Innholdsfortegnelse for Friday, February 12, 2016 i Baseball America

FEBRUARY 1 1998 IN THIS ISSUE: Top prospect Pat Burrell points Miami toward another trip to Omaha. » ALSO: We rank the best college ballparks in America, with Arkansas’ Baum Stadium taking the cake. MIAMI There is no cocoon in Pat Burrell’s story. Much as you would like there to be. Much as it would make sense. Much as it would answer your questions and tie this whole bundle of loose ends into a tight, white glorious sphere. Ahhh, it would be perfect. All but ignored by the elite college programs of California, passed over by all major league teams for 42 rounds of the 1995 draft, Burrell responds magically. He heads to his family’s home in the northern California hills, curls into the fetal position and spins of cloak…

Baseball Writer, ESPN.com PHILADELPHIA Somewhere between the 2013 baseball draft and the December trade that sent him from the Astros to the Phillies, Mark Appel lost the front-of-the-rotationglow that defines starting pitchers who are selected with the No. 1 overall pick. He is only 24 years old, and expectations already have been lowered from otherworldly to relatively modest. Talent evaluators who once gushed about his potential now question everything from his killer instinct to the deception (or lack thereof ) on his fastball. In parts of three minor-league seasons, Appel is 16-11, 5.12, with a 1.44 WHIP and 280 hits allowed in 253 innings. Numbers like that have a way of putting a damper on the industry buzz. But with change, hope springs eternal and a sense of optimism fills…

Jose Rosario, a 20-year-old righthander signed by the Astros in 2013 out of the Dominican Republic, died Jan. 24 in a motorcycle accident in the Dominican, the organization announced. Rosario pitched the last two seasons in the Astros minor league system, splitting his 2015 season between the Dominican Summer League and the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, going 4-6, 4.40, with 51 strikeouts in 57 innings. “It is with a heavy heart that we inform the Astros community of the passing of minor league pitcher Jose Rosario, who died last night in his native Dominican Republic,” Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said in a statement. “Our thoughts go out to Jose’s family, friends and many teammates.” In a statement, Astros international director of scouting Oz Ocampo said, Rosario “will be remembered…

* Automatic qualifier Regional host GAINESVILLE, FL 1. (1) Florida^* 2. Tulane 3. Georgia Tech 4. Penn* LOUISVILLE, KY 1. (2) Louisville^* 2. UNC Wilmington* 3. Maryland 4. Quinnipiac* COLLEGE STATION, TX 1. (3) Texas A&M^ 2. Dallas Baptist* 3. Arizona State 4. Navy* CHARLOTTESVILE, VA 1. (4) Virginia^ 2. Kentucky 3. Winthrop 4. Bryant* CORVALLIS, OR 1. (5) Oregon State^* 2. Arkansas 3. Indian 4. Southeast Missouri State* CORAL GABLES, FL 1. (6) Miami^ 2. Rice* 3. South Florida 4. Florida A&M* NASHVILLE 1. (7) Vanderbilt^ 2. College of Charleston 3. North Carolina 4. Alabama State* BERKELEY, CA 1. (8) California^ 2. Notre Dame 3. San Diego State* 4. Stony Brook* LAFAYETTE, LA 1. Louisiana- Lafayette^* 2. Mississippi 3. Texas 4. Florida Gulf Coast* LOS ANGELES 1. Southern California^…

TULSA, OKLA. Oklahoma State first baseman Mason O’Brien swatted the Oklahoma batter’s behind with his glove after an inning-ending groundout during a 2015 game. Two decades earlier, such a gesture could have lit the fuse for a bench-clearing brawl between the Bedlam schools. It didn’t happen on this day because it was a literal sign of brotherly love between the in-state rivals. Oklahoma State’s Austin O’Brien smiled when retelling the story about how his younger brother tagged him. They aren’t the only set of brothers on opposing teams, as pitchers Jake Elliott (OU) and Jensen Elliott (OSU) also produce a house divided. Family and friendship ties on the rosters make this a kindler, gentler rivalry that features teams expected to challenge for this spring’s Big 12 Conference championship. But years…

DIVISION II TOP PROSPECTS, 2016 DRAFT 1. Tyson Miller, rhp, Cal Baptist: The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder, who struck out 29 in 25 innings in the Cape Cod League, has at least three pro pitches with a 90-93 mph fastball and a pair of solid breaking balls. 2. Daniel Zardon, 3b, Nova Southeastern (Fla.): A transfer from Louisiana State who hit .305 in the Cape Cod League after his freshman season, Zardon is a solid defender at third with an excellent arm. 3. Brett Morales, rhp, Tampa: The Florida transfer didn’t show as much velocity during fall ball at Tampa, but he has shown a 93-94 mph fastball at his best and has flashed a quality breaking ball. 4. Nehwon Norkeh, of, Angelo (Texas) State: A big right fielder with the power,…

