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Baseball America|August/September 2024Letter To The EditorDear Mr. Cooper, My father Jack Johnston, 91, really wanted to share this story with anyone and everyone who may be interested. In his advanced age, he is busy recollecting priceless moments in his life, particularly where baseball is involved. He was signed by Baltimore in the 1950s but was then pulled into the Air Force, which took him away from baseball for a bit. After a scouting stint with the Houston Colt .45s in the 1960s, he scouted for the Mets in the New England territory through 1994. “Three Balls And You’re Safe” By Jack Johnston One can’t work 30-plus years as a professional scout and not have memorable moments. One of the best took place at Fenway Park in Boston. It was a hot, humid, oppressive July day,…2 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024UPDATED ORGANIZATION TALENT RANKINGSAugust ushers in the dog days of summer, the final two-month sprint to the finish. It’s also the month that begins to provide clarity on farm systems heading in to 2025. The trade deadline has passed, and the period for 2024 draftees to sign has closed. It also means we updates our Top 30 Prospects rankings for all 30 organizations. This talent rankings snapshot excludes all players who were on major league rosters, injured lists or restricted lists as of Aug. 1. That factor led to the Nationals and Orioles slipping a few spots, due to the summer callups of James Wood and Jackson Holliday, the top two prospects in baseball at the time of their promotions. We also include a prospect success story for each organization. He is a…8 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024K.C. MASTERPIECE“He’s thebest player who I’ve ever scouted.I can’t think of a player in our game who can beat you in as many ways as Bobby Witt Jr. can.”—FORMER ROYALS GM DAYTON MOORE The Royals dispatched a scout or club official to every game shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. played as a high school senior, and that was no small number. Colleyville Heritage High, located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, played 42 games in 2019, winning 39 of them, as Witt led the Panthers to the Texas class 5A state title. The Royals wanted to watch over the player they believed was the most talented in a top-heavy draft class that also included Adley Rutschman and 2024 first-time all-stars Gunnar Henderson, Riley Greene and CJ Abrams. Kansas City saw all five of…8 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024MOST EXCITING OHTANIPlayer value can be debated ad nauseam, but major league managers are clear on one point. Shohei Ohtani is the most exciting player in baseball. The 30-year-old Dodgers DH has won that Best Tools category in every season since the pandemic, the first three in the American League when he was with the Angels. This year, National League managers chose Ohtani as best hitter, best power and most exciting player. That all checks out. As August dawned, Ohtani led the NL in batting, on-base percentage, slugging, home runs and a few other key categories. Oh, and Ohtani is plenty valuable, too. He is the odds-on favorite to win his third MVP award this year. NATIONAL LEAGUE BEST TOOLS As determined by a survey of National League managers, coaches, scouts and…2 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024WALCOTT BLASTS OFFIt took some time for Rangers shortstop Sebastian Walcott to find his footing at High-A Hickory. But when the 18-year-old Bahamian got up to speed, the results were eye-popping. Walcott slumped hard during the first two months of the season, hitting .195/.326/.315 in April and May. Those struggles should have been expected for a player who spent last season in Rookie ball. Just when many began to question the Rangers’ decision to aggressively assign Walcott to High-A, he caught fire. Over his next 51 games, Walcott hit .300/.359/.523 while cutting his strikeout rate. Walcott stands out for the many ways he can help his team. He flashes impressive tools on both sides of the ball, with potential for plus power, speed and a presently plus throwing arm. South Atlantic League…5 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024ARIZONA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10Last year’s Arizona Complex League top prospects list featured future Top 100 Prospects Sebastian Walcott and Jaison Chourio as well as outfielder Dillon Head, who was used by the Padres as a trade chip that helped them land hitting savant Luis Arraez from the Marlins. Two years ago, the 2022 list included another pair of Top 100 Prospects in Guardians shortstop Angel Genao and Cubs catcher Moises Ballesteros. It also included a trio of prospects used in trades. Fireballer Jarlin Susana helped the Padres land Juan Soto, outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez was used to pry Jorge Polanco from the Twins and Rayne Doncon brought shortstop Noah Miller into the Dodgers’ system. Now, take a look at the 10 best prospects the 2024 ACL had to offer. 