Prospect Roundup: Games of Aug. 22

Theme of the day

Notable players hit notable homers:No. 8 overall prospectKyle Tucker made a strong return to the Minor Leagues, homering twice in his first game with Triple-A Fresno following his demotion from the Majors. Phillies No. 4 prospect Adam Haseley hit his third homer in his last five games for Double-A Reading. Giants No. 10 prospect Heath Quinnhit a grand slam and set a career high with six RBIs for Class A Advanced San Jose. No. 12 Rays prospect Vidal Brujanhit two homers of his own (and went 3-for-3 with two walks and three steals) for Class A Advanced Charlotte. No one had to check the electric bill in the Minors on Wednesday because the power was most definitely on.

Who stayed hot

White Sox RHP Dylan Cease, Double-A Birmingham: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 11 K, 103 pitches, 60 strikes -- This was sixth straight start in which Cease allowed no more than one earned run. Since joining Birmingham on June 21, Chicago's No. 5 prospect has posted a 1.72 ERA and 0.99 WHIP with 78 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings. His 160 strikeouts on the season are tied for fourth-most in the Minors, only 10 behind fellow White Sox prospect Michael Kopech in the top spot. Cease has always had a potent fastball-curve combo, but his command and durability were open to question. Now in his first full season with the White Sox, Cease has become one of the most electric pitching prospects in the Minors.

Who needed this one

Reds OF Stuart Fairchild, Class A Advanced Daytona: 4-for-4, HR, 2B, RBI, R -- The Reds' No. 11 prospect entered the day hitting .218/.276/.282 in the Florida State League before delivering his first four-hit game of the season. The long ball was also his first in 52 Class A Advanced games. The 2017 second rounder out of Wake Forest hit .277/.377/.460 with seven homers and 17 steals in 67 games at Class A Dayton to open the season but has posted a 76 wRC+ with Daytona since his promotion on June 21. Even when he's not hitting, Fairchild's speed is his saving grace. His 22 steals rank fourth in the Reds system, and that quickness can also be an asset in the outfield, where he's played mostly center and left in 2018. The 22-year-old's first full season has been difficult, especially in the second half, but there's still time to end on a high note.

The unexpected

Astros OF Ronnie Dawson, Double-A Corpus Christi: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, BB, K, SB -- A second-round pick out of Ohio State in 2016, Dawson was initially known for his power potential, but he managed just 10 homers and a .398 slugging percentage in 90 games with Class A Advanced Buies Creek. Since his promotion to the Texas League on July 30, however, Dawson's tool has been on full display. This was his first two-homer game of the season, giving him five long balls in 18 games with the Hooks. He's hitting .286/.333/.571 in that span. Dawson may have dropped out of the Astros' top-30 rankings, but his pop and baserunning ability (31 steals) continue to serve him well.

Best matchup

Ian Anderson vs. Jo Adell: The Braves' No. 3 prospect has had a harsh introduction to Double-A, allowing five earned runs on nine hits and six walks in 6 2/3 innings through his first two starts, but in this meeting between Mississippi and Mobile, he was able to best one of the game's toolsiest prospects. Anderson struck out Adell in the first and third innings on seven combined pitches -- two of the M-Braves starter's three K's in his 2 2/3 innings. Both prospects should expect to begin 2019 back in the Southern League.

Who strengthened their promotion case

White Sox OF Eloy Jiménez, Triple-A Charlotte: 4-for-7, RBI, R, K in doubleheader -- There's more to Jimenez than simply power. MLB.com's No. 3 overall prospect raised his Triple-A average 10 points to .347 with four hits against Norfolk. His overall line sits at .347/.391/.600 with 11 homers in 45 games since joining the Knights. His 178 wRC+ is second-highest among the 186 International League batters with at least 150 plate appearances this season. Jimenez isn't the same situation as Kopech, who spent all of 2018 with Charlotte before getting his call, but he could be another elite prospect to get the call to the South Side soon.

Others of note

Rays SS Wander Franco, Rookie-level Princeton: 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB in doubleheader -- The No. 4 Rays prospect went 2-for-2 with a three-run homer and a walk in the first game of a twin bill at Pulaski. The 17-year-old shortstop is hitting .374/.445/.636 with11 homers and an incredible 14/27 K/BB ratio through 55 games.
Astros OF J.J. Matijevic, Class A Advanced Buies Creek: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, BB, K -- The Astros' No. 20 prospect joined the 20-homer club with his fourth two-dinger game of the season. He's hitting .275/.351/.543 over 90 games between Class A Quad Cities and Buies Creek.