BPKC Hitter of the Day Donnie Dewees 4-5 HR, 2b, 4 RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day Jon Heasley 5 IP 3 H 2 R 1 ER 1 BB 4 K 6-2 GO-FO 55p/42k

Las Vegas 51s 12 Omaha Storm Chasers 11

A home run derby broke out at Werner Park Friday night as the two teams combine for nine home runs in the game. Chasers starter Arnaldo Hernandez entered the game with seven home runs given up on the year and left with eleven as the right-hander got dinged for four blasts in four innings including three for two-run shots. In addition to the home runs the 51s hit seven doubles in the game including five off Hernandez during a 16 hit barrage that led to 12 runs. The Chasers countered with nine runs from the second through the fifth inning to draw close as they knocked out 16 hits of their own in the game but a scoreless streak left them down three runs into the ninth. After back to back home runs by Nicky Lopez and Billy Burns in the ninth pulled them with one Vegas got the final out to end the game.

Nicky Lopez 2-4 2R, HR, RBI, BB
Frank Schwindel 3-6 2R, 2-2b, HR, 2 RBI
Donnie Dewees 4-5 2b, HR, 4 RBI

NW Arkansas Naturals 6 Springfield Cardinals 3

The Naturals Scott Blewett gave his club a quality start with six innings of three-run pitching (2 ER). For much of the season, it has been a struggle for Blewett as he’s had trouble getting out hitters from either side with both hitting above .300 against him prior to this game. During this one, though the right-hander was missing some bats, striking out a season hit eight while retiring the first eight hitters he faced on the night. Attacking the zone with first pitch strikes Blewett gave up a solo home run in the third inning before running into some trouble in the sixth. The Naturals offense quickly countered the home run in the third with a triple by Anderson Miller and a sacrifice fly before connecting on their own home run an inning later via Kelvin Gutierrez’s opposite field home run. Three singles and Kort Peterson’s throwing error helped plate two runs but a double play got Blewett out of the sixth prior to Gutierrez answering again with a rbi single. The bullpen made that lead hold up over the final three innings while the Naturals tacked on with another Gutierrez rbi single and Samir Duenez’s rbi double for the final winning margin.

Grand Junction Rockies 3 Idaho Falls Chukars 1

A rare lack of offense for Idaho Falls led to a defeat Friday night. The two starting pitchers started the game with four scoreless innings before Chukars starter gave up two runs on a pair of doubles and a couple Idaho Falls defensive errors. An inning later Grand Junction expanded their lead with a run with another double, this time off reliever Domingo Pena. That 3-0 lead would prove too much for the Chukars offense that was limited to just a run on four hits in the loss.

Jose Caraballo 1-4 RBI
Tyler James 1-2 R, 2BB, K
Nick Hutchins 1-3 Bb, 2k

Friday Boxscores

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Seuly Matias 2-3 HR, K

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Jon Heasley 5 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 3K 7-4 GO-FO 52p/38k

Future’s Game – In a highly offensive game that featured eight home runs between the two teams, the minor league home run leader, Seuly Matias connected on the first one of the day. The Royals uber-prospect lined a 94 mph fastball from Yankees prospect Justus Sheffield 360 feet over the right-field fence to tie the game up 1-1. That was the first home run in a highly offensive game that Team USA won 10-6 with Torii Hunter’s squad piling on four runs between the seventh and eighth innings to separate after the World team tied things up 6-6. In addition to the home run, Matias struck out versus Hunter Greene on a fastball better than 100 mph and singled on a groundball up the middle versus Detroit prospect Matt Manning.

Greenville Drive 3 Lexington Legends 1

The Legends offense struggled for the second night in a row while one of their hot pitchers didn’t have his best stuff on Sunday. Starter Carlos Hernandez entered the game with a 21 inning streak without allowing an earned run but struggled to avoid hits on this day, giving up nine hits in five and one-third innings including six doubles in that time. The right-hander gave up a run in the second on back to back doubles down the leftfield line to end his streak at 22 innings and was forced to navigate plenty of runners during the start. He also gave up a run in the fifth inning and left with two runners for Andrew Beckwith to clean up in the sixth. Infielder Ricky Aracena drove in the Legends only run in the eighth with a sac fly as Lexington pieced just four hits together during the game.

