Farm to Fountains: Daily Digest (3/30/24) – Farm to Fountains

The Farm to Fountains Daily Digest is your one-stop shop for all of the day’s action in the minor leagues. The coverage of highlights and notable prospects for the entire Royals farm system will keep you up-to-date and in the know.

Omaha played its second game of the season on Saturday. LHP Anthony Veneziano got the start for the Storm Chasers. The game was a pitchers’ duel for much of the early innings after some first-inning stumbles by Veneziano. In that first inning, Veneziano allowed a run but no other runs would come home for either side until the fifth inning. In the home half of the fifth, Omaha took a 3-2 lead. They quickly grew that lead with three more runs in the sixth inning. The Omaha bullpen — which had been lights out in both games so far — finally allowed runs to score in the top of the ninth. The game was tied heading into the bottom of the tenth before the Storm Chasers earned their second walk-off victory in as many days.

Final Score: Omaha 7, Iowa 6 (10)

In his first start of the regular season, things looked rough early for Anthony Veneziano. He faced six Cubs hitters in the first inning, walking two and allowing one run to come across. Things got back on track quickly for Veneziano however. He finished his day with three innings pitched, allowing three hits and one earned run. He walked two and struck out three. The command was sharp after the first inning. After throwing 11 balls in the first, Veneziano missed the zone just five more times over the next two innings combined.

Nick Pratto again continued his hot stretch to open the Triple-A season. He went 2/4 with a walk and an RBI on Saturday. He did strike out once. Over the first two games of the season, he’s now hitting .500 with an OPS of 1.350. As for Devanney, the newcomer to the Royals system has had an impressive first two games of the season. After saving a run on Friday and scoring the walk-off run, he went 2/4 with a double and an RBI on Saturday. He’s old for a minor-league prospect at 26, but Devanney could be a name to watch this season if he continues his success. He profiles as solid depth for the big league team in case of injury.

Perhaps the most concerning news of the entire season thus far continues to be John McMillon’s velocity. The flamethrowing reliever was optioned to Triple-A Omaha to continue building up his arm strength. He was slow to ramp up this spring and needed more time to be ready for major league hitters. His first appearance of the season on Saturday did little to stoke optimism. McMillon pitched the ninth for Omaha, ultimately getting just one out before being pulled from the game. He allowed four runners to score in the inning. McMillon’s fastball velocity on the afternoon averaged just 93 mph. It seems that the path back may be longer than expected for the promising reliever.

Despite playing solid defense in 2023, Rave has been the Storm Chasers’ left fielder in both games so far this season. He launched his first home run of 2024 on Saturday — a 399 ft. blast that left the bat at 107 mph. Rave is an under-the-radar prospect who will have a tough time earning playing time in Kansas City this season. The outfield depth ahead of him is simply too deep, but he’s still a notable name to watch. Rave had an impressive start to the season in 2023 but struggled with strikeouts as the season went on.