Prospect Hot Sheet
This installment of the Prospect Hot Sheet considers what minor league players did from July 28-Aug. 3. Number in parentheses indicates players’ ages.
Remember, this simply recognizes what 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. Michel Baez, RHP, Padres (21)
Low Class A Fort Wayne
In a Padres system loaded with high-end, albeit far away, talent, Baez stood out this week. His 14 strikeouts were a high-water mark in the Cuban righthander’s short career, although he’s never struck out fewer than seven hitters in a game. He checked in at No. 7 on the Padres’ midseason top 10 and is quickly rising even higher. With a 94-98 mph fastball, potentially plus changeup and above-average slider coming out of his 6-foot-8 frame with deception, low A hitters have been rendered completely impotent by Baez.
| ERA | IP | H | HR | BB |
SO |
| 1.35 | 6.2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 14 |
2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B, Blue Jays (18)
High Class A Dunedin
One of the very best prospects in the game, Guerrero hasn’t missed a beat since being promoted from low Class A Lansing to the Florida State League. The prodigiously talented teenager with the elite bat speed is finding his new level a little less power-friendly, but is nonetheless riding an eight-game hitting streak. He might have to move across the diamond one day, but his bat will play anywhere.
| AVG | OBP | SLG | XBH |
BB | SB |
| .450 | .607 | .650 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
3. Gavin Lux, SS, Dodgers (19)
Low Class A Great Lakes
Wisconsin prep shortstops aren’t a particularly heavily mined genre in the draft, but the Dodgers liked Lux enough to pop him with their first-round pick last June. He’s had a rough season overall, but he slugged three home runs this week and to nearly double his season total.
| AVG | OBP | SLG | XBH |
BB | SB |
| .367 | .457 | .833 | 7 | 4 | 1 |
4. Sheldon Neuse, 3B, Athletics (22)
High Class A Stockton
One of the three players the A’s got back from the Nationals for relievers Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson, Neuse has taken to the California League quite well. He has a hit in 12 of 14 games since joining Stockton and overall is hitting ..382/.469/.636 for the Ports. That includes a 7-for-10 run between July 28-29. He was lauded for his polished bat out of the draft and has lived up to that reputation so far.
| AVG | OBP | SLG | XBH |
BB | SB |
| .483 | .559 | .931 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
5. Peter Alonso, 1b, Mets (22)
High Class A St. Lucie
The other Florida alum with St. Lucie, Alonso built on an impressive July in which he hit .336/.394/.603 with eight home runs by going 4-for-8 in his first two games in August. He missed a month and a half to open the season and yet is still just three home runs off the Florida State League lead. His .527 slugging percentage would pace the circuit if he qualified.
| AVG | OBP | SLG | XBH |
BB | SB |
| .500 | .556 | .792 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
6. Dane Dunning, RHP, White Sox (22)
High Class A Winston-Salem
After a disastrous start against Salem, Dunning rebounded over his past two starts to continue his stellar first full season in pro ball. With 11 strikeouts this week, Dunning is up to 96 in 86 innings against just 28 walks. His most recent start was his third of the season with 11 or more strikeouts in a game.
| ERA | IP | H | HR | BB |
SO |
| 1.29 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
7. Alec Hansen, RHP, White Sox (23)
High Class A Winston-Salem
Hansen has been nails ever since earning a promotion to high Class A in mid-June. He’s allowed more than two earned runs only once in his seven starts, and has amassed a strikeout-to-walk ratio of just north of 3-to-1. If his improved control can stick, he might come closer to achieving his ceiling as a top-of-the-rotation starter.
| ERA | IP | H | HR | BB |
SO |
| 1.50 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
8. Brent Honeywell, RHP, Rays (22)
Triple-A Durham
Honeywell, who is second in the minors in strikeouts with 149, keeps knocking on the door tothe big leagues. Armed with five pitches that can all flash above-average or better, Honeywell can carve hitters up in many different ways. Once he finds consistent command of his arsenal and learns to pace himself better, he’ll be in Tampa Bay.
| ERA | IP | H | HR | BB |
SO |
| 1.64 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 14 |
9. Ronald Acuna, OF, Braves (19)
Triple-A Gwinnett
What else is there to be said about Acuna? The teenager has rocketed up the minor leagues and prospect rankings this season, and has a strong case for BA’s Minor League Player of the Year award. Through 21 games at Triple-A, the 19-year-old is hitting .325/.398/.566 with four home runs. He also plays stellar defense in center field and has a railgun for a throwing arm. In a system full of talent, Acuna has bullied his way to the top of the pack.
| AVG | OBP | SLG | XBH |
BB | SB |
| .462 | .500 | .731 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
10. Ryan Borucki, LHP, Blue Jays (23)
Double-A New Hampshire
Armed with an above-average changeup, Borucki, a 15th-rounder out of high school in Illinois in 2012, has battled through several injuries and begun his upper-level career in excellent fashion. He’s whiffed 18 against just three walks over his first three starts with New Hampshire and has surrendered just 11 hits in 21 innings.
