(Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire)
Now that summer is upon us, promotions are amok and Double-A is one of the hardest hit as high performing players are moving into Triple-A or the Majors and higher performing players in Single-A or High-A are getting their first taste of upper-level baseball. In this series, we will breakdown highlights and lowlights for baseball’s top prospects in Double-A as well as some performances of note from the past month.
| Rookie Roundup | Double-A Roundup |
| Single-A Roundup | Triple-A Roundup |
| High-A Roundup |
Eastern League
The “Top” Guys
Casey Mize (Detroit Tigers): 7.1 IP | 1.23 ERA | 10 K | 3 BB. Mize went down with an inflamed shoulder on June 14 and is out indefinitely.
Matt Manning (Detroit Tigers): 26.2 IP | 3.71 ERA | 27 K | 14 BB. Manning had only one quality start in June, excessive walks were critical to his struggles. Manning was named to the Futures Game.
Alec Bohm (3B, Philadelphia Phillies): .268/.348/.585 | 3 HR | 0 SB. Aggressively promoted to Double-A on June 21st, Bohm ended June on a four-game hit streak.
Nate Pearson (Toronto Blue Jays): 9 IP | 0.00 ERA | 9 K | 0 BB. Toronto continues to manage Pearson’s innings. Landed on the IL on June 22 with a groin injury. Named to the Futures Game.
Deivi Garcia (New York Yankees): 21 IP | 1.71 ERA | 34 K | 11 BB. Garcia continues to strikeout and walk batters at a pretty consistent rate. Garcia’s June was highlighted by a scoreless one-hit game where he struck out 15 batters over six innings (simplified, 15 of 18 batters were struck out). He was named to the Futures Game.
Colton Welker (3B, Colorado Rockies): .182/.242/.341 | 4 HR |1 SB. After the first week of June, Welker hit the ball only 9 times and walked only 7 times.
Andres Gimenez (SS, New York Mets): .224/.288/.299 | 0 HR | 5 SB. Gimenez missed half the on the IL. He still struggles to get on base often enough to utilize his speed properly.
Luis Garcia (SS, Washington Nationals): .310/.336/.381 | 0 HR | 1 SB. Garcia finally came together and put up a solid June after a miserable spring. He just turned 19 years old, June could be the start of something much bigger for Garcia.
Additional Highlights
Jarren Duran (OF, Boston Red Sox): .211/.279/.263 | 0 HR | 3 SB. After exploding in High-A to start the season, Duran has yet to translate that success after a full month in Double-A. His success was enough to earn a spot at the Futures Game.
Alex Faedo (Detroit Tigers): 19.2 IP | 2.29 ERA | 21 K | 5 BB. Faedo continues to have an elite breakout season and while often overshadowed by his teammates should not be overlooked.
Isaac Parades (SS, Detroit Tigers): .239/.336/.424 | 4 HR | 0 SB. Parades’ monthly highlight was his nomination to the Futures Game.
Yusniel Diaz (OF, Baltimore Orioles): .223/.302/.468 | 6 HR | 0 SB. Diaz mashed six of his eight home runs this season in June and continues to walk at an elite rate.
Adonis Medina (Philadelphia Phillies): 27 IP | 3.67 ERA | 17 K | 10 BB. Medina continues his disappointing season. Strikeouts are down, walks are up, and his season ERA remains above 4.00.
James Marvel (Pittsburgh Pirates): 40.2 IP | 2.21 ERA | 38 K | 10 BB. Other than an errant start to June, Marvel had five quality starts four of which lasted seven or more innings. (Spiderman Far From Home was pretty phenomenal).
Bruce Zimmermann (Baltimore Orioles): 29.2 IP | 2.43 ERA | 33 K | 12 BB. June featured a four-hit complete game shutout for Zimmermann.
Ka’ai Tom (OF, Cleveland Indians): .320/.415/.553 | 5 HR | 1 SB. Tom picked up where he left off in May and has become one of the most stable bats in Cleveland’s farm system.
Ali Sanchez (C, New York Mets): .354/.391/.439 | 0 HR | 0 SB. With little power and no speed to speak of, Sanchez managed to hit the ball well this month.
Tanner Houck (Boston Red Sox): 31 IP | 2.32 ERA | 29 K | 11 BB. Houck was a stable presence all June, with an 11-strikeout game to start the month.
