Welcome to the 13th installment of our Weekly Hot Prospects Report ranking the top minor-league performances from the week of July 10th through July 16th:
1. Termarr Johnson, 2B, Pirates (Low-A Bradenton)
Johnson had ended a 14-game homerless streak just before the All-Star break, then returned with a power binge over the weekend, going 6-for-9 with 3 home runs. The 19-year-old also drew 4 walks and put up a .769 OBP with a 1.778 SLG to add up to a video-game-like 2.547 OPS. The fourth overall pick in the 2022 draft is up to a triple-slash of .250/.416/.462 and could be headed to High-A soon.
2. Wikelman Gonzalez, SP, Red Sox (Double-A Portland)
Gonzalez dazzled in his Double-A debut with 9 strikeouts in 6 scoreless innings on Sunday in the hitter’s haven of Reading. The 21-year-old has been trying to dig out of a statistical hole he dug in April when he walked 16 in 8.2 innings with a 15.58 ERA. For the next two months Wikelman posted a 2.55 ERA with 83 Ks and 24 walks in 49.1 innings. The thing to get excited about for fantasy is that he has a combined 114 Ks in 69 innings on the season.
3. Yu-Min Lin, SP, Diamondbacks (Double-A Amarillo)
Lin debuted in Double-A on Sunday with a sensational line – 6 shutout innings with 8 Ks, 1 walk and just 2 hits allowed. Having just turned 20 four days before reaching AA, Lin was coming off his worst start of the season (7 ER in 4.2 IP) that had raised his High-A ERA from 2.59 to 3.43.
4. Jacob Melton, OF, Astros (High-A Asheville)
Melton just keeps on racking up big power-speed totals, going 6-for-11 with 2 homers and 4 steals over the weekend. The 22-year-old is up to 16 homers and 34 steals to go with a triple-slash of .245/.349/.479.
5. Jasson Dominguez, OF, Yankees (Double-A Somerset)
Dominguez came out of the gates by posting a 1.792 OPS with a homer and a steal after a disappointing first half with a triple-slash of .204/.345/.346. The 20-year-old has still produced a .358 OBP with 11 homers and 25 steals through the struggles.
6. Jackson Holliday, SS, Orioles (Double-A Bowie)
Holliday didn’t skip a beat in reaching his third level of the season, going 6-for-12 with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. The 19-year-old had a 1.182 OPS in 14 games in Low-A and a .940 OPS in 57 games in High-A before arriving in AA just a year after going No. 1 overall in the draft.
7. Lawrence Butler, OF, Athletics (Triple-A Las Vegas)
Butler made a beeline from the Futures Game to his debut in Triple-A, going 5-for-13 with a homer, 2 steals and 6 RBIs over the weekend. The 23-year-old put up a triple-slash of .285/.352/.465 with 10 homers and 13 steals in Double-A.
8. Cole Young, SS, Mariners (High-A Everett)
Young reached High-A just a year after going No. 21 overall in the draft out of a Pennsylvania high school and immediately stuffed the stat sheet by going 7-for-11 with a triple, a homer, 4 walks and a steal. The 19-year-old put up a triple-slash of .267/.396/.429 with 5 homers and 17 steals in Low-A.
9. Carlos Rodriguez, SP, Brewers (Double-A Biloxi)
Rodriguez struck out 9 in 5 scoreless innings on Saturday, allowing 2 hits and 3 walks. The 21-year-old lowered his ERA to 2.81 with a 1.17 WHIP and 103 strikeouts in 77 innings.
10. Gian Zapata, OF, D’backs (Dominican Summer League)
Zapata exploded with 3 homers and 6 RBIs on Saturday to complete a 4-dinger week. The 6-foot-4 17-year-old Dominican leads the DSL with 9 homers in 22 games but is going to need to cut down on his 36.9% strikeout rate.
Honorable Mentions
11. Brooks Lee, SS, Twins (Double-A Wichita): 6-for-14 (.429), 3 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBIs, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0 SB, .429 OBP, .929 SLG, 1.358 OPS
12. Satchell Norman, C, Brewers (Arizona Complex League): 7-for-13 (.538), 5 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBIs, 4 BB, 3 SO, 3 SB, .647 OBP, 1.154 SLG, 1.801 OPS
13. John Rhodes, OF, Orioles (Double-A Bowie): 5-for-14 (.357), 3 R, 3 HR, 5 RBIs, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0 SB, .357 OBP, 1.000 SLG, 1.357 OPS
14. Jared Serna, 2B, Yankees (Low-A Tampa): 5-for-14 (.357), 4 R, 3 HR, 10 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0 SB, .400 OBP, 1.000 SLG, 1.400 OPS
15. Mason Black, SP, Giants (Triple-A Sacramento): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER< 4 BB, 8 SO, 1.20 WHIP
16. Josue De Paula, OF, Dodgers (Low-A Rancho Cucamonga): 5-for-11 (.455), 6 R, 2 2B, 0 HR, 1 RBIs, 5 BB, 0 SO, 2 SB, .625 OBP, .636 SLG, 1.261 OPS
17. Parker Messick, SP, Guardians (High-A Lake County): 0-0, 1.69 ERA, 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 SO, 0.94 WHIP
18. Nick Frasso, SP, Dodgers (Double-A Tulsa): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO, 0.23 WHIP
19. Luis Rodriguez, OF, Dodgers (Low-A Rancho Cucamonga): 11-for-16 (.688), 4 R, 2 2B, 0 HR, 7 RBIs, 1 SO, 1 SB, .688 OBP, .813 SLG, 1.501 OPS
20. Keiner Delgado, SS, Yankees (Florida Complex League): 3-for-12 (.250), 4 R, 2 HR, 8 RBIs, 1 BB, 6 SO, 3 SB, .400 OBP, .750 SLG, 1.150 OPS