MLB Prospect Watch

Prospect Action - Machado, Banuelos, Tate, Franklin

• Manny Machado homered on Thursday night in his first game since the Orioles had promoted the young shortstop to High-A ball, reports Steve Gould of The Baltimore Sun.
• Rays pitching prospect Alex Torres tossed seven scoreless innings on Thursday night, notes BisonsBlog.com.
• Yankees prospect Manny Banuelos threw five strong innings, says Mike Ashmore of ThunderBaseball.com.
• Cubs prospect Trey McNutt struggled on Thursday night, facing just five batters and walking four of them before being removed from the game, reports Daniel Paulling of The Birmingham News.
• Colton Cain allowed just three baserunners in six innings of work, as the Pirates prospect was part of a three-pitcher shutout for the West Virginia Power, notes Mark Parker of the Hickory Daily Record.
• The San Diego Padres third-round pick from this month's draft, RHP Matt Andriese, allowed just one run in six innings of work, reports John Parker of MiLB.com, and was helped out offensively by fellow 2011 draftee, first-rounder Cory Spangenberg, who went 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, and a stolen base, and 2009 first-rounder Donavan Tate, who had a triple, single and two runs scored, 
• Blake Beavan threw seven strong innings to earn a win, notes Larry Larue of The News Tribune.  Fellow Mariners prospect, SS Nick Franklin, made his Double-A debut on Thursday, collecting two hits and taking part in turning a triple play, says Andrew Pentis of MiLB.com.

 

Prospect Performances - Choice, Ackley, Beavan, Mesoraco

• Oakland A's 2010 first rounder Michael Choice homered for the second straight game, says David Heck of MiLB.com.
• Dustin Ackley had been off to a slow start to the 2011 season, but the Mariners top prospect hit his first home run of the season on Wednesday, says Robert Emrich of MiLB.com.  Fellow Mariner prospect Blake Beavan threw six innings without giving up an earned run, reports Larry Stone of The Seattle Times.
• Devin Mesoraco drove in five runs on Wednesday and continues to make his case to the Reds for a major league call-up, says David Heck of MiLB.com.

 

Prospect Performances - Moustakas, Britton, Parker

FRIDAY

• In a possible glimpse of their future, the Angels were led by the bats of catching prospect Hank Conger and first base prospect Mark Trumbo on Friday, says Danny Wild of MiLB.com.
• Mike Moustakas made two errors in the 10th inning on Friday, essentially costing the Royals the game, notes Thomas Harding of MLB.com.

SATURDAY

• Zach Britton threw four scoreless innings for the Orioles, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
• Blake Beavan made his first spring start for the Mariners, and gave up just one earned run over three innings of work, notes Greg Johns of MLB.com.
• Both Jacob Turner and Andy Oliver were impressive against one another in a simulated game, reports Jacon Beck of MLB.com.  The Tigers are stretching both out for their roles as starters in the minors this season, but no longer have the innings to go around to do so in major league spring training games.
• Jarrod Parker threw two hitless innings for the Diamondbacks, says Ashley Marshall of MiLB.com.

SUNDAY

• Charlie Furbush gave up one run over three innings of relief work for the Tigers, says Josh Jackson of MiLB.com.
• Elih Villanueva tossed four scoreless innings in relief for the Marlins, allowing just two hits.

 

Prospect Action - Mariners, Turner, Royals

• The Mariners used a trio of pitching prospects to beat the Rangers on Tuesday, as Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke, and Dan Cortes all appeared in the game, reports Greg Johns of MLB.com.
• Jacob Turner was impressive in his first appearance for the Tigers against major leaguers this spring, retiring his final eight batters faced, notes John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.
• Bryce Harper got his first spring hit, an opposite-field single to left, reports Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
• The Royals-Padres game was full of prospect action, as Aaron Crow, Mike Montgomery and Jeremy Jeffress all pitched for the Royals, and Simon Castro threw for the Padres.  Mike Moustaks drove in the go-ahead run for Kansas City with an eighth inning single, reports Dick Kaegel of MLB.com.
• Allen Craig homered, this time appearing in the game at first base for the Cardinals, notes Rick Hummell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, as did Yonder Alonso for the Reds, who hit a two-run blast.

 

 

Spring Action - Mariners, Leyland, Kipnis

• The Mariners inter-squad game was filed with prospect appearances, and Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times has a breakdown on how Blake Beavan, Michael Pineda, Dustin Ackley, and Dan Cortes fared in their first spring action, including video of Beavan on the mound.
• Patrick Leyland made his first major league spring appearance in Firday's exhibition game as a pinch-hitter, which is even more noteworthy when your father, Tigers manager Jim Leyland, is the one making the substitution, notes Jason Beck of MLB.com.  The younger Leyland stayed in the game to catch the ninth inning.
• Jason Kipnis hit an RBI double to help his side win in the Indians intra-squad game on Friday, reports Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.  Also in the game, pitching prospect Bryce Stowell walked four straight batters.