Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2025 i Baseball America

Do you see Braves infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. playing an important role in 2025? Or is he more of a Triple-A player waiting for an injury to open up a spot? Carlos Collazo: If Alvarez were a capable defender at shortstop, this would be a clear yes, I’d think. He doesn’t have near the bat to force Austin Riley or Ozzie Albies off of second or third base, and he would provide less value as a utility infielder since most scouts seem to agree he’s stretched at shortstop. His bat-to-ball skills are impressive, but I still view him as something of a tweener type and more of a second-division regular. He’s got to find a way to unlock more power if he’s not playing shortstop, and his exit velocities went in…

The return of college baseball confirms that spring is on its way. College writers Jacob Rudner and Peter Flaherty and draft writer Carlos Collazo have you covered with all the top players, teams and storylines. Expert Analysis Projected Field of 64 9 All-America Teams 16 Preseason Top 25 18 Power Four Conference Previews 36 Featured Texas A&M cover story 10 Oregon State goes the independent route 32 Oklahoma’s Witherspoon twins eye draft history 34 BA CRYSTAL BALL Before the first pitch of the season is thrown, college writers Jacob Rudner and Peter Flaherty look into the crystal ball to make key predictions for the 2025 season. NATIONAL CHAMPION JACOB RUDNER Texas A&M The Aggies returned three of the nation’s top players at their respective positions and added one of the…

Michael Earley’s mind raced like a downhill truck without brakes in late June, each new thought an accelerant. A 36-year-old who had just finished his third season as Texas A&M’s hitting coach, Earley felt optimistic regarding his chances of landing the Aggies’ head coaching job. Earley was as familiar with the program as anyone, he reminded himself. He knew his players respected him and hoped that his passion for the university, which in 2022 gave him just his second coaching job, was apparent to its movers and shakers. “Would it be enough, though?” Earley wondered. Without any head coaching experience, he questioned whether others viewed his candidacy as strongly as he did. After all, Texas A&M was a powerhouse on the rise. It had reached the College World Series twice…

It simply didn’t feel right. Not the way the ball came out of their hands or crossed the plate. Not the way it scorched off opposing bats or skipped across the outfield grass. Not the feedback from coaches or the results of self reflection. The twin sons of a single mother, whom they said moved mountains so that they could play baseball, Kyson and Malachi Witherspoon had reached a critical crossroads. Though it might have been fleeting at the time, the brothers loved the game and wished to keep playing it as long as they could. But after years of their mother’s sacrifice, reality started to creep in. The time was nearing to pay their mother back, to shower her with the same love and care that she had displayed…

BASEBALL LOSES RICKEY HENDERSON, ITS MAN OF STEAL From roaming the hallways at Oakland Technical High to breaking records down the road at the Oakland Coliseum, left fielder Rickey Henderson personified the heart and grit of his home city. Henderson used his speed to swipe an all-time major league record 1,406 bases across a 25-year career that included 10 All-Star Game appearances, an American League MVP Award in 1990 and World Series championships with the 1989 Athletics and 1993 Blue Jays. His one-of-a-kind career made him a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2009 with 94.8% of the vote. He had his No. 24 retired by the A’s. Henderson excelled as a three-sport athlete at Oakland Tech and dreamed of playing football for the Raiders. However, he stuck to baseball, and…

FORMER BALLPLAYERS REFLECT ON PRO SUCCESS AND FAILURE Tyson Ross grew up in the Bay Area, 15 minutes from the Oakland Coliseum. Upon blossoming into a talented righthanded pitcher, one who played on USA Baseball’s 18U National Team with future big leaguers like Clayton Kershaw, Ross chose to stay close to home by playing at California. His standout career at Cal featured another Team USA appearance, this time for the Collegiate National Team in the summer of 2007, which naturally came with plenty of attention from scouts. In the 2008 draft, Ross’ hometown Athletics made him their second-round pick. The A’s right away worked to make the most of Ross’ 6-foot-5 height, adjusting his mechanics by lengthening his stride by a foot. He responded to the change and reached Double-A…

Nick Mingione was certain about two things heading into the 2023 season, his seventh at the helm of Kentucky’s baseball program. The first was born from confidence. “I knew that we could win consistently,” Mingione said. “I’ve always felt that we could build this program into something great.” The second was a matter of strategy in order to make the first a reality. And it required a sweeping recalibration of the roster-building methods previously employed in Lexington that produced only modest returns—five regional appearances, one super regional and zero trips to the College World Series over a two-decade stretch. In an era defined by NIL-fueled recruiting battles for blue-chip prospects, Mingione confidently set his sights on building an older, more experienced roster—one forged with grit, physical maturity and the savvy…

1 TEXAS A&M Last season: 53-15 (19-11 SEC); runner-up at College World Series. Final 2024 ranking: No. 2. Coach (record at school): Michael Earley (first season). THE GOOD NEWS First-year Texas A&M head coach Michael Earley started winning before he even coached a game in College Station. The 36-year-old newcomer kept the core of the 2024 national runners-up intact despite a program-shaking change that saw decorated coach Jim Schlossnagle take the same job at rival Texas. Many of the Aggies’ top talents subsequently entered the transfer portal. The Aggies return impact outfielder Jace LaViolette, 2024 SEC freshman of the year Gavin Grahovac, budding shortstop Kaeden Kent, staff ace Ryan Prager and Saturday starter Justin Lamkin, among others. They also bolstered the group with several key additions from the transfer portal, including Long Beach State southpaw…

ACC ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE PROJECTED STANDINGS (2024 RECORDS) 1. Virginia (46-17, 18-12) 2. Florida State (49-17, 17-12) 3. North Carolina (48-16, 22-8) 4. Clemson (44-16, 20-10) 5. Wake Forest (38-22, 15-15) 6. Duke (40-20, 16-14) 7. N.C. State (38-23, 18-11) 8. Stanford (22-33, 11-19 Pac-12) 9. Virginia Tech (32-22, 14-16) 10. Louisville (32-24, 16-14) 11. Georgia Tech (33-25, 15-15) 12. California (36-19, 17-13 Pac-12) 13. Miami (26-30, 11-19) 14. Boston College (22-31, 8-22) 15. Pittsburgh (26-28, 10-10) 16. Notre Dame (27-25, 9-21) TOP 10 DRAFT PROSPECTS FOR 2025 1. Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State 2. Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson 3. Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina 4. Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest 5. Matt Scott, RHP, Stanford 6. Ethan Conrad, OF, Wake Forest 7. Henry Ford, OF, Virginia 8. Henry Godbout,…

Baseball parents generally have good intentions. They want to help their kids fulfill their dreams, and they are willing to do almost anything to help make those dreams come true. They’re just chasing the wrong dream. Players and their parents want it all, and they want it quickly. Players and their parents are focused on being the best 15- or 16-year-old possible, which means doing everything possible to be the star of various 12U, 13U and 14U teams. That multi-sport athlete who plays a bit of travel ball in addition to basketball and football? What are they waiting for? Don’t they know that specialization at an early age is going to help them stand out quicker? If you’re great as a 12- and 13-year-old, you’ll be a top prospect as…