Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2024 i Baseball America

1 DRAKE BALDWIN C HIT: 45. POW: 55. RUN: 30. FLD: 50. ARM: 50. BA Grade: 50. Risk: Medium. Born: March 28, 2001. B-T: L-R. HT: 6-0. WT: 210. Drafted: Missouri State, 2022 (3rd round). Signed by: JD French. TRACK RECORD: Baldwin was a multi-sport athlete in high school who played baseball and was also an all-state hockey player who as a junior led the state of Wisconsin in goals scored. He played three years at Missouri State and had a power surge as a junior when he homered 19 times and ranked as the No. 143 prospect in the 2022 draft class. The Braves signed him for $633,300 in the third round and in his first full pro season in 2023 he moved from High-A Rome to Triple-A Gwinnett…

1 DYLAN CREWS OF HIT: 60 POW: 60 RUN: 70 FLD: 55 ARM: 60 BA Grade: 60 Risk: Medium Born: February 26, 2002. B-T: R-R. HT: 5-11. WT: 203. Drafted: Louisiana State, 2023 (1st round). Signed by: Kevin Ham. TRACK RECORD: In his first year at LSU in 2021, Crews set a program freshman record with 18 home runs. As a sophomore, he was Southeastern Conference player of the year. Crews repeated as POY as a junior, hitting .426/.567/.713 with 18 homers in 2023 and playing an integral role in the Tigers’ national championship. Crews and LSU teammate Paul Skenes made draft history as the first pair of teammates selected with the top two picks of the draft. As the second overall pick, Crews signed for $9 million, which was…

1 MATT SHAW 3B HIT: 55. POW: 55. RUN: 55. FLD: 45. ARM: 45. BA Grade: 55. Risk: Medium. Born: November 6, 2001. B-T: R-R. HT: 5-9. WT: 185. Drafted: Maryland, 2023 (1st round). Signed by: Billy Swoope. TRACK RECORD: A native of Brimfield, Mass., Shaw starred for three seasons at Maryland, where he set the program’s home run record with 53. As a rising junior in 2022, Shaw won Cape Cod League MVP honors and led the league with a .360 average. He carried that momentum into 2023, when he won Big 10 Conference player of the year honors. The Cubs drafted Shaw 13th overall that year and signed him for $4,848,500. Shaw is Maryland’s highest drafted player ever. He appeared in 38 games at three levels after the…

1 JJ WETHERHOLT SS HIT: 65. POW: 55. RUN: 55. FLD: 50. ARM: 50. BA Grade: 60. Risk: High. Born: September 10, 2002. B-T: L-R. HT: 5-10. WT: 190. Drafted: West Virginia, 2024 (1st round). Signed by: TC Calhoun. TRACK RECORD: Wetherholt was a four-year star at Mars (Pa.) Area HS under head coach Andy Bednar and played alongside future Giants first-rounder Will Bednar. Despite growing up just 20 miles from Pittsburgh, Wetherholt committed to rival West Virginia. On campus in Morgantown, Wetherholt blossomed into one of the top hitters in the country. He hit .449 in 55 games as a sophomore to lead the nation in hitting. He spent the summer of 2023 in the Cape Cod League and with USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team before hitting .331/.472/.589 as a…

1 JORDAN LAWLAR SS HIT: 60. POW: 50. RUN: 70. FLD: 55. ARM: 55. BA Grade: 60. Risk: Medium. Born: July 17, 2002. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-1. WT: 190. Drafted: HS—Dallas, TX, 2021 (1st round). Signed by: J.R. Salinas. TRACK RECORD: Lawlar was a well-regarded prep player who won Gatorade’s Texas player of the year honors and performed well on the showcase circuit. His well-rounded skill set had him in the mix to go No. 1 overall in 2021, but he slid to sixth, where the Diamondbacks swooped in and signed him away from a Vanderbilt commitment for $6.7 million, which was the third-highest bonus in the draft. He needed shoulder surgery shortly after signing, then dealt with more injuries in his first full professional season. He put together back-to-back strong…

