Around the Minors: The week of July 18-24
July 24
July 24
'Settling' for a career high instead of a milestone
James Outman was the catalyst in Triple-A Oklahoma City's 12-3 victory over Sacramento.
The Dodgers' No. 17 prospect was 3-for-4 in the win and put up a career-high six RBIs. After beginning the night with a walk in the third inning, the 25-year-old homered in the fifth to right-center field. He followed with a bases-clearing double to center in the sixth.
The seventh-round (224th overall) selection in the 2018 Draft knocked a two-run triple to right in his final at-bat in the eighth. Outman ended the night a single shy of a cycle but left with a career-high nine total bases.
Since being promoted to Triple-A on June 29, he's slashing .246/.363/.492.
Running on pure adrenaline
DURHAM, N.C. -- In a famous mound meeting from Bull Durham, Nuke LaLoosh tells Crash Davis he wants to throw the heater and “announce my presence with authority.” Another right-handed pitching phenom used fastballs, cutters, curveballs and changeups to achieve the same goal in his Triple-A debut.
Top Rays prospect
As if the game didn’t carry enough significance, MLB Pipeline's No. 33 overall prospect had to wait out a 30-minute rainless delay as he itched to take the ball on a Triple-A mound for the first time.
"There were no butterflies," Bradley said. "It was more like a rush. Adrenaline kicked in, and I was excited to get out there.” Full story »
Endy over Endy
One day after his first multihomer game of the season, Endy Rodriguez went back for another.
Pittsburgh's No. 6 prospect clobbered two homers for the second straight game and reached base five times by adding two singles and a walk as High-A Greensboro fell to visiting Hickory in extra innings, 10-9.
Rodriguez got into his big day right from the start, clubbing a solo homer to left field in the bottom of the second inning. After flying out to right in the third, he reached in his next four trips to the plate. Rodriguez reached on a bunt single to third base in the fifth, lined an RBI single to right in the sixth and belted a solo homer to right-center leading off the ninth. In the 10th, Hickory passed on dealing with the slugger, issuing him an intentional walk.
The performance continued a surge at the plate for Rodriguez, who is batting .351/.433/.772 in 15 games this month with six homers -- nearly equal to his seven total from April through June -- and 17 RBIs.
Endy Rodriguez hits another homer run! His 2nd today and 4th in the last two days! pic.twitter.com/7kWLmjSRpR
— Greensboro Grasshoppers (@GSOHoppers) July 24, 2022
The mighty Quinn
At the beginning of July, Quinn Priester got roughed up by the Harrisburg Senators, allowing three runs on five hits over four innings. In the rematch, it was Priester who came away smiling.
Baseball's No. 34 overall prospect struck out eight batters while allowing one unearned run on three hits over six innings as Double-A Altoona outlasted Harrisburg, 3-2, in extra innings.
Priester's day started on a tough note -- the only one he'd face. The right-hander allowed two singles around a sacrifice bunt in the first inning to plate the game's first run. After a leadoff single in the second, Priester got to work.
Pittsburgh's No. 4 prospect only allowed one baserunner the rest of the day, when he hit Gilbert Lara with a one-out pitch in the third inning. Including that plate appearance, Priester retired 14 of the final 16 batters he faced, walking Darren Baker with two outs in the sixth to snap a streak of 10 straight. Of those 10 straight outs, six came via strikeout, all swinging.
Though he took a no-decision, Priester posted his third straight outing without allowing an earned run and threw 50 strikes among his 84 pitches. Since giving up a total of five earned runs in his first three Double-A starts, Priester has dropped his ERA from 4.09 to 1.65 over his last three.
Hot and happening
Coming back from some time off,
Baseball’s No. 36 overall prospect homered twice and drove in four runs as part of his second consecutive three-hit game as Double-A New Hampshire held off Portland, 9-7.
