Welcome to the #26 installment of our Weekly Hot Prospects Report ranking the top minor-league performances from the week ending September 20. This week’s slate was thinner than usual — several leagues had no qualifying performances at all — but what did show up was loud: a 13-strikeout gem at Triple-A, a 12-RBI week with zero strikeouts, and two separate hitless outings on the mound.
The Top Five
1. Jackson Ferris (AAA PCL) — The week’s most dominant pitching performance by a wide margin: 7.2 innings, 1 hit, 13 strikeouts against a single walk, good for a 0.26 WHIP. Command and swing-and-miss stuff in the same start is a special combination.
2. Allan Castro (AAA International League) — Castro’s week was as clean as it gets at the plate: a 1.508 OPS with 3 homers and 12 RBIs, going 8-for-19 without a single strikeout. Power production with zero swing-and-miss is a rare combination.
3. Tai Peete (AA Texas League) — Peete hit .500 on the week, going 7-for-14 with 2 homers and 6 RBIs for a 1.533 OPS. A small sample, but an electric one.
4. Connor Noland (AAA International League) — Noland didn’t allow a single hit over 5 innings, striking out 6 against 2 walks for a 0.40 WHIP. A no-hit bid at the Triple-A level is worth noting regardless of the final line.
5. Trent Denholm (AAA International League) — Denholm went the longest of anyone not named Hunter Barco, tossing 7 innings without issuing a walk, striking out 6 while allowing just 3 hits for a 0.43 WHIP.
Other pitchers who were lights-out
Beyond the top five, the pitching stayed sharp. Trey Gibson (AAA International League) struck out 9 over 5 innings with just 2 hits allowed, and Argenis Cayama (Single-A Florida State League) didn’t allow a hit at all over 5 innings, though an unearned run kept his line from being truly spotless.
Hunter Barco (AAA International League) logged the most innings of the week — 10 across two starts — with 8 strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA despite 10 hits allowed, showing he can work through traffic. David Shields (High-A Midwest League) and Jake Brooks (AAA PCL) each posted sub-1.00 WHIPs with strong strikeout numbers, and John Holobetz (AAA International League) struck out 8 over 4.1 innings of relief work. Lucas Braun (AAA International League) rounded out the group with 8 strikeouts of his own, though a couple of extra baserunners bumped his ERA up a bit.
Other hitters who dominated
The bats had a few more standout weeks as well. Jason Schiavone (AAA PCL) and Ethan Anderson (AAA International League) each cleared a 1.300 OPS, with Schiavone adding 3 stolen bases to his line. Demetrio Crisantes and Bo Davidson, both in the AAA PCL, posted OPS marks over 1.050 in more limited action.
Nelson Rada (AAA PCL) didn’t hit for much power but got on base at a .500 clip while swiping 3 bags, and Jefferson Rojas (AAA International League) hit 3 homers with a team-leading 8 strikeouts to balance it out. Raudi Rodriguez (AAA PCL) rounded out the week, reaching base often (10-for-26, 5 walks) even without much extra-base pop.
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 | Jackson Ferris | SPRP | LAD | L/L | AAA | 22 |
| 2 | Allan Castro | OF | BOS | S/R | AAA | 23 |
| 3 | Tai Peete | SS | STL | L/R | AA | 20 |
| 4 | Connor Noland | SP | CHC | R/R | AAA | 26 |
| 5 | Trent Denholm | SP | CLE | R/R | AAA | 26 |
| 6 | Trey Gibson | SP | BAL | R/R | AAA | 24 |
| 7 | Argenis Cayama | SPRP | SF | R/R | Single-A | 19 |
| 8 | Hunter Barco | SPRP | PIT | L/L | AAA | 25 |
| 9 | Jason Schiavone | C | HOU | R/R | AAA | 23 |
| 10 | Ethan Anderson | C/1B | BAL | S/R | AAA | 22 |