We got blisters to two top pitching prospects, a three home run game from Bobby Witt Jr., and Jo Adell tying Johan Mieses for the minor league home run lead. Beyond all those happenings we have a bunch of nasty lefthanded starters that shoved and Matt Frisbee continuing his run of dominance in the early going. Tune in to the top performances across minor league baseball for May 30th 2021. As always Triple-A and Double-A are brought to you by Geoff Pontes, High-A courtesy of Rhys White, and Low-A from the brain of Matt Thompson. Read on!
Jojanse Torres, RHP HOU (Triple-A) 4 IP, 4 BB, 4 K
Looked phenomenal over the first three innings as his fastball+slider combo was enough to silence the Albuquerque bats. He ran into trouble in the fourth as he struggled with his command and missed the zone by feet at times. His slider is a bat missing weapon but his feel for it comes and goes. The fastball sits mid to high-90s and he’ll mix in his changeup. He sequences frequently off of the slider, but had a far more fastball dominant approach in this one.
Cal Raleigh, C SEA (Triple-A) 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
Looks like Cal is doing his best to answer the long running query, “When is Cal Raleigh coming up?”. It should be today, but I doubt it.
Greg Deichmann, OF OAK (Triple-A) 2-for-4, HR, 4 RBI, BB
A solid all around player that’s had a good start to 2021. Deichmann can run, has big raw power, and a plus throwing arm that plays in a corner. He’s older at 26, but has a shot to cut it as a platoon player. He walks a ton, hits an absurd amount of line drives and hard flyballs and doesn’t sell out to his pullside. There’s a lot to like here, but the age scares me a little.
Jo Adell, OF LAA (Triple-A) 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
Yay home runs! Boo strikeouts! This is the story of Jo Adell in 2021. He’s tied for the minor league lead in home runs, but he’s also struck out 34 times over 93 at bats. I’m no math wiz but a 36% strikeout rate at Triple-A seems bad. There’s more to iron out at the plate but at least the power is building confidence.
Curtis Terry, 1B TEX (Triple-A) 3-for-4, HR, 2 R
Everybody was serving up homers last night against the Express. Terry of the #MassiveHuman club took full advantage. He’s the prototypical Triple-A first baseman that flames out at the MLB level or has a few years as a power hitting second division player.
Leody Taveres, OF TEX (Triple-A) 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB
It hasn’t been a great showing in Triple-A after looking pretty good at the major league level in 2020. He’s flashed some pop so far for Round Rock but the contact and production have been inconsistent to poor.
Anderson Tejeda, SS TEX (Triple-A) 1-for-4, HR, 4 RBI, BB
Another player much like the aforementioned Taveres that made an unexpected MLB debut in 2020. Tejeda has been rough through 19 games striking out at a 40%+ clip. The contact woes are an issue, as his plate discipline looks just as bad as it did in the majors.
Gabriel Cancel, 2B KC (Triple-A) 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB
I sort of wrote off Cancel as a prospect but he’s 24 in Triple-A and hitting for power and running. He hasn’t shown much in the way of approach and it’s a below average hit tool. But the power and speed makes him at least interesting as a watch list type guy.
Daniel Lynch, LHP KC (Triple-A) 5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 7 K
I was informed earlier this week that there was concern that Lynch was tipping pitches at the major league level. According to Mike Jones he is in fact no longer still tipping’. Lynch’s stuff is ace quality but he’s never been able to fully harness it and get the results you’d expect. Give it time.
Drew Waters, OF ATL (Triple-A) 2-for-5, R, SB
Outside of that mini-home run streak a few weeks back Waters has been pretty blah. There’s some opportunities opening up in the Atlanta outfield. Waters needs to assert himself in Triple-A and seize the job.
