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-4, SB
3. Cole Tucker, SS, Indianapolis – 0-for-5
4. Oneil Cruz, SS, Altoona – 4-for-5, 3B, RBI
5. Travis Swaggerty, CF, Bradenton – 3-for-8, RBI
6. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Indianapolis – 0-for-4
7. Will Craig, 1B, Indianapolis – 0-for-3, HBP
8. Jason Martin, OF, Indianapolis – 1-for-4, 3B, 3 RBI
9. JT Brubaker, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
10. Calvin Mitchell, OF, Bradenton – 0-for-7
11. Cody Bolton, RHP, Altoona – DNP
12. Tahnaj Thomas, RHP, Bristol – DNP
13. Braxton Ashcraft, RHP, Morgantown – DNP
14. Lolo Sanchez, CF, Bradenton – 1-for-2, BB
15. Pablo Reyes, Util, Pirates – In Majors
16. Braeden Ogle, LHP, Bradenton – DNP
17. Michael Burrows, RHP, Morgantown – DNP
18. Jared Oliva, CF, Altoona – 0-for-5
19. Ji-Hwan Bae, SS, Greensboro – 2-for-4, SB
20. Max Kranick, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
21. Luis Escobar, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
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 – DNP
30. Rodolfo Castro, 2B, Bradenton – 2-for-6, BB
Indianapolis won 6-3 over Rochester. James Marvel had another strong start and he continues to make a push to be added to the roster in September. In six innings, he allowed one run on four hits, with three walks and three strikeouts. He now has a 1.82 ERA in 39.2 innings with Indianapolis. Yacksel Rios allowed two runs, before Dovydas Neverauskas closed out the win.
Jason Martin had the big hit of the game, driving in three runs with a bases loaded triple. Eric Wood had a better game though, hitting his ninth home run, while adding a single, two walks and two runs scored. Ke’Bryan Hayes hit two singles and stole his 11th base of the season. Francisco Cervelli moved his rehab up to Indianapolis, and went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. He caught seven innings before leaving for a replacement.
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Altoona lost 13-10 to Harrisburg. Sean Brady failed to go five innings for the first time since joining Altoona back in May. In 4.1 innings, he gave up eight runs (six earned) on 12 hits and one walk, with one strikeout. Beau Sulser recorded the final two outs of the fifth, but not before three unearned runs scored. Angel German had an odd looking pitching line, with two innings, four walks and nothing else. Joel Cesar allowed two runs (one earned) in his one inning.
Oneil Cruz had a strong night at the plate, but his defense was costly. He went 4-for-5 with three singles, a triple, two runs scored and an RBI. That gave him a .294 average and a .790 OPS. Unfortunately for him, he committed two errors that led to five unearned runs. He has now has six straight games with an error.
Chris Sharpe had the best night at the plate, hitting his tenth double and smacking two home runs. He scored three times and had three RBIs. Including his Bradenton stats, Sharpe now has 43 extra-base hits. Logan Hill also had a big game, going 3-for-5 with his 24th double and his eighth home run. Bligh Madris hit his 25th double and also added two singles and an RBI. Brett Pope hit his first home run.
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Bradenton lost the first game of a doubleheader 6-0 to Florida. Gavin Wallace got the start and threw a complete game, giving up five earned runs on nine hits, with no walks and six strikeouts. The Marauders had seven hits and one walk. Their lone extra-base hit, a double by Daniel Amaral, came on the first batter of the game. Amaral had two hits. Travis Swaggerty had two singles. Rodolfo Castro had a single and the lone walk. The team went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
The Marauders dropped game two by a 2-1 score in eight innings. The only run that scored was the free runner in extra innings, as Travis Swaggerty singled home a run. Six players had one hit each, with Lolo Sanchez collecting a single and the only walk. Daniel Amaral stole his 14th base. His double leading off the first game ended up being the only extra-base hit from the Marauders. Mason Martin went 0-for-7 with six strikeouts and a HBP. Calvin Mitchell went 0-for-7.
Samuel Reyes got the spot start and went five shutout innings on four hits, one walk and five strikeouts. Joe Jacques sent it to extra innings with two scoreless frames, but he allowed both runs in the eighth (one earned) without recording an out to pick up the loss.
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Greensboro scored two runs in the top of the first and that was in for scoring in a 2-0 win over Kannapolis. Alex Manasa got the start and he was outstanding. He went six shutout innings on three hits, no walks and eight strikeouts. Manasa posted a 6:3 GO/AO ratio and he threw 55 of 79 pitches for strikes. Cody Smith retired the side in the seventh, before Yerry De Los Santos handled the final two frames on just 17 pitches. It’s the 11th save for De Los Santos, who now has a 1.47 ERA and an 0.79 WHIP in 43 innings, with 63 strikeouts.
