Innholdsfortegnelse for Friday, November 4, 2016 i Baseball America

» IN THIS ISSUE: Matt White leads the way for the Devil Rays’ Top 10 prospects in 1998. » ALSO: Our early draft preview gives you the lowdown on the top college and high school prospects throughout the country. Although their only potential meeting places in the future are interleague play or the World Series, the Devil Rays and Diamondbacks always have been linked as both competitors and partners in baseball’s expansion. Similarities abound in the organizations’ approaches to building their talen bases. Each took advantage of the 1996 draft loophole that left four premium draft picks as free agents. Each aggressively entered the market for Cuban players. Each also has emphasized youth in its amateur draft selections. One thing in particular has distinguished the Devil Rays in their building…

Baseball Writer, ESPN.com jerrycrasnick @baseballamerica.com CLEVELAND Indians manager Terry Francona walked into his workout day media session during the American League Division Series a few minutes behind schedule, prompting Major League Baseball senior vice president Phyllis Merhige to take note of his tardiness. “I was doing my hair,” he deadpanned. That’s a classic response from Francona, who doesn’t let a day go by without joking about his baldness, his prominent nose, his lack of a sophisticated vocabulary or his middling talent on a baseball field. You would never know Francona won a Golden Spikes Award as college baseball’s best player at Arizona in 1980, or that he hit .274 over parts of 10 big league seasons (albeit with 16 home runs in 1,731 at-bats), or that he ranks fifth all-time…

FAEDO HAS SURGERY ON BOTH KNEES Florida righthander Alex Faedo had arthroscopic surgery on both of his knees in early September and will not pitch this fall as a result. The surgery should not cause a major disruption for Faedo, who is positioned to be Florida’s No. 1 starter and a first-round pick in 2017. Faedo is not expected to miss time next spring; in fact, according to a source close to the program, he was already walking without crutches. He is expected to be cleared for regular conditioning and throwing in November and will participate in a normal throwing program as the season approaches. Faedo has long been considered a potential high draft pick. He was a member of the Gators weekend rotation for parts of his freshman year,…

Editor in Chief Baseball America johnmanuel @baseballamerica.com Last issue, I graded all 30 drafts from 2011 with five years of results and hindsight. The ‘11 draft certainly made an impact on this year’s playoffs, from Puerto Rican shortstops Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez to what seemed like half the Red Sox’s roster. The 2011 Blue Jays got an A for a class with big league rotation pieces Joe Musgrove, Daniel Norris and Anthony DeSclafani plus outfielder Kevin Pillar among their six big leaguers drafted and signed. But in my research, I noticed the previous Jays draft. And if 2011 was an A, 2010 was an A+. Toronto exploited the old rules to hoard extra picks and had eight of the first 93 selections, and it took advantage. Pick 34 overall:…

The Orioles returned to the playoffs for the third time in five seasons in 2016, though their stay there was short. They lost to the Blue Jays in the American League Wild Card Game on Edwin Encarnacion’s 11thinning homer. It was an abrupt end to an 89-win season, one where Baltimore led the AL East for 111 days. The Orioles have had five straight .500 seasons or better; their 444 wins since 2012 leads the AL. While the Orioles are sensitive to organizational prospect rankings that place Baltimore near the bottom of the majors, they point out that several homegrown and developed players contributed to their 2016 playoff season. The team’s core players, such as Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop, Matt Wieters, Kevin Gausman and closer Zach Britton, are homegrown. Moreover,…

The 2016 season continued the Rays’ downward trajectory. They held their own for most of the first half, but Tampa Bay lost 24 of 27 games in a disastrous monthlong midseason slump. The Rays finished in a three-way tie for the second-worst record in baseball at 68-94, their worst mark since 2007. Tampa Bay’s pitching staff has been its biggest strength in recent years because the Rays have had success identifying young pitchers. As major league home run totals spiked, however, the Rays have not adjusted. The team’s six starters in 2016 each posted career-worst home run rates. Chris Archer, who had established himself as the ace of the staff, saw his home run rate jump from 0.8 per nine inning in 2015 to 1.3 in 2016. Archer’s performance bounced…

