Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 5/8/24

MATTHEW KENNELL

MAY 9

Scoreboard:

Triple-A: Iowa Cubs 9, Columbus Clippers 8
Double-A: Akron RubberDucks 9, Bowie Baysox 2
High-A: Lake County Captains 8, Dayton Dragons 1
Single-A: Lynchburg Hillcats 5, Down East Wood Ducks 2

Highlights:

1B Micah Pries (Columbus): 2-for-5, 3 RBIs, SB, 2 DPs - Trailing 6-2, Pries was the catalyst of the offense with a two-run single in the top of the sixth inning and in the following frame, he would come up big again with another RBI single to put the Clippers in front 8-6. That lead would not hold, but his first game of the year with three RBIs came in a big moment in an attempt to nab a road win.

SS Daniel Schneemann (Columbus): 3-for-5, 2 R, 3 2Bs, RBI, 2 DPs - Schneemann was working the gaps effectively in Wednesday’s loss with all three of his hits going for extra bases. He now has 20 extra-base hits on the year, a spark that most teams could use. He had the top two exit velocities on the day for Columbus at 106.2 mph and 104.7 mph.

RF Johnathan Rodriguez (Columbus): 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, E9T - Rodriguez has now reached base in eight straight games and his day was highlighted by a two-run single in the top of the first inning. It is the first game out of the last six where he drove in a run, breaking the longest drought of the year for the cleanup man.

RP Peter Strzlecki (Columbus): H (3), 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 3 Ks - Strzlecki picked up where he left off in Columbus with a 1-2-3 eighth inning that featured three strikeouts. The spin rate on his fastball and cutter were both up a tick on Wednesday, leading to a pair of whiffs on the hard stuff.

SP Aaron Davenport (Akron): W (3-0), 6.0 IP, 4 H, R, BB, 6 Ks, 2 BKs - Make it five quality starts out of six appearances on the bump for Akron this season as the University of Hawai’i alum moved to 3-0. The righty’s ERA is nearing two in 31.1 innings pitched in 2024. Aside from the third inning which featured a pair of hits, both balks and a run scored, Davenport was locked in and retired eight of the final nine batters he faced and tied his season-high in strikeouts.

RF Connor Kokx (Akron): 3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBIs, HBP, SB - Three hits and four times reaching base from the nine-hole for Kokx in this one with a two-run double that ballooned the lead to 6-0 Akron in the third. These are the first hits of the season for the Californian after being activated from the Development List on May 2.

1B Aaron Bracho (Akron): 2-for-4, 3 RBIs, SF - A two-run single in the top of the second and a sacrifice fly gave Bracho a team-high three RBIs. He breaks a spell of just one run batted in in the last seven games in a big way to provide a spark in this Akron lineup.

1B CJ Kayfus (Lake County): 2-for-5, 2 R, HR, 3 RBIs - The hottest hitter in all the Cleveland organization launched a three-run homerun to center field on Wednesday to propel him to a 13-game on-base streak. It is also the fourth game out of his last five with at least one run batted in for the 22-year-old and his second consecutive game with a homerun.

2B Alex Mooney (Lake County): 3-for-5, 2 R, HR, 2 RBIs, 2 SBs - Mooney displayed both power and speed with a homerun and a pair of stolen bases in Wednesday’s win. The seventh-round pick has looked fantastic in his second season in the minors and hit his sixth homerun of 2024 with his two-run blast in the bottom of the sixth. The top three in the Captains lineup had multiple hits, but Mooney was the only man with three hits on the day.

SP Carter Spivey (Lake County): W (2-1), 6.0 IP, 3 H, R, 3 BBs, 6 Ks, HBP - There was a little bit of extra traffic with three walks and a hit by pitch but the East Carolina product now has three consecutive outings of six strong innings for the Captains. His six strikeouts ties a season high as he begins to settle in as a professional baseball player.

RF Esteban Gonzalez (Lynchburg): 3-for-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBIs - Gonzalez was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle with his fourth double and second homerun of the year. He is now riding an eight-game hit streak and has multiple hits in each of his last four. Gonzalez came up big late in the game with his homerun coming in the seventh and run-scoring double in the ninth.

