Baseball America Prospect Report — Aug. 10, 2020

Image credit: Jesus Luzardo (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

To get the prospect report delivered to your inbox every morning, sign up for our newsletter!

---

Atlanta Braves

—Kyle Wright on Saturday pitched six innings for the second time in his career in the team’s loss to the Phillies. The Braves No. 4 prospect allowed four runs on six hits, walked three and struck out three. Wright rolled through the first three innings, using his mid-90s fastball and sharp breaking ball to get 11 of 12 first pitch strikes and shutting out the Phillies. He faced turbulence in the fourth, allowing two home runs, a solo shot and later a three-run homer, that accounted for the four runs he allowed on the day. He settled down in his final two innings, retiring six of the seven batters he faced before getting taken out of the game. Wright is 0-2, 6.75 with 11 strikeouts in 12 innings, but his command continues to falter, evidenced by his 10 walks.

—Braves No. 17 prospect Huascar Ynoa on Sunday made his 2020 debut, pitching 2.1 innings of one-run ball, allowing a hit, walking one and striking out one in the team’s win over the Phillies. The righthander relied on his fastball, which sat 93-95 mph, his plus mid-80s slurve and his changeup to retire the first six batters he faced. In the third inning he allowed a single and a one-out walk before getting taken out of the game. Ynoa, who allowed six runs in three innings at the big league level in 2019, went 4-8, 5.09 with 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings between high Class A, Double-A and Triple-A.

Baltimore Orioles

—Austin Hays contributed the fourth three-hit game of his career, going 3-for-5 on Friday in the team’s win over the Nationals. The Orioles No. 5 prospect drove in a run and scored once. Hays on Saturday did not record a hit, but made a diving catch to save an extra-base hit in the second inning against the Nationals. The outfielder went 4-for-10 with three runs scored on the weekend to raise his average to .196 in 51 at-bats.

 

Chicago White Sox

—Matt Foster on Saturday opened the game in the team’s loss to the Indians. The righthander pitched two no-hit innings, walked one and struck out three. Foster has not given up a run in 5.2 innings, allowing two hits and two walks and striking out nine.

—Luis Robert went 2-for-11 on the weekend, collecting a hit and scoring once on Friday and hitting his fourth double of the season on Saturday. The outfielder is hitting .302 with two home runs, six RBIs and four stolen bases.

Cincinnati Reds

—Reds No. 8 prospect Shogo Akiyama picked up a pinch-hit RBI triple in the team’s win over the Brewers on Saturday. The outfielder, who entered the game in the seventh inning and knocked a triple to the right field corner to score the team’s fourth run of the game, is hitting .238 with three RBIs.

 

🚨 First MLB triple for Shogo Akiyama 🚨#TakeTheCentral pic.twitter.com/7OXrBeUm2S

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) August 9, 2020

Cleveland Indians

—Indians No. 18 prospect James Karinchak on Sunday pitched a scoreless inning, walking one and striking out three. The righthander has struck out 13 batters in 7.1 innings and given up one unearned run.

Colorado Rockies

—Rockies No. 8 prospect Ryan Castellani on Saturday made his big league debut, throwing four no-hit innings, walking one and striking out three. The righthander led the way with a fastball that sat 92-94 mph to go along with a sharp low-to-mid-80s slider and a changeup that he threw a handful of times. Castellani, who went 2-5, 8.31 in 10 starts at Triple-A in 2019, showed impressive command in his debut, an encouraging sign for someone who averaged 6.23 walks per nine innings last season.

 

Ryan Castellani’s first strikeout was absolutely ꪀꪖᦓꪻꪗ. pic.twitter.com/16Awv2fssm

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) August 9, 2020

 

 

Kansas City Royals

—Ryan McBroom on Friday hit his second career home run, going 1-for-3 in the team’s win over the Twins. The first baseman is hitting .267 with two home runs and three RBIs in 30 at-bats.

—Royals No. 5 prospect Brady Singer on Sunday made his fourth start, pitching five innings of two-run ball, allowing five hits and two walks and striking out four. The righthander retired the first seven batters he faced before allowing a single, a walk, an RBI double and a RBI groundout. Singer, who earned his first career win, allowed two runners to reach base in each of the next two innings, but stranded them to avoid further damage. The righthander is 1-1, 4.50 with 22 strikeouts in 20 innings.

—Royals No. 25 prospect Josh Staumont on Sunday pitched two scoreless innings, walking two batters and striking out three. The righthander, who touched 101 mph twice, has struck out 14 batters over 7.2 innings, allowing one run over that span.

 

 

Los Angeles Angels

—Angels No. 7 prospect Patrick Sandoval on Saturday made the longest start of his big league career, pitching six innings of two-run ball, allowing four hits and striking out four. The lefthander had command of his four-pitch arsenal, walking just one batter on the night. The only thing missing was run support, as the Angels were shut out in the game. The lefthander has allowed three runs over 10 innings of work, walking two and allowing eight hits while striking out eight.