Southern League
The “Top” Guys
Luis Robert (OF, Chicago White Sox): .330/.373/.524 | 5 HR | 8 SB. A full month in Double-A has Robert on the fast track to Triple-A and even the Majors by the fall. Robert is one of Double-A ball’s hottest hitters and has a hit in nine of his last ten games.
Alex Kirilloff (OF, Minnesota Twins): .327/.400/.510 | 1 HR | 0 SB. For the second time this season, Kirilloff miss significant time on the IL – this time being an 18-day stint, virtually all of June.
Cristian Pache (OF, Atlanta Braves): .295/.370/.621 | 7 HR | 1 SB. Pache hit SEVEN home runs in June. As a frame of reference, he has hit a total of nine in his three years prior. June also featured an 11-game hitting streak and a hit in 20 of 25 games.
Sixto Sanchez (Miami Marlins): 30.2 IP | 2.05 ERA | 35 K | 5 BB. Sanchez kicked it into a higher gear in his final two starts of June, letting up three runs while striking out 19 over 14 innings. Sanchez was named to the Futures Game.
Ian Anderson (Atlanta Braves): 30.2 IP | 2.35 ERA | 43 K | 11 BB. Aside from a poor game on June 22, Anderson rolled in June, capping off the month with seven hitless innings and 14 strikeouts. Anderson was named to the Futures Game.
Taylor Trammell (OF, Cincinnati Reds): .254/.333/.302 | 0 HR | 2 SB. Trammell missed two weeks with a hamstring strain. He continues to walk at an elite rate and was named to the Futures Game.
Vidal Brujan (2B, Tampa Bay Rays): Brujan was limited to just eight games in June total after an injury kept him sidelined for the first three-fourths of the month. Shortly after his return, he was promoted to Double-A where he played only three games. His speed and hit tool combo should continue to play in Double-A.
Jo Adell (OF, Los Angeles Angels): .392/.458/.635 | 3 HR | 4 SB. After beginning his season in late-May, Adell has seldom seen a baseball he could not hit and with a league-leading 219 wRC+ in June. Expect Adell to be on the fast track to Triple-A. Adell was named to the Futures Game.
Jesus Sanchez (OF, Tampa Bay Rays): .236/.313/.337 | 2 HR | 1 SB. After a torrid spring, Sanchez cooled down quite a bit, likely slowing down his promotion timetable in the short-term.
AJ Puk (Oakland Athletics): 1.1 IP | 6.75 ERA | 4 K | 5 BB. Despite an underwhelming return to High-A and now Double-A, Puk remains on the fast track to the MLB although whether as a starter or reliever has yet to be officially announced.
Nick Madrigal (2B/SS Chicago White Sox): .372/.430/.462 | 0 HR | 9 SB. Madrigal was promoted to Double-A in June and continues to do two things, hit the ball and not strikeout. Madrigal only struck out twice this month, bringing his career total to 13. Madrigal was named to the Futures Game.
Drew Waters (OF, Atlanta Braves): .370/.417/.610 | 2 HR | 3 SB. With a walloping 197 wRC+ in June, Waters continues to defy expectations despite a .500 BABIP and a 25.9% strikeout rate in June alone.
Brusdar Graterol (Minnesota Twins): Graterol missed the entire month of June with a shoulder impingement and is currently out indefinitely.
Nico Hoerner (SS, Chicago Cubs): Hoerner returned from a month-long wrist injury to play in three games in June. Related, Hoerner is also on a three-game multi-hit streak.
Additional Highlights
Daulton Varsho (C, Arizona Diamondbacks): .274/.368/.384 | 1 HR | 4 SB. Varsho continues to walk more batters than he strikeouts and steal frequently as a catcher. Varsho is a rare breed of catcher – one of significance for fantasy purposes. Varsho was named to the Futures Game.
Alec Bettinger (Milwaukee Brewers): 29.2 IP | 2.12 ERA | 34 K | 8 BB. After a turbulent start to the year, Bettinger has been locked in and whittling down his season ERA.
Tucker Davidson (Atlanta Braves): 22.1 IP | 3.22 ERA | 30 K | 9 BB. Davidson threw 13.1 scoreless innings across three starts this month.