BOSTON For nearly three years, the question hovered over righthander Ty Buttrey. What happened to the power arsenal that convinced the Red Sox to select the Charlotte high school product in the fourth round of the 2012 draft and sign him for $1.3 million? In high school, the 6-foot-6 Buttrey sat in the low 90s, regularly touched the mid-90s and occasionally dialed his way up to 97 mph. Between his fastball, a spike curveball that showed swing-and-miss potential and a strikethrowing approach, he profiled as a starter if his changeup developed. But Buttrey’s fastball didn’t make the jump to pro ball. The result was confusion and uncertainty, particularly when he ran up an 11.91 ERA through his first four starts at low Class A Greenville in 2014. “Your mechanics change,…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ NEW YORK The Mets selected Stetson product Jacob deGrom, the 2014 National League Rookie of the Year and 2015 playoff ace, in the ninth round of the 2010 draft. Just as deGrom was validating his rookie success in New York, the Mets went back to the Stetson well to draft catcher Patrick Mazeika in the eighth round in 2015. The 22-year-old Mazeika thrived in his pro debut at Rookie-level Kingsport. He hit .354/.451/.540 in 62 games to lead the Appalachian League in on-base percentage and doubles (27) while finishing second in average and RBIs (48). “Early on (in pro ball) it was an adjustment,” Mazeika said. “After having a month off (after the draft), I was just getting…

PHILADELPHIA Mark Appel doesn’t make any excuses. He hasn’t reached the expectations that made him the first overall pick by the Astros in the 2013 draft. “That’s on me,” the 24-year-old, former Stanford righthander said. He joins the Phillies with a positive outlook, intent on fulfilling his huge potential. “There’s some emotion—not bitterness or resentment, just emotion—knowing I was with the Astros and now I’m not,” said Appel, whom Houston traded to Philadelphia as part of the package for closer Ken Giles in December. “On the flip side, there’s a lot of excitement. I look at the opportunity that’s afforded me, and the fact that the Phillies front office wanted me and traded for me, and that’s exciting.” Appel reached Triple-A Fresno for 12 starts last season and projects to…

CHICAGO Even with Jose Abreu batting in the middle of the lineup, power production has been a problem for the White Sox. They finished last in the American League with 136 home runs in 2015. Adding third baseman Todd Frazier from the Reds in a December trade should immediately boost Chicago’s homer total, and first baseman Corey Zangari quickly showed he could be a power threat down the road. Drafted last year in the sixth round out of Albert High in Midwest City, Okla., Zangari began his pro career with a bang. In 48 games in the Rookie-level Arizona League, Zangari hit .323/.356/.492 with six home runs and 40 RBIs. He closed the season with six games at Rookie-level Great Falls. The 18-year-old, who also pitched and played catcher in…

MINNEAPOLIS The quality that may help righthander Yorman Landa reach the majors is most evident, the Twins say, when he’s getting belted. Say, when he gives up a home run. OK, bad example. Landa doesn’t give up home runs. “He’s got a really heavy ball, and it stays in the park,” vice president for player personnel Mike Radcliff said. “I’ve watched him a lot, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen” him surrender a homer. Not many have. The 21-year-old Venezuelan, who signed in September 2010, has allowed just four home runs in his five pro seasons and 181 innings, never more than one in a season. It’s a talent that intrigues the Twins almost as much as Landa’s 97 mph fastball. “He’s played in some small ballparks, and his…

CINCINNATI Lefthander Cody Reed is taking his offseason training seriously this year, because he did last year and it resulted in the best year of his career. The 22-year-old didn’t really understand what he was supposed to do with his offseason work early in his pro career. The Royals selected Reed in the second round of the 2013 draft from Northwest Mississippi CC, and he spent 2014 at low Class A Lexington, where he went 3-9, 5.46 in 19 starts. So after that disappointing campaign, he took the offseason more seriously. He carried that offseason work into a good spring training and eventually a great 2015, where he went 13-9, 2.41 with 144 strikeouts in 146 innings for three teams. Reed finished the year in the Southern League playoffs as…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ ARLINGTON For more than five years, Rangers fans waited for the day when Jorge Alfaro would become the franchise’s best catcher since Ivan Rodriguez. That day isn’t coming, at least not any time soon. Texas used Alfaro as trade bait last July for Cole Hamels, and the title of Rangers’ top catching prospect was vacated. Jose Trevino, who played shortstop in his final season at Oral Roberts, appears to have claimed it. He finished 2015 in the Arizona Fall League after an impressive season at low Class A Hickory in which he showed enough with the bat and the glove to establish himself as the organization’s best catcher. While Trevino is fully aware that Alfaro is now with…

