Innholdsfortegnelse for Monday, March 13, 2017 i Baseball America

JULY 3, 2005 »IN THIS ISSUE: We celebrate the 40th anniversary of the draft with a look back through the years »ALSO: Tracing the growth of signing bonuses, from Rick Monday to Todd Demeter (Who?) to Joe Borchard The starting gun has sounded. After more than a decade of ruminations and two years of hard planning, Major League Baseball and the Players Association have nine months to pull of the first World Baseball Classic, one of the most anticipated and promising joint ventures ever. The World Cup-style international tournament of major league stars representing their countries will be held during spring training of 2006. MLB and the union announced a barebones plan for the event in May, with plans to reveal substantial details about the event at the All-Star Game…

Baseball Writer, ESPN.com jerrycrasnick@baseballamerica.com SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. Bruce Bochy, a .239 career hitter with three World Series rings as a manager, routinely receives baseball cards in the mail from fans in search of autographs. The Giants’ media relations department dutifully passes them along, and occasionally the envelope will have a hand-written letter inside. One particular note struck a chord with Bochy after San Francisco’s season-ending 6-5 loss to the Cubs in Game Four of the National League Division Series last October. It came from a fan who thought Bochy, general manager Bobby Evans and team CEO Larry Baer weren’t displaying enough anguish in their end-of-season news conference. The observation resonated enough with Bochy that he felt compelled to write a response. “I told the guy, ‘You don’t know how hard that…

MLB AGREES TO ALTER INTENTIONAL WALKS Major League Baseball, in an effort to move forward with initiative to improve pace of play, agreed to change the way intentional walks are issued. Instead of a pitcher throwing four balls to the plate, a signal will be given from the dugout and the batter will automatically be awarded first base. MLB announced the change in Febuary. The change is not final and still awaits approval from the union. MLBPA president Tony Clark, however, said the union was likely to accept the change. “As part of a broader discussion with other moving pieces, the answer is yes,’’ Clark told the Associated Press. “There are details, as part of that discussion, that are still being worked through, however.’’ Commissioner Rob Manfred proposed to the…

Editor in Chief Baseball America johnmanuel@baseballamerica.com Nate Fernley got drafted thanks to the halo effect, though in truth his talent had something to do with it. Now the coach at El Camino (Calif.) JC in Torrance, Fernley prepped at Millikan High in nearby Long Beach, primarily playing third base. He saw the halo effect in person back then as scouts flocked to see his high school, attracted by lefthander Nick Bierbrodt. Fernley wasn’t throwing hard enough to get drafted at that time in 1995, but a year later Bierbrodt went in the first round as one of three Milliken players drafted. The Braves picked Fernley in 1996 out of Long Beach CC, but he opted for Brigham Young instead. Signed by the Indians as a nondrafted free agent in 2001,…

It wasn’t long ago that scouts would follow the Cuban national team anywhere the club traveled. Whether it was the World Baseball Classic in Japan or a small tournament in Nicaragua, watching the Cuban national team at the limited opportunities scouts had to see those players in person was a high priority. The Cuban national team dominated international tournaments, and if any of those players ever left the country to try to sign with a major league team, clubs had to make sure they were prepared with as much history on those players as they could get. That’s no longer the case. Cuba’s national team and the country’s top league, Serie Nacional, have been decimated by players fleeing the country to pursue major league deals. Even after a wave of…

At 42 years old, Rob Cordemans has experienced the highs and lows of international baseball, seeing its growth and growing pains. He was on the Netherlands’ top-level team as early as 1995, and a year later he was pitching in the Atlanta Olympics. If that feels like a lifetime ago, well, at least R.A. Dickey was in those Olympics too “We were pitching against those great Cuban players, like (Orestes) Kindelan or (Omar) Linares, and they were using metal bats,” Cordemans said. “We didn’t know any better.” When asked in jest how those teams insured their players, Cordemans replied, “In the Netherlands, we don’t worry about such things.” So much has changed since Cordemans first suited up for the Dutch national team, from the bats to the pros—first minor leaguers,…