Kyle Bradish, RHP BAL (Triple-A) 5 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 5 K
On a raw, rainy afternoon Bradish performed against a strong Charlotte lineup. Outside of a tricky third inning, Bradish was strong on the day. He got a little lucky on a ball Gavin Sheets hit to right that the wind blew just foul. But outside of that he wasn’t hit that hard and he generated swings and misses on his four pitch mix. He averages 93-95 mph on the fastball running it up to 97 mph, with 19 inches of induced vertical break. It’s an above-average to plus fastball, but he’s still learning to command it fully. He pairs that with an average slider and changeup, and a nasty hammer curveball. The hook has dramatic drop pairing perfectly with his fastball’s high IVB. The curveball averages in the neighborhood of -18 IVB, plus drop for a bender.
Zach Reks, OF LAD (Triple-A) 3-for-5, 3 R
I love Zach Reks because all he does is hit and get on base. The power surge is coming, give it a few weeks and Reks will start swatting taters too. His lack of defensive value makes him a tough profile to buy into but he does so many things well in the batters box.
Bobby Witt Jr., SS KC (Double-A) 3-for-4, 3 HR, BB
The lead story according to Chuck Johnson, and he’s correct. Witt hasn’t been great to start the season but as I said on Saturday it’s likely to be a blip in a very promising career. He homered three times and showed the massive game power in his bat. Witt is a potential future superstar in the making. It just won’t be until late 2021 or early 2022.
M.J. Melendez, C KC (Double-A) 4-for-5, HR, 2 R
The whole crew got into it as Melendez has stayed hot to start 2021. Now slashing .324/.422/.662 with 7 home runs and 13 walks to 13 strikeouts. He’s drastically cut down on the strikeouts and is running a 80% contact rate nearly 30 point higher than his 2019 season at Wilmington. He has strong skills behind the plate and is playing himself onto the 40 man by December. A prospect recovering his status.
Nick Pratto, 1B KC (Double-A) 1-for-5, HR
It’s a day that ends in Y so you know Nick Pratto had to get his way into the sheet. He homered but otherwise didn’t do much. It’s a quiet night when all Pratto does is homer.
Jonathan Bermudez, LHP HOU (Double-A) 4.2 IP, 4 H, BB, 6 K
A stout lefthander that throws exclusively from the stretch. Bermudez has a ¾ arm slot that creates a ton of side spin on his fastball. It allows his slider to pair perfectly with his four-seamer, working both sides of the plate. He snapped off a few good changeups that showed nice tumble, but it was inconsistent. Looks like a lefty reliever with the ability to avoid split issues.
Shea Langeliers, C ATL (Double-A) 3-for-5, R
Another exciting catching prospect that should be in the majors within the next 12 months. Langeliers is one of the few players consistently hitting for Mississippi, as he runs a .403 OBP and .517 slugging percentage. He’s still swinging and missing more than you like but it’s plus defense behind the plate with strong on base skills and above-average pop.
Tobias Myers, RHP TB (Double-A) 4.2 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 7 K
A strong three pitch mix made up of multiple above-average or better pitches. Myers has a flat vertical approach angle on his fastball and has a 55 grade changeup and curveball. His mechanics are easy and he tends to throw a lot of strikes both east to west and north to south.
Matt Frisbee, RHP SF (Double-A) 7 IP, H, 8 K
It’s a nasty slider, easy plus with tight shape and late drop. More of the gyro variety than a big sweeping breaker, and he tunnels well off of his fastball. Not a ton of velocity but he has good shape on his fastball and changes eye levels.
Oneil Cruz, SS PIT (Double-A) 1-for-2, RBI, 2 R, 3 BB
On a hot streak the last week as he’s running hot with 9 hits in 31 at bats with a pair of homers and steals. He’s one of the most difficult players to evaluate as a 6-foot-7 shortstop is abnormal. He’s started all nineteen games at the six and has already made eight errors. He’ll likely slide to third base or an outfield corner before too long. Regardless of position Cruz needs to hit.