1 LEODALIS DE VRIES SS HIT: 60. POW: 55. RUN: 55. FLD: 55. ARM: 50. BA Grade: 65. Risk: Very High. Born: October 11, 2006. B-T: B-R. HT: 6-0. WT: 183. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2024. Signed by: Jonathan Feliz. TRACK RECORD: De Vries was the crown jewel of the 2024 international free agent class, and the Padres signed the Dominican shortstop for $4.2 million, which was the second-highest total in the class. De Vries bypassed the Rookie-level complex leagues and made his pro debut as a 17-year-old with Low-A Lake Elsinore on April 24. He regularly flashed his tantalizing tool set and slashed .238/.361/.442 with 11 home runs and 13 stolen base in 75 games. After some growing pains—and a brief stay on the injured list in May with a shoulder…

On a scouting trip to Cuba in 1957, Bobby Avila discovered 16-year-old righthander Luis Tiant on the island’s Juvenile League all-star team. Two years later, he recommended him to the Mexico City Tigers of the Mexican League. Tiant spent three seasons with Mexico City before Avila, second baseman for the Indians and the first Mexico-born all-star, recommended that Cleveland sign him. The Indians purchased Tiant’s contract for $35,000 in the summer of 1961, and he reached the major leagues three years later. He excelled in six seasons in Cleveland, posting a 2.84 ERA which was 20% better than league average. He led a Cleveland pitching staff that led the American League in strikeouts five years in a row. In 1968, the year of the pitcher, the Cardinals’ Bob Gibson dominated…

We go beyond the top 10 to highlight 20 more graduating National League prospects. 55/Medium Risk ■ Tobias Myers, RHP, Brewers 55/High Risk ■ Ben Brown, RHP, Cubs ■ Gavin Stone, RHP, Dodgers 50/Low Risk ■ Joey Ortiz, 3B, Brewers ■ Justin Martinez, RP, D-backs 50/Medium Risk ■ Heliot Ramos, OF, Giants ■ Landon Knack, RHP, Dodgers ■ DJ Herz, LHP, Nationals 50/High Risk ■ Xavier Edwards, SS, Marlins ■ Hayden Birdsong, RHP, Giants ■ Andy Pages, CF, Dodgers ■ Victor Scott II, CF, Cardinals ■ Connor Norby, 3B, Marlins 50/Very High Risk ■ Jordan Beck, LF, Rockies ■ Noelvi Marte, 3B, Reds 45/Low Risk ■ Tyler Fitzgerald, SS, Giants ■ Garrett Mitchell, CF, Brewers ■ Orion Kerkering, RP, Phillies ■ Mitchell Parker, LHP, Nationals 45/Medium Risk ■ Ivan Herrera,…

The Marlins clearly agreed. They drafted the Massachusetts prep 35th overall as the top southpaw in his class. His $4.1 million bonus was equivalent to mid first-round money. White stands 6-foot-5 and has filled out his frame and modified his repertoire in pro ball to make him one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. As a 19-year-old in 2024, he quickly pitched his way to High-A while striking out 120 batters in 96 innings at two stops. As with most young lefthanders, especially tall ones with power stuff, White will need to tighten his control and command. Given the Marlins’ success in terms of cultivating young pitchers, there is no reason to believe White will fall short of expectations. Assessing the NL East farm systems after the 2024 season…

1 JETT WILLIAMS SS HIT: 55. POW: 50. RUN: 60. FLD: 50. ARM: 55. BA Grade: 55. Risk: High. Born: November 3, 2003. B-T: R-R. HT: 5-6. WT: 175. Drafted: HS—Heath, TX, 2022 (1st round). Signed by: Gary Brown. TRACK RECORD: Williams missed the middle months of the 2024 season with a right wrist injury—he had debridement surgery in June—which provided an incomplete picture of his progress. He returned to action at Double-A Binghamton at the end of August and continued to get reps at Triple-A Syracuse and in the Arizona Fall League. In his one six-game series for Syracuse, Williams showcased his strengths. Four of his eight hits were doubles, he drew eight walks and he stole a base. It was Williams’ leadoff skill set, grinder mentality and up-the-middle…

