Ranking The 20 Hottest MLB Prospects | Hot Sheet (5/26/25)

1. Jac Caglianone, 1B/OF, Royals

• Team: Triple-A Omaha (Pacific Coast)
• Age: 22
• Why He’s Here: .346/.357/.923 (9-for-26) 5 HR, 10 RBIs, 1 BB, 4 SO

The Scoop: Kyle Isbel leads all Royals outfielders in home runs… with three. He’s the only Royals outfielder with more than one homer this year. Royals outfielders have combined for seven home runs this season, which is two more than Caglianone hit this week. So, it’s fair to say that the Caglianone countdown is starting to get deafening in Kansas City. There still are real questions about whether he’s capable of holding down an outfield spot defensively—he’s played just 10 games there so far—but there’s little question at this point that, the moment he gets the call, Caglianone will immediately become one of the biggest power threats in the Royals’ lineup. (JJ)

2. Chase Burns, RHP, Reds

• Team: Double-A Chattanooga (Southern)
• Age: 22
• Why He’s Here: 2-0, 1.80 ERA, 10 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 17 SO, 1 HR

The Scoop: Well, what more can you say? Burns has been dominant at every stop—from the backfields, to High-A and now Double-A. The hard-throwing righty wrapped up a stellar week with a career-best 10 strikeouts, showcasing the kind of electric stuff that demands attention. He’s flashed elite command, issuing just one walk over his two outings. His fastball touches triple digits and pairs with a wicked slider. Both carry 70 grades—a rare combination for a pitcher this young and this polished. (JC)

3. Gage Jump, LHP, Athletics

• Team: Double-A Midland (Texas)
• Age: 22
• Why He’s Here: 2-0, 1.38 ERA, 12 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 16 SO, 1 HR

The Scoop: Jump has been one of the most-featured players on the Hot Sheet over the past month. Could a leap onto the Top 100 Prospects list be next for the LSU product? At his current pace, he’s making quite the case. Jump has 20 strikeouts in 18 innings and has allowed just two runs in his first three starts at Double-A. The lefty’s success originates from his fastball, which sits at 94-95 mph, mixing in strong control and causing batters to whiff. He’s drawn comparisons to Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga, who is another undersized southpaw whose deceptive delivery amplifies the effectiveness of his arsenal. (JC)

4. Ryan Ritter, SS, Rockies

• Team: Triple-A Albuquerque 
• Age: 24 
• Why He’s Here: .433/.452/1.000 (13-for-30), 8 R, 5 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 8 RBIs, 1 BB, 5 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop: After hitting 24 home runs in his first professional season, Ritter only hit seven in 2024. This season, he’s reversed course, slugging his 10th, 11th and 12th home runs of the year on Sunday. Ritter’s first three home-run game might have gotten him onto the top of the Hot Sheet this week, but he’s been hot all season. He has improved his contact and swing decisions in 2025 and looks to be knocking on the door for a callup. Over 45 games with Triple-A Albuquerque, Ritter is hitting .284/.400/.580 with a 137 wRC+. A strong defender who can stick at shortstop long term, Ritter’s bat has caught up to his glove. (GP)

5. Travis Sykora, RHP, Nationals

• Team: High-A Wilmington (Nationals)
• Age: 21
• Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 14 SO, 1 HR

The Scoop: Sykora’s season was delayed by hip surgery, leaving him to rehab until May 3 when he made the first of two rehab appearances in the Florida Complex League. Those were followed by two more at Low-A, a level he dominated in 2024. On May 25, the Nationals bumped the righty to High-A. You’ll never guess what happened next: Sykora sliced and diced the Aberdeen IronBirds for four innings, finishing with nine strikeouts, no runs and just a hit and a walk on his ledger. The 16 swings and misses he coaxed were tied for the second-most in all of High-A. For the season, Sykora has punched out 32 hitters in 15 innings. (JN)

6. Lazaro Montes, OF, Mariners

• Team: High-A Everett (Northwest)
• Age: 20
• Why He’s Here: .375/.400/.792 (9-for-24), 5 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 6 RBIs, 1 BB, 6 SO

The Scoop: Hitting a baseball so high and so far that it clears the batter’s eye might leave a mark. Doing it twice in one series? Let’s call that a Laz-eration. Montes pummeled a pair of pitches from Hops hurlers over the big blue wall in dead center field at Hillsboro Stadium for two of his three longballs over the past week. The outburst helped make Montes the first player in the Northwest League to reach 10 home runs. For context, the NWL’s leader in that category last year was Cole Carrigg, who hit 16 home runs. Montes is just six off of that mark with more than three months to go in the season. (JN)

7. Jesus Baez, SS/3B, Mets

• Team: High-A Brooklyn (South Atlantic)
• Age: 20
• Why He’s Here: .647/.739/1.059 (11-for-17), 6 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBIs, 6 BB, 0 SO, 0-for-1 SB