“It’s massive, especially the last three weeks when it’s starting to warm up around here,” New Hampshire hitting coach Matt Hague said of the Minor League-wide four-day break earlier in the week. “He’s so young, he’s still not necessarily used to this strenuous season. It’s just another steppingstone for his development, getting used to it. It’s good to sit back and assess and reassess where he’s at, stuff he needs to learn. He is very openminded and wants to learn and wants to be really good, so I think it’s a good reflection period for him.”
Martinez has played like a man rejuvenated over the last two days. In the last game, he belted a homer while adding a double and single, and this one was even better. Following a swinging strikeout in his first at-bat, Martinez crushed a solo homer to left field in the bottom of the fourth. Two innings later, he reached on an infield single to load the bases, and in the seventh, the 20-year-old walloped a three-run homer to give New Hampshire the lead for good. Full story »
July 23
Busch reaches the berm
It was impossible to keep Michael Busch off the bases.
The Dodgers’ No. 3 prospect has continuously produced at the plate in July, with four multihit games. Busch added to that tally, going 2-for-2 with one homer and two walks in Triple-A Oklahoma City’s 8-4 win over Sacramento.
The 24-year-old’s productive game started with patience, walking in the first and fifth inning. Busch showed off his bat in his other plate appearances, crushing a two-run shot in the third inning and a double to left field in the seventh inning.
The infielder’s impressive night brought his slash line to .274/.368/.545 on the season
Racking up the K's
Darius Vines has been impressive in the month of July.
The Braves' No. 11 prospect has been dealing in his recent outings as he has had two scoreless in his three outings this month. The 24-year-old continued that stretch, striking out 10 while allowing one hit in six scoreless innings in Double-A Mississippi’s 2-1 loss to Montgomery.
The righty was on his “A” game at the end of his outing, fanning seven out of the last nine batters he faced. He threw 93 pitches – 68 of them strikes – in his start.
Vines lowered his ERA to 4.31 and brought his K tally to 114 in the 94 innings he has pitched this season.
Cat on the prowl
Orelvis Martinez was a man on a mission in Double-A New Hampshire's 5-3 win over Portland.
Toronto's No. 2 prospect was a catalyst for the Fisher Cats, and he started his evening with a leadoff single to left field in the second inning. In the fourth inning, in his second at-bat, the 20-year-old launched his 20th homer of the season to left. A double to left in the eighth put the shortstop a triple away from reaching the cycle. Unfortunately, he wouldn't get another chance at the plate, leaving him 3-for-4 on the night, matching a season high for hits.
The Dominican Republic native has struggled in July, slashing .100/.151/.240, but the three-hit performance displayed his room for growth heading into the second half of the season.
Look who's on top!
For the fifth time this season, Jhonkensy Noel recorded a multihomer game, clubb a pair of jacks while driving in three runs to power Double-A Akron past Erie, 7-6, at Canal Park.
The No. 13 Guardians prospect mashed a two-run shot in the third and a solo blast in the fifth. In 17 games with the RubberDucks, the 21-year-old has connected on eight roundtrippers.
After swatting 19 home runs with High-A Lake County to open the year, Noel's 27 combined taters leads the Minors. He is sporting a .534 combined slugging percentage across 79 total games this season.
PSA from PCA: the power is real
The fireworks are starting to come in bunches for Pete Crow-Armstrong.
The Cubs' No. 3 prospect has been a force since returning from the All-Star break. In High-A South Bend's 6-2 win over Cities, the first-round (19th overall) selection in the 2020 Draft put together a 2-for-5 performance, including a leadoff double to right field on the first pitch the Cubs saw and a sixth-inning solo shot to left to mark back-to-back games with a homer.
The 20-year-old has notched 13 blasts and is currently slashing .291/.339/.582 on the season.
A great start to the weekend
Alex Ramirez lived out every baseball player's childhood dream.