Three decades ago, Bill James created the statistic secondary average—batting average being the primary average—to identify players who excel at hitting for power, stealing bases and drawing walks. Batters who provide value in these so-called secondary phases of the game tend to contribute to victory even when the hits aren’t falling. In this piece, I apply the concept of secondary average (SecA) to minor league players who appear in the 2017 Baseball America Prospect Handbook, though I implement it with a twist. For every player who qualified for our League Top 20 Prospects lists, I calculated league percentile ranks for power (isolated slugging percentage), speed (a modified speed score) and patience (walk rate per plate appearance). I found the harmonic mean between these measures and used that to guide the…

TAMPA Coming out of West Laurens High in Dexter, Ga., the word on Dustin Fowler was that the talented outfielder was headed for Georgia Southern. That he enrolled in summer school strengthened that belief. And while many organizations turned their attention away from Fowler, the Yankees remained interested. “Kendall Carter and Darryl Monroe liked him and stayed on him when he went off the beaten path,” scouting director Damon Oppenheimer said of Fowler, an 18th-round pick in 2013. “They didn’t slow down.” Carter, a pro scout these days, was a national crosschecker, and Monroe, an area scout, stayed on top of Fowler. “He realized he didn’t want to (go to school), that he wanted to sign,” Oppenheimer said of Fowler, who signed for $278,000. “It wasn’t chump change, but it…

MIAMI | Marlins For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ MIAMI Center fielder Thomas Jones, a South Carolina native, and lefthander Braxton Garrett, who is from Alabama, didn’t know each other before last year. But fate has brought them together. Both 19-year-olds are talented and had accepted scholarships to play for Vanderbilt. But instead of heading to Nashville, they signed with the Marlins as 2016 draft picks. Jones, a third-round pick who projects as a leadoff hitter, and Garrett, the seventh overall selection, were roommates last year in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. “We’ve talked about how life would’ve been at Vandy,” Jones said. “But we’re both happy at how things worked out.” The Marlins are equally pleased. Garrett already ranks as the system’s top…

CLEARWATER, FLA. Nick Williams’ toughest opponent in 2016 was Nick Williams. “Last season I feel like I wasn’t allowing myself to have fun because I was thinking, ‘big leagues, big leagues, big leagues,’ ” the 23-year-old outfielder said. “I was putting too much pressure on myself. My approach was, ‘With this pitch, I can get to the big leagues,’ and that’s totally wrong.” After the season Williams “needed to get away, breathe and stop worrying about everything,” he said. “I became overaggressive and gave away a ton of at-bats.” A second-round pick by the Rangers in 2012 out of high school in Galveston, Texas, Williams was one of five prospects acquired by the Phillies for Cole Hamels in July 2015. While Jerad Eickhoff, Jake Thompson, Alec Asher and Jorge Alfaro…

CLEVELAND By the end of last season, the Indians probably had the best bullpen in the game. The team rode those relievers hard to the seventh game of the World Series. As good as that group was, the Indians feel it could be even better this year, with the addition of free agent lefthander Boone Logan. “One of the things we sought to do this offseason was to find some balance for our bullpen, especially from the left side,” team president Chris Antonetti said. “We were trying to find the right guy to complement our pen, and we feel Boone was that guy.” Logan gives the Indians another lethal lefty behind Andrew Miller. The addition of Logan also means the Indians went to camp with their bullpen virtually set, leaving…

MINNEAPOLIS Lefthander Randy Rosario took advantage of a break during Twins fan fest in January to sneak onto the Target Field diamond with a couple of teammates. They took in the surroundings, admired the Minneapolis skyline—and then began throwing fastballs made of snow. “That’s my first time seeing snow,” the 22-year-old Dominican said. “It looks good on the baseball field. I like it.” See how quickly he adapts? The Twins hope that’s a trait Rosario, who signed in 2010 at age 16 for $85,000, brings to his pitching, too. After five seasons as a starter, Minnesota determined midway through last summer that Rosario, coming off Tommy John surgery two years earlier, might be better suited to the bullpen. Despite topping out at 97 mph, Rosario struck out just 6.5 per…

CINCINNATI Second-round pick Chris Okey has had enough rest, even after starting 109 games at catcher between college and pro ball in 2016. “These last couple of months have been nice, having that little break,” Okey said, “but I’ve been itching to get back and I’m ready to get to Arizona.” The No. 43 overall pick in last year’s draft, Okey went right to work as a pro following his All-America career at Clemson. After nine games (seven behind the plate) at Rookielevel Billings, he earned a promotion to low Class A Dayton, where he had an immediate impact at the plate by hitting six home runs in 42 games. “When you go through college, you tend to see arms with a lot of velocity, but now you see that…