The biggest beneficiary of that approach was Bubba Chandler, a Georgia prep who did just about everything at North Oconee High, outside Athens. On the gridiron, he was a four-star quarterback. On the diamond, he was a righthander and shortstop who oozed athleticism. He had committed to play both baseball and football at Clemson. Chandler never made it to campus. The Pirates chose him with the first pick in the third round. They signed him for $3 million, the equivalent of late first-round money. Chandler played shortstop in Rookie ball in 2021 but quickly gave up hitting to focus on pitching. His stuff and ease of operation on the mound were immediately obvious, but it wasn’t until 2024 that everything clicked. Now, he is poised to join Paul Skenes and…

In other words, Eldridge presented potential suitors with almost limitless options. Initially, many preferred him as a pitcher, but those opinions began to change when he won MVP honors with a power barrage for USA Baseball’s 18U national team at the 2022 World Cup. The Giants zeroed in on Eldridge in the 2023 draft, selecting him with the 16th pick out of high school outside Washington, D.C. He posted a .905 OPS with six home runs in a 31-game pro debut that summer. The Giants’ giant was just getting started. Eldridge generates easy power and, as the cliché goes, the ball just sounds different coming off his bat. That contact sounded so good to the Giants that they promoted the 19-year-old all the way to Triple-A in his first full…

1 CHASE DOLLANDER RHP FB: 70. CB: 55. CH: 45. CUT: 60. CTL: 55. BA Grade: 65. Risk: High. Born: October 26, 2001. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-2. WT: 200. Drafted: Tennessee, 2023 (1st round). Signed by: Scott Corman. TRACK RECORD: Dollander was not heavily recruited out of Greerbrier High in Georgia and wound up on campus at Georgia Southern. After a standout freshman campaign, he transferred to Tennessee. In his first year in Knoxville in 2022, Dollander won Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year honors for going 10-0 with a 2.39 ERA and 108 strikeouts against 13 walks in 79 innings. Heading into his draft year, he ranked as the top pitcher on the board. After a tumultuous start to the 2023 season, Dollander was passed by LSU’s Paul Skenes on…

Kjerstad Learns From Postseason Exposure Outfielder Heston Kjerstad’s career has been unique, to say the least. The Orioles drafted him No. 2 overall out of Arkansas in the five-round 2020 draft. He did not play his first pro game until two years later because he was diagnosed with myocarditis after the draft. Once Kjerstad got back on the field and rounded into game form, he rose quickly to Baltimore. He made his MLB debut on Sept. 14, 2023, and received three separate callups in 2024. The 25-year-old also made the Orioles’ postseason roster in both seasons, despite having just 129 career big league at-bats. Kjerstad was growing into a more regular role with the Orioles this season before he was hit in the head by a pitch and suffered a…

When Ozzie Virgil made his MLB debut for the New York Giants in 1956, he was the first Dominican major leaguer. By the end of the 1980s, the Dominican Republic produced more major league players than any country but the United States. Today, it’s impossible to envision MLB without the likes of Juan Soto, Jose Ramirez or Elly De La Cruz. It all started with Virgil, whose family emigrated to the U.S. when he was 13. He graduated from Clinton High in the Bronx and served in the Marines from 1950 to ’52 prior to his baseball career. Twenty-four years old when he made his MLB debut as a September callup, Virgil was a light-hitting third baseman—career .231 average and .594 OPS—whose versatility kept him in the big leagues for…

On Fourth of July weekend, with the Iowa general assembly in recess, District 1 Representative J.D. Scholten was spending his time as he often did, at a Sioux City Explorers game. He enjoyed a bratwurst and a few beers while taking in a game of the team he pitched for from 2003 to 2007, following a standout college career first at local Morningside and then Nebraska. Explorers pitchers weren’t having nearly as much fun playing the game. They were mired in a stretch during which manager Steve Montgomery had depleted the staff. In one game, he used 10 pitchers. “One of the people as I was walking out jokingly said, ‘Oh, they need to get you a uniform,’”Scholten said.“And I just laughed it off.” Montgomery wasn’t laughing. His pitching staff…

