Hot Sheet: Baseball’s 20 Hottest Prospects From The Past Week (8/30/22)

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1. James Outman, OF, Dodgers
Team: Triple-A Oklahoma City (Pacific Coast)
Age: 25

Why He’s Here: .571/.565/1.381 (12-for-21), 6 R, 5 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 14 RBIs, 1 BB, 5 SO.

The Scoop: Outman didn’t just have a good week. He had arguably the best week of any player in the minors this season. The Dodgers outfielder had 10 extra-base hits and 14 RBIs in only six games during Oklahoma City’s series against El Paso and had two separate games of six RBIs. He also authored one of the most memorable moments of the minor league season when he hit a walkoff three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to complete the cycle on Aug. 27. (KG)

2. Korey Lee, C, Astros
Team: Triple-A Sugar Land (Pacific Coast)
Age: 24

Why He’s Here: .480/.552/1.160 (12-for-25), 9 R, 2 2B, 5 HR, 11 RBIs, 4 BB, 8 SO, 2-for-2 SB

The Scoop: Lee took advantage of the opportunity to bolster his offensive numbers at Las Vegas last week by hitting five homers in six games, including a three-homer game in the series opener. Lee altogether recorded multiple hits in four of the six games, a performance that boosted his season batting average from .212 to .231 in just one week. (KG)

3. Matt Sauer, RHP, Yankees
Team: Double-A Somerset (Eastern)
Age: 23

Why He’s Here: 0-0, 1.13, 8 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 17 SO, 1 HR

The Scoop: The Yankees as a system got a heck of a week from their pitching up and down the system, but Sauer was by far the best performer of the bunch. The righthander, whom the team took with their second-round selection in 2017, missed most of the 2019 season after having Tommy John surgery and then lost the 2020 season to the pandemic. His season to this point has been inconsistent, but his latest outing was the best of his career. Sauer’s 17 strikeouts set high-water marks not only for his own career, but for the history of the Somerset franchise. (JN)

4. Joey Wiemer, OF, Brewers
Team: Triple-A Nashville (International) 
Age: 23

Why He’s Here: .478/.500/1.174 (11-for-23), 5 R, 4 2B, 4 HR, 11 RBIs, 1 BB, 3 SO, 1-for-2 SB

The Scoop: Over his first three weeks with Triple-A Nashville, Wiemer struggled, hitting just .207/.242/.345 with 17 strikeouts to three walks over his first 62 plate appearances. Things switched to color for Wiemer last week as he went on a tear, collecting a hit in all six games against Durham, including four multi-hit efforts. Wiemer had two signature games on the week, including on Wednesday when he drove in five as part of a 3-for-4 night at the plate with a home run and a double. Two nights later Wiemer lit up Durham pitching again, going 2-for-4 on Friday with two home runs. Both of Wiemer’s home runs on Friday were clocked at 100-plus mph off the bat. (GP) 

5. Hunter Goodman, C, Rockies
Team: High-A Spokane (Northwest)
Age: 22

Why He’s Here: .458/.519/.875 (11-for-24), 7 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 8 RBIs, 3 BB, 7 SO

The Scoop: Very quietly, Goodman has had one of the best seasons in the minor leagues. Between both Class A levels, the Memphis alum and 2021 fourth-round draftee leads the minors in total bases (272) and is tied for the lead in extra-base hits (66) and home runs (33). There’s been little drop-off in production since Goodman moved to High-A at the beginning of July. He’s slammed 11 home runs in 42 games with Spokane, although he has shown more swing and miss. (JN)

6. Dalton Rushing, C, Dodgers
Team: Low-A Rancho Cucamonga (California)
Age: 21

Why He’s Here: .522/.607/.870 (12-for-23), 6 R, 5 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBIs, 5 BB, 5 SO.

The Scoop: Another week, another monster offensive performance for Rushing. The Dodgers top pick in the 2022 draft torched Visalia for six extra-base hits in as many games and saved his best for last, going 5-for-6 with a double and three RBIs in the series finale. Rushing is now batting .485 (33-for-68) since reporting to Rancho Cucamonga and is cementing his place as an early steal in the 2022 draft. (KG).

7. Miguel Ullola, RHP, Astros
Team: Low-A Fayetteville (Carolina)
Age: 20

Why He’s Here: 0-0, 2.25, 8 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 19 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: One of the bigger breakout arms in the minors this year continued his ascent this week with a pair of strong outings—one as a piggyback and another as a bridge to the bullpen after rehabber Josh James finished two innings. The results continued a string of (mostly) strong outings for Ullola, who uses a low-90s fastball and a sweepy slider to get whiffs. Since July 1, the 20-year-old has allowed more than two runs in an outing just twice and has whiffed 60 hitters in 33.2 innings over those two months. (JN)

 

8. A.J. Vukovich, 3B, D-Backs
Team: High-A Hillsboro (Northwest) 
Age: 21

Why He’s Here: .333/.333/.815 (9-for-27), 6 R, 1 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBIs, 6 SO, 4-for-4 SB

