MLB Pipeline’s Prospect Team of the Week honors the best performances from the previous seven days. Any Minor Leaguer currently on an organization Top 30 Prospects list in our Prospect Rankings is eligible.
Spencer Torkelson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 Draft, was so good last week that he not only earned Prospect Team of the Week accolades but also a promotion to Double-A.
Torkelson said goodbye to High-A by going 11-for-20 with seven extra-base hits in six games, batting .550/.577/1.050 during that stretch. He had more multihit games and walks (four each) than strikeouts (three) as he continued to show why scouts considered him one of the best all-around offensive prospects to come out of the Draft in years.
Set to make his debut with the Erie SeaWolves on Tuesday, Torkelson leads a power-packed PTOW based on games from June 7-13:
C: Drew Millas, Lansing Lugnuts (High-A)
(Athletics No. 30)
.500/.565/.850, 5 G, 20 AB, 4 R, 10 H, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SO, 1 SB
Millas struggled at the plate during the first month of the season but has been on fire in June, slamming his first two pro homers last week while recording four straight multihit games. Known more for his defense that his bat, he’s hitting .279/.402/.413 with more walks (22) than whiffs (15) through 27 contests.
Others receiving votes: Joey Bart, Sacramento River Cats (Triple-A, Giants)
1B: Spencer Torkelson, West Michigan Whitecaps (High-A)
(Tigers No. 1/MLB No. 3)
.550/.577/1.050, 6 G, 20 AB, 6 R, 11 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 4 BB, 3 SO, 1 CS
Torkelson paced all Top 30 Prospects last week in batting, OPS (1.627) and tied for the lead in hits. After breaking into pro ball by going 6-for-41 (.146) in his first 11 games this season, he boosted his final High-A Central numbers to .312/.440/.569 with five homers in 31 contests and topped the league with a 1.009 OPS at the time of his departure.
2B: Spencer Steer, Cedar Rapids Kernels (High-A)
(Twins No. 30)
.222/.276/.704, 6 G, 27 AB, 5 R, 6 H, 1 2B, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 8 SO, 1 CS
It’s not often that a .222 hitter cracks the PTOW, but Steer made his knocks count, with four of his six clearing the fence. Counting a two-homer game from the previous week, he went deep six times in a five-game span and is now batting .248/.372/.473 with eight dingers in 33 contests.
3B: Nolan Gorman, Springfield Cardinals (Double-A)
(Cardinals No. 2/MLB No. 31)
.346/.393/1.154, 6 G, 26 AB, 8 R, 9 H, 7 HR, 12 RBI, 2 BB, 7 SO
Gorman had some of the best power in the 2018 Draft and showed it off last week with seven homers, including two on Friday and three on Saturday. He led all Top 30 Prospects in homers, total bases (30) and slugging and paces the Double-A Central with 43 hits and 77 total bases while batting .316/.388/.566 with 10 homers through 34 games.
SS: Noelvi Marte, Modesto Nuts (Low-A)
(Mariners No. 6/MLB No. 88)
.435/.536/.957, 6 G, 23 AB, 5 R, 10 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 6 SO, 1 SB
Marte hit safely in all six games last week and finished it with four straight multihit efforts to take over the Low-A West lead in hits (45), homers (eight) and total bases (80). He’s batting .324/.423/.576 overall with five steals in 34 games.
OF: Alexander Canario, San Jose Giants (Low-A)
(Giants No. 9)
.440/.444/.760, 6 G, 25 AB, 10 R, 11 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 4 SO, 2 SB
Canario was batting just .178 in his full-season debut before going on a tear last week, hitting safely in all six games, leading all Top 30 Prospects in runs and tying for top honors in hits. That hot streak raised his season line to .235/.326/.409 with four homers and seven steals in 32 games.
OF: Dominic Fletcher, Amarillo Sod Poodles (Double-A)
(D-backs No. 15)
.444/.524/.875, 5 G, 18 AB, 5 R, 8 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 2 BB, 3 SO
The younger brother of David Fletcher has shaken off an early-season slump to bat .481 in his last eight games, including four multihit efforts last week highlighted by a Monday contest in which he doubled, homered and walked twice. He’s batting .257/.325/.416 with four homers in 31 games.
OF: Joshua Mears, Lake Elsinore Storm (Low-A)
(Padres No. 9)
.350/.458/1.000, 6 G, 20 AB, 6 R, 7 H, 1 2B, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB, 6 SO, 1 SB
Mears went hitless in his first eight at-bats last week before going 7-for-12 with four homers, including two blasts on Sunday. He’s now batting .222/.384/.444 with five homers and seven steals in 31 games.
LHP: Ken Waldichuk, Hudson Valley Renegades (High-A)
(Yankees No. 27)
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 SO, 0.67 WHIP
The first pitcher to repeat on the PTOW this season, Waldichuk has yet to give up a run in seven starts covering 30 2/3 innings. He tied his season high with 10 strikeouts in six one-hit innings on Friday and now ranks first in the Minors in ERA (obviously) and strikeout percentage (49 percent) and second in opponent average (.120) while logging 55 whiffs versus just 25 baserunners allowed.
RHP: Cade Cavalli, Wilmington Blue Rocks (High-A)
(Nationals No. 1/MLB No. 82)
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 7 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 15 SO, 0.29 WHIP
Speaking of dominant pitchers in the High-A East, Cavalli tied Jacob deGrom for the most strikeouts in a pro game this year when he fanned 15 in seven no-hit innings on Saturday. He leads the Minors with 71 whiffs in 40 2/3 innings, ranks second behind Waldichuk in strikeout percentage (45 percent) and sports a 1.77 ERA and .171 opponent average.
RP: Freddie Tarnok, Rome Braves (High-A)
(Braves No. 10)
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO, 0.25 WHIP
Slowed by a lat injury in Spring Training, Tarnok made his season debut in relief on Wednesday. He threw 34 of 58 pitches for strikes while whiffing eight batters and yielding just one walk in four nearly perfect frames.
Others receiving votes: Jaime Melendez, Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Low-A, Astros)