Prospect Hot Sheet (June 10): Indians' Mejia Steps Up — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

This installment of the Prospect Hot Sheet considers what minor league players have done from June 3-9. Remember, this feature 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.

Contributing: Ben Badler, Matt Eddy, Kyle Glaser, Josh Norris and Vince Lara-Cinisomo

1. Francisco Mejia, c, Indians

Team: low Class A Lake County (Midwest)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .577/.593/.885 (15-for-26), 8 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO

The Scoop: The Indians’ No. 10 prospect continues to rake in his second go-round with Lake County, raising his season average from .301 to .333 during the week and extending his hitting streak to 11 games. It has been a huge step forward for the 5-foot-10 switch-hitting Dominican after he hit .243 with the Captains last season. (KG)

2. Brandon Nimmo, of, Mets

Team: Triple-A Las Vegas (Pacific Coast)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .524/.522/1.048 (11-for-21), 5 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO

The Scoop: The 2011 first-round pick has begun to consolidate his myriad abilities in the Pacific Coast League this season. Since June 1, Nimmo has hit 14-for-29 (.483) with three doubles, three home runs, a 1.412 OPS and just three strikeouts. (ME)

3. Reynaldo Lopez, rhp, Nationals

Team: Double-A Harrisburg (Eastern)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 0-0, 3.00, 9 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 14 SO, 1 BB

The Scoop: The second-most touted arm in the system behind Harrisburg teammate Lucas Giolito, Lopez has been on fire of late. In addition to his 14 punchouts this week, he has whiffed 70 in 57 innings this year at Double-A. He reached the seventh inning for the first this this year in his most recent start. (JN)

4. Austin Meadows, of, Pirates

Team: Double-A Altoona (Eastern)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .321/.345/.821 (9-for-28), 8 R, 3 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 6 RBIs, 1 BB, 4 SO

The Scoop: After missing a chunk of time to open the season with an orbital fracture, Meadows has turned it on. He collected nine hits this week, and all of them went for extra bases. That total includes all three of the home runs he’s hit so far this season. (JN)

5. Tyler O’Neill, of, Mariners

Team: Double-A Jackson (Southern)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .370/.424/.741 (10-for-27), 5 R, 1 2B, 3 HR, 12 RBIs, 3 BB, 4 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: O’Neill, a Canadian outfielder shining brightly in a barren system, put a stamp on a huge week on Wednesday, when he drove in eight runs and scored his team a win with a walk-off grand slam. He had three other longballs this week, and ranks among the top three in the Southern League in homers, batting average and slugging. (JN)

6. Gleyber Torres, ss, Cubs

Team: high Class A Myrtle Beach (Carolina)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .368/.538/.684 (7-for-19), 9 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 7 BB, 3 SO, 3-for-3 SB

The Scoop: Torres struggled the first month of the season, but despite being a teenager in the Carolina League, he has improved his batting line to .265/.351/.450. He always has shown a mature hitting approach, but now the power is beginning to play. Torres already has seven home runs in 56 games this season. (BB)

7. Francis Martes, rhp, Astros

Team: Double-A Corpus Christi (Texas)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.69, 2 GS, 13 IP, 11 H, 1 R, 15 SO, 4 BB

The Scoop: One of the youngest players in the Texas League, Martes recorded a 9.00 ERA in April, but he improved to 3.44 in May and now 0.69 in June. He has a fastball in the mid- to upper 90s that he pairs with a curveball, a changeup and a slider. He’s working to refine all his pitches. (VLC)

8. Peter O’Brien, of, Diamondbacks

Team: Triple-A Reno (Pacific Coast)
Age: 25
Why He’s Here: .458/.500/1.083 (11-for-24), 9 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 12 RBIs, 3 BB, 5 SO

The Scoop: The knock on O’Brien has always involved his defense, but his offense has never been in question. He is one of the minors’ finest power brokers, and this week he showed it off in spades. He bashed four home runs this week, and his 17 overall this year lead the minors. (JN)

9. Luke Weaver, rhp, Cardinals

Team: Double-A Springfield (Texas)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 7.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 10 SO, 0 BB

The Scoop: After missing the first two months of the season with a broken wrist sustained while shagging fly balls in spring training, Weaver looked back to normal in his season debut. He whiffed 10 in his Double-A debut. He utilizes a three-pitch mix of an above-average fastball and changeup and an improving curveball. (JN)

10. Jose Berrios, rhp, Twins

Team: Triple-A Rochester (International)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 2.25, 8 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 11 SO, 1 BB

The Scoop: After getting hit around in his major league cameo, Berrios has been no worse for wear in his return for Triple-A. He continues to show strikeout stuff and the ability to control the baseball with a three-pitch mix. His two runs this week both came on home runs, which because of his smaller stature will bear watching as he matures. (JN)

11. Yoan Moncada, 2b, Red Sox

Team: high Class A Salem (Carolina)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .320/.393/.520 (8-for-25), 7 R, 5 2B, 1 RBIs, 3 BB, 5 SO, 4-for-4 SB

