Last Friday, Baseball America released its weekly Prospect Hot Sheet that provides a snapshot of top baseball prospects who have grabbed people’s attention with their recent stellar performances. Six Baseball Factory alumni were featured on the Hot Sheet, including Bryce Harper and Eric Hosmer. Below is the Factory exclusive inside take on these six incredible players and what they’ve overcome in pursuit of success.

BRYCE HARPER, RF, NATIONALS
Baseball Factory Events: 2008 Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout
Selected 1st overall by the Washington Nationals in the first round of the 2010 MLB draft
The Obstacle: Expectations
The Lowdown:
This young stud needs no introduction because his numbers speak for themselves. After a quiet start to the season with his Class-A Hagerstown club, Harper has since exploded for seven doubles and six home runs in his last 13 games. As of Tuesday, Harper extended his hitting streak to 14 games, bringing his batting average to .377. His effort earned him South Atlantic League Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career. So, the 18 year old phenom is definitely living up to the expectations that come along with being the first overall pick. And, remember, Harper is still the third youngest player in the league, which is scary to think how good he’s going to be in the future as he gets more and more experience under his belt.

ERIC HOSMER, 1B, ROYALS
Factory Events: 2005 B.A.T.S. College Recruiting Program, 2006 Baseball Factory All-American
Selected 3rd overall by the Kansas City Royals in the first round of the 2008 MLB draft
The Obstacle: Injury
The Lowdown:
Just a year ago, some were calling this kid a bust, but this year it’s a totally different story. After becoming frustrated with Kila Ka`aihue’s lack of production at first base, the Royals decided to call-up Hosmer last week. As one of the top prospects in the game, Hosmer left the minors as the league leader in batting average (.439) and on-base percentage (.582). Hosmer’s gaudy numbers have been spurred by fixing two injuries nagging the 6’4”, 230 lb. first baseman. After undergoing laser eye surgery to eliminate his astigmatism and allowing his fractured knuckle to heal, Hosmer is now living up to his full potential. Possibly the Royals’ most anticipated prospect since Bo Jackson, Kansas City is glad to have Hosmer’s power in their lineup.

ANTHONY RIZZO, 1B, PADRES
Factory Events: 2006 Cape Cod High School Classic, 2006 Team One South Showcase, 2006 Baseball Factory National Tryout
Selected 20th by the Boston Red Sox in the sixth round of the 2007 MLB draft
The Obstacle: Cancer
The Lowdown:
After battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma for the past year that included six months of intensive chemo treatment, Rizzo is now looking ahead towards a bright future with the San Diego Padres. After becoming a key piece in the Adrian Gonzalez trade with the Red Sox in the off-season, the 6’3”, 220 lb. first baseman continues to impress the Padres organization. In the past week with the Triple-A Tucson Padres, Rizzo batted .323 with two homers, three doubles, one triple and 13 RBI. In the Pacific Coast League, Rizzo leads (or shares the lead) in six different categories, including home runs, RBI, hits, slugging, extra-base hits, and total bases. With continued production like this Rizzo will likely be called-up to the big leagues in the near future.

BRANDON BELT, LF, Giants
Factory Events: 2005 Cape Cod High School Classic
Selected 6th by the San Francisco Giants in the fifth round of the 2009 MLB draft
The Obstacle: Disappointment
The Lowdown:
After a frustrating first crack at the majors, Belt has certainly not let his disappointment show after the Giants sent him to their Triple-A Fresno club. With a 4-for-5 performance last Monday, Belt has boosted his batting average to .517 in nine games that include four multi-hit games in the past week. He also has two home runs, four doubles, and three stolen bases in 29 at-bats. The 6’5”, 220 lb. Texan said his recent success at the plate has come from being able to just relax, “I got comfortable and I stopped worrying about mechanics and I started seeing the ball and hitting it.” With Belt putting up attention grabbing numbers, combined with Pablo Sandoval’s fractured hand, there is talk among the Giants organization that Belt might be getting another chance at the majors very soon.

DAVID COOPER, 1B, BLUE JAYS
Factory Events: 2003 Baseball Factory B.A.T.S. Program, 2004 Team One West Showcase
Selected 17th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round of the 2008 MLB draft
The Obstacle: Scrutiny
The Lowdown:
After a heralded college career, Cooper has spent most of his pro career trying to prove he was worthy of a first round draft pick just three years ago. Just last week the Blue Jays passed over two other highly touted prospects to call-up Cooper from his Triple-A Las Vegas team. Cooper will fill the DH spot and add some left-handed power to a lineup that desperately needs it. The Blue Jays decided on Cooper instead of the other two prospects because of his discipline at the plate, with seven walks and only six strikeouts in 89 plate appearances. Also, it didn’t hurt that in his past 20 games in Vegas, Cooper hit .395 with two homers and 19 RBI, while going 9-for-15 against left-handed pitching. After studying film of his college swing and building confidence for the past year in the minors, Cooper now intends to prove he belongs in the majors.

L.J. HOES, 2B, ORIOLES
Factory Events: 2007 Cape Cod High School Classic
Selected 4th by the Baltimore Orioles in the third round of 2008 MLB draft
The Obstacle: Slump
The Lowdown:
Currently with the Frederick Keys, Hoes locked up a spot on the Hot Sheet with a 5-for-5 performance last Wednesday, along with two runs scored and a RBI. After a slow start to the season, Hoes is starting to produce with three of his eight extra-base hits coming in the past week. Hoes believes he’s more relaxed now and is just letting the game come to him, saying “I guess those balls I was hitting hard earlier in the season are starting to find holes”. If the turnaround continues, Hoes will most likely be moving up to Double-A.

Baseball Factory would like to congratulate these players on their achievements thus far in the 2011 season and wish them continued success throughout their career. To the high school players out there, here are six stories of players who have had to surmount obstacles in order to achieve personal success in baseball. Chances are you will face more than one obstacle in your baseball career, but as these Baseball Factory alumni are proving, there’s nothing that can’t be overcome.
 

Baseball Factory is a Premier Scouting Partner for Baseball America. Baseball America is the nation’s leading baseball resource, with in-depth coverage of every level of the game, from high school and college to the minor and major leagues, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players. Founded in 1981, Baseball America quickly established itself as the foremost baseball-only publication and has grown into a full-service media company with a 26 times a year publication, a total of five annual reference book titles, radio and television appearances, and a popular website, www.baseballamerica.com