By Matt Eddy, Matt Meyers and Bryan Smith
July 10, 2006

We are more than halfway through the minor league season, and we have now even had the short-season and rookie leagues going for a few weeks. That means we are starting to see more and more of the 2006 draftees on the Hot Sheet.

This week's list includes four players who were selected in last month's draft and there will only be more to come. We had the Future's Game yesterday, but we are already looking forward to some of the guys who will be playing in next year's game.

Remember, this is not a rewrite of our Top 100 prospects list. This is simply a snapshot of which prospects are currently riding the biggest hot streaks.

If you have any comments, feel free to e-mail Chris Kline or Matt Meyers with your kudos or complaints.

1. Cameron Maybin, of, Tigers (Low Class A West Michigan)

The 19-year-old hit .529 last week to raise his season line to .314/.412/.466 with 16 stolen bases in 18 attempts. He capped the week off by going 2-for-3 in the Future's Game as the youngest player on the victorious American team.

2. Jose Arredondo, rhp, Angels (Double-A Arkansas)

It took just 68 at-bats in 2004 for the Angels to realize that Arredondo was not a shortstop, but a pitcher. It looks like a good decision, as Arredondo is now just one strikeout behind Yovani Gallardo for the minor league lead. Promoted to Double-A last Wednesday, Arredondo tossed a complete game shutout in his debut. The righthander has struck out at least seven batters in all but two of his starts on the season.

3. Chris Iannetta, c, Rockies (Triple-A Colorado Springs)

With his play this season the 23-year-old has at the very least forced his name in the discussion for top Rockies position prospect. Since getting bumped to Triple-A in late June, Iannetta has hit .405, buoyed largely by the .563/.708/1.063 he hit last week (with five extra-base hits).

4. Evan Longoria, 3b, Devil Rays (High Class A Visalia)

He hit four home runs in 33 at-bats in the short-season New York Penn League and has added four more in 36 at-bats for Visalia. Now slugging .812 as a pro.

5. Tyler Clippard, rhp, Yankees (Double-A Trenton)

Appeared on the Not-So-Hot-Sheet early on, but is back to his 2005 form. Has given up just four runs in his last five starts that span 33 innings with 43 strikeouts to go with it.

6. James Loney, 1b, Dodgers (Triple-A Las Vegas)

Loney was at it again last week, going 12-for-28 (.429) to bring his season mark to a PCL-best .385. The power has started to come for the 22-year-old Loney, too, as his .556 slugging percentage ranks fifth in the league.

7. Adam Ottavino, rhp, Cardinals (short-season State College)

The first-rounder out of Northeastern has faced 76 hitters as a pro, and allowed just five hits. In 20 innings, he has not allowed an earned run.

8. Adam Jones, of, Mariners (Triple-A Tacoma)

Jones had his 20-game hit streak snapped Sunday (he drew two walks), but that doesn't diminish what he accomplished last week when the 20-year-old hit three home runs and slugged .842. Perhaps most impressively, he didn't strike out once.  Not bad for a guy with 67 on the season.

9. Ryan Braun, 3b, Brewers (Double-A Huntsville)

After hitting well in the Pioneer League last season, the Brewers promoted Braun to Low Class A West Virginia. He struggled early on with the Power by going 5-for-33. Braun then caught fire, ending the year with a .355 average at the level. This season, Braun struggled again upon a midseason promotion, collecting just 4 hits in his first 25 Double-A at-bats. Since then Braun has reached base in nine consecutive games, a streak which included 12 hits.

10. Thomas Diamond, rhp, Rangers (Double-A Frisco)

Perhaps lonely in Double-A without the rest of the DVD trio, Diamond is finally making a strong push for a promotion. While the 2004 first-round pick has maintained a healthy strikeout rate all season, he has seemingly just found his control. Just three times in his first 15 starts did Diamond walk less than three batters, but the righthander has now done so in three consecutive outings.

Mark Reynolds, if, Diamondbacks (High Class A Lancaster):  The 22-year-old doesn't really have a position yet, but we can't ignore someone who is leading the California League in the Triple Crown categories (.342-23-77).

Hainley Statia, ss, Angels (Low Class A Cedar Rapids): After a slow June, Statia is 18-for-32 in July with more walks then strikeouts. Is five-for-his-last-six in stolen bases too, though 9-for-20 before that.

Garrett Mock, rhp, Diamondbacks (Double-A Tennessee): Mock was consistently mediocre to start the season, allowing three earned runs or more in 12 of his first 16 starts. However, the righthander has put together back-to-back seven-inning shutout. And he's done so in the way you wouldn't expect as his 7-18 groundball-flyball rate during that time has significantly lowered a ratio that was previously at 1.71.

Carlos Quentin, of, Diamondbacks (Triple-A Tucson): The 23-year-old led all PCL batters with a .571 average (and 1.771 OPS) last week. His four doubles brought his PCL-leading total to 29.

Jay Bruce, of, Reds (Low Class A Dayton): We can probably just start cutting and pasting these blurbs from week to week as they are starting to sound the same. This past week it was 10-for-25 with two home runs and three doubles.

Chase Headley, 3b, Padres (High-A Lake Elsinore): Two months ago, the Padres looked ambitious with Headley's opening day assignment; the third baseman was hitting .239. His average reached a season-high on Sunday, his 3-for-5 effort raised his average to .290. It also continued a 9-game hitting streak, during which time the Volunteer has seven extra-base hits and an astounding 11 runs scored.

