Around the Minors: The week of July 11-17
July 17
July 17
History in the making
When the Orioles and D-backs took Jackson Holliday -- the son of Matt Holliday -- and Druw Jones -- the son of Andruw Jones -- with the first two picks in the MLB Draft, it marked the first time in history that two sons of former Major Leaguers went 1-2.
Holliday became the third first overall pick in O’s history, joining Adley Rutschman (2019) and Ben McDonald (1989) -- but coming from a far different background. Jones is considered by some to be the best high school prospect since Bryce Harper. He’s also ranked as the No. 1 Draft prospect this year by MLB Pipeline.
Meanwhile, former Vanderbilt ace Kumar Rocker one of the most dominant pitchers in college baseball from 2019-21, was drafted 10th overall by the Mets last year. But he didn't sign at the mandated deadline after the Mets' review of his medical information raised concerns about the right-hander's shoulder and elbow.
Almost a year later, the Rangers selected Rocker with the No. 3 overall pick. If he signs, Rocker will join a Rangers farm system topped by Jack Leiter, a former teammate of Rocker's at Vanderbilt.
For the first time in MLB Draft history, the first two picks are sons of former Major Leaguers!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 18, 2022
And that's just the start of the family ties: https://t.co/4mBj8etNqR pic.twitter.com/9VGe0O0DmN
With the third overall pick, the #TexasRangers select Kumar Rocker, who will be looking to renew ties with former Vandy co-ace Jack Leiter: https://t.co/mrd7sWOkj0 pic.twitter.com/vUQ58hBCOO
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 17, 2022
Duran Duran, not just an '80s band
Ezequiel Duran more than held his own after making the leap from Double-A to the Majors last month. Whatever lessons baseball's No. 56 overall prospect learned in The Show, he's taking it to another level since returning to the Minors.
Duran tallied his second multihomer game of the season and drove in four runs to lead the Triple-A Round Rock past El Paso, 7-4, at Southwest University Park. The 23-year-old has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games while going deep four times in his previous six.
Since returning to the Minors and debuting with the Express, Duran has batted .295 with a .919 OPS with six homers and 16 RBIs in 17 games. Overall, the Dominican Republic native is slashing .310/.354/.579 with 43 extra-base hits, 13 roundtrippers and 48 RBIs in 63 contests.
Upping the ante
The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry extends to the Minors, and having played for both organizations, Jeisson Rosario was the ideal player to spice things up.
Facing his former team, the Yankees outfield prospect hit for the cycle during Double-A Somerset's 12-11 loss to Portland on Sunday afternoon at Hadlock Field. It was the first cycle by a Patriots player since the club became a Minor League affiliate last season.
Rosario's milestone was a fitting exclamation point to a wild back-and-forth game that wasn't decided until the bottom of the ninth inning. The 22-year-old got the long ball portion out of the way in his first at-bat, slugging his first home run since June 23 to right-center field to give Somerset a 2-0 lead in the opening frame.
He singled to right in the fourth, drove home two more runs with his fourth triple -- again to right -- in the fifth and completed the cycle with a double to center in the seventh. Full story »
Hits hard to come by
The Pelicans did it again. For the second time this season, Single-A Myrtle Beach tossed a combined no-hitter. In the latest feat, five different pitchers -- Tyler Schlaffer, Luis Angel Rodriguez, Gregori Montano, Angel Hernandez and Alfredo Zarraga.
"It's a rarity to see one [no-hitter], and what my staff has done together, it's kind of unheard of," Pelicans manager Buddy Bailey said.
On May 1, Walker Powell, Adam Laskey, Jake Reindl combined on a no-no for the Cubs affiliate against Columbia. In Sunday's 5-0 win over Fayetteville, five pitchers shared the load.
Starter Schlaffer struck out six and walked two batters over three innings. Rodriguez followed with three more dominant innings, fanning eight while walking three. Full story »
What's he got planned for the next four?
