Lawlar, Mayer highlight top swinging prospects to round out weekend

Sunday's action was highlighted by some big performances from top prospects, and some stellar showings on the mound from some unheralded arms. In short, the last day of the holiday weekend had a little bit of everything in the Minor Leagues. Here are the performances that stood out the most:

SUNDAY'S TOP PERFORMERS:

Jordan Lawlar, SS, Reno (AZ No. 1/MLB No. 10)
Arizona's top prospect reached base five times in an all-around performance that kept Reno in a game that went into extra innings. He doubled and scored in the first frame, singled later and walked twice. In the eighth, Lawlar cranked a no-doubter, game-tying solo homer -- his fifth on the young season. Back at Triple-A, the 2021 sixth overall pick continues to perform. He's hitting .325 with a 1.050 OPS through 21 games. Gameday

Marcelo Mayer, SS, Worcester (BOS No. 3/MLB No. 11)
Don't look now, but Mayer is heating up at Triple-A. He's logged mutli-hit games in his last three contests and homered in two of his past three. In his latest effort, he did both, socking a two-run homer as part of a two-hit, three-RBI afternoon for Worcester. The long ball was Mayer's fourth in 17 games this season. Gameday

Marco Vargas, INF, St. Lucie (NYM No. 15)
The 19-year-old Vargas was all over the Single-A Mets' win, homering as part of the first four-game hit of his career. Vargas rapped singles to each of the three fields, wrapping them around an opposite-field two-run homer. The showing continued a strong start to the season for Vargas, who is hitting .438 with a 1.155 OPS through nine games. Gameday

Cooper Kinney, SS, Montgomery (TB No. 23)
The Rays' first-round pick in 2021, Kinney put together his first four-hit game of the season to pace the Double-A Biscuits' victory. He also scored two runs and drove in two more out of the No. 2 hole in the lineup. Gameday

Shalin Polanco, OF, Greensboro (PIT No. 29)
The only ranked prospect with a multihomer game on Sunday, the 21-year-old center fielder cranked two to lead the High-A Grasshoppers to victory. Polanco mashed a three-run shot and added a solo homer, and his eight total bases led ranked prospects on the day. Gameday

Peyton Wilson, 2B, Northwest Arkansas (KC)
Top Royals prospects Jac Caglianone (KC No. 1/MLB No. 20) and Carter Jensen (KC No. 3/MLB No. 82) had solid afternoons, but Wilson provided the spark from the leadoff spot for the Double-A Naturals. The 25-year-old tripled twice as part of a four-hit game, scoring three runs and driving in three more. Gameday

Blade Tidwell, RHP, Syracuse (NYM No. 16)
The 23-year-old righty outdueled Blue Jays right-hander Jake Bloss to help the Triple-A Mets win a nailbiter, striking out a season-high nine across 4 1/3 scoreless innings in his fifth start of the season. Tidwell held Buffalo to two hits and one walk but didn't factor into the decision. Gameday

Jake Bloss, RHP, Buffalo (TOR No. 6)
Bloss was pretty good himself in the battle of 23-year-old righties at Triple-A. Alhough he did allow two runs across 4 2/3 innings for the Bisons opposite Tidwell, neither run was earned and he racked up seven strikeouts without a walk. Gameday

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Janzen Keisel, RHP, Charleston (TB)
A sixth-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2024, Keisel spun an absolute gem in his third professional start. The 22-year-old righty threw six hitless innings for the Single-A RiverDogs, largely pitching to contact. He only recorded one strikeout and logged three walks, but put up a string of impressive goose eggs all the same. Gameday

Blake Burkhalter, RHP, Columbus (ATL No. 15)
It's been a great start to the season for the 24-year-old Burkhalter at Double-A, and his third outing was no different. Burkhalter fanned nine without a walk over five innings of one-run ball for the Clingstones, slicing his ERA to 1.62 across 16 2/3 innings on the year. Gameday