Hot Week & The Top 100: Final Week of Regular Season Play

As the minor league season winds down, Triple-A was the only league still in regular-season play from September 15th–20th, so the top five MiLB players of the week this week come from that pool of players, as all other leagues had begun or were concluding playoff or championship series.

With OPSes all 1.300 or above, this week’s Triple-A hitters were Alek Thomas, center fielder from the Oklahoma City Comets (Los Angeles Dodgers); Allan Castro, center fielder from the Worcester Red Sox (Boston Red Sox); Jimmy Crooks, a catcher from the Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals); Arol Vera, a second baseman from the Salt Lake Bees (Los Angeles Angels); and second baseman Brett Wisely from the Gwinnett Stripers (Atlanta Braves).

Alek Thomas, CF – Oklahoma City Comets (Los Angeles Dodgers)

This week, Thomas and the Comets took on the El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres) in a six-game series, winning four of six. 

Thomas played in five of the six matchups, going 9-for-17, hitting .529/.636/.882, with a 1.519 OPS. He hit two doubles and two triples on the week, driving in four RBIs and six runs scored. He stole two bases this week. He was 3-for-3 on September 17, with a triple, two singles, two RBIs, and three runs scored. 

After spending the majority of the 2025 season on the bereavement list while still with Arizona, the Diamondbacks designated Thomas for assignment, and he was traded to the Dodgers in May. He started the season with the ACL Dodgers to get a few professional games back under his belt after not seeing much playing time after July 2025, but in June was quickly promoted up to Triple-A after earning his way back up.

During the course of his season in Triple-A, Thomas has hit .305/.378/.537, with a .915 OPS. He has 20 doubles, five triples (including two this week), and 11 home runs. He has driven in 51 RBIs and 46 runs scored, walking 31 times and stealing eight bases. His BABIP is .324, with 36 extra-base hits.

While it’s likely he’ll at least start the 2027 season in Triple-A, he could find himself earning some playing time back up in the big leagues next season. The 26-year-old from Chicago, IL made his MLB debut in 2022 and has struggled to earn his way back to the big leagues.

Allan Castro, CF – Worcester Red Sox (Boston Red Sox)

Castro is a name we’ve seen crack the top five a couple times this season. The 23-year-old has been in the Boston Red Sox organization since 2019 and has bounced around the farm system, with 2026 being his first taste of Triple-A play.

Worcester concluded their 2026 season against the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays). They took three of five from the Bulls to end their season.

Castro this week was 8-for-19, hitting .421/.455/1.053, with a 1.507 OPS. He had three doubles and three home runs, driving in 12 RBIs and four runs scored. September 18 was the big game for the 23-year-old prospect. He was 3-for-4 on the day, with two doubles, a home run, and seven RBIs, and two runs scored. It was a strong performance for Castro that helped lead Worcester to a big win over Durham.

In his first season in Triple-A, Castro hit a total of .252/.325/.397, with a .722 OPS. He had 18 doubles, one triple, hit 15 home runs, drove in 77 RBIs, and scored 64 runs. He was walked 51 times and stole 20 bases this year. His BABIP was .302, and he hit 18 extra-base hits.

With this being his first season in Triple-A, it is likely he’ll start the 2027 season in Triple-A, and if he continues to show signs of improvement, the offensive-struggling Red Sox could call him up to make his MLB debut next year.

Jimmy Crooks, C – Memphis Red Birds (St. Louis Cardinals)

Crooks and the Red Birds concluded their regular season with a six-game series against the Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers). They took four of six from the Sounds.

Crooks played in four of the six matchups this week, going 10-for-14, hitting .714/.737/.714, with a 1.451 OPS in a great week at the plate for him. All 10 of his hits were singles, and the RBIs came on September 17 (one), September 18 (two), and September 19 (three). He was walked four times and stole two bases.

Over the course of his second season in Triple-A, he hit a regular-season line of .300/.432/.574, with a 1.006 season OPS. He hit seven doubles and 15 home runs, driving in 38 RBIs and 46 runs scored. He was walked 39 times and stole two bases.

