A look at how the current top 30 prospects did today. If a player is in the majors and loses his prospect eligibility, 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 the 2016 mid-season update, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.
We’re working on a solution for the PHP stat codes not working in the app.
1. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Pirates -[insert_php]
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2. Austin Meadows, CF, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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3. Josh Bell, 1B, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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4. Kevin Newman, SS, Altoona – [insert_php]
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5. Mitch Keller, RHP, West Virginia -[insert_php]
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6. Nick Kingham, RHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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7.Cole Tucker, SS, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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8. Chad Kuhl, RHP, Pirates – [insert_php]
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9. Will Craig, 3B, Morgantown – [insert_php]
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10. Steven Brault, LHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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11. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, West Virginia -[insert_php]
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12. Elias Diaz, C, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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13. Clay Holmes, RHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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14. Yeudy Garcia, RHP, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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15. Gage Hinsz, RHP, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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16. Trevor Williams, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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17. Alen Hanson, 2B, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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18. Tito Polo, OF, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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19. Stephen Tarpley, LHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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20. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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21. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Altoona -[insert_php]
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22. Max Moroff, 2B, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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23. Taylor Hearn, LHP, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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24. Adrian Valerio, SS – Bristol – [insert_php]
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25. Braeden Ogle, LHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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26. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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27. Travis MacGregor, RHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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28. Max Kranick, RHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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29. Frank Duncan, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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30. Dovydas Neverauskas, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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Indianapolis has off today.
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Altoona won game one of a doubleheader by a 2-1 score. This game began on Tuesday night and was suspended in the bottom of the fourth inning with Altoona up 2-0. Tyler Eppler started and threw three shutout innings. He walked the first batter in the fourth before the rains came and suspended the game. When play resumed, Miguel Rosario was on the mound. He threw three shutout innings without giving up a hit, though a stolen base, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly brought home the runner that Eppler put on. Montana DuRapau made things interesting in the seventh (last) inning, giving up a double and a single. He got out of the inning though, inducing a double play for the last two outs.
Barrett Barnes homered on Tuesday, bringing in both Curve runs. It was his fifth homer of the season and fourth this month. Chris Diaz had a double and Edwin Espinal singled, as Altoona had just three hits in the game. They also had just one walk, which happened before the rain. Chris Stewart went 0-for-1 with a walk on Tuesday. When play resumed, Tomas Morales was behind the plate to finish out the game.
Game Two: Altoona lost game two 2-1, splitting a doubleheader with Portland for the second straight night. Cody Dickson started and threw shutout ball through the first five innings. In the sixth, Portland put two runs on the board, then closed out the game in the seventh. Dickson gave up six hits and two walks, striking out four batters. Four of those hits came in the sixth inning. He now has a 3.83 ERA in 127 innings.
Altoona scored their only run in the second inning on an Anderson Feliz single, followed by an RBI double from Stetson Allie. They had runners on second and third in the third inning, but couldn’t push them across the plate. They then loaded the bases in the fourth on a Barrett Barnes single and walks to Jonathan Schwind and Chris Diaz.
The scoring chances didn’t stop there. In the fifth inning, Erich Weiss singled, then went to third base on a Jin-De Jhang double. Altoona went down in order in the last two innings. They were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and they left eight runners on base.
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Bradenton lost 8-6 to Palm Beach, going down 6-0 in the first inning, then coming up short in their comeback attempt. JT Brubaker started and couldn’t even make it out of the first inning. He gave up five earned runs on two hits, two walks and a hit batter. Brubaker was very wild, throwing 12 of his 31 pitches for strikes. He left with the bases loaded and all three runners scored on a grand slam given up by Sam Street.
Brubaker now has a 5.90 ERA in 12 starts with Bradenton. He had a 3.48 ERA in 12 starts with West Virginia. Part of the reason for the difference is the huge drop-off in strikeouts, going from 77 in 62 innings with the Power, down to 35 in 58 innings with the Marauders. His walk rate has stayed the same and he has given up fewer homers in High-A.
