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 – DNP
4. Josh Bell, 1B, Altoona – 2-for-4, BB
5. Reese McGuire, C, Bradenton – DNP
6. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
7. Alen Hanson, 2B, Indianapolis – 1-for-4, RBI
8. Cole Tucker, SS, West Virginia – DNP
9. Elias Diaz, C, Indianapolis – 0-for-4
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 – DNP
14. Adrian Sampson, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
15. Trey Supak, RHP, Extended Spring Training
16. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Extended Spring Training
17. Barrett Barnes, OF, Extended Spring Training
18. Clay Holmes, RHP, Bradenton – Disabled List
19. Cody Dickson, LHP, Bradenton – DNP
20. Willy Garcia, OF, Altoona – 2-for-5, RBI
21. John Holdzkom, RHP, Indianapolis – 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR
22. Jordan Luplow, 3B, West Virginia – 1-for-3, RBI
23. Connor Joe, 1B/3B – Extended Spring Training
24. Wyatt Mathisen, 3B, Bradenton – DNP
25. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
26. Steven Brault, LHP, Bradenton – DNP
27. Tito Polo, OF, West Virginia – 1-for-4
28. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Extended Spring Training
29. Luis Heredia, RHP, Extended Spring Training
30. Taylor Gushue, C, West Virginia – 1-for-4, RBI
DAILY SUMMARY
Top Pitcher: Dovydas Neverauskas, RHP – 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Gorkys Hernandez, CF – 3-for-4, R, 2B, RBI
Home Runs: Michael Suchy (1)
AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Result: Indianapolis 2, Louisville 1
Starting Pitcher: Wilfredo Boscan, RHP – 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Gorkys Hernandez, CF – 3-for-4, R, 2B, RBI
Other Notable Performers:
Game Notes: Wilfredo Boscan avoided some late wildness to get out of a couple of jams and only allow one run in six innings. His fastball was between 88-91, while the breaking ball was in the low to mid 70s. However, Boscan limited the damage by moving the ball around nicely and keeping the hitters off balance.
AA: ALTOONA CURVE
Result: Altoona 6, Akron 5
Starting Pitcher: Chad Kuhl, RHP – 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Edward Salcedo, 3B – 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI
Other Notable Performers:
Josh Bell, 1B – 2-for-4, BB, 2 R
Stetson Allie, DH – 1-for-5
Willy Garcia, LF – 2-for-5, RBI
Game Notes: Altoona won 6-5 in 10 innings on Wednesday afternoon. They played extra innings last night as well and ended up losing on a walk-off HBP in the 14th inning. Chad Kuhl went six innings and allowed two earned runs, which is the second highest ER total from an Altoona starting pitcher all season. John Kuchno blew the save in the ninth inning, then picked up the win in the tenth.
Josh Bell had two hits and scored two runs, plus he walked once. Bell is now hitting .352 and he has 14 hits in his last six games. Max Moroff had a walk and scored two runs, while Edwin Salcedo drove in a pair. Willy Garcia is now hitting .295, but he is doing it with a .697 OPS, due to a low walk total and only two extra-base hits(a double and a triple). He has 23 strikeouts in 61 at-bats.
A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Bradenton had off on Wednesday
A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER
Result: West Virginia 4, Hagerstown 0
Starting Pitcher: Dovydas Neverauskas, RHP – 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Michael Suchy, RF – 1-for-4, HR, RBI
Other Notable Performers:
Jordan Luplow, 3B – 1-for-3, RBI
Tito Polo, CF – 1-for-4
Game Notes: Dovydas Neverauskas recovered strongly from three rough starts as West Virginia shut out Hagerstown, 4-0. Neverauskas threw five innings, allowing just two hits, one on a bad-hop grounder and the other on a grounder that shortstop Trace Tam Sing dropped, only to have the play incorrectly ruled a hit. He walked two and struck out three. Although he had occasional bouts with wildness, they didn’t last as his command generally was strong. He no longer seems to have the mid-90s velocity he showed a couple years ago, as he sat at 89-91 in this game. He gets good extension and throws downhill, so even though he didn’t get many swings and misses, nearly everything was hit on the ground.
Yeudy Garcia followed with three scoreless innings. He sat at 91-93 and got a lot of swings and misses with the fastball, more than you’d expect with that velocity. It may help Garcia that he’s quick to the plate. He gave up two hits, one of which should have been ruled an error, while striking out three. Garcia also had occasional control problems, running into some three-ball counts, but he managed to recover without walking anybody. Montana DuRapau pitched the 9th. He recovered from a line drive off his shin – which caromed to first for an out – by striking out the game’s last two hitters.
The Power got a run in the 1st when Pablo Reyes, who continues to show surprising pop for a small guy, lined a double over the left fielder’s head. He came around on a two-out grounder through the middle by Taylor Gushue. West Virginia could have done more damage, as the hitters teed off on the Hagerstown starter, but Elvis Escobar, Jordan Luplow and Michael Suchy all hit line drives that were caught. The Power got another run on a groundball single by Jeff Roy in the 2nd. In the 7th, Suchy showed his raw power by lining his first HR over the fence in center. The final run scored because of an error in the 8th, followed eventually by a liner to deep right field by Luplow that went for a sacrifice fly. Luplow looked much better than he did Tuesday night, hitting a single and the two long drives to right.
Cole Tucker didn’t play, possibly due to the lingering effects of a minor pileup on the bases Tuesday. Tucker looked fine prior to the game. – Wilbur Miller