SP Yorman Gomez (Lynchburg): W (3-1), 6.0 IP, 2 H, R, BB, 6 Ks, BK - Gomez has been a steady hand for the Hillcats on the year as he continued to rack up strikeouts. In his professional career thus far, he has 222 in as many innings pitched and this season 29 in 31.0 innings. He diversified his baserunners evenly throughout his six innings with no more than four batters faced in any frame.

Notable Performances:

2B Jose Tena (Columbus): 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, HBP, 2 DPs - A multi-hit game for Tena featured an RBI single that gave the team the lead in the seventh. He also extended his hit streak to seven games.

DH George Valera (Columbus): 1-for-3, R, 2 BBs - Valera saw base three times as well for the team with a pair of walks.

3B Juan Brito (Columbus): 0-for-2, 2 R, 3 BBs - A hitless day for Brito, but he was patient at the plate with three walks, setting the table for the red hot Schneemann.

RP Lenny Torres Jr. (Akron): 1.0 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BBs, K - A scoreless inning of relief for Torres to make it nine appearances in a row with a zero in the run column for his opponents.

RP Andrew Walters (Akron): 2.0 IP, 2 H, R, 0 BBs, 2 Ks - A solo homerun was allowed to the rehabbing Austin Hays, but that is just the second run he’s allowed in his 14.1 innings pitched in 2024.

2B Christian Cairo (Akron): 2-for-5, 2 R, RBI, BB - Three times on base for Cairo, including a run-scoring single in the second.

SS Khalil Watson (Akron): 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, BB - Watson reached base three times as well with a double in the second to keep the line moving in a three-run frame for the RubberDucks.

LF Joe Lampe (Akron): 2-for-4, 3 R, 2 2Bs, HBP, SB - Lampe swiped home on a double steal and reached base three times after being plunked. This is the first game of the season for Lampe with multiple extra-base hits.

LF Guy Lipscomb (Lake County): 2-for-5, R, 2B, RBI - A multi-hit game for Lipscomb with an RBI single in the fourth and he added a double to lead off the bottom of the eighth.

SS Jose Devers (Lake County): 1-for-4, 2B, RBI - A strong start to the game for Lake County came with the help of an RBI double off the bat of Devers.

3B Tyresse Turner (Lake County): 1-for-2, R, 2 BBs - The OBP rose for Turner on Wednesday with a single and a pair of walks.

RP Magnus Ellerts (Lake County): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 2 Ks - A pair of K’s to add to his ledger in a 1-2-3 ninth. He has now retired 14 on strikes in 10.0 innings.

CF Jaison Chourio (Lynchburg): 3-for-5, 2 RBIs, 2 CS, PO - It was an adventure on the basepaths for the 18-year-old but he did come through in an RBI opportunity unlike most in the lineup with 17 hits and only five runs scored.

1B Ralphy Velasquez (Lynchburg): 3-for-5, R, RBI - A three-hit day for Velasquez came with a run-scoring hit in the ninth to provide a cushion for the bullpen.

SS Angel Genao (Lynchburg): 3-for-5, R, 2B - Four total bases for Genao and three hits as the 19-year-old is currently riding career-best slash lines.

RP Robert Wegielnik (Lynchburg): S (2), 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 2 Ks - 13 pitches, nine for strikes as Wegielnik snatched his second save of the year in as many opportunities with a 1-2-3 ninth.


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Daniel Schneemann hits three doubles, Alex Mooney and CJ Kayfus both homer in strong day for affiliates

Cleveland Guardians minor league recap for Thursday, May 9, 2024

By Brian Hemminger@BrianHemminger May 9, 2024, 10:00am EDT



Columbus Clippers 8, Iowa Cubs 9
Clippers fall to 14-20



The Columbus Clippers were in a position to win this one until absolute disaster struck. Clippers closer and top bullpen prospect Franco Aleman’s velocity was down, and then he shook out his hand before being removed mid-at bat with one out in the ninth inning.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1788318357025914996

With no pitchers available out of the bullpen because starting pitcher Adam Oller failed to get out of the first inning, Cleveland went with position player Lorenzo Cedrola, who proceeded to walk three batters, hit one and get one out before Iowa walked it off.