Miami Marlins

—Humberto Mejia on Friday made his first career start, allowing a run on two hits, walking two and striking out six in 2.1 innings. The 23-year-old righthander showed a 93-95 mph high-spin fastball to go along with a sharp slider and bending curveball. Mejia, who had made just five appearances above low Class A, pitched to a 0-1, 2.28 mark at high Class A Jupiter in 2019, striking out 21 batters in 23.2 innings.

—Monte Harrison on Saturday drove in his first two runs with a two-run single that snuck past the right side of the infield in the team’s loss to the Mets. Harrison, the Marlins No. 7 prospect, went 1-for-2 with two walks. The outfielder is 2-for-16 with a stolen base in six games.

 

 
—Daniel Castano on Saturday made his first career start, pitching 4.1 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits, walking one and striking out four. The lefthander, who went 7-4, 3.48 in 30 appearances (11 starts) between high Class A and Double-A in 2019, allowed two-run homers in consecutive innings before pitching a 1-2-3 frame in the fourth. He put two runners on with one out to start the fifth before getting taken out of the game. 

Minnesota Twins

—Devin Smeltzer on Friday made his first start of the season, allowing two runs on four hits, walking one and striking out two in 4.1 innings in the team’s loss to the Royals. The Twins No. 12 prospect, who sat 87-88 mph on his below-average fastball and mixed in his above-average curveball and average changeup, has allowed eight runs in nine innings on 12 hits, walked three and struck out nine.

—Twins No. 18 prospect Jorge Alcala on Saturday made his third appearance, pitching two scoreless innings and striking out four in the team’s loss to the Royals. The righthander has struck out eight batters in five innings and allowed two runs on three hits while walking one.

New York Mets

—David Peterson on Saturday picked up his second big league win, pitching five innings of two-run ball, allowing four hits, walking three and striking out three. The lefthander, who is the Mets No. 13 prospect, gave up three straight singles in the first to allow a run and allowed two to reach base in the second before retiring seven straight batters. The lefthander allowed a solo home run in the fifth but got through the rest of the inning unscathed to qualify for the win. 

—Mets No. 6 prospect Andres Gimenez on Sunday had a three-hit game, scoring three times, doubling once and stealing a base in the team’s win over the Marlins. The second baseman/third baseman/shortstop is hitting .333 with five runs and three stolen bases. 

 

Oakland Athletics

—Athletics No. 1 prospect Jesus Luzardo earned his first big league win, pitching 5.2 innings of two-run ball, allowing five hits, walking two and striking out five. The lefthander, who relied on his plus mid-90s fastball, plus-plus changeup and above-average curveball, has struck out 17 batters in 17.1 innings, allowed 13 hits, walked seven and posted a 2.60 ERA.

 

Philadelphia Phillies

—Phillies No. 1 prospect Spencer Howard on Sunday struggled in his first career start, pitching 4.2 innings of four-run ball, allowing seven hits and one walk and striking out four. The righthander, who relied on his plus-plus mid-90s fastball and plus mid-80s slider, faced trouble in the first inning with runners on first and second with no outs, but got the next three batters out to escape the jam. He allowed a two-run home run in the second and later a solo home run and RBI triple in the fifth before getting pulled from the game.

San Diego Padres

—Jake Cronenworth on Friday hit his second home run of the season in the team’s win over the Diamondbacks. The Padres No. 16 prospect went 2-for-3 to extend his hit streak to six games. Cronenworth, who started at second base on Saturday, went hitless in two at-bats to snap his hit streak, but on Sunday went 1-for-1 with a pinch-hit double to raise his average to .350.

 

—Padres No. 14 prospect Edward Olivares appeared in Friday’s win over the Diamondbacks as a pinch hitter and didn’t wait long before hitting his first career home run to right-center field. The outfielder is hitting .217 with three RBIs in 23 at-bats.

 

 

 

Seattle Mariners

—Mariners No. 8 prospect Justus Sheffield on Sunday made the best start of his big league career, pitching six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out seven to earn his first win. The lefthander has pitched to a 1-2, 5.27 mark with 14 strikeouts in 13.2 innings.

 

—Mariners No. 10 prospect Kyle Lewis went 2-for-10 with two runs scored in the team’s series against the Rockies. The outfielder is hitting .355 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in 16 games.

Texas Rangers

—Rangers No. 18 prospect Jonathan Hernandez on Friday pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out three batters in the team’s win over the Angels. Hernandez, a righthander, on Sunday pitched another scoreless inning. He now has 14 strikeouts in nine innings of two-run ball.

Toronto Blue Jays

—Blue Jays No. 10 prospect Anthony Kay on Saturday earned his first win of the season, pitching 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out three. The lefthander has allowed a run on five hits in eight innings, walking one and striking out eight.