Each week during the Minor League Baseball season we pick the hitting and pitching prospects from each level (Triple-A, Double-A, High-A, Single-A, and Rookie Leagues) who, in our opinion, had the best week. The team awards the Prospects of the Week hitters and pitchers for each level, while also presenting other names at each level that are just as deserving of POTW honors. Feel free to reply in the comments with any player who deserves to be mentioned that may not have made our cut. With this week’s POTW, we’re now referring to players’ midseason Top 50 ranks, which have all just been released over the last couple of weeks.
Any issues with this week’s POTW? Did we miss anyone deserving? Hit us up and set us straight! As always, tweet us @Prospects1500 when you see a great performance that warrants consideration for Prospect of the Week. Enjoy, and make sure you’re keeping an eye out for these prospects in your dynasty leagues.
Triple-A
HITTER: Yonathan Perlaza, OF (Cubs midseason rank #32)
Iowa Cubs (6 G, .458/.500/1.000/1.500, 11 H, 4 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 7 R, 2 BB)
Perlaza (ranked #32 in our mid-season top 50) has me thinking I under-ranked him, continuing a torrid July during which he’s hit .329/.421/.671 with 7 of his 15 HRs. He continues to display a solid eye at the plate (13% BB%; 25% O-swing%) while producing consistent hard contact. As a switch hitter with no real platoon splits, the bat will absolutely play. The only real question is in the field, where he’s limited to LF. Can he get to enough power to profile as an everyday guy in LF? Well, if he keeps this up, we’re going to find out very soon. (@ATXRainDog)
Honorable Mentions:
Armando Alvarez, 3B (Giants NR)
Sacramento River Cats (6 G, .400/.483/1.000/1.483, 10 H, 3 2B, 4 HR, 5 RBI, 10 R, 4 BB)
Davis Schneider, 2B (Blue Jays #24)
Buffalo Bisons (6 G, .429/.586/.952/1.538, 9 H, 3 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 8 R, 6 BB)
Tyler Gentry, OF (Royals #9)
Omaha Storm Chasers (5 G, .529/.619/1.000/1.619, 9 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R, 4 BB)
Connor Norby, 2B (Orioles #7)
Norfolk Tides (6 G, .407/.448/.704/1.152, 11 H, 3 2B, 3B, HR, 3 RBI, 7 R, 2 BB, SB)
— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) July 31, 2023
PITCHER: Darren McCaughan, RHP (Mariners NR)
Tacoma Rainiers (1 GS, 7 IP, 3 H, R, BB, 9 K)
The 27-year-old right hander matched his season best performance last week against Salt Lake. Aside from a first inning homerun from David Fletcher he kept the Bees off the scoreboard while striking out nine and scattering only three other baserunners in his 7 innings.
Honorable Mentions:
Chayce McDermott, RHP (Orioles #20)
Norfolk Tides (1 GS, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K)
International League Pitcher of the Week!
Sean Hjelle, RHP (Giants #34)
Sacramento River Cats (1 GS, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K)
Stephen Kolek, RHP (Mariners NR)
Tacoma Rainiers (3 G, 3 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 2 SV)
Double-A
HITTER: Yunior Severino, 3B (Twins #33)
Wichita Wind Surge (6 G, .348/.444/1.130/1.574, 8 H, 6 HR, 10 RBI, 7 R, 4 BB)
Texas League Player of the Week!
Severino was en fuego this past week. Dave Funnell’s 33rd-ranked midseason Twins’ prospect finished the week hitting home runs in five of his last six games while also belting out eight total hits in that time. His overall slash line of .290/.365/.567 comes with a solid 9.3% walk rate, which allows him to hold his own against Double-A pitching. If he can just lower the strikeouts (31.1% on the season and seven in those aforementioned six games) we could see him taking a significant step forward toward Triple-A St. Paul in the near future. (@sportz_nutt51)
Honorable Mentions:
Owen Caissie, OF (Cubs #4)
Tennessee Smokies (5 G, .444/.565/.944/1.509, 8 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R, 5 BB)
Southern League Player of the Week!
