I’m sure there are a good number of you who each week, upon seeing that the Hot List is posted, click the link, scroll past my initial blather and start looking at the pretty pretty pictures! That’s not a slam on your collective intelligence, it’s just a fact. There’s a reason that the most popular books are novels like Harry Potter, the Hunger Games and other publications of that ilk. They are enjoyable to read and in ones free time much easier to pick up then the latest musings on what might exist beyond our galaxy by some Ivy League professor sitting in an ivory tower.

That’s a long winded way of saying that we like to look at picture and other entertainment as opposed to pages full of words, boring words. It’s also a way of indicting what I’m about to do. The Hot List doesn’t have pictures this week and it doesn’t have a list aspect. The Hot List has lost it’s identity and lost its way in the world. No, not really, I’ve just lost a ton of time due to a ton of issues this week and the usual picture collection and research part of the Hot List doesn’t seem to be in the works – but that doesn’t mean there aren’t hot cards and players out there.

During the MLB and MiLB seasons we very frequently see lesser known players becoming more well known due to their performances on the field. Additionally, sometimes we see previous big name prospects resurface. This week it seems that if your name begins with a J, you made the cut for that category. Josh Harrison, Josh Bell, Josh Sale and Jonathan Lucroy are all players with cards at least two years old now, that up until this week had seen better days. Each one of them in their respective leagues MiLB for Sale and Bell and MLB for Harrison and Lucroy had somewhat breakout weeks and in some cases, just added on to already surprisingly good seasons. This breathed new life into their cards this week.

Another category we often touch on is big names that only grow hotter due to outstanding performances. National phenoms Harper and Strasburg have both made multiple appearances on the list already this year. This week it is Mike and Mike. No, not the radio show but Trout and Stanton…oh wait, it’s Mike and Giancarlo…dang it and there goes the joke. Although these two young outfielders are different in many ways one thing is very much the same. They are both extremely skilled players with ceilings that aren’t really definable. You can expect to continue seeing both of them on the ESPN Top 10 for quite a few years and it may push prices up from their already crazy highs. A Trout Xfractor /225 sold for over $250 this week and a Stanton BGS 9 Refractor Auto sold for nearly $300.

Another category we often see is new releases that are getting a lot of publicity. The Blue Wave refractor redemption packs have certainly gotten a ton of publicity on these boards and eBay is following suit. Collectors love the design and prices are reflecting as such. Additionally, in a more niche market, Leaf Army 2012 has hit the market with a splash. Box prices are moving at nearly $150 each for a box of 12 autos and the Jumbo Patches are selling outstanding on eBay.

Then there is the “I’m going to get the call to the big leagues when??” category. Wil Myers has previously been in this category and this week it is Anthony Rizzo’s turn. Rizzo continues to toy with Triple A pitching but unfortunately for him, Bryan LaHair is playing better than any Cubs fan could have dreamed.

We’ll be back to our standard format next week