MLB's No. 4 prospect leads latest Prospect Team of the Week
Draft fever is in full effect around MLB Pipeline, with less than four weeks until players start coming off the board.
But before the 2026 class hears their names called, the most recent draftees are making still making plenty of noise, less than a year since going pro.
Three players selected last July are among the top performers in baseball and earned spots on the latest Prospect Team of the Week, led by the No. 1 pick, Eli Willits. Fellow first-rounder Andrew Fischer also joins him for his second appearance of the year, along with sixth-rounder Josiah Hartshorn, who signed for an over-slot $2 million.
To be eligible for the Pipeline Prospect Team of the Week, Minor League players must be ranked among their club's Top 30 prospects on Pipeline's lists. (Those in the Majors do not qualify.)
This is the Prospect Team of the Week for June 8-14:
C: Owen Ayers, Knoxville Smokies (Double-A)
Cubs No. 9
.586/.636/1.069, 7 G, 17-for-29, 2 HR, 8 2B, 9 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 6 K
Few players have been as hot at the plate lately as Ayers, who has picked up multiple hits in 10 straight games. The Marshall product is 25-for-41 during that stretch with 14 extra-base hits. That includes a memorable doubleheader on Wednesday in which the 25-year-old picked up six hits and six RBIs. This is already Ayers' third appearance on a Prospect Team of the Week this year -- and second in as many weeks -- as he is slashing .332/.442/.689 between High-A and Double-A.
1B: Josiah Hartshorn, South Bend Cubs (High-A)
Cubs No. 7
.476/.520/1.095, 6 G, 10-for-21, 4 HR, 1 2B, 11 RBI, 7 R, 2 BB, 4 K
At just 19 years old, Hartshorn is the first prep hitter from the 2025 Draft to make it to High-A, and he's immediately fitting in while splitting time between first, center and right field. The switch-hitter has hit safely in 17 of his 18 games and has gone deep in five of his past seven games. After slashing .273/.424/.460 in 39 games at Single-A Myrtle Beach, the California native is slashing .422/.474/.859 with South Bend, and he leads all qualified teenagers in full-season ball with a 1.025 OPS on the season.
2B: Leo Balcazar, Chattanooga Lookouts (Double-A)
Reds No. 15
.350/.458/.700, 6 G, 7-for-20, 2 HR, 1 2B, 6 RBI, 4 R, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 CS
Balcazar has been impacting the ball more this season -- his .747 OPS is his higest in three seasons -- even as he's been striking out more. Last week, he had the best of both worlds. The Venezuela native picked up a pair of three-hit games and went deep twice while only striking out once in 24 plate appearances. Balcazar continues to show his defensive value while rotating between second, third and short and is three roundtrippers away from a career high.
3B: Andrew Fischer, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (High-A)
Brewers No. 6
.462/.650/1.000, 5 G, 6-for-13, 2 HR, 1 2B, 6 RBI, 5 R, 7 BB, 6 K
Fischer had a power-hitting reputation coming out of college when Milwaukee drafted him 20th overall, and he's certainly lived up to the billing. With two more home runs this week, he's up to five longballs in 10 June games, making him one of five Minor Leaguers to reach the 20-homer plateau this year. Whiffs remain an issue -- he's striking out a third of the time -- but he actually walked more than he K'd last week. And the Brewers are still eager to challenge the left-handed slugger -- who also made a Prospect Team of the Week in May -- as they just promoted him to Double-A.
SS: Eli Willits, Wilmington Blue Rocks (High-A)
Nationals No. 1/MLB No. 4
.263/.462/.895, 5 G, 5-for-19, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R, 6 BB, 3 K, 4 SB
The No. 1 pick in last July's Draft made quick work of Single-A, with a .300/.418/.500 slash line and six homers in 47 games. Upon his promotion this week, which made him the second-youngest player at the level, Willits has really unlocked his power. His first two hits with Wilmington were home runs -- the switch-hitter joins Leo De Vries as the only 18-year-olds with a multihomer game at High-A since 2019 -- and he went deep the next two days as well. He also stole four bases across his three most recent games, bringing him to 33-for-40 on the season.