The Scoop: The 2020 fourth-round pick hit a home run in the final four games of the series at Vancouver. He drove in eight runs over that stretch and stole four bases, while crossing the plate six times. Vukovich pairs an aggressive approach with average bat-to-ball skills and above-average power, and has managed to hold his own as one of the younger players in the Northwest League. He’s hit .273/.308/.449 with 14 home runs and 33 stolen bases over 101 games. (GP) 

9. Taylor Dollard, RHP, Mariners
Team: Double-A Arkansas (Texas)
Age: 23

Why He’s Here: 2-0, 2.84, 12.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 13 SO, 1 HR

The Scoop: Dollard’s breakout season isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. The Cal Poly product improved to 13-0 in his last 16 starts with another pair of sharp outings last week against Tulsa. He pitched 6.2 innings with three runs allowed and eight strikeouts in his first start and six innings with one earned run allowed and five punchouts in his second, continuing his track record of remarkable consistency. After his latest strong week, Dollard leads the minors with 14 wins and ranks fourth with a 2.02 ERA. (KG)

10. Michael Toglia, 1B, Rockies
Team: Triple-A Albuquerque (Pacific Coast)
Age: 24

Why He’s Here: .353/.500/1.118 (6-for-17), 5 R, 1 2B, 4 HR, 7 RBIs, 5 BB, 5 SO

The Scoop: After an underwhelming showing at Double-A Hartford, Toglia is finding the hitter-friendly environments of the Pacific Coast League much more enjoyable. Toglia bashed four home runs in five games against Round Rock last week, including a three-homer game on Aug. 27. He now has seven doubles and seven home runs in only 17 games since joining the Isotopes, a performance that has lifted him to 30 home runs on the season. (KG).

11. Tanner Bibee, RHP, Guardians 
Team: Double-A Akron (Eastern)
Age: 23 

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 1.50, 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, x 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO

The Scoop: It’s been an impressive season for Bibee as he made his professional debut in April and has posted a 2.07 ERA, 3.01 FIP, 0.97 WHIP, 32.9% strikeout rate and a 5% walk rate over 21 starts and 108.2 innings. Bibee recorded his highest single-game strikeout total since his promotion to Double-A in early July on Thursday as he struck out 10 on 14 swinging strikes. Bibee sat 95-96 mph during the start, mixing in his sweepy mid-80s slider, mid-80s changeup and high-80s curveball. Bibee looks like another potential mid-rotation arm from the Guardians pitching factory. (GP) 

12. Yainer Diaz, C, Astros
Team: Triple-A Sugar Land (Pacific Coast)
Age: 23

Why He’s Here: .444/.464/.815 (12-for-27), 8 R, 1 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBIs, 1 BB, 5 SO.

The Scoop: It’s been a good week for catchers—Diaz is the fourth catcher in this week’s Hot Sheet. It’s been an even better week for Astros catchers, as Diaz is the second Triple-A Sugar Land catcher on this week’s Hot Sheet. This may be Diaz’s last week to qualify for the Hot Sheet. He’s headed to Houston as one of the team’s Sept. 1 call ups. If this is his last week, he’s picking an excellent week to graduate to the big leagues. Diaz has raised his slugging percentage by 99 points this year and has turned himself into a viable long-term option to be Houston’s everyday catcher. (JC)

13. Jud Fabian, OF, Orioles 
Team: Low-A Delmarva (Carolina) 
Age: 21 

Why He’s Here: .348/.423/.826 (8-for-23), 8 R, 1 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBIs, 3 BB, 7 SO 

The Scoop: After a strong 10 games at the Low-A level, Fabian was promoted Monday to High-A Aberdeen. Last week Fabian had a hit in all five games he played in and an extra-base hit in four out of the five. He had two multi-hit games and three games where he reached base three times. He hit eight balls in play at 95-plus mph last week, with three balls over 100 mph that all went for extra bases. Fabian has shown power and on-base ability early in his professional career, as expected. How Fabian handles more advanced competition will be interesting to watch over the final few weeks of this season and early next spring, as his strikeout issues at Florida were well documented.  (GP) 

14. Richard Fitts, RHP, Yankees
Team: High-A Hudson Valley (South Atlantic)
Age: 22

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 1.13, 8 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Fitts joined fellow Hot Sheeter Matt Sauer as two Yankees arms with momentous performances this week. The Auburn alum, whom New York popped with its sixth-round selection last year, took a perfect game into the eighth against Hickory in his third High-A start after an Aug. 9 promotion from Low-A. With Tampa, Fitts had struggled to keep the ball in the yard (13 homers allowed in 75 innings) but has had no such issues so far in the South Atlantic League, where he’s permitted just one longball in his first 20.2 frames while striking out 21 against just one walk. (JN)

 

