Ranking The 20 Hottest MLB Prospects | Hot Sheet (6/18/24)
Baseball America’s Hot Sheet ranks the 20 hottest prospects from the previous week. This installment of the Prospect Hot Sheet considers how minor league players performed through June 17. Contributing this week were Baseball America staffers Josh Norris, Geoff Pontes and J.J. Cooper.
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.
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1. Cutter Coffey, 3B, Red Sox
Team: High-A Greenville (South Atlantic)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .421/.542/1.421 (8-for-19) 8 R, 1 2B, 6 HR, 15 RBIs, 5 BB, 1 SO 0 SB, 1 CS
The Scoop: There is no way to know yet if Coffey’s exceptional stretch of power production is a sign that he has figured something out that will clear his path to the majors, or whether it’s a great stretch by a hitter who has hit .211/.320/.356 in 145 pro games so far. The hope is that this is a new level of confidence and power that will speed up his path. He hit as many home runs this week as he hit in all of 2022 and 2023 combined. But if it isn’t, it’s still special. Coffey homered in six consecutive games, a Greenville record. Few reading this will remember Steve Hacker’s name, but anyone who saw him play with the Macon Braves in 1997 will never forget it. The 1995 D-I home run champ had a midseason stretch where he hit 10 home runs in 10 games. It was a magical two weeks. Every time he stepped to the plate, a home run seemed not only possible but almost likely. Coffey’s having a stretch like that, which is something very few pro players ever get to experience. (JC)
2. Charles McAdoo, 3B/OF, Pirates
Team: High-A Greensboro (South Atlantic)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .440/.533/.800 (11-for-25) 7 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 12 RBIs, 5 BB, 5 SO, 1 SB, 1 CS.
The Scoop: McAdoo has been on a tear all year. He has battled Xavier Isaac for the title of the best hitter in the South Atlantic League. McAdoo leads the league in batting average (.344) and OPS (.998) and is second in on-base percentage (.423) and slugging percentage (.575). McAdoo may be a 13th-round pick but he’s making a pretty clear case he is a pure hitter. He hit .345 at San Jose State in 2022, .325 at San Jose State in 2023, .302 at Bradenton in 2023 and .344 for Greensboro this year. He hasn’t found a defensive home yet, but he has played right field, third base, second and first base this year. (JC)
3. Kristian Campbell, 2B/OF, Red Sox
Team: Double-A Portland Sea Dogs (Eastern)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .429/.467/.786 (12-for-28), 9 R, 4 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBIs, 1 BB, 8 SO, 1-for-2 SB
The Scoop: With each passing week it’s looking more and more like the Red Sox have a “Fab 4” and not just a “Big 3” of prospects. A 2023 fourth-round pick, Campbell has been a revelation for the Red Sox. After running roughshod over the South Atlantic to begin the season, Campbell is off to a hot start with Double-A Portland. Campbell had four multi-hit games and two three run games last week. He had two highlight games during the week with a four-hit game in the series opener and a two-homer game on Friday. Campbell added bat speed and subsequently additional game power and it’s paying off in spades. (GP)
4. Quinn Mathews, LHP, Cardinals
Team: High-A Peoria (Midwest)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 2.13, 12.2 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 19 SO, 1 HR
The Scoop: Mathews made himself a Stanford legend with a gutsy 16-strikeout, 156-pitch performance to clinch a College World Series berth. Since then, he has embarked on a pro career that has experienced a great deal of success. After six strong starts with Low-A Palm Beach, Mathews has dominated over six starts with High-A Peoria. Over 37.2 innings Mathews is striking out 35.7% of batters while walking just 4.2%. Last week, Mathews made two starts going six-plus innings in each start, striking out a combined 19 batters across 12.2 innings. On Tuesday, Mathews tossed six scoreless frames allowing just five batters to reach, striking out eight. On Sunday, Mathews allowed more contact but struck out 11 over 6.2 innings. With added velocity Mathews has significantly improved his prospect status. (GP)
5. Yoniel Curet, RHP, Rays
Team: High-A Bowling Green
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 2 GS, 11.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 14 SO.
