Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2019 i Baseball America

@BaseballAmerica @BaseballAmerica BaseballAmericaMag ReadBA PLENTY OF PODCASTS Baseball America delivers three information-packed podcasts each week during the season: Monday: College baseball with Teddy Cahill Wednesday: High school/draft with Carlos Collazo Friday: Pro ball with Kyle Glaser In February, former Blue Jays international scouting director Ismael Cruz joined us to discuss what it was like signing and scouting No. 1 prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. TOP 25 NCAA RANKINGS Every Monday, the Baseball America college team of Teddy Cahill, Dave Serrano and Joe Healy rolls out an updated Top 25 rankings as well as analysis and a podcast. DIRECTORY AVAILABLE Baseball America’s guide to everything and everyone in baseball is available at BaseballAmerica.com/store. There’s contact information, schedules and full front office listings for every MLB and MiLB team. THANKS BUSTER Florida State…

@TRACYRINGOLSBY Change can take time. It slowly evolves. And it eventually becomes apparent. Never has there been a Hall of Fame vote by veteran members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America that underscored the fact that as the game changes, the criteria taken into consideration by the voters changes, too—only at a slower pace. Mariano Rivera, a reliever with the Yankees for virtually his entire 19-year career, became the first player in the history of the Hall of Fame, which dates to 1936, to be unanimously elected. Not only is it impressive that he was unanimously elected, but it is also admirable that the voters would respond that way to a reliever, a subset of players who were frowned upon for years because they were viewed as failed starters.…

Victor Robles has several tools that match up with any prospect in the minors. He’s a near top-of-the-scale runner who has shown an ability to steal bases and is one of the best defensive center fielders. He also has a plus arm. That gives him a shot to be a productive big league outfielder, one who should help the Nationals in 2019. And it gives him a high floor as a long-term contributor. But when it comes to Robles as a hitter, there’s a little more to be concerned about than his .300/.392/.457 minor league hitting line may indicate. Robles has always hit for average in the minors and has posted excellent on-base percentages, in part because he crowds the plate and often gets plunked—he has been hit 93 times…

One question we wrestle with when building our Top 100 Prospects ranking is: How many future all-stars are there in the minor leagues at any one time? To find the answer, national writer Kyle Glaser crunched the numbers. He examined every All-Star Game roster from 2009 to 2018 and charted the seasons in which those all-stars played in the minor leagues—while still having prospect eligibility attached. In other words, those minor leaguers would be eligible for our Top 100 Prospects ranking that year. Glaser found that in a typical season, between 96 and 123 minor leaguers will go on to appear in an All-Star Game. The average number of future all-stars in the minor leagues in a given season is about 110. The graph below displays how many future all-stars…

Trying to find comparable players to Andrew Vaughn is not easy. As a righthanded hitting college first baseman, Vaughn is trying to become the first player in his demographic to be picked in the top 10 picks since Matt LaPorta in 2007 (LaPorta was announced by the Brewers as an outfielder even though he was a first baseman at Florida). David McCarthy is the only player of this demographic ever picked in the top five picks. While few players have been picked, the group does include Hall of Famer Frank Thomas as well as Mark McGwire and Tim Wallach (who moved from first base to third base as a pro). But that’s not the only way Vaughn is very rare. He’s also 5-foot-11, which makes him very short for a…

ETHAN HEARN, C MOBILE (ALA.) CHRISTIAN HS A muscular, lefthanded-hitting catcher, Hearn is praised for his work ethic and toughness, not to mention big arm strength and big raw power. He will need to continue polishing the finer aspects of his game, like receiving and mobility behind the plate. Hearn has flashed 1.87-second pop times to second base but is an offensive-oriented catcher. BRETT BATY, CIF LAKE TRAVIS HS, AUSTIN Baty might have the most usable power in the 2019 prep class. The physical, 6-foot-3, 218-pound lefthanded hitter wows scouts routinely with eye-popping batting practice displays and has a solid feel for the strike zone as well. He’s come a long way in improving his body, but he will need to further refine his all-around defensive work at third base.…

The 2019 draft class has plenty of impact players at the top, but the depth of the class as a whole is lacking, particularly in comparison to a very deep 2018 group. A year ago, pitching was the strength of the class, at both the college and high school levels. That’s not the case in 2019. There are few reliable college arms with both starter traits and track record, and the prep talent on the mound falls off much quicker than it did a year ago when 15 high school pitchers were drafted on day one. The strength of the class is bats. The top eight prospects in the class as of mid-February are hitters, led by Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman, who has been safely locked into the consensus…

