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, 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 2015 Prospect Guide, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.
1. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Altoona – DNP
2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List
3. Austin Meadows, CF, Bradenton – 3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SB
4. Josh Bell, 1B, Altoona – 1-for-4
5. Reese McGuire, C, Bradenton – DNP
6. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
7. Alen Hanson, 2B, Indianapolis – DNP
8. Mitch Keller, RHP, Extended Spring Training
9. Cole Tucker, SS, West Virginia – 0-for-4
10. Elias Diaz, C, Indianapolis – 0-for-3, BB
11. Harold Ramirez, OF, Extended Spring Training
12. Adrian Sampson, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
13. John Holdzkom, RHP, Indianapolis – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 HR
14. Cody Dickson, LHP, Bradenton – DNP
15. Trey Supak, RHP, Extended Spring Training
16. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Extended Spring Training
17. Clay Holmes, RHP, Bradenton – Disabled List
18. Willy Garcia, OF, Altoona – 0-for-2
19. JaCoby Jones, SS, Bradenton – 1-for-4, HR, RBI
20. Luis Heredia, RHP, Extended Spring Training
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DAILY SUMMARY
Top Hitter: Austin Meadows, CF – 3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SB
Home Runs: Austin Meadows (1), JaCoby Jones (1)
AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Result: Indianapolis 2, Columbus 1
Starting Pitcher: Wilfredo Boscan, RHP – 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Mel Rojas, Jr., RF – 3-for-4, 3 1B, RBI, SB
Other Notable Performers:
Game Notes: Being pushed up a day in the rotation after Casey Sadler joined the Pirates, Wilfredo Boscan was strong in six innings of work. He worked both sides of the plate, while keeping the ball down the zone with a fastball in the 89-92 range. He was also in the low 80s with the change and in the upper 70s with the breaking ball. Boscan went several deep counts, but did not walk a single hitter.
– Ryan Palencer
AA: ALTOONA CURVE
Result: Altoona 2, Harrisburg 1
Starting Pitcher: Chad Kuhl, RHP – 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Eric Wood, 3B – 1-for-2, RBI, BB
Other Notable Performers:
Keon Broxton, CF – 2-for-4
Josh Bell, 1B – 1-for-4
Game Notes: Chad Kuhl pitched five solid innings and the bullpen combo of Thomas Harlan and Yhonathan Barrios threw four shutout innings to help Altoona to a 2-1 win. Curve pitchers have given up just three earned runs total in the first four games and the one run allowed by Kuhl was the first by a starting pitcher through 21 innings. Altoona had nine hits, including a triple by Jonathan Schwind and an RBI double by Jacob Stallings that drove home Schwind with the go-ahead run. The Curve are lucky to be 2-2 so far and it’s all due to their pitching, because the offense and defense haven’t been good. They have scored six runs, while going 0-for-7 in stolen base attempts and committing eight errors.
A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Result: Bradenton 7, St Lucie 5
Starting Pitcher: Steven Brault, LHP – 4.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Austin Meadows, CF – 3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SB
Other Notable Performers:
Justin Maffei, RF – 0-for-1, 3 BB, 2 R
Wyatt Mathisen, 3B – 3-for-4, 3B, RBI
JaCoby Jones, SS – 1-for-4, HR, RBI
Game Notes: The Marauders had a big day at the plate, led by Austin Meadows(pictured above). The top hitting prospect crushed one over the right field bullpen in the first inning, and followed that up with two singles up the middle in his next two at-bats. He was having such a good day that he forced a balk in the sixth inning. The opposing pitcher was hesitant to throw to him with runners at first and third and two outs, making several pickoff attempts. One of those attempts came on a 3-2 count, which led to the balk when the pitcher faked to third base base before throwing to first. He walked Meadows on the next pitch.
JaCoby Jones also had a homer in the first inning, launching one to the left-center gap. That was the highlight of what otherwise was a poor day for Jones. He struck out twice, including one strikeout looking at a curve ball that broke down the middle. He also had three errors. The first was on a hard grounder to his right that would have set up a 6-4-3 double play. He made the exact same play on the very next ground ball, although they couldn’t double up the runner at first. The second error was a wild throw that pulled Edwin Espinal off first base. The final error was on a ball up the middle that ate him up. Jones had the range to field the grounder over the second base bag, but booted the play. He’s athletic enough to play short, and has the arm strength, but is going to need to improve his consistency at the position.
Steven Brault looked impressive through four innings, displaying a nice sinker that had late break at the plate, leading to a lot of strikeouts on the day. He ran into trouble in the fifth inning due to a grounder that went for a hit, and an error by Jones. Brault gave up one hard hit on a single to center, and walked a batter to load the bases. He wasn’t as sharp as the first four innings, but wasn’t as bad as the numbers looked, especially with Julio Vivas giving up three of the runs. Wyatt Mathisen had a big day at the plate with three hits, including a triple that he hit opposite field down the line to the right field wall, scoring Edwin Espinal from first to tie the game.- Tim Williams
A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER
Result: West Virginia 6, Savannah 3
Starting Pitcher: Austin Coley, RHP – 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR
Top Hitter: Trace Tam Sing, DH – 2-for-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Other Notable Performers:
Tito Polo, CF – 1-for-3, BB, 2 R, 2 SB
Cole Tucker, SS – 0-for-4
Taylor Gushue, C – 1-for-4, RBI
Game Notes: Austin Coley pitched well in his season debut, throwing four scoreless innings before allowing two runs in the fifth. The 2014 eighth round draft pick had a rocky time in his debut last year for Jamestown, missing some time due to an injury and posting a 5.23 ERA in his eight starts. Reliever Sam Street threw three scoreless innings and had four strikeouts. Trace Tam Sing led the offense from the ninth spot in the order, driving in three runs with two doubles. Tito Polo scored two runs and stole two bases. He had a single and a walk. Taylor Gushue drove in his first run of the season.
