Will Thompson subs in on MLB while Trevor Hooth covers Triple-A, Tom Gates gets Double-A, Rhys White covers High-A and Samuel Gomez rounds it out on Single-A. We've got 78 players covered from yesterday's action in today's edition of The Daily Sheet.

Major League Baseball

Covered by Will Thompson

Jackson Jobe, RHP DET (MLB)

6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Jobe turned in the best start of his young career against a struggling Twins offense. His terrific command was on display, consistently pounding the strike zone all day with his five pitch mix. Jobe’s stuff is crazy good, but as Rhys White pointed out in his preseason report, he sometimes struggles to put guys away. That will get better with experience though and his cutter is continuing to improve with each outing as he gets used to that as his go-to pitch instead of the more traditional slider he had early in his minor league career. Really positive step forward today for Jobe as he pushes for a potential AL Rookie of the Year bid. 

Spencer Torkelson, 1B DET

2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, K

The resurgence and potential breakout of Spencer Torkelson has been one of the biggest stories of April and that continued today with two more hits and a 421 foot blast. The former first overall pick currently has a 187 wRC+ and a .392 xwOBA. Torkelson is making significantly better contact on pitches in the zone as well and while a .393 BABIP won’t sustain, I’m buying the hype. Needless to say this Tigers lineup gets a massive boost with a run producing Torkelson and he’s been perhaps the biggest reason for their 9-5 start. 

Ben Rice, DH NYY

2-for-4, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB 

When the news came down that Giancarlo Stanton was going to miss significant time to start the year, there was real concern about where the Yankees’ power was going to come from in their lineup. Enter Ben Rice who struggled last season, but the quality of contact was always there and was the victim of some brutal batted ball luck (.186 BABIP with a 38.5% hard hit rate). The 26-year-old has a swing perfectly made for Yankee Stadium, a dead-pull hitter who hits the ball hard in the air and doesn’t chase at all. Yes there will always be swing and miss and strikeout problems with Rice, but let’s take a look at some of his league ranks currently. He is first in all of baseball in hard hit percentage and average exit velocity, 97th percentile in xwOBA, 99th percentile in barrel percentage, and 94th percentile in chase rate. I’m totally buying the hype here and he is exactly the left handed power hitter that the Yankees needed but didn’t know they already had. 

Will Warren, RHP NYY

5 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO

The Yankees starting rotation has been decimated with injuries and that thrusted Will Warren right into the spotlight to see if he would sink or swim. So far the results have been mixed, but the righty has always been able to miss bats. Warren generated 14 whiffs today in five innings against the Giants, which included a 50% whiff rate on the fastball and 57% on his sweeper. He’s not going to light up a radar gun, but the fastball will miss bats with the carry it has and he can really spin it. The question with Warren has been throwing enough strikes which is still a work in progress, but yesterday’s start was definitely a step in the right direction.  

Brent Rooker, RF SAC

1-for-4, K

The reason Brent Rooker is on the daily sheet today has nothing to do with how he played, but for the fact that he played right field today, marking the first time he has been out of the DH slot all season. Coincidence that this comes as Nick Kurtz is absolutely annihilating Triple-A pitching? I sure think not. Moving Rooker out of the DH spot opens it up for Kurtz or Soderstrom to slide into that role while the other plays first base. It will be interesting to see how many times Mark Kotsay tests Rooker in the outfield before making the move for Kurtz hopefully on Monday. 

J.T. Ginn, RHP SAC

5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO

After two dominant starts in Triple-A Las Vegas, Ginn got the call-up for his season debut yesterday and he did not disappoint. Ginn heavily relies on his sinker and for good reason, it is absolutely filthy and averages 15 inches of horizontal movement. He’s a real tough matchup for right-handed hitters who struggle against a sinker with so much run. Joey Estes got the first shot as the A’s number five starter, but after two awful outings and Ginn’s success today, it’s likely Ginn’s spot for at least the next few starts. 

🚑 Richard Fitts, RHP BOS

 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO 

Just as Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito are almost ready to come back for the Red Sox, it looks like they have another injury to the starting rotation. It’s a real shame because I’m really high on Fitts and he was on his way to the best start of his young career in this one before he yanked a sweeper and immediately grabbed his pec and called out the trainer. The Red Sox initially have called it “right shoulder pain” and Fitts is heading back to Boston tomorrow for an MRI, but I would be very surprised if there’s not an IL stint coming.  

