MANzardo with another home run today. Sure would look good batting behind Josh Naylor !

SCOREBOARD

Triple-A - Buffalo Bisons 5, Columbus Clippers 3
Double-A - Erie SeaWolves 6, Akron RubberDucks 5
High-A - Lake County Captains 12, Lansing Lugnuts 4
Single-A - Lynchburg Hillcats 13, Salem Red Sox 8

HIGHLIGHTS

Kyle Manzardo (Columbus, 1B): 3-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K - Manzardo had an impressive 24 hours between the Clippers’ last two contests, following up his two Friday night doubles with a pair of Saturday afternoon home runs. His batting average and OPS are now over .300 (.306) and .900 (.935), respectively.

Johnathan Rodriguez (Columbus, LF): 2- 4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K - J-Rod followed up Manzardo’s second homer with a solo shot of his own to give the Clip Show a short-lived sixth-inning lead, extending his multi-base streak to four games in the process.

Petey Halpin (Akron, CF): 2-5, 1 RBI, 1 SB - Halpin headlined a game bereft of massive statlines for the second straight night as he continues to rebound from starting the week 0-for-9 in his first two hitless games of the 2024 campaign.

Nate Furman (Lake County, 2B): 3-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 K - Furman has been teeing off on Lugnut pitching this week. This three-Rbi effort comes soon after his first professional grand slam on Thursday night. He's probably asking if he can face Lansing every week.

C.J. Kayfus (Lake County, 1B): 4-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI - The superlatives are starting to run out in regards to Kayfus as he just keeps getting on base. This week, that has looked like 13 total bases in 17 at-bats with the aid of only one home run.

Zach Jacobs (Lake County, RP): W (2-0), 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 5 K - Jacobs turned in an incredible outing that might as well have been a start as he kept the Eastlake nine in the game after actual starter Carter Spivey failed to get out of the first inning. Zach has now pitched the equivalent of a full game at the High-A level and has only allowed two earned runs and is keeping Midwest League hitters below the Mendoza Line at .194.

Jaison Chourio (Lynchburg, RF): 3-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB - Chourio's three-extra base hit Saturday night saw him involved in five of the 13 Hillcat runs. While this offensive extravaganza ended a two-game 0-for-8 hit drought, he was nonetheless productive in those two games, walking twice on Wednesday and providing a pair of RBI groundouts on Friday.

Ralphy Velazquez (Lynchburg, 1B): 2-4, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 HBP, 1 K, 1 SF, 1 SB - It may be spring, but Velazquez continues to rake. This multi-base effort was the eighth of his nine-game hitting streak and actually slightly lowered his slugging percentage (from .692 to .674) due to the lack of extra-base hits.

Yorman Gomez (Lynchburg, SP): W (1-1), 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R (earned), 2 BB, 1 BK, 4 K - Gomez turned in a near-carbon copy of his impressive season-opening performance and was rewarded with the individual victory rather than the no-decision he got in Kinston on the 7th.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Hunter Stanley (Columbus, SP): ND, 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (both earned), 3 BB, 6 K, 1 HR allowed - After some early struggles, Stanley struck out five of the last six batters he faced, including striking out the side swinging in order in the third.

Chase DeLauter (Akron, LF): 1-5, 1 RBI, 1 K - DeLauter resumed a strong homestead against Erie after an 0-for-4 Friday ended a six-game hit streak.

Yordys Valdes (Akron, SS): 1-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 K - All six of Valdes’ RBI this season have come in three two-RBI games, two of them occurring this week.

Kahlil Watson (Akron, 2B): 1-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SB - Watson's pair of stolen bases equaled his season total entering Saturday's action.

Aaron Davenport (Akron, SP): ND, 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R (all earned), 3 BB, 2 BK, 4 K, 1 E - Davenport walked the proverbial tightrope in the first and fourth frames before falling off in the fifth and giving the SeaWolves their first lead.

Jake Fox (Lake County, CF): 1-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB - While Fox only had one hit on Saturday, it was a big one as his third-inning blast to right gave him his first three RBI of the season.

Cooper Ingle (Lake County, C): 1-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI - Ingle, like Fox, made the most of his only hit of the night.

