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BALLPARK SPECTACULAR: TOP 10S IN THE MAJORS, MINORS AND COLLEGE

READING’S FIRSTENERGY STADIUM CHARMS FANS WELL INTO ITS SEVENTH DECADE ®

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ITERS R W S T R O P S D FANS AN ANCISCO’S R F N A S T A H T AGREE N JEWEL W O R C E H T IS AT&T PARK LEAGUE BALLPARKS OF MAJOR

Y A B

ISSUE NO. 1811/180501 • MAY 418, 2018

OFFICIAL PERFORMANCE FOOT WEAR SUPPLIER OF MLB ®

Ma j or League Base ball trade ma rks a n d copy righ t s a re u sed w it h permis s i o n o f M aj o r Le ag ue Base bal l Pro pe r ti e s , I nc. Vi s i t M LB.co m

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MAY 4–18, 2018 VOLUME 38, ISSUE 11

“Simply put, the best view in baseball beyond the outfield.

A nice blend of old school and new school.”

ANTHONY FENECH ON PITTSBURGH'S PNC PARK, PAGE 7

JOE SARGENT/GETTY IMAGES

Views of the Pittsburgh skyline, Allegheny River and Roberto Clemente Bridge beyond the outfield at PNC Park make it one of the best ballparks in the major leagues.

INSIDE THE GAME TOP 10 BALLPARKS

HIDDEN GEM

MINORS

Baseball America consulted broadcasters, correspondents and scouts to rank the top 10 ballparks in the majors, minors and the college game................. 7

Reading’s FirstEnergy Stadium opened its doors nearly 70 years ago but remains one of the minors’ best parks thanks to its unique atmosphere ........... 11

College pitchers face uniform innings caps in pro debuts .... 22

PLUS

Lolo Sanchez speeds his way into the Pirates’ plans, plus all NL organization reports.......... 14

HIGH SCHOOL

We spotlight a handful of older minor league parks................... 13

COLUMNS

EXTRAS

Jerry Crasnick.............................. 20 Tracy Ringolsby.......................... 21 Steve Rushin................................ 34

Where Are They Now? ...............4 Ask BA...............................................6 Business Beat .............................. 28 Obituaries..................................... 31 Numbers Game ......................... 32

COLLEGE A pair of surging programs.... 24

Scrutiny doesn’t faze the most scouted player in California... 26

on the cover Photo Courtesy of the San Francisco Giants.

ON DECK: Analytics pervade the majors and minors and now have trickled down to the college game, where detailed information has given some early adopting programs an edge.

May 4–18, 2018

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MAY 4–18, 2018 VOLUME 38, ISSUE 11

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? TY GRIFFIN HAD EVERYTHING AS A PROSPECT—UNTIL ONE CHANGE DERAILED HIS CAREER

BY RON MORRIS

OCT. 25, 1988 Georgia Tech second baseman Ty Griffin hit .416 with 16 homers and 21 steals in 185 at-bats as the leadoff man for Team USA on their run to Olympic gold.

4

I

f anyone should be allowed to play the baseball game of “What if?” it is Ty Griffin, who in 1988 was a much-decorated, switch-hitting second baseman coming out of Georgia Tech when the Cubs made him the ninth overall pick in the draft.

Unfortunately for Griffin, the Cubs were all set at his position with Ryne Sandberg at the midway point of his Hall of Fame career. In selecting Griffin, the Cubs believed he had enough power to make the move to third base, so much so that they passed over selecting the best third baseman available in the draft.

With the next pick, the White Sox selected Oklahoma State’s Robin Ventura, who would play The Cubs selected 16 seasons in the major leagues with the White Sox, second baseman Ty Mets, Yankees and Dodgers.

Griffin ninth overall in Griffin’s career stalled at Double-A after five seasons of 1987 after a decorated career at Georgia Tech an unsuccessful attempt to play third base. and for Team USA. The “I get a lot of questions: ‘Do you have any animosity? switch-hitter wasn't Do you have any regrets?’ ” Griffin says today. “I don’t going to displace Ryne Sandberg in Chicago, have any regrets. the Cubs shifted “I had a chance to play in a Little League World Series, so him to third base, to be drafted twice, to be drafted in the first round, go to which seemed to have a negative cascading a unique establishment like Georgia Tech, participate in on his pro career. the business world with a top 10 corporation and now be effect Griffin topped out at able to be a coach at the high school level.

Double-A and finished his career in indy ball.

“I’ve had everything, and more, that I could ask to get out of baseball.”

Griffin is in his seventh season as head baseball coach at Tampa Catholic High, where his teams annually compete for Florida state championships, and he twice has been named district coach of the year. For the past five years, he also has served as the school’s assistant dean of students.

Griffin first made a splash on the national baseball scene at Georgia Tech, where he was a career .332 hitter with 22 home runs and 127 stolen bases. He was inducted into the Georgia Tech sports hall of fame in 1994.

Griffin increased his profile by playing for Team USA in the 1987 Pan American Games and 1988 Olympics. Interestingly enough, Griffin and Ventura shared the Baseball America Summer Player of the Year award in 1987.

Then the Cubs made the fateful decision of selecting Griffin one pick ahead of Ventura. In 82 games at low Class A Peoria in the Midwest League in 1989, Griffin hit .287 with 10 home runs and 16 stolen bases. But the shift to third base did not go so well and resulted in 23 errors and bursitis in his throwing shoulder.

“That led to me changing my whole swing, with the bursitis that was in there,” Griffin says. “It took me probably another four to four-and-a-half years to reconstruct my whole swing and get it back to a rhythm of being the whole player that I was.”

Griffin retired in 1997 after nine pro seasons, five in affiliated ball and four more in independent leagues. He then earned a business degree from South Florida. He worked for 10 years in senior management at Philip Morris USA before landing the coaching position at Tampa Catholic.

He and his wife, Dallas, live in Tampa with their daughters Austin and Houston. Q

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30 DAYS OF DRAFT BaseballAmerica.com will publish draft-themed content for the 30 days leading up to the 2018 draft. Mark you calendars for May 4!

Q The BA500 Pre-Draft Ranking

Q Position Rankings

Q Mock Drafts

Q From The Archives

THE COMPLETE PICTURE If you’re not visiting Baseball America.com, then you’re missing a lot of great BA content. Here are the most widely read Web-only pieces for the month of April: Q College Projected Field Of 64 Q 2018 Mock Draft, Version 1 Q Breakout Prospects At Every Position Q College Baseball Top 25 Rankings Q Minor League Transactions

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MORE CAPS = MORE COMPETITION This year’s Logomania contest is bigger and badder than ever. 64 minor league teams were selected to compete in the 2018 Logomania contest, giving you more chances to vote on which team has the best cap logo! Our committee was overwhelmed by all the fun and creative submissions to be part of the competition, but there were a few teams that went above and beyond. Thank you to all the teams that submitted an application. From April 30-May 31, fans will be able to vote for their favorite team logos. Visit BaseballAmerica. com/logomania to vote and see round-byround results as the teams battle through the contest. Don’t miss out!

Trap Toon

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BY PAUL TRAP

BY J.J. COOPER

HAVE A QUESTION?

Q State Lists

team entries

Ask BA

@jjcoop36 askba@baseballamerica.com

Q What causes some high-upside players on the international side to slip through the cracks and sign at 18 years old or older?

CHRISTOPHER BIRD, CHRISTO91665395

A Generally, players from the Dominican Republic or Venezuela who get passed over as 16-year-olds and then sign later are players who developed later than some of their peers.

Understandably, projecting players who are still in the middle of their teenage years can be a very difficult scouting assignment.

Some of the top 14- and 15-year-olds (the age at which teams usually work out deals with top international prospects) fail to add the strength or weight that scouts expect.

Others may hit a growth spurt that either aids or hurts their development.

At the same time, a number of skinny, underdeveloped 16-year-olds can hit a growth spurt and end up turning into solid prospects a couple of years later.

While the youngest international amateurs tend to receive priority treatment by their signing organizations, examples abound of players who signed at age 17 or older and then blossomed into big leaguers.

In fact, it happens a lot more often than you might think. One could build a solid team of international players who were older than 16 when they signed. In fact, Robinson Cano, Starling Marte, Carlos Santana, Luis Castillo and Fernando Rodney are examples of players who didn’t sign their first pro contracts until they were 18 or older.

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May 4–18, 2018

BEST OF THE BALLPARKS

WHAT MAKES A BALLPARK GREAT? No two ballpark experiences are identical, but the best of the best have several musthave features in common

BY J.J. COOPER

DIRECTV/MLB PHOTOS VIA GETTY IMAGES

H

ow do football fans determine which is the best NFL stadium? The answer seems to be: put a big screen above the field, put a bar at field level and pack the house with other bells and whistles.

But even with all that, one football stadium is nearly indistinguishable from another. The best basketball or hockey arena is almost always determined by the arena’s history much more than its architecture.

But baseball is different, and everyone has an opinion about their favorite ballpark.

While the bases must be 90 feet apart and the mound 60 feet, six inches from home plate, the design of a ballpark plays a much larger factor in the game than it does in any other major U.S. sport. For instance, the Green Monster plays a role in every game at Fenway Park, from the outfielders’ positioning to the pitcher’s and batter’s plan of attack.

But a ballpark’s charm is not limited only to outfield dimensions or heights of walls.

“Great views of the game from all vantage points make a ballpark great,” Reds correspondent C. Trent Rosecrans said. “It needs to have an open feeling, combining the wide-open swaths of grass on the field and a community in the stands.

“A great park gets a bonus for a sense of place, where you can tell where you are regardless of whether you recognize the stadium or the players on the field.

Concessions of local fare are a must, as is being able to see the field from the concourse.” Q May 4–18, 2018

The Giants celebrate franchise history and also the unique features of San Francisco at acclaimed AT&T Park, which opened its doors in 2000.

MAJORS

Best In The Show

1. AT&T PARK, SAN FRANCISCO

The Baseball America team of major league correspondents and columnists spend countless days at major league ballparks all across the country each year. So who better to dish on which ballparks are best and what elevates them above the field?

Many correspondents gravitated toward the undisputed classics— Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Dodger Stadium—because of the pull of history. Those parks have hosted a combined 27 World Series and have played home to more than a dozen Hall of Famers. Therefore, we didn’t think it fair to compare them with newer parks with much shorter histories. We delve into the classics at BaseballAmerica.com.

respondents chose the Giants’ home field as the best in the business. That practically counts as a unanimous decision in such a subjective task as ranking ballparks. AT&T Park turns a disadvantage—a tight footprint butted up against the San Francisco Bay—into an advantage with a creative ballpark design and unparalleled water view.

—MATT EDDY

OPENED: 2000 SCOUTING REPORT: Two-thirds of

“It’s easy to stroll around the park, and worthwhile, too, since the Giants provide so much to look at inside the park—artifacts, history, etc. And that’s totally apart from its incredible setting and view!

Tremendous food options (toasted ravioli!), and each vantage point has something different to offer. Only the name is bad.”

Phil Miller (Twins)

“Beautiful location in a unique city with different energy, big crowds and great music.”

Patrick Mooney (Cubs)

2. PNC PARK, PITTSBURGH OPENED: 2001 SCOUTING REPORT: Fans waited until

the park’s 13th year to see a winning Pirates team, but perhaps the “most picturesque backdrop imaginable,” according to D-backs correspondent Nick Piecoro, helped dull the pain.

“The visuals are off the charts—I’m ignoring the high level of the press box as a negative—with the downtown view and the Clemente bridge. It’s just so well done.

PNC is an attractive park put exactly where it belonged.”

Tom Haudricourt (Brewers) CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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Top left: Seattle’s Safeco Field has a retractable roof that guarantees the show will go on even on rainy days in the Pacific Northwest.

Top right: Denver’s Coors Field offers fans a clean atmosphere and a wide variety of food options.

7. TARGET FIELD, MINNEAPOLIS OPENED: 2010 SCOUTING REPORT: One of baseball’s north-

ernmost franchises, the Twins moved from the climate-controlled Metrodome to open-air Target Field, and the move has been met with rave reviews.

“Target Field is one of the first modern parks. It’s not trying to cash in nostalgia but creating its own legacy. It benefits from a downtown setting and beautiful Minnesota winters. It has wide concourses and great views of the playing field.”

C. Trent Rosecrans (Reds)

8. KAUFFMAN STADIUM, KANSAS CITY, MO. OPENED: 1973 SCOUTING REPORT: The Royals’ home field is

an overlooked classic with good bones and a unique water feature in right-center field. An extensive 2006 renovation helped modernize “The K” with wider concourses and a huge hi-def scoreboard.

“Kauffman shows what the cookie-cutters got wrong, making a wonderful palace for baseball.

Again, it has wide concourses, great sight lines and a pretty backdrop.”

C. Trent Rosecrans (Reds)

Bottom right: Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium was built in the era of cookiecutters but has outlived them all, and it stands as the majors’ sixth-oldest park.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

3. ORIOLE PARK AT CAMDEN YARDS, BALTIMORE OPENED: 1992 SCOUTING REPORT: The Orioles kicked off

the retro ballpark boom with a new classic.

“The oldest of the new age was done right,” Athletics correspondent Casey Tefertiller said.

“A very intimate stadium. The warehouse in right field is timeless, and it has the best press box view in baseball, but beware: foul balls come in often, and fast.”

5. PETCO PARK, SAN DIEGO

9. CITI FIELD, NEW YORK

OPENED: 2004 SCOUTING REPORT: An aesthetically pleas-

OPENED: 2009 SCOUTING REPORT: The Mets upgraded more

ing park set in fantastic baseball weather grants the Padres significant home-field advantage.

than the home run apple when they moved across the parking lot from Shea Stadium nearly a decade ago.

“Just one of those great downtown parks. They put it in such a cool place, with the attached warehouse building. Just a visually pleasing park in a visually pleasing place.”

“I don’t think this place gets talked about often enough. I like the way they blended old and new.

They have good sight lines all around the concourse—and they’ve got a Shake Shack in center field.”

Tom Haudricourt (Brewers)

Anthony Fenech (Tigers)

Nick Piecoro (D-backs)

6. COORS FIELD, DENVER 4. SAFECO FIELD, SEATTLE OPENED: 1999 SCOUTING REPORT: A modern park with an

old-school feel, the Mariners’ home has aged well, complete with its retractable roof that is essential for Pacific Northwest weather.

“Another relaxed atmosphere, and probably the best food and beverage menu in the game. I’m a sucker for the drizzly-day ambiance, where the game goes on anyway under the roof. Fanfriendly to the extreme.”

