INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

Syracuse lefthander Brett Cecil (Blue Jays) broke out of his Triple-A funk in a big way, tossing seven shutout, two-hit innings at Rochester in the Chiefs’ 2-0 win. The 22-year-old lefty, a supplemental first-round pick just last year, did the things he always does when he’s successful—he struck out six and walked one, while generating twice as many groundouts as fly outs (10-to-5). Cecil came into the game having gone 1-2, 7.94 in his first three starts for Syracuse. Regarding his initial struggles at Triple-A, he told The (Syracuse) Post-Standard:

“I was trying to throw strikes with all my pitches, which I hadn’t been doing. My fastball has been up. My slider has been up. I wasn’t nervous. I was just trying to work on a couple of things. It takes a little time.”

Prospect Nuggets

In his rematch with Cecil and the Chiefs, Rochester RHP Philip Humber (Twins) tossed an 88-pitch complete game, allowing two runs on four hits in eight innings of a 2-0 road defeat. While facing Syracuse last week, Humber struck out a season-high 11 batters. This time he fanned three and walked three . . . The Red Wings quieted Syracuse RF Travis Snider’s (Blue Jays) bat, limiting him to 0-for-1, but the 20-year-old drew two walks and scored a run [...] Continue Reading »

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

Like Clayton Mortensen before him, Memphis righthander Jess Todd (Cardinals) has jumped from the 2007 draft to Triple-A in less than a year. In making his first PCL start yesterday, the 22-year-old righthander struck out six Round Rock batters and walked only one in the Redbirds’ slim 2-1 victory. Ten of the 14 outs recorded on balls in play were of the groundball variety. A second-round pick out of Arkansas last year, Todd gave up one run on four hits in 6 2/3 innings. He went 4-5, 2.97 for Double-A Springfield, with 81 strikeouts and 24 walks in 103 innings, to earn the promotion.

Prospect Nuggets

Tacoma 3B Matt Tuiasosopo (Mariners) went 1-for-5 with a solo home run (11), three walks and two strikeouts against Las Vegas. The Rainiers notched a 14-inning victory by a score of 6-5, with the game being the longest of the season for Tacomaat four hours and 48 minutes [...] Continue Reading »

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

How often does a power-hitting first baseman hit for the cycle twice in one season? How often does any hitter? The major league record for most career instances of hitting for the cycle is three, making what Colorado Springs first baseman Joe Koshansky’s (Rockies) has done all the more impressive. The 26-year-old lefthanded slugger, Colorado’s sixth-round pick out of Virginia in 2004, hit for his second cycle of the PCL season yesterday in the Sky Sox’ 21-5 rout of Tucson. The damage: 4-for-5 with a home run (26), a double (32), a triple (three), five runs scored and three RBIs. Koshansky also drew a walk.

Koshansky, who also hit for the cycle on May 24, is batting .295/.374/.594 through 387 at-bats on the season, and he leads the PCL with 102 RBIs and 61 extra-base hits. Not coincidentally, both of his cycles have come at home, in Colorado Springs’ Security Service Field.

Prospect Nuggets

Two Triple-A starts, two double-digit strikeout games. Las Vegas RHP James McDonald (Dodgers) whiffed 10 Tacoma batters, and walked only one, in the 51s’ 6-5 loss. He gave up two runs, one on a solo homer, on four hits in six innings. All eight outs in play were recorded via fly balls, and his ground-to-fly out ratio after two Triple-A starts stands at 3-to-13. Both of his starts have been on the road [...] Continue Reading »

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

Tucson righthander Max Scherzer (Diamondbacks) last night took an encouraging step forward from the shoulder inflammation that landed him in the disabled list. He struck out seven Tacoma batters in five innings, while walking only one, as he increased his pitch count to 74. Scherzer, 24, gave up two runs on four hits in the Sidewinders’ 9-4 win.

