MLB Prospect Watch

Prospect Action - Biddle, Banuelos, Holmberg, Wong

• Phillies LHP prospect Jesse Biddle fanned 8 batters over 5 2/3 innings of work, says John Parker of MiLB.com.
• Yankees LHP prospect Manny Banuelos ended an up-and-down month with a positive start, allowing just one run over five innings on Tuesday, striking out seven during that time, notes David Heck of MiLB.com.
• Orioles middle-infield prospects L.J. Hoes and Greg Miclat each had RBI singles in their loss, according to Jeff Seidel of the BowiePatch.com.
• A dropped ball by Brewers 2B prospect Eric Farris ended up being the difference between Nashville and New Orleans on Tuesday, notes Tim Grubbs of NOLA.com.  Down in A-ball, his fellow Brewers prospect Kyle Heckathorn was back in action after a month off, and responded with six scoreless innings, says Robert Emrich of MiLB.com.
• Diamondbacks pitching prospect David Holmberg extended his scoreless innings streak to 35 straight with seven more Tuesday night, reports Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids Press.
• Cardinals 2011 first-round draft pick Kolten Wong went 2-for-2 in his professional debut, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

 

Notable Prospect Performances - 6/22

• Michael Kvasnicka, a supplemental first-round pick by the Houston Astros this June, homered on the first pitch he saw as a professional, reports Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle.
• Mike Moustakas, Kyle Heckathorn, Brett Lawrie, and Chris Withrow all ended the weekend strong, says J.J. Cooper of Baseball America.
• Two highly-anticipated prospects made their debuts on Monday, as Michael Ynoa of the A's and Donavan Tate of the Padres each saw their first professional action, reports Matt Eddy of Baseball America.  Ynoa struck out 4 batters in 3 scoreless innings, while Tate was 0-for-5 with two strike outs.
• Yorman Rodriguez made his 2010 debut on Tuesday with a 3-for-5 day at the plate.  Rodriguez is back at Billings where he struggled in 46 games last season.  He signed a $2.5M bonus in 2008 to sign with the Reds, the largest bonus ever given to a Venezuelan amateur.  Fellow Latin American amateur Juan Duran is also a part of the Billings lineup and went 0-for-3 as he continues to adjust to his recently expanded 6-foot-7 frame.
• Aaron Crow technically got a win yesterday, but his line of 6 earned runs allowed in 5 innings of work didn't reflect such accolades.  Crow's ERA has now ballooned to 6.27 on the season and he's given up 5 earned runs or more in 4 of his last 5 starts.
• Trevor May took a no-hitter into the 6th inning on Tuesday, adding to what has been a great May for the Phillies' pitcher.

Notable Prospect Performances - 6/2

• Aroldis Chapman turned in his longest start as a professional, allowing just two runs over 7 innings, reports The Cincinnati Enquirer.
• Mike Stanton launched two more home runs, bring his minor-league leading total to 20 on the season.  It's surprising the Marlins haven't given him even a little bit of time in Triple-A before his inevitable promotion to the majors.
• The Rangers' organizational pitching depth is so deep that prospects like Robbie Ross often get overlooked, but throwing 1-hitters will help him get noticed, according to Robert Emrich of MiLB.com.
• Matt Angle and Caleb Joseph may be blocked in the Orioles' organization by two of the team's biggest names, but both are making a case for consideration, reports Dean Jones, Jr. of the Baltimore Sun.
• Greg Halman's two-homer night shows why the Mariners will continue to give the inconsistent prospect chances to succeed.
• Hector Noesi tossed 6 strong innings for the Yankees' Double-A affiliate, the Trenton Thunder, reports John Nalbone of BareBones.com.
• Apparently Mike Trout is unstoppable.
• Domonic Brown is making Jayson Werth expendable.  Will Jonathan Singleton eventually do the same thing to Ryan Howard?
• The Brewers have some impressive arms in the Midwest League, and Kyle Heckathorn may be leading the way.

Brewers Send Down Two Prospects

The Milwaukee Brewers sent Eric Arnett and Kyle Heckathorn down to minor league camp on Monday, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.  The move was not unexpected, as the two players were only in big league camp as part of their initial contracts after signing.  The two right-handers were the team's top two draft picks in 2009.  Neither appeared in a game this spring.

Link: Update on 2009 Draftees After Round 1

Jason A. Churchill blogs on ESPN.com regarding the negotiations of many of the first round draft picks from this year's draft, but at the bottom, he fills us in on many of the later round players who have already signed and are having noteworthy performances.  His post includes:

• Rex Brothers (COL) 1st Rnd Supplemental
• Aaron Miller (LAD) 1st Rnd Supplemental
• Kyle Heckathron (MIL) 1st Rnd Supplemental
• Rich Poythress (SEA) 2nd Rnd
• Ben Tootle (MIN) 3rd Rnd
• A.J. Morris (WAS) 4th Rnd
• Jason Stoffell (SF) 4th Rnd
• Joseph Sanders (COL) 5th Rnd
• Ryan Jackson (STL) 5th Rnd
• Tucker Barnhard (CIN) 10th Rnd
• DeAngelo Mack (NYY) 13th Rnd