With his team trailing by two heading into the top of the ninth, the Mets' fourth-ranked prospect launched a go-ahead grand slam that ended up being the deciding factor in High-A Brooklyn's 9-7 win over Jersey Shore.
The 19-year-old ended the game 2-for-5 with five RBIs, marking his second straight game with five runs batted in and back-to-back games with a homer. Both these games were against the BlueClaws, so it might be safe to say that the Dominican Republic native has been enjoying his time at the Jersey Shore.
The center fielder was promoted to High-A on July 4 and is slashing .278/.316/.500 since making the jump from Single-A.
What a day for JJ Bleday
One of the Marlins’ top Draft picks has received the callup.
JJ Bleday, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 Draft and the team’s No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, joined the team in Pittsburgh on Saturday. He was not in the starting lineup for Saturday’s 1-0 loss to the Pirates, but he did make his debut in the seventh inning, batting fourth and playing in left field. In the eighth, Bleday caught Ben Gamel's fly ball to left, and in the ninth, Bleday walked in his first career plate appearance.
“It’s been surreal the past 24 hours,” Bleday said. “We get done with the game last night, and then [Triple-A Jacksonville manager Daren] Brown calls me back into the office and he said, ‘You’re probably going to be on the taxi squad, you’re going to be up there but get ready to play.’” Full story »
What a grand idea!
Francisco Álvarez has had his share of struggles in his first taste of Triple-A action. MLB's No. 2 overall prospect entered Saturday afternoon's tilt batting .111/.333/.185 with Triple-A Syracuse, including a 1-for-25 stretch. The 20-year-old had one extra-base hit -- a double in his debut -- and had not homered since June 29.
That streak came to an emphatic end in Syracuse's 7-3 win over Worcester at Polar Park.
Álvarez turned around 2-0 deficit with a grand slam, his first Triple-A long ball and 19th of the season. Overall, the backstop is hitting .260 with an .885 OPS, 37 extra-base hits and 55 RBIs in 77 games.
Putting the "out" in strikeout
Kyle Harrison has been on his “A” game in July.
The Giants' No. 2 prospect has been dealing this month, as he allowed an 0.82 ERA in his two previous outings. The 20-year-old continued that trend, striking out nine while throwing three hitless innings in Double-A Richmond’s game against Bowie.
The lefty walked the leadoff hitter, then locked down the rest of the way as he fanned the other nine batters he faced. He threw 47 pitches (31 strikes) in his start.
Harrison lowered his ERA to 2.98 and brought his K tally to 128 in 74 1/3 innings this season.
July 22
Going the extra mile
Top prospects are anointed as such for good reason. After approaching the end of June with an OPS below .700, the switch has undeniably flipped for Noelvi Marte.
The top-ranked Mariners prospect continued his midsummer onslaught against Northwest League pitching with perhaps his best game yet: three doubles, a home run and a season-high seven RBIs in High-A Everett’s 16-9 loss to Eugene on Friday.
“First of all, thank God for the last month and a half,” Marte said through interpreter Jose Umbria. “The work I’ve been putting in every day when I come to the field, having a plan and trying to commit to it and execute during the game… I feel like I’m in a really good spot.” Full story »
We missed the swing.... but trust us, it was as beautiful as the trip around the bases https://t.co/pswwuxe5Vd pic.twitter.com/CGQt4FnbQT
— Everett AquaSox (@EverettAquaSox) July 23, 2022
Alex the great delivers for Brooklyn
At the start of the 2022 season, Alex Ramirez wasn’t even on the Top 100 Prospects list. Now? He’s one of the most exciting prospects in the Mets’ system.
MLB’s No. 87 overall prospect had a breakout performance in High-A Brooklyn’s 10-3 win over Jersey Shore, notching his first four-hit game for the Cyclones and his fourth of the season while driving in half the team’s runs and swiping a bag.