BALTIMORE While the top pick in a draft class garners most of the attention, second-round lefthander Keegan Akin found his own ways to get noticed this summer. Akin didn’t allow a run in his last six starts over 18 innings at short-season Aberdeen. The 21-year-old finished 0-1, 1.04 in nine games, with just three earned runs allowed and 29 strikeouts in 26 innings. The former Western Michigan southpaw held lefthanded batters to a .129 average in the New York-Penn League. Akin was restricted to three-inning starts with the IronBirds while showing off his twoand four-seam fastballs, changeup and slider. “I have an above-average fastball from the left side,” Akin told MASNsports.com. “I can throw my offspeed pitches for strikes. Basically, I just compete in the zone. “I’ve been working on…

TORONTO When the season started, righthander Danny Barnes and lefthander Matt Dermody knew one another only from spring training. The relievers were familiar by face and by name but little more. A quick promotion for Dermody made them teammates at Double-A New Hampshire before Barnes jumped to Triple-A Buffalo. Dermody joined him about a month later. On Sept. 2, the two 26-year-olds took another step forward, this time together, as a couple of September callups. Neither pitcher was really on the radar back in February, but they closed out the year in a big league pennant race. Barnes even made the postseason roster. “You’re always excited, especially in that situation, because you move up together and go through some of the same things everyone has to go through when you…

MIAMI Right fielder Isael Soto was 7 years old when he realized he had home-run power. The Dominican Republic native was playing baseball on the street when he launched a homer that sailed over a house. “The other boys got mad because we couldn’t find the ball,” said Soto, 19, “and we didn’t have another one.” Before that moment, Soto was often discouraged from playing by the older boys, who told him he was too small. But after that blast, they fought to have him on their team. A dozen years later, the Marlins feel fortunate Soto is on their side. With the deadline trade of 2015 first-rounder Josh Naylor to the Padres as part of a package for veteran starter Andrew Cashner, Soto became the Marlins’ top power hope.…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ MINNEAPOLIS His position, his age, his small stature all would suggest that Luis Arraez must be a fast guy, a prototypical speedy second baseman. But he’s not. And the Twins don’t care. “He’s not really fast enough to steal a lot of bases,” interim general manager Rob Antony said, “but you don’t have to steal if you start on second base.” That’s where Arraez, a 19-year-old Venezuelan, wound up 31 times this season. He had plenty of other hits, too, though, running away with the low Class A Midwest League batting title despite being one of the youngest players in the league. Arraez hit .347/.386/.444 in 114 games. His .347 average has been topped by a Cedar Rapids…

DETROIT Righthander Kyle Funkhouser struggled with his command and lost velocity on his fastball during his senior season at Louisville. But he seemed to get right back on track after the Tigers selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. Funkhouser went 0-2, 2.65 with a 1.13 WHIP in 13 starts at short-season Connecticut. The velocity on his fastball, which was in the 88-92 mph range during his senior season in college, was back where it was in the past. “He had a good fastball,” farm director Dave Owen said. “It was up to 96 (mph). He pitched in the mid-90s.” The Dodgers selected Funkhouser in the first round (35th overall) in 2015, but the talented young righthander returned to Louisville and hoped to improve his draft stock.…

CHICAGO While it took longer than expected, the Cubs this year produced the first homegrown pitcher signed on the watch of president of baseball operations Theo Epstein. Former Missouri lefthander Rob Zastryzny, selected in the second round in 2013, debuted in August and made the postseason roster. But keep an eye on 20-year-old righthander Dylan Cease, because if the farm system that has produced hitters such as Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber is going to finally open a pitching pipeline, the triple-digits-throwing Cease probably will lead the way. And the first signs of that could be coming by next summer. “He’s built up now (in terms of innings,” farm director Jaron Madison said, “and assuming he comes in completely healthy (next spring), you take the leash off.” Cease, a 2014…

ST. LOUIS The sudden absence of Zach Duke from the Cardinals’ bullpen in 2017 means more opportunity—and more scrutiny—for a handful of lefthanders previously without a clear hold in the organization. The team announced several weeks after its season ended that Duke had elbow and forearm surgery that will force him to spend much of the 2017 season, the last one on his contract, rehabbing. Duke, acquired in August when St. Louis traded outfielder Charlie Tilson to the White Sox, was set to be the team’s second lefty out of the bullpen, the one used earlier in the game to free up Kevin Siegrist for later assignments. Duke’s departure leaves the Cardinals considering other options. Their eyes look to the desert. Two lefties who took significant and needed strides in…

