Two-homer games, pitching gems highlight Sunday's top prospect performances

Homering to all fields and stacking strikeouts was a theme in the Minor Leagues on Sunday. The Mariners' top-end farm system continued to produce elite offensive numbers while a Top 100 Cubs pitcher furthered his case for a callup this season. These prospect outings put a bow on another week in the Minors:

Michael Arroyo, 2B, Everett (SEA No. 7/MLB No. 93)
There must be something about PK Park for Arroyo. The 21-year-old shortstop from Cartagena, Colombia capped a strong series with a two-homer game for High-A Everett. After struggling at the plate through April, Arroyo finished the four-game set with seven hits in 20 at-bats. The 5-foot-10 infielder boosted his season OPS to .779 with the power surge. Fellow top Mariners prospects Colt Emerson (SEA No. 1/MLB No. 18) and Tai Peete (SEA No. 12) also homered for the AquaSox. Gameday

Hagen Smith, LHP, Birmingham (CWS No. 3/MLB No. 30)
Smith crossed a major milestone by pitching six innings for the first time as a pro. And the 2024 fifth overall pick made every frame count as he struck out six and did not give up a run for Double-A Birmingham. Although he allowed seven baserunners, he erased three of them on a pair of double plays and a pickoff. Gameday

Cade Horton, RHP, Iowa (CHC No. 2/MLB No. 47)
The Cubs' 2022 first-round pick continues to make a strong case for a promotion to Chicago. Horton twirled six scoreless innings for Triple-A Iowa, allowing just two hits while striking out five. The 22-year-old righty has yet to allow more than one earned run in any of his six starts and has recorded at least five punchouts each time out. Gameday

Justin Crawford, OF, Lehigh Valley (PHI No. 3/MLB No. 59)
Crawford extended his on-base streak to 15 games with a four-hit, two-RBI performance for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, raising his average to .322. In his second four-hit game of the season, the 21-year-old left-handed hitter reached base twice with bunt singles, recording home-to-first times of 3.73 and 3.84 seconds. While not known for his power, Crawford's impressive on-base skills and athleticism could position him as a potential late-season asset for the Phils. Gameday

Jackson Ferris, LHP, Tulsa (LAD No. 3/MLB No. 66)
After a rocky April, Ferris returned to form in his first May start. The lefty struck out six batters in five innings of one-run ball for the Double-A Drillers. The 2022 second-rounder has recorded six or more strikeouts in four of his five starts this season after punching out 145 batters in 126 2/3 innings in 2024. Gameday

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Jonah Tong, RHP, Binghamton (NYM No. 6)
Tong has lived by his strikeouts in recent starts, and his first May outing was no different. The 21-year-old righty fanned eight batters across four innings of one-run ball, marking his third consecutive outing with eight or more punchouts. Tong is sporting a 16.03 strikeouts per nine innings ratio in 21 1/3 frames this season for Double-A Binghamton. Gameday

Jud Fabian, OF, Norfolk (BAL No. 24)
Fabian struggled early in his return to Triple-A after a short stay with the Tides in 2024. But the tide may indeed be beginning to turn for the Florida product with his first multihomer game of the season. Fabian matched his career high for a single game in long balls while scoring three runs and driving in three more. Gameday

Payton Tolle, LHP, Greenville (BOS No. 17)
Tolle has been coming on strong lately and put together his best professional start in his latest outing for High-A Greenville. The 2024 second-rounder struck out 12 batters across five scoreless innings while only giving up three hits. Across his past three starts, Tolle has held opponents to just one run across 13 innings while striking out 26. Gameday