SEATTLE | Mariners For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ SEATTLE The top prospect in the organization still has roughly five months remaining in a year-long rehabilitation from a catastrophic right knee injury. If that sounds depressing amid the buoyant atmosphere that accompanies the start of spring training, know that 21-year-old outfielder Kyle Lewis completely understands. He just refuses to share the gloom. “It’s not tough for me,” said Lewis, a firstround pick from Mercer last June who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament along with meniscus tears just 30 games into his pro career at short-season Everett. “From the outside looking in, it is. But for me, I try to go day by day. Set little goals, little challenges, for myself. Maybe do a…

OAKLAND A year ago, righthander Andrew Triggs arrived at Orioles camp as an obscure, aging minor league reliever just hoping for a chance at a Triple-A job. Instead, he was waived, which began an unusual journey. Triggs arrived at Athletics spring training this year as a top contender for a rotation spot. He is coming off a year when he made the transition from reliever to starter and gave every indication that is where he belongs. What sets Triggs apart is his unusual delivery. He throws from a slot just above sidearm but with his release point closer to his body than traditional sidearmers. He also throws across his body, which adds to the confusion. “You get somebody with that kind of arm angle, with that tenacity and confidence, he’s…

PHOENIX Righthander Frank Duncan has always thrown a two-seam fastball. He just never envisioned it as his primary pitch. But since shifting to a sinker-heavy starter midway through 2015, Duncan has seen his stock rise as a prospect, to the point that he caught the attention of the Diamondbacks, who acquired him in February when they sent second baseman Phil Gosselin to the Pirates. Duncan said it was his high Class A Bradenton pitching coach Scott Elarton who suggested he start using his two-seamer more often, seeing it as a weapon that could put him over the top. “It was one of those things where I would try to do a whole lot of things OK instead of just one thing really well,” said Duncan, 25. “When I narrowed that…

SAN DIEGO Most analysts agree that righthander Anderson Espinoza is the top Padres prospect heading into the season. The Padres traded their ace, lefthander Drew Pomeranz, to get Espinoza from the Red Sox last July. The 19-year-old Espinoza may still be a teenager, but he will spend this year in the high Class A California League, perhaps as soon as the season’s first series. “Anderson has made a very strong impression on and off the field since joining the organization,” farm director Sam Geaney said. “He checks a lot of important boxes as a player and a person. He’s got a full year ahead of him in 2017, and preparing for all that goes with that is a huge priority for the next two months.” Espinoza said in September that…

In high school baseball, most competitive teams will be fortunate enough to have a star player or two, with a few college-bound players and maybe some promising underclassmen. But things are a little different at Archbishop McCarthy High (Southwest Ranches, Fla.). The Mavericks aren’t a normal high school program. The 2011 national champions began the season ranked as the No. 3 team in the nation, poised for another run at the 6A Florida state championship, which would be McCarthy’s seventh state championship in eight years. Head coach Rich Bielski has a seasoned group of seniors, led by second-team All- American Alex Toral, one of the nation’s top power hitters, and third-team All-American Joe Perez, a two-way talent who offers plus power, a mid-90s fastball and a plus slider. The Mavericks…

The best pitching prospect in baseball had his potential breakout season delayed before he even threw a pitch in 2017. Alex Reyes, the No. 4 player and top-ranked pitcher on this year's Top 100, completely ruptured his right ulnar collateral ligament and had Tommy John surgery in February. Reyes will require 12 to 18 months to recover. Most starting pitchers miss about a year. "Hopefully he'll be back better than ever," Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said between the time of the initial diagnosis and the surgery. "It's obviously very disappointing. Had very high expectations for him. But I guess if you're going to look at it from a timing standpoint, now he has a year to do his rehab and get everything that he's dealing with under control." Reyes…

A pair of no-hitters kicked off the 2017 college baseball season. Elon righthander Robbie Welhaf threw a no-hitter on the second day of the season, Feb. 18, against Longwood. It was the first in the Phoenix’s history as a Division I program. Soon after, Louisiana State lefthander Jared Poche’ finished a seveninning no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader sweep against Army. Rain on Feb. 17 pushed the start of LSU’s season back a day and created a doubleheader twith a pair of seven-inning games. The fourth-ranked Tigers won the first game, 9-0, behind a strong start from righthander Alex Lange (5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K). But Poche’ upstaged his Preseason All-American teammate in the nightcap. Poche’ cruised through Army’s lineup, needing 79 pitches…

