A look at how the current top 30 prospects did today. If a player is in the majors for an extended time or loses his prospect eligibility (Kevin Newman, Nick Burdi and Bryan Reynolds), 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 (Travis MacGregor and Stephen Alemais), 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 updated 2019 Prospect Guide, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.
1. Mitch Keller, RHP, Pirates – In Majors
2. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Indianapolis – DNP
3. Cole Tucker, SS, Indianapolis – 1-for-4, 3B
4. Oneil Cruz, SS, Bradenton – DNP
5. Travis Swaggerty, CF, Bradenton – DNP
6. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Indianapolis – 1-for-3
7. Will Craig, 1B, Indianapolis – 0-for-3
8. Jason Martin, OF, Indianapolis – 1-for-3, RBI
9. JT Brubaker, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
10. Calvin Mitchell, OF, Bradenton – DNP
11. Cody Bolton, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
12. Tahnaj Thomas, RHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
13. Braxton Ashcraft, RHP, Morgantown – 5.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
14. Lolo Sanchez, CF, Greensboro – 0-for-5
15. Pablo Reyes, Util, Indianapolis – DNP
16. Clay Holmes, RHP, Pirates – In Majors
17. Braeden Ogle, LHP, Greensboro – DNP
18. Michael Burrows, RHP, Morgantown – DNP
19. Jared Oliva, CF, Altoona – 1-for-4, 2B, BB
20. Ji-Hwan Bae, SS, Greensboro – 1-for-4, BB
21. Max Kranick, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
22. Luis Escobar, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
23. Osvaldo Bido, RHP, Greensboro – DNP
24. Eduardo Vera, RHP, Indianapolis – 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO
25. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Altoona – DNP
26. Aaron Shortridge, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
27. Blake Weiman, LHP, Altoona – DNP
28. Steven Jennings, RHP, Greensboro – 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO
29. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Indianapolis – DNP
30. Jesus Liranzo, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
Indianapolis lost 4-2 to Pawtucket. Eduardo Vera has had a rough first half in Triple-A, but a recent mechanical change might have him on the right track. After allowing two runs over seven innings in his last start, he came back out with another solid outing tonight. Vera went six innings, allowing one run on six hits, with no walks and five strikeouts. He threw 60 of 87 pitches for strikes. Chris Stratton followed with his second rehab appearance. He went two innings and took the loss, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk, with two strikeouts. The two unearned runs scored on a Cole Tucker throwing error. Stratton threw 30 of 45 pitches for strikes. Tyler Lyons tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Indians started their hitting off strong and it quickly faded for the rest of the game. Cole Tucker hit a lead-off triple, then scored on Jake Elmore’s 17th double. Elmore would score three batters later on a single for Jason Martin. They had just two more hits the rest of the game, singles by Kevin Kramer and Nick Franklin. Eric Wood drew the only walk.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Altoona won 6-2 over Binghamton. Domingo Robles had a tough outing tonight, lasting just 4.2 innings, while giving up two runs on six hits and three walks, with five strikeouts. He was up to 101 pitches when he was pulled, throwing a lot of strikes (66), despite the three walks. This is his shortest outing since August 10th last year when he was making his debut in Bradenton. Angel German, Blake Cederlind, Joel Cesar and Austin Coley each followed with one shutout inning. They all managed to allow one hit and pick up one strikeout.
Robbie Glendinning played his first game since being promoted from Bradenton and he had the big hit in this game, smacking a two-run homer in the seventh inning. He also had a single and a walk. Glendinning homered earlier in the season with Altoona and eight times with Bradenton, so he now has ten homers on the year. Hunter Owen reached base four times on a walk, two singles and his 14th double. He scored two runs. Jerrick Suiter had two singles and scored two runs. Jared Oliva hit his seventh double, walked and scored a run. Jason Delay went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, but still managed to drive in two runs.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Bradenton is on their All-Star break until Monday.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Greensboro won 4-1 over Kannapolis. Steven Jennings put up a strong pitching line on Friday night, giving up one run on four hits and a walk in six innings. The lone run scored on a home run. Jennings picked up seven strikeouts, while throwing 57 of 91 pitches for strikes. He gave his outfielders some work, with a 2:8 GO/AO ratio. He has lowered his season ERA from 6.22 to 5.14 in his last three starts. Cristofer Melendez retired all six batters he faced, two by strikeouts. Yerry De Los Santos handled the ninth for his third save.
