Yu-Min Lin Leads This Week's Top Prospect Performances

Lin delivered one of the most dominant performances for a teenage pitching prospect on Saturday.

The last week in the minor leagues saw the return of Kristian Robinson, one of the most impressive pitching feats this year by a teenage pitching prospect, and a top prospect starting to figure things out at a challenging level.

Here's a look at some of the top prospect performances in the past week.

LHP Yu-Min Lin had an amazing start with Hillsboro on Saturday. Facing 17 batters, he struck out 13 in five scoreless innings. While the D-backs are limiting his pitch count this season, Lin has been very effective with a 45/9 strikeout to walk ratio in 32 2/3 innings. After the pitchers in Reno, Lin is easily the organization's best pitching prospect. His 36.3% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate is tops between the top three pitching prospects in Hillsboro.

Yu-Min Lin faced 17 batters tonight. He struck out 13 of them 😱

The No. 10 @Dbacks prospect had everything working across five one-hit frames for the @HillsboroHops: pic.twitter.com/76DhOS67Pq

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 4, 2023

OF Kristian Robinson finally made his return to affiliated ball since September 2019. In his first week, he went 8-for-26 (.308) at the plate with a home run against Lake Elsinore. There is still a lot of rust, as he struck out 10 times and walked only once in 28 plate appearances. Robinson has a lot of swing-and-miss in his game, with the trade-off of plus power in a 6'3" frame. 

RHP Yilber Diaz had a tough start to follow last week, but continued to showcase his dominant stuff. In a five-inning start, he struck out eight and allowed just one run on a solo home run. This season he has produced an impressive 35% strikeout rate, but has a 15% walk rate and averaging 2.0 home runs per nine innings pitched. There is a clear consistency issue that will need to be settled before Diaz can make the jump to Double-A.

SS Jordan Lawlar had struggled for much of the season, but may be showing signs of figuring things out. His season strikeout rate has dropped from 31.6% just two weeks ago down to 27.6%. More contact is a welcome sign for a player who depends on speed and the ability to spray the ball from line to line. In the past week Lawlar hit .333 with two doubles, two home runs, and a 1.078 OPS. 

SS Manuel Peña has had a rough year after repeating Visalia this season, hitting .238 with nine extra base hits and one home run in 42 games. However he is on a hot streak, hitting safely in 13 of his last 15 games where he is batting .355 with four doubles and a triple. The 19-year-old infield prospect has moved over to primarily second base with Juan Corniel and Jose Fernandez getting more reps at shortstop.