Arizona Fall League's 10 Hottest Prospects | Hot Sheet (10/14/24)

Plus: Learn how the Red Sox overhauled their hitting development program & more!

October 14, 2024

Ranking 10 Hottest Prospects To Start The Arizona Fall League

Arizona Fall League action is underway, which means it’s time for the AFL edition of our weekly Hot Sheet to make its triumphant return.

Speaking of triumphant, that’s precisely the word we’d use to describe the start of play for Mariners’ top prospect Colt Emerson, who went 5-for-6 with four doubles in his first game to top our debut AFL Hot Sheet. The 19-year-old shortstop came to Arizona as the highest-ranked prospect in the league, and he is already living up the billing with a .550/.550/.850 slash line for the Peoria Javelinas.

As our very own Geoff Pontes, who answered reader questions Monday about AFL prospects, writes about Emerson’s torrid start: “His bat-to-ball skills, adjustability in his swing and projectable power make him one of the most exciting players in the league this season.”

And don’t forget to join us at 3 p.m. on Tuesday for our weekly Hot Sheet Show on Youtube.

How The Red Sox Overhauled Their Hitting Development Program

If you’re reading this newsletter, you already know the names.

No. 1 overall prospect Roman Anthony. Minor League Player of the Year Kristian Campbell. Another top 10-ranked prospect in shortstop in Marcelo Mayer and a top 25-ranked catcher in Kyle Teel.

In short, the Red Sox system is loaded with top hitting prospects right now.

But do you know the behind-the-scenes names and machinations that have made such a hitting renaissance in the Boston farm system possible?

In his latest piece for our upcoming print edition, Red Sox correspondent Alex Speier leads a fascinating deep dive into how the Red Sox have orchestrated an impressive overhaul of their hitting program by focusing on a four key tenets of player development, such as improving bat speed and optimizing ball flight.

“We use the core four as sort of the North Star (of hitter development),” Jason Ochart, Boston’s minor league director of hitting and program design, explains in the story. “These (elements) are really, really predictive of both current and future success as a hitter.”

Baseball America subscribers can check out the full story for more insights into how the Red Sox have built a burgeoning offensive powerhouse from the ground up.

PHILLIES TOP PROSPECT BACK ON THE HILL

Andrew Painter Touches 100 MPH In Return From Tommy John Surgery

The crowd and a large scouting contingent at Scottsdale Stadium on Saturday afternoon buzzed amid the return of Phillies No. 1 prospect Andrew Painter, who hadn’t appeared in an official game since September 2022 after missing the previous two seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery.

That’s good news for Phillies fans. Here’s some more.

Painter, who ranks No. 19 on our Top 100, was in vintage form in the first inning. He sat 98-100 mph on his fastball showing his typical ride and mixed in a hard high-80s slider that ranged from 87-89 mph.

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