Jackson Chourio, OF (Brewers #1)
Biloxi Shuckers (6 G, .348/.483/.783/1.266, 8 H, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 11 R, 6 BB, 3 SB)
Jackson Chourio is the youngest player in the Southern League, but he leads the circuit with 102 hits and ranks second with 67 RBIs.@BiloxiShuckers | @Brewers | @BrewersPD pic.twitter.com/Dus8TJ32nN
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 31, 2023
Luisangel Acuna, SS (Mets #3)
Frisco RoughRiders (4 G, .500/.524/.800/1.324, 10 H, 3 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 6 R, BB, 5 SB)
The younger Acuna went form being blocked in Texas (Seager/Semien) to now blocked in New York (Lindor/McNeil). He is a big league shortstop, he just needs a chance.
Aaron Bracho, 2B (Guardians NR)
Akron RubberDucks (6 G, .500/.556/.792/1.348, 12 H, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 7 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB)
Eastern League Player of the Week!
Trevor Hauver, 2B (Rangers #42)
Frisco RoughRiders (5 G, .409/.480/.909/1.389, 9 H, 3 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R, 4 BB)
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF (Cubs #1)
Tennessee Smokies (5 G, .389/.522/.833/1.355, 7 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 7 R, 5 BB, 4 SB)
Triple-A Iowa here he comes!
Victor Scott, OF (Cardinals #12)
Springfield Cardinals (6 G, .423/.516/.462/.978, 11 H, 2B, 2 RBI, 7 R, 4 BB, 8 SB)
With his eight more stolen bases this week, Scott now has 67 on the year. Since Scott’s promotion to Double-A Springfield he has continued to steal bases at a high clip (17 SB in 105 AB) and has seen an increase in both OBP & SLG. My midseason #12 ranking might be too low on him.
PITCHER: Brandon Komar, RHP (Cardinals NR)
Springfield Cardinals (1 GS, 9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K)
What a performance from the 24-year-old right hander. He threw his first career 9-inning shutout against a really solid Tulsa Driller lineup full of top Dodgers prospects. There isn’t much here to get excited about from a dynasty league standpoint just yet, but this performance is definitely POTW worthy.
Honorable Mentions:
Luis Palacios, LHP (Marlins NR)
Pensacola Blue Wahoos (1 GS, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, BB, 11 K)
Southern League Pitcher of the Week!
Grant Gambrell, RHP (Red Sox NR)
Portland Sea Dogs (1 GS, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, BB, 8 K)
Eastern League Pitcher of the Week!
Dominic Hamel, RHP (Mets #8)
Binghamton Rumble Ponies (1 GS, 7 IP, 3 H, R, 2 BB, 11 K)
Chandler Champlain, RHP (Royals #12)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals (1 GS, 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 6 K)
Texas League Player of the Week!
No sir, not today!
No. 24 @Royals prospect Chandler Champlain was unhittable through six innings as the @nwanaturals took a no-hit bid into the ninth: pic.twitter.com/JnjAgOFNlR
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 28, 2023
Noah Cameron, LHP (Royals #13)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals (1 GS, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, BB, 8 K)
The 6’3 lefty shoved in his 9th double-A start. Since his arrival at the level—the most difficult jump for any minor leaguer, in my opinion—Cameron has endured the usual growing pains (a decreased K%, more walks, more hits and home runs allowed). But believers in his secondaries can find joy in this dominant performance. Include me in that group. Cameron should continue to grow at this level for the remainder of the season, potentially forcing a call-up by next summer. (@adamhalpin)
Jefry Yan, LHP (Marlins NR)
Pensacola Blue Wahoos (3 G, 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K, 3 SV)
High-A
HITTER: Brock Jones, OF (Rays #14)
Bowling Green Hot Rods (5 G, .450/.560/1.050/1.610, 9 H, 3 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 9 R, 5 BB, SB)
South Atlantic League Player of the Week!
