As Jim stated in his post earlier, welcome back to UTRMinors daily coverage. This being our sixth season, we’re ready to take on another season’s worth of hitters and pitchers, all for you, so that you can keep tabs on the best-of-the-best for 2019.

If you’re familiar with our coverage, we post both in-season and off-season content. However, as a pitcher develops a new pitch or a hitter makes adjustments to his swing, the goal is to provide improved content. Therefore, my daily posts will look a bit different compared to year’s past.

The reason? Hitters got lost in the shuffle when factoring in a top daily performer versus a hitter who maintains/sustains a high level of play despite not achieving our daily criteria.

To further explain, previously I’d focus on hitters that had a great “day” at the plate, and that’s all good. I, as well as readers, want to know who’s killing it at the plate on a daily basis. Yet, what I’ve found in comparing my daily coverage to my off-season work is that there are generally a glut of hitters that get lost in between. I set my daily criteria at a very high level, and have discovered over the last five years that my end of the season metrics generally arrive at approximately a third or fourth of the daily standard I look to post each day.  In other words, overall average performance is what we will be highlighting as we go along through the season. Also, I’ll be following Jim’s “per league” format and listing hitters based on their respective leagues instead of listing hitters by American and National League.

So, without further ado, welcome to the first 2019 UTR Hitters of the Day installment.

Top Hitter of the Day: 

• Luis Robert, CF – Winston-Salem Dash – Chicago White Sox2-4, 2 HR (2), 2R, 5RBi, BB, 2K, SB
• • Despite our website’s UTR (under-the-radar) acronym, Chicago White Sox current #4 prospect (MLB Pipeline) Luis Robert is anything but under-the-radar. The 6’3″- 185 lb. Cuban went all of 2018 without a home run, yet burst onto the 2019 scene blasting two home runs last night, (a 3rd inning three-run shot; and a a two-run shot in the 4th) and plating five runs. Robert has been compared to fellow organizational mate Yoan Moncada and possesses some of the systems best bat speed, raw power, and speed in both the outfield and on the base paths. He should be a real fun follow this season and if he continues this type of torrid pace, it wouldn’t be out completely out of the question for Robert to see the majors  by season’s end.

California League:

• Austin Bernard, C – Lancaster Jethawks – Colorado Rockies2-2, HR (1), R, RBi, 2 BB
• Luis Liberato, LF – Modesto Nuts – Seattle Mariners2-3, HR (1), R, 2RBi, BB
• Cal Raleigh, C – Modesto Nuts – Seattle Mariners2-5, HR (1), 3R, K
• Bryce Johnson, CF – San Jose Giants – San Francisco Giants2-5, 3B, 2R, K, SB (1)
• Anthony Jimenez, CF – Modesto Nuts – Seattle Mariners 3-5, 3B, R, RBi, K

Carolina League:

• Jake Adams, 1B – Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Houston Astros4-6, HR (1), 2R, 7RBi, K
• Leody Taveras, CF – Down East Wood Ducks – Texas Rangers4-4. 2B, 3B, R, 4RBi, SB (1)
• Yeyson Yrizarri, SS – Winston-Salem Dash – Chicago White Sox2-4, HR (1), 2B, 2R, 2RBi
• Trenton Brooks, RF – Lynchburg Hillcats – Cleveland Indians1-6, HR (1), R, 5RBi
• Nolan Jones 3B – Lynchburg Hillcats – Cleveland Indians3-5, 2B, 3R, 2RBi, BB, K
• Steven Kwan, CF – Lynchburg Hillcats – Cleveland Indians4-6, 3R, 2RBi, SB (1)
• Oscar Gonzalez, LF – Lynchburg Hillcats – Cleveland Indians3-6, 3B, 2R, 2RBi, K
• Marino Campana, RF – Salem Red Sox – Boston Red Sox1-5, HR (1), R, 3RBi, K
• Michael Papierski, C – Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Houston Astros1-3, 2B, 2R, RBi, 3BB
• Ryan Fitzgerald, SS – Salem Red Sox – Boston Red Sox2-4, 3B, R, 2RBi, BB, K
• Jacob Meyers, CF – Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Houston Astros2-5, 3R, 2RBi, BB, 2K
• Jarren Duran, RF – Salem Red Sox – Boston Red Sox3-5, 3B, R, RBi, K
• Gavin Collins, C – Lynchburg Hillcats – Cleveland Indians3-5, 2B, R, RBi, BB, K
• Bryan De La Cruz, RF – Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Houston Astros3-6, 3B, R, RBi, K
• Jagger Rusconi, CF – Salem Red Sox – Boston Red Sox4-5, R, RBi

