Hot Sheet: Baseball’s 20 Hottest Prospects From The Past Week (8/8/23)
Image credit: Xavier Edwards (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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 Aug. 7. Contributing this week were Josh Norris, Geoff Pontes, JJ Cooper and Ben Badler.
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.
1. Xavier Edwards, 2B, Marlins
Team: Triple-A Jacksonville (International)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .692/.742/.962 (18-for-26) 7 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBIs, 5 BB, 1 SO, 1 SB, 1 CS.
The Scoop: Edwards has been the epitome of consistency this year. Other than going hitless in his lone game in March, he’s hit over .300 in every month this year. Even a promotion to the big leagues couldn’t slow him down, as he hit .381 in nine games and 22 plate appearances. Since being acquired by the Marlins, the MiLB batting leader has embraced his all-fields, slap-hitting approach. He rarely hits the ball over the outfielders’ heads, but much like Marlins first baseman Luis Arraez, he does an excellent job of finding holes in front of those outfielders. He’s nearly impossible to strike out with a Nick Madrigal-esque swing-and-miss rate and a 5.3% strikeout rate. If we wrote this tomorrow, Edwards would be 24.So happy birthday a day early to the minors’ batting average leader. (JC)
2. Luken Baker, 1B, Cardinals
Team: Triple-A Memphis (International)
Age: 26
Why He’s Here: .417/.483/1.208 (10-for-24), 9 R, 1 2B, 6 HR, 12 RBIs, 4 BB, 5 SO.
The Scoop: If Edwards has recharged his prospect status by embracing what he does best–hitting for average and never striking out–Baker has made a much more complete rehab of his prospect status. Baker has long had impressive power, but last year, he did almost nothing else. He hit .228/.288/.394 with 21 home runs. This year, Baker has become more selective, cutting his swing rate, chase rate and miss rate. But maybe as importantly, when he does hit the ball, he’s also hitting it harder. In 2022, Baker was left unprotected in the Rule 5 draft and was unpicked. This year, he earned his first MLB callup. He’s well on his way to a MiLB home run crown (he leads by four home runs) and he’s in the top 10 in the minors in on-base percentage. It’s a remarkable turnaround. (JC)
3. Trey Lipscomb, 3B, Nationals
Team: Double-A Harrisburg (Eastern)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .593/.593/.963 (16-for-27), 8 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBIs, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0-for-0 SB
The Scoop: Last week in Erie Lipscomb was seeing beach balls at the plate. Over the six-game series Lipscomb had four multi-hit games, including two four-hit efforts. He went 4-for-5 on Wednesday, slugging two home runs, and followed that up with a 3-for-4 effort on Thursday and a 4-for-5 night on Friday. Lipscomb was a third-round pick in 2022 out of Tennessee. He has an aggressive approach, expanding the zone early and often, but he makes up for it with above-average bat-to-ball skills and average contact quality. Lipscomb can hit, but he’ll need to refine his approach more to be considered a future everyday regular. (GP)
4. Ceddanne Rafela, OF, Red Sox
Team: Triple-A Worcester (International)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .375/.448/1.042 (9-for-24), 6 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 9 RBIs, 4 BB, 5 SO, 1-for-1 SB
The Scoop: Rafaela has hit nearly one third of his 17 home runs this year over the past week, raising his slash line to .306/.348/.525 between Double-A and Triple-A. It’s an impressive finish to the season for Rafaela, who was hitting just .262/.309/.375 entering June. It’s now two consecutive years of strong offensive performance for Rafaela, but his swing-happy approach—he has nearly as many home runs as he has walks, with just a 5% walk rate—is something that will be tested more when he gets to the big leagues. (BB)
5. Wilman Diaz, SS/2B/3B, Dodgers
Team: Low-A Rancho Cucamonga (California)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .571/.571/1.238 (12-for-21), 6 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 4 RBIs, 0 BB, 6 SO
The Scoop: Diaz has six home runs in 44 games this year, with four of those dingers coming last week. A big-ticket international signing for the Dodgers out of Venezuela two years ago, Diaz didn’t do much to inspire confidence his first two seasons, including a .168/.218/.223 line in 50 games in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League a year ago. But since arriving in Low-A Rancho Cucamonga on July 18, Diaz is hitting .403/.433/.774 in 16 games, albeit with a 37% strikeout rate. (BB)
6. Wyatt Langford, OF, Rangers
Team: High-A Hickory (South Atlantic)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .375/.524/.688 (6-for-16), 5 R, 1 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBIs, 5 BB, 5 SO, 2-for-2 SB
The Scoop: Langford was the Rangers’ first-round pick in this year’s draft and has started his career off with a bang. The Florida alum moved quickly to High-A and immediately fit in, carding two triples in his first week with his new club. Langford has immediately slotted in as the Rangers’ top prospect and gives Texas a pair of potential beasts in the outfield with himself and Evan Carter. (JN)
7. Justice Bigbie, OF, Tigers
Team: Double-A Erie (Eastern)
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: .360/.385/.760 (9-for-25) 6 R, 1 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBIs, 1 BB, 5 SO.
