Morning Rundown: MiLB Preview - Week Ending 6/30/24

First half of minor league season ends with Greensboro Grasshoppers clinching a playoff spot

Photo Credit: WTM

Indianapolis Indians: 33-40

Last week: 4-2

Opponent: Rochester (Nationals)

Opponent Stats:

• Team OPS: .757

• OPS Rank: 12th of 20

• Team ERA: 5.53

• ERA Rank: 20th of 20

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Quick Overview:

All four full-season affiliates will officially be entering the second half of their seasons. The Indianapolis Indians will kick things off with a bang, taking a trip to Rochester to face the Washington Nationals Triple-A squad.

The Rochester Red Wings currently roster two of the game’s top prospects, Paul Skenes’ former LSU teammate Dylan Crews, and then James Wood. Wood has ascended to a top 5 prospect across the board, carrying a 1.053 OPS while spending 2024 in Triple-A. He had a minor hamstring injury that caused him to miss a few weeks, but he returned last week. Dylan Crews was promoted a week ago and slashed .241/.241/.483 in his first week.

On the rubber will be the Nationals’ 2019 first-round pick, Jackson Rutledge, who has debuted in the majors but has struggled this year overall with a 6.16 ERA in 61.1 IP. Cade Cavalli (5th overall prospect and 2020 first-round pick) is currently rehabbing, so there is the possibility he will find his way back up to Triple-A. It’s also promotion season, with first halves commencing, so maybe a Brady House finds his way up, or even some Pittsburgh Pirates’ minor leaguers like Sean Sullivan.

Former Bucco farmhand Harold Ramirez will also be in uniform for the Red Wings.

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• James Wood | OF | 1

  • MLB Top 100: #4

  • Baseball America Top 100: #3

  • ESPN Top 100: #4

  • Fangraphs Top 100: #4

• Dylan Crews | OF | 2

  • MLB Top 100: #6

  • Baseball America Top 100: #5

  • ESPN Top 100: #14

  • Fangraphs Top 100: #7

• Jackson Rutledge | RHP | 15

• Darren Baker | 2B/OF | 22

• Orlando Ribalta | RHP | 30

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Altoona Curve: 29-40

Last week: 5-1

Opponent: Akron (Guardians)

Opponent Stats:

• Team OPS: .654

• OPS Rank: 10th of 12

• Team ERA: 3.19

• ERA Rank: 1st of 12

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Quick Overview:

On the backs of Sammy Siani (.909 OPS in last week) and Kervin Pichardo (.885 OPS in last week), the Altoona Curve were able to go out with a bang in the first half against a strong Bowie Baysox roster, with some additional welcoming firepower from Charles McAdoo for two games.

This has the potential for being one of the premier matchups, if only because, now that the first half has concluded, there are probably a handful more prospects who also deserve a promotion on top of McAdoo and Jaden Woods.

The Curve will face off against the Akron Rubberducks, who have taken 13 of 15 matchups. The Cleveland Guardians Double-A affiliate had 37 wins in the first half, so 35% of their wins came against Akron. They’ll again be without the Guardians’ top prospect, Chase DeLauter, as he is injured. Their 14th-ranked prospect Khalil Watson is on a bit of a heater, slashing .242/.390/.545 over his last ten games. Then unranked due to graduation, rehabbing starter Gavin Williams had his rehab assignment move down from Columbus, so that will be a premier arm for Altoona hitters to see this week.

A lesser-known name is 2023 third-round pick (93rd overall) C.J. Kayfus, who has mashed his way through the minors so far. After carrying a 1.015 OPS through 40 High-A games, he moved up to Double-A, where he continued by posting a 1.212 OPS in 16 games.