Anthony Santander, DH TOR

1-for-4 HR, R, RBI

The Blue Jays finally got a premiere free agent to take their money when they gave Anthony Santander a five-year $92.5 million contract this winter, but the results so far have been quite ugly. Finally the switch-hitter hit his first home run in a Jays uniform yesterday and funny enough that came at his old stomping grounds at Camden Yards. He’s only 15 games in, so a small sample, but his GB rate is way up to 43% so far (31% last season) and his hard contact rate is down to 27%. Needless to say, a dead-pull hitter hitting soft ground balls is not a recipe for success. Santander can get on a hot streak at any point though and see that power come back, but Toronto hopes it comes soon for their big FA signing. 

Matt Mervis, 1B MIA

1-for-3, HR, RBI, R, BB, K

It appears that Matt Mervis getting dealt to the Marlins might be the best thing that could have happened to him, but how sustainable is it? The Marlins have given him the chance to play and the 26-year-old has run with it, posting a .989 OPS and 167 wRC+ in his first 32 ABs, which includes his fourth homer of the season today. There are still major swing and miss concerns with Mervis and he’s punching out at a 40% rate and he doesn’t walk nearly enough with that kind of strikeout problems. However, his average exit velocity this season is 96.4 MPH, putting him in the 99th percentile of big league hitters. Four homers in 10 games is absurd, but I’m too concerned about the strikeout rate right now to really buy in yet.   

💣💣 Sean Murphy, C ATL

2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K

It is so good to have Sean Murphy back healthy and let’s hope it stays that way. A double dong day for the backstop and he’s now 5-for-15 with three home runs since coming off the IL. Murphy had a rough 2024, injuring his oblique on opening day and saw his offensive production plummet after he got back but let’s hope this start could be a sign of things to come for the 30-year-old. 

Jonathan Aranda, 1B TB

3-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, R, 2 BB 

Aranda was a guy I thought could really break out at the plate coming into the season after posting a .362 xwOBA last year despite modest numbers overall and so far he’s torn the cover off the ball. Certainly playing in a minor league stadium has helped his offensive numbers, but eight of his 14 hits have been for extra bases. He’s also hitting the ball in the air a lot more early which has helped. 

Luis L. Ortiz, RHP CLE

5.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 SO

After a brutal opening day start, Ortiz has bounced back nicely and was brilliant last night against the Royals, allowing just one hit and punching out 10. Could he become the latest Cleveland pitching reclamation project? Ortiz generated 16 whiffs in this one, including eight at a 47% rate with the fastball. To this point, Cleveland is making out pretty well in the Spencer Horwitz deal with the Pirates. 

Emmanuel Clase, RHP CLE

1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

It’s been an ugly start for Clase, who has already allowed more earned runs this season (6) than he allowed in the entire 2025 regular season (5). I’m not concerned at all about him though, given his stuff still looks the same and he still has a 3.70 FIP and 3.29 xFIP, but relievers are weird so he’ll be someone to monitor. I’m still starting him in fantasy and I think he’ll break out of this rut soon.  

Chase Dollander, RHP COL

5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO

Dollander pitched a lot better than his line indicated in this one and also got no help from the road Rockies offense. He had everything working though, with a fastball up to 99 and mixed all four pitches well. The two runs came from two mistake pitches to Tatis and Jason Heyward that got hit out of the ballpark, but for his second start against a really good Padres lineup, this was a great second start for Dollander in the big leagues. 

Roki Sasaki, RHP LAD

5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO 

Well, if you saw the 16-0 final score, you probably would have thought that Roki Sasaki imploded on the mound. However, the rookie actually threw the ball quite well and got through five innings for the first time in his major league career. Sasaki’s splitter was terrific per usual, generating four whiffs and was largely around the strike zone, showing improved command and control. The Dodgers are being super careful with Sasaki and his usage, which is frustrating to fantasy owners in the early going, who would also like to see him miss more bats to optimize his fantasy value. 

