2014 Regular Season Divisional Prospect News

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Bradenton's Kuhl cools off Fort Myers

Pittsburgh righty shuts out top-scoring offense over seven innings

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With velocity, less is more for Travieso

No. 7 Reds prospect scatters three hits over six frames for Dragons

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Pipeline Perspectives: Triple-A Iowa has best lineup

Top prospects Bryant, Baez, Alcantara just a step away from making impact for Cubs

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Wahoos' Winker walks off once again

No. 3 Reds prospect homers to deliver win for second straight game

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Blaze's Wright strikes out career-high 11

Reds right-hander faces one over minimum through first six frames

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Hard-hitting Bryant, Gallo Power Prospect All-Star Team

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A's shipping Russell, McKinney to Cubs

Oakland nets big leaguers Samardzija, Hammel in deal with Chicago

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Trade Central: Cubs, Athletics Swing Blockbuster Deal

July 5, 2014 by J.J. Cooper

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Baseball America Prospect Report (July 6)

 

PITCHER OF THE DAY: Cody Dickson, lhp — low Class A West Virginia (Pirates)

 

Dickson, who began the season rated as the Pirates’ No. 20 prospect, has struggled in his first season at full-season ball. But the lefthander, a fourth-rounder out of Sam Houston State a year ago, tied a career high Saturday with seven strikeouts in seven shutout innings in a 5-1 win over Greensboro. Dickson, who has battled control issues (36 BB in 82.1 IP), walked only one on Saturday, throwing 58 of 86 pitches for strikes. Overall, he’s 4-8, 4.59 with just a 64/36 SO/BB ratio.

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Gonzales Made Quantum Leap For Cards

July 5, 2014 by Derrick Goold

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Nelson Lives Up To Top Billing

Tom Haudricourt -Saturday, July 5, 2014

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Stephenson’s Still The One

C. Trent Rosecrans -Saturday, July 5, 2014

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Bryant Bashed His Way To Triple-A

Gordon Wittenmyer -Saturday, July 5, 2014

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Polanco Makes Good First Impression

July 5, 2014 by John Perrotto

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Jones has definitely got the Power

Pittsburgh's No. 15 prospect collects four more hits for West Virginia

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Soler did his rehab in the AZL so he should be ready to go.

 

Smokies' Soler homers in first game back

Cubs' No. 6 prospect collects two hits in return from disabled list

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Daytona's Dorris continues to rack up zeros

Cubs prospect yields one hit, extends scoreless streak to 15 innings

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Dickson turning things around for Power

Pirates' No. 17 prospect fans seven over seven scoreless innings

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This is awesome, a quick scouting report for every prospect in the Futures Game. The teams are always loaded but the US team is quite stacked this year.

 

Futures Game Capsules (VIDEO)

 

Jorge Lopez, rhp

Brewers (high Class A Brevard County)

Born: Feb. 10, 1993.

Height: 6-4. Weight: 165. Bats: R. Throws: R.

Career Transactions: Selected by Brewers in second round of 2011 draft; signed Aug. 5, 2011.

Background: Drafted out of high school in Puerto Rico, Lopez moved tentatively through the system at first before finding his footing at low Class A in 2013. After entering 2014 with a 4.98 career ERA as a pro, he improved his performance in the first half of the season, notching a career best 1.18 WHIP and 2.8 SO/BB ratio.

What To Watch For: Lopez emphasizes a low-90s sinker to get early-count groundballs, and his smooth pitching mechanics help him get the most of a solid curveball and changeup.

[TheCrew07]

Baseball America Prospect Report (July 7)

 

HITTER OF THE DAY: JaCoby Jones, ss, low Class A West Virginia (Pirates)

 

Jones went 4-for-5 with two homers and a double in the Power’s 9-6 loss to Greensboro. The raw power scouts felt Jones possessed has started to show this season as he has four homers in the past three games and five in the past six, with 13 overall. The Pirates, who drafted Jones as a center fielder out of LSU last year, have played him largely at shortstop this season after moving him between the infield and outfield in 2013.

[reillymcshane]

Jimmy Nelson checks in at #38 on Baseball America's mid-season top 50.

 

Nice to see a Brewer this high up. It's been a while.