The offense was led by Kevin Kramer, who hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning. He also singled and scored two runs. In his last ten games, he has a .357 average and he’s driven in 14 runs. Connor Joe hit his 25th double and he has now reached base in 17 straight games. Christian Kelley and Pablo Reyes each had two hits. Kelley hit his first double since being promoted from West Virginia. Reyes hit his first triple of the season and also drew two walks.
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Sometimes when a really good pitcher gives up a lot of runs, you can point to some unlucky hits and/or poor fielding behind him. Other times, they just pitched really bad. Gage Hinsz was really bad on Thursday night in the first game of a doubleheader.
Hinsz had a relatively easy first inning, issuing a two-out walk, but nothing else. After that, he got hammered by Lexington. They put up eight runs on him in 3.2 innings and it was nothing cheap. Three of the hits were off the outfield wall, two went over the wall. He allowed nine hits total and walked two batters. Hinsz didn’t have good control in this game, throwing a lot of pitches in the dirt, one going for a costly wild pitch. Lexington didn’t swing and miss much either, which is the opposite of what we have seen recently from Hinsz. He came into this game with 21 strikeouts in his last 15.1 innings. This is the first time all season he failed to go at least five innings.
The Power lost 12-4, with the last four runs allowed being all unearned off Julio Vivas. Casey Hughston led off the game with his tenth homer. The Power scored two runs on a John Bormann double in the second inning. In the fifth, Tyler Filliben doubled, followed by a Mitchell Tolman single and a Logan Hill RBI ground out. Tolman and Daniel Arribas each had two hits.
Game Two: Taylor Hearn started game two and went three innings, allowing a run on a hit and two walks, while striking out four batters. He was wild in this game, which led to an inefficient pitch count, throwing 64 pitches, with 36 for strikes. Hearn was all over the place and while he struck out four batters, he was mostly getting batters to chase fastballs up in the zone. He gave up two fly balls to the right field corner to start the third inning, but other than that, the contact was soft. Hearn faced 12 batters and went to a 3-2 count on six of them. In 10.2 innings since joining the Pirates, he has picked up 18 strikeouts.
The Power got swept in the doubleheader, dropping game two by a 2-1 score. Yunior Montero followed Hearn and put up a nearly identical line, with just one extra walk being the only difference. The only Power run scored on Mitchell Tolman’s eighth home run of the season. It was one of four hits by West Virginia, with Ryan Nagle hitting a double, and both Tyler Filliben and Jordan George adding singles for the other hits. They didn’t draw a walk, and had just three at-bats with runners in scoring position.
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Morgantown won game one of a doubleheader by a 5-1 score. Cam Vieaux started and went six innings, giving up one run on three hits and no walks. He had four strikeouts and a 6:2 GO/AO ratio. It was a nice bounce back for Vieaux, who gave up five runs over 3.2 innings in his last start. He now has a 3.57 ERA in 58 innings. Matt Frawley pitched the seventh to finish off the game.
The Black Bears scored a run in the fourth, as Stephen Alemais singled, then went to third base on a Will Craig single. Albert Baur would bring home Alemais on a sacrifice fly. On the single by Craig, he rounded first base too far and was thrown out trying to go back to the bag. He came up limping and left the game. Craig went to the locker room with the trainer, but he was back out in the dugout a couple innings later.
In the sixth inning, Morgantown put four runs on the board. Alemais singled, then Kevin Krause walked. Baur brought home Alemais again, this time with a single. Ty Moore then singled home Krause. Nick King then came up and reached on an error, which allowed both Moore and Baur to score. Alemais picked up his ninth stolen base. Krause had two walks and his seventh stolen base.