Maick Collado (Lake County, 3B): 2-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K - Collado is 5-for-13 (.385) against the Lugnuts this week.

Justin Boyd (Lake County, RF): 1-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 SB - Hopefully, days like this start coming on a more consistent basis for Boyd.

Alaska Abney (Lake County, RP): 2 IP, 1 H, 4 K - Abney is now unscored upon in his last 3.2 innings after allowing an earned run on opening weekend.

Angel Genao (Lynchburg, 3B): 2- 4, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 SF, 1 SB - Nearly half of Genao's 13 RBI this season have come this week in Salem, Va. In a trio of two-RBI games.

Wuilfredo Antunez (Lynchburg, LF): 2-4, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB, 1 CS - Antunez's two-hit evening included the game's only triple - his first of the season.


<


Kyle Manzardo hammers two home runs while Chourio brothers homer on the same day

Cleveland Guardians minor league recap for Sunday, April 21, 2024

By Brian Hemminger@BrianHemminger Apr 21, 2024, 12:00pm EDT


Columbus Clippers 3, Buffalo Bisons 5

Clippers fall to 8-11


All three of Columbus’ runs came from the long ball on Saturday, with two of them screaming off the bat of top first base prospect Kyle Manzardo.

Manzardo’s offense has picked up significantly as of late and he went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, raising his batting average to .306 and his OPS to .935 in the process.

Robert Lopez (Lynchburg, C): 1-2, 3 R, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 E - Lopez maximized the impact of his player discipline on a one-hit night.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1781803474553893106

Johnathon Rodriguez had the other home run, his fourth of the season, going 2-for-4 while also stealing a base. Rodriguez is the only Clipper who’s been hotter than Manzardo, hitting .318 with a .999 OPS on the season.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1781802512477032681

In what was mostly a bullpen game, only two pitchers stood out for Columbus with scoreless appearances. Tanner Burns pitched 1 1⁄3 scoreless frames, striking out three batters. Franco Aleman also put up a zero in the eighth inning while striking out a pair.

With the game tied 3-3, Anthony Gose surrendered two runs in the top of the ninth inning in his lone inning of work to take the loss.


Akron RubberDucks 5, Erie SeaWolves 6

RubberDucks fall to 6-8


Akron’s tablesetters did their job, but the offense couldn’t get enough big hits, including zero extra base hits in Saturday’s loss to Erie.

Petey Halpin went 2-for-5 with a stolen base while Khalil Watson went 1-for-4 with a walk and two stolen bases. Even catcher Kody Huff impressed on the basepaths, going 1-for-2 with a walk, a hit by pitch and a stolen base (he also threw out both attempted base thieves from Erie).

Starting pitcher Aaron Davenport was decent, allowing three runs on seven hits in 5 2⁄3 innings with four strikeouts against three walks. Akron held a 5-3 lead until the eighth inning, when converted starter Ross Carver gave up three runs on four hits in his lone inning of work to take the loss.


Lake County Captains 12, Lansing Lugnuts 4

Captains improve to 6-7


Lake County’s offense erupted Saturday with 15 hits for 12 runs scored. Several Captains had big days, but none were bigger than 2023 third round pick CJ Kayfus, who continued his absolutely blistering start to the 2024 campaign by going 4-for-5 with a double.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1781938607093162081

Kayfus now is hitting .423 with a 1.195 OPS on the young season.

Lake County had three different players hit their first home runs of the season. Jake Fox went 1-for-4 with a walk and three-run blast. Cooper Ingle went 1-for-5 with a home run and Maick Collado went 2-for-5 with a home run. Ingle’s home run was his first as a professional.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1781844325128667483

Nate Furman also impressed, going 3-for-5 at the dish with two runs scored and three runs batted in. Justin Boyd went 1-for-3 with two walks and a stolen base while Angel Zarate walked twice and scored two runs and Tyresse Turner went 2-for-5.

Lake County had to dig itself out of an early hole as starting pitcher Carter Spivey failed to get out of the first inning, allowing four runs on four walks and three hits in 2⁄3 of an inning.


