Prospect Report: Walker, Encarnacion-Strand Stay Hot
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Image credit: Jordan Walker (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Daylen Lile, OF, Nationals
Lile missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Before the injury, the Nats’ second-rounder from 2021 out of high school in Kentucky showed strong plate discipline in the Florida Complex League. On Wednesday, in his first Grapefruit League game, Lile went 3-for-4, stole a bag and made an outstanding catch in left field.
Jordan Walker, 3B/OF, Cardinals
St. Louis’ monster masher just keeps raking. The No. 4 prospect in the game faced one of his biggest challenges of the spring on Wednesday when he matched up against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. After a first-inning groundout, Walker won the second battle by turning a 96 mph fastball into a stinging single to left. Walker added another single later in the game, this time off of reliever Aaron McGarity.
Masyn Winn, SS, Cardinals
The Cardinals’ No. 3 prospect has had a fine spring himself. In his team’s win over New York on Wednesday, the rocket-armed shortstop went 1-for-3 with a double (off of big league reliever Wandy Peralta) and stole his third Grapefruit League bag. For the spring, Winn is 7-for-18 with a double and a home run.
Brooks Lee, SS, Twins
The Twins’ first-rounder from 2022 out of Cal Poly got the start on Wednesday and made the most of the opportunity. The 22-year-old went 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and a run. The double came off of a sweeping slider from reliever Trent Thornton and left the bat at 103.4 mph. Lee is 6-for-22 this spring with a pair of doubles.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 3B, Reds
The banner start continues for Encarnacion-Strand, who has been the hottest thing in the desert this spring. This time, the former Twins prospect went 1-for-3 with his first triple of the Cactus League and scored a run. Shockingly, that brought his spring average down to .600 and he now sits 12-for-20 in nine games.
Gabriel Moreno, C, D-backs
The big prize in the trade that sent Daulton Varsho to Toronto cracked his first home run of the spring on Wednesday. Moreno, who checks in at No. 12 on BA’s Top 100, demolished a cutter from Rangers reliever Marc Church. The longball left the bat at 108.6 mph and traveled nearly 450 feet to left-center field. It was his second home run of the spring.
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