The coronavirus pandemic may have shortened the looks at Minor Leaguers this spring, but some Top-100 performers still were able to make impressions.Cardinals OF Dylan Carlson (No. 17 overall) -- Carlson was called upon more than any other prospect in MLB.com's Top 100 this spring, and St. Louis' top prospect
The coronavirus pandemic may have shortened the looks at Minor Leaguers this spring, but some Top-100 performers still were able to make impressions.
Cardinals OF Dylan Carlson (No. 17 overall) -- Carlson was called upon more than any other prospect in MLB.com's Top 100 this spring, and St. Louis' top prospect did not disappoint. He finished with a .313/.436/.469 slash line over 39 trips to the plate, scoring 11 times and driving in one run. He also drew a Top 100-best six walks while striking out just five times, and he logged three doubles and a triple. Carlson spent most of 2019 with Double-A Springfield, but saw some time with Triple-A Memphis, batting .292/.372/.542 with 26 homers, 95 runs and 68 RBIs.
White Sox OF Luis Robert (No. 3 overall) -- Even before he reported to camp, Chicago's top prospect was all but guaranteed a spot in the Majors after signing a six-year, $50 million contract in January. And following his dominant spring showing, he made that decision even easier. Robert logged a .333/.394/.567 line over 33 appearances with the big league club, scoring five runs and driving in two while drawing three walks. He made the most of his 10 hits, homering once, doubling twice and tripling in one game. He soared across three levels in 2019, finishing the year with a .328/.376/.624 line with 32 homers, 108 runs and 92 RBIs.
Twins OF Trevor Larnach (No. 81 overall) -- Minnesota's third-ranked prospect belted only 13 homers during his 2019 campaign, but he led all Top-100 prospects in big flies this spring. Larnach went deep three times in 30 trips to the plate, driving in six runs. He finished with a line of .333/.467/.708, walking five times and scoring seven runs. Last season marked his first full go-around as a professional, and he posted a .309/.384/.458 line with 66 RBIs and 59 runs between Class A Advanced Fort Myers and Double-A Pensacola.
Twins OF Alex Kirilloff (No. 32 overall) -- Chalk it up as a great spring for Minnesota's outfield. The second-ranked Twins prospect was nothing short of stellar in his second year in big league camp, batting .429/.455/.810 over 22 appearances at the dish. He went deep twice and doubled twice, plating four and crossing the plate four times. Kirilloff spent 2019 with Pensacola, stringing together a .283/.343/.413 line with nine homers, 47 runs and 43 RBIs over 94 games.
Padres OF Taylor Trammell (No. 57 overall) -- Trammell made quite the first impression during his first spring campaign with his new club. San Diego's fifth-ranked prospect hammered out a .391/.440/.609 line with five runs and four RBIs over 13 games. He didn't leave the yard, but doubled three times and tripled once over 23 at-bats. His 2019 season was split between the Reds and Padres organizations, and he batted .234/.340/.349 with 10 homers as he helped lead Double-A Amarillo to the Texas League title.
Athletics LHP Jesus Luzardo (No. 12 overall) -- Luzardo couldn't have done much more to make his case for the big league roster this spring. Oakland's top prospect struck out 13 batters over 8 1/3 innings, yielding one run on four hits and a walk. He gave up just one hit in each of his first two appearances and then fanned eight Mariners hitters while allowing two hits and one run over 3 1/3 frames in his third outing. Luzardo spent the end of 2019 in the Majors, a reward for the 2.51 ERA he posted in 43 innings over three Minor League levels.
Braves RHP Kyle Wright (No. 52 overall) -- After struggling in his brief time in Atlanta last season, Wright needed an exceptional spring to prove he belongs in the big leagues -- he delivered just that. The fourth-ranked Braves prospect stitched together a 2.03 ERA over 13 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. He racked up 15 strikeouts in his four appearances on the mound -- a Top-100 high for the spring -- walking just three batters. Over 21 starts with Triple-A Gwinnett in 2019, Wright posted a 4.17 ERA and struck out 116 in 112 1/3 frames. He appeared in seven games with Atlanta, finishing with an 8.69 ERA.
Blue Jays RHP Nate Pearson (No. 8 overall) -- Pearson showed no signs of inexperience his first time in big league camp. Toronto's top-rated prospect surrendered one run on two hits over seven innings for the Jays, He struck out 11 batters and issued three walks over four appearances, three of which came in relief. Pearson pitched at three separate levels in 2019, rising from Class A Advanced Dunedin all the way to Triple-A Buffalo. Over 25 starts, he logged a 2.30 ERA and struck out 119 batters over 101 2/3 innings.
Yankees RHP Clarke Schmidt (No. 88 overall) -- Schmidt made only three starts at the Double-A level before entering The Show, but he looked the part of a Major League pitcher over the spring. The Yankees' No. 2 prospect allowed four runs -- two earned -- in seven innings to finish with a 2.57 ERA. He struck out eight and walked three in his four appearances. Schmidt spent time with three different affiliates in 2019, mostly Class A Advanced Tampa, and posted a 3.47 ERA with 102 punchouts over 90 2/3 frames.
Braves RHP Ian Anderson (No. 37 overall) -- Anderson may not have gotten the same amount of work as fellow Atlanta prospect Wright, but he was still sharp in the time he saw on the mound. The third-ranked Braves prospect gave up one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked two batters in three outings. Between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett, Anderson compiled a 3.38 ERA while striking out 172 over 135 2/3 frames spanning 26 starts.
Jordan Wolf is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter: @byjordanwolf