OAKLAND Righthander Dustin Driver experienced a breakthrough in instructional league that he hopes will lead to improved control. The 2013 seventh-round pick out of Wenatchee (Wash.) High recorded a walk rate of 5.8 per nine innings in 2015, which he spent mostly at short-season Vermont, and he also has struggled to stay healthy. Given these factors, outgoing pitching coordinator Garvin Alston knew Driver was due for a change. “He had a little swing in his leg,” said Alston, who left in November to become the Diamondbacks’ bullpen coach. “Once we started talking about his leg (in instructs), for whatever reason, his ball started to stay in the zone. Once we cleaned him up, his lower half started to stay more connected.” “The leg swing was causing me to be up…

PHOENIX If more proof is needed that the apple does not fall far from the tree, consider the success of short-season Hillsboro manager Shelley Duncan. In his first season as a minor league manager, Duncan helped the Hops to their second straight Northwest League championship, and he will return in the same capacity in 2016. Duncan, son of long-time pitching coach and current Diamondbacks pitching advisor Dave Duncan, led the Hops to a 45-31 record and a .592 winning percentage. “Shelley did a very good job with the players this summer,” vice president of baseball operations De Jon Watson said. “I think he learned a lot about his leadership and how to communicate with all of the different personalities. I’m excited to see his continued growth.” Duncan will welcome a…

SAN FRANCISCO Righthander Ian Gardeck never stayed in one place too long. The thickly built reliever went from a suburban Chicago high school to Angelina (Texas) JC to Alabama for one season, where he received some opportunities to close games. When the Giants took Gardeck in the 16th round of the 2012 draft, it appeared that his upper-90s fastball and slider would keep him on the move through the system. But then came a hip injury, followed by a fractured toe. His results on the field made him want to kick something in frustration. He recorded a 4.60 ERA through his first 92 pro appearances, while walking 103 batters in 123 innings. His 19 walks and 28 strikeouts at high Class A San Jose in 2014 ensured that, for once…

High school players who are drafted will now be allowed to have an agent negotiate for them with major league clubs before enrolling in college without affecting their NCAA eligibility, following a vote Jan. 15 at the NCAA Convention. A proposal that was sponsored by the Big 12 Conference, as a part of the process the Power Five conferences have to autonomously adopt legislation, easily passed by a vote of 75-2 with three abstentions. The rule goes into effect immediately for the Atlantic Coast, Big 12, Big Ten, Pacific-12 and the Southeastern conferences. Other Division I conferences may adopt the rule if they so choose. High school draftees must pay the agent’s going rate and may not receive any additional benefits. If they do not sign, they must terminate their…

When Bill Bavasi took over as the director of the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau in November 2014, he knew change was inevitable. The Bureau has existed in one form or another since 1974 (it was absorbed by the commissioner’s office in 1985), to provide detailed reports and video of draft prospects to all 30 major league clubs. However, in the ever-evolving scouting landscape, the bureau’s relevance has waned in recent years. “In the last decade, the way clubs approach scouting has really changed dramatically,” Bavasi said. “We can’t be the bureau that I want it to be. We have to be the bureau that clubs want it to be—that clubs need it to be. “We have to reflect as exactly as we can the current needs of the clubs,…

Columnist, MLB Network BOSTON Who cares if what Chris Davis gets is ultimately $161 million or $140 million-plus in present-day value? He is where is he is most wanted, his power plays very big in Camden Yards and the ballparks of the American League East, he can play first base— which he does very well—and we got to watch two master negotiators—Peter Angelos and Scott Boras—work to a deal that fits player and owner. In the end, it didn’t much matter about mystery teams pursuing Davis. In the end, it doesn’t really matter what offer Peter Angelos extended to Yoenis Cespedes and whether, as some Orioles folks believe, it was an actual commitable offer. Boras wanted more than $150 million, but Angelos wasn’t going to the $170 to $190 million…

Prognosticating which teams can get to Omaha is hard. Picking the national championship winner before a game has even been played? With the increased parity in college baseball—reflected most with three years in a row with first-time national champions in UCLA (2013), Vanderbilt (’14) and Virginia (’15)—identifying College World Series clubs gets harder every year, even as the “Power Five” conferences separate themselves from the rest of college athletics more and more with massive amounts of football money. Identifying which players will be future big leaguers, though—we have that figured out at Baseball America. That’s because we enlist the scouting directors of Major League Baseball’s 30 clubs to pick the best players for us, in our Preseason All-America teams. These are the most talented players in the country, as judged…

