Prospect Roundup: Games of July 20
Padres SS/2B Luis Urías, Double-A San Antonio: 4-for-5, 2B, R, K -- If there's anything Urias is known for, it's his age -- he was the Texas League's only teenager on Opening Day -- and his ability to hit wherever he goes. He's certainly shown the latter of late. Thursday saw
Padres SS/2B Luis Urías, Double-A San Antonio: 4-for-5, 2B, R, K -- If there's anything Urias is known for, it's his age -- he was the Texas League's only teenager on Opening Day -- and his ability to hit wherever he goes. He's certainly shown the latter of late. Thursday saw the Padres' No. 4 prospect match his season high with four hits -- a number he had produced on four previous occasions -- and extend his hitting streak to 10 games. He's gone 18-for-40 (.450) over that stretch with two doubles, six walks and only five strikeouts. Those are a lot of singles, yes, but it's also a lot of contact in general. Despite his age, the right-handed-hitting middle infielder leads the Texas League with a .412 on-base percentage and ranks third with both a .316 average and 109 hits. He's also walked more times (52) than he's struck out (46) in 89 games. Now 20, there's no doubt Urias has a shot to make San Diego by next season, and the Padres have split his time between second base and shortstop this season to find the route that will get him there most quickly.
Astros SS Anibal Sierra, Class A Advanced Buies Creek: 3-for-4, HR, 3B, 5 RBI, 3 R -- Batting from the ninth spot, the Astros' No. 18 prospect likely would not have been anyone's pick to flirt with the cycle and drive in five runs Thursday. But that's exactly what Sierra did as he proved to be the difference in Buies Creek's 8-3 win at Carolina. The 23-year-old shortstop, who was signed for $1.5 million out of Cuba last July, is hitting just .206/.280/.309 with four homers and 84 strikeouts in 70 games with Buies Creek. So it hasn't been a thrilling introduction to the States. The good news is he's played exclusively at shortstop in the Carolina League, and according to MLB.com, he has the instincts and arm to stick there, making the offensive threshold a little lower. But the arms aren't going to get any easier up the chain, and he'll have to start figuring things out offensively, as he did Thursday, if he's going to remain an asset in a solid Astros system.
Indians LHP Juan Hillman, Class A Lake County: 8 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP, 93 pitches, 64 strikes -- The Indians' No. 10 prospect has made tremendous strides after starting the first two months of the season with a 7.38 ERA, and that work culminated in Thursday's gem -- the longest of his career. Hillman told MiLB.com back in late June that he was focusing more on his lower half and that focus has improved his fastball command. He's tossed quality starts in four of his last five outings and owns a 1.85 ERA with 28 strikeouts and four walks over 34 innings in those five starts. Taken in the second round out of a Florida high school in 2015, the 20-year-old southpaw was a project entering the pros. After some scuffling at the short-season levels, he looks like he's finally putting it together in full-season ball. He's earned solid grades for his fastball and changeup in the past, which means the potential was always there. Now the results seem to be too.
Mets OF Desmond Lindsay, Class A Columbia: 4-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R -- Speaking of Class A turnarounds, the Mets' No. 5 prospect continued his with a career-high four hits Thursday in a 4-0 win at Lexington. At the end of May, Lindsay was hitting just .150/.299/.260 through 42 games. Since the start of June, he's produced a .322/.372/.575 line with five homers, one triple and five doubles in 23 games. (A three-week disabled list trip following a collision at the plate also figures in there.) While those recent returns are stellar, they're much closer to what the Mets have expected from their 2015 second-rounder. Hamstring issues had limited him to only 72 games over his first two Minor League seasons, and his general ineffectiveness in the first half threatened to hurt his stock even more. But when things are going right for Lindsay, he has the potential to shine with all five tools, and the Mets are finally getting glimpses of that in the South Atlantic League.
Dodgers OF Jeren Kendall, Rookie-level Ogden: 3-for-5, 3B, 2 RBI, R, K -- Kendall was expected to be a high first-rounder in this year's Draft, but his stock dropped after he struck out in 25.1 percent of plate appearances during his junior year at Vanderbilt. He's still got plenty of offensive potential as he showed by hitting .307/.372/.556 with 15 homers and 20 steals with the Commodores, and the Dodgers scooped him up with the 23rd overall pick before giving him an above-slot $2.9 million signing bonus. He's played only two games in the Pioneer League, but he's shown off all of his offensive tools with the Raptors thus far, going 6-for-8 with a triple, four RBIs and two steals in his first two games. Nobody expects him to hit .750 for long, but for a player whose hit tool was questioned entering Draft Day, Kendall is letting his bat do a lot of answering early on in his pro career.