Jason Hirsh, rhp, Astros (Triple-A Round Rock): The most consistently dominant performer in the minors  since May began. Hirsh has not lost in his last 13 starts (9-0, 1.14 during the streak). Even better, he has not allowed an earned run in his last four outings. At this point, it seems the only thing that will get Hirsh off the Hot Sheet is a callup.

Shane Lindsay, rhp, Rockies (short-season Tri-City): At this point, you just get the feeling that Lindsay loves Pasco, Wash. The majority of Shane's damage in his Northwest League repeat has come at home, where has not allowed a run in 3 starts. In those 16 innings, Lindsay has allowed 6 hits while striking out 31.

Carlos Gomez, of, Mets (Double-A Binghamton): Since returning from an injury in mid-June, Gomez is hitting .321 and is 14-for-32 in July in what is the best offensive run of his career. Plate discipline is still a problem though as he has 58-13 strikeout-walk ratio in 245 at-bats.

Matt Garza, rhp, Twins (Double-A New Britain): A string of bad mid-June starts could have landed Garza on the Not Hot list, as the righthander allowed 11 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. Since then, Garza looks as good as ever, tossing eight scoreless innings in his last two outings. Back on the same staff as Kevin Slowey, Garza has taken a page from his book by walking just one in 20 innings.

Billy Butler, of, Royals (Double-A Wichita): Butler didn't have a great week for Wichita, but we figured we'd give him some love for winning MVP of the Future's Game. He is the second straight Royal to do so. That has to mean something, right?

Jeremy Hellickson, rhp, Devil Rays (short-season Hudson Valley): Following the path of Wade Davis and Jacob Magee, Hellickson is dominating the New York-Penn League following months of extended Spring Training. Signed away from Louisiana State last season, Hellickson has yet to allow more than one earned run in each of his four starts. In 19 innings, the righthander has flashed big stuff, allowing 9 hits while striking out 21.

Aaron Bates, 1b, Red Sox (short-season Lowell): The North Carolina State alum is having his way with the New York-Penn League as he is hitting .394/.449/.606 in his first 71 at-bats as a pro.

Jon Jay, of, Cardinals (Low-A Quad Cities): While much of the Cardinals collegiate draft contingent is playing in short-season State College, St. Louis brass thought higher of Jay. The former Hurricane couldn't be making the Cards look any smarter, hitting .372 in his first ten professional games. Only better baserunning (0-for-3 in stolen bases so far) remains on Jay's to-do list.

Jeff Bianchi, ss, Royals (Rookie-level Arizona League): Did he lose a bet or something? If not, what does this guy have to do to get out of the AZL? He hit .408/.484/.745 there last year in 98 at-bats. He did not get a full-season assignment in 2006 and is back in the AZL where he is hitting .429/.537/.667.

Mike Hinckley, lhp, Nationals (High Class A Potomac)

The luster is fading fast on this one-time top prospect. The 23-year-old has a 5.23 ERA on the season and gave up nine earned runs in his only start last week and seven and five runs in the two starts before that. Back in 2004 he was 5-2, 2.87 in 94 innings at Double-A before being sidetracked by shoulder woes.

Anderson Hernandez, ss/2b, Mets (Triple-A Norfolk)

Hernandez was Wally Pipped in New York by Jose Valentin and it has only gotten worse in Norfolk. No Met did more to improve their prospect status in 2005, but he is hitting .246 for Norfolk on the season and is 6-for-34 in July with 10 strikeouts and zero walks.

Ryan Harvey, of, Cubs (High Class A Daytona)

Things have gone from bad to worse for Harvey who is 4-for-23 in July and down to .202/.243/.329 on the season with 84 strikeouts and 15 walks in 292 at-bats.

Michael Kirkman, lhp, Rangers (Rookie-level Arizona League)

Something is clearly wrong with Kirkman, a fifth-rounder in 2005, who seems to have come down with a case of Steve Blass Disease. After beginning the season at low Class A Clinton, he was demoted after posting a 6.98 ERA with more walks then strikeouts. The wheels have falling off in Arizona where he has 16 walks and four strikeouts in 8 innings. He had a 58-19 strikeout-walk ratio in the AZL last season, so let's hope his case of SBD is temporary.

Jason Hammel, rhp, Devil Rays (Triple-A Durham)

The Devil Rays rarely hesitate to give their pitching prospects a chance, but Hammel has done little to instill confidence. He has had an ERA over 4.00 in his last three months and gave up nine runs without getting out of the third inning in a start last week.

Fernando Tatis, 3b, Orioles (Triple-A Ottawa)

For one glorious season, Tatis was on top of the baseball world. He hit .298/.404/.553 and clubbed 34 home runs in 1999, but faded badly afterward and did not play professionally at all in 2004 or '05. Now with his fifth organization, Tatis, 31, is hitting .309 in the IL--good for seventh in the league--while enjoying a mini resurgence.

Ben Harrison, of, Rangers (High Class A Bakersfield)

At 24-years-old Harrison is old for his league, but he has been hampered by injuries in the past and there is no denying his performance this season. A seventh-rounder out of Florida in 2004, Harrison is hitting .306/.403/.550 with 18 home runs. A promotion to Double-A is probably in the cards for him soon and if he continues his performance there, we have ourselves a late-bloomer on our hands.