Phil Miller (Twins)

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OPENED: 1995 SCOUTING REPORT: The outfield is huge

10. PROGRESSIVE FIELD, CLEVELAND

at the Rockies’ home field, and so too is the club’s popularity with fans, judging from attendance history.

OPENED: 1994 SCOUTING REPORT: The Indians replaced “The

“Spotless park, great food, and they’re always adding features that make for a good fan experience. The brewery in the building is a tremendous place to visit before games, and the BBQ is pretty great, too. I wish it was a little easier to get to, but the light rail has helped.”

Phil Miller (Twins)

Mistake By The Lake” with this beloved new classic, ushering in an era of sustained on-field success in Cleveland.

“Progressive deserves its spot for its open feel, the fact that it’s centrally located downtown, has the biggest video screen in MLB, and for the Indians’ Heritage Park hall of fame in center field.”

Scout for an AL team

May 4–18, 2018

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: LINDSEY WASSON; DUSTIN BRADFORD; JOHN WILLIAMSON/MLB; JASON MILLER. ALL PHOTOS GETTY IMAGES

Bottom left: Cleveland’s Progressive Field opened in 1994, during the first wave of the ballpark boom, but it remains a fan favorite even today.

COLLEGE

College Parks That Even Pro Teams Would Envy The college baseball fan’s attention largely focused on the game on the field, which is almost completely unlike the family-friendly atmosphere of the minor leagues, where on-field action is almost secondary to promotions, mascots and concessions.

However, athletic directors know that drawing new fans is just as important as pleasing old ones.

“I think the investment that athletic departments are making with facilities, and all the coaches and head coaches salaries, and the way teams travel tells me—and a lot of other coaches across the country—that (interest in college) baseball is at an all-time high,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “When you have a nice ballpark, fans like the experience. New ballparks bring new fans.”

—TEDDY CAHILL

1. BAUM STADIUM, ARKANSAS Opened in 1996, Baum remains one of the crown jewels of college baseball. It quickly became the model ballpark in college baseball and has withstood the test of time—with the help of some improvements over the years that have increased its seating capacity and the number of suites, as well as changing the playing surface from artificial turf to grass.

Arkansas annually ranks near the top of college baseball’s attendance leaders and the Hog Pen picnic area in left field remains an iconic experience.

Coach Dave Van Horn said Baum is critical to the program’s success because it acts as a showpiece to attract elite players to Fayetteville, which is far from a major metropolitan area.

Baum has helped Arkansas compete at a high level and created an atmosphere that is envied around the country. The first of its kind remains college baseball’s pinnacle.

2. ALEX BOX STADIUM, LOUISIANA STATE LSU has led the nation in attendance for 22 straight seasons, spanning the old Alex Box Stadium and the new one, which opened in 2009. The new Box seats more than 10,000 fans and provides an outstanding setting for baseball.

3. DUDY NOBLE FIELD, MISSISSIPPI STATE In a year, this might rank even higher.

Mississippi State is in the midst of a $55 million renovation of the park, which already boasted one of the best atmospheres in the country.

4. TD AMERITRADE PARK, CREIGHTON The home of the College World Series doubles as Creighton’s home. While some grumble that it plays as too much of a pitcher’s park, no one can argue with its beauty and amenities.

5. HUSKY BALLPARK, WASHINGTON Set on Lake Washington, Husky Ballpark provides one of the best settings in the country with Mount Rainier visible on a clear day.

The rebuilt Bosh opened in 2009 and matches the classic style of the campus that surrounds it.

7. BLUE BELL PARK, TEXAS A&M With two decks and a facade reminiscent of the Rangers’ Globe Life Park in Arlington, Blue Bell Park feels like a major league ballpark combined with a college atmosphere.

PRESENTS

DETROIT

THE CAPTAIN’S CATCHER’S

An unparalleled setting on the Pacific Ocean highlights Field Stadium and makes it one of the most picturesque venues in the country.

10. FOUNDERS PARK, SOUTH CAROLINA Founders Park has minor league amenities combined with a boisterous atmosphere that make it one of the best places to watch a game.

The Tigers acquired Rogers as one of three prospects from the Astros in exchange for Justin Verlander last summer, hoping he would become their catcher of the future.

Rogers has acquitted himself well defensively, throwing out three of four runners to open the season at Double-A Erie. Rogers moves well behind the plate and has a strong left hand, making him at least an excellent receiver. He’s thrown out 46 percent of baserunners in his career with his plus arm. Add in a willingness to embrace a leadership role, and Rogers has all the traits of a top-tier defensive catcher.

The Captain’s Catcher’s Award recognizes the defensive qualities of minor league catchers.Inspired by the catching skills and character of Jason Varitek, this award is only about catching and who plays the positionto the fullest. The best catchers are detail oriented and driven to improve their performance behind the plate. Leadership, dedication, the ability to call a game, blocking, receiving, and making plays are the primary qualities sought after—with the ultimate goal of protecting home.

#MFRA

MIKE JANES/FOUR SEAM IMAGES

2018 CAPTAIN’S CATCHER AWARD WATCH LIST

AWARD

May 4–18, 2018

Springs Brooks Stadium, which opened in 2015, highlights the atmosphere of nearby Myrtle Beach, with a concourse that evokes the boardwalk and deck chairs lining the berms.

9. EDDY D. FIELD STADIUM, PEPPERDINE

6. BOSHAMER STADIUM, NORTH CAROLINA

JAKE ROGERS

The University of Arkansas’ Baum Stadium helped push the Razorbacks program to the next level. Coach Dave Van Horn uses the park as a showpiece to recruit top players to Arkansas.

8. SPRINGS BROOKS STADIUM, COASTAL CAROLINA

Player, Team Aramis Garcia, San Francisco Carson Kelly, St. Louis Sean Murphy, Oakland Tomas Nido, New York (NL) Austin Rei, Boston Jake Rogers, Detroit Will Smith, Los Angeles (NL) Garrett Stubbs, Houston Jose Trevino, Texas Austin Wynns, Baltimore

PCT .982 1.000 1.000 1.000 .977 1.000 1.000 .976 1.000 1.000

G 5 5 4 3 4 5 3 4 4 2

E 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0

PB 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0

SBA 7 4 1 2 5 4 2 2 2 1

CS PCT 1 .143 1 .250 1 1.000 1 .500 2 .400 3 .750 0 .000 1 .500 1 .500 0 .000

MOVE FORWARD RISE ABOVE™

9

6. DURHAM BULLS ATHLETIC PARK, DURHAM INTERNATIONAL OPENED: 1995 AFFILIATION: Rays

The most famous team in the minor leagues got a stadium befitting of its reputation in 2014, when upgrades added a video board, a luxurious suite area and a spacious concourse.

Since then, Duke University has moved its home games to the DBAP as well.

7. FIRSTENERGY STADIUM, READING EASTERN

MINORS

OPENED: 1951 AFFILIATION: Phillies

Minor League Parks Have Major Charm Three years ago, Baseball America took a crack at ranking the best ballparks in the minor leagues.

Now, we’re giving it another go. We sent surveys to broadcasters and scouts across the country and asked them for their take on the subject. The rules were simple: In all of your travels, which park would you be most likely to return to if you were a fan?

Left: Charlotte’s BB&T Ballpark provides minor league players with a major league feel because of its majestic city skyline.

Right: Construction delays pushed the opening of Hartford’s Dunkin’ Donuts Park back a year, but fans don’t seem to mind.

One of just three parks on this list built before the year 2000, FirstEnergy Stadium has embraced its history and place in the community. As a result, the Fightins have consistently finished among the top two in the league in attendance.

—JOSH NORRIS

1. BB&T BALLPARK, CHARLOTTE INTERNATIONAL

3. COCACOLA PARK, LEHIGH VALLEY INTERNATIONAL

8. HADLOCK FIELD, PORTLAND EASTERN

OPENED: 2014.

AFFILIATION: White Sox

OPENED: 2008 AFFILIATION: Phillies

OPENED: 1994 AFFILIATION: Red Sox

Three years after laying claim to the crown, the Knights ran away with the title in this year’s balloting. BB&T Park quickly became known for the majestic Charlotte skyline that hugs its outfield wall. More than that, Charlotte gives a major league feel to players who are just a step away from the majors.

“It is legitimately a major league-style ballpark, but for a Triple-A team,” one broadcaster wrote. “Completely renovated and upgraded with the best technology and amenities, incredible views and sight lines from everywhere in the park as well. Just a gorgeous ballpark.”

It’s not just broadcasters who love Charlotte.

The park is a favorite of scouts, too.

“It has a good downtown location,” one said.

“It’s an outstanding stadium with great view of the downtown. Very classy stadium.”

The Phillies’ Triple-A home houses one of the most creative, fun-loving minor league experiences in the country in a park that has a modern, major league feel.

Built in 1994, Hadlock has stood the test of time as one of the jewels of the minors. The park has earned so much acclaim that broadcasters and executives in 2016 named Portland the best road city in the minor leagues.

OPENED: 2000.

AFFILIATION: Rangers

9. AUTOZONE PARK, MEMPHIS PACIFIC COAST OPENED: 2000 AFFILIATION: Cardinals

The franchise is owned in part by Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan and you can tell from the moment you step up to the Fireball Grill, which serves burgers made from cattle raised on Ryan’s farm. The spa party area and rocking chairs are nice touches, too.

Eighteen years after it opened, Memphis still ranks among the best. A recent rebrand tied the team’s identity more closely with the city, which boasts some of richest history and most vibrant nightlife in the minors.

5. PARKVIEW FIELD, FORT WAYNE MIDWEST

10. DUNKIN’ DONUTS PARK, HARTFORD EASTERN

2. BLUE WAHOOS STADIUM, PENSACOLA SOUTHERN

OPENED: 2009 AFFILIATION: Padres

OPENED: 2017 AFFILIATION: Rockies

OPENED: 2012 AFFILIATION: Reds

This is the only lower-level park to place among the top 10, and for good reason. Like Charlotte, Fort Wayne gets high marks for its skyline. The 360-degree concourse is the envy of other franchises, too.

The newest park on the list, Hartford’s opening was delayed a year due to construction delays. By finishing among the Top 10 on this list, it seems the payoff was worth the wait.

Though it’s more ocean than skyline, Pensacola’s views from the stands helped it move up the ranks.

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FROM LEFT: GREGG FORWERCK/GETTY IMAGES; COURTESY DUNKIN’ DOUGHNUTS PARK

4. DELL DIAMOND, ROUND ROCK PACIFIC COAST

May 4–18, 2018

T

he recent ballpark boom across the minor leagues has given the sport plenty of new gems. BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte and Spirit Communications Park in Columbia, S.C., consistently draw rave reviews, and Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford was well-received in its first year in the Eastern League.

But those are new parks. They’re expected to be shiny and new and equipped with all the latest bells and whistles. Dig a little deeper in the minors and you’ll find there are more than a few aged treasures.

The best example is Reading’s FirstEnergy Stadium, which stands as an oasis in the middle of one of the most impoverished cities in America. Built in 1951 at a cost of roughly $657,000, the park has stood the test of time.

But the story of Reading is about more than a park.

HIDDEN GEM

A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH Fans, scouts and players all regard Reading’s FirstEnergy Stadium as one of their favorite destinations in the minor leagues

Reading’s FirstEnegy Stadium is the oldest park in the Double-A Eastern League by more than 30 years.

Yet the Fightin Phils significantly outdrew every other EL team in 2017, and they haven’t finished lower than second in the EL in attendance this century.

BY JOSH NORRIS CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

RECORDS THROUGH APRIL 15

COLLEGE TOP 25 RANKINGS RK. TEAM

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

May 4–18, 2018

Florida North Carolina State Stanford Arkansas Texas Tech Vanderbilt Mississippi Duke Kentucky Oregon State East Carolina Indiana Southern Mississippi

2018 LAST PREV. RECORD WEEK RANK

32-6 28-7 27-5 27-10 29-8 22-14 29-8 30-7 25-11 26-6 26-9 26-6 24-11

4-0 3-1 4-0 3-1 3-1 3-1 2-2 3-1 3-1 2-0 2-2 6-2 2-2

1 2 3 4 6 14 5 10 13 11 8 16 12

RK. TEAM

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Clemson UCLA Coastal Carolina Florida State Louisiana State North Carolina Texas Oklahoma Texas A&M Dallas Baptist Georgia Illinois

2018 LAST PREV. RECORD WEEK RANK

26-10 22-9 26-12 24-12 24-13 24-12 24-14 26-13 27-9 23-10 25-11 23-8

1-3 7 3-1 18 3-1 17 0-3 9 4-0 19 3-1 20 2-2 24 3-2 15 4-0 22 4-0 25 2-2 21 4-0 NR

Dropped out: Auburn (23)

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

It’s about an experience that is widely regarded by fans and scouts alike as one of the very best in the minor leagues.

OF COURSE, IT’S NOT JUST THE BALLPARK THAT MAKES READING STAND OUT. It’s how

it became a rallying point in the community.

Nearly every member of the Reading front office is from the Berks County, Pa., area, which helps them keep a keen sense of what will work and what might not.

Part of that philosophy comes from what Chuck Domino, Reading’s general manager from 1987 through 2006, learned at his previous stops in the minors. Domino interned in Oklahoma, then landed paying gigs in Eugene, Ore., and Pocatello, Idaho, before being named GM in Reading.

“What that background gave me was the personal engagement with the fans. I didn’t come from a Triple-A team that was drawing 7,000 fans a game,” Domino said. “I was coming from areas where 2,500 was a good crowd, and you got to know every single game-staff employee, you got to know every single season ticket holder. Really, as a general manager, you were personally engaged with every one of your clients.”

And during his tenure as Reading’s GM, Domino made sure to impress upon his staff the importance of that sense of community.

He did that in two ways: by hiring local and stressing the need for accountability.

“The beautiful thing about Reading is we have a full-time staff of about 24,” Domino said. “I believe 20 of those 24 started there as interns, and it’s been the only job they’ve ever had. I think there are 15 of the current front office staff that have been there for 15-plus years, so the culture just perpetuates itself.”

PART OF THE ALLURE OF MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL are the off-the-wall ideas generated

by promotional departments. Zanier is always better, which leads to teams consistently trying to one-up each other.

All it takes is one night at FirstEnergy Stadium to see that Reading is among the most creative clubs. Just wait until the second inning, when the Crazy Hot Dog Vendor makes his nightly appearance.