💣💣 Carson Kelly, C CHC

3-for-3, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB

An absolute monster day for Carson Kelly, who seems to go on the hottest of hot streaks before settling back into his backup catcher role. The 30-year-old launched two homers in the Cubs historic rout of the Dodgers, including one off a 40 MPH eephus pitch from Miguel Rojas, but hey they count just the same! So far in 2025, Kelly is hitting an absurd 10-for-24 with four homers and 10 walks to just three strikeouts. That pace will obviously not continue, but Kelly’s hot streaks are something to behold. 

Triple-A

Covered by Trevor Hooth

Nathan Wiles, RHP TB (Triple-A) 

4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

The Braves traded for Nathan Wiles from the Rays just a couple weeks ago in exchange for cash. He’s started two games with his new organization where he’s thrown 8 scoreless innings, given up only a single hit, and struck out 10. This is his second season starting in Triple-A, where he worked both as a starter and reliever for the Rays a year ago. 

Coby Mayo, 3B BAL (Triple-A) 

1-for-1, HR, R, RBI, 2 BB

Playing first base, just as he has for half the games he’s been in the field to this point, Coby Mayo hit his second homer of the season. Don’t look now, but he’s on a 6 game hit streak, where he’s 7-for-23 with four extra base hits. Don’t look now, but The Condiment may have figured things out.

🔜 Connor Norby, 3B MIA (Triple-A) 

3-for-4, HR, 2 R, RBI

Just waiting to take his spot in the Marlins lineup back, Connor Norby has started his rehab assignment. This was his first game working back, and he joined Jesús Sánchez as the Marlins intended lineup moves closer to becoming healthy.

Agustín Ramírez, C MIA (Triple-A) 

1-for-1, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB

The Marlins soon to be catcher, probably, just hit his second homer of the year. He’s also hitting .298 with a trio of stolen bases on the year. Agustín Ramírez is an offense-first catcher with a reputation for power and a history of stealing some bases. The question is how long Miami will run Liam Hicks out there over Ramírez. There’s probably a magical service time date out there somewhere.

Moisés Ballesteros, C CHC (Triple-A) 

2-for-6, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB

Speaking of catchers who rake, Moisés Ballesteros exists in Triple-A. These are his numbers across both games of a double header. He’s hitting .310 on the season. Oh, and he’s only 21-years-old doing this in Triple-A.

Hao-Yu Lee, 2B DET (Triple-A) 

2-for-3, 3B, RBI

This is Hao-Yu Lee’s second triple of the season, but he is only hitting .200. He has walked as much as he struck out, which is 15.1 percent of the time. After being a player to watch in Spring, he’s underperformed early on. 

Malcom Nuñez, 1B PIT (Triple-A) 

2-for-3, HR, 2B, R, 2 RBI

I was a little shocked to learn Malcom Nuñez is only 24-years-old. His prospect arc dating back to his time with the Cardinals has taken a full cycle. This was his first game of the double header where he showed the pop. He’s no longer a big prospect, but he still has some juice in his bat and his still young. 

🔜 Alexis Díaz, RHP CIN (Triple-A) 

1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Another rehab outing for Alexis Díaz who is hoping to take over a closer role with the Reds when he does get back. That may not be a given, but whatever is going to happen should happen soon. His rehab assignment shouldn’t be too much longer. 

Carson Williams, SS TB (Triple-A) 

1-for-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, K

One of the games top prospects has his first Triple-A homerun. By the end of the doubleheader he’s hitting .200. It’s all early season and small samples, of course. Plus he’s walking 16 percent of the time. I’m not fully sure what my point here is. Williams is good at baseball and he did a good baseball thing in this game, let’s leave it at that. 

Tanner Murray, 2B TB (Triple-A) 

2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI, K

The Rays are clearly stacked with talent, but I just wanted to throw some love to Tanner Murray. The 2020 4th rounder is hitting .333 with a pair of bombs and 7 doubles. That being said he’s swinging a lot this year and barely walking. Results are results, though. 

Addison Barger, 3B TOR (Triple-A) 

1-for-3, HR, R, RBI

I just very quickly would like to mention that this homerun by Addison Barger was a 113.6 MPH rocket that travelled 407 feet. That is all.

