Baseball America’s Hot Sheet ranks the 20 hottest prospects from the previous week. This week’s installment considers how minor league players performed through July 6. Contributing this week were BA staffers Josh Norris, Geoff Pontes and J.J. Cooper.

The Hot Sheet simply recognizes how the hottest prospects in the minors did in the past week—it’s not a re-ranking of the Baseball America Top 100 Prospects.

We host our weekly Hot Sheet Show on YouTube at 3:30 p.m. ET on Mondays. We’ll also be answering prospect questions in our weekly Hot Sheet chat on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. ET.

1. Emil Morales, SS, Dodgers

Team: ACL Dodgers (Arizona Complex)

Age: 18

Why He’s Here: .500/.591/.625 (8-for-16), 6 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBIs, 5 BB, 3 SO, 2-for-2 SB

The Scoop: Morales started slowly in his first stateside season. As it turns out, he just needed the weather in Arizona to reach triple digits before his bat became similarly scorching. Morales’ first week of July was merely an extension of his marvelous month prior. Since June 1, he’s posted these numbers over 101 at-bats: .386/.484/.574 with 10 doubles, three home runs and 15 RBIs. The fly in the ointment is the 25.6% strikeout rate he produced during the same period, and evaluators believe swinging and missing might always be a significant part of his game. Even so, his last five weeks point toward his massive offensive upside. (JN)

2. Ryan Johnson, RHP, Angels

Team: High-A Tri City (Northwest)

Age: 22

Why He’s Here: 1-0. 0.00, 1 GS, 9 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 12 SO

The Scoop: Johnson has shown excellent fortitude, as he didn’t let a very rough stint in the big league bullpen derail him when he was sent all the way back to High-A to regroup. Instead, Johnson has been one of the best pitchers in the Northwest League. Johnson has thrown 7+ shutout innings in three of his past four starts, and he’s sporting an exceptional 61-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 54.1 innings. (JJ)

3. Hunter Barco, LHP, Pirates

Team: Triple-A Indianapolis (International)

Age: 24

Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Entering the year, Bubba Chandler appeared to be next up in Pittsburgh’s pitching pecking order. And while he’s still the man with the most upside, Barco has entered the fray and is pushing his way toward the front of the line. The Florida alum finished his time in Altoona with 25.2 scoreless frames on his ledger. There have been a few more bumps along the way after a move up the ladder—especially as it pertains to finding the smaller Triple-A strike zone—but his latest turn was a return to his springtime form. (JN)

4. Carter Jensen, C, Royals

Team: Triple-A Omaha (International)

Age: 22

Why He’s Here: .389/.476/1.222 (7-for-18), 7 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 8 RBIs, 3 BB, 9 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: Jensen turned 22 during this Hot Sheet period, and he spent all week celebrating. He entered the week with one Triple-A home run, then added four more to that total. After 10 games in Omaha, he’s one off the long ball total he produced in 68 games with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He wasn’t just boom or bust, either. Jensen added three doubles to his mix, as well, and he even stole his first base at the new level. He will need to tone down the swing-and-miss, however, as he’s punched out 19 times in 43 Triple-A plate appearances. (JN)

5.  Owen Caissie, OF, Cubs

Team: Triple-A Iowa (International)

Age: 23

Why He’s Here: .438/.526/1.250 (7-for-16), 7 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 6 RBIs, 3 BB, 2 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop: Entering June, Caissie was hitting .238/.342/.457 after an up-and-down opening two months to the season. Since June 1, Caissie is hitting .337/.450/.717 with nine home runs and a 195 wRC+. In the opening days of July, Caissie hardly slowed down, as he cranked four home runs over the course of the week with multi-homer games on Thursday and Saturday. He also closed the week with four consecutive multi-hit games, including three-hit efforts on Friday and Sunday. Caissie looks locked in and ready for his first taste of the major leagues. With a crowded Cubs outfield, however, Caissie might be an interesting name come the trade deadline.  (GP)

6. Gage Stanifer, RHP, Blue Jays

Team: High-A Vancouver (Northwest)

Age: 21

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: The Blue Jays pitching development team is feeling pretty good about the results across the system in the first half of 2025. No player exemplifies the improvement across the system quite like Stanifer. After two underwhelming seasons, Stanifer’s stuff and command has taken a major step forward. He began the season piggy-backing Trey Yesavage in starts but has graduated to earning his own rotation spot with High-A Vancouver. Stanifer had arguably the best start of his career on Wednesday, going 5.1 inningss, allowing one hit and three walks and punching out nine. Stanifer mixes a mid-to-high-90s four-seam fastball with good ride, a mid-80s slurvy breaking ball and a changeup. Stanifer will continue to build up his innings as he continues to show he has a shot to stick as a starter. (GP) 

7. Edward Florentino, OF, Pirates

Team: Low-A Bradenton (Florida State)

