The Weekend Round-up: Braylon Payne Goes Deep Twice at Double-A, Nolan Perry Dominates in Frisco
By Morgan Davis ·
A look at the top prospect performances from Friday through Sunday, September 11–13, 2026.
Payne's Power Keeps Playing Up at Biloxi
Braylon Payne, the Brewers' #93 prospect and fourth-ranked player in the Milwaukee system, went 3-for-11 with two home runs, five RBI, and a walk against one strikeout across three games at Double-A Biloxi this weekend. That is now 28 home runs combined across High-A and Double-A this season in 467 plate appearances, a number that carries real weight for a 20-year-old center fielder whose power grade sat at 50 heading into the year. The home-run total and the RBI pace suggest a player whose in-game pop is outrunning the raw grade by a meaningful margin.
Over his last 30 days at Double-A, Payne has five home runs, six doubles, two triples, and 12 RBI in 109 plate appearances. The swing-and-miss risk is still present: a 57 percent swing rate and a 65.5 percent contact rate during that stretch reflect the aggressive approach that has always been the flip side of the plus-plus speed. But the strikeout volume this weekend was low, and the two-homer, five-RBI output came without leaning on walks or luck. His projection as an everyday center fielder rests on whether a more measured swing decision process can coexist with the loft he has found in 2026. The speed and center-field profile are not in question. The only live debate is how much of the power surge holds when Double-A pitchers spend an extended stretch attacking him with quality spin, and this weekend, at least, the answer was favorable.
Quick Hits
Caleb Bonemer, 3B, White Sox (AA, Birmingham) · #23 · Went 3-for-13 with a home run, three walks, and four strikeouts. The homer was his 37th of the season combined across High-A and Double-A, a jaw-dropping total for a 20-year-old. Over his last 30 days at Double-A he has seven home runs, five doubles, and 18 walks in 118 plate appearances, with a 15.3 percent walk rate that backs up the advanced zone feel. The 60 power grade is already being tested by real production, and the positional versatility, currently being refined in center field, gives the profile extra utility if the bat is the real article.
Aroon Escobar, 2B, Phillies (AA, Reading) · #298 · Delivered five hits in 11 plate appearances, including two doubles and two home runs, driving in four. The two-homer effort pushes back against a 40 power grade; over his last 30 days at Double-A he has four home runs, six doubles, and a 12.4 percent walk rate across 97 plate appearances. The 21-year-old has dealt with inconsistent contact quality against upper-level pitching all season, but the plate discipline has remained present and this weekend showed the pull-side pop showing up in a game where the swing decisions held.
Murf Gray, 3B, Pirates (AA, Altoona) · #261 · Four hits in 11 plate appearances, a double, a home run, two RBI, a walk, and two strikeouts. Gray is having a genuinely productive Double-A debut: over his last 30 days at that level he has five home runs, six doubles, 17 RBI, and a 12.0 percent walk rate in 100 plate appearances, with a contact rate of 80.7 percent that continues to back up the 55 power grade and decent contact foundation. The 22-year-old had mashed in High-A and Low-A earlier this season and is not backing down at the tougher level.
Nelson Rada, CF, Angels (AAA, South Jordan) · #251 · Collected seven hits in 13 plate appearances, with two doubles, a walk, and four RBI against one strikeout. The contact was pristine, which fits the 55 hit tool and 60 fielding grade, but the context matters: over his last 30 days at Triple-A, Rada's swing rate has crept to 50.1 percent and his contact rate sits at 74.8 percent, a step down from his season-long numbers. The 21-year-old center fielder with plus speed still profiles as a high-OBP, glove-and-run regular, and a seven-hit weekend is the hit tool operating without friction. The power has always been the ceiling question, and three games with no home runs does not resolve it.
Wyatt Sanford, SS, Pirates (A+, Greensboro) · #198 · Went 3-for-10 with two home runs, two RBI, and a hit by pitch against one strikeout. His 19th and 20th homers of the season arrived in a 10-plate-appearance weekend. Over his last 30 days at High-A he has eight home runs in 107 plate appearances with a 25.2 percent strikeout rate, a mix of volume power and swing-and-miss that reflects the 20-year-old shortstop's profile honestly. The scouting report grades the power at 40 and calls the everyday shortstop path real; the home-run total this season is already making the power look conservative.
Nolan Perry, RHP, Blue Jays (AA, Manchester) · #146 · Four innings, one hit, zero runs, a walk, and six strikeouts, generating 13 swinging misses on 57 pitches. The mid-90s fastball and plus slider are a legitimate combination at Double-A: across nine Double-A starts this season, Perry has a 2.32 ERA in 31 innings with 39 strikeouts. The outing's whiff total and efficiency stand out against prior control concerns; a 37-of-57 strike rate is not dominant, but the stuff carries enough to miss bats even when location is not perfect. His trajectory as an up-down reliever or potential back-end starter hinges on whether the improved command from earlier this season sticks at New Hampshire.
Jacob Bresnahan, LHP, Giants (AA, Richmond) · #351 · Six and two-thirds innings, four hits, zero runs, a walk, and seven strikeouts, with 15 swinging misses on 88 pitches. The 21-year-old left-hander's best weapon is a mid-80s changeup that grades 60, and on a night with 15 swinging misses, it was doing its job. Over his last 30 days at Double-A, Bresnahan's ERA sits at 4.78 in 26.1 innings, so this outing runs against the recent trend. The fastball and changeup combination gives him a No. 3 starter projection on talent, and a 6.2-inning scoreless start at Double-A is the version of this profile that earns those grades.
Jarlin Susana, RHP, Nationals (AA, Harrisburg) · #165 · Three and two-thirds innings, four hits, two earned runs, no walks, and six strikeouts, getting 13 swinging misses on 61 pitches. The stuff is not in question: a fastball that sits 99-103 and a plus slider in the upper-80s generate whiffs at a 45.5 percent rate on the season at the minor-league level. The two-run outing continues a rocky Double-A stretch, with a 4.76 ERA across his four Double-A starts. For a power arm projected as a setup reliever with all-star upside, this is a profile that lives or dies on command, and the zero-walk line on Sunday is what the projection needs to see more often.
Demetrio Crisantes, 2B, Diamondbacks (AAA, Reno) · #200 · Four hits in 13 plate appearances, two doubles, two RBI, two walks, and zero strikeouts. Crisantes carries a 60 hit tool and a season-long contact rate of 78.7 percent, and a no-strikeout weekend at Triple-A is the profile in its cleanest form. Over his last 30 days at Reno he has five doubles, two triples, a 17.6 percent strikeout rate, and an 11.0 percent walk rate. The arm and range at second base introduce defensive margin concerns, but the bat-to-ball ability is real.