Marco Luciano, OF SFG (Triple-A) 

2-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, 5 RBI, BB, K

Oh how the mighty have fallen. At one point Marco Luciano was considered a future lineup cornerstone, but that just isn’t the case anymore. He’s still striking out 30 percent of the time and is hitting .182. That being said, this is his 3rd bomb of the year. When in the field this year he’s exclusively been an outfielder. 

Tyler Locklear, 1B SEA (Triple-A) 

3-for-5, 2B, 2 R, K

Another good game from Tyler Locklear who is now slashing .302/.375/.465. The strikeout rate is high, but the walk rate is solid. Rowdy Tellez is hitting .107 through his first 10 games, so at some point it would make sense that Locklear gets a chance at that first base job. Especially if Tellez doesn’t turn things around.

💣💣 Samad Taylor, OF SEA (Triple-A) 

3-for-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 BB

For a guy who has 71 career homers in the minors and 229 stolen bases, it’s interesting to see Samad Taylor starting the year with 4 homers and 0 stolen bases. Guess he’s a power hitter now! A double dong day is not going un-sheeted, that’s all I know for sure. 

Emerson Hancock, RHP SEA (Triple-A) 

4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

Is this the same guy that didn’t make it out of a whole inning against the Tigers? In his two games since joining Tacoma he’s struck out 12 batters in 9.2 innings. He just needs to figure out how to make this success translate, which he has not done so far at the big league level. 

Colby Thomas, OF ATH (Triple-A) 

2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, K

Colby Thomas is back up to his old tricks, hitting around .270 with bombs. He had 31 of them last year. I’ll be honest, and this is just a me thing, I feel like I’m the low man. The strikeout rate concerns me with Thomas. It was at 30 percent in Triple-A last year and is currently sitting at 27 percent. It’s just something I’m watching with him. 

Nick Kurtz, 1B ATH (Triple-A) 

2-for-5, HR, 2 R, RBI, K

To say that Nick Kurtz had a sheet-worthy day is to say that Nick Kurtz was in the lineup again. Here’s the deal, I’m getting a little tired of having to write this dude up for Triple-A once a week. Is 7 bombs not good enough? Is .386 not good enough? Dude rakes, there’s your scouting report. Call him up.

Jacob Lopez, LHP ATH (Triple-A) 

5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K

Double digit strikeout day is worth some Sheet love. Here are some facts from Jacob Lopez’s player page: He was a 26th rounder by the Giants in 2018, he was sent over along with Jeffery Springs, and he went to College of the Canyons (which sounds awesome?). Oh, also he’s posted a 2.45 ERA with 22 strikeouts in his first 14.2 innings which seems good. 

💣💣 Hyeseong Kim, SS LAD (Triple-A) 

2-for-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, K

A double dong day for Hyeseong Kim who is hitting .293 and seeming like he wants to force his way into the star studded LAD lineup. As if two bombs in one game wasn’t enough, one of them was reportedly 106 MPH off the bat and went 462 feet. That seems pretty good. 

💣💣 James Outman, OF LAD (Triple-A) 

2-for-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, 2 K

Twice in one game James hit the ball Out, man. There’e my whole analysis. He had helium for a minute, but he’s still hitting just .169 with a 37 percent strikeout rate so far in Triple-A this year.

Ernesto Martinez Jr., 1B MIL (Triple-A) 

2-for-3, HR, R, 4 RBI, BB, K

I really wasn’t even going to write up Ernesto Martinez Jr. for The Sheet today. Don’t get me wrong he’s hitting .316 and doing everything well. But there’s so many dudes in Triple-A today. Then I saw the homerun. Just watch it.

🔜 Brandon Woodruff, RHP MIL (Triple-A) 

3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

It’s been a long time, but Brandon Woodruff is back on a mound throwing baseballs again. He hasn’t pitched in a game since 2023, so this is going to be a long rehab, but the it’s started at least. 

🔜 Lance McCullers Jr., RHP HOU (Triple-A) 

4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Much like Woodruff, it’s been a long time for Lance McCullers Jr. This was not his first rehab outing, however. It seems like McCullers Jr. is on track to rejoin the rotation in a matter of weeks at this point after a scoreless outing in this rehab start.

A.J. Blubaugh, RHP HOU (Triple-A) 

4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Apparently A.J. Blubaugh was up to 97.7 MPH during this 4 inning save? I’m hyped. He has a 1.38 ERA in his 13 innings so far, where he’s posted a 14.54 K/9 and 2.77 BB/9. My goodness. More like A.J. Buybaugh because I would be collecting shares. 

