A look at how the current top 30 prospects did today. If a player is in the majors for an extended time (Tyler Glasnow, Trevor Williams, Alen Hanson, Jose Osuna), or loses his prospect eligibility, he will be removed from this list. 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 more active prospects on the list. Rankings are from the 2017 Prospect Guide, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages. We are working on fixing the stats.
1. Austin Meadows, CF, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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2. Mitch Keller, RHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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3. Kevin Newman, SS, Altoona – [insert_php]
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4. Cole Tucker, SS, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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5. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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6. Will Craig, 3B, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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7. Taylor Hearn, LHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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8. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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9. Nick Kingham, RHP, Extended Spring Training – [insert_php]
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10. Steven Brault, LHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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11. Clay Holmes, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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12. Braeden Ogle, LHP, Extended Spring Training – [insert_php]
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13. Max Kranick, RHP, Extended Spring Training – [insert_php]
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14. Elias Diaz, C, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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15. Edgar Santana, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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16. Luis Escobar, RHP, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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17. Dovydas Neverauskas, RHP, Pirates – [insert_php]
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18. Yeudy Garcia, RHP, Altoona -[insert_php]
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19. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Altoona -[insert_php]
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20. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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21. Stephen Alemais, SS, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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22. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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23. Travis MacGregor, RHP, Extended Spring Training – [insert_php]
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24. Barrett Barnes, LF, Extended Spring Training -[insert_php]
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25. Max Moroff, 2B, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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26. Eric Wood, 3B, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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27. J.T. Brubaker, RHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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28. Chris Bostick, INF/OF, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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29. Connor Joe, 3B, Altoona – [insert_php]
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30. Pat Light, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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Indianapolis was rained out on Tuesday. They will play a doubleheader on Thursday.
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Altoona lost 7-2 on Tuesday, as starter JT Brubaker had some trouble with the long ball during his six innings of work. Brubaker allowed two solo homers in the game and another ball off the right field wall turned into a run. He gave up single runs in four different innings, ending his day with four runs allowed on five hits, a walk and a hit batter. Brubaker was keeping the ball on the ground most of the game, but Erie made him pay for his mistakes up in the zone. He had three strikeouts and a 9:4 GO/AO ratio. He has a 5.09 ERA in four starts. John Kuchno finished the game and allowed three more runs to score.
On offense, a couple of the better bats in the lineup had strong nights. Kevin Newman saw his average drop to .258 on Monday, but he bounced back with three hits, including his first home run of the season. He turned on a two-strike pitch in the sixth inning and sent a liner just over the left field home run marker halfway up the wall. Also providing offense on this night was Jordan Luplow, who raised his average to .233 with a pair of doubles, giving him six two-baggers on the season. Connor Joe and Kevin Kramer each went 1-for-4 with a single, while Michael Suchy picked up an RBI and stole his first base of the season.
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Bradenton lost 7-3 on Monday behind the starting pitching of Mitch Keller, who was making his fourth start of the season. Keller was strong through five innings, allowing just one hit, which was a solo homer off a 97 MPH fastball to lead off the second inning. Things fell apart for him in the sixth, as he gave up two runs on three hits, a walk and a hit batter with the bases loaded. He finished with three runs on four hits and three walks in six innings. He had five strikeouts, a very impressive 7:0 GO/AO ratio, and he threw 57 of his 89 pitches for strikes. According to Bradenton announcer Nate March, Keller was using a curveball-heavy approach in the game, especially in the sixth when he had issues.
Keller now has a 4.87 ERA through four starts, with 16 strikeouts in 20.1 innings. He had issued just one walk this year prior to the three in this game. Daniel Zamora allowed four runs in one inning of work, though just one run was earned, as Bradenton committed three errors on the night. Sam Street threw a scoreless inning.
On offense, it was the Logan Hill show. He went through a really tough slump after a strong start this season, going 5-for-35 with 14 strikeouts. That was before three hits on Sunday and two solo homers in this game. Bradenton’s only other run scored on an error after a Casey Hughston triple. Hughston is still putting up solid stats with an .836 OPS through 17 games, though he has now struck out 21 times after two tonight.
Cole Tucker, Will Craig and Ke’Bryan Hayes each went 1-for-4 with a single. Jerrick Suiter made his 2017 debut and went 1-for-3 with a walk.
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CHARLESTON – Luis Escobar has already proven he can overwhelm batters. He has collected 41 strikeouts over 22.1 innings in his four starts with West Virginia this year. What he hadn’t proven until Tuesday night was if he could hang when his stuff isn’t quite as overwhelming. By keeping the Power close in spite of allowing six hits, two runs, and two walks, Escobar put together an encouraging night.
The game began in traditional Escobar style: back-to-back strikeouts. Then he left a fastball right over the heart of the plate for a solo home run. He walked the next batter and allowed a ground-rule double before inducing a grounder to end the first.
This sequence would be indicative of the rest of his night. When Escobar left his fastball up in the zone, the RiverDogs crushed it. In his 5.1 innings on the mound, he allowed two doubles and three singles in addition to the first inning homer. His GO:AO ratio was 3:6. He also issued two walks and threw a wild pitch in an erratic, but marginally successful, performance. Power manager Wyatt Toregas seemed encouraged by Escobar’s grit.
“It didn’t look like he had the velocity he’s normally had,” Toregas commented. “His breaking ball wasn’t as tight early. We saw some good ones late.”
“We were only going to let him go six tonight anyway so for him to get into his final inning considering he didn’t have his best stuff is really good,” said Toregas.
Escobar walked off the mound with nine strikeouts (including a dropped third strike that gave him three strikeouts and a flyout in the fifth inning). He has now struck out at least nine batters in each of his four starts.
Unfortunately, the Power did little to help their starter. The Power were no-hit through three innings and managed a mere two hits (both singles) off of RiverDogs starter Freicer Perez.
Oddly, Kevin Mahala was the sole Power batter to fail to reach base (other than Hunter Owen who made one appearance as a pinch-hitter). The team worked six walks, and both Stephen Alemais and Trae Arbet were hit by pitches.
Arbet left the game with forearm swelling in the top of the sixth after the HBP, but it seems unlikely he’ll need a trip to the DL.
“We’ve already gotten the swelling down a little bit,” Toregas said shortly after the game. “He may be okay to play tomorrow.”
Considering tomorrow features a day game with a 10:35 first pitch, this is an encouraging sign. This could have been a huge blow to the Power. Arbet currently leads the team in home runs (4) and is second in average (.328), runs (14), and RBI (11).
Dylan Prohoroff showed his best and his worst. He took over for Escobar in the top of the sixth inning and tossed 1.1 perfect frames. In the eighth, though, he walked the first three batters he faced. He escaped with minimal damage; a run scored on a sacrifice fly before Carlos Munoz started an inning-ending double play. Prohoroff took the mound for a ten-pitch at-bat to start the ninth, but the tenth pitch plunked the batter and ended Prohoroff’s night.
Reliever Mike Wallace entered the game after being added to the roster earlier in the day. He worked a flyout, a strikeout, a walk, and a grounder to keep the RiverDogs lead at 3-1.
Stephen Alemais singled to the center-right gap on the first pitch of the ninth inning. Unfortunately, Ty Moore grounded into a double play, and Carlos Munoz struck out to end the game.
Clark Eagan accounted for half of the Power’s six hits, accumulating two singles and a double for his second career three-hit game. However, he never made it past second base in a game that saw the Power go 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. In total, the Power left 15 men on base. – Abigail Miskowiec