Editor in Chief Baseball America johnmanuel @baseba llamerica.com Buddy Reed drew a low number. His turn to hit at an Orlando Scorpions showcase would come last. Reed, a Maryland native, was fairly new to high school baseball and the showcase circuit, thanks to a multi-sport background that included his own star turns playing soccer and hockey. He was told to shag fly balls and help gather balls back into a bucket behind second base while others took their batting practice and he waited his turn. “Two things stood out,” Florida assistant coach Brad Weitzel remembered. “First, his body. He just had a great body—long legs, high waist, broad shoulders. Second, I watched him. He worked his tail off that day. He didn’t do anything halfway. He got after it. He…

Baseball Members (First Year): East—Florida (1933), Georgia (1933), Kentucky (1933), Missouri (2013), South Carolina (1992), Tennessee (1933), Vanderbilt (1933). West—Alabama (1933), Arkansas (1992), Auburn (1933), Louisiana State (1933), Mississippi (1933), Mississippi State (1933), Texas A&M (2013). Checking out: None. TEAM TO BEAT Florida The No. 1 team in the country is teeming with talent and is looking to win it's first ever national championship TOURNAMENT: 12 teams, May 24-29 at Hoover, Ala. PLAYER OF THE YEAR Nick Senzel 3b, Tennessee A consistent performer in the first two years of his career, Senzel will anchor the Volunteers lineup while moving to third base from second. PITCHER OF THE YEAR A.J. Puk lhp, Florida Puk has always had electric stuff, but he was able to harness it last season. If the hard-throwing…

Baseball Members (First Year): Arizona (1979), Arizona State (1979), California (1916), UCLA (1928), Oregon (1916-1981, 2009) Oregon State (1916), Southern California (1923), Stanford (1918), Utah (2012), Washington (1916), Washington State (1919). Checking out: None. TEAM TO BEAT Oregon State The Beavers made a regional last year despite a roster full of freshmen. They're older and deeper in 2016. TOURNAMENT: None PLAYER OF THE YEAR Bobby Dalbec 3b/rhp, Arizona The junior led the Pac-12 with 15 home runs and went 3-7, 3.21 in 62 innings. He provides power at the plate and in the weekend rotation. PITCHER OF THE YEAR Daulton Jefferies rhp, California An athletic junior righty with a fourpitch mix, Jefferies comes off a strong summer with USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team and should give teams fits on Friday…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ NEW YORK Catcher Luis Torrens’ surgicallyrepaired right shoulder will be ready, with no restrictions, when spring training opens in February. Now the Yankees hope the soon-to-be 20-year-old returns to the form he flashed in 2014 when he starred at short-season Staten Island and ranked on the organization’s Top 10 Prospects list. That season he hit .256/.331/.383 in 62 games and threw out 39 percent of basestealers. Talent evaluators once raved about Torrens’ arm, but after having shoulder surgery and missing the entire 2015 season, he faces plenty of questions. “He is healthy and ready, full bore, for spring training,” general manager Brian Cashman said of the Valencia, Venezuela, native who signed in July 2012. “We expect him to…

ST. PETERSBURG Righthander Brent Honeywell has made things look easy at times in moving quickly through the system. He reached high Class A Charlotte a little more than a year after being a supplemental second-round pick in 2014. As much as the Rays are impressed with what he has done, farm director Mitch Lukevics said Honeywell, 20, needs work on how he has gotten there. “He has good stuff, and he needs to work on focus, which (coordinators Dewey Robinson) and (Dick Bosman) and all our pitching coaches will help,’’ Lukevics said. “Sometimes I think he thinks it’s easy—and it won’t be. But he has the stuff once he gets over that hurdle of focusing more, he can be a really good pitcher. “He has that stuff. He has that…

ATLANTA One year ago, the Braves’ depth chart at catcher consisted of top prospect Christian Bethancourt, 2013 fourth-rounder Tanner Murphy and little else. That scenario, not unlike the rest of the Atlanta system, has changed considerably. The Braves traded Bethancourt to the Padres in December, while Murphy, a gifted defender, hit .193 during a difficult season at low Class A Rome. Atlanta believes it has added significant catching depth over the past year by drafting four receivers in 2015 and acquiring 18-yearold Venezuelan catcher Ricardo Rodriguez from San Diego in the Bethancourt deal. Considered to be one of the top international amateur catchers available in 2014, Rodriguez spent most of 2015 in the Dominican Summer League but has the catch-and-throw skills and awareness to make an impact at higher levels.…

