Morning Rundown: MiLB Preview - Week Ending 9/10
LSU showdown in Altoona with the top two overall 2023 draft picks, and Bradenton Marauders still in thick of the playoff hunt
Indianapolis Indians: 26-30 (8.5 GB)
Opponent: Toledo (Tigers)
Team OPS: .808
OPS Rank: 9th of 20
Team ERA: 5.57
ERA Rank: 17th of 20
Quick Overview:
This will be the final week we have all four full-season affiliates in play, and it’s going to be a strong week. Starting with the Indianapolis Indians battling the Toledo Mud Hens, and welcoming to town Detroit Tigers fast rising prospect Colt Keith. Keith was a fifth round pick out of high school back in the 2020 draft, and he hasn’t stopped hitting since he joined the pro ranks. The power really exploded in 2023, and stepping up to Triple-A hasn’t proven to be difficult for him.
Colt Keith | 3B/2B | 2
MLB Pipeline Top 100: #26
Baseball America Top 100: #18
Justyn-Henry Malloy | OF/3B | 9
Dillon Dingler | C | 11
Sawyer Gipson-Long | RHP | 19
Wenceel Perez | 2B | 20
Keider Montero | RHP | 26
Eddys Leonard | SS | 29
Altoona Curve: 24-31 (8.0 GB)
Opponent: Harrisburg (Nationals)
Team OPS: .685
OPS Rank: 12th of 12
Team ERA: 4.14
ERA Rank: 4th of 12
Quick Overview:
Altoona Curve will have the showdown we’ve all been waiting for. Pirates first overall selection in the 2023 draft Paul Skenes will get to take on another former LSU player, RHP Cole Henry, the Washington Nationals 2020 second round pick. Oh, wait, that’s not the one. It’s the second overall pick in the 2023 draft and former teammate, Dylan Crews. If that isn’t enough, the Harrisburg Senators also have Top 10 prospect James Wood in the outfield, as well as their third overall prospect Brady House, who was their first round pick in 2021.
Dylan Crews | OF | 1
MLB Pipeline Top 100: #4
Baseball America Top 100: #3
James Wood | OF | 2
MLB Pipeline Top 100: #7
Baseball America Top 100: #7
Brady House | 3B | 3
MLB Pipeline Top 100: #41
Baseball America Top 100: #59
Robert Hassell III | OF | 8
Trey Lipscomb | 3B | 14
DJ Herz | LHP | 16
Cole Henry | RHP | 19
Israel Pineda | C | 22
Mitchell Parker | LHP | 26
Zach Brzykcy (Full Season IL) | RHP | 29
Greensboro Grasshoppers: 29-30 (4.5 GB)
Opponent: Bowling Green (Rays)
Team OPS: .792
OPS Rank: 1st of 12
Team ERA: 4.15
ERA Rank: 5th of 12
Quick Overview:
Anthony Murphy got to see a special week with Wyatt Langford and the Hickory Crawdads visiting, and in the final week of the Greensboro Grasshoppers season, they’ll see another highly skilled Bowling Green Hot Rods squad. The top name is Carson Williams, who was the Tampa Rays first round selection in the 2021 draft. He was actually promoted momentarily to the Durham Bulls in Triple-A, but after four games and going 1-for-13, he returned to Bowling Green. Joining him is the Rays 2022 first round pick and recent addition to MLB Pipeline Top 100, Xavier Isaac.
Carson Williams | SS | 2
MLB Pipeline Top 100: #19
Baseball America Top 100: #22
Xavier Isaac | 1B | 4
MLB Pipeline Top 100: #97
Dominic Keegan | C | 10
Willy Vasquez | INF | 11
Brock Jones | OF | 14
Ian Seymour | LHP | 16
Chandler Simpson | OF | 21
Yoniel Curet | RHP | 23
Bradenton Marauders: 37-22 (1.5 GB)
Opponent: Fort Myers (Twins)
Team OPS: .744
OPS Rank: 2nd of 10
Team ERA: 4.33
ERA Rank: 4th of 10
Quick Overview:
In Double-A, we’ll see a showdown between the first two overall picks in the 2023 draft, and in Low-A the Bradenton Marauders will take on the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels and 2023 fifth overall pick Walker Jenkins. It’s a big week on it’s own, with the Marauders being the only full-season Pirates affiliate with a realistic chance at playoffs. They stand 1.5 games back of the Lakeland Flying Tigers in the league’s final week of the regular season.
Walker Jenkins | OF | 1
MLB Pipeline Top 100: #16
Baseball America Top 100: #16
Danny De Andrade | SS | 10
Ricardo Olivar | C/OF | 22
And now Skenes is shut down for rest of season. Wonderful...
Skenes > crews!