Age: 18

Why He’s Here: .348/.400/.870 (8-for-23) 3 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBIs, 2 BB, 5 SO, 3 SB

The Scoop: After pillaging Florida Complex League pitchers for an eye-opening 29 games, the Pirates quickly promoted Florentino to the Florida State League. And just 14 games into his Florida State League stint, Florentino is still punishing pitchers. He is showing real power. Florentino is slugging .592 so far in the FSL in a league where Konnor Griffin is the only batting qualifier with a slugging percentage above .500. (JJ)

8. Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Diamondbacks

Team: Double-A Amarillo (Texas)

Age: 22

Why He’s Here: .368/.520/.632 (7-for-19), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBIs, 6 BB, 5 SO, 3-for-3 SB

The Scoop: Waldschmidt was a menace throughout the series against Midland last week, as he reached base in all six games. His best game came on July 5 when he went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, two runs and a stolen base. While Waldschmidt didn’t leave the yard this week, he did rack up 12 total bases, three steals and four runs while reaching base in more than 50% of his plate appearances. Waldschmidt has settled in nicely with Double-A Amarillo, hitting .267/.377/.444 after a tricky opening series with the Sod Poodles. Waldschmidt has a varied skillset with feel-to-hit, on-base skills, athleticism and power projection. (GP)

9. Robert Calaz, OF, Rockies

Team: Low-A Fresno (California)

Age: 19

Why He’s Here: .429/.480/1.048 (9-for-21), 4 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 8 RBIs, 2 BB, 4 SO

The Scoop: Calaz was one of the best prospects in the Arizona Complex League last summer, and that performance has translated into full-season ball. The powerful corner outfielder continued walloping baseballs this past week, sending four more over fences as a part of a stellar series against Modesto. Twenty-one of Calaz’s 56 hits this season have gone for extra bases, good for a tie for sixth place in the California League. (JN)

10. Spencer Jones, OF, Yankees

Team: Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

Age: 24

Why He’s Here: .421/.500/.895 (8-for-19), 6 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBIs, 5 BB, 6 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: After playing 188 games with Double-A Somerset, Jones was promoted to Triple-A for the first time on June 27. Since his promotion, he has hit .375/.450/.844 across his first eight games, connecting for four home runs. The majority of his games in Triple-A came last week in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s series with Lehigh Valley. Jones opened the week with a home run on Wednesday and closed the week with another on Sunday. In between, Jones put together a pair of multi-hit games and reached base two or more times in four out of five games. Jones will need to continue to prove he can make enough contact to be an everyday big leaguer. His combination of outlier power, on-base ability and defensive value give him immense upside despite his flaws. (GP) 

11. Jack Wenninger, RHP, Mets

Team: Double-A Binghamton (Eastern)

Age: 22

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Wenninger had to wait until Sunday to make his first start of the week, but it was worth the wait. Wenninger allowed just three runners to reach base, with Hartford’s only run coming on a throwing error by the catcher. He struck out 11 and kept the YardGoats hitters off balance all night. Over 16 starts with Double-A Binghamton, Wenninger is 8-5 with a 2.76 ERA, and 100 strikeouts to 20 walks over 81.2 innings. The righthander mixes a mid-80s gyro slider as his primary pitch, showing a split-change in the 83-85 mph range, a four-seam fastball at 93-95 with good ride and a sinker variation of his fastball with heavier armside run. Wenninger has been a revelation for Double-A Binghamton this season. (GP)

12. Everson Pereira, OF, Yankees

Team: Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (International)

Age: 24

Why He’s Here: .435/.480/1.000 (10-for-23), 7 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 11 RBIs, 2 BB, 4 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: A large chunk of Pereira’s excellent week came on July 5 when he provided a belated fireworks show. That day against Lehigh Valley, Pereira hit for the cycle as part of a 5-for-6 performance with six RBIs. The effort was part of a strong start to July after a rough June that saw him slash .189/.265/.351. After posting just 14 hits all of last month, the 24-year-old outfielder has 10 already in July. His 15 home runs are second in the system, four behind new teammate Spencer Jones. (JN)

13. Gabriel Gonzalez, OF, Twins

Team: Double-A Wichita (Texas)

Age: 21

Why He’s Here: .381/.567/.571 (8-for-21) 6 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBIs, 7 BB, 0 SO, 1 CS

The Scoop: Healthy again and a bit slimmed down, Gonzalez is showing an ability to hit for average with gap power. A promotion to Double-A Wichita hasn’t slowed him down at all, and it’s hard for anyone to have a full week where they don’t strike out, especially while walking seven times. Gonzalez’s resurgence and Justin Topa’s work in the Twins bullpen is rebalancing the Jorge Polanco trade, although, for now, the Mariners still have the upper hand. (JJ)

14. Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, RHP, Yankees

Team: High-A Hudson Valley (South Atlantic)

