After a rare Monday that saw three of the four full season teams play, Tuesday kind of gets things back to normal with everyone in action and beginning new series.
Altoona begins a series against the Erie Seawolves with Sean Sullivan on the bump for the Curve. He will be looking to rebound from a month of June that saw him post a 6.16 ERA across 19 innings pitched.
After getting swept last week, the Greensboro Grasshoppers welcome the top prospect in baseball and last year’s number one overall pick, Jackson Holliday. Po-Yu Chen will get first crack at slowing him down, coming off the best month of his season.
Lonnie White Jr. and Yordany De Los Santos will be joining the Marauders on their road trip to Daytona. The 64th overall pick in 2021 has been slowed by injuries, but was off to a great start in the Florida Complex League.
-Anthony Murphy
JOHN DREKER: Esmerlyn Valdez, OF, FCL Pirates (Rk)
The Pirates signed Valdez on January 15, 2021, as one of 15 players they closed deals with on the first day of 2020-21 international signing period. He was described that day as having the best power potential of the group. There were three other outfielders signed that day with plus power potential, but Valdez got the highest grade. At 6’2″, 180 pounds at the time, he was already strong at 16 years old (turned 17 later that month), but he also had a frame to add more.
Valdez put up a .781 OPS over 45 games in the Dominican Summer League during the 2021 season. The Pirates bumped him up to the Florida Complex League for 2022, where he had a low average, but a decent walk rate and some power, leading to a .765 OPS. Not only was he younger than league average, his OPS was 74 points above league average.
Valdez is repeating the FCL this year, where he is off to a strong start. He’s hitting .391/.463/.739 in 54 plate appearances. All small sample size caveats apply here, but he’s got the best OPS in the league among players with at least 50 plate appearances. The power could really be coming through now, as he had eight homers over his first two seasons combined, and four already this year. Power is his only plus tool as a corner outfielder, so he needs it to fully develop to have a chance to make it to the majors as a regular.
Anthony Murphy: Joshua Loeschorn, RHP Bradenton (A)
The Pirates went aggressive in the 2022 draft when it comes to college pitchers, mostly to try and add some depth to the lower levels of the minors. A 20th round pick, expectations probably aren’t the highest for Joshua Loeschorn, but he is using some of his advanced experience at the college level to his advantage.
When it comes to pitchers in the Pirates system with at least 30 innings pitched, Loeschorn is third in swinging strike rate (SwStr%), and added to that on Monday night. On six sliders thrown on Saturday, Loeschorn picked up whiffs on three of four swings as he struck out the side in the eighth inning.
On the season he has produced a 50% whiff rate on 78 swings against the slider. It also has some intense break on it, averaging 21.5 inches of horizontal break.
WILBUR MILLER: Andres Silvera, RHP, FCL Pirates (Rk)
The Pirates signed Andres Silvera out of Panama in January 2021. He wasn’t a prominent signing, but he pitched very well as a starter (2.67 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) in the DSL that year, even though he didn’t turn 17 until partway into the season. The Pirates sent Silvera back to the DSL in 2022, maybe because he was still so young. He was probably their best pitcher there; he had a 1.54 ERA and 0.81 WHIP. He walked very few, at 1.3 BB/9, while striking out 9.9 per nine.
Silvera opened this year on the injured list, but finally put in an appearance on July 1, throwing one inning. It went very quickly: two strikeouts and a popup. When he signed, he was throwing 86-88 mph. I don’t have gun readings from the July 1 game, but I’d guess his fastball was around average velocity, certainly above 90, maybe 93-94. More significantly, he actually seemed able to locate it, to the extent you can tell from such a small sample size. He also showed a good slider that froze a couple of hitters.
It’d be a relief to see a pitcher at the lower levels who can throw strikes; the FCL Pirates have issued the most walks in the league. Silvera’s limited track record suggests he can do that, and his stuff seems to be ticking upward. And he won’t turn 19 for another couple weeks.