ANAHEIM Righthander Keynan Middleton’s fastball was clocked as high as 102 mph in his first game at Triple-A Salt Lake on Aug. 8, when the 22-year-old struck out four in two innings at Reno. Whether those radar-gun readings were accurate is beside the point. The fact that a notoriously thin farm system has a prospect who can generate anything close to triple-digit velocity is significant for the Angels. “Yeah, those are good numbers,” farm director Mike LaCassa said. “His fastball has been averaging 96 (mph) this year, which is several ticks up from last year.” There are two primary reasons. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Middleton, a 2013 third-round pick out of Lane (Ore.) CC, added about 10 pounds of muscle this season, and a move from the rotation to the bullpen…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ LOS ANGELES Righthander Jose De Leon was holding it together pretty well—until he saw his younger brother Juan hanging over the railing at Dodger Stadium watching him warm up for his major league debut. “I was pretty calm until I saw my brother,” said De Leon, 24. “I like to stick to my routine pre-game, but I stopped my warmup, went up to him and hugged him. I told him, ‘I did it.’ We got emotional. He almost cried.” De Leon waited longer than expected to make his debut with the Dodgers. Despite Los Angeles using 14 starting pitchers before him—including fellow rookies Julio Urias, Ross Stripling and Brock Stewart—De Leon didn’t get the call until early September…

SAN DIEGO General manager A.J. Preller’s plan is simple: acquire a large number of prospects with high upside and develop them into pieces for a Padres powerhouse. There will be attrition, and it may not be until 2019 or 2020 that the Padres make the playoffs, but Preller insists the high-upside payoff will be worth it. “If your (scouts) are good, if your process is good, if you know what you’re looking at, and you work hard, then you should be right,” the GM said. The way the Padres see it, losing 94 games this year is the unfortunate cost of doing longterm business. As Cubs architect and former Padres executive Theo Epstein put it in 2012, for a noncontender, the middle is not the place to be. A poor…

GLENDALE, ARIZ. Dodgers prospects Cody Bellinger, Willie Calhoun and Alex Verdugo have a lot in common. Now preparing for the Arizona Fall League season as members of the Glendale Desert Dogs, they’ve each moved through the minor league system at a faster than normal pace. The trio spent the bulk of the 2016 season with Double-A Tulsa before earning promotions to Triple-A Oklahoma City in September. Being assigned to the AFL is a homecoming of sorts, because each played either high school or college ball in Arizona. With all that they have in common, it’s not surprising that Bellinger, Calhoun and Verdugo are sharing living accommodations in their return to the Valley of the Sun. “It’s an advantage to us,” Bellinger said about their living arrangement. “We’ve been playing together…

Transactions Transactions involving minor league players, i.e. those not on 40-man rosters, covering the period Oct. 1-13. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: Signed RHP Raibel Custodio and LHPs Elian Acosta and Ezequiel de la Cruz. Released RHPs Alex Gouin, Dallas Newton and Matt Pobereyko; LHPs Rob Galligan, Bryant Holtmann, Will Locante and Cameron Smith; C Daniel Comstock, 2B Jeff Smith, 3B Nic Coffman and OFs Stephen Dezzi, Gerard Hernandez, Pedro Marquez and Luis Veras. LHP Adam Loewen elected free agency. ATLANTA BRAVES: Re-signed C Blake Lalli. RHPs Roberto Hernandez and Joe Wieland, 1B Tyler Moore, 2B Reid Brignac and OF Matt Tuiasosopo elected free agency. BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Re-signed Cs Audry Perez, Pedro Perez and Joel Polanco. LHP Kyle Lobstein and OF Julio Borbon elected free agency. BOSTON RED SOX: Re-signed 2B Jose Sermo.…

The Padres announced soon after the season ended that they had fired team president Mike Dee, though they gave no reason for the departure. Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune first reported the news. The team then issued a onesentence statement which read only that executive chairman Ron Fowler and managing partner Peter Seidler “announced the departure of Padres President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Dee.” Dee became embroiled in multiple controversies during his tenure, which began in July 2013. He oversaw the naming of the “Bud Selig Hall of Fame Plaza” at Petco Park, despite the city’s ire toward the former commissioner over threats to move the franchise in the late 1990s without a new stadium. He also oversaw the firing of popular broadcasters Andy Masur and Bob…