Torii Hunter Jr., OF LAA (Double-A) 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
He’s not a prospect but he’s a hell of a lot better than Gary Sheffield Jr, amirite? But he’s not Vladimir Guerrero Jr. either. Great game for Hunter but he turns 26 next week and he strikes out far too much.
Micker Adolfo, OF CWS (Double-A) 3-for-4, 3 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB
One day I say all Micker does is homer and strikeout and he goes out and has a three hit game without a homer. Touché Mr. Adolfo, you have won this round. Now continue to do this until you play your way onto the active roster.
John Rooney, LHP LAD (Double-A) 4.2 IP, 2 H, BB, 9 K
A lefty with a good fastball+slider combination. Which feels like the fourth time I’ve written that today. It’s a starter’s body and Rooney creates good angle on his pitch mix from a higher ¾ slot. He was a mid-major star in college with Hofstra and looks like yet another prospect the Dodgers have been busy developing into a major league caliber arm talent.
A.J. Alexy, RHP TEX (Double-A) 4 IP, 2 H, 6 K
I’ve long been a fan of Alexy since his time in the Dodgers system. It’s great to see him showing out, and should be a name to watch as his pitch counts grows beyond the 70ish pitches he’s throwing now. He has 13 strikeouts to three walks over 12 innings pitched this season.
Michael De Leon, 3B CIN (Double-A) 4-for-6, HR, 3 RBI
He’s bounced between Triple-A and Double-A already in 2021 and was signed as a minor league free agent. Not sure he’s a prospect anymore but this was a big game.
Nick Lodolo, LHP CIN (Double-A) 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 6 K
Was pitching fairly well prior to coming out after what looked to be a blister. He was flashing the three pitch mix, as his low slot gives him nasty sweepy angle on his fastball, slider, and changeup. He steals more strikes on the edges of the zone than he does blow it by you, but Lodolo’s pitchability is on the higher end of the scale. A solid mid-rotation arm that can exceed that designation if he adds a couple of ticks to his fastball or slider.
Ivan Herrera, C STL (Double-A) 3-for-4, 2 R, BB
Started the season off shaky, but has really gotten going of late. After Sunday’s performance he has multi-hit games in three of his last five, and has gotten on base in eight straight.
Luken Baker, 1B STL (Double-A) 1-for-2, HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB
Anytime a #MassiveHuman homers we will be there to celebrate his tank. I could have said dong but that would have sounded really inappropriate frankly. I don’t have a tremendous amount of excitement for Baker but it’s good to see the power and on base skills showing up.
Jose Miranda, 1B/2B MIN (Double-A) 2-for-4, 2 R, BB
I’m going to keep saying it but all this kid does is hit. He’s one of the more underrated bats in the minors at the moment. It’s not a super sexy profile but there’s contact and power here and he’s a very tough out. That’s going to play.
Jermaine Palacios, SS MIN (Double-A) 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Another name that doesn’t get mentioned when discussing the top talents in the Minnesota system. Palacios is having a great year, hitting for average, power and running. It’s a utility profile with some upside in the bat.
Peyton Burdick, OF MIA (Double-A) 2-for-5, R
The Avian Phallic is now en fuego. Coming into last night’s contest Burdick was slashing .304/.347/.761 with five homers over that time. He added two more hits last night and looks like he’s righting the ship from an ugly start to the season. Cold water coming… he’s still striking out too much though.
Jerar Encarnacion, OF MIA (Double-A) 2-for-5, 3 RBI
A night after I challenge him to do more than produce average numbers he comes back with a two hit game. Keep it up Jerar you gotta bang to play my friend.
Max Meyer, RHP MIA (Double-A) 3.1 IP, 3 BB, 3 K
Left the game early with a blister, which somehow became Tommy John Surgery on Twitter.com. What a place, huh?
Adley Rutschman, C BAL (Double-A) 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI (Game 1 of Doubleheader) 2-for-2, HR, 4 RBI, BB (Game 2 of Doubleheader)
He’s now slashing .293/.465/.573 on the year as he goes 5-for-6, 2 HR, 7 RBI, BB across the two games of Sunday’s doubleheader. This is one of the best prospects in baseball and his value is beyond what he brings in the batters box.
