This will be your weekly look at the hottest prospects in the system, highlighting the top performers at the plate and on the mound. Below is the hotlist for Week Two. Check out the previous week’s hotlist here.
Who’s Hot At The Plate?
Josh Wakefield – Wakefield was a 14th round pick by the Astros last year and the 21-year-old had a big week. Over five games he hit .389 with 2 home runs and stole five bases. On the season he has a .899 OPS in seven games.
Camilo Diaz – Diaz got a nice bonus to sign with Houston but has had his struggles. He had a solid week in Fayetteville hitting .438 with a home run and 3 stolen bases. He’s still just 20 years old.
Cesar Hernandez – Hernandez also got a nice bonus on the international market and after a decent season last year, he’s off to a nice start in 2026. In just three games this week, the 22-year-old hit .417 with a triple, 3 runs batted in and a stolen base.
Pascanel Ferreras – Ferreras is off to a great start for the 2026 season. This week the infielder hit .333 over five games and had a go-ahead 2 run home run in the 9th inning of a game. He’s hitting .333 in 8 games this season.
Who’s Hot On The Mound?
Brett Gillis – Gillis was drafted back in 2022 but has struggled with injuries. He’s healthy this year and pitching well in Double-A. In one start this week he allowed 1 run over 4.2 innings while striking out 6. He’s yet to walk a batter this season.
James Hicks – Hicks had a breakout performance in the AFL last year and after a rough first outing in 2026, he looked like the “AFL” guy this week. He got one start and tossed 5 scoreless innings with 6 strikeouts, allowing just 2 hits.
Luis Rodriguez – Originally acquired in the deal that sent Julks to the White Sox, Rodriguez has pitched well in his time in Houston. This week he made his season debut and went 4 scoreless innings allowing just 1 hit while he struck out 5 batters.
Cole Hertzler – Hertzler was my breakout pick for this year and so far it’s looking strong. In his second outing of the year, he went 5 innings allowing 2 runs while striking out 8 batters. He has 13 K in 9.2 innings allowing just 4 hits this season.
Leomar Rosario – Rosario has the most electric arm in the system at this point. When he throws strikes, he’s dominant. This week he went 3 scoreless innings striking out 7 batters and walking just one. His fastball was up to 102 MPH this week.
TEAM ERA and OPS:
Sugar Land – 2.17 ERA – .631 OPS
Corpus Christi – 3.18 ERA – .583 OPS
Asheville – 4.66 ERA – .634 OPS
Fayetteville – 5.67 ERA – .683 OPS
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