Lynchburg Hillcats 13, Salem Red Sox 8

Hillcats improve to 7-7


One of the big questions concerning Jaison Chourio’s status as a potential elite prospect was whether he had the same power potential as his big brother Jackson (currently the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball and starting OF for the Brewers at 20 years old).

Jaison did his part to answer those questions on Saturday with one of his best games yet as a professional, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and a walk, which raised his season slash to a .325 batting average with a 1.091 OPS.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1781838982965317773

And don’t forget about the Guardians’ 2023 first round pick Ralphy Velasquez, who went 2-for-4 with a hit by pitch, a sacrifice fly and a stolen base, scoring three runs and raising his OPS to 1.108.

Angel Genao went 2-for-4 with a double, a sacrifice fly and a stolen base while Wuilfredo Antunez went 2-for-4 with a triple, a walk and a stolen base.

Juan Benjamin singled, walked and stole a base; Esteban Gonzalez singled, walked and stole a base; Rafael Ramirez Jr. doubled and stole a base while catcher Robert Lopez went 1-for-2 with three walks and scored three runs as the Lynchburg offense erupted.

Starting pitcher Yorman Gomez was rock solid, allowing one run on three hits in five innings with four strikeouts and two walks to earn his first win of the season.

<

Keep an eye on the younger Chourio brother

CLEVELAND -- When it comes to the Chourio Brothers, Jackson has stolen all the headlines. Rightfully so, considering he locked up an eight-year, $82 million deal before he even made his Major League debut. The Brewers’ top prospect is starting to make quite the name for himself at just 20 years old.

But Guardians fans, make sure you keep an eye on his younger brother.

Jaison Chourio is 18 years old and, like his older brother, is an outfielder who is tearing up the Minor Leagues. He was signed in 2022 out of Venezuela and is in his third season of professional ball. MLB Pipeline experts rank him No. 5 in the Guardians’ Top 30 prospects list and he’s continuing to prove why he’s so high on the list, despite being a few years away from his arrival to the big leagues.

“He’s so young,” Guardians assistant general manager James Harris said this spring. “What’s most impressive is that he doesn’t know he’s young.”

Chourio was part of the Guardians' Spring Breakout roster, playing alongside some of the best prospects in Cleveland’s system -- which largely included guys who were three or four years older than he was. But that didn’t stand in his way. Chourio was grateful for the opportunity to learn from future teammates, and he picked up a double in the inaugural event.

Because he’s become so accustomed to practicing alongside his older brother, playing with the older kids has always been normal for Jaison -- something that’s clearly played out in his favor.







“He just doesn’t know what he doesn’t know,” Harris said. “He doesn’t know that he shouldn’t be as confident. He doesn’t know that he shouldn’t be as athletic, as strong. That’s just who he is and that’s who he always has been. So, when he comes in, he eats up the training and he’s standing next to other guys who are two, three, four years older than him and he wants to compete.”

That attitude has translated into Chourio's 2024 season so far. In his first 22 at-bats at Single-A Lynchburg, he racked up eight hits with one homer. In his three games following that stretch, he drew seven walks. On Saturday, he hit his second home run of the season. And as his brother launched a long ball with the Brewers on the same night, it became the first time the two have each hit a home run on the same day as professional players.

As any pair of brothers do, the Chourio boys have always competed and pushed one another. For a younger sibling, it can be even more beneficial to have someone older, bigger and stronger forcing you to get better if you want to be able to compete. That's the foundation that Jaison created by playing alongside Jackson growing up. But the potential for his ceiling seems to be sky-high based on the work that he’s put in on his own since joining Cleveland’s organization.

Maybe we’re still a few years away from seeing Jaison’s name in the big leagues, but knowing what his brother has done so far, the Guardians can dream about what their 18-year-old outfielder may become.

“They’ve been battling and competing their entire lives,” Harris said. “So much so that at times, it’s hard to tell them apart from a training standpoint now. It’d be great if he ended up being at the same level.”