The Scoop: Baez reached High-A as a 19-year-old last year but lost momentum when he had season-ending meniscus surgery on his knee in July. The Mets slow-played Baez in spring training, and his rust was evident early this season. After hitting just .187 with no thump in April, it’s been a different story in May. Baez collected six hits with two homers and seven RBIs in a May 23 doubleheader at Jersey Shore and, overall in May, is hitting .377/.482/.594 with four homers, 21 RBIs, 12 walks and 10 strikeouts in 20 games. (ME)

8. Arjun Nimmala, SS, Blue Jays

• Team: High-A Vancouver (Northwest)
• Age: 19
• Why He’s Here: .364/.400/.773 (8-for-22), 4 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBIs, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: This is what future stars look like. Young for the level? Nimmala was the second-youngest player in the Northwest League on Opening Day. Premium position? Nimmala has played shortstop on all of his non-DH days. Big-time performance? Nimmala’s name is all over the NWL’s offensive leaderboard, including the top spot for doubles (12) and extra-base hits (22, tied with Lazaro Montes), and second in home runs (nine), slugging percentage (.540) and total bases (87). With his early-season output, it’s clear that Nimmala has staked his claim as the best in the nest. (JN)

9. Kyle Teel, C, White Sox

• Team: Triple-A Charlotte (International)
• Age: 23
• Why He’s Here: .500/.636/1.188 (8-for-16) 7 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBIs, 65 BB, 5 SO

The Scoop: If you can string together a decent game night after night, you can put together a very solid season. And Teel has strung together a long run of solid games, even if he’s rarely been spectacular. He’s gotten a hit in 20 of his past 21 games, although his two three-hit games this week were his first three-hit games since March. He had a 10-game hitting streak earlier this month where he never had a multi-hit game. But Teel is hitting .356/.465/.644 this month and .293/.397/.490 overall. (JJ)

10. Sal Stewart, 3B, Reds

• Team: Double-A Chattanooga (Southern)
• Age: 21
• Why He’s Here: .400/.444/.680 (10-for-25), 5 R, 4 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 SO, 2 BB

The Scoop: When Stewart gets hits, they tend to come in bunches—and he’s been piling them up. He’s notched 18 multi-hit games this season—including three more this past week—and is continuing to showcase the consistency and bat-to-ball skills that made him such a highly-regarded prospect. Long praised for his advanced approach at the plate, Stewart is backing it up with the numbers. He’s missing just 22.4% of the time overall, and his in-zone whiff rate sits just under 20%—a strong indicator of his pitch recognition and feel for the barrel. Stewart owns a 104.6 mph 90th percentile exit velocity, showing he’s consistently squaring balls up with authority. His max exit velocity of 110.4 mph adds even more intrigue, hinting at untapped power that could show up more consistently as he matures.  (JC)

11. David Davalillo, RHP, Rangers

• Team: High-A Hub City (South Atlantic)
• Age: 22
• Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Last season, Davalillo led the minor leagues with a 1.88 ERA. This year, he’s doing it again… only better. Through eight starts, Davalillo has allowed just four earned runs. After some quick work on a nearby abacus, we can conclude that he’s averaging one earned run every two starts. That’s good for an ERA of 0.92. Davalillo’s most recent turn might have been his finest yet. He struck out a season-best 10 and got 18 swings and misses in the process. Over his last two turns, Davalillo has allowed four hits and two walks, struck out 17 and allowed—get this—no earned runs. (JN)

12. Trey Yesavage, RHP, Blue Jays

• Team: High-A Vancouver (Northwest)
• Age: 21 
• Why He’s Here: 0-0, 2.25, 8 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 19 SO, 1 HR

The Scoop: Promoted to High-A just a week ago, Yesavage did a two-step in his first week with Vancouver. The 2024 first-round pick made two starts against Eugene striking out 10 on Monday and then punching out another nine on Sunday. Yesavage did struggle with command in each start, however, as he walked three batters in each outing. Up to this point, Yesavage has dominated both levels of A-ball with his high-rise four-seam fastball, cutter and splitter. If he continues to beat up on High-A competition, Yesavage should be in Double-A by the all-star break. (GP)

13. Franklin Arias, SS, Red Sox

• Team: High-A Greenville (South Atlantic)
• Age: 19
• Why He’s Here: .571/.571/.762 (12-for-21), 4 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBIs, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2-for-3 SB

The Scoop: Last year, in BA’s annual article surveying scouts about the best players they saw in the backfields during spring training, one evaluator had this to say about Arias: “His arrow is pointing up this spring after a minor league camp where he showed off fluid athleticism and a swing that was both malleable up and down the zone and geared toward shooting line drives to all sectors.” More than a year later, those words look prophetic. The 19-year-old Arias made quick work of Low-A Salem in the early days of the season and didn’t skip a beat after moving to High-A. He’s 32 for his first 89 in 21 South Atlantic League games and has struck out just eight times in 96 plate appearances. (JN)

14. Braxton Ashcraft, RHP, Pirates

• Team: Triple-A Indianapolis (International)
• Age: 25 
• Why He’s Here: 0-1, 4.50, 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9 SO, 2 HR