OF: Wilson Rodriguez, Hudson Valley Renegades (High-A)
Yankees No. 17
.500/.538/1.000, 6 G, 12-for-24, 2 HR, 2 3B, 2 2B, 8 RBI, 8 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 4 SB
Rodriguez battled injuries in his first two full seasons since becoming a 2023 17th rounder, but he's showing his offensive potential in his first healthy campaign this year. Already in a career-high 58 games, the left-handed hitter ranks ninth among qualified full-season Yankees Minor Leaguers with a .375 on-base percentage in his first taste of High-A action. The 21-year-old hit safely in all six games this week and had a pair of notable performances -- career highs of four stolen bases and four hits on consecitive days -- while going deep twice.
OF: Hayden Alvarez, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Single-A)
Angels No. 11
.522/.607/.913, 6 G, 12-for-23, 2 3B, 5 2B, 6 RBI, 7 R, 5 BB, 4 K, 6 SB
Big and athletic at 6-foot-3, Alvarez, a major signing out of the Dominican Republic two years ago, has the makings of a dynamic leadoff hitter. After a breakout campaign between the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League and a brief stint in Single-A last year, the center fielder is once again tearing up the California League. The 19-year-old hit safely in all six games last week -- including a pair of three-hit performances -- and stole six bases to give him 33 swipes on the year in 38 attempts.
OF: Gavin Conticello, Amarillo Sod Poodles (Double-A)
D-backs No. 30
.440/.500/.960, 6 G, 11-for-25, 4 HR, 1 2B, 14 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 7 K
One in a long line of prep stars from Stoneman Douglas High School, Conticello has stood out for his power since the D-backs selected him in the eighth round of the 2021 Draft. The left-handed hitter got to show off his hit tool as well last week as he picked up four hits in consecutive games for the first time as a pro. There's still power, of course, as he went deep four times across the first three games of last series. Overall on the season, he's slashing .277/.362/.485 and has a 1.104 OPS in June.
LHP: Henry Lalane, Tampa Tarpons (Single-A)
Yankees No. 14
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 0.67 WHIP
Lalane earned the largest signing bonus for a Yankees pitching prospect in their 2021 international class thanks in large part to the size (6-foot-7) and athleticism befitting the son of a pro basketball player. The southpaw delivered his best pro start yet last week, and he struck out a career-high nine across six scoreless innings (tying a career best). His final four K's of the game came on a slider, which has been an especially dominant pitch for him this season, as batters are whiffing at a 54.7 percent rate and hitting .154/.138/.231 against it.
RHP: Khristian Curtis, Indianapolis Indians (Triple-A)
Pirates No. 21
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 5 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K, 0.53 WHIP
Curtis earned a promotion to Triple-A after 12 solid starts with Double-A Altoona, and his first start with Indianapolis was his best of the year at either level. The 6-foot-5 righty tied his career high with 10 strikeouts and picked up 19 swings-and-misses while touching 98.5 mph on his fastball. The 2023 12th-rounder has some of the best stuff in the Pirates' system, even after overcoming several serious surgeries, and is second only to Seth Hernandez among qualified Pittsburgh Minor League pitchers with a 30.8 percent strikeout rate.
RP: C.J. Culpepper, St. Paul Saints (Triple-A)
Twins No. 20
0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 0.50 WHIP
Culpepper has transitioned to relief upon his promotion to Triple-A, and the role has suited him well, as he's crucially remained healthy. The 24-year-old has mostly made multi-inning appearances and was dominant in his two outings last week, including a perfect two-inning, four-strikeout game on Sunday. The 6-foot-3 righty, who previously made a Prospect Team of the Week in May 2024 as a starter, has a 3.43 ERA with 22 K's in 21 innings with the Saints this season.