A PLAYER TO BE NAMED Here are some other more recently retired former players working in the game whose names we heard mentioned as being GM material: Sam Fuld, Phillies player information coordinator; Chris Getz, White Sox director of player development; Brandon Gomes, Dodgers director of player development; Brandon McCarthy, Rangers special assistant to GM; Chris Young, Major League Baseball VP of on-field operations, initiatives and strategy. SECRET AGENT MAN Van Wagenen’s hiring by the Mets truly was a game changer, and if he succeeds, his hire will lead to consideration for more agents to cross over. Any discussion has to include Scott Boras, though if it’s fair to wonder if he would leave his fiefdom just to run one team. Others—and to be clear here, we didn’t ask any…

Dear Softball, We have been through a lot together. You have given me my highest of highs and my lowest of lows, but throughout this roller-coaster called life, you’ve been there. You’ve given me some of the greatest experiences of my life, and you’ve also given me some of the toughest. You’ve been my escape during tough times, and you’ve been my tough times. When no one was there for me, you were. When I didn’t want you, you stayed. Read Paige Lowary’s softball diary at https://softballamerica.com/lowary/ Dynamic Duo Powers LSU There was a sense of calm when Shelbi Sunseri stepped into the box on Thursday morning against Oklahoma State at the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational. With the game tied at one apiece, Sunseri took a deep breath, stepped…

@JJCOOP36 You hold in your hands the 30th edition of our Top 100 Prospects, and we’re not bragging when we say we believe it’s one of the best Top 100s ever. We’re not saying that because we’ve figured out some new secret algorithms we haven’t used in the past. And we haven’t pumped any pro scouting directors full of truth serum to get an even better sense of how the industry views each and every prospect. We’re saying it because the industry as a whole does a better job of evaluating and developing prospects, and because the top of this list has a number of impact bats near the big leagues with few glaring flaws. But we’re also saying it because we’re getting used to seeing baseball produce one great…

For 30 years, the Baseball America editorial staff has gathered to discuss, argue and eventually line up our ranking of the Top 100 Prospects in baseball. These rankings are compiled after a year of many conversations with scouts, coaches and front office officials as well as in-person looks. To be eligible, a player must be signed with a major league organization. Hitters must have 130 or fewer MLB at-bats. Pitchers must have 50 or fewer MLB innings or fewer than 30 relief appearances. All ages are as of Opening Day. 1. VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR. 3B, BLUE JAYS, 3B ETA: 2019 (but not Opening Day) Age: 20 Hit: 80. Power: 70. Speed: 40 Defense: 40. Arm: 60 You were expecting someone else? Guerrero Jr. is a potential superstar, and a hitter…

BY TEAM NOTABLE ■ The Padres and Rays each have nine Top 100 Prospects, tying the record held by the 2011 Royals the for most Top 100 Prospects in a year. ■ This is the first time since Top 100 Prospects rankings began in 1990 that neither the Red Sox nor Yankees have a representative. This is the second time the Cubs don’t have one after recording zero at the start of 2018 as well. ■ The Mariners’ four Top 100 Prospects are their most since 2013, when they had five. Only one (Evan White) was with the organization when this offseason started. BY POSITION NOTABLE ■ The seven catchers on the Top 100 Prospects are the most since 2012, when there were also seven—Jesus Montero, Devin Mesoraco, Travis d’Arnaud,…

@DAVESERRANO11 There are no spring training games in college baseball. So, understandably, many of the best teams in college baseball schedule their first weekend of the season like a swimmer cautiously dipping a toe into a chilly pool. They line up a team that won’t challenge them too much as players work out their first-week jitters. This year, the MLB4 Tournament at the beautiful Salt River Fields at Talking Stick complex in Scottsdale, Ariz. brought together four perennial powers. Instead of beginning the season with an easy opener, Vanderbilt, Cal State Fullerton, Texas Christian and Virginia began the season by playing some of the toughest teams they’ll see all year. Combined, these schools share six national championships—four by Cal State Fullerton and one apiece by Vanderbilt and Virginia, as well…

