*Top Hitter of the Day*

• Shane Matheny, 2B – Augusta GreenJackets – San Francisco Giants2-4, HR (1), 2R, 3RBi, BB, KThe 2017 – 23rd rounder out of Washington State made a nice leap up the South Atlantic League leaderboard Sunday with his first home run of the young season along with three RBi and a walk. The 6’1″- 205 lb. lefty has five hits in 13 at-bats so far (.385), which isn’t a bad start for a kid who came into 2019 with a career .229 batting average and only six home runs in 126 minor league games. 

California League: 

• Joe Rizzo, 3B – Modesto Nuts – Seattle Mariners 2-5, 2B, R, 2RBi, 2K The Mariners current #23 prospect is kind of an enigma, who has shown flashes of the player the Mariners selected in the second round in 2016 out of Oakton HS (VA). For the most part, scouts and prognosticators say he possesses the skills to be an everyday regular at third base, but continuously falls into bad habits at the plate. Hopefully, the first four games of the 2019 season are a sign of a turnaround, as Rizzo has logged two hits in three of his first four games (6-17; .353) and leads the young Cal League season with three doubles thus far. 
• Casey Golden, LF – Lancaster Jethawks – Colorado Rockies2-3, HR (2), 2R, RBi, 2BB, K This will be the last go-around for Golden, who at 24 years old, sits on the cusp of 1) Double-A and: 2) our prospect age criteria. He turns 25 on September 1, so we’re hoping the Greensboro, NC native can give us a good final season on the site. 
• Luis Liberato, LF – Modesto Nuts – Seattle Mariners 1-5, HR (3), 2R, 2RBiAnother day at the office for the current Cal League total base leader. Liberato hit his third home run in four games, which has helped pace the Modesto Nuts as the only undefeated team (4-0) left in the California League. 

Carolina League: 

• Luis Robert, CF – Winston-Salem Dash – Chicago White Sox2-4, HR (3), 2R, 3RBi, 2KSpeaking of another day at the office, Robert has been absolutely relentless with the bat thus far, and I said it yesterday and I’ll say it again. If he continues this pace of play, he’ll be punching his ticket to Double-A Birmingham in very short order. Robert’s nine hits ties him for the HiA lead, but the overall package he possesses deems him a future superstar in Chicago. 
• Trenton Brooks, RF – Lynchburg Hillcats – Cleveland Indians1-3, HR (2), 2R, RBi, BB
• Mason McCoy, SS – Lynchburg Hillcats – Cleveland Indians3-6, R, 2RBi, K
• Scott Manea, C – Fayetteville Woodpeckers – Houston Astros2-4, HR (2), R, RBi

Florida State League: 

• Isiah Gilliam, RF – Tampa Tarpons – New York Yankees2-2, HR (1), R, 2RBi, BBThe 22 year old switch-hitter clubbed his first home run of the season. 
• Vidal Brujan, 2B – Charlotte Stone Crabs – Tampa Bay Rays3-4, 2B, R, 2SBTampa Bay Ray’s #7 prospect collected three more hits after going 1-9 in his previous two games. The 5’9″ – 155 lb. middle infielder started off 2019 going 4-for-5 with a double. Should you worry about the cyclical hitting spurts? Absolutely not. Brujan is a future top-of-the-order force who should have no issue making his way to the top of the Ray’s prospect list. 
• Royce Lewis, SS – Fort Myers Miracle – Minnesota Twins0-3, 2BB, K, 2 SB (2)One thing I love about top prospects is they almost always find a way to get the job done. Lewis is doing just that so far this season. The Twins #1 prospect (Pipeline) goes into Monday batting a putrid .167, but sits on a .474 on-base percentage, mostly due to his seven walks in four games.  
• Matt Vierling, LF – Clearwater Threshers – Philadelphia Phillies2-4, 2B, R, 2RBi, 2K, SB 

Midwest League: 

• Chase Calabui, CF – Beloit Snappers – Oakland A’s2-4, HR (1), R, RBi, BB, K 
• Agustin Ruiz, RF – Fort Wayne TinCaps – San Diego Padres2-4, 2B, R, RBi, K
• Ivan Herrera, C – Peoria Chiefs – St. Louis Cardinals1-4, HR (2), R, RBiMy 2018 Organizational All-Star catcher selection leads all Midwest League catchers in total bases and despite sitting behind Andrew Knizner on the depth chart, Herrera has the overall skills on offensive, defensive as well as makeup and work ethic to eventually become an every day regular. 

South Atlantic League: 

• Julio Rodriguez, RF – West Virginia Power – Seattle Mariners3-5, 2 2B, 2R, 2RBi, K One of only five 18-year-olds in the South Atlantic League, the Mariners #5 prospect (Pipeline) rapped out two doubles and now sits on three, which leads the Sally League. 
• Lenyn Sosa, SS – Kannapolis Intimidators – Chicago White Sox1-4, 2B, R, RBi
• Robert Neustrom, RF – Delmarva Shorebirds – Baltimore Orioles2-5, 2B, R, 2RBi, SB