Ranking The 20 Hottest MLB Prospects | Hot Sheet (9/17/24)

1. Matt Shaw, 3B, Cubs 

Team: Triple-A Iowa (International)
Age: 22

Why He’s Here: .462/.500/1.000 (12-for-26), 7 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 5 RBIs, 2 BB, 6 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: Louisville’s pitching staff was likely mighty happy to see Shaw depart after last week’s series. Shaw strung together five multi-hit efforts including a four-hit game in the series finale. Shaw homered in three different contests and reached base in all six games. He is now hitting .296/.382/.565 with seven home runs over 29 Triple-A games. The top hitting prospect in the Cubs system looks like a likely contributor for the big league team next season and has a great opportunity to break camp with the club. (GP) 

2. Abimelec Ortiz, 1B, Rangers

Team: Double-A Frisco (Texas) 
Age: 22

Why He’s Here: .524/.600/1.143 (11-for-21), 8 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 8 RBIs, 4 BB, 3 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: 2023 was a breakout season for Ortiz, as he slugged 33 home runs across both levels of A-ball. This season, Ortiz’s numbers are down, particularly on the power side, but he has managed to cut his strikeout rate significantly while still flashing power. Last week, Ortiz went off, slugging four homers and tallying 11 hits. Ortiz is still a long shot to develop into a big league regular, but he’s showing a balance and plate skills and power he hadn’t previously. (GP) 

3. George Klassen, RHP, Angels

Team: Double-A Rocket City (Southern)
Age: 22

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 1 GS, 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 SO

The Scoop: When the Angels acquired Klassen, they immediately jumped him from High-A to Double-A. And for the first month, it looked like the new level was too much for him. Hitters batted .319 against him, and he gave up as many walks (18) as he struck out (18). But in his final two starts, he seemed much more comfortable. That was especially true in this week’s season finale. Some aggressive hacks from the Lookouts helped, as three of Klassen’s strikeouts came on pitches that bounced, but he was dominant from his first pitch to the last. (JC)

4. Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pirates

Team: Triple-A Indianapolis (International)
Age: 22

Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: This year, the Pirates introduced Jared Jones and Paul Skenes to the big leagues. Next year, Bubba Chandler might make that dynamic duo a terrifying trio. Pittsburgh’s top prospect was at it again this week, racking up 10 punchouts over six one-hit innings. The outing was Chandler’s fourth with double-digit strikeouts this season, with two apiece coming at Double-A and Triple-A. His 140 (and counting) Ks are the most in the Pirates’ organization, ahead of Carlson Reed by ten. If he strikes out seven or more hitters in his final start, he’ll top the organizational bests of a year ago—set by both Thomas Harrington and Jones—and will have the highest mark in the organization since Luis Escobar struck out 168 hitters in 2017. (JN) 

5. Ryan Clifford, 1B/OF, Mets

Team: Double-A Binghamton (Eastern) 
Age: 21

Why He’s Here: .304/.429/.696 (7-for-23), 5 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBIs, 5 BB, 7 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop: Clifford was acquired by the Mets alongside Drew Gilbert in the Justin Verlander trade back in 2023. A ‘three true outcomes’ hitter, Clifford pairs strong on-base skills with plus raw power. As a 20-year-old in 2024, Clifford slugged 18 home runs in Double-A. Last week, he showed off his advanced on-base ability and power, reaching base 12 times while logging five extra base hits. Clifford has an opportunity to hit his way to the major leagues in 2025, as he should likely begin the season with Triple-A Syracuse. (GP) 

6. JJ Wetherholt, SS, Cardinals

Team: Low-A Palm Beach (Florida State)
Age: 21

Why He’s Here: .538/.600/.769 (7-for-13), 3 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 2 BB, 2 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop: Since the Florida State League playoffs kicked off last week, the Cardinals’ 2024 first rounder has been a man possessed. He homered in the first game of the series against Daytona, then followed it up with consecutive three-hit games, first in the series-clinching win and again in the opening game of the FSL championship game. Wetherholt has further cemented his reputation as one of the most polished hitters in this summer’s draft class. Heading into 2025, he will be one of the top infield prospects in the game. (GP) 

7. Mason Barnett, RHP, Athletics

Team: Double-A Midland (Texas)
Age: 23

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Another week, another Hot Sheet appearance for Barnett, who has been nothing short of dominant since being traded to the A’s in the deal that sent Lucas Erceg to Kansas City. Now that the Double-A season is in the rearview mirror, we can take a look at the full scope of Barnett’s excellent year, which was spent entirely in the Texas League. His most recent and final turn of 2024 was another masterwork, and also represented his third outing of seven or more innings, all of which have come since switching organizations. His nine strikeouts brought him to 161 for the year, the second most in Double-A behind only Miguel Ullola of Corpus Christi. (JN)

8. Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Orioles

Team: Double-A Bowie (Eastern)
Age: 22

Why He’s Here: .350/.480/.500 (7-for-20) 7 R, 1 HR, 2 RBIs, 4 BB, 2 SO, 4 SB, 1 CS

