Sunday's Top MLB Prospect Performances: Hitters

Every morning, Prospect Pipeline will recap the previous day’s notable prospect performances, both at the plate and on the mound. In coordination with the unveiling of my top prospect lists over the upcoming weeks, these daily recaps will offer advanced insight into both my organizational and overall rankings.

Although there has already been a slew of roster cuts league-wide, there are still plenty of prospects battling for jobs and hoping to leave a lasting impression on their future manager.

Here is a look at Sunday’s top offensive performances by a prospect.

Joe Benson

Minnesota Twins prospect Joe Benson continued to swing a hot bat in a 10-0 trouncing of Pittsburgh. Benson, who is ranked by Prospect Pipeline as the organization’s No. 3 prospect headed into the 2012 season, was 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI. 

After going hit-less in his first nine at-bats to begin the spring, the outfielder has raised his average to .304 thanks to back-to-back two-hit games.

Adam Eaton

Diamondbacks’ outfielder Adam Eaton had a much-needed offensive outburst by going 2-for-5 with a double, a triple and three RBI, as Arizona defeated the Reds, 8-7.

The No. 7-ranked prospect in the organization, the left-handed hitting Eaton slashed .318/.434/.464 with 34 stolen bases between High-A Visalia and Double-A Mobile in 2011.

Matt Davidson

Eaton wasn’t the only Diamondbacks prospect to go off on Sunday afternoon, as third baseman Matt Davidson belted a two-run home run, his first of the spring, and finished the game 2-for-3.

Davidson’s power landed him a spot as the team’s No. 4 prospect and top position player in their system. The 6'3", 225-pounder has plus power, but considering he struck out 147 times in 535 plate appearances in 2011, his plate discipline still has a way to go.

Yasmani Grandal

Yasmani Grandal, the No. 3-ranked prospect in a loaded Padres system, ripped a pair of doubles and drove in his fourth run of the spring in a 5-1 win over the Giants.

Traded along with Yonder Alonso in the deal that sent Mat Latos to the Reds, the switch-hitting Grandal is battling for backup catching duties with Brad Davis and John Baker (yes, they’re both former Marlins), though he’ll likely be assigned to Triple-A to begin the 2012 season.

Tyler Moore

But Sunday’s top offensive honors are reserved for the Nationals’ Tyler Moore, who doubled and homered in an 11-7 loss to the Tigers. After back-to-back 30-plus home run seasons at High-A and Double-A, respectively, Moore narrowly missed a top-10 ranking due to his projection as a first baseman.

The Nationals have experimented with the Mississippi State alumnus in left field and have been pleased with the results. If he can prove to be valuable at a second position, there’s a good chance that Moore will see his stock rise over the course of the 2012 season.