D.L. Hall, LHP BAL (Double-A) 5 IP, H, 3 BB, 8 K
It’s not a matter of “having it” on any given day for Hall but “Harnessing it”. Well, he harnessed it yesterday and struck out eight over five while allowing four batters to reach. He’ll run the heater up to 101 and sits 97-98 mph comfortably. It’s among the nastiest lefthanded pitch mixes in the game as he features a slider, changeup, and curveball that can all flash plus.
Greg Jones, SS TB (High-A) 3-for-5, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 RBI
Old Greg, last time he showed off the speed, yesterday he showed the power that makes him an interesting prospect. It seems like he gets a little lost in the prospect world because Tampa has a bunch of middle infield options in their system but he’s damn good. He’ll probably be called up when the Rays have to trade Brujan and Wander when they have to pay him a market rate.
Ronny Henriquez, RHP TEX (High-A) 6 IP, 2, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
20 year old in High-A who is performing well. Young for the level and while it’s still to be determined the Rangers may have something here especially if he adds muscle to his 155 pound body.
Llover Peguero, SS PIT (High-A) 2-for-5, 1 2B, 2 R
Not his first game back from injury but I am happy to see Llover back in action. The Pirates shortstop isn’t known for having a lot of over-the-fence power but he will be able to spray line drives all over the yard and play a good defensive shortstop.
Carmen Mlodzinski, RHP PIT (High-A) 5 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
After a two week layoff the 2020 competitive balance pick spun a gem. Mlodzinski has a four pitch mix that he can utilize to attack both lefties and righties.
Cole Henry, RHP WAS (High-A) 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Washington loves themselves a power arm and Henry fits that profile to a tee. In the same rotation as Cade Cavalli and Jackson Rutledge, Henry gets lost a little and doesn’t get as much hype as his counterparts. The former LSU Tiger has struck out 35 in 24 innings this season.
Andy Pages, OF LAD (High-A) 2-for-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI
Pages is still hitting and hitting the ball hard, unlike his early season form. Back to back games with a homer from the Dodgers farmhand is just as exciting as his game. If he keeps hitting the way he has over the past two weeks or so it’s only a matter of time before he gets called up and moves on to bigger and better things.
Bobby Miller, RHP LAD (High-A) 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Another rather short appearance for the Dodgers prospects. I haven’t watched him in person , and haven’t talked to anyone who has seen in person to see what the Dodgers have him working on but keep an eye on that. Even with the short outings he is performing well, because he’s #good.
Daniel Cabrera, OF DET (High-A) 3-for-4, 1 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI
Cabrera is known for his above average hit tool, and he is just starting to get comfortable in the pro ranks. He is showing more power than I thought he would to this point, but he isn’t selling out for the power. Hopefully the 2020 draft for my beloved Tigers is the one that helps shape the organization and starts to turn things around.
Dillon Dingler, C DET (High-A) 1-for-3, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
Great athlete for the position, with a good arm, and he has shown he can be a possible offensive threat for a catcher. He draws walks, and will show power like he did yesterday.
Asa Lacy, LHP KC (High-A) 1.2 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Not the type of outing you want to see from your highly thought of left-hander.
Wander Javier, SS MIN (High-A) 2-for-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI
This one is for Dusty Colorado !!!!!!!!
Kameron Misner, OF MIA (High-A) 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 SB
Misner has been madingley inconsistent this season, you look at him and think that he should be one of the better hitters in whatever league he is in, but swing-and-miss and a sub optimal hit tool hamper him. He’s got the tools to be a star but the hit tool might hold him back from reaching his potential.
Griffin Conine, OF MIA (High-A) 1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI
Did you know his dad was Jeff Conine, weird right? Welp from time to time the younger Conine is able to deposit balls over the outfield fence, the problem is he doesn’t have a great hit tool so that hampers the power output.
