Morning Rundown: MiLB preview - week ending 9/15/24

Bradenton season over, Greensboro starts playoffs

Photo Credit: WTM

Indianapolis Indians:

Last week: 4-2

Opponent: Rochester Red Wings (Washington Nationals)

Opponent Stats:

• Team OPS: .767

• OPS Rank: 12th out of 20

• Team ERA: 5.25

• ERA Rank: 20th out of 20

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Quick Overview:

The Indianapolis Indians are coming off a 4-2 series win against the Toledo Mud Hens. They sit second in the International League West division, four games back of the Columbus Clippers.

This week, they get the Rochester Red Wings and their last-placed pitching staff (regarding ERA).

The big headline will be the pitching staff facing off against consensus Top 100 prospect Brady House. Rochester was also boosted with the recent addition of Robert Hassell III, who is off to a slow 3-21 start in Triple-A.

Rochester has some pitching prospects on the backend of Pipelines Top 30, including former first-round pick Jackson Rutledge.

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• Brady House | 3B | 2

  • MLB Pipeline Top 100: #67

  • Fangraphs Top 100: #66

  • Baseball America Top 100: #82

  • ESPN Top 100: #52

• Robert Hassell III | OF | 13

• Tyler Stuart | OF | 19

• Jackson Rutledge | RHP | 27

• Andrew Pinckney | OF | 28

• Orlando Ribalta | RHP | 29

• Brad Lord | RHP | 30

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Altoona Curve:

Last week: 3-3

Opponent: Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants)

Opponent Stats:

• Team OPS: .671

• OPS Rank: 7th of 12

• Team ERA: 4.19

• ERA Rank: 8th of 12

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Quick Overview:

Altoona finished with a series split against the Hartford Yard Goats last week and now will wrap up the Double-A season with six games against the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

Not much in prospects, but they will see Bryce Eldridge, one of the hottest hitters in the minors.

He went on a tear a couple of weeks ago in High-A before getting promoted to Richmond. At just 19, he picked up seven hits in his first week at the Double-A level.

With both Single- and High-A finishing their regular seasons, there could be some last-minute promotions. One notable name at High-A right now, James Tibbs III, their first-round pick this year.

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• Bryce Eldridge | 1B | 1

  • MLB Pipeline Top 100: #52

  • Fangraphs Top 100: #91

  • Baseball America Top 100: #37

  • ESPN Top 100: #64

• Diego Velasquez | SS/2B | 15

• Jack Choate | LHP | 19

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Greensboro Grasshoppers:

Last Week: 5-1

Opponent: Hudson Valley Renegades (New York Yankees)

Opponent Stats:

• Team OPS: .718

• OPS Rank: 3rd of 12

• Team ERA: 3.25

• ERA Rank: 1st of 12

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Quick Overview:

This week, the Greensboro Grasshoppers kick off a best-of-three playoff series against the Hudson Valley Renegades. Game one will be at Hudson Valley, with the rest in Greensboro.

They took five of the six games in a series earlier this season and seem to be picking up steam again after winning five in a row against Bowling Green to close things out.

Hudson Valley doesn’t have any top-end pitching prospects at the level, but it still managed to have the best staff ERA in the South Atlantic League.

A 3.25 mark in the SALLY is a strong showing for as hitter-friendly it can be. They also have one of the top offenses, as they have the third-highest OPS in the league.

George Lombard Jr., their first-round pick from 2023, is the top-rated prospect. He spent most of the season in Tampa but has hit .226/.321/.296 in 29 games so far at the High-A level.

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• George Lombard Jr. | INF | 3

• Cade Smith | RHP | 12

• Roc Riggio | 2B | 21

• Kyle Carr | LHP | 26

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