Only four days into his Double-A tenure, Christian Encarnacion-Strand is holding himself to a high standard.
“Today, honestly, the focus was just honestly to have a better day than I did yesterday,” Encarnacion-Strand said. “Yesterday, I didn’t have really good day, didn’t have any hits yesterday, so today I just tried to focus on making solid contact.”
The Twins' No. 24 prospect did that and more, notching the first cycle in franchise history for the Double-A Wind Surge. He went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored to lead his team to an 11-1 rout of visiting Arkansas.
Encarnacion-Strand got his difficult knocks out of the way early. The third baseman raced to an RBI triple -- which was nearly an inside-the-park homer -- off the wall in center field in the first inning and left the yard with a solo home run to right in the second. After a double to left in the fourth, he finally realized he was on the precipice of a milestone. Full story »
July 16
Opening a Christmas present
The D-backs' first-base prospect hammered a game-tying 527-foot homer to left-center field in the fifth inning on a 3-0 count. The blast -- with an estimated velocity of 112 -- tied the game, 5-5, en route to the Sod Poodles' 7-6 victory.
"Oh my god, that's amazing, I never think I can hit a ball that far," he said. "I was for sure [it was a] homer. I stepped up to the plate like 'Okay, I got that one,' and I enjoyed the moment."
Cedeno has been launching homers all season long, ranking third in the Texas League with 18, behind the Cardinals' Moisés Gómez (who launched 23 for Springfield before heading up to Triple-A Memphis), Tulsa's Ryan Ward (22) and Wichita's Matt Wallner (promoted after hitting 21 for Wichita). The 23-year-old's latest dinger pushed his batting average to .303 with 59 RBIs, which is second on the circuit to Wallner's 64.
Talk about painting corners
Andrew Painter continues to find new levels of domination.
The top Phillies prospect recorded 12 outs for High-A Jersey Shore with nine coming via the punchout as the BlueClaws defeated Aberdeen 4-1 in the nightcap of a doubleheader at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium.
The right-hander worked around two hits -- without issuing a walk -- as he retired the first six batters he faced, whiffing four, before striking out the side in the third. He exited after tossing 56 pitches, 41 were strikes.
MLB Pipeline's No. 53 overall prospect continues to sparkle during his sophomore campaign, sporting a 1.60 ERA, a 0.89 WHIP and a .149 average against with 88 strikeouts over 50 2/3 total innings between Single-A Clearwater and Jersey Shore.
The Saturday recap - Painter fans nine in four innings. Albertus Barber earns the win as the BlueClaws take the nightcap 4-1. https://t.co/W6Wht3EbGV
— Jersey Shore BlueClaws (@BlueClaws) July 17, 2022
Langeliers takes advantage
The 24-year-old catcher gave the AL its third homer of the day in the fourth inning, when he drove an 81.4 mph changeup from Shuster 392 feet out to left-center en route to scoring the game's MVP honors.
The top A’s prospect has hit 16 homers in 74 games this season. But that’s with Triple-A Las Vegas, where balls can soar in the dry desert air. It turns out his power can play in the Golden State too.
Meanwhile, the biggest driver of Langeliers’ profile both in the Oakland and Atlanta systems has been his defense, and he showed that off when he threw out No. 3 overall prospect Corbin Carroll on an attempted steal of third in the first frame. Full story »
Shea Langeliers is your 2022 Futures Game MVP!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 17, 2022
The @Athletics' No. 1 prospect homered and nailed a runner stealing. pic.twitter.com/wr2KVy6AnJ
Armed and ready
MLB Pipeline gave Masyn Winn’s arm an 80 grade, literally the top of the scale, in the offseason because Winn -- a former two-way player in the St. Louis system -- can throw some of the best darts in Minor League Baseball.
Well, the Cardinals’ No. 4 prospect confirmed just how solid of an 80 that is at the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.
