MiLB Player of the Day: Jack Gurevitch
The Cardinal Chronicle
Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Jack Gurevitch Goes Nuclear With Three-Homer Night
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
There are good nights at the plate, and then there are nights that make everyone stop and read the box score twice.
Jack Gurevitch had one of those nights Tuesday.
Gurevitch is the Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day after delivering one of the loudest offensive performances in the Cardinals’ system this season, going 4-for-4 with three home runs, a double, five RBIs, three runs scored and a walk in Peoria’s 16-3 win over West Michigan.
His final line:
4-for-4, 3 HR, 2B, 5 RBI, 3 R, BB
That is not a hot night. That is an ambush.
Gurevitch reached base every time he came to the plate, collected four extra-base hits, drove in five runs and scored three times. Three home runs in one game is special enough. Add a double and a walk, and it becomes one of the best single-game performances by any Cardinals minor leaguer this season.
The performance lifted Gurevitch’s season average to .302 and his OPS to .903, continuing what has become a strong High-A season for the Peoria first baseman/designated hitter.
The prospect rankings are beginning to reflect that production.
The Cardinal Chronicle currently has Gurevitch ranked as the No. 25 prospect in the Cardinals system, while MLB Pipeline ranks him No. 28. Those numbers matter because Gurevitch is no longer just a name buried in the lower half of prospect lists. He is producing at a level that demands attention.
Tuesday night was the clearest example yet.
Peoria’s offense exploded for 16 runs, 17 hits, five home runs, four doubles and a triple, but Gurevitch still managed to stand above the rest. That is not easy to do on a night when Tai Peete also went 3-for-5 with two home runs, a triple, four RBIs and three runs scored.
Between Gurevitch and Peete, the Chiefs got five home runs and nine RBIs from the top two spots in the order. That will win a few ballgames.
But this headline belongs to Gurevitch.
There was no cheap production here. Three homers, a double, five RBIs and a perfect night at the plate is middle-of-the-order impact. It is the kind of performance that changes how a player is talked about inside a system.
Gurevitch now has 12 home runs on the season, and Tuesday’s three-homer outburst pushed him to 31 RBIs. He has shown power, on-base ability and the ability to punish mistakes when pitchers come into the zone.
That is the separator.
At High-A, pitchers are better, scouting reports are sharper, and hitters have to prove they can make adjustments. Gurevitch is doing more than surviving that test. He is starting to put together the kind of production that makes a player climb the organizational ladder.
One night does not make a career, but one night can underline a trend.
And Tuesday night underlined it in red ink.
Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day:
Jack Gurevitch, DH, Peoria Chiefs
Cardinal Chronicle Prospect Ranking: No. 25
MLB Pipeline Prospect Ranking: No. 28
Final Line: 4-for-4, 3 HR, 2B, 5 RBI, 3 R, BB
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Jack Gurevitch, Peoria Chiefs | MiLB