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• Chase DeLauter (7-Day IL) | OF | 1

  • MLB Top 100: #20

  • Baseball America Top 100: #31

  • ESPN Top 100: #38

  • Fangraphs Top 100: #24

• Kahlil Watson | SS/2B | 14

• Petey Halpin | OF | 15

• Parker Messick | LHP | 21

• C.J. Kayfus | 1B | 28

• Dayan Frias | 3B | 29

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Greensboro Grasshoppers: 41-27

Last Week: 5-1

Opponent: Jersey Shore (Phillies)

Opponent Stats:

• Team OPS: .723

• OPS Rank: 5th of 12

• Team ERA: 3.78

• ERA Rank: 3rd of 12

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Quick Overview:

For the first half North division champions Greensboro Grasshoppers, it may be the best of times and the worst of times. As mentioned with the Altoona overview, I’d say there is a good chance of at least a couple more players following behind McAdoo and Woods. The good news is that a lot of the team is clicking, especially as of late, and they can’t promote half the roster when having to determine how to replace those spots with either demotions from Double-A or promotions from Low-A.

The Jersey Shore Blueclaws, the team in contention down to the wire with Greensboro, will be on the other side of the diamond. The Philadelphia Phillies affiliate has seen an influx of talent as their Low-A affiliate (more on them later) won the Florida State League West division title with the best record in their league. Aidan Miller and George Klassen are two names the Bradenton Marauders will be happy to see promoted.

Miller was a 2023 first-round pick and only two days older than Termarr Johnson. In 11 games, he has a .778 OPS in High-A after amassing a .884 OPS in 39 Low-A games. George Klassen — 2023 6th round pick — has made two starts for the BlueClaws, covering 9.0 IP with a 2.00 ERA, a .067 batting average against, and 0.78 WHIP. Klassen is ranked 28th on Pipeline — 14th in Baseball America’s most recent update — but if he keeps it up, he will fly up lists.

All of that, and there is still Justin Crawford, the Phillies 2022 first-round pick who has a .751 OPS with the Blueclaws this season.

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• Aidan Miller | SS/3B | 2

  • MLB Top 100: #47

  • Baseball America Top 100: #21

  • ESPN Top 100: #11

  • Fangraphs Top 100: #9

• Justin Crawford | OF | 4

  • MLB Top 100: #62

  • Baseball America Top 100: #48

• Bryan Rincon (7-Day IL) | SS | 7

• William Bergolla | SS/2B | 11

• Emaarion Boyd | OF | 16

• Hendry Mendez | OF | 22

• Samuel Aldegheri | LHP | 23

• George Klassen | RHP | 28

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Bradenton Marauders: 31-38

Last Week: 3-3

Opponent: Clearwater (Phillies)

Opponent Stats:

• Team OPS: .729

• OPS Rank: 1st of 10

• Team ERA: 3.91

• ERA Rank: 5th of 10

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Quick Overview:

Considering how the season's first few weeks began, it was a strong first-half finish for the Bradenton Marauders. Returning to the “Week Ending 5/05/24” preview, they were 4-17 entering that week. Bradenton lost two of the first three games last week to the Lakeland Flying Tigers but then took two of the next three to begin the second half 2-1.

In the first full week of the second half, the Pirates Low-A affiliate travels to the Philadelphia Phillies affiliate and first-half division winner Clearwater Threshers. There seems to be a pattern of both A-ball affiliates facing their Philadelphia counterpart in the same week. Still, luckily, this time, the Grasshoppers are the ones that have to deal with the Phillies’ budding young prospects, Aidan Miller and George Klassen. That leaves the sixth overall prospect and 2023 3rd rounder (98th overall) Devin Saltiban as the leading prospect on the Threshers.

We have a little under a month to go until the draft. Still, it will be curious to see if any players are moved up in conjunction with possible Greensboro promotions. At the same time, possibly the Marauders add a few players who are succeeding with the complex league squad.

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• Devin Saltiban | SS/2B | 6

• Alex McFarlane (60-Day IL) | RHP | 14

• TJayy Walton (7-Day IL) | OF | 17

• Raylin Heredia | OF | 19

• Kehden Hettiger | C | 21

• Nikau Pouaka-Grego | 2B/3B | 29

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Check out the latest podcast episode, where we review some of the top performers of the first half of the minor league season.

Mike Burrows starts rehab, Fangraphs release top Pirates prospects, who will be promoted next?

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