WASHINGTON Shortstop Osvaldo Abreu has grown up right before low Class A Hagerstown manager Patrick Anderson’s eyes. Some of that development came in 2013, when Abreu was part of an Andersonmanaged team that went 49-9 and won the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League title. Then, Abreu helped himself even more at Hagerstown last season, when he hit .274/.357/.412 in 123 games and stole 30 bases in 41 attempts. “From where he was two years before, I could see a big difference in his awareness of situations,” Anderson said. “He’s a really good kid, a quiet young man. He’s so hard on himself, but he has started to get a lot more relaxed and let the game come to him.” The 21-year-old Abreu signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2012. He…

CLEVELAND For a pitcher so long and lean, Triston McKenzie casts quite a shadow. The 6-foot-5, 165-pound righthander signed for a tick more than $2.3 million after the Indians selected him as a supplemental first-round pick in 2015. The 42nd overall pick received the second-largest bonus for a player selected after the first round in his draft class. In pitching Royal Palm Beach High to the Florida state semifinals, McKenzie recorded a 0.79 ERA and struck out 157 batters in 91 innings. Still just 17, he logged 12 innings for the Rookie-level Arizona League club in his pro debut, striking out 17 and walking three. McKenzie attracts attention for his performance— and also his frame. He obviously has a lot of filling out to do, and Indians officials are optimistic…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ PITTSBURGH The trade of Neil Walker to the Mets for lefthander Jon Niese was not made with the idea of opening the starting second base job for prospect Alen Hanson. Most likely, the 23-year-old infielder will begin the 2016 season back at Triple-A Indianapolis. However, that doesn’t change his goal heading to spring training. “I’ve got a chance to make the team and I feel ready to go and play,” Hanson said. The Pirates expect third baseman Josh Harrison to move to second base, while Jung Ho Kang is penciled in as the Opening Day third baseman after finishing third in 2015 National League Rookie of the Year voting. Though Kang’s recovery from torn knee ligaments and a…

MILWAUKEE The Brewers will have an interesting competition for their center field job. To provide veteran coverage at the position, the Brewers claimed Kirk Nieuwenhuis on waivers from the Mets and signed free agent Eric Young Jr. to a minor league deal. They also acquired the speedy Keon Broxton from the Pirates in a deal that sent first baseman Jason Rogers to Pittsburgh. Also in the mix is Domingo Santana, acquired from the Astros last July in the Carlos Gomez-Mike Fiers trade. Santana is more suited for the corner outfield but played mostly in center over the final weeks of the season, with Khris Davis and Ryan Braun entrenched in left and right field, respectively. “At this point, we have an open competition there,” general manager David Stearns said. “Anyone…

HOUSTON Considering that A.J. Reed led the minors with 34 home runs, 127 RBIs and a 1.044 OPS in 2015, the first baseman expected an invitation to big league camp this year. Big league manager A.J. Hinch even indicated as much when he visited the 22-year-old Reed in the Arizona Fall League. The club officially announced Reed’s invitation to camp on Jan. 1, but the news didn’t set in until mid-January, when he received a call from farm director Allen Rowin informing him of the reporting dates. “I’m just going into spring training looking to compete and win myself a spot, hopefully, with the big league club,” Reed said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m just really excited to be going to big league camp.” Reed, who…

SEATTLE A year ago, the Mariners summoned lefthander Paul Fry to the big league side spring-training camp, and the old reliever appeared in several Cactus League games. “Experience-wise, it gave me a lot of confidence to know that I could compete,” said Fry, 23. This year, Fry will begin on the big league side, with a remote chance to make the Opening Day roster as the second lefthander in the Seattle bullpen. Fry turned in an outstanding 2015 season to earn the organization’s minor league reliever of the year award. A 17th-round pick in 2013 out of St. Clair County (Mich.) CC, he began last season at high Class A Bakersfield and pitched his way to Double-A Jackson. In 50 total appearances, Fry recorded a 2.02 ERA and nine saves.…

DENVER Catching coordinator Mark Strittmatter, acting with what player development director Zach Wilson called “complete selflessness,” opened his Denver-area home to several catching prospects for the second straight year. During a 10-day period beginning in mid-January, Ryan Casteel and Troy Stein, followed by Dom Nunez and Chris Rabago worked with Strittmatter, who has a batting cage attached to his garage with a pitching machine that enables the catchers to hone their receiving and blocking skills. Nunez stayed with shortstop Max George, a Rockies farmhand who lives in the Denver area. Casteel, Stein and Rabago stayed with Strittmatter, his wife and their two children. All four catchers paid for their flights. “There’s something to be said when a guy financially invests in himself and his career to get better,” Wilson said,…

It won’t be long before you have the Top 100 Prospects issue in your hand. Now that we’ve wrapped up the Top 10 Prospects lists for all 30 teams, we turn our attention to how the best of the best stack up against each other. But we also like to see how each position’s prospects stack up. So beginning with this issue, we unveil our position rankings. We’ll look at the pitchers and catchers in this issue and move on to the rest of the position prospects in the next issue. Because it’s very arbitrary to pick which minor league starters will end up as relievers (and a lot of it depends on team need), we grouped starters and relievers together in the pitching rankings. Each position is ranked on…

