Jarred Kelenic tortured Augusta in a doubleheader, plus the rest of the prospect performances from Thursday:
Tacoma Rainiers (AAA)– Pacific Coast League
No. 1 Justus Sheffield, LHS
THU: DNP
2019: 27.1 IP, 19 H, 11 ER, 23 BB, 20 SO, 3.76 ERA
No. 8 Shed Long, 2B/3B/OF
THU: 1-4, HR, 2 RBI
2019: .276/.350/.504, 5-2B, 4-3B, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 14 BB, 31 SO
That’s three homers in six games for Long.
No. 22 David McKay, RHR
THU: 1 IP, BB
2019: 12 G, 5.21 ERA, 19 IP, 17 H, 10 BB, 30 SO
No. 31 Matt Festa, RHR
THU: DNP
2019: 6 G, 8.22 ERA, 7.2 IP, 11 H, 3 BB, 10 SO
No. 35 Tim Lopes, 2B
THU: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI
2019: .289/.345/.433, 6-2B, 3B, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 9 BB, 22 SO, 5 SB
Lopes’ home run came off a Ruby De La Rosa breaking ball and it was an absolute laser beam to left field that hit the lighted sign above the outfield fence.
No. 40 Nick Rumbelow, RHR
THU: DNP
2019: 11 G, 10.54 ERA, 13.2 IP, 22 H, 10 BB, 10 SO
MLB Mallex Smith, CF — Smith wrnt 1-for-4 with a walk and stole base No. 6 in his sixth game in Tacoma.
Arkansas Travelers (AA) — Texas League
No. 3 Justin Dunn, RHS
THU: DNP
2019: 25.1 IP, 21 H, 9 ER, 8 BB, 33 SO, 3.20 ERA
No. 6 Kyle Lewis, OF
THU: 2-4, SB
2019: .252/.364/.404, 5-2B, 3B, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 18 BB, 32 SO, 2 SB
Lewis’ two hits were about as unimpressive as any two hits you’ll ever see from the former first-round pick as neither left the infield.
It has, however, been a solid last few weeks for Lewis. He’s 13 for his last 39 and has walked seven times to eight strikeouts. He’s probably not pulling the ball in the air as much as the club would like still — which is where a good portion of his power numbers will come from, despite Lewis possessing above-average power to right-center.
No. 7 Evan White, 1B
THU: 1-4, SO
2019: .271/.353/.390, 4-2B, HR, 6 RBI, 7 BB, 14 SO
White’s hit Thursday was a solid line drive to right field. It’s a matter of time before we start seeing more doubles and home runs from the first baseman.
No. 14 Ricardo Sanchez, LHS
THU: DNP
2019: 36 IP, 33 H, 7 ER, 7 BB, 26 SO, 1.75 ERA
No. 15 Dom Thompson-Williams, OF
THU: 1-2, 3B, BB, SO
2019: .320/.407/.540, 3-2B, 2-3B, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 14 BB, 26 SO, 7 SB
DT-W’s hit was a deep line drive to left-center field, showing good backside power and offering more to like about Thompson-Williams’ 2019 season thus far.
He’s swinging and missing (and striking out) a little more than is ideal but he’s spraying hits all over the field, drawing walks over 11% of the time and is a tough out right now. If he starts pulling the ball more at some point, we may see him replicate the 22-HR output of last season, because the bat speed is there.