Prospect Nuggets

Salt Lake SS Brandon Wood (Angels) struck his 28th home run of the season in the Bees’ 12-1 walloping of Fresno. He was 1-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored, a walk and a strikeout . . . New Orleans RHP Bobby Parnell (Mets) won his Triple-A debut by going six innings and giving up two runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked two . . . Sacramento RF Aaron Cunningham (Athletics) clubbed his second homer in 14 Triple-A at-bats. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a strikeout and two runs scored. [...] Continue Reading »

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

Awash with young outfield talent, the Athletics may need to bring on a clairvoyant to sort through the likes of Carlos Gonzalez, Travis Buck, Ryan Sweeney, Matt Murton and Chris Denorfia. And now that he’s in Triple-A, you can add Sacramento right fielder Aaron Cunningham (Athletics) to that list. The 22-year-old went 3-for-5 yesterday with two doubles, two runs and an RBI in the River Cats’ 18-hit, eight-run assault on Las Vegas. Since joining the Cats on Friday, Cunningham has gone 5-for-10 with three doubles, a home run, five walks and one strikeout. He batted .317/.386/.507 for Double-A Midland.

Prospect Nuggets

Memphis RHP Mitchell Boggs (Cardinals) surrendered just two runs on four hits in six innings, while striking out four and walking two. But the Redbirds’ offense managed just four hits—and no runs—in nine innings, which saddled Boggs with his third loss. His 3.58 ERA, though, still ranks second in the PCL [...] Continue Reading »

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

Improved fastball command to both sides of the plate has worked wonders for Durham righthander Mitch Talbot (Rays). Because batters now have to be aware of the inside pitch, his plus-plus changeup away is even more effective. He struck out eight Richmond batters yesterday, while walking one, in six innings. He allowed two runs (one earned), capping off a week in which he went 2-0, 1.32 with 14 whiffs, three walks and no home runs in 13 2/3 innings. Talbot, 24, ranks fourth in the IL with 118 strikeouts.

Prospect Nuggets

Syracuse LF Travis Snider’s (Blue Jays) promotion to Triple-A came as something of a surprise—it’s not that he’s not talented; it’s just that he’s just 20-years-old. In going 2-for-3 yesterday, Snider sure didn’t play like a 20-year-old, stroking a double (one) and driving in two runs . . . Rochester CF Jason Pridie (Twins) tied a franchise record by hitting his 15th triple of the season. He went 2-for-5 yesterday with a run scored, and he’s now batting .394/.436/.670 in 94 at-bats since the all-star break [...] Continue Reading »

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

Las Vegas righthander James McDonald (Dodgers) made a sterling Triple-A debut, as he struck out 10 New Orleans batters while walking just two in six innings. He allowed a single run on two hits at Zephyr Field. McDonald, 23, continued building prospect momentum this season with a solid showing at Double-A Jacksonville: 5-3, 3.19 with 113 strikeouts and 46 walks in 119 innings.

Prospect Nuggets

Salt Lakle SS Brandon Wood (Angels) did his usual home-run thing yesterday, clubbing his 27th. He also hit his 18th double, to raise his season slugging percentage to .606. Wood, 23, drove in three runs in the Bees’ 6-5 loss to Iowa . . . Tacoma 3B Matt Tuiasosopo (Mariners) homered twice (nine) yesterday against Albuquerque. He went 2-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs . . . Memphis 3B David Freese (Cardinals) pushed his averages to .303/.353/.539 in going 2-for-4 with his 20th home run yesterday [...] Continue Reading »

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

Durham righthander Wade Davis (Rays) improved to 3-0, 2.25 through four Triple-A starts with six shutout innings against Richmond yesterday. The 22-year-old struck out five, walked two and gave up five hits. Best of all, Davis kept the ball in the park after allowing two home runs in each of his past two starts.

Prospect Nuggets

It’s been a challenging year for Indianapolis 3B Neil Walker (Pirates) in his first full season at Triple-A. He’s batted .235/.267/.425 through 405 at-bats, but more troubling for the 22-year-old Walker are the two other young third basemen the Pirates have acquired during the season: Andy LaRoche (in the Jason Bay trade) and Pedro Alvarez (the No. 2 overall pick who has yet to sign). Walker continued to hit for power yesterday, rapping a double (23) and a triple (six) as part of a 3-for-5 day with three RBIs [...] Continue Reading »

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

Indianapolis center fielder Andrew McCutchen (Pirates) capped a big weekend series against Toledo by going 3-for-4 yesterday with a double (22), a stolen base (28), a walk and three runs scored. The 21-year-old went a combined 2-for-5 with three runs scored on Friday and Saturday, and the Indians ended up splitting the road series with the Mud Hens. McCutchen now is batting .280/.371/.404 with nine home runs, 22 doubles, 55 walks and 70 strikeouts in 411 at-bats. He’s also 28-for-45 (62 percent) in stolen base attempts.