MATTHEW SIMMS YELLOWKNIFE, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES CANADA Desme, a 2007 second-round pick out of Cal Poly, is one of the best players to never reach the majors of the past couple of decades. He went 30-30 in the California League in 2009 and followed that up by winning the Arizona Fall League MVP award before deciding in January 2010 to leave baseball to become a Catholic monk. Desme was ranked eighth on the A’s Top 10 Prospects list right before his decision to leave baseball. He was not a Top 100 Prospect at the time because his game had warts (a very high strikeout rate, questions about whether he would stick in center field and a run of injuries) as well as strengths (excellent speed and power). It’s highly likely that…

Columnist, MLB.com DENVER Get ready for it. The designated hitter could be coming to a National League park near you. And it may happen sooner than later. The NL traditionalists aren’t going to like it. It is, however, just another step in the constant reshaping of the national pastime. Hey, the idea of a DH goes back before there were numbers on the backs of uniforms and lights in stadiums, before pitching mounds were lowered from 15 inches to 10 inches and before uniform pant legs were allowed to dangle down to the top of cleats. The DH is an idea that Connie Mack, a Hall of Fame manager/executive, first proposed in 1906. NL president John Heydler thought he had the NL convinced to adopt the plan in ’29, only…

The term “brotherhood” can be applied to just about any college baseball team. The shared experiences of school and play, the triumphs and heartbreaks of a long season have a way of forging that kind of bond. Walk into the locker rooms at Air Force, Army or Navy, however, and it’s a little different. “We definitely have a stronger bond than any other team,” Air Force junior outfielder Tyler Jones said. “We’ve all been through basic training. We’ve all been through survival training. We all go to school together. We all take 20 hours together. Really, sometimes baseball is your release from all the pressures of the academy.” At Navy, Midshipmen ace lefthander Luke Gillingham begins every day at 6:20 a.m., with a uniform inspection at 6:55 followed by a…

David Olmedo-Barrera’s deep drive scraped the left-field foul pole in the top of the 11th, and all Kyle Funkhouser could do was sit in his home dugout and watch. This was draft night. In another world, at another time, maybe Funkhouser would’ve been dressed in a suit somewhere, surrounded by loved ones, waiting for his name to be called. Maybe he would’ve walked across a stage. The only stage Funkhouser had on June 8, 2015 was the field at Jim Patterson Stadium— Game Three of the Louisville Super Regional. The junior righthander, who had started Game One, thought this would be his last night at that field. He’d hoped Omaha would be his next, and final, career stop. Instead, Funkhouser watched Cal State Fullerton celebrate a trip to the College…

01 FLORIDA 2015 Record (Ranking): 52-18 (3). RPI: 6. Coach (Record at school): Kevin O'Sullivan (344-173, 8 years). Postseason History: 21 regionals (active streak: 8), 9 CWS trips (active streak: 1), 0 national titles. 2016 Lineup Coach Kevin O’Sullivan has been here before with Florida. In 2011 and 2012, the Gators entered the season as the No. 1 team in the country, loaded with All-Americans and weighty expectations. In both years, Florida reached the College World Series—the last two of three straight trips to Omaha. But both times the Gators came up short, with a loss to South Carolina in the 2011 CWS Finals and an 0-2 showing in 2012. O’Sullivan said he has learned from those experiences, as well as watching other talented baseball teams fall short of a…

Baseball Members (First Year): Baylor (1997), Kansas (1997), Kansas State (1997), Oklahoma (1997), Oklahoma State (1997), Texas (1997), Texas Christian (2013), Texas Tech (1997), West Virginia (2013) Checking out: None. TEAM TO BEAT Oklahoma State Boasting a deep stable of arms and versatile offense, the Cowboys look poised to get back to Omaha for the first time in 17 years. TOURNAMENT: 8 teams, May 25–29 at Oklahoma City PLAYER OF THE YEAR Donnie Walton ss, Oklahoma State The Cowboys were ecstatic to get Walton back for his senior season. His exceptional bat control and smart approach in the box helped him hit .326 as a junior, and he anchors OSU’s defense as well. PITCHER OF THE YEAR Alec Hansen rhp, Oklahoma Hansen has top of the first round stuff, and…

