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PrintYou may have noticed that the Prospect Hot Sheet looks a little different this year. The content is the same, but we've partnered with Bowman Baseball to present Hot Sheet. So in addition to getting the skinny on which prospects are doing the most to help their stock, you can also get a glimpse at the baseball cards of some of baseball's best prospects.
As we have warned for years now, remember that this is not a re-ranking of the Top 100 Prospects. This is a snapshot of which top prospects are excelling and which ones are struggling right now. Stats cover from July 30 through last night, Aug. 5.
Contributing: Ben Badler, J.J. Cooper, Matt Eddy and Jim Shonerd.
| No. 1 | WIL MYERS, C |
ROYALS |
 Team: high Class A Wilmington (Carolina)Age: 19 Why He's Here: .667/.720/.857 (14-for-21), 5 R, 4 2B, 2 RBIs, 3 BB, 2 SO The Scoop: For years, it seemed like we were writing about Rays and Rangers prospects every week on the Hot Sheet. Now those teams are thriving at the major league level thanks to their homegrown talent. Well, the Rays' farm system is still loaded, but these days it feels like every week it's a different Royals prospect steamrolling his way through the minors. Whether it's Mike Montgomery, John Lamb, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer or anyone else, the Royals are loaded with premium prospects and depth. And while Moustakas and Hosmer get lumped together as Kansas City's top hitting prospects after going second and third overall respectively in the '07 and '08 drafts, Myers has a legitimate gripe to take issue with that assumption. Still a teenager, Myers already looks like he's to good for the Carolina League. He's hitting .396/.500/.515 in 30 games for Wilmington, a notoriously dreadful park for hitters. He's an outstanding hitter with a quick bat, good plate discipline and projectable raw power from his 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame. Can he catch? He's quick, athletic and has a plus arm, and he's thrown out a solid 32 percent of basestealers. The problem is that Myers is a boxy receiver who has problems blocking balls, as he's allowed 19 passed balls in 62 games. Many scouts see Myers as a right fielder, and while it would be great it he could catch, his bat is so good that he could be a star at any position. |
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| 2010 Stats | ||
| No. 2 | JOE WIELAND, RHP |
RANGERS |
 Team: high Class A Bakersfield (California)Age: 20 Why He's Here: 1-0, 0.00, 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 14 SO The Scoop: Wieland hasn't had it easy in the Cal League, where in seven starts he's put up a 6.53 ERA. While he doesn't have premium stuff, he still has posted 48 strikeouts and just six walks in 40 innings with the Blaze, thanks to his ability to locate a lively fastball that ranges from the high 80s to low 90s to both sides of the plate. Wieland's athleticism helps him repeat a solid delivery, but with his stuff, he's going to have to prove himself at every level. |
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| 2010 Stats | ||
| No. 3 | BOBBY BORCHERING, 3B |
DIAMONDBACKS |
 Team: low Class A South Bend (Midwest)Age: 19 Why He's Here: .517/.563/.897 (15-for-29), 9 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBIs, 2 BB, 4 SO The Scoop: The Diamondbacks were loaded with top picks in the 2009 draft, including five picks before the second round. Their top pick was Borchering, the 16th overall selection out of high school in Florida. The early returns were shaky, as the powerful switch-hitter wasn't doing much of any hitting. That changed this week, when Borchering had the best week of his pro career. He's had a multi-hit game in his last five games and homered for the second straight day yesterday, bringing him up to .277/.340/.422 in 104 games. |
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| 2010 Stats | ||
| No. 4 | YONDER ALONSO, 1B |
REDS |
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Age: 23 Why He's Here: .478/.600/.913 (11-for-23), 5 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 7 BB, 2 SO The Scoop: Something just wasn't right with Alonso early in the season. After not looking quite right in the Arizona Fall League, Alonso struggled through the season's first three months, and his numbers were down to .224/.269/.328 on June 26. Maybe he wasn't fully recovered after suffering from a broken hamate bone last year. Whatever it was, Alonso has looked more like the dynamic hitter the Reds drafted in the first round two years ago. Since June 27, Alonso has hit .378/.444/.630 in 151 plate appearances, showing an improved approach at the plate and more power. Yet much like Matt LaPorta with the Brewers two years ago, Alonso is blocked at first base by Joey Votto, which means Alonso could become a valuable trade chip this offseason. |