Daniel Schneemann continues to rake, going 3-for-5 with three doubles and raising his season OPS to 1.074. The Schnee will not be denied and it’s only a matter of time before he forces Cleveland’s hand.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1788319235107602485

Noel was one of three Clippers who had three-hit games. Daniel Schneemann went 3-for-5 with a double and a stolen base, and Jose Tena went 3-for-5 as well.

Johnathan Rodriguez went 2-for-5, George Valera went 1-for-3 with two walks, Jose Tena went 2-for-4 with a double and a hit by pitch and Micah Pries went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and three runs batted in.

Anthony Gose had the best outing of any Columbus pitcher, tossing two scoreless innings of relief. His ERA is down to 2.45 on the season. Peter Strzelecki also struck out the side in his lone inning of work.



Akron RubberDucks 9, Bowie Baysox 2
RubberDucks improve to 18-10



Akron bounced back well after its worst loss of the season as a whopping five players had multi-hit games.

Connor Kokx went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, a hit by pitch and a stolen base; Joe Lampe went 2-for-4 with two doubles, a hit by pitch, three runs scored and a stolen base, Aaron Bracho went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a sacrifice fly, Kahlil Watson went 2-for-4 with a walk and a double and Christian Cairo went 2-for-5 with a walk. Joe Naranjo also walked twice.

Starting pitcher Aaron Davenport continues his breakout campaign, tossing six strong innings while allowing just one run on four hits with six strikeouts and a walk to earn the win.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1788387074917241011

Lenny Torres Jr. added a scoreless inning, he hasn’t allowed a run in nine appearances this season. Andrew Walters closed out the victory with two innings, giving up a solo home run along the way.



Lake County Captains 9, Dayton Dragons 5
Captains improve to 18-11



With three advanced bats (CJ Kayfus, Alex Mooney and Cooper Ingle) all absolutely tearing the cover off the ball at High-A this season, social media has dubbed the Captains “Rake County.”

Mooney and Kayfus both had monster games on Wednesday. Mooney went 3-for-5 with his sixth home run, raising his OPS to 1.034 on the season. Mooney also stole two bases.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1788256829299982784

Kayfus went 2-for-5 with his fifth home run, raising his OPS to 1.060. This is particularly impressive because he was labeled a contact-over-power first base prospect coming out of college.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1788290796812140759

Guy Lipscomb went 2-for-5 with a double, Tyresse Turner went 1-for-2 with two walks. Angel Zarate went 1-for-3 with a walk.

Starting pitcher Carter Spivey was superb, allowing one run on three hits with six strikeouts and three walks in six innings.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1788542325192303066

Alaska Abney, Allan Hernandez and Magnus Ellerts combined for three scoreless innings to close out the victory.



Lynchburg Hillcats 5, Down East Wood Ducks 2
Hillcats improve to 17-12



The big surprise in this game was that Lynchburg only managed five runs, considering the Hillcats outhit Down East 17 to 3.

The top of the order absolutely CRUSHED, with batters 1-4 all having three-hit games. Unfortunately, there’s no video from the Down East stadium.

Esteban Gonzalez went 3-for-5 with a double and a home run. Ralphy Velazquez went 3-for-5, Angel Genao went 3-for-5 with a double and Jaison Chourio went 3-for-5 with two caught stealing.

Robert Lopez went 1-for-3 with a walk and Lexer Saduy went 2-for-4.

Starting pitcher Yorman Gomez was terrific, allowing one run on two hits with six strikeouts and one walk in six innings.

Undrafted prospect Robert Wegielnik earned the save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, striking out a pair.

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Clips pitching in disarray. Looks like an all bullpen game. Cedrola finished last night's game. Fastball topping out a 60 mph. Walked in the winning run.

i prefer just to post on the prospects' performances

Thursday
AAA: Brito 3 hits, including a double; JRod 2 singles a walk and a steal; Tena 2 hits and a steal; Noel 7th HR 3 rbi
[former prospect: Myles Straw 0-3 hitting 209]

AA: Ryan Webb a solid 6 4 2 1 5 6 2.97 sorry about the walks
Frias 1-3 174
Watson 1-4 230

High A: rained out

Low A: Velazquez 1-4 3 strikeouts; Genoa 0-4; Chourio day off
LH Jackson Humprhies extended his scoreless streak to 11 2/3 innings in which he has allowed 3 hits walked 4 and struck out 15

