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, Bryan Reynolds 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 – 0-for-2, 2 BB
3. Oneil Cruz, SS, Bradenton – DNP
4. Travis Swaggerty, CF, Bradenton – 1-for-4, 2B
5. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Indianapolis – DNP
6. Will Craig, 1B, Indianapolis – 1-for-4
7. Jason Martin, OF, Indianapolis – 2-for-5, 2 2B
8. JT Brubaker, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
9. Calvin Mitchell, OF, Bradenton – DNP
10. Cody Bolton, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
11. Tahnaj Thomas, RHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
12. Braxton Ashcraft, RHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
13. Lolo Sanchez, CF, Greensboro – 0-for-4
14. Pablo Reyes, Util, Indianapolis – 2-for-4, HR (4), RBI
15. Clay Holmes, RHP, Pirates – In Majors
16. Braeden Ogle, LHP, Greensboro – 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO
17. Stephen Alemais, 2B/SS, Altoona – Out for the Season
18. Michael Burrows, RHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
19. Jared Oliva, CF, Altoona – 1-for-5, HR (4), RBI
20. Ji-Hwan Bae, SS, Greensboro – 1-for-4
21. Max Kranick, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
22. Luis Escobar, RHP, Indianapolis – 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO
23. Osvaldo Bido, RHP, Greensboro – 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 SO
24. Eduardo Vera, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
25. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Altoona – DNP
26. Aaron Shortridge, RHP, Bradenton – 7.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO
27. Blake Weiman, LHP, Altoona – 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, O BB, 1 SO
28. Steven Jennings, RHP, Greensboro – DNP
29. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Indianapolis – DNP
30. Jesus Liranzo, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
Indianapolis won 5-2 in a rain-shortened game over Louisville. Luis Escobar continued to excel after being put back in a starter role. He went five innings tonight, giving up one run on two hits and three walks. He didn’t have his control working, but he was still very effect, despite only 34 of his 67 pitches going for strikes. Escobar had just one strikeout, but managed a nice 9:1 GO/AO ratio. As a starter, he has a 1.59 ERA and a .130 BAA in 17 innings. Montana DuRapau pitched a scoreless sixth and Yefry Ramirez allowed a run in the seventh before the rain came.
Indianapolis tied the score in the second 1-1 on a solo homer from Pablo Reyes, his fourth of the season. They took the lead in the fourth inning on a two-run single by Jake Elmore. Corey Dickerson added a run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly and capped the scoring with an RBI single two innings later. He is now hitting .182/.237/.212 through nine rehab games. Jung Ho Kang didn’t start the game, but managed to go 1-for-2 with a single and get some more time at shortstop. Jason Martin hit two doubles, giving him nine on the year, and he scored two runs.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Altoona won 6-2 over Erie on Wednesday morning. Austin Coley got the start and went two shutout innings before giving way to the bullpen, with five guys seeing action. Yeudy Garcia allowed a run in the third, then Blake Cederlind gave up one run over three innings, striking out four batters. Despite the limited damage, he gave up five hits and a walk. Blake Weiman, Angel German and Matt Eckelman followed with scoreless frames. Eckelman issued three walks in the ninth, but got out of his own jam.
Jared Oliva homered for the second game in a row, giving him four homers on the season. A catcher also homered for the second game in a row, but this time it was Arden Pabst with his second homer, after Jason Delay hit his fifth yesterday. Pabst had three hits. Bligh Madris hit his 11th double and Hunter Owen his 13th double. Madris drove in two runs, while Owen scored twice.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Bradenton lost 3-2 to Daytona. Aaron Shortridge had a no-hitter going through five innings, then gave up three runs in the sixth. He managed to stay in the game and missed a complete game by one out, with Allen Montgomery picking up the final out. This was the longest career outing (7.2 IP) for Shortridge, who needed 98 pitches to get through his night. He allowed five hits, two walks and had six strikeouts. He now had a 3.72 ERA in 67.2 innings.
The Marauders got solo runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Jesse Medrano hit his first home run of the season in the fifth. Robbie Glendinning brought home Travis Swaggerty with a sacrifice fly in the sixth. Swaggerty hit his fifth double, while Daniel Amaral hit his sixth. Bradenton had no walks, ten strikeouts and no hits with runners in scoring position.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Greensboro lost 2-1 to Charleston on Wednesday afternoon. Osvaldo Bido struggled through the month of May after posting an 0.91 ERA in April. He started June off with an outstanding outing, going six shutout innings on one hit, one walk and a career high ten strikeouts. He threw 86 pitches, with 58 going for strikes. Bido now has a 3.39 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in 66.1 innings this season. Braeden Ogle followed and took the loss, allowing a pair of solo homers over three innings of work. Ogle had no walks and four strikeouts.
The offense was quiet, with five hits and one run. Connor Kaiser had two of those hits, including his fourth double. Pat Dorrian had a single and the lone RBI. He also stole his sixth base. Zac Susi had a double and a walk.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
The DSL Pirates1 won 14-7 after being outscored 17-1 in their first two games this week. Juan Jerez, a 17-year-old middle infielder who received a $380,000 bonus last July, had a huge day at the plate. He went 4-for-5 with his first two career homers. He scored four runs, drove in four runs and also added a walk. Ronny Sanchez had two hits, as did second-year players Darwin Baez and Fleury Nova.
This game didn’t begin well, with starter Andy Maldonado ($170,000 bonus) allowing five runs in 1.2 innings during his pro debut. He was followed by Wilkin Valdez, who debuted with 3.1 scoreless innings. Yeison Santos, a six-figure signing from 2017, took the ninth and had two walks and three strikeouts. Carlos Campos allowed two runs in 2.2 innings after Valdez.
The DSL Pirates2 won 10-7 for their fourth straight win to open up the season. Sergio Umana, who was signed out of Nicaragua this winter, had an outstanding debut. In five shutout innings, he allowed four hits and one walk, while striking out nine batters. He was followed by Luis Gonzalez, who allowed three runs in two innings, then Wilbur Martinez gave up four runs (three earned) while recording just one out. Enmanuel Mejia, who might be the top pitcher on the team right now, recorded the final two outs of the eighth. The boxscore says that catcher Luis Hernandez pitched the ninth, which could be true due to the amount of pitchers used, but it seems more like a mistake to me.
Third baseman Alexander Mojica ($350,000 bonus) hit his first pro homer. He went 2-for-2 with two walks, two runs, two RBIs. Jommer Hernandez, a catcher signed for $250,000 last year, has been playing first base this year. He went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, two runs and a walk. Lead-off hitter Deivis Nadal went 2-for-2 with a walk.
You can view the season preview here.