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| 2010 Stats | ||||
| No. 5 | MATT DAVIDSON, 3B |
DIAMONDBACKS |
 Team: low Class A South Bend (Midwest)Age: 19 Why He's Here: .462/.516/.808 (12-for-26), 4 R, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBIs, 4 BB, 7 SO The Scoop: Here's something you rarely see: two position players who play the same position on the same affiliate taking up real estate on the Hot Sheet. Can you really argue against putting Borchering and Davidson on here, though? While one plays third base, the other serves as South Bend's DH. That really isn't ideal, especially for a pair of power hitters who need work to be able to stay at third base, but Davidson hasn't let it affect his hitting. While Borchering is just starting to get going at the plate, Davidson has performed well all season. He's hitting .300/.382/.509 with 14 home runs in 102 games for the Silver Hawks, showing a good approach, quick hands and the strength to hit for power to all fields. |
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| 2010 Stats | ||
| No. 6 | JOSH REDDICK, CF |
RED SOX |
 Team: Triple-A Pawtucket (International)Age: 23 Why He's Here: .500/.500/.958 (12-for-24), 4 R, 5 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBIs, 0 BB, 0 SO The Scoop: It hasn't been a great year for Reddick, who has struggled as more advanced pitchers have exposed his below-average plate discipline. So while an OBP under .300 in 84 games with the PawSox isn't going to cut it for a right fielder, Reddick has suddenly started mashing again. Since the all-star break, he's batting .436/.456/.782 in 57 plate appearances. Reddick is a balanced hitter with good athleticism and a strong arm, but he's going to have to learn to become less of a free swinger to become more than a part-time big leaguer. |
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| 2010 Stats | ||
| No. 7 | OSWALDO ARCIA, RF |
TWINS |
 Team: Rookie-level Elizabethton (Appalachian)Age: 19 Why He's Here: .458/.458/.875 (11-for-24), 5 R, 1 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBIs, 0 BB, 3 SO The Scoop: Sure, Miguel Sano is an excellent young Latin American prospect in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, but he hasn't even been the most impressive Twins international prospect in Rookie ball. Arcia has put up Mike Stanton numbers in the Appy League, as he's now hitting .394/.437/.777 with 14 home runs in 42 games. Arcia is already physically mature for his age at 6-foot, 210 pounds, so while there might not be the projection there is with most Latin American teenagers, he already has whiplash-inducing power. |
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| 2010 Stats | ||
| No. 8 | JASON KIPNIS, 2B |
INDIANS |
 Team: Double-A Akron (Eastern)Age: 23 Why He's Here: .385/.429/.692 (10-for-26), 1 HR, 1 2B, 2 3B, 5 RBIs, 5 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 1-for-1 SB The Scoop: Though Kipnis' bat might be his only above-average tool, it had lived up to advance billing. The unexpected power surge he had when he first got to Double-A in June has calmed down—he's homered just three times since the start of July—but he's still handling himself extremely well. He had four multi-hit games this week, and he's hitting .408/.477/.684 in 76 at-bats since the Eastern League's all-star break. His batting eye hasn't slumped at any point either, as he's maintained an on-base percentage over .400 throughout his time in Double-A. Kipnis is still learning his way around at second base, but he's been getting better and has made only one error in his last 19 games at the position. |
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| 2010 Stats | ||
| No. 9 | ZACH LUTZ, 3B |
METS |
 Team: Double-A Binghamton (Eastern)Age: 24 Why He's Here: .333/.417/1.095 (7-for-21), 5 HR, 1 2B, 10 RBIs, 6 R, 3 BB, 5 SO The Scoop: Lutz offers a tutorial on how to make one's hits count. Though he collected just seven base knocks for the week, six of them went for extra bases, and five of those cleared the wall. Lutz knocked in 10 runs, and he's been on an absolute tear since returning to Binghamton on July 27, going 13-for-29 (.448) with seven homers, three doubles and 15 RBIs in seven games. Already 24, Lutz is not exactly the second coming of David Wright for the Mets, but he has bat speed, he makes hard contact and he can play an average third base. That's a great return on a fifth-round pick from Division III Alvernia (Pa.) University. Now if Lutz could only stay healthy. He played in a career-high 109 games last season, but injuries cut short his 2007-08 campaigns and forced him to the sidelines for six weeks this year. |
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| 2010 Stats | ||
| No. 10 | PAT CORBIN, LHP |
DIAMONDBACKS |