The Scoop: Development, especially for pitchers, is rarely linear. Curet’s fastball has long been hard to square up, but there are moments where it all falls apart. In his last start before this past week, Curet walked the lead-off hitter, induced a flyout and then fell apart. He gave up a single, a double, and a walk. A wild pitch allowed a second run to score. A single scored two more. A walk, another wild pitch and another two-run single chased Curet from the game as he allowed seven runs while recording one out. This week, Curet faced 42 batters. He struck out 14 and only 11 reached base. Only one batter ever reached third base. In his first start of the week, he struck out eight of the first nine batters he faced. Development isn’t always a straight line, but the big steps forward are part of what makes it fascinating. Curet took a step forward this week. (JC)
6. Kyle Teel, C, Red Sox
Team: Double-A Portland (Eastern)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .500/.560/.700 (10-for-20), 8 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 3 BB, 5 SO, 1-for-1 SB
The Scoop: Teammates Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer may rank higher on the Top 100 list, but Teel owns the highest wRC+ and OPS of the three. An athletic catcher with a clean lefty swing and excellent on-base ability, Teel had a banner week against Reading. He collected 10 hits in the series including four multi-hit affairs. Teel’s production throughout the week was extremely consistent as he crossed the plate in all five games. Teel is a tough out and has shown the ability to get the most out of his hard contact. Teel is currently fourth in the Eastern League in OPS and is third in wRC+. He’s a well-rounded threat with the ability to provide value behind the plate. (GP)
7. Emiliano Teodo, RHP, Rangers
Team: Double-A Frisco (Texas)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 SO, 0 HR
The Scoop: Since changing his fastball from a four-seamer to a two-seamer, Teodo’s fortunes have changed. He’s gone from a hard-thrower who didn’t miss a ton of bats to one of the most dominant pitchers in Double-A. After punching out 11 hitters in his most recent start, Teodo now has 64 Ks in 52.2 innings. His 1.88 ERA is second in the Texas League and his 1.20 WHIP is ninth. It’s clear that he misses plenty of bats. Now, he needs to throw a few more strikes, as shown by his nearly five walks per nine innings. (JN)
8. Moises Ballesteros, C, Cubs
Team: Double-A Tennessee (Southern)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: 381/.391/.810 (8-for-21) 3 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO.
The Scoop: When Ballesteros stepped to the plate in the ninth inning, he knew he needed a triple to hit for the cycle. But knowing and doing are two very different concepts. Ballesteros is a very stout catcher. He’d hit 36 home runs in his pro career, stretching back to 2021. He’d hit 58 doubles. But he’d hit zero triples as a pro. Triples aren’t his game. But Ballesteros yanked a ball down the right field line, and the ball handily found the spacious foul territory to bounce around. All this time, Ballesteros was running with all his might. He slid into third relatively easily, and then celebrated. He had his cycle, and his first-ever pro triple. (JC)
9. Chase Davis, OF, Cardinals
Team: Low-A Palm Beach (Florida State)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .545/.706/1.273 (6-for-11), 5 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBIs, 6 BB, 0 SO, 1-for-1 SB
The Scoop: The Cardinals’ 2023 first-rounder started extremely slow to begin the season, hitting .184/.281/.291 over the first two months of the season. Davis has turned it on since the calendar flipped to June. Last week might have been his best yet as a professional. Davis had hits in four of five games and reached base at least twice in all four of those games. He reached base four times apiece on Saturday and Sunday, combining for four runs and a steal. Davis has power, speed and strong on-base skills. Swing and miss remains a concern early in his professional career. (GP)
10. Samuel Aldegheri, LHP, Phillies
Team: High-A Jersey Shore (South Atlantic)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO, 0 HR
