Seven a.m., waking up in the morning. Gotta be fresh, gotta go downstairs. Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal. Seein' everything, the time is goin'. Tickin' on and on, everybody's rushin'. Gotta get down to the bus stop. Gotta catch my bus, I see my friends. Kickin' in the front seat. Sittin' in the back seat. Gotta make my mind up
Which seat can I take? It's Friday, Friday! Gotta get down on Friday! Everybody's lookin' forward to the weekend, weekend! Friday, Friday! Gettin' down on Friday. Everybody's lookin' forward to the weekend. It’s The Minor League Daily Sheet!
Alex Kirilloff, DH MIN (Triple-A) 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI
He had his 44 plate appearance regular season debut before going down with injury. This is technically a rehab assignment but Kirilloff still falls within prospect thresholds. He hit for power early in the season but struggled to make contact overall. Based on his minor league track record I think that will come around.
Vidal Brujan, CF TB (Triple-A) 1-for-4, BB, 3 SB
This was a quiet night for Brujan comparatively. Stole three stolen bases getting on base twice and started in centerfield. These are all good things. There’s a ton to love about Brujan’s profile if he can play everyday in the outfield. His versatility and toolsy skillset make him a high upside prospect with a potential major league role in the short term.
Keston Hiura, 1B MIL (Triple-A) 3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
We’re all rooting for Hiura to get back into the groove. He revealed this week he had family issues he was dealing with as his mother battles lymphoma. Get well soon Ms. Hiura! Your son had a hell of a night at the plate, collecting three hitters including a homer, and running his Triple-A average up to .400 post demotion.
Miguel Yajure, RHP PIT (Triple-A) 6 IP, 3 H, ER, 5 K
He’s already had some MLB time and performed well in two starts with the Pirates. He contributes to perform in Triple-A and it’s only a matter of time before he’s in the Pittsburgh rotation for good. He legitimately mixes five pitches and throws lots of strikes. It’s an awkward at bat for hitters as Yajure’s feel for his arsenal leaves batter's guessing.
Brett Cumberland, C BAL (Triple-A) 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
The former Braves farmhand is slashing .320/.404/.540 and connected for his third homer of the season yesterday afternoon. Cumberland has always shown on base ability and little else. If he’s taken a step forward with his power he’s got a real shot as a backup catcher at the MLB level.
Jesus Sanchez, OF MIA (Triple-A) 2-for-4, HR
At this point I’m going to just put Sanchez’s name on the sheet, write some glowing hyperbole, and fill in the stats after. He’s now slashing .509/.536/1.038 with seven homers across seven games and 53 at bats. This is some extra terrestrial type stuff from The Jesus.
Luis Garcia, SS WAS (Triple-A) 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB
He pulled up on the Mendoza line with this 1-for-4 performance. It hasn’t been a great run early on for Garcia in Rochester. He has shown power in the early going but it seems to have come at the expense of his previously strong bat to ball skills. It’s still early but worth waiting to see where this goes.
Michael Gettys, OF BOS (Triple-A) 1-for-4, HR
Contact is not Mr. Gettys strong suit. But he’s got the boom stick and some supporting skills. Still think it’s at best an up and down profile, and more than likely is a non-prospect.
Cornelius Randoplh, OF PHI (Triple-A) 1-for-4, HR
The 10th overall pick from the 2015 draft homered for the second day in a row running his season total to three. He’s been on an absolute tear the last five games going….FILL… He turns 24 in a few weeks, so he’s not exactly young but perhaps young enough to rekindle some pedigree. We should get eyes in Randolph around mid-June.
Jake Scheiner, 3B SEA (Triple-A) 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
All this kid has done the last two weeks is hit. He already has five multi-hit games this season including yesterday’s performance.
David Hensley, 2B HOU (Triple-A) 2-for-3, BB, K
Fun fact, Oneil Cruz isn’t the only 6-foot-6 middle infielder in the minors. Enter David Hensley, ducking slightly because the ceiling clearance in my basement is only 6-foot-4. He has some power and supporting skills that could make him an interesting utility guy at the next level.
Owen Miller, SS CLE (Triple-A) 2-for-3, HR, BB
Member what I said about Jesus Sanchez above? That goes for Miller as well, he hit a homer to left in his second at bat of the night and continues to rake. Men lie, Women lie, Redbirds hit.
