MLB Prospect Watch

Notable Prospect Performances - 4/19

• The Houston Astros received a much needed good sign from pitching prospect Jordan Lyles who bounced back from a rough first outing with a strong start on Saturday night, reports Robert Emrich of MLB.com.  Lyles gave up only 2 hits in six scoreless innings en route to his first Double-A win.  The 19-year-old starter is the Astros only real impact arm in the upper levels of the minors, and to see him make an adjustment to Double-A from one start to the next serves as a positive sign for an organization in desperate need of good news.
• Aroldis Chapman was still effective in his second start, this one coming on Saturday afternoon, but it was the kind of effectiveness that may not work against better competition, notes Jeff Wallner of MLB.com.  Chapman walked 4 batters this time around, and displayed the control issues that are the only real chink in his armor.  He still allowed only a hit and a run in 5 innings of work, but his 4 walks and 1 strikeout are good indicators of the lack of command the Reds will need to see improvement on before bringing him to Cincinnati.
• You can begin to add Nick Hernandez's name to the list of young Phillies pitching prospects in the low minors.  Hernandez has followed up his strong short-season showing after being drafted last year with a strong start in full-season ball, most recently with his last start in which he took a no-hitter in to the 5th inning, reports Paige Schector of MiLB.com.  Hernandez is in Low-A Lakewood for now, but the 21-year-old out of the University of Tennessee could reach High-A by mid-season if he continues his strong performance.
• And in the majors, a few teams are not only playing rookies, but relying on them - specifically the Atlanta Braves with Jason Heyward (says Talking Chop.com) and the Baltimore Orioles with Brian Matusz (notes Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com).

Notable Prospect Performances - 4/15

Here are some note-worthy prospect recaps to enjoy to get your mind off those last-minute tax-preparations...

• Jake Arrieta has now gone two starts in Triple-A without giving up a run, notes Danny Wild of MLB.com.  Given the Orioles' struggles at the big league level, it may not be too long until Arrieta gets his call to Baltimore to join Brian Matusz in their starting rotation.  Matusz has been the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal start to the Orioles' season, and R.J. Anderson of Fan Graphs.com has a breakdown of just how good he's been thus far.
• Andrew Cashner reached double-digits in strikeouts for the second straight game, reports MiLB.com.  This time, the Cubs' top pitching prospect took a no-hitter into the 7th inning.
• The Mets' are still debating how they should be using Jenrry Mejia, reports Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, despite the fact that they already have him in the majors.  Apparently not everyone in their front office thinks it's a good idea.  Of course, we could have told them that a month ago.
• The St. Louis Cardinals have promoted C prospect Bryan Anderson to the majors to fill in for the injured Jason LaRue as the backup to Yadier Molina, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  The move indicates a shift in the team's catching depth chart from Spring Training when Anderson was thought to be behind Matt Pagnozzi.
• Don't read anything into Austin Jackson's day off yesterday, as Tigers' manager Jim Leyland says Jackson will be back in the lineup tomorrow against Felix Hernandez, reports John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.  So instead of facing Kyle Davies, the rookie Jackson gets to face King Felix.  Welcome to the bigs, Austin.  At least he still has his defense, which is also turning some heads, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com.

Prospects Make 2010 Debuts

A couple of prospects made their season debuts, each with strong results:

• Brian Matusz clearly did not have his best stuff in his 2010 debut, but the good news for the Orioles is that even without it, he was still an effective pitcher.  Matusz battled through 5 innings against the Rays surrendering 5 walks, but was able to leave with a lead and get the win, reports Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
• The Mets may have lost his debut, but Jon Niese at least gave his team a chance to win, notes Marty Noble of MLB.com.  The left-handed starter gave up 3 runs in 6 innings of work.
• The A's bullpen was given a boost by Tyson Ross and the 2 1/3 scoreless innings he threw in their series finale with the Mariners, says John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Orioles Pitching Updates

With as much young pitching as any organization in baseball, the Baltimore Orioles are still in the process of sorting out exactly where everybody should pitch.

• The team was impressed with how Brian Matusz handled his roughest outing of the spring, notes Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun.  It was clear that Matusz didn't have his best stuff in his latest outing, but he showed that he can be effective without it, a real sign of maturity.
• Jake Arrieta was the latest prospect re-assigned to minor league camp, reports the Baltimore Sun.  Arrieta was not expected to make the team this spring and will most likely begin the season in Triple-A.
• Zach Britton was the odd man out of major league camp this spring, but that doesn't mean he's not still a large part of the Orioles' future, says Dan Connolly of the Sun.

Prospect Potent Potables - 3/21

Today's links are brought to you by busted brackets everywhere...

• Chris Withrow appears to have come all the way back from a bout of the yips, reports Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, and seems to have resurrected his career in the process, which the Dodgers are certainly excited about.
• The Baltimore Orioles' 5th rotation spot was considered Brian Matusz's to lose, but as Brittany Ghiroli reports MLB.com, he's solidified himself even further up in the team's rotation.
• Pedro Alvarez was one of many players opioned to the minors this week, but Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette provides a nice explanation of the rule that forced the Pirates and other teams to make these cuts, and suggests that we may see some players like Alvarez again soon.
• Koby Clemens is beginning to make a name for himself within the Astros' organization, reports Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle, and now he will be doing it at first base.