Pitchers are meant to be ahead of hitters. Sluggers need at-bats to get into the rhythm of the season, and that takes time. Or at least that’s how the popular belief goes.
But some Minor League hitters are proving they don’t need time at all to come flying out of the gate and assert why they are among the top prospects in the game. Here are the hottest-hitting ranked prospects from each organization, including eight of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 talents. (Note: All stats are through Tuesday’s games.)
Blue Jays: Orelvis Martinez, INF (No. 2/MLB No. 81)
There were few hotter hitters on the planet from April 14-25, a span in which Martinez homered seven times over 10 games for Triple-A Buffalo. Half of his hits in that time left the yard. Entering Wednesday, the 22-year-old second baseman is slugging .600 through his first 24 games of 2024 and owns a 139 wRC+. Only Coby Mayo (164) and James Wood (144) have higher marks among qualified Triple-A batters aged 22 or younger.
Orioles: Coby Mayo, 3B/1B (No. 3/MLB No. 27)
The Norfolk Tides’ offensive juggernaut may have slowed down a little bit, but they still do have a team OPS of .850. Hat tip to Heston Kjerstad, who raked his way back up to Baltimore about a week ago, but Mayo, still only 22, has put up equally impressive numbers. He had a .330/.400/.652 line with nine homers and 25 RBIs through the end of April. He leads the International League in total bases with 75, a list that’s topped by four Orioles (Kyle Stowers, Kjerstad and Connor Norby).
Rays: Carson Williams, SS (No. 2/MLB No. 18)
Known more for his power and speed on the offensive side, Williams has shown a more well-rounded game to begin 2024, posting a .368/.415/.592 line over 18 games with Double-A Montgomery. Perhaps most notably, his strikeout rate has dropped from 31.4 percent a year ago to a more manageable 26.8 through the season’s first month. His .490 BABIP is unsustainable, but he’s helping push that up by stinging a ton of pullside line drives, another positive indicator in his hitting development.
Red Sox: Johanfran Garcia, C (No. 23)
Signed for $850,000 out of Venezuela in 2022, Garcia ranked in the top 10 in all three slash categories (.302/.408/.497) in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League during his U.S. debut last summer, then posted even better numbers (.354/.446/.583) in Single-A this April. He has 20-homer potential and is improving defensively behind the plate, where he shows solid arm strength.
Yankees: Agustin Ramirez, C (No. 20)
Ramirez spent three years in Rookie ball after signing for $400,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2018, but he began to break out with 18 homers a year ago and currently leads the Double-A Eastern League and ranks fourth in the Minors with nine in 20 games. He’s batting .247/.370/.610, possesses plus raw power and solid arm strength but needs to clean up his receiving.
Guardians: Alex Mooney, INF (No. 20)
The Guardians liked Mooney’s hitting ability enough to pay him an over-slot $1 million bonus as a seventh-rounder out of Duke last year. After batting just .152 in a brief 17-game pro debut, he’s mashing at High-A this spring with a .319/.373/.623 line and five homers (second in the Midwest League) in 18 contests. He has shuffled all over the infield and profiles best as an offensive second baseman.
Royals: Carter Jensen, C (No. 10)
The 20-year-old catcher’s ability to work a walk defined his success through the first three years of his pro career, and that’s certainly continued in his return to High-A Quad Cities, where he has a 22.0 percent walk rate and .490 OBP through 22 games. But he’s also hitting for average (.338) and power (.506 SLG) while cutting down his K’s to a career-low 19.0 percent. Jensen turned 18 the same month he was drafted in 2021 and catchers can have a long developmental path anyway, so this might be the season when his offensive side clicks into place.
Tigers: Justyn-Henry Malloy, OF/3B (No. 7)
Malloy has exactly two…
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