The 20-year-old shortstop collected a bouncing ball from Astros prospect Yainer Diaz in the second inning and unleashed a 100.5 mph throw for the easy out. For reference, the hardest Major League infield throw in the Statcast era came in at 97.8 mph, and that was set just this week by Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz. Winn topped out at 99.8 mph on his arm strength last season at Single-A Palm Beach (where Statcast data is also available), so this marks the first time he cracked triple-digits in publicly available data.
Winn’s improving bat at High-A and Double-A helped make him a Top 100 prospect for the first time in 2022, and his defense at the six has always been special. But it’s the arm that will likely draw the biggest gasps in the Majors, just as it did at the Futures Game.
Move over, Oneil Cruz!@Cardinals prospect Masyn Winn with a 100.5 mph throw from short! pic.twitter.com/5Tr0P0gTEG
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 16, 2022
An immaculate performance
Jayden Murray was flawless in the second inning in his Triple-A Durham debut.
The 23rd-round pick (698th overall) in the 2019 Draft had given up one hit entering the second frame before striking out three straight batters on nine pitches for an immaculate inning against Gwinnett.
Over 4 1/3 innings, the 25-year-old right-hander gave up five runs on seven hits for the Rays affiliate. Although the outing didn't turn out as well as it started, Murray finished with a career-high eight strikeouts.
July 15
Evan Almighty
In a night full of offense, Evan Carter did some heavy lifting.
The No. 9 Rangers prospect belted a pair of home runs for the first time as a professional and added a single, double and two RBIs in High-A Hickory's 18-11 loss to Wilmington. Trailing 18-1 after the sixth inning, Carter's Crawdads scored 10 unanswered runs between the seventh and eighth but the comeback effort ultimately fell short.
Carter's power tool has shown up in short bursts this season. After hitting three home runs over five games in mid May, the 2020 second-round pick went deep just once over his next 174 plate appearances before his multihomer effort. Carter sports a .265/.365/.455 line through 69 games in his second pro season.
Earning his pinstriples
A year ago, Jasson Domínguez -- one of the most hyped international prospects in recent memory after he signed with the Yankees for $5.1 million in 2019 at age 16 -- played in the Futures Game after just a handful of professional games in the Florida Complex League.
Now with more than a year of professional ball under his belt -- in addition to putting up solid, if not spectacular numbers at Single-A Tampa -- the young Dominican outfielder feels more at home as he prepares to play in the 2022 Sirius XM All-Star Futures Game on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT at Dodger Stadium.
“Last year I was a little shy, but this year, I think I’m going to enjoy it more because I have another year of experience and I’m going to know how to handle things better,” said Domínguez, who upon signing garnered comparisons to Mickey Mantle, Bo Jackson and Mike Trout. Full story »
Back where he belongs
Garrett Mitchell has been on a roll since returning from the injured list.
The Brewers' No. 4 prospect went on the injured list on May 14 with an oblique injury. He went on a rehab assignment on July 7 in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, going 1-for-12 over four games. But once the first-round (20th overall) pick in the 2020 Draft got back to Double-A, he went on a bounceback tour.
In his first three games back, the 23-year-old has had consecutive multihit performances, including in Biloxi's 5-3 win over Tennessee.
The former UCLA standout crushed a three-run homer to right-center field in the first inning to kick off the scoring. He followed with an infield single to finish the night 2-for-5 with a matched season-high three RBIs.
As much as Mitchell has been showing off on the offensive end, he flashed the leather as well, robbing a homer in right field.
A Natural-born hitter
Nick Loftin had himself a season-high night.
Kansas City's No. 4 prospect went 4-for-5 in Northwest Arkansas' 9-5 win over Corpus Christi.
The 23-year-old notched the first hit of the game with a double to left field in the first inning. In his very next at-bat, the center fielder launched a leadoff homer to left in the third for his 11th blast of the season and followed it with another leadoff hit, a double to left in the seventh.
