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 April 6. Contributing this week were Baseball America staffers Josh Norris, Geoff Pontes, Jesús Cano 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 p.m. ET on Mondays. We’ll be answering prospect questions in our weekly Hot Sheet chat on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. ET.
The Scoop: Kurtz starting the season in Triple-A after just 12 games last year across Low-A and Double-A stood out. However, 2024’s No. 4 overall pick showed he’s right where he belongs. The 22-year-old’s calling card is his power, which he displayed by homering four times, with all of his long balls going for at least 400 feet. Kurtz was also just a triple shy of the cycle in the second game of the season. The Wake Forest product displayed the ability to spray the ball around the field and had a solid defensive showing. Coming out of spring training, Kurtz was heralded as one of the top performers on the Cactus League side by many scouts. So, his fast start isn’t surprising, but it’s still very impressive. He might swing his way into majors sooner rather than later at this pace. (JC)
The Scoop: The No. 1 overall pick performed like, well, the No. 1 overall pick. The Oregon State product got his first taste of the upper levels and earned straight A’s on his opening assignment. Bazzana racked up 10 extra-base hits in 27 games in 2024 at High-A Lake County. He’s already got 20% of that total in three games with Akron. Evaluators are conflicted about his eventual defensive value, but everybody thinks Bazzana is going to hit his way to the big leagues, possibly in very short order. (JN)
The Scoop: The first seven games of 2025 have seen the Meidroth showcasing power at a rate he had not previously. Based on Meidroth’s steeper launch angles, he’s added loft to his swing, and it’s showing up as home run power. He has one of the more polished hit tools in the minors leagues, running high walk rates and low strikeout rates. He’s reached base in every game but one so far and capped off the week with a 3-for-3 game with a home run on Sunday. Meidroth is already knocking on the door to the big leagues and could be up within the next month if he keeps this up. (GP)Â
The Scoop: Ginn didn’t secure the A’s vacant fifth rotation spot, but he left spring training leaving a strong impression on manager Mark Kotsay. The righthander carried his momentum into his first start of the Triple-A season by being the most dominant starting pitcher of the week. The 25-year-old struck out eight batters on Opening Day and followed it up by notching a career-high 11 punch outs in his second start. He didn’t allow a home run despite both his outings coming at very hitter-friendly Las Vegas Ballpark. The A’s have shown trust in Ginn before, most noticeably giving him the bump in the team’s final game at the Oakland Coliseum in what was just his sixth major league start. With Joey Estes—the Athletics’ current fifth starter—struggling in his first two outings, Ginn is a candidate to be the next man up unless the team decides to go with Mitch Spence, who is currently the long reliever. (JC)
The Scoop: Stewart spent all of 2024 in High-A Dayton, where he batted .279 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs. He also had a strong showing in the Reds’ Spring Breakout game by going 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a triple. In his first game of the season, the 21-year-old singled off George Klassen, stole a base and later scored when Ruben Ibarra homered in the next at-bat. In the next game, he sent a solo shot to center field and finished a triple shy of the cycle. Stewart split time between second and third base, but polished up his defense heading into the season. He’s an advanced hitter for his age— his 19% miss rate last season is among the best in the Reds’ organization—and he has walked almost as much as he has struck out in pro ball. (JC)
The Scoop: The Red Sox have the best farm system in baseball. They’ve already sent one of their top prospects—infielder Kristian Campbell—to the big leagues and have Roman Anthony, the No. 2 prospect in the sport, waiting in the wings. Boston’s system isn’t top-heavy, however; it’s deep. How deep? Think Barry White’s voice at the bottom of the Marianas Trench. If Anthony, Campbell and infielder Marcelo Mayer are the stars of the system, Arias is one of its most talented understudies. He put himself on the map last summer in the Florida Complex League, then held his own in a cameo at Low-A Salem, where he’s returned to start 2025. Arias’ lone strikeout continues his high-contact pattern—he’s punched out just 80 times in 127 games—and he continues to show some thump behind his contact, as well. (JN)