 Team: high Class A Visalia (California)Age: 21 Why He's Here: 0-0, 0.00, 2 GS, 8 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 12 SO The Scoop: Included by the Angels in their deal for Dan Haren, Corbin got his Diamondbacks career started in style, tossing eight scoreless innings and striking out everybody in sight. His second start was shortened to three innings because of a piggyback arrangement with Taylor Sinclair, but Arizona sure must be excited by its limited look at Corbin. He throws a darting fastball, working both sides of the plate, and his slider has two-plane depth. Most believe his changeup will develop in time because of his strong aptitude for pitching. A second-round pick in 2009, Corbin move quickly to the Cal League this year with the Angels, and in 13 starts at the level, he's gone 5-3, 3.42 with a 76-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 68 innings. And the news gets better for the Diamondbacks system: Tyler Skaggs is expected to join the organization on Sunday as the player to be named in the Haren trade. According to the 19-year-old lefty, all he can do now is "long toss and run." |
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| 2010 Stats | ||
| No. 11 | DELLIN BETANCES, RHP |
YANKEES | ||
Age: 22 Why He's Here: 1-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 SO The Scoop: With 57 innings, Betances hasn't logged nearly enough time to qualify for the Florida State League ERA title, but he would be running away with it if he had. The righthander has been more consistent and more dominant than any other point in his young career, boasting a miniscule 1.26 ERA in 11 starts since taking the mound in June. (He had Tommy John surgery last year.) Betances hasn't allowed any runs in his last two starts and hasn't given up more than two earned runs in any outing. Righthanded hitters have been especially helpless against his power fastball and plus curveball, hitting .104/.188/.151 against him in 106 at-bats. |
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| 2010 Stats | ||||
| No. 12 | CESAR PUELLO, RF |
METS |
 Team: low Class A Savannah (South Atlantic)Age: 19 Why He's Here: .538/.600/.654 (14-for-26), 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBIs, 4 R, 4 BB, 2 SO, 7-for-8 SB The Scoop: Stop me if you've heard this one before. Puello projects as a five-tool right fielder—but only if his bat develops. Well, develop it has. When Puello and the Sand Gnats hosted Kannapolis on June 7, the teenager had slumped to a .229/.315/.276 batting line. Visions of a demotion to the short-season New York-Penn League must have danced in his head. But in 52 games since then, Puello has taken the Sally League by storm, batting .374/.456/.465 (70-for-187) while smacking 12 doubles and showing an exemplary 18-to-26 walk-to-strikeout ratio and a 26-for-33 (79 percent) showing in stolen bases. How far has he come? Puello now ranks 10th in the SAL in batting (.299) and second in steals (45) and runs scored (79). |
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| 2010 Stats | ||
| No. 13 | CODY SCARPETTA, RHP |
BREWERS |
 Team: high Class A Brevard County (Florida State)Age: 21 Why He's Here: 2-0, 0.00, 11 1/3 IP, 9 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 13 Ks The Scoop: Scarpetta has solid stuff across the board with a lively low-90s fastball, a good curveball and an improving changeup with fade and deception. It was all on display in his latest two starts, but the issue here isn't stuff. He has a 3.42 ERA in 102 2/3 innings and has struck out 10.6 batters per nine innings, but Scarpetta gets in trouble when he doesn't duplicate his delivery. It's something that's happened often this year, as he's walked five batters per nine. But he could be a dangerous arm if he can ever figure out how to get more of his pitches over the plate. |
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| 2010 Stats | ||
IN THE TEAM PHOTO
The Braves unveiled Jair Jurrjens in 2008 and Tommy Hanson in '09. Now, get ready for stud rookie pitcher, v2010. Triple-A Gwinnett LHP Mike Minor will make his Atlanta debut on Monday as he eases into the big leagues by facing the hapless Astros, ye of a National League-worst .667 OPS. With 10 strikeouts (against just four walks) this week, Minor pushed his whiff total to 146, fourth best in the minors. He allowed two hits over 8 2/3 scoreless innings as he tuned up for the big day. Minor will become the fourth first-round pitcher from '09 to make his big league debut this season, joining Stephen Strasburg, Mike Leake and Drew Storen . . . When the season began, many scouts viewed 3B Brandon Laird (Yankees) as a 4-A player. He's still not projected as a star, but he is now projected by many to eventually be a big league regular. Laird went 11-for-22 this week and really took off after a mid-week promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Laird