Minor League Notables & Draft Pick Tracker - April 8th, 2026
35+ write-ups on notables from across all four levels & our Draft Tracker keeps rolling
LOW-A — ARMS
Allen Facundo | LHP | New York Yankees | Tarpons
5.2 innings. 1 hit. 1 earned run. 8 strikeouts. 71 pitches.
Eight punchouts in 5.2 innings on 71 pitches is the kind of efficiency that makes an arm impossible to ignore. One hit allowed, one earned run — which came courtesy of the bullpen unraveling after he exited — and a pitch count that suggests there was more left in the tank. The Tarpons/Threshers game was postponed and rescheduled for April 9th, but not before Facundo put together the most dominant individual pitching performance on the Low-A slate.
Facundo battled injuries in 2024 and 2025 and was basically on the IL for the majority of the two years. He’s now 23, back at Low-A, and could be a quick riser through the system. The fastball and sinker are mid 90s, sitting anywhere from 94-96. He pairs that with arguably his best pitch which is his slider - a mid 80s high spin slider (~2800 rpm). Last night the 4-seamer touched 96.8 and Facundo has all the makings of a potential legitimate bullpen arm in the Bronx.
Ty Van Dyke | RHP | St. Louis Cardinals | Palm Beach Cardinals
5.2 innings. 3 hits. 0 earned runs. 6 strikeouts. 74 pitches.
Back-to-back dominant starts to open the season. Van Dyke is doing what good pitchers do — working efficiently through lineups, keeping the ball in the park, and letting the defense work. Six strikeouts in 5.2 innings on 74 pitches is a clean, professional outing and the Cardinals system keeps generating arms that know what they’re doing. Worth to note, he is 22 years old at Low-A, however, he was just drafted in the 10th round in last years draft. We’ll see how quickly he moves.
Riley Eikhoff | RHP | Chicago White Sox | Cannon Ballers
5 innings. 1 hit. 0 earned runs. 7 strikeouts. 73 pitches.
Seven K in 5 innings on 73 pitches — and the one hit allowed was the only traffic he saw all day. The Cannon Ballers had the best pitching performance of any Midwest League team on the slate and Eikhoff was the reason. Clean and efficient. Big bounce back from his first outing of the year in which he allowed 4 runs.
Charlie Christensen & Cale Wetwiska | RHP | Detroit Tigers | Flying Tigers
4 innings. 0 hits. 0 earned runs. 5 strikeouts. 42 pitches.
He shut down the Tortugas lineup and didn’t need many bullets to do it. 42 pitches for 4 innings of no-hit ball is the kind of efficiency you dream about from a starting arm. The Flying Tigers pitching depth continues to show up at Low-A.
Christensen is a Tread athlete — he went from sitting 87-90 to then sitting 92-94, touching 95. This was back in August. Last night he averaged 93.5. I’m not going to rule out any other upticks in velo with another offseason under his belt. I’ll keep tracking this one.
I’m going to show some love to Cale Wetwiska, the 7th rounder in 2025, who averaged 95.5 mph on his fastball with over 18 inches of IVB. He topped out at 98.1 and is just 20 years old. The results weren’t as sharp as Christensen’s, however, the stuff seems to be fairly ridiculous for someone his age. Not only keeping an eye out, but jotting the name down for future reference.
Nelson Keljo + Miguel Flores | RHP | Cleveland Guardians | Howlers
Combined: 8 innings. 0 earned runs. 11 strikeouts.
Keljo: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 62 pitches. Flores: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 49 pitches.
Four innings. Zero walks. Five strikeouts. Flores was in lockdown mode and the back half of the Howlers’ pitching appearance was cleaner than the front.
LOW-A — BATS
Jhonny Level | SS | San Francisco Giants | San Jose Giants
3-for-5. 2 doubles. Home run. 1 RBI.
The case keeps building and at this point it’s not even a case anymore — it’s a verdict. Three hits including two doubles and a home run. The slash line is .522/.560/1.517 with 2 homers and 3 stolen bases through 5 games. The extra base hit production seems real, consistent, and pointing in one direction. Jhonny Level has run out of reasons to be in Low-A. He is lapping this competition and every additional at-bat he spends against Low-A pitching is a wasted opportunity. The Giants need to make this decision. The bat is ready for the next challenge. I’ve been calling it since game 1.
Taitn Gray | 1B | Tampa Bay Rays | Charleston River Dogs
2-for-3. Home run. 4 RBI.
Stop what you’re doing.
Taitn Gray is 18 years old. He was a third-round pick. And he has put up some of the most ridiculous numbers of any bat in Low-A to start the 2026 season. The .417 batting average is not a misprint. The 1.255 OPS is not a sample size fluke. It’s April and this teenager is hitting the baseball with authority and power at a level where most players his age are still figuring out professional pitching. The swing looks easy and fluid and he’s making the most of it.
Two hits including a home run and four runs batted in last night. The profile is already showing up — power, contact, production — from a bat the Rays clearly knew what they were doing with on draft day. The name is going to matter. Lock it in now.
Tate Southisene | 2B | Atlanta Braves | Augusta GreenJackets
2-for-6. Home run. 3 RBI. 22nd overall pick in the 2025 draft.
The power showed up tonight in a big way. The 22nd overall pick drove in three runs including a home run in an 11-run offensive explosion for Augusta. The bat has been quiet early in the season and tonight was the answer. Keeping an eye out.
Murf Gray | 3B | Pittsburgh Pirates | Bradenton Marauders
3-for-4. 1 RBI. 73rd overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Three hits in four at-bats is the best night Gray has had at this level …. since his first game on April 3rd, when he went 2-for-4 with a homer. He’s been rather consistent at the plate, however it’s concerning that he is striking out a bit and has shown no inclination towards working a count and drawing a walk. We’ll see.
Chase Harlan | 3B | Los Angeles Dodgers | Ontario Tower Buzzers
3-for-3. Home run. 3 RBI. 2 walks.
A perfect night at the plate for another Dodgers standout — three hits and two walks — with a home run thrown in. The Dodgers Low-A affiliate is loaded and Harlan keeps delivering results at the top of the lineup. The production is impossible to ignore.
Avinson Pinto | SS | Boston Red Sox | Salem Ridge Yaks
3-for-4. 2 doubles. An aggressive hitter and he’s just 18 years old. Where have I heard that before? Let’s see what the Red Sox can get out of Pinto before the season is over. This is a tough assignment for the 18 year old but last night was a nice indication that he can hold his own. Still too early, though.
Isaiah Barkett | DH | San Francisco Giants | San Jose Giants
3-for-4. Double. Home run. 1 RBI.
On the same night Jhonny Level went 3-for-5 with a homer, Barkett matched him. The Giants’ Low-A lineup is producing out of multiple spots and the 10th rounder in 2025, Barkett is one of the reasons why. Three hits with a homer and a double to go with it — that’s a complete offensive line.
HIGH-A — ARMS
Tyler Switalski | LHP | San Francisco Giants | Eugene Emeralds