The BAPR is a free daily morning newsletter. Please consider help spreading the word by forwarding to your friends and helping us grow the Baseball America community!

Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Brewers: Those who follow the minors closely have long known that when it comes to pure stuff, few can match Misiorowski. The Cardinals found out the hard way up close on Thursday. Misiorowski twirled a gem in his big league debut, striking out five batters over five hitless, scoreless innings. His fastball averaged 99 mph and maxed out at 102.2 mph. He was still pumping triple digits in the final inning of his outing. The only thing that slowed down Misiorowski? Himself. He was pulled after five innings with cramping in his right quad and calf, which played a part in him rolling his ankle on the mound on his final pitch of the day, although Misiorowski said after the game he expects to make his next start.

Noah Schultz, LHP, White Sox: Schultz was tough to square up Thursday for Double-A Birmingham, tossing 5.2 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and striking out seven. The White Sox’s top pitching prospect overpowered hitters with his electric stuff, flashing the swing-and-miss potential that makes him a key part of the organization’s future. However, command remained an issue, as Schultz issued five walks and threw just 51 strikes in 91 pitches. While the stuff is clearly there, tightening his control will be essential as he continues to face more advanced hitters. Still, outings like this show why Schultz remains one of the most exciting arms in the minors, especially when he polishes up his command.

Kevin McGonigle, SS, Tigers: McGonigle matched his professional best with four hits and four runs scored, reaching base safely in all five plate appearances Thursday for High-A West Michigan. His standout performance highlighted his advanced bat-to-ball skills and keen plate discipline, traits that have made him one of the most exciting young hitters in Detroit’s system. McGonigle’s offensive outburst served as a reminder of his high ceiling and growing consistency, as he continues to develop into a key piece of the Tigers’ future. West Michigan is only one win away from clinching a playoff berth.

Braden Montgomery, OF, White Sox: Montgomery has recently emerged as a reliable run producer, driving in at least one run in four of his last five games—a testament to his growing confidence and ability to perform in clutch moments. His recent hot streak has added a spark to the heart of the High-A Winston-Salem lineup, and on Thursday, he took his production to another level. In dramatic fashion, Montgomery crushed his ninth home run of the season, a walk-off shot that sealed a thrilling win for Winston-Salem. Since his promotion to High-A, the 22-year-old is hitting .267/.349/.486 with six homers in 39 games.

Trey Yesavage, RHP, Blue Jays: The Blue Jays rewarded Yesavage’s dominant High-A performance with a well-earned promotion, and the righthander made a solid first impression in his Double-A debut. He threw four innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts, though he issued four walks on 68 pitches (41 strikes). Despite the control hiccup, Yesavage showcased the traits that make him a fast mover: ideal starter's frame, repeatable delivery, and a fastball that sits 93–95 mph, touches 97, and features elite vertical break and late armside life. With a deep arsenal and poise on the mound, he’s positioned to rise quickly through Toronto’s system.

Travis Sykora, RHP, Nationals: Calling Sykora's High-A arrival electric might actually be selling the righthander short. In his fourth outing of the season, the 21-year-old tossed five shutout innings and struck out 10, matching a career-high. He lowered his High-A ERA to 1.00 with 32 strikeouts to just two walks. Sykora’s 94–96 mph fastball touches 99 with strong extension despite average shape. He pairs it with a slider and split-changeup, the latter showing generates a high whiff rate. Improved control in 2024 was key, and now he's seeing the rewards of all the improvements as his fastball establishes firm command.

Christian Moore, 2B, Angels: The Angels are expected to call up their top prospect Christian Moore on Friday, as first reported by FanSided's Robert Murray. Moore, 22, was the eighth overall pick in last year's draft and ranks No. 71 on Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects. He's had quite an unusual season. Moore posted just a .665 OPS in his return to Double-A Rocket City in the notoriously pitcher-friendly Southern League. But the Angels saw enough to promote Moore to Triple-A anyways and he rewarded their conviction by hitting .350 with four homers in 20 games. Now, the second baseman becomes the latest Angels first-rounder on the fast track to the big leagues after appearing in 79 career minor league games. Zach Neto (61 MiLB games) and Nolan Schanuel (22 games) were on similarly rapid trajectories. Moore had an outside shot at reaching the majors last year before a knee injury slowed his ascent. Moore's bat speed is impressive, but he'll need to refine his contact ability and prove he's capable of manning second base regularly in the majors.

Editor’s Picks

Dynasty Rankings: Geoff Pontes and Dylan White present the June update to their dynasty rankings, which takes a look at the top 300 players you should be targeting in your leagues. Read more…

Inspiring Career Path: Learn how Giants lefty Luis De La Torre made his baseball dreams come true despite a long road of travels. Read more…

Baseball America Helium Pick Of The Day

Each day, we’ll pick a prospect that has our attention.

Jack Perkins, RHP, Athletics: Entering the season, Perkins quietly ranked as the top pitching prospect in their system and had an outside shot to crack the team's big league rotation out of camp. But injuries have impeded Perkins' development time in each of the past two seasons. When healthy, though, Perkins has overpowered hitters, and that has continued this year once he got to Triple-A Las Vegas in May. Perkins struck out 12 batters over six innings last night and now owns a 3.23 ERA and 61 strikeouts to 15 walks over 39 innings at the level. Perkins' attack is predicated on power, working primarily with two different 95-97 mph fastballs and a mid-80s slider that he threw 35% of the time on Thursday and elicited 10 whiffs. Given their struggles in the bullpen as well as finding a consistent fifth starter, it may not be long before Perkins is up in the majors.

Quick Hits

Prospect news and notes from around baseball…

• Mets prospect Jett Williams is on fire. He went 3-for-4 with two triples and a double yesterday. That comes on the heels of a two-homer game on Wednesday. The No. 58 prospect in baseball has a 1.364 OPS in June and continues to move around at shortstop, second base and center field.

• We highlighted Blue Jays RHP Gage Stanifer as a riser earlier this week. He struck out 10 batters over four innings yesterday for High-A Vancouver.

• Argenis Cayama, another riser we’ve touched on frequently, struck out eight batters over 3.2 innings in the Arizona Complex League.

• Cardinals SS Yairo Padilla was a buzzy name in the offseason. It’s been a slow start, but he’s heating up in June. He went 4-for-6 with two steals in the Florida Complex League yesterday and is hitting .524 in June.

In Case You Missed It

baseballamerica

240K followers

View more on Instagram