15. Triston Casas, 1B, Red Sox
Team: Triple-A Worcester (International) 
Age: 22 

Why He’s Here: .391/.533/.696 (9-for-23), 7 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 8 BB, 4 SO

The Scoop: After missing two months with an ankle injury, Casas struggled during his initial return to the Worcester lineup. Throughout the month of August, however, Casas has shown a return to form, hitting .329/.461/.549 with 19 walks to 20 strikeouts over 23 games in August. Last week Casas racked up hits with three multi-hit games and four games where he reached base three or more times. Casas hit 11 balls in play at 95-plus mph last week including four balls above 105 mph. Casas has a nice combination of contact, approach and power, it’s just a matter of putting it all together in a meaningful way. More over-the-fence power is typically expected from a first base-only bat-driven profile, but Casas’ power is certainly present. (GP) 

16. Moises Ballesteros, C, Cubs
Team: Low-A Myrtle Beach (Carolina)
Age: 18

Why He’s Here: .400/.464/.640 (10-for-25), 5 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBIs, 3 BB, 5 SO, 0-for-1 SB

The Scoop: Ballesteros is one of the most promising prospects in the lower levels of the Cubs’ system. He’s a bigger-bodied player but he can really hit. Scouts who saw him in the ACL and at Low-A see a player with the potential to hit for average and power and at least enough arm to stick behind the plate. He will have to work to keep his body in check to maintain at least a chance at catching in the long term, but his offense might be enough for DH if he gets too cumbersome on defense. (JN)

17. Ryan Bliss, SS, D-backs
Team: High-A Hillsboro (Northwest)
Age: 22

Why He’s Here: .364/.500/.682 (8-of-22), 9 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 5 BB, 5 SO, 2 SB, 2 CS.

The Scoop: It’s too late for Bliss to salvage his season-long stat line. Bliss is still hitting only .213/.297/.341 this year. But the former Auburn star is at least giving himself a solid finish to build on for 2023. Bliss has easily had his best month of the year. He had just four extra-base hits over his first two months in Hillsboro. He equaled that just last week. (JC)

18. Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Cubs
Team: High-A South Bend (Midwest)
Age: 20

Why He’s Here: .423/.448/.577 (11-for-26), 4 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3 SB, 2 CS.

The Scoop: Crow-Armstrong’s 2022 season started great, had a pretty lumpy middle and is finishing even better than it started. When Crow-Armstrong was promoted to High-A South Bend, he had a brutal introduction. In June, he struck out 13 times, walked only once and hit .220. The strikeout-to-walk ratio remains a little too tilted towards whiffs, but everything else has been excellent. Crow-Armstrong has five multi-hit games since Aug. 20 with two three-hit games and a four-hit game. For all the up-and-down nature of his season, Crow-Armstrong is hitting .315/.380/.532 overall this year and has cemented his status as a solid Top 100 Prospect. (JC)

19. Oscar Colas, OF, White Sox
Team: Double-A Birmingham (Southern)
Age: 23

Why He’s Here: .393/.414/.571 (11-for-28), 4 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 0 BB, 6 SO

The Scoop: The 2022 Futures Gamer has continued his excellent season with a strong showing in Double-A after quickly proving too advanced for High-A, where he opened the season. At his best, Colas shows the potential to be a true center fielder with an offensive game that provides both contact and impact. He’s slammed 11 home runs in 34 games with Birmingham after hitting just seven in 59 games at Winston-Salem to begin the year. (JN)

20. Slade Cecconi, RHP, D-backs
Team: Double-A Amarillo (Texas)
Age: 23

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.82, 2 GS, 11 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO.

The Scoop: Cecconi deserves kudos for surviving the thresher that is pitching in Amarillo. Cecconi is 7-5, 4.27 with 115 hits allowed in 111.2 innings, 28 walks and 107 strikeouts. Those numbers seem quite pedestrian, but Amarillo’s team ERA this year is 6.05 and its opponents have posted a 5.32 ERA. It’s Reno or Las Vegas without the casinos. Cecconi’s ERA is the best of any Amarillo pitcher with five or more starts, and it’s also the best of any Amarillo pitcher with 50-plus innings. There have been 41 different players who have pitched for Amarillo this year, and 23 of them have an ERA over 6.00. Just 10 have an ERA under 4.50. (JC)

Helium

Dyan Jorge, SS, Rockies 
Team: DSL Rockies 
Age: 19

Why He’s Here: .375/.444/.500 (3-for-8), 1 R, 1 2B, 4 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO

The Scoop: The Cuban infielder was signed for $2.8 million in January and made his professional debut this summer in the Dominican Summer League. He hit .320/.402/.451 with 18 extra-base hits and 35 strikeouts to 24 walks across 234 plate appearances. Jorge showed elite bat-to-ball skills and a discerning eye this summer with projectable pull-side power in his slender frame. With a combination of speed, twitch, projection and a baseline of advanced plate skills Jorge could blossom into a well-rounded prospect. He should make his stateside debut in 2023. (GP)