His final at-bat led to a single in the eighth. The four hits, four runs and nine total bases were new season highs for Loftin, who is batting .276/.356/.446 with 27 extra-base hits, 43 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 73 games.
Making it look easy
Norge Vera's first taste of full season baseball continues to move along swimmingly.
The No. 5 White Sox prospect posted a hitless start -- his third in six outings since being promoted to Single-A -- and struck out seven over 3 1/3 innings in Kannapolis' eventual 5-0 loss to Salem. Four walks led to two runs and the loss for Vera.
The 22-year-old Cuban righty joined the Cannon Ballers on June 9 and sports a 2.65 ERA in 17 innings. Though he's working as a starter, Vera is continuing to build up his pitch count, which has reached 60 pitches in each of his last two outings. In those starts, he struck out a combined 15 in seven innings.
A warm Wichita welcome
Most players need an adjustment period when being promoted in professional baseball. That hasn't been the case for Christian Encarnacion-Strand.
In just two appearances with Double-A Wichita, Minnesota's No. 24 prospect has already tallied three hits, two homers and six RBIs. The Wind Surge's 9-2 win over Arkansas played a large role in his success.
The fourth-round (128th overall) pick in the 2021 Draft began the evening with back-to-back walks before launching a solo shot to left-center field in the fifth inning. The home run went an estimated 484 feet with an exit velocity of 108 mph. But Encarnacion-Strand wasn't through yet. In his very next at-bat in the sixth, the third baseman cracked a three-run homer to center for his second multihomer game in three contests.
After being activated from the 7-day injured list on July 6 and being promoted eight days later, the 22-year-old hasn't missed a beat. Encarnacion-Strand is batting .298 with a .990 OPS, 22 homers and 74 RBIs in 76 games.
Not quite perfect ... but still terrific
it's hard to beat perfect.
The Pirates' No. 7 prospect Anthony Solometo came in relief to hold down the fort and did just that. The second-round (37th overall) pick in the 2021 Draft was the final man out of the pen in Single-A Bradenton's 4-3 loss to Jupiter.
The 19-year-old tossed four perfect innings for the Marauders, fanning six along the way. This matched Solometo's longest outing and notched a career-high for strikeouts.
In his first professional season, the young prospect has split his appearances, allowing no earned runs in three outings and allowing an earned run or more in three performances this season through six total outings and 19 1/3 innings pitched.
Getting back in the swing of things
Triston Casas continues to work his way back in his rehab assignment in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League.
Boston's second-ranked prospect was placed on the 7-day injured list with an ankle injury on May 22 and began his rehab assignment on Tuesday.
In his third rehab game in the FCL, the 26th overall pick in the 2018 Draft collected three hits while falling a triple shy of the cycle Casa notched his team's first hit with an infield single in the first and followed with a solo shot to right field for his seventh homer of the season and first during his rehab assignment. His final hit of the night, an RBI double to left, put the icing on the cake in a 9-3 win over the FCL Twins.
The 22-year-old is slashing .500/.583/1.100 at the rookie level with back-to-back multihit games with three doubles.
Second-ranked #RedSox prospect Triston Casas smashed the first homer of his rehab assignment in the FCL: https://t.co/WPx2qa1e7g pic.twitter.com/BHFKwQPEgx
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 15, 2022
July 14
Entering the Wilderdness
Wilderd Patino entered play against San Jose having hit nearly everything in sight and taken off at every opportunity on the basepaths throughout July, and the eventual 13-12 loss was no different.
The D-backs’ No. 24 prospect collected a career-high five hits, while simultaneously leapfrogging into first place in the California League with a three-steal evening, giving him 52 on the season.
