Baseball America Prospect Report—September 21, 2021
Image credit: (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Shane Baz, RHP, Rays – Baz made his major league debut Monday night and pitched five sharp innings against one of baseball’s best offenses to lead Tampa Bay to a 6-4 win over the Blue Jays. Baz allowed two hits and two runs, walked none and struck out five to outduel AL Cy Young candidate Robbie Ray and earn his first career victory. He struck out George Springer as the first career batter he faced and finished his first career inning by striking out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He allowed a solo home run to Teoscar Hernandez in the second inning and another solo shot to Lourdes Gurriel in the fifth, but otherwise kept Toronto under wraps to help Tampa move one game closer to clinching the American League East.
Josh Jung, 3B, Triple-A Round Rock (Rangers) – The Rangers promoted Jung to Triple-A in mid-August, and the bump in competition hasn’t slowed the third baseman down at all. Jung went 4 for 5 with a double, a run scored and two RBIs in Round Rock’s 10-1 win over Oklahoma City. He now has multiple hits in seven of his last eight games and has reached base in 10 straight. Overall Jung has hit .333/.416/.544 while showing advanced instincts defensively at third base, cementing his place as the Rangers’ best position player prospect since Joey Gallo.
Alek Thomas, OF, Triple-A (Reno) – Speaking of recent callups crushing in the Triple-A West, Thomas continued his scorching debut with Triple-A Reno by going 4 for 6 with a double and two triples in the Aces’ 10-8 loss to Salt Lake. The 21-year-old speedster is now batting. 353/.417/.664 with 10 doubles, three triples and seven home runs in 27 games since joining Reno and is currently working on a six-game hitting streak.
Jeremy Peña, 3B, Triple-A Sugar Land (Astros) – Peña was a popular pick among scouts for a breakout candidate this year before a wrist injury cost him most of the season. He returned in time to play the final month and has made the most of it with Triple-A Sugar Land. Peña went 2 for 3 with a double and a home run to lead the Skeeters to a 5-3 win over Albuquerque, his sixth time recording multiple hits in his last eight games. Overall Peña is batting .312/.369/.558 with five home runs in 19 games for Sugar Land, an encouraging sign that his wrist injury hasn’t sapped the ability that made him so highly-regarded.
Kevin Padlo, 3B, Triple-A Tacoma (Mariners) – Padlo continued his weeks-long tear for Tacoma, going 3 for 4 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored in a 7-2 over El Paso. It was Padlo’s second straight three-hit night and raised his slash line to .379/.488/.742 in 17 games since the Mariners claimed him off waivers from the Rays.
Michael Stefanic, 2B, Triple-A Salt Lake (Angels) – The minor league batting title is Stefanic’s to lose at this point, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be losing it anytime soon. The Angels prospect went 3 for 5 to raise his batting average to .349 on the year. He is now six points ahead of second-place Euribiel Angeles (.343), whose season is finished. As long as Stefanic avoids a slump, the batting crown will be his.
HITTERS
| ORG | CLASS | RANK | PLAYER | AB | R | H | RBI | AVG | NOTES |
| ARI | AAA | #3 | Alek Thomas, OF | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0.304 | 2B (28), 2 3B (11), |
| ARI | AAA | #8 | Geraldo Perdomo, SS | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.226 | |
| ARI | AAA | #18 | Drew Ellis, 3B | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.257 | HR (20), BB (55), |
| ARI | MAJ | #22 | Jake McCarthy, OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.252 | HR (16), |
| ARI | R | #25 | Manuel Pena, SS | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.261 | SB (9), |
| ARI | AAA | #27 | Stuart Fairchild, OF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.288 | BB (20), |
| BAL | R | #11 | Maikol Hernandez, SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.207 | |
| BAL | R | #16 | Samuel Basallo, C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.286 | BB (14), |
| BOS | R | #20 | Miguel Bleis, OF | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.264 | 2B (6), CS (3), |
| CIN | MAJ | #1 | Jose Barrero, SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.292 | |
| CIN | R | #17 | Ariel Almonte, OF | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.275 | 2B (6), |
| CIN | R | #18 | Malvin Valdez, OF | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.224 | 2B (5), BB (21), SB (12), |
| CLE | MAJ | #15 | Owen Miller, SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.245 | |
| COL | AAA | #5 | Elehuris Montero, 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.273 | |
| COL | R | #27 | Yanquiel Fernandez, OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.309 | 2 BB (15), |
| CWS | MAJ | #8 | Gavin Sheets, 1B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.272 | |