<

another Manzardo homer yesterday, 3 over the weekend, 4 for the season

and on the most interesting Cleveland farm club on Sunday
Velazquez with 3 hits, one a double; clearly this kid not a homer or bust type
Chourio without a hit but on base 3 times, 2 walks and an hbp
nothing from Genoa
Justin Humphries a talented lefty who was bombed in his first start: 6 runs with nobody retired for a infinity ERA, pitched 1 2/3 hitless with 4 strikeouts, bringing his ERA down to 32.40

at Lake County, the team with the fewest prospects, Alex Mooney 7th round IF who was paid 2nd round money to sign, had a big weekend:
5 for 14 , one double, one homer, one walk, one steal, 3 errors

for Akron,
Ryan Webb who impressed in Arizona last fall went 4 2/3 2 hits 4 walks 5 k no runs
Walters finished up with 3 K in 1 1/3 and 1 hit that allowed a run to score Up to 16 strikeouts in 7 innings

besides his homer, Manzardo drew 2 walks.
Noel singled and tripled
2 singles and a walk by Straw
3 homers off Curry in 5 innings
7 runs but only 6 earned off Barria in 1/3 inning

rusty2 wrote: Sun Apr 07, 2024 8:24 pm

rusty2 wrote: Sat Apr 06, 2024 7:42 pm Myles Straw (Columbus, CF): 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K - Straw, for the sixth straight game to start the season, got exactly one hit, but Friday saw him start to build up a slugging percentage with this first extra-base hit of the season.

Rusty says if Straw stays in the lead off spot he will be gone by the trade deadline

I need to clarify my post. I think teams will come calling for Straw if he can keep an on base % around .350 and leadoff.

Straw is up to an OBP of .337........

Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 4/21/24

ARTHUR KINNEY

APR 22

SCOREBOARD

Triple-A - Buffalo Bisons 16, Columbus Clippers 4
Double-A - Akron RubberDucks 2, Erie SeaWolves 1
High-A - Lansing Lugnuts 10, Lake County Captains 4
Single-A - Lynchburg Hillcats 6, Salem Red Sox 2

HIGHLIGHTS

Kyle Manzardo (Columbus, 1B): 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K - Manzardo homered again on Sunday to wrap up a spectacular weekend at the Corner of Neil and Nationwide. Over the last three days, Kyle went 7-for-11 with two doubles, three home runs, five runs scored, four RBI and an even 2:2 K:BB ratio - the latter statistic courtesy of a pair of Sunday walks. I don’t care if it’s at Huntington Park, Coors Field, or on the Moon, 18 total bases in eleven at-bats is impressive.

https://x.com/MLBPipeline/status/1782101381232402717

Ryan Webb (Akron, SP): ND, 4.2 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 5 K - High-A to Double-A is usually considered the biggest jump outside of the one to the majors. Webb seems unfazed by the scale of the jump he is making. Following an impressive, if not otherworldly ,RubberDuck debut (two earned runs in 3.2 innings with six strikeouts), Ryan has allowed only five hits while striking out eleven in 9.2 frames in his subsequent two starts. While yesterday’s four walks are a slight cause for concern, the overall numbers look extremely positive.

Jake Fox (Lake County, 2B): 2-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K - Fox homered for the second straight day to wrap up what is hopefully a breakout weekend. The pair of walks were no fluke either. In his last four games, Jake has walked six times in 19 plate appearances.

https://x.com/LCCaptains/status/1782125241503789429

Esteban Gonzalez (Lynchburg, RF): 3-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K, 1 SB - I’m not sure if it was the Salem pitching or Gonzalez finally getting acclimated to the Single-A level, but he was on a roll this past week. The best game so far of his nascent non-complex career put the proverbial cherry on top of a week that saw him go 7-for-16 with two doubles, a homer, two walks, four runs scored, and three driven in. He will be one to watch as the hillcats return home tomorrow to face the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

Ralphy Velasquez (Lynchburg, 1B): 3-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K - Can we start calling days like this simply Ralphy Velasquez doing Ralphy Velasquez things? He has amassed multiple bases in nine of his last ten games (would’ve been all ten if a total base was awarded for walks) and the two opening weekend games in Kinston that preceded them can easily be written off as an acclimation period to non-complex ball. Given that he doesn’t turn 20 until just after Memorial Day, a midseason promotion to Eastlake seems unlikely, but he may force the org’s hand if he keeps raking like this.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Myles Straw (Columbus, DH): 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 SB - Manzardo wasn’t the only Clipper to reach thrice on Sunday. In fact, a quartet of Columbus hitters did so. Straw did so in a two-hit effort that saw him steal a pair of bases to extend his team-leading total to seven - good for a tie for seventh in the International League.