Prospect Nuggets

Indianapolis RHP Ross Ohlendorf (Pirates) turned up the heat, touching 97 mph, in his second start since coming over from the Yankees in the Xavier Nady trade. Though he gave up two home runs to the Mud Hens (to Jeff Larish and Clete Thomas), Ohlendorf struck out nine and walked only one in 7 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits . . . Just in the past few weeks, we’ve seen the Triple-A debuts of Wade Davis (Rays), Brett Cecil (Blue Jays), Michael Bowden (Red Sox), Jon Niese (Mets) and Anthony Swarzak (Twins). Now you can add a sixth pitching prospect to that list: Lehigh Valley RHP Carlos Carrasco (Phillies), who touched 96 mph in his debut. The 21-year-old struck out four and walked two in 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (both unearned) on six hits. [...] Continue Reading »

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

At some point, one would expect Brandon Wood (Angels) to take a day off every now and then. Not so. With a home run (24) and a double (17)—and now with 10 home runs in his past 15 games—the Salt Lake shortstop just keeps plugging along. Today he became the first player this season to repeat as No. 1 on the Prospect Hot Sheet.

Prospect Nuggets

Not to be outdone by Wood, Las Vegas 3B Blake DeWitt (Dodgers) went 3-for-4 yesterday, and now is batting .500/.500/1.000 in 16 July at-bats . . . Tucson RHP Max Scherzer (Diamondbacks) struck out seven in a three-inning start yesterday . . . Omaha 1B Kila Ka’aihue (Royals) went 3-for-4 with a home run (two), four RBIs and three runs scored . . . Memphis 3B David Freese (Cardinals) hit his 19th home run in a 2-for-5 effort. [...] Continue Reading »

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

The redemption of Buffalo left fielder Trevor Crowe (Indians) continued last night in Durham, as the Bisons’ leadoff batter went 3-for-5 with a home run (two), a triple (one), a stolen base (one), a walk, two strikeouts and three runs scored. He missed hitting for the cycle by a double. The Indians selected the switch-hitting Crowe 14th overall in 2005 out of Arizona, but after struggling at Double-A in 2006 and 2007, his future seemed in doubt. The 24-year-old batted .323/.404/.485 for Akron this year, in his third crack at the Eastern League, to earn a promotion to Triple-A.

Prospect Nuggets

Charlotte 3B Chris Getz (White Sox) played his second game of the season at the hot corner—adding it to a list that includes second base, shortstop and left field—and went 2-for-4 with two doubles (24) and a walk . . . Durham SS Reid Brignac (Rays) snapped back to life, going 2-for-5 with a home run (eight), a double (25), two runs and three RBIs [...] Continue Reading »

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

A ray of light in an otherwise trying season, Rochester righthander Philip Humber (Twins) struck out a season-high 10 Scranton/Wikes-Barre batters, while walking just two, in the Red Wings’ 7-4 win yesterday. Rochester manager Stan Cliburn told the Democrat and Chronicle that the 25-year-old Humber, who allowed three runs on five hits in 7 2/3 innings, succeeded by pitching inside, establishing his fastball and setting up his plus curveball.

Prospect Nuggets

Scranton RHP Alan Horne (Yankees), Humber’s opponent yesterday, walked the first two batters of the first and then the second innings, leading to an early exit after 43 pitches, just 16 of which were strikes. His final tally: one inning, 10 batters faced, two hits, five runs, five walks and no strikeouts. Horne, who has twice spent time on the DL this season, told the Democrat and Chronicle: "I’m very concerned. My arm feels really uncomfortable, like it doesn’t want to work. But I feel no pain. It’s frustrating. It’s got to be a mental thing.’ [...] Continue Reading »

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

When Salt Lake shortstop Brandon Wood (Angels) stops hitting home runs, we’ll stop bestowing him with POTD honors. He was 2-for-4 yesterday with a solo homer (21) in a 9-5 loss to New Orleans. But if you backtrack to Friday, July 18, the beginning of a road series with Fresno, Wood has been perhaps the minors’ hottest hitter. In those 11 games, the 23-year-old has batted .475/.523/1.025 (19-for-40) with seven home runs, a double, 12 RBIs, 15 runs scored, four walks and 10 strikeouts.

