Central STL News

With the Minor League Baseball season nearing its end, several pitching prospects across all 30 Major League farm systems are maintaining strong performances despite the usual late-season fatigue. These players have emerged as standout arms within their organizations, with some showing notable improvement and consistency.

For the St. Louis Cardinals, left-hander Brycen Mautz (No. 21 prospect) has distinguished himself in August for Double-A Springfield. Outside of one challenging outing on August 20, Mautz has posted a 2.08 ERA over five starts this month, which is the lowest in the Texas League during that span. His 1.00 WHIP and 27 strikeouts rank second and third in the league for August, respectively. Over the season, his strikeout rate stands at 27.7 percent, placing him sixth among all Double-A qualifiers.

Across other teams, several prospects have also made significant impacts:

- Gage Stanifer (Blue Jays) has recorded three consecutive quality starts for High-A Vancouver and owns a 2.00 ERA in August.

- Michael Forret (Orioles) earned a promotion to Double-A after not allowing an earned run in his last four High-A starts.

- Brody Hopkins (Rays) rebounded from a difficult outing to post a 1.13 ERA with 20 strikeouts over his last three appearances.

- Yhoiker Fajardo (Red Sox), an international signee from Venezuela, allowed only three runs over his past eight starts for Single-A Salem.

- Kyle Carr (Yankees) has delivered a 1.73 ERA across four August starts at High-A.

In the National League Central division:

- Tyler Schlaffer (Cubs) reached Double-A and allowed two runs or fewer in seven of nine outings since promotion.

- Connor Wietgrefe (Pirates) is riding a scoreless streak spanning four starts at High-A.

- Simon Miller (Reds) has become a reliable bullpen arm for Double-A Chattanooga with a 2.20 ERA since July.

Other notable performers include Robby Snelling (Marlins), who holds a 0.88 ERA over his last five Triple-A starts; Jonah Tong (Mets), who struck out 54 batters in seven recent outings between Double-A and Triple-A; and Jarlin Susana (Nationals), whose fastball reaches up to 103 mph following his return from injury.

The list highlights both highly ranked prospects and lesser-known names making strides as the minor league season approaches its conclusion.

"Brycen Mautz had a slight hiccup on Aug. 20 when he allowed five earned runs in 3 2/3 innings, but outside of that, he’s been arguably the Texas League’s best starter this month. His 2.08 ERA over five starts (26 innings) for Springfield is the circuit’s lowest this month, while his 1.00 WHIP and 27 strikeouts rank second and third, respectively. His 27.7 percent K rate for the season is sixth-best among all Double-A qualifiers."

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