Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2024/January 2025 i Baseball America

Baseball America published all 15 National League Top 10 Prospects rankings in November. Each was accompanied by a subscriber-only chat. Here is a sampling. Have you seen any notable changes in Mets minor league coaching or philosophy? In terms of overall hitting development, the Mets seem to be dialed in on young hitters leaning into their best traits, as a pitcher would lean into his best pitch. So for Mark Vientos or Ryan Clifford, that would be power. For someone like Luisangel Acuña, it would be zone contact. On the pitching side, the Mets seem to be embracing the latest pitching philosophies, such as introducing sweepers, emphasizing the “fastball triangle” of four-seamers, two-seamers and cutters; and being open to splitters, where applicable. The development of Tylor Megill I think is…

Still, Anthony fell to the Red Sox at pick No. 79, despite having an obvious carrying tool while offering the pedigree of playing for a South Florida prep powerhouse. While he fell out of the first round, he signed for late first-round money. The Red Sox certainly aren’t complaining, not after the 20-year-old Anthony succeeded James Wood as the top prospect in baseball after the latter graduated in August. He finished the season at Triple-A Worcester and stands primed to make his MLB debut in 2025. Swing-and-miss concerns pushed Anthony down the 2022 draft board, but he has done a good job in pro ball of staying within his strike zone and keeping his whiff rate in check. His broad base of skills marks him as a future impact regular…

1 JASSON DOMINGUEZ OF HIT: 55. POW: 60. RUN: 60. FLD: 40. ARM: 60. BA Grade: 60. Risk: High. Born: February 7, 2003. B-T: B-R. HT: 5-10. WT: 218. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2019. Signed by: Juan Rosario/Lorenzo Piron/Edgar Mateo. TRACK RECORD: No matter where he has ranked among the Yankees’ top prospects, Dominguez has been the most celebrated prospect in the organization. He signed with New York on July 2, 2019, but had to wait until 2021 to make his pro debut after the pandemic wiped out the 2020 minor league season. From there, he set about becoming one of the sport’s most famous prospects. He appeared in two consecutive Futures Games in 2021 and 2022, hitting a long home run at Dodger Stadium in the latter. Dominguez ratcheted up expectations immediately…

He was a star quarterback and shortstop at Oklahoma City’s Heritage Hall School before breaking through on the mound on the 2020 showcase circuit. As a senior in 2021, Jobe won a 4A state title and claimed High School Player of the Year honors as a two-way player. The Tigers passed on high-profile prep shortstops Marcelo Mayer and Jordan Lawlar to draft Jobe third overall in 2021. Three years later, that decision looks wise. Jobe provided a glimpse of his upside during a September callup and then with two postseason appearances. While he didn’t light up the strikeout column as a 22-year-old big leaguer, he thoroughly impressed stuff models with his four-pitch mix. Jobe has stuff that will play at the front of a rotation, but he won’t have to…

1 TRAVIS BAZZANA 2B HIT: 65. POW: 55. RUN: 60. FLD: 50. ARM: 50. BA Grade: 60. Risk: High. Born: August 28, 2002. B-T: L-R. HT: 6-0. WT: 190. Drafted: Oregon State, 2024 (1st round). Signed by: Conor Glassey. TRACK RECORD: Bazzana became the first-ever Australian-born player and second baseman to be drafted with the first overall pick when the Guardians signed him for $8.95 million. Cleveland won the top pick in the second-ever draft lottery. Bazzana established a reputation as one of the best pure hitters in the country, ranked No. 2 on the BA draft board and finished his career as a .360 hitter with Oregon State. He signed quickly after being drafted and then played 27 games with High-A Lake County, where he managed a .765 OPS and helped…

Emerson hit .360 in nine games for USA Baseball’s gold medal-winning 18U National Team in 2022. From there it was off to the races. “Scouts rave about the repeatability and balance of his swing,” we wrote about Emerson in his 2023 draft report. “He has a savvy ability to square up the baseball in different quadrants of the strike zone, with good timing versus all pitch types.” The Mariners drafted the lefthanded-hitting high school shortstop with the 22nd pick in the 2023 draft and watched him slowly gain helium. In his pro debut, Emerson hit .550 with eight RBIs in four California League playoff games to propel Low-A Modesto to a title. The hits kept coming in 2024. Emerson built a .393 on-base percentage at two Class A stops, drawing…