Columnist, MLB Network petergammons@baseballamerica.com BOSTON Orioles manager Buck Showalter is the son of a high school coach and principal. He’s from a military background. On one of the first days of spring training two years ago, we wandered the Sarasota, Fla., fields as Orioles players completed defensive drills such as pitchers covering first and catchers chasing popups. “Watch (shortstop) J.J. Hardy,” Showalter said as he tapped his fungo on the ground. “What do you notice?” “That on every throw,” I replied, “from every infielder or every outfielder he catches the throw and drops a perfect tag precisely where the runner would be sliding.” “Details,” Showalter said. “Details add up over a season—to winning or to losing.” Showalter may hold the Cape Cod League wooden-bat record for the highest batting average—.434…

Japan has the intriguing foreign players. Puerto Rico has the enthralling young roster. The United States has home-field advantage. The Dominican Republic, however, is the World Baseball Classic team with the trophy. The Dominicans open the 2017 WBC in Miami this month as the event’s defending champion, having gone 8-0 in a dominant showing in 2013. They beat their opponents by a combined score of 36-14, including a 3-0 win over Puerto Rico in the title game, and were the first team in WBC history to go undefeated through the tournament. In part because of that dominant precedent, the Dominicans enter as the heavy favorite to win the 2017 title as well. “It’s going to be hard to do better than we did last time,” outfielder Nelson Cruz said from…

The World Baseball Classic has long been an event for the best players in the world to introduce themselves to U.S. audiences, more often than not using it as a springboard to major league stardom down the road. Whether it was Daisuke Matsuzaka and Alexei Ramirez in 2006, Yu Darvish, Aroldis Chapman and Yoenis Cespedes in 2009, or Masahiro Tanaka, Jose Abreu and Jung Ho Kang in 2013, international players of many stripes have gone on to sign major league contracts after showing what they can do in the WBC. This year, however, doesn’t figure to work out quite like that. While there are a few intriguing prospects at the top, the unsigned crop of international talent this year is arguably the worst it has been since the WBC began…

BOSTON | Red Sox For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ BOSTON The Red Sox recognized that they would have to surrender elite prospects if they wanted to acquire Chris Sale—and they were prepared to part with a prospect haul. In early talks with the Whtie Sox, they came to a shared understanding: second baseman Yoan Moncada and righthander Michael Kopech had to be part of a deal. But as the teams discussed the rest of the package, the Red Sox were prepared to walk away over another top prospect. Boston would not trade Rafael Devers, even if it meant walking away from Sale. The stance reflected in no small part the 20-yearold third baseman’s progress. When Devers signed for $1.5 million out of the…

PORT CHARLOTTE, FLA. With all the hustle and bustle, it’s hard to make an impression on the first day of spring training. But 22-year-old righthander Kevin Gadea, a Rule 5 draft pick from the Mariners, caught manager Kevin Cash’s eye with his poise and accuracy. Gadea, who signed with Seattle out of Nicaragua in 2012, finished last season at low Class A Clinton. As Cash notes, not many players have ever been selected out of the low minors in the Rule 5 draft. “For a young pitcher, watching him throw his bullpen, he seemed under control, and he filled up the strike zone,” Cash said. “You never know what he’s thinking. In fairness to him, he’s probably thinking every pitch he throws is being analyzed. It’s really not, but I…

ATLANTA The Braves have a track record of drafting players who have taken wayward routes during their baseball careers and putting them on the right path. After attending three colleges, having Tommy John surgery and even leaving the game for a while, lefthander Chase Johnson- Mullins is emerging as Atlanta’s most recent reclamation project. Drafted in the 24th round by the Rangers in 2012 out of high school in Paris, Ky., he attended Kentucky for a year before transferring to Walters State (Tenn.) CC. Johnson- Mullins had issues there, left baseball and then decided to give the game another shot at Shelton State (Ala.) CC. He overcame elbow surgery during the process and showed enough promise with his 6-foot-8, 250-pound frame that generates a low- to mid-90s fastball and an…

