Carding Baseball America's MLB Prospects Hot Sheet (July 9)

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. Joey Wentz, LHP, Braves — Double-A Mississippi Braves
Baseball America’s highlight line: “While his Mississippi rotation-mates have soared, Wentz has found Double-A to be a little more difficult. But lately there have been some very positive signs. His velocity has ticked back up to the 91-94 mph range, which helps his changeup play as the above-average and even plus pitch it can be at its best. Wentz tied his career high in strikeouts with nine on July 1 and then set a new career high with 10 strikeouts on July 6."

CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 225
First Chrome auto: 2018 Bowman
One auto to consider: 2015 Leaf Perfect Game
Buzz’s card take: That BA blurb didn't seem all that sold on him but the reason he's here might be his overall stats -- 19 strikeouts in 12-plus innings with just two runs and five walks in his last two starts. A 1.42 ERA ain't shabby, either. He doesn't have a lot of cards in general -- and just under 100 autographs -- despite arriving back in 2015 Leaf Perfect Game releases. His first Chrome autos arrived just last year so check those boxes if you were busy chasing Shohei Ohtani this time last year. The Braves are going to be getting plenty of looks from collectors with all their young talent ... so he's worth a look, too.

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

2. Seth Beer, 1B, Astros — Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks
Baseball America’s highlight line: “This week the Astros cut loose AJ Reed, who was claimed on waivers by the White Sox. Reed’s declining offensive production was the key reason for his departure, but the Astros also expect a good bit defensively from their first baseman, which was an expectation Reed never fully met. Now that same question falls to Beer, who has focused on first base almost exclusively with Corpus Christi. As a hitter, he’s mashed all season and has boosted his on-base percentage with 19 hit-by-pitches."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 430
First Chrome auto: 2019 Bowman Mega Box
One auto to consider: 2014 Leaf Perfect Game Showcase
Buzz’s card take: Almost half of his cards are certified autos and that means you all have plenty of chances to play the "hold my Beer" game out there ... as long as you pay up. He's got a ton of cardboard with USA Baseball and Perfect Game releases but his Chrome ink is limited ... so far only in the Bowman Mega Boxes. He should have more to come soon. I don't see a first-rounder from last year being as potentially disposable as it makes it sound above since he has 19 homers and a .323 average this season -- both improvements over last year. He's a name you should know for cardboard given the Astros' talents. 

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3. Bo Bichette, SS, Blue Jays — Triple-A Buffalo Bison
Baseball America’s highlight line: “After missing a chunk of the early season with a broken hand, Bichette is quickly making up for lost time. The top prospect in the Blue Jays’ system now that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is in the big leagues, Bichette gave fans a few fireworks over the holiday weekend by swatting home runs on both July 4 and July 5. With Guerrero shining in the Home Run Derby, Nate Pearson wowing at the Futures Game and Bichette slugging in Triple-A, the next few years in Toronto have the potential to be very entertaining."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 600
First Chrome auto: 2016 Bowman Draft
One auto to consider: 2018 Elite Extra Edition
Buzz’s card take: Bichette happens. Again. He's the second son of former Colorado Rockies slugger Dante Bichette to make a push toward MLB and Bo is at the highest level so far. Read the blurb above and you should know the hype is there -- but the stats are, too. In 305 MiLB games (four seasons), he's hit .329 with 24 homers and 210 RBI while also adding 70 stolen bases. He's hitting .335 this year. He's got a relatively low volume of autographed cards vs. his overall card total so that could be promising when it comes time to sell if you've been stashing them. He's also had very few autos from Topps since 2016. 

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4. Marco Luciano, SS, Giants — Arizona League Giants
Baseball America’s highlight line: “Luciano wasted no time putting the fire in fire league. The 17-year-old shortstop who ranked as the top prospect in the 2018 international class has absolutely exploded in his first few weeks of official games as a pro. He’s launched seven home runs in his first 64 ABs, which puts him halfway toward the total that led the AZL a year ago. If he keeps hitting like this, he’ll push his way to Salem-Keizer in no time."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 180
First Chrome auto: 2019 Bowman
One auto to consider: 2017 Elite Extra Edition
Buzz’s card take: Nothing has changed on the card front since we last saw him here -- except maybe upped demand. Interest here should remain strong for this guy's cardboard with a start like this and he's got about 100 different autos from the past three years. He's found in the two above as well as Onyx Vintage -- a unique full printed auto there on at least one rarer version -- as well as Leaf Metal Draft and Leaf Ultimate Draft. You can see a little more about his early cards here.

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5. Tarik Skubal, LHP, Tigers — High-A Lakeland Tigers
Baseball America’s highlight line: “After tossing seven innings while allowing just one run against Palm Beach, Skubal made his Eastern League debut this weekend and did not disappoint. The lefthander allowed just one hit while striking out 11 batters, tying a season high."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): Just MiLB team sets
First Chrome auto: Still to come
One auto to consider: Still to come
Buzz’s card take: There's nothing new on cards for him since we saw him here last week. There still should be some interest in his cards when they first arrive. He's clearly off the radar right now for card-makers but the more he's seen here the less likely that is to remain the same.

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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

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