Florida State League: 

• Cal Stevenson, LF – Dunedin Blue Jays – Toronto Blue Jays3-4, HR (1), R, 3RBi, BB, K
• Justin Toerner, RF – Palm Beach Cardinals – St. Louis Cardinals2-2, 2B, 2R, RBi, 2BB, 2 SB (2)
• Akil Baddoo, CF – Fort Myers Miracle – Minnesota Twins2-5, HR (1), 3B, 2R, RBi, 2K
• Lewin Diaz, 1B – Fort Myers Miracle – Minnesota Twins4-5, 2B, 2R, 3RBi, K
• Edgar Cabral, C – Clearwater Threshers – Philadelphia Phillies2-4, HR (1), 2B, R, 2RBI
• Riley Adams, C – Dunedin Blue Jays – Toronto Blue Jays1-4, HR (1), 2R, 2RBi, 2K
• Vidal Brujan, 2B – Charlotte Stone Crabs – Tampa Bay Rays4-5, 2B, 2RBi
• Carl Chester, LF – Charlotte Stone Crabs – Tampa Bay Rays4-4, 2R

Midwest League: 

• Ross Adolph, OF – Quad Cities River Bandits – Houston Astros 2-4, HR (1), R, 4RBi, BB, K
• Ivan Herrera, C – Peoria Chiefs – St. Louis Cardinals3-4, HR (1), 2R, RBi, BB
• Brendan Donovan, 3B – Peoria Chiefs – St. Louis Cardinals3-5, 2B, R, 2RBi, BB
• Wander Franco, SS – Bowling Green Hit Rods – Tampa Bay Rays1-3, 2B, 2R, RBi, 2BB, K

South Atlantic League:

• Brendan Venter, 1B – Rome Braves – Atlanta Braves 4-5, HR (1), 2B, R, 5RBi, K
• Chase Vallot, C – Lexington Legends – Kansas City Royals 2-3, HR (1), 3B, 2R, 2RBi, BB, K
• Brett Kinneman, RF – Greensboro Grasshoppers – Pittsburgh Pirates2-4, HR (1), 2B, R, 4RBi, K
• Chris Seise, SS – Hickory Crawdads – Texas Rangers 3-5, 2 2B, 3B, 3R, K
• Trey Harris, RF – Rome Braves – Atlanta Braves 3-5, HR (1), 2R, 2RBi, K
• Jacob Gonzalez, 3B – Augusta GreenJackets – San Francisco Giants1-3, HR (1), 2R, RBi, 2BB, K
• Justin Dean, CF – Rome Braves – Atlanta Braves 2-4, HR (1), R, RBi, BB
• Cody Wilson, CF – Hagerstown Suns – Washington Nationals 1-3, 3B, 2R, 2BB, BB, SB (1)
• Gilbert Lara, 3B – Hagerstown Suns – Washington Nationals 2-5, HR (1), R, 2RBi, K
• Shane Matheny, 2B – Augusta GreenJackets – San Francisco Giants2-4, 2B, R, 3RBi, BB, K
• Gage Canning, CF – Hagerstown Suns – Washington Nationals 2-5, 2B, R, 2RBi, K, SB (1)
• Sam Huff, C – Hickory Crawdads – Texas Rangers 3-4, 2B, R, 2RBi, K, SB (1)
• Matt Whatley, C – Hickory Crawdads – Texas Rangers 2-4, R, 3RBi, BB, K, SB (1)