Jhonknensy Noel (Columbus, LF): 2-4, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 BB, 1 K - Noel’s two-hit Sunday came with the fourth triple of his pro career and first since August 25, 2022 - when he was an Akron RubberDuck.

Bryan Lavastida (Columbus, C): 0-1, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 SB, 1 E, 1 PB - Lavastida rounded out the “thrice on base” quartet by walking three times. One note on the error: it was catcher’s interference.

Christian Cairo (Akron, 2B): 2-4, 2 K - Cairo's two-hit performance gave him multiple bases for the third time in his last four games.

Lenny Torres Jr. (Akron, RP): 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K - Torres remains unscored upon through his first six frames of 2024.

Andrew Walters (Akron, RP): W (2-0), BS (1), 1.1 IP, 1 H, 3 K - Another solid outing for Walters despite blowing the save by allowing an earned run to score.

Maick Collado (Lake County, 1B): 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 3 BB - Collado’s trio of walks bumped him into the top ten (T-8th) in the Midwest League with eleven for the season.

Alex Mooney (Lake County, 3B): 2-5, 1 K, 3 E - Mooney’s third two-hit game of the series was marred by his first three errors of the 2024 campaign all coming on the same day.

Trenton Denholm (Lake County, SP): ND, 4.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R (2 earned), 3 K, 1 HR allowed - Not the best outing of Denholm’s career, but possibly his best tightrope act.

Jaison Chourio (Lynchburg, CF): 0-2, 1 R, 2 BB,1 HBP, 1 K - Even on a hitless day, Chourio managed to reach safely thrice.

Manuel Mejias (Lynchburg, C): 2-4 - Mejias’ two-hit Sunday extended his on-base streak to nine games, dating back to opening weekend.

Jackson Humphries (Lynchburg, SP): 1.2 IP, 1 BB, 4 K - Humphries’ second start of the season was still short, but a vast improvement over his season debut, in which he allowed six earned runs without recording an out.

Alonzo Richardson (Lynchburg, RP): W (2-1), 4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R (both earned), 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 K - Richardson came out of the pen for the first time this season, but it didn’t seem to bother him as he had a good outing that might as well have been a start given its length.

Jack Jasiak (Lynchburg, RP): 2.2 IP, 1 H, 2 K - While not officially a save, Jasiak closed out the Hillcat victory in impressive fashion.

<

as expected Guardians feature highly in this week's Hot Prospect List

No. 2 Kyle Manzardo

Team: Triple-A Columbus (International) Age: 23

Why He’s Here: .400/.483/.880 (10-for-25), 8 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 4 RBIs, 4 BB, 4 SO

The Scoop: Cleveland’s system is not typically littered with big boppers, so Manzardo might be just what the doctor ordered. The 2023 trade import from the Rays clubbed three home runs this past week, giving him four for the season and 10 in 39 games (not counting his performance in the Arizona Fall League) since changing organizations. He’s also continued to show his signature dose of patience at the plate, with nearly as many walks (12) as strikeouts (14) so far this season.

No. 5 Johnnathan Rodriguez

Team: Triple-A Columbus
Age: 24

Why He’s Here: .370/.414/.778 (10-for-27), 7 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBIs, 2 BB, 8 SO, 1 SB.

The Scoop: Rodriguez has been one of the most consistent sluggers in the minors over the past few years. From the beginning of the 2022 season to now, his 59 home runs are eighth most in the minors (Hunter Goodman’s 76 home runs leads that list). When Rodriguez gets his arms extended, the ball flies. His profile is somewhat limited because he’s a corner outfielder whose value is based largely around his power, but the power is legit

Ralphy Velazquez didn't pass the threshhold but a 364/440/682 (8 for 22) 7 runs 1 2B 2 HR 7 rbi 3 BB 6 So isn't too bad either

Tuesday night highlights:

Homers, again, by Manzardo and J.Rod for the Clippers.

