Prospect Roundup: Games of July 12

D-backs SS Domingo Leyba, Double-A Jackson: 3-for-4, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB -- The D-backs' No. 2 prospect missed all of April and May and half of June with a tear in his right shoulder and sat out the first week of July with an undisclosed injury, but he sure looked back in the swing Wednesday. Leyba, a switch-hitter, took Braves No. 3 prospect Kolby Allard deep for his third hit of the night off the Mississippi southpaw -- his first three-hit game since joining Jackson on June 22 and his second homer in 12 games with the Generals. The 21-year-old forced his way onto the 40-man roster last season by hitting .296/.355/.429 with 10 homers and nine steals in 130 games between Class A Advanced Visalia and Double-A Mobile and could've at least been in Triple-A Tacoma by now, if not for the injuries. He's off to a solid start in his return to the Southern League, going 11-for-36 (.306) with five extra-base hits and a 3/4 K/BB ratio, but he'll likely be there a bit longer to prove his health.

Red Sox RHP Shaun Anderson, Class A Advanced Salem: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 88 pitches, 59 strikes -- The No. 16 Red Sox prospect tossed the longest outing of his young career Wednesday in a 6-0 win over Potomac. He could've gone even deeper perhaps -- he's thrown as many as 94 pitches in a game this season -- if not for a potential innings limit. Lengthy starts like these are a promising sign for the 2016 third-rounder, who was a reliever during his three at the University of Florida. The fact that it was also his first scoreless start since May 21 makes it all the more notable. Anderson has been touch-and-go since joining Salem on May 15, sporting a 4.31 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 33 strikeouts and 17 walks in 48 innings, but he does throw strikes with a four-pitch mix that should keep him in the starting role. The hope is for that ERA to continue to fall as he grows more comfortable in a Carolina League rotation over the second half.

Rockies RHP Peter Lambert, Class A Advanced Lancaster: 6 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 83 pitches, 62 strikes -- Make that four straight quality starts for the Rockies' No. 5 prospect, who has lowered his ERA to 3.95 to go with 104 strikeouts and 25 walks in 107 innings this season. Indeed, three of those four have come away from Lancaster's hitter's haven of The Hangar. In fact, the 20-year-old right-hander's road numbers have been downright stellar with a 3.19 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 58 strikeouts and 15 walks in 59 1/3 innings. His home numbers (4.91 ERA, 1.28 WHIP in 47 2/3 innings) have been less so, though he's still averaged nearly a strikeout an inning with 46. It'd be fun to see what Lambert -- a 2015 second-rounder with three above-average pitches and good control -- could do in a friendlier environment. That won't come until he jumps to the Eastern League, though he'll have to be wary of Hartford's notoriously short porch in right.
Phillies RHP Sixto Sanchez, Class A Lakewood: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 62 pitches, 45 strikes -- Want to see efficiency on the mound? Watch a start by the Phillies' No. 4 prospect. Sanchez threw 72.6 percent of his pitches for strikes Wednesday in a 6-1 win over Rome that took just two hours and five minutes to complete. (Yes, it was a nine-inning game.) The 18-year-old right-hander has special control with a 2.8 percent walk rate in 56 1/3 innings this season, and the fact that he's able to find the zone so regularly with a fastball that touches triple digits and an above-average curve is why he's surging up most prospect rankings in his first full season. The other good news is that the Phils are giving the six-foot hurler a longer leash of late. Wednesday marked the second time in his last four starts that he completed six innings. He's at 56 1/3 frames for the season -- 2 1/3 more than last season in the Gulf Coast League -- so there figures to be plenty more where this came from the rest of the summer.
Mariners 1B Evan White, Class A Short Season Eugene: 3-for-4, 2B, RBI, R, BB, SB -- It was a slow start to pro ball for the 17th overall pick in this year's Draft as White went 4-for-28 (.143) in his first nine games in the Northwest League. He's turned it on quite nicely of late, however, going 8-for-15 with two homers, a triple, a double and eight RBIs in his last four contests. The former Kentucky first baseman has three hits in two of those four games, following Wednesday's 11-5 win over Tri-City. While first-base prospects are primarily known for their power, White isn't quite there. He's shown an impressive hit tool, batting .373 in his final season with the Wildcats, and he's got great potential defensively. However, he hit just 17 homers over his three college seasons, 10 of which came as a junior. If he can round out his profile with the type of pop he's shown lately, he'll give the Mariners another exciting position player prospect next to Kyle Lewis and Tyler O'Neill.