went 8-for-12 with two home runs and two doubles after the promotion and hit .500/.522/.909 for the week overall . . . The Cardinals agreed to terms with RHP Carlos Matias for $1.5 million earlier this summer, but the team is still trying to get Matias and his high-90s fastball into the U.S. In the meantime, Matias is toying with Dominican Summer League hitters. Matias struck out 10 over seven scoreless, no-hit innings yesterday, dropping his ERA down to 0.82 in 55 innings to go with 70 strikeouts . . . The best prospect in the Dodgers system who you might not know that much about? That could be RHP Rubby de la Rosa, a 21-year-old Dominican who jumped from low Class A Great Lakes to Double-A Chattanooga. How did he do in those two starts? He's struck out nine and has yet to allow a run in 11 innings, and with a fastball that can reach the mid-90s, he has the live arm to back up the performance . . . Twins RHP Kyle Gibson had a brief hiccup in Double-A, but he's been merciless lately for New Britain. Gibson, 22, struck out seven and allowed one run in his last start, the first time in three games he's allowed a run, dropping his ERA with the Rock Cats to 3.61 in 87 1/3 innings . . . Speaking of sinkerballers, Indians RHP Joe Gardner has one of the heaviest fastballs in the minors, and so far high Class A Carolina League hitters haven't been able to do much against the pitch. In two starts this week for Kinston, Gardner allowed one run in 12 innings, which puts his ERA at 2.84 through 95 innings with the K-Tribe . . . After dominating both Class A levels, Braves RHP Julio Teheran showed he was human in his Double-A debut last week, giving up five runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings. The 19-year-old was back to looking like one of the best pitching prospects in the minors on Monday though, throwing 5 2/3 hitless innings while striking out seven, walking three and picking up his first Double-A win.
NOT-SO HOT
SHEET
• Neftali Soto, 1b, Reds: Soto's return to high Class A was supposed to give him a chance to regain his confidence after a rough 2009 season. And he was working on catching as well, which would add to his prospect value. Soto hasn't picked up a catcher's mitt since June 1, and he hasn't played third base since before that. As a first baseman, Soto will depend more on his bat, which means this is a bad time for a slump. Soto hasn't posted a .300 on-base percentage since May, and he's 1-for-18 (.056) in the past week for high Class A Lynchburg.
• Eric Arnett, rhp, Brewers: A year since the 2009 draft, no first-rounder has had a tougher introduction to pro ball than Arnett. The former Indiana righthander was demoted to the Arizona League from the Midwest League after compiling a 6.87 ERA in 12 starts. Even facing the less experienced hitters of the AZL didn't help (2-0, 7.31), but the Brewers promoted him back to the Midwest League anyway. The results are what you would expect—Arnett went 0-2, 10.00 this week with 16 hits and 13 runs (10 earned) in nine innings. Arnett's delivery has a lot of moving parts, which causes him to struggle to repeat it. That means he can't spot his fastball, and his stuff isn't good enough to get away with it, even against less experienced hitters.
• Bryce Brentz, of, Red Sox: A year ago, Brentz was one of the first names scouts mentioned when talking about the 2010 draft class. But Brentz's junior year wasn't nearly as successful as his sophomore year at Middle Tennessee State, and more and more concerns were raised about his feast-or-famine approach. It's been a starvation diet since he signed with the Red Sox. Brentz was 5-for-27 (.185) this week for short-season Lowell and has only four multi-hit games this season. Even more disappointing is his lack of power. Brentz has hit only one home run and is currently slugging .268. At least he can look to Ike Davis for inspiration.
• Tony Thomas, 2b, Cubs: Though his prospect stock had fallen from when the Cubs made him a third-round pick in 2007, Thomas has had a mostly positive year as he repeats Double-A. His .276/.351/.477 line in 304 at-bats was undermined by a miserable month of May, when he hit .153/.268/.186 in 59 at-bats. Thomas has hit over .300 in every other month. That is, until this week. The 24-year-old went just 2-for-20 with one RBI and nine strikeouts, good for a .100/.100/.100 line.
• Ideally, you'd like to see a 2008 supplemental first-rounder out of the Southeastern Conference playing in Double-A by now. The Cubs sent 2B/3B Ryan Flaherty to Double-A Tennessee to start the season, but they demoted him to high Class A Daytona after he struggled in April. If you are going to be demoted, the least you can do is hit, and Flaherty is doing a good job of that. Flarherty hit .345/.387/.862 this week (10-for-29) with five home runs, more than doubling his homer total for the season.