The 19-year-old entered the night batting just .205/.255/.318 without a long ball through his first 12 games at the new level, but by game’s end, he had raised his average 60 points and his slugging percentage by over 100 points with the help of a double and his first High-A dinger. Full story »
A Yard Goat with bite
Michael Toglia returned from the break the same way he left -- mashing home runs.
The No. 9 Rockies prospect cranked two solo home runs en route to Double A' Hartford's 6-5 victory over Binghamton. The 23-year-old has now hit a home run in three consecutive games for the Yard Goats.
The switch-hitter crushed his first home run to right-center field in the fifth inning. Toglia waited until the eighth to strike again, with a go-ahead long ball sent to left-center field.
This was Toglia's second multi-homer game of the season and fifth of his career. He raised his season home run total to 19 and is only three home runs away from tying his career record of 22 set last season.
Movin' on up
It was a new level of the atmosphere for The Martian, but he appeared to be right at home.
Jasson Domínguez made his High-A debut with the Renegades and wasted no time making his impact felt as he collected two hits -- including a game-tying homer with two outs in the ninth -- walked, stole a base and scored three times in Hudson Valley's 6-5 loss to Wilmington in 10 innings at Frawley Stadium.
The 19-year-old, who mashed a mammoth, game-tying two-run home run in the All-Star Futures Game last Saturday, was promoted to High-A earlier that day. He posted a .265/.373/.440 slash line with nine dingers, two triples, 17 doubles, 54 runs scored, 36 RBIs and 19 stolen bases over 75 games with Single-A Tampa to start the year. Full story »
👽 💣 pic.twitter.com/eConDeITWG
— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) July 23, 2022
Getting back to work
Jordan Diaz contributed four of his team's six runs in Double-A Midland's 10-6 loss to Amarillo.
Oakland's No. 12 prospect was a catalyst for the RockHounds' offense. The 21-year-old notched his first hit of the evening with a single to center field in the third inning and a single to right in the fifth. The first baseman's third knock came by a two-run homer -- his 14th of the year -- to left-center. He wrapped up his night with a single in the ninth.
Diaz is currently on a 16-game on-base streak, reaching base in each game while having a hit in all but one outing in July. The Colombia native is hitting .310 on the season and slashing .359/.414/.422 over his hot stretch.
The future is now ... and then
Flights to and from Los Angeles and four days off couldn't slow down the Jackson Chourio Show.
Milwaukee's top-ranked prospect -- MLB's No. 37 overall -- returned to action following the All-Star break and doubled three times for Single-A Carolina in the Mudcats' 12-10 loss to the Down East Wood Ducks.
Chourio brought in runs with his two baggers in the first and second innings. He maintained his perfect night with a line drive into the gap in left-center but went hitless in his final two trips to the plate. It was Chourio's sixth game with at least two extra-base hits since joining the Mudcats at the beginning of May and first with three in his two seasons as a pro.
The 18-year-old went hitless in two at-bats at the Futures Game but his inclusion on the National League roster at his age was notable nonetheless. A stellar .325/.373/.601 line through 60 games in the Carolina League has vaulted him to the top of a loaded Brewers Top 30 Prospects list.
July 20
De La Cruz-ing to Double-A
CINCINNATI -- The Reds' No. 2 prospect, shortstop Elly De La Cruz, is getting promoted.
After starring in the first half at High-A Dayton, De La Cruz is headed to Double-A Chattanooga, MLB.com has confirmed. He will be with Chattanooga in time for its next game Friday.
Ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 49 overall prospect, the 20-year-old De La Cruz appeared at the Sirius-XM All-Star Futures Game last weekend.
Listed at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, the switch-hitting De La Cruz batted .302 with a .968 OPS, 20 home runs and 52 RBIs in 73 games with Dayton this season. During a July 7 doubleheader, he slugged three homers in the two games.