Brett Sullivan (C, Tampa Bay Rays): .279/.330/.558 | 4 HR | 3 SB. Sullivan needs to make more contact if he is going to continue his success, but could be a five-category contributor in the future if he is able to improve.
Johendi Jiminian (Cincinnati Reds): 24.2 IP | 1.09 ERA | 24 K | 9 BB. Jiminian got stretched out as a starter this month with nearly half of his starts this season coming in June.
Blake Rutherford (OF, Chicago White Sox): .365/.400/.471 | 1 HR | 4 SB. Driven by an unsustainable .481 BABIP Rutherford’s success would seem to be a flash in the pan.
Mitch Nay (3B, Cincinnati Reds): .356/.398/.587 | 6 HR | 1 SB. Nay continues to make strides in his second year in Double-A.
Roberto Caro (OF, Chicago Cubs): .330/.381/.423 | 0 HR | 9 SB. Despite his stolen base successes, it took Caro 15 attempts to get his nine steals this month – more opportunity than skill. He has consistently walked at an elite rate, which will continue to provide him with opportunity.
Texas League
The “Top” Guys
Keibert Ruiz (C, Los Angeles Dodgers): .186/.275/.343 | 2 HR | o SB. Ruiz continues to tumble from elite hitter to league average hitter to where he has landed this season. He continues to walk at a higher rate and strikeout at a lower rate than at any other point in his career.
Brady Singer (Kansas City Royals): 22.2 IP | 6.35 ERA | 14 K | 9 BB. Singer was promoted to Double-A to start off June and has stumbled after starting the year lights-out in High-A. Opponents in Singer’s first five starts are averaging .301 against him. Singer was named to the Futures Game.
Adrian Morejon (San Diego Padres): 9.1 IP | 3.86 ERA | 10 K | 3 BB. Morejon returned from the IL to start June off and failed to pitch more than two innings in six starts as San Diego takes it slow building Morejon back up. Morejon was named to the Futures Game.
Justin Dunn (Seattle Mariners): 27 IP | 3.33 ERA | 36 K | 9 BB. Dunn continues to be on track for a Triple-A promotion and remains one of the best pitchers left in Double-A baseball. Dunn was named to the Futures Game.
Justus Sheffield (Seattle Mariners): 20 IP | 1.35 ERA | 24 K | 4 BB. Prospect development is not linear and Sheffield is a good example. While it is unfortunate to see Sheffield perform so poorly, he was demoted to Double-A, it is encouraging to see him performing at a higher level as Seattle prepares to promote him back up.
Dylan Carlson (OF, St. Louis Cardinals): .250/.343/.405 | 3 HR | 1 SB. Carlson’s breakout season slowed in June, but his season still got him to the Futures Game and is still on pace for a 20/20 season.
J.B. Bukauskas (Houston Astros): 24.1 IP | 4.44 ERA | 26 K | 11 BB. Bukauskas’ command continues to doom his ability to succeed, failing to record fewer than two walks in any game this month. While a few errant starts this season have tanked his season line, when he is on, Bukauskas can elicit strikeouts at an elite level. He was named to the Futures Game.
Evan White (1B, Seattle Mariners): .371/.396/.691 | 8 HR | 0 SB. White has had a field day in June, mashing eight of his 10 home runs this season this past month. White was named to the Futures Game – the window to buy on White is closing fast.
Additional Highlights
Luis Barrera (OF, Oakland Athletics): .406/.420/.594 | 1 HR | 5 SB. Barrera’s success in June was driven solely by his obscene batting average, three walks in 100 plate appearances is a concerning trend.
Cristian Javier (Houston Astros): 30.1 IP | 2.08 ERA | 40 K | 12 BB. Javier had a phenomenal month, but walks continue to plague him – the strikeout potential is legit.
Khalil Lee (OF, Kansas City Royals): .298/.443/.500 | 4 HR | 12 SB. Lee finally got on base consistently this month and was a force on the base path.
Edward Olivares (OF, San Diego Padres): .333/.405/.490 | 3 HR | 9 SB. Olivares added six doubles to his 18 total doubles on the season and is on pace for a 20/40 season in Double-A.
Nick Heath (OF, Kansas City Royals): .287/.367/.448 | 2 HR | 13 SB. Heath’s 13 stolen bases this month brings his season total to a league-leading 44 stolen bases.
If you think there is someone we missed out on – drop us a line in the comments!