No. 16 Jake Fraley, OF
THU: 1-3, RBI, BB
2019: .302/.379/.534, 5-2B, 2-3B, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 12 BB, 27 SO, 7 SB
No. 24 Wyatt Mills, RHR
THU: DNP
2019: 12.2 IP, 19 H, 11 ER, 6 BB, 10 SO, 2 SVS
No. 23 Art Warren, RHP
THU: DNP
2019: 1-0, 5 SV, 1.04 ERA, 8.2 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 10 SO, 5 SVS
No. 27 Darren McCaughan, RHS
THU: DNP
2019: 6 GS, 4.28 ERA, 33.2 IP, 36 H, 2 BB, 30 SO
Modesto Nuts (A+) — California League
No. 5 Logan Gilbert, RHS
THU: DNP
2019: 24 IP, 14 H, 7 ER, 7 BB, 37 SO, 2.63 ERA
No. 9 Cal Raleigh, C
THU: 0-4, SO
2019: .205/.276/.366, 6-2B, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 10 BB, 29 SO
No. 13 Ljay Newsome, RHS
THU: DNP
2019: 7 GS, 39.2 IP, 32 H, 11 ER, 4 BB, 59 SO, 2.50 ERA
No. 18 Jake Haberer, RHR
THU: DNP
2019: 11 G, 16 IP, 7 H, 7 BB, 26 SO, 2.81 ERA
No. 19 Joey Gerber, RHP
THU: DNP
2019: 11 G, 10.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 16 SO, 3.18 ERA, 4 SV
No. 21 Gerson Bautista, RHR (rehab)
THU: DNP
2019: 1 IP, H, 2 ER, BB, SO, 2 WP
No. 25 Luis Liberato, CF
THU: 1-3, BB
2019: .281/.350/.479, 3-2B, 7 HR, 4 SB, 13 BB, 30 SO, 4 SB
No. 34 Joe Rizzo, 3B
THU: 0-4, SO
2019: .336/.410/.426, 8-2B, HR, 17 RBI, 15 BB, 24 SO
No. 39 Connor Kopach
THU: 0-2, HBP, SO
2019: .243/.328/.379, 6-2B, 3B, 2 HR, 10 BB, 27 SO, 9 SB
MLB Sam Tuivailala, RHR (rehab) — Tuivailala served up a solo home run to lead off the fifth inning for the Nuts, but then got a ground out, strikeout (swinging, fastball) and pop out to end the frame. It was his third outing, with No. 4 coming Saturday (Gerson Bautista will also pitch Saturday for Modesto in relief of No. 13 Ljay Newsome).
UR J.T. Salter, RHR — The club’s 20th-round pick last June made his 2019 debut and looked terrific, tossing two shutout frames. Salter, out of Division 3 West Alabama, stands 6-foot-8 and at draft time weighed in at 295 pounds. At Everett a year ago he lived in the mid-90s with his fastball (he’s been up to 98 mph), but his control and command were well below average. He’s clearly worked hard to get in better condition and on his delivery, because this was a different pitcher Thursday night.
He threw strikes, showed armside run on the fastball and the curveball showed good depth and sharp, late break; a couple of the ones I saw looked like 60-65 grade offerings.
West Virginia Power (A) — South Atlantic League
No. 2 — Jarred Kelenic, OF
THU: Game 1: 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, SO Game 2: 3-4, 2B
2019: .345/.439/.622, 13-2B, 3B, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 19 BB, 31 SO, 6 SB
Kelenic’s most impressive at-bat of the day and one of the more impressive ABs you’ll see from a 19-year-old in pro ball came in the bottom of the fifth versus Giants prospectr Luis Amaya, who sits 92-95 mph. Kelenic fell behind 0-2 and Amaya thought he’d sneak one by him and it backfired.
Prior to facing Kelenic, Amaya had fanned nine of the 26 batters he’d faced and yielded just two hits.
No. 4 — Julio Rodriguez, OF
THU: (IL, wrist)
2019: .355/.429/.452, 3-2B, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 5 SO
No. 12 Damon Casetta-Stubbs, RHS
THU: DNP
2019: 15.1 IP, 16 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 12 SO, 4.15 ERA
No. 20 Ryne Inman, RHS
THU: DNP
2019: 6 GS, 27 IP, 17 H, 9 ER, 10 BB, 44 SO, 3.00 ERA
No. 29 Nolan Hoffman, RHR
THU: DNP
2019: 9 G, 1.08 ERA, 4 SVS, 8.1 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 7 SO
No. 32 Joseph Rosa, 2B
THU: Game 1: 2-4, RBI Game 2: 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, SO
2019: .279/.402/.375, 4-2B, 2 HR, 17 BB, 22 SO, 5 SB
No. 33 Dean Nevarez, C
THU: Game 2: 1-3, BB
2019: .250/.286/.606, 3-2B, 3 HR, 2 BB, 11 SO
No. 36 Elias Espino, RHR
THU: DNP
2019: 5 G, 2.77 ERA, 13 IP, 7 H, 9 BB, 17 SO
UR Deivy Florido, RHS — Florida, 18, got the start for the Power in Game 2 of the doubleheader and went 5.1 innings, allowing an earned run on five hits. He walked one and strucl out five while throwing 55 of his 75 pitches for strikes.
In spring training, Florido, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs in at about 170 pounds, touched 90 mph but has been known to pitch at 87-88 a lot. I didn’t get any reading from this start, but down in extended I’m told Florido has sat 87-90, occasionally hit 91 and even scraped 92. As he gains strength and arm speed, there’s certainly a potential pitching prospect here, especially since he’s already a kid with an athletic delivery who throws a lot of strikes. He’s likely to get sent back to extended but could be back after this performance.
Jason A. Churchill
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