GLENDALE, ARIZ. For prospect watchers, the opening of the Arizona Fall League comes with great fanfare. But AFL games in general are not well attended—unless you count scouts, general managers, assistant general managers and farm directors. This is a time of year that administrations get a look a rising stars, players who could be on their last minor league option or possible Rule 5 draft picks this winter. They can also see how their own players fare against some of baseball’s best prospects. With two games starting at 12:35 p.m. local time—one game each day starts at 6:35 p.m.—scouts typically walk into the ballpark for batting practice with no one else in sight aside from other scouts and media. But not for the opener of the 2016 season in Glendale.…

Columnist, MLB Network CLEVELAND While we have watched complex layers of wild-card playins into the League Championship Series, general manager after general manager has found time in his day to ponder what they hope is not an institutional scandal breaching integral and moral boundaries. “Major League Baseball is a small community consisting of 30 members, and trust is essential to it functioning,” one National League general manager said of the Padres not disclosing all medical records in the deal involving Drew Pomeranz. “If someone believes he can subvert the rules and find a back-channel to win more games, then, as Rob Manfred warned the first time he spoke to general managers last November at their meetings, there has to be some sort of death sentence involved. Falsifying medical information is…

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. Tim Tebow is many different things. He was a Heisman trophy-winning quarterback with the Florida Gators. He was an NFL quarterback with four different teams. He’s also a football analyst on the SEC Network. Despite his extensive background in football, however, the role he’s gotten the most attention for lately is as a member of the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League. Tebow, 29, who signed a minor league deal with the Mets in September, was assigned to the AFL after a brief tune-up in instructional league. Even that was cut short because of Hurricane Matthew’s impact throughout Florida, including at the Mets’ minor league home in Port St. Lucie. And even though he’s by far the least experienced player in the AFL, he’s easily the league’s…

After a pair of last-place finishes in 2014 and 2015, the Red Sox regained their footing by winning the American League East in a season that represented a fascinating passing of the baton. David Ortiz was brilliant in his final season at age 40, matching the middle-of-the-order production that typified his 14-season tenure in Boston. But after he played his final game, with the Red Sox getting dispatched by the Indians in an AL Division Series sweep, Ortiz expressed satisfaction that he was leaving the organization in good hands for years to come thanks to a spectacular emerging positional core. As a 23-year-old, Mookie Betts’ game crystallized, taking him from that of a potential star to an actual one, his five-tool performance exceeded perhaps only by Mike Trout in 2016.…

The first year of the Mark Shapiro era in Toronto looked a lot like the previous era. For the first time since 1992-93, when the Blue Jays won consecutive World Series championships, the club made the playoffs in consecutive seasons. Toronto rallied late in September to earn a wild-card spot, then beat the Orioles in the Wild Card Game. The Jays won a playoff series for the second straight year, beating the Rangers before losing to the Indians in the American League Champoinship Series. The cast of characters was familiar for Jays fans, most of the big league roster having been assembled by Alex Anthopoulos, the team’s general manager from 2010-15. But Shapiro took over as team president in September 2015, and two months later Anthopoulos and the Jays split.…

BOSTON Andrew Benintendi’s arrival in the big leagues this year, though atypical, didn’t come as a shock. The outfielder seemed destined to stay on a well-paved fast track from the moment he was drafted No. 7 overall in 2015. Lefthander Robby Scott, on the other hand, navigated a desert, then a forest, and then a traffic jam on a dirt road en route to his own major league opportunity as a 27-yearold. He went undrafted in 2011 after pitching just 15 innings over two years at Florida State and signed with the independent North American Baseball League. There, he quickly made an impression on both his skipper in Yuma, 46-year-old player-manager Jose Canseco, and 52-year-old teammate Tony Phillips. “Once I got there and I had my first couple outings, Jose…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ NEW YORK Next stop: Arizona Fall League. Or at least that’s what shortstop Gavin Cecchini thought before he received an unexpected callup to New York. The Mets summoned Cecchini, the 12th overall pick in the 2012 draft, on Sept. 6 after Triple-A Las Vegas concluded its season. In fact, every member of the organization’s 40-man roster received a callup because the Mets had been decimated by injuries. “I was supposed to be going to the Fall League,” Cecchini said, “and I was like, ‘OK, it’s probably not in the mix, going to the big leagues.’ “That was another reason why when (second baseman Neil Walker) got hurt, I didn’t think anything of it. There’s a lot of things…

