2023 Hot Sheet: Who Made the Most Appearances?

2. Colt Keith, 2B/3B, Tigers

Age: 22

Hot Sheet Appearances: 6

The Scoop: Keith’s bat ran hot and cold this year, but there were three different months when it seemed to have assumed the form of molten lava. He hit .374/.437/.670 at Double-A Erie in May, followed it up by hitting .354 with seven home runs in June as he earned a promotion to Triple-A Toledo. And in August, he hit .327/.387/.673. Keith proved he could stay healthy, found a new consistent position (second base) and put himself into consideration for a spot in Detroit in 2024. It was a very good year. (JJ)

3. Andrew Abbott, LHP, Reds

Age: 24

Hot Sheet Appearances: 5 

The Scoop: Abbott’s five appearances all came quickly. He was only eligible for nine weeks early in the season before he joined the Reds’ rotation. He actually made three starts in Double-A, where he racked up double-digit strikeouts three times before moving up to Triple-A. The Reds’ push for a playoff spot has depended heavily on Abbott to solidify an injury-ravaged rotation. (JJ)

4. Jonathan Aranda, 2B/1B, Rays

Age: 25

Hot Sheet Appearances: 5

The Scoop: The disconnect so far between Aranda as a big league hitter (where he’s hit .187/.289/.300) and Triple-A, where he’s nearly impossible to retire (.339/.449/.613), is hard to fully explain. Aranda has graduated from prospect status, but so far, he’s yet to show that he’s fully graduated from the Triple-A/MLB shuttle. (JJ)

5. Ceddanne Rafaela, SS, Red Sox

Age: 23

Hot Sheet Appearances: 4

The Scoop: Rafaela entered the year with the objective of improving his swing decisions and putting together a more advanced approach at the plate. He showed enough progress in that department to earn his first big league callup. In Boston, he’s shown the same dynamic skill set that has made him one of the game’s best prospects, but his strikeout-to-walk ratio shows that there’s work to be done to reach his ceiling. (JN)

6. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 1B, Reds

Age: 23

Hot Sheet Appearances: 4

The Scoop: Encarnacion-Strand has hit .300 in every season of his career stretching back to high school. As the Reds enter the final week of the season, it seems like the streak will live, if you combine his MiLB and MLB stats this year. He was a .331 hitter in the minors and is currently hitting .279 in the majors, but combine the two and he’s hitting .309. Add in 31 home runs between Triple-A and the majors and Encarnacion-Strand is looking like the Reds’ long-term answer at first base. (JJ)

7. Drew Thorpe, RHP, Yankees

Age: 22

Hot Sheet Appearances: 4

The Scoop: Thorpe made his pro debut in 2023 and couldn’t have made a much better first impression. The righthander punched out an MiLB-best 182 strikeouts in 139.1 innings between High-A and Double-A. Thorpe’s signature pitch is a potentially double-plus changeup that was effective against hitters of both sides. Perhaps more impressive, he increased his strikeouts and decreased his walks after moving to the upper levels for the first time. (JN)

8. Jonny DeLuca, OF, Dodgers

Age: 25

No. of Hot Sheet Appearances: 4

The Scoop: The Dodgers system is loaded to the gills, and DeLuca entered the year as one of its sneaky prospects. The Oregon alum is an outstanding athlete and a polished ballplayer, a combination which helped him slug 17 home runs and swipe a dozen bases in just 73 games between the upper levels. He made his big league debut on June 7 and smacked his first major league homer on the Fourth of July. (JN)

9. Jordan Beck, OF, Rockies 

Age: 22 

Hot Sheet Appearances: 4 

The Scoop: The Rockies selected Beck in the supplemental first round in 2022 and the former Tennessee star made the most of his full season debut. The slugger hit 25 home runs between High-A and Double-A, while walking 12.9% of the time. Strikeouts became an issue with the jump to Double-A, but Beck showed advanced on-base skills, plus power and the ability to handle all three outfield spots. Beck is an impressive athlete with plus raw power, with a max exit velocity this season of 114 mph, and a 90th percentile EV of 104.5 mph. If Beck can cut down on the strikeouts in 2024, he has a chance to hit his way to Coors by next summer. (GP) 

10. Michael Busch, 3B, Dodgers

Age: 25

Hot Sheet Appearances: 4

The Scoop: The Dodgers’ first-rounder from 2019 has been one of the best performers in the minor leagues over the past two seasons. This season, he was a force of nature with Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he slashed .323/.431/.618 in 98 games. He crushed 27 home runs and struck out just 88 times in 469 minor league plate appearances (18.8%). That success has not translated to the big leagues, where he’s 12-for-72 spread over multiple cups of coffee. (JN) 