WASHINGTON Catcher Raudy Read enters this spring on the 40-man roster and with a label he hasn’t necessarily had in the past. He will head to Double-A Harrisburg, where he is expected to be a leader. Tripp Keister, Read’s manager last year at high Class A Potomac, said he noticed a more take-charge attitude from his catcher, whom he first saw in the Carolina League late in 2015. “I thought he made tremendous strides with his maturity, and that really helped him with dealing with the failure of the game,” Keister said. “He’s always had tools, but being able to reach his tools and fight that daily adversity, that maturity really helped.” Read played his way into the middle of the Potomac lineup. He hit .262/.324/.415 in 101 games and…

DETROIT One of the main issues facing the Tigers this spring is determining who will play center field on an everyday basis. That mystery does not extend to high Class A Lakeland, where Jose Azocar can—and will—play center. The 20-year-old is so smooth defensively in center that he split time there last year at low Class A West Michigan with 2014 firstrounder Derek Hill. With the speedy Hill out of action until at least June after having Tommy John surgery last summer, Azocar is positioned to play center every day in the Florida State League. “He can really, really play center field,” farm director Dave Owen said. “Jose can play anywhere out there . . . He’s got a cannon. He can really throw. He doesn’t have blazing speed, but…

PITTSBURGH | Pirates For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ PITTSBURGH Nick Kingham and Jameson Taillon are brothers in surgically-repaired right arms. Taillon, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 draft, had Tommy John surgery in April 2014 and made his major league debut last June. Kingham had the same procedure in May 2015 and is hoping to follow Taillon’s timetable and reach Pittsburgh this year. He will likely begin the season at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he was pitching in 2015 when he injured his elbow. The two shared a condo in Taillon’s hometown of Houston during the offseason and worked out together at the same facility, along with outfield prospect Barrett Barnes and lefthander Brandon Waddell as well as former Pirates closer Mark…

MILWAUKEE Weary of the affiliate shuffle that has landed their farm clubs in undesirable locations, the Brewers engaged in negotiations to buy the high Class A Carolina franchise. Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio made that revelation at the team’s annual winter fan fest at the end of January. It marked a departure in past policy because the Brewers have not owned any of their affiliates. The Brewers signed a two-year player development contract with Carolina after losing their long-time affiliation with Brevard County of the Florida State League. That franchise moved to Kissimmee, Fla., and realigned with the Braves. By buying the Carolina franchise, the Brewers would secure that affiliation in the Carolina League for as long as they desire. “You have a little bit of musical chairs in the…

HOUSTON When the Astros inserted Yulieski Gurriel into a game at first base last Sept. 2, he had never before played the position. The 32-year-old was a third baseman throughout his decorated career in Cuba. But third base with the Astros had been claimed by rookie sensation Alex Bregman. Borrowing the first baseman’s mitt of teammate Marwin Gonzalez, Gurriel started four games at the position. The Astros view this as an important spring training for their $47.5 million man, because it’s the first chance he’s gotten to dig in and learn the position over an extended period of time. Gurriel, who preserved his rookie status by one at-bat in 2016, comes into this season expected to be the Astros’ primary first baseman. The team hopes his accomplished righthanded bat halts…

ARLINGTON Baseball has a way of creating new challenges for players as they try to rise through the minor leagues—even for players who have reached the mountain top. So, 21-year-old Isiah Kiner-Falefa isn’t the first to ever be asked to switch positions. The Rangers are deep at his natural position, shortstop, and his second position, second base, and even his third, third base. Catcher, though, is a position at which every club struggles to find quality depth, so Kiner-Falefa was asked to do what many middle infielders before have been asked to do: strap on the gear and get behind the plate. One of the Rangers’ two catchers, Robinson Chirinos, did it. Top catching prospect Jose Trevino did it as well. Kiner-Falefa knows the history and also knows the value…

DENVER After hitting eight homers in 79 at-bats during September callups in 2015 and 2016, catcher Tom Murphy is preparing for what should be his first full season in the majors. Murphy, who turns 26 on April 3 and is expected to share catching duties with Tony Wolters, is coming off a rewarding season at Triple-A Albuquerque that began badly. An oblique strain prevented Murphy from making his 2016 debut until May 3. At the end of June, he was hitting .211 with 53 strikeouts in 147 at-bats. But he regrouped to hit .453 with 23 strikeouts in 150 at-bats in July and August and finish at .327/.361/.647 with 19 homers and 59 RBI. “He doesn’t grind on himself nearly as hard as he once did,” catching coordinator Mark Strittmatter…

