. Travis Swaggerty, CF, Bradenton – 0-for-4
5. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Indianapolis – 0-for-3, BB
6. Bryan Reynolds, OF, Pirates – In Majors
7. Will Craig, 1B, Indianapolis – 0-for-2, BB
8. Jason Martin, OF, Indianapolis – 0-for-4
9. JT Brubaker, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
10. Calvin Mitchell, OF, Bradenton – 1-for-3, BB
11. Cody Bolton, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
12. Tahnaj Thomas, RHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
13. Braxton Ashcraft, RHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
14. Lolo Sanchez, CF, Greensboro – 2-for-6, 2 BB, SB
15. Pablo Reyes, Util, Indianapolis – 0-for-3, BB
16. Clay Holmes, RHP, Pirates – In Majors
17. Braeden Ogle, LHP, Greensboro – DNP
18. Stephen Alemais, 2B/SS, Altoona – Out for the Season
19. Michael Burrows, RHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
20. Jared Oliva, CF, Altoona – 1-for-4
21. Ji-Hwan Bae, SS, Greensboro – DNP
22. Max Kranick, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
23. Luis Escobar, RHP, Indianapolis – 3 IP, H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
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, LHP, Altoona – IP, K, Sv
29. Steven Jennings, RHP, Greensboro – 3 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
30. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Indianapolis – 2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, BB, 2 K
Indianapolis lost to Norfolk, 8-4. Mitch Keller was originally listed as the starter, but was scratched shortly before game time in favor of a bullpen game started by Luis Escobar. The ostensible explanation was “workload management,” but the situation bears monitoring.
Escobar did well, throwing three scoreless inning. His control could have been a lot better, as he threw only 20 of 40 pitches for strikes, but he allowed only one hit and two walks, while striking out two. Brandon Waddell and Sean Keselica had a much rougher time, allowing four and three runs, respectively. The Indians drew seven walks, but had only four hits. Eric Wood provided most of the offense, driving in three runs with a single and his fifth home run. Ke’Bryan Hayes hit his first triple of the season. Nick Franklin had the only other hit. Lonnie Chisenhall (you remember him, right?) missed his fourth straight game, so he’s obviously hurting again.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Altoona got two runs in the bottom of the eight to break a 4-4 tie and went on to beat Harrisburg, 6-4. Jason Delay continued his scorching-hot hitting, going 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles, one of which drove in the go-ahead run. He now has seven doubles in just 66 ABs, and his OPS is up to 1.164. It was Delay’s second 4-for-4 game in the last two weeks. Hunter Owen hit his tenth home run and also reached base on a walk and a hit batsman, and scored three times. Logan Hill contributed his 11th double and Bralin Jackson drove in two runs.
Pedro Vasquez went five innings, giving up four runs, half of them unearned. He allowed six hits, but didn’t walk anybody and fanned five. Beau Sulser followed with two scoreless innings, lowering his ERA with the Curve to 0.71. Angel German and Blake Weiman each threw a scoreless inning to get a win and a save, respectively.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Bradenton couldn’t get any offense going in a 2-0 loss to Palm Beach. The Marauders managed only singles by Cal Mitchell and Lucas Tancas, and walks to Mitchell and Chris Sharpe. Their one scoring chance came in the second. They had runners at the corners with nobody out, but Raul Hernandez and Dylan Busby both whiffed, and Randolph Gassaway lined out.
Cody Bolton followed his one poor start of the season with a solid effort, allowing one earned and one unearned run in five innings. He had a bit of control trouble, walking three and needing 89 pitches, 54 of them strikes. Bolton gave up four hits and fanned five. Ike Schlabach, Hunter Stratton and Samuel Reyes each threw a scoreless inning. Reyes needed just six pitches and has yet to allow an earned run in three outings with Bradenton.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Greensboro got a walkoff, three-run home run from Mason Martin in the bottom of the seventh to beat Lakewood, 8-7, in the first game of a doubleheader. They went into the inning trailing 7-4.
Steven Jennings had another rough start, giving up seven runs, five earned, in three innings. He allowed seven hits and two walks, and struck out three. Will Gardner followed with three scoreless innings in his third outing for the Grasshoppers. He struck out five and allowed two hits. Cristofer Melendez got the win with a perfect inning, including two strikeouts.
Martin finished the game 2-for-3 with a walk and four RBIs. The longball was his tenth and he now has 35 RBIs in 39 games. Lolo Sanchez reached base three times, going 1-for-2 with two walks. He scored twice and stole his 15th base. Raul Siri had two doubles in an infrequent start. Fabricio Macias was 1-for-3 with a walk and Rodolfo Castro 1-for-2 with a sacrifice fly.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
Remarkably, the second game ended in exactly the same fashion. Trailing 5-3 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Greensboro got a single from Sanchez and a hit batsman, and Martin then hit another walkoff, three-run blast.
To open the game, Greensboro gave Conner Loeprich his first career start. It wasn’t a standard bullpen game, as Loeprich threw four innings. He had a rough time, allowing five runs, one of them unearned, on seven hits and a walk, with two strikeouts. Cam Alldred followed with two scoreless innings and Yerry De Los Santos with one. De Los Santos has allowed no runs and one hit through his first five innings.
Martin was 1-for-4 on the game and this home run was his 11th. The Grasshoppers had only six hits, with Mike Gretler getting two. Sanchez was 1-for-4 and Castro 1-for-3.
Here is the boxscore for the second game.
You can view the season preview here.
