Minor League Baseball Weekend Recap (Week 2)

At the beginning of each week, I will provide a comprehensive breakdown of everything that happened across the landscape of Minor League Baseball. It might be a little overkill as I wrote far too much on the players that stood out on the weekend, but I hope it helps you better understand why a player performed as they did.

This report each Monday will feature the top 20 standouts beyond just the box score. I will dive in on non-public pitch data and hitters’ statcast data as well. The goal is to help you find prospects that are breaking out early that you should be getting in on in your dynasty leagues.

Minor League Baseball Weekend Recap(Week 2)

Zyhir Hope, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers, 20, A+

While there are some signs of contact concerns and strikeouts in the early going for Hope, he is heating up quickly at the plate. A strong weekend for Hope saw him collect six hits, including a four-hit day on Sunday, where he wound up a home run shy of the cycle.

The third-inning triple nearly left the yard, hitting off the top of the tall right-field wall. He struck a couple more hard-hit balls, which led to two doubles. On Friday night, Hope blasted a mammoth home run off a hanging breaking ball that was well-struck.

The nine-game sample has looked good on the surface, but it is worth noting the the strikeout and contact rates. Just something to monitor as everyone pushes Hope toward being the top prospect in baseball on social media.

Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics, 22, AAA

It is only a matter of time at this point. Kurtz keeps hitting and is up to six home runs with an impressive .367/.409/.817 slash line in 60 trips to the plate in Triple-A. Could we see him in Sacramento soon?

Kurtz is no stranger to high-level performance. In all three seasons at Wake Forest, Kurtz put up numbers. He finished his college career with 61 home runs in 164 games, including 22 this season in 54 games. Having a strong eye at the plate, Kurtz finished his Wake career with a .510 OBP and 189 walks to just 130 strikeouts over 784 plate appearances.

The lefty currently has a 90th percentile exit velocity of 108 mph with an average exit velocity of 95.5 mph. Kurtz can mash, but he also makes a ton of contact, running an 81.3 percent in-zone contact rate. His approach is sound, checking every box you want to see from a hitter.

Four more hits and a home run over the weekend put Kurtz in a good spot to be called up soon. How does he fit in the picture? Well Brent Rooker has played outfield for ten years of his career before getting injured and is now back healthy. Kurtz and Soderstrom can split time between first base and designated hitter.

Spencer Jones, OF, New York Yankees, 23, AA

Returning to Double-A for the second straight season was not a good vibe from the Yankees on how they view Jones. But one thing is certain: Jones can mash when he connects. That was on full display on Sunday as he collected three hits and blasted two home runs.

A 110 mph line shot to centerfield banged high off the batter’s eye in the seventh inning. The ninth-inning homer left the bat at an even lower launch angle and cleared the wall with a 105.5 mph exit velocity that traveled 344 feet to right field.

Jones is such a good athlete as well, he made an incredible diving catch in centerfield and shows good reads and jumps while having plus foot speed over space.

Sure, he did strike out six times between the three weekend games, but the athlete here is one that is hard not to give up on. Jones’ strikeout rate is an abysmal 37 percent and the contact rate sits around 53 percent.

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