Prospect Roundup: Games of April 18

Marlins C Tomás Telis, Triple-A New Orleans: 4-for-5, 3 R -- The Marlins' No. 28 prospect is in danger of falling into Quad-A territory but hoping to use his bat to push on in his third season in the Miami system. The 25-year-old switch-hitter has seven hits in his last two games for the Baby Cakes and is 13-for-39 (.333) with three doubles and eight runs scored in his eight games on the season. Though he started at first base Tuesday, Telis has also stood out behind the plate by throwing out five of nine attempted basestealers. His ability to handle the running game and his career .312 average at Triple-A weren't enough to keep the Marlins from signing A.J. Ellis this offseason to back up J.T. Realmuto at catcher, so it might take even a little more than this start for Telis to squeeze his way back into the Major League situation.

Yankees LHP Justus Sheffield, Double-A Trenton: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 5 K, 97 pitches, 57 strikes -- A little good and a little bad for the Yankees' No. 7 prospect in his second start of the season. He turned in his first quality start of the season and has now allowed just one earned run while fanning 11 in 11 2/3 innings. It's early, but anyone will take a 0.77 ERA, no matter the sample size. However, Sheffield matched his career high in walks with five, a number he last hit Aug. 12, 2015 with Class A Lake County in the Indians system. The 20-year-old has had issues with control in the past -- his 3.8 BB/9 last season speaks to that -- and those concerns could be exacerbated by more patient Double-A hitters. With his above-average fastball and slider, Sheffield has been able to miss bats at the Minors' second-highest level, but he'll need to find the zone more regularly to make the most of those offerings.
Indians RHP Triston McKenzie, Class A Advanced Lynchburg: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 84 pitches, 55 strikes -- Speaking of missing bats, the Indians' No. 3 prospect continued to do that Tuesday with a season-best eight punchouts against a Carolina lineup that featured Brewers prospects Corey Ray, Isan Díaz, Jake Gatewood and Trent Clark. Though this is his first time pitching in April as a pro, McKenzie has burst out of the gate with a 1.72 ERA, 18 strikeouts and only four walks in 15 2/3 innings with the Hillcats. His 6-foot-5, 165-pound frame will be tested over his first full season after the 19-year-old threw only 95 1/3 innings over his first two seasons in the Minors, but the early returns are exciting.
Dodgers SS Drew Jackson, Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga: 3-for-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, -- Jackson is starting out his first season in the Dodgers system by repeating Class A Advanced, and after opening 0-for-11 in his first three games, the 23-year-old has found ample footing by going 7-for-16 with a homer, two doubles and seven RBIs over his last four games with the Quakes. With Jackson's plus run tool and defensive skills in the infield, the Dodgers don't need the Stanford product to be an overly impressive hitter to get value. But if he can continue building on his .268/.362/.439 line from his first 11 games, he should be looking at a first-half promotion to Double-A Tulsa.
White Sox RHP Dane Dunning, Class A Kannapolis: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HBP, 84 pitches, 58 strikes -- For all the noise made about the White Sox's acquistions of top-100 prospects Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López from the Nationals, it's Dunning who's gotten off to the best start for the South Siders down in the South Atlantic League. He's struck out 26 of the 74 batters he's faced while walking only one. Over 20 innings, he's allowed just one earned run, and that came in the first frame of his first start on April 8. A big part of Dunning's success has to do with his opening assignment. The former Florida hurler is the only college pitcher taken among last year's 30 picks to start his first full season below Class A Advanced. The White Sox have chosen to allow Dunning to find his footing, but now that he clearly has, expect a bump to Winston-Salem before long so the 22-year-old can be adequately challenged.