PHILADELPHIA The morning after Double-A Reading was eliminated from the Eastern League playoffs, center fielder Roman Quinn jumped in a car and headed to Washington to join the big club. The two-hour drive felt like 20 minutes. “It’s a dream come true,” said Quinn, 23. “It’s what I’ve been playing the game for.” The Phillies believe Quinn could make a quick ascension to a full-time spot in the outfield and at the top of the lineup, possibly as soon as early next season. That’s why the organization wasted no time getting him to the majors for a September callup. Team officials eagerly gauged Quinn’s readiness for the majors—he batted second and started in center in his first game—though his stint with Philadelphia ended with an oblique injury. A second-round pick…

CHICAGO This time, Kevan Smith’s dream came true. Just more than an hour away from making his major league debut with the White Sox on April 25, Smith injured his back while stretching before batting practice at Toronto. “My back was a ticking time bomb,” the 28-year-old catcher said. “I had a partially bulging disc and the exercise I was doing was promoting it, which I didn’t know. When it did blow out, it was the worst timing ever.” Smith didn’t need back surgery, but he was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte and missed a month with the injury. In his first game back with the Knights, he suffered a knee injury and was sidelined another six weeks. Talk about a tough stretch. But the 2011 seventh-round out of Pittsburgh made…

KANSAS CITY, MO. The Royals are stacked three deep at third base. Mike Moustakas is the incumbent, but a late-May knee injury required surgery and ended his season. Cheslor Cuthbert was called up from Triple-A Omaha and did a creditable job filling in for Moustakas. Hunter Dozier, the No. 8 overall pick in 2013 from Stephen F. Austin State, revived his standing as a top prospect this season. He combined to hit .296/.366/.533 in 129 games at Omaha and Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He hit 23 home runs and 44 doubles while driving in 75 runs. Dozier made five starts in right field as a September callup and began taking ground balls at first base. He started only one game at third base in August. “I played shortstop all my life,”…

CINCINNATI Shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez and righthander Vladimir Gutierrez, who both signed out of Cuba this year, reported to instructional league in September, following a path set before them by the likes of Aroldis Chapman and Raisel Iglesias. “I think it is rewarding and exciting to get them into our complex and start the assimilation process and get the ball rolling,” farm director Jeff Graupe said. The Reds have invested heavily in Cuba, and their prior experience with Chapman and Iglesias has shaped their approach with Rodriguez and Gutierrez, Graupe said. That includes not just the language and food, but also how to pay bills and other things they haven’t had to deal with before. On the field, the Reds are bullish on their newest pair of Cubans, the hard-throwing Gutierrez…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ ARLINGTON Upon reaching Triple-A Round Rock in August, lefthander Yohander Mendez assumed that was where his 2016 journey would end. The 21-year-old had thrown a career high 111 innings, and though he had done well and was on the 40-man roster, reaching the major leagues was a goal for next season. The Rangers, though, had other plans for Mendez, whom Texas recalled on Sept. 2 along with righthander Nick Martinez and catcher Brett Nicholas. The Rangers wanted added depth in all areas, though no player was expected to fill a prominent role. That includes Mendez, whose primary duty was to soak up the experience of being in the majors and in a playoff race. “I thought I had…

OAKLAND It would be easy for Brett Eibner to look back on his five years in the minor leagues with a mix of sadness and despair, with thoughts of what might have been. Eibner simply refuses to think that way. The 27-year-old is upbeat and excited about what comes next, with no regrets about the past. “I’m glad it happened this way,” he said. “I think it makes you appreciate it more.” The Athletics acquired the 6-foot-4, righthanded-hitting outfielder when they traded speedster Billy Burns to the Royals in July. Special assistant Grady Fuson described Eibner as “tooled up,” and a player who could be on the verge of breaking out. But those five years in the minors have been a long road. It was injury after injury, playing through…