“We had a sponsorship with our hot dog company, and they wanted to do something unique,” Domino said. “So I came up with the idea of, let’s have a guy dressed up like a hot dog vendor and he goes up and down the stands . . . just randomly throwing free hot dogs to the crowd every so often.”

But that wasn’t enough. He was just an eccentric hot dog vendor at that point. They needed something to make him truly crazy.

“I said, ‘Find a costume and let’s make a go of it,’ ” Domino said, “and (current Reading GM Scott Hunsicker) came back a couple of days later and said, ‘We’ve got a better idea.

We want to put this guy on an ostrich, one of those self-riding ostriches, and we want to put him on the field and have him throw hot dogs from the field in between innings.’ ”

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And that’s exactly what happened. Since the mid-2000s, Matt Jackson, formerly the team’s graphic art designer and a Reading native, has donned the ostrich costume, loaded his satchel of hot dogs and taken to the warning track to fling his wares to eager fans.

More than that, the Crazy Hot Dog Vendor is an integral part of Reading’s franchise. The team has worn jerseys in his honor.

He took swings during the hitting challenge prior to the 2011 Eastern League all-star game. His likeness appears on versions of Fightin Phils hats. For a couple of seasons, the team even rented a pair of ostriches named Ruth and Judy and let them roam in the grass beyond the center field wall.

MINOR LEAGUE GAMES ARE THE PLACE TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF BASEBALL’S FUTURE.

But the biggest talents aren’t always found on the field. In Aug. 2000, a local 10-year-old’s father convinced the team to let his daughter sing the National Anthem.

That 10-year-old was Taylor Swift, the music megastar and 10-time Grammy Award winner. She and her family were raised in the Reading area, and her father Scott was on the team’s advisory board with Domino.

“He kept asking and he kept asking, and he said, ‘She’s pretty good,’ so I said, ‘Yeah, jeez, let’s let her do it one time and get this over with, because he’s never going to stop asking me,’” Domino said.

Years later, Domino and Hunsicker were the promoters of Swift’s first concert, held in downtown Reading. To this day, visitors to the FirstEnergy Stadium box office can find a piece of history: A signed copy of Swift’s first gold record hangs on the wall.

FANS AREN’T THE ONLY ONES DRAWN TO READING. Those in the game also consistently

name FirstEnergy Stadium among their favorites. In our poll of scouts and broadcasters, it was named on as many ballots as newer parks in Durham, Fort Wayne and Memphis.

“Reading is my favorite minor league park,” one scout said. “From the hot dogs to the fans to the quality baseball and the com-

munity at large, I’m a big Reading fan.”

That sentiment goes for players, too.

“You hear it in spring training,” said a former player who didn’t want to be named because he still works in baseball. “As a Phillie coming up, we were in Clearwater the year before, and you don’t draw any fans in the Florida State League. It’s hot and it’s miserable and there’s really not a following.

“I met with my manager and he’s telling us how much we’re going to enjoy Reading and how it’s a great place as far as the atmosphere.

The front office treats you tremendously, there’s a lot of opportunities to help out in the community with schools and camps and stuff like that, and I said ‘C’mon, man, it’s just another minor league town,’ but we get up there, and it’s everything that he said.”

Part of the atmosphere surrounding Reading is borne out of the passion of Philadelphia fans. Reading’s players are Phillies prospects, the ballpark is roughly an hour from Philadelphia, and the two clubs have been affiliated since 1967.

So when one goes from Clearwater to Reading, which always ranks first or second in the Eastern League in attendance, the fans’ shift in intensity is instantly striking.

“There’s a lot of stuff going on there,” said former Reading manager Steve Roadcap, who now scouts for the Reds, “but they always made it fun for the fans and the players.” Q

“They always made it fun for the fans and the players,” former Reading manager Steve Roadcap said of the atmosphere at FirstEnergy Stadium, which is staffed primarily by people who grew up in the Reading area. Two cases that illustrate the park’s fan friendliness are the Crazy Hot Dog Vendor (top) and a musical performance by a band of mascots.

May 4–18, 2018

Oldies But Goodies Plenty of newer minor league ballparks garner acclaim from fans, broadcasters and scouts, but these five older facilities rank among the gems of the minor leagues.

—JOSH NORRIS

NAT BAILEY STADIUM, VANCOUVER NORTHWEST

GRAINGER STADIUM, DOWN EAST CAROLINA OPENED: 1949

Recently reanimated with the Carolina League expansion of 2017, this Kinston, N.C., park earned votes for its vintage charm. “When you were at Kinston, it felt like you were visiting family,” one broadcaster said. “. . . Such an authentic, true minor league experience meshing what minor league baseball was and is now. Pristine!”

OPENED: 1951

One scout calls the Canadians’ home “a gorgeous park in a major league-caliber city.

Legends of the past, like Babe Ruth, have played there, making it a vacation-worthy destination for baseball.”

BOWEN FIELD, BLUEFIELD APPALACHIAN OPENED: 1939

“It’s a beautiful, small ballpark in the valley,” one broadcaster said, “and the GM was mowing the grass the first time I got there. How Appy League is that?”

MCCORMICK STADIUM, ASHEVILLE SOUTH ATLANTIC OPENED: 1924

Tucked into the hillside in the western part of North Carolina, this field draws raves for its dimensions and the surrounding area. In the words of another scout: “It’s a tremendous spot for microbrew lovers, hikers and anyone preferring an overall laid-back style. There’s a kicker too. The combination of altitude and stadium configurations guarantee a high-octane affair.”

MODERN WOODMEN PARK, QUAD CITIES MIDWEST OPENED: 1931

One broadcaster picked Charlotte as his favorite ballpark, but only narrowly. “I do love Quad Cities. The bridge in right field leading to Illinois, the Mississippi River just floating by the outfield,” he wrote. “It’s an unknown gem of a ballpark, and a close second for me.”

The Vancouver Canadians outdraw every other team at the short-season level even while playing at Nat Bailey Stadium, which opened in 1951.

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ATLANTA BRAVES

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

—DUSTIN DOPIRAK

—NICK PIECORO

The Pirates want young Lolo Sanchez to continue weaponizing his speed at low Class A.

NATIONAL LEAGUE ORGANIZATION REPORTS

FULL SPEED AHEAD Lolo Sanchez’s plus wheels and aggressiveness help him excel on both sides of the ball PITTSBURGH PIRATES

» »

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The Braves believe that one of the positive aspects of moving to the high Class A Florida State League last season was having players experience diamonds used in big league spring training. As a result, many FSL fields have considerably more territory to cover in the outfield.

That shouldn’t be a problem for 19-year-old outfielder Cristian Pache.

“He’s an unbelievable center fielder,” assistant farm director Jonathan Schuerholz said. “His defense might be the best in our system, and people talk about Cristian being the best in the minor leagues.”

After watching Pache, who signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, hit .281/.335/.343 with 32 stolen bases in 119 games at low Class A Rome in 2017, Atlanta promoted him to high Class A Florida this year. He continued to impress in spring training, where he picked up pointers from former Gold Glover Andruw Jones.

“Cristian’s got a real bright future ahead of him,” said Randy Ingle, the Braves’ on-field advisor for player development who managed Pache at Rome last year. “It’s impressive to see the way he goes about his business and his instincts for the game. We knew about the tools he had, because his tools are off the charts. But he can flat-out play center field.”

Pache plays shallow, almost daring hitters to hit the ball over his head. He has a quick first step and plus speed that allows him to track down balls in the gaps with relative ease. He also possesses an above-average arm and accuracy on his throws.

The righthanded hitter displays outstanding hand-eye coordination and a decent feel for the strike zone. The Braves want him to increase his walk total to take advantage of his top-ofthe-scale speed.

“He hasn’t shown much power, but we saw a glimpse of it in instructional league this past fall,” Schuerholz said. “. . . We’re working on his launch angle.

Once he taps into that power potential, he’ll have a chance to be an impact offensive and defensive center fielder.”

At 20 years, eight months and two days, righthander Mike Soroka became the youngest Opening Day starter in Triple-A Gwinnett’s 10-year history.

He tossed five shutout innings versus Charlotte.

»

—BILL BALLEW

»

CHICAGO CUBS The Cubs hope righthander Oscar de la Cruz is at a point where his raw stuff and physical potential will now translate May 4–18, 2018

CLIFF WELCH; BILL MITCHELL

One of the most exciting plays of the Pirates’ spring was made by an 18-yearold who hadn’t played a single game above the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League.

In a late March game, outfielder Lolo Sanchez took advantage of the Phillies’ shift, took a big lead and stole home on an errant throw to the plate.

It was Sanchez’s only appearance in a Grapefruit League game, but it was enough to make a statement.

“He has speed, but that type of play is more savvy than speed,” farm director Larry Broadway said. “He is a very aggressive player on both sides of the ball.

His legs are a weapon for him.”

The Pirates signed Sanchez out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, and in his brief pro career he has proven he has a number of offensive and defensive weapons. Though he’s listed at just 5-foot-11, 168 pounds, he showed both power and patience at the plate last summer in the GCL. In 51 games, Sanchez batted .284/.359/.417 with four home runs and 14 stolen bases. He drew more walks (21) than strikeouts (19).

While putting up those numbers, Sanchez also showed that he can play a top-tier center field. Add it all up and he jumped into the Pirates’ Top 10 Prospects list in his first season in the U.S. Assigned to low Class A West Virginia, Sanchez turns 19 this year in his full-season debut. That speeds up his development track significantly, though the Pirates are trying not to think too far ahead.

“We’ll continue to focus on weaponizing his speed,” Broadway said, “and as a hitter just looking to face the next level of pitching in a full-season league.”

After an injury-plagued 2017 season, outfielder Austin Meadows hit .368/.429/.737 in nine Grapefruit League games. He also stole a base and showed even more speed in practice. “He was running extremely well and stole a number of bases, which was really encouraging to see,” Broadway said.

Kevin Kramer made the most of his first big league camp, batting .320/.500/.800 with a home run. He also played a capable shortstop as well as a strong second base. “Defensively, he continued to open up eyes on the comfort level playing shortstop,” Broadway said.

Daulton Varsho can’t say what it was that drew him to catching. His dad, Gary, was an outfielder, playing parts of eight seasons in the majors and Daulton grew up around big league clubhouses. He remembers locking in, for whatever reason, on the guys behind the plate.

“I’ve always had a passion for it,” said Varsho, 21. “I guess I just learned to love it and kind of always wanted to be one.”

Entering his first full season, Varsho’s future position remains something of an open question.

The Diamondbacks, who drafted him last year in the supplemental second round out of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, believe he can remain behind the plate.

Varsho is doing everything he can to prove them right at high Class A Visalia.

“This is a position that I love,” he said.

“I’ve learned so much back there. My goal is to be able to catch in the major leagues some day.”

One knock on him entering the year was arm strength. He said he worked during the spring with coaches J.R. House and Blake Lalli on improving his footwork, and he said he’s noticed a significant difference. The results reflected that; through seven games, he had thrown out six of 10 basestealers.

“It’s using almost less arm,” he said.

“My ball wasn’t carrying correctly. My arm strength has always been there, but I haven’t been using it correctly.”

His bat is less of a question. Varsho uses a compact lefthanded swing to produce hard contact to all fields. Some evaluators believe he has a chance to hit for a high average and easily reach double-digits in home runs. He’s also a good runner—and not just for a catcher.

“Even people in our organization, this was the first spring they saw me, and they all were, like, jaw-dropped,” Varsho said. “They asked, ‘Where did you learn to run like that?’ “ Many believe Varsho has the athleticism to handle other positions, but the D-backs do not intend to move him.

“Catching is a position I think everybody wants to push someone off,” assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye said. “You notice them the most. They don’t block a few balls and everybody is like, ‘Oh, man, you’ve got to move him off.’

“We feel like he can stay there. If you ask the industry, there will probably be some guys who say he can’t. But I think that’s probably what’s going to drive him.”

Righthander Jon Duplantier had his season delayed by a hamstring issue, but he was throwing in the low to mid90s at extended spring training and was due back by the end of April.

into bottom-line results.

Originally signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2012 as a shortstop, de la Cruz is now in his sixth season in the organization and has grown into a 6-foot-4, 200-pound power pitcher.

The Cubs saw enough flashes to put him on their 40-man roster last November, even though he had not played above Class A or thrown more than 75 innings in a season.

The Cubs slotted the 23-year-old de la Cruz into what could be an interesting Double-A Tennessee rotation, alongside fellow righties Thomas Hatch, Trevor Clifton, Duncan Robinson and Michael Rucker.

“He’s a big, strong guy with a power fastball and two offspeed pitches that are big league pitches,” farm director Jaron Madison said. “We’re excited to keep him healthy and just see what he can do in a full season. It will be a challenge for him with the Double-A promotion, but mentally and makeup-wise, he can handle it.”

The Cubs will carefully manage de la Cruz’s workload after last season’s glimpses at high Class A Myrtle Beach.

He went 4-3, 3.46 in 12 starts and 54.2 innings.

“We are really excited to see him just compete for a full season,” Madison said.

“That’s really been the issue we’ve run into. He’s had these little issues. He had the (pectoral) strain last year, so it’s just about keeping him on the field for a full season and watching him compete, because he has big league stuff.”

The Cubs held righthander Adbert Alzolay back in extended spring training after he lost time in camp with an ankle injury. He might be a couple weeks behind schedule, but the Cubs said his right arm is in good shape. He began the season at Triple-A Iowa and

»

May 4–18, 2018

could move quickly if he pitches well.

COLORADO ROCKIES

—PATRICK MOONEY

CINCINNATI REDS Righthander Hunter Greene’s fastball has garnered a fair share of attention, but in his full-season debut his slider was the star.

Greene hit triple-digits in his first start for low Class A Dayton, but he threw several outstanding sliders in a three-inning appearance that featured eight strikeouts.

The 18-year-old’s first pitch in the game featured 39 degrees in the air and 100 mph on the radar gun. But even after three straight 100 mph fastballs, a slider earned Greene his first strikeout.

In his third and final inning, Greene gave up back-to-back singles and allowed the runners to move up before striking out Lake County’s third, fourth and fifth hitters to end his night.

Because Greene stopped pitching for his Sherman Oaks, Calif., high school team last April before being drafted No. 2 overall in June, the Reds are monitoring his workload closely. He threw 53 pitches (35 strikes) in his 2018 debut.

Not only will the Reds be watching Greene’s innings, but the team will also make sure to closely look at how he registers those innings.

“There are ranges that we’re aiming at—what we want to do is reward efficiency in outings while still aiming at the overall picture,” farm director Jeff Graupe said. “What we’re looking for is for individual game pitch counts to grow to what we think is a healthy point throughout the year.”

