The Daily Briefing — Friday, September 11
By Morgan Davis ·
Yesterday's best performances across the minor leagues, with scouting context from 80Grade.
Nimmala Goes Back-to-Back Deep in Rocket City
Arjun Nimmala, the Angels' #1 prospect and #33 overall, went 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI in Double-A Rocket City's 7-5 win over Chattanooga on Thursday, the first multi-homer game of his professional career. The 20-year-old right-handed shortstop hit one in the fourth inning and came back to add another in the ninth, highlighting the profile's compelling and volatile nature: when the power shows up, it's significant. He now has 11 home runs at Double-A between New Hampshire and Rocket City this season, adding to the four he hit at High-A Vancouver earlier in the year, putting him at 15 on the combined ledger across three levels.
The scouting picture gives Nimmala a 55 power grade and only a 45 hit tool, with the central concern being a tendency to chase and miss breaking balls away, particularly when pitchers work him off the outer half. His contact rate sits at 70.7% on the season with a 23.1% strikeout rate, consistent with a swing that carries real loft and can get long against quality offspeed. Over the last 30 days at Double-A, he is slashing .228/.355/.500 with seven home runs in 110 plate appearances; the batting average is modest but the walk rate has been sharp at 16.4%, suggesting the pitch recognition is at least partly holding even when the contact quality fluctuates. Two-homer games in a 5-plate-appearance night do not cure a 45 hit tool, but they show why the projection stays at everyday shortstop rather than utility. The arm grades 60 and the defensive actions project long-term at the position, so the argument does not require the bat to carry everything. It does require the bat to carry more than it has in some stretches this year, and Thursday was a reminder of what that ceiling looks like when the swing connects.
Quick Hits
Andrew Fischer, 3B, Brewers (AA, Biloxi) · #99 · drew a walk and hit his 27th homer of the season at Double-A, going 1-for-3 in a patient night at the plate. The left-handed 22-year-old has been on an absurd power run over the last 30 days: a .247/.381/.704 line in 105 plate appearances with 12 home runs and 31 RBI, the slugging number almost defying the level. His combined total of 47 home runs across High-A and Double-A this year gives him one of the more eye-catching slash lines in the minor leagues at .272/.411/.656. The 60 power grade is performing well ahead of schedule; the 50 hit tool and 33.2% season strikeout rate are the profile risks that keep the projection at a second-division first baseman rather than something higher.
James Tibbs III, RF, Dodgers (AAA, Oklahoma City) · #143 · went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, driving in a run in Thursday's game. The left-handed 23-year-old is a steady producer at Triple-A this year: .294/.417/.540 with 28 home runs and 103 RBI in 606 plate appearances, a 17.0% walk rate pairing with a 23.1% strikeout rate that suggests real zone control. Over the last 30 days he is hitting .298/.419/.543 with six home runs and 21 walks in 117 plate appearances. He grades with a 55 hit tool and 55 power, projects as an everyday left fielder, and the production keeps backing it up; the defensive limitations are known but the bat has not given anyone a reason to back off the everyday projection.
Aiva Arquette, SS, Marlins (AA, Pensacola) · #84 · went 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI, striking out twice in 4 plate appearances. The 22-year-old right-handed infielder now has 10 home runs at Double-A this season and 12 combined across two levels. His last 30 days at Pensacola have been a strong stretch: .326/.371/.427 with a 20.6% strikeout rate across 97 plate appearances, the contact quality holding up better than the aggressive 50.3% season swing rate might suggest. The 60 power grade and 50 hit tool project him to a third-base future with a second-division ceiling; Thursday's homer was his latest contribution to a case that has been building since his promotion.
Kendry Chourio, RHP, Royals (A+, Davenport) · #76 · struck out 6 and allowed nothing over 4.1 innings Thursday, scattering 2 hits against 2 walks on 68 pitches and generating 13 swinging misses. The 18-year-old right-hander's season ERA across both Low-A Columbia and High-A Quad Cities sits at 2.48 with a 0.89 WHIP in 90.2 innings, a number that does not need much contextualization. His fastball grades 60 at 95-97 mph and the slider is already a 55, giving him a legitimate two-pitch foundation at an age when most prep arms are still figuring out their delivery. Over the last 30 days at Quad Cities he has a 3.94 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 16 innings and 13 whiffs Thursday alone; the whiff rate of 34.8% in that span is the command-and-stuff combination working together.