PHOENIX As the Diamondbacks are forced to contemplate a total rebuild of their bullpen next season, righthander Matt Koch stands out as a possible source of help. Though Koch spent this season as a starter in the upper levels of the system, big league pitching coach Mike Butcher mentioned him as someone they could envision as a reliever next year. For his part, Koch says he’s all for it. “I’m here to help,” said Koch, a third-round pick of the Mets in 2012 out of Louisville. “Any way I can help, I’m willing to do it. I like starting and I like the bullpen, too. It’s whatever they need me to do.” The D-backs acquired Koch last year from the Mets along with righthander Miller Diaz for reliever Addison Reed.…

SAN FRANCISCO The Giants are taking the long view when it comes to Mac Marshall. They have to with their 2015 fourth-round pick. Marshall, 20, was considered a commandand-control lefthander as an amateur, but he has not thrown consistent strikes as a pro. He walked 15 in 20.2 innings in his 2015 debut, then struggled in four starts at low Class A Augusta to start 2016 before being sent back to extended spring training. Marshall resurfaced later in the year at short-season Salem-Kaizer but walked 48 in 51.1 innings. According to one Northwest League evaluator, Marshall’s changeup and breaking ball both flashed above-average, as did his fastball. He said: “He’s throwing big league pitches . . . but is inconsistent.” For his pro career, Marshall has averaged 8.2 walks per…

Brazilian lefthander Luiz Gohara is many things to the Mariners organization—electric, exasperating, one of the most promising arms in the system—yet one thing he is not is Rule 5 draft eligible this December. I was convinced that the 20-year-old Gohara, based on his signing date, would be eligible for Rule 5 selection this year if not added to the Seattle 40-man roster. The Mariners insisted that he would not be eligible— and they, naturally, were correct. The reason why they were right and I was wrong involves something of a procedural loophole. All amateurs, be they domestic or international, who sign at age 18 or younger receive five exemption years from the Rule 5 draft. This grants teams five years to evaluate a player before being forced to make a…

Baseball Analyst, Senior Writer ESPN.com SAN FRANCISCO It’s October, and you know what that means. It means the aces keep parading to the mound, trying to do those ace-like things they do. Trying to carry their teams and carve their legacies. For Clayton Kershaw, it has been an October of redemption. For Corey Kluber, it has been an October to announce his presence to those who hadn’t been paying attention. For Madison Bumgarner, there may have been one rough evening of mortality, but there was also that wild-card game, which only reinforced his October brilliance. If only all those other aces could duplicate it. As we type this, David Price, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, Yu Darvish, Cole Hamels and Rich Hill have gone a combined 0-6 in this fascinating postseason—after…

Rule 5 Wrap-up Now that the season is over, how did this Rule 5 draft compare to most, and who from this class has the best chance to make a long-term impact? BRYAN RAMSEY, CHICAGO Just five players from the major league Rule 5 draft made it through the 2016 season without being offered back to their original team. That’s down dramatically from the previous year, when 11 players stuck with their new teams (2014 Rule 5 pick righthander Daniel Winkler has yet to fulfill his active roster requirements thanks to Tommy John surgery and a fractured elbow). With 31 percent of the 16 players picked remaining with their new clubs, it’s the lowest success rate for a major league Rule 5 draft class since the 2010 draft, when five…

Columnist, MLB.com Brian Snitker is a real-life feel-good story. Six days shy of his 61st birthday, Snitker had the interim tag removed from his title in early October, and he became the manager, plain and simple, of the Atlanta Braves. Feel-good? Forty years ago, he joined the Braves organization as an undrafted catcher out of New Orleans. He has been in baseball ever since—and every one of those 40 years has been with the Braves organization. Tommy Lasorda might bleed Dodger blue. Snitker bleeds Braves red, white and blue. He has been a backup catcher in the low minor leagues, a coach and manager in the minors, and a coach and manager in the big leagues. And he has done it all for the only club he’s ever known. How…

