Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 4/13/25

The Akron Offense Puts on a Show Again; Lake County Doubles West Michigan in Series Finale

SCOREBOARD:

Worcester Red Sox 8, Columbus Clippers 5 (Statcast)
Akron RubberDucks 13, Altoona Curve 1
Lake County Captains 8, West Michigan Whitecaps 4
Kannapolis Cannonballers 8, Lynchburg Hillcats 7

HIGHLIGHTS:

Dayan Frias (SS, Akron): 3-for-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBIs, DP - Frias anchored an offense that once again torched the Altoona pitching staff for the second 13-1 game in the series. His three-hit day featured 75% of the cycle and the Ducks only homerun of the day. This marks the first three-hit game of the season for Frias with his first homerun of the year.

Alex Mooney (3B, Akron): 3-for-4, 2 R, 2B, 3B, 3 RBIs, BB, SB - The 22-year-old entered the game with one hit in 21 at-bats but quadrupled his season total with a three-hit day on Sunday. Mooney tied with Frias for the team lead with three RBIs in the game. He also showed off the legs with his second stolen base of the season.

Travis Bazzana (2B, Akron): 2-for-4, 2 R, 3B, 2 RBIs, 2 BBs, DP - Bazzana has unlocked triples alley inside Canal Park with his third triple of the series against Altoona on Sunday. The number one overall pick reached base four times with a pair of walks as well. Bazzana is one of four players in the Eastern League with an OPS above 1.100 (1.118).

Joe Lampe (LF, Akron): 2-for-4, 3 R, RBI, 2 BBs - Lampe was able to reach base four times as well with two hits and two walks. His traffic on the basepaths resulted in a team-high three runs scored. He has come around to score six times this season already despite a .179 batting average and .368 on-base percentage.

CJ Kayfus (1B, Akron): 3-for-6, R, 3B, DP - Almost lost in the midst of an offensive outburst was a three-hit day from Kayfus. His 1.476 OPS leads the Eastern League and he notched his third triple of the season, a statistic I did not expect him to league the league in along with his teammate Bazzana.

Johnny Tincher (DH, Lake County): 3-for-4, R, 2B, 3 RBIs - The former Washington University Husky led the Captains with three hits and three RBIs in the series finale against West Michigan. He was able to squeak a single up the middle with the bases loaded to score two runs and plated the game-tying run in the midst of a six-run bottom of the seventh inning to secure the victory.

Bennett Thompson (C, Lynchburg): 3-for-4, 3 RBIs, BB - Thompson has now hit safely in all six games this season and this was his top performance thus far with three singles and a walk to reach base four times. His walk came with the bases loaded to score one and he had a two-run single to draw the Hillcats to within one in the ninth.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

Juan Brito (1B, Columbus): 1-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBIs, SF, DP - Brito had the lone extra-base hit of the game for the Clippers in the series finale with his second homerun of the young season. The 23-year-old launched the ball with an exit velocity of 107.3 mph and tied the game at one in the fourth inning. He added an additional RBI on a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Brito has now reached base safely in nine consecutive games after he did so in all five games played in Worchester.

Kody Huff (C, Columbus): 2-for-3, RBI, BB, DP - Huff reached base three times in the loss and gave the Clippers the lead in the top of the eighth with an RBI single to left field. His single in the fourth inning was tracked at nearly 104 mph off the bat.

Magnus Ellerts (RP, Akron): W (1-0), 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 6 Ks - Ellerts pitched the fourth and fifth innings for the RubberDucks and shut down the opponents with all six of his outs on strikes. He did allow his inherited runner to score, but settled in for six straight punchouts.

Jack Jasiak (RP, Lake County): W (2-0), 2.2 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 3 Ks - Jasiak had a great long relief appearance for the Captains and was able to lock up the victory in the closing innings. He entered in the seventh and left the inherited runner stranded and then worked around a lead-off single in the eighth and two-out walk in the ninth.

Ralphy Velasquez (1B, Lake County): 2-for-5, 2 R, HR, RBI - Velasquez has five hits this season, four of them have left the yard, including one in the Sunday finale. Make it back-to-back days with multiple hits for the 19-year-old.

Christian Knapczyk (2B, Lake County): 2-for-3, R, RBI, BB - Knapczyk has driven in at least one run in each of his last three games with a hustle single on the right side of the infield. That hit gave Lake County the lead in the seventh and he reached base three times in total on Sunday with two hits and a walk.

Jacob Cozart (C, Lake County): 2-for-4, 2 R, BB - Cozart would do the same with a pair of hits and a walk. After struggling in the series, these were his first hits against West Michigan (four games this series).

Garrett Howe (SS, Lynchburg): 2-for-5, 2 RBIs, GIDP, CS - Howe was responsible for three runs that scored for Lynchburg, however he grounded into a double play on one of his opportunities with runners in scoring position. He made the most of his chance in the seventh with a two-run single.

Welbyn Francisca (DH, Lynchburg): 0-for-2, 3 R, 3 BBs - The 18-year-old failed to record a hit, but his presence on the basepaths with three walks was key as all three times he came around to score.

Sean Matson (RP, Lynchburg): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 2 Ks - The Harvard University product retired all five batters he faced on Sunday with a pair of strikeouts.