Howard among top prospect performers Saturday

For a player who bypassed the Class A-Advanced level, Harrison Bader hasn’t had any problems adjusting to the advanced competition in Double-A.

On Saturday, the Cardinals’ No. 10 prospect connected on his third home run in as many games to help fuel Springfield’s four-run eighth inning and eventual come-from-behind win against Frisco. He finished 2-for-5 at the plate and also tallied a double to go along with his 11th home run in 46 games this season.

Bader, 21, has been one of the better hitters in the Texas League, ranking first in hits (61), home runs, and fifth in OPS (.947). His .333 average is also tied for third.

Bader didn’t show much power during his first two years at the University of Florida, hitting just four home runs in 102 games. But that changed in a big way in his junior campaign, when he, after tweaking his swing and adjusting his approach during the offseason, went deep 17 times in 67 games for the Gators. Bader’s breakthrough performance caught the attention of the Cardinals, who drafted him in the third round last June.

Bader’s power surge continued last summer in his first taste of pro ball when he homered 11 times in 61 games across two levels, including nine long balls in 54 games for Class A Peoria. And with 11 more home runs this season, the 6-foot, 195-pound outfielder has now left the yard 22 times in 107 pro games.

The rest of the best performances from top prospects Saturday

• No. 6 overall prospect Dansby Swanson (Braves’ No. 1) collected multiple hits for the 16th time in 48 games this season with his 2-for-4 showing in Double-A Mississippi’s win against Jacksonville. One of those two knocks was a solo home run, his fifth of the season and fourth in 27 games since moving up to Double-A, and he’s now hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games for the Mississippi Braves. Overall, the 2015 No. 1 overall Draft pick is hitting .310/.403/.497 with a 40-percent extra-base hit rate (23 of 58), 10 steals and a 27/28 walk-to-strikeout rate on the season.

• No. 56 overall prospect Josh Hader’s (Brewers’ No. 4) streak of 19 1/3 scoreless innings came to an end when he allowed a solo home run — his first long ball allowed in 51 innings — to Mitch Haniger in the sixth inning of Double-A Biloxi’s eventual walk-off win against Mobile. But that was the only blemish on the day for the 22-year-old southpaw, who allowed four hits and one walk while striking …

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