The Scoop: Aldegheri is one of the biggest up-arrow prospects in the Phillies’ system thanks to improved stuff across the board. The results have been clear. His 2.67 ERA and 74 strikeouts each rank third in the South Atlantic League, and his .151 opponent average and 0.93 WHIP are both tops on the circuit. He has three games with 10 strikeouts this season, each time tying a career-high. After a tremendous first half, Double-A shouldn’t be far off. (JN)
11. Jose Tena, SS, Guardians
Team: Triple-A Columbus (International)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .407/.429/.778 (11-for-27), 8 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 10 RBIs, 1 BB, 6 SO, 0-for-2 SB
The Scoop: Tena is one of a host of young Guardians middle infielders who reside in the upper levels, and he also occupies a spot on Cleveland’s 40-man roster. The lefty swinger made his big league debut last August but has spent the entirety of the 2024 season at Triple-A. So far, it’s been a smashing success. The 11 hits he racked up this past week boosted him to a total of 78, which is the best in the International League. His total bases (124) are second in the league, and his 47 RBIs also rank among the IL’s top 10. (JN)
12. Spencer Giesting, LHP, D-backs
Team: High-A Hillsboro (Northwest)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO, 0 HR
The Scoop: Finally, Northwest League hitters can breathe easy. For the past two months and change, Giesting has had a stranglehold on offenses in the NWL. The 2022 11th-rounder spent all year at the level in 2023, when he walked 71 hitters in 117 innings. This year, he’s turned it around. Before getting promoted to Double-A Amarillo, Giesting had rung up league-bests in ERA (1.50) and opponent (.180) and WHIP (0.87, tied with Spokane’s Sean Sullivan). If he can repeat his success in the Texas League, Giesting’s prospect stock will soar. (JN)
13. Logan Wagner, 3B, Dodgers
Team: Low-A Rancho Cucamonga (California)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .524/.600/1.238 (11-for-21), 5 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 7 RBIs, 4 BB, 4 SO, 1-for-1 SB
The Scoop: A prep sixth-rounder in 2022, Wagner had played just 19 games over two professional seasons entering 2024. So far this season, he’s been a strong performer for the Quakes over 31 games. Wagner tripled his professional home run total from two to six last week against Fresno. He collected hits in all six games of the series and had multiple extra-base hits in each of the final two games. Wagner pairs excellent swing decisions (15.6% chase rate) with above-average power (105 mph 90th percentile exit velocity) and average bat-to-ball skills. Wagner looks like yet another Dodgers development success story. (GP)
14. Ryan Clifford, 1B/OF, Mets
Team: Double-A Binghamton (Eastern)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .353/.538/.941 (6-for-17), 9 R, 4 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBIs, 6 BB, 6 SO, 1-for-1 SB
The Scoop: The Mets landed Clifford from the Astros in the 2023 deadline deal that brought Justin Verlander back to Houston. The most alluring part of Clifford’s skill set is his lefthanded power, which can produce tape-measure home runs as easily as any prospect in the minors. The lefty’s power is not in question. To access it more often, he’ll need to make more contact. Across both High-A and Double-A, Clifford is sporting a strikeout rate of roughly 31%, and nearly 30% at the higher classification. He balances it with a walk rate of exactly 22%, though, leaving him with the profile of a three-true-outcomes hitter. (JN)
15. Nick Sinacola, RHP, Giants
Team: High-A Eugene (Northwest)
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 SO, 0 HR
The Scoop: Sinacola was the Giants’ seventh-rounder in 2021 out of Maine and has advanced through the San Francisco system a level a year until this season, when he returned to High-A Eugene for more seasoning. He was excellent in the Northwest League, where he worked to a 2.68 ERA and 0.87 WHIP before a promotion to Double-A Richmond. Among pitchers with 40 or more innings in the Giants’ system, Sinacola’s 15.3% swinging-strike rate ranks third, behind Jack Choate and Dylan Carmouche. (JN)
16. Jordan Lawlar, SS, D-backs
Team: Triple-A Reno (Pacific Coast)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .400/.429/.750 (8-for-20) 4 R,2 2B,1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBIs, 1 BB, 7 SO, 0 SB, 1 CS
