TOP OF THE SYSTEM
A look at how the current top 20 prospects did today. Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors (Tony Sanchez #11, Stolmy Pimentel #13). If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, 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 (Jameson Taillon #2, Clay Holmes #12), 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 20 active prospects on the list. Rankings are from the 2014 Prospect Guide, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.
1. Gregory Polanco, CF, Indianapolis – DNP
2. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Bradenton – Disabled List (4/14 Update)
3. Austin Meadows, CF, West Virginia – Disabled List (4/2 Update)
4. Alen Hanson, SS, Altoona – 1-for-5, SB
5. Nick Kingham, RHP, Altoona – DNP
6. Reese McGuire, C, West Virginia – 1-for-2, BB
7. Josh Bell, RF, Bradenton – 0-for-3
8. Luis Heredia, RHP, West Virginia Power – DNP
9. Harold Ramirez, OF, West Virginia – Disabled List (4/14 Update)
10. Andrew Lambo, 1B, Indianapolis – DNP
11. Joely Rodriguez, LHP, Altoona – DNP
12. Blake Taylor, LHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
13. Cody Dickson, LHP, West Virginia – DNP
14. Barrett Barnes, CF, West Virginia – Disabled List (4/14 Update)
15. JaCoby Jones, SS, West Virginia – 1-for-4
16. Michael De La Cruz, OF, Extended Spring Training – DNP
17. Wyatt Mathisen, 3B, West Virginia – 0-for-4
18. Jin-De Jhang, C, Bradenton – 0-for-4
19. Brandon Cumpton, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
20. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
ORDER YOUR 2014 PROSPECT GUIDE
The 2014 Prospect Guide is now available, and is the perfect resource to follow the minor league system during the 2014 season. You can order your copy on the products page of the site.
DAILY SUMMARY
Top Hitter: Willy Garcia, RF – 1-for-4, HR
Home Runs: Willy Garcia (3)
AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Indianapolis was postponed due to rain.
AA: ALTOONA CURVE
Result: Harrisburg 4, Altoona 3
Starting Pitcher: Zack Dodson, LHP – 5.2 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Willy Garcia, RF – 1-for-4, HR
Other Notable Performers:
Elias Diaz, C – 2-for-4, 2 2B
Keon Broxton, CF – 2-for-2, SB
Alen Hanson, SS – 1-for-5, SB
Game Notes: Altoona fell to Harrisburg in extras today on a controversial call at home in the bottom of the 10th. Zack Dodson put together a decent start, despite falling one out shy of a quality start. Over his 5 2/3 shutout innings, Dodson allowed 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5. He was pretty reliant on his fastball in the early innings, eventually getting to a more even mix as the start progressed. Dodson was followed by Matt Benedict, who allowed 3 over his 2 innings. Brandon Mann wore the blown save and loss with his 1 run given up in 2 innings.
Elias Diaz and Willy Garcia were the 2 bright spots on the offensive side of the ball. Garcia stroked his 3rd homer of the year in the 7th to RF. Diaz added 2 doubles to a solid day behind the plate, as well as an ejection in the 9th after being called out at home. The entire team continued their free swinging ways, striking out 13 times, 7 to starter Blake Schwartz alone. – John Kokales
A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Result: Bradenton 5, Palm Beach 2
Starting Pitcher: Chad Kuhl, RHP – 4.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Jose Osuna, 1B – 1-for-4, 2B
Other Notable Performers:
Jonathan Schwind, LF – 2-for-4
Jeff Roy, CF – 0-for-2, BB, 2 SB
Game Notes: Kuhl rebounded from a poor start his last time out, in which he only lasted 1.2 innings and gave up six runs. This time he gave up one run in 4.2 innings, striking out five. The strikeouts were nice, as he only struck out four batters in his first two starts. Kuhl had a lot of success with his sinker the first start of the season, getting a 5.50 GO/AO ratio. Since then he has a ratio below 1.00. Jose Osuna picked up his second double of the season.
A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER
Result: West Virginia 3, Asheville 2
Starting Pitcher: Shane Carle, RHP – 4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 HR
Top Hitter: Edwin Espinal, 1B – 2-for-3, 2B
Other Notable Performers:
Erich Weiss, 2B – 1-for-3, BB
Reese McGuire, C – 1-for-2, BB
JaCoby Jones, SS – 1-for-4
Game Notes: Erich Weiss picked up another hit, and now has a nine game hitting streak. The second baseman has a .368 average and a .981 OPS in 38 at-bats on the season. JaCoby Jones, making the transition to being a shortstop, picked up a hit but also recorded his fifth error of the season. Shane Carle had a good start, giving up one run in 4.2 innings, with six strikeouts and a 6:2 GO/AO ratio. Carle now has given up four earned runs in 11.2 innings over his first three starts, with a 12:1 K/BB ratio and a GO/AO ratio of 2.83.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
“JaCoby Jones, making the transition to being a shortstop, picked up a hit but also recorded his fifth error of the season. ”
That projects to 55 errors (approx) over a season. Ouch
Good time to pull out the 56 errors Jeter made in A ball in 1993, of course he was 19.
Jeter may have been 19, but presumably played SS the year before, no?
Yep, Jacoby played mainly 2B all 3 years at LSU.
Willie Garcia is the player that Hurdle said to watch this year . Looks like he may be right !!
Willy is en fuego
If en fuego means striking out 47.4% of the time and only walking once in 38 plate appearances. Willy has 5 hits, 3 are HRs.
As soon as he gets en fuego, he puts the flames out with all of the swings and misses. No harm of actual combustion.
Hey Tim, could you add season stats underneath each of the top 20 prospects listing at the top of the page? I know it’s early in the year and that stats don’t mean that much for prospects, but it does provide some context for how they are doing.
Thanks for all the hard work. This has quickly become one of my favorite sites on the net.
Exactly what I was thinking. Even if its just batting averages that would be great