Cooper Ingle, 2023 draft choice, catcher, in High A Lake County with 3 hits inlcuidng his 5th and 6th doubles; hitting 371/1034 OPS
same team. 2023 draftee Mooney single walk steal error

in Lynchburg: Velazquez 1 hit 2 bi; Chourio walk and steal; another 2023 drafteee 2B Knapczyk 3 singles

Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 4/23/24

ARTHUR KINNEY

APR 24


SCOREBOARD


Triple-A - Syracuse Mets 6, Columbus Clippers 3
Double-A - Akron RubberDucks 4, Altoona Curve 0
High-A - West Michigan Whitecaps 6, Lake County Captains 2
Single-A - Myrtle Beach Pelicans 8, Lynchburg Hillcats 6 (10 innings)


REHAB

Sam Hentges (Columbus, Rehab SP): 1 IP, perfect - While his velo was slightly down from his Akron appearance (topped out at 92.7- on his first pitch), Hentges was efficient, needing only eight pitches to dispatch the top of the Syracuse lineup in order.

HIGHLIGHTS

Kyle Manzardo (Columbus, 1B): 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K - Manzardo continues to clobber the baseball. Last night, he extended his home run streak to three games with a 100.5 MPH blast to left center that gave the Clippers an early lead. Amazingly, that wasn’t even his hardest hit of the night. That was a 105.1 MPH groundout in the ninth. Over the course of his last four games, Kyle is slashing .533/.588/1.467! Even in a small sample size, those numbers are elite. If he’s still in the minor leagues at the All-Star break, he seems a lock for the Futures Game.

https://x.com/JL_Baseball/status/1782903137365340337

Johnathan Rodriguez (Columbus, RF): 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB - J-Rod’s solo shot, which provided the Clip Show’s other run, was hit even harder, coming off of his bat at 106.2 MPH - good for the sixth-hardest hit ball of the night and the second-hardest by a Clipper (Jose Tena’s second-inning groundout topped both lists at a mind-boggling 111.2 MPH!).

Aaron Bracho (Akron, DH): 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB - Bracho has had a productive plate appearance in each if the eleven games he has played in this season, and the PA that extended this streak on Tuesday night was extra-productive, as his third homer of the season brought his RBI total into double digits (eleven) and provided the only runs the RubberDucks would need in a series-opening pitchers’ duel.

https://x.com/AkronRubberDuck/status/17 ... 5791476855

Kahlil Watson (Akron, 2B): 2-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 CS - Watson’s bat remained hot on the other side of the Pennsylvania line after a breakout homestand last week.

Jaime Arias (Akron, SP): ND, 4 IP, 1 H, 5 BB, 1 HBP, 3 K - Normally, a pitcher issuing six free passes wouldn’t even make the Prospect Report, much less be a Highlight. It does, however, when he keeps all of them from crossing the plate as Arias did last night to start a combined two-hitter for the Mallards of Main Street.

Cooper Ingle (Lake County, starting C): 3-4, 2 2B, 1 K - Ingle remained hot in Tuesday's rain-delayed ballgame, making it four games of three or more total bases out of his last five played. Over that stretch, he is slashing an impressive .409/.409/.773. Normally, this would be a case for more playing time/reps. He is, however, an A-ball catcher.

Christian Knapczyk (Lynchburg 2B): 3-5, 1 R, 1 HBP, 1 K, 2 SB - Knapczyk reached four times in Tuesday’s series-opening slugfest for a new season/career hgh and doubled his career stolen base total by nabbing a pair of bags (His first two steals also came in a single game at Bank of the James Stadium - on the 14th against the Fredericksburg Nationals.).

Ralphy Velazquez (Lynchburg, 1B): 1-6, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 K - Velazquez only went 1-of-6 last night, but his third-inning single drove in a pair of runs to start the night’s scoring and a six-run frame. The pair of RBI also increased his season total to 17, tying him with Pelicans LF Andy Gariola (who did not drive in a run on Tuesday) for second in the Carolina League.