11. Ronny Mauricio, SS, Mets

Age: 22

Hot Sheet Appearances: 4

The Scoop: Mauricio has long been one of the best ball-strikers in the Mets’ minor leagues, but that impact has sometimes been coupled with a lack of contact. His minor league strikeout rate improved greatly in 2023, dropping from 23.1% in 2022 to 18.2% this past season, which was spent entirely at Triple-A Syracuse. Mauricio made his big league debut on Sept. 1 and immediately made a strong impression. His first MLB hit was a double struck at 117.3 mph, the hardest-hit ball by a Met this season. (JN)

12. Thomas Saggese, SS, Cardinals 

Age: 21 

Hot Sheet Appearances: 4 

The Scoop: Acquired by the Cardinals from the Rangers at the trade deadline, Saggese continued his advanced hitting with his new organization hitting .293/.363/.564 with 11 home runs in 46 games post-trade. Saggese has only fringe-average raw power and can be an aggressive swinger at times. What Saggese does have is a remarkable ability to make contact at premium angles, allowing his power to play above his exit velocity data. Saggese has preternatural barrel control that allows him to find the barrel at a high rate. Saggese’s sweet spot% (or the rate at which he makes contact at ideal launch angles) was top 20 in all of minor league baseball. His combination of skills and ability to optimize contact gives Saggese a chance to be a bat first infielder. (GP)

13. Yanquiel Fernandez, OF, Rockies 

Age: 20 

Hot Sheet Appearances: 4 

The Scoop: Few prospects have the type of power the 20 year old Fernandez possesses. The Cuban slugger connected for 25 home runs this season split between High-A Spokane and Double-A Hartford. After hitting .319/.354/.605 with 17 home runs over 58 games with Spokane, Fernandez struggled in the second half of the season with Double-A Hartford. Fernandez struggled with his approach and contact against the more advanced competition, but showed some of the best raw power in the minors when he was able to make contact. A slugging corner outfielder, Fernandez is likely a few years away from debuting with the Rockies. (GP) 

14. Ben Brown, RHP, Cubs

Age: 24

Hot Sheet Appearances: 3

The Scoop: Brown was the lone prospect the Cubs received from the Phillies in exchange for reliever David Robertson two seasons ago. At the time, the righthander was a pop-up prospect who had just less than 30 innings above short-season and Rookie leagues entering the 2022 season. Brown was a wrecking ball at Double-A this year, punching out 30 hitters in 20 innings before earning a promotion to Triple-A. He ran into a bit more resistance in the Pacific Coast League, where he learned he needed much sharper command of his arsenal before he’s ready for the big leagues. (JN)

15. Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pirates

Age: 21

No. of Hot Sheet Appearances: 3

The Scoop: When the Pirates picked Chandler in the third round of the 2021 draft, he was a two-way talent who might be a slower developmental burn. He bid the batter’s box adieu in 2023 and began to blossom on the mound. Chandler was inconsistent at hitter’s haven Greensboro, but once he began to throw quality strikes with his entire repertoire, he earned a promotion to Double-A Altoona. He shined in his one upper-level start, punching out eight in five one-hit shutout innings. (JN)

16. Cade Povich, LHP, Orioles

Age: 23

Hot Sheet Appearances: 3

The Scoop: Pitchers earn spots on the Hot Sheet by having dominating outings. Povich finished the season with a 5.04 ERA. That does not seem to be the ERA you would expect for a pitcher who made three different Hot Sheet appearances. But when Povich was rolling, hitters had little chance. Povich struck out 171 batters in just 126.2 innings. He had three different outings where he reached double digits in strikeouts without allowing a run. Twice it came in games where he allowed just one hit in five-plus innings. Those three outings earned him three different spots on the Hot Sheet, and also offer hints of what he could offer the Orioles in the future. (JJ) 

17. Clayton Beeter, RHP, Yankees

Age: 24

No. of Hot Sheet Appearances: 3

The Scoop: Beeter was the Yankees’ lone representative at the 2023 Futures Game in Seattle. The righthander, who came over from the Dodgers in the deal that sent Joey Gallo to the Dodgers, used a mix of mostly fastball and slider to punch out 165 hitters, the eighth-most in the minor leagues. With a bit more refinement, he could find a spot in the Bronx sometime in 2024. (JN)

