Morning Rundown: MiLB Preview - Week Ending 8/18/24

Four full weeks with full slate of full-season ball left, and 2024 draft picks fill opposing Low-A roster

Photo Credit: WTM

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*MLB Pipeline is set to release their updated Top 100, as well as individual Top 30 lists, Tuesday. So, the lists shown below will likely be updated after posting.

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Indianapolis Indians: 51-59

Last week: 2-4

Opponent: St. Paul (Twins)

Opponent Stats:

• Team OPS: .773

• OPS Rank: 11th of 20

• Team ERA: 4.82

• ERA Rank: 8th of 20

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Quick Overview:

After gaining some ground in the second half divisional race — thanks in part to a nine-game winning streak — the Indianapolis Indians now find themselves 7.5 games back, after losing four of six to one of the teams they were trying to pass up.

Barring any promotions from Double-A, the St. Paul Saints roster is light on top prospects. Zebby Matthews would’ve been coming to Indy, but instead as of Monday morning, it was reported that the Minnesota Twins would be calling him up. He’ll join fellow promoted top 100 prospects that were on the Saints during the 2024 season; David Festa and Brooks Lee.

Similar to the Pittsburgh Pirates situation, the Twins’ Triple-A and Double-A affiliates are all but officially eliminated from playoff contention. With that, surging prospects (Get it? Because the Double-A affiliate of the Twins is the Wichita Wind Surge? Also, Wichita stole New Orleans team) and ranked among the top 100, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Luke Keaschall may see a push up a level.

Couple interesting names are former top 100 prospect Edouard Julien who was optioned after struggling in his sophomore season in MLB, and then former Bucco utility prospect Diego A. Castillo. Not to be confused with right handed reliever Diego Castillo, who is also on the Saints roster.

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• Matt Canterino (60-Day IL) | RHP | 14

• Yunior Severino | 3B/1B | 21

• DaShawn Keirsey Jr. | OF | 29

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Altoona Curve: 45-63

Last week: 1-5

Opponent: Bowie (Orioles)

Opponent Stats:

• Team OPS: .679

• OPS Rank: 7th of 12

• Team ERA: 3.97

• ERA Rank: 6th of 12

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Quick Overview:

There isn’t much to say about the Double-A matchup this week that hasn’t already been said between the Altoona Curve and Bowie Baysox.

Second overall Baltimore Orioles prospect Samuel Basallo has continued to showcase why he is considered one of the best prospects in the game, at just 20 years old (turns 20 the day of this publishing). He’s carrying a 129 wRC+ through the season, hitting 15 homeruns and 47 RBI.

One name that may pop out to everyone is that of Patrick Reilly. He was immediately placed in Double-A after being acquired for now Indianapolis Triple-A outfielder Billy Cook. Reilly so far has two appearances, allowing only two unearned runs in 7.1 IP with three walks and nine strikeouts.

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• Samuel Basallo | C/1B | 2

  • MLB Top 100: #11

  • Baseball America Top 100: #16

  • ESPN Top 100: #14

  • Fangraphs Top 100: #3

• Dylan Beavers | OF | 5

• Jud Fabian | OF | 8

• Max Wagner (60-Day IL) | 3B/2B | 10

• Trace Bright | RHP | 12

• Patrick Reilly | RHP | 15

• John Rhodes | OF | 19

• Alex Pham | RHP | 20

• Frederick Bencosme | SS | 24

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Greensboro Grasshoppers: 62-45

Last Week: 3-3

Opponent: Bowling Green (Rays)

Opponent Stats:

• Team OPS: .751

• OPS Rank: 1st of 12

• Team ERA: 3.59

• ERA Rank: 3rd of 12

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Quick Overview:

This is probably one of the more enticing matchups, as it will involve two likely South Atlantic League playoff teams. The Greensboro Grasshoppers clinched their playoff birth with a first half title, where the Bowling Green Hot Rods narrowly missed the first half title by one game, but sit atop the South division currently by three games.

The Tampa Bay Rays had an interesting deadline where they tried to toe the line of selling off assets to revamp their farm system, while also remaining in playoff contention. The High-A affiliate Hot Rods were one of the benefactors of said plan.

Among the listed top 30 prospects, five were acquired during deadline deals (Dylan Lesko and Homer Bush Jr. - San Diego Padres, Brody Hopkins - Seattle Mariners, and Jackson Baumeister and Mac Horvath - Baltimore Orioles) and one in early July (Gregory Barrios - Milwaukee Brewers).

There is also the fact I have to mention a personal favorite of mine, Tre’ Morgan, who is having an outstanding season. After cruising through Low-A with an .838 OPS, the young first baseman has taken it to another level through 48 High-A games with a 1.032 OPS.

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• Dylan Lesko | RHP | 6

  • MLB Top 100: #74

  • Fangraphs Top 100: #87

• Brody Hopkins | RHP | 14

• Jackson Baumeister | RHP | 14

• Tre’ Morgan | 1B | 17

• Colton Ledbetter | OF | 18

• Mac Horvath | 3B/2B | 19

• Homer Bush Jr. | OF | 20

• Yoniel Curet | RHP | 22

• Gregory Barrios | SS | 25

• Cooper Kinney (7-Day IL) | 2B/1B | 30

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Bradenton Marauders: 46-62

Last Week: 5-1

Opponent: Dunedin (Blue Jays)

Opponent Stats:

• Team OPS: .685

• OPS Rank: 6th of 10

• Team ERA: 4.26

• ERA Rank: 9th of 10

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Quick Overview:

The headliner for the Bradenton Marauders opponent this week will be the Toronto Blue Jays 2023 first round pick Arjun Nimmala. He struggled pretty mightily to kick off his professional career, which led the Blue Jays to demote him to the complex league, before bringing him back to the Florida State League and it has paid dividends. Since returning at the end of June, he has slashed .252/.326/.593 in 32 games, with a wRC+ of 150.

Aside from Nimmala, the Dunedin Blue Jays will has a large collection of the Blue Jays 2024 draft rostered this week. Where as only two of the Pirates 2024 draft picks have debuted (Duce Gourson and Derek Berg), the Blue Jays have seen nine picks make their professional debuts so far.

It’s hard to say if any will be ranked among Pipeline’s top 30 for the Blue Jays, but none of the nine made the cut for Baseball America’s updated rankings. Sean Key out of Bucknell University was the highest drafted (4th round), and Brock Tibbitts (13th round) out of Indiana University was a name I had been interested in as a late Day 2, or Day 3 pick

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• Arjun Nimmala | SS | 4

• Brandon Barriera (Full Season IL) | LHP | 5

• Landen Maroudis (Full Season IL) | RHP | 14

• Fernando Perez | RHP | 25

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