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Prospect of the Day: Christian Yelich, OF, Marlins: 2-3 HR, R, RBI, CS. Elite hitting prospect may be pinned to a left-field defensive profile, but the bat has a chance to be special. Yelich has a potential 7 hit tool and is making leaps in the power department as he develops; .359/.457/.795 with four home runs, 12 runs scored, and 12 RBI in 39 spring at-bats.

Other notable prospect performances from March 18:

  • Bruce Rondon, RHP, Tigers: 1 IP, W, BB, 2K. Near-elite fastball-slider arsenal misses plenty of bats, but Rondon lacks the command necessary to be trusted in the ninth inning; 15 strikeouts and seven walks in 8 2/3 innings.
     
  • Travis d'Arnaud, C, Mets: 2-3, 2 R, 2B. Top-rated catching prospect has an excellent contact swing and shows power to all fields; .345/.412/.483 with four doubles in 29 at-bats.
     
  • Oscar Taveras, OF, Cardinals: 2-4, RBI. Taveras displays jaw-dropping hitting ability by combining elite bat speed with excellent plate discipline, all at the age of 20; .300/.340/.500 with two home runs and 10 RBI in 50 at-bats.
     
  • Jackie Bradley, Jr., OF, Red Sox: 1-3, R, BB. A defensive wizard, Bradley has also impressed scouts with his on-base ability and sneaky power from the left side; .436/.551/.564 in 39 at-bats.
     
  • Jeremy Hazelbaker, OF, Red Sox: 1-1, R, SB. Former fourth-round pick has always had tools but has never had a strikeout rate below 23 percent; .375/.474/.500 in 16 at-bats.
     
  • Travis Shaw, 1B, Red Sox: 0-4, 4 K. Since being promoted to Double-A, Shaw has struggled due to his limited bat speed; 0-for-5 with five strikeouts this spring.
     
  • Aaron Hicks, CF, Twins: 0-2, R, BB. A first-round pick in 2008, Hicks is a plus defender with plate discipline, raw power, and good speed, and is expected to begin the year as Minnesota’s everyday center fielder; .306/.352/.632 with four homers and 13 RBI in 49 at-bats.
     
  • Matt Den Dekker, CF, Mets: 0-3, K. Outstanding defensive center fielder struggles offensively with a below-average hit tool and below-average power; .194/.216/.278 with 14 strikeouts in 36 at-bats.
     
  • Adam Eaton, CF, Diamondbacks: 2-2, 3B, R, RBI. Former 19th-round pick has developed into a top-of-the-order bat with solid bat-to-ball ability and plus-plus speed; .382/.397/.545 with 21 hits and 11 runs scored in 55 at-bats.
     
  • Darin Ruf, LF, Phillies: 2-5, 2 R, RBI, K, 2 2B. Ruf has struggled to catch up to major-league velocity this spring (as well as a few fly balls); .224/.309/.388 with 11 strikeouts in 49 at-bats.
     
  • Donnie Joseph, LHP, Royals: 1 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 2 K. The headliner in the return for Jonathan Broxton has used his fastball-slider tandem to miss plenty of bats in Arizona; 12 strikeouts in seven innings.
     
  • J.J. Hoover, RHP, Reds: 1.1 IP, 4 K. Acquired from the Braves for Juan Francisco, Hoover has thrived since being moved to the bullpen and focusing on his sinker-curveball combination; 14 strikeouts in eight innings.

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wjmcknight37
3/19
Can you share with us why there was an 11 day gap in between reports? Seems like there should be something going on with prospects worth reporting every day.
mort10
3/19
Your wish is my command will be an every day thing from here on in.
bornyank1
3/19
Jason has a lot on his plate and hasn't been able to stick to the daily schedule in the last couple weeks. We do want to keep the MLU running daily (or as close to it as possible--Kevin didn't do it daily), so Zach will be pitching in to try to make that happen.
wjmcknight37
3/19
Thanks Ben and Zach. I look forward to the report so I appreciate your efforts.
darts1
3/19
Yeah the Minor League Update series has always been something I looked forward to reading in the morning, but it seems like there has been a revolving door since KG left.

Is Jason Martinez no longer doing these?

I enjoyed today's update, looking forward to seeing more of them in the future.
mort10
3/19
Thank you darts,

You will see one tomorrow morning same time same place.
Schere
3/19
fantastic!
rhettdb2005
3/19
Very glad to know that this will be a daily feature moving forward.
mjk415
3/19
2 thumbs up