Carlos Hernandez: 5.1 IP 9 H 2 R 2 ER 2 BB 4 K 4-6 GO-FO 95p/63k
MJ Melendez: 0-3 BB
Nick Pratto: 0-4 K

Salem Red Sox 7 Wilmington Blue Rocks 4

Infielder Gabe Cancel’s hot bat kept going on Sunday as the Rocks got a good start form Gerson Garabito but the bullpen struggled in a loss against Salem. Since June 1, Cancel has hit .315/.363/.469 thanks in part to a 3 for 5 day on Sunday that featured two doubles and a home run while playing part in three of the Rocks four runs. Starter Gerson Garabito worked seven innings giving up single runs in the fifth and seventh innings while allowing three hits and three  walks against five strikeouts. Reliever Julio Pinto struggled mightily in relief, giving up five runs in the eighth inning to take a 2-2 game and put it firmly in the grasp of the Red Sox farm club.

Gabe Cancel: 3-5 R, 2-2b, HR, 3 RBI
Blake Perkins: 2-4 2R, BB
Gerson Garabito: 7 IP 3 H 2R 2 ER 3 BB 5 K 3-7 GO-FO 86p/54k

Springfield Cardinals 7 NW Arkansas Naturals 1

Starter Dallas Beeler was knocked around again, giving up five runs on five hits in just 2/3 of an inning on Sunday. While he was getting tattooed, the Cardinals starter shut out the Naturals offense for seven innings, limiting the Naturals to just three hits versus five strikeouts and a pair of walks. The NW Arkansas bullpens continued their struggles with Andres Machado and Pedro Fernandez each giving up a run in the loss.

Khalil Lee: 0-4 2K
Kelvin Gutierrez: 1-3 R, 2b
Jecksson Flores: 2-4 2b, RBI

Memphis Redbirds 8 Omaha Storm Chasers 0

A day after Chasers pitchers shut out Memphis, the offense returned the favor, getting shutout by Daniel Poncedeleon. The 26-year-old righthander allowed just a second-inning double by Ramon Torres while tossing a nine-inning complete game on 110 pitches, 77  of which were strikes while striking out five. Lefty Jon Dziedzic gave up a pair of home runs in his six and one-third innings, allowing four runs in the loss.

Nicky Lopez: 0-3 BB, K
Ramon Torres: 1-3 2b
Jon Dziedzic: 6.1 IP 5 H 4 R 3 ER 2 BB 2 K 2 HR 7-5 GO-FO 106p/62k

Johnson City Cardinals 7 Burlington Royals 6

Starter Elvis Luciano tossed three scoreless innings before giving up a pair of home runs and five total runs in the next inning and two-thirds. The big blow came via a three-run shot by Benito Santiago, the son of the former Royals catcher. Trailing 5-2 the Royals countered with three runs over the fifth and sixth innings getting a pair of rbi hits by Colby Schultz and Montae Bradshaw in the sixth to tie the game. Unfortunately, the Cardinals countered with a two-run double in the eighth to take a lead that the Royals couldn’t comeback against, falling a run short in the loss.

Chris Hudgins 2-5 2R, HR, 2b, 2 RBI
Jackson Lueck 2-4 R
Elvis Luciano 4.2 IP 5 H 5 R 5 ER 2 BB 6 K 2 HR 4-4 GO-FO 82p/53k

Missoula Osprey 3 Idaho Falls Chukars 1

The Chukars offense was shut down by the Missoula pitching staff for the second game in a row as the D-Backs squad limited the top hitting team in the league to just one run. Idaho Falls went just 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position while starter Jon Heasley tossed five shutout innings himself just 52 pitches. A 1-0 lead was overcome by a run in the seventh off Domingo Pena and two more in the ninth when he surrendered an RBI double and a sac fly. The offense couldn’t counter in the loss despite loading the bases.