BEST ATHLETE (POSITION PLAYER) Jerrion Ealy Jackson (Miss.) Prep HS C.J. Abrams Blessed Trinity HS, Roswell, Ga. Bobby Witt Jr. Colleyville (Texas) Heritage HS BEST PURE HITTER Riley Greene Hagerty HS, Oviedo, Fla. Corbin Carroll Lakeside HS, Seattle Bobby Witt Jr. Colleyville (Texas) Heritage HS BEST POWER Rece Hinds IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. Brett Baty Lake Travis HS, Austin Bobby Witt Jr. Colleyville (Texas) Heritage HS FASTEST RUNNER Jerrion Ealy Jackson (Miss.) Prep HS C.J. Abrams Blessed Trinity HS, Roswell, Ga. James Beard Loyd Star HS, Brookhaven, Miss. BEST DEFENSIVE INFIELDER Bobby Witt Jr. Colleyville (Texas) Heritage HS Nasim Nunez Collins Hill HS, Suwanee, Ga. Anthony Volpe Delbarton HS, Morristown, N.J. BEST DEFENSIVE OUTFIELDER Corbin Carroll Lakeside HS, Seattle Jerrion Ealy Jackson (Miss.) Prep HS Sammy Siani Penn Charter HS,…

Last year, in a much stronger crop of pitching prospects, Florida high school righthander Carter Stewart was selected with the eighth pick in the draft. He was the third pitcher selected, after No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize (Tigers) and No. 7 selection Ryan Weathers (Padres). After failing to sign an agreement with the Braves, Stewart moved just 11 miles up the road to Eastern Florida State JC rather than attend Mississippi State—where he was originally committed. So far, that decision has paid off. The early reports from Stewart’s first two starts in Florida indicate two things: First, and most importantly, Stewart looks healthy. Second, he looks like the same pitcher deemed a top-10 talent a year ago. In two games, Stewart has thrown 10.2 innings, struck out 12 batters,…

● BRYCE CLAVON: A two-sport star, Bryce was dominant on the diamond and football field. In baseball, the seventh grader hit.685 with 26 homers as a shortstop/outfielder last summer. On the gridiron with the Atlanta Bulldogs select team, he scored 47 touchdowns as quarterback and wide receiver. An outstanding student, Bryce carries a 3.5 GPA and says his favorite subject is English Literature. ● CAITLYN PETTEYS: A natural athlete, Caitlyn led her softball team in home runs, RBIs, hits, stolen bases and slugging percentage. Caitlyn has improved her game by working out with the York College softball team, where her mother is the head coach. A straight A student, Caitlyn is also a member of the USA Junior Olympic luge team. ● COREY ROST: Always the hardest worker on any…

Reds first baseman Joey Votto’s power has begun to wane, but he still is a master of getting on base. Votto’s .427 career on-base percentage ranks 12th in MLB history and is bettered by only Barry Bonds and Ted Williams among players who have played in the integration era (1947 to present). But that doesn’t fully explain how impressive Votto’s on-base skills are. This may better illustrate Votto’s ability to consistently reach base. Paul Goldschmidt ranks third among active players with a .398 career on-base percentage (Mike Trout is second at .416). If Votto failed to reach base once in 500 plate appearances this season, he’d still equal Goldschmidt’s .398 career OBP. If Votto really struggled and failed to reach in his next 1,000 plate appearances, his .372 OBP would…

FIRST BASEMEN College first basemen historically have not fared well on draft day. Teams instead prefer to draft premier pitchers or players higher on the defensive spectrum. Just 12 college first basemen have been drafted in the first round this century, and last year the highest drafted college first baseman was Texas Christian’s Luken Baker, who had to wait until the 75th pick overall to hear his name called by the Cardinals. This year, however, will test those traditional notions. Andrew Vaughn, the 2018 Golden Spikes Award winner, has a chance to be the first primary first baseman from the college ranks to be drafted in the top five picks since San Diego State’s Travis Lee went No. 2 overall in 1996. A few other first basemen figure to follow…

I will never forget the experiences I was fortunate enough to have this past summer. Playing in all the summer showcases was extremely fun and a great way to spend my last year of summer baseball. Every event I played in was awesome because I got to play with and against the other top players in the country every day. It was a long summer being on the road every day away from home, but that helped me prepare for the next chapter in my life. My favorite event was East Coast Pro because it was the most realistic event to playing professional baseball. You woke up early every morning to get to the field and eat breakfast, then hit batting practice and then get any other work you needed…

Baseball’s next great general manager might be a former college sportswriter, like the Brewers’ David Stearns. Or he may have grown up in Mexico City and worked for global management and pet supply companies, like the Astros’ Jeff Luhnow. Or he could hold a bachelor’s degree in science from MIT and a doctorate in economics from California, like the Giants’ Farhan Zaidi. The next great GM may have worked on Wall Street. He could be an Ivy Leaguer. And he could be under 40. As crazy as it sounds, he might have even played in the big leagues. The point is, there is no set path, no set prerequisites or preferred résumé anymore. And certainly no restrictions. Baseball’s front offices are filled, from the top down, with really smart people…