Greene’s pitching coach at Dayton is Seth Etherton, a 1998 first-rounder who built a rapport with the teenager last year at Rookie-level Billings.

Reds righthander Hunter Greene showed off a tight slider in his low Class A Dayton debut.

Etherton and others will be charged with teaching Greene and the rest of Dayton’s pitchers how to get comfortable in the five-day routine that starters have to find in the big leagues.

“It’s a mix of who he has been and who he is going to need to be,” Graupe said, “and figuring out what the best routine is moving forward to shape his year.”

Nick Senzel started the season playing second base at Triple-A Louisville, but when big league third baseman Eugenio Suarez broke his thumb the Reds called up Alex Blandino and shifted Senzel back to third base, his natural position. Senzel also played shortstop in spring training.

»

—C. TRENT ROSECRANS

The long-delayed promotion finally happened when sidearming righthander Justin Lawrence, who throws unusually hard from a lower arm slot, began the season at high Class A Lancaster.

The 23-year-old reliever recorded a 1.65 ERA with six saves in 16 games last year at low Class A Asheville, with 20 strikeouts and four walks in 16.1 innings. Farm director Zach Wilson was there on May 15, planning to tell Lawrence after the game that he was headed to Lancaster.

Unfortunately, Lawrence took the mound in the ninth and tore his right lat muscle, ending his season.

Drafted in the 12th round in 2015 out of Daytona State (Fla.) JC, Lawrence has regained the 95-98 mph velocity and heavy sink on his fastball. Wilson said Lawrence is still searching for the feel he had on his 82-84 mph slider before getting hurt.

“It was a definite plus pitch,” Wilson said, that went from a “sweeping Frisbee” type to one with a short, quick downward action “that he can keep in the strike zone long enough, especially from that angle.”

Lawrence also throws a 79-81 mph changeup that Wilson called “extremely usable.” Improving that pitch and throwing it more often to lefthanded hitters will be key for Lawrence.

Before the start of spring training last year, the Rockies brought former Colorado reliever Steve Reed to Arizona to work with Lawrence. Reed had nowhere near Lawrence’s velocity but the righty pitched in 833 big league games over 14 seasons with a sidearm delivery.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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organization reports / baseballamerica.com

Reed’s points of emphasis were where Lawrence should break his hands and land his front foot.

“He was never really able to locate— let alone command—his fastball from down there,” Wilson said. “And he wasn’t able to control it a whole bunch either until Steve got to him and really helped him . . . Now he’s able to throw strikes at will, and it just completely changed the course of his development.

“I expect a really big year. He’s going to start at Lancaster, and who knows where it can go from there?”

At the outset of extended spring training, lefthander Ty Culbreth was sidelined with a shoulder strain. He split last season between Asheville and Lancaster and went 9-3, 3.09 in 31 games, including 17 starts.

»

—JACK ETKIN

LOS ANGELES DODGERS Getting traded for the first time is always a bit of a shock. Second baseman Jake Peter found that out first hand this winter.

“It was kind of crazy,” said Peter, 25, of finding out in early January that a threeteam trade involving the White Sox, Royals and Dodgers had landed him in Los Angeles.

“It was definitely something new because obviously that had never happened to me before, being with the White Sox the last four years after they drafted me. It was kind of overwhelming at first. But once I talked to my parents and let it digest a little bit, I realized that it was a great opportunity for me.”

The opportunity came because Peter’s versatile profile and the Dodgers’ affinity for multi-position players were a match. In a world with 13-man pitching staffs in the big leagues, a short bench is the result and versatility is a must.

“I definitely wanted to come in here and play well and show them I would work hard every day, show them that I am a versatile player and I can bounce around to different positions,” said Peter, a 2014 seventh-round pick by the White Sox out of Creighton.

16

“This is a huge organization for that,” he said. “You can look at their lineup and almost every player plays more than one position. I think that definitely bodes well for me going forward.”

During his four seasons in the White Sox organization, Peter played mostly second base while seeing some time at third base, shortstop and even the corner outfield.

“I think being a versatile player definitely helps me out in this organization,” said Peter who opened the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City. “Watching guys like Chris Taylor and (Enrique Hernandez)—guys who can literally play anywhere on the diamond—I’ve really tried to watch how they go about their defensive work and tried to learn from them and become a better ballplayer.”

The lefthanded-hitting Peter made a good impression during Cactus League play. He hit .233 with 14 RBIs in 26 games, but that included a four-game burst during which he went 6-for-9 with home runs in three consecutive games, a double, a triple and 10 RBIs. “We have thought about Jake in a potential role,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We want Jake to go down

(to Triple-A) and get consistent playing time. But do we see Jake potentially helping us this year at some point?

Absolutely.”

Oklahoma City won its season opener by a count of 2-1 to give manager Bill Haselman his 500th career win.

»

—BILL PLUNKETT

MIAMI MARLINS Second baseman Isan Diaz, who turns 22 this season, already has been traded twice—a sign that he is an in-demand prospect.

But the first time he was dealt, from the Diamondbacks to the Brewers before the 2016 season, he was blindsided.

“I was in a movie theater, watching ‘Collateral Beauty’ with my family,” Diaz said. “I got a call from a number I didn’t recognize, and it was Milwaukee’s general manager (David Stearns).”

The second time Diaz was traded was this past Jan. 25. The Marlins sent outfielder Christian Yelich to the Brewers for four prospects, including three ranked among Milwaukee’s top 10: No. 1 Lewis Brinson, No. 5 Monte Harrison

and No. 9 Diaz.

This time, a more mature Diaz was anticipating a trade. He was watching MLB Network on Dec. 7, when the Marlins traded Dee Gordon and remembered thinking: “I could be a part of (the Marlins).”

A little more than one month later, he was, and he now believes his future is becoming clearer.

Diaz, a native of Puerto Rico, moved with his family to Springfield, Mass., when he was 4. Rather than root for the local Red Sox, Diaz—a shortstop growing up—grew up a Yankees fan, idolizing Derek Jeter.

Now, of course, Jeter runs the Marlins as chief executive officer. “When you first meet him,” Diaz said, “you go, ‘Wow! That’s Derek Jeter!’ “ The Marlins are excited about Diaz, too. They believe the lefthanded hitter has plus bat speed and the ability to consistently make hard contact. A 2014 supplemental second-round pick out of high school, Diaz turned down his college commitment to Vanderbilt in order to play pro ball.

He launched 13 home runs to win MVP honors in the 2015 Rookie-level Pioneer League, and he followed with 20 more at low Class A Wisconsin in 2016. Last season he hit .222/.334/.376 with 13 home runs in 110 games at high Class A Carolina in the Brewers’ system.

Raw power is clearly Diaz’s best tool, and he has gotten bigger by about 20 pounds over the past year-plus. The 5-foot-10 middle infielder is now up to 203 pounds, and his batting stance reminds some of Robinson Cano.

So when will Diaz be ready for Marlins Park?

“I can’t control when I get called up,” Diaz said, “but I would like it to be as soon as possible—the faster the better.”

Low Class A Greensboro righthander Brady Puckett, a

»

May 4–18, 2018

BRIAN WESTERHOLT/FOUR SEAM IMAGES; TONY FARLOW

The Marlins traded for second baseman Isan Diaz because they coveted his lefthanded power. He is pictured here with high Class A Carolina of the Brewers organization in 2017.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

15th-round pick out of Lipscomb last year, made some mechanical tweaks and was finding success with his new pitch, a two-seam fastball.

elbow issues at UC Irvine, was expected to mostly DH in the early weeks of 2018 at high Class A Carolina after he experienced discomfort making throws at the end of spring training.

—WALTER VILLA

—TOM HAUDRICOURT

MILWAUKEE BREWERS Outfielder Corey Ray understands the expectations that come with being a first-round pick. He also understands people will be disappointed if you don’t meet those expectations.

The fifth overall pick in 2016 out of Louisville isn’t big into making excuses.

But as Ray looked back on his subpar showing in 2017, he realized he might not have fully trusted his surgically repaired knee. That might have led to bad habits at the plate.

The 23-year-old Ray tore cartilage in his left knee sliding into a base at 2016 instructional league. He spent that offseason rehabbing his knee to the point where he felt ready to open last season at high Class A Carolina.

Ray did not come close to resembling the offensive force he was in college, however, after being held back a few weeks in extended spring training to assure his knee was ready. In 112 games with the Mudcats he hit .238/.311/.367 with seven home runs and 24 stolen bases. Alarmingly, he led the Carolina League with 156 strikeouts.

The Brewers hoped to get the lefthanded-hitting Ray on track in the Arizona Fall League, but he continued to struggle, batting .231 with one homer and 19 strikeouts in 78 at-bats. He went home to reflect on the rough year.

“Last year, I wanted to do well and I told myself I wouldn’t let the injury be an excuse for me not doing well,” Ray told reporters during spring training.

“This year, I just want to stay healthy

NEW YORK METS

Phillies outfielder Mickey Moniak grew both literally and figuratively in a trying 2017.

and continue to get better.

“I felt like I got better last year. I got better in the Fall League. I got better in the offseason, and I’m getting better in spring training. The goal is to just get better and be the best player that I can be.”

Now, with a year of learning and further strengthening of his knee, Ray expects to show at Double-A Biloxi why he was one of the top prospects in the 2016 draft. His confidence remains intact, which is vital.

“This year, he appears to be in a really good place,” farm director Tom Flanagan said.

Second baseman Keston Hiura, the 2017 first-rounder who experienced

»

The Mets are taking a conservative approach with 2017 first-round pick David Peterson.

With the former Oregon lefthander limited to just 3.2 innings last summer at short-season Brooklyn because of a toe injury, team officials decided it was best to assign Peterson to low Class A Columbia to start 2018.

What they didn’t expect was for the 22-year-old Peterson’s report date to be mid-April or later, after he was slowed in spring training by what general manager Sandy Alderson called a “tweaked” knee.

As a junior at Oregon, the 6-foot6, 240-pound southpaw set a school record by striking out 140 batters in 100.1 innings. The Mets used the 20th overall pick to select Peterson, marking the second straight draft they selected a college pitcher in the first round. In fact, the Mets took two college pitchers in the first round in 2016: Boston College righthander Justin Dunn and Connecticut lefthander Anthony Kay. “Peterson hardly pitched at all last year, so we wanted him to get his feet wet and wanted him to start at a full-season team,” Alderson said. “You can always move up, but it’s tough to move back.”

Kay, who missed last year rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, also began the season at Columbia.

Dunn spent last season at high Class A St. Lucie, but the fact that he

had pitched 30 innings a year earlier at Brooklyn played into that decision, according to Alderson, whereas Peterson barely pitched.

Team officials are anxious to see what they might have in Peterson, whose 273 career strikeouts were the second-highest total in Oregon history.

“We haven’t seen enough of him, but he is a strike-thrower,” assistant GM John Ricco said. “I would like to see him get out there and start competing first before we judge how fast he might move and what his potential is.”

A talent evaluator who watched Peterson in spring training was impressed with the pitcher’s composure while facing major league hitters in an intrasquad scrimmage.

“He is a guy who attacks the strike zone and he’s not scared,” the evaluator said. “His stuff is not overpowering, but it plays because he attacks and trusts it.”

Double-A Binghamton outfielder Tim Tebow homered on the first pitch he saw in the Eastern League. Last year he homered in his first game for Columbia.

»

—MIKE PUMA

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES Some might call outfielder Mickey Moniak’s 2017 season a disappointment. Farm director Joe Jordan has a different take.

“The best thing that happened to Mickey in 2017 was 2017,” Jordan said.

“He survived. He learned. He grew.”

Jordan saw that growth in spring training. Even after hitting .236/.284/.341 with five home runs in 123 games at low Class A Lakewood last year, Moniak earned a promotion to CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

RECORDS THROUGH APRIL 15

NO. HIGH SCHOOL

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

May 4–18, 2018

Lake Travis HS, Austin, TX Blessed Trinity HS, Roswell, GA Calvary Christian HS, Clearwater, FL Valley Christian HS, San Jose, CA Seton Catholic HS, Chandler, AZ Russell County HS, Seale, AK Huntington Beach HS, CA Zachary HS, LA West Jones HS, Laurel, MS Riverdale Baptist HS, Marlboro, MD Notre Dame HS, Sherman Oaks, CA American Heritage HS, Plantation, FL Arcadia HS, CA

2018 PREV. RECORD RANK

25-0 25-2 20-0 18-1 21-1 33-3 19-3 29-2 21-1 21-1 15-2 18-2 16-0

2 3 5 6 11 17 15 NR 16 14 1 19 24

NO. HIGH SCHOOL

14. Cleburne HS, TX 15. St. Vianney HS, Kirkwood, MO 16. Sheridan HS, AR 17. Bellarmine Prep HS, San Jose, CA 18. St. Xavier HS, Louisville, KY 19. Estrella Foothills HS, Goodyear, AZ 20. George Jenkins HS, Lakeland, FL 21. Mira Costa, Manhattan Beach, CA 22. Saline HS, MI 23. Haggerty HS, Oviedo, FL 24. La Cueva HS, Albuqurque, NM 25. McAllen HS, TX

2018 PREV. RECORD RANK

23-1 19-0 17-2 16-3 10-0 24-2 17-2 17-2 2-0 17-3 17-2 22-1

NR 20 10 12 22 NR NR 9 23 13 NR NR

17

organization reports / baseballamerica.com

Jordan Hicks’ rare velocity forced the Cardinals to rethink their big league bullpen. They did not regret the decision.

high Class A Clearwater this season.

“He had a good camp,” Jordan said.

“The things he worked on in instructional league, he took home and stayed with them in the offseason. We saw a confident player, (with) no residual effects of 2017. He wasn’t pressing. I strongly believe he will have a good year.”

The Phillies selected the lefthanded-hitting Moniak No. 1 overall in 2016.

He graduated from La Costa Canyon High in Carlsbad, Calif., that spring, but his education didn’t stop there.

Moniak’s first full pro season was a major learning experience in everything from dealing with the grind of a five-month season to how to add smart muscle to his 6-foot-2 frame. He was 170 pounds when he was drafted.

He added 20 pounds before the 2017 season but believes he ended up losing quickness.

This offseason, Moniak’s workouts were supervised by professionals at EXOS. He now weighs 200 pounds, but it’s baseball muscle and, “I’m just as quick now as I was in high school,” he said.

During instructional league, Moniak worked with hitting coordinator Andy Tracy on widening his base and using his legs more. Down the road, it could lead to more power, but Jordan doesn’t want Moniak, who turns 20 early this season, to worry about that right now.