Brennen Davis, OF CHC (High-A) 3-for-5, 2 R
A hat-trick of singles for the highly thought of Cubs prospect. Since joining High-A he has hit well, showing why he is one of the better prospects in all of baseball.
Tyler Durna, 1B CHC (High-A) 4-for-5, 1 HR, 4 R, 3 RBI
Not much of a prospect being 24 in High-A but he hit well and that’s enough to make it on here.
Seth Corry, LHP SF (High-A) 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 9 K
The Seth Corry experience, there will be strikeouts but there will also be plenty of walks to go with those strikeouts. I lean towards him being a reliever where his lack of command and control can be mitigated.
Brendon Davis, 3B LAA (High-A) 2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
More of an org depth, in an org with maybe the most org depth in all baseball but two homers will always land you a spot on this prestigious article.
Eduardo Diaz, OF ARI (High-A) 2-for-4, 1 HR, 1 3B, 2 R, 1 RBI
Twenty-three year olds in High-A should hit well.
Orelvis Martinez, 3B TOR (Low-A) 2-for-6, 2B
Orelvis’ numbers don’t pop on paper, but what he’s doing as a 19 year-old in Low-A needs much more recognition. He’s hitting .264/.343/.429 with three homers. He should fit in somewhere on the back half of top 100 lists.
Jake Sanford, OF NYY (Low-A) 4-for-6, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI
Sanford has plus-plus raw power from the left-side and is also a plus runner, but unfortunately the inability to make consistent contact puts a lid on the profile. He’s still striking out at over a 27% clip, while that’s not good it is down 5% from his 2019 season. He’s at .281/.350/.416 on the season, and should start getting into that power more frequently.
Elijah Dunham, OF NYY (Low-A) 2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI
Dunham was previously drafted in the 40th round by the Pirates, but signed with the Yankees in 2020 as an UDFA and is enjoying life as a professional so far. He’s hitting .288/.440/.515 while limiting his strikeouts and drawing more walks than strikeouts thus far.
Troy Johnston, 1B MIA (Low-A) 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
Johnston was drafted by the Marlins in 2019 out of Gonzaga in the 19th round. Johnston is a hit over power left-handed bat that can play either outfield corner or first base. The lack of power prohibits him from becoming an everyday option.
Starlyn Castillo, RHP PHI (Low-A) 5 IP, 2 H, 2 K
Castillo landed in the zone with 35 of his 54 pitches in what looked like a pretty smooth outing for the young right-hander. Castillo didn’t get a lot of whiffs in this one, instead thriving on weak contact and throwing strikes. His four-seamer averaged 91.7, topping out at 93.6 and only induced two whiffs out of 19 swings. His curveball is the better of his secondaries, and was the only pitch in his arsenal to post a CSW above 30% in this one.
Shervyen Newton, 2B NYM (Low-A) 2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI
The Big Sherv has been scuffling a bit and saw his average dip below .200 for the season but here he is, attempting to break out of it with a big fly. He did also strike out twice, which has been the big issue thus far. The switch-hitting Dutchman projects as a bat first utility option down the line, but those guys with the bigger frames tend to need more time to get it all together.
Joey Wentz, LHP DET (Low-A) 4 IP, 1 H, 5 K
Wentz looked more like himself in this rehab outing, needing only 46 pitches to cruise through four scoreless frames. His fastball topped out at 94.9 in this one and averaged 92.6, which is much closer to his pre-injury marks. He also mixed in a sinker, change and curveball in this one.
Misael Urbina, OF MIN (Low-A) 2-for-4, 3B, 2B, RBI
Urbina has been struggling recently but grabbed himself two extra base knocks in this one. Stateside for the first time, he’s hitting .206/.320/.286 so far.