| ERA | IP | H | HR | BB |
SO |
| 0.64 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
11. Felix Jorge, LHP, Twins (23)
Double-A Chattanooga
Although his major league debut didn’t go as he would have liked, Jorge has nonetheless put together a fine season in the minors. He scuffled a bit in July, but got back on track with one run allowed over his last 16.2 innings with 13 strikeouts against just two walks. If he keeps going like that, he’ll be back in the big leagues before long.
| ERA | IP | H | HR | BB |
SO |
| 0.54 | 16.2 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 13 |
12. Ryan McMahon, INF, Rockies (22)
Triple-A Albuquerque
McMahon just keeps hitting. Playing for hitter-friendly Albuquerque hasn’t hurt, but McMahon was excellent at Double-A Hartford before the promotion as well. The infielder has shown the ability to fill up the slash line with power and patience, and has already equaled his career high for home runs, with 18, set back at high Class A in 2015.
| AVG | OBP | SLG | XBH |
BB | SB |
| .435 | .519 | .783 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
13. Nick Senzel, 3B, Reds (22)
Double-A Pensacola
One of the purest hitting prospects in last year’s draft class continues to prove evaluators correct. The Tennessee alum got promoted to Double-A in late June hasn’t stopped hitting since the move. With the Blue Wahoos, Senzel has more multi-hit games (12) than hitless games (8).
| AVG | OBP | SLG | XBH |
BB | SB |
| .408 | .448 | .778 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
14. Billy McKinney, OF, Yankees (22)
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
After a middling half-season at Double-A Trenton, McKinney was moved up to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and turned into Babe Ruth. His OPS at Scranton is nearly 300 points better than it was at Trenton, and he’s swatted more homers in over 100 fewer at-bats. The Yankees’ outfield is crowded, but if McKinney keeps hitting like this it will be hard not to give him a look in September.
| AVG | OBP | SLG | XBH |
BB | SB |
| .480 | .519 | 1.080 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
15. Michael Chavis, 3B, Red Sox (21)
Double-A Portland
Chavis’ home run on Thursday gave him 27 for the season and the overall minor league lead. It’s taken awhile, but Chavis has developed into the type of corner-infield power hitter the Red Sox thought he would be when they drafted him in 2014. There are still questions on which position he’ll play in the long run, but there’s no question Chavis has blossomed at the plate in 2017.
| AVG | OBP | SLG | XBH |
BB | SB |
| .381 | .435 | .857 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
16. Monte Harrison, OF, Brewers (21)
High Class A Carolina
After battling injuries over his first two seasons, Harrison is thriving with the Mudcats. Besides his recent power displays, including a multi-homer game on Aug. 1, Harrison also made a spectacular catch that earned him top billing on nightly highlight shows. He is also approaching a 20-20-20 season, with 19 doubles, 19 home runs and 18 stolen bases on the year with a month to go.
| AVG | OBP | SLG | XBH |
BB | SB |
| .321 | .387 | .714 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
17. Dominic Smith, 1b, Mets (22)
Triple-A Las Vegas
Smith earned the first baseman’s spot on BA’s Prospect Team of the Month for July, and has continued raking on into August. Smith combines hittability with a disciplined batting eye and has connected on a career-best 16 homers this year. Lucas Duda has been traded to the Rays, meaning it shouldn’t be long before Smith joins fellow top Mets prospect Amed Rosario in Queens.
| AVG | OBP | SLG | XBH |
BB | SB |
| .333 | .462 | .714 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
18. Matt Thaiss, 1b, Angels (22)
Double-A Mobile
Thaiss has acquitted himself well after jumping from the hitter-friendly California League to Double-A in the middle of last month. Coveted for his bat out of the 2016 draft, Thaiss has quickly shown the ability to hit for contact and and get on base in the Southern League. But, he’s yet to show the home run power needed to profile at first base after he moved off of catcher immediately after becoming a professional.
| AVG | OBP | SLG | XBH |
BB | SB |
| .455 | .581 | .591 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
19. Victor Robles, OF, Nationals (20)
Double-A Harrisburg
Even with all the moves the Nationals made to improve their bullpen at the trading deadline, they made sure not to surrender Robles. He’s a potential five-tool player once his power fully develops, and he’s already an elite defender in center field. Bumped to Double-A last month, he’s shown excellent early returns in the Eastern League.
| AVG | OBP | SLG | XBH |
BB | SB |
| .381 | .480 | .667 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
20. Dermis Garcia, 3b, Yankees (19)
Low Class A Charleston
Garcia was given a $3 million bonus in 2014 on the strength of his light-tower power. This week, he showed it off. He homered in five consecutive games between Rookie-level Pulaski and low Class A Charleston. He’s got 10 longballs in only 129 at-bats this year. There are still plenty of questions about his hitting ability and where he’ll play defensively, but the power is most certainly real.
| AVG | OBP | SLG | XBH |
BB | SB |
| .308 | .379 | .885 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
HELIUM WATCH
Deivi Garcia, RHP, Yankees
One of the Yankees’ brightest low-level arms, Garcia was moved to Rookie-level Pulaski after just five combined starts in the Dominican Summer and Gulf Coast Leagues. He’s a smaller righthander with a big arm. His fastball has touched as high as 96 mph in the past, and he’s shown feel to spin a curveball as well. He’s struck out 15 in his first 10 innings with Pulaski, and with fellow righthander Luis Medina is part of New York’s next wave of pitching talent.
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