Three Royals prospects hit Baseball America's weekly "Prospect Hot Sheet"

For those of you unfamiliar with Baseball America, their website has a weekly feeture called the "Prospect Hot Sheet" which is about prospects who are doing particularly well.  There's no formula, but it's about prospects who have done well this year and who are doing particularly well recently.  Finally some Royals prospects have hit the most recent Hot Sheet .

No. 2 CARLOS ROSA, RHP

 

Team: Double-A Northwest Arkansas (Texas)

Age: 23

Why He's Here: 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 14 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 16 K

The Scoop: A 2004 Tommy John surgery survivor, Rosa has a 93-95 mph fastball and a sharp curveball, and Texas League hitters were helpless against them this week. Last year, Rosa had the stuff but not the results; he had a 3.60 ERA with a pedestrian 85 strikeouts in 120 innings in four games with high Class A Wilmington and 21 more with Northwest Arkansas. This year, the results are catching up to his talent. Through six games, Rosa has a 1.32 ERA and a 32-5 K-BB ratio. It's early, of course, but it's the essence of player development when a pitcher like Rosa with excellent raw pitch quality makes the necessary improvements that lead to better on-field performance.

After ranking 13 "hot" players, then they give some honorable mentions to some other prospects who are performing well in the "In the Team Photo" section

. . . High Class A Wilmington RHP Blake Wood (Royals) just missed a couple of previous Hot Sheets, but went 1-0, 2.03 in two starts last week, throwing 13 1/3 innings, allowing just three runs on six hits while striking out 14 and walking only two

There is also a section for older prospects called "Blast from the Past"

Mike Aviles, 2b, Triple-A Omaha (Royals): It only seems like Aviles has been a Triple-A standout forever. In fact, the 2003 Division II player of the year (at Concordia (N.Y.) College) enters his third season as an Omaha regular, and this time may be the charm. Aviles, 27, is in the midst of a 13-game hitting streak, during which he's hit .393/.414/.768 (22-for-56) with six doubles, three triples and three homers. And if it weren't for Pablo Sandoval (see: Helium, below), Aviles' 22 extra-base hits would lead the minors.

No Royals were mentioned in the "Helium Watch" section which is for prospects whose stock is rapidly rising.  If Edward Cegarra of low-A Burlington doesn't make that list soon, it will be a crime.  As adschofield pointed out a couple of weeks ago, he's tearing up the Midwest league.  Here is the 19-year-old RHP's stat line so far:

1-2, 2.12 ERA, 34 IP, 27 H, 1 BB, 37 K

37 strikeouts and 1 walk in 34 innings pitched?  Are you kidding me?  His stock is certainly rising in my eyes.