Steven Cruz, RHP MIN (Low-A) 2 IP, 4 K
Without the data available Cruz wouldn’t get a mention on the sheet. Cruz topped out over 100 MPH with the heater, and averaged 98. He also threw a nasty slider that had over 60% CSW. There’s also another reliever on Ft. Myers named Bradley Hanner that has a 3300 RPM slider? Yeeeeesssshhh.
Mitchell Parker, LHP WSH (Low-A) 6 IP, 1 BB, 12 K
Yeah. SAN JAC REPRESENT! The Juco tournament is going on now so it’s fitting that Parker goes out and throws this gem. Six no-hit frames with 12 strikeouts in this one, and his previous outing was also six innings and he allowed one hit with 10 strikeouts. He’s taken a no hitter into the sixth in two consecutive starts. Might be time for High-A?
Joe Gray Jr., OF MIL (Low-A) 2-for-3, HR, 2B, 2 RBI (Game 1 of Doubleheader) 1-for-3, HR, 4 RBI (Game 2 of Doubleheader)
Prior to this season Gray has struggled in pro ball, but he’s putting up much better numbers this time around and is hitting .273/.360/.580 so far. Strikeouts remain a problem though, and his strikeout rate has actually gotten worse this year despite the better numbers to this point, so there’s still some work to do for JGJ.
Brendan Murphy, LHP MIL (Low-A) 7 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 9 K
The lefty was great in this one, and is looking to make up for lost time. Murphy hadn’t pitched in a pro game since 2017 prior to this season but has tossed 22 solid innings so far in this one. Murphy was the Brewers fourth round pick in 2017.
Cabrera Weaver, OF CWS (Low-A) 2-for-3, HR, BB
Weaver was the White Sox seventh round selection back in 2018, and he’s one of the more tooled up prospects in this system. He just needs reps though as he’s still whiffing way too much but the tools are here if he hits.
Jase Bowen, 2B PIT (Low-A) 1-for-4, 2B, BB, 3 R, 2 RBI
Bowen once again getting it done. He’s absolutely feeling it at the plate right now.
Alexander Mojica, 3B PIT (Low-A) 2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
Mojica was a DSL standout in 2019 but is having a much more difficult time in Low-A so far, as expected. Hopefully he uses this game as a springboard for continued success.
Eli Wilson, C PIT (Low-A) 2-for-3, HR, 2B, 2 BB, 2 R, 5 RBI
Wilson is essentially the backup catcher on this Bradenton squad but he’s now hitting .407/.600/.704 in ten games.
Jordan Nwogu, OF CHC (Low-A) 1-for-3, HR
Nwogu launches his first professional homer in this one, but the real story was the hotel issue for the Myrtle Beach squad that appears to have been solved by the time I’m writing this. Long story short the team allegedly told the players it didn’t have a place for them to stay after the game but it appears that situation has been taken care of. Can you imagine how much better these guys could all play if they weren’t worried about housing and forced to eat unhealthy food? End of rant.
Gunnar Henderson, 3B BAL (Low-A) 1-for-2, SB, 2 R
Gunnar does it all. He’s up to .313/.391/.613 on the season.
Jordan Westburg, DH BAL (Low-A) 2-for-4, 2B, 4 RBI
Rumor has it Westburg and teammate J.D. Mundy were promoted to High-A after this one. Take care of em Rhys.
Abiezel Ramirez, 3B TB (Low-A) 2-for-3, HR, BB, 3 R, 2 RBI
Ramirez gets buried a bit in this deep system, but he’s one of the more talented Rays infielders in the lower minors. He’s hit at every stop so far, can run and is growing into power. He would’ve had another homer this week but it stayed in the yard due to ridiculously high winds.
Wil Jensen, RHP SF (Low-A) 5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 10 K
Jensen was an UDFA out of Pepperdine and signed with the Giants this past June. Jensen had TJ as a sophomore in 2018, but sits 90-94 with the heater with a potential above-average slider while also using a curveball and changeup. He commands his arsenal well, but will be tested as he faces more advanced bats.