Hot Sheet: Baseball’s 20 Hottest Prospects From The Past Week (6/27/23)
The Hot Sheet is back! Baseball America’s staff ranks the 20 hottest prospects from the previous week. This installment of the Prospect Hot Sheet considers how minor league players performed through June 26. Contributing this week were Josh Norris, Geoff Pontes, J.J. Cooper and Kyle Glaser.
This simply recognizes how the hottest prospects in the minors did in the past week—it’s not a re-ranking of the Baseball America Top 100 Prospects.
Kyle Glaser hosted a chat to discuss today’s Hot Sheet. You can read the transcript here.
1. Quinn Priester, RHP, Pirates
Team: Triple-A Indianapolis (International)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 1 GS, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 11 SO.
The Scoop: Priester spun his best start of the season last week with six sparkling innings against Columbus. The difference was Priester had some of the best feel for his high-70s curveball he’s shown this year. He located it exceptionally well, dropping it at the bottom of the zone when needed but more often finishing it below the strike zone for swings and misses. Of his 11 strikeouts, seven were finished off with swings and misses on his curve. (JC)
2. Coby Mayo, 3B, Orioles
Team: Double-A Bowie (Eastern)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .462/.563/1.000 (12-for-26), 7 R, 5 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 5 RBIs, 6 BB, 3 SO
The Scoop: Mayo has been on a roll in June. Recently added to the Top 100, the 21-year-old third baseman has clobbered the Eastern League for the past month. Since May ended, Baltimore’s fourth-round pick from 2021 has hit a spicy .369/.500/.762 with seven home runs. Three of those homers came this past week, when eight of his 12 hits went for extra bases. (JN)
3. Thomas Saggese, 2B, Rangers
Team: Double-A Frisco (Texas)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .591/.654/.955 (13-for-22), 7 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBIs, 4 BB, 3 SO, 1-for-1 SB
The Scoop: Saggese rose late in the 2020 draft process despite the shortened season. He has continued that rise unabated in pro ball. The 2020 fifth-round pick extended his hitting streak to 14 games with another scorching week for Double-A Frisco against Springfield last week. Saggese recorded 13 hits in the series, tied for most in the minor leagues, including going 4-for-4 in the series opener and finishing the series with back-to-back multi-hit games. Saggesse is now batting .312/.372/.502 on the season, the highest batting average and OPS on a Frisco team that includes Top 100 Prospects Evan Carter and Luisangel Acuña. (KG)
4. Wilkelman Gonzalez, RHP, Red Sox
Team: High-A Greenville (South Atlantic)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 1.80, 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO, 1 HR
The Scoop: Gonzalez’s April was rough. Of this, there can be no doubt. Since then, however, the righthander has turned it on. From May 1 on, Gonzalez’s numbers look like this: 5-0, 2.89 with 73 strikeouts and 21 walks in 43.2 innings. In other words, more than 55% of the outs he’s recorded in his last nine starts have come on strikes. Quietly, Boston’s system is starting to bear fruit. (JN)
5. Jeremiah Jackson, 3B, Angels
Team: Double-A Rocket City (Southern)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .421/.421/1.158 (8-for-19), 6 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 7 RBIs, 0 BB, 6 SO, 0-for-0 SB
The Scoop: After an uneven start to the season, Jackson is flourishing in June. The 2018 second-round pick homered in three straight games against Montgomery last week and recorded a hit in every contest to extend his hitting streak to seven games. He hit a solo home run on June 22, followed with another solo shot on June 23 and capped his surge with two homers in the first game of a doubleheader on June 24. Overall, Jackson is batting .270/.343/.508 in June and hit more home runs last week (four) than he had the entire rest of the season (three). (KG)
6. Mason Black, RHP, Giants
Team: Double-A Richmond (Eastern)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 9.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 SO, 1 HR
The Scoop: After taking a couple of months to settle in this season at Double-A, Mason Black has tossed the competition to the bricks in June. Let’s lay it out. After surrendering three runs in his first start of the month, Black has shut down his last four opponents. Combined, his last four starts have lasted 17.1 innings. In that span, Black has allowed just eight hits and five walks. He’s also fanned 21 hitters. A continued stretch like this would help buoy a San Francisco system thin on pitching behind No. 1 prospect Kyle Harrison. (JN)
7. Ivan Melendez, 1B, D-backs
Team: High-A Hillsboro (Northwest)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .393/.393/.821 (11-for-28), 5 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBIs, 0 BB, 5 SO.
