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 – Disabled List
2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List
3. Austin Meadows, CF, Bradenton – 2-for-4, BB, SB
4. Josh Bell, 1B, Altoona – 2-for-4, 2B
5. Reese McGuire, C, Bradenton – 0-for-4
6. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List
7. Alen Hanson, 2B, Indianapolis – 1-for-4
8. Cole Tucker, SS, West Virginia – 1-for-7
9. Elias Diaz, C, Indianapolis – 0-for-4
10. Mitch Keller, RHP, Extended Spring Training
11. Harold Ramirez, OF, Bradenton – 1-for-4, BB
12. Stephen Tarpley, LHP, West Virginia – DNP
13. JaCoby Jones, SS, Bradenton – 2-for-3, 2 BB
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
18. Clay Holmes, RHP, Bradenton – Disabled List
19. Cody Dickson, LHP, Bradenton – DNP
20. Willy Garcia, OF, Altoona – 2-for-4
21. John Holdzkom, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List
22. Jordan Luplow, 3B, West Virginia – 1-for-5, HR, BB
23. Connor Joe, 1B, West Virginia – 1-for-6
24. Wyatt Mathisen, 3B, Bradenton – 0-for-4
25. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – 7.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR
26. Steven Brault, LHP, Bradenton – DNP
27. Tito Polo, OF, West Virginia – 0-for-6, SB
28. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Extended Spring Training
29. Luis Heredia, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
30. Taylor Gushue, C, West Virginia – 0-for-5
DAILY SUMMARY
Top Pitcher: Alex McRae, RHP – 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Erich Weiss, 2B – 3-for-4, BB
Home Runs: Gorkys Hernandez (3), Keon Broxton (3), Jordan Luplow (2)
AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Result: Indianapolis 10, Buffalo 5
Starting Pitcher: Casey Sadler, RHP – 7.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR
Top Hitter: Gorkys Hernandez, CF – 1-for-4, HR
Other Notable Performers:
Alen Hanson, 2B – 1-for-4
Gustavo Nunez, SS – 2-for-5
Steve Lombardozzi, RF – 2-for-4, BB
Brent Morel, 1B – 2-for-5
Game Notes: For the first time in eight starts this season, Casey Sadler gave up more than three earned runs. This was the second time he gave up more than two earned runs. However, the one consolation here is that he still managed to go seven innings, extending that streak to four straight starts. Sadler remains the top option right now to go to Pittsburgh if another starter is needed, although I’d imagine Vance Worley is ahead of him on the depth chart. Gorkys Hernandez led the offense today, hitting a grand slam in the fifth inning. Ryan Palencer wrote today about how Hernandez is finally adding a bat to his strong defense and speed combo. Deibinson Romero is going to Korea, and tonight was the first night without him. Pedro Florimon stepped in at third base, with Gustavo Nunez taking the shortstop role. I’m guessing third base will be fluid, with Brent Morel getting some time, and Steve Lombardozzi possibly entering into the mix.
AA: ALTOONA CURVE
Result: New Britain 6, Altoona 4
Starting Pitcher: Zack Dodson, LHP – 6.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR
Top Hitter: Keon Broxton, CF – 1-for-5, HR
Other Notable Performers:
Josh Bell, 1B – 2-for-4, 2B
Max Moroff, 2B – 3-for-5, SB
Willy Garcia, LF – 2-for-4
Jacob Stallings, C – 3-for-3
Game Notes: Altoona continued their hot hitting, although it wasn’t enough to beat New Britain tonight. Max Moroff had a three hit game, and stole his seventh base of the year. Moroff has a hit in seven of his last eight games since snapping his on-base streak last week. Josh Bell extended his hitting streak to eight games with a two hit night, and added his seventh double of the year. Willy Garcia has also been hot lately, going 6-for-22 since returning from a few games off after getting hit in the face with a bat. Keon Broxton hit his third homer of the year, and his second in as many nights.
