Prospect Roundup: Games of Aug. 10

Braves 2B Travis Demeritte, Class A Advanced Carolina: 3-for-4, 2 3B, RBI, R, BB, K -- Up until Wednesday, it had been slow going for Demeritte since he joined the Braves organization from the Rangers on July 27. But after an 0-for-12 stretch dropped his Mudcats average to .132 through 10 games, he put together his first three-hit game for Carolina yesterday with two triples. Demeritte began the 2016 season as a standout at Class A Advanced High Desert, where he produced a .272/.352/.583 line with 25 homers in 88 games before the trade. Part of those numbers were no doubt influenced by High Desert's extreme hitter's park, making it interesting to see what the 21-year-old can do in a more neutral environment like the Carolina League. Eleven games are not a large enough sample to make any definitive points, but he still has a couple more weeks to prove himself before the season comes to a close.

Red Sox LHP Trey Ball, Class A Advanced Salem: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K -- The No. 14 Red Sox prospect turned in one of his best starts of the season Wednesday at Myrtle Beach and is on his way to what could be his best month of the season. Ball's seven strikeouts were a season high and his most since fanning nine for Salem on June 9, 2015. The 22-year-old has two quality starts in August and allowed only three earned runs (all solo homers) while fanning 11 in 12 innings this month. After Ball posted an 8.17 ERA over six starts in July, these August numbers are music to his and Boston's ears. It's been a bumpy development for the 2013 seventh overall pick, and based on his 3.83 ERA, 5.02 FIP and 5.3 BB/9 over 96 1/3 innings this season, he's still not there yet. But an impressive end to 2016 could go a long way toward putting the projectable southpaw back on track to realizing his once high potential.

White Sox RHP Alec Hansen, Rookie-level Great Falls: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K -- The No. 8 White Sox prospect hasn't had much trouble adjusting to the pro game, and Wednesday's gem was just the latest outing to prove that point. By fanning 10 Ogden batters, Hansen reached double digits in K's for a second straight start and now has 53 over 32 2/3 innings between the Pioneer and Arizona Leagues since making his pro debut June 30. He also hasn't allowed an earned run in six of his eight starts, a run of dominance that has led to a 1.38 ERA. The 6-foot-7 right-hander has impressive stuff with three above-average pitches in his fastball, slider and changeup but dropped to the second round in June after posting a 5.40 ERA and walking 39 batters in 51 2/3 innings as a junior at Oklahoma. He's done a better job of keeping things under control so far in the White Sox system with a 2.8 BB/9 through eight starts, and if he can maintain that up the chain, he has every chance to look like a steal at No. 49 overall.

Indians OF Will Benson, Rookie-level AZL Indians: 2-for-3, HR, RBI, 2 R, K -- Benson has come as advertised since the Indians took him 14th overall out of an Atlanta-area high school in June. His overall hitting ability is raw, but the power is real. The 18-year-old left-handed slugger mashed his fifth homer in the Arizona League, putting him in a tie for fourth in the Rookie-level complex circuit. (His .236 ISO ranks sixth.) That power and his ability to take a free pass (12.4 percent walk rate) have been Benson's saving graces in his first professional summer as he's hitting just .227 with a 27.9 percent strikeout rate. With Benson, it's tough to separate the power from the whiffs, given his size at 6-foot-5, but the Indians believe there's plenty of time to mold the teenage outfielder.

Well, Will Benson just did *this*... pic.twitter.com/nRpEt5SYv6

- Matt Pullman (@iusedtothrow85) August 5, 2016

Tigers RHP Matt Manning, GCL Tigers West: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K -- Staying with first-rounders playing at complex levels, Manning tossed the best pro start of his young career Wednesday when he faced the minimum through three frames for one of Detroit's two Gulf Coast League affiliates. (The only batter to reach against Manning did so on an error and was erased on a pickoff/caught-stealing.) The 18-year-old became the Tigers' top prospect when he signed for slot value ($3,55,800) as the ninth overall pick out of a Sacramento-area high school. The 6-foot-6 hurler has drawn raves for his fastball that can reach the upper 90's to go with more average offerings in his curve and changeup. He's been hit around some in the GCL with a 4.43 ERA in seven starts, but he's impressed with a 31/4 K/BB ratio through 20 1/3 innings.