The Scoop: Bigbie has been one of the revelations of the Tigers’ 2023 MiLB season. He was great in West Michigan, but that could be explained away as a 24-year-old beating up on the Midwest League’s younger pitchers. That doesn’t work anymore. Since Bigbie was promoted to Double-A Erie on June 13, he’s hit .361/.419/.604, making him one of the most productive hitters in the minors over the past two months. Bigbie is following in Kerry Carpenter’s footsteps. He’s a little more of a hitter with a little less power than Carpenter, but he’s another Tigers later-round find. (JC)
8. Luis Devers, RHP, Cubs
Team: High-A South Bend (Midwest)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 2-0, 0.00, 10 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 14 SO, 0 HR
The Scoop: In his two starts against Wisconsin last week, Devers was nearly unhittable. He stifled the Timber Rattlers on Tuesday and again on Sunday, tossing two scoreless five-inning starts to begin and end the series against the Brewers’ High-A affiliate. In Tuesday’s start Devers struck out six, allowing just a single hit for the outing. On Sunday he struck out eight while allowing two hits and a walk. Devers mixes four pitches and won’t overwhelm you with his stuff or pitch shapes, but he has a high level of pitchability. He’ll mix a changeup, two-seam fastball, slider and curveball, but the changeup and two-seam see a majority of his usage. (GP)
9. Lonnie White Jr., OF, Pirates
Team: Low-A Bradenton (Florida State)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .304/.407/.913 (7-for-23), 8 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 8 RBIs, 4 BB, 1 SO, 1-for-1 SB
The Scoop: Injuries have slowed White’s progression in pro ball since he signed with the Pirates out of high school in 2021, with White only making his full-season debut a month ago. Since arriving in Low-A, White has shown the power stroke that was part of the appeal with him out of the draft, blasting five home runs in 22 games en route to a .238/.380/.488 line. (BB)
10. Bryce Osmond, RHP, Angels
Team: High-A Tri-City (Northwest)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 SO, 0 HR
The Scoop: Osmond was the Angels’ 15th-round pick in 2022 out of Oklahoma State. This year, he caught the eye of scouts during minor league spring training thanks to a combination of a mid-90s fastball and a nasty slider that some scouts believed was already a plus pitch. The season has been uneven for Osmond, but he established a career-best with 11 punchouts in his last outing. Since July 2, he’s put forth better results. In that span he’s 2-1, 3.38 with 39 strikeouts and 11 walks in 26.2 innings. (JN)
11. Robert Gasser, LHP, Brewers
Team: Triple-A Nashville (International)
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 SO
The Scoop: Nine starts into the season, Gasser had a 5.36 ERA and walked 26 batters in 42 innings. Since then, Gasser has settled in nicely, walking just 15 in 59 innings to lower his overall ERA to 3.91. Gasser doesn’t have one knockout offering, but his any-pitch, any-count mentality keeps hitters guessing and helps him have success, giving him a chance to pitch in a back-end starter role in the big leagues soon. (BB)
12. Keyshawn Askew, LHP, Rays
Team: High-A Bowling Green (South Atlantic)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 1.50, 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 12 SO, 0 HR
The Scoop: Acquired from the Mets this past offseason for Brooks Raley, Askew has enjoyed a strong first season with the Rays organization. Last week, Askew made two relief appearances for Bowling Green, recording the victory on Tuesday and earning the save on Saturday. Between the two outings, Askew struck out a combined 12 batters without issuing a walk. Askew struck out exactly 50% of the batters he faced for the week. Askew is a funky lefthander with an unusual slot and mixes a sinker in the low 90s and a slider with moderate sweep in the 78-80 mph range. He’ll show a changeup, curveball and four-seam fastball, but none of them are a major part of his arsenal. (GP)
13. Shane Sasaki, OF, Rays
Team: High-A Bowling Green (South Atlantic)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .458/.480/.667 (11-for-24), 3 R, 1 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBIs, 1 BB, 4 SO, 1-for-3 SB
The Scoop: Sasaki stuffed the box score last week, particularly over the opening four games of the series—he had three games with three or more hits. Sasaki missed two months earlier this season, but returned following the All-Star Break. He has one of the most advanced hit tools in the Rays system, showing plus bat-to-ball skills, average swing decisions and fringe-average power. He’s difficult to strike out and has a well-balanced skill set. (GP)
14. Harry Ford, C, Mariners
Team: High-A Everett (Northwest)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .412/.583/.882 (7-for-17), 6 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 5 BB, 4 SO, 1-for-2 SB
The Scoop: The 2023 season has been uneven for Ford, who has more walks (82) than strikeouts (81), but has seen his OPS slide each month of the year, from a high of .946 in April to a low of .691 in July, when he was also part of the American League’s Futures Game squad in Seattle. Evaluators are enthused by his on-base capabilities and have noted improvement in his receiving behind the plate, which was a point of emphasis entering the season. (JN)
15. Rece Hinds, OF, Reds
Team: Double-A Chattanooga (Southern)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .400/.455/.950 (8-for-20), 5 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 2 BB, 7 SO, 1-for-1 SB
The Scoop: Hinds finished May with a season line of just .206/.249/.394. Since June 1, Hinds has hit .357/.430/.764, the highest slugging average and OPS in the minors over that stretch. Hinds has trimmed his strikeout rate a touch, but he’s still whiffing at a 35% rate overall, so while he has gigantic raw power, there’s still a lot of 4-A slugger risk here. (BB)
16. Victor Scott II, OF, Cardinals
Team: Double-A Springfield (Texas)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .381/.417/.381 (8-for-21), 4 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 5 SO, 6 SB.
