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 – 1-for-3, BB
2. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
3. Austin Meadows, CF, West Virginia – Disabled List (5/30 Update)
4. Alen Hanson, SS, Altoona – 1-for-6
5. Nick Kingham, RHP, Altoona – DNP
6. Reese McGuire, C, West Virginia – 1-for-6, 2B
7. Josh Bell, RF, Bradenton – 2-for-4
8. Luis Heredia, RHP, West Virginia Power – Disabled List (4/22 Update)
9. Harold Ramirez, OF, West Virginia – DNP
10. Andrew Lambo, OF, Indianapolis – Disabled List (5/30 Update)
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 (5/30 Update)
15. JaCoby Jones, SS, West Virginia – 2-for-5, 2B, HR, BB
16. Michael De La Cruz, OF, Extended Spring Training – DNP
17. Wyatt Mathisen, 3B, West Virginia – 0-for-4, BB
18. Jin-De Jhang, C, Bradenton – 0-for-4
19. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
20. Stetson Allie, 1B, Altoona – 0-for-5
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: JaCoby Jones, DH – 2-for-5, 2B, HR, BB
Home Runs: JaCoby Jones (7)
AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Result: Indianapolis 11, Scranton/WB 6
Starting Pitcher: Jay Jackson, RHP – 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Blake Davis, 2B – 3-for-4, 2B
Other Notable Performers:
Gregory Polanco, RF – 1-for-3, BB
Jaff Decker, LF – 1-for-5, 2B
Game Notes: Indianapolis had some strange events tonight. Casey Sadler threw his warmup pitches, but then was replaced before the game by Jay Jackson. No word on why he was replaced, although we’ll update with any information if it becomes available. Jackson pitched four shutout innings, and then the Indians broke things open in the fifth with an eight run inning. Brent Morel and Tony Sanchez both left the game in the middle innings. Like Sadler, more updates will come, if available. Earlier today, it was announced that Chris Dickerson went on the DL, while Andrew Lambo had surgery.
AA: ALTOONA CURVE
Result: New Hampshire 1, Altoona 0
Starting Pitcher: Adrian Sampson, RHP – 8.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Mel Rojas Jr., CF – 2-for-2, BB, SB
Other Notable Performers:
Keon Broxton, LF-CF – 2-for-5, 2 SB
Game Notes: After the game, Mel Rojas was promoted to Indianapolis.
Live Report: The slumping Curve fell to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats tonight with a 1-0 final score.
There was an excessive delay in the top of the 7th inning, as the last out of the half inning put the game under protest. The play in question occurred on a Mike Crouse single, in which Andy Burns slid into home. New Hampshire disputed Elias Diaz’s positioning, and whether he blocked the plate before receiving the ball.
The big story for the Curve had to be Adrian Sampson. The starter continues to impress, notching his 4th straight quality start. Sampson worked eight shutout innings, by far his longest outing on the year and the first Altoona eight inning performance since Dave Bromberg in 2013. Sampson displayed fine control tonight, throwing 53 of his 81 pitches for strikes, and walking none. He also held New Hampshire to six hits, struck out five, and generated nine groundball outs. Quinton Miller followed Sampson, working two scoreless. Ryan Beckman entered in the 11th, and worked a scoreless inning, but gave up what ultimately became the game winning run in the 12th on a Jorge Flores run scoring single to right.
Altoona’s offense had a rough night to say the least. As a whole, the team struck out 16 times, while only appearing on base 11 times — eight via hit and three walks. Matt Curry continued his cold streak in impressive fashion, striking out five times in five at-bats. The only real bright spots on the night offensively were Mel Rojas Jr, and Keon Broxton. Both Rojas and Broxton reached base three times, coming through two hits and one walk for each player. Both Rojas and Broxton picked up stolen bases as well, Rojas swiping one, while Broxton collected two. – John Kokales
A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Result: Tampa 3, Bradenton 2
Starting Pitcher: John Kuchno, RHP – 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Josh Bell, RF – 2-for-4
Other Notable Performers:
Walker Gourley, 1B – 2-for-4
Game Notes: John Kuchno had his best start of the year, throwing seven shutout innings. Kuchno was following up a start where he allowed five earned runs in 2.2 innings of work. This start was the third time in 11 starts where Kuchno has walked fewer than two batters, and only the fourth time where he has struck out more than three batters. On the season, Kuchno has a 4.09 ERA in 50.2 innings, with a 30:27 K/BB ratio. He gets an extreme ground ball rate, with a 2.96 GO/AO ratio this year, and an 11:3 ratio tonight. It was for that reason that he only needed 75 pitches in seven innings. Josh Bell had two hits tonight, and both came off a left-hander. He has been doing better against lefties recently, getting his OPS up to .672. He also has a seven game hitting streak.
A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER
Result: West Virginia 6, Greensboro 2
Starting Pitcher: Shane Carle, RHP – 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: JaCoby Jones, DH – 2-for-5, 2B, HR, BB
Other Notable Performers:
Justin Maffei, CF – 2-for-5, BB, SB
Edwin Espinal, 1B – 3-for-6, 2B
Erich Weiss, 2B – 2-for-5, BB
Reese McGuire, C – 1-for-6, 2B
Game Notes: West Virginia went to extra innings tonight, and won in 12 innings thanks to a huge boost from JaCoby Jones. The shortstop, playing DH tonight, hit a grand slam for his seventh homer of the year, giving West Virginia a 6-2 lead and the eventual win. Jones also picked up his tenth double of the season. The home run was his second in the last three games. Reese McGuire picked up a double, extending his hitting streak to 19 games. Erich Weiss had two hits tonight, and now has a .351/.478/.405 line in 37 at-bats over his last ten games. Shane Carle has been pitching great this month, with a 2.72 ERA in 36.1 innings, along with a 14:3 K/BB ratio and a 1.90 GO/AO ratio.