The Scoop: Bradfield has been exactly as advertised as a pro: He’s a speedster whose 74 steals are second best in the minors, and he’s proven to be a capable hitter, too. Combine that with his defense in center field, and Bradfield should be working into the Orioles’ big league discussions at some point next year. He’s a very different outfielder than most of the Orioles’ outfield candidates, which should make those discussions even more interesting. (JC)

9. Kevin Parada, C, Mets

Team: Double-A Binghamton (Eastern) 
Age: 23

Why He’s Here: .333/.429/.833 (6-for-18), 3 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 6 RBIs, 2 BB, 5 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop: Last week against Portland, Parada reached base in all five games he played and slugged home runs in three of his final four games of the season to raise his season total to 13 in 2024. A highly-touted prospect coming out of Georgia Tech, Parada has disappointed offensively in consecutive seasons, hitting .214/.304/.359 in 2024 with a 33.7% strikeout rate. Parada’s contact has backed up tremendously in 2024, but perhaps his strong end to the season gives him some momentum heading into 2025. (GP) 

10. Harry Ford, C, Mariners

Team: Double-A Arkansas
Age: 21

Why He’s Here: .368/.538/.474 (7-for-19), 6 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBIs, 5 BB, 4 SO, 3-for-3 SB

The Scoop: Meryl Streep knows acting. Bo knows football. Harry Ford knows the strike zone. This much has been made clear over the course of Ford’s time with the Mariners and was once again reinforced this season, which he spent entirely at Double-A Arkansas. This past week, he finished with more walks (five) than strikeouts (four). With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that his .377 on-base percentage was the tenth-best in all of Double-A, and that his 74 walks are the second-most at the level—first in the Texas League—behind only Marlins prospect Jakob Marsee. He is one of just 10 players in the minors with 25 or more doubles and 35 or more stolen bases this season. (JN)

11. Travis Sykora, RHP, Nationals

Team: Low-A Fredericksburg (Carolina)
Age: 20

Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 1 GS, 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 HBP, 1 BB, 9 SO

The Scoop: If the Fredericksburg Nationals are going to end the Nationals’ decade-long MiLB title drought, Sykora will have earned his ring as much as anyone on the team. His final start of the season clinched a spot in the Carolina League championship series, and it was just a continuation of a dominating final two months of the season. This was his seventh start of the season where he allowed one or fewer hits while throwing five innings. After walking 20 batters in his first 13 starts, Sykora walked just eight batters in his final eight starts. There’s a lot of good news for the Nationals’ rebuild. James Wood’s emergence in the majors and D.J. Herz has impressed regularly in the rotation. But four levels lower, Sykora’s emergence is also worth paying close attention to. (JC)

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12. Colby Thomas, OF, Athletics

Team: Triple-A Las Vegas (Pacific Coast) 
Age: 23

Why He’s Here: .250/.345/.542 (6-for-24), 5 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBIs, 4 BB, 8 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: There are two players in minor league baseball age 23 or younger with 30 or more home runs this season: Deyvison De Los Santos and Colby Thomas. The latter pushed himself into the 30 home run clubs with a pair of long balls last week. Thomas reached base in five out of six games. showing off his power and on-base skills. Thomas has hit .266/.339/.563 with 16 home runs over 67 games since his promotion to Triple-A. He has fringe-average plate skills but shows plus power and strong defensive skills in the outfield. Thomas looks like the next Athletics outfielder that could make an impact in the majors. (GP) 

13. Austin Peterson, RHP, Guardians

Team: Double-A Akron (Eastern)
Age: 24

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 SO

The Scoop: There’s nothing about Peterson’s arsenal of pitchers that jumps out. He sits at 90-92 mph with a low-80s slider, a harder mid-80s changeup and a bigger high-70s curveball. But Peterson throws all of them regularly, and he can throw all four for strikes. Peterson’s 14 wins are best in the minors, and his 1.18 walks per nine innings is second best in the minors. (JC)

14. Luke Adams, 3B, Brewers

Team: High-A Wisconsin (Midwest) 
Age: 20

Why He’s Here: .455/.571/.727 (5-for-11), 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 3 BB, 3 SO, 4-for-4 SB

The Scoop: Adams’ great underlying data has not caught up to his production as of yet, but last week Adams showed out in the Midwest League playoffs. He put together a string of strong games, reaching base at least twice in all three contests to helping Wisconsin go undefeated. Adams homered in the series-clinching semifinal game against Quad-Cities and then strung together three hits in the opening game of the Midwest League final. Adams has a good balance of plate skills and underlying power he’s still learning to fully harness. One of the more underrated hitting prospects in the minors, Adams could be a breakout candidate in 2025. (GP) 