Sam Dykstra is a reporter for MiLB.com. Follow and interact with him on Twitter, @SamDykstraMiLB.
MiLB podcast breaks down Spring Training storylines
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Leaf Peepers? Thunder Chickens?! Coming to the Minors this year
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Dodgers greats Newcombe and Campanella made history as Minors teammates
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
15 prospects primed for a bounceback season from injury
A lot of players will be getting a fresh start heading into the 2025 season. Prospects who missed significant time due to injury have had upwards of six months between regular-season games to return to health. Now they'll be looking to re-establish their value and maybe even reach new heights.
Check out the newest Minor League team logos for 2025
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Here are 18 prospects who also starred on the gridiron
The two-time defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs are set to meet the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, and plenty of baseball prospects will be keeping a close eye. After all, many current Minor Leaguers played football at a high level before committing fully to the diamond. No, there aren't any
Did you know the Superdome was once home to a Minor League team?
On Sunday, one of the world’s most-watched sporting events will take place at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Believe it or not, decades before Super Bowl LIX came to town, the same building was home to a Minor League Baseball team for one season. The 1977 Triple-A New Orleans Pelicans
How a Black pitcher's brief PCL stint in 1916 generated a historic card
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2010. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
The Show Before the Show: Episode 489
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minors legend Jones still holds batting record
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2008. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers. Grover "Deacon" Jones spent more than a half-century in baseball, serving the game at almost every level and in
Hooks have a new look -- and more -- on the line for 20th season
In advance of a milestone season at Whataburger Field, the Corpus Christi Hooks are making a change. The Houston Astros' Double-A affiliate unveiled new logos and uniforms on Friday evening, marking the first time they have significantly altered their look since debuting in 2005. According to Hooks general manager Brady
Here's how Jackie Robinson fueled Montreal to a Minor League title in 1946
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
They're due! MiLB's longest active title droughts
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
These players could earn teams extra Draft picks in 2025
Since the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) was implemented under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, four players have earned their clubs extra Draft picks. The PPI rewards teams for promoting their best prospects to the big leagues at the start of the season, enabling them to earn a Draft pick if
Each team's best non-Top 100 prospect
There just isn't enough room to fit all the worthy talents on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. We unveiled our latest rankings last Friday, and now we're going to spotlight the best prospect in each farm system who couldn't quite make the cut. We undertook the same exercise last
MiLB collaborates with Stand Up To Cancer
Minor League Baseball announced a new collaboration with Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C), an organization that funds the development of new and promising cancer treatments to help patients today. Founded in 2008, SU2C raises awareness and funds research to detect and treat cancers with the aspiration to cure all patients.
These are the best tools on the new Top 100 Prospects list
Players featured on last year’s edition of the best tools among Top 100 prospects should look familiar to even casual baseball fans at this point. Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes (best fastball, slider) took the Major Leagues by storm as the NL Rookie of the Year, thanks to his hard-throwing ways
Answering your Top 100 Prospects list questions
MLB Pipeline released its new Top 100 Prospects list on Friday, and it was met with a bevy of questions and comments about fans' favorite prospects. To help make sense of all the inquiries, Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo took to Reddit and responded to fan questions in a Top 100 Prospect-focused
Here are every organization's Top 100 prospects for 2025
MLB Pipeline’s 2025 Top 100 Prospects list went live on Friday night, led by the newest Dodger, right-hander Roki Sasaki, Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony and Twins outfielder Walker Jenkins. There’s a lot of offensive firepower throughout the list, beyond those two outfielders at the top, but while the bats
Check out MLB Pipeline's 2025 Top 100 Prospects list
He was one of the most sought-after talents this offseason, and he hadn’t even played stateside ball yet. Now, he can add another bullet point to his already lengthy baseball resume. Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki tops MLB Pipeline’s 2025 preseason ranking of the Top 100 prospects, followed by Red Sox
The Show Before the Show: Episode 488
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Get ready to cheer for ... the Bathtub Donkeys?
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to The Baseball Traveler newsletter here.
These are MLB’s No. 1 prospects at each position
MLB Pipeline's 2025 rankings of the Top 10 prospects at each position are official and the 2025 Top 100 Prospects list will be revealed at 7 p.m. ET on Friday on MLB Network and MLB.com.