Prospect Roundup: Games of June 29

Braves 2B Ozzie Albies, Triple-A Gwinnett: 3-for-5, RBI, R, K, SB -- MLB.com's No. 7 overall prospect was one of the most high-profile names left off the Futures Game rosters that were announced Thursday. Snubs are part of the equation of those roster constructions with the positions and organization quotas that need to be filled, and the World already had a stellar second baseman in top overall prospect Yoán Moncada. But don't mistake Albies' absence for a drop in stock. In fact, the Braves' top prospect has been enjoying his best month yet with Gwinnett. Thursday marked his second three-hit performance in his last four games, and he's produced a .303/.361/.562 line with four homers and five steals in 20 June games. His stolen base Thursday was his 19th of the season, and he trails only the recently promoted Tyler Wade (24) in the category in the International League. Despite this being his second year at Triple-A, the 20-year-old remains the IL's youngest player -- following Gleyber Torres' season-ending elbow surgery -- and seems to be just really hitting his stride at the Minors' top level. 

Yankees LHP Justus Sheffield, Double-A Trenton: 6 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 1 HR, 83 pitches, 51 strikes -- The Yankees' No. 6 prospect tossed his seventh quality start of the season Thursday night in an 8-2 win at home over Richmond. In so doing, he moved into the Eastern League lead with 75 strikeouts in 86 innings and lowered his ERA to 3.14, the seventh-lowest mark in the Double-A circuit. It's been a steady, if unspectacular season for the southpaw, but the Yankees should be enthused by the way the 21-year-old has tackled Double-A in what could have been his junior year of college. Though the K's stand out, perhaps Sheffield's biggest improvement has been in control, with his walk rate dropping from 10.1 percent in 2016 to 8.1 this season. At 5-foot-11, Sheffield has to find the zone with regularity to dominate hitters at the upper levels. 
Royals 1B Samir Dueñez, Double-A Northwest Arkansas: 4-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R -- First-base prospects need to hit if they're going to provide value. No one can accuse Duenez of not doing that Thursday night in the Naturals' 9-8 win over Corpus Christi. The Royals' No. 17 prospect was the starting North Division first baseman in the Texas League All-Star Game on Tuesday and came out of the break with his second four-hit game of the season. He's hitting .278/.334/.441 with 10 homers, two triples, 13 doubles and six steals in 73 games this campaign. Those are solid numbers to be sure, but a 115 WRC+ at Double-A isn't likely to convince the Royals that they should hand Duenez the first-base job next season should Eric Hosmer depart via free agency. Then again, the left-handed slugger just turned 21 on June 11 and could be ready to pop off in the second half as he continues to mature.

Rays OF Garrett Whitley, Class A Bowling Green: 2-for-3, 3B, 4 RBI, 2 R, BB, SB, CS -- There was a lot going on prospect-wise in Bowling Green's 11-9 win at Lansing on Thursday. Rays No. 6 prospect Josh Lowe, who was featured in Wednesday's Roundup, went 3-for-6 with a homer and four RBIs. Also, Blue Jays No. 5 prospect and upcoming Futures Gamer Bo Bichette homered for the second straight game. But let's focus on someone who hasn't gotten as much attention of late in Whitley, the Rays' first-rounder from 2015 and No. 11 prospect. It's no secret that the 20-year-old outfielder's offensive skills are behind his run and fielding tools, but on Thursday he proved to be a force out of the No. 9 spot in the Hot Rods' lineup. The Rays have been cautious with the New York native, keeping him at Class A Short Season in 2016 before moving him to Bowling Green for this campaign. Whitley is hitting .252/.335/.390 with three homers and 11 steals in 47 games, indicating that he's still a work in progress at the plate. But it's promising when performances like Thursday's come around, and the hope is that he can turn the corner as he gains full-season experience in the second half.
Braves LHP Kyle Muller, Rookie-level Danville: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 64 pitches, 41 strikes -- That's more like it from the Braves' No. 16 prospect. Muller gave up four earned runs on six hits (including two homers) in 3 2/3 innings in his Appalachian League debut last Saturday but settled down nicely in a 2-0 win at Burlington on Thursday. He actually threw 15 fewer pitches in this gem than in his first outing but was taken out due to an early-season innings limit. At 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, the 19-year-old southpaw has plenty of size to dream on for a pitcher his age, and his stuff, namely a plus fastball and above-average curveball, only helps the profile. Muller was set to be a two-way player at the University of Texas before Atlanta took him in the second round last year, and they held him back in extended spring training to help his transition to becoming a full-time pitcher. The rest of his Appy League campaign will show how much more help he'll need, but Thursday was a good step on that road.