Wuilfredo Antunez (Lynchburg, RF): 2-5, 1 R, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 2 K - Later in the third, Antunez tripled in a pair of runners - including Velazquez - putting himself into his own tie for second in the CL - in his case, on the triples leaderboard as one of seven Carolina Leaguers (a group that also includes Knapczyk) with a pair of three-baggers.

Rorik Maltrud (Lynchburg, SP): ND, 4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R (earned), 8 K - Maltrud’s eight strikeouts (out of 14 total outs) more than doubled his pro total (seven in his first two outings combined) and improved his K:BB ratio to 15:4.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Myles Straw (Columbus, CF): 0-3, 1 R, 1 BB,1 K - Straw, who would later score on Manzardo’s round-tripper, led off the game with a four-pitch walk to extend his on-base streak to eight games.

Micah Pries (Columbus, DH): 0-2, 1 BB, 1 K - Pries, like Straw, extended an on-base streak (in his case to six games) despite seeing a hit streak end.

Joe Lampe (Akron, RF); 2-4, 1 2B - Hopefully Lampe can use Akron;s other two-hit effort of last night’s contest to jumpstart his season like Watson did last week.

Davis Sharpe (Akron, RP): W (1-0), 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 WP, 1 K - Sharpe picked up his first individual victory of the season with a scoreless fifth and sixth.

Erik Sabrowski (Akron, RP): 2 IP, 1 BB, 4 K - Sabrowski has a 9:1 K:BB ratio as a RubberDuck since being sent down from the Clippers last Tuesday.

Jordan Jones (Akron, RP): 1 IP, 1 BB - Jones closed out the combined shutout to extend his scoreless streak to five innings in four games.

Jonah Advincula (Lake County, RF): 2-4, 1 K, 1 SB - Advincula’s season-opening on-base streak stands at eleven games following the Captains’ only other multi-hit performance of the evening.

Nate Furman (Lake County, 2B): 1-3, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 E - Furman not only extended his hitting streak to eight games, but also reached thrice thanks to a pair of walks that doubled his season total.

Manuel Mejias (Lynchburg, C): 1-3, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 SB, 1 PB - Four passed balls already paired with a .910 OPS makes Mejias seem like a potential candidate to follow Velazquez’s path away from the catcher position.

Tommy Hawke (Lynchburg, LF): 1-3, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 SB - Hawke’s on-base percentage is back over .400 (.408) after reaching thrice on Tuesday.

Robert Wegielnik (Lynchburg, RP): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 K - Wegielnik’s pro career is off to a stellar start with five strikeouts and only two hits allowed in 2.2 innings across his first two official professional outings.


<


Kyle Manzardo hits fourth homer in three games, Akron pitchers combine for two-hit shutout

Cleveland Guardians minor league recap for Wednesday, April 24, 2024

By Brian Hemminger@BrianHemminger Apr 24, 2024, 10:00am EDT



Columbus Clippers 3, Syracuse Mets 6

Clippers fall to 8-13



Death, taxes, Kyle Manzardo homering again.

Manzardo wasted zero time this game, putting Columbus on top 2-0 in the first inning with a two-run bomb, his fourth home run in the past three games. It also put his season OPS into four digits at 1.002.

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Manzardo’s blast was one of just two hits that the Clippers had all game. The other also was a home run, this time off the bat of Johnathan Rodriguez, who went 1-for-3 with a solo shot, his fifth of the season. The blast raised his OPS to .989.

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A rehabbing Sam Hentges opened the game with a scoreless inning of work. Connor Gillespie then provided six innings, giving up five earned runs on four hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Amazingly, all four hits that Gillespie surrendered were home runs, as six of the seven hits in this entire game from both teams combined came from the long ball.



Akron RubberDucks 4, Altoona Curve 0

RubberDucks improve to 8-8



Akron got some great pitching and some timely hitting as the RubberDucks evened their record on Tuesday.

Joe Lampe went 2-for-4 with a double while Khalil Watson went 2-for-4 with a walk, but the real big shot of the game came off the bat of Aaron Bracho, who went 1-for-3 with a walk and a three-run home run in the third inning that put Akron up for good.