The Scoop: The Pirates, despite being one of the worst teams in MLB, boast one of the best Triple-A rotations in the game with Bubba Chandler, Thomas Harrington and Braxton Ashcraft. Despite giving up some hard contact on Wednesday (two home runs) Ashcraft walked just one batter while striking out nine. Ashcraft had the swing-and-miss stuff working in this start as he generated a season-high 19 swinging strikes. Ashcraft has shown serious development over the last few seasons, displaying starter upside after an injury-plagued start to his career. (GP) 

15. Emil Morales, SS, Dodgers

• Team: ACL Dodgers (Arizona Complex) 
• Age: 18 
• Why He’s Here: .381/.409/.905 (8-for-21), 5 R, 1 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBIs, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop: The Dodgers’ embarrassment of riches seems to be never-ending, as Morales is one of the top prospects in the Arizona Complex League. Morales tallied a hit in all five games this week and had multiple-hit games on Monday and Thursday. He bookended the week with home runs on Monday and Saturday. Morales is hitting .266/.333/.563 with four home runs over 16 ACL games. He’s shown some concerning swing-and-miss early, but it’s coming with impact power in-game. (GP) 

16. Jacob Gonzalez, SS, White Sox

• Team: Double-A Birmingham (Southern)
• Age: 22
• Why He’s Here: .304/.292/.696 (7-for-23) 6 R, 3 HR, 5 RBIs, 5 SO, 2 SBs

The Scoop: This is easily the best week of Gonzalez’s relatively young pro career. The 2023 first-round pick had never hit three home runs in a month before he hit three this week. Power is not usually Gonzalez’s calling card, but you wouldn’t be able to tell that from a week in which he was a pull-happy slugger. (JJ)

17. Keiner Delgado, 2B, Pirates

• Team: High-A Greensboro (South Atlantic)
• Age: 21
• Why He’s Here: .409/.581/1.000 (9-for-22), 8 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 6 SO, 7 BB

The Scoop: Delgado was revealed as the player to be named later in the trade that sent JT Brubaker to the Yankees back in April 2024. After back-to-back strong seasons in the Yankees system, he struggled to carry that momentum into his first year with the Pirates. But in 2025, he’s starting to trend in the right direction and looking more like the version of himself that once impressed. This past week may have been his best yet, highlighted by a three-homer performance in what was his first career multi-homer game. It’s an encouraging sign of things possibly turning around. That said, there’s still work to do, particularly with his approach, as swing-and-miss and chase remain areas to tighten up. (JC).

18. Blaze Jordan, 1B/3B, Red Sox

• Team: Double-A Portland (Eastern)
• Age: 22
• Why He’s Here: .435/.500/.739 (10-for-23) 4 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBIs, 2 BB, 3 SO, 2 SB

The Scoop: Jordan came to fame in high school because of his power, but in pro ball, he’s actually proven to be a pretty polished hitter with modest power. He’s a career .289 hitter, and his excellent work this week boosted him to a .306/.401/.485 line this year in his return to Portland. Jordan is showing improved power, and he’s extremely difficult to strike out (10.8% rate). He has started to play more first base than third, flipping what had been a pretty 50-50 job share. At this point, Jordan seems quite likely to reach the big leagues, and as a 22-year-old, there’s still time for his power to further blossom.  (JJ)

19. Luis Morales, RHP, Athletics

• Team: Triple-A Las Vegas (Pacific Coast)
• Age: 22
• Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: First impressions matter, and Morales made his count in a big way. In his Triple-A debut, he picked up right where he left off in Double-A, spinning six no-hit innings. Most impressively, he filled up the zone with 62 of his 88 pitches for strikes. Developing homegrown pitching hasn’t traditionally been the A’s calling card, but that narrative might be shifting. Along with Gage Jump, Morales is one of two rising arms in the system who have turned heads all season, earned well-deserved promotions and continue to shine on the mound.  (JC)

20. Sterlin Thompson, OF, Rockies

• Team: Triple-A Albuquerque (Pacific Coast)
• Age: 23
• Why He’s Here: .389/.522/.889 (7-for-18) 5 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBIs, 3 BB, 3 SO, 1 SB

The Scoop: Thompson needed a week like this. Albuquerque is a very hitter-friendly environment, and the Isotopes also play at places like Reno that are even better for hitters. As a team, the Isotopes are hitting .271/.357/.467 this year, so Thompson’s .255/.349/.443 slash line is actually below average. But a few weeks like this one could fix that quickly. (JJ)

Helium

Victor Figueroa, 1B, Padres

We reported Figueroa as an under-the-radar player making noise in his first week of ACL play, and he’s kept right on rolling. He was promoted to Low-A soon after and left the ACL as one of its best hitters, leading the league in nearly every major category while hitting over .600. At 22 years old, however, he was one of the older players in the desert. The new level didn’t seem to faze him either. Figueroa slugged two homers in his first week at Low-A and looked like he belonged. An 18th-round pick out of Florida SouthWestern State College, he’s showing the same mix of power, speed and contact that made him successful in the junior college ranks. (JC)