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-5
2. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
3. Austin Meadows, CF, West Virginia – Disabled List (5/30 Update)
4. Alen Hanson, SS, Altoona – 2-for-5
5. Nick Kingham, RHP, Altoona – DNP
6. Reese McGuire, C, West Virginia – DNP
7. Josh Bell, RF, Bradenton – 1-for-4
8. Luis Heredia, RHP, West Virginia Power – DNP
9. Harold Ramirez, OF, West Virginia – 1-for-3, HR
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 – 0-for-2
16. Michael De La Cruz, OF, Extended Spring Training – DNP
17. Wyatt Mathisen, 3B, West Virginia – 0-for-1, BB
18. Jin-De Jhang, C, Bradenton – 2-for-4, HR
19. Stetson Allie, 1B, Altoona – 2-for-3, HR, 2 BB
20. Mel Rojas Jr., CF- Indianapolis – 2-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: Stetson Allie, 1B – 2-for-3, HR, 2 BB
Home Runs: Stetson Allie (11), Jin-De Jhang (2), Edwin Espinal (2), Harold Ramirez (1), Vance Worley (1)
AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Result: Indianapolis 4, Lehigh Valley 2
Starting Pitcher: Vance Worley, RHP – 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HR
Top Hitter: Vance Worley, P – 3-for-3, HR
Other Notable Performers:
Nevin Ashley, C – 2-for-3, 2B
Mel Rojas, LF – 2-for-4
Game Notes: Not only did Vance Worley have a great start on the mound, but he also had a big day at the plate. Worley threw eight innings, giving up two runs on six hits, with a walk and seven strikeouts. To make this an even bigger day, he went 3-for-3 with a home run, helping to lead Indianapolis to a win on both sides of the ball. Worley has a 4.30 ERA in 46 innings, but his 43:4 K/BB ratio is much better than the ERA. Mel Rojas has a six game hitting streak, and hits in eight of nine games with Indianapolis. He has a .367 average and an .891 OPS so far in 30 at-bats.
AA: ALTOONA CURVE
Result: Altoona 9, Trenton 7
Starting Pitcher: Zack Dodson, LHP – 4.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Stetson Allie, 1B – 2-for-3, HR, 2 BB
Other Notable Performers:
Alen Hanson, SS – 2-for-5
Matt Curry, DH – 2-for-4, BB
Drew Maggi, LF-3B – 2-for-4, BB
Live Report: Altoona took the rubber match of the weekend series, defeating Trenton 9-7.
Zack Dodson had a rough start, getting run after four innings. He surrendered nine hits, four earned runs, and one walk, striking out two this afternoon. Dodson was followed by Joan Montero, who gave up two runs in the 5th, but put up a shutout 6th. Yao-Hsun Yang made his second Curve appearance, tossing a clean 7th other than his one walk. Yang worked his fastball in the low 90’s with decent command. All four Curve pitchers recorded at least one walk today, with Quinton Miller recording two in the 8th.
The big news out of this game was Stetson Allie. The first baseman torched his 11th home run of the year to left center in the top of the 2nd inning for the Curve’s first two runs. Allie went 2-3 with two walks today. Drew Maggi, Matt Curry, and Alen Hanson each had two hits as well. Maggi went 2-4 with a walk, Curry was 2-4 with two RBI and a walk, and Hanson 2-5 with two RBI. The team strikeout issues continue. They had ten tonight, but the six walks were a very promising sign. – John Kokales
A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Result: Bradenton 5, Charlotte 4
Starting Pitcher: Chad Kuhl, RHP – 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Jin-De Jhang, C – 2-for-4, HR
Other Notable Performers:
Jose Osuna, 1B – 2-for-4
Eric Wood, 3B – 2-for-4, 2B
Game Notes: Jin-De Jhang hit his second homer of the year. The catcher was rated a top prospect coming into the year, mostly due to his bat. He hasn’t done well in Bradenton, with a .194 average and a .507 OPS. His low strikeout rate is encouraging. His struggles could be due to the fact that he skipped over low-A. Eric Wood had been on a cold streak, but might be heating back up. He’s got a six game hitting streak, with four doubles during that span. Chad Kuhl has been pitching well lately, with a 1.88 ERA in 24 innings, along with an 18:6 K/BB ratio.
A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER
Result: Hickory 4, West Virginia 2
Starting Pitcher: Justin Topa, RHP – 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Harold Ramirez, RF – 1-for-3, HR
Other Notable Performers:
Edwin Espinal, 1B – 1-for-3, HR
Erich Weiss, DH – 2-for-2, SB
Game Notes: Harold Ramirez hit his first home run of the year. Edwin Espinal hit his second of the year. Both came in the fourth inning, and led to the only West Virginia runs. Erich Weiss picked up two hits, along with his tenth stolen base of the season.
RK: DSL PIRATES
The DSL Pirates were off today. Check out the weekly recap from the DSL here.
You can check out the DSL Pirates season preview here.
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.
Without Cole, I think Liriano, Morton, Locke, Worley, and Cumpton/Volquez should be our pitchers, in that order. Call up Worley!
Locke’s big problem last year was walks, especially to righties. He is POUNDING the strike zone so far. Maybe too much. But at least he isn’t giving up free passes.
i’m ready to start seeing a profile picture of worley wearing a black hat with a big gold P on the front, especially because i have a sneaking suspicion that he may play more than just a peripheral role in the bucs 2nd half resurgence to relevance.