Every Father’s Day, Evan White and his entire family would file into Great American Ballpark, nestled along the Ohio River in Cincinnati, and take in a Reds game. It was a tradition White relished more than any other. His uncle, Brooks White, and his grandfather both once played in the Reds organization. His father, Joe, played baseball—as well as basketball and golf—in college, and there are countless home videos of a young Evan playing catch with him. As such, Father’s Day at the ballpark always felt natural. “I’m all Cincinnati everything,” said White, who grew up in Gahanna, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. “Been through a lot of struggles down there, but I’m a loyal fan.” At the ballpark, White would pay particularly close attention to Reds first baseman Joey…

Building a successful international talent pipeline requires having scouts in Latin America who are aggressive. Assessing the quality of a signing class, however, requires patience. While some players quickly establish themselves as premier prospects in baseball soon after signing, others—especially pitchers—take longer to break through. At 19, Dodgers lefthander Julio Urias made his major league debut, while Pirates outfielder Starling Marte at 19 was in his second season in the Dominican Summer League. With teams signing players when they’re as young as 16, it can be tricky to measure how productive a team has been at securing international talent over the past several years. One tool to help with that challenge is the Prospect Handbook. The book ranks the top 30 prospects for every organization, with 900 reports total including…

Transactions Transactions involving minor league players, i.e. those not on 40-man rosters, covering the period Feb. 4-16. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: Signed RHPs Kevin Jepsen and Tom Wilhelmsen, LHPs Jeremy Bleich, Eric Jokisch and Brian Matusz; C Hank Conger and OF Daniel Fields. Traded 2B Phil Gosselin to Pirates for RHP Frank Duncan. ATLANTA BRAVES: Released RHP Steve Janas. Traded RHP Carlos Portuondo and LHP Andrew McKirahan to Reds for 2B Brandon Phillips. BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Signed 2B Johnny Giavotella, 3B Juan Francisco, SS Robert Andino and OF D'Arby Myers. BOSTON RED SOX: Signed RHP Mitchell Osnowitz, 3B Mike Olt and OF Carlos Quentin. CHICAGO CUBS: Signed RHP Randy McCurry. Traded OF Donnie Dewees to Royals for RHP Alec Mills. CHICAGO WHITE SOX: Signed LHP Tyler Matzek. Re-signed RHP Blake Smith. CINCINNATI REDS:…

Beer here at 1-1? If Seth Beer were draft-eligible this year, would be be the likely first pick? JAMES EDWARDS, MILFORD, CT Alot will change between now and this June’s draft, much less between now and the 2018 draft, but Beer would be unlikely to be the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, and he’s not likely to be the first pick overall next year. For all the understandable discussion over whether Hunter Greene can become the first high school righthander to be taken 1-1 in a draft, Beer would be bucking very similar odds. Bat-first college corner outfielders (and first basemen) don’t get taken first overall. Now Beer’s bat has a chance to be pretty special. He was Baseball America’s Freshman of the Year last season. He hit…

Columnist, MLB.com DENVER The Valley of the Sun has become a spring training nirvana. Fifteen major league franchises make Phoenix area their spring training home, with five two-team facilities and five single- team ballparks scattered throughout the suburbs. It takes less than 50 minutes to drive from Salt River Fields, where the Diamondbacks and Rockies train, to Goodyear Ballpark, the shared home of the Reds and Indians. And that’s the Cactus League’s longest road trip. Baseball is alive and well in Arizona. However, it hasn’t always been that way. Twenty-five years ago, when Major League Baseball was preparing for the addition of expansion franchises in Miami and Denver, the Cactus League was on life support. The Indians and Giants planted the initial seeds of the Cactus League back in 1947,…

According to the bookies, Team Israel is the longest of long shots at the World Baseball Classic. Bovada, an online gaming site, rates Team Israel as a 200 to 1 shot to win the WBC outright. But that doesn’t mean that Team Israel has zero chance to advance out of Pool A. This is the pool where the underdogs have a fighting shot. South Korea is the clear Pool A favorite. The 2009 WBC runners-up and 2008 Olympic gold medalists have a history of international success, but South Korea didn’t even make it out of the first round in 2013 and this year’s roster is solid but unspectacular. Lefthanders Won Jun Chang (15-6, 3.32 for Doosan last season) is the ace of the staff, but his 88-92 mph fastball, slider,…