Patino opened his banner performance with a single in the first, before promptly swiping second and third base. He followed with singles in each of the following two frames as well, tying his career high in knocks in just the third inning. After kicking off the sixth with a double, Patino began his official flirtation with a cycle when he knotted the game at nine in the ninth on an opposite-field two-run triple. The outfielder got one last crack at the milestone in the 11th, but he grounded out.
Set to turn 21 years old next week, Patino’s highest-rated tool is his speed (60, on the 20-80 scale). In 38 games last season between Single-A and Arizona Complex League ball, Patino was limited to just eight swipes; thus far in 2022, he has been a menace to opposing catchers, having been successful on 52 of 59 attempts. Combining his five-hit outing with the three knocks he logged Wednesday, the native of Venezuela raised his batting average by 17 points (up to .295) over the last two contests alone.
Feeling the need for Veen
Zac Veen cannot be stopped on the basepaths.
The top Rockies prospect stole three bases in High-A Spokane's 2-4 loss to Eugene. The 20-year-old took the High-A lead for stolen bases with 41 and became the first player in the Northwest League to reach 40 stolen bases.
In the sixth, baseball's No. 22 prospect hustled to second for his first steal of the night and swiped third as a pitch passed catcher Rodolfo Bone. Veen stole his 41st base after dashing to second in the eighth.
Veen has only been caught stealing twice in 78 games this season.
The hot get hotter
Turning a corner? Noelvi Marte is on a whole new block.
The top-ranked Mariners prospect (MLB's No. 19) continued what has been a breakout month of July by recording a four-hit game for the first time in 2022 and belting his 14th home run in High-A Everett's 6-2 win over Tri-City.
Marte had been hitting .238 with a .379 slugging percentage in 64 games through the end of June. Since then, the 20-year-old shortstop is reminding evaluators why they fell in love with him over his first two pro seasons. In 12 July games, Marte is slashing an other-worldly .457/.554/.891 with six home runs -- one more than his total in May and June combined.
It was a night of big performances for the AquaSox. On the mound, starter Jimmy Joyce worked 5 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out an impressive 13 batters. The righty has fanned 90 through 79 1/3 innings in his first full season as a pro.
Assuming @MarteNoelvi ‘s night at the plate is over, tonight marks his third career four-hit night. He has one in each of his three seasons
— Everett AquaSox (@EverettAquaSox) July 15, 2022
August 17th, 2019; (DSL Mariners- 5 at bats )
August 3rd, 2021; (Modesto- 5 at bats)
July 14th, 2022; (Everett- 5 at bats)
@MiLB …. We have your NWL Pitcher of the Week@JoyceJimmyy throws an absolute gem:
— Everett AquaSox (@EverettAquaSox) July 15, 2022
5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 13 K (season high in Ks)
Joyce struck out the side THREE innings in a row
Cowser giveth and he takes away
It’s been 14 games at the Double-A level for Colton Cowser, but it’s safe to say that so far, he’s had no trouble adjusting.
MLB's No. 41 overall prospect did it all in Bowie’s doubleheader sweep of Akron, robbing a home run in Game 1 that would have tied the contest before going deep twice in the nightcap.
Cowser finished the second game of a twin bill 2-for-4 with three RBIs in the 9-1 win after going 0-for-2 with a walk in the opener.
The Orioles' third-ranked prospect cranked a long ball in his Baysox debut, finishing that game 3-for-3 with three RBIs, and he hasn’t slowed down since. After slugging just four homers through his first 62 games, the 22-year-old already has five dingers at the new level since being promoted on May 28. Full story »
Not stressing out
Jacob deGrom made his third Minor League rehab start as he continues to work his way back from a stress reaction in his right scapula that has sidelined him since March. The two-time National League Cy Young Award winner pitched for Triple-A Syracuse against Jacksonville at NBT Bank Stadium after making two rehab appearances with Low-A Port St. Lucie.
deGrom threw 42 pitches (29 strikes) over four innings, giving up one unearned run on two hits while walking one and striking out four. His fastball touched 100 mph on multiple occasions, including the third pitch of a three-pitch strikeout to open the game.