Yesterday’s Top Performers
- Alessandro Ercolani (A): 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 6 K
- Joshua Loeschorn (A): IP, H, 3 K
- Jack Brannigan (A): 3-for-4, 2 R, BB, SB
- Termarr Johnson (A): 1-for-4, 3B, BB, 3 RBI
- Miguel Andujar (AAA): 3-for-4, R, RBI, BB
- Cal Mitchell (AAA): 2-for-5, R, HR (9), 3 RBI
- Check out yesterday’s full minor league results here.
Daily Video Rundown
Oh my, Chris Owings.
Chris Owings has played almost all over the field in Indianapolis this season, and makes this fantastic play while at second base on Monday. He also picked up a pair of hits on the night.
There’s a very good chance the Pirates have three gold glove caliber third basemen in their system #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/I6K3KTVmMK
— Anthony Murphy (@__Murphy88) July 3, 2023
Another fantastic play within the system, Jack Brannigan has the glove and arm to one of the better defensive third baseman in the minors. Something that shouldn’t sound all that unfamiliar when it comes to Pirates prospects.
Termarr Johnson with a 100.1 mph screamer down the line for a bases clearing triple for Bradenton #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/5jFV98iK00
— Anthony Murphy (@__Murphy88) July 3, 2023
Termarr Johnson has had his ups and downs in his first full season in Bradenton. One thing hasn’t changed, despite his smaller frame he gets every bit of any ball he makes contact with.
Today’s Minor League Results
By Wilbur Miller
INDIANAPOLIS (37-43) VS Memphis
Game Time: 6:35 pm ET
Indianapolis Starter: Jose Hernandez
–Line: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
Final Score: Indianapolis 8, Louisville 5
Player of the Game: Miguel Andujar 3-for-5, 2B, HR (9), 5 RBI
Recap:Indianapolis built up a 7-1 lead, then hung on to beat Louisville, 8-5.
The Indians got a quick 2-0 lead when Endy Rodriguez singled with one out in the top of the first and Ji-Man Choi hit the third home run of his rehab. Miguel Andujar hit a three-run bomb, his ninth homer in AAA, in the third, then added a two-run single in the fourth.
The Pirates’ Rule 5 guy, Jose Hernandez, started his rehab, getting two outs in the first but leaving after walking two. Cam Alldred, who would ordinarily have started, finished that inning and went four and a third overall. He did well until the fifth, when he allowed four runs. Alldred gave up five overall, on six hits.
Indy got one run back in the bottom of the fifth on consecutive doubles by Canaan Njigba-Smith and Alika Williams. Travis MacGregor threw two scoreless innings, and John O’Reilly and Juan Minaya each threw one to finish it out.
Andujar finished a triple short of a cycle and drove in five. Rodriguez had a single, double and walk. Williams had a single and a double, and now has an .818 OPS with Indy. Choi had two hits.
ALTOONA (36-38) VS Erie
Game Time: 6 pm ET
Altoona Starter: Sean Sullivan (2-1, 3.75 ERA)
–Line: 5 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Final Score: Erie 6, Altoona 4
Player of the Game: Matt Gorski 2-for-5, 2 HR (12), 3 RBI
Recap:Matt Gorski went deep twice, but Altoona lost to Erie, 6-4. Sean Sullivan lasted five innings, but got hit around some, including a pair of home runs. He gave up five runs on eight hits overall. Bear Bellomy gave up the last run and Cam Junker threw an inning and a third scoreless.
Gorski went deep in the bottom of the first, pulling the Curve to within 2-1. His second longball, and 12th on the year, came in the eighth, making it a 6-4 game. The other Altoona run scored on a ground out by Jackson Glenn. He went 0-for-5 with a steal in his AA debut. Abrahan Gutierrez drew four walks.
GREENSBORO (37-36) VS Aberdeen
Game Time: 6:30 pm ET
Greensboro Starter: Po-Yu Chen (3-5, 4.31 ERA)
–Line: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Final Score: Greensboro 8, Aberdeen 5
Player of the Game: Ernny Ordonez 2-for-3, BB, SB, 2 runs, 2 RBI
Recap:Greensboro got a strong start from Po-Yu Chen and some late offense to beat Aberdeen, 8-5.
The Hoppers got three in the first on a fielder’s choice and a couple of errors. That stood up for the seven innings Chen was in the game. He allowed just five hits, although two of them left the park, which has been known to happen at Greensboro. Both were solo shots, so the Hoppers led, 3-2.
