Prospect Roundup: Games of June 20

Astros 1B A.J. Reed, Triple-A Fresno: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, R -- The Astros' No. 2 prospect plated both Fresno runs in a 2-1 win at Tacoma, including a solo homer in the top of the ninth inning. Reed's blast was his second in his last three games and 10th of the season, and his 12 extra-base hits in June are his most in any month this season. Reed's .257/.342/.495 line doesn't knock you back in the same way his supber 2015 campaign did, but with a 121 wRC+, he's still been a well-above-average slugger during his first trip to the Pacific Coast League. It was suspected before the season even started that Reed would be considered for a call-up to the Majors, and even if he isn't breaking down the door in the way many had hoped, Astros first basemen aren't doing their part to hold him off with a collective -0.2 WAR, according to FanGraphs, ranking 25th in the Majors. That comes even after Tyler White's breakout first month with the big club. The more comfortable Reed starts to look in Triple-A, the less comfortable some members of the Astros infield should feel.

Mets RHP Chris Flexen, Class A Advanced St. Lucie: 8 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K -- It was a classic "bend but don't break" performance Monday night from the Mets' No. 26 prospect, who improved to 5-6 with a 3.35 ERA this season. Flexen set a season high for innings pitched, despite allowing eight hits, by not allowing a free pass for the second time in 13 starts this year. Over his last five starts, Flexen is 3-1 with a 1.52 ERA, 22 strikeouts and eight walks in 29 2/3 innings. Considered as potentially Major League average across the board -- MLB.com gave him 50 grades on the 20-80 scale for his fastball, curve and changeup -- the 21-year-old right-hander has the stuff to succeed at the lower levels, but it'll take a string of starts like this to increase his stock in the Mets system.

White Sox 1B Corey Zangari, Rookie-level Great Falls Voyagers: 4-for-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI, BB, 2 R -- It's tough to imagine a more difficult start to your first full season than the one Zangari endured this spring. A year after he was taken in the sixth round of the 2015 Draft, the No. 10 White Sox prospect hit just .166 and struck out 106 times in 248 plate appearances at Class A Kannapolis. That's a 42.7 percent strikeout rate that ranked second among all full-season Minor Leaguers, behind only Adam Walker's 43.1 percent for Triple-A Rochester. Chicago offered the 19-year-old slugger, who also went deep eight times in 57 games with the Intimidators, a chance to get back on track with a move to the Pioneer League, and he took advantage Monday with his first four-hit game of the season. In fact, Monday was the first time Zangari had collected more than two hits in a game in 2016. The Oklahoma native has earned plenty of praise for his power potential, but he needs to make enough contact for that power to play. Even after Monday, he has still struck out in seven of his 18 plate appearances with the Voyagers.

Rockies 2B Jonathan Piron, Rookie-level Grand Junction: 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB, SB, CS -- The Rockies' No. 24 prospect has a similar story to Zangari in that he was moved from the South Atlantic League after hitting just .187 in 37 games for Class A Asheville. But Piron has hit the ground running with Grand Junction, going 5-for-11 with two homers, four RBIs and three runs scored in his first three games. It's worth noting that this is an environment in which the 21-year-old second baseman has thrived before, hitting .312/.335/.545 with 11 homers and 16 steals in 56 games for Grand Junction a year ago. Based on that, a trip to Class A Short Season Boise would make sense at some point this summer to give Piron both the challenge and the chance to succeed.

Indians LHP Brady Aiken, Rookie-level Arizona League Indians: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K -- Aiken's start Monday in the AZL opener was two years in the making. As has been well-documented, the California left-hander was taken first overall by the Astros in 2014 but did not sign when the club reportedly discovered an issue with his elbow and asked him to sign for less than their initial agreement. The elbow issue became real the following spring when Aiken left his IMG Academy start prematurely and ended up needing Tommy John surgery ahead of the 2015 Draft. The Indians took him with the 17th overall pick, hoping his potentially special stuff would return post-surgery, and it was Monday that he finally made a start for the organization following the typical 12-to-15-month rehab process. Based on the results, it was an impressive return for Aiken as he overcame a leadoff walk to toss two scoreless innings, including a second frame in which he struck out the side. Sure, they were just two innings, but after two years waiting for his pro debut, it was certainly a special outing for the Indians' No. 4 prospect.