“Grow as a hitter and mother nature will take care of the power,” Jordan said.

At Clearwater, Moniak plays in the same outfield as Adam Haseley, the Phillies’ first-rounder in 2017. Haseley came into pro ball after three college seasons at Virginia. The two have become close and Moniak values Haseley’s counsel.

Though he will always cherish being the No. 1 pick, Moniak will be happy to if the spotlight on him dulls a little in 2018.

“I think it wore on me a little last year,” he said. “I put pressure on myself. The No. 1 thing is always going to be there, but I’m just ready to go out and play baseball.”

Righthander Jose Taveras, who was added to the 40-man roster last fall, opened the season on the disabled list with biceps tendinitis.

»

—JIM SALISBURY

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS One of the first cuts of spring training was the last addition to the Opening Day roster.

In a stunning switchback that altered the look of their bullpen and illustrated the power of Jordan Hicks’ fastball,

18

the Cardinals decided, on the eve of the season, to promote the 21-year-old righthander to the big leagues. This came less than five weeks after Hicks had been demoted for not being punctual for team meetings.

Hicks turned a start he wasn’t supposed to make into a conversation the Cardinals didn’t expect to have. The temptation of his sinking 102 mph fastball was too much to ignore.

“Stuff is stuff,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.

A 2015 supplemental third-round pick out of a Houston high school, Hicks gained notoriety after the 2016 season because other teams were trying to loop him into trade proposals. The athletic, 6-foot-2 starter with a shooting guard’s build flashed an elite fastball, easy mechanics and movement as a starter in short-season ball.

He also threw a changeup and a breaking ball that he could use effectively. Last offseason, the Cardinals purposefully avoided long-term commitments to a closer because they felt Hicks was on the horizon as the in-house answer to their ninth-inning need—eventually.

Eventually arrived sooner than expected.

After his demotion, Hicks had a start on the back fields where he hit 102 mph with his second or third pitch. A scout with an American League team saw him throw seven consecutive fastballs at 100 or faster. Each had sink. He threw 11 of his 14 offspeed pitches for strikes.

The Cardinals gave him a cameo late in spring—and when Adam Wainwright missed a start, Hicks was available.

He buzzed through the Nationals’ lineup, and the Cardinals were forced to

reconsider their roster. They see Hicks as a late-inning neutralizer, targeted for now at the middle of opposing lineups. A dozen games into the season, the eight fastest pitches thrown in the majors belonged to Hicks. Each one was a sinker at 100.8 mph or swifter.

“It’s just rarefied air the kind of arm he has,” president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. “In an era of big velocity and big horsepower, he is still in that half of half of half of half of half of one percent of people on Earth who can do this.”

In order to make room on the 40-man roster for free agent closer Greg Holland, the Cardinals moved Alex Reyes (Tommy John surgery) to the 60-day disabled list, pushing back his return by as much as three weeks. He will be eligible to start a rehab assignment in late April and can join the big league roster on May 28 at the earliest.

»

—DERRICK GOOLD

SAN DIEGO PADRES Outfielder Buddy Reed starred in baseball, hockey and soccer as a prep at St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I. His raw athletic ability got him drafted by the Rangers in the 35th round in 2013, but he opted to attend Florida.

Reed played for two College World Series teams with the Gators before the Padres, like the Rangers enticed by his athleticism, made him a 2016 second-round pick.

Reed turns 23 this season and stands in at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, and as he enters his third pro season his bat could be beginning to catch up with his raw tools.

Case in point: The switch-hitting Reed blasted 10 home runs while batting .326/.363/.659 in 31 games for Canberra last winter in the Australian Baseball League. His lefthanded swing that lagged last year at low Class A Fort Wayne produced a .279 average and seven homers in 108 at-bats. He went 15-for-30 with three homers as a righthanded batter.

The speedy Reed, a plus-plus runner out of the draft, also went 5-for-6 in stolen base attempts in Australia.

“He’s obviously a tremendous athlete who’s making up for a lack of baseball experience,” farm director Sam Geaney said. “I think he’s always been an upside play—an upside pick—but I definitely saw some things (in the offseason) that got me very excited about him turning the corner as an offensive player.

“It’s very exciting what he could turn into if he continues to progress.”

Though he missed a month with a back injury in 2017, Reed finished his first full season with six homers, 12 steals in 20 attempts and a .234/.290/.396 batting line in the Midwest League. His speed, long legs and plus range could transform him into a gifted defender in center field, but Reed knows his bat is the make-orbreak tool that will carry him further up the ladder.

Reed began 2018 at high Class Lake Elsinore, where he rotated between center and left field with Edward Olivares.

“The biggest thing for me is seeing more pitches and being comfortable getting to two strikes and doing damage with two strikes,” said Reed, who had a .379 OPS when behind in the count last year at Fort Wayne.

“I haven’t been playing baseball as long as some of the other guys have, but I’m in pro ball now. It’s time to grow up, time to be a professional and time to do what I can, regardless of how many at-bats I have.

Lefthander MacKenzie Gore threw approximately 80 innings his junior year in high school in 2016, then about 100 during his senior year and pro debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2017 after the Padres made him the third overall pick. The Padres see 120-130 innings as a logical progression as he starts 2018 at low Class A Fort Wayne. There, Gore lined up as the team’s sixth starter.

»

—JEFF SANDERS

May 4–18, 2018

JOE ROBBINS/GETTY IMAGES; MIKE JANES

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

Nationals righthander Wil Crowe relocated to Florida in the offseason to complete his throwing program and prepare for full-season ball.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS Clearing his mind has produced clearly better results for 25-year-old lefthander D.J. Snelten.

A 2013 ninth-rounder out of Minnesota, Snelten worked both as a starter and reliever through 2016.

During that stretch, he said he would succumb to “overstudying mechanics, making changes when I didn’t have the results that I wanted.�

Snelten decided to take a more simplified outlook entering the 2017 season.

His mindset: “You know what? This is my approach. Let’s not let the season dictate how my mechanics are going to work. Instead, let’s see what happens when we flip that around.�

What happened was Snelten went 8-1, 2.20 at Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento. He struck out 71 and allowed 57 hits in 73.2 innings. “He made our decision easier when it came time to think about the 40-man because we saw how far he had come,� general manager Bobby Evans said.

The Giants added Snelten to the 40-man roster in November. He returned to Sacramento in 2018. One bonus for Snelten with the River Cats: He’s reunited with pitching coach Steve Kline, the long-time big league lefty reliever who has worked with Snelten throughout his time in the organization. “We’ve always been able to understand each other,� Snelten said.

Hitters, particularly lefthanded ones, can have a tough time understanding how to deal with Snelten. He limited lefties to a .158 average and two extrabase hits (both doubles) in 95 at-bats last year.

Snelten’s fastball sits in the low to mid-90s. He also employs a slider and changeup.

His effectiveness stems in part from a delivery that’s “not something that you can necessarily teach,� Evans said.

At 6-foot-6 and with a herky-jerky motion, Snelten is, in Evans’ words, “a master of the arm angle and deception.�

Evans said he’d like Snelten to get a full season at Triple-A. Whatever happens in 2018, you figure Snelten will try to avoid excessive tinkering. “I didn’t change anything last year,� he said, “and I found it just a complete different level of ease.�

Righthander Julian Fernandez had Tommy John surgery on April 5 and will miss the 2018 season.

The Giants selected the triple-digits Dominican reliever from the Rockies in last year’s Rule 5 draft with the second overall selection.

Âť

—STEVE KRONER

May 4–18, 2018

Crowe, 23. “Any time you miss 12 to 14 months doing what you love, that helps you not take things for granted as much when you come back.�

Crowe throws both his four-seam and two-seam fastballs in the 90-94 mph range. He also throws a curveball, slider and changeup. “He has a quick tempo on the mound, repeats his delivery, reads swings and pitches consistently to the bottom of the strike zone, primarily off his fastball,�

Scialabba said. “We’re excited to see Wil build on the strides he made this offseason.�

General manager Mike Rizzo received a two-year contract extension that will run through 2020. “Mike and his staff have built quite a team—one that brings excitement to our ballpark every night and gives our city something to be proud of,� managing principal owner Ted Lerner said

Âť

WASHINGTON NATIONALS Righthander Wil Crowe wanted to do more than tell the Nationals about his offseason workout regimen. He wanted to show them.

By spending most of his offseason in West Palm Beach, Fla., and continuing his throwing program at the organization’s spring training home, the 6-foot-2, 232-pound Crowe made enough of an impression to open at high Class A Potomac this season. The 2017 second-rounder from South Carolina started his pro career last year with 24 innings over nine starts, primarily at short-season Auburn.

Nationals officials gave Crowe time to adjust to the minor leagues last year while limiting his innings following his return from Tommy John surgery. Now they believe he’s ready to jump over low Class A and pitch in the Carolina League. “Wil impressed our staff in his first spring training by commanding all four of his pitches (and) attacking the strike zone,� farm director Mark Scialabba said, “and he was able to effectively mix his offspeed pitches for strikes.�

In October, Crowe and his fiancĂŠe moved into an apartment about 10 minutes from the Nationals’ spring headquarters. After visiting family over the holidays, he was back in Florida on Jan. 5, about two months before minor leaguers were required to report to spring training. “Coming off Tommy John, I knew they wanted to see me all the time,â€? Crowe said. “I also lost 10 pounds, so I feel like I look better, and I’m pitching better.â€?

As a redshirt junior last year, Crowe went 6-5, 3.41 with 90 strikeouts in 92 innings in the Southeastern Conference.

Then he recorded a 2.96 ERA with 17 strikeouts and four walks in his pro debut.

After staying in Columbia, S.C., for a

fourth year because of his April 2015 elbow surgery, Crowe graduated last May with a degree in public health and a minor in criminal justice. He also gained a different perspective on baseball. “I think you grow up—and realize how much you love the game,� said

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19

inside the game / baseballamerica.com

HISTORY ON THE HORIZON A loaded 2018 free agent class, headlined by young superstars Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, will test the viability of the free agent system

JERRY CRASNICK JCRASNICK

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper won the NL MVP award in 2015, but after experiencing a baserunning mishap in 2017 that cost him a shot at another trophy, he isn’t taking anything for granted in 2018.

This offseason, he is positioned to become the most attractive free agent since Alex Rodriguez in 2000.

20

I

f Bryce Harper seems intimidating in the batter’s box, it’s nothing compared to his presence in front of a microphone with spring training about to begin and talk of a gargantuan financial windfall in the air.

Harper arrived at Nationals camp amid a slew of questions about his future locale. He quickly put the clamps on public discourse, warning reporters he would be “walking right out the door” if anyone broached the topic of his pending free agency in November. He told reporters to call his agent Scott Boras if they had any questions unrelated to baseball.

Harper understands the hazards of thinking too far beyond today. He was at the heart of the National League MVP debate last August when he slipped on a wet base trying to beat out a ground ball and suffered a deep bone bruise that forced him to miss six weeks and hindered him in the postseason. So if you ask about nine-figure contracts or the business of free agency, expect a cold stare and an awkward silence.

“Bryce was having a remarkable season last year and it was taken away,” Boras said. “His focus is, ‘I want to get up every day and play baseball and focus on baseball.’

And what goes on after the season is just not something he wants to entertain while he prepares for the game that day.

“Certainly you understand the interest. There’s nothing

h Padres lefty Joey Lucchesi, the first pitcher from the 2016 draft to reach the majors, combated nerves in his successful big league debut, writes Kyle Glaser.

Search Lucchesi at BaseballAmerica.com

wrong with asking. But for a player, that’s a thought process beyond what he’s here to do—to play and win and do all the things that are necessary and most important to him that day.”

Harper’s approach is instructive against the backdrop of the 2018 season, which will be a prelude to the most illustrious free agent class in history. Harper, Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, Brian Dozier, Daniel Murphy, Dallas Keuchel, Craig Kimbrel, Andrew Miller, Cody Allen, Adam Jones, Zach Britton, Andrew McCutchen and Marwin Gonzalez are some of the big names who will be available as part of an all-youcan-spend talent buffet. And starters Clayton Kershaw and David Price can join the class if they exercise opt-out clauses in their contracts.

Money will ultimately talk in assessing where the upcoming class stands in the historical annals of free agency.

The most lucrative free agent winter to this point followed the 2015 season, when the 30 major league clubs combined to spend a record $2.5 billion.

An all-time high seven players—Price, Zack Greinke, Jason Heyward, Chris Davis, Justin Upton, Johnny Cueto and Jordan Zimmermann—signed contracts of $100 million or more.

Many agents and players see next winter’s class as a litmus test for where the game is headed financially—at least for the all-stars and marquee players who drive the market.

“As far as major, established superstars hitting the market at the same time, I can’t come up with anything that compares,” said the representative for a prominent free agent. “If this class doesn’t bring out historically high spending, nothing will. If teams don’t spend next winter, there will have to be some serious discussions about the health and viability of the current system. It will go a long way toward alleviating players’ fears—or exacerbating them.”

Players at all ends of the spectrum have cause to be wary in the aftermath of a contentious and slow-moving offseason. Yu Darvish, Eric Hosmer and J.D. Martinez, the only players to sign nine-figure deals, all reached agreements in February. While agents hinted at collusion and the Players Association lamented the rising number of teams in non-competitive mode, dozens of established veterans settled for one-year contracts or minor league deals—or remain unemployed.

Recent history provides only so

many clues on the importance of a strong platform year in setting the stage for a player’s payday. Logan Morrison, for example, hit 38 home runs in 2017 and still had to wait until late February to sign a guaranteed one-year, $6.5 million deal with the Twins. He was hurt by the glut of power-hitting corner men on the market and a newfound reluctance by teams to spend big on power alone.

Boras once referred to the specter of free agency as “the elephant in the ballpark,” and players know the topic is rife for curiosity among teammates, friends on competing clubs, media members and their loved ones at home.

The level of scrutiny inevitably increases at the trade deadline, when pending free agents for losing clubs hear their names mentioned almost constantly in trade speculation.

A casual spring training chat in Sarasota, Fla., took an unexpected turn when Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge told Machado that he would look good in pinstripes. Judge shared the interaction with reporters, and it became a mini-controversy until both players defused it. Amid talk of tampering, Judge said he had learned his lesson and Machado observed that the incident was “blown it out of proportion.”

At the intersection of performance and financial security, many players find comfort in personal boundaries. Some players entering their free agent “walk” years like to dispense with the intrigue in one sitting before moving on to baseball. Donaldson and Cardinals righthander Adam Wainwright were among those who took the “I’m only going to talk about this once” approach upon arrival in spring training.