15. Sebastian Walcott, SS, Rangers

Team: Double-A Frisco (Texas)
Age: 18

Why He’s Here: .348/.400/.652 (8-for-23), 4 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR,  RBIs, 1 BB, 7 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: As was the case two years ago when Evan Carter arrived on the scene, the Frisco Roughriders enter the postseason with a teenage wunderkind on their roster. This time, Walcott will get his chance on the TL’s biggest stage after earning a late-season promotion from High-A Hickory, where he dazzled evaluators with his athleticism, bat speed and impact potential. With his final home run of the regular season, he ended the year with 34 doubles, 11 homers and 27 stolen bases, making him the only player in his age-18 season to go 30/10/20 in those categories. The last player to achieve those feats at such a young age? Another Rangers prospect—Jurickson Profar—in 2011. (JN)

16. K.C. Hunt, RHP, Brewers

Team: Double-A Biloxi (Southern)
Age: 24

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 1 GS, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 SO

The Scoop: In four seasons at Mississippi State, Hunt had a 7.67 ERA. He posted an 8.54 ERA with the Bulldogs in 2023 as a reliever, and those stats didn’t undersell his struggles—he had a WHIP over 2.00 and he had 40 runs allowed in 39 innings thanks to 33 walks. But the Brewers once again have shown they can help a player, even an undrafted free agent, unlock new levels of performance. Hunt threw more innings this year (102) than he had in four college seasons, and he finished with a 2.02 ERA with a better strikeout rate (34%) and a walk rate that dropped from 14% in college to 6% this year. As a Brewer, Hunt has refined his delivery with a step to start his move from the stretch, and he has less of a shoulder tilt/glove raise. It’s working, and Hunt got better and better as the season wore on, logging a 1.67 ERA from July 1 until the end of the season. (JC)

17. Alan Roden, OF, Blue Jays

Team: Triple-A Buffalo (International) 
Age: 24

Why He’s Here: .300/.417/.600 (6-for-20), 4 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBIs, 4 BB, 4 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop: After a rough start at Triple-A, Roden hasn’t stopped hitting, as he’s slashed .343/.430/.552 over 58 games. Roden continued his hit hitting last week, reaching base in all six games and showing off his elite plate skills by walking as much as he struck out while also flashing some power. Roden is a polished, well-rounded hitter with excellent plate skills and on-base ability. He’s similar to other lower-pedigree hitting prospects the Blue Jays have had success developing in recent years and has shot to be in the mix for playing time with the major league club in 2025. (GP)

18. Carter Jensen, C, Royals

Team: Double-A Northwest Arkansas (Texas)
Age: 21

Why He’s Here: 333/.348/.762 (7-for-21), 4 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, 1 BB, 4 SO

The Scoop: The Royals’ system is on the upswing, and Jensen is one of the prospects at the forefront. The talented backstop returned to High-A to begin the season at 20 years old and found the sledding much more manageable than his season-ending stint in 2023. After a rough August, Jensen ended the season on a high note. In two September series with Northwest Arkansas, he went 15-for-46 with three doubles, a triple and four home runs. The long ball total accounted for half of his Double-A output in that department. (JN)

19. Jackson Ferris, LHP, Dodgers

Team: Double-A Rocket City (Eastern)
Age: 20

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 1 GS, 5 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 SO

The Scoop: Seasons are viewed in their totality, but when it comes to young players, and young pitchers especially, sometimes when you cut the season into smaller slices, improvement becomes more obvious. Ferris was good all year, but in the second half of the season, he has been dominant, even as he jumped from the High-A Midwest League to Double-A Texas League. His 1.59 ERA since July 1 is the third best in the minors, and his .159 opponents average since July 1 is fourth best. Ferris has been using his changeup a little less than he did in the first half, but it’s been more effective, and he’s throwing more strikes then he did in the first half with it. Ferris’ fastball/slider combination can be devastating, and he’s much more consistent now. It’s been a great year and an especially exceptional second half. (JC)

20. Nolan McLean, RHP, Mets

Team: Double-A Binghamton (Eastern)
Age: 23

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Last week, McLean put the finishing touches on a breakout first full professional season, tossing six scoreless innings. He finishes the season with a 3.78 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 116 strikeouts to 42 walks over 109.2 innings. McLean has shown improved command from his collegiate days, and is now fully committed to pitching for the first time in his career. He possesses excellent stuff and has shown the ability to get deeper into starts. McLean is a name to watch in 2025. (GP)

Helium

Nestor German, RHP, Orioles 

An 11th round pick last year out of Tarik Skubal’s alma mater Seattle, German put together an impressive season in 2024. German made 21 appearance and 12 starts across both levels of A-Ball, pitching to a 1.59 ERA with 90 strikeouts to 17 walks over 73.2 innings. Throughout the season, German piggybacked with other pitchers, going 3-4 innings each time out. He mixes a four-seam fastball that sits 93-94 mph with 19-20 inches of induced vertical break, a upper-70s curveball with serious depth, as well as a changeup, slider and cutter. German has a deep mix, misses bats with all of his pitches and shows the ability to land all of his pitches for strikes. (GP)