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 (Clay Holmes, Jacob Stallings, Pablo Reyes, Kevin Newman 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, Nick Burdi 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, Altoona – 0-for-4, 4 K
5. Travis Swaggerty, CF, Bradenton – 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB
6. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Indianapolis – DNP
7. Will Craig, 1B, Indianapolis – 0-for-3, BB
8. Jason Martin, OF, Indianapolis – 1-for-2, 2 BB, SB
9. JT Brubaker, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
10. Calvin Mitchell, OF, Bradenton – 1-for-3, 2 BB
11. Cody Bolton, RHP, Altoona – DNP
12. Tahnaj Thomas, RHP, Bristol – DNP
13. Braxton Ashcraft, RHP, Morgantown – DNP
14. Lolo Sanchez, CF, Bradenton – 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, SB
15. Braeden Ogle, LHP, Bradenton – DNP
16. Michael Burrows, RHP, Morgantown – DNP
17. Jared Oliva, CF, Altoona – 0-for-3, BB
18. Ji-Hwan Bae, SS, Greensboro – 2-for-3, SB, HBP
19. Max Kranick, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
20. Luis Escobar, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
21. Osvaldo Bido, RHP, Bradenton -DNP
22. Eduardo Vera, RHP, – Released, article here
23. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Altoona – DNP
24. Aaron Shortridge, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
25. Blake Weiman, LHP, Indianapolis – DNP
26. Steven Jennings, RHP, Greensboro – DNP
27. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Indianapolis – DNP
28. Jesus Liranzo, RHP, Altoona – DNP
29. Rodolfo Castro, 2B, Bradenton – 1-for-4, BB
30. Cam Vieaux, LHP, Altoona – DNP
Indianapolis lost 4-1 to Toledo. Cody Ponce had a rough debut with Indianapolis, giving up six runs in four innings. He bounced back with five shutout innings in his last start. This game went more like the first one. Ponce lasted four innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks, with four strikeouts. He needed 93 pitches to get through his short outing, with 57 of those pitches going for strikes. Montana DuRapau followed with two shutout innings. Blake Cederlind allowed one run over two innings. Geoff Hartlieb had a clean ninth.
The Indians were getting no-hit until the sixth inning when Cole Tucker hit his third triple. He would score two batters later when Jake Elmore hit into a double play. Jason Martin reached base three times on a single and two walks. He stole his ninth base. Trayvon Robinson had a single and a walk. The sure-handed middle infield of Tucker and Mitchell Tolman had a rough night on defense, committing two errors each.
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Altoona won 5-0 over Akron. Domingo Robles had his best outing of the season, throwing a complete game shutout on 95 pitches. He allowed five hits and a walk, while striking out five batters and posting a 10:5 GO/AO ratio. Robles threw 73 strikes in the game. He’s finishing up his season strong, as this outing followed one run over seven innings, with a career high (tying) nine strikeouts. This is the third complete game this season for Robles, though the first two were during doubleheaders, seven innings and 6.1 in a walk-off loss.
Logan Hill and Adrian Valerio led the offense, with both collecting two singles and driving in two runs. Hill also scored a run. Bligh Madris had two singles, a HBP and an RBI. Brett Pope had the only extra-base hit, collecting his 14th double. Oneil Cruz had a forgettable night in the lead-off spot, going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts.
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Bradenton won 10-1 over Palm Beach. Brad Case has been in a little rough patch lately, giving up four runs in each of his last three starts. He broke that string with a strong outing on Monday night. After giving up a first inning run (unearned), Case cruised the rest of the way, throwing five innings with four hits, no earned runs or walks, and seven strikeouts. That strikeout total ties his high with Bradenton and is one short of his career best, set with Greensboro back on May 18th. Joe Jacques followed with two perfect innings, then John O’Reilly lowered his ERA to 0.50 with two shutout frames.