Machado hasn’t issued a blanket edict against free agent talk, but he’s picked his spots, and the Orioles’ media relations department has done its best to run interference when national columnists pass through Baltimore in search of interviews.

“Writers write up stories, and they predict this and that,” Machado said.

“It’s all normal. We play baseball and you guys write. I just concentrate on this year, and right now my focus is to put an MVP season up there. I’m going to try to win the MVP and take my club to the playoffs. That’s the biggest goal here.”

That’s Machado’s approach, and he’s sticking with it. If you want Bryce Harper’s take on the subject, feel free to call his agent. Q May 4–18, 2018

PATRICK MCDERMOTT; NORM HALL/GETTY IMAGES

Majors

international majors minors college high school draft industry

A sore arm proved fortunate, as it helped turn Charlie Blackmon into an outfielder just in time for him to prove himself in his senior year at Georgia Tech.

UNEXPECTED OUTCOME Charlie Blackmon began his college career as a pitcher, but then an arm injury set him on his way to hitting

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efore Charlie Blackmon entered his senior year at Georgia Tech in 2008, he was a little-used lefthanded reliever.

But then Blackmon’s baseball journey took a strange turn. He disembarked for Grand Prairie, Texas, to play in a college summer league, but there was only one problem: his left arm bothered him.

So when he showed up, he told manager Rusty Greer, the former Rangers outfielder, that he was an outfielder.

The first chapter in a strange tale of Charlie Blackmon’s emergence as a big league all-star was being written. “I was coming back from bone spurs and was super inconsistent,� Blackmon remembered. “I wasn’t very good. But I wanted to play baseball. I hit a little bit in junior college (he spent two years at Young Harris JC in

Georgia), but I had not played a position since high school. It wasn’t like I thought I was going to be a great hitter.

I just wanted to get on the field.�

By the end of the summer, Blackmon was an outfielder—period.

He had taken the first step in a transition that allowed him to blossom into a two-time all-star, an NL batting champ and the man who last summer set a major league record for leadoff hitters with 103 of his 104 RBIs coming out of the top spot in the lineup. In April, the Rockies extended Blackmon’s contract through the 2023 season at six years and $108 million.

The biggest challenge came when Blackmon showed up for the fall semester at college. Greer had called Georgia Tech coach Danny Hall, but Hall wasn’t sure the move was going to work. “I come back and it’s, ‘All right, you think you are a hitter now,’� Blackmon remembers Hall saying.

Hall was willing to give it a look, but he wasn’t going to make it easy. “I remember that first workout in the fall. The first guy I face in an intrasquad game is our Friday night pitcher, David Duncan,� Blackmon said. “He’s lefthanded. He is 6-foot-9, 230 (pounds). He was a fifth-round draft choice of the Astros. I wasn’t really excited he was going to be my first at-bat. “He threw a fastball over the plate and I hit it as good as I can hit a baseball. It goes way out. In intrasquad games, you don’t hit a home run and run the bases. I touch first base and head back to the dugout. Danny Hall is laughing, completely laughing. He doesn’t know what to think. I am thinking I was meant to be an outfielder. Since that time, I was a hitter.�

A pretty good hitter. He was, after

all, taken by the Rockies in the second round of the 2008 draft after his senior year at Tech—much to Blackmon’s surprise. “When it’s just one season, you have to get someone’s attention early enough that they are going to pay enough attention to you that when it comes to the draft, they are willing to push hard for you,� Blackmon said. “I was a one-year wonder. Going in the second round was crazy high. I was thinking the 15th to 20th rounds would be good.�

By the time teams were finalizing their draft lists, however, Blackmon had made a believer of Hall. How big a believer? Big enough that he convinced Rockies special assistant Danny Montgomery that Blackmon was the real deal. “I flew in on Sunday to see a kid at a Sunday game, (and) coach Hall tells me to keep an eye on his center fielder, that the kid had been a pitcher, but he’s hitting now,� Montgomery said. “He told me, ‘Rusty Greer worked with him during the summer and kept saying I need to let the guy hit, so I let the guy hit.’�

Montgomery showed up for the Sunday game and kept an eye on Blackmon. He liked what he saw. “Tech had a makeup game on Monday, so I decided to stay another day and see (Blackmon) again,�

Montgomery said. “I didn’t tell anybody, not even our area scout. I show up on Monday and I am sitting at the top of the stadium, away from everybody else. I like him.�

How much did Montgomery like Blackmon? He liked him enough that he got scouting director Bill Schmidt to select Blackmon in the second round, a pick that had most scouting directors shaking their heads in disbelief. If they had reports on Blackmon, they were the kind that would have had him going in the 20th round or later. “I’m not knocking anybody, but after what Danny Hall told me and what I saw I was like, ‘Wow, look at this guy,’ � Montgomery said.

Blackmon certainly isn’t a sleeper anymore. Q

THE BEST PLAYERS SWING THE BEST BATS

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May 4–18, 2018

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inside the game / baseballamerica.com

Minors

h Mets 2016 first-round lefthander Anthony Kay returned from Tommy John surgery throwing harder than he did in college, Kyle Glaser writes.

Search Kay at BaseballAmerica.com

YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY— BUT NOT BY MUCH College pitchers tend to hit a targeted innings total in their pro debuts

BY KYLE GLASER

When the Angels chose not to send second-round pick Griffin Canning out to an affiliate last year, it raised a few eyebrows across the industry.

Some teams had concerns about Canning’s medical reports, which helped the UCLA righthander slip to the second round. The Angels have insisted, from day one, their decision to not send Canning to an affiliate had nothing to do with any medical concern and was solely the product of him pitching 119 innings as a college junior.

Put to scrutiny, the claim that holds up.

A survey of data shows four-year college starting pitchers selected in the top three rounds of the 2017 draft were mostly targeted for between 115-130 innings combined between their college and pro stints. As teams become increasingly wary of pitcher overuse, it appears a fairly uniform standard has been put in place on college pitchers the year they are drafted.

Canning was one of just four signed picks in the top three rounds who pitched at least 119 innings during his college season. Another was Tigers first-rounder Alex Faedo (123.2), who was also held back. The other two were Cubs first-rounder Alex Lange (124.1) and Phillies second-rounder Connor Seabold (127.2). Both Lange and Seabold were limited to 10 innings or fewer after being sent out.

For those already in that 115-130 inning range from their college workload, it’s become standard to be held back from an affiliate or extremely limited if they do go out to one.

22

THE NUMBER OF INNINGS TARGETED— COUNTING AMATEUR AND PRO— FOR COLLEGE PITCHERS IN THEIR DRAFT YEARS.

“It was the volume of innings that he threw. We had seen him reach his quota,” Angels general manager Billy Eppler said.

“If he would have been a player who signed with us out of high school, and I specifically told Griff this in our conversation, I told him ‘If you signed with us out of high school, you ultimately would’ve thrown this number of innings this year. You just happened to achieve it by the time you reached end of May or early June. You hit your quota because you started earlier.’

“We would have paced it differently in professional baseball, but nonetheless he hit that volume mark that we would have probably scripted for him. So at that point, the only thing we could do was not have him pitch and have him work on other areas of his development.”

In all, there were 22 four-year college starting pitchers drafted and signed in the top three rounds of the 2017 draft. All but four—Canning, Faedo, Yankees first-rounder Clarke Schmidt and Dodgers second-rounder Morgan Cooper—were sent out to an affiliate after signing.

Schmidt (Tommy John surgery) and Cooper (shoulder tendinitis) had documented injuries. Another pick, Nationals first-rounder Seth Romero, had limited collegiate innings because he got kicked off the team at Houston midseason.

For those healthy or otherwise uninterrupted from pitching, the 115-130 innings “quota” mostly held. Kyle Wright pitched 103.1 innings at Vanderbilt, then 17 in pro ball after signing. Brendan McKay pitched 109 innings at Louisville, then 20 in the New-York Penn League. Tanner Houck pitched 94.2 innings at Missouri, then 22.1 after signing as Boston’s first-rounder.

Canning threw more than all of them— as well as nearly everyone else in his draft class—at UCLA. The Angels, as such, saw no need to push things and sent Canning to their training complex in Arizona, where he was put on a total body workout plan in preparation for 2018.

Canning was on board with the plan.

“I don’t know how much I actually planned on throwing because I had just finished a college season where I threw a pretty good amount of innings,” Canning said. “So it didn’t come as too much of a shock. And I mean after seasons I’m normally taking a couple months off anyway, so it wasn’t too big a deal.”

May 4–18, 2018

BILL MITCHELL; MIKE JANES/FOUR SEAM IMAGES

PITCHING PROSPECT WORKLOADS

115-130

The Angels elected to hold Griffin Canning back from pitching last year because of his 119-inning workload at UCLA. After sitting out after signing last season, Canning made his professional debut on April 5 and climbed quickly to Double-A.

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Brendan McKay pitched 20 innings as a pro last summer to hit his limit.

Hitting The Target

BY KYLE GLASER

Alex Faedo sat after he pitched 123.2 innings in 2017 while leading Florida to the College World Series.

The Tigers had a similar situation with Faedo. After the 18th overall pick pitched into late June to lead Florida to the College World Series title and pushed past the 120-inning mark, Detroit made the decision to have him spend the rest of 2017 working out at the Tigers complex in Lakeland, Fla., rather than pitching more with an affiliate.

“We just took into account everything,” Tigers farm director Dave Owen said.

“Innings pitched, pitching late into the college season . . . There’s not a set number of innings. We kind of glance at what kind of season the player has had, how he’s feeling.

There are a lot of different factors that play into it.”

Importantly, being held out after signing hasn’t hampered Canning’s or Faedo’s progress up the minor league ladder.

Canning and Faedo both opened 2018 at high Class A, the same level as the many of their draft peers and higher even than a few who did pitch after signing, such as Astros first-rounder J.B Bukauskas, Phillies second-rounder Spencer Howard and Orioles supplemental second-rounder Zac Lowther.

Canning pitched 8.2 scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts over his first two starts at Inland Empire. Faedo posted a 2.61 ERA with nine strikeouts and zero walks in his first 10.1 May 4–18, 2018

innings at Lakeland.

While the sample may be too small to draw conclusions, it’s an encouraging sign that both started at high Class A and were off to good starts.

Beyond just the numbers, Canning’s stuff has been better after the layoff than what he showed in college. His fastball sat 93-96 mph and touched 98 after previously sitting 90-94 at UCLA. Both his 85-87 mph slider and 80-82 curveball had been dastardly, and he was holding his location and velocity through his outings. He was so dominant that the Angels promoted him to Double-A Mobile after just two starts.

As for what it means moving forward, teams have generally progressed further into protecting pitchers, and the early success of Canning and Faedo is an example they can point to.

Still, Eppler and Owen cautioned there is no “one size fits all” approach.

“There’s not kind of an end-all, be-all number (of innings),” Eppler said. “It’s more just done looking at the historical workload of the player, and then deriving from that.”

For now, coincidentally or not, that 115130 inning range is what teams have generally targeted for the workload of their college pitchers the year they are drafted. Q

Teams taking college pitchers in the draft are largely targeting them for a specific innings range in their draft years, to the point those who enter that range in college are sometimes held back from a minor league affiliate after signing.

Of the 20 four-year college pitchers drafted and signed in the top three rounds in 2017, 11 pitched between 115-130 total innings between their pro and college workloads. Five more were within eight innings of that range.

The pitcher with the largest total workload was Rockies third-round pick Will Gaddis at 149.1 innings. That expected workload has changed dramatically since the beginning of the 2000s. Righthander Kenny Baugh, the Tigers’ first-rounder in 2001, pitched 141.1 innings at Rice and then went out and pitched 64.1 innings in the Tigers’ system after signing, giving him a total of 205.2 innings in his draft year.

Baugh had labrum surgery on his shoulder the following year and missed the entire season.

Rd Pick 1

4

1 5 1 15 1 17 1 20 1 24 1 30 2 45 2 47 2 56 2 62 2 65 2 67 2 74 3 83 3 86 3 92 3 98 3 103 3 105

Player/Team Brendan McKay, Rays Kyle Wright, Braves J.B. Bukauskas, Astros Alex Faedo, Tigers David Peterson, Mets Tanner Houck, Red Sox Alex Lange, Cubs Spencer Howard, Phillies Griffin Canning, Angels Corbin Martin, Astros Morgan Cooper, Dodgers Wil Crowe, Nationals Cory Abbott, Cubs Zac Lowther, Orioles Connor Seabold, Phillies Will Gaddis, Rockies Trevor Stephan, Yankees Michael Baumann, Orioles Nick Raquet, Nationals Keegan Thompson, Cubs

College Sent to Pro IP Affiliate? IP

Total IP

109

Y

20

129

103.1 92.2 123.2 100.1 94.2 124.1 87.2 119 87.2 89.1 92.1 98.1 83.1 127.2 105 91 87.2 77.1 93.1

Y Y N Y Y Y Y N Y N Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 10 — 3.2 22.1 9.1 28.1 — 32.2 — 24.1 14 54.1 10 44.1 34.1 42.1 53.1 19

120.1 102.2 123.2 104 117 133.2 116 119 118.1 89.1 116.2 112.1 138 137.2 149.1 125.1 130 130 112.1

NOTE: Yankees first-rounder Clarke Schmidt (Tommy John surgery) and Nationals first-rounder Seth Romero (kicked off team) were not included in the sample due to abbreviated college workloads. Q

23

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College

h Tony Gwynn’s final recruiting class at San Diego State consists of a “Final Four” group of players who had helped the surging Aztecs chart on the Top 25.

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UPSTARTS

ARMED PROTECTION Halfway through the season, Georgia and Oklahoma had emerged as unexpected contenders

BY TEDDY CAHILL

F

lorida, the defending national champion and top-ranked team in the preseason, has lived up to expectations and remained No. 1 in the country as the season progressed into the second half.

The Gators were 29-6, sat atop the Southeastern Conference standings, and led the nation in wins.

Behind Florida, however, the Top 25 looks much different than it did entering the season. North Carolina State (No. 2), East Carolina (No. 8) and Duke (No. 10) all entered the top 10 after being unranked in the preseason. Stanford, not Oregon State, looked to be the team to beat in the Pacific-12 Conference, N.C. State raced to the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference, and Oklahoma rushed out of the gates in the Big 12 Conference. Georgia, which hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2011, was pushing to host a regional.

