Proving that special players can struggle only for so long, one of baseball's best prospects broke out in a grand way at Double-A, while a former Top 100 prospect showed he still has plenty of thunder in his bat. On the mound, there was no shortage of dominance, with several big-name hurlers racking up the K's in bunches to highlight Saturday's best performances from down on the farm:
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Jac Caglianone, 1B, Northwest Arkansas (KC No. 1/MLB No. 20)
Mired in a 1-for-24 slump, Caglianone broke out in a big way, highlighted by the second grand slam of his pro career. The 22-year-old snapped an 0-for-17 skid with a single in the fourth and added another in the 11th before blasting his fourth long ball of the season to clear the bases in the next inning. Despite his recent rough stretch, Caglianone has 19 RBIs in 14 games for the Naturals. Gameday
Trey Yesavage, RHP, Dunedin (TOR No. 2/MLB No. 84)
Yesavage was nicked for three runs in five innings during the third start of his pro career, but he countered that with plenty of dominant moments. After combining for eight strikeouts across 7 2/3 innings in his first two outings, the 21-year-old fanned 10 and induced 18 whiffs on 37 swings. Yesavage retired the first 12 batters he faced and will carry a 2.84 ERA into his next start for Single-A Dunedin. Gameday
Braden Montgomery, OF, Kannapolis (CWS No. 5/MLB No. 51)
Montgomery continues to turn heads with a scorching start to his professional career. The 22-year-old clubbed his third roundtripper -- a 417 foot poke -- singled, stole a base and drove in a career-high four runs to pace the Single-A Kannapolis offense. Montgomery has hit safely in 10 of 12 games to begin the season and is slashing .326/.421/.587 with six extra-base hits and a Carolina League-best 17 RBIs. Gameday
Owen Caissie, OF, Iowa (CHC No. 3/MLB No. 50)
Caissie grades out with 60's in both power and arm strength, and he flashed both for Triple-A Iowa. The 22-year-old supplied the only offense for either club with a solo homer (off rehabbing big leaguer Pablo L¨®pez) and then clinched the win for the I-Cubs on the defensive side. Caissie unleashed a strike from right field to nail the potential tying run at the plate to end the game. It marks the second assist of the year for the Ontario, Canada, native, who amassed seven in 114 contests last year. Gameday
Carson Whisenhunt, LHP, Sacramento (SF No. 2)
Whisenhunt rebounded from a subpar outing his last time out with one of the best performances of his pro career. The 24-year-old struck out nine and allowed one hit during his 87-pitch outing. Whisenthunt set down nine straight to finish off his start, which lowered his ERA to 2.70 and WHIP to 0.95. The East Carolina product has struck out 23 and walked two in 20 innings. Gameday
Brady House, 3B, Rochester (WSH No. 3)
House struggled to a .699 OPS across two Minor League levels last year but looks more like the breakout prospect of 2023 in the early days of this campaign. The 21-year-old tallied the third multihomer game of his career and his first four-hit performance for Triple-A Rochester. House equaled a personal best with four RBIs, scored three runs and is slashing .299/.365/.507 with seven extra-base hits through 18 games. Gameday
Bryce Cunningham, RHP, Hudson Valley (NYY No. 5)
One day after teammate Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz came within an out of completing seven innings, Cunningham got the job done himself. The 22-year-old struck out nine and scattered four hits and a walk while throwing 92 pitches (67 for strikes). The Yankees' second-round pick last year out of Vanderbilt, Cunningham has a 22-to-2 K/BB ratio, a 3.50 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in his first three career starts spanning 18 innings for High-A Hudson Valley. Gameday
Nolan McLean, RHP, Binghamton (NYM No. 5)
McLean began his pro career in 2024 as a two-way player but switched strictly to the mound near the end of his debut season. It appears to be the right choice if his early-season success is any indication. The Oklahoma State product lowered his ERA in three starts to 0.60 after he fanned eight over six scoreless innings for Double-A Binghamton. McLean is holding opposing hitters to a .173 average (9-for-52). Gameday