1 BUBBA CHANDLER RHP FB: 70. CB: 45. SL: 55. CH: 60. CTL: 55. BA Grade: 65. Risk: High. Born: September 14, 2002. B-T: B-R. HT: 6-2. WT: 200. Drafted: HS—Bogart, GA, 2021 (3rd round). Signed by: Cam Murphy. TRACK RECORD: Chandler burnished a reputation for athletic prowess as a multisport star at North Oconee High, where he was a four-star quarterback, could dunk a basketball and even golfed ambidextrously. He committed to Clemson to play both baseball and football—that is, until the Pirates ensured Chandler never reached campus. Pittsburgh drafted Chandler as a two-way player at No. 72 overall in 2021, the same year they went under slot at No. 1 to draft Henry Davis. The Pirates signed Chandler to a $3 million bonus more akin to late first-round…

1 JESUS MADE SS HIT: 60. POW: 60. RUN: 60. FLD: 50. ARM: 60. BA Grade: 65. Risk: Extreme. Born: May 8, 2007. B-T: B-R. HT: 6-2. WT: 190. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2024. Signed by: Julio De La Cruz. TRACK RECORD: When the Brewers signed Jackson Chourio out of Venezuela in 2021, they landed a future franchise cornerstone who made his major league debut three years later as a 20-year-old. With Made, the Brewers might have their next international star. Made signed out of the Dominican Republic for $950,000 as a 16-year-old in 2024. A switch-hitting shortstop, Made had an outstanding debut in the Dominican Summer League, where he was the league’s top prospect. Even as a DSL hitter, Made’s season was impressive enough that the Brewers named him their co-minor…

1 BRYCE ELDRIDGE 1B HIT: 50. POW: 70. RUN: 30. FLD: 40. ARM: 55. BA Grade: 65. Risk: High. Born: October 20, 2004. B-T: L-R. HT: 6-7. WT: 223. Drafted: HS—Vienna, VA, 2023 (1st round). Signed by: John DiCarlo. TRACK RECORD: Eldridge starred as a two-way player at his high school outside Washington, D.C. The prevailing thought entering his junior year was that his best fit was on the mound, where he stood 6-foot-7 and his fastball reached 96 mph. By draft time, it was clear his future was in the batter’s box. The convincing evidence came during a starring role on USA Baseball’s 18U national team, which included a squad-best eight home runs. The Giants drafted Eldridge with the 16th overall pick in 2023 and watched as he made an…

1 DALTON RUSHING C/OF HIT: 55. POW: 60. RUN: 50. FLD: 50. ARM: 50. BA Grade: 60. Risk: High. Born: February 21, 2001. B-T: L-R. HT: 6-1. WT: 220. Drafted: Louisville, 2022 (2nd round). Signed by: Marty Lamb. TRACK RECORD: Looking back, the catching situation at Louisville in 2021 was one of the best position groups in the nation. The Cardinals’ starter that year was Henry Davis, whom the Pirates drafted No. 1 overall that summer. The following year, with Davis in pro ball, Rushing got his chance to shine. He swatted 23 homers, posted a 1.156 OPS and was drafted by the Dodgers in the second round—40th overall—in 2022. In the two full seasons since, Rushing has impressed with a combination of hitting ability, a keen eye and plenty of…

As a ball player, Pete Rose’s defiance fueled his greatness. Later, it ignited his downfall. Growing up in Cincinnati, Rose was no scout’s idea of a prospect. He had minimal power. His poor arm limited him defensively. Rose was determined, however, and he used aggression, hustle and a family connection to secure a contract from the hometown Reds in 1960. The more people doubted him, the better he seemed to play. After just two minor league seasons, Rose was Cincinnati’s regular second baseman and the National League Rookie of the Year in 1963. He was a marvel on the field, especially during his first 16 seasons with the Reds. Rose won NL batting titles in 1968, ’69 and ’73. He was MVP in 1973. Rose served as a catalyst for…

What makes a rookie a rookie? The word itself is younger than baseball. The Oxford English Dictionary’s first reference to a rookie comes from 1868. It appears to have jumped from describing young police recruits and soldiers to being a moniker for baseball neophytes at some point in the early 1900s. You probably know that Jackie Robinson was MLB’s first official Rookie of the Year in 1947. The award now bears his name. But did you know that at that time, rookie qualification was determined solely by ROY voters? In the segregation-era 1940s, there was no chance that any voter was going to view Robinson’s time in the Negro American League with the Kansas City Monarchs as enough to disqualify him from rookie status. But if a voter in 1947…