On the flip side, preseason top 15 teams Texas Christian (No. 7), Cal State Fullerton (No. 11) and Virginia (No. 15) had fallen out of the rankings and are facing uphill battles to regionals as the season turns the corner.

The Bulldogs last season went 25-32 and finished 12th in the SEC. But Georgia was a very young team last season, relying heavily on a recruiting class that ranked No. 24 in the country in the fall and included All-Freshman shortstop Cam Shepherd, who earned an invitation last year to USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. Georgia lost home non-conference series against College of Charleston and Rider and then lost six of its first seven SEC series. But the Bulldogs got hot down the stretch and won their last three SEC series, including wins over Kentucky and Mississippi State.

That experience was important for the Bulldogs, coach Scott Stricklin said. When the team returned in the fall to Athens, it talked about building on the momentum it had at the end of the season.

“We talked about how we finished as a good team, and there’s no reason we can’t be a good team,” he said. “Having that success was important. And to that we added some good pieces with our freshman class. We added some depth and we had some experienced guys come back.”

Georgia started this season well, running out to a 7-1 record. But it was then swept at Charleston and dropped a fourth straight game the following day at Charleston Southern. It was after that 5-4 loss to the Buccaneers that the Bulldogs’ season changed.

Stricklin said that after the loss he read his team the riot act. The

24

Georgia shortstop Cam Shepherd made the Freshman All-America Team in 2017 and also suited up for Team USA last summer as a rising sophomore.

senior righthander Chase Adkins and junior lefthander Kevin Smith on the mound.

Georgia has waited a long time for a season like this. The Bulldogs have not had a winning conference record since 2011 and have often been left fighting just to make the SEC Tournament. Now, in his fifth season in Athens, Stricklin has the Bulldogs poised for much more.

Oklahoma The Sooners’ breakthrough season came a year ago, when they returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013.

Despite the success, Oklahoma parted ways with coach Pete Hughes and elevated pitching coach Skip Johnson to head coach. Johnson inherited a veteran team that returned every pitcher who started a game last season and an May 4–18, 2018

FROM LEFT: ICON SPORTSWIRE/GETTY IMAGES; CLIFF WELCH/ICON SPORTSWIRE/GETTY

Georgia

Bulldogs had blown a late lead and Stricklin felt they had given a game away by playing tentatively.

“I was hard on them and challenged them,” he said. “I challenged the upper classmen to make sure things were going to change immediately.”

The message was received. Georgia shut out The Citadel, 5-0, and went on to win 14 of its next 15 games. The Bulldogs won their first three SEC series before falling at No. 14 Vanderbilt in mid-April. The run had helped Georgia rise to No. 7 in RPI and second place in the SEC East, a position that put it on pace to host a regional for the first time since 2008.

Georgia is still a young team. Four players in its everyday lineup are second-year players and two members of its rotation are true freshmen. Those young players have taken a step forward this season and are shouldering a large load. But Georgia’s resurgence has also been keyed by bounce-back years from senior outfielder Keegan McGovern and junior DH Michael Curry at the plate, as well as

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offense led by Preseason All-American outfielder Steele Walker.

But Oklahoma also lost several key pieces from last year’s team, including six seniors. Those departures, as well as the unknown following the coaching change, meant that the Sooners came into the season with some questions to answer.

Oklahoma went 4-5 in February, including a tough 1-3 showing on Opening Weekend at Coastal Carolina’s Baseball at the Beach Tournament. As the calendar flipped to March, however, the Sooners began to heat up. They went 16-5 in the month and swept their first two Big 12 series to get off to their best start in conference play since 1984, when they were members of the Big Eight Conference.

Johnson said the team has stressed taking the season one pitch at a time.

He knows it’s a clichéd approach, but it has worked for the Sooners.

“There’s more consistency in that than in looking at the end result,” Johnson said. “That’s really what we’ve done more than anything.”

Oklahoma also has plenty of talent on its roster. Walker, as he has done throughout his college career, has impressed at the plate with eight home runs and nearly as many walks (22) as strikeouts (24).

Walker has been supported by the breakout of outfielder Kyler Murray, who is one of the best athletes in the country and was pulling double duty this spring. He was also participating in spring football practice, competing for the starting quarterback job at Oklahoma. Johnson said Murray reminds him of former Mets prospect Brian Cole, whom he coached at Navarro (Texas) JC. “He’s got that electricity,” Johnson said. “He understands the moment.

He’s been under center with 100,000 people screaming down his throat, so nothing bothers him.”

Walker and Murray have made a strong combination in the heart of Oklahoma’s lineup. Around them, the Sooners have done a good job of getting on base, extending innings and getting timely hits. Oklahoma doesn’t hit for much power—as a team it had 24 home runs—and it doesn’t run wild on the bases, but the Sooners were hitting .284 as a team and finding ways to be productive with every passing day.

And with Oklahoma’s pitching staff, the lineup doesn’t have to carry the load itself. Righthanders Jake Irvin and Devon Perez form a strong duo at the front of the rotation and the Sooners have several reliable arms in the bullpen who can close out victories for their staff. Q May 4–18, 2018

TOP 7 COLLEGE LEFTHANDERS Throughout the season, Baseball America will present position rankings of the best college players in the 2018 draft class. Here, we focus on lefthanders.

The position is strong at the top with several lefties pushing to be first-round picks. But the position’s depth has been lessened by injuries. Preseason All-Americans Steven Gingery (Texas Tech) and Tyler Holton (Florida State) were injured on Opening Weekend and required Tommy John surgery. UCLA’s Justin Hooper is also out for the year and Louisiana-Lafayette’s Hogan Harris missed a month with an oblique injury.

While this list is based on draft status, players who are out for the season were not considered.

1. SHANE McCLANAHAN, SOUTH FLORIDA: A late growth spurt dramat-

ically raised McClanahan’s prospect profile his senior year of high school.

He missed the following year with Tommy John surgery but came back strong and earned Freshman AllAmerica honors last spring. This year he was voted a first-team Preseason All-American by major league scouting directors and has taken over as the Bulls’ ace. He has a powerful fastball that reaches 99 mph and a sharp slider to go with it. That’s helped him this spring pile up 73 strikeouts, the second most in the nation, in 40.2 innings.

2. RYAN ROLISON, MISSISSIPPI: He

was one of the headliners of Ole Miss’ top-ranked 2016 recruiting class. He was last summer’s top-ranked pitching prospect in the Cape Cod League, showing off a solid three-pitch mix.

Rolison, a draft-eligible sophomore, pairs his low-90s fastball with a wipeout curveball and also mixes in a changeup.

named pitcher of the year. Bubic has a plus changeup that is one of the best in the class and a fastball that can get up to 94 mph—though it more typically sits 90-91. His stuff, size (6-foot-3, 220 pounds), pitchability and track record all have him trending up this spring.

South Florida’s Shane McClanahan (left) and Mississippi’s Ryan Rolison stand as the top healthy college lefthanders in this year’s draft class. Both should be attractive first-round targets in June.

5. KONNOR PILKINGTON, MISSISSIPPI STATE: He has been a reliable starter

throughout his career at Mississippi State, on the Cape and with Team USA. He isn’t overpowering but has three pitches that have a chance to be at least average and he pounds the strike zone.

6. DANIEL LYNCH, VIRGINIA: He has taken a step forward in the last year as he has improved his control and continued to show solid stuff. Listed at 6-foot4, 175 pounds, he throws his fastball in the low 90s, has an above-average changeup and mixes in both a curveball and a slider.

7. JOHN ROONEY, HOFSTRA: He will

become the first player from Hofstra drafted since Bryan Verbitsky went 86th overall in 2013 and he could pass Verbitsky as the highest drafted player in program history. Rooney, an upstate New York native, is still raw, but his combination of size—6-foot-5, 225 pounds—and stuff—he has a chance for three average-or-better offerings—make for an intriguing package. He has been solid this spring and threw last month six innings in a combined no-hitter against Mount St. Mary’s. Q

3. TIM CATE, CONNECTICUT: Cate has compiled impressive numbers during his college career and earned a spot on last year’s USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. His 256 strikeouts rank second in program history and he has averaged 11.56 strikeouts per nine innings over the course of his career.

Cate throws his fastball in the low 90s and his calling card is his curveball, which ranks as one of the best in the draft class.

4. KRIS BUBIC, STANFORD: With

righthander Tristan Beck sidelined by injury last season, Bubic stepped up to lead Stanford’s rotation. He continued to impress on the Cape, where he was

25

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High School

h National writer Carlos Collazo unveiled his first mock draft in April, two months before the event.

Three high school players cracked the (early) top 10.

BaseballAmerica.com/rankings/mlb-mock-draft

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Shortstop Brice Turang has to meet the lofty expectations he set years ago because SoCal area scouts have such a long history with him

BY CARLOS COLLAZO

N

ot much seems to faze Santiago High shortstop Brice Turang.

Not the stiffest competition in one of the deepest baseball hotbeds in the country (Southern California), not international competition with USA Baseball’s 18U team (he hit .353 to rank second on the team last summer), and certainly not the high level of scrutiny he faces every game this spring as dozens of scouts flock to his Corona, Calif., high school to watch his every move just two months shy of the draft.

“They are just people,” Turang said of the scouts. “They have to watch the game, too.

And I can’t control what they think about me other than play my game. That’s it. That’s all

26

I can do. . .

“I tell everyone, ‘I’m more nervous when my family comes and watches me than when (scouts) are here.’ ” But the pressure on the Louisiana State commit this year is more intense than it’s ever been. Turang has played varsity for head coach Ty De Trinidad four straight years and has been a standout on the showcase circuit for much of that time.

Turang has been seen by pro teams as much as any high school player in this draft class, and he constantly has to try and reach the high bar that he set for himself during all those looks.

“I think there are times where he’s trying to do too much because there’s a lot of pressure

The problem is Turang has been on varsity for four years.

I think at times scouts just start to pick at him and look for flaws in his game Santiago High head coach Ty De Trinidad

on him,” De Trinidad said after Santiago lost a 2-1 game in the Boras Classic South tournament’s consolation bracket. “This year’s (tournament) group probably isn’t as talented as the years before. I think sometimes he feels he has to do (everything). Overall, he’s doing a good job. . .

“I think for the most part he does a good job. But he’s still a kid and it bothers him, absolutely. Because he wants to do a good job, he wants to please. At the end of the day I think he stays pretty level-headed—probably sometimes better than I take it. He stays calm even after a mistake.”

Turang has to stay calm. The number of looks he has received from the scouting community is both a blessing and a curse.

It’s a blessing because since Turang’s junior year in 2016, when he made the 18U team as an underclassman, scouts saw that he was one of the most talented players on the field.

And that field included the first two picks in the 2017 draft: shortstop Royce Lewis and righthander Hunter Greene.

The scrutiny is a curse because on days when he doesn’t look like that player—like the shortstop with plus-plus running ability, a polished hit tool, smooth defensive actions and impeccable strike-zone discipline—evaluators walk away from the field wanting more.

“The problem is he’s been on varsity for four years,” De Trinidad said. “And I think at times (scouts) just start to pick at him and look for flaws in his game . . . looking for reasons to fault him.”

Fortunately, Turang brings a calm demeanor to the field that allows him to brush aside the criticism and the nitpicking. You won’t see him get too high or too low. After a bad at-bat or a mistake on the bases or in the field, Turang moves on. He has a mentality that—similar to his play on the field—is mature beyond his 18 years.

“It’s a game of failure. You’re going to fail in this game,” Turang said, after a game in the Boras Classic where he uncharacteristically made a pair of errors in one inning.

“Even the best players make errors. Even the best players strike out. And it’s just, ‘Why be upset and let it control my whole game?’

Yeah, I was frustrated after those (errors) . . . but I can’t let it affect my whole day.”

Instead of getting on himself, Turang stayed calm and moved on. As the second batter in the next half-inning, he stepped into the box and jumped on the first pitch he saw—an elevated fastball—and sent a May 4–18, 2018

PHOTOS BY BILL MITCHELL

Brice Turang has a chance to be the rare lefthandedhitting high school shortstop to be drafted in the top 10 picks. The last to come off the board that early was Nick Gordon, whom the Twins took No. 5 overall in 2014.

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SOCAL SHORTSTOP MATT McLAIN GAINS DRAFT HELIUM

Southern California high school shortstop Matt McLain

no-doubt home run to right field over the netting at Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif. With one swing he showed off an adjusted offensive approach where he focused on making harder contact.

“I always have something I work on,” Turang said. “I’m working on something every time I go into the cage. This year it was more of, ‘Let’s try not to just make contact. Let’s try to crush this ball.’ That’s what’s really gotten me into going to the home runs, hitting more gap-to-gap shots.”

So while Turang has been under a microscope more than most prep players in this year’s class, as a lefthanded-hitting shortstop with a long track record of success, he still figures to come off the board early in June.

Lefthanded-hitting shortstops are rare. Corey Seager (18th overall, 2012) May 4–18, 2018

While the Boras Classic South was an early-April attraction for scouts in the Los Angeles area, more than a dozen left the tournament and headed to Beckman High in Irvine, Calif., to check out shortstop Matt McLain, who had been the talk of Southern California for several weeks.

McLain and Beckman faced Corona Del Mar High, which has an interesting draft prospect in its own right in power-speed outfielder Preston Hartsell.

Corona Del Mar walked away with a 1-0 victory, but McLain showed off a strong defensive foundation, plus speed and a plate approach that hints at better things to come.

Before the game got rolling, Beckman took a standard infield-outfield session in which McLain—who is 5-foot-10, 175 pounds and ranks No. 178 on the top 300 draft prospects list—showed very active defensive footwork with solid arm strength.

His defensive ability was even more impressive during the game. He made every play that came to him and showed the ability to throw at different arm angles and on the run.

In the top of the fourth inning, with the bases loaded and one out, McLain had a ball hit to his right, where a bad hop jumped on him at the last second.

The UCLA commit wasn’t fazed—he showed quick hands and good reactions to field the ball cleanly on a hop and make an accurate feed to second base to start a 6-4-3, inning-ending double play.

McLain—who has improved as a runner and has plus speed—also made multiple impressive plays on slow rollers, quickly closing in on the

ball on two occasions with a quick exchange and strong, accurate throws while off-balance. His second slow roller was the most impressive, because he threw out a righthanded batter who reached first base with average speed, turning in a time of 4.33 seconds.

McLain went 1-for-3 at the plate with a single and two flyouts, but he barreled the ball in each of his first two trips to the plate and showed a good understanding of the strike zone in each of his plate appearances. He sets up with a simple, slightly wide stance with a loose, energetic bounce as he waits for the pitch. McLain doesn’t have much of a leg kick, but instead takes a moderate stride to the ball as he prepares for contact, with a level bat path and an impressive ability to keep his hands back, allowing the ball to travel even if his landing foot is already down.