Game Two: Matt Anderson started game two and lasted just one inning. He allowed four runs on three hits, a walk, and a hit batter. He threw 34 pitches, with 16 going for strikes, topping the single inning limit set by the Pirates, which caused his early departure. Anderson hasn’t pitched much, being limited to three innings each time. He has still put up impressive strikeout numbers, with 32 in 20.2 innings.
Neil Kozikowski followed and gave up one run over four innings, with the run coming on a solo homer. He allowed four hits, walked one and struck out four batters. Billy Roth threw two scoreless innings, striking out three batters.
The Black Bears had four hits and five walks in this game, with most of that coming from two players. Ty Moore had two singles and a walk. Sandy Santos had a single and two walks. He drove in the only run in the fifth inning when Morgantown had their only real threat. Nick King and Matt Diorio each drew walks to start the inning. Santos singled home King, but the next three hitters all made outs. The team went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, with that one being the single by Santos.
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Bristol lost 7-3 on Thursday, giving up four runs in the top of the ninth for the loss. Nicholas Economos went five innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk, with two strikeouts. He has a 6.99 ERA and has been knocked out of six of his 11 starts before completing five innings. Evan Piechota allowed all four runs in the ninth inning.
Jhoan Herrera provided the offense, connecting on a three-run homer in the first inning. That was his fourth homer of the season, and he also had a single and his 14th double. Herrera ranks second in the league in doubles and leads Bristol in both doubles and homers. Adrian Valerio had two hits, including his first triple of the season. He was 1-for-26 in his previous eight games. Daniel Cucjen added two hits.
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The GCL Pirates lost 4-3 in ten innings on Thursday. That dropped them a 1/2 game back in the standings to 2.5 back, as the Braves finished their game in a tie due to rain (their game won’t be resumed because the two teams don’t play again). The Pirates sent second round pick Travis MacGregor to the mound for his eighth pro start. He breezed through the first three innings, then ran into trouble in the fourth. MacGregor hit the first batter, then gave up two singles and a double to the next three hitters. He finished the inning with three consecutive grounders, but three runs ended up scoring.
MacGregor gave up four hits total over his four innings. He didn’t have any walks or strikeouts, though he did put up a very impressive 11:0 GO/AO ratio. Delvin Hiciano and Hector Garcia followed him for one shutout inning each. Both were making their second appearances since returning from Tommy John surgery. Garcia has four strikeouts in his two innings. Brian Sousa finished out the game, allowing one run over 3.2 innings. Unfortunately that one run was a walk-off run for the loss. Sousa also allowed a lot of base runners, giving up four hits and five walks.
The Pirates got two hits and a run each from Sam Kennelly and Andrew Walker, with the latter stealing his eighth base. Nelson Jorge hit a double, drew a walk, stole his eighth base, and drove in two runs. Yondry Contreras connected on his first home run of the season. He hit two last year in the DSL.
After the game, Pirates Prospects learned that Jeremias Portorreal and Gabriel Brito have been promoted from the DSL. The GCL Pirates have been playing with 11 healthy position players the last couple days, with one of those players being the backup catcher, who can’t play because he’s in the bullpen warming up pitchers.
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The DSL Pirates had an 8-3 lead going into the ninth inning on Thursday and ended up with a 9-8 loss. Three relief pitchers couldn’t hold the five-run lead in the ninth, wasting a solid start from Adonis Pichardo. In five innings, Pichardo allowed one run on seven hits and a walk, with all seven hits being singles. He was coming off a five shutout inning performance, and has now lowered his ERA from 4.68 to 3.88 in his last two games.
The offense had nine hits and 11 walks, while picking up five hits with runners in scoring position. Kevin Sanchez had two hits, two walks, scored two runs and drove in a pair. Samuel Inoa reached base all four trips to the plate, with two hits, two walks and two runs scored, plus an RBI. He will see most of the playing time behind the plate with Gabriel Brito being promoted (see GCL recap). Eddy Vizcaino had a walk and three hits, including his fourth triple. He drove in three runs.