Jordan Lawlar, SS ARI (Triple-A) 

3-for-4, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI, 3 BB

It’s hard to say anything other than it’s been a long, weird road for Jordan Lawlar. He’s always had talent, but injuries have gotten in the way. It’s good to see him have some success. Double doubles in this one with a throng of walks. He stood out the most in a game where his team scored 20 runs. 

🔜 Zach Neto, SS LAA (Triple-A) 

1-for-4, 2 R, BB

The rehab assignment continues for Zach Neto, who collected another hit and walk in this one while DHing. He’s hitting .306, and he is expected to start playing full games at shortstop soon. 

Double-A

Covered by Tom Gates

Rubel Cespedes, 1B MIN (Double-A)

2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI

Cespedes has two homers this year, both off of breaking pitches that he was able to golf out. Being 24-years old, you’d like to see the good contact numbers continue and start to add some more power.. He’s off to a good start.

Connor Prielipp, LHP MIN (Double-A)

2.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 5 K

After cruising through the first two innings, Prielipp started getting hit around. A couple line drives, some seeing eyed singles and a throwing error racked up the pitch count and that was it for Prielipp. He did have a 31% CSW and he was touching 99 mph in this start. The plan all along has been to take it slow with him. According to the GM, he will remain a starter for now.

Josh Hatcher, 1B TEX (Double-A)

4-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI, K

He’s batting a cool .529 through 34 at-bats with three home runs. 26-years old. Probably time to give him another shot at Triple-A.

💣💣 Kemp Alderman, RF MIA (Double-A)

4-for-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, SB

It was such a bizarre night for Alderman. Both his home runs were off Jackson Baumeister. Both were to right-field. The wind was only blowing out 5 mph. I don’t think the first one leaves many other stadiums, but I don’t want to take away from the fact that Alderman did an amazing job of getting the barrel on the bat. He followed up his two opposite field home runs with two more hits the opposite way. He’s been a 60% ground ball guy so far this year and pulling over 50% of his batted balls…but not tonight. 

Brock Wilken, 3B MLW (Double-A)

2-for-4, 2B, 2 K

No, they weren’t home runs, but a positive sign he was putting the bat on the ball. It could be a big year for Brock. I feel like the pressure is on him a little.

Jose Fleury, RHP HOU (Double-A)

6 IP, H, 2 BB, 9 K

Fleury came out of the game not messing around and not holding anything back. In his first strikeout of the game, he got ahead with the fastball, mixed in his hard slider to get strike two, and then finished the batter off with a change up. On the season, he has given up 7 hits through 11 innings and struck out 13. This might be a guy to watch. 

Tommy Troy, 2B AZ (Double-A)

4-for-5, 2 2B, 3 R, RBI, BB, SB

We shouldn’t be totally surprised here because we were buying into Troy coming out of Stanford. He was going later in the first round of FYPDs. He has more walks than strikeouts. A ridiculous 45% linedrive rate so far. Qudos to those who bought the dip last year.

Jaden Hamm, RHP DET (Double-A)

4 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K

Maybe you lose a little focus or fire when your team spots you seven runs before you take the mound? Maybe you sat around so long in the top of the first you struggled to stay loose. Hamm wasn’t giving up many hits through the air. There were a lot of singles that found their way through the infield. This is one of those pitching lines that could have looked much better if those balls were a couple feet in either direction.

Sal Stewart, 3B CIN (Double-A)

3-for-4, HR, 2B, R, 4 RBI

Feel free to turn “everytime Tom writes about Sal Stewart” into a drinking game. Stewart doubled off of Noah Schultz in the first and then walked it off with a grand slam in the 7th (part of a double header). He went 0-for-1 in the second game with two walks. He’s everything I look for in a fantasy player.

Noah Schultz, LHP CHW (Double-A)

5 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 6 K

Hagen Smith, LHP CHW (Double-A)

0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Having Schultz make it through five innings is something he didn’t get a chance to do last year at all. 84 pitches was 16 more than he had in any outing last year. On the other hand, Smith couldn’t get through the first due to his pitch count. 