Tyler James: 1-3 R, BB, SB (21)
Kyle Isbel: 0-4 2K
Reed Rohlman: 2-4 RBI, 2K

Featured Photo via @Royals Twitter

Sunday Boxscores

Monday Probables
Omaha – TBD
NW Arkansas – Jace Vines 2-8 5.04 ERA 1.58 WHIP
Wilmington – Nolan Watson 6-7 5.62 ERA 1.80 WHIP
Lexington – Charlie Neuweiler 0-1 3.81 ERA 1.31 WHIP
Burlington – Randy Acevedo 0-2 6.95 ERA 1.82 WHIP
Idaho Falls – JC Cloney 5-0 2.35 ERA 1.01 WHIP

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Kyle Isbel 3-5 3-2b, 2 RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Adrian Alcantara 5 IP 3 H 1 R 1 ER 1 BB 7 K 4-1 GO-FO

Idaho Falls Chukars 7 Grand Junction Rockies 4

The Chukars offense pounded out 14 hits on the way to a road win that evened their series with Grand Junction. Third-round draft pick Kyle Isbel connected on three doubles in five at-bats, driving in a pair of runs. In addition to Isbel’s offensive exploits, he also made an impressive diving catch in the field to record an out in the eighth inning. Starting pitcher Jon Heasley worked three scoreless innings while working around three hits and a walk during his first start in the Royals organization. Dominican right-hander Domingo Pena worked five innings with just one run allowed in earning the winning decision.

Jon Heasley: 3 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 1 K 5-2 GO-FO 42p/23k
Rudy Martin: 1-4 R, RBI
Tyler James: 2-5 2R, SB

Elizabethton Twins 15 Burlington Royals 3

The Royals didn’t have much luck getting Twins hitters out in a lopsided loss. Newly acquired right-hander Elvis Luciano made his first start as a member of the Royals organization, giving up six hits in three and two-thirds innings which allowed the Twins to score three runs. The right-hander struck out two hitters, hit the zone with 43 of his 59 pitches, and induced four groundouts before leaving with one run allowed against. Unfortunately for Luciano, he left with two runners on base and those two quickly came across when reliever Luis Alcantara struggled, allowing three hits in that frame, which allowed four runs to cross total. His struggles continued over the next two innings as well with the right-handed reliever giving up eight hits and eight runs in total during a game that got away from the Royals.

Elvis Luciano: 3.2 IP 6 H 3 R 3 ER 0 BB 2 K 4-0 GO-FO 59p/43k
Angel Medina: 2-4 R, RBI
Juan Carlos Negret: 2-4 2b, 2 RBI

Wednesday Boxscores

Thursday Probables
Omaha – TBD
NW Arkansas – Jake Kalish 3-3 4.63 ERA 1.43 WHIP
Wilmington – TBD
Lexington – TBD
Idaho Falls – TBD
Burlington – Randy Acevedo

Rounds 1-5
Rounds 6-10

11th Rd Pick #332 Overall
Michael Emodi C Creighton University
6’4 225 lbs
DOB 4/18/96
Slot Value  $125,000

A big guy behind the dish and at the plate, Emodi showed off his big power this season with nine home runs despite playing half his games in one of the most difficult college parks in the country to hit home runs in. The swing by Emodi is a tad long though fast, but it still has left him vulnerable to breaking stuff that he tends to chase out of the zone. It’s a swing path and frame that is built to generate power which he did this past season and should go forward shall he improve his pitch recognition skills.

On the defensive side one would think that he would have difficulties behind the dish as such a large catcher but Emodi, a quiet receiver, calls his own game which is a rarity in college and has a strong arm. His mechanics to release aren’t bad and the strength in the throws are good enough to generate pop times in the 1.9 range.

Analysis – I don’t like comps to former Royals, but John Buck stands out as a very apt comparable here for Emodi as a big-bodied catcher with a strong arm and long swing. Should he end up with a similar career as Buck, the Royals and he should be extremely happy.

12th Rd Pick #362 Overall
Rylan Kaufman LHP San Jacinto JUCO
6’4 190 lbs
DOB 6/23/99
Slot Value  $125,000

This is a piece that is still in the development stages of his career, it seems, working from the high 80s last year when he was drafted from high school by the Brewers until this year where he was working 91-93 mph with a feel for a changeup late in the year during their JUCO World Series run. The San Jacinto program is a cream of the crop JUCO program that has seen Daniel Stumpf and Anthony Banda come through the program recently as well as former Cy Young award winner Roger Clemens. Still just 18 years of age, the Royals would be getting a prospect here with his best days ahead as one would assume he should continue to add muscle to his tall and lean frame while refining his stuff the feel for his three-pitch arsenal.