Riley Greene, OF DET (Double-A) 2-for-2, 2 HR, 2 BB
He heard us saying the Tigers were turning him into Nick Madrigal. He got angry, and he got even, driving a ball over the left field wall. The slam and legs with a side of oppo-taco. If you listen to the clip of him rounding the bases you can hear him faintly saying “Shut up G-Off”. I deserve that Riley. I do…
Adley Rutschman, C BAL (Double-A) 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 K
If you look at his batting average you’d probably say he’s struggling in Double-A out the gate. But the rest of the numbers look solid. He’s getting on base and hitting for power and pushing for a .900 OPS.
Kevin Smith, LHP BAL (Double-A) 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 8 K
Recorded seven consecutive strikeouts at one point in this game. Smith was a 7th rounder for the Mets out of Georgia back in 2018. He was acquired in the Miguel Castro trade and has put up very strong numbers throughout his professional career. He’s a soft-tossing lefty with a good slider he’s adept at landing to both sides of the plate.
Samad Taylor, 2B TOR (Double-A) 3-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, SB
The slam and legs for Samad who's often forgotten on a talented New Hampshire lineup. He has speed and a little power and he’s a good enough athlete to make it all work. Likely limited to second base defensively due to a weak arm that won’t play on the left side of the infield.
Bryce Turang, SS MIL (Double-A), 2-for-4, RBI, SB
Sound the alarm Bryce Turang is waking up from his early season slumber. Contact and speed is still the foundation of Turang’s offensive game.
Oliver Dunn, 3B NYY (Double-A) 3-for-5, HR, BB, 4 runs
Who the fook is this guy? That’s what you’re asking yourself and I am too.
Cole Winn, RHP TEX (Double-A) 6 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 5 K
I watched this game last night and Winn, despite giving up a run in the first, was cruising. It’s an easy operation and he has feel for all pitches. He changes eye levels and his fastball plays elevated with a near-12 axis generating excellent backspin in his four-seam. In my eyes Winn is pushing his way back into the top 20 pitching prospect conversation as he continues to show a combination of stuff and feel.
Miles Mastrobuoni, OF TB (Double-A) 3-for-5, 2 R
I’ve been reluctant to include Mastrobuoni because his name is too long and he’s 25 years old at Double-A. He’s had eight multi-hit games this season and slashing .418/.475/.691 out of the leadoff spot for Montgomery. He was a high level college performer at the University of Nevada at Reno and went to the Rays in the 15th round of the 2016 draft. It’s been a long road but Mastrobuoni has been utilized in the traditional Rays manor of versatility. As he’s played second base (his natural position) as well as all three outfield spots. He has an up and down type feel to me.
Greyson Jenista, 1B ATL (Double-A) 1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI, HBP
The former Wichita State slugger, continues to show power and on-base skills but has struggled mightily with bat to ball. There’s a lot of swing and miss here and he’s limited to first base and left field. This puts more pressure on the bat and frankly he’s never shown enough there to be considered much of a prospect, if at all.
Ian McKinney, LHP SEA (Double-A) 7 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 11 K, HR Allowed
Lost the shutout in the final inning of the second leg of a doubleheader. McKinney has been in the minors since 2013 and has very recently (2019) started missing bats in bunches. He doesn’t have a ton of velocity but he’s got great shape to his fastball and is a student of the game. After being released by the Cardinals after the 2018 season McKinney got into analytics and subsequently has enjoyed renewed success.
Justin Foscue, 2B TEX (High-A) 2-for-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI
One of the Rangers top prospects has been off to a less than stellar start to his professional career, striking out at a rather shocking 34% of his plate appearances. He did have a homer in his most recent game so there’s some signs of encouragement. I am not making any drastic changes to my evaluations, and nor should you but it’s worth noting his strikeout rate.
Braxton Ashcraft, RHP PIT (High-A) 5 IP, 2 H, 1 H, 0 BB, 7 K
Former second-rounder by the Nutting regime, Ashcraft was reportedly up to 94 in this outing. If there is a velo bump Ashcraft becomes a whole heck of a lot more interesting as a prospect, with his average command.
Miguel Vargas, 3B LAD (High-A) 2-for-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 1 RBI
All Miguel Vargas does is hit, and hit the crap out of the ball. Today is no different for the Dodgers farmhand, hitting himself his third yak of the season.
Andy Pages, OF LAD (High-A) 1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI
Congrats on the first home run of the season Andy, if you come across this. Let’s hope this is what breaks him out of his sluggish start.
Luis Medina, RHP NYY (High-A) 5.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 11 K
Okay so Luis Medina consistently finding the zone is a scary proposition for opposing hitters. Here’s to hoping this isn’t some sort of mirage because if his command and control took a tick up in the pandemic well Medina is a much more interesting prospect.
