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 (Clay Holmes, Jacob Stallings, Kevin Newman 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, Nick Burdi 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 – 1-for-3, 2 BB
3. Cole Tucker, SS, Indianapolis – 0-for-3, 2 BB
4. Oneil Cruz, SS, Altoona – DNP
5. Travis Swaggerty, CF, Bradenton – 1-for-5
6. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Indianapolis – 0-for-3, BB
7. Will Craig, 1B, Indianapolis – 3-for-5
8. Jason Martin, OF, Indianapolis – 1-for-5
9. JT Brubaker, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
10. Calvin Mitchell, OF, Bradenton – 3-for-4, 2B, SF
11. Cody Bolton, RHP, Altoona – 4.2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
12. Tahnaj Thomas, RHP, Bristol – 5 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 9 K
13. Braxton Ashcraft, RHP, Morgantown – DNP
14. Lolo Sanchez, CF, Bradenton – 0-for-3, BB
15. Pablo Reyes, Util, Pirates – In Majors
16. Braeden Ogle, LHP, Bradenton – DNP
17. Michael Burrows, RHP, Morgantown – DNP
18. Jared Oliva, CF, Altoona – 2-for-4, SB
19. Ji-Hwan Bae, SS, Greensboro – 0-for-4, BB
20. Max Kranick, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
21. Luis Escobar, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
22. Osvaldo Bido, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
23. Eduardo Vera, RHP, Indianapolis – 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO
24. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Altoona – DNP
25. Aaron Shortridge, RHP, Bradenton – 5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 SO
26. Blake Weiman, LHP, Indianapolis – 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, ER, K
27. Steven Jennings, RHP, Greensboro – DNP
28. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Indianapolis – 5.2 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
29. Jesus Liranzo, RHP, Altoona – 2.1 IP, K
30. Rodolfo Castro, 2B, Bradenton – DNP
Indianapolis lost to Columbus, 8-6. Brandon Waddell continued to struggle badly in AAA, giving up six runs in five and two-thirds innings. Blake Weiman also had some trouble, giving up two runs, one earned, in an inning and a third. Eduardo Vera threw two scoreless innings in relief, so he seems to have lost his rotation spot after extended struggles.
Will Craig had three hits and Hunter Owen two, including his third AAA home run. J.B. Shuck had a pair of doubles. Ke’Bryan Hayes reached base three times, on a single and two walks. Cole Tucker walked twice.
Here’s the boxscore.
You can view the season preview here.
Altoona lost to Reading, 7-2. Cody Bolton pitched shutout ball through four innings, but came apart in the fifth, allowing five runs. He finished with four and two-thirds innings, five hits, two walks and five strikeouts. Jesus Liranzo threw two and a third scoreless innings in relief. The Curve had only five hits, drew no walks and fanned 11 times. Jared Oliva had two hits and his 31st steal, and drove in one of the runs. Robbie Glendinning hit his fifth AA home run. Darnell Sweeney had his first double and Arden Pabst his tenth.
Here’s the boxscore.
You can view the season preview here.
Bradenton scored all of its runs in the third inning and beat Dunedin, 5-1. Cal Mitchell, Mason Martin and Deon Stafford all had RBIs in the inning, and Jesse Medrano had two. Mitchell finished with three hits, including his 20th double. Adrian Valerio had two hits. Aaron Shortridge started and threw five and two-thirds scoreless innings. He allowed four hits and two walks, and fanned seven. Joe Jacques followed and turned it into more of a game than it needed to be, walking four in an inning and a third, but it cost him only one run. Ike Schlabach and Shea Murray each threw a scoreless inning to close it out. Murray has allowed just one earned run in his last ten games, covering 17 innings. He’s given up eight hits and six walks in that stretch, and fanned 31.
Here’s the boxscore.
You can view the season preview here.
