With over 200 teams spanning three countries and two continents, Minor League Baseball is bigger and better than ever. Assuming ~25 players on each team, that’s over 5000 players playing the greatest game in the world at the professional level! These athletes work hard daily to achieve one goal: to become a Major Leaguer. While each player is worthy of recognition for their ongoing commitment to greatness, only a select few can be Prospects Of The Month!
It’s hard to believe, but we have just one full month of minor league baseball left before the prospect world wraps up and focuses on the playoffs and ultimately, those prospects going to the AFL, Winter League, etc. But that’s still in the future, and we live in the now. Here is a look at the top Minor League performers from an action-packed July!
Stats entering play on 7/27/2026
C: Jirvin Morillo, CIN
Morillo is one of several fast-rising prospects who have come out swinging at the Complex Level this season. After two years in the DSL, Morillo, who is still just 19, just finished off a 7-homer, 23-RBI month at the level, finishing the ACL season with a 148 wRC+. The 5’11” slugger needs some refinement with his contact skills and plate discipline, but power is unequivocally his carrying tool as a prospect at present. Morillo had outstanding batted-ball data, including an outlandish 70% hard-hit rate and a 107.8mph 90th percentile EV in his age-19 season. Those numbers look very similar to what top prospect Alfredo Duno did in his domestic debut in Low-A in 2025.
1B: Blake Burke, MIL
Former Tennessee Volunteer Blake Burke annihilated Double-A pitching in July, mashing eight homers and seven doubles this month, while also converting all eight of his stolen base attempts. That pushes Burke to a Southern League-leading 26 homers on the season, adding 24 steals and accounting for a .960 OPS at the level. So much of his bump in power output in 2026 has come from lowering his groundball rate by over 10% while simultaneously pulling the ball 8% more often. The rest is easy for the 6’3″, 235lb slugger, who boasts a strong frame and double-plus raw power. Burke is a borderline Top 100 prospect on many boards and is often overlooked in a Brewers’ system loaded with elite prospect talent.
2B: Daniel Dickinson, MIL
In the same draft in which the Brewers took Burke, they also landed another SEC talent, Daniel Dickinson out of LSU. The 22-year-old is having a solid debut season as well, batting .246 with five homers and 34 steals at High-A. July was a big month for him, though. In 20 games, he hit four homers with six doubles and stole 12 bases, while also walking more than he struck out. Dickinson lacks a standout tool but makes quality swing decisions and runs a high OBP thanks to a passive approach at the plate. He profiles as a utility infielder type who can contribute in all facets of the game.
SS: Sammy Stafura, PIT
Slammin’ Sammy was famously used for Sammy Sosa during his magical home run battle with Mark McGwire in 1998. A new version, nearly 30 years later, was unveiled this month as Pirates’ farmhand Sammy Stafura went bonkers. The 21-year-old hit .358 for the month with 14 home runs and a 1.305 OPS. This power surge is rare for Stafura, who entered 2026 with 15 career homers in over 220 games played. With this home run barrage, Stafura now has 20 on the season and is drawing plenty of attention in his age-21 season.
3B: Ryan Burrowes, SS, CHW
Burrowes is actually a shortstop, but his July performance could not be overlooked. Playing at High-A Kannapolis, Burrowes hit .325 with five doubles, five homers, eight steals, and a 1.077 OPS in 20 games. Last week, he went 8-for-22 with three homers and 12 RBI, earning Player of the Week honors in the South Atlantic League. Burrowes will start this week as a member of Birmingham after being promoted on Sunday night! Burrowes’ fantasy profile centers around his 60-grade speed, which puts pressure on the defense in the running game and by taking the extra base on balls to the gap. His over-the-fence pop is still a work in progress, but he has very quick hands and a natural ability to lift the ball to his pull side. Burrowes is a solid prospect but lacks the juice to be overly impactful in the Majors.
OF: Charles Davalan, LAD
It’s no secret that Davalan is one of my favorite prospects in the game, and I’m elated that I can finally add him to my Prospects of the Month piece! Unfortunately, the former Arkansas Razorback is way down the prospect charts in the Dodgers’ system but is an easy Top 100 prospect for me and others. Davalan has been stellar all season long, but just wrapped up his best month as a pro, posting a 1.244 OPS at High-A Great Lakes. In 17 games, he hit .353 with 14 extra-base hits (7 HR), 16 RBI, and for the third straight month, he walked more than he struck out. In 2026, he has a 12.6% walk rate with a 10.8% strikeout rate, which has fueled his .402 on-base percentage. Despite a 5’9″ frame, Davalan packs a punch. He blends an excellent hit tool and a knack for finding the barrel with easy raw power and a pull-heavy approach. With a pull air rate of over 25% and above-average exit velocities, there’s a clear path to 20+ homers in his profile, and he projects as a very productive fantasy player moving forward.
https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/2082267721392165294/video/1
UTIL: Zyhir Hope, LAD
The Tulsa lineup, and particularly their outfield, is absolutely loaded right now, but Zyhir Hope earned Prospect of the Month honors over his teammates, Josue de Paula and Mike Sirota. Hope was outstanding in July, batting .376 while belting eight homers and stealing six bases at Double-A. His season-long stat line is .289 with 21 homers, 17 doubles, 18 steals, and an .879 OPS across 90 games. Hope is physically gifted, with a well-built frame, above-average power and speed, and the athleticism to do anything he chooses on the diamond. When he’s been healthy, the 21-year-old has proven to be an explosive offensive talent and is generally regarded as one of the best outfield prospects in baseball. The only problem is that he plays in the Dodgers’ system and on a team where he’s the third-best player, despite being a consensus Top 40 prospect in all of baseball.
SP: Quinn Mathews, STL
It’s been a while since Mathews has put things together, but the big left-hander has turned a corner in 2026 and has rebuilt some of his lost value as a dynasty asset. Mathews was dominant in 2024 but fell on hard times due to injury and a sudden loss of command throughout most of 2025 and the early part of 2026. His turnaround began in May, and the 25-year-old just put together his best month in over a year. In July, Mathews had a 1.04 ERA with 28 strikeouts against just six walks spanning four starts. When you total his June and July numbers, we’re looking at a 1.55 ERA over 52 1/3 innings with 59 strikeouts and 19 walks. His season-long ERA is now down to 3.13 after entering play in June at a mark of 5.22. Mathews should be the next man up in the Cardinals’ rotation, which could come as early as this week depending on their trade deadline movement.
https://twitter.com/KareemSSN/status/2080833978508906602/video/1
