There was a time not too long ago when Brendan Rodgers was hitting nothing but singles in Double-A. “Let’s be patient and wait for him to adjust,” we said. “The transition from High-A to Double-A is the most difficult minor-league jump,” we remembered. It is still too early to just call Rodgers done in Double-A and move him along, but he is starting to get things figured out in Hartford. Last night, Rodgers hit two home runs in Hartford’s extra innings 7-6 win. He added a couple of singles to go with it to complete a 4-for-7 night. Rodgers is now hitting .254/.324/.403 in Double-A. He’s still developing as a ballplayer, and he’s at the right level at the right time.
Ryan Vilade, the Rockies top draft pick from 2017, had a good night without getting a hit. He went 0-for-3, but he walked two times. He’s now walked in an incredible 23 percent of his plate appearances, and it contributes to a cool .302/.471/.566 slash line. For reference, Rodgers hit .273/.340/.420 in his time in Grand Junction in 2015. That’s not to say Vilade is the talent Rodgers is, but it does suggest that the 18-year-old is a real-deal prospect who may already be too advanced for Rookie ball.
Reminder: Mid-season PuRPs voting is open until this Friday. Go vote!
Purple Row’s top 30 prospects (PuRPs)
Albuquerque 9, Las Vegas 5 | MiLB.com Box
David Dahl (rehab assignment): 2-for-6, K
Ryan McMahon (no. 7 PuRP): 3-for-5, HR
Ryan Patterson (no. 13 PuRP): 0-for-5, 3 K
Carlos Estévez: IP, H, 0 R, BB, 2 K
James Farris: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Hartford 7, Trenton 6 (13 innings) | MiLB.com Box
Brendan Rodgers (no. 1 PuRP): 4-for-7, 2 HR, 2 K
Dom Nuñez (no. 14 PuRP): 1-for-4, 2 BB, K
Drew Weeks: 2-for-5, 2 HR, 2 K
Brian Mundell: 1-for-6, K
Parker French (no. 26 PuRP): 3.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 BB, 4 K, HRA
Lancaster 4, Lake Elsinore 0 | MiLB.com Box
Garrett Hampson (no. 22 PuRP): 1-for-4
Sam Hilliard: 2-for-4, K
Roberto Ramos: 1-for-4, HR
Brandon Gold: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K
Asheville 2, Augusta 1 | MiLB.com Box
Riley Pint (no. 3 PuRP): 6 IP, 3 H, R, 3 BB, 6 K
Tyler Nevin (no. 23 PuRP): 0-for-3, BB
José Gomez (no. 30 PuRP): 1-for-4, 2 K
Willie Abreu: 2-for-4
Tri-City 8, Boise 7 | MiLB.com Box
Sean Bouchard (2017 9th round draft pick): 4-for-4, 2 2B, BB
Hidekel González: 1-for-5, 3 K
Grand Junction 10, Great Falls 2 | MiLB.com Box
Pedro González (no. 16 PuRP): 0-for-4, BB
Ryan Vilade (2017 2nd round draft pick): 0-for-3, 2 BB, K
Chad Spanberger (2017 6th round draft pick): 2-for-4, K
Will Gaddis (2017 3rd round draft pick): 5 IP, 6 H, R, 0 BB, 3 K, HRA
Today's probables
Triple-A Albuquerque: Sam Howard (no. 20 PuRP)
Double-A Hartford: Ryan Castellani (no. 9 PuRP)
Class A Advanced Lancaster: Ty Culbreth
Class A Asheville: Erick Julio
Class A Short-Season Boise: Ryan Luna
Rookie Grand Junction: Justin Valdespina