Welcome to the #17 installment of our Weekly Hot Prospects Report ranking the top minor-league performances from the week ending July 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 rising stars who are soaring up the fantasy baseball rankings and even 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. Juan Villavicencio, SS, Philadelphia Phillies
Level: Single-A | Age: 21 | ETA: 2028
Why He’s Hot: In a very short week following the All-Star break, Villavicencio put together a dominant two games. Reaching base safely in almost every plate appearance, the 21-year-old infielder showed off elite zone discipline and game power—slugging three long balls while drawing five walks and refusing to strike out once.
Dynasty Take: Long regarded for his batch of athletic tools, Villavicencio’s hit tool and power output had lagged behind earlier in his minor league run. Seeing him drive the ball with authority without sacrificing contact efficiency or expansion control is a huge development for his stock. If this aggressive power surge holds through the second half, his trajectory moves up significantly.
2. Kendry Chourio, SP, Kansas City Royals
Level: High-A | Age: 18 | ETA: 2027
Why He’s Hot: Performing well against older hitters is one thing; utterly disarming High-A lineups at 18 years old is another entirely. Chourio delivered 5.0 hitless, scoreless frames while piling up 10 punchouts on the week. His combinations of late-fading secondary offerings and elite fast-ball location kept hitters completely guessing, giving him a microscopic 0.40 WHIP.
Dynasty Take: Chourio’s aggressive assignment to High-A at age 18 signaled high organizational trust from the Royals, and performance like this proves why. Pitching prospects carry inherent risk, but Chourio is fast tracking into top-tier pitching prospect conversations. Stash or target him in deep formats before the window snaps shut.
3. Luis Ramon King, OF, Kansas City Royals
Level: Rookie (DSL) | Age: 18 | ETA: 2031
Why He’s Hot: King turned the Dominican Summer League into his personal playground over the last week. In just 12 official at-bats, he cleared the fences three times, drove in seven, and swiped four bases—showing off a classic, highly coveted power-speed toolset.
Dynasty Take: Complex league profiles require patience, but King’s sheer explosion of dynamic box-score numbers makes him a prime target for deep first-year player drafts or early farm-system swoops. When an 18-year-old displays this level of raw pop combined with aggressive base-running instinct, you take notice early.
Pitching Highlights: Dominance Across the Board
Outside of Chourio’s hitless gem, a whole stable of starters turned in electric, unearned-run-free outings:
- Holden Wilkerson (SP, TOR – High-A): Matched Chourio with 5 hitless, scoreless innings, striking out 7 with a microscopic 0.18 WHIP.
- Jeyver Manaure (SP, ARI – DSL): A pitch-perfect outing—5 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 6 Ks with a pristine 0.00 WHIP.
- Anthony Eyanson (SP, BOS – AA): Handled Double-A lineups with ease, yielding just 1 hit over 5 shutout frames with 8 Ks (0.40 WHIP).
- High-K Outings: Riley Kelly (COL – Single-A) struck out 11 over 6 innings, while Jack Cebert (NYY – AA) posted 9 Ks in 4 shutout frames. Carson Whisenhunt (SF – Triple-A) also made quick work with 8 Ks over 5 scoreless innings.
Hitting Standouts: Elite Power & Eye
- John Wimmer (SS, LAA – Single-A): Exploded for a 2.160 OPS, going 6-for-11 with 3 HRs, 4 RBIs, and a stolen base.
- Ike Irish (C/OF, BAL – High-A): Racked up 9 hits in 17 at-bats with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs (1.676 OPS).
- Carlos Jimenez (OF, SEA – Single-A): Hit .571 (8-for-14) with 3 long balls and a 1.911 OPS.
- Boston Smith (C, CHW – AA): Recorded a absurd 2.500 OPS in Double-A, walking 6 times against just 1 strikeout while hitting 2 home runs in 6 at-bats.
- Zyhir Hope (OF, LAD – AA): Flashy power/speed weekend with 2 HRs and 3 SBs in 11 ABs (1.662 OPS).
- On-Base Machines: David Carrera (NYY – DSL) walked 7 times with 0 Ks (1.960 OPS), while Juan Parra (SS, PHI – DSL) also drew 7 walks to go along with a home run (1.820 OPS).
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 | Juan Villavicencio | SS | PHI | L/R | Single-A | 21 |
| 2 | Kendry Chourio | SP | KC | R/R | High-A | 18 |
| 3 | Luis Ramon King | OF | KC | R/R | R (DSL) | 18 |
| 4 | Holden Wilkerson | SPRP | TOR | R/R | High-A | 23 |
| 5 | Jeyver Manaure | SP | ARI | R/R | R (DSL) | 19 |
| 6 | John Wimmer | SS | LAA | R/R | Single-A | 21 |
| 7 | Sammy Stafura | SS | PIT | R/R | High-A | 21 |
| 8 | Ike Irish | C/OF | BAL | L/R | High-A | 22 |
| 9 | Hansel Jimenez | 3B | CIN | R/R | R (ACL) | 19 |
| 10 | Carlos Jimenez | OF | SEA | L/L | Single-A | 23 |