Michael Harris II, OF ATL (High-A) 2-for-4, 2B, 1 RBI
Michael Harris has probably established himself as Atlanta’s top prospect thanks to his performances to start the season, he’s hitting well and showing some power.
Brayan Bello, RHP BOS (High-A) 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
Geoff, Eddy, and I talked about Bello on the most recent Dynasty Show, and how he’s been sneakily one of the better performers to start the season. He generates ground balls at an elite rate and sends guys walking back to the dugout with regularity. He got hit around a bit in this most recent appearance but he held the opposing lineup to just two runs over 5 innings of work. Bello is someone if he’s available in your deeper leagues, you should go out and get.
Korey Lee, C HOU (High-A) 2-for-5, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI
He was playing third base for the High-A squad??? What?!? Well he did take a ball deep in his first career start at third, so maybe the Astros are onto something?
Christian Koss, 2B BOS (High-A) 2-for-5, 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 R, 1 RBI
Fun fact, UC Irvine’s mascot is an anteater and their official battle chant is Zot Zot Zot. I bring this up because Koss is a UCI alum, The former Irvine hit himself a homer, grabbed a double for fun in a solid 2-for-5 outing. Zot Zot Zot.
Matt Wallner, OF MIN (High-A) 4-for-5, 1 HR, 1 3B, 1 R, 1 RBI
To the window, to the wall(ner), Matt Wallner had himself a day being a double away from a cycle. He is a massive human who when he hits the ball he hits it hard.
Will Banfield, C MIA (High-A) 1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI
Interesting little tidbit about Will Banfield to start the season he has 5 total hits in 53 total plate appearances, would you like to guess how many of those hits were homers? If you guessed three you get a prize of some sort (not really). Solid defensive catcher who will have to take a big step forward with the bat to possibly profile as a starting caliber catcher at the highest level.
Daniel Cabrera, OF DET (High-A) 1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI
Big shoutout to my colleague James Weisser for the video of both the Daniel Cabrera home run and Bryant Packard home run that you will see here in a second. James was on hand to witness what was the first professional home run for the Tigers 2020 draftee.
Bryant Packard, OF DET (High-A) 1-for-5, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI
Shout out Trevor Hooth, Packard has been hitting the ball and hitting the ball hard as of recently. Big thank you to James again! We here at Prospects Live are hitting the games and are just built different.
Korry Howell, OF MIL (High-A) 0-for-4, 1 R
Normally this is about who performed well this past night but Howell has been performing really well to start the season and deserves a shout out regardless. He’s been one of the best hitters in High-A and one of the few bright spots on the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers who have a nice record of 6-9. He’s hit the ball hard, and is showing off power and speed to start the season with 5 homers and 5 stolen bases.
Julio Rodriguez, OF SEA (High-A) 2-for-4
His name is circling in trade rumors, and it seems like the top place where he might end up is with the Cleveland Browns… oh wrong Julio, my bad. 2 singles in a game isn’t as exciting as when he went on that streak of hitting a homer in consecutive games, but it’s a good day at the office for the young star slugger.
Bryce Jarvis, RHP ARI (High-A) 4.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
The former Duke Blue Devil is known for his command but even the best of them struggle at times to find the zone in their worst outings. Out of the 84 total pitches he threw, only 47 of them were called strikes, resulting in 4 walks.
CJ Van Eyk, RHP TOR (High-A) 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
This is the type of start we love to see from the Blue Jay’s right-hander. Punching out 9 in 6 quality innings of work. Cornelius Johannes Van Eyk (dope name) has good stuff, headlined by a plus curveball, and should make light work of most High-A hitters.
Diego Rincones, OF SF (High-A) 1-for-3, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI
DAMN THAT BOI THICCC. Rincones grabs himself a homer for his efforts, just looking at his body if he is able to hit and consistently hit for power he’s gonna be a fan favorite wherever he plays, sorta in that Bartolo Colon type mold.
Gage Workman, DET SS (Low-A) 2-for-3, 2B, SB 2 BBs
Nice all around ballgame for Gage, who continues to put in the work, man. He did make his seventh error at SS already, and while all errors aren’t created equal, seven is too many for this early in the season.
Wenceel Perez, DET 2B (Low-A) 2-for-3, BB
Nice ballgame for Wenceel, who is off to a fantastic start, hitting .345 with an .867 OPS. The 21-year old switch-hitter was a bit underwhelming in 2019, good to see him revert to his old ways a bit and hit.
Sergio Campana, PIT OF (Low-A) 3-for-3, 2B, 2 BBs
I don’t have much on Campana, except that he can run a bit and has shown the ability to get on base early in his career as he’s rocking a .404 OBP currently.