 

Cubs get three of the top 7 players and four players overall. Pirates also do great with 5 of the top 50 prospects.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/midseason-top-50-injury-cant-knock-buxton-1/

 

Other division prospects:

 

#2 - Kris Bryant, 3B,Cubs

#5 - Addison Russell, SS, Cubs

#7 - Javier Baez, SS, Cubs

#20 - Robert Stephenson, RHP, Reds

#21 - Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Pirates

#24 - Jameson Taillon, RHP, Pirates

#29 - Jesse Winker, OF, Reds

#33 - Arismendy Alcantara, 2B, Cubs

#35 - Josh Bell, OF, Pirates

#37 - Nick Kingham, RHP, Pirates

#38 - Jimmy Nelson, RHP, Brewers

#43 - Austin Meadows, OF, Pirates

#49 - Stephen Piscotty, OF, Cardinals

[jjfanec]

I would have Bryant number 1 but I wouldnt have Baez still in the top 10. I am sure it is because he is still really young for his league but his first half has been very unimpressive. He is striking out nearly 1 out of every 3 at bats with not many walks. His OPS is only .758. I am sure I am probably over valuing a half of season but his strike out numbers are crazy

[TheCrew07]

Offensive Players of the Week

For the week ending July 6

 

California League

Sean Buckley, Bakersfield

(.500/.556/1.000, 6 G, 12-for-24, 3 2B, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 8 R, 2 BB, 4 K)

Buckley was last named a Player of the Week in August 2012 with Class A Dayton, and it's been a long road back to the honor. He played only six games for Bakersfield last season due to an elbow injury that eventually required Tommy John surgery to repair. He played 24 games for Dayton at the start of the season, sat out a month, returned to the Blaze in late June and has been on fire ever since. The right-handed slugger, who has played exclusively as a DH this season, homered in three straight games from Wednesday to Friday and collected all 12 of his RBIs in his first four games of the week. His line stands at .421/.443/.719 with four homers and 18 RBIs in 14 games since coming back to the Cal League.

South Atlantic League

JaCoby Jones, West Virginia

(.500/.538/1.167, 6 G, 12-for-24, 1 2B, 5 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 SB)

Jones was seen as a toolsy player when the Pirates got him in the third round out of LSU last year, but the one that has been on the biggest display lately has been, if you'll excuse the pun, the Power. He went deep five times last week, more than anyone else in the Minors outside Flores, including a two-homer show Sunday at Greensboro. After batting .231 in June, the 22-year-old shortstop is batting an even .500 over his first six games in July, bumping his season average up to .284 -- its highest level since May 12.

[TheCrew07]

Pitchers of the Week

For the week ending July 6

 

International League

Adam Wilk, Indianapolis

(1-1, 1.20 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 15 IP, 13 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 0 HBP, 3 BB, 12 K)

An 11th-round pick out of Long Beach State in 2009, Wilk made eight big league appearances with the Tigers in 2011 and 2012 before spending the 2013 season in Korea. The 26-year-old southpaw has been a workhorse for the Indians in his return to affiliated ball this season, posting a 7-7 record with a 4.19 ERA. He bounced back from a loss last Tuesday to toss a five-hit shutout of Lehigh Valley on Sunday, fanning four and walking one. The gem made Wilk one of five pitchers in the Minors to record both a shutout and a save this year.

Midwest League

Duane Underwood, Kane County

(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 6 K)

A second-round pick out of high school in 2012, the 19-year-old Underwood has taken a big step forward with Kane County this season after short-season efforts the last two years. He posted a 4.97 ERA with Boise last summer, but the right-hander has a 2.54 mark in the Midwest League in 2014 and had his finest outing of the year on Saturday, allowing just three hits over six scoreless innings. Underwood has allowed no more than two earned runs in any of his last nine starts.

Appalachian League

Ian McKinney, Johnson City

(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 1 HBP, 1 BB, 10 K)

It's only three appearances over three weeks, but it's fair to say McKinney is dominating the Appy League. He was the circuit's first Pitcher of the Week on June 23 after tossing seven scoreless two-hit innings; he topped that effort on Friday by fanning 10 over eight two-hit frames. In 18 Appy League innings, the 19-year-old left-hander has yielded six hits and two walks while striking out 18.

[TheCrew07]

Almora homers in both ends of twinbill

No. 4 Cubs prospect hits his fourth, fifth long balls in Daytona sweep