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- Hot Sheet Is Back: Ranking MLB's 20 Hottest Prospects
Hot Sheet Is Back: Ranking MLB's 20 Hottest Prospects
Plus: New Top 25, 10 Statcast Standouts, best college hitters & more
Return Of Hot Sheet: Ranking The 20 Hottest Prospects From Last Week
A full slate of minor league games for the first time this season can mean only one thing—Baseball America’s Hot Sheet is back for 2026.
The Hot Sheet ranks the 20 hottest prospects from the previous week while also identifying a weekly helium player to keep tabs on. We’ll be running a Hot Sheet chat to talk prospects every Monday at 2 p.m. ET, too.
Leading things off for the new year is Dodgers outfielder James Tibbs, who, after being traded twice last year, has been the hottest hitter on the planet so far in 2026 with seven home runs and a .474/.535/1.184 slash line through nine games.
Submit your prospect questions for the Hot Sheet chat here, and we’ll see you this afternoon!
NCAA TOP 25
New Top 25 College Baseball Rankings
Baseball America’s College Baseball Top 25 climbed back over the 60-win threshold in Week 8 after falling short in Week 7.
Our top four—UCLA, Texas, Georgia Tech and Georgia—remain intact for the second straight week, while only one team, Auburn, enters the top 10 with USC sliding back slightly.
Five teams—Mississippi State, USC, Florida, Arkansas and Oregon—posted losing weeks, and two, Oregon and Kentucky, exited the poll. Central Florida, now the highest-ranked Big 12 team, and Jacksonville State, which is a perfect 12-0 in Conference USA play, enter the rankings for the first time this year.
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STATCAST STANDOUTS
Esmerlyn Valdez, Brendan Beck Headline 10 Statcast Standouts
Every Monday morning, Eli Ben-Porat highlights 10 players who stood out over the previous week based on underlying Statcast metrics, which often serve as early indicators of breakouts or players who might be ready for MLB roles. Highlights from this week’s list include:
A potential breakout star for the Pirates
A deep dive on Alejandro Kirk’s replacement in Toronto
A trio of Yankees pitchers worth monitoring
Two lower-level Tigers hitters flashing plus-plus power
A college senior having a breakout season
TOP COLLEGE BATS
20 College Hitters Impressing In 2026
Last month, we listed 20 college pitchers who got off to hot 2026 starts. Today, we’re back with a companion piece highlighting hitters who have made strong impressions to improve their draft stock through the first two months of the season. Highlights include:
Several top Player of the Year candidates
The Division I leader in HR & exit velocity
A trio of catchers climbing draft boards
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@baseballamerica Konnor Griffin making his MLB debut at 19 is incredible 👀 #foryoupage#pirates
TRENDING NOW AT BASEBALL AMERICA
👀 ICYMI: We updated the Top 100 for April with new risers & fallers.
🃏 Topps revealed its new Bowman 2026 card designs.
✅ We’re tracking MLB rookie debuts & signing scouts for 2026.
📖 Don’t forget to purchase your 2026 Prospect Handbook.
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FROM OUR FRIENDS AT FOUL TERRITORY
AJ Pierzynski, Erik Kratz and Scott Braun are joined by legendary MLB umpire Joe West to discuss the early impact of the ABS challenge system and how it’s changing the game from an umpire’s perspective.