Analysis – The type of clay that is best for molding.

13th Rd Pick #392 Overall
Jon Heasley RHP Oklahoma State University
6’3 215 lbs
DOB 1/27/97
Slot Value  $125,000

Heasley is an exciting prospect along the lines of Zach Haake who isn’t achieving the results he likely should, given the stuff that comes from his hand. Pitching primarily from the low to mid 90s with his fastball and low 80s slider may improve the results for the right-hander whose other two offerings in a slower curve and changeup lag behind. It’s a lively fastball which leads to control/command issues and has limited the length in which he’s pitched in games this season. Despite the control issues at times, Heasley took the ball with the Oklahoma State season on the line last week and tossed a complete game, one run (0 ER) effort against South Florida that was his season gem. There is stuff to refine here but it’s there to become a backend starter or more likely a reliever.

Via Perfect Game – Heasley, a draft-eligible sophomore, has earned a disparity of reviews among scouts in the area this spring. He’s a live-armed, good-sized righthander with good stuff, including a mid-90s fastball and a swing-and-miss slider that potentially projects as plus, but the effort in his delivery and the inconsistencies in terms of command lead to questions about his future role. 

Analysis – A difficult sign as a draft eligible sophomore who will likely have a weekend spot at Okie State to build on draft stock.

14th Rd Pick #422 Overall
Christian Cosby RHP Chapman University
6’5 215 lbs
DOB 12/21/96
Slot Value  $125,000

After playing outfield for a couple of years and pitching sporadically for Chapman, the coaching staff and Christian decided prior to last summer to make that transition to a full-time pitcher due to his upside at the position. According to his coach, he is still learning to hone his mechanics and body, but despite that he was showing 90-94 mph in longer outings and 94-97 mph when they would use him from the bullpen. Coach Laverty said that he’s working with a fastball, split-change and a slider.  He has developed that change from a low 80s more easily recognizable pitch to the better mid 80s version that he is currently working with. The slider is the pitch that he’s trying to develop currently trying to transform it from the cut version that he was using early into more of a regular large breaking slider. All of the pitches come from an over the top delivery from his large frame. Still learning the nuances of the game Cosby’s former outfield days help him with fielding the position while his athleticism makes for a quick move to first.

He’s just a fantastic kid, the best is still ahead of him and Kansas City got themselves something here. – Coach Laverty

Via Baseball America – Cosby is in his first year as a full-time pitcher and already touches 95-96 mph with a split-changeup that flashes average. He is physically imposing at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, with some scouts believing he could one day touch 100 mph. Cosby’s control is inconsistent and he doesn’t really have command yet because he is so new to pitching. His size, arm strength, and room for development make him an appealing high-upside pick for the draft’s third day.

Analysis – A nice piece of clay to mold from here.

15th Rd Pick #452 Overall
Milan Walla CF Tivy High School
6’4 175 lbs
DOB 7/4/00
Slot Value  $125,000

This is a very Royals pick as a 6’5 lanky centerfielder who stole 62 bases this high school season in his attempt to break the state record of 65 thefts. An Oklahoma commitment could make him a difficult to sign considering their success of putting outfielders into the draft with Steele Walker and Kyler Murray each getting taken in the first 46 selections during this draft. A multiple tool outfield with speed and a strong arm Wall should add plenty of muscle as he gets older leaning one to believe that he could become an offensive force. The load in the swing is a larger separation from hands and body than one may want but he gets decent carry off the bat currently for someone of his age and speed skillset, not just a slap hitter in the future Walla could become a five-tool player with some tweaks in the swing. One note in the Royals favor is that Walla’s brother Cohl passed on signing with the Washington Nationals after being drafted in 2009, instead choosing to attend the University of Texas where struggled after a good freshman season before being dismissed from the team and never getting a second opportunity with a professional team. Will he decide to take the path his brother didn’t in order to further his baseball career?