1. EDUARDO QUINTERO OF, DODGERS…7 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024GREATEXPECTATIONSAll his life, Ethan Holliday has had a firsthand view of how to handle expectations. He grew up the son of seven-time MLB all-star Matt Holliday. He practiced, prepared and played with his older brother Jackson, who was drafted No. 1 overall by the Orioles in 2022, the summer after Ethan’s freshman year of high school. Now, as he heads into his senior season at Stillwater (Okla.) High, the 17-year-old shortstop has to manage expectations of his own as the top prep prospect for the 2025 draft. “He’s obviously had the opportunity to watch Jackson and how Jackson’s handled everything.” Matt Holliday said. “So he has a good template and a good role model to look up to with Jackson, and how he’s handled it all has made it easier…7 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024ORGANIZATION REPORTS• Drafted in 2018, speedy center fielder DaShawn Keirsey has added skills as he has climbed the Twins’ minor league ladder, this year to Triple-A. PAGE 59 Three-Pitch Mix Helps Forret Stand Out The Orioles are an ascendant pitching development organization, and 20-year-old righthander Michael Forret is proving to be one of the team’s most dynamic young arms. Drafted in the 14th round last year out of junior college, Forret joined High-A Aberdeen in early June after showcasing an advanced mix of stuff and athleticism at Low-A Delmarva. “What it really came down to is just that he’s holding velo, he’s punching guys out, he’s limiting walks and he’s limiting hard contact,” Delmarva pitching coach Andy Sadoski said. Forret is the youngest Orioles pitcher in the full-season minor leagues and…21 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024FUTURES GAME SUPERLATIVESHighlight plays and big-time talent were on full display by many of baseball’s most impressive prospects at this year’s Futures Game. Reds third baseman Cam Collier won the game’s MVP award after hitting a massive third-inning home run to help propel the National League to a 6-1 victory over the American League. Here, we recount the top players, moments and tools on display at the 2024 Futures Game in Arlington, Texas. BEST PLAYER Emiliano Teodo, RHP, Rangers Teodo thrilled the home crowd as the American League starter. He became the first pitcher in Futures Game history to throw two perfect innings. Teodo needed 14 pitches in total, including just six in the first inning, to complete the feat. The 23-year-old Teodo, who signed for just $10,000 out of the Dominican…6 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024ON TOP OF THE WORLDWith confetti raining down at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Tennessee coach Tony Vitello raised the national championship trophy aloft. The Volunteers had won the 2024 College World Series, cementing their legacy as one of the best teams of all-time. Tennessee won 60 games, more than any team in 22 years. It collected every trophy it could, winning both the Southeastern Conference and SEC Tournament on its way to Omaha greatness. It was the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and became the first No. 1 overall seed to win the championship since Miami did it in 1999. It was a complete team effort. The Volunteers led the nation in home runs, ranked 11th in scoring and sixth in ERA. They had All-Americans, Freshman All-Americans, present first-round picks,…13 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024MLB DebutsMLB DEBUTS WITH THEIR SIGNING SCOUTS We highlight the scouts who signed this year’s major league debuts, with this installment covering the period June 17 to July 31.…1 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024Going for gold?Major league players have never been allowed to participate in baseball at the Olympics, but that may change. Both MLB and the MLB Players Association are at least open to the possibility of allowing big leaguers to play in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. There are still many hurdles to clear before MLB players actually suit up to play for a gold medal, but both MLB and the MLBPA expressed interest in seeing what would have to be done to make that possibility a reality. That’s according to union head Tony Clark and commissioner Rob Manfred, who spoke during All-Star Game media availability. Manfred said that after discussions with Casey Wasserman, CEO of LA2028, he encouraged Wasserman to speak directly to MLB owners about the proposal to allow MLB…3 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024IN WITHTHE NEWThe 2024 draft is in the books. The trade deadline is history. ETA has morphed into established time of arrival for many of the top upper-level prospects as they matriculate from Triple-A to MLB. Now, it’s time to survey the prospect landscape that remains once young players in the big leagues are excluded and selections from this year’s draft are included. That’s where our Top 100 Prospects: Summer Update fits. We filter out summer callups, such as the Nationals’ James Wood, the Orioles’ Jackson Holliday and the Athletics’ Jacob Wilson, to focus only on prospects who were in the minor leagues as of Aug. 1. We curate our Summer Update with the top talent from the 2024 draft, led by hard-hitting collegians Charlie Condon of the Rockies, Travis Bazzana of…2 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024THE SUPERSTAR WE SAW COMINGHindsight is 20/20. In the case of Bobby Witt Jr., foresight also was 20/20. The Royals’ 24-year-old shortstop does everything well and is one of MLB’s brightest young superstars. Witt’s future potential on the field came into sharp focus three years ago during minor league Best Tools voting at midseason. Back in 2021, Witt’s lone full season in the minor leagues, he dominated Best Tools voting like few prospects do. Double-A Texas League managers voted him best batting prospect, best baserunner, fastest baserunner, best infield arm and most exciting player. He received votes for—but did not win—best power prospect and best defensive shortstop. Translation: Witt cornered the market on the five traditional scouting tools: hitting, power, speed, fielding and arm. He was at or near the top of his class…2 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024WOOD HAS TOWERING UPSIDEAaron Judge and Oneil Cruz are 6-foot-7 sluggers who stand out for their power in this year’s MLB Best Tools voting. That extra-tall duo should have company in short order. Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power. Wood spent half of this season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on July 1. While he was in the International League, he captured managers’ attention. Wood unanimously won Best Power Prospect and also claimed Most Exciting Player in a survey of league skippers. Wood hit .353/.463/.595 with 10 home runs in 52 games for Rochester. His .242 isolated slugging was the best for a player 21 or younger at Triple-A this season. He hit a ball as hard as 115.3 mph with Rochester. Just eight…5 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024A NEW CHOURIO RISESWhile Brewers rookie outfielder Jackson Chourio is thriving in the big leagues, his younger brother is taking the first steps toward doing the same thing one day. Last fall, outfielder Jaison Chourio checked in at No. 3 on our ranking of the top 20 prospects in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League before earning a bump to Low-A for nine games. The younger Chourio returned to Lynchburg as a 19-year-old this season and caught evaluators’ eyes in a variety of ways. In Best Tools voting, Carolina League managers chose Chourio in four categories: Best Batting Prospect, Best Strike-Zone Judgment, Best Defensive Outfielder and Most Exciting Player. With the year Chourio is having, it’s easy to see why he dominated the voting. Heading toward mid August, he was one of just three…5 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024TEAM USA TOP 10 PROSPECTSUSA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team annually puts together a roster of some of the top players in the country, giving scouts and draft fans an early preview of the best talent for next year’s class. This year, USA Baseball fielded two college rosters: an international friendship series roster composed mostly of rising juniors who will be eligible for the 2025 draft and a summer league tour roster composed mostly of rising sophom*ores who won’t be eligible until 2026. Here, we rank the top 10 players from the “senior” team, which isn’t quite as hitter-heavy as last year’s CNT—which featured 2024 first-rounders JJ Wetherholt, Braden Montgomery, Seaver King, Jac Caglianone and Charlie Condon—and is instead led by a pair of high-profile, high-probability starters in righthander Tyler Bremner and lefthander Jamie Arnold.…8 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024Way-Too-Early 2025 Mock DraftThe world of amateur scouting moves quickly. With the 2024 draft in the books, it’s full steam ahead for a 2025 class that scouts are eagerly anticipating after a down group this year. With that in mind, we look ahead to the potential top 10 picks in next year’s draft with our way-too-early mock. In last year’s version, six of the 10 players we identified developed into 2024 first-round picks: Nick Kurtz, Travis Bazzana, JJ Wetherholt, Konnor Griffin, Jac Caglianone and Chase Burns. The actual 2025 draft order will be determined by a lottery at the Winter Meetings. Until then, we will use reverse order of MLB standings at the all-star break for this exercise. Note: The White Sox have the worst record but cannot pick until 10th at the…5 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024ORGANIZATION REPORTS● A series of mechanical adjustments set the stage for Brad Lord’s breakout at Double-A in the Nationals’ system this season.PAGE 65 Del Castillo’s Journey Nears Destination For most of 2021, hitting did not come easy for catcher Adrian Del Castillo. He entered his junior year at Miami regarded as one of the best college bats in the country, but he struggled, slipped to the supplemental second round and then posted mediocre numbers as a pro. Looking back, the 24-year-old Del Castillo wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. “I think that’s probably the best thing that ever happened to me,” Del Castillo said. “It’s going to happen to anybody, even the best players in the world. They’ve got to go through a certain struggling phase. “It’s the journey of…21 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024DSL ALL-STAR GAME SUPERLATIVESThe Dominican Summer League held its annual All-Star Game on July 21 at the Brewers’ complex in Santo Domingo. The game, which came with a raucous atmosphere not found in either the Florida or Arizona Complex leagues, featured plenty of talent on both the American and National league rosters. The game finished in a 2-2 tie. Afterward, Blue Jays lefthander Ramon Suarez and Rangers outfielder Paulino Santana were named the game’s most valuable pitcher and