Will Matthiessen, PIT 1B (Low-A) 3-for-4, HR, BB, 6 RBI
Don’t have much info here but it was a nice game for the 2019 sixth rounder out of Stanford. His walk rate is way up this year and so is the power in the early going. Is there a watch list for your watch list? That’s where you should be with him right now.
Jose Soriano, RHP PIT (Low-A) 3 IP, 1 H, 5 K
Fantastic rehab start for the 2020 Rule five draft pick from the Angels, a team that certainly doesn’t need any pitching and can afford to lose guys like this. (Seriously, look at that 40-man and tell me that they didn’t have room to keep Soriano). The Pirates are certainly glad to have him though. He came out sitting 98 in this one and tossed 24 of his 31 pitches for strikes.
Eddy Yean, RHP PIT (Low-A) 2 ⅓ IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Frankly I expected a lot more out of Yean to begin the season and naturally I’m worried if he’s completely healthy right now as he’s rocking an 11.74 ERA at this point.
Austin Wells, C NYY (Low-A) 3-for-4, 2 2Bs, BB
2020 first rounder out of U of Arizona is up to .250/.352/.417 on the young season, so we should be seeing more power here soon. Anyone have any reports on his defense?
Anthony Volpe, DH NYY (Low-A) 1-for-4, BB, 3 SB
I know stolen bases are watered down in this Rob Manfred creation of baseball, but Volpe is up to nine steals now. .235/.394/.392 on the young season.
Trevor Hauver, 2B NYY (Low-A) 2-for-4, 3B, 2 BB, 3 RBI
Hauver fills up the box score again and he stays en fuego. Hitting .356/.531/.867 on the young season, with six homers. Also has 18 walks to 15 strikeouts.
Francisco Alvarez, C NYM (Low-A) 2-for-4, 2B
I don’t have statcast info on his double which for some reason didn’t register, but he hit two balls at 106 and 101. This man is an animal.
Jacob deGrom, RHP NYM (Low-A) 3 IP, 0 H, 8 K
Yeah, this deGrom guy might make it after all. He maxed out at 101.9 and averaged 99.8 with the heater. He’s unbelievable. A humbling experience for Cardinals Low-A hitters.
John Beller, LHP STL (Low-A) 5 ⅓ IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
The UDFA out of USC, Beller’s fastball only sits around 90 but he’s getting a ton of whiffs via his secondary offerings, and even has a goofy MacKenzie Gore-esque leg kick.
DJ Herz, LHP CHC (Low-A) 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
Davidjohn Herz has had two strong abbreviated outings prior to this and now they stretched him out a bit more and still got good results. The lefty is likely a reliever due to the delivery, but he’s up to 15 strikeouts but five walks in just over 8 innings of work.
Orelvis Martinez, DH TOR (Low-A) 2-for-5, 2B
Martinez is hitting .241/.339/.407 on the year after this multi-hit game. He’s only 19 so no reason to trade or drop him yet but I would like to see either more power or a better hit tool.
Miguel Hiraldo, 3B TOR (Low-A) 3-for-5
Three singles and a caught stealing for Hiraldo in this one. The 20 year-old infield prospect is slashing .273/.333/.418 so far in 2021.
Jose Rodriguez, SS CWS (Low-A) 2-for-4, 2B
One of the very few bright spots on a 1-14 Kannapolis squad, Jose Rodriguez is now hitting .306/.368/.452 while playing a strong shortstop. He might be a top five prospect for the White Sox as that system has lost a lot of talent due to graduations so far in the young season.
Michael Baumann, RHP BAL (Low-A) 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Another strong rehab type outing for Baumann as he looks to get stretched out before reporting to Bowie. Talked about Baltimore’s underrated farm system yesterday and this might be the most underrated pitching prospect in all of the minors.
Gilberto Jimenez, OF BOS (Low-A) 3-for-5, 2B, BB 2 RBI
Gilberto is up to .390/.446/.475 and is one of the more fun players to watch in the minors. Still looking for his first homer, but this is easy plus speed (might be 80) and he’s got growing power as well.
Evan Carter, OF TEX (Low-A) 2-for-4, BB, RBI, 2 SB
Carter hit his first homer last night in his only hit but goes back to stuffing the box score with tonight’s all around effort. Carter has been one of the most talked about prospects thus far, and he’s slashing .267/.468/.422 with seven stolen bases on the year.