Via Daily Times – “He’s a very intriguing athlete,” Russ said. “You look at him — he’s 6 foot, 5 inches, and 200 pounds. This guy can run unbelievably fast for a guy his size, and he has unbelievable quickness for a guy his size. You don’t see that very often. … When you grade him out on a major league scale, he checks off the size. He checks off the speed. He checks off the arm.

Via Prep Baseball Report – athletic, fast-twitch and wiry frame. His speed is a plus tool that plays in center field and on the bases.

Analysis – An outstanding prep product to develop, one of the best products the Royals chose in this draft.

16th Rd Pick #482 Overall
Kyle Hinton RHP University of Delaware
6’2 210 lbs
DOB 12/12/97
Slot Value  $125,000

Coach Sherman described Kyle as having a bulldog mentality on the mound. A highly aggressive competitor on the field and off it with his teammates Hinton performed as Delaware’s Friday starter this past season. The right-hander can be wild at times with 41 walks in 90.2 innings and some wild pitches, but he was reliable start to start and showed a good two-pitch mix with his fastball in the low 90s and a biting breaking ball, helping him earn over a K per inning and four games in the double digits. A good sized frame with the athleticism to play positionally in his first couple of seasons at Delaware Hinton does everything well defensively and in controlling the running game.

Via Perfect Game – Hinton has received looks this spring from pro scouts and his transition into the weekend rotation has made it easier to be seen after spending the majority of his first two seasons working out of the bullpen. And while there’s some thought that Hinton could move back to the ‘pen at the next level, he’s shown no qualms with an increased workload this season, amassing 20 more innings in 2018 than in his first two seasons combined. With broad shoulders and a physical 6-foot-2, 210-pound build, Hinton looks the part of a hard-throwing righthander and he’s proven himself in a starting role this spring for the Blue Hens while missing a fair share of bats. His 15 starts and 90 2/3 innings through the regular season are both team bests and he’s managed to strike out 94 off the strength of his heater that will work anywhere in the 88-93 mph range and a slider that shows average on the pro scouting scale. The stuff could play up for Hinton in shorter roles but there’s no doubting the success he’s found this year in the rotation for Delaware.

Analysis – Org starter that you may move to the pen in hopes he adds velocity and tightness to the slider thanks to his athletic frame.

17th Rd Pick #512 Overall
Noah Bryant RHP Georgia Highlands College
6’3 200 lbs
DOB 10/15/98
Slot Value  $125,000

Originally recruited as a catcher to a different school, Bryant’s coaches at Georgia Highlands convinced him to attend their school and use his arm strength in a different manner. Since he was new to pitching they took it slow but the arm strength flashed for the right-hander who works in between a 3/4 and low 3/4 angle, running the fastball as high as 97 mph while regularly working in the 94 mph range with a hard late moving slider.

Via Perfect Game - Turning a lot of heads during his one inning stint on the mound was freshman righthander Noah Bryant from Georgia Highlands. Bryant proceeded to strike out the side during his performance all the while sitting 94-97 mph with his fastball. The fastball had significant arm side run to the pitch with some sink too. The arm stroke isn’t pristine, but it’s very fast and allows him to whip the fastball into the zone in the upper-90s. The slider is a pitch that he has been developing for most of the spring and the hard offspeed pitch sat in the 84-86 mph range and flashed some hard bite down and out of the strike zone against right-handed hitters. The numbers weren’t great on the season for Bryant, however, the raw stuff is very appealing in a professional bullpen. 

Analysis – Fresh with a strong arm, perhaps a future reliever.

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18th Rd Pick #542 Overall
R.J. Dabovich RHP Central Arizona College
6’3 190 lbs
DOB 1/11/99
Slot Value  $125,000

Despite gaining velocity, the right-hander didn’t earn what most would think in terms of strikeouts, getting less than a K per inning for his Central Arizona club. According to Coach Gillich, the slider is the second-best pitch in the arsenal for Dabovich which may have led to the lower strikeout numbers, when on in that low 80s range he had little problem putting hitters away but when he didn’t quite have the feeling he’d attack with the fastball on a downward plane. In addition to the fastball/slider, Gillich describes the changeup as an average pitch for the former Pueblo product. The gains on the velocity are due to an outstanding work ethic that the freshman employed working his velocity from 87-91 mph on arrival to school up to the regular 92-94 mph range it currently sits at while touching as high as 98 mph. It’s that mature approach and work ethic along with a big arm that gives Dabovich big upside in Gillich’s opinion.