"I felt good," deGrom said after the outing. "I felt a little out of whack in the first couple innings, but then tried to make a little bit of an adjustment -- I wasn't locating my fastball quite like I wanted to early on, but the last couple innings went a lot better."
Overall, deGrom has not given up an earned run over 8 2/3 innings during this Minor League rehab stint, yielding five hits while walking one and striking out 15. He remains on track to potentially make his first start of the season for the Mets during the club's July 22-27 homestand against the Padres and Yankees. Full story »
July 13
Who turned out the lights?
Next time, the folks at Hodgetown will have to buy the longer extension cord.
As Double-A San Antonio and Amarillo took turns lighting up the scoreboard, the stadium needed some time catch its breath. Hodgetown lost power late in the game, causing a 24-minute delay during the Missions’ 14-12 win over the Sod Poodles.
San Diego prospect Yorman Rodriguez singled five times and Kelvin Melean ripped a grand slam to pace San Antonio’s offense. Blaze Alexander left the yard twice for Amarillo, giving Arizona’s No. 23 prospect 10 home runs, which equals his career high set last season.
And just like that, 20 minutes after we paused, we’re back!
— Amarillo Sod Poodles (@sodpoodles) July 14, 2022
Play resuming momentarily. pic.twitter.com/SNSO5PAPvG
A Brave new world
Vaughn Grissom played a supporting role in his first Double-A game. In his second, he was the star.
Atlanta's No. 4 prospect crushed his first Double-A homer and went 3-for-5 for the second straight game as Mississippi beat Rocket City, 9-3.
Grissom rolled up three singles in his Double-A debut on Tuesday. On the following afternoon, he picked up on an even better note from where he left off.
The shortstop belted the third pitch he saw in the bottom of the first inning out to left-center for his first homer since being promoted. After flying out to center in the second and grounding out to short in the fourth, Grissom singled on a bouncer through the left side in the seventh and reached on an infield single to short in the eighth.
Grissom started his season with 74 games at High-A and batted .312/.404/.487 with 11 homers and 55 RBIs.
Reaching back for something extra
Zach McCambley looks to be hitting his stride.
On the heels of six hitless innings in his last start, the No. 14 Marlins prospect was dominant again, striking out a career-best 11 batters in Double-A Pensacola's 7-3 win over Chattanooga. McCambley's previous season high was eight strikeouts, while he hadn't punched out double digits since June 11, 2021.
After allowing five or more earned runs in three of five starts since the beginning of June, McCambley has been excellent for the Blue Wahoos over his last two outings. Combined, the right-hander has allowed two runs on two hits in 12 2/3 innings with 17 strikeouts.
This Kernel's a-poppin'
Christian Encarnacion-Strand is blossoming into one of the Minors' best sluggers in his first full season.
The No. 24 Twins prospect cracked the 20-homer plateau for the first time while also going deep for a third consecutive game to lead High-A Cedar Rapids past Beloit, 4-2. Encarnacion-Strand has gone deep 12 times since June 1 and six times in his last 11 games.
His first-inning solo homer gave the Kernels a quick lead and kicked off a 3-for-4 performance that included his seventh stolen base. Encarnacion-Strand finished a triple shy of the cycle and improved his slash line to .296/.370/.599 in 74 games. The 22-year-old leads the Midwest League in RBIs (68) and extra-base hits (46) and is tied for tops on the circuit with 20 homers and 23 doubles.
Rumbling right along
After a red-hot June, Brett Baty is still bringing the heat in July. New York’s second-ranked prospect belted his 12th home run of the season as part of a three-hit day in Double-A Binghamton’s 7-2 loss to Erie.
The 22-year-old singled to right in the first and center in the ninth to bookend his fifth-inning solo dinger. Facing Detroit’s No. 15 prospect, righty Reese Olson, the lefty slugger cranked a 2-2 pitch to left-center for his fourth jack of the month. Nine of Baty’s 12 long balls and 24 of his 31 RBIs have come off righties.