HOUSTON On the eastern outskirts of America’s fourth-largest city, San Jacinto Junior College’s storied baseball program usually practices in relative anonymity. At nearly 20 miles from downtown Houston, it wouldn’t even be fair to say the Gators are in the shadow of Minute Maid Park, as their Division I neighbors Rice or Houston could claim. The school’s north campus is surrounded by an elementary school, student housing, a high school football stadium—the surest sign you’re in Texas—and drainage ditches with names like “Big Gulch.” But on a sunny January day, San Jac’s practice felt like a big league atmosphere. The program, which has had 21 players drafted directly from the juco ranks since 2006, is teeming with both potential pro talent and actual professional experience. Before practice, Phillies pitcher and…

BALTIMORE The Orioles received a double dose of good news regarding righthanders Dylan Bundy and Hunter Harvey at their annual three-day minicamp in Sarasota, Fla. Harvey threw his fifth bullpen session and reported no discomfort in his elbow. Bundy had been playing long toss from 150 feet before throwing 15 fastballs off a half-mound at the minicamp. The Orioles shut down Bundy at Double-A Bowie in late May with calcification behind his right shoulder, and again in the Arizona Fall League with tightness in his right forearm. Harvey didn’t pitch in 2015 and was shut down during instructional league with a strained right flexor mass. Both first-round picks—Bundy in 2011, Harvey in 2013—are confident that they’re now healthy and won’t need surgery. “It’s great to know that they’re on schedule,…

TORONTO Gil Kim arrives to the Blue Jays’ newly-created position of director of player development after seven years with the Rangers in a variety of scouting roles, the past two as director of international scouting. The 34-year-old Vanderbilt graduate—a switch-hitting second baseman who played professionally in the Netherlands, China, Australia, Spain and Venezuela after going undrafted—sees natural parallels between the two positions. “It’s definitely a very big responsibility and a huge challenge—one that I welcome,” Kim said. “But at the core, the passion someone has for international scouting should be about that grassroots level of finding and developing talent. “Player development is all about building from the ground up as well.” Management of the Blue Jays farm system the past few seasons was handled by director of minor league operations…

MIAMI Lefthander Mike Strong got married, had his first child, bought his first house and changed organizations—twice—all in the span of two months this offseason. Two days after his family moved to Oklahoma in early December, Strong learned he had been removed from the Brewers’ 40-man roster. Two hours later, the Marlins claimed the 27-year-old on waivers. Strong, a 10th-round pick from Oklahoma State in 2011, has a fastball that sits in the low 90s and a curve that ranges in the upper 70s. Over the past two seasons, he has added a changeup that averages 85 mph. Strong received his most extensive work at Double-A in 2015, recording a strikeout rate of 8.9 per nine innings and 0.93 WHIP in 38 relief appearances at Huntsville. Promoted to Triple-A Colorado…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ DETROIT As a junior at Tennessee last year, outfielder Christin Stewart batted .311/.443/.633 with 15 home runs in 50 games. He swung the bat well enough to be drafted in the first round by the Tigers. Then he continued to hit the ball well in his first stint as a professional. Stewart, the 34th overall pick in the 2015 draft, hit .285/.372/.508 in 301 plate appearances for the Tigers at three different minor league levels. “We were very pleased with his first season with us,” assistant general manager David Chadd said. “He hit a combined 10 home runs in a short season. That’s hard to do.” Stewart hit just eight home runs in his first two seasons at…

KANSAS CITY Second baseman Corey Toups does not impress one with his size, but once he takes the field he becomes very impressive. Toups, listed generously at 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, was a 15th-round pick in 2014 out of Sam Houston State. He missed his 2013 sophomore season after having left knee surgery to repair a torn medial tendon. He rebounded to hit .310 the next year to attract scouts. In 2015, Troups hit .291/.364/.444 at low Class A Lexington while stealing 31 bases. He did not play after Aug. 19 but still earned the Legends’ player-of-the-year award. “He’s kind of an undersized player, but he swings the bat pretty well,” assistant general manager Scott Sharp said. Toups logged 27 doubles, five triples and seven home runs, while scoring 75 runs…

CHICAGO A few months after the farm system graduated its top prospects to the majors, rumblings of a possible change coming to the National League suggest another potential boost for the hitter-heavy Cubs. Nobody in the NL is better positioned to welcome the DH than Chicago—even after third baseman Kris Bryant, shortstop Addison Russell and outfielders Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber turned into a rookie playoff core for the big league club last year. “We have so many hitters coming, we wouldn’t mind a DH,” president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said, “but we can’t control that. It’s above our pay grade. It’s an issue with the commissioner and the owners.” In theory, a change in the DH rule could begin with a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2017. For…

