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. 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 #1, 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 mid-season top 20 update, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.
1. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
2. Austin Meadows, CF, West Virginia – 3-for-5, HR
3. Reese McGuire, C, West Virginia – 0-for-5
4. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
5. Alen Hanson, SS/2B, Altoona – 1-for-5
6. Josh Bell, RF, Altoona – 2-for-5
7. Harold Ramirez, OF, West Virginia – Disabled List (7/24 Update)
8. Cole Tucker, SS, GCL Pirates – 1-for-4
9. Luis Heredia, RHP, West Virginia – DNP
10. Mitch Keller, RHP, GCL Pirates – DNP
11. Adrian Sampson, RHP, Altoona – DNP
12. JaCoby Jones, SS, West Virginia – 1-for-3, BB
13. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
14. Andrew Lambo, OF, Indianapolis – 2-for-4
15. Joely Rodriguez, LHP, Altoona – DNP
16. Michael De La Cruz, OF, GCL Pirates – DNP
17. Trey Supak, RHP, GCL Pirates – DNP
18. Buddy Borden, RHP, West Virginia – DNP
19. Stetson Allie, 1B, Altoona – 1-for-3, BB
20. Gage Hinsz, RHP, GCL Pirates – DNP
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DAILY SUMMARY
Top Hitter: Elias Diaz, C – 3-for-4, HR
Home Runs: Elias Diaz (6), Brent Morel (4), Austin Meadows (1)
AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Result: Toledo 9, Indianapolis 4
Starting Pitcher: Gerrit Cole, RHP – 4.1 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR
Top Hitter: Brent Morel, 3B – 1-for-4, HR
Other Notable Performers:
Jose Tabata, RF – 2-for-4
Andrew Lambo, LF – 2-for-4
Jaff Decker, DH – 2-for-3, 2B
Game Notes: After being bumped from a scheduled rehab start on Saturday, Gerrit Cole looked for a strong bounce back. Unfortunately, this was not the case. He allowed 10 hits and five runs, while not being able to make it out of the fifth inning. Cole started the game between 95-97 with the fastball and wrapped up the final three innings from 91-92.
Wirfin Obispo and Josh Kinney each had a tough time of it in relief of Cole, as each allowed a pair of runs. Andy Oliver tossed a perfect ninth, while striking out one.
Jose Tabata added a pair of hits for Indianapolis. Tabata is 12-for-33 with five multi-hit performances in his last nine games. – Ryan Palencer
AA: ALTOONA CURVE
Result: Trenton 7, Altoona 5
Starting Pitcher: Tom Harlan, LHP – 6.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
Top Hitter: Elias Diaz, C – 3-for-4, HR
Other Notable Performers:
Josh Bell, RF – 2-for-5
Alen Hanson, 2B – 1-for-5
Stetson Allie, 1B – 1-for-3, BB
Willy Garcia, LF – 1-for-4, 2B
Game Notes: Elias Diaz hit his sixth homer of the year. He extended his hitting streak to ten games with his three hit night tonight. Diaz had a 1.097 OPS during the first nine games of that streak, leading into tonight’s game. Josh Bell looks like he’s starting to adjust to the Double-A level, with hits in each of his last nine starts. Stetson Allie extended his hitting streak to five games. Willy Garcia hit his 25th double of the year. That ties Chris McGuiness and Max Moroff for the best in the system.
A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Bradenton was off tonight.
A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER
Result: Hagerstown 10, West Virginia 6
Starting Pitcher: Dovydas Neverauskas, RHP – 2.1 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Austin Meadows, CF – 3-for-5, HR
Other Notable Performers:
Chris Diaz, 2B – 3-for-4, 2B, BB
Erich Weiss, DH – 2-for-4
Wyatt Mathisen, 3B – 2-for-4
Game Notes: Austin Meadows hit his first homer of the year for West Virginia. What made the homer even better is that it came off top pitching prospect Lucas Giolito. Meadows had three hits on the day, and now has a .321 average with West Virginia, along with a .764 OPS. He hasn’t been hitting for much power yet, but that could be starting to click, as he had a double yesterday and the homer today. Dovydas Neverauskas has been prone to some disaster starts this year, and tonight was one of them. He gave up seven runs in 2.1 innings, which was his worst outing since giving up eight runs in 1.2 innings on June 14th.