Tony Blanco Jr., 1B, Pirates (A+, Greensboro) · #375 · drove in all three of his team's runs on two hits including a homer, going 2-for-5 without a strikeout. The 21-year-old right-handed first baseman now has 25 home runs at High-A this season, with 60 raw power that announces itself in clusters. Over the last 20 games he is slashing .271/.393/.600 with seven home runs and a 14.3% walk rate in 84 plate appearances, a hot stretch that has him producing well above his season line. The 40 hit tool and 63.2% contact rate are the real ceilings here; the power grade is doing what it is supposed to do, and a bench projection does not feel wrong, but nights like Thursday make the argument for more.
Ryan Clifford, 1B, Mets (AAA, Syracuse) · #148 · went 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI, striking out twice. A pair of doubles is a different night for Clifford, whose profile runs almost entirely on home-run power; his season slugging mark of .352 at Triple-A reflects a rough year, with a .177/.271/.352 line in 451 plate appearances. The 60 raw power grades well but the 37.5% strikeout rate and 65.3% contact rate have been the story at Syracuse; the last 10 games have been particularly difficult, with a .125/.222/.281 slash and 38.9% strikeout rate in 36 plate appearances entering Thursday. Two doubles in a game without a strikeout is the floor version of the profile and still useful, but it is a long way from where the bat needs to go.
Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Padres (A, Lake Elsinore) · #327 · struck out 8 over 5 shutout innings Thursday, limiting Low-A hitters to 2 hits and 1 walk on 78 pitches and generating 13 swinging misses. The 19-year-old left-hander's season ERA sits at 5.90 across 22 starts, a number driven by command inconsistency rather than bad stuff; his walk rate on the year is 15.5% and he is throwing only 41.6% of his pitches for strikes. Thursday was a different version: 36-of-78 for strikes is still below-average efficiency, but 8 strikeouts and 13 whiffs in five scoreless innings is the arsenal showing up. The fastball sits 96-99 mph and the changeup grades 60, a pairing that can do real damage when the delivery is in sync. Over the last 30 days the ERA is 5.51 with a 31.6% whiff rate, so the stuff is present; the strike-throwing is the project.
Demetrio Crisantes, 2B, Diamondbacks (AAA, Reno) · #200 · went 1-for-5 with a triple, two walks, and an RBI, reaching base three times without striking out. The 22-year-old's contact skills have stood out at Triple-A: a 17.5% strikeout rate and 78.3% contact rate on the season are well above average for the level. His last 30 days at Reno have been less productive offensively with a .225/.303/.350 slash, but the approach has held; he struck out in just 18.9% of plate appearances in that sample. He grades with a 60 hit tool and projects as a second-division second baseman; the arm (45) and range (45) keep the defensive ceiling modest, and the bat needs to carry, which it generally does.
Garrett Baumann, RHP, Braves (AAA, Lawrenceville) · #365 · went 5 innings without allowing a run, scattering 4 hits and no walks while striking out 4 on 71 pitches; he generated 8 swinging misses. Baumann's season ERA at Triple-A is 7.48 in 10 starts, and the 2026 combined number across Double-A and Triple-A is 5.43, so Thursday was a sharp departure from the recent pattern. Over the last 30 days at Double-A he had been pitching well: a 1.72 ERA in 31.1 innings with 28 strikeouts and a 4.0% walk rate. The 55-grade fastball grades above-average for a back-end type and the changeup is his best secondary offering; Thursday was the command holding, which is the variable that influences his good starts and those that end early.
Will Gasparino, OF, Phillies (A, Clearwater) · #184 · went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI, striking out twice. The 21-year-old right-handed center fielder was a 72nd-round draft pick who has shown athleticism and power in Low-A; he grades 60 in both speed and athleticism, which shows in his ability to cover center. Over the last 30 days he is slashing .250/.377/.391 with a 14.3% walk rate, a disciplined stretch supported by a 39.5% season swing rate that is notably selective. The 45 hit tool and 55 power put the ceiling at a second-division center fielder if the contact rates stabilize; Thursday's triple added to a season line of 2 home runs, 2 doubles, and 1 triple in just 93 plate appearances at Low-A, a modest but promising sample for a player his age at the level.