Offense led the way on Thursday, but a pair of Top 100 prospects on the mound might have stolen the spotlight. Philadelphia's Andrew Painter accomplished something for the first time in more than two years while Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski continued to make his case for a big league promotion. Not to be outdone were the boys with the bats, led by Cubs infielder Matt Shaw who not only went deep twice, but did so in unique fashion!
More from MLB Pipeline:
• Top 100 prospects | Stats | Video | Podcast | Complete coverage
Andrew Painter, RHP, Lehigh Valley (PHI No. 1/MLB No. 5)
Painter's second Triple-A start wasn't particularly dominating, but it was another big step forward in his road to The Show. The 22-year-old surrendered two runs and struck out three over five innings on 71 pitches (47 strikes). It was Painter's longest outing of the season and the deepest he's gone in a start since Sept. 9, 2022. The 6-foot-7, 215-pound righty has given up a total of two runs while fanning eight across eight innings in his first two Triple-A starts. Gameday
Matt Shaw, INF, Iowa (CHC No. 1/MLB No. 18)
Shaw found a unique way to showcase his first multihomer game of the year, and in the process carried Triple-A Iowa to a doubleheader sweep. The 21-year-old kicked off the bottom of the first inning with his third roundtripper for the I-Cubs and walked it off in the eighth for his first two-homer game since last June. After a slow start upon his return to the Minors, Shaw has compiled a slash line of .284/.408/.519 in 22 games. Full story | Gameday
Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Nashville (MIL No. 4/MLB No. 72)
Misiorowski isn't just knocking on the door for Milwaukee, he's pounding on it. The flame-throwing 23-year-old followed up a career-high 6 2/3-inning performance by completing seven frames for the first time as a pro. Misiorowski topped 100 mph nine times -- maxing out at 103 -- and allowed a run on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts for Triple-A Nashville. The Missouri native has a 0.59 ERA and a 0.72 WHIP over his past five starts, fanning 38 over 30 2/3 innings in that span. Full story | Gameday
Bryce Eldridge, 1B, Richmond (SF No. 1/MLB No. 21)
Eldridge enjoyed a productive doubleheader for Double-A Richmond, but saved his best for Game 2. San Francisco's first-round pick in the 2023 Draft cracked his third homer and doubled after driving in a run in the opening contest. Eldridge did not make his season debut until April 22 after injuring his wrist in Spring Training and got off to a slow start. As the calendar flipped to May, the 21-year-old has taken off and is slashing .319/.385/.511 while hitting safely in 10 of 13 games this month. Gameday
Colt Emerson, SS/3B, Everett (SEA No. 1/MLB No. 19)
Emerson provided the key hit for High-A Everett, lacing a bases-loaded triple that accounted for three of his four RBIs and equaled a personal best established in 2023. An uneven opening month has given way to a hot May for the 19-year-old, who has reached base safely in all 10 games he's played while slashing .341/.431/.537 with 13 RBIs in that span. Emerson has raised his average 31 points to .281 to go along with a .791 OPS in 31 games. Gameday
Konnor Griffin, SS/OF, Bradenton (PIT No. 2/MLB No. 37)
Pittsburgh's sizzling first-year pro continued his red-hot May with his second four-hit performance in five contests for Single-A Bradenton. The 19-year-old extended his hitting streak to seven games, during which he's gone 17-for-31 (.548) with 12 runs scored, including three in his latest effort. Griffin's hot streak has lifted his average to .315 to go along with 15 extra-base hits, 15 stolen bases and a .912 OPS. Gameday
Justin Crawford, OF, Lehigh Valley (PHI No. 3/MLB No. 56)
Known more for his speed than power, Crawford showed he can do both. The 21-year-old led off the game by beating out an infield single, stole his 13th base and also hammered his first Triple-A long ball for Lehigh Valley. Crawford has been a menace atop the IronPigs lineup, batting .316 with a .807 OPS and 26 runs scored in 36 games. Gameday
Walker Janek, C, Asheville (HOU No. 3)
Janek has turned things on offensively over the past week, and it manifested itself in his latest three-hit performance. Houston's 2024 first-round Draft pick went deep for the second time in four contests after going without one in his first 14 games and fell a triple shy of the cycle for High-A Asheville. The 22-year-old opened the month in a 1-for-15 slide but has since gone 8-for-20 with four extra-base hits and four RBIs in his past five games. Gameday