The Scoop: Melendez battled through some mechanical issues in his swing to start the year, but now that he’s found his rhythm, he’s showing the ability that made him last year’s Golden Spikes Award winner at Texas. Melendez ripped off seven extra-base hits in six games against Everett last week, including hitting for the cycle on June 23. The 6-foot-3 masher homered in the first inning, singled in the third inning and tripled in the fifth inning. He flew out in the seventh inning, but in his final at-bat, he doubled in the bottom of the ninth to complete the feat. After starting the year 2 for 28, Melendez is batting .321/.389/.705 with 14 home runs and 35 RBIs in his last 39 games. (KG)
8. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Twins
Team: High-A Cedar Rapids (Midwest)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .429/.556/1.000 (9-for-21), 7 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 BB, 6 SO, 2 SB.
The Scoop: Rodriguez has slowly but steadily dug out from a very early hole. He’s now equaled last year’s games played and has more plate appearances. His recent power surge means he now ranks in the top 10 in the Midwest League in home runs (10), runs scored (41), walks (41), OBP (.377), SLG (.456) and OPS (.833). Rodriguez remains quite picky when it comes to swinging the bat. He has gotten a little more aggressive this month, but even in June, he’s still swinging at only 38% of all pitches, according to Synergy data. He’s swung and missed on only 7% of all pitches he’s seen this month, but he’s taken a strike on 20% of the pitches he’s seen this month. (JC)
9. Payton Martin, RHP, Dodgers
Team: Low-A Rancho Cucamonga (California)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 SO, 0 HR
The Scoop: Martin continues his emergence as one of the breakout pitchers of the lower levels with another sterling week. The 19-year-old righthander pitched three scoreless innings with six strikeouts in the series opener against Lake Elsinore and closed out the series with three hitless, scoreless innings of relief and five strikeouts in the finale. With a 94-96 mph fastball, a hard slider in the upper 80s, a rapidly developing changeup and excellent command and control out of an easy, athletic delivery, Martin checks all the boxes for a young pitcher and looks like the Dodgers’ latest draft find. (KG)
10. Alec Marsh, RHP, Royals
Team: Triple-A Omaha (International)
Age: 25
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 2.70, 10 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 13 SO, 1 HR
The Scoop: After a down season in 2022 and a rough go in Double-A Northwest Arkansas this season, Marsh moved to Triple-A. So far, Omaha suits him well. He was particularly dominant this past week, when he stymied Rochester over the course of two starts. He struck out a baker’s dozen Red Wings hitters in that span. He still needs to command the strike zone a bit better, but Marsh has followed the up-arrow trend that has circulated through Kansas City’s pitching as a whole this season. (JN)
11. Dyan Jorge, SS, Rockies
Team: ACL Rockies
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .625/.750/1.125 (10-for-16), 9 R, 1 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 8 BB, 3 SO, 3-for-3 SB
The Scoop: Jorge has quietly been one of the most dominant hitters in the Arizona Complex League. The 20-year-old Cuban has had more multi-hit games (7) than 0-fers (4) heading into this week’s action. Colorado’s No. 12 prospect brings a solid all-around skill set, including 55-grade hitting, defense and arm strength and footspeed that grades as plus. He should reach Low-A at some point this season. (JN)
12. Jorge Barrosa, OF, D-Backs
Team: Triple-A Reno (Pacific Coast)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .524/.565/.952 (11-for-21), 5 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2-for-2 SB
The Scoop: An undersized switch-hitter, Barrosa stands at 5-foot-5, but his bat packs more punch than you’d think. Over six games last week, Barrosa collected multiple hits in every game but one. His best game of the week came on Tuesday, when Barrosa finished a home run shy of the cycle and drove in a pair of runs. At just 22 years old, Barrosa is on the 40-man roster and has a strong track record of offensive production over the last few seasons. Barrosa is an underrated prospect likely not getting enough respect. (GP)
13. Jairo Iriarte, RHP, Padres
Team: High-A Fort Wayne (Midwest)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 1.50, 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 SO, 0 HR
The Scoop: Iriarte is finally harnessing his high-octane arsenal. Midwest League batters are merely the helpless victims of that development. Iriarte pitched six innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts in a dominant start against South Bend on Sunday, the latest in a series of eye-opening performances. The Dominican righthander retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced after settling in, including eight via strikeout. Iriarte lowered his ERA to 2.95 in 13 starts with the outing and has effectively joined Dylan Lesko and Robby Snelling to give the Padres three premium pitching prospects in the low minors. (KG)
14. Keider Montero, RHP, Tigers
Team: Double-A Erie (Eastern)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 3.18, 1 GS, 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 11 SO
The Scoop: Montero’s introduction to the Double-A Eastern League has not been an easy one. He’s allowed four or more runs in four of his first seven Erie starts. But in his past two starts, he’s shown a reminder of why he’s still a promising prospect. Against Hartford on Tuesday, playing at times in a rainstorm, Montero’s 85-88 mph slider stole souls, and he was able to reach back to elevate at 98 mph when he needed to up in the zone as well. Montero’s listed weight of 145 pounds is off by at least 50 pounds, as he drives off the mound with thick and strong legs. There’s something here, even if his 5.33 ERA this year may keep many from noticing. (JC)
15. Jacob Berry, 3B, Marlins
Team: High-A Beloit (Midwest)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .417/.444/.750 (10-for-24), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBIs, 2 BB, 1 SO.
