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 (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 – 0-for-5
2. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
3. Austin Meadows, CF, West Virginia – Disabled List (4/22 Update)
4. Alen Hanson, SS, Altoona – 0-for-3
5. Nick Kingham, RHP, Altoona – DNP
6. Reese McGuire, C, West Virginia – 1-for-4
7. Josh Bell, RF, Bradenton – 2-for-6, 2B
8. Luis Heredia, RHP, West Virginia Power – Disabled List (4/22 Update)
9. Harold Ramirez, OF, West Virginia – 2-for-5, 2B
10. Andrew Lambo, OF, Indianapolis – Disabled List (5/7 Update)
11. Joely Rodriguez, LHP, Altoona – DNP
12. Blake Taylor, LHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
13. Cody Dickson, LHP, West Virginia – 6.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 0 HR
14. Barrett Barnes, CF, West Virginia – Disabled List (4/14 Update)
15. JaCoby Jones, SS, West Virginia – 0-for-4, BB
16. Michael De La Cruz, OF, Extended Spring Training – DNP
17. Wyatt Mathisen, 3B, West Virginia – 1-for-4
18. Jin-De Jhang, C, Bradenton – 2-for-5
19. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
20. Stetson Allie, 1B, Altoona – 0-for-4
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: Matt Hague, DH – 2-for-2, HR, 2 BB
Home Runs: Matt Hague (5), Chris McGuiness (5), Elias Diaz (3)
AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Result: Indianapolis 6, Buffalo 1
Starting Pitcher: Jeff Locke, LHP – 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 4 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Matt Hague, DH – 2-for-2, HR, 2 BB
Other Notable Performers:
Tony Sanchez, C – 2-for-4, 2 2B
Chris McGuiness, 1B – 2-for-3, HR, BB
Game Notes: For Jeff Locke, it remains control issues that keep him from being Major League ready. Of his 113 pitches, 50 missed the strike zone. This resulted in five walks and a hit batter. However, some timely pitching limited the damage to just one run crossing the plate.
In his second game since being optioned back to Indianapolis, Tony Sanchez provided a pair of RBI doubles. He is 3-for-6 in the two games.
Matt Hague also continued his hot stretch with a pair of hits and a home run. Hague is 9-for-25 in his past seven games. Hague has two of his five season home runs during the string.
In addition, Chris McGuiness added a home run. He is 9-for-17 in his past four games with two home runs and a double. – Ryan Palencer
AA: ALTOONA CURVE
Result: Richmond 7, Altoona 5
Starting Pitcher: A.J. Morris, RHP – 5.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Elias Diaz, C – 1-for-2, HR, BB
Other Notable Performers:
Mel Rojas, CF – 2-for-4, 2B, SB
Gift Ngoepe, 2B – 1-for-4, 3B
Game Notes: A.J. Morris didn’t get much help from his defense, giving up six runs, with only two charged to the pitcher. As a starter this season, Morris has a 1.63 ERA in 38.2 innings, with a 27:11 K/BB ratio. Elias Diaz hit his third home run, with two of those coming in the last four games. Diaz has a six game hitting streak, and on the season he has a .323 average and an .825 OPS. Diaz has always been a strong defensive catcher, and has had some potential with the bat. His offense this year is encouraging, although he needs to do this in a bigger sample size than 127 at-bats to be considered more than a potential backup catcher. Mel Rojas is another hitter who has seen his offense pick up this year. After two more hits tonight, including his 11th double of the season, Rojas has a .301/.372/.435 line in 186 at-bats. Alen Hanson recorded his 15th error on the season, due to a missed catch.
A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Result: Bradenton 9, Tampa 6
Starting Pitcher: Jason Creasy, RHP – 4.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Max Moroff, 2B – 3-for-6, 2 2B
Other Notable Performers:
Taylor Lewis, LF – 3-for-7, 3B
Josh Bell, DH – 2-for-6, 2B
Jin-De Jhang, C – 2-for-5
Ryan Hafner, RHP – 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Game Notes: The Marauders had a long night, starting their game over an hour late, then going to extra innings and winning in 12. All of this comes before a 10:30 AM game tomorrow, which is about ten hours after tonight’s game ended. Jason Creasy struggled, failing to follow up on his strong outing the last time out. Creasy has given up 14 earned runs in 17.1 innings over his last four starts, with the one run in five innings last week being the only good outing. Ryan Hafner pitched well in relief, throwing three shutout innings with five strikeouts to pick up the win. Seven Marauders hitters had multiple hit games. Max Moroff hit two doubles, and Josh Bell hit one, with both hitters reaching 11 doubles on the season. Bell’s double came off a lefty, which is a good thing, as he’s struggled against lefties this year.
A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER
Result: Rome 5, West Virginia 4
Starting Pitcher: Cody Dickson, LHP – 6.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Justin Maffei, LF – 2-for-3, BB
Other Notable Performers:
Harold Ramirez, CF – 2-for-5, 2B
Reese McGuire, C – 1-for-4
Game Notes: Reese McGuire picked up another hit, which means it’s time for the nightly “Reese McGuire is quietly having a great season at the plate” update. McGuire’s single tonight extended his hitting streak to 17 games. It also means that he’s reached base safely in 30 out of 34 games this year. Harold Ramirez had his third straight two-hit night, and his fourth multi-hit game in his last five games. Cody Dickson had a horrible outing in his last start, giving up nine runs, four earned, in 1.1 innings. He didn’t get much help from his defense tonight, with four runs, and only one of them earned. It was a much better outing for the left-hander, and was also the first time he’s gone without a walk since April 11th.
