Prospect Roundup: Games of Aug. 2

Theme of the day

Transition? What transition?: There's usually a period of adjustment when players are promoted to new levels, as they encounter better opponents, new coaching staffs, new parks, etc. etc. Sometimes, however, players jump right in. Dodgers No. 6 prospectGavin Lux homered in a three-hit debut with Double-A Tulsa. No. 2 D-backs prospect Jasrado Chisholmwent 4-for-5 with two steals and is now hitting .340/.389/.680 through his first dozen games with Class A Advanced Visalia. So much for adjustments.

Who stayed hot

Cardinals 3B Nolan Gorman, Rookie-level Johnson City: 2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 K -- This was the third straight game in which Gorman collected multiple extra-base hits. This year's No. 19 overall pick is 9-for-14 (.692) with two homers, five doubles and eight RBIs over those three contests. He's hitting .331/.432/.653 with nine homers in 31 games on the season and ranks fourth in the Appy League with a 1.084 OPS and 176 wRC+. Gorman entered pro ball with plus power potential, and he's exhibited that tool extremely well since signing in June.

Who needed this one

Rays C Ronaldo Hernandez, Class A Bowling Green: 3-for-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, K -- The 20-year-old catcher now leads the Midwest League with 18 homers in a breakout campaign with Bowling Green, but it's been an up-and-down season for the Rays' No. 6 prospect. Hernandez went deep 10 times in June, only to clear the fence three times and hit just .241/.302/.367 in 21 July games. After his third two-homer game of the season, Hernandez is well on his way to clearing that dinger total in August. The Colombia native has a well-rounded profile with a .295/.344/.528 line and 33.9 percent caught-stealing rate in 87 games. He's the highest-ranked Tampa Bay prospect not to appear in MLB.com's top-100 rankings, but if he can power through the rest of August, he might wind up there soon.

The unexpected

Yankees RHP Nolan Martinez, Class A Short Season Staten Island: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 7 K, 66 pitches, 44 strikes -- The Yankees' No. 27 prospect has been impressive in the New York-Penn League, but no one expects any player to throw five perfect innings. The 20-year-old right-hander hasn't allowed an earned run since July 3, a streak now running 23 2/3 innings. In fact, four of his five earned runs on the season came in his debut on June 20. His 1.23 ERA ranks second among New York-Penn League qualifiers while his 0.87 WHIP places third.

Best matchup

MacKenzie Gore vs. Jonathan India: Gore was the third overall pick in the 2017 Draft. India went with the fifth pick in this year's edition. On Thursday, they crossed paths as Fort Wayne hosted Dayton. The Reds' No. 4 prospect was one of the few Dragons with any success against Gore, singling off the TinCaps starter in the first inning and walking in the fourth. India accounted for half of the Dayton baserunners to reach against Gore, who struck out eight and scattered two hits and two walks over five scoreless innings in his side's 5-4 win. More on that gem in Chris Bumbaca's story for MiLB.com here.

Who strengthened their promotion case

Orioles LHP Keegan Akin, Double-A Bowie: 7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 100 pitches, 67 strikes -- The Orioles' No. 12 prospect led all ranked pitching prospects with nine strikeouts Thursday, his fourth time this season fanning nine or more. He now leads the Eastern League with 116 strikeouts in 111 2/3 innings and ranks third in the circuit with a 2.82 ERA; the only players with lower marks (Peter Lambert, Mitch Keller) are both now in Triple-A. The 23-year-old southpaw has two above-average pitches in his fastball and slider. Though he has yet to receive an in-season promotion during his three years in the Minors, Akin could benefit from getting experience against Triple-A bats before the season is over.