Cincinnati's second-ranked prospect Elly De La Cruz (MLB's No. 49 overall) will be heading to Double-A Chattanooga after the break: https://t.co/3yTQC9NNJu pic.twitter.com/MVeM4qHpy2
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 21, 2022
July 19
Third day's the charm
Interesting note: Nine players selected for the 2022 MLB All-Star Game were drafted after the 10th round. So it's a good idea to keep an eye on the prospects taken as the Draft concluded. Among the interesting Day 3 selections: The Angels picked up a pair of brothers, the Orioles took a 7-foot hurler and the Pirates selected a player whose middle name is synonymous with the franchise.
One of the top-ranked prospects available entering final day of the Draft, Caden Dana -- a right-handed pitcher out of Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) -- was chosen in the 11th round (No. 328 overall). Approximately an hour later, the Halos also selected Casey Dana -- an outfielder from the University of Connecticut -- in the 16th round (No. 478 overall).
Baltimore selected southpaw Jared Beck out of Division II Saint Leo University in the 13th round. Listed at 7 feet, he would be the tallest player to reach the Majors. Only two players -- pitchers Jon Rauch (2002-13) and Sean Hjelle ('22) -- have made the Majors while listed as 6-foot-11.
The Pirates have drafted many who have been inspired by the legendary Roberto Clemente, the franchise’s face and one of baseball’s greatest humanitarians on top of being a Hall of Famer. But they've rarely been named in his honor. In the 12th round, Pittsburgh took Kyle Clemente Hunt, a right-hander out of Mississippi State University. Full story »
From a 7-foot hurler to a switch-pitcher and everything in between, Day 3 was a whirlwind.
— MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) July 19, 2022
Check out the most intriguing picks of the final day of the Draft: https://t.co/UKgNjozLAl pic.twitter.com/bYnvI5Ts3i
July 18
Putting it into second gear
After a wild first day of the 2022 MLB Draft covering Rounds 1 and 2, eight compensation picks and Competitive Balance Rounds A and B, Day 2, which covered Rounds 3-10, saw plenty of talent go off the board.
Notable picks includes Tennessee right-hander Ben Joyce (LAA), top pitching prospect Brock Porter (TEX) and high-school righty Mason McGwire -- son of Mark McGwire.
Joyce went to the Angels with the 89th overall pick. The righty went way beyond triple digits to touch 105 mph out of the Volunteers' bullpen this season. His mid-80s slider might be a better swing-and-miss pitch, but it’s the velo that’s always going to pop for the 6-foot-5 reliever.
After the Rangers shocked many by taking Kumar Rocker at No. 3 overall, the organization nabbed MLB Pipeline’s top pitcher in this class with the 109th overall pick. Porter already throws in the mid-90s, touches 100 and shows an above-average slider and plus changeup. He was Gatorade’s National Player of the Year after posting a 0.41 ERA with 115 strikeouts in 58 innings.
And Mark McGwire's son, Mason, stayed in the NL Central, albeit on the other side of the rivalry. The Cubs selected him 233rd overall, and should he sign away from his Oklahoma commitment, McGwire brings a fastball in the low 90s and shows a decent mid-70s splitter. Full story »
Fireballers. Home run mashers. Sons of former All-Stars.
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 18, 2022
Day 2 of the Draft featured tons of talent: https://t.co/kgxia3j5ZK pic.twitter.com/PjZiPKXJ48
The week that was
Even by midsummer standards, the Minor League Baseball atmosphere the past seven days was extra hot. Perhaps the loudest moment of the season came in Amarillo, where the Sod Poodles' Leandro Cedeno crushed a homer that traveled an estimated 527 feet(!) Also in Double-A, Yankees prospect Jeisson Rosario hit for the first cycle in Somerset's affiliated history, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand did likewise for the Wichita Wind Surge. Meanwhile in Single-A, five Myrtle Beach pitchers combined on their team's second no-hitter of the season. Away from the field, Major League Baseball announced a rule test designed to encourage offense that will limit defensive players' positioning in select Minor League games. Take a look back at last week's action.