Indians righty Danny Salazar owns an electric fastball and should garner more attention than he has received.
Games of Thursday, May 2
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Cardinals keystoner Jacob Wilson showcased his power on Tuesday, but will need to prove himself at every minor-league stop.
Pitching Prospect of the Day: Matt Barnes, RHP, Red Sox (Double-A Portland): 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K; potential plus-plus fastball; curveball with plus potential; changeup will be at least average. I’ve never been the leader on the Barnes bandwagon; I think he is a very nice pitcher, but not a top-of-the-line stud.
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Royals righty Yordano Ventura showcased his electric stuff with 10 strikeouts in five innings of work.
Pitching Prospect of the Day: Yordano Ventura, RHP, Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas): 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K; elite fastball; curveball has easy plus potential; changeup has made real strides and will be at least average; small frame; electric arm; has taken major steps forward in 2013 according to a scout I spoke with; number-two starter ceiling; 23.1 IP, 17 H, 6 ER, 9 BB, 33 K in five starts.
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White Sox prospect Courtney Hawkins is racking up worrisome strikeout totals in High-A ball, but he has also hit seven home runs.
Pitching Prospect of the Day: Henry Owens, LHP, Red Sox (High-A Salem): 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K; long levers; fastball sits 92-94 with good life; struggled to command his 73-75 mph curveball, which flashed solid-average; good arm speed on a 77-79 mph with changeup that has excellent life and easy plus potential. Owens is still developing, but he caught my eye, and I really like his future; 26.0 IP, 15 H, 6 ER, 8 BB, 30 K in five starts.
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Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis showcased the power arsenal that could make him a dominant big-league reliever.
Pitching Prospect of the Day: Chad Bettis, RHP, Rockies (Double-A Tulsa): 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K; potential plus-plus fastball; can vary the hard stuff (two-seam, four-seam, cut); easy plus slider; could be a monster setup guy with closer potential; 21.2 IP, 21 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 26 K.
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Astros outfielder George Springer is working to improve his contact skills, which will determine his ultimate ceiling.
Pitching Prospect of the Day: Martin Agosta, RHP, Giants (Low-A Augusta): 6.1 IP, H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K; fastball can get away from him at peak velocity; slider more of the weak-contact variety as opposed to a bat-missing one; changeup has made plenty of improvement and now profiles as a plus potential pitch with good arm speed and late fading action; profiles best as a back-end starter; 21.0 IP, 16 H, 4 ER, 7 BB, 27 K in four starts this season.
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Phillies prospect Jesse Biddle delivered an outing that will undoubtedly rank among the year's best.
Pitching Prospect of the Day (Year?): Jesse Biddle, LHP, Phillies (Double-A Reading): 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 16 K; This will be a frontrunner for pitching performance of the year. Fastball is solid-average and plays up with good command; curveball has a 65-grade ceiling; changeup could be plus; slider will be a usable major-league pitch; attacks hitters; has transformed a questionable body as an amateur into a very strong, well-built frame.
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Yankees catcher J.R. Murphy is looking to return to the prospect radar and making the Update is a good place to start.
Pitching Prospect of the Day:Tyler Skaggs, LHP, Diamondbacks (Triple-A Reno): 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K; Fastball will only be average at major-league level; changeup has deception but will play close to average; curveball is a hammer with serious strikeout potential; not far from being major-league ready.
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Dodgers prospect Joc Pederson is showing added thump in the early going.
Pitching Prospect of the Day: Timothy Berry, LHP, Orioles (High-A Frederick): 6.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 11 K; Berry uses a three-pitch mix (fastball/curveball/changeup), and all three of the offerings could be solid-average; 21 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched.
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Minor League Update: Games of Wednesday, May 22
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