Ji-Hwan Bae had two hits and stole home in the first inning, his 26th steal of the season. Jonah Davis had two singles and a run scored. Luke Mangieri picked up the only RBI of the game. Jack Herman and Zack Kone each drew two walks. There were no extra-base hits in the entire game.
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Morgantown won 7-2 in a rain-shortened game over Auburn. Jesus Valles had his fourth straight strong outing, allowing one run over five innings. After posting a 4.96 ERA through his first seven games, Valles has given up two runs over his last 21.1 innings. Alec Rennard gave up one run over two frames, before Trey McGough tossed a clean eighth. The game was called with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.
Ethan Paul has struggled badly as a pro, but this game helped out those numbers. He went 4-for-4 with three doubles and a walk. He had one RBI and scored two runs. Paul is now batting .213, with a .636 OPS. Brendt Citta had three hits, a run scored and an RBI. Victor Ngoepe had an RBI double in his first game action in a week since being sent down from Greensboro. Matt Gorski stole his 11th base.
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Bristol lost 7-5 to Bluefield. Aaron Shackelford (pictured above) missed the cycle by the single, though he did get to first base on a walk. He hit his 14th double, first triple and seventh home run. Shackelford drove in three runs and scored twice. He has an .834 OPS in 40 games. Yoyner Fajardo had two hits to give him a .450 average since joining Bristol last week. Eli Wilson hit his fourth home run.
Santiago Florez started and went 4.1 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits, with three walks and three strikeouts. Yoelvis Reyes gave up two runs over 4.1 innings, giving way to Yordi Rosario, who recorded the final out after a brief rain delay.
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The GCL Pirates lost 8-7 to the Braves. First round pick Quinn Priester had the toughest outing of his young career. In 3.1 innings, he allowed three runs on three hits and three walks. The upside was that he picked up six strikeouts. Through 28 innings, he has a 3.21 ERA and 34 strikeouts. Angel Suero recorded the final two outs of the fourth, then Julio Rosario took over in the fifth and allowed two unearned runs in two innings. Jake Sweeney loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but didn’t allow any runs, thanks to Daniel Ross recording the final out. Unfortunately for Ross, he allowed three runs of his own in the eighth and took the loss.
Juan Pie had his biggest game of the season, going 4-for-5 with his first home run of the year and three RBIs. His OPS is just .664 now, but it went up 89 points in this game. Deion Walker had two hits and an RBI. Jasiah Dixon had a single, two walks, two runs scored and his first stolen base. He has a .324 average in his first 11 games as a pro. Andres Alvarez had a triple, walk, two runs scored and two RBIs.
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The DSL Pirates1 won 16-3 over the Indians/Brewers co-op club. Valentin Linarez had one of the best starts of the season for either Pirates squad in the Dominican. He went five shutout innings on two hits, with no walks and eight strikeouts. His previous start was his worst outing of the season (4 ER in 3.2 IP). Linarez now has a 2.50 ERA in 50.1 innings, with 48 strikeouts. Kelvin Disla gave up two runs (one earned) in two innings of work. He now has a 1.00 ERA in 18 innings, with 22 strikeouts. Argenys Dominguez, who has struggled more than any DSL Pirates pitcher, came out in the eighth and gave up a run on a hit and two walks. He stayed in for the ninth and allowed another hit and walk, but no runs, lowering his ERA to 19.58 through 13.1 innings and 14 appearances.
Rafael Escalante had the hit late that turned this game into a blowout, belting an eighth inning grand slam for his second home run of the season. Luis Tello had three hits, including his first triple, and drove in four runs. Jose Berroa hit a single, his third triple and drove in three runs. Sergio Campana had a single, double, walk, four runs scored and he stole three bases to give him 18 steals on the season. Darwin Baez hit his 14th double. Eliazer Montero scored three runs.
Osvaldo Gavilan, who was the highest priced signing during the 2018-19 signing period ($700,000), has been out the last two weeks due to an illness, but he has just started back up with baseball activities.
The DSL Pirates2 won 4-0 over the Royals2, picking up their 50th win of the season. Sergio Umana got the start and went six shutout innings, allowing four hits, with no walks and five strikeouts. He now has a 2.29 ERA in 59 innings over 12 starts, while posting a 55:8 SO/BB ratio. Francisco Hodge followed with one-hit ball over three shutout innings. He has a 1.79 ERA in 45.1 innings.
Juan Mena’s first home run of the season was the big hit in the game. He drove in two runs with the second inning blast. Carlos Arroyo, Fabian Urbina and Mario Jerez each had two hits. Arroyo scored two runs. Jauri Custodio had a single, two walks and stole his 15th base.
You can view the season preview here.