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. In four starts this year, Yankees righthander James Kaprielian was dominant. He struck out 22 and walked just three in 18 innings. He also touched 99 mph with his fastball, a big jump from his days with UCLA before New York selected him with its first-round pick in 2015. His right elbow started bothering him at the end of April, however, and he was shut down. He continued to rehab the injury, diagnosed as a strain of the flexor tendon, but eventually was scrapped for the rest of the regular season. He got back into game action during this year’s fall instructional league, and performed well enough to earn an assignment to the Arizona Fall League, which began its 25th season in October. His debut with Scottsdale couldn’t…

When the Yankees acquired Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman, they thought the duo would be used to get key outs in the middle of a run to the World Series. They were right—except that they weren’t getting outs for the Yankees. Instead, Miller was shipped to the Indians and Chapman to the Cubs as the Yankees went through their first major sell-off since the early 1990s. With those two trades, plus three more, the Yankees acquired 14 prospects, including three midseason Top 100 Prospects: shortstop Gleyber Torres (Cubs), outfielder Clint Frazier and lefthander Justus Sheffield (Indians). Before they could get younger, however, the Yankees had to shed some of their past. They released Alex Rodriguez, while first baseman Mark Teixeira announced his retirement. The slew of changes helped create lineup…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ NEW YORK While catcher Gary Sanchez set the majors on fire with 20 home runs in 53 games and first baseman Tyler Austin recorded a .994 OPS in September, fellow rookie Aaron Judge struggled and finished the year on the disabled list with an oblique injury. While Judge, a 24-year-old right fielder, hit just .179/.263/.345 in 27 games, minor league hitting coordinator James Rowson is confident the 6-foot-7 slugger will turn things around. “I’ve watched him strike out—a lot— at times in the minors,” Rowson said in September. “This is one of those times. And sure, it’s a different level he’s at now, but he’s overcome this type of thing before. He’s got the talent to do it…

ST. PETERSBURG Typically, September callup stories are about fresh-faced prospects giddy for their first shot at the big leagues. But this year the Rays had a couple more mature versions. One was knuckleballer Eddie Gamboa, who made his big league debut in his ninth pro season at age 31 years, 256 days. That made him the second oldest to debut with the Rays, behind lefthander Jim Morris, whose debut at 35 led to the movie “The Rookie.” Gamboa, a 21st-round pick in 2008 from UC Davis, spent his first eight seasons in the Orioles organization, and the righthander’s career seemed stalled until he agreed to convert to knuckleballing in 2013. He received his first callup in April 2015, but he didn’t get into a game as he sat in the…

ATLANTA While not every organization ascribes value to winning in the minor leagues, the Braves believe this year’s success could have long-term effects. Three of Atlanta’s four full-season affiliates earned playoff spots, and Triple-A Gwinnett, Double-A Mississippi and low Class A Rome all advanced to the league finals. Stellar starting pitching served as the centerpiece for all three clubs, which the Braves hope will lead to success at the major league level. Gwinnett went just 65-78 but claimed the Southern Division crown in the International League. Righthander Tyrell Jenkins limited Charlotte to two runs over 7.2 innings in a winner-take-all finale. Gwinnett defeated Columbus in the first round of the IL playoffs, then advanced to the league finals, which it lost to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in four games. Mississippi overcame a seven-game…

WASHINGTON Shortstop Wilmer Difo hit just .232 at Double-A Harrisburg through the end of June and just didn’t feel like himself early this season. He began to hit in July, however, and soon returned to the big leagues. “It was just work ethic,” Difo, 24, said in September. “I just kept working hard. I’ve come up here and depended a lot on what the veteran guys have told me and said to me. They’ve guided me through these games.” The Nationals called up Difo after he hit .337/.378/.446 for the Senators in 83 at-bats in July. He spent most of the rest of the year in Washington. Difo stole 28 bases in 39 tries at Harrisburg this season and rallied to hit .259/.318/.354 in 104 games. “Early on, Wilmer was…

