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 Bryan Reynolds), 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 and Stephen Alemais), 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 – 2-for-5, HR (3)
3. Cole Tucker, SS, Indianapolis – DNP
4. Oneil Cruz, SS, Bradenton – DNP
5. Travis Swaggerty, CF, Bradenton – DNP
6. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Indianapolis – 2-for-4, 2 2B, BB
7. Will Craig, 1B, Indianapolis – 1-for-5
8. Jason Martin, OF, Indianapolis – 1-for-5
9. JT Brubaker, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
10. Calvin Mitchell, OF, Bradenton – 1-6, 3 K
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 – 1-for-2, 2B, SF
15. Pablo Reyes, Util, Indianapolis – 1-for-3, HR (5), BB
16. Clay Holmes, RHP, Pirates – In Majors
17. Braeden Ogle, LHP, Greensboro – IP, H, BB, K
18. Michael Burrows, RHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
19. Jared Oliva, CF, Altoona – 0-for-3, HBP, SB
20. Ji-Hwan Bae, SS, Greensboro – DNP
21. Max Kranick, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
22. Luis Escobar, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
23. Osvaldo Bido, RHP, Greensboro – DNP
24. Eduardo Vera, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
25. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Altoona – DNP
26. Aaron Shortridge, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
27. Blake Weiman, LHP, Altoona – DNP
28. Steven Jennings, RHP, Greensboro – 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, BB, 5 K
29. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Indianapolis – DNP
30. Jesus Liranzo, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
Indianapolis got a good start from Dario Agrazal and beat Toledo, 6-2. Agrazal had a shutout until there were two outs in the seventh, when he gave up a two-run home run. He allowed four hits and a walk overall in seven innings, striking out three. Jake Brentz rescued Dovydas Neverauskas from some trouble in the eighth, retiring the last four batters to pick up a save. Since moving up to Indianapolis, Brentz has a 1.62 ERA and 0.78 WHIP. After massive control problems the last couple years, he’s walked only three while with Indy in 16.2 IP, with 23 strikeouts. While still with Altoona earlier this year, he walked just three and gave up only six hits in 11.2 IP.
The offense got a pair of longballs, Pablo Reyes’ fifth and Ke’Bryan Hayes’ third. Hayes went 2-for-5. That’s welcome because he’s batting only .233 since the beginning of May, making it clear that calling him up now would be a serious mistake. Kevin Kramer is another hitter who had a good day despite recent struggles, going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a walk. That gives him 18 doubles on the year. Jake Elmore and Christian Kelley each had two hits as well, with Kelley getting his sixth double and first triple.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Altoona got an outstanding start from Pedro Vasquez in a 4-2 win over Akron. Vasquez gave up a single to the first batter he faced and that was the only baserunner he allowed in six innings. He struck out eight, which missed his career high by one. It’s a little puzzling that Vasquez came out when he did, as he threw only 74 pitches, 52 of them for strikes. He got seven groundouts and no fly outs.
Blake Cederlind had a rough seventh inning, giving up two runs on three hits, which boosted his ERA to 1.50. Angel German survived a pair of walks in the eighth and Matt Eckelman pitched the ninth for the save.
Altoona took the lead with a three-run fourth, as Hunter Owen drove in his 41st run and Arden Pabst also had an RBI single. The other run scored on a wild pitch in the eighth. Jerrick Suiter and Logan Hill each had two hits, Hill getting his 17th double on a bloop that dropped in. Jared Oliva stole his ninth base.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Bradenton brought out the bats, including four home runs, in a 13-7 win over Dunedin. Chris Sharpe didn’t have any of the longballs, but led the offense by going 3-for-4 with a walk, his 15th double and four RBIs. Sharpe is now batting 305/382/458 in a league where the average is 241/313/354. Deon Stafford also stayed hot, going 2-for-5 with his fourth home run. Stafford is 7-for-15 with three longballs in his last four games. He’s batting 258/360/412, which again is good for such a low-offense environment, especially considering that he started off 0-for-12 after missing the first four weeks with an injury.
The Marauders also got three hits apiece from Daniel Amaral and Adrian Valerio, including Valerio’s first home run. Amaral added a steal, his tenth, and Valerio had another two. The other longballs came from Chase Lambert, his first of the year, and Dylan Busby, his 11th and first since May 5th.
Starter Brad Case had a little more trouble in his first Florida State League start than his last in Greensboro, when he allowed two earned runs in five and a third innings. In his High-A debut, he lasted four innings and was charged with four runs, three earned, although he was hurt by some defensive misplays and, possibly, by a strong breeze. He gave up five hits and two walks, and fanned four. Gavin Wallace followed with four shutout innings to get the win. Shea Murray, who continues to struggle with wildness, stumbled through a three-run ninth.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Greensboro lost to Lakewood, 4-3. Steven Jennings sailed along with one of his best starts until two were out in the sixth, but then things went south. He gave up a walk and four singles, leading to three runs, before being relieved. For the game, Jennings allowed five hits and the one walk, and struck out five. Cam Alldred gave up the fourth run and Braeden threw a scoreless inning.
Greensboro had only three hits, with all the runs scoring on outs. Fabricio Macias drove in one with a groundout, and Lolo Sanchez and Mason Martin had sacrifice flies. Sanchez was 1-for-2 with his tenth double. Martin struck out his other three times up. Mike Gretler had the only other two hits, including his fifth double. Rodolfo Castro was 0-4 and is now batting .125 in his last ten games, with 14 strikeouts in 32 ABs.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
The DSL Pirates1 are off on Sundays.
Here’s the boxscore.
The DSL Pirates2 are off on Sundays.
Here’s the boxscore.
You can view the season preview here.