Crooks made his MLB debut in 2025 and spent three months in the big leagues this year as well. It is likely that next season he could bounce around between Triple-A and the big leagues as well, unless he proves during spring training that he is ready for a full assignment back in St. Louis next year.

Arol Vera, 2B – Salt Lake Bees (Los Angeles Angels)

Vera and the Bees this week took four of six from the Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado Rockies) to close out their season.
Vera played in all six games this week, going 10-for-18, hitting .556/.600/.778, with a 1.738 OPS. He had four doubles and six singles, with six runs scored. He was walked twice. On September 19, he was 3-for-4, with two doubles and a run scored.

Vera played four games in Double-A before being promoted to Triple-A and spending the remainder of his season there. Over the course of the season in Triple-A (44 games), he hit .211/.281/.278, with a .559 OPS. He hit seven doubles and one triple, with three home runs and 19 runs scored.

It is likely that Vera will find himself starting once again in Double-A next year or possibly starting in Triple-A to begin 2027.

Brett Wisely, 2B – Gwinnett Stripers (Atlanta Braves)

Wisely, the 27-year-old second baseman from Jacksonville, FL, is in his second stint with the Braves organization; since 2019, he has spent time with multiple teams, including the Braves. He was traded back to the organization from Tampa Bay in April.

This week, Wisely and the Stripers took on the Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates) to round out their year. They lost four of six to the Indians.

Wisely appeared in all six games, going 9-for-19, hitting .474/.524/.842, with a 1.366 OPS. He hit four doubles and one home run, driving in four RBIs and five runs scored. He walked once and stole three bases.

Over the course of the year, Wisely has batted a total of .281/.399/.436, with a .835 OPS. He has hit 29 doubles, two triples, and 11 home runs, driving in 65 RBIs and 75 runs scored. He has 77 walks and 75 runs scored on the season.

Having already made his MLB debut in 2023, he could either start his year in the big leagues next year, or dabble once again between the big leagues and Triple-A depending on service time and options left in his contract.

MLB Pipeline Top-100 Prospects

MLB’s top-100 prospects didn’t have great showings this week; however, some still put up decent performances. Leading the way for the top prospects across the minor leagues were: second baseman Demetrio Crisantes, No. 72 from the Reno Aces (Arizona Diamondbacks); shortstop Jefferson Rojas, No. 73 from the Syracuse Mets (New York Mets); first baseman Charlie Condon from the Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado Rockies); first baseman Ralphy Velazquez, No. 29 from the Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians); and shortstop Franklin Arias, No. 3 from the Worcester Red Sox (Boston Red Sox).

Crisantes (MLB Pipeline No. 72) this week hit .333/.440/.619, with a 1.059 OPS. In six games (25 plate appearances). He hit one home run and drove in one RBI, with two runs scored.

Rojas (MLB Pipeline No. 73) appeared in six games (29 plate appearances) this last week. He hit .308/.345/.692, with a 1.037 OPS and three home runs. He drove in seven RBIs and eight runs scored. Rojas, known in part for his speed, also had one stolen base.

Condon (MLB Pipeline No. 55) hit .250/.423/.550, with a .973 OPS through six games (26 plate appearances). He hit two home runs and drove in six RBIs, with three runs scored.

Velazquez (MLB Pipeline No. 29) played in four games for Columbus this week, with 17 plate appearances. He hit .312/.353/.562, with a .915 OPS on the week. He drove in three RBIs and scored three runs.

Rounding out this week’s MiLB hitters of the week was Arias, MLB’s No. 3 prospect from the Worcester Red Sox. He played in five games this week, coming to the plate 22 times. He hit a combined .316/.364/.474 this week, with a .837 OPS. He hit one home run, drove in seven RBIs, and had three runs scored, along with a stolen base.

That concludes this year’s regular-season hitters of the week, as all leagues are now in playoff play as the 2026 season winds down for the minor leagues and, within the next few weeks, the major leagues as well.

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