Prospect Roundup: Games of July 26

Marlins RHP Trevor Richards, Double-A Jacksonville: 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 89 pitches, 58 strikes -- Richards' story continued to get better Wednesday as he pitched a season-high seven scoreless innings for the second time in his last four starts. The 24-year-old right-hander was signed out of the independent Frontier League a year ago and has taken off in his first full Minor League season. He leads the Marlins organization in wins (10), ERA (2.43) and strikeouts (120) over 111 innings between Class A Advanced and Double-A and has moved up to the No. 18 spot in the Marlins' prospect rankings -- not bad for a pitcher who went undrafted out of Drake University. Results aside, Richards doesn't receive eye-popping grades for his three-pitch mix -- his changeup is the only offering considered above-average -- but his control is leading to weak contact and plenty of Ks. 

Brewers 3B Lucas Erceg, Class A Advanced Carolina: 3-for-5, HR, 5 RBI, R -- The Mudcats had one of the Minors' most loaded lineups at the start of the season, and it flashed its potential Wednesday in an 8-2 win over Myrtle Beach. Batting out of the fifth spot, Erceg was the primary driver, thanks mostly to his third-inning grand slam, his first since being taken in the second round of the 2016 Draft. His five RBIs also represented a career best. The 22-year-old third baseman has seen his stock slip some, hitting just .241/.281/.387 over 96 games in his first full season and dropping three spots to No. 10 on the Brewers' prospect list since the start of the campaign. July, during which he's hitting .206/.243/.402, has been perhaps his most difficult month in the Carolina League, but he's shown signs of life of late by going 6-for-11 with a homer, triple, two doubles and eight RBIs in his last three games. The Brewers would love to see Erceg end 2017 on a high note, and he'll have to keep this hot streak going into August to make that happen.

Brewers OF Corey Ray, Class A Advanced Carolina: 3-for-5, 2B, 2 R, K -- Much of what Erceg has gone through also applies to Ray. The 2016 fifth overall pick was well-regarded entering the season, only to see his top-100 ranking fall from No. 30 to No. 69 after hitting .235/.311/.368 in 78 games for Carolina. July has also been a tough month for the 22-year-old outfielder (.167/.238/.278 in 19 games), but he's gone 5-for-14 with a homer, triple and double in his last three contests. Ray still has his supporters because of his plus speed, as shown by his 19 steals this season, and above-average power. In fact, he was one of the best batting-practice performers at this year's Futures Game, despite much more prolific sluggers also taking their hacks in Miami. That hasn't translated to in-game pop quite yet with Ray hitting only five homers this season, but it's clear the tools are there. If everything comes together, Ray can still be one of the Minors' most exciting players to watch in all facets.
Blue Jays 3B Bo Bichette, Class A Advanced Dunedin: 3-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB -- Enough about players whose stock is slipping. Time for one who's still surging. Remember how Bichette hit .384 in 70 games at Class A Lansing, and everyone thought that was impossibe to duplicate as he climbed the ladder? Well, it's only been 15 games, but the 19-year-old is hitting .387 in his introduction to Dunedin, following Wednesday's three-hit showing at Charlotte. Bichette has multiple hits in eight of his 15 contests in the Florida State League, but Wednesday marked the first time he'd collected multiple extra-base hits in the same FSL game. His .384 average and .446 on-base percentage both lead all full-season Minor Leaguers, while his 1.047 OPS ranks third. It came as no surprise to see the 2016 second-rounder jump to the No. 30 spot in MLB.com's overall rankings this week, on the strength of his bat. While anyone would expect his numbers to fall as his sample expands in the pitcher-friendly FSL, the same was said for his time in the Midwest League, so it's best not to doubt Bichette at this juncture.
White Sox RHP Dane Dunning, Class A Advanced Winston-Salem: 7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 94 pitches, 62 strikes -- There has been so much wheeling and dealing in the White Sox system that Dunning feels like a veteran, despite coming over last offseason in the Adam Eaton trade. The 22-year-old right-hander's dominant outing Wednesday was a solid bounceback effort after allowing eight runs over 4 2/3 innings last Friday. It also marked the first time he hadn't allowed a run of any kind since June 17. That's not to say the No. 11 White Sox prospect hasn't been solid since joining Winston-Salem in late April. Dunning owns a 3.53 ERA with 85 strikeouts and 27 walks in 79 innings there. All three of his pitches are considered above-average, and that's helped him rank third in the Chicago system with 118 total punchouts this season, including his time at Class A Kannapolis, putting him behind only firethrowers Alec Hansen (126) and Michael Kopech (126).