Prospect Roundup: Games of Sept. 4

Giants OF/1B Chris Shaw, Triple-A Sacramento: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB, K -- The Giants' No. 2 prospect closed 2017 in style with his second two-homer game of the season. Shaw already had set his career high in long balls entering Monday but will finish with 24 over 125 games between Sacramento and Double-A Richmond, besting the 21 he hit during his first full campaign in 2016. The 2015 first-rounder finished with a .292/.346/.525 line between the two stops, showing that his left-handed bat should be ready for the Majors next season. The Giants could see this happening, moving Shaw exclusively to left field in the Pacific Coast League to hasten his path instead of sitting behind Brandon Belt, who signed a five-year extension in April. Shaw doesn't exactly have the speed or range to be a defensive asset on the grass, so it'll be dependent on his bat to push a callup next spring. If he picks up where he left off, a first-half debut should be in the cards.

D-backs OF Victor Reyes, Double-A Jackson: 3-for-4, HR, 3B, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R -- The D-backs' No. 19 prospect missed the cycle by just a single in his final game of the season. The 22-year-old outfielder couldn't have ended the year any hotter, going 13-for-19 (.684) with a homer, triple, two doubles and three stolen bases over his last five games. A career .298 hitter in the Minors, Reyes enjoyed another solid season at the plate, hitting .292/.332/.399 with four homers, five triples and 29 doubles in 126 games during his first foray into Double-A. He continued to show solid speed as well with 18 steals and some versatility, splitting time between right field and center with the Generals. Reyes will be entering his seventh season in the Minors in 2018, meaning he'll be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft if he isn't added to the 40-man roster by November. The switch-hitter's bat should be good enough for a roster spot, even if he doesn't usually hit for much power, but if it doesn't come, he'd be worth a Rule 5 pick for a club in need of a fourth outfielder right away.

D-backs RHP Jon Duplantier, Class A Advanced Visalia: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, 75 pitches, 51 strikes -- The D-backs' No. 2 prospect shored up his MiLBY candidacy for Top Starting Pitcher with one final gem in 2017. The 23-year-old right-hander completed his first full campaign as the Minor League full-season leader with a 1.39 ERA and finished third with a .192 average-against and 12th with a 0.98 WHIP over 136 innings between Class A Kane County and Class A Advanced Visalia. Add the fact that he struck out 165 batters, second-most among D-backs farmhands, and the profile gets all the more exciting for the 2016 third-rounder. There's a case to be made that the Rice product made the most of an unaggressive assignment in 2017 by splitting time between the Midwest and California Leagues. However, credit should be given for the fact that he finished the season fully healthy after experiencing elbow issues in the past. Duplantier, who relies on a sinking fastball and above-average curve, has undoubtedly become Arizona's top pitching prospect -- how he builds on this in 2018 should be fun to watch.
Phillies RHP Adonis Medina, Class A Lakewood: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K, 57 pitches, 44 strikes -- It would've been tough for the No. 9 Phillies prospect to be more efficient than he was Monday. The 20-year-old right-hander needed only 57 pitches to complete six one-hit frames in a 3-2 Lakewood win that lasted 12 innings. This was Medina's first scoreless start since July 16, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been effective of late. Monday's gem lowered Medina's season ERA to 3.01, its lowest level since May 25, and allowed him to finish with a 1.19 WHIP, 133 strikeouts and 39 walks in 119 2/3 innings, all with Lakewood. Those 133 punchouts ranked fourth in the South Atlantic League and second among Phillies farmhands. Sixto Sanchez has received a lot of ink for being the next big thing among Phillies low-level hurlers, but Medina should generate plenty of excitement as well, especially since he more than doubled his strikeout rate from 12.8 percent in Class A Short Season Williamsport in 2016 to 26.3 percent this campaign. He's got three solid pitches in his fastball, curve and changeup to build on this breakout as well.
Rays LHP/1B Brendan McKay, Class A Short Season Hudson Valley: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 86 pitches, 56 strikes -- The New York-Penn League still has a few days left, but in what may have been his final regular-season start of 2017, McKay experienced some firsts: his first professional win in a 5-1, seven-inning victory at Lowell; his first decision of any kind; and his first five-inning outing. If this was, in fact, his final start with the Renegades, McKay will close out his first pro season with a 1.80 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 21 strikeouts and five walks over six starts (20 innings), thanks to an above-average fastball and plus curve. Based on those numbers, it's relatively easy to say that the 2017 No. 4 overall pick has enjoyed being on the mound with the Renegades more than he has being at the plate, where he's hit .227/.345/.361 with four homers in 34 games. Don't draw conclusions based on those numbers alone, though. McKay still has plenty of potential in his bat, as he showed at Louisville before the Draft, and the Rays will likely keep him as a two-way option for his first full campaign in 2018. How he takes to that assignment will be more telling of his pro abilities.