Friday Night:

Clippers and Curry fall 11-9
XMan in a continued funk: 4 1/3 8 8 7 3 3 1 HR ERA 8.17
Brite HR 4
Noel HR 8 plus a single and a walk
Tena single and 2 walks
Valera has stayed uninjured all week

Great pitching for Akron 4-0 Win
Keep an eye on Doug Nikhazy 2021 2nd rounder who has scuffled his first 2 years, with 3 walks for every 4 innings, and ERAs of 3.96 and 4/94
No runs allowed this year in 14 innings 4 hits 4 walks 19 strikeouts. He missed a couple weeks and is on a pitch count but looking great
Petey Halpin 3 run homer, his 2nd.

2 games for Lake County
8-0 win behind a 7 inning CG from Dan Denholm 24 year old RH 2 hits 9 K 1 walk
light hitting Furman hits 2 homers and bats in 4.
CJ Keyfus with his 6th homer and a walk, OPS 1088
LIght hitting Lipscomb 2 doubles hitting 359 OPS 937
2-7 in game 2
Miserable pickup in Benson trade: Steve Hajar had a nifty 1st inning: 4 runs on no hits. 2 walks, 2 hit batters, a wild pitch ERA 10 exactly He was a 2nd round pick
Furman 2 more hits, not at 273. Mooney a single. Kayfus a walk

Lynchburg with a nice 2-0 win
Rare good start by Alonzo Richardson 5 2 0 0 0 6
Esteban Gonzalez continues a good week with single and double and 17th steal. At age 21 he's one of the seniors on this club

They've started up in Arizona. The lineup seems to be 95% Dominican Summer League graduates.

Welbyn Francisca has been rated among our top dozen or so prospects and he's middle infield here. Nothing special to report on him so far.
Yanki Baptiste a 3B has hit two homers in the first 5 games and has an OPS of 1244.

Lynchburg:
Velazquez doubled; Chourio twice and stole two bases; Ramirez homered
Alex Clemmey 4 2/3 1 hit 1 walk no runs 6 strikeouts

9-3 win for Lake County now 20-12 behind capable Class A pitcher Austin Petereson, 7 innings 3 runs on 4 hits no walks 5 strikeouts; he has great control 41 strikeouts compared to 3 walks, but not sure if his stuff is capable of success at higher levels.
Alex Mooney with a couple singles and a couple steals
Ingle single and double
Nate Furman single and two HBP
Guy Lipscomb single and two walks.
all the above plus Kayfus are succeeding at this level; uncertain if any can sustain this -- only Mooney is rated among the team's top 30 prospects

6-0 win for Akron, now 21-11
Tommy Mace like Nikhazy the night before a fellow 2021 high draft pick is looking good this year. It's time, he's 25,
He went 6 shutout innings, 1 walk, 4 hits, 3 strikeouts. ERA 1.86 WHIP 0.93
We should be seeing both of them in the veteran-full and underperforming Columbus rotation around midseason.

Petey Halpin homered the 2nd day in a row, he has 3 for the year. He's still only 21 although it's his 2nd season with Akron as they've pushed him aggressively.
2 homers for Alexfri Planez. his total is 4. 22 year old missed nearly all last season. Very marginal prospect on most reports

Columbus lost 5-3; record is 15-21 clearly the weakest link in the minors chain.

top of the order: Straw, Brito, Scneemann each with 2 hits, the rest of the lineup totaled 1.
Brito's 5th homer, 6th double; climbs up to the Mendoza line but with good power and plenty of walks his OPS is a marginally solid 710
None of the pitchers who worked for the Clippers are worth mention

Sunday results:

Lynchburg falls 6-5.
Velazquez and Chourio each draw 2 walks. Genoa singles and triples Estaban Gonzalez 2 homers; His line in May
32 AB
11 R
15 H
2 doubles
3 homers
26 Total Bases
1 walk 5 strikeouts
5 steals 1 caught stealing
469 avg
514 on base pct
813 slugging
1327 OPS

Wilkinson 5 5 1 1 0 8 ERA 1.02 35 1/3IP 63 strikeouts 9 walks

Lake County shut out on 3 hits; but Kayfus draws two more walks. Messick OK: 5 3 2 2 3 5 2.68 ERA

Akron falls 5-4
Cairo Bracho and Tolentino 2 hits each; the latter with his 1st homer
Walters a perfect inning, 2 K; Totals 15 1/3 innings and 30 striketous

Columbus won 9-8
Brito homers again, his 6th, with 2 men on
Tena hits his 3rd with one on; he's back up to 255
Scheenman 2 singles
J Rod single and walk; he's brought his walk total up to 28 and strikeouts are at 36. Pcts of both are the best in his full season career.

Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 5/11/24

JUSTIN LADA

MAY 12


Scoreboard

Triple-A: Iowa Cubs 5, Columbus Clippers 3
Double-A: Akron RubberDucks 6, Bowie Baysox 0
High-A: Lake County Captains 9, Dayton Dragons 3
Single-A: DownEast Wood Ducks 4, Lynchburg Hillcats 3
ACL: Guardians 3, Cubs 1


Highlights

Juan Brito (2B, Columbus): 2-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI - It’s nice to see Brito get on a little bit of a run here recently. He had a cold start to the season but has been having a better stretch and if he can get on a run here, perhaps he can put some pressure on to make it up at some point this summer.

Petey Halpin (CF, Akron): 2-5, HR, 2 RBI - Halpin has a nine game hitting streak although he’s hit a little bit of a rough patch despite that after a nice, torrid start. Still some good signs this year and it’s a long year. He is repeating the level but seeing improvements is important.

https://x.com/AkronRubberDuck/status/17 ... 3701515675

Alexfri Planez (DH, Akron): 2-3, HR, 2 RBI - Planez has had his moments this year after basically a whole year injured but nothing consistent yet. Just flashes of the tools he’s always had mixed with the same below average swing decisions.

https://x.com/AkronRubberDuck/status/17 ... 8026379364

Tommy Mace (SP, Akron): 6IP, 4H, BB, 3K - Mace has walked less this year. That’s the biggest change for him this year. Is that fueling his success so far this year? Is there more? I haven’t seen anything else yet and I think we need to see more to tell.

https://x.com/AkronRubberDuck/status/17 ... 1310214610

Alex Mooney (SS, Lake County): 2-5, 2 SB, 2 RBI - Most nights, Mooney is doing something good with the bat. He’s been an aggressive hitter in the box so far and you’d like to see a little more patience but hard to really nitpick how good he looks so far. He’s just a gamer. It would be great to see him get a look in Double-A this year.

Austin Peterson (SP, Lake County): 7IP, 4H, 3ER, 5K - Peterson continues to go deep into games and has been really solid in High-A. Somehow he look better against High-A than Single-A last year. No reason he shouldn’t see time in Double-A this year given his age if he can be an innings eater.

Alex Clemmey (SP, Lynchburg): 4IP, H, BB, 6K - Good to see Clemmey have a start where he missed bats and limited the walk and got a decent way into the game to start. It would be nice to actually “see” it since Down East doesn’t have a broadcast. But we’ll trust the line here I guess.

Jaison Chourio (CF, Lynchburg): 2-4, 2 SB - Another very strong day for Chourio at Low-A as he doesn’t have many slow ones. He hits way too many grounders, but we’ll see.

Jogly Garcia (tandem-SP, ACL): 5IP, 3H, 9K - Garcia has missed bat so far as a 20 year old in the complex league.

Notable Performances

Daniel Schneemann (SS, Columbus): 2-4, RBI - Schneemann’s numbers are good in Columbus and he can play different positions. I’m not sure where his spot on the big league club is. Who’s at bats is he taking? How often is he going to play? And where?

Cooper Ingle (DH, Lake County): 2-4, 2B, BB - Ingle’s swing has been a little weird lately and he had been dealing with a wonky shoulder but hard to argue the results sometimes.

Justin Boyd (CF, Lake County): 1-5, HR,3 RBI - Boyd has had a tough start to the year after missing quite a bit of time in 2023 but he’s had some moments here and there in 2024.

https://x.com/LCCaptains/status/1789439537841623274

Zac Fascia (C, Lake County): 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB - Nice to see Fascia have a solid night at the plate with limited playing time.