1 JACOB MELTON OF HIT: 50. POW: 50. RUN: 60. FLD: 55. ARM: 50. BA Grade: 55. Risk: High. Born: September 7, 2000. B-T: L-L. HT: 6-3. WT: 208. Drafted: Oregon State, 2022 (2nd round). Signed by: Tim Costic. TRACK RECORD: Melton spent one season at Linn-Benton (Ore.) JC before transferring to Oregon State as a sophomore. His first taste of Division I competition in 2020 was cut short after seven games due to the pandemic. Melton appeared to break out the following season, hitting .404/.466/.697 in 32 games, but a shoulder injury cut his season short in April and he went undrafted. In his third season at OSU in 2022, he hit .360/.424/.671 with 17 home runs in 63 games. That season, he was selected as a first-team All-American…

New Routine Helps Dix Feel Like His Best Self For most of the past two seasons, Wisconsin high school shortstop JD Dix was held back by a shoulder injury. His throws were not as strong. The ball didn’t come off his bat the same. And he played with a nagging concern about the stability of his shoulder. But in the time since the D-backs drafted him 35th overall last July, Dix believes he has turned a corner. “The last 10 games of (post-draft continuation camp), it was fantastic,” Dix said of the shoulder that had bothered him for years. “It was so comfortable and it was the first time I had a little swag back, a little confidence.” Dix originally dislocated his shoulder diving back into first base in the…

1 ROMAN ANTHONY OF HIT: 60. POW: 65. RUN: 45. FLD: 55. ARM: 60. BA Grade: 65. Risk: Medium. Born: May 13, 2004. B-T: L-R. HT: 6-3. WT: 216. Drafted: HS—Parkland, FL, 2022 (2nd round supplemental). Signed by: Willie Romay. TRACK RECORD: Anthony has spent his baseball life surrounded by top talents. He grew up close friends with Jackson Holliday and attended Stoneman Douglas High, the South Florida power that produced Anthony Rizzo, Jesus Luzardo and Coby Mayo. In that company, he learned to swim in the deep end of the pool, standing out as both advanced and mature for his age and culminating with a standout senior year as a 17-year-old. Some swing-and-miss concerns based on his struggles in the 2021 summer showcase circuit left him available at the No. 79…

1 CARSON WILLIAMS SS HIT: 40. POW: 60. RUN: 50. FLD: 70. ARM: 70. BA Grade: 60. Risk: Medium. Born: June 24, 2003. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 180. Drafted: HS—San Diego, 2021 (1st round). Signed by: Jaime Jones. TRACK RECORD: Williams didn’t play in a lot of showcases during his high school career at Torrey Pines in San Diego, but he impressed scouts with his big arm, even if he made it clear to everyone that he preferred hitting to pitching. He made swing improvements as a senior, which helped him use his lower half better and convinced scouts to shelve the idea of getting him back on the mound. Williams’ power jumped significantly and helped him vault from third- or fourth-round consideration into the back of the first round…

1 JACKSON JOBE RHP FB: 70. SWEEP: 70. CH: 60. CUT: 60. CTL: 65. BA Grade: 70. Risk: High. Born: July 30, 2002. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-2. WT: 190. Drafted: HS—Oklahoma City, OK, 2021 (1st round). Signed by: Steve Taylor. TRACK RECORD: The son of pro golfer Brandt Jobe, Jackson was a shortstop and quarterback for much of his time at Oklahoma City’s Heritage Hall School. As a senior, it became clear his future was on the mound. He won Baseball America’s High School Player of the Year award in 2021 and soon followed by being drafted third overall by the Tigers. Jobe flashed four plus pitches with elite spin rates in high school and has only gotten better as a pro. A lumbar spine inflammation forced an early end to…

1 JAC CAGLIANONE 1B HIT: 50. POW: 70. RUN: 40. FLD: 50. ARM: 60. BA Grade: 60. Risk: Extreme. Born: February 9, 2003. B-T: L-L. HT: 6-5. WT: 250. Drafted: Florida, 2024 (1st round). Signed by: Nick Presto TRACK RECORD: Power is the key word that describes Caglianone, whom the Royals drafted sixth overall in 2024. Not only does he have 80-grade raw power and 68 total home runs over his last two seasons at Florida, but he also possesses a power fastball from the mound that gets into the high 90s. The nickname “Jac” comes from the initials of his full name: Jeffrey Alan Caglianone. He first put himself on the map during his high school days at Plant High in Tampa. Turning pro right away was not in the cards…

