Today’s BAPR has a nice blend of intriguing teenagers at the lower levels and strong performers at the upper levels who have either reached the majors, or soon could as contenders hit the stretch run.

Dalton Rushing, C/OF, Dodgers: The biggest news involving Rushing of late involves his move to the outfield. If that’s his final stop, his bat will more than profile for the more offensively demanding position. He proved as much on Tuesday night by swatting a pair of home runs in his team’s rout of Round Rock. The longballs were part of a 3-for-5 night with five RBIs. They were also the fourth and fifth of his time with Triple-A, bringing his season total to 19.

Yilber Diaz, RHP, D-backs: Diaz was one of the better breakout pitching stories of the first half of the season in the upper minors. He ultimately earned a brief cameo in the big league rotation, pitching to a 4.05 ERA with 14 strikeouts to eight walks over 20 innings before being optioned to Triple-A Reno a month ago. Diaz returned to his dominant ways against Albuquerque on Tuesday night. He struck out 13 batters, tying a season high, while scattering four hits and two runs (one earned) over 6.2 innings. His 22 swings and misses were second-most among Triple-A pitchers, including 11 against mid-80s slider. Arizona has plenty of pitching depth. But it’s worth keeping an eye on Diaz as rosters expand or in the event of an injury as the D-backs aim to once again make a deep run into October.

Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics: Injuries are just about the only thing to slow Wilson down this season. MLB’s No. 21 prospect saw his big league debut cut short to just one at-bat on July 19 because of a balky hamstring. He returned to the majors last night after a seven-game rehab stint in Triple-A and went 1-for-4, scoring a run and saving another by cutting a runner down at the plate from shortstop in the second inning of a 5-4 win over the Reds. Wilson has displayed otherworldly bat-to-ball skills when healthy this season, hitting .433/.474/.668 with nearly as many walks (14) as strikeouts (15) across 53 games in the minors. The A’s are quietly 27-19 since July and will now get an extended look at their shortstop of the future as the season winds down.

Demetrio Crisantes, 2B/3B, D-backs: Since moving from the Arizona Complex League to Low-A, Crisantes has been one of the best hitters in the California League. The 2022 draftee annihilated the ACL with a line of .355/.431/.521 slash line before earning the bump to full-season ball. Since the move, he hasn’t skipped a beat. Entering Tuesday’s play, the 19-year-old infielder was hitting a cool .353/.449/.507 with 15 doubles, five home runs and 15 stolen bases. He collected a single in the Rawhide’s series opener, bumping his MiLB-best on-base streak to 46 games. The streak stretches since June 25 and has seen him reach base 97 times overall.

Sebastian Walcott, SS, Rangers: Though he is the Rangers’ top prospect and holds a spot in the Top 100, Walcott’s strong season at High-A seems to have flown somewhat under the radar. On Tuesday, he added to his accolades by clubbing a pair of doubles and swiping another bag in Hickory’s shutout of Asheville. After a slow start, the 18-year-old has put together a molten-hot summer. Since June 1, he’s hitting .301/.361/.502 with 19 doubles, four triples, seven homers and 17 stolen bases. He is one of three qualified teenagers in the minor leagues with 20 or more doubles, 10 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases.

Jhonny Severino, SS/3B, Pirates: Last summer, the Pirates acquired Severino from the Brewers in a trade that sent Carlos Santana to Milwaukee. The infielder has been one of the system’s brighter prospects in 2024 and was one of the top talents in the Florida Complex League. Now in Low-A, Severino spent Tuesday night putting together the best game of his career. Facing Tampa, he went 4-for-4 and hit for the cycle. He now has 11 extra-base hits in 19 games at Low-A, including three home runs.

Geoff Pontes Answered Your Prospect Questions

Tuesday’s are always a busy one at Baseball America with the updated Hot Sheet and ensuing chat. Geoff Pontes fielded prospects questions yesterday and you can see the full transcript below. We host weekly chats on Tuesday’s at 2 p.m. ET. Some of the standouts include…

• Could Eduardo Tait be the next Salas or Basallo?

• Will Kristian Campbell make the Red Sox roster next year?

• Do you prefer Caden Dana or Travis Sykora?

Baseball America Helium Pick Of The Day

Jaison Chourio, OF, Guardians: Chourio is hardly a sleeper given his Top 100 bonafides, but Baseball America’s Matt Eddy wondered yesterday whether Chourio is even better than we realize after diving deep into Best Tools balloting data. The 19-year-old, switch-hitting center fielder who first jumped on the prospect radar a year ago in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League. This year, he has shown off his batting eye with a Carolina League-leading walk total and more free passes than strikeouts. Chourio also ranks among the league leaders in OBP, doubles and stolen bases, painting a nice picture of his upside.

In Case You Missed It

Yesterday’s Hot Sheet Show discussed Marcelo Mayer’s likely season-ending injury and his long-term outlook.