The Scoop: There’s no denying that Berry’s first full pro season has been far less than expected. He was viewed as one of the best hitters in the 2023 draft class with a bat good enough to make up for questions about his defensive position and athleticism. But for the first two and a half months of the season, he sat with a batting average under .200 and an OPS around .500. Last week, Berry finally had a week similar to what he did pretty much every week at LSU. Berry had four multi-hit games last week, which almost equaled his number of multi-hit games in the first 52 games of the season. At third base, Berry has been as rough as predicted. He’s committed 15 errors in 48 games at third, divided almost evenly between fielding errors and throwing errors. (JC)
16. Yu-Min Lin, LHP, D-Backs
Team: High-A Hillsboro (Northwest)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO, 0 HR
The Scoop: Lin has been a name getting some interest among certain circles of the prospect world. Over the last few years Lin has been a strong performing lefthander with a pair of strong secondary pitches. Lin sits in the upper 80s with a pair of fastball variations in a sinker and a four-seam. His primary pitch, however, is his changeup, a pitch he uses nearly one to one with his fastball. Lin also features a curveball and a slider. The curveball is the better of the two with high spin rates in the 2,900-3,000 rpm range and two-plane break. (GP)
17. Oscar Colas , OF, White Sox
Team: Triple-A Charlotte (International)
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: .421/.450/.895 (8-for-19), 3 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 5 RBIs, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0-for-0 SB
The Scoop: Entering the season there was a fair amount of buzz around Colas beginning the year as a member of the White Sox outfield. He got his opportunity and played in 25 games over the first month of the season. After hitting just .211/.265/.276, Colas was demoted to Triple-A Charlotte, where he’s performed fairly well over 43 games. Over five games last week, Colas collected a hit in each and multiple hits in four out of five. He ended the week on a high note with three home runs over his final two games against Louisville. (GP)
18. Jase Bowen, OF, Pirates
Team: High-A Greensboro (South Atlantic)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .500/.524/1.056 (9-for-18), 7 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 8 RBIs, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0-for-0 SB
The Scoop: A 2019 11th-round pick out of Central Catholic High in Toledo, Ohio, Bowen has been a slow burn prospect who’s produced better numbers each season coming out of the pandemic. Last week Bowen had a hit in all five games he played in, including a pair of three-hit efforts. He homered in three consecutive games, going deep on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Bowen has shown more power this year—he’s two home runs away from matching a career high. (GP)
19. Kyle Hurt, RHP, Dodgers
Team: Double-A Tulsa (Texas)
Age: 25
Why He’s Here: 0-1, 3.86, 1 GS, 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 11 SO.
The Scoop: Hurt might have been the fourth- or fifth-best prospect in Tulsa’s rotation for much of the season, but he’s a solid pitching prospect in his own right. That’s just a reminder of how deep this Drillers’ rotation is. Northwest Arkansas swung under his fastball at the top of the zone and then swung over his changeup at the bottom of the zone last Friday. Six of his strikeouts came on his fastball, another four came with the changeup and he added one on his slider for good measure. (JC)
20. Shay Whitcomb, SS, Astros
Team: Triple-A Sugar Land (Pacific Coast)
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: .364/.440/.773 (8-for-22), 4 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 6 RBIs, 1 BB, 10 SO, 0-for-1 SB
The Scoop: It’s rare to see a player transform defensively, but that’s been the case with Whitcomb, who has developed into an average or better defender at multiple positions in the infield. Whitcomb hasn’t lost his ability to hit, either. In fact, he’s enjoying his best season on both sides of the ball in 2023. Now in Triple-A, Whitcomb is showing some swing and miss but also the ability to do damage consistently at the plate. Last week Whitcomb hit three home runs to push his season total to 20. As previously mentioned, his approach is hyper-aggressive but Whitcomb pairs power and capable infield defense. (GP)
Helium
Abimelec Ortiz, 1B, Rangers
Team: High-A Hickory (South Atlantic)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .571/.600/1.143 (12-for-21), 8 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 8 RBIs, 3 BB, 4 SO, 0-for-0 SB
The Scoop: Ortiz is a first base-only lefthanded masher with moderate plate skills and excellent exit velocity data. The 21-year-old has 15 home runs between two levels and has an average exit velocity of 90 mph this season. There’s plus power with moderate plate skills, but Ortiz will have to hit due to his lack of positional value. (GP)