His best at-bat came in the bottom of the third inning, when he fell behind in the count 0-2 before confidently taking a pitch just barely outside for a ball and then driving the next pitch he saw through the right side of the infield. McLain rounded the bag in 4.35 seconds, which would likely translate to a plus home-to-first time or better had he run straight through. He then stole second base in 3.62 seconds.

McLain is undersized and doesn’t have any one tool that jumps out, but he does everything on the field well and makes all the plays at shortstop in addition to having exceptional makeup, according to scouts who know him. With the way he’s been hitting, McLain is gaining draft helium and could play his way into the top three or four rounds. Q

and J.P. Crawford (16th overall, 2013) are two recent examples from the high school ranks who were first-round picks and reached the majors in relatively short order. But for some reason, only one lefty-hitting high school shortstop has been picked in the top five overall selections in the past 30 years. That would be Nick Gordon, who went No. 5 overall to the Twins in 2014, and began this season at Double-A. A scouting director for an orgnization picking in the teens recently said he would be surprised if Turang fell to his team, and a top-10 selection seems entirely likely.

“He constantly wants to get better,” De Trinidad said. “So that when he gets to that point—wherever it may be, whether that’s LSU or pro ball—he’s going to be good to go.” Q

27

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Industry

h Yakkertech’s vision imaging system gives pitchers and pitching coaches the most accurate way to understand pitches and their spin.

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BUSINESS BEAT

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW The Rangers’ innovative new ballpark opens in 2020

BY TIM NEWCOMB

28

A retractable roof was essential to the design of Globe Life Field, the Rangers’ new home set to open in 2020.

new, front-row seating opportunities and will create a fresh perspective both in the seating bowl and on the concourse level, Matwick said.

The new park includes two 360-degree concourse levels for easy circulation. The design moves restrooms and concessions away from the seating bowl to offer more transparency between the concourse and the bowl by sliding services to the outside of the concourse for a more “free-flowing” design that allows the fan to stay connected to the field at all times. Matwick said having both concourse levels fully walkable adds interest to a day at the ballpark.

“When you complement that with the design HKS has come up with,” he said, “it is pretty compelling.”

Ortiz paid special attention to the way fans experienced the ballpark, even from arrival.

With a large plaza area and a landscape that varies in heights, he borrowed the idea of famed Texas porches to create moments of arrival, whether the plaza that connects to Texas Live! with sculptures, video and lighting or promontories inside that open up views to the seating bowl.

The Texas Live! project will open first, allowing the entertainment district to start taking shape, which is all part of a greater plan to reshape the area. That reshaping, though, comes with a completely Rangersfocused perspective.

“Globe Life Park has elements of other ballparks,” Matwick said. “That is great and certainly a salute to other ballparks, but we

have reached a different stage in our history in that this building will be unique and unique to the Rangers and represent the Rangers going forward.”

That new perspective comes from both within the park and its relationship with the area around it. “One of the main drivers from the very beginning was trying to establish this backyard feel of security and a wonderful family experience,” Ortiz says. “We choreographed the experience by putting these components together.”

The ballpark’s north wall, which faces the plaza, serves as the most distinct architectural feature with 18-brick Texas limestone and granite arches blanketed by glass. At 1,000 feet long and 100 feet high, the east-west direction defines the face of the ballpark fronting the plaza and gives the left field a noticeable design. The main concourse runs through the arches, while the upper concourse threads through the archways, offering 60-foot bay balcony seating that spills out, allowing fans to look down onto the plaza, Texas Live! or the game.

“There are going to be a lot of really cool vantage points created,” Ortiz said. “That wall is going to be an incredible feature and we hope it is perceived as iconic. It contributes to the unique aspects of this ballpark.”

HKS turned the wall off center to create more transparency in the ballpark while paying homage to the old Globe Life Park by using arches.

“It brings back some of the past,” Ortiz says, “while looking toward the future.” Q May 4–18, 2018

VLK ARCHITECTS

B

y 2020, the Rangers will move a few hundred yards into a new home. The location and name—Texas will switch from Globe Life Park to Globe Life Field—won’t change much, but the design and atmosphere certainly will.

The $1.1 billion retractable-roof park for the Rangers broke ground in September 2017, with portions of the site already 70-feet deep to make way for the new 41,000-seat park offering a fresh way to experience baseball in Arlington.

“It has to be game-changing,” said Fred Ortiz, an architect for HKS who is designing Globe Life Field. “We want to differentiate ourselves.”

Immersed into the Texas Live! entertainment district, also under construction, and near the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, the new Globe Life Field aims to position itself as a new entertainment destination—but not just for baseball. To make that happen, the ballpark includes a retractable roof that shields visitors from the Texas heat but also opens to the elements when comfortable.

“The ability to control climate is a primary factor for us,” said Rob Matwick, the Rangers’ executive vice president of business operations.

“It is challenging to enjoy a game when you deal with some of the conditions (at the current park). We want to address that issue for fans and players forever. From a design standpoint, I think that is No. 1.”

Inside the seating bowl, expect wider seats than at the current park and improvements that bring the fan “closer to the field of play,” while improving comfort throughout the venue. Ortiz’s design aimed to create more variety in front-row seating while building in different experiences.

With the suite level less than 20 rows back, Globe Life Field will feature the closest suites to home plate in the big leagues. Clubs include a Home Plate Club and private clubs that seat thousands along the foul lines while offering distinct local culinary options along with dining tables at the field wall. Sky Porch, with multi-level seating decks, punctuates the foul line on the third base side. Situated under the large video board, the area includes rocking chairs, a Texas cantina and observation deck.

“When you are looking out anywhere from the bowl,” Ortiz said, “you can easily identify destinations and environments you want to go check out.”

Incorporating premium areas that simply haven’t existed in Rangers’ ballpark history will bring fans closer to the game with a variety of

!

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GEAR

TEAMS, PLAYERS OPT FOR A LITTLE EXTRA PROTECTION Brewers are early adopters of batting helmet C-flaps that help players reduce facial injuries

BY J.J. COOPER

C

atch a Brewers’ Class A game this year and you may wonder if the club’s hitters are some of the unluckiest players around.

Player after player will step to the plate with a batting helmet that sports a C-flap—an additional bit of protection that stretches to cover a hitter’s cheek and jawbone. Normally, hitters wear the C-flap after they’ve returned from a serious facial injury. The extra protection helps ensure that the player doesn’t suffer a follow-up injury.

30

But the Brewers’ hitters haven’t been hit by an epidemic of beanballs. They are wearing them as a preventative measure.

This year, the Brewers have strongly suggested to all of their minor league position players that they wear the C-flap.

For all Brewers hitters at the Rookie, short-season or Class A level, it will be mandated.

The Brewers stand on the forefront of what’s a burgeoning trend. A couple of years ago, the C-flap and other similar devices were used only by players who had already been injured. Now, Bryce Harper, Jose Altuve, Mike Trout and a

number of other major league stars are wearing them to prevent injury.

“Who put it on the map was Giancarlo Stanton,” said Mark Thompson, Rawlings vice president of marketing. “When he got hit two years ago, he came to us and asked if we would develop a protection piece for him.

“It was used by about one guy from every (major league) club two years ago. Last year, this thing is starting to trend. It wasn’t one guy, but a lot of key players. Now a lot of players are wearing it.”

The C-flap is actually not a Rawlings device. It’s an add-on sold

by Markwort, a sporting goods company based out of St. Louis. Rawlings purchases C-flaps from Markwort and has a stock on hand that they can add to helmets at the factory (to match the paint color of the helmet) or ship out to equipment managers as separate pieces.

But with the trend toward more and more teams and players looking for the added protection, Rawlings is developing its own yet-to-be-named version that should be available this summer. A youth version will also be unveiled.

The Brewers are leading the charge in the minor leagues. They are the first team to order C-flaps for all their minor leaguers. They will likely be followed by other teams.

“It’s something the hitters seem pretty comfortable using initially, and there isn’t much of an adjustment period for them before they really want to have them,” Brewers farm director Tom Flanagan said.

Facial injuries are rare, but when they happen, they are often quite serious. An orbital fracture can cost a player a month or more on the disabled list. The Brewers are hoping that they can prevent a few serious injuries with some prevention.

“We’ve had a number of close calls already this spring,” Flanagan said.

“They’ve really saved a few guys.” Q May 4–18, 2018

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: G FLUME; THEARON W. HENDERSON; ADAM HUNGER. ALL PHOTOS GETTY IMAGES

Major league superstars such as Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and Giancarlo Stanton (clockwise from left) now sport the C-flap on their batting helmets to prevent facial injuries.

Rawlings amends the C-flaps to its batting helmets and ships them to teams, but the company intends to develop its own helmet with a similar face guard.

international majors minors college high school draft industry

FOR THE RECORD

OBITUARIES EDWIN “ED” CHARLES, a third baseman who

played for the Kansas City Athletics and Mets from 1962-69, died March 15 in Queens, N.Y. He was 84.

During his eight-year major league career, Charles hit .263/.330/.397 with 86 home runs and 86 stolen bases in 1,005 games. As a rookie in 1962, Charles set career highs in batting average (.288), slugging percentage (.454), home runs (17) and stolen bases (20).

ROGER CORYELL, a longtime amateur scout

for the Rangers and the organization’s Scout of the Year in 2014, died on April 5. He was 70.

Before joining the Rangers in 2009, Coryell was previously the head coach at Eastern Michigan, where he was a two-time MidAmerican Conference coach of the year.

ARTHUR “DAN” MORGAN, a minor league middle infielder and outfielder in the Yankees organization from 1959-60, died Feb. 14 in Candler, N.C. He was 79.

GERALD “JERRY” MOSES, a catcher who played for the Red Sox, California Angels, Indians, Yankees, Tigers, Padres and White Sox in 1965 and from 1968-75, died March 26 in Haverhill, Mass. He was 71.

During his nine-year major league career, Moses hit .295/.381/.676 with 25 home runs and 109 RBIs in 386 games. He was selected as an all-star with the Red Sox in 1970, when he hit .263/.313/.384 with six home runs and 35 RBIs in 92 games.

KENNETH “KEN” NARDINELLI, a minor leaguer who played in the Pioneer League for the St. Louis Blues organization in 1953, died Feb. 10 in Woodland, Calif. He was 86.

RICHARD “DICK” NORTON, a lefthander who

pitched in the PONY League for the Red Sox in

1949, died Feb. 15 in Hornell, N.Y. He was 89.

RYAN OWENS, a minor league second baseman, third baseman and outfielder for the Diamondbacks, Rockies, Twins and Reds organizations from 1999-2005, died Feb. 10. He was 39.

Owens led Cal State Fullerton to the College World Series in 1999, when he paced the team in home runs (23) and RBIs (85). Owens, who also played for the USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team, ranks 10th in Fullerton history in home runs (34) and RBIs (163).

RICHARD RAKLOVITS, an outfielder and middle infielder in the

American Association and Eastern League for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951 and ’54, died Nov. 21, 2017 in Kalamazoo, Mich. He was 89.

CARL SCHEIB, a righthander who pitched for the Philadelphia Athletics

and Cardinals from 1943-54, died March 24 in San Antonio. He was 91.

In his 11-year major league career, Scheib made 267 appearances (107 starts) and finished 45-65, 4.88 with 290 strikeouts in 1,070.2 innings.

JERALD “JERRY” SCHOONMAKER, an outfielder who played for the

Washington Senators in 1955 and ’57, died March 18 in Dyer, Ind. He was 84.

Schoonmaker played in 50 big league games, hitting .130/.211/.217 with one home run and one stolen base. Q

ANDRE DEROUEN JR., a redshirt freshman on

the Galveston (Texas) JC baseball team, died March 23 in League City, Texas. He was 19.

Derouen drowned after swimming out to rescue his younger brother, who had become submerged in a pond. Derouen successfully rescued his brother before drowning.

JAMES “JIM” ESPINOLA, a righthander who pitched in the Provincial and Pioneer leagues for the Braves organization in 1951 and 195456, died in February in Sutter, Calif. He was 86.

RICHARD “DICK” LEMAY, a lefthander who pitched for the Giants and Cubs from 1961-63, died March 19 in Kansas City, Mo. He was 79.

LeMay made 45 appearances (six starts) in his three-year major league career, recording a 4.17 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 108 innings.

MILTON “MILT” LEWIS, a righthander who

pitched in the Ohio State League for the Cardinals organization in 1945, died Feb. 13 in Lawrence, Mass. He was 91.

EDMOND “PETE” LUSSIER, a minor league righthander who pitched in the Yankees, Twins and Indians organizations from 1950-52 and ’54, died Feb. 18 in Manville, R.I. He was 86.

CLARENCE “DICK” MAHER, a minor league

righthander who played for the Red Sox, White Sox and Cardinals organizations from 1944-47, died Feb. 14 in Weymouth, Mass. He was 98.

JOSEPH “JOE” MILLER, a minor league catcher who played in the Yankees organization from 1955-62, died Feb. 11 in Roselle, N.J. He was 83.

LARRY MILLER, a lefthander who pitched for the Dodgers and Mets from 1964-66, died March 21 in Phoenix. He was 80.

Miller made 48 appearances (20 starts) and finished his three-year career 5-14, 4.71 with 93 strikeouts in 145.1 innings.

May 4–18, 2018

31

NUMBERS GAME

MAKEUP OF THE MINORS

IRELAND 1 0.03%

1.34% CANADA 44

MEXICO 32 0.97% HONDURAS 1 0.03% NICARAGUA 7 0.21%

M

PANAMA 23 0.70%

ajor League Baseball trumpets its international flavor each spring by publicizing the percentage of players born outside the United States who appear on Opening Day rosters. This season, 29 percent of major leaguers were foreign born.

That rate holds remarkably steady in the full-season minor leagues, where 28 percent of players on Opening Day rosters were born outside the U.S. We will examine the birthplace data and many other demographics in our annual Makeup Of The Minors feature.

NETHERLANDS 1 GERMANY 1 CZECH REPUBLIC 1

0.09% BRAZIL 3

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

Nearly three-quarters of all minor league players were born in countries eligible for the draft—the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Guam and the Virgin Islands. The remaining one-quarter entered pro ball as international free agents, nearly 80 percent of those from the Dominican Republic or Venezuela.

0.03% 0.03% 0.03% 0.09%

0.18% BAHAMAS 6 ITALY 3 