Minor League Ball Gameday, June 14

Good morning prospect watchers. Here we go.

***The 2013 NCAA Division I College World Series gets started this weekend, and Brendon Booth has a preview for you.

***Yesterday's Minor League Ball Gameday thread has highlights and community discussion.

***San Francisco Giants prospect Chris Heston threw a nine-inning complete game shutout for Triple-A Fresno yesterday, lowering his ERA to 5.09 over 14 starts with a 74/30 K/BB in 81 innings. He dominated Double-A last year with his ability to throw strikes and change speeds with his curveball and changeup, despite a mediocre fastball. The Pacific Coast League has been more difficult, but he still has sleeper potential in my opinion as an inning-eater type. He was a 12th round pick by the Giants in 2009 from East Carolina University.

***Boston Red Sox pitching prospect Anthony Ranaudo had a hell of a game yesterday, fanning 13 in 7.2 shutout innings for Double-A Portland; this ties a team record set by Jon Lester. Overall Ranaudo has a 2.15 ERA with a 76/21 K/BB in 67 innings with just 41 hits allowed. I think he's destined for Triple-A soon, and right now it looks like the Red Sox are being rewarded for their patience in him. He looks more like the guy who dominated college baseball in 2009. Yeah for modern medicine.

***Speaking of Red Sox, does anyone here believe that Jose Iglesias will remain hot? .449/.474/.577? Talk about "out of context" with the rest of his career. What will his final line look like in September?

***And speaking of hot, Texas Rangers prospect Ronald Guzman is hitting .394/.444/.667 in his first 10 games for Low-A Hickory, with two walks and six strikeouts in 33 at-bats. Obviously a larger sample is needed, but a fast start is better than a slow one and he's only 18 years old, in a full-season league.

***Astros prospect Jonathan Singleton went 3-for-3 with two homers for Double-A Corpus Christi yesterday. He's hitting .302/.406/.698 in 15 games since returning from his drug suspension.

***Nathaniel Stoltz over at Athletics Nation takes a look at third base prospect Renato Nunez, who is currently hitting .272/.324/.485 for Low-A Beloit in the Midwest League. But Stoltz isn't just looking at Nunez: he gets into the sabermetrics of plate discipline, BB/K ratio, youth, and how it relates to long-term development. The article is a must-read.

***Brian Creagh at Faketeams looks at the concept of positional scarcity. Jason Hunt takes a look at Rangers prospect Joey Gallo.