Jones is on an absolute heater, collecting hits and runs scored in each of his five games played last week for High-A Bowling Green. Jones also had two three-hit efforts and three straight games with a home run to cap off the monster week. The former two-sport athlete from Stanford possesses immense physical upside and has showcased significant power-speed potential in a limited sample size this season, with 11 homers and 8 stolen bases across 53 games played. If he can continue to improve on his contact rate, he will continue to see his stock soar up prospect rankings. (@GatorSosa)
Honorable Mentions:
Tim Elko, 3B (White Sox #32)
Winston-Salem Dash (6 G, .462/.481/.846/1.327, 12 H, 4 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R, BB)
Jacob Melton, OF (Astros #2)
Asheville Tourists (6 G, .522/.577/.870/1.447, 12 H, 5 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 10 R, 3 BB, 4 SB)
Aeverson Arteaga, SS (Giants #10)
Eugene Emeralds (6 G, .350/.391/.850/1.241, 7 H, 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R)
Northwest League Player of the Week!
Milan Tolentino, SS (Guardians NR)
Lake County Captains (6 G, .370/.379/.667/1.046, 10 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 8 R, BB, SB)
PITCHER: Spencer Giesting, LHP (Diamondbacks #19)
Hillsboro Hops (1 GS, 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, BB, 10 K)
Giesting had a great road start going 8 innings with 0 runs and only 3 hits. He struck out 10 in a very dominant performance. This big lefty could be headed up to Double-A Amarillo soon. (@blacksox96)
Honorable Mentions:
Dylan Ray, RHP (Diamondbacks #18)
Hillsboro Hops (1 GS, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K)
Brock Selvidge, LHP (Yankees #27)
Hudson Valley Renegades (1 GS, 7 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 7 K)
Edwin Jimenez, RHP (Brewers #27)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (1 GS, 7.1 IP, H, 0 R, 3 BB, 10 K)
Midwest League Pitcher of the Week!
Austin Krob, LHP (Padres NR)
Fort Wayne TinCaps (1 GS, 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K)
Robby Snelling, LHP (Padres #6)
Fort Wayne TinCaps (1 GS, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K)
Single-A
HITTER: Andy Garriola, OF (Cubs NR)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans (6 G, .464/.483/.893/1.376, 13 H, 6 2B, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 5 R)
Carolina League Player of the Week!
Garriola isn’t really a prospect, but the 17th rounder out of Old Dominion has been a steady presence in the middle of the Myrtle Beach lineup all season. He’s a good athlete who’s shown a decent blend of power and speed, but with an extremely aggressive approach yielding just a 3.6% BB% to date. You’d like to see better selectivity from a 23 year old in single-A, but that’s never really been a part of his profile. This is his first full year in pro ball, though, so maybe he’s found something over the past couple weeks. He’s worth keeping an eye on. (@ATXRainDog)
Honorable Mentions:
Jhostynxon Garcia, OF (Red Sox NR)
Salem Red Sox (6 G, .474/.545/.947/1.492, 9 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 7 R, 3 BB)
Ethan Salas, C (Padres #2)
Lake Elsinore Storm (5 G, .455/.455/.909/1.364, 10 H, 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R)
California League Player of the Week!
Brooks Baldwin, 3B (White Sox #24)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (6 G, .474/.545/.947/1.492, 9 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, SB)
Cristian Santana, SS (Tigers #11)
Lakeland Flying Tigers (6 G, .412/.607/.941/1.548, 7 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 10 R, 9 BB)
Florida State League Player of the Week!