| DET | MAJ | #11 | Daz Cameron, OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.245 | BB (25), |
| DET | R | #21 | Abel Bastidas, SS | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.171 | HR (2), |
| HOU | AAA | #1 | Korey Lee, C | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.282 | |
| HOU | AAA | #2 | Jeremy Pena, SS | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0.333 | 2B (3), HR (5), CS (1), |
| HOU | AAA | #3 | Pedro Leon, SS | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.244 | BB (31), SB (17), |
| KC | MAJ | #7 | Kyle Isbel, OF | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.269 | 2B (20), |
| LAA | MAJ | #2 | Brandon Marsh, OF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.267 | BB (34), |
| LAA | AAA | #27 | Michael Stefanic, OF | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0.346 | |
| LAD | AAA | #23 | Zach Reks, OF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.269 | 2B (22), |
| MIA | MAJ | #3 | Jesus Sanchez, OF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0.287 | HR (23), BB (29), |
| MIA | MAJ | #11 | Lewin Diaz, 1B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.239 | |
| MIA | MAJ | #29 | Payton Henry, C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.263 | |
| MIA | MAJ | #30 | Bryan De La Cruz, OF | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.326 | BB (32), |
| OAK | AAA | #3 | Nick Allen, SS | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.274 | |
| OAK | AAA | #7 | Luis Barrera, OF | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.258 | |
| PHI | MAJ | #10 | Matt Vierling, OF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.281 | |
| PHI | MAJ | #14 | Luke Williams, 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.275 | |
| SEA | R | #14 | Starlin Aguilar, 3B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.243 | BB (16), |
| SEA | AAA | #25 | Luis Liberato, OF | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.262 | 2B (12), |
| SEA | R | #30 | Gabriel Gonzalez, OF | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.288 | 2B (10), |
| SF | AAA | #2 | Joey Bart, C | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.297 | BB (20), |
| STL | R | #26 | Carlos Carmona, OF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.174 | |
| TB | MAJ | #8 | Taylor Walls, SS | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.231 | E (9), |
| TEX | AAA | #2 | Josh Jung, 3B | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0.313 | 2B (19), |
| TEX | R | #13 | Bayron Lora, OF | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.298 | 2 BB (26), |
| TOR | MAJ | #5 | Alejandro Kirk, C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.276 | |
| TOR | R | #10 | Manuel Beltre, SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.265 | |
| TOR | R | #13 | Yhoangel Aponte, OF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.188 | |
| WAS | MAJ | #1 | Keibert Ruiz, C | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.300 |
PITCHERS
| ORG | CLASS | RANK | PLAYER | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | ERA | NOTES |
| CLE | MAJ | #30 | Sam Hentges, LHP | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6.72 | |
| DET | MAJ | #3 | Matt Manning, RHP | 5.0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6.42 | |
| DET | MAJ | #17 | Alex Lange, RHP | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.39 | Sv (2) |
| HOU | AAA | #13 | Shawn Dubin, RHP | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3.92 | |
| LAA | AAA | #20 | Ryan Smith, LHP | 4.2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4.33 | |
| LAA | MAJ | #29 | Andrew Wantz, RHP | 1.0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3.81 | |
| LAD | AAA | #7 | Andre Jackson, RHP | 5.0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3.35 | L (5-5) |
| OAK | AAA | #28 | Brian Howard, RHP | 5.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6.14 | W (6-3) |
| PHI | MAJ | #24 | Bailey Falter, LHP | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3.52 | |
| SD | AAA | #11 | Reiss Knehr, RHP | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3.86 | |
| SD | R | #25 | Brayan Medina, RHP | 4.0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4.01 | L (0-1) |
| SD | AAA | #30 | Steven Wilson, RHP | 1.0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3.55 | |
| SEA | AAA | #29 | Penn Murfee, RHP | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4.42 | |
| SF | AAA | #11 | Sean Hjelle, RHP | 6.0 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4.06 | L (4-7) |
| TB | MAJ | #1 | Shane Baz, RHP | 5.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2.15 | W (6-4) |
| TEX | MAJ | #30 | A.J. Alexy, RHP | 3.1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2.39 | L (5-2) |
| TOR | MAJ | #2 | Nate Pearson, RHP | 0.2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4.99 | |
| WAS | MAJ | #23 | Patrick Murphy, RHP | 0.1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3.70 |
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