Patrick Dorrian had the big hit in this game, slugging a three-run homer in the fourth inning. It was his sixth home run of the season. He also added a walk and his 15th double. Dorrian had the only two extra-base hits for the Grasshoppers. Rodolfo Castro and Grant Koch each had two singles. Ji-Hwan Bae had a single and a walk. Greensboro struck out 14 times, including three each from Lolo Sanchez and Jack Herman.
Here is the boxscore from the MiLB site.
You can view the season preview here.
Morgantown lost 5-4 to Mahoning Valley. The boxscore shows that Braxton Ashcraft allowed three runs in five innings, but that is a very misleading stat. Ashcraft hit the lead-off batter on the hands on a 1-2 fastball in the first. That was followed by a bloop to left field, which looked like it was lost in the sun, which was right behind home plate at the time. The next batter hit a ball into the gap that Jonah Davis couldn’t cut off, then bobbled, allowing two runs to score and the runner went to third base on the play. That was followed by catcher Ryan Haug just flat out not catching a fastball, which brought in the third run. The next 14 batters collected just one walk, which was erased on a caught stealing. Ashcraft had 21 pitches in the first inning and just 46 the rest of the way.
Alec Rennard gave up one run over two innings, while striking out three batters. Jacob Webb had two strikeouts in a scoreless inning. Denny Roman allowed a run in the ninth.
Dean Lockery had an RBI double and later added another RBI on a ground out. Kyle Mottice also drove in a run on a ground out. The other run scored on a passed ball in the ninth. We mentioned in the season preview (see link below) that a bunch of players are with Morgantown for a short time until the draft picks are able to play. The top player in that group is Juan Pie and he started in right field. The 18-year-old in his second pro year, went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Zack Kone, who is technically with the team on rehab from a shoulder injury, went 2-for-4 with two singles.
You can view the season preview here.
The DSL Pirates1 lost 8-6 to the Red Sox2. All eight runs against were unearned (this might change, as it appears that the first three should be earned according to the play-by-play), and came in the seventh inning. The Pirates committed five errors in the game, with four coming in that seventh inning. Starter Braham Rosario tossed four shutout inning, though he issued four walks. Carlos Campos was doing fine until the seventh inning, beginning his day with 2.2 scoreless frames. Jordy Ortega was charged with three unearned runs in the seventh, then threw a scoreless eighth. Raul Mora tossed shutout ball in the ninth.
Darwin Baez led the offense with three hits and three RBIs. He collected his fourth double. Osvaldo Gavilan had a single and his second triple. He picked up an RBI. Top prospect Sergio Campana is off to a slow start, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts today, dropping him to .077 in his first three games.
The DSL Pirates2 won 11-1 over the Royals2. Rodolfo Nolasco and Alexander Mojica each had big days at the plate. Nolasco went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a fifth RBI on a sacrifice fly. The homer is his first as a pro, and he also added his first triple. Mojica went 3-for-3 with his second home run and his fifth double. He drove in four runs. Deivis Nadal is now hitting .355, after going 3-for-4 with a walk, three runs scored and an RBI. He also stole his third base. Carlos Arroyo went 2-for-4 with his fourth steal. Randy Romero stole his fifth base. He went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored.
Starter Felipe Mezquita went four innings, allowing just one unearned run on three hits and two walks. He was followed by Jose Amaya, who lowered his ERA to 0.87 with four shutout innings on one hit and two walks, while striking out five batters. Luis Gonzalez loaded the bases in the ninth, but also picked up three strikeouts to end the game.
You can view the season preview here.
