Welcome to the 22nd installment of our Weekly Hot Prospects Report ranking the top minor-league performances from the week of Sept. 11th through 17th:
1. Wyatt Langford, OF, Rangers (Double-A Frisco)
Langford had his 7-game streak of multi-hit performances stopped by an 0-for-4 on Sunday, finishing the week with 4 homers, a steal and a 1.638 OPS. The 21-year-old is dominating a third level since being drafted No. 4 overall in July’s MLB draft, posting a combined .359/.471/.697 triple-slash with 10 homers and 9 steals in 39 games. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound well-chiseled Florida product moved up to No. 2 in our Top 500 Prospects rankings over the weekend as the hits kept coming. Facing the best pitching of his fledgling pro career in the Double-A Texas League, Langford is putting up video-game numbers with a .405/.519/.762 triple-slash with 4 homers and a steal in 12 games with more walks (11) than strikeouts (7). It’s likely that he’s soon headed to Triple-A, as Round Rock has a 3-game lead in the PCL East and should be headed to the playoffs next week. Langford will have a great shot to break camp with the Rangers next spring and become a top candidate for AL Rookie of the Year. Langford has us dreaming of a .300/.400/.500 triple-slash with 40 homers and 10 steals in his prime.
2. Orelvis Martinez, 2B/SS, Blue Jays (Triple-A Buffalo)
Martinez continues to make us forget about his slow start this season, putting up a 1.248 OPS with 3 homers, 9 RBIs and a steal last week. The 21-year-old has a .273/.347/.540 triple-slash with 11 homers in 49 games in Triple-A. Martinez was batting .079 with 3 homers in his first 17 games this season in Double-A, but followed with 11 homers the rest of May and batted .280 in June before getting promoted to Buffalo in mid-July. His Double-A recovery coincided with cutting his strikeout rate to 20.5% for New Hampshire, but he’s seen his K-rate tick back up to 27.2% in Triple-A. Martinez has his warts with a combined .212 batting average from High-A in 2021 through his season-and-a-half in Double-A and a career 25% strikeout rate in the minors, but he’s shown he can cut down on the strikeouts and can get his average into the .270s to go with his 60-grade power. Martinez is playing more second base in Triple-A, so he could push Davis Schneider for the starting job in Toronto come spring training.
3. Jonatan Clase, OF, Mariners (Double-A Arkansas)
Clase racked up 6 steals to go with a 1.028 OPS, a home run and a triple last week. The 21-year-old has a combined 20 homers and 79 steals between High-A and Double-A, although he’s struggled some for Arkansas with a .222/.331/.396 triple-slash.
4. Colt Keith, 3B, Tigers (Triple-A Toledo)
Keith just keeps mashing, posting a 1.322 OPS with 3 homers last week to improve his Triple-A slash line to .296/.380/.538 with 13 dingers in 62 games. The 22-year-old is up to a combined 27 homers and 99 RBIs between Toledo and Double-A Erie.
5. Jared Jones, RHP, Pirates (Triple-A Indianapolis)
Jones is getting the hang of Triple-A, striking out 8 in 6 1-hit innings on Friday to make it 13 straight scoreless frames. The 22-year-old had a 2.23 ERA in 44.1 innings in Double-A and has lowered his Triple-A ERA from 5.74 to 4.77 over his past 2 starts.
6. Will Warren, RHP, Yankees (Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre)
Warren has been on fire in September, punctuated by 10 strikeouts in 5 scoreless innings on Sunday to finish the week with a 0.84 ERA over 2 starts. The 24-year-old has a 0.38 ERA over 4 starts in September to lower his ERA from 4.82 to 3.71.
7. Niko Kavadas, 1B, Red Sox (Triple-A Worcester)
Kavadas powered up last week with 3 homers, 8 RBIs and a .789 SLG. The 24-year-old is a three-true-outcomes prospect who has a combined 35.8% strikeout rate and 20.5% walk rate to go with 21 homers between Worcester and Double-A Portland.
8. Jonny DeLuca, OF, Dodgers (Triple-A Oklahoma City)
After spending half the season in a short-side platoon for the Dodgers and on the IL with a strained hamstring, DeLuca is back to raking in the minors, smacking 3 homers with a 1.169 OPS last week in Triple-A. The 25-year-old has combined for a .293/.387/.583 triple-slash with 17 homers and 12 steals in 67 games between OKC and Double-A Tulsa.
9. Richard Fitts, RHP, Yankees (Double-A Somerset)
Fitts gave New Hampshire fits on Friday with 11 strikeouts in 6.2 innings, allowing just 1 run and 1 walk. The 23-year-old has a 3.48 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP and 163-43 K-BB in 152.2 innings on the season.
10. Jose Corniell, RHP, Rangers (High-A Hickory)
Corniell was a hard-luck loser in the High-A playoffs on Tuesday, striking out 10 with 1 walk in 6 innings and allowing 2 runs (1 earned). The 20-year-old combined for a 2.92 ERA with a 0.99 WHIP and 119-31 K-BB in 101.2 innings between Hickory and Low-A Down East.
Honorable Mentions
11. Jackson Jobe, RHP, Tigers (Double-A Erie): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO, 0.67 WHIP
12. Jacob Melton, OF, Astros (Double-A Corpus Christi): 6-for-17 (.353), 4 R, 2 HR, 8 RBIs, 2 BB, 3 SO, 2 SB, .421 OBP, .706 SLG, 1.127 OPS
13. Clayton Beeter, RHP, Yankees (Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 13 SO, 1.20 WHIP
14. BJ Murray Jr., OF, Cubs (Double-A Tennessee): 9-for-24 (.375), 8 R, 5 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 6 BB, 3 SO, 3 SB, .500 OBP, .708 SLG, 1.208 OPS
15. Mike Vasil, RHP, Mets (Triple-A Syracuse): 1-0, 3.00 ERA, 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 SO, 0.83 WHIP
16. Jack Leiter, RHP, Rangers (Double-A Frisco): 0-0, 3.60 ERA, 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 SO, 0.80 WHIP
17. Deyvison De Los Santos, 3B, Diamondbacks (Double-A Amarillo): 6-for-19 (.316), 5 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, 1 BB, 7 SO, 1 SB, .350 OBP, .684 SLG, 1.034 OPS
18. Owen Caissie, OF, Cubs (Double-A Tennessee): 8-for-17 (.471), 3 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 2 BB, 2 SO, 1 SB, .526 OBP, .765 SLG, 1.291 OPS
19. Austin Shenton, 3B, Rays (Triple-A Durham): 4-for-18 (.222), 6 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 10 BB, 8 SO, 0 SB, .517 OBP, .500 SLG, 1.017 OPS
20. James Wood, OF, Nationals (Double-A Harrisburg): 9-for-20 (.450), 3 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 1 BB, 9 SO, 1 SB, .476 OBP, .700 SLG, 1.176 OPS