Age: 21

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 8 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: This is Rodriguez-Cruz’s fourth appearance on the Hot Sheet, and the season he’s had makes it easy to understand why he’s such a frequent resident in this space. The righthander has been magnificent all season long, and his 99 strikeouts are tied with Cam Schlittler—who is slated to make his big league debut this week—for the top spot in the organization. The outing was Rodriguez-Cruz’s second of seven innings or longer and sixth with eight or more strikeouts. (JN)

15. Nolan McLean, RHP, Mets

Team: Triple-A Syracuse (International)

Age: 23

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 3.60, 1 GS, 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HBP, 1 BB, 10 SO

The Scoop: The jump from Double-A to Triple-A is a tricky one these days with the Triple-A strike zone (the smallest in pro ball). But don’t tell that to McLean, as he’s just kept on rolling since his early-May promotion. McLean’s 10 strikeouts set a career high as a profession. His varied pitch mix was quite apparent, as McLean finished off hitters with his sinker, four-seamer, curveball and his sweeper. (JJ)

16. Jhonny Level, SS, Giants

Team: ACL Giants (Arizona Complex)

Age: 18

Why He’s Here: .500/.588/.857 (7-for-14), 3 R, 1 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBIs, 3 BB, 0 SO, 2-for-2 SB

The Scoop: After an impressive pro debut in the Dominican Summer League, Level has upped his game since moving stateside. He doesn’t look like a prototypical tools monster, but his performance leaves little room for argument. He has more games with zero strikeouts (23) than games with at least one strikeout (22) and has yet to punch out this month. His strikeout rate this season is just 14.6%, and he has seven home runs, as well. He’s one of just three players at any level of the minor leagues with seven or more home runs, 10 or more stolen bases and a strikeout rate of less than 15%. (JN)

17. Carlos Lagrange, RHP, Yankees

Team: Double-A Somerset (Eastern)

Age: 22

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 1.50, 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: The Yankees gave Lagrange the honor of starting their Spring Breakout game this year, and he’s spent most of the season showing why he was deserving of that nod. The towering righthander tore up the competition for most of the first half of the season with High-A Hudson Valley before earning a bump to Double-A Somerset. Lagrange’s time at the upper levels has been a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde act, but his latest turn was a dazzler. The owner of one of the hottest heaters in the minors punched out 10 hitters and now has two outings with double-digit strikeouts in his first six starts with the Patriots. (JN)

18. Jonathon Long, 1B, Cubs

Team: Triple-A Iowa (International)

Age: 23

Why He’s Here: .346/.433/1.241 (9-for-26), 6 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 8 RBIs, 4 BB, 4 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop: On an Iowa Cubs team loaded with highly-ranked prospects, it might be Long who’s been their most consistent performer. While Long lacks the defensive value of some of his brethren, he has continued to hit in his first taste of Triple-A. Long last week strung together four multi-hit games, as he collected hits in five out of six games. His standout game came on the Fourth of July, as he went 2-for-4 with two home runs. Long has a nice combination of bat-to-ball skills, on-base ability and power and might just hit enough to be an everyday regular at first base. (GP)  

19. Graham Pauley, 3B, Marlins

Team: Triple-A Jacksonville (International) 

Age: 24

Why He’s Here: .500/.550/1.065 (9-for-18), 4 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 3 RBIs, 2 BB, 1 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop: When Pauley broke camp with the Padres to begin 2024, most assumed he’d be long since graduated 16 months later, but Pauley is still holding onto his prospect status by a thread. He put together an outstanding performance against Charlotte last week, going 9-for-16 over his first four games. His best game of the week came on Thursday, as he went 3-for-4 with two home runs. Pauley is showing some power in Triple-A this year with a .243 isolated slugging, but with more walks than strikeouts, his added power hasn’t hurt his approach. (GP)

20. Khristian Curtis, RHP, Pirates

Team: High-A Greensboro (South Atlantic)

Age: 23

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 1 GS, 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 SO

The Scoop: Curtis, a 12th-round pick out of Arizona State in 2023, is on this week’s Hot Sheet to honor the work of him and relievers Jake Shirk and Michael Walsh. The trio combined to throw the first perfect game in Greensboro Grasshoppers’ history. Curtis didn’t allow a ball to reach the outfield until the third inning, and he struck out the side in his final inning of work. (JJ)

HELIUM

Luis Arana, SS, Marlins

The Scoop: The Marlins have worked hard to dominate on the basepaths. Arana is not only doing that—he’s also dominating at the plate. A $30,000 bargain signing, Arana has been one of the best table-setters in the Dominican Summer League. He has 23 steals in 26 attempts in 23 games played. He also has a hard-to-believe 18 walks compared to just three strikeouts. There are plenty of DSL pitchers who simply cannot throw strikes, so Arana’s plate discipline will take a hit when he faces better pitching, but he’s been a revelation so far. He’s hitting .354/.490/.532.