• Eric Arnett, rhp, Brewers: A year since the 2009 draft, no first-rounder has had a tougher introduction to pro ball than Arnett. The former Indiana righthander was demoted to the Arizona League from the Midwest League after compiling a 6.87 ERA in 12 starts. Even facing the less experienced hitters of the AZL didn't help (2-0, 7.31), but the Brewers promoted him back to the Midwest League anyway. The results are what you would expect—Arnett went 0-2, 10.00 this week with 16 hits and 13 runs (10 earned) in nine innings. Arnett's delivery has a lot of moving parts, which causes him to struggle to repeat it. That means he can't spot his fastball, and his stuff isn't good enough to get away with it, even against less experienced hitters.
• Bryce Brentz, of, Red Sox: A year ago, Brentz was one of the first names scouts mentioned when talking about the 2010 draft class. But Brentz's junior year wasn't nearly as successful as his sophomore year at Middle Tennessee State, and more and more concerns were raised about his feast-or-famine approach. It's been a starvation diet since he signed with the Red Sox. Brentz was 5-for-27 (.185) this week for short-season Lowell and has only four multi-hit games this season. Even more disappointing is his lack of power. Brentz has hit only one home run and is currently slugging .268. At least he can look to Ike Davis for inspiration.
• Tony Thomas, 2b, Cubs: Though his prospect stock had fallen from when the Cubs made him a third-round pick in 2007, Thomas has had a mostly positive year as he repeats Double-A. His .276/.351/.477 line in 304 at-bats was undermined by a miserable month of May, when he hit .153/.268/.186 in 59 at-bats. Thomas has hit over .300 in every other month. That is, until this week. The 24-year-old went just 2-for-20 with one RBI and nine strikeouts, good for a .100/.100/.100 line.
MAN AMONG
BOYS
• Ideally, you'd like to see a 2008 supplemental first-rounder out of the Southeastern Conference playing in Double-A by now. The Cubs sent 2B/3B Ryan Flaherty to Double-A Tennessee to start the season, but they demoted him to high Class A Daytona after he struggled in April. If you are going to be demoted, the least you can do is hit, and Flaherty is doing a good job of that. Flarherty hit .345/.387/.862 this week (10-for-29) with five home runs, more than doubling his homer total for the season.
BLAST FROM THE
PAST
• Orlando Hernandez, rhp, Nationals: That's right, there's a pitcher in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League who was born in the '60s. The 40-year-old Hernandez has made three appearances out of the GCL Nationals' bullpen and allowed two runs (one earned) in four innings, with no walks and five strikeouts. Of course, it's not completely random that the Nationals have Hernandez on their GCL roster.
The Nationals last week officially announced the signing of Cuban righthander Yunesky Maya to a major league deal, then optioned Maya to the GCL to get work before possibly bringing him up to Washington by the end of the season. The idea is for Hernandez, who defected from Cuba in 1997, to help mentor Maya and ease his transition to the U.S. and to professional baseball. So while we're not expecting Hernandez to throw any innings in Washington in the near future, he's still kicking around the minors trying to help a big league club in different way.
The Nationals last week officially announced the signing of Cuban righthander Yunesky Maya to a major league deal, then optioned Maya to the GCL to get work before possibly bringing him up to Washington by the end of the season. The idea is for Hernandez, who defected from Cuba in 1997, to help mentor Maya and ease his transition to the U.S. and to professional baseball. So while we're not expecting Hernandez to throw any innings in Washington in the near future, he's still kicking around the minors trying to help a big league club in different way.
HELIUM
WATCH
• Teodoro Martinez, cf, Rangers: Texas signed Martinez as a 16-year-old out of Venezuela in 2008, when he ran a 6.6 in the 60-yard dash and showed good instincts in the field and at the plate. Two years later, he's proven to be just that, a speedster with a skinny 5-foot-11 frame who doesn't hit for power but can put the ball in play and let his speed do the rest. Martinez, the brother of White Sox minor leaguer Jose Martinez, is hitting .324/.379/.424 through 35 Arizona League games with 16 steals in 20 attempts. Now 18, Martinez has minimal power, but his speed, defense and feel for hitting make for a promising starter's kit of tools.
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