Prospect Roundup: Games of June 28

Phillies OF Aaron Altherr, Triple-A Lehigh Valley: 3-for-6, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, BB, 2 K in doubleheader -- Minnesota outfielder Max Kepler is the German-born player getting the most publicity for his breakout 2015, but don't forget about Altherr. The Landstuhl, Germany, native is a fantastic athlete who has finally begun producing this season. The 24-year-old hit .293 with six homers, 19 doubles and an .851 OPS at Double-A Reading before a promotion last week, and is hitting .333 with two homers in six International League contests so far. With only Jeff Francoeur and Domonic Brown ahead of him on the right-field depth chart, there's no reason Altherr -- who is already on the 40-man roster -- shouldn't get some time in the Majors in the second half to determine if his recent breakout is for real.

Phillies 1B Rhys Hoskins, Class A Advanced Clearwater: 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, R, K -- There's no question Hoskins has big raw power, but the Cal State Sacramento product fell to the fifth round of the 2014 Draft because he's limited to first base and faced questions about whether he'd hit enough to let that power actualize in a meaningful way. So far, it's been all good for Hoskins, who hit .322 with nine homers at Class A Lakewood before a promotion late last week, then homered in three of his first four games with the Threshers. Hoskins has 12 long balls and a .957 OPS in 72 games this year and may see Double-A before the end of the season.

Dodgers OF Johan Mieses, Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga: 4-for-4, 2 2B, R, BB, SB -- The 19-year-old hit his way out of the Midwest League in just 45 games, batting .277 with five homers and a .760 OPS with Great Lakes. At 6-foot-2, Mieses has a projectable frame and the athleticism to play center. At the plate, he's done a fine job making a lot of contact this year, although his strikeout rate has spiked in his first 14-games with Rancho. Mieses has a big ceiling and has produced at a young age in the lower levels, which is a good indicator of future performance. Expect the Dominican -- currently unranked on MLB.com's Top 30 Dodgers prospects list -- to appear on the midseason update, possibly in the top half of the list.

Reds LHP Amir Garrett, Class A Advanced Daytona: 5 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 8 K -- The Reds awaited the end of Garrett's college basketball career with patience and anticipation, expecting the 6-foot-5 left-hander would make major strides on the mound once he settled on a single sport. Garrett gave up hoops last fall and has been outstanding with the Tortugas this year, posting a 3.00 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 72 innings. Garrett is likely to start the Futures Game for the US Team in July in Cincinnati, giving Reds fans an up-close look at one of the organization's top pitching prospects.

Red Sox 2B Yoan Moncada, Class A Greenville: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, R, 2 SB -- Moncada has been running wild of late, swiping seven bases in his past eight games, including three multi-steal efforts. The 20-year-old has picked up his offense, too, going 5-for-11 in his last three games to lift his average to .228 for the season. Moncada hadn't played in more than a year when he signed with Boston this spring, so some rust was anticipated, and his early struggles shouldn't affect expectations for the $31.5 million Cuban just yet.  

Cubs SS Gleyber Torres, Class A South Bend: 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, R, BB -- Torres is only 18 but has been one of the best performers in the Midwest League this season. The Venezuelan is batting .319 with a .796 OPS in 65 games. He has been impressively consistent at shortstop considering his age, too. Power isn't a big part of Torres' game, but his 6-foot-1 frame should add strength and allow him to find at least a little pop with age. For now, the Cubs have to love the amount of hard contact he's making as a teenager in Class A.

Astros C Jacob Nottingham, Class A Quad Cities: 2-for-3, RBI, 2 BB -- The 20-year-old was drafted for his athleticism -- he had offers to be a Division I tight end in football -- but lacked extensive baseball experience before Houston took him in the sixth round of the 2013 Draft. After a pair of lackluster showings in the Rookie-level GCL and Appalachian Leagues in 2013 and '14, Nottingham has full-on busted out this season, slugging 10 homers while batting .326 with a .931 OPS. He received a promotion to Class A Advanced Lancaster on Monday, and depending on how quickly he can progress defensively, he could begin figuring into Houston's long-term catching plans in the next couple years.

Cubs OF/2B Ian Happ, Class A Short Season Eugene: 1-for-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB, K -- Seems like it's just an annual tradition at this point that the Cubs send their first-round pick to the Northwest League and he terrorizes the pitchers there before moving to Class A. Happ hasn't gone full Kyle Schwarber, but it's been close. The 20-year-old has three homers in 10 games, batting .278 with a .955 OPS. Out of the University of Cincinnati, Happ was one of the best college bats in this year's Draft, but faced some questions about his defensive home. Chicago has put him exclusively in center field so far, and his bat should be above average for the position if he can stick there.