hitter. The former struck out the side in his inning. The latter went 2-for-3 at the plate. The Brewers’ Luis Peña provided the home crowd a jolt when he swatted the game’s only home run. The DSL All-Star Game is truly one of a kind. All other minor league all-star games were eliminated when MLB…4 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024A RECORD NIGHT FOR COLLEGIANSDay one of the draft consists of the first two rounds, including all the compensatory, competitive balance and Prospect Promotion Incentive picks following those rounds. This year, a total of 74 picks were made during the top two rounds of the draft. Kentucky outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt and Virginia shortstop Griff O’Ferrall, drafted 31st and 32nd overall by the D-backs and Orioles, were the second- and third-ever PPI draft picks. Arizona and Baltimore added the picks when Corbin Carroll and Gunnar Henderson won Rookie of the Year awards in 2023. A RECORD EIGHT STRAIGHT COLLEGE PLAYERS KICK THINGS OFF We expected this year’s first round to lean heavily on college players, and that wound up being the case on a record-setting night. This draft was the first in history to feature…4 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024ROAD BLOCK?In late July, college baseball coaches learned that the much-despised 11.7 scholarship limit is going away. Beginning with the 2025-26 academic year, Division I schools will have roster limits of 34 players, and all 34 players can be given full scholarships. The demise of the 11.7 scholarship limit is nearly universally popular. For generations, college baseball has been a sport in which 25 or more players see playing time, and almost none of them were on full scholarships. This change will ensure that fewer players have to go into student debt—or rely on their parents—to play college baseball. That’s great news, as pretty much everyone agrees. “I think it’s an important issue. I look at all of this through the lens of: 20 years ago, I was a freshman on…5 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024MAKING A DIFFERENCETravis Snider always hit. He hit enough during his standout career at Jackson High, which is just outside of Seattle, that the Blue Jays made him the 14th overall pick in the 2006 draft. He hit that summer, batting .325 in 54 games for Rookie-level Pulaski. The outfielder hit over his next two seasons in the minor leagues, and he hit as a late-season callup to the Blue Jays at the end of the 2008 season as a 20-year-old. Snider hit. Until he didn’t. Struggles during his first full season in the big leagues led to a demotion, which led to self-doubt, which led to more than a decade of an up-and-down pro career. Snider had always been able to hit, but when he hit a wall in between the…3 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024SUMMER TOP 100HOW PLAYERS QUALIFY All prospect-eligible players—no more than 130 at-bats or 50 innings in the big leagues—were considered for the Top 100 Prospects Summer Update, though prospects on MLB rosters as of Aug. 1 were excluded. 1. JUNIOR CAMINERO RAYS, 3B Caminero’s 2024 season has been largely derailed by a lingering quad injury. He spent time on the injured list, returned and then re-aggravated the injury. He returned to Triple-A in late July and immediately continued showing his immense power. 2. DYLAN CREWS NATIONALS, OF Crews has not set the minors on fire, but he made steady progress in Double-A before moving to Triple-A. The speedy arrivals of Wyatt Langford and Nolan Schanuel make Crews’ normal progression seem slow, but he’s on track to be in MLB in 2025. 3.…26 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024UNANIMOUS VERDICTFew outcomes are more certain than Aaron Judge receiving Best Tools votes in the American League best power category. The Yankees’ 32-year-old center fielder won the category as a rookie in 2017 and then again in 2018, 2022 and now 2024. Judge also finished runner-up in 2019 and 2023. The names surrounding Judge on the all-time Best Tools leaderboard for best power are telling: Giancarlo Stanton, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols. That quintet has combined to hit 3,164 home runs—and counting. What’s even more notable this year is Judge’s first win for best hitter. It is the first time he has ever earned a top-three finish, let alone first place. It’s easy to see why Judge received so much attention for his bat. Heading into August,…2 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024ANTHONY’S POWER WILL PLAYAfter a whirlwind 2023 season that involved reaching three full-season levels, expectations were sky-high for Red Sox outfield prospect Roman Anthony headed into 2024. The 20-year-old started off slowly at Double-A Portland. He sported a .206/.310/.329 line at the end of April. From then on, however, Anthony has been absolutely terrific, and he’s doing so as one of the youngest players in the Eastern League. For as strong as his surface-level stats are, Anthony’s underlying metrics are even more impressive. He does not often swing and miss on pitches inside the zone, nor does he chase pitches outside of the zone. When he does make contact, he hits the ball as hard as any prospect in the minors. He has already hit a ball 116 mph and multiple balls at…5 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10Last year’s Florida Complex League prospect crop has been beset by lengthy injuries to many of its top players, including Yankees pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange, Mets infielder Marco Vargas and Red Sox catcher Johanfran Garcia. On the bright side, Blue Jays righthander Fernando Perez earned a spot in this year’s Futures Game. Go back two years, and the 2022 FCL group is thriving. It contains three Top 100 Prospects in Junior Caminero, Samuel Basallo and Bubba Chandler. Now, let’s take a look at what the 2024 FCL had to offer. 