Angel Macuare, RHP HOU (Low-A) 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K
In just under 13 innings this year Macuare has 19 strikeouts and a 0.71 ERA. He’s a big boy, standing 6’2” and 250 pounds. Another live arm that fits the mold of Cristian Javier, Bryan Abreu, etc. that they’ve developed over the last few years.
Robert Puason, SS OAK (Low-A) 1-for-4, 3 Ks
A hit! Unfortunately another three strikeouts though for the $5 million dollar man. It’s a bit of an aggressive assignment as starting him at the complex would’ve also made sense, but he’s way overmatched and hitting .083/.195/.083 in 36 at-bats with 24 strikeouts and has made 4 errors at short.
Luis Matos, OF SF (Low-A) 2-for-4
The 19 year-old Matos has been one of the most impressive prospects so far in the early going, and is a prospect that should be on the rise in your rankings. He’s hitting .379/.397/.586 in 14 games with two homers and three steals. He’s a bit aggressive in the early going, but it would be hard to not swing at everything if you were having these types of results wouldn’t it.
Kyle Harrison, LHP SF (Low-A) 3 ⅔ IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K
Harrison is still bullying hitters with his loud stuff, command and control be damned. He was much better in this one allowing only one walk, but he did hit two batters. 47 of his 73 pitches landed in the zone though, so it is something to build on. 22 strikeouts and nine walks in 9 innings thus far.
Elijah Greene, OF LAA (Low-A) 3-for-4
I don’t have much on Greene, but he is leading off for a talented Inland Empire squad. He’s an UDFA signed in 2020 out of Cal-Poly but before that he played at Mount San Antonio College and San Jacinto. Fun name to keep track of. He’s up to .261/.417/.370 with more walks than strikeouts right now.
Kyren Paris, 2B LAA (Low-A) 2-for-5, 3B, 2B, 2 RBI
Paris has been getting on base all season thus far and his season line is sitting at .255/.406/.400. He has ten stolen bases already but is still searching for his first homer. Homers won’t be a big part of his game though, and as you can see tonight he used his wheels to leg out two extra base hits. His defense is a work in progress though as he made his 8th error tonight on a bad throw from second.
Victor Labrada, OF SEA (Low-A) 2-for-5, 2 2B, BB, 3 RBI
I don’t have much on Labrada other than he just signed with the Mariners this past January out of Cuba. He isn’t a physical dude, standing at 5’9, 165 pounds. The left-handed hitter is off to a fast start, literally with four stolen bases so far and a 1.149 OPS in his first 25 at-bats. The 21-year old needs to be added to your watch lists, and maybe even picked up in 30 team leagues.
Noelvi Marte, SS SEA (Low-A) 2-for-4, HR, BB
He’s baacccck. Noelvi left the yard and added another knock for good measure in this one. He’s slashing .383/.464/.650 right now with four homers and 4 steals. He should be firmly in your top twenty as far as fantasy lists go. It was reckless to have him that high prior to the season with no stateside looks, but he’s been one of the best players in the minors so far. It’s too late to buy in but I don’t think I’d look to sell right now either, unless I’m getting a top 5 guy in return because there’s a chance he ends up there by the season’s end. On another note, don’t fall in love with the steals though, I’m not sure that’s a part of his game as he continues to bulk up. Caps the fantasy upside a bit, but is this the next Xander Bogaerts? Quite possible.
Robert Hassell III, OF SD (Low-A) 2-for-4, RBI
Hassell continues to rake and he’s up to .288/.419/.508 with a pair of homers and five steals. He’s certainly cementing himself as the top prep outfielder in the class so far. He’s been even better than advertised so far.
Brandon Valenzuela, 1B SD (Low-A) 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI
Valenzuela has played 12 games this season, and he’s caught in nine of them and played first base in the other three. He’s put himself on the radar by hitting .279/.371/.459 so far on the young season. Watch list!
Aldrich De Jongh, OF LAD (Low-A) 4-for-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI
I have a rule. If you hit two homers in a game you automatically get blurbed up if I’m covering your league. Sometimes that rule is easy when an established prospect goes big fly twice in a game. Other times it makes you do some research, and that’s where we are here. De Jongh is a 22 year old that was born in Curacao but was drafted by the Dodgers in 2018 after he attended Hillsborough Community College in Florida. He put up a decent year in 2019 hitting .296/.344/.438 but that was at Ogden in the Northwest League. Now he’s assigned to Rancho and while it's only been 15 at-bats, he’s been fantastic. He’s already equaled his career high in homers with 3, and is hitting a robust .467/.529/1.200 in five games. Obviously way too early to make any conclusions yet, but keep an eye on him.