The Scoop: Seymour is a throwback in many ways. His 90-93 mph fastball has below-average velocity, but it’s effective because of his funky delivery and solid movement. And his changeup is a pitch that drives hitters a bit crazy. They know to look for it. They know it’s coming. And still, time after time, they end up flailing at air. A changeup isn’t a swing-and-miss pitch for most pitchers, but it is for Seymour. He got 14 swings and misses on the change in his first two starts to go with 14 swings and misses on his fastball. (JJ)
The Scoop: Last summer, Karros reached heights unseen by someone from Spokane since Adam Morrison two decades ago. Karros’ name was at or near the top of every offensive category in the Northwest League, and he helped his club win its first championship since 2008. In a short sample, Karros is looking like a beast in the northeast, as well. He had just three hits over Opening Weekend, but he sure made them count. One went for a double, while the other two left the park. After losing one to right field in the first inning in his Double-A debut, Karros put a capper on the evening by shocking a walk-off bomb to left field to send the fans home happy. (JN)
The Scoop: If you’re looking for the most-improved hitter in the Rays’ system, Murray has a pretty strong case. He’s always been a relatively well-balanced hitter, but he’s showing real pop this year, including a 106.5 mph blast to right-center last week. The Rays are overflowing with middle infielders, and in Murray’s case specifically, he has Brayden Taylor right behind him in Double-A playing the same positions. But Murray is making an early case for paying attention to him, even if he faces a challenge fending off competitors for playing time in the long term. (JC)
The Scoop: It’s been a memorable start to the season for Veen. He was a standout for the Rockies during Spring Training, had a great first week in Triple-A and earned his first callup to the major leagues on Sunday. While Veen didn’t make the club out of camp, he wasted little time in Triple-A, putting on a clinic over his first eight games. He reached base in all eight contests and posted a 5-for-5 performance on Saturday. After a pair of injury-plagued seasons, Veen is emerging in 2025. He’s shown improved power over the last year and looks like he’s ready for extended run in the majors. (GP)
11. Brady House, 3B, Nationals
The Scoop: After hitting a career-high 19 home runs in 2024, House has carried that success into 2025. The 21-year-old is riding a seven-game hitting streak in which he’s recorded four extra base-hits, including a 428-foot homer. House struggled with plate discipline last season, reflected by his 143 strikeouts to 31 walks between Double-A and Triple-A. He struck out seven times last week, but showed he can adjust to higher-level pitching, a question that has loomed as he’s developed over the years. (JC)
12. Edgar Quero, C, White Sox
The Scoop: The role of catcher of the future in Chicago is a two-man race between a pair of trade acquisitions: Kyle Teel (from the Red Sox) and Quero (from the Angels). Over the first weeks of the Triple-A season, the latter has made his case loud and clear. The 22-year-old backstop swatted his first double and home run of the season over eight games and has racked up nearly as many walks (7) as strikeouts (9). Ultimately, both Quero and Teel have plenty of offensive upside, and whichever player provides better defense will likely get the lion’s share of the catching duties over the next decade. Both, however, should contribute to what the White Sox believe will be a reversal of their recent fortunes. (JN)
13. Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP, Blue Jays
The Scoop: Watts-Brown enters 2025 as the Blue Jays’ 23rd-ranked prospect, but if he keeps pitching the way he did on Sunday, that might change. Between the first and second innings, Watts-Brown retired five consecutive batters via strikeout on his way to racking up ten on the day. He did allow three hits—all doubles—but was able to successfully strand all runners, departing with two outs in the fifth. He needed 76 pitches total and ran around a 70% strike rate on the day. Watts-Brown mixes a four-seam fastball that sits 92-94 mph, a true gyro slider, an upper-70s curveball and a changeup. His slider is the standout pitch in his repertoire and his best swing-and-miss offering. (GP)Â