Playing for the Indians in the World Series was a goal for Francisco Lindor. Representing his native Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic is a dream Lindor will now get to live out that dream, one that began when he watched the heroes of his youth at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, including Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez and WBC teammate Carlos Beltran. “It’s awesome,” Lindor said before the start of spring training. “I’m blessed to be Puerto Rican, and I’m super happy for the island. Baseball is never topped over there.” Lindor will lead a Puerto Rico team in the 2017 WBC that boasts arguably the best position player talent of any team in the tournament. Lindor, Beltran, Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, Cubs postseason star Javier Baez…

As much as we would like to guarantee that our Top 100 Prospects will have the 100 best careers among all prospect-eligible players, we know that isn’t the case. Some players who never crack a Top 100 go on to become big league stars. So with that in mind here are prospects at each position—one from the upper levels, one from the lower levels— who did not make the Top 100 but could be valuable major leaguers. Prospects at the lower levels have a chance to see their stocks grow quickly with breakthrough seasons in 2017. The players at the upper levels might lack the same shininess but have the traits to be productive players. Catcher AUSTIN BARNES, DODGERS: While he already is 27, Barnes’ skill set will translate into…

SARASOTA, FLA. The Orioles are determined to find out whether Joe Gunkel’s minor league success will translate to the big league bullpen. The righthander is a candidate to replace Vance Worley as the long reliever in Baltimore. Worley signed a minor league deal with the Nationals after the Orioles non-tendered him. The Orioles are confident that they’re getting a strike-thrower who keeps the ball in the park. The 25-year-old Gunkel spent the majority of last season at Triple-A Norfolk and walked just 21 batters in 28 starts—or 1.2 per nine innings. He allowed 0.9 home runs per nine in his 161 innings. “Joe’s one of those guys who the more you see him pitch, the more impressive he is,” said Norfolk teammate Oliver Drake, a righthanded reliever. “You can see…

DUNEDIN Reese McGuire figured he was going to either the Pirates or Blue Jays in the 2013 draft. Both teams showed interest in the catcher from Kentwood (Wash.) High, but he wasn’t sure which way it would go. “There was a chance to get picked by Toronto at No. 10,” McGuire said. “When I didn’t get picked ninth by the Pirates, I thought, ‘Well, I’m going to Toronto.’ So it’s kind of funny to be here now. I almost feel like this is where I belong.” The Blue Jays selected righthander Phil Bickford with the 10th pick, allowing the Pirates to grab McGuire at No. 14. Last summer, Pittsburgh packaged him with veteran lefthander Francisco Liriano and outfield prospect Harold Ramirez for righthander Drew Hutchison at the trade deadline. Immediately…

PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. Brandon Nimmo made a solid impression in a 32-game big league debut last year, but a crowded outfield could land him at Triple-A Las Vegas. As spring training began, the Mets had Yoenis Cespedes, Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce and Juan Lagares locked into spots, with Michael Conforto the favorite to complete the outfield rotation. The 24-year-old Nimmo, a lefthanded hitter and 2011 first-round pick out of high school in Cheyenne, Wyo., hit .274/.338/.329 for the Mets last season. “What I saw him do at the plate late in September spoke volumes,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “I think this kid is really going to develop into a good hitter. I saw absolutely no problems with him facing lefties— he swung the bat very well and hit…

CHICAGO | White Sox For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ CHICAGO Don Cooper enters his 15th season as pitching coach of the White Sox, and he has been molding arms in the organization since 1988. Under Cooper’s watch, White Sox pitchers have made 1,252 quality starts since 2003, the most in the major leagues. Cooper is very good at his job, and now he will work with 22-year-old righthander Lucas Giolito in spring training. One of three pitching prospects acquired from the Nationals in December for Adam Eaton, Giolito couldn’t wait to get on the mound in front of Cooper. “I’m really looking forward to it,” the 6-foot-6, 255-pound righty said. “I heard that he does an amazing job with pitchers.” Cooper’s first order…

KANSAS CITY, MO. Second baseman D.J. Burt knows a thing or two about touching first base. The 2014 fourth-round pick reached base in 54 consecutive games at Rookie-level Idaho Falls in 2015, a season in which he ranked third in the Pioneer League with 40 walks. Burt, who attended Fuquay-Varina (N.C.) High, opened 2016 by reaching base in eight straight games at low Class A Lexington. That pushed his overall on-base streak to 62 games. “It’s a pretty cool accomplishment,” said Burt, 21. “Coming into (2016), I totally forget about it.” Burt, who plays shortstop occasionally, has plus speed. He ranked second in the South Atlantic League with 43 stolen bases last season. “He’s a talented baserunner,” farm director Ronnie Richardson said. “He’s continuing to improve that skill and just…