Guy Lipscomb (LF, Lake County): 1-3, 2 BB - I’ve been impressed with Lipscomb’s swing and results so far. He has speed, some bat speed and a little pop. He can play the outfield. I’d like to see it what to do at the next level.

Ralphy Velazquez (1B, Lynchburg): 1-3, 2B, BB, K - Ralphy does show some swing and miss early here so far, so it’s always good to know when the pop is there and he drew a walk, which will help.

Rafael Ramirez Jr. (SS, Lynchburg): 1-4, HR, 3K - Swing and miss is a real concern so far for Ramirez. As is defense. There’s obvious power here, but a lot to work on so far.

Yanki Baptiste (3B, ACL): 1-2, HR, RBI, BB - A nice day at the plate for Bapitiste who is having a nice start statistically.

Yerlin Luis (CF, ACL): 2-3- Luis looks hitterish so far too.

Keegan Zinn (SP, ACL): 2IP, ER, 2 BB, 2K - No hits allowed in Zinn’s 2024 debut. A few walks. Reports suggested near mid-90s (92-94) with a good sweeper.

https://x.com/ProspectsWorldW/status/17 ... 9238280539


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Juan Brito homers, Alexfri Perez blasts off twice and Tommy Mace shines in Akron shutout

Cleveland Guardians minor league recap for Sunday, May 12, 2024

By Brian Hemminger@BrianHemminger May 12, 2024, 10:45am EDT


Columbus Clippers 3, Iowa Cubs 5
Clippers fall to 15-22


The Columbus Clippers got all their extra base hits from one person ... Juan Brito. Brito had a big day, going 2-for-5 with a double and a home run.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1789636016933949441

Daniel Schneemann continued his hot streak, going 2-for-4 while Myles Straw went 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base. George Valera also walked twice.

Starting pitcher Conner Gillespie gave up three runs on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 4 2⁄3 innings. Mason Hickman took the loss, giving up one run without giving up a hit in 1 2⁄3 innings and Anthony Banda gave up another run in his 1 2⁄3 innings of relief.


Akron RubberDucks 6, Bowie Baysox 0
RubberDucks improve to 21-11


This was one-way traffic for Akron.

Alexfri Planez had himself a game, going 2-for-3 with two home runs and a walk.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1789469838026379364

Petey Halpin also had himself a game, going 2-for-5 with a home run, his second game in a row hitting one deep.

Aaron Bracho and Joe Naranjo both singled and walked to reach base safely twice.

Starting pitcher Tommy Mace was sensational, tossing six shutout innings on four hits with three strikeouts and a walk. He lowered his season ERA to 1.86 in the process. The former competitive balance second round pick from 2021 has really come around this season.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1789465701310214610

Davis Sharpe added two innings of scoreless relief and Tyler Thornton closed out the shutout with a perfect ninth inning, striking out a pair.


Lake County Captains 9, Dayton Dragons 3
Captains improve to 20-12


“Rake” County ????!!!! was at it again, this time reaching base safely 18 times to score nine runs.

The big blows were actually from the bottom of the lineup as Justin Boyd hit his first home run of the season, a three-run blast in the second inning.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1789434167060513181

Zac Facia also homered for the first time in 2024, going 1-for-3 with a two-run shot and a walk.

But that’s not all. Nate Furman went 1-for-3 with two hit by pitches. Alex Mooney went 2-for-5 with two stolen bases, Cooper Ingle went 2-for-4 with a double, Guy Lipscomb went 1-for-3 with two walks, Maick Collado went 1-for-3 with a walk and a hit by pitch and Angel Zarate went 1-for-3 with a walk.

Starting pitcher Austin Peterson was terrific, allowing three runs on four hits in seven innings with five strikeouts and no walks. Unfortunately, all four hits he allowed were for extra bases, which accounted for his three runs.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1789509982704033916

Zach Jacobs closed out the game with two innings of scoreless relief.


Lynchburg Hillcats 3, Down East Wood Ducks 4
Hillcats fall to 18-15


Lynchburg’s stars were productive, but that was about it on Saturday.

Top draft pick Ralphy Velasquez went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a stolen base (stealing home). Fellow top prospect Jaison Chourio went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases.