ST. LOUIS At one time, before he ever donned what manager Mike Matheny refers to as “the tools of intelligence,” Carson Kelly’s best tool was at the plate, not behind it. This is the season he’ll try to reconnect with his bat. “I think defense was the main priority,” said Kelly, who converted from third base to catcher in 2014. “Focusing on that and putting the hitting a little bit in the backseat . . . I think (offensive development is) going to be where more focus is going to be this offseason, and going forward. I feel like I’m right there.” Kelly hit .219/.263/.332 at high Class A Palm Beach in 2015, and the 21-year-old brings a .239 career average into this season. The Cardinals repurposed the Portland, Ore.,…

ANAHEIM “There’s a lot to like,” director of minor league operations Mike LaCassa said of righthander Joe Gatto, a second-round pick out of high school in Richland, N.J., in 2014. “He’s really athletic, he has a great head on his shoulders, and he has good makeup on and off the field.” The 20-year-old Gatto also possesses a strong and sturdy 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame, a smooth delivery, a clean arm action and a lively fastball that ranges from 92-96 mph. Gatto, who signed for $1.2 million, has made great strides in his first year and a half of pro ball. He always has had an electric fourseam fastball, which he can throw with some cutting action or armside run, but he’s turned his sinking two-seam fastball into a weapon that is…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ LOS ANGELES Once the No. 1 prospect in the Braves system, Jordan Schafer jumped from Double-A to make his big league debut as Atlanta’s starting center fielder in April 2009. He hit a home run in his first at-bat and played nearly 500 games in the outfield in the subsequent seven seasons with the Braves, Astros and Twins. Now Schafer is going to try doing it all over again as a lefthanded pitcher after the Dodgers signed the 29-year-old to a minor league deal on Jan. 9. “The odds are lottery-like,” director of player development Gabe Kapler said, “but gambling on athleticism and grit makes for inspiring rooting.” The Twins’ starting center fielder on Opening Day 2014, Schafer…

SAN DIEGO General manager A.J. Preller has conspicuously placed his fingerprints on the farm system in his two years on the job. Preller, who spent most of his scouting career with the Rangers, has persuaded CEO Mike Dee and chairman Ron Fowler to create two new jobs in player development: international player development coordinator, filled by Daniel Cepin, and coordinator of instruction, filled by Ryley Westman, who followed Preller from Texas. Elsewhere in the system, Tarrick Brock went from his 2015 role as the organization’s outfield and baserunning instructor to firstbase coach for first-year big league manager Andy Green, a Preller hire. The staff of minor league instructors will include several newcomers: coordinator Shaun Cole, who came over from USA Baseball last summer; instructor Dave Bingham, catching instructor John Nester,…

The Venezuelan Summer League is shutting down for the 2016 season. With several teams having pulled out of their Venezuelan academies in recent years, the VSL was down to just four teams—the Cubs, Phillies, Rays and Tigers—in 2015. According to multiple sources, the Cubs were going to pull out of the VSL this year, so the league shut down rather than trying to play with just three teams. It’s the latest move in a trend of teams reducing their presence in Venezuela. It’s a country rich in baseball talent, but one that has become more challenging and dangerous to navigate because of its political turmoil, soaring inflation, shortages of basic goods and high homicide rates. Clubs that still have operations in Venezuela are not sure how they will proceed, both…

Transactions Transactions involving minor league players, i.e. those not on 40-man rosters, covering the period Jan. 8-21. Arizona Diamondbacks: Signed RHP Sam LeCure and - Gabriel Noriega. Atlanta Braves: Signed RHP Rob Wooten and LHP Steve Kent. Released - Luis Mateo. Baltimore Orioles: Signed RHPs Greg Ross and Tim Sexton, 1B Aderlin Rodriguez and 3B Alex Liddi. Re-signed LHPs Andy Oliver and Cody Wheeler and SS Sharlon Schoop. Boston Red Sox: Signed OF Brennan Boesch. Chicago Cubs: Signed C Tim Federowicz, 2B Munenori Kawasaki and SS Kris Negron. Chicago White Sox: Signed 2B Gerson Montilla. Released RHPs Braulio Ortiz and Mike Recchia and 2B Victor Velasquez. Cincinnati Reds: Signed C Jordan Pacheco and 3B Alden Carrithers. Resigned RHPs Ryan Mattheus and Pedro Villarreal and OF Donald Lutz. Cleveland Indians: Re-signed…

Baseball Analyst, Senior Writer ESPN.com PHILADELPHIA In that always helpful way of mine, I’m here to save the sport of baseball. And how would I save it? By no longer saving anything. In other words, ban the save! Oh, there’s probably some sort of American Society of Late-Inning Relief Pitchers out there that would immediately file suit to stop me. But I just want them to hear me out on this. They can thank me later. I’m a fan of great relief pitching and great relief pitchers. That’s the first thing they ought to know. I also believe that not just anybody can get those last three outs in a big game, a tight game or a World Series game. I know the difference between Mariano Rivera and, say, Kevin…