PITCHER: Jedixson Paez, RHP (Red Sox #36)
Salem Red Sox (1 GS, 6 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K)
The 19-year-old right hander has excelled at Single-A in 2023. Paez features strong command and control, especially of late as he has not walked a batter in 20 sterling July innings. The Red Sox midseason number 36 prospect’s recent hot streak could warrant a promotion—though keeping in mind that Paez has just surpassed his previous career high in innings and usage may be monitored for the teenager. Paez should continue to pour in strikes at a high rate and push for an up arrow in the Red Sox system. (@TBDubbs11)
Honorable Mentions:
Estibenzon Jimenez, RHP (Phillies NR)
Clearwater Threshers (1 G, 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, BB, 6 K)
Ryan Ramsey, LHP (Royals #50)
Columbia Fireflies (1 GS, 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 6 K)
A 13th-round selection last summer, Ramsey has made the list 2 weeks in a row (!), and therefore deserves more than another impressive stat line listing here. Armed with a plus changeup, the former Terp has gotten the majority of his swings and misses off that premier secondary, but will likely need a promotion from low-A to grab any widespread prospect attention. (@adamhalpin)
Shaddon Peavyhouse, RHP (Mariners NR)
Modesto Nuts (1 GS, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, BB, 6 K)
Brycen Mautz, LHP (Cardinals #11)
Palm Beach Cardinals (2 GS, 11 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 11 K)
Florida State League Pitcher of the Week!
Luis Angel Rodriguez, LHP (Astros NR)
Fayetteville Woodpeckers (2 G/1 GS, 9 IP, 5 H, R, 2 BB, 12 K, SV)
Rookie Leagues
HITTER: Jeffry Rosa, OF (Mets NR)
DSL Mets Orange (4 G, .500/.526/1.444/1.970, 9 H, 2 2B, 5 HR, 10 RBI, 7 R, BB)
Dominican Summer League Player of the Week!
What a week it was for the 18-year-0ld with seven extra base hits (five HR’s) in only 4 games. In his second stint in the DSL the improvement has been staggering across the board.
2022 season (97 AB), .216/.315/.371, 6 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 7 BB, 47 K
2023 to date (97 AB), .320/.437/.845, 9 2B, 14 HR, 33 RBI, 12 BB, 21 K
Honorable Mentions:
Echedry Vargas, 3B (Rangers #48)
ACL Rangers (6 G, .423/.444/.769/1.213, 11 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 5 R, BB, 2 SB)
Arizona Complex League Player of the Week!
Samuel Gil, IF (Tigers NR)
FCL Tigers (5 G, .421/.522/.789/1.311, 8 H, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, 4 BB)
Yophery Rodriguez, OF (Brewers #21)
DSL Brewers 1 (3 G, .400/.471/1.133/1.604, 6 H, 2 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB)
Carlos Gutierrez, OF (Giants NR)
DSL Giants Black (4 G, .500/.588/.857/1.445, 7 H, 2B, 2 3B, 3 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB, 5 SB)
Jakey Josepha, IF (Diamondbacks NR)
ACL Diamondbacks Red (5 G, .529/.579/.941/1.520, 9 H, 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 5 R, BB, 2 SB)
PITCHER: Wilmer Blanco, RHP (Phillies NR)
DSL Phillies White (1 GS, 6 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 4 K)
Dominican Summer League Pitcher of the Week!
The 2021 international Free Agent signing is also pitching much better this year in his second go-round in the DSL. If he keeps having weeks like this, he’ll put himself firmly on the prospect rankings in the offseason. (@tonybps1)
Honorable Mentions:
Franklin Gomez, LHP (Mets NR)
DSL Mets Blue (1 GS, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, BB, 8 K)
Danyony Pulido, RHP (Phillies NR)
DSL Phillies White (1 GS, 5 IP, 2 H, R, BB, 10 K)
Carlos Lagrange, RHP (Yankees NR)
FCL Yankees (1 GS, 5 IP, H, R, 0 BB, 8 K)
Daniel Corniel, RHP (Brewers NR)
ACL Brewers (1 GS, 5 IP, 4 H, R, 0 BB, 8 K)
Jeremy covers the St Louis organization and contributes on Prospects of the Week for Prospects1500. Born and raised in the Midwest, he is a lifelong fan of the Birds on the Bat. You can follow him on Twitter @JMahyfam for more baseball content.
"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too." -Yogi Berra
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Jeremy Mahyhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/athletics006/
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Jeremy Mahyhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/athletics006/
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Jeremy Mahyhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/athletics006/
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Jeremy Mahyhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/athletics006/
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