Prospect Nuggets

Memphis 3B David Freese (Cardinals) hit a grand slam (17) in the first inning of the Redbirds’ 8-3 win against Tacoma yesterday. He doubled (19) later in the game and finished 2-for-3 with two runs and four RBIs, providing all the offense RHP Clayton Mortensen would need. The 36th overall pick in 2007 (from Gonzaga) went seven innings for the win, striking out eight, walking three and allowing just three hits along the way. Incidentally, with the 54th pick in the same draft, the Rangers selected Alabama RHP Tommy Hunter, who like Mortensen, is a supplemental first-round pick who already has reached Triple-A [...] Continue Reading »

An abbreviated look at Thursday’s top performers.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

Salt Lake shortstop Brandon Wood (Angels) clubbed his fifth home run (19) in his past seven games in going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. His power-hitting exploits got him recognized on this week’s Prospect Hot Sheet.

Prospect Nuggets

Salt Lake 2B Sean Rodriguez (Angels) broke out of a mini skid by crushing two solo home runs (18) in a 2-for-3 game . . . Colorado Springs 1B Joe Koshansky (Rockies) went 2-for-3 with a home run (19), a double (31) and four RBIs. [...] Continue Reading »

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

Rochester center fielder Jason Pridie (Twins) didn’t begin garnering attention last season until July, when he hit .333 with power to help lead the surging Durham Bulls on a playoff run. It looks as if history is repeating itself—except Rochester would have to leapfrog three teams to win the Northern Division. The 24-year-old Pridie went 3-for-5 yesterday, with two home runs (11), three RBIs but also a caught stealing, in the Red Wings’ 9-6 win against Toledo. In 71 July at-bats he’s hitting .338/.347/.746.

Prospect Nuggets

Toledo SS Michael Hollimon (Tigers) has been seeing time at both middle infield positions since rejoining the Mud Hens on July 7. He’s a more natural fit at second base, because of a fringy arm, but the Tigers may be looking for alternatives to Edgar Renteria, who has been a giant disappointment in Detroit and whose 2009 option the Tigers could decline. Hollimon went 2-for-4 yesterday with a double (14). [...] Continue Reading »

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

Most famous for his World Baseball Classic seven-inning no-hitter for the Dutch team, Columbus righthander Shairon Martis (Nationals) set another personal milestone Tuesday in striking out a career-high 12 batters. The 21-year-old Curacao native allowed only one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings in the Clippers’ 4-1 victory against Pawtucket. Martis has an impressive feel for pitching and he commands an 89-91 mph fastball and a plus changeup, but his curveball and slider often lag behind.

Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson told the Providence Journal:

“I like (Martis). He had some good offspeed pitches and was aggressive. It took about five or six innings for us to make adjustments. We could have done a better job identifying what we were seeing. We were chasing a lot of offspeed stuff outside of the zone. . . . Sometimes you’ve got to give credit to the opposition.”

Prospect Nuggets

Rochester LHP Francisco Liriano (Twins) pitched seven shutout, two-hit innings in the Red Wings’ 13-0 win against Toledo. He struck out a season-high 10 and walked two. Liriano, 24, has been all but untouchable in July, going 4-0, 0.32 with 33 strikeouts, four walks and 15 hits allowed (no homers) in 28 innings. [...] Continue Reading »

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

Memphis third baseman David Freese (Cardinals) changed organizations in last December’s Jim Edmonds trade, and he skipped over Double-A entirely, but he’s been a steady presence in the Redbirds’ order all season. Because the Padres drafted him out of South Alabama after his senior year in 2006, Freese already is 25 years old, which partially explains how he’s made such a smooth transition from the California League to the PCL.

You won’t find Freese’s name among the league leaders, but through 314 at-bats he’s hit a steady .280/.335/.494 with 16 home runs and 51 RBIs as Memphis’ six-hole hitter. Yesterday he belted two doubles (15) and scored a run as part of a 4-for-4 game, and he’s now riding a modest seven-game hitting streak.

