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, 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 – 2-for-7
3. Cole Tucker, SS, Indianapolis – DNP
4. Oneil Cruz, SS, Altoona – 3-for-4, 2 2B, RBI
5. Travis Swaggerty, CF, Bradenton – 1-for-4, 2B
6. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Indianapolis – DNP
7. Will Craig, 1B, Indianapolis – 2-for-6, RBI, BB
8. Jason Martin, OF, Indianapolis – 1-for-6, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB
9. JT Brubaker, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
10. Calvin Mitchell, OF, Bradenton – 1-for-2, 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 – DNP
15. Pablo Reyes, Util, Pirates – In Majors (graduated from this list tonight!)
16. Braeden Ogle, LHP, Bradenton – DNP
17. Michael Burrows, RHP, Morgantown – DNP
18. Jared Oliva, CF, Altoona – 2-for-4
19. Ji-Hwan Bae, SS, Greensboro – 1-for-2, BB
20. Max Kranick, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
21. Luis Escobar, RHP, Indianapolis – 1.1 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO
22. Osvaldo Bido, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
23. Eduardo Vera, RHP, – Released, article here
24. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Altoona – DNP
25. Aaron Shortridge, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
26. Blake Weiman, LHP, Indianapolis – DNP
27. Steven Jennings, RHP, Greensboro – DNP
28. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Indianapolis – DNP
29. Jesus Liranzo, RHP, Altoona – 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO
30. Rodolfo Castro, 2B, Bradenton – 1-for-4, RBI
Indianapolis had a doubleheader against Toledo. Alex McRae started game one and allowed two runs over five innings, while striking out eight batters. The runs came on back-to-back homers to start the second inning. Luis Escobar took over in the sixth after McRae was up over 90 pitches. Escobar gave up two runs in the sixth, then another in the seventh, while loading the bases with one out. Geoff Hartlieb came on to try to get the final two outs. He got a ground out that made it 8-6, then a single tied the score. A double brought home the nine run and handed Indianapolis a loss in a game where they scored seven runs in the top of the first inning.
Jason Martin drove in three runs in the first inning on his 24th double. He also drew two walks. Eric Wood had two hits and drove in two runs. Will Craig had two hits, a run scored and an RBI. Francisco Cervelli caught the whole game and went 2-for-3 with a walk. He’s hitting .438, with a 1.238 OPS in five games with Indianapolis.
Cody Ponce got the start in game two and bounced back strong from his rough intro to Triple-A last week. He went five shutout innings on two hits, with no walks and eight strikeouts. Ponce allowed six runs over four innings in his debut last Friday. Yacksel Rios allowed a solo homer, but that’s it, as Indianapolis won 3-1 in the second game.
Mitchell Tolman provided almost all of the offense, connecting on two solo homers, his first two since reaching Triple-A last week. The other run also came on a solo homer (all four runs in the game did). Jake Elmore hit his fifth of the season. Ke’Bryan Hayes had two hits after going 0-for-4 in the opener.
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Altoona won 8-2 over Hartford. Domingo Robles put up a strong pitching line on Wednesday night, allowing one run over seven innings, while giving up six hits and two walks. He struck out nine batters, which ties his career best set back on April 18, 2018 while he was with West Virginia. Yeudy Garcia followed with the save attempt, but he fell one out short, getting pulled after throwing 48 pitches and giving up a run on a hit and two walks. Jesus Liranzo needed just two pitches to finish off the game.
Jason Delay had a huge game, going yard twice with a three-run homer in the fourth inning and a two-run homer in the sixth. He now has eight home runs on the season. Oneil Cruz went 3-for-4, collecting two doubles. He scored once and drove in a run. Cruz is now hitting .307 in 23 games with the Curve. Jared Oliva went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Bligh Madris had a single and a hit-by-pitch. He scored two runs. Chris Sharpe hit his 12th double for Altoona, which gives him 29 doubles on the season.
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Bradenton lost 9-2 to Palm Beach. Starter Brad Case ran into trouble in the fifth inning, giving up three runs. He finished with four runs total over 4.1 innings, allowing eight hits, with one walk and five strikeouts. Case threw 61 of 89 pitches for strikes, and he recorded a 5:1 GO/AO ratio. John O’Reilly followed with 1.2 scoreless innings, giving him an 0.56 ERA in his first 16 innings in High-A. Ryan Valdes was next and he had a very rough outing, surrendering five runs without getting out of the seventh inning. Hunter Stratton recorded the final four outs, giving up just a walk.
