Welcome to the 15th installment of our Weekly Hot Prospects Report ranking the top minor-league performances from the week of July 24th through July 30th:
1. Luisangel Acuna, 2B/SS/OF, Mets (Double-A Frisco)
Acuna is now the property of the Mets after coming over in the Max Scherzer deal, but he had one last big week in the Rangers’ system, batting .500 with a homer and 5 steals for Frisco. The 21-year-old has a triple-slash of .315/.377/.453 with 7 homers, 42 steals and 68 runs in 84 games. Acuna is a natural shortstop, but is still blocked in New York by Francisco Lindor like he was in Texas by Corey Seager. We’ll see if the Mets start playing him more at second base or center field and whether they start him back in Double-A with Binghamton or up in Triple-A for Syracuse. Acuna is looking like he could hit at the top of a lineup and rack up steals, but we’ll see how much power he can develop to possibly become a fantasy superstar.
2. Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Cubs (Double-A Teneessee)
PCA stuffed the stat sheet last week by posting a triple-slash of .389/.522/.833 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, 5 walks and 4 steals. The 21-year-old lifted his season triple-slash to .289/.371/.527 with 14 homers and 27 steals. PCA struck out 7 times and has a 24% strikeout rate on the season, but seems ready to test his contact skills at Triple-A soon. One thing’s for sure, his glove is MLB ready, so he could even reach Chicago in September if the Cubs are in contention for the NL Central title.
3. Yunior Severino, 3B, Twins (Double-A Wichita)
Severino went on a massive power binge, smashing 6 home runs in 6 games to tie for the Texas League lead with 24 homers. The 23-year-old lifted his triple-slash to .290/.365/.567 but has a 31.1% strikeout rate that is the only thing holding him back from a promotion to Triple-A. As a switch-hitting power bat, the defensively-challenged Severino looks like a future weapon off the bench in Minnesota.
4. Jackson Chourio, OF, Brewers (Double-A Biloxi)
Chourio isn’t slowing down in the second half, putting up a 1.266 OPS with 2 homers, 3 steals and 11 runs scored last week. The 19-year-old is 30-for-64 with 5 homers, 8 steals, 22 runs and 17 RBIs in 15 games since the All-Star break to raise his season totals to an .826 OPS with 16 homers and 31 steals.
5. Dominic Hamel, SP, Mets (Double-A Binghamton)
Hamel struck out 11 in 7 innings on Wednesday, allowing 3 hits and 1 ER with 2 walks at hitter-friendly Reading. The 24-year-old has had a Jekyll and Hyde season, so he’s carrying a not-so-impressive 4.77 ERA but has a whopping 110 strikeouts in 83 innings.
6. Jacob Melton, OF, Astros (High-A Asheville)
Melton piled up 12 hits and 10 runs last week with a homer and 4 steals to boot. The 22-year-old raised his season average from .235 to .257 to go with 17 homers and 39 steals.
7. Jorge Marcheco, SP, Angels (High-A Tri-City)
Marcheco posted a rare 2-win week, giving up just 1 ER in 11.1 innings with 13 Ks and 1 walk. The 20-year-old has a 1.54 ERA with a 27-2 K-BB in 23.1 innings for Tri-City after posting a 2.79 ERA in 12 starts in Low-A.
8. Ethan Salas, C, Padres (Low-A Lake Elsinore)
Salas is establishing himself as the best player in the California League at just 17 years old, batting .455 with 3 homers last week. The prodigy is up to a triple-slash of .292/.380/.532 with 9 homers and 5 steals in 43 games.
9. Blake Dunn, OF, Reds (Double-A Chattanooga)
Dunn has become a fixture on this list, putting up a 1.219 OPS with 1 homer, 4 steals and 4 walks to just 1 strikeout last week. The 24-year-old is batting .381 in 42 games for Chattanooga and has a combined .947 OPS with 14 homers and 42 steals between High-A and Double-A.
10. Chandler Champlain, SP, Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas)
Champlain tossed 6 hitless innings with 6 Ks and one walk on Thursday against Arkansas. The 24-year-old has allowed just 1 ER over his last 18 innings to lower his ERA from 8.18 to 3.41 for the Naturals and he will be moving back into the next weekly-updated Top 500 Prospects.
Honorable Mentions
11. Jake Eder, SP, Marlins (Double-A Pensacola): 1-0, 1.59 ERA, 5.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 SO, 0.53 WHIP
12. Robby Snelling, SP, Padres (High-A Fort Wayne): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 SO, 0.67 WHIP
13. Yoniel Curet, SP, Rays (Low-A Charleston): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.1 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 SO, 0.69 WHIP
14. Brock Jones, OF, Rays (High-A Bowling Green): 9-for-20 (.450), 9 R, 3 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBIs, 5 BB, 4 SO, 1 SB, .560 OBP, 1.050 SLG, 1.610 OPS
15. Brycen Mautz, SP, Cardinals (Low-A Palm Beach): 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 11 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 11 SO, 0.55 WHIP
16. Joe Boyle, SPRP, Reds (Double-A Chattanooga): 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO, 0.80 WHIP
17. Tink Hence, SP, Cardinals (Double-A Springfield): 1-0, 3.60 ERA, 5 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO, 0.80 WHIP
18. Noah Cameron, SP, Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO, 0.83 WHIP
19. Yonathan Perlaza, OF, Cubs (Triple-A Iowa): 11-for-24 (.458), 4 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBIs, 2 BB, 3 SO, 0 SB, .500 OBP, 1.000 SLG, 1.500 OPS
20. Jonathan Aranda, 2B, Rays (Triple-A Durham): 9-for-26 (.346), 2 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBIs, 4 BB, 8 SO, 1 SB, .452 OBP, .654 SLG, 1.106 OPS