The Scoop: We are generally power nuts here, but with the Hot Sheet we want to make sure we’re also honoring the speedsters when they have a great week. Scott is second in the minors chasing his good friend Chandler Simpson for the MiLB stolen base lead. Scott’s 73 stolen bases trail Simpson by eight steals, but both of them are running away from everyone else. Scott had 16 steals in a row without being caught earlier this year and had a 15-steal streak last month. Right now, he’s working on a 6-for-6 streak. (JC)
17. Wes Clarke, 1B, Brewers
Team: Double-A Biloxi (Southern)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .304/.429/1.043 (7-for-23), 6 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 12 RBIs, 4 BB, 9 SO
The Scoop: The entire Biloxi team has been on fire since returning from the minor league all-star break—when the Southern League began using the normal, mud-rubbed ball again—and this past week was Clarke’s time to shine. The 10th-round pick out of South Carolina in 2022 smashed five home runs against Pensacola, a mark that accounts for nearly a full third of his 18 longballs this season. The outburst also pushed him past his 2022 season total of 14 homers. (JN)
18. Dru Baker, OF, Rays
Team: High-A Bowling Green (South Atlantic)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .421/.476/1.053 (8-for-19) 8 R, 4 HR, 6 RBIs, 2 BB, 3 SO, 4 SB.
The Scoop: Baker is the owner of one of the strangest streaks you’ll see in the minors this year. He’s now hit nine home runs and three triples since the last time he hit a double. He has 37 hits since he last doubled on June 22. What makes this truly weird is Baker is not some plodder who needs to hit the ball over the fence to have a chance to reach second base. He’s a burner who will turn in a 4.1-second time from the righthanded batter’s box going home to first. He has five triples and 38 stolen bases this year. No other MiLB hitter with more home runs than doubles (and at least 13 home runs) has topped 20 steals this year. It probably means nothing in the long run for Baker, but it is a truly quirky stat. (JC)
19. Zach Dezenzo, OF, Astros
Team: Double-A Corpus Christi (Texas)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .300/.417/.800 (6-for-20), 7 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 9 RBIs, 4 BB, 8 SO, 3-for-3 SB
The Scoop: Dezenzo has been one of the biggest breakout prospects in Houston’s system, and now sits closer to the top of its organizational ranks thanks to the trades that cleared out some of its higher-end pieces. Changes in approach and swing mechanics have helped Dezenzo balance contact and power, and the results have been present all season long. (JN)
20. Fernando Perez, RHP, Blue Jays
Team: FCL Blue Jays (Florida Complex)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 7 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO, 0 HR
The Scoop: On Monday Perez pitched seven hitless innings to combine with two other pitchers to record a nine-inning no-hitter for the FCL Blue Jays. Perez pitched seven of the nine innings, shutting down the FCL Phillies lineup, which featured 2023 first-round pick Aidan Miller. Perez struck out six, allowing only one player to reach base over his seven frames. Perez is a strike-thrower with a ton of upside. He mixes four-seam and two-seam variations of his fastball, which sits 92-94 mph and touches 96 mph at peak. He also uses a fringe slider and an average changeup. Everything plays up due to his plus control and ability to pound the zone. He’s a potential breakout name to follow in the Blue Jays system. (GP)
Helium
Drew Lugbauer, 1B, Braves
Team: Double-A Mississippi (Southern)
Age: 26
Why He’s Here: .375/.464/1.042 (9-for-24) 6 R, 1 2B, 5 HR, 8 RBI, 4 BB, 7 SO.
Lugbauer is the epitome of an MiLB veteran. A 2017 11th-round pick out of Michigan, he was college teammates with Jake Cronenworth on that 2015 Wolverines team. Cronenworth was a late-blooming big leaguer himself, but Cronenworth has been in the majors for four seasons already. Lugbauer is in his seventh minor league season, and he’s in his third consecutive season at Double-A Mississippi, so why are we talking about him? He’s worth discussing because Lugbauer is the gold standard of a minor league slugger who grips it and rips it. He is averaging one home run every 10.7 at-bats this year, second best in the minors among sluggers with 20 or more home runs. His .620 slugging percentage would rank fourth in the minors if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. He leads the Southern League with 20 home runs even though he’s only played in 66 games. Lugbauer has shelved catching, and is purely a first baseman/left fielder with limited defensive utility. But he hits the ball consistently as hard as anyone in the minors when he’s not air conditioning the lower deck with his 34.7% strikeout rate. There’s no guarantee he’ll ever reach the majors, but as a prospective MiLB free agent this offseason, he’s worth keeping an eye on. (JC)
