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Welcome back, prospects. We missed you all terribly.

Jorge Mateo, SS, New York Yankees (High-A Tampa): 3-for-5, 3B, 2 R, 1 BB.
Some were surprised that Mateo wasn’t sent up to Double-A to start the 2016 campaign, and while the sample size is essentially as small as it can get, more games like this will boost him out of the Florida State League sooner than later. He’s as athletic as they come—an 80 runner with a plus arm with clean actions in the field—and he has pretty good feel for the barrel and “sneaky” pop from the right side. The speed and feel for hitting make him a high-floor prospect; the feel for the barrel and athleticism make him a high-ceiling one. That’s a pretty fun combination.

Others Of Note:

Blake Snell, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays (Triple-A Durham) 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Not a dominating start, but a solid opening for one of the very best southpaw pitching prospects in baseball.

Ryan McMahon, 3B, Colorado Rockies (Double-A Hartford): 3-for-3, 2B. He gets lost in the crowd with some of the other hot-corner prospects, but McMahon’s game is as well rounded as any of theirs.

Steven Moya, OF, Detroit Tigers (Triple-A Toledo): 3-for-4, 2 HR. A massive start to the season for the massive (6-foot-7) prospect. It’s also nice to see a game with no strikeouts, considering that those are a recurring issue for Moya.

Joe Musgrove, RHP, Houston Astros (Double-A Corpus Christi): 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. One of the more underrated right-handed pitching prospects, Musgrove has four usable pitches and plus-plus control.

Jesse Winker, OF, Cincinnati Reds (Triple-A Louisville): 2-for-4. Winker’s feel for the barrel is on par with that of any left-handed hitter in baseball. You’re going to be seeing a lot of these sorts of games until he gets the call to Cincy.

Mallex Smith, OF, Atlanta Braves (Triple-A Gwinnett): 2-for-5, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 2 K. An 80 runner who has really improved offensively, Smith could be hitting at the top of the Atlanta lineup this summer.

Taylor Clarke, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks (Low-A Kane County): 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Arizona’s third-round pick is no lock to start, but he has two plus pitches at his disposal.

Edwin Diaz, RHP, Seattle Mariners (Double-A Jackson): 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB 9 K. The Mariners best pitching prospect struck out six in his first two innings. There are concerns about Diaz’s size and frame, but the stuff is legit.

Jacob Faria, RHP, Rays (Double-A Montgomery): 5.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB 8 K. Faria was outdueled by Diaz but was impressive nonetheless. He features a plus fastball, plus change, and improving curveball in his bag of tricks.

Dansby Swanson, SS, Braves (High-A Carolina): 2-for-4, 2B. The first-overall pick in 2015 is no long for High-A, and probably not long for minor-league baseball in general. He’s really good.

Yoan Moncada, 2B, Boston Red Sox (High-A Salem): 2-for-4, 2 BB, 2 R. The Red Sox are taking it slow and steady, but these types of skills are too good to be “wasted” in the Carolina League for long. Moncada is the best second-base prospect in all of baseball.

Andrew Benintendi, OF, Red Sox (High-A Salem) :4-for-5, 2B, 3B, 2 R. I was skeptical when the Red Sox took Benintendi with the seventh pick out of Arkansas. I’m an idiot.

Dan Vogelbach, 1B, Chicago Cubs (Triple-A Iowa): 2-for-3, BB. There are lots of reasons why people aren’t sold on Vogelbach. The ability to get on base is not one of them.

Willson Contreras, C, Cubs (Triple-A Iowa): 2-for-4, 2 CS, PB. A solid start for the best backstop in the minor leagues; the plus hit tool was immediately on display.

Jurickson Profar, SS,Texas Rangers (Triple-A Round Rock): 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB. Yes, he’s no longer a prospect, but this is just too awesome to not mention. The upside here is still massive.

Joey Gallo, 3B, Rangers (Triple-A Round Rock): 0-for-1, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 E. Very much the full Joey Gallo experience, minus, well, you know, dingers.

Ryan Mountcastle, SS, Baltimore Orioles (Low-A Delmarva): 1-for-4, 1 HR. The bat-first supplemental-first-round pick is beginning to fill out his frame; there’s an outside shot of above-average power here at maturity.

Ronald Acuna, OF, Braves (Low-A Rome): 2-for-5, R. He’s as raw as they get, but Acuna’s talent is substantial: He’s a potential five-tool player when all is said and done.

Harrison Bader, OF, St. Louis Cardinals (Double-A Springfield): 2-for-4, K. There’s no plus tool in Hader’s chest, but there are no real weakness here, either. The former Florida Gator could move much quicker than your typical third-round selection.

Travis Demeritte, 2B, Rangers (High-A High Desert ): 3-for-4, 2 HR, 3 R. It’s a big year for the Rangers’ 2013 first-round pick. Maybe the (very) friendly confines of Heritage Field will build up some confidence for the talented infielder.

Thank you for reading

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captnamerca
4/08
Imperialism32
4/08
Snell pitched in crappy weather and the game's start was delayed about 30 minutes. Considering the circumstances I'm happy with his line.
tomshipley75
4/08
I assume Contrares threw out two runners and wasn't twice caught stealing himself.
teddywklein
4/08
Amed Rosario? Who had an opposite field walk off home run?
Theman3983
4/08
Yep. Solid start for him as well, absolutely.
oldbopper
4/08
Benintendi should be in LF in Fenway before the year is over. He is looking like Conforto and Schwarber who both made huge contributions to their teams when they were both "rushed" to the show in just their first full seasons of organized ball.
Shauncore
4/08
Definitely appears to be on an accelerated track. However let's also see him in AA first.
oldbopper
4/08
Of course, I just want to say it is possible. Conforto played 46 games in A, 45 in AA, then straight to the Mets. His stats were better in the majors than in the minors. To say that Benintendi has raked at every stop is a gross understatement. The Red Sox do not have a left fielder at this time. Holt, as valuable as he is, does not carry a corner bat in his diverse bag and Young should never, ever see a right handed pitcher on the bump.