A look at how the current top 30 prospects did today. If a player is in the majors for an extended time (Colin Moran and Edgar Santana), or loses his prospect eligibility (Kyle Crick, Max Moroff and Dovydas Neverauskas), 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 our 2018 Prospect Guide, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.
1. Mitch Keller, RHP, Altoona – 4 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 3 SO
2. Austin Meadows, CF, Indianapolis – 0-for-3
3. Cole Tucker, SS, Altoona – 0-for-4
4. Shane Baz, RHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
5. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Altoona – 0-for-3
6. Kevin Newman, SS, Indianapolis – 1-for-4
7. Taylor Hearn, LHP, Altoona – DNP
8. Lolo Sanchez, CF, West Virginia – 1-for-5
9. Bryan Reynolds, OF, Altoona – Disabled list
10. Jordan Luplow, LF, Indianapolis – 0-ffor-3
11. Luis Escobar, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
12. Clay Holmes, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
13. Braeden Ogle, LHP, West Virginia – DNP
14. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
15. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Indianapolis – 0-for-4
16. Adrian Valerio, SS, Bradenton – 2-for-7
17. Calvin Mitchell, OF, West Virginia – 0-for-4
18. Oneil Cruz, SS, West Virginia – 1-for-4, 2 RBI
19. Nick Burdi, RHP, Pirates (disabled list) – DNP
20. Dario Agrazal, RHP, Altoona – DNP
21. JT Brubaker, RHP, Altoona – DNP
22. Will Craig, 1B, Altoona – 0-for-3
23. Stephen Alemais, 2B/SS, Altoona – 1-for-3
24. Jason Martin, OF, Altoona – 0-for-3
25. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Altoona – DNP
26. Eduardo Vera, RHP, Bradenton – 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 SO
27. Mason Martin, 1B, West Virginia – 1-for-4
28. Conner Uselton, OF, Extended Spring Training – DNP
29. Cody Bolton, RHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
30. Steven Jennings, RHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
Indianapolis scored 17 runs and had 23 hits on Friday night. One night later, they were held without a hit until an eighth inning double by Jacob Stallings, as Columbus won 8-0.
Casey Sadler had a rough start, allowing five runs on seven hits, two hit batters and four walks in four innings. He now has an 8.31 ERA through two starts and two relief appearances. Damien Magnifico gave up three runs in the fifth, then Josh Smoker, Bo Schultz (Indy debut) and Johnny Hellweg combined to throw 3.1 shutout innings. Hellweg is up to nine shutout innings on the season.
Stallings’ eighth inning hit was the first runner for Indianapolis. Christopher Bostick added a ninth inning single, followed by another single from Kevin Newman. Columbus starter Adam Plutko retired all 23 batters he faced.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Altoona had a night they would like to forget, as Mitch Keller had trouble throwing strikes and the offense could muster just one runner against two-time Pirates waiver pickup Brady Dragmire.
Keller had an awful night by his high standards, going four innings, while allowing three runs on five hits and five walks, with three strikeouts. He hasn’t had his normal above average control this season, walking 12 batters in 22.2 innings, but he still has a 2.78 ERA on the season. Logan Sendelbach allowed the other four runs in the 7-1 loss to Harrisburg.
The only hit from the Curve was a single by Stephen Alemais, who would come around to score after a throwing error and two ground outs. The first 15 batters were retired in order, as were the final 12.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Bradenton played a doubleheader on Saturday with Eduardo Vera starting game one. Three batters into the game, Jupiter already had a run across the plate, but that would all they would get in a 2-1 win by the Marauders. Vera went six innings, allowing five hits and two walks, while striking out four batters. He threw 63 of his 95 pitches for strikes and he posted a 7:2 GO/AO ratio. He has a 3.00 ERA through 30 innings and he’s gone at least six innings in each of his last four starts. Scooter Hightower threw a scoreless seventh for the save.
The offense was one swing of the bat by Bligh Madris, who hit a two-run homer in the top of the seventh. It’s his third home run of the season. Bradenton didn’t have trouble getting men on base, but before the home run, they weren’t hitting in key spots. They went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven men on base.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
In game two, James Marvel pitched a complete game and was going strong through the first five innings until a three-run sixth provided the only runs in the game. Marvel allowed four hits and a walk, with four strikeouts. All four hits and the walk came in the sixth frame, as Marvel faced the minimum through five. The only blemish was a hit batter, who was erased on a double play.
The Marauders had five base runners in the game. Albert Baur had two singles, Adrian Valerio had one single and both Tyler Gaffney and Alfredo Reyes drew walks. Baur had the only at-bat with a runner in scoring position all game and that was the only time he didn’t pick up a hit.
You can view the season preview here.
West Virginia won 4-2 over Lexington, as Ike Schlabach allowed two runs in the first inning, then followed with four shutout frames for the victory. Schlabach was coming off of five shutout innings in his last start. He had a rough first innings, but cruised through the next four, finishing with four hits allowed, two walks and two strikeouts, while recording an 8:3 GO/AO ratio.
Joel Cesar followed Schlabach and faced one batter over the minimum in three shutout innings, while striking out four batters. Matt Seelinger picked up his second save.
The Power tied the game in the third inning on a two-run single from Oneil Cruz. They took the lead in the fourth inning, getting a solo homer from Ben Bengtson. It was his second homer of the season and second in two days. Chris Sharpe added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly in the ninth. Bengston had two hits on the night, everyone else reached base safely once via hit or walk except Calvin Mitchell, who did score and run and pick up an outfield assist.
Here’s the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
