Friday's top prospect performers
It was a wild one, to say the least, at TD Ballpark in Dunedin on Friday, when the Pirates beat the Blue Jays, 19-13, in a game that featured three separate innings of six or more runs. A trio of Pirates prospects -- Ke¡¯Bryan Hayes, Jared Oliva and Will Craig -- had big days at the plate.
Hayes, who is Pittsburgh¡¯s No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline and also ranked No. 41 in baseball, launched a solo homer in the second inning to open the scoring for the Bucs. It was the 23-year-old third baseman¡¯s first homer of the spring, and he¡¯s hitting .350 (7-for-20) so far in Grapefruit League play. It was his bat that held him back from a September call-up last year, and if he continues to hit like he has early on, he could be making his MLB debut very soon.
Oliva (Pirates¡¯ No. 9 prospect) played center field and belted a three-run homer in the eighth inning as part of a 2-for-2 afternoon. The performance broke an early 3-for-22 (.136) slump to open Spring Training. Last season, he posted a .750 OPS with 36 steals in 123 games for Double-A Altoona.
And Craig (Pirates¡¯ No. 19 prospect) also broke out following a 2-for-15 (.133) start to the spring, going 2-for-3 with a double and a two-run homer in the eighth. The corner infielder looks to break through to the big leagues this year after hitting 23 homers with a .761 OPS for Triple-A Indianapolis in 2019.
Here's how other top prospects performed on Friday:
Brady Singer, RHP, and Jackson Kowar, RHP, Royals
Singer and Kowar, Kansas City¡¯s No. 2 and No. 4 prospects, respectively, each struggled in their first couple of spring outings, but made scoreless appearances in split-squad action Friday.?
Singer, who is also the No. 59 prospect overall, started and tossed two scoreless innings in the Royals¡¯ 4-4 tie with the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium. The 18th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft yielded one hit, walked one and struck out one to lower his Cactus League ERA to 4.76.
Meanwhile, Kowar turned in 1 1/3 relief innings in the other split-squad game for Kansas City, a 4-3 loss to the Angels at Surprise Stadium. He allowed a hit and struck out two to bring his early Spring Training ERA to 5.40.
Trevor Larnach, OF, and Matt Wallner, OF, Twins
Larnach, Minnesota¡¯s No. 3 prospect and the 81st-ranked prospect overall, launched a pinch-hit, solo homer in the seventh inning of the Twins¡¯ 5-3 win over the Rays at CenturyLink Sports Complex. It was his third homer of the spring, and he¡¯s hitting .333 (6-for-18) so far in Cactus League play. He impressed in 127 games between Class A Advanced Fort Myers and Double-A Pensacola last year, slashing .309/.384/.458 with 13 homers.
And Wallner delivered a two-out, three-run, walk-off homer in the second game of his first Major League Spring Training. In his first professional season in 2019, he hit .258/.357/.452 with eight home runs in 65 games between Rookie level Elizabethton and Class A Cedar Rapids.
Jake Fraley, OF, and Kyle Lewis, OF, Mariners
Fraley, Seattle¡¯s No. 9 prospect, smashed his second homer of the spring, a solo shot in the third inning, and Lewis, the organization¡¯s No. 10 prospect, dealt the big blow with a tie-breaking grand slam in the seventh to lift the Mariners to a 9-3 victory over the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch.
Fraley is hoping his 2-for-4 performance Friday jumpstarts his spring, as he entered the contest batting .188. He turned in a strong Minor League campaign in 2019 that has him knocking on the door to the Majors, posting a .910 OPS with 19 homers and 22 steals in 99 games between Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Tacoma. Lewis, the 11th overall selection in the 2016 MLB Draft, also needed a kickstart, entering Friday batting .118 on the spring. He made his MLB debut last September and held his own, hitting .268 with six homers in 18 games.
Shea Langeliers, C, Braves
Atlanta¡¯s No. 5 prospect was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI singles in a 7-5 victory over the Red Sox at CoolToday Park. Langeliers was the ninth overall pick in last year¡¯s MLB Draft, and in his first professional season, hit .255/.310/.343 for Class A Rome. The 22-year-old is off to a great start in Grapefruit League play, going 5-for-9 (.556).
Shane McClanahan, LHP, Rays
McClanahan, Tampa Bay¡¯s No. 7 prospect, struck out the side in a scoreless eighth inning during the Rays¡¯ 5-3 loss to the Twins. It was a much-needed clean frame for the 22-year-old left-hander, whose spring ERA entering the game was 19.62 (eight runs in 3 2/3 innings). He¡¯s moved rapidly through the Rays¡¯ system so far, going from Class A Bowling Green, through Class A Advanced Charlotte and to Double-A Montgomery in 2019. In 24 appearances overall (22 starts), he finished with a 3.36 ERA and 154 strikeouts in 120 2/3 innings.
Nick Neidert, RHP, Marlins
Miami¡¯s No. 10 prospect continued his good start to his third spring camp with the Marlins, tossing three scoreless innings in the club¡¯s 7-3 win over the Nationals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. He gave up one hit, walked one and fanned four, bringing his Grapefruit League ERA to 1.50 (one run in six innings over three relief appearances).