The Scoop: This is a good news/bad news inclusion on the Hot Sheet. The good news is Lawlar’s bat seems to have suffered no ill effects from his thumb injury, as he returned to Reno with a flurry of hits. The bad news is he injured his hamstring on Saturday, and will have an MRI to see the extent of the injury. Lawlar has missed all but 11 games of the 2024 season. Hopefully this won’t significantly add to his time on the shelf. (JC)
17. Gary Gill Hill, RHP, Rays
Team: Low-A Charleston (Carolina)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: 0-0, 1.29 1 GS, 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 9 SO
The Scoop: BA’s Josh Norris tagged Hill as a fast-improving pitching prospect a month ago, and nothing in the following month has altered that assessment. Hill is an example of how pitchers can add velocity and control at the same time. He has jumped from topping out at 93 mph to sitting at 94 mph and touching 98. But he has also developed as a strike-thrower, as his added strength helps him better maintain his delivery. (JC)
18. Luke Keaschall, 2B/CF, Twins
Team: Double-A Wichita (Texas)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .435/.500/.696 (10-for-23) 7 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 4 BB, 5 SO, 2 SB, 1 CS
The Scoop: Keaschall’s first month in Double-A has been almost identical to his High-A production, with the exception of his power. He hit seven home runs in 44 games in High-A and just one in 19 games in Double-A. Those home runs are coming. Keaschall hit a pair of ground rule doubles this week that didn’t miss being home runs by much. His home run he did hit this week was a blink and you miss it line drive screamer. He has failed to reach base in only six of 63 games this season. He has reached base three or more times in 24 of his 63 games. (JC)
19. Michael Arroyo, SS, Mariners
Team: Low-A Modesto (California)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .280/.438/.680 (7-for-25), 7 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 5 RBIs, 7 BB, 7 SO, 1-for-1 SB
The Scoop: All year, scouts have raved about the collection of talent the Mariners have amassed at Low-A Modesto. The 2023 California League champions have used that group to clinch their division’s first-half crown, and Arroyo has been a big part of that success. The 19-year-old shortstop slammed three home runs this past week, ballooning his season total to 11, tied for the second-most in the league behind teammate Lazaro Montes. Arroyo leads the league with 51 runs scored. His 114 total bases also trail only Montes, and his .394 on-base percentage places 10th in the California League. His five triples are also tops on the circuit. (JN)
20. Jean Cabrera, RHP, Phillies
Team: High-A Jersey Shore (South Atlantic)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 0-1, 4.26, 6.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 14 SO, 0 HR
The Scoop: Cabrera has performed well over 11 starts for High-A Jersey Shore , striking out 69 batters across 61 innings. He has shown solid command as well walking just 7.3% of batters. Last week, Cabrera had an unusual game as he struck out 14 of the 25 batters he faced and allowed just five to reach over 6.1 innings. The flip side is he allowed four runs, three earned, due to a pair of messy innings. Cabrera allowed two runs in the second and was on the hook for the first two hitters to score in the seventh. Outside of that, Cabrera sat down the side in order in five of seven innings. Mixing a mid-90s four-seam fastball, a firm changeup with heavy run, a sweeper slider, and a high-spin gyro curveball, it’s an interesting pitch mix designed for generating whiffs. (GP)
Helium
Welinton Herrera, LHP, Rockies
It’s unusual to highlight a relief-only prospect in Low-A as a helium candidate, but Herrera is not run of the mill. Over 21 appearances, Herrera is 8-2 with 2.03 ERA and a 43.5% strikeout rate to a 5.6% walk rate. Herrera is an undersized lefty that creates a low release height on his fastball that allows him to miss bats. His mid-to-low-80s gyro slider is his primary secondary. Herrera uses it as a change-of-pace pitch when paired with his above-average fastball. His fastball quality is so good that he has a 21% swinging strike rate against the pitch this season. Herrera is relief-only, but he looks like the type of high-powered deceptive lefty organizations crave. (GP)