The only other standout was Rafael Ramirez, who hit a solo home run in the fifth inning.

The lack of offense ruined the best start of 2023 second round draft pick Alex Clemmey’s young career. Clemmey was absolutely brilliant, tossing 4 2⁄3 shutout innings of one-hit ball with one walk and six strikeouts. This is a situation where I’m devastated that the Down East ballpark doesn’t stream its games, so there is no video of his performance.

Unfortunately, the bullpen surrendered the lead, giving up four runs in 3 1⁄3 innings of work.


ACL Guardians 3, ACL Cubs 1 (F/7)
Guardians improve to 4-2


Yanki Baptiste had the big blow for the ACL Guardians, a solo home run in the fourth inning, his second of the young season. He went 1-for-2 with a walk.

Centerfielder Yerlin Luis went 2-for-3 and that was it for hits for the Guardians. Christopher Espinola walked twice, as did Victor Izturis.

Keegan Zinn, a high school prospect drafted by Cleveland in the 12th round last year, made his 2024 debut, allowing one run without giving up a hit on two walks and two strikeouts in two innings.

Jogly Garcia earned the win with five shutout innings of work on three hits, striking out a ridiculous nine batters without walking anyone. The 20-year-old Venezuelan prospect appears to be a player worth keeping an eye on moving forward.

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Fire down below

Myles Straw (.217) had two hits and stole a base and Juan Brito homered and drove in two runs as Class AAA Columbus lost to Iowa, 5-3, Saturday. Daniel Schneeman (.300) added two hits and an RBI. Mason Hickman took the loss. . .

Alexfri Planez hit two homers and Petey Halpin hit one as Class AA Akron beat Bowie, 6-0. Planez has four homers for the season and Halpin three. Tommy Mace (4-1, 1.86) threw six scoreless innings with three strikeouts and a walk. . .

Zac Fascia homered and drove in two runs as Class A Lake County beat Dayton, 5-3. Justin Boyd drove in three runs and Alex Mooney drove in two. Austin Peterson (5-1, 2.38) allowed three runs, none of them earned, and struck out five in seven innings. .

.Jack Jasiak (3-1, 2.95) allowed two runs in the eighth inning as Class A Lynchburg lost to Down East, 4-3. Rafael Ramirez Jr., homered and Jaison Chourio went 2 for 4. Lefty Alex Clemmey started and threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts and one walk.

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from BA:

Every Monday morning we’ll highlight 10 players who stood out to us based on their underlying Statcast metrics. These are not full scouting reports, but can often serve as good early indicators of prospects who might be ready to break out, or are demonstrating MLB-ready skills.

Jhonkensy Noel, OF, Guardians

The 118.4 mph exit velocity would have been the sixth-hardest hit ball in the major leagues this season, behind exit velocity kings Giancarlo Stanton, Oneil Cruz and Shohei Ohtani. While that’s just a singular data point, maximum exit velocity is a great indication of the power a player is capable of producing, and in Noel’s case, it demonstrates that he has an elite power ceiling. That’s the good news; the bad news is that he’s not yet very consistent in getting to that power, with mediocre average exit velocities and a merely plus 90th percentile exit velocity. This is likely due to his hyper-aggressive 60% swing rate, which might be what’s holding him back. He needs more time in Triple-A to refine his approach, but the raw power is elite.

We see that Noel pretty much swings at everything. While it’s not easy to develop a better approach, if he would try to reduce his chase rates and increase his zone swing rates, he’d go from a fringe prospect to a very exciting one.

MLB.COM updated top 100 includes

22 DeLauther
39 Manzardo
96 Chourio
100 Velazquez

This week's top 20 Hot Prospects from Baseball America

none of ours this week; I do note an interesting name
in the tradition of
Yandy Diaz and
Yainer Diaz there's
5. Yilber Diaz, RHP, D-backs

Our best candidate would have been Esteban Gonzalez who won Carolina League Player of the Week with a line of
17-4-8-6 2 doubles 3 homers 1 walk 3 strikeouts 1 steal 1 caught stealing
470/500/1118 OPS 1618

for the season Gonzalez ranks in the Carolina League
No 1 in steals
No 3 in slugging
No 3 in OPS
No 4 in average
No 15 in on base pct