This week, we change up the Prospect Round-Up.  Going forward, the PRU is going to focus on the weekly performance of the top prospects, plus some of the season’s most impressive players.

This hopefully will free me up to write more stories and opinions in standalone stories throughout the week.

Let me know what you think of this change in the comments, and on social media!

Top Prospect Watch

#1: Marco Luciano

This Week (High-A): DID NOT PLAY

Season (High-A): .288/.360/.507 – 42-146, 8 2B, 0 3B, 8 HR, 15 BB, 38 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA

Marco Luciano has been out since early June with reported back problems, but word is that he’s begun baseball activities again in Arizona and his comeback may begin soon.

#3: Luis Matos 

This Week (High-A): .167/.211/.222 – 3-18, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA

Season (High-A): .173/.254/.240 – 31-179, 6 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 17 BB, 35 SO, 4-5 SB-SBA

For Luis Matos, it was more of the same this week.  He’s still not striking the ball with the kind of authority that was expected after his time in San Jose.  Meanwhile, he’s drawing some walks, and not striking out like some other batters, but not showing the plate discipline that’s been expected.

#4: Kyle Harrison

This Week (AA): 0.00 ERA, 0.83 WHIP – 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 3 SO

Season (High-A): 1.55 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, .179 Avg – 7 G, 7 GS, 29.0 IP, 19 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 59 SO

Season (AA): 3.19 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 175 Avg – 8 G, 8 GS, 42.1 IP, 25 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 5 HR, 22 BB, 60 SO

After some struggles in his first couple of games in Double-A, Harrison has continued to be an amazing pitcher despite being one of the youngest players in the Eastern League at just 20 years old.  There’s a chance he could finish the season as the system’s top prospect.

#5: Heliot Ramos 

This Week (AAA): .250/.333/.417 – 6-24, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 3 BB, 8 SO, 1-1 SB-SBA

Season (AAA): .223/.309/.341 – 61-273, 9 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 28 BB, 75 SO, 3-7 SB-SBA

After spending the first half of the season really struggling, we’re beginning to see the hints of Ramos waking up in Triple-A.  It’s not exactly overwhelming, but the beginnings are there.  Hopefully he keeps it up for the rest of July.

#6: Will Bednar

This Week (Low-A): DID NOT PLAY

Season (Low-A): 4.19 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 167 Avg – 12 G, 12 GS, 43.0 IP, 25 H, 22 R, 20 ER, 7 HR, 22 BB, 51 SO

Will Bednar’s absence since mid-June continues, with no word on when he’ll return.  Hopefully not too much of the season slips away where there’s not a lot of time for Bednar to bounce back from a rough first half.

#7: Jairo Pomares 

This Week (High-A): .222/.300/.444 – 4-18, 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 BB, 7 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA

Season (High-A): .220/.291/.416 – 46-209, 14 2B, 0 3B, 9 HR, 20 BB, 80 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA

While there were no home runs this week, Pomares was striking the ball very well in Eugene this week, posting some excellent exit velocities on his doubles.  Pomares continues to tease that power, but his strikeouts continue to be an issue that he’ll need to address.

#8: Aeverson Arteaga

This Week (Low-A): .211/.250/.368 – 4-19, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA

Season (Low-A): .275/.336/.439 – 84-305, 22 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 22 BB, 86 SO, 6-8 SB-SBA

Arteaga had a bit of a tough week in San Jose, but he did hit his eighth home run of the season.  His offense in Arizona in his 2021 debut was a bit of a surprise, and he’s one home run away from matching that, although it’s taken him more games to do so.

#9: Hunter Bishop

This Week (High-A): .238/.304/.571 – 5-21, 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 1 BB, 8 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA

Season (High-A): .232/.321/.433 – 61-263, 10 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, 28 BB, 103 SO, 17-19 SB-SBA

While Bishop still is struggling with strikeouts and batting average, Bishop’s power is looking sustainable as he continues to knock out home runs and doubles.  What hasn’t shown up recently is his speed on the basepaths, as he has yet to even attempt one in July so far.

#10: Nick Swiney

This Week (AA): 2.25 ERA, 1.00 WHIP – 4.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 4 SO

Season (AA): 3.81 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 176 Avg – 12 G, 12 GS, 54.1 IP, 35 H, 29 R, 23 ER, 2 HR, 25 BB, 68 SO

Swiney’s had a bit of up and down season, as he bounced back from allowing six runs to having a strong overall start this week.  He’s seemed to struggle with control lately, as he’s allowed seven of his 25 walks (28%) in only his last two starts.

System Risers

Vaun Brown

This Week (High-A): .346/.379/.577 – 9-26, 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 1 BB, 11 SO, 5-5 SB-SBA

Season (Low-A): .346/.427/.636 – 79-229, 14 2B, 5 3B, 14 HR, 25 BB, 67 SO, 23-3 SB-SBA

Season (High-A): .385/.459/.654 – 20-52, 2 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 5 BB, 18 SO, 9-9 SB-SBA

Yeah…I really don’t want to fall in baseball-love with Vaun Brown, but he really looks like a new Hunter Pence in so many ways, and he’s just continuing to hit and even complete steals at High-A.  At 24, he’s just old for these levels, but he’s doing what he should at least.

Grant McCray

This Week (Low-A): .120/.185/.360 – 3-25, 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 1 BB, 11 SO, 1-1 SB-SBA

Season (Low-A): .275/.363/.508 – 82-295, 17 2B, 8 3B, 12 HR, 37 BB, 101 SO, 22-28 SB-SBA

No doubt about it, it’s been a slump week for McCray, which isn’t that big a deal after how hot he was for well over a month.  McCray might be over-swinging, selling out for power at the sake of consistency, which isn’t necessarily going to be the best type of swing for a speed-type of hitter. 

Casey Schmitt

This Week (High-A): .174/.296/.304 – 4-23, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 BB, 5 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA

Season (High-A): .284/.371/.500 – 75-264, 10 2B, 1 3B, 15 HR, 32 BB, 69 SO, 1-3 SB-SBA

Casey Schmitt’s cooled off from the first couple of months, where he was one of the leaders in all of the Northwest League.  The good news is that the power growth is still there, something that Schmitt will need if he is to stay at third baseman, although he’s holding down shortstop mostly with Luciano out.

Sean Hjelle

This Week (AAA): 9.00 ERA, 2.25 WHIP – 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 2 SO

Season (AAA): 4.81 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, .274 Avg – 13 G, 13 GS, 58.0 IP, 63 H, 34 R, 31 ER, 7 HR, 19 BB, 48 SO

After his most recent brief callup to the Majors, which did not go well, Hjelle returned to the minors for more not going well.  Hjelle’s definitely had his ups and downs this season, but this was Hjelle’s first hiccup with control, as he hadn’t allowed more than two walks in any game, at either the Majors or Triple-A, before this week.

Ryan Murphy

This Week (AA): 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP – 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 3 SO

Season (High-A): 2.90 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, .180 Avg – 7 G, 7 GS, 31.0 IP, 20 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 47 SO

Season (AA): 9.35 ERA, 2.19 WHIP, .265 Avg – 2 G, 2 GS, 8.2 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 7 SO

Speaking of rough starts at a new level, Ryan Murphy bounced back from his very rough first start with a strong, though not perfect, second start.  Only those walks and strikeouts belied any trouble, but Murphy kept it out of the scoreboard at least.