A-: JAMESTOWN JAMMERS
Jamestown was off today.
RK: BRISTOL PIRATES
Result: Bristol 7, Greeneville 4
Starting Pitcher: Hector Garcia, LHP – 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Tomas Morales, C – 4-for-5, 2B
Other Notable Performers:
Pablo Reyes, 2B – 2-for-4
Eduardo Figueroa, CF – 2-for-4, BB, SB
Jerrick Suiter, DH – 2-for-5, 2B
Trae Arbet, SS – 3-for-4, BB
Game Notes: Tomas Morales had his second four hit game in his last three games. He only has a .221 average and a .632 OPS this season, despite the recent success. Jerrick Suiter started his career strong, but has been fading over the last few weeks, and now has his OPS down to .711. He’s getting on base at a great rate, with a .378 OBP, although he’s not hitting for much power, with a .333 SLG and a .081 ISO.
RK: GCL PIRATES
Result: Tigers 1, Pirates 0
Starting Pitcher: Dario Agrazal, RHP – 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Yoel Gonzalez, C – 2-for-4
Other Notable Performers:
Sam Kennelly, 2B – 2-for-4
Game Notes: Dario Agrazal has had a strong season in the GCL rotation. After today’s start, he has a 2.78 ERA in 32.1 innings. This was the third time in seven starts that he went five innings with one or fewer runs allowed. He also has a 21:3 K/BB ratio this season. Yoel Gonzalez has been hitting well lately, with a .306 average and an .803 OPS in his last ten games. Cole Tucker had a hit, and now has a .787 OPS in his last ten games.
RK: DSL PIRATES
Result: Rangers 9, Pirates 2
Starting Pitcher: Nestor Oronel, LHP – 5.0 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Adrian Valerio, SS – 2-for-4, 3B
Other Notable Performers:
Eliezer Ramirez, LF – 1-for-4, 2B
Game Notes: The Pirates lost 9-2 on Tuesday to the Rangers1, who put five runs on the board in the top of the first inning. The Rangers1 are the best team in the Dominican Summer League and they have beat the Pirates in five of their six meetings this season. All five runs in the first inning off starter Nestor Oronel were unearned, as first baseman Yunelky Adames made errors on the first two plays of the game. Oronel ended up going five innings and gave up just one earned run. Shortstop Adrian Valerio hit his second triple of the season and drove in his 23rd run. The Pirates were without three starters in their lineup. Catcher Mikell Granberry is out with a back injury and left fielder Edison Lantigua is out due to dehydration. All-Star second baseman Raul Siri didn’t play for the first time all season. – John Dreker
You can check out the DSL Pirates week nine recap 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.
Crazy to think Elias Diaz could pass Tony Sanchez?
Giolito is the pitcher Baez hit a homerun off of in the futures game, right? If so, is that so impressive Keith Law needs to keep bringing it up, a AAA guy homering off a A guy? I know it’s a good sign for Meadows for sure!
Very very concerned about Cole. What is going on with his velocity to only be sitting 91-92 mph. I don’t see any way this team makes the playoffs this year. We simply are not deep enough to be able to deal with all of these injuries.
Not worried about Cole, he pitched very well for 4 innings, just tired in the 5th, probably needs stretched out a little more, was sitting 95-97 even in the 5th, yea he threw some 91-92-84, pitchers throw some pitches at lower speeds, but the fastball was still there in the 5th inning, he also had a guy in the 5th inning that the threw a lot of pitches to and actually struck him out twice with a check swing and a pitch that the announcer said was strike, then the guy hit it off the fence and the Cole was basically done, but he stayed in the game because he only had about 70 some pitches at that time.
I hope you are right about Cole as what you say is different than what the wrap up in the article says. Since he was pulled in 5th article is saying his fastball has dropped 4 or 5 MPH by the third inning.
Cole started the game between 95-97 with the fastball and wrapped up the final three innings from 91-92.