MLB’s No. 20 overall prospect is batting .280 with a .847 OPS, 16 doubles and 34 walks in 71 games this season.
A Tena-cious day at the plate
With four multihit games already to his credit in a hot start to the month of July, Jose Tena did something he'd never done in his pro career: tallied four knocks in a game.
Cleveland's No. 9 prospect homered, doubled and added a pair of singles, driving in a pair of runs and scoring a pair, as Akron rallied to lead late before falling on the road at Bowie, 6-5.
In the lineup for the first time since Sunday, the shortstop doubled to center in the top of the third before sneaking a home run just over the wall and around the foul pole in right in the fifth. In the sixth, Tena bounced a single through the shifted infield on the right side to drive in a run, and in the ninth, he went the other way for a single on the ground past short.
Tena had five three-hit games this season -- and 21 such performances in his career prior to this year -- before finally notching his first four-hit affair. It continued a strong start to the month that has seen Tena bat .357 with a 1.047 OPS through nine games so far in July.
Going loony for Lansing
In his second multihit game in a row and third three-hit game of the season, second-ranked prospect Tyler Soderstrom cranked a solo blast and finished a triple shy of the cycle in High-A Lansing’s 8-7 loss to Fort Wayne.
The lefty slugger cranked a 1-0 pitch from TinCaps righty Dwayne Matos in the fourth frame and deposited it over the wall in center field for his 15th home run of the season. Twelve of Soderstrom’s long balls this year have come off of righties. The 20-year-old used all fields, smacking a double to left in the third and a single to right in the sixth.
MLB's No. 35 prospect has been swinging the bat well in July, posting a .333/.417/.700 slash line with six extra-base hits, nine RBIs and 21 total bases in 30 at-bats.
July 12
Carroll-ing in the summer sun
Two Triple-A games, two Triple-A homers for
MLB's No. 3 overall prospect debuted with Reno on Sunday with a two-run homer, a sliding catch in center and an assist at home to set up the Aces' walk-off win. Although there were no highlight-reel defensive plays in game No. 2, Carroll kept the power stroke going with a three-run shot that proved important in Reno's 5-4 win over Sugar Land.
Injuries limited the 21-year-old to 49 games since being drafted in 2019, but he's put everything together this season. Carroll is batting .315/.432/.644 with 38 extra-base hits, 19 homers and 45 RBIs in 62 games with Double-A Amarillo and Reno. The Seattle native has scored 66 runs and swiped 20 bases in 23 attempts.
It's a grand turnaround
At the start of the season, Jose Ramos produced big numbers, slashing .310/.398/.648 in the month of April in Single-A. But coming into his latest game, the No. 14 Dodgers prospect had an average of .226 without an RBI in July. Ramos knew he had to turn things around.
He homered twice in one inning and plated a career-high seven runs in High-A Great Lakes' 14-9 win over Quad Cities. In the fifth inning, with the Loons trailing, 7-4, Ramos crushed the first ball of his at-bat against right-hander Harrison Beethe to left-center field for a two-run shot.
Great Lakes added three more runs in the frame before setting up Ramos' next at-bat with the bases loaded against righty Chase Wallace. The 21-year-old wanted to “wait for the right pitch and make good contact with it.” The mission was accomplished in the third pitch of the at-bat with a grand slam to left-center.
“I was very emotional,” Ramos said. “I have never accomplished that and may never get a chance to do it again. It’s rare.” Full story »
Finding a way to outdo himself
Coming off six scoreless innings in his last start, Jared Shuster went longer and was even better. Atlanta's No. 7 prospect matched a career high with 12 strikeouts while dealing seven innings of two-hit ball as Double-A Mississippi blanked Rocket City, 6-0.