18. Coby Mayo, 3B, Orioles 

Age: 21

Hot Sheet Appearances: 3

The Scoop: In his age 21 season, Mayo split his time between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk, producing one of the best statistical seasons in the minor leagues. Among players with a minimum of 500 plate appearances, Mayo ranked as the 5th best wRC+ in the minor leagues alongside Jackson Holliday and Junior Caminero. He was also one of 18 players with 29 or more home runs in the minor leagues this season. Mayo’s union of contact, approach and power has allowed him to find success during his professional career and looks like the next wave of Orioles impact rookies. (GP)

19. Connor Norby, 2B, Orioles

Age: 23

Hot Sheet Appearances: 3

The Scoop: There’s a reason credit card numbers are usually 16 digits. It’s because the average human’s working memory is seven digits. So even if someone sees your credit card number, they are unlikely to be able to recall all 16 numbers quickly. It’s the same reason phone numbers are seven digits (plus the area code). We bring this up to note that the average human’s working memory may not be able to keep full track of all the Orioles infield prospects. So it’s easy to forget Norby just wrapped up a .290/.359/.483 season where he racked up 40 doubles and 21 home runs while also keeping track of Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Coby Mayo, Jordan Westburg and Joey Ortiz. So consider this a useful reminder. (JJ)

20. Drew Gilbert, OF, Mets 

Age: 22 

Hot Sheet Appearances: 3 

The Scoop: In a years time, Gilbert went from high profile college star to a first round draft pick to trade deadline acquisition. In between that time Gilbert sustained a major injury, returned, hit his way onto the Top 100 prospects and appeared in the 2023 Futures Game in Seattle. Gilbert experienced the highs and lows of pro-ball throughout his first full season. Gilbert struggled with Double-A Corpus Christi prior to the trade, but found his footing with Binghamton immediately, hitting .325/.423/.561 with six home runs in the 35 games following the trade. With a shift in philosophy for the Mets this season, Gilbert will likely fit into the teams plans over the next few seasons and could debut in Flushing in 2024. (GP) 

21. Hayden Birdsong, RHP, Giants

Age: 22

No. of Hot Sheet Appearances: 3

The Scoop: Birdsong was the Giants’ sixth-rounder in 2022 out of Eastern Illinois. He started this season at Low-A but quickly burned through that level and the next, High-A Eugene, en route to his first test of the upper levels. The big righthander bedeviled hitters with a mid-90s fastball with outstanding life and a high-spin curveball got whiffs more than half of the time hitters offered at the pitch. His 149 strikeouts were the third-most in San Francisco’s system, and his 100.1 innings were 23 fewer than either pitcher ahead of him in the organization. (JN)

22. Hunter Goodman, C, Rockies 

Age: 23 

Hot Sheet Appearances: 3 

The Scoop: No hitter has more minor league home runs over the last two season than Hunter Goodman. Goodman finished third in the minor leagues in 2022 with 36 home runs, and finished third again this season with 34 home runs. Goodman earned his first call-up to the major leagues in August and has shown his slugging prowess at the game’s highest level. Questions regarding Goodman’s bat-to-ball skills and approach remain but the slugger showed improvements in those areas year over year. He’s one of the top slugging prospects in baseball. (GP) 

23. Jonatan Clase, OF, Mariners

Age: 21

No. of Hot Sheet Appearances: 

The Scoop: Clase was one of the minor leagues’ most prolific base-burglars, swiping 79 bags in 94 tries, good for a rate of 84%. His overall numbers took a dive once he reached Double-A, but he still finished as one of just three minor leaguers with 20 or more home runs and 50 or more stolen bases. (JN)

24. Samuel Basallo, C, Orioles

Age: 19

No. of Hot Sheet Appearances: 3

The Scoop: Gunnar Henderson won Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2022. Jackson Holliday took home the 2023 award. Might 2024 be the year of Basallo? The big backstop was one of the biggest breakout prospects in the minors in 2023, when he moved from Low-A to Double-A as a teenager. He was one of just four minor leaguers this season to hit 20 or more apiece of doubles and home runs and steal 10 or more bases while striking out fewer than 100 times. He’s made strides behind the plate and has a double-plus throwing arm, but his bat should fit in the middle of an order no matter where he plays defense. (JN)

25. Wikelman Gonzalez, RHP, Red Sox

Age: 21

No. of Hot Sheet Appearances: 3

The Scoop: Boston’s system had an excellent season, led by the big league debut of Ceddanne Rafaela and the breakout performance of outfielder Roman Anthony. Gonzalez, a 21-year-old who reached Double-A, might have a claim on the title of top pitching prospect in the system. His 168 strikeouts were tied with Oakland’s Joe Boyle for the fifth-most in the minor leagues. His mid-90s fastball is outstanding, and he backs the pitch with an array of off-speed pitches that could be at least average. (JN)