CHICAGO The first pitch Jeimer Candelario saw in the big leagues was a 100 mph fastball from Noah Syndergaard. He struck out, but two at-bats later got his first big league hit against the same guy. A few days later, Candelario was back at Triple-A Iowa, just another one of the Cubs’ bright young hitters. As a third baseman blocked behind Kris Bryant in Chicago, the 23-year-old has no natural path to the big league roster as spring training opened. “We’ve got a big group of guys, young guys and older guys,” Candelario said of the long odds he faces trying to crack a roster in which four returning all-stars—and playoff hero Javier Baez—all return to the infield. All infielders have a minimum of three years of club control remaining.…

JUPITER, FLA. The significant leap Sandy Alcantara took in 2016—from lithe righthander to power starter, from compelling prospect to Class A star—puts him one small step away from the majors. The 21-year-old arrived at big league camp as a non-roster invitee with the chance to impress the major league coaches. Some within the organization believe the strapping flame-thrower could be on a trail blazed in recent years by Trevor Rosenthal and Carlos Martinez. Alcantara is earmarked for the Double-A Springfield rotation and for him, like Rosenthal and Martinez, that means he’s on the doorstep of St. Louis. “When you think about where Rosey was or Carlos Martinez was in their careers, I think Sandy is paralleling them,” general manager John Mozeliak said. “What could this year look like for him?…

ANAHEIM The Angels will get their first extended look at Brandon Marsh this spring after the 19-year-old outfielder’s tumultuous first summer with the organization. “He’s a well above-average athlete with plus speed, plus arm strength and five-tool potential,” farm director Mike LaCassa said. “We’re excited to get him into camp and to see what he can do on the field and why our scouts picked him in the second round (in 2016).” A week before the July 15 signing deadline, Marsh, a three-sport standout from Buford (Ga.) High who bats lefthanded, signed for the slot value of $1.073 million. But shortly after he reported to the team’s Arizona training complex, Marsh had a stress reaction in his lower back that did not require surgery but sidelined him for several months.…

SAN FRANCISCO | Giants For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ SAN FRANCISCO No research has been done on this subject, but it’s probably safe to suggest few first-round draft picks have had a similar offseason title to the one Chris Shaw owned in late 2016 and early 2017: facilities assistant. The Giants’ top pick in 2015 described what that title meant in his job working for Dedham Savings in the Boston area: “Whatever they ask of me,” said Shaw, a 23-year-old first baseman. “Change the water. Vacuum offices. Take the trash out. Mailroom. Whatever is needed.” Shaw believes that last phrase applies to his approach on the field as well. “I’m not necessarily a guy who wows you with tools, per se,” Shaw said.…

LOS ANGELES Most 11th-round picks have room to grow. But righthander Imani Abdullah is proving to be exceptional even with that as a given. “When I came in, I was probably about 6-foot-3, around 200 (pounds),” said the slender Abdullah, who has added “a couple inches” in height and nearly 20 pounds. “I’ve kind of stopped growing this way (height) and now I’m getting thicker—a good kind of thick,” Abdullah said. “I might have another inch left. Maybe . . . My dad didn’t stop growing until his late 20s so I might have that in there. Genetics.” Added height and weight hasn’t been Abdullah’s only growth spurt. The 19-yearold San Diego prep came to baseball—and pitching, in particular—relatively late. So late, in fact, he thought another sport might be…

Baseball Analyst, Senior Writer ESPN.com PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. From the far end of the clubhouse, David Wright gazed across the room at the side-byside lockers of the men who will determine the fate of the 2017 Mets: HARVEY . . . SYNDERGAARD . . . DEGROM . . . MATZ . . . WHEELER If those five names form the best rotation in the National League from start to finish this season, we’ll be seeing the Mets in another World Series telecast. If those five names spend more time in Dr. David Altchek’s office than they do on the mound, well . . . nevermind. “You could ask anybody in here, ‘What’s this team based off of?’ ” Wright said. “And the answer would be, ‘It’s our starting pitching…