Greensboro beat Greenville, 7-2. Starter Will Kobos threw four no-hit innings, then came out. His exit might have been related to a lengthy rain delay before the game started, or a play he was involved in for the last out of the fourth. Cody Smith followed with two scoreless innings. Cristofer Melendez fanned three in his one inning, but gave up an unearned run. Cam Alldred gave up a run over the last two innings.
Jonah Davis led the offense with four RBIs on a single, a sacrifice fly and his 11th home run. After getting off to a miserable start this year, Davis is batting .305 since the beginning of July, with eight home runs. Justin Harrer had two hits and drove in two with his 14th double. Jack Herman added his fourth double and Fabricio Macias his 18th.
Here’s the boxscore.
You can view the season preview here.
Morgantown edged Hudson Valley, 5-4. Eighth round pick Austin Roberts struggled, giving up four runs, three earned, on five hits and a walk in four innings. He struck out two. Four relievers — a rehabbing Elvis Escobar, Denny Roman, Garrett Leonard and Cameron Junker — combined for five scoreless innings, with Junker getting his four save. Matt Fraizer had three hits, including his first triple, and Cory Wood had two. Catcher Elys Escobar drove in two runs. Brett Kinneman drew a walk and hit his fourth double at this level.
Here’s the boxscore.
You can view the season preview here.
Bristol wasted another outstanding start from Tahnaj Thomas and lost to Elizabethton, 9-6. Thomas allowed just one run on three hits and a walk over five innings, while striking out a career-high nine. Thomas left with a 6-1 lead, but the bullpen couldn’t hold it. Yoelvis Reyes allowed two unearned runs, C.J. Dandeneau gave up one run, and Ryan Troutman allowed five runs in the ninth, including a walkoff grand slam.
On offense, Josh Bissonette had three hits, and Chase Murray and Fernando Villegas each two. Bissonette and Villegas each hit his eighth double, while Murray got his first career home run. Jesus Valdez also went deep, his second. (He actually has hit three, but one was wiped out by a rainout.)
Here’s the boxscore.
You can view the season preview here.
The GCL Pirates got trounced by the Orioles, 11-0. The Pirates are 12-20, rank last in the league in runs per game and have yet to hit a single home run. Ryan Harbin had a rough time in his second pro start, allowing six runs in three innings, on five hits and two walks. He struck out three. Wilger Camacho also had a difficult outing, giving up four runs while retiring just two batters. Bryan Torres, who’s been struggling all year, threw three and a third scoreless innings.
The offense managed only five hits. Angel Basabe had his fourth double and second triple. The other hits were singles by Jase Bowen, Juan Pie and Carlos Canache. The Pirates didn’t lack for opportunities, but went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Here’s the boxscore.
You can view the season preview here.
The DSL Pirates1 beat the Red Sox2, 8-3. Juan Jerez, who got a $380,000 bonus to sign a year ago, had a big day, going 4-for-5. Eliazer Montero and Ronny Sanchez each had two hits. Catcher Jhan Polanco reached base three times on two walks and his seventh double. Raydel Velette threw four scoreless innings despite walking five. He allowed only one hit. Yeison Santos, Luis Peralta and Eddison Polonia combined for five shutout innings, although Santos let three inherited runners score. Those belonged to Wilkin Valdez, who walked all three batters he faced.
Here’s the boxscore.
The DSL Pirates2 scored two in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Tigers2, 4-3. The Pirates ran their record to 44-10 and avoided their first three-game losing streak (the two-game streak was already their longest of the season). Alexander Mojica drove in Randy Romero with his 11th double to walk it off. Mojica, Romero (whose average dropped to .410 with a 2-for-5 game) and Carlos Arroyo each had two hits. Geovanny Planchart, a 17-year-old catcher who’s batting .364, started the rally with a pinch single.
Starter Felipe Mezquita didn’t allow any hits, but walked five in two innings while allowing one run. Johan Montero gave up a run in four innings, striking out four. Enmanuel Mejia got the win with a scoreless ninth. He has yet to allow a run this year; in 13.2 IP, he’s given up just two hits and five walks, and fanned 24.
Here’s the boxscore.
You can view the season preview here.