A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Result: Daytona 8, Bradenton 4
Starting Pitcher: Jayson Aquino, LHP – 5.0 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Erich Weiss, 2B – 3-for-4, BB
Other Notable Performers:
Austin Meadows, CF – 2-for-4, BB, SB
JaCoby Jones, SS – 2-for-3, 2 BB
Barrett Barnes, LF – 2-for-5, 2B
Jin-De Jhang, DH – 2-for-4, 2B
Harold Ramirez, RF – 1-for-4, BB
Game Notes: Harold Ramirez made his debut for the Marauders, and showed some nice range in right field. That’s to be expected from a center fielder who is only in right field due to Austin Meadows being on the same team. He also showed off some good arm strength, and the opposing team didn’t test him much, holding runners up at third, rather than sending them home. Offensively, he picked up a hit in his first at-bat, singling up the middle to extend his hitting streak to 24 games, with the first 23 coming at the end of the 2014 season with West Virginia.
Barrett Barnes doubled down the third base line on a hard grounder, then showed off a bit of power with a long flyout to center, being caught at the wall at around the 380-390 foot range. Jin-De Jhang also showed some power, crushing a pitch to right field for a double. Erich Weiss had a great night of getting on base, reaching base safely in four of five attempts. The one time he missed was when he failed to lay down a bunt for a hit.
Jayson Aquino looked great in his first outing with the Marauders, but has struggled the last two. He started off strong tonight, striking out the side in his first three pitches. From there, he struggled, giving up too many hits, and not showing the best stuff. He was sitting 88-91 MPH with his fastball, but was giving up too many hits. There were only a few that were hit hard, but he definitely wasn’t the easy ground ball machine that he looked like in his first outing.
A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER
Result: West Virginia 5, Lakewood 2
Starting Pitcher: Alex McRae, RHP – 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Jordan Luplow, 3B – 1-for-5, HR, BB
Other Notable Performers:
Michael Suchy, RF – 2-for-5, BB
Jerrick Suiter, DH – 2-for-3, 2 BB
Junior Lopez, RHP – 3.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 HR
Game Notes: West Virginia’s bats didn’t look good until the 14th inning on Tuesday, when Jordan Luplow connected on his second home run of the season. They ended up winning 5-2, despite some poor base running and only seven hits on the night (six singles). Alex McRae looked good, throwing six shutout innings and giving up just three hits and no walks. McRae was using all of his pitches effectively, hitting 93 MPH with his fastball. He got a lot of swinging strikes, including six strikeouts that all ended with the batter going down swinging. After a soft line drive single from the lead-off batter in the bottom of the first, McRae held Lakewood to an infield single to third base and a bunt single over six innings.
Nothing was hit hard against McRae, but the Power didn’t do much better until the last inning. They had a lot of soft contact and lazy fly balls. In the sixth, Jerrick Suiter hit a grounder up the middle for a base hit. He scored all the way from first on a sac bunt from Elvis Escobar that turned into a little league triple. Escobar scored on a well-placed single between the first and second baseman by Cole Tucker, who then made a bad base running blunder. With the right fielder coming in on the ball and picking it up in shallow right field at about the same time he was reaching first base, Tucker took a huge turn around the bag and was easily thrown out trying to get back to the base. It looked like even the right fielder was surprised at how far he went, because there was a slight hesitation before the short throw. Later on Michael Suchy got doubled off first base on a fly ball to right field and Connor Joe, who picked up his first hit in four games, was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double and a poor throw still got him fairly easy.
Luplow not only had the big hit of the game, he was also very busy at third base. He had a few plays that weren’t routine and almost made a couple tough plays. He looks like he has potential at his new position, but definitely needs work there, and that is to be expected.
Junior Lopez extended his shutout streak to 17.2 innings by throwing three shutout frames to pick up the victory. He has an 0.48 ERA this season and hasn’t given up a run since his first appearance of the year. – John Dreker
