The list of pitching prospects in the Rockies’ organization is thinning out. Antonio Senzatela has exceeded rookie eligibility, so he’s no longer a prospect. Kyle Freeland should become prospect ineligible after his next start, and Germán Márquez will do the same once he pitches his next inning. Jeff Hoffman is the furthest away from the 50 innings pitched threshold, but he’ll need just need two or three starts to break it. But a thinned list is not a barren list, and two pitching prospects that represent the next wave of pitching prospects flashed their stuff last night in the minor-leagues.
Peter Lambert, whom the Purple Row community voted to be the team’s eleventh best prospect, tossed seven shutout innings for the Lancaster JetHawks last night. He struck out six batters and allowed just two hits and a walk. Over nine starts and 511⁄3 innings pitched, Lambert has struck out almost 10 batters per nine. He’s walked 2.6 per nine innings, giving him a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.73.
Perhaps most impressively, Lambert is only 20-years-old and is three years younger than the average California League competition. He’ll receive a difficult test against more advanced hitters when he moves on, but for now Lambert might be the third best pitching prospect in the Rockies’ system after Riley Pint and Ryan Castellani.
For Hartford, Purple Row’s 26th ranked prospect Parker French gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings of work. He struck out five batters and only walked one. French, 24, doesn’t have Lambert’s ceiling, but he could find himself in the mix as a long reliever and spot starter in the major-leagues—sort of in the Christian Bergman role.
Here are the rest of the box scores and PuRP lines from yesterday.
Albuquerque 5, Colorado Springs 3 | MiLB.com Box
Trevor Story: 1-4, K
Jordan Patterson (No. 13 PuRP): 1-3, BB, K
Jerry Vasto: 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, K
Matt Carasiti: 1.1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, B, 2K
Hartford 6, Akron 5| MiLB.com Box
Ryan McMahon (No. 7 PuRP): 1-2, 2 BB, K
Dom Nunez (No. 14 PuRP): 0-3, 2 K
Josh Fuentes: 1-3, HR
Parker French (No. 26 PuRP): 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, BB, 5 K, HR
Lancaster 2, Inland Empire 0 | MiLB.com Box
Brendan Rodgers (No. 1 PuRP): 0-4
Garrett Hampson (No. 22 PuRP): 2-4, K
Sam Hilliard: 2-4, 2B
Peter Lambert (No. 11 PuRP): 7 IP, 0 R, 2 H, BB, 6 K
Greenville 9, Asheville 3 | MiLB.com Box
Colton Welker (No. 19 PuRP): 2-5, 2 2B
Jose Gomez (No. 30 PuRP): 2-3, 2B, 2 BB
Willie Abreu: 3-5
Today’s probables
Triple-A Albuquerque: Jeff Hoffman (possibly scratch to make a spot start for the Rockies on Monday)
Double-A Hartford: Sam Howard
Class A Advanced Lancaster: Jesus Tinoco
Class A Asheville: Brandon Gold