The Marauders had ten hits and nine walks. Every batter in the lineup had at least one hit, with lead-off hitter Lolo Sanchez being the player who picked up that extra hit. He doubled, scored twice, stole a base and drove in a run. The big hit of the game was a grand slam by Dylan Busby, his 20th home run of the season. He also drew two walks. Travis Swaggerty had a single, two walks, two runs scored and an RBI. Mason Martin doubled and drove in two runs. Calvin Mitchell had two walks, a single and a run scored.
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Greensboro lost 1-0 to Rome. Will Kobos has been putting together some strong outings for Greensboro since being promoted from Morgantown. He went five innings in this game, giving up one run on two hits, with four walks and a career high ten strikeouts. Kobos now has a 2.17 ERA in six starts in Low-A. Cristofer Melendez followed him with three shutout innings on one hit and three strikeouts. Yerry De Los Santos took the ninth and struck out the side on 11 pitches. He has 71 strikeouts in 49 innings.
Ji-Hwan Bae was named the South Atlantic League Player of the Week earlier today. He went 2-for-3 in this game to extend his hit streak to nine games. It also gave him a .326 average, which leads the SAL. Bae picked up his 30th stolen base and reached on a hit-by-pitch. Kyle Mottice reached three times on two walks and a single. The Grasshoppers went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
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Morgantown lost 3-2 to State College. Fourth round pick JC Flowers got the start and went four innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits, with a walk and three strikeouts. He threw 40 of 64 pitches for strikes. Flowers now has a 5.18 ERA in 24.1 innings. Matt Eardensohn followed with two shutout innings and three strikeouts, while Denny Roman retired all six batters he faced.
All of the scoring in this game was done by the third inning and not many hitters reached base after that point for either team. The Black Bears scored both of their runs in the top of the third, getting on board with a sacrifice fly from Jared Triolo, which scored Brendt Citta. That was followed by an RBI single from Kyle Wilkie, which scored Victor Ngoepe, but Wilkie was thrown out at second base on the play. Ngoepe had two hits. Blake Sabol had two walks. Citta and Fernando Villegas each had a single and a walk.
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Bristol lost 3-1 to Danville. Santiago Florez went 5.1 innings on Monday night, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks, with six strikeouts. He posted a 6:2 GO/AO ratio. Florez was coming off of his best outing of the season, throwing six shutout innings six days ago. He has a 3.67 ERA in 41.2 innings this season. Assuming Bristol makes the playoffs, his next start will be in the postseason. CJ Dandeneau finished off the game with 3.2 shutout innings on two hits, no walks and three strikeouts.
The Pirates scored their lone run on a first inning bases loaded ground out by Matt Morrow. Josh Bissonette and Daniel Rivero each had two hits. It was the third straight two-hit game for Rivero, who hit his fifth double of the season tonight. He is batting .318 in August.
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The GCL Pirates lost 7-6 in ten innings to the Braves. The Pirates led 6-2 going into the eighth inning, but the Braves scored once in the eighth, tied it in the ninth and walked it off in the tenth. Estalin Ortiz started and went 3.2 shutout innings, allowing three hits and three walks, with three strikeouts. Angel Suero followed with two runs (one earned) in his one inning of work. Wilkin Ramos, who was acquired in the Tanner Anderson trade, made his first appearance in nearly a month and he gave up one run in 2.2 innings. He allowed four hits and walked three batters, so he was working around trouble the whole time. Wilger Camacho took the loss, giving up three runs (two earned) in 2.1 innings.
The Pirates got some production from eight of the nine spots in the lineup. Juan Pie had two hits, drove in two runs and stole his sixth base. Norkis Marcos had two hits, two runs scored and an RBI. Deion Walker hit his fourth double and drew a walk. Sammy Siani, Andres Alvarez and Daniel Angulo each had a hit, run scored and RBI.
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The DSL Pirates1 finished their season with a 34-36 record.
The DSL Pirates2 finished their regular season with a 56-16 record. They have a first round bye in the playoffs, so their upcoming schedule is still to be determined.
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