1 COLT EMERSON SS HIT: 60. POW: 50. RUN: 45. FLD: 50. ARM: 55. BA Grade: 60. Risk: High. Born: July 20, 2005. B-T: L-R. HT: 6-1. WT: 195. Drafted: HS—New Concord, OH, 2023 (1st round). Signed by: Jackson Laumann. TRACK RECORD: Emerson has long been on scouts’ radars as a prominent member of USA Baseball’s 18U National Team in 2022 and a top prospect for the 2023 draft. The Mariners drafted him 22nd overall out of an Ohio high school as one of the youngest in his class, and he has done nothing but hit since turning pro. After Emerson raked in his pro debut, the Mariners assigned him to Low-A Modesto in 2024. He slashed .263/.393/.376 with almost as many walks as strikeouts in his first full season, reaching High-A…

1 CADEN DANA RHP FB: 55. CB: 50. SL: 60. CH: 45. CTL: 50. BA Grade: 55. Risk: High. Born: December 17, 2003. B-T: L-R. HT: 6-4. WT: 215. Drafted: HS—Ramsey, NJ, 2022 (11th round).Signed by: Drew Dominguez. TRACK RECORD: As a New Jersey high schooler, Dana stood out for his physicality and pitchability, prompting the Angels to draft him in the 11th round in 2022 and to go way over slot to sign him for $1,497,500. His older brother Casey was also drafted by the Angels that year in the 16th round. Dana made his full-season debut in 2023 and reached High-A Tri-City as a 19-year-old. He recorded a 4.22 ERA in the Northwest League while striking out 71 in 53.1 innings. The Angels shut him down because of…

Only one pitcher in history has won a Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award in the same season. Fernando Valenzuela did it as a 20-year-old for the Dodgers in 1981, when he led the National League with eight shutouts, 180 strikeouts and 192.1 innings. He even threw a complete game victory for the World Series champions that year. The lefthander’s excellence in the strike-shortened season sparked “Fernandomania” and kicked off a six-year run of excellence in which Valenzuela made the all-star team each season. From 1981 to 1986, he went 97-68 with a 2.97 ERA that was about 18% better than league average. In that time, Valenzuela struck out 1,258 in 1,537 innings—for an average of 256 frames per season. He finished top five for the Cy Young…

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT TONY GWYNN AWARD Ismael Cruz Los Angeles Dodgers TRAILBLAZER AWARD Cory Hahn Arizona Diamondbacks FREITAS AWARDS TRIPLE-A Sacramento River Cats DOUBLE-A Somerset Patriots CLASS A Columbia Fireflies MAJORS ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR San Diego Padres PLAYER OF THE YEAR  Aaron Judge OF, Yankees ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Paul Skenes RHP, Pirates EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Matt Arnold Milwaukee Brewers MANAGER OF THE YEAR Dave Roberts Los Angeles Dodgers COACH OF THE YEAR  Chris Fetter Detroit Tigers MINORS PLAYER OF THE YEAR  Kristian Campbell 2B/OF, Red Sox PITCHER OF THE YEAR  Quinn Mathews LHP, Cardinals MANAGER OF THE YEAR Zach Vincej Low-A Modesto Nuts (Mariners) TEAM OF THE YEAR Lake County Captains High-A Midwest League (Guardians) EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Mike Abramson Double-A Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) COLLEGE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Charlie Condon 3B, Georgia COACH OF THE YEAR Tony Vitello Tennessee FRESHMAN OF THE…

1 SAMUEL BASALLO C HIT: 55. POW: 70. RUN: 40. FLD: 50. ARM: 70. BA Grade: 65. Risk: High. Born: August 13, 2004. B-T: L-R. HT: 6-5. WT: 250. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2021. Signed by: Micheal Cruz/Geraldo Cabrera. TRACK RECORD: After years of an ownership aversion to signing international amateur free agents, the Orioles returned to the market in 2019 when Mike Elias hired Koby Perez as senior director of international scouting. In his first full signing period, the pandemic-delayed signing window that was pushed to January 2021, the club used $1.3 million to land Basallo, who was previously connected to the Yankees and quickly became the crown jewel of Baltimore’s international program. He was the 2023 Carolina League MVP in his full-season debut, a season in which he earned two…

