Thursday's Standout Minor League Baseball Performers

Braylon Doughty looked the part last night as he struck out eight batters in front of me in Charleston. He has looked good in his last two starts, which I have seen. I broke down last nights start in detail and what Doughty brings to the table in the free preview below.

There was also a ton of dominant performances across the minors, including some big home run performances from DSL hitters all the way to Triple-A. Plus who were the best pitchers that stood out?

All that and a ton more below!

Free Minor League Baseball Recap Previews

Each day, I will pick a hitter and pitcher who stand out and deserve the top spot on the sheet. Those players’ reports will be free for all to read. The rest will be paywalled for Dynasty Dugout Subscribers. The article is around 3000 words, giving you detailed player reports to encapsulate everything you need to know.

Braylon Doughty, RHP, Cleveland Guardians, 19, A

Doughty landing with Cleveland feels like a perfect fit for a young arm that has already taken significant strides over the last year and could continue progressing with the Guardians org. A 6’1”/200-pound righty jumped on radars on the showcase circuit in the summer of 2023.

Starting with a fastball that sits 92-95, Doughty holds his velocity deep into starts and spins it well while landing it for strikes at the top of the zone often. It has a nice riding life, and its command is quite strong. Doughty can run it more at times as well in a two-seam variation.

Doughty spins his slider exceptionally well, showing good sweeping action and good depth. The pitch ran from 83-86 mph with the upper-end of velocity being a shorter break and when closer to 83 mph, it has more glove-side movement.

The mid-80s changeup is Doughty’s third offering, but it showed strong flashes. When at its best, it does show good depth and fade.

Doughty is a pitcher. He will be 19 years old all year, and given the advanced traits he has as an arm, he is only going to blossom over time.

Elian Peña, SS, New York Mets, 17, DSL

Peña was one of the more popular players in the 2025 J15 as a well-known player for some time. Receiving the largest bonus in the class outside of Roki Sasaki, Peña is already well filled out and advanced for a 17-year-old. The left-handed hitter has a smooth swing and makes a ton of contact.

Watching Peña swing the bat, you will find it to be direct to the ball, and everything syncs up. Reports speak highly of the pitch recognition skills. Peña will likely not expand the zone often as he picks his spots well.

Small samples are funny. Through his first 11 games and 43 plate appearances, Peña had just one hit. Since then, Peña has eight hits in his last six games, including a four-hit performance yesterday. It was no ordinary four-hit day, however. Peña blasted three homers and drove in eight runs. This could be the game Peña needed to turn the corner. Especially given that he has struck out just twice over those six games.

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