Welcome to the #21 installment of our Weekly Hot Prospects Report ranking the top minor-league performances from the week ending August 16. 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, headlined by a teenage DSL slugger putting up video-game numbers.
Fantasy baseball owners, take note. CLICK HERE to check out the full list, with ETAs and updated statistics (subscription required).
Another week, another wave of minor-league performances that make you want to drop everything and go add a 19-year-old in the DSL to your dynasty bench. From complex-league mashers to Triple-A arms flirting with perfection, this week had it all. Let’s dig into the best of the best.
The Top Five
1. Francisco Renteria (OF, PHI, R-DSL)
The 17-year-old DSL standout put together one of the loudest lines of the week anywhere in the minors: a 2.125 OPS with 3 homers, 11 RBIs, and 5 steals, going 10-for-16 with 7 walks against just 4 strikeouts. That’s a monster week for a player five years and multiple levels away from the majors, but the combination of power, speed, and the walk-to-strikeout ratio is exactly the kind of foundation that gets a prospect on dynasty radars early. File this one away — 2029 ETA or not, this is a name worth remembering.
2. Avery Owusu-Asiedu (OF, ARI, AA)
Already the highest-level performer in our top five at Double-A, Owusu-Asiedu turned in a 1.890 OPS week with 5 home runs and 12 RBIs, going 12-for-23. A 20-year-old doing this kind of damage two levels from the majors — with a 2026 ETA already attached — is precisely the profile that shoots up rankings fast. Keep him on shortlists in shallower fantasy formats too, since the timeline suggests real-world relevance is close.
3. Ryan Cesarini (OF, CLE, AA)
Cesarini’s week was almost a mirror image of Owusu-Asiedu’s: a 1.921 OPS with 6 homers (tops among our leaders) and 11 RBIs at Double-A. The 12 strikeouts against just 1 walk is the one blemish on an otherwise electric week, but raw power at this level rarely goes unnoticed. If the plate discipline catches up even a little, this profile has real fantasy ceiling.
4. Dixon Williams (2B/3B, ATL, High-A)
The Braves’ High-A middle infielder posted a 1.612 OPS with 5 homers and a week-leading 17 RBIs, going 12-for-28. Corner/middle infield flexibility plus this kind of run production makes Williams an interesting follow, especially in leagues that reward counting stats.
5. Hunter Owen (SP, KC, AA)
The week’s best pitching performance belongs to Owen, who was simply untouchable: 0.00 ERA, a minuscule 0.57 WHIP, and a ridiculous 12-3 strikeout-to-walk mark over 7 innings, allowing just a single hit. At Double-A with a 2027 ETA, this is a arm climbing the ranks with real helium behind it.
Other pitchers who were lights-out
It wasn’t just Owen dealing this week — the minors were littered with zeroes. Jurrangelo Cijntje (STL) and Brandon Barriera (TOR) both posted sub-1.50 ERAs with elite strikeout-to-walk ratios, while Corey Braun (ATH) was nearly untouchable, allowing zero hits over 6 innings with a 9-0 K-BB mark. Elmer Rodriguez (NYY) and David Davalillo (TEX) each turned in scoreless AAA/AA outings with sparkling WHIPs, and Reinold Navarro (PIT) and Bryan Balzer (SD) were dominant out of the pen/rotation mix in the lower levels.
Also worth a look: Cesar Acosta (NYY), Cam Leiter (LAD), Patrick Copen (LAD), Ethan Dorchies (MIL), Ryan Sloan (SEA), Joseph Dzierwa (BAL), Caden Favors (CLE), Daviel Hurtado (NYM), Kade Anderson (SEA), and Preston Johnson (MIN) — all posted zero or near-zero ERAs with excellent command this week. Anderson and Cijntje stand out in particular given their advanced levels (AA) and near-term ETAs (2026), making them names to track closely as potential midseason call-up candidates next year.
Other hitters who dominated
Beyond the top five, the bats kept coming. Echedry Vargas (MIA) and Aron Estrada (BAL) both flirted with 1.800 OPS weeks, while Bo Davidson (SF) hit a scorching 14-for-25 at Triple-A — the most hits of any player on this list, and at the highest level to boot. Axiel Plaz (PIT) and Dylan Dreiling (TEX) each cleared a 1.300 OPS with multiple homers.
Down the list, keep an eye on Beau Ankeney (DET), Luis Fragoza (MIN) — whose 7 walks against just 4 strikeouts stood out — Ralphy Velazquez (CLE), and Sean Keys (TOR), all mashing at advanced levels with 2026 ETAs. Shortstops Cesar Mateo (TEX), Ronny Cruz (WAS), Elian Pena (NYM), and Bryce Rainer (DET) all had big weeks at the lower levels, giving dynasty players plenty of long-term infield targets to stash. Round things out with Jackson Strong (DET), Max Williams (MIA), Lazaro Montes (SEA), Lisbel Diaz (SF), and Hayden Yost (SEA) — all outfielders putting together strong all-around weeks at the plate.
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 | Francisco Renteria | OF | PHI | R/R | R (DSL) | 17 |
| 2 | Avery Owusu-Asiedu | OF | ARI | R/R | AA | 20 |
| 3 | Ryan Cesarini | OF | CLE | L/R | AA | 23 |
| 4 | Dixon Williams | 2B/3B | ATL | L/R | High-A | 22 |
| 5 | Hunter Owen | SP | KC | R/L | AA | 24 |
| 6 | Jurrangelo Cijntje | SP | STL | S/R | AA | 23 |
| 7 | Derek Clark | SP | LAA | L/L | Single-A | 24 |
| 8 | Echedry Vargas | 2B/SS | MIA | R/R | Single-A | 21 |
| 9 | Aron Estrada | 2B/SS | BAL | S/R | AA | 21 |
| 10 | Bo Davidson | OF | SF | L/R | AAA | 23 |