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, 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, 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 the 2017 Mid-Season Update, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.
1. Mitch Keller, RHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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2. Austin Meadows, CF, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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3. Shane Baz, RHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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4. Cole Tucker, SS, Altoona – [insert_php]
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5. Kevin Newman, SS, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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6. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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7. Will Craig, 1B, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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8. Elias Diaz, C, Pirates – [insert_php]
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9. Taylor Hearn, LHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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10. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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11. Calvin Mitchell, OF, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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12. Braeden Ogle, LHP, Bristol – [insert_php]
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13. Edgar Santana, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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14. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Altoona -[insert_php]
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15. Steven Brault, LHP, Pirates– [insert_php]
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16. Clay Holmes, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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17. Jordan Luplow, LF, Pirates – [insert_php]
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18. Luis Escobar, RHP, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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19. Max Kranick, RHP, Bristol – [insert_php]
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20. Steven Jennings, RHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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21. Adrian Valerio, SS, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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22. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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23. Conner Uselton, OF, GCL Pirates – Disabled List
24. Max Moroff, INF, Pirates – [insert_php]
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25. Dovydas Neverauskas, RHP, Pirates – [insert_php]
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26. Eric Wood, 3B, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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27. Eduardo Vera, RHP, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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28. Logan Hill, LF, Altoona – [insert_php]
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29. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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30. Lolo Sanchez, CF, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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Indianapolis put away their division two days ago, but they continue to win, taking an 8-6 decision over Louisville on Thursday night. Nick Kingham started and had one really tough inning. In the third inning, he allowed four singles, a double and a triple, which led to four runs. Kingham finished with nine hits and a walk over five frames and allowed at least one runner in every inning. After a nice run earlier this month, this was not a strong finish to the season. His previous start was eight runs over 3.2 innings.
The Indians did almost all of their damage before they recorded a single out. The first seven batters of the game reached base safely and all seven came around to score. Louisville’s starter failed to record a single out before being removed. Erich Weiss, Christopher Bostick and Joey Terdoslavich each had two hits. Weiss drove in two runs, while Bostick also walked twice. Eric Wood drove in a run with his 25th double of the season.
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Altoona lost 4-3 in 11 innings to Richmond, but Bowie lost as well, so the Curve held on to their one-game lead in the division with four games left. Brandon Waddell had a terrific start, throwing six shutout innings before allowing two runs in the seventh. While he did miss a lot of time this season, this is still the first time he went longer than six innings in a start. Tanner Anderson followed Waddell with three no-hit innings, striking out three batters.
In the 11th inning, after Altoona scored a run in the top of the inning, Sean Keselica took over on the mound. He allowed line drive singles to the first two batters. After a sacrifice bunt, Richmond scored on a sacrifice fly. With two outs, Wyatt Mathisen threw away a grounder to end the game.
The Curve had 12 hits on the night, including three by lead-off hitter Cole Tucker, who also reached on a walk. Jerrick Suiter had a single and a double. Jin-De Jhang had a double and drove in two runs. Justin Maffei had two hits and a run scored. Jordan George and Elvis Escobar each had a single and a walk.
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Bradenton lost 8-2 on Thursday to Charlotte. The Marauders took an early lead in this game, getting a solo homer from Kevin Krause in the second inning. They added a run in the third inning on Mitchell Tolman’s ninth home run of the season. From that point on, it was all Charlotte in control.
Cam Vieaux started his final game of the season and gave up five runs on six hits and two walks over six innings. He had a 2.73 ERA in 11 starts with West Virginia earlier this season, but that went up to 4.69 in 13 games with the Marauders. Jordan Jess finished off the game and allowed three runs over two frames.
Besides his tenth home run of the season, Kevin Krause also drew two walks. Christian Kelley and Mitchell Tolman each had two hits. Will Craig and Ke’Bryan Hayes both had the day off.
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West Virginia lost 3-2 to Lakewood, but they still remained tied for first place in the division with four games left to the season. Stephan Meyer got the start and went five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks. He had five strikeouts and an 8:1 GO/AO ratio. Angel German followed and threw two shutout innings on no hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
The Power scored two runs in the sixth inning, as Adrian Valerio led off with a double, followed by a Clark Eagan walk. Henrry Rosario singled home Valerio, then after a ground out moved the runners up, Eagan scored on a Yoel Gonzalez single. Valerio also doubled in the seventh inning, his 18th of the season. Albert Baur hit his 28th double. Andrew Walker had two hits. The walk to Eagan was their only free pass of the game.
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Morgantown broke a seven-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over Auburn. Scooter Hightower started and pitched a strong game, allowing one unearned run over six innings on eight hits and no walks, while picking up nine strikeouts. He had a 5:1 GO/AO ratio, which is a change from his normally fly ball heavy outings. Hightower now has a 1.95 ERA. Yoandy Fernandez followed him and was even better, throwing three shutout innings while striking out six batters. He now has 50 strikeouts in 33.2 innings.
Hunter Owen picked up his first hit in three games with Morgantown, getting them on the board with a solo homer in the first inning. With the score tied 1-1 in the seventh, they pieced together two runs on three singles, a double and a walk. The Black Bears had just six hits in the game, so they were having trouble on offense outside of that one inning. Jared Oliva had a single, walk and an RBI. He also stole two bases to give him 15 steals on the season. Tristan Gray and Jason Delay each hit doubles.
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Bristol avoided 50 losses and the worst record in city history with an 8-3 win in their final game of the season. Domingo Robles started and went five innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and three walks. All 15 of his outs were either strikeouts (seven) or ground outs. The 19-year-old lefty finished with a 4.83 ERA in 69 innings this season.
Jacob Taylor allowed a run on two hits in his only inning. He ended up with an 8.35 ERA in 36.2 innings. Due to Tommy John surgery shortly after he signed in 2015, he had pitched just 11 innings as a pro during his first two years. After Drew Fischer threw a scoreless seventh, 11th round pick Alex Manasa finished his season with two shutout innings and three strikeouts.
Everyone in the lineup except lead-off hitter Luis Perez scored one run. Perez did end up with an RBI as his contribution. Yondry Contreras hit his seventh double and drove in a run. Ben Bengtson reached base all four times up with a single, two walks and a hit-by-pitch.
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The GCL Pirates lost 7-4 on Thursday, but the game wasn’t a total loss. Mason Martin hit his 11th home run of the season, setting a new high mark in the 50-year history of the GCL Pirates. He didn’t waste time either, hitting a solo shot in the first inning. The Tigers East took over from there, putting the next seven runs on the board. Martin would add a sacrifice fly in the eighth and then Manny Bejerano added a two-run shot with two outs in the ninth for his first home run as a pro.
Yeudry Manzanillo started the game and ended his season on a down note, allowing five runs (four earned) over two innings. The 18-year-old righty has a 4.11 ERA in 46 innings this season. Brian Sousa followed and gave up two runs (one earned) over five innings.
Jose Delgado, who has put up very poor stats this season (12.12 ERA, 2.67 WHIP), actually struck out all three batters he faced in his only inning of work. On the 20-80 scouting scale, you would classify his control as “terrifying for batters” so this is quite an accomplishment. During Extended Spring Training, one player told me that Delgado hit him three times during one at-bat in a sim game.
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The DSL Pirates finished with a 36-34 record.
