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 – 1-for-2, 2 RBI
5. Reese McGuire, C, Bradenton – DNP
6. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List
7. Alen Hanson, 2B, Indianapolis – 1-for-3, HR, RBI, BB
8. Cole Tucker, SS, West Virginia – 1-for-4, RBI, BB
9. Elias Diaz, C, Indianapolis – 0-for-3, BB, R
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, Bradenton – DNP
18. Clay Holmes, RHP, Bradenton – Disabled List
19. Cody Dickson, LHP, Bradenton – DNP
20. Willy Garcia, OF, Altoona – 1-for-4
21. John Holdzkom, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
22. Jordan Luplow, 3B, West Virginia – 1-for-4
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 – DNP
28. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Extended Spring Training
29. Luis Heredia, RHP, Extended Spring Training
30. Taylor Gushue, C, West Virginia – DNP
DAILY SUMMARY
Top Pitcher: Wilfredo Boscan, RHP – 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Max Moroff, 2B – 2-for-5, 3B, 2 R, SB
Home Runs: Alen Hanson (1), Kawika Emsley-Pai (1)
AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Result: Scranton/WB 2, Indianapolis 1
Starting Pitcher: Wilfredo Boscan, RHP – 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Alen Hanson, 2B – 1-for-3, HR, RBI, BB
Other Notable Performers:
Hunter Morris, 1B – 1-for-3, RBI
Pedro Florimon, SS – 1-for-4
Game Notes: In his last start, Wilfredo Boscan couldn’t get out of the first inning. Prior to that, he went six innings in each of his first four starts and that was the pitcher that showed up on Sunday. He threw seven shutout innings and allowed just five singles and a walk. Boscan threw 97 pitches, 61 for strikes.
Indianapolis only had three hits in the game, but they made them count. Alen Hanson hit his first homer of the season, while Hunter Morris had an RBI single in the fifth inning to give the Indians a lead they would never surrender. The hit by Morris was the first one of the game for Indy. It followed back-to-back walks to Elias Diaz and Tony Sanchez.
AA: ALTOONA CURVE
Result: Altoona 7, Harrisburg 4
Starting Pitcher: Zack Dodson, LHP – 4.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Max Moroff, 2B – 2-for-5, 3B, 2 R, SB
Other Notable Performers:
Gift Ngoepe, SS – 2-for-4, 2 R
Josh Bell, 1B – 1-for-2, 2 RBI, 2 SF
Game Notes: Altoona won 7-4 behind some good pitching from their bullpen and three hitters than have been hot recently. Starter Zack Dodson had his worst outing, allowing four runs over four innings. He was the Eastern League leader in ERA and WHIP coming into the game. Thomas Harlan, Jhondaniel Medina and Yhonathan Barrios combined for five shutout innings to give the Curve the victory.
Josh Bell had a single, scored a run and drove in two runs with two sacrifice flies. He is batting .346 and has driven in 19 runs. Max Moroff had two more hits, including a triple. His average is up to .358, thanks to a stretch of six straight multi-hit games and a ten game hitting streak. Moroff has also reached base safely in 26 straight games. Gift Ngoepe had two hits and scored two runs. He is hitting .444 in his last eight games and has picked up two hits in five of his last six games.
It’s hard to believe that there could be something positive from a ten game stretch in which a player goes 7-for-34 with no walks and one extra-base hit(a double), but there is something for one player. Willy Garcia has struck out just three times during that stretch, well below his career average and much better than April when he had 23 strikeouts in 61 at-bats. It could be a step in the right direction, though he hasn’t homered in 106 plate appearances, so it looks like(on paper) he has sacrificed power for contact.
A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Bradenton had off on Sunday
A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER
Result: Charleston 6, West Virginia 5
Starting Pitcher: Colten Brewer, RHP – 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR
Top Hitter: Kawika Emsley-Pai, C – 2-for-4, HR, RBI, BB
Other Notable Performers:
Jordan Luplow, 3B – 1-for-4, BB
Cole Tucker, DH – 1-for-4, RBI, BB
Michael Suchy, RF – 2-for-3, RBI, 2 BB
Game Notes: Colten Brewer made his first start since June 28th, 2013. He missed a lot of time in 2013 with a stress fracture in his leg, then went home last year due to personal reasons. Brewer was hit hard a few times today, giving up a home run to left field in the first, and a line drive double in the second. He gave up runs in his first three innings before settling down. The fastball was sitting in the mid-90s, hitting 95 frequently, even in the fifth inning. However, it was largely flat, which was different from 2013 when he was getting a lot of ground outs.
Dovydas Neverauskas used to be one of my sleepers, due to his ability to hit 95 MPH with ease at a young age. However, he never fixed his control problems, and was often flat with his fastball. He’s switched to a two-seam fastball recently, dropping his velocity, but getting more ground balls and more movement on his fastball. He was 88-93 MPH today, sitting in the upper end of that range in his first inning, and sitting 88-90 in the last inning. He flattened a few four seams out, and had some control problems still. I’d no longer call him a sleeper, since the control doesn’t seem to be getting any better.
Kawika Emsley-Pai connected for a solo homer in the fifth inning, sending the ball over the fence in right-center field. After the home run, an AL scout questioned why he has never gotten a chance above Low-A. The scout didn’t like him as a prospect, but liked the defense behind the plate. A different scout liked the way second baseman Pablo Reyes fielded the ball, saying he moved like a shortstop. He doesn’t have the arm strength to play short, which is why he moved to second in 2013. But his range and the way he attacks the ball at the position makes him a good defensive option at second. Trace Tam Sing showed off some good defense today, with smooth actions at shortstop and a strong arm. He’s a solid defender, but with Cole Tucker on this team, he’s limited at shortstop to being a backup off the bench when Tucker sits.
Speaking of Tucker, he was the DH today and got his first hit in the last few days, then showed some smart base running by taking second on a bad throw to the infield. I got to see him bat from the right side for the first time, but didn’t get to see much as he went down looking on a curveball on the outside corner. – Tim Williams