Mason Martin and Dylan Busby each had two hits. Martin hit his first triple and also scored a run. Travis Swaggerty hit his 20th double and scored a run. Calvin Mitchell had a single and two walks. Rodolfo Castro picked up the only RBI for the Marauders on a single in the first inning. The other run scored when Castro hit into a third inning double play.
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Greensboro lost 1-0 to Delmarva in a game that had just five hits total. Will Kobos started and threw no-hit ball for five innings, issuing three walks, while striking out eight batters. It’s his second start in Low-A in which he didn’t allow a hit. Yerry De Los Santos had a rare blip on his screen, allowing a run over his two innings, raising his ERA to 1.53 this season. Michael LoPresti threw a scoreless eighth.
The Grasshoppers had four base runners. Ji-Hwan Bae and Luke Mangieri each had a hit and a walk. Bae was thrown out attempting to steal, plus Delmarva turned a double play, so Greensboro sent just 29 men to the plate.
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Morgantown has off for the NYPL All-Star break. They are sending four players to the game, which took place tonight in Staten Island.
Here’s the boxscore.
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Bristol lost 6-2 to Pulaski. Luis Ortiz had a strong start, giving up one run over five innings. He allowed three hits and two walks, while striking out five batters. Ortiz threw 52 of 77 pitches for strikes and he had an 8:2 GO/AO ratio. Saul de la Cruz allowed one run in two innings, while striking out three hitters. Ryan Troutman gave up four runs over the final two innings for the loss.
Jean Eusebio hit his first triple and drove in one of the two runs. He also had a single and a run scored. Marshall Gilbert had two hits and an RBI. Matt Morrow had two hits. Francisco Acuna reached base three times on a walk and two hit-by-pitches. He stole his ninth base of the season.
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The GCL Pirates won 4-3 over the Rays. Starter Estalin Ortiz has been struggling this season, but he had quite a performance on Wednesday afternoon. He went five innings with one unearned run on one hit and three walks, while striking out four batters. Michael Flynn, who was the 2018 sixth round pick, made his first appearance since July 22nd last year. He had a quick inning, picking up a strikeout, followed by an error and a double play. Shortstop Norkis Marcos committed three errors in the game. Jake Sweeney followed with a scoreless seventh, then Yandy Vega allowed two runs in the eighth. Wilger Camacho got the save with a shutout frame in the ninth.
Jasiah Dixon had two hits, two RBIs and he stole three bases. He has a .365 average and a .921 OPS through his first 16 games. Jase Bowen hit his fourth double, stole his fifth base, walked and scored a run. Emilson Rosado had a single and two walks.
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The DSL Pirates1 won 7-1 over the Indians. Juan Jerez had the big hit for the second day in a row, belting a three-run homer in the seventh inning for his seventh home run of the season. He has driven in 47 runs. Jose Berroa had two hits, a walk and two runs scored. Darwin Baez hit his 16th double and his first triple. He picked up an RBI. Ronny Sanchez stole home. Jhan Polanco hit his tenth double. Fleury Nova stole his 12th base.
Joelvis Del Rosario gave up one run over five innings. He allowed four hits, with no walks and five strikeouts, while posting a 10:0 GO/AO ratio. He finishes his season with a 3.40 ERA in 50.1 innings, with a 1.25 WHIP and 43 strikeouts. Wilkin Valdez followed with four shutout innings. His rookie season is likely over now with a 5.74 ERA in 26.2 innings. He was hurt all year by control issues, which resulted in 32 walks.
The DSL Pirates2 moved to 54-15 with a 6-3 win over the Mariners. Wandi Montout started and went 4.1 innings, with two runs on two hits, three walks and five strikeouts. Jose Amaya allowed one run over 2.2 innings. He managed to pick up his tenth win, despite never starting a game and only pitching 18 times. Those ten wins will have him as the league leader for the season, since no one will be able to catch him. Darvin Garcia picked up his first save with two shutout innings on four hits and three strikeouts.
Fabian Urbina had a big game at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBIs and two walks. He collected his third double. Rodolfo Nolasco had three hits, a run scored and an RBI. Eduar Ramirez hit a two-run homer, his first of the season. Jommer Hernandez picked up two hits.
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