1. STARLYN CABA SS, PHILLIES Age: 18. B-T: B-R. HT: 5-9. WT: 160. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2023. Caba signed with the Phillies in January 2023 and made a quick first impression in the Dominican Summer League before an…7 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024CAPE COD LEAGUE TOP 10As much as things change in college baseball, the Cape Cod League remains a summer staple. Just like the rest of the sport, however, the venerable summer wood-bat league isn’t immune to change. Roster turnover is much more significant now than it was before the pandemic. Decades ago, rosters would rarely change all summer. Now, it’s common to see two cycles of lineups for many teams in one season. Some teams have found their stride when it comes to building a core roster and supplementing it as needed. The enhanced turnover opens the door for many talented future big leaguers to cycle through. The ever-increasing trend of schools holding back their best pitchers from participating in summer ball is apparent. No pitchers cracked the top 10. 1 AIVA ARQUETTE SS…8 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024PROSPECT PADEverything’s bigger in Texas, including the Prospect Pad. Launched by Baseball America and Louisville Slugger during All-Star Weekend in 2016 as a way to connect with the top prospects in baseball on the eve of the Futures Game, the event has attracted the biggest up-and-coming stars over the past eight years, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Bobby Witt Jr., Pete Alonso, Julio Rodriguez and so many more. It has been a veritable who’s who of young baseball talent. This year’s interviews and highlights—and all of the classic ones going back to 2016—are available on demand right now at BaseballAmerica.com and on our YouTube channel . . . and we hope you join us online next July for Prospect Pad in Atlanta. AMONG THOSE IN ATTENDANCE … HEARD AT…4 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024DEPARTMENTSMINORS › The best players and the loudest tools from this year’s Futures Game and DSL All-Star Game PAGES 67, 70 › A revamped and rejuvenated farm system has the Royals ready to rebound PAGE 72 COLLEGE › Coach of the Year Tony Vitello quickly developed an identity for Tennessee PAGE 74 DRAFT › Four key takeaways from a college-heavy 2024 draft PAGE 78 › Five years later, A look back at the loaded 2019 draft PAGE 80…1 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024ROYALS REVIVALHeading into the 2022 season, the Royals’ farm system ranked fifth in baseball. It was led by superstar-in-waiting Bobby Witt Jr. and also included future big leaguers Vinnie Pasquantino, Michael Massey and Alec Marsh. Now, Witt is one of the best players in the sport, while Pasquantino, Massey, Marsh and others, including MJ Melendez, Kyle Isbel, Angel Zerpa and Maikel Garcia, have contributed to a big league team that finished the first half in the thick of the American League wild card race. Once that group graduated from prospect consideration, however, things began to go south. Kansas City’s system ranked 29th in 2023 and entered this season dead last in BA’s organization talent rankings. There was nowhere for the Royals to go but up, and a system-wide overhaul has helped…7 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024COMING OF AGEThe 2019 draft had a little bit of everything. Oregon State’s Adley Rutschman presented a clear-cut No. 1 overall talent as a proven college hitter and potential franchise catcher. Led by Bobby Witt Jr., Riley Greene and CJ Abrams, the level of high school talent was higher than usual. Even the second tier of first-round preps included future big leaguers Brett Baty, Corbin Carroll and Anthony Volpe. Aside from Rutschman, many of the top college hitters in 2019 have come up short of stardom. Still, the first round was littered with future MLB regulars. In order of selection: Andrew Vaughn, JJ Bleday, Josh Jung, Shea Langeliers, Bryson Stott and Michael Busch. Perhaps the most surprising development from the 2019 first round is that a maligned crop of college pitchers has…10 min
Baseball America|August/September 2024In MemoriamORLANDO CEPEDA SHINED AS ONE OF MLB’s FIRST LATINO STARS Orlando Cepeda won the National League Rookie of the Year award unanimously in 1958, the Giants’ first year in San Francisco, and then made the NL all-star team in each of the next six seasons. In 1959, Cepeda made history as the first Puerto Rican player to start the All-Star Game. In 1961, he finished runner-up for NL MVP after he led the league with 46 home runs and 142 RBIs. A year later, he helped power the Giants to the World Series, which they lost in seven games. Cepeda hit 222 home runs in his first seven MLB seasons. Just 10 players have ever hit more to begin a career. Cepeda would have kept building on that total if…3 min