Yohandy Morales, DH WSN (Double-A)

2-for-3, HR, R, 2 RBI

A Jeter-esk inside out swing for Morales results in his first home run of the year. Yohandy is going to need to get the ball in the air more in order to utilize his plus raw power. Only a 23% flyball rate last year which resulted in 5 home runs. 

High-A

Covered by Rhys White

George Lombard Jr., 2B NYY (High-A)

2-for-4, R 

Brendan Jones, CF NYY (High-A)

2-for-4, R

Identical stat lines for the top of the order of the Hudson Valley Renegades. Lombard Jr. is a back-end of the Top 100 type of hitter for us, and Jones might be tooling his way into being in the back half of the Yankees list. Both of these guys are incredibly athletic and have some speed to go along with them. The dream with Lombard is he can become a 20/20 threat and maybe become the shortstop the Yankee faithful love after Derek Jeter. Jones looks like a nice fourth-outfield type. 

Rodney Green Jr., CF SAC (High-A)

1-for-6, HR, R, RBI

The Mean Green Homer Hitting Machine ™ is at it again. This is his third homer of the season, and unfortunately, this seems to be the only sort of contact he is making these days. There are some serious concerns about the hit tool as far as it comes with Rodney. Green is currently striking out 37.5% of the time in the season's early going. There is tantalizing power and speed here, but the contact part is scary. 

Steven Echavarria, RHP SAC (High-A)

3.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R (ER), 2 BB, 5 K 

The defense let Echavarria down, but everything was there for the young right-handed pitcher. Echavarria is one of the more unheralded pitching prospects in the low minors, mostly because of the organization he plays for, and there is no statcast data, so the statcast merchants, as a scout last night, called them can’t just post about them, this isn’t how I feel, but a lot of scouts think this way about the online pitching discourse. 

👟 Jose Devers, SS CLE (High-A)

4-for-5, HR, 2B, R, 4 RBI, 2 SB

With how well Jose Devers is hitting, you need to make a speculative FAAB bid on him. He is showing off plenty of power and has pitched in with two stolen bases. I am unsure if I will buy it, and Justin Lada, the guards' prospect, agrees. But hey, sometimes you have to ride the wave. I should write a swing change article about him to see if it is sustainable. 

Adam Serwinowski, LHP CLE (High-A)

4 IP, H, BB, 6 K 

The leftie is wheeling and dealing in this one; after being unable to go in his last start, it looks like the sleeper in the Reds organization was out in full force. The changeup is one of the best in the low minors, and his feel for killing loft on it is excellent. He also showed off a good breaker last year. There are the ingredients here for a good four/five starters. Just pitchers in Great American scare me. 

Aidan Smith, CF TB (High-A)

2-for-4, 3B, 2 R, RBI

Smith may be too advanced for this level. Aidan Smith’s ability to spray batted balls across the field is incredible. There will be more power to come, and I would not be surprised if he didn’t sell off some contact for power, which would push him to a different stratosphere of prospect-dom. But as currently constructed, he could be an excellent 25-homer bat with 20 stolen-base upsides because he is sneaky athletic. 

Gary Gill Hill, RHP TB (High-A)

5 IP, 3 H, 2 R (ER), BB, 4 K HR Allowed

Gary the Snail is your favorite pitching prospects’ favorite pitching prospect. It is interesting how little love he gets from some other outlets. After Santiago Suarez, I think he is the next best pitching prospect with the Rays, followed by Brody Hopkins. But Hopkins gets all the buzz. Gill Hill’s breaking ball is Taj Bradleyesque. 

Didier Fuentes, RHP ATL (High-A)

6 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K 

I am not the biggest Didier Funtes fan out there. I am probably the “low guy,” and that is perfectly fine. I just think that ultimately, a team like the Braves keeps it no secret which pitchers they care about because they move aggressively. I think also the pitch mix is very relieving. Every time I watch him, I see a reliever. 

Juan Valera, RHP BOS (High-A)

4 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR Allowed 

He was still pumping in the upper 90s, which is nice. Valera's ability to throw 100+ with strikes makes me wonder how high the ceiling is with him. I prefer him to Didier Fuentes, and I think there is still a buying opportunity here. 102, with a killer breaking ball that doesn’t grow on trees. Even if he is a reliever like Fuentes, he could be nasty. 