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Starting pitcher Jaime Arias tossed four one-hit scoreless innings, but struggled with his command, walking five compared to three strikeouts.

Davis Sharpe earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief. Erik Sabrowski impressed with four strikeouts in two scoreless, hitless innings and Jordan Jones finished off the victory with a hitless ninth inning.



Lake County Captains 2, West Michigan Whitecaps 6

Captains fall to 6-9



Cooper Ingle had a pair of doubles in a three-hit performance, but had to leave the game after the second double after hobbling a bit into second base.

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Hopefully it’s not serious because the fourth-round pick has impressed to begin the 2024 season with a .371 batting average and a 1.034 OPS.

Nate Furman went 1-for-3 with two walks, Alex Mooney went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base and Jonah Advincula went 2-for-4 with a stolen base. CJ Kayfus went 1-for-4 with a walk as well.

Lake County didn’t get the best pitching as Jake Miller gave up three runs on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts in 3 1⁄3 innings. Adam Tulloch followed by giving up two more runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 2 2⁄3 innings.

Josh Wolf closed the game out by allowing one run (none earned) on one hit with a walk and a strikeout in two innings.

Lynchburg Hillcats 6, Myrtle Beach Pelicans 8 (F/10)
Box Score · Hillcats fall to 8-8

Lynchburg jumped out to a 6-0 lead, scoring all of its runs in the third inning, but the Hillcats pitching staff couldn’t hold the lead.

Christian Knapczyk had a terrific game, going 3-for-5 with a hit by pitch and two stolen bases. The only other multi-hit game was from Wuilfredo Antunez, who went 2-for-5 with a triple.

Angel Genao doubled and stole a base, Rafael Ramirez Jr. doubled, Tommy Hawk went 1-for-3 with two walks and a stolen base and Manuel Mejias went 1-for-3 with two walks and a stolen base. Jaison Chourio walked and stole a base while Ralphy Velazquez had a two-run single.

Lynchburg had a plethora of baserunners, but the Hillcats couldn’t bring any of them around to score other than in the third inning, finishing the game going 4-for-19 with runners in scoring position.

Starting pitcher Rorik Maltrud was sensational, allowing one run on four hits with eight strikeouts and one walk in 4 2⁄3 innings.

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Kyle Scott was not as effective, allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits with five strikeouts and a walk in three innings. Robert Wegielnik tossed a scoreless 1 1⁄3 innings with a pair of strikeouts and Matt Jachec took the loss, giving up two runs in the top of the 10th inning as Lynchburg failed to rally.

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Top Guardians Prospect Is Dominating In The Minors

April 23, 2024

By Andres Chavez

The Cleveland Guardians have one of the league’s best first baseman in Josh Naylor.

Their lineup, however, could definitely use another top hitter.

First baseman Kyle Manzardo, who is currently tearing up the minor leagues for the Guardians’ Triple-A affiliate, could be a natural replacement for Naylor eventually.

But why replace one with the other, when both could be complementing each other?

Manzardo should be up in the major leagues in no time, especially if he keeps hitting like this.

“#Guardians No. 2 prospect Kyle Manzardo has seven hits, including three homers, over his past three games,” the Columbus Clippers, his current team, tweeted.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1782786609194348696

After a somewhat sluggish start, Manzardo is really coming into his own in Triple-A.

For the season, he is now slashing a cool .308/.400/.585 with four home runs in 18 games, also showing healthy plate-discipline numbers.

He is hitting the ball with authority, taking good at-bats, getting on base, and showing off the power that first basemen are expected to show.

Keeping this up would mean that the Guardians should add him to the MLB roster soon enough.

They could really use Manzardo’s skillset and overall offensive upside, and his position shouldn’t be an issue: he could enter a rotation system using first base and the designated hitter spot.

In a couple of weeks, when the Super Two deadline has passed and the Guardians are guaranteed to earn an extra year of service time of Manzardo, he should be up in the majors and doing what he does best.

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Alex Mooney in Midwest League is among league leaders with his 4 homers; also in slugging and OPS. 7th round pick but was paid 2nd round money $1M)