It’s understandable if you were a little engaged earlier in the day, but once the Minor League action got going, there were a lot of baseballs that were never, ever getting back together with the pitchers that threw them. In putting together the top performers, there was initially a bit of a blank space but some hot-hitting prospects -- Kevin McGonigle (Tigers) and Carter Jensen (Royals) and a Red among them -- were able to shake it off. Conversely, it was a cruel summer night for batters who faced a pair of impressive Double-A southpaws. Whether you’re 15, 22 or even born in 1989, this was a day to remember.
Carter Jensen, C, Omaha (KC No. 2/MLB No. 70)
Make it a career high in roundtrippers for Jensen in 2025 -- and he did it in style! The 22-year-old delivered his second multihomer performance since being bumped up to Triple-A Omaha in late June. His five-RBI night also gave him 36 in 39 games with the Storm Chasers, all while posting a 1.044 OPS at the Minors’ highest level. His 19 home runs tie him with Jac Caglianone for the most down on the Royals farm, while he is just one of three catchers in all of Minor League Baseball to have at least 15 long balls and 10 stolen bases this season. Gameday
Kevin McGonigle, SS, Erie (DET No. 1/MLB No. 2)
Few hitters in professional baseball have had the kind of campaign McGonigle has during 2025. His latest stamp was a go-ahead two-run homer in the 11th inning for Double-A Erie, his seventh long ball of the month. McGonigle also singled and walked, marking his 18th game this season having reached base three or more times. Despite an ankle sprain that knocked out more than a month of his season, the 37th overall pick from the 2023 Draft has emerged as one of the Minors’ premier bats, slashing .324/.428/.604 across three levels. The 21-year-old entered the night with a .460 wOBA, tops among all Minor Leaguers with at least 300 plate appearances this season. Gameday
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Bryce Eldridge, 1B, Sacramento (SF No. 1/MLB No. 13)
Few hitters at any level of professional baseball are capable of homers as majestic as the ones Eldridge produces when he connects. MLB’s No. 1 first-base prospect got all of a center-center changeup and demolished it 431 feet at 106.2 mph off the bat, his eighth home run of the month for Triple-A Sacramento. Eldridge’s 24 RBIs in August tie his career-best mark (August 2024, High-A Eugene), while he’s delivered seven multihit performances in that span. The second-youngest player in the Pacific Coast League, the 20-year-old has the second-highest HR/FB ratio (35 percent) among all players on the circuit with at least 200 plate appearances. Gameday
Angel Genao, SS, Akron (CLE No. 3/MLB No. 57)
An injury-sidetracked year for Genao found a glimmering bright side as he slugged his first professional grand slam for Double-A Akron. The 21-year-old added a single, giving him six multihit games this month and nine RBIs over his past nine contests. Despite the right shoulder sprain that kept Genao out of action until late May, he’s been among one of the more clutch Guardians prospects in 2025, hitting .440 (11-for-25) with 10 RBIs in late and close situations. Gameday
Justin Crawford, OF, Lehigh Valley (PHI No. 3/MLB No. 68)
Crawford, son of four-time All-Star Carl, has been a hit machine this season at Triple-A despite being more than five years younger than the average International League player. Known for his 75-grade wheels, Crawford showed off his blossoming pop during a three-hit night, swatting a two-run homer in the first. His 138 hits (in 106 games) rank him fifth in the Minors, while his .331 average stands third among all players to have spent time at Triple-A this year. Gameday
Cam Collier, 3B, Chattanooga (CIN No. 6/MLB No. 98)
A torn ulnar collateral ligament in Collier’s left thumb pushed his 2025 debut until mid-May. Since then, the power and all-around offensive consistency the 2022 first-rounder had shown in previous years had been largely put on pause. But Collier swatted his first Double-A homer for Chattanooga and has run a modest hitting streak to seven games. Despite being one of the youngest players in the Southern League, the 20-yar-old has posted a .372 on-base percentage. Across three levels, the Chipola JC product has posted a .294 average and .840 OPS this season against right-handed pitching. Gameday
Dax Kilby, SS, Tampa (NYY No. 7)
The Yankees were ecstatic to land Kilby with their first selection (39th overall) in the 2025 Draft due to his advanced hit tool, especially among the high school crop. After starting his pro career 0-for-9, he’s been on a heater since Aug. 14, culminating in a four-hit, three-RBI, two-steal performance for Single-A Tampa. He has swiped at least one bag in four consecutive games and is up to eight in 10 contests, all while hitting .308 with a .400 on-base percentage over that span. Gameday
Rafael Flores, C/1B, Indianapolis (PIT No. 8)
Flores was the headliner of the package the Pirates landed when they moved on from longtime closer David Bednar at the Trade Deadline. After a solid month of production, the 24-year-old backstop broke out with his first multihomer game of the year for Triple-A Indianapolis. Facing former All-Star Alek Manoah in the first, Flores ripped a hanging slider for a first-pitch pullside homer. In the seventh, he was hunting the first pitch again, this time drilling a fastball out to right-center field. An undrafted free agent out of Rio Hondo Junior College in California, Flores is up to 19 homers and a career-high 75 RBIs across three clubs, on pace to post an OPS north of .800 for the second straight year. Gameday
Mitch Bratt, LHP, Amarillo (AZ No. 10)
Acquired in the Trade Deadline deal that sent Merrill Kelly to the Rangers, Bratt turned in his best performance since joining Double-A Amarillo. The southpaw notched eight strikeouts across seven frames of two-run ball (one earned), consistently peppering the top of the zone with his 91-93 mph heater. Something of a control artist, Bratt hasn't walked more than two batters in all 21 of his starts this year, giving him a 135/19 K/BB ratio -- the second-highest ratio (7.11) in the Minors among all hurlers with 70 or more innings. Gameday
Charles Davalan, OF, Rancho Cucamonga (LAD No. 15)
Hitting against professional pitchers is supposed to be hard. But it looks like no one told Davalan, who recorded his third consecutive four-hit game for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. The 41st overall pick in July’s Draft has had as electric of a start to his career as anyone could ask for, slashing .625/.654/.958 in five games. The native of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (which has yet to produce a big leaguer) hit .346 this spring with more walks (35) than strikeouts (27) for the University of Arkansas before joining MLB Pipeline's No. 1-ranked farm system. Gameday
Mitch Farris, LHP, Rocket City (LAA unranked)
Farris joins an exclusive group, fittingly becoming the 13th player to record 13 or more strikeouts in a Minor League game this season. The southpaw was thoroughly dominant, racking up 21 swings-and-misses across his 6 2/3 scoreless frames for Double-A Rocket City. The 24-year-old used his entire pitch mix to baffle batters en route to a career high in punchouts. Acquired from the Braves this offseason in a trade for right-handed pitcher Davis Daniel, Farris has impressed during his first year in the Angels system, leading the organization with 142 strikeouts. Gameday