“It feels surreal,” Dabovich said. “It’s been a dream my entire life to make it to that point. Now that it’s happened, it’s hard to believe right now. It’s an amazing feeling.” – The Pueblo West View

Via Perfect Game – A power-armed freshman junior college righthander, Dabovich had quite the ascension this year in terms of pretty much every quantifiable metric. He gained significant velocity and is now touching 97-98 mph after being more 90-93 mph in the fall, and his off-speed stuff has taken strides forward as well. He ended up with a 1.81 ERA across a second-on-the-team innings count, after starting the season in a bit of an unsettled role. He still has big upside, and while he’s also still raw, he has intrigued teams to the point of where he may go well before his ranking may suggest.

Analysis – If you can bring him into the fold, you may have a fast moving reliever due to the increased velocity.

19th Rd Pick #572 Overall
Hunter Wolfe SS Walters State
5’11 185 lbs
DOB 7/5/96
Slot Value  $125,000

Drafted in the 12th round last year, Wolfe decided to attend Walters State in hopes of building on the bonus offer he received from the Pirates. Despite an outstanding season that saw him help lead his squad to a 56-6 record on the way to a JUCO World Series bid his draft number fell but not due to production after hitting over .400 while totaling nine home runs, stealing 40+ bases and playing a solid defensive game up the middle. One of the older prospects drafted by the Royals, they will contend with a TCU program for Wolfe services.

Via UT Baseball – Thomas on Wolfe: “Hunter is a plus defending shortstop who complements his defense with a good offensive skill set. He will be able to impact the game both offensively and defensively. He is a sure-handed defender with great range and a very strong arm. Offensively, he has gap strength with the ability to hit the ball out of the park at times and has the speed to be a frontline base stealer.”

Via Baseball America – Wolfe turned down decent money from the Pirates as a 12th-round pick last year. He hit .429/.536/.679 for Walters State (Tenn.) JC this year with more walks than strikeouts and 39 steals in 43 attempts. He’s a toolsy shortstop with plus speed, a plus–if sometimes scattershot–arm and his swing work relatively well. His hands may not fit at shortstop long-term, but there are enough tools to be a useful second or third baseman in pro ball.

Analysis – TCU commitment likely makes for an org utility infielder.
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20th Rd Pick #602 Overall
Josh Hendrickson LHP Barton County CC
6’5 210 lbs
DOB 9/18/97
Slot Value  $125,000

After transferring from Ranger Junior College in Texas, the tall left-hander from Australia came to Barton and pitched the program to the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction. The teams #1 starter, Hendrickson is somewhat of a late bloomer according to Coach McBride, seeing his velocity hold more stability this season in the working 87-89 mph while topping in the 91-92 mph range. In addition to the fastball, the lefty tosses a curveball in the 75-78 mph range, a swing and miss curve that helped him earn 120 strikeouts in 96.1 innings from his high 3/4 arm slot. The lefty does drop down somewhat to toss a slider in the lower 80s range. Josh came in with a plan and idea of what he wanted to get out of our program and he executed it. His work ethic, intangibles, and composure are top notch and everything a coach would want.

He was great for our program despite having a future in pro ball when we asked him to take the ball and on short rest to pitch us to the JUCO World Series he did just that and I’ll always be thankful for that. – Coach McBride

As an Australian who never took the ACT, Hendrickson had to fulfill his commitment of two years of junior college baseball prior to attending a D1 program, something he did while committing to the University of San Diego. Coach McBride believes he has some extra velocity to find once in pro ball if he commits to letting it fly and develop the changeup which he used four or five times a game but as in most college pitchers he’ll need to continue to work on developing it.

Analysis – Likely an org lefty but one you hope can find extra juice for a relief role.

Feature Image: Michael Emodi, Creighton Athletics