Welcome to the #4 installment of our Weekly Hot Prospects Report ranking the top minor-league performances from the week ending April 19. We’re back with this week’s top performers making waves across the minors—and this week’s trio at the top is stacked with thunderous bats and rising stars knocking on the MLB door.
Fantasy baseball owners, take note. CLICK HERE to check out the full list, with ETAs and updated statistics (subscription required).
A quick look at the Top Three
1. Cam Maldonado (OF, San Francisco Giants)
The Verdict: Power that cannot be contained.
Maldonado (pictured above) turned Single-A San Jose into his personal playground this week. He launched a staggering 6 home runs and drove in 10, posting a 1.971 OPS. Scouts have long noted his raw power, but seeing it manifest into a home run nearly every four at-bats has the Giants’ front office looking very smart for their 2023 draft pick.
2. Ben Ross (SS, Minnesota Twins)
The Verdict: The “Everything” Prospect.
It is rare to see a hitter post a 2.011 OPS while also being a terror on the bases. Ross was perfect this week, tallying 4 home runs and 3 stolen bases while hitting a cool .500 (8-for-16). He showed elite discipline with 5 walks against just 2 strikeouts, cementing himself as the most dangerous hitter in High-A right now.
3. Tanner Thach (1B, Colorado Rockies)
The Verdict: The ultimate run producer.
If there were runners on base, Thach drove them in. The Rockies’ first baseman put up a video-game-like 18 RBIs in just 28 at-bats. With a 1.495 OPS and 13 hits, he’s showing the kind of high-ceiling contact and power profile that translates perfectly to the thin air of Denver in the future.
The Shutdown Squad: Masterclasses in run prevention
The pitching across the ranks this week was nothing short of surgical. From former first-rounders to rising teenagers, hitters were left in the dark:
- Mason McGwire (CHC): The son of the home run king is making his name on the mound, pitching 7 dominant innings this week with 10 strikeouts and zero runs allowed. His microscopic 0.29 WHIP across two appearances suggests his command has taken a massive leap forward.
- Dax Fulton (MIA): Fulton was lights-out for Triple-A Jacksonville, tossing 6 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts. After a long road back from surgery, Fulton looks like he’s ready to join the Marlins’ rotation any day now, flashing a 0.67 WHIP that overwhelmed top-tier hitters.
- Chase Shores (LAA): Shores delivered a masterpiece for High-A, throwing 5 innings of clean, no-hit baseball with only one walk allowed. His 0.20 WHIP for the week is a testament to a fastball-slider combo that is currently playing several levels above his current assignment.
Notable risers & run producers
- The Stolen Base King: Ronny Cruz (WAS) put up a stat line for the ages. While his 1.386 OPS was impressive, it was his 12 stolen bases in a single week that defied belief. He is quite literally running his way into the top prospect conversation.
- The High-A Power Surge: Colby Shelton (CHW) and Owen Ayers (CHC) are both making noise in the Chicago systems. Shelton drove in 14 runs with a 1.614 OPS, while Ayers flashed the rare “power-hitting catcher” profile with 4 HRs and 3 SBs.
- Precision Command: John Holobetz (BOS) and David Shields (KC) were surgical. Holobetz allowed just one hit over 7 innings (11 Ks), while the 19-year-old Shields tossed 5 innings of no-hit ball with 8 strikeouts.
The Top 10 in the Weekly Hot Prospects Report
From dominant arms to scorching-hot bats, here are the Top 10 prospects below who turned heads and boosted their stock. CLICK HERE to check out the full list, with ETAs and updated statistics (subscription required).
| Rank | Player | Pos | Team | B/T | Level | Age |
| 1 | Cam Maldonado | OF | SF | R/R | Single-A | 22 |
| 2 | Ben Ross | SS | MIN | R/R | High-A | 22 |
| 3 | Tanner Thach | 1B | COL | L/L | Single-A | 22 |
| 4 | Milan Tolentino | SS | CLE | L/R | AAA | 24 |
| 5 | Cole Mathis | 1B/3B | CHC | R/R | Single-A | 22 |
| 6 | Colby Shelton | SS/3B | CHW | L/R | High-A | 23 |
| 7 | John Holobetz | SP | BOS | R/R | High-A | 23 |
| 8 | Owen Ayers | C | CHC | S/R | High-A | 25 |
| 9 | Braden Montgomery | OF | CHW | S/R | AA | 23 |
| 10 | Josh Adamczewski | 2B/OF | MIL | L/R | Single-A | 21 |