This week, we look at prospects who are among the top minor-league performers a few of whom have struggled lately. Lets skip . Five Big Hype Prospects , 21, 3B, BAL (AAA) (AA/AAA) 450 PA, 20 HR, 4 SB, .283/.393/.560 While Mayos seasonal line is impre sive, hes scuffled to a .205/.291/.420 triple-slash in 103 Triple-A plate appearances. Hes still impacting the ball with Major League-caliber exit velocities. The big difference between Double-A and Triple-A is BABIP. Jeff Teague Jersey This isnt a write-it-off-as-luck situation. Mayo makes a lot of pulled, fly ball contact. Hes the sort of hitter who might be prone to low BABIPs in the Majors. Hes always been a high-BABIP guy in the minors which is actually a cla sic sign that the hitter isnt being challenged at the level. Perhaps Mayo is finally feeling some pain. Hell likely make a couple small adjustments and resume hitting at an above-average level. We might witne s similar growing pains when hes eventually summoned to the Majors. , 23, 1B, CIN (MLB) 91 PA, 3 HR, .250/.308/.381 Speaking of growing pains, Encarnacion-Strand has reverted to his previous poor discipline in his first taste of the Majors. While his average contact is impre sively firm, hes not getting to the top end of his power range at least not yet. Presently, hes both strikeout and fly ball prone. The fly balls arent as much a concern as they are with most prospects its not called Great American Smallpark without reason. A power barrage awaits ahead for CES. In the meantime, were also getting a good look at the downside for this probably-volatile slugger. He produced a 1.042 OPS at Triple-A. , 22, SP, NYY (AA) (A+/AA) 117 IP, 11.31 K/9, 2.54 BB/9, 2.62 ERA The Yankees have an obnoxious habit of developing promising-looking pitchers who struggle to make the transition between the minors and Majors. Thorpe is on pace to debut next season. In my opinion, he should rank higher on prospects lists. The rub is his velocity. Hes currently a soft-to sing southpaw with a projectable frame. In other words, scouts think he can add velocity. Thorpe is a command artist with a plus changeup and a slider he locates with ease. Even if the velocity never comes, hell give hitters fits as a reliever. Nearly all of the above stats were accrued in High-A. , 22, SP, NYY (AA) 95.2 IP, 12.51 K/9, 3.39 BB/9, 3.86 ERA Evaluators prefer Hampton to Thorpe because he more closely resembles the cla sic workhorse. Hes already pushing for Top 50 prospect status on Baseball Americas list. Hampton has a five-pitch repertoire featuring four average or better offerings and a platoon-changeup. Hes able to use his four-seam, cutter, or slider as his primary pitch, depending on the matchup. His curve offers a change of pace for right-handed hitters, and he commands everything well. Hampton has met some challenges in Double-A (4.90 ERA, 4.02 xFIP). Its po sible hes running out of steam in his first full profe sional season. , 20, 3B/SS, TBR (AA) (A+/AA) 400 PA, 21 HR, 4 SB, .322/.380/.565 Caminero draws heavy hype among the fantasy prospect ranking crowd for his precocious power output. Traditional evaluators are slowly approaching the same level of excitement. Baseball America ranks him fifth in the league. The mi sing ingredient is plate discipline, but hes shown modest signs of improvement at Double-A. Personally, I tend to be skeptical of this profile until I see it perform in the Majors. The jump from Triple-A to the Majors is particularly large for hitters who either lack discipline or feature a high whiff rate. Caminero checks both boxes. So did Thats not to say theyre similar athletes, only that an expectedly tough transition can be easier for some players than others. In any event, dont be surprised if Caminero stalls out for a few years before finding his stride in the Majors. The Rays have a knack for putting their players in situations where they thrive. See their development of . Three More , TEX (21) : One of the top-performing breakout power hitters, Ortiz is a slow-footed, left-handed first baseman who takes ma sive hacks. Hes produced 26 home runs in 350 plate appearances on the season, mostly at High-A. He profiles as a future 30-homer slugger with a strikeout problem. , BAL (24) : A late-bloomer by todays heady standards (and due to mi sed time), Kjerstad is posting MLB-caliber exit velocities in Triple-A along with a .383 BABIP. This is a function of approach, not luck. Even so, we usually see these line-drive boppers lose their BABIP fuel upon matriculating. Kjerstad projects as a league-average corner outfielder. , MIN (20) : Expected to eventually move from center field, Rodriguez has more than enough bat to survive in an outfield corner. Hes a discipline-forward slugger who verges on pa sivity. Hes walked in more than 20 percent of plate appearances as a profe sional. Hell need to learn more selective aggre sion against higher-quality pitchers. Did I mi s a detail or nuance? DM me on Twitter @BaseballATeam to suggest corrections. Rajon Rondo Jersey