Welcome to the 25th installment of our Weekly Hot Prospects Report ranking the top minor-league performances from the week of September 8-14. 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. Clark Elliott, OF, A’s (High-A, age 24)
Clark Elliott grabbed Texas League Player of the Week honors after a spectacular showing in Amarillo from September 9-14. He went 11-for-25 (.440) across six games—recording hits in all six—with five home runs, four doubles, and 11 RBIs. The five homers came in his final four games, including a clutch five-RBI performance in the Sunday finale. This stretch helped power the RockHounds into their playoff run. His recent surge has helped erase earlier-season cold patches, particularly against better arms. Elliott’s bat is turning into one of the more intriguing power-tools in the Athletics system as the postseason approaches.
Week stats: 1.683 OPS, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 1 SB, 11-for-25, 3 BB, 5 SO
2. Leo De Vries, SS, A’s (AA, age 18)
De Vries is showing why he’s considered one of the most exciting young talents in all of baseball. He kicked off the week with a multi-home run game in Double-A Midland: 3 hits, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, continuing a strong streak. Recent articles note that since his trade from the Padres, De Vries has climbed levels quickly—earning promotion to AA after only a short stint at High-A, thanks to his bat speed, feel, and a burgeoning power/speed profile despite being significantly younger than most of his opponents.
Week stats: 1.217 OPS, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 9-for-29, 1 BB, 4 SO
3. Joshua Baez, OF, Cardinals (AA, age 22)
Josh Baez rounded out the top three with another hot week of production, homering in back-to-back games and continuing to show much better contact than earlier in the season. He’s slashing .311/.397/.689 since his promotion to Double-A Springfield over 18 games, with six homers in that stretch. Baez has historically been a raw power/speed profile with high strikeout rates; what’s grabbed attention lately is the year-over-year drop in strikeouts, more walks, and more consistent extra-base hits. That gives fantasy owners reason to believe he’s rounding into a more complete hitter.
Week stats: 1.465 OPS, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 SB, 7-for-17, 2 BB, 2 SO
Other Notable Performances
- Will Watson, SP, Mets (AA, age 22) – One of the sharpest pitching weeks in the minors: 9.2 IP, 0 ER, 14 Ks. Scouts continue to rave about his command and fastball/slider combo that’s playing up against advanced hitters.
- Reed Trimble, OF, Orioles (AAA, age 22) – Posted a 1.295 OPS with three home runs and two stolen bases, showing that his speed/power blend is maturing at the upper levels.
- Blake Money, SP, Orioles (AA, age 23) – Another O’s arm making noise: 7 scoreless innings, 10 K, 0 BB this week. His rise mirrors the organization’s ability to turn mid-round pitching prospects into legit big-league contributors.
- Kevin McGonigle, 2B/SS, Tigers (AA, age 20) – Continues to look advanced for his age, logging a 1.159 OPS with two homers. His approach at the plate is already being praised as MLB-ready.
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 | Clark Elliott | OF | ATH | L/R | High-A | 24 |
| 2 | Leo De Vries | SS | OAK | L/R | AA | 18 |
| 3 | Joshua Baez | OF | SL | R/R | AA | 22 |
| 4 | Will Watson | SP | NYM | R/R | AA | 22 |
| 5 | Brice Matthews | SS | HOU | R/R | AAA | 23 |
| 6 | Reed Trimble | OF | BAL | S/R | AAA | 22 |
| 7 | Blake Money | SP | BAL | R/R | AA | 23 |
| 8 | B.J. Murray | 3B | CHC | S/R | AA | 25 |
| 9 | Chen-Wei Lin | SPRP | SL | R/R | AA | 23 |
| 10 | Kevin McGonigle | 2B/SS | DET | L/R | AA | 20 |