Baseball America Hot Sheet: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not

Baseball America’s weekly Hot Sheet ranks the 20 hottest prospects in baseball.

Who’s Hot: Top MLB Prospects

The MLB Hot Sheet ranks the top 20% of prospects who have been making the biggest impacts in Minor League Baseball over the past 20 days.

Who’s Not: Struggling MLB Prospects

The Baseball America Hot Sheet is a weekly report that compiles the best and worst performances from MLB prospects over the past week. This week’s edition features several struggling prospects, including some who have been considered top prospects in the past. Here are some of the most notable slumps from Round Baseball

Phillip Ervin, OF, Cincinnati Reds Ervin was one of the top prospects in the Reds’ system heading into the season, but he has struggled mightily in his first taste of Triple-A. In 19 games with Louisville, Ervin is batting just .143/.200/.143 with no home runs and two RBI. He has struck out 18 times in 48 at-bats and has yet to draw a walk.

Domingo Leyba, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks: Leyba was one of the prospects acquired by the Diamondbacks in the trade that sent Shelby Miller to the Atlanta Braves last season. He has not fared well in his first taste of Double-A, batting just .206/.244/.279 with one home run and eight RBI in 22 games for Jackson. Leyba has also struck out 22 times in 92 at-bats while drawing just five walks.

Ozzie Albies, 2B, Atlanta Braves Albies was one of the top prospects in baseball heading into the season after hitting .310/.353/.440 with six home runs and 50 RBI between High-A and Double-A last year. However, he has struggled mightily in his first taste of Triple-A, batting just .212/.264/.273 with no home runs and 11 RBI in 27 games for Gwinnett. Albies has also struck out 28 times in 128 at-bats while drawing just 11 walks.

Who’s Hot: Rookie Call-Ups

August is a time when many MLB teams turn to their farm systems for help. With the roster expansion that comes with September call-ups, teams often look to the minors for an influx of fresh talent. This can be a great opportunity for rookies to make their mark on the Big League level. Here are a few rookies who have been making noise lately and could be in line for a September call-up.

outfield prospects Andrew Benintendi of the Red Sox and Tyler O’Neill of the Mariners are two of the hottest hitters in the minors right now. Benintendi, who was recently promoted to Triple-A, is hitting .455/.511/.727 with three Home Runs and nine RBIs in eight games since August 1st. O’Neill, who is still at Double-A, is hitting .438/.604/.875 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs over his last 10 games.

Another hot hitter is Yankees first baseman/outfielder Dustin Fowler. Fowler, who was recently promoted to Triple-A, is hitting .481/.481/1.000 with four home runs and 12 RBIs over his last 10 games.

On the pitching side, Lucas Giolito of the White Sox has been lights out since being promoted to Triple-A. In four starts with Charlotte, Giolito is 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched

Who’s Not: Slumping MLB Veterans

Several veterans are slumping at the plate to start the season. Here are a few who have yet to get going offensively.

Ryan Zimmerman, 1B, Nationals – The former All-Star is off to a slow start, hitting just .222/.286/.292 with no home runs and one RBI in 47 plate appearances.

Justin Smoak, 1B, Blue Jays – Smoak was expected to be a key part of the Blue Jays’ offense this season, but he’s batting just .167/.229/.292 with one home run and four RBI in 48 plate appearances.

Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B/SS, Mets – Cabrera was one of the Mets’ best hitters last season, but he’s scuffling in 2019, hitting .206/.311/.38 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 54 plate appearances.

Who’s Hot: Breakout MLB Stars

This week’s list of MLB’s top performers includes a couple of young sluggers who are making the most of their opportunity, an All-Star pitcher continuing his strong season, and a journeyman infielder providing a spark for his new team.

Who’s Not: Disappointing MLB Stars

Whether it’s because of injury, ineffectiveness or just bad luck, some of baseball’s biggest stars have gotten off to disappointing starts this season. Here’s a look at some of the most notable slumps around the majors.

Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays – After hitting a combined 76 homers the past two seasons, Bautista has just four through Toronto’s first 38 games. His .177 batting average is more than 100 points below his career norm, and his .297 on-base percentage is nearly 200 points below his mark from last year.

Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers – Cabrera is still putting up solid numbers overall (.292/.356/.441), but he’s well off his typical pace in several key categories. He has only three home runs nine RBI and six walks in 35 games, numbers that are all down significantly from his career averages.

Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins – Stanton is healthy and leading the NL with 10 homers, but he’s been a non-factor for much of April and May outside of those long balls. The slugger is batting just .230 with a .284 on-base percentage and he has yet to drive in more than two runs in a game this season.

Who’s Hot: Contending MLB Teams

The MLB Hot Sheet ranks the hottest and coldest teams in baseball based on winning percentage over the last two weeks. A team’s ranking is relative to how it has fared over that period compared to other teams in MLB.

TheHot Sheet uses past performance as a predictor of future results. It factors in recent games as well as the strength of opponents. TheHot Sheet is not intended to predict standings, but rather provide a snapshot of which teams re Playing well and which ones are struggling.

What follows is a look at the 10 hottest and 10 coolest teams in baseball over the last two weeks, according to the MLB Hot Sheet.

Who’s Not: Non-Contending MLB Teams

As the MLB season enters its final stretch, many teams are still in the hunt for a playoff berth. But for some teams, their season is effectively over. Here’s a look at some of the teams that have already been mathematically eliminated from contention and who is hot and who is not on their rosters.

Who’s Not: Non-Contending MLB Teams
Boston Red Sox Though they’ve shown some life lately, the Red Sox are officially out of contention and will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Mookie Betts has been a bright spot, posting a .359/.462/.750 slash line in September, but he can’t do it all himself. Chris Sale has also struggled down the stretch, posting a 5.63 ERA in his last eight starts.

Texas Rangers: The Rangers were never really in contention this season and have now been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. They’ve lost eight of their last 10 games and show no signs of turning things around. Mike Minor has been their best pitcher, but even he has faltered lately, posting a 6.52 ERA in his last three starts. Offensively, Joey Gallo has been swinging a hot bat lately, posting a 1.062 OPS in September, but the rest of the lineup has struggled to produce runs.

Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates have also been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and have lost eight of their last 10 games. Starling Marte has been one of their few bright spots, posting a .922 OPS in September, but he can’t do it all himself. Pitchers Trevor Williams and Chris Archer have both struggled lately,combining for a 6.75 ERA in their last five starts.

Who’s Hot: Popular MLB Players

The Baseball America Hot Sheet ranks the 20 hottest players in the minor leagues, regardless of position. Players who have been promoted to the majors are not eligible for the Hot Sheet. The ranking is based on performance over the past two weeks, with recent success given more weight than early-season successes.

Who’s Not: Unpopular MLB Players

Whether you’re a diehard baseball fan or someone who just casually follows the sport, there are certain players who everyone seems to love. These are the guys who make big plays and come through in the clutch, winning games and thrilling fans in the process.

But for every popular player, there’s one who isn’t so well-liked. These are the guys who strike out in key situations, make errors in the field, and generally frustrate fans with their lack of production.

If you’re curious to know which players are currently unpopular in Major League Baseball here is a look at the top 10 most hated players in the Game Today