Carding Baseball America's MLB Prospects Hot Sheet (April 15)

Here's a look at the top five players on this week's Baseball America Top MLB Prospects Hot Sheet and their seasons so far. It's a little something to help those who might want to dabble with prospecting -- some basics on their baseball cards alongside a highlight line from those more scouting-minded. We may not do this every week, but we'll check in on BA's top crop from time to time for the remainder of the season.

1. Luis Robert, OF, White Sox — High-A Winston Salem Dash
Baseball America’s highlight line: “Robert is one of the most tooled-up athletes not only in his organization, but in all of the minor leagues. He wowed evaluators in the Arizona Fall League, and now is doing the same again in his return to high Class A."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 500
First Chrome auto: 2018 Bowman 
One auto to consider: 2017 Elite Extra Edition
Buzz’s card take: You should know his name after his Bowman arrival last year as he's a top-100 prospect by most accounts and a top-50 on some lists. He fared pretty well in limited spring training time this year, hitting .385 with a homer and eight RBI in six games as a 21-year-old. The Cuban prospect has five homers and 13 RBI while hitting .475 this season.

Keep reading for the rest of the top five ...

2. Nolan Gorman, 3B, Cardinals — Low-A Peoria Chiefs
Baseball America’s highlight line: “Oh, you thought last year was a fluke? Think again. ... [He] picked up 2019 where he left off last year. In 73 pro games, Gorman has swatted 21 homers in just 275 at-bats, good for one roughly every 13 at-bats."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 400
First Chrome auto: 2018 Bowman Draft
One auto to consider: 2017 Panini Contenders (USA Baseball)
Buzz’s card take: Another name you should already know because of hefty card sales, he's just 19 this season and is putting on a show. He didn't do very well in spring training -- hitting just .100 with a homer in 10 at-bats -- but he's hitting .395 with four homers and 13 RBI in 10 games this season. He's expensive so looking at his non-Chrome cards is where the bargains might be right now. His Chromes will cost you but also would pay off if he delivers big -- keep in mind he's only in A-ball (for now). How much did that Superfractor go for? Click here.

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3. Yordan Alvarez, OF, Astros — Triple-A Round Rock Express
Baseball America’s highlight line: "The Dodgers signed Alvarez for $2 million on the last day of the 2015-16 international signing period. Two weeks later, before Alvarez ever played a game for the Dodgers, they traded him to the Astros for reliever Josh Fields. It's not a blunder on the level of the White Sox trading Fernando Tatis Jr. to the Padres before Tatis ever played an official pro game, but Alvarez's stock has blown up since then."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 200
First Chrome auto: 2018 Bowman Chrome
One auto to consider: 2018 Elite Extra Edition 
Buzz’s card take: The 22-year-old doesn't have a ton of autographs -- fewer than 70 for now -- and three brands are the home for nearly all of them ... the two noted above and then Bowman's Best. He's a top-50 prospect right now and he's hitting .344 with six homers and 12 RBI in 10 games so far this season. I'm not sure he's as chased as the first two guys on this week's list, but that could mean there are bargains to be found, though fewer cards could mean more competition for them, too.  

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4. Matt Manning, RHP, Tigers — Double-A Erie SeaWolves
Baseball America’s highlight line: "His first start was pretty dominant, giving up just one run across five innings against the Trenton Thunder. He followed up that performance with an even better one against the Altoona Curve, spinning seven scoreless innings while surrendering just one hit and striking out 10 batters."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 500
First Chrome auto: 2016 Bowman Draft 
One auto to consider: 2015 Leaf Metal Draft
Buzz’s card take: He's been around for a while on cardboard compared others on this week's list, but he's got fewer than 200 autographs to chase and there are clearly some bargains possible here compared to other guys since he's not as hotly on the prospecting radar as others. In four MiLB seasons, he's 13-12 with a 3.21 ERA and 277 strikeouts in 210 innings.

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5. Tirso Ornelas, OF, Padres — High-A Lake Elsinore Storm
Baseball America’s highlight line: "He has an advanced hitting approach for his age, controlling the strike zone well with good bat control from the left side. If he keeps raking, he could finish the season as a teenager in Double-A."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): Fewer than 100
First Chrome auto: 2019 Bowman 
One auto to consider: No other autos
Buzz’s card take: Perfect timing on this one -- this 19-year-old's first ink arrives on Wednesday in 2019 Bowman. This Tijuana, Mexico-born prospect can only be found otherwise in the 2017 Bowman Chrome release along with its mini counterpart. In three MiLB seasons, he's hit .266 with 26 doubles, eight triples and 12 homers and 73 RBI in 150 games. It should be interesting to see how this nod affects his autos early on -- it seems like there's some good potential, though his stats aren't overwhelming. He's hit .326 with a homer and seven RBI in 11 games this season.

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