Shuster was perfect through four innings, retiring the first 13 batters he faced, nine via strikeouts. Starting with the second out of the second inning, the left-hander struck out seven straight, five swinging. After Rocket City's Jeremiah Jackson broke up the perfect game with a one-out infield single to third base in the fifth, Shuster retired the next two to wrap the frame.
The southpaw retired the final five batters he faced, the last two via swinging strikeouts. Shuster finished his night with 88 pitches, 62 for strikes, and improved his record to 6-7 to go along with a 2.87 ERA. His 12 K's matched a career-best mark, last set on April 16 at Biloxi.
In support of Shuster, Atlanta's No. 4 prospect, Vaughn Grissom, made a strong impression in his Double-A debut. Grissom tallied three singles, drove in two runs and stole a base.
After going 3-for-5 with 2 RBI, and a stolen base in his Double-A debut, @GrissomVaughn got the @CountryPleasin walk-off interview with @JackSadighian. pic.twitter.com/lXsbdT1iAJ
— Mississippi Braves (@mbraves) July 13, 2022
Looking for a slice of the pie
MLB will test out a new rule in the Minor Leagues to limit defensive shifts: adding chalk lines on the field extending from each side of second base toward the outfield grass, creating a pie slice-shaped region behind the bag where no infielders can play.
The experimental shift rule will go into effect in the Single-A Florida State League starting July 22.
MLB has already been testing out shift rules across the Minor Leagues this season: one prohibiting infielders from playing on the outfield grass, and one requiring two infielders to be positioned on each side of second base.
This newest rule basically creates a bigger opening in the defense up the middle, which would theoretically generate more base hits through the middle. Full story »
A limit to how much defenses can shift will be tested in the Minors.
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 13, 2022
Here's what it might mean: https://t.co/0XwdWC6dUL pic.twitter.com/sMooS65A3X
Fanning the flames
On May 19, Jordan Wicks struck out eight batters for the first time in his career. A few weeks later, on June 11, he matched that mark. Just over a month after that, he blew by it.
The seventh-ranked Cubs prospect reached double-digit strikeouts for the first time as a pro, racking up a career-best 10 K's and dazzling over five one-hit innings in High-A South Bend's 6-0 win on the road at Peoria.
Wicks retired the side in order in the first and struck out the side in order in the second. Following a leadoff walk in the third, he fanned the side again. The left-hander surrendered only one hit, a two-out single to L.J. Jones in the fourth, and worked around another leadoff walk in the fifth to keep his line clean.
The outing marked Wicks' first scoreless game since his first start of the year, when he went 3 2/3 innings at Fort Wayne on April 14. It was also the southpaw's fourth start in his last five in which he went five full innings.
Strikeouts are a Hall mark
The theme in DL Hall’s starts in July: making people whiff.
The Orioles' No. 4 prospect has been dealing in his recent outings as he has struck out 22 hitters in his last 10 innings of work. The 23-year-old continued that trend, striking out eight while allowing one unearned run on two hits across 5 2/3 innings in Triple-A Norfolk’s 2-1 loss to Worcester.
The lefty was dealing from the start, fanning six of the first eight batters he faced before allowing his only run of the game off of a wild pitch in the third inning. He threw 98 pitches – 59 of them strikes – in his start.
Hall lowered his ERA to 3.83 and brought his strikeout tally to 101 over 61 2/3 innings this season.
The week that was
Teams celebrated Independence Day from sea to shining sea last week in the Minor Leagues, including one squad that signed a 100-year-old World War II veteran to a contract he may have earned 80 years ago if not for war. Top prospects continued climbing the ladder in their respective organizations -- the Mets' Francisco Álvarez reached Triple-A, the D-backs' Jordan Lawlar headed up to High-A and Corbin Carroll hit Triple-A Reno in style. Top Nationals prospect Cade Cavalli turned in a dominant outing over seen scoreless innings. Look back at last week across the Minors.