CLEVELAND To say righthander Perci Garner was excited about his first day in the big leagues is an understatement. “He already leads the league in smiles,” said Indians manager Terry Francona, after welcoming Garner to the team when he was promoted from Triple-A Columbus on Aug. 31. The statistics that resulted in Garner’s promotion to Cleveland would have made any pitcher smile. In a combined 41 relief appearances at Columbus and Double-A Akron he went 7-1, 1.83 with seven saves. A second-round pick by the Phillies out of Ball State in 2010, Garner signed with the Indians as a minor league free agent in April 2015. The Indians converted him from a starter to a reliever, which seemed to accelerate his development. “Perci has made great strides over the last…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ MILWAUKEE The Brewers are not trying to corner the market on center-field prospects. It only seems that way. When the player to be named from the Aug. 1 trade of catcher Jonathan Lucroy and closer Jeremy Jeffress to Texas was announced on Labor Day, it probably surprised some that it was 24-year-old Ryan Cordell, a lateblooming center fielder. One of the previously announced players in the deal was Lewis Brinson, also a center fielder and considered one of the top prospects in the minors. Righthander Luis Ortiz was the other player named the day of that trade. Cordell played shortstop and third base in the Rangers system in the past, but general manager David Stearns made it clear…

PITTSBURGH When the Pirates selected Montana DuRapau from Bethune-Cookman in the 2014 draft, the only thing that stood out about the righthander seemed to be his unique name. Now, despite being selected in the 32nd round, DuRapau is making a name for himself. The 24-year-old collected 22 saves this season to help Double-A Altoona reach the Eastern League playoffs. He went 3-3, 3.63 while striking out 51 in 49.1 innings and allowing 43 hits and 19 walks. In all, he has compiled a 2.27 career ERA in 182.1 innings through his first three pro seasons. The Pirates challenged DuRapau further when they assigned him to the Arizona Fall League. “I’m just going to go there and test myself because this is another opportunity to see how good I can be,”…

HOUSTON Righthander David Paulino wasn’t truly in the Astros’ plans for the major league level until 2017. Their plans changed. When ace lefthander Dallas Keuchel was shut down on Sept. 4 because of shoulder inflammation, the Astros accelerated the timeline for one of their most intriguing pitching prospects. Paulino, who missed much of the summer because of a team-imposed suspension and arm soreness, was summoned after just three Triple-A Fresno starts to pitch in the majors. The 22-year-old Dominican righthander debuted in a Sept. 8 start at Cleveland’s Progressive Field and lasted just three innings. He gave up four runs and struggled to land his curveball for strikes. Paulino moved to the bullpen afterward. He made two more appearances and was much more effective, throwing four scoreless innings combined against…

SEATTLE After his first season as a hitting coach at Triple-A Tacoma, Scott Brosius spent much of September with the Mariners, assisting hitting coach Edgar Martinez and working with the Mariners’ young hitters. It’s a partnership that could likely extend to a full-time basis next season. After his success in Tacoma, specifically working with young hitters like Mike Zunino, Dan Vogelbach, Stefen Romero and veteran Nori Aoki, the Mariners are hoping to keep Brosius in the organization for the foreseeable future. But it won’t be at the minor league level. The plan is to offer Brosius a spot on the big league staff as an assistant to Martinez for the 2017 season. His personality and his playing pedigree, along with this season’s success, will make a coveted a coach. Asked…

DENVER Amid the rise of young starters Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson, Kyle Freeland and German Marquez and his own poor performance, Eddie Butler faded from view. Butler, 25, recorded a 10.46 ERA in his final six outings with the Rockies before a July 5 demotion to Triple-A Albuquerque. He had an 8.72 ERA in his first four games there before identifying the problem with Albuquerque pitching coach Darryl Scott. Butler, who is 6-foot-2, was alarmed at TrackMan data showing he was getting just 5 feet, 7 inches of extension on his release. Scott, watching Butler pitch in games and studying video, noticed Butler wasn’t staying tall in his delivery. “I was just kind of collapsing on my back side, which causes me to not be able to get extension out…

It’d be cliché to say Rob Walton has the magic touch. Then again, there’s a reason his players at Oklahoma State refer to their pitching coach as “The Wizard.” They even had t-shirts made up with Walton’s head on Dumbledore’s body, the wizard from the Harry Potter series, “because he can fix any pitcher on the staff,” according to Walton’s son Donnie, a four-year starter in OSU’s infield from 2013-16. Walton has a long track record of developing talent on the mound, but 2016 was his finest hour, as his Cowboys pitching staff was the backbone of the team’s first run to the College World Series since 1999. For those reasons, Walton is the 2016 Baseball America/ABCA Assistant Coach of the Year. Taking a staff that had to replace two…