14. Josh Adamczewski, 2B, Brewers
The Scoop: The Brewers have become regarded in recent years as one of the better organizations for pitching development, especially when it comes to late-round finds. Now, they might have done the same on the offensive side. Milwaukee drafted Adamczewski in the 15th round in 2023 and has watched as he’s impressed evaluators with a short, quick swing that has produced surprising amounts of power. He posted at least one multi-homer game during minor league spring training, and he’s already racked up two triples and a home run during his first three games of the season with Low-A Carolina. For those keeping track, Adamczewski’s two triples this season are two more than he’d produced in 153 previous minor league at-bats. (JN)
15. Jaden Hamm, RHP, Tigers
The Scoop: It felt like Hamm was waiting for his first taste of Double-A for the final few months of 2024. It finally came on Saturday, as he dominated in his Double-A debut. Hamm tossed four scoreless innings allowing only three baserunners to reach. He needed 65 pitches and generated 12 swinging strikes. Hamm has pedestrian velocity but good ride in his fastball and an ability to command his arsenal. If he can add velocity in the coming years, he could emerge as a midrotation arm. More than likely, he settles in as a quality innings-eater at the back of a rotation. (GP)Â
16. Brandon Young, RHP, Orioles
The Scoop: After a strong 2024 campaign, the Orioles added Young to the 40-man roster this offseason. Young has made two starts for Triple-A Norfolk, has gotten into the sixth inning in each and has yet to allow an earned run this season. Young sits 93-94 mph on his fastball, mixing an above-average changeup and curveball. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff but is deceptive and has a knack for generating whiffs. In his March 30 start, he generated 11 swinging strikes followed by another 14 on Saturday. Young provides the Orioles immediate starting pitching depth should the need arise. He’s doing his best in the interim to earn the opportunity. (GP)
17. Blaine Crim, 1B, Rangers
The Scoop: Crim has been in the system since being drafted in the 19th round by the Rangers in 2019, and for the past two seasons, he’s been stuck in Triple-A. He’s produced everywhere he has played and has shown the power to back up his hit tool by slugging 42 homers over the past two seasons. As a first base-only player, Crim’s path to the majors is blocked by Jake Burger transitioning to first base. (JC)
The Scoop: The Brewers’ righthander remains a tantalizing prospect but one who continues to struggle with his control. He’s started one game and made one lengthy relief appearance. His stuff is still exceptional. He sat at 97-98, topping out at 100.8 mph, and his cutterish power slider is harder than many pitchers’ fastballs (93-95). Misiorowski has shown he can throw the slider for strikes, but his fastball dances in and out of the zone. (JJ)
19. Dalton Rushing, C, Dodgers
The Scoop: In most other organizations, Rushing would likely be in the major leagues. However the Dodgers have too many MLB-quality players and not enough opportunity for all their talent. To start the season, Rushing seemed to either find a barrel or strike out, as he totaled nine hits but also 11 strikeouts over his first eight games. Between Friday and Saturday, Rushing tallied six hits across 10 at bats, scoring six runs in the process. If an opportunity arises with the Dodgers, Rushing is positioned to immediately contribute. (GP)
The Scoop: In three games, Waldschmidt has five hits and just one strikeout. The left fielder is hitting cleanup for a Hillsboro lineup that is filled with many of the D-backs’ top hitting prospects. It’s a realistic hope that Waldschmidt will quickly show that the High-A Northwest League is just not enough of a challenge for the Kentucky product. So far, so good. (JJ)
Torres did an excellent job making himself impossible to ignore. In the partner league American Association, Torres just hit and hit to the point where he was Baseball America’s Independent Leagues/Partner Leagues Player of the Year in 2023. He then hit .331/.418/.416 to lead the Texas League in hitting last year. So far this year, he leads all Triple-A batters in batting average, on-base percentage and OPS. He’s even fifth in slugging percentage. Torres was out of affiliated baseball two years ago. Now, it’s not crazy to think he could eventually get to the big leagues. (JJ)
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