1 RICKY TIEDEMANN LHP FB: 60. SL: 65. CH: 55. CTL: 50. BA Grade: 60. Risk: Extreme. Born: August 18, 2002. B-T: L-L. HT: 6-4. WT: 220. Drafted: Golden West (CA) JC, 2021 (3rd round). Signed by: Joey Aversa. TRACK RECORD: After going unselected in the five-round 2020 draft out of high school, Tiedemann backed out of his commitment to San Diego State and enrolled at Golden West JC in California. He blossomed physically and reentered the draft in 2021. The Blue Jays took him in the third round and paid him a below-slot bonus of $644,800. Tiedemann debuted the following season in Low-A and dominated both levels of Class A before reaching Double-A in his age-19 season. During the 2022 season, he made 18 starts, pitched to a 2.17 ERA across…

1 NOAH SCHULTZ LHP FB: 65. SL: 70. CH: 55. CUT: 50. CTL: 60. BA Grade: 65. Risk: High. Born: August 5, 2003. B-T: L-L. HT: 6-9. WT: 220. Drafted: HS—Oswego, IL, 2022 (1st round). Signed by: JJ Lally TRACK RECORD: The White Sox drafted Schultz 26th overall in 2022 out of a Chicago-area high school. They signed him for a slot-value bonus of $2.8 million. He was another of what has been an annual tradition of drafting players who were part of the Area Code Games team managed by White Sox scouts. The extra familiarity provided by the event was a big help that year, considering Schultz missed part of his senior season to mono before getting pre-draft exposure pitching in the Prospect League. The lanky, 6-foot-9 southpaw pitched in a…

1 WALKER JENKINS OF HIT: 70. POW: 60. RUN: 55. FLD: 60. ARM: 50. BA Grade: 65. Risk: High. Born: February 19, 2005. B-T: L-R. HT: 6-3. WT: 210. Drafted: HS—Southport, NC, 2023 (1st round). Signed by: Ty Dawson. TRACK RECORD: Long before his draft year, Jenkins had established himself as a name to watch. He made USA Baseball’s 18U National Team as an underclassman in 2021, playing on the same team with the top picks of the 2022 draft such as Jackson Holliday, Termarr Johnson and Druw Jones. He didn’t get to star on the 2022 18U team because he had a hamate injury, but he was back in fine form in the spring of 2023. Jenkins was viewed as one of the clear top five draft talents that year. Minnesota…

NICK KURTZ 1B HIT: 60. POW: 60. RUN: 40. FLD: 60. ARM: 50. BA Grade: 60. Risk: High. Born: March 11, 2003. B-T: L-L. HT: 6-5. WT: 235. Drafted: Wake Forest, 2024 (1st round). Signed by: Neil Avent TRACK RECORD: Kurtz entered 2024 as one of college baseball’s preeminent sluggers on a top-ranked Wake Forest team that had College World Series aspirations. He ranked as Baseball America’s No. 2 draft prospect prior to the season and also entered the season atop the Athletics’ draft board. But neither Kurtz nor the Demon Deacons quite met expectations. Kurtz scuffled early while dealing with a shoulder injury, though he recovered to hit .306 with 22 home runs while leading the nation with 78 walks. Wake Forest bowed out in regionals, but Kurtz’s inconsistent campaign did…

1 KUMAR ROCKER RHP FB: 60. SL: 70. CH: 55. CUT: 50. CTL: 50. BA Grade: 60. Risk: High. Born: November 22, 1999. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-5. WT: 245. Drafted: Frontier League, 2022 (1st round). Signed by: Tyler Carroll. TRACK RECORD: Rocker’s road to the big leagues took many twists and turns. At Vanderbilt, he was Freshman of the Year in 2019 and College Player of the Year in 2021. The Mets drafted Rocker 10th overall in the latter season but did not sign him when he didn’t pass a physical. Rocker joined Tri-City of the independent Frontier League in the summer of 2022. The Rangers drafted him third overall based on that five-start run. Rocker made his first pitches in a Texas uniform in the Arizona Fall League after…

Rico Carty was not the first Dominican major leaguer, but he was one of the first from the island to star in the major leagues. The Milwaukee Braves signed Carty as a 19-year-old in 1959. He played catcher in the minor leagues, but his strong bat, weak glove and imposing frame forced him out behind the plate before he reached the majors for a cup of coffee in 1963. Carty finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 1964, when he hit .330/.388/.554 with 22 home runs and 88 RBIs for the Milwaukee Braves as a 24-year-old left fielder. A 6-foot-3, 200-pound righthanded hitter, he produced a great rookie season. He just had the misfortune of going up against Dick Allen, who was even better. By the…