Prospect Roundup: Games of June 19

Theme of the day

All of the stars: Tuesday night was one of the most notable on the Minor League calendar with the Southern, California, Carolina, Midwest and South Atlantic Leagues all holding their All-Star Games. The most dramatic of the midsummer classics was in Lansing, with the Midwest League tilt seemingly headed for a tie in the 10th inning before Dayton first baseman Montrell Marshall hit a two-out, walk-off single to give the Eastern Division a 3-2 win. Royals No. 2 prospectNick Pratto made the most of his opportunity on a big stage by going 2-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs en route to taking BUSH'S® All-Star MVP honors in the Sally League.

Who stayed hot

Phillies RHP Adonis Medina, Class A Advanced Clearwater: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 10 K, 95 pitches, 64 strikes -- MLB.com's No. 76 overall prospect hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any of his last five starts and has gone 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 32 strikeouts over 29 innings in that time. Medina, who has been given above-average grades for his fastball and changeup, was uneven to begin the year, allowing five earned runs or more in three of his first seven starts, but he's been dominant lately. His 10 strikeouts at Bradenton far exceeded his previous season high of six. Medina has never been promoted in-season before, but since he will need to be protected on the 40-man roster this offseason, the Phils might get a little more aggressive with him this summer.

Who needed this one

Tigers SS Isaac Paredes, Class A Advanced Lakeland: 3-for-7, 3B, 2B in doubleheader -- Acquired from the Cubs in a deadline deal last year, Paredes has become the second-highest-ranked position player in the Tigers' system because of his above-average potential as a hitter. Even with his three hits in Tuesday's doubleheader, however, he's still batting just .226/.309/.392 in 61 games. From a positive perspective, his two hits in the second game of the twin bill marked his first multi-hit game in 10 days, and his .226 average is at its highest level since May 25. At 19, Paredes was the youngest player on an FSL Opening Day roster, so he deserves some slack for not completely floundering in his first Class A Advanced campaign.

The unexpected

Pirates 1B Mason Martin, Rookie-level Bristol: 1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, K -- The Pirates' No. 25 prospect was the Gulf Coast League MVP last year but hit just .200/.302/.333 with 62 strikeouts in 45 games with Class A West Virginia to begin this season, prompting the Bucs to reassign him to Rookie-level Bristol. In Tuesday's Appalachian League season opener, the left-handed slugger delivered the confidence booster he sorely needed by reaching base four times and homering in Bristol's 10-2 win at Greeneville. Martin's domination of a lower level isn't a surprise, but to see him get results so quickly was notable.

Best matchup

Alex Faedo vs. Bo Bichette: The Tigers' No. 3 prospect had to face MLB.com's No. 9 overall prospect in the former's Double-A debut. Call it a draw. Faedo got Bichette to fly out to left field with two runners on base and no outs in the first inning, but walked him on five pitches in the fourth. Read more about Faedo's first Eastern League start and how he's handling his role in a Tigers system crowded with arms in Wednesday's Toolshed.

Who strengthened their promotion case

Pirates RHP Clay Holmes, Triple-A Indianapolis: 7 1/3 IP, 5 H, 1 R 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 100 pitches, 67 strikes -- The Pirates called up their No. 18 prospect twice in April -- and gave him one appearance in relief -- but haven't done so since. Given the way he's pitched recently, they might want to give him another shot, perhaps as a starter. This gem against Norfolk was Holmes's longest of the year while his eight punchouts matched a season high. The 25-year-old right-hander has allowed only two earned runs while striking out 28 and walking four over his 25 1/3 innings this month. That improvement in control is especially notable given his career average of 4.5 BB/9 in Triple-A. The Pirates seem set in their rotation for now, but Holmes is positioning himself as next in line.