Vance Honeycutt, CF BAL (High-A)

2-for-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI, BB

The volatile hit king came through. I have serious questions about his hit tool, but if Honeycutt can be a 40-hit guy, he could be an absolute star with his power and speed. The absolute dream here is a 30-homer bat with 30 stole-base upside. 

Single-A

Covered by Samuel Gomez

Braden Montgomery, CF CWS (Single-A) 

3-for-5, RBI, 2 K

Montgomery’s early season strikeout problem has continued to persist, but if he continues to rack up base hits the way he is, it won’t matter too much. He’s proving to be the high-upside guy we thought he was during last season’s draft and it’ll be exciting to watch him try to discover how high his ceiling is.

Tommy Hawke, CF CLE (Single-A) 

4-for-8, 2 R, 2 BB, K, 5 SB (Doubleheader)

Welcome to the daily sheet Tommy Hawke! Hawke is an electrifying center fielder with elite wheels, highlighted today by his five steals in two games. He has terrific bat-to-ball skills and also works walks at a high clip. He’s a high-floor, low-ceiling guy who’s always going to be a fun watch.

Cole Hertzler, RHP HOU (Single-A) 

4.2 IP, 4 H, 7 K

Hertzler is a big-bodied righty in the Astros organization. His fastball looked live today and the pitch gets great carry. His sweepy slider also looked good and got misses.

Alexander Meckley, RHP WSH (Single-A) 

5 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K

After a rough first start against Carolina, Meckley settled in and got his first win of the year in the first game of a doubleheader against Fredericksburg. He throws from a high slot with a power fastball and two breaking pitches. There’s reliever risk with him, but he threw like a true pitcher today and limited hard contact.

Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, DH MIA (Single-A) 

3-for-5, 2 2B, R, 4 RBI, K, SB

Jenkins-Cowart has only hit one homer in his first 125 professional at-bats. As a 6-6 corner guy, you’d expect more, but his raw power is evident and he’s even a competent fielder. The hit tool has shown up so far this season and he’ll rise up prospect rankings if the in-game power eventually comes.

A.J. Ewing, CF NYM (Single-A) 

3-for-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, K

Ewing’s an exciting player who’s shown the ability to play center field and second base. His value has always been with his defense and athleticism, but he’s been red hot at the plate to start the year. We’ll see how long he can keep it up.

Ryan Andrade, RHP TBR (Single-A) 

5 IP, H, 3 BB, 4 K

Drafted last year in the 7th round, the Rays put a decent amount of stock into a guy who had a 7.29 ERA his junior year at Pitt. However, it is the Rays, so there’s obviously something here. Andrade has a clean, over-the-top delivery and he attacked hitters with his low to mid-90s fastball. The shape of the pitch is good and he supplemented it with a vertical slider that has hard downward bite.

Maxton Martin, LF TEX (Single-A) 

4-for-5, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI

This is the second time I’ve written about Martin on the Single-A daily sheet this year. He continued his electric start with four more hits, which makes it twelve in his last five games. Seven of his fifteen total hits have gone for extra bases and at only 19 years old, there may be some more upside than most teams thought going into the 2023 draft.

Bryan Balzer, RHP SDP (Single-A) 

4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Balzer was signed out of Japan in January 2023. He has a sinking fastball that he pairs with a splitter and a slider. His secondaries were a bit inconsistent in terms of both location and shape, but there were times when they looked nasty. 

Sean Linan, RHP LAD (Single-A) 

4.2 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 8 K

Linan has struck out 19 batters in only 10 innings of work this season. He also only walked one in this start and has two on the year, which continues the trend of his command looking better and better. His changeup looked excellent and while reliever risk is evident, he seems to be quelling those concerns every time he takes the mound.

Tzu-Chen Sha, RHP ATH (Single-A) 

6 IP, 2 H, 9 K

After playing an important role out of the bullpen in a combined no-hitter in his last appearance, Sha started this game and was terrific. He has a super loose and explosive delivery with most of his stuff moving armside. He has a 4-seamer and more of a sinker, as well as a changeup and a slider. The changeup is my favorite pitch in his arsenal and I think there’s room for it to further develop, considering his loose arm and delivery.