Prospect Nuggets

Memphis trails Iowa, the American Conference’s Northern Division leaders, by 5 1/2 games, and with two of its key hitters—CF Colby Rasmus and SS Brian Barden—heading to Beijing as members of Team USA, it will be tough for the Redbirds to overtake the Cubs. Rasmus did his part yesterday, going 2-for-5 with a double (15), a stolen base (15) and a run scored in Memphis’ 6-1 win against Oklahoma. [...] Continue Reading »

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

With six weeks of the minor league season remaining, teams are beginning to promote some of their brightest Double-A prospects to Triple-A to gauge their readiness for big league playing time in the near future. Tampa Bay was no exception in moving righthander Wade Davis (Rays) to Durham despite his so-so performance with Montgomery. He went 9-6, 3.85 for the Biscuits, with 81 strikeouts and 42 walks in 107 2/3 innings. In his first Triple-A start, the 22-year-old Davis made a strong first impression in shutting out Syracuse for seven innings, striking out six and allowing just three singles. He walked three and hit a batter.

Prospect Nuggets

The only prospect to appear in both the Futures Game and the Triple-A all-star game last week, Indianapolis center fielder Andrew McCutchen (Pirates) has returned to the IL with his bat at the ready. The 21-year-old went 2-for-5 yesterday, with a home run (nine), a double (21) and a walk, giving him hits in all three weekend games against Columbus. McCutchen went a combined 4-for-12 in the series, but with two doubles, a homer, three runs scored, two walks and no strikeouts. He could be weeks away from big league playing time, if one or both of Jason Bay and Xavier Nady are traded. [...] Continue Reading »

The Pacific Coast League scored six times in the top of the ninth inning, turning a 2-0 deficit into a 6-5 win against the International League in Wednesday’s Triple-A all-star game in Louisville. All six runs were charged to Toledo righthander Blaine Neal (Tigers), the IL saves leader, who retired only one of the seven batters he faced, despite touching 98 mph several times on ESPN’s radar gun.

Memphis right fielder Nick Stavinoha (Cardinals), while serving as a pinch-hitter, led off the ninth for the PCL with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Neal then retired Las Vegas left fielder Terry Tiffee (Dodgers) on a swinging strikeout before walking Oklahoma center fielder Nelson Cruz (Rangers) on five pitches.

Three consecutive singles by Tucson DH Jamie D’Antona (Diamondbacks), Salt Lake third baseman Matt Brown (Angels) and Round Rock first baseman Mark Saccomanno (Astros) plated three runs and gave the PCL its first lead of the game. All three batters played the entire game, and Brown, Tiffee and Neal all were named to the U.S. Olympic team earlier in the day.

The fourth PCL run scored when Richmond first baseman Barbaro Canizares (Braves) failed to field a groundball by Tacoma shortstop Oswaldo Navarro (Mariners). He was charged with the IL’s lone error on the play. Las Vegas catcher A.J. Ellis (Dodgers) then drove in the final two runs when he doubled—on an 0-2 count—off Columbus righthander Garrett Mock (Nationals), who relieved Neal after just a third of an inning. [...] Continue Reading »

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

Sacramento lefthander Gio Gonzalez (Athletics) had been practically untouchable—27 strikeouts against just five hits in 21 innings—in his three starts prior to yesterday’s game at Salt Lake. As it turned out, the Bees offered little resistance for the 22-year-old Gonzalez, as he racked up his fourth straight win, and lowered his ERA to 4.34, in the River Cats’ 4-1 win against the Bees.

Gonzalez struck out seven and walked four in 7 1/3 innings, while allowing only one run on five hits. Perhaps most impressive of all was that the performance came on the road (in hitter-friendly Salt Lake, no less), where Gonzalez has struggled this season, going 3-3, 6.09 with 11 home runs allowed in 58 innings. For comparison’s sake, he’s allowed only one home run in 52 innings at Sacramento.

On Gonzalez’s performance, River Cats’ acting manager Greg Sparks told The Sacramento Bee:

"He came right at the hitters with good stuff and an electric curveball. He did an outstanding job." [...] Continue Reading »