The Scoop: Moncada has been an on-base machine and a Hot Sheet staple in 2016. The athletic switch-hitter is batting .300/.419/.476 with 40 walks in 56 games and tapping into his plus-plus speed to steal 35 bases in 41 attempts. The combination of athleticism, tools and baseball acumen make Moncada a premium prospect. (BB)

12. Aaron Judge, of, Yankees

Team: Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre (International)
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: .423/.516/.538 (11-for-26), 7 R, 3 2B, 4 RBIs, 5 BB, 5 SO, 2-for-2 SB

The Scoop: The giant right fielder has struggled mightily in his second go-round at Triple-A, but the past week portends better days ahead. The 6-foot-7 Fresno State product has a large strike zone that he has trouble controlling at times and is prone to chasing pitches. He has struck out 63 times in 225 at-bats. (VLC)

13. Willy Adames, ss, Rays

Team: Double-A Montgomery (Southern)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .310/.355/.552 (9-for-29), 6 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBIs, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: Adames, the second-youngest player in the Southern League, has not been bothered by his aggressive assignment. With his good bat speed, he projects to have above-average power and has started to show it this season. (VLC)

14. Yu-Cheng Chang, ss, Indians

Team: high Class A Lynchburg (Carolina)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .353/.429/.765 (6-for-17), 6 R, 2 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 3 BB, 6 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: A big-money signee out of Taiwan in 2013, Chang has more power than his lean frame suggests. He barrels the ball with regularity, with a swing more geared for line drives, though he’s been popping the ball out of the park. (VLC)

15. Jose Mujica, rhp, Rays

Team: low Class A Bowling Green (Midwest)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: 0-0, 1.50, 12 IP, 10 H, 2 R, 11 SO, 3 BB

The Scoop: Mujica was lights out in both of his starts last week, tossing six scoreless against Lansing and following with another six strong innings against Fort Wayne, his third straight quality start. The 6-foot-2 Venezuelan has a nearly 3-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio with the Hot Rods despite being nearly two years younger than the league average. (KG)

16. Ryne Stanek, rhp, Rays

Team: Double-A Montgomery (Southern)
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: 0-0, 1.00, 9 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 12 SO, 3 BB

The Scoop: The 2013 first-round pick out of Arkansas showcased his ability to both start and relieve during the week. He struck out 10 in six innings in a start at Jacksonville and came out of the bullpen four days later against Biloxi, where he didn’t allow an earned run in three innings. The 6-foot-4 Stanek is averaging a 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings this year, but also is trying to lower his walk rate (4.1 per nine) in his second season at Double-A. (KG)

17. Miguel Diaz, rhp, Brewers

Team: low Class A Wisconsin (Midwest)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 1.42, 6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 8 SO, 1 BB

The Scoop: Diaz’s 6 1/3 shutout innings against Kane County made for his longest outing of the season, and his eight strikeouts blew past his previous season-high of five. The Dominican is now 1-5, 4.01 in his first full season after pitching the last four years in complex leagues. (KG)

18. Jamie Schultz, rhp, Rays

Team: Triple-A Durham (International)
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 10 SO, 0 BB

The Scoop: Schultz has been excellent this year, and that was especially true this past week. He was perfect until the seventh inning, and he finished his start with his second double-digit strikeout game of the year, the first a 12-whiff effort against Indianapolis. Schultz gets his whiffs with a fastball that can touch the high 90s, as well as a changeup and slider that each come from a deceptive delivery. (JN)

19. Rafael Devers, 3b, Red Sox

Team: high Class A Salem (Carolina)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .556/.636/.556 (10-for-18), 3 R, 4 BB, 3 SO, 0-for-1 SB

The Scoop: The teenage Devers has struggled to adapt to the Carolina League, hitting .138 in April and .245 in May. His bat has crackled to life in June, and through his last 11 games he has hit 17-for-41 (.415), albeit with limited power (two doubles). (ME)

20. Rhys Hoskins, 1b, Phillies

Team: Double-A Reading (Eastern)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .375/.375/.938 (12-for-32), 7 R, 3 2B, 5 HR, 8 RBIs, 0 BB, 9 SO

The Scoop: While some scouts see a limited athlete and a lack of quick-twtich actions, Hoskins just keeps hitting. He is hitting for more power than ever, with a .246 isolated slugging percentage and 14 home runs in 56 games after hitting 17 in 135 games a year ago. His strikeout rate has climbed to 25 percent this season, so finding balance will be important. (BB)

HELIUM WATCH

Diego Castillo, rhp, Rays

Castillo hasn’t started a game in his career, so he’s been a straight bullpen prospect since the Rays signed him for $64,000 as a 20-year-old out of the Dominican Republic before the 2014 season. That’s on the older side for a Dominican pitcher, but he was touching 96 mph at the time with a solid breaking ball. Since then, he’s gained another 45 pounds to 6-foot-3, 240 pounds and his fastball has continued to climb, peaking at 100 mph. The stuff is translating at low Class A Bowling Green, where Castillo has a 2.67 ERA and a 31-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 27 innings. (BB)