The trade deadline is today at 6pm EST, so I can’t promise this will be the most up-to-date list upon the sound of the bell.
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The Indianapolis Indians will actually be playing seven games in six days this week against the Louisville Bats with a double header on Tuesday. The Bats have the worst record in the West Division and the second worst record in the International League. Their overall team stats also both rank near bottom of the league. Their higher tiered ranked prospects have been in the MLB and either graduated or are near graduation. Their recent acquisitions from the Luis Castillo trade are all unlikely to begin in Louisville, with Levi Stoudt (their now 15th ranked prospect) the only one with MAYBE a chance. 2021 trade acquisition LHP Brandon Williamson is their lone Pipeline Top 30 representative. He’s ranked among Pipeline’s Top 100 while having fallen off the Baseball America’s Top 100. On the flip side, they do have Jose Barrero who graduated Pipeline due to service time but is ranked 67th on BA’s Top 100.
A week after going 1-5 and their pitching getting slapped around by the Bowie Baysox, the Altoona Curve turnaround and get to face an Akron Rubberducks roster that brings four consensus Top 100 prospects. The Curve played the Rubberducks in early July and managed to go 4-2 in that series. Cleveland Guardian’s #1 prospect Daniel Espino still has yet to begin a rehab assignment, so it’s unlikely we catch him this week. Akron will still boast three of their other top five prospects in the Guardian’s system or seven of their top thirteen prospects.
The Greensboro Grasshoppers took four out of six from Winston-Salem, but will have to face a much tougher pitching staff this week when they visit the Bowling Green Hot Rods. The Tampa Rays affiliate isn’t prospect heavy and is the only affiliate this week that doesn’t have a single Top 100 prospect.
The Bradenton Marauders travel to Fort Myers to take on the Mighty Mussels and their #1 ranked pitching staff. The Marauders offense currently leads the FSL in the second half with 152 runs scored with the next closest being St. Lucie (NYM) scoring 140 runs. The Mussels roster otherwise only carries three of the Minnesota Twins top 15 prospects. One of note is Emmanuel Rodriguez who Baseball America actually ranks among their Top 100 even though Pipeline only has him 15th in the Twins system.
Triple-A: Indianapolis Indians
Opponent: LOUISVILLE (REDS)
Opponent Stats
Team OPS: .717 OPS
Rank: 17/20
Team ERA: 4.90
ERA Rank: 16/20
Top Prospects
Player | Position | Pipeline Ranking
- BRANDON WILLIAMSON | LHP | 5
- Pipeline Top 100: #72
DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA CURVE
Opponent: AKRON (GUARDIANS)
Opponent Stats
Team OPS: .710 OPS
Rank: 9/12
Team ERA: 4.06
ERA Rank: 3/12
Top Prospects
Player | Position | Pipeline Ranking
- DANIEL ESPINO | RHP | 1
- Pipeline Top 100: #10
- Baseball America Top 100: #13
- GEORGE VALERA | OF | 2
- Pipeline Top 100: #30
- Baseball America Top 100: #39
- GAVIN WILLIAMS | RHP | 3
- Pipeline Top 100: #76
- Baseball America Top 100: #40
- BRAYAN ROCCHIO | INF | 5
- Pipeline Top 100: #83
- Baseball America Top 100: #86
- JOSE TENA | INF | 9
- TANNER BURNS | RHP | 11
- BRYAN LAVASTIDA | C | 12
- JHONKENSY NOEL | 3B/1B | 13
- TANNER BIBEE | RHP | 29
- JOEY CANTILLO | LHP | 30
HIGH-A: GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS
Opponent: BOWLING GREEN (RAYS)
Opponent Stats
Team OPS: .761 OPS
Rank: 6/12
Team ERA: 3.83
ERA Rank: 4/12
Top Prospects
Player | Position | Pipeline Ranking
- HERIBERTO HERNANDEZ | C/OF/1B | 13
- KYLE MANZARDO | 1B | 23
- ALIKA WILLIAMS | SS | 28
- MASON AUER | OF | 29
SINGLE-A: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Opponent: FORT MYERS (TWINS)
Opponent Stats
Team OPS: .722 OPS
Rank: 2/10
Team ERA: 3.13
ERA Rank: 1/10
Top Prospects
Player | Position | Pipeline Ranking
- NOAH MILLER | SS | 6
- MISAEL URBINA | OF | 9
- EMMANUEL RODRIGUEZ | OF | 15
- Baseball America Top 100: #82
- STEVE HAJJAR | LHP | 18
- KEONI CAVACO | SS | 19
- MARCO RAYA | RHP | 21
Pirates Prospects Spotlight
Pirates Links
Prospect Watch
Today: Bubba Chandler Headlines Full Slate
Yesterday: The DSL/FCL Pirates Own Monday’s Schedule
Daily Video Rundown
Yesterday: Roansy Contreras Pitches, Jase Bowen and Fabricio Macias Home Runs
Pirates Discussion
Today: Brew Crew in Town
Yesterday: Off Day and Looming Deadline
Pirates Prospects Daily Articles
- Pirates Trade Jose Quintana and Chris Stratton to St Louis Cardinals
- Three Pirates Make Updated Top 60 Prospects List for The Athletic
- Pirates Sign 14th Round Pick Julian Bosnic
- First Pitch: Where Have the Pirates Added Talent This Year?
LAST WEEK ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
Williams: Five Pirates Who Could Be Trade Targets
Prospect Roundtable: Where Does Termarr Johnson Rank in the Pirates System?
Cal Mitchell’s Home Run Highlights a Problem This Season
Aaron Shackelford: Reverse Splits Key To Power Surge In Altoona
Williams: The Pirates Are Hitting For Power and Nothing Else
Prospect Roundtable: Which Pirates Prospect Are You Watching in the Second Half?
Teaching the MLB Mindset in Triple-A
Johan Montero: Curveball Control Key To First Half Success
Song of the Day
I went to a concert last Friday and this was one of the bands we saw
