TOP OF THE SYSTEM
A look at how the current top 30 prospects did today. Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors. If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, 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, 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 30 active prospects on the list. Rankings are from early season update, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.
1. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Altoona – DNP
2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List
3. Austin Meadows, CF, Bradenton – 3-for-5, 2B, 2 R
4. Josh Bell, 1B, Altoona – 1-for-5
5. Reese McGuire, C, Bradenton – 0-for-4, BB
6. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List
7. Alen Hanson, 2B, Indianapolis – 0-for-4
8. Cole Tucker, SS, West Virginia – 0-for-5
9. Elias Diaz, C, Indianapolis – 0-for-3, BB
10. Mitch Keller, RHP, Extended Spring Training
11. Harold Ramirez, OF, Extended Spring Training
12. Stephen Tarpley, LHP, Extended Spring Training
13. JaCoby Jones, SS, Bradenton – 1-for-5, RBI
14. Adrian Sampson, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
15. Trey Supak, RHP, Extended Spring Training
16. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Extended Spring Training
17. Barrett Barnes, OF, Bradenton – 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI
18. Clay Holmes, RHP, Bradenton – Disabled List
19. Cody Dickson, LHP, Bradenton – DNP
20. Willy Garcia, OF, Altoona – 1-for-5
21. John Holdzkom, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
22. Jordan Luplow, 3B, West Virginia – 0-for-3, BB
23. Connor Joe, 1B/3B – Extended Spring Training
24. Wyatt Mathisen, 3B, Bradenton – 2-for-4, 2 R
25. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 0 HR
26. Steven Brault, LHP, Bradenton – 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HR
27. Tito Polo, OF, West Virginia – DNP
28. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Extended Spring Training
29. Luis Heredia, RHP, Extended Spring Training
30. Taylor Gushue, C, West Virginia – 1-for-4, 2B
DAILY SUMMARY
Top Pitcher: Casey Sadler, RHP – 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Max Moroff, 2B – 3-for-5, 2 RBI, SB
Home Runs: Stetson Allie (4)
AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Result: Scranton/WB 2, Indianapolis 1
Starting Pitcher: Casey Sadler, RHP – 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Jose Tabata, RF – 3-for-4, R
Other Notable Performers:
Mel Rojas Jr., LF – 1-for-3
Deibinson Romero, 3B – 1-for-4, RBI
Game Notes: Casey Sadler pitched a great game on Saturday afternoon, but got no support in a 2-1 loss. He allowed just four hits and needed only 88 pitches(58 strikes) to get through seven innings. Sadler had a 12:2 GO/AO ratio in the game and struck out two batters. He has a 2.76 through five starts and he’s posted a Quality Start in each game(six or more innings, three or less runs).
The offense was basically Jose Tabata in this game, as he collected three hits and scored the only run. Tabata is now batting .353 through 22 games and has collected three hits in three of his last five starts. He is batting .520 in his last eight games. Deibinson Romero had the only RBI. He has driven in 19 runs this season.
AA: ALTOONA CURVE
Result: Harrisburg 7, Altoona 4
Starting Pitcher: Jason Creasy, RHP – 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Max Moroff, 2B – 3-for-5, 2 RBI, SB
Other Notable Performers:
Gift Ngoepe, SS – 2-for-4
Stetson Allie, RF – 2-for-4, HR, RBI, SB
Game Notes: Jason Creasy hasn’t been pitching like the control artist we saw last year in Bradenton. On Saturday, he walked two batters, while throwing just 47 of his 87 pitches for strikes. He had 22 walks all of last season and he threw 148.2 innings. Creasy is now at half that total in just 32 innings this year. He allowed three runs, raising his ERA to 2.53, and he had a 3:6 GO/AO ratio in this game. At the plate, Creasy had two base hits in two at-bats.
A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Result: Bradenton 5, Palm Beach 3
Starting Pitcher: Steven Brault, LHP – 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HR
Top Hitter: Barrett Barnes, LF – 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 2B
Other Notable Performers:
Edwin Espinal, 1B – 2-for-4, 2B
Wyatt Mathisen, 3B – 2-for-4, 2 R
Austin Meadows, CF – 3-for-5, 2B, 2 R
Game Notes: It looked like Steven Brault was going to have his third straight strong outing, but things fell apart a little at the end. In his previous two games combined, he went five innings each, allowing a total of one earned run. He had given up one run through five on Saturday, but a two-run homer with two outs in the sixth, knocked him out of the game. Brault now has a 4.56 ERA through six starts.
Austin Meadows helped lead the offense with three hits and two runs scored. He collected his sixth double of the season. Barrett Barnes, Edwin Espinal and Wyatt Mathisen all had two hits. Barnes drove in two runs, while Mathisen scored twice. Through nine games, Barnes is hitting .368 with four doubles. Reese McGuire had a tough night, going 0-for-4 and committing his fifth error. He is hitting .232 on the season, but in his last 17 games, he has a .178 average.
A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER
Result: Charleston 7, West Virginia 5
Starting Pitcher: Alex McRae, RHP – 4.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Jeff Roy – 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Other Notable Performers:
Jordan Luplow, 3B – 0-for-3, BB, R
Cole Tucker, SS – 0-for-5
Michael Suchy, RF – 1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB
Game Notes: West Virginia had a rough night defensively. They had two errors, with both coming from Tyler Filliben, who was starting at second base in place of Pablo Reyes. Filliben booted a grounder and had a throwing error, leading to three unearned runs off Alex McRae. The sinkerball pitcher wasn’t doing a good job of keeping the ball down early, giving up several fly balls and hard hit line drives. He adjusted and did a better job, but left after four innings.
Jake Burnette came on and had some control problems, leading to a four run fifth inning. He adjusted his approach after that first inning of work, leaning on his breaking pitches much more often than his fastball. His curveball is easily his best pitch, and got him through the rest of the outing. However, this is not an approach that will help him in the upper levels against more advanced hitters.
The opposing team stole at will off McRae and Burnette. Part of that was due to the pitchers, combined with the speed of Jorge Mateo, who stole four bases tonight and has 25 on the young season. West Virginia catcher Taylor Gushue didn’t have the most accurate throws. Six of his throws were to the left of the bag, including his throws down to third base. Two of the ones to the right side went wild, with one hitting the runner as he slid into the base, and the other being saved by Cole Tucker before going into center field. He did a better job in the ninth inning, with two throws on point to the second base side of the bag, getting his only two caught stealings in ten attempts. It also helped that he had Junior Lopez throwing 96 MPH heat and getting the ball to the plate faster than Burnette (who was going mostly off-speed) and McRae (who throws in the 88-91 range).
I’ve talked to a few scouts who are mostly focused on Cole Tucker this series, waiting to see something from his bat. He’s been cold the last few games, going 0-for-13 in the three games I’ve seen, and hasn’t had a hard hit ball during the series. All of his at-bats have come from the left side. This is a bigger trend than the last few games. He is on a 1-for-23 cold streak since losing an 11 game hitting streak last week. – Tim Williams
