TOP OF THE SYSTEM
A look at how the current top 30 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 30 active prospects on the list. Rankings are from early season update, 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 – 2-for-5, 2B
4. Josh Bell, 1B, Altoona – 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
5. Reese McGuire, C, Bradenton – 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI
6. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
7. Alen Hanson, 2B, Indianapolis – 1-for-4, SB
8. Cole Tucker, SS, West Virginia – 0-for-3
9. Elias Diaz, C, Indianapolis – 0-for-0, BB
10. Mitch Keller, RHP, Extended Spring Training
11. Harold Ramirez, OF, Extended Spring Training
12. Stephen Tarpley, LHP, Extended Spring Training
13. JaCoby Jones, SS, Bradenton – 0-for-4
14. Adrian Sampson, RHP, Indianapolis – 5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 0 HR
15. Trey Supak, RHP, Extended Spring Training
16. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Extended Spring Training
17. Barrett Barnes, OF, Bradenton – 4-for-5, 2B, RBI
18. Clay Holmes, RHP, Bradenton – Disabled List
19. Cody Dickson, LHP, Bradenton – DNP
20. Willy Garcia, OF, Altoona – 0-for-4
21. John Holdzkom, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
22. Jordan Luplow, 3B – Extended Spring Training
23. Connor Joe, 1B/3B – Extended Spring Training
24. Wyatt Mathisen, 3B, Bradenton – 1-for-3, BB
25. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
26. Steven Brault, LHP, Bradenton – DNP
27. Tito Polo, OF, West Virginia – 1-for-3
28. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Extended Spring Training
29. Luis Heredia, RHP, Extended Spring Training
30. Taylor Gushue, C, West Virginia– 1-for-3
DAILY SUMMARY
Top Hitter: Barrett Barnes, LF – 4-for-5, 2B, RBI
Home Runs: Jordan Steranka (1)
AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Result: Louisville 2, Indianapolis 1
Starting Pitcher: Adrian Sampson, RHP – 5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Alen Hanson, 2B – 1-for-4, SB
Other Notable Performers:
Chris Stewart, C – 1-for-4
Elias Diaz, PH – 0-for-0, BB
Game Notes: Adrian Sampson was much sharper in his second start of the season on Wednesday. Sampson elevated the ball too much in his first outing, as he allowed much more solid contact. On Wednesday, he worked down in the zone much more effectively and struck out seven in 5.1 innings of work. He did still get a bit too much plate from time to time and allowed seven hits. However, Sampson was seeing a lot of movement on his 90-92 two-seam fastball and used it well.
AA: ALTOONA CURVE
Result: Altoona 3, Richmond 0
Starting Pitcher: Angel Sanchez, RHP – 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Josh Bell, 1B – 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Other Notable Performers:
Keon Broxton, CF- 1-for-4
John Kuchno, RHP – 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR
Game Notes: Angel Sanchez threw six shutout innings for the second straight time as Altoona blanked Richmond, 3-0. Sanchez gave up five hits, walked none and fanned two. He sat at 90-92 with his fastball and commanded it very well, getting ahead in the count consistently. He took only 63 pitches, 46 of them strikes, to get through six. Sanchez also threw a slider or cutter that came in at 85-88, and just a couple of curves. The secondary pitches weren’t as sharp as the fastball early in the game, but improved toward the end of his outing. He kept the ball down effectively, with all the hits going for singles and no long drives to the outfield.
John Kuchno pitched the 7th and 8th, and Yhonathan Barrios the 9th. Kuchno threw nearly all fastballs, with his velocity ranging from 88 to 96. He was probably mixing two- and four-seam fastballs, as the ones at the upper end of the range on the gun tended to ride high, while the others stayed down. He didn’t get groundballs consistently, allowing two long drives that were caught and one single that was erased on the next pitch by a double play. Barrios sat at 94-96, with one pitch registering 102 (as a caveat, the stadium scoreboard failed to pick up many of Barrios’ pitches, so the 102 may be suspect). He also threw an upper-80s slider that helped set up the last hitter for a strikeout on a 96-mph fastball. Barrios showed much better control than he has in the past, getting 11 of 14 pitches over for strikes.
The Curve did little with starter Chris Stratton and three relievers, getting only three hits. Stratton was one of the Giants’ top prospects two years ago, but hasn’t fared well since reaching high A. He showed, at best, mediocre command in this game, but the Altoona hitters – especially Willy Garcia, Eric Wood and Sebastian Valle – helped him out by chasing a lot of pitches rather than working the count. Josh Bell fared better than many of the hitters, knocking in all three runs with a double down the right field line batting left-handed and a line single to deep right-center batting right-handed.
Altoona has had problems defensively this year, but played errorless ball in this game. Gift Ngoepe and Max Moroff showed good quickness in turning two double plays, and Moroff had a nice, over-the-shoulder catch on a pop fly well out into right field. – Wilbur Miller
A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Result: Dunedin 6, Bradenton 5
Starting Pitcher: Felipe Gonzalez, RHP – 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Barrett Barnes, LF – 4-for-5, 2B, RBI
Other Notable Performers:
Austin Meadows, CF – 2-for-5, 2B
Reese McGuire, C – 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI
Game Notes: Three of the top prospects for Bradenton had big nights, continuing their hot start to this season. Barrett Barnes had four hits, Reese McGuire had two doubles and Austin Meadows had two hits, including his second double of the year. Meadows is hitting .385 in the lead-off role, while Barnes has a .450 average(9-for-20) and McGuire is hitting .409 in the third spot in the order. Wyatt Mathisen went 1-for-3 with a walk. He is hitting .318 in 22 at-bats. On the flip side, JaCoby Jones went 0-for-4, giving him a .207 average. Bradenton trailed by one going into the ninth when Jordan Steranka tied the score with a solo homer. Dunedin walked-off in the bottom of the ninth off Clario Perez.
A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER
Result: Hagerstown 1, West Virginia 0
Starting Pitcher: Jake Burnette, RHP – 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Chase Simpson, DH – 1-for-2, 2B
Other Notable Performers:
Cole Tucker, SS – 0-for-3
Tito Polo, CF – 1-for-3
Taylor Gushue, C – 1-for-3
Jose Regalado, RHP – 5.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0 HR
Game Notes: Starter Jake Burnette lasted just five batters before being removed due to his pitch count, but reliever Jose Regalado really shut down Hagerstown. Burnette walked two, struck out two and hit a batter, throwing 31 pitches. After Regalado walked the first batter he faced, forcing home a run, he retired the next 16 batters. He was recalled from Extended Spring Training yesterday and was making his full-season debut. Eric Dorsch came out for the seventh inning(doubleheaders are seven innings in the minors) and kept Hagerstown out of the hit column as well, but the Power bats couldn’t push a single run across the plate, giving them a rare loss in a game which they threw a no-hitter. It’s the first no-hitter for the Power since 2009.
Game Two was suspended in the second inning with Hagerstown leading 1-0. They will finish the game on a later date in Hagerstown.