Cy Nielson came on for the eighth and, after one out, gave up three straight hits and a walk. That let in two runs, then Jake Stevenson walked two more to force in a third run. Yunior Thibo had to get the last out of the inning, which ended with Aberdeen up, 5-3.
In the bottom of the inning, though, the Hoppers rallied for five. Ernny Ordonez singled in two, then three more scored on a single by Will Matthiessen, an error by mega-prospect Jackson Holliday, and a sacrifice fly by Sammy Siani. Michell Miliano pitched the ninth for the save.
Jase Bowen had a single and a double, and Ordonez had two hits. Tres Gonzalez had a hit and a walk.
BRADENTON (40-34) AT Daytona
Game Time: 6:35 pm ET
Bradenton Starter: Dominic Perachi
–Line: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Final Score: Bradenton 10, Daytona 6
Player of the Game: Jack Brannigan 4-for-5, 3 2B, BB, 3 runs
Recap:Bradenton went with its revamped lineup, with Lonnie White, Jr., and Yordanny De Los Santos joining Josiah Sightler. Shalin Polanco and Nick Cimillo got the day off, but the Marauders piled up 11 hits and 14 walks, and beat Daytona, 10-6.
Bradenton got some big days. Jack Brannigan reached five times on three doubles, a single and a walk. He scored three runs. Sightler had a double, two singles, a sacrifice fly and four RBIs. Rodolfo Nolasco had two singles, two walks and three RBIs. Termarr Johnson went hitless, but he walked three times, had a sacrifice fly and scored three runs. Geovanny Planchart also drew three walks.
White made his debut with a single and two walks. De Los Santos, who’s facing a challenge at age 18, went 0-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and three strikeouts.
The pitching wasn’t great. Dominic Perachi gave up three runs on seven hits over five innings. Darvin Garcia allowed an unearned run in one inning and Miguel Fulgencio threw a scoreless inning and a third. Elijah Birdsong gave up two in the ninth.
FCL PIRATES (15-6)
Game Time: 12 pm ET
FCL Pirates Starter: Hung-Leng Chang
–Line: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Final Score: Pirates 8, Red Sox 1
Player of the Game: Wesley Zapata 3-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI
Recap:The FCL Pirates rode a strong start from Hung-Leng Chang and a pair of bases-clearing doubles to beat the Red Sox, 8-1.
Chang went five, giving up a run on three hits and two walks. He fanned six. After a shaky start to his season, Chang has allowed just the one run over ten innings in his last three outings.
Roelmy Garcia followed with two scoreless innings, and Andres Silvera and Joaquin Tejada with one each.
The two bases-loaded doubles were a Texas Leaguer by Wesley Zapata in the second and a long drive by Javier Rivas in the fourth. Sergio Campana doubled in a run in the fourth ahead of Rivas’ hit. The final run came on a pinch-hit home run by Miguel Sosa in the seventh. It was Sosa’s first homer of the season.
Zapata finished with three hits, Rivas and Jauri Custodio each with two. Axiel Plaz reached on a walk and a hit batsman, and got robbed of a hit on a diving catch of a liner by the shortstop.
DSL PIRATES BLACK (8-13)
Game Time: 11 am ET
DSL Pirates Black Starter: TBD
–Line:
Final Score:
Player of the Game:
Recap:Postponed.
DSL PIRATES GOLD (14-7)
Game Time: 11 am ET
DSL Pirates Gold Starter: TBD
–Line:
Final Score:
Player of the Game:
Recap:Postponed.
Prospect Watch Player Archives
7/3: Jared Jones, Derek Diamond, Josiah Sightler
7/2: Endy Rodriguez, Ryan Harbin, Jonathan Rivero
6/30: Owen Kellington, Alika Williams, Jackson Grounds
6/28: Lonnie White Jr., Kelvin Diaz, Yojeiry Osoria
6/25: Quinn Priester, Canaan Smith-Njigba, Jhonson Pena
6/24: Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo, Adolfo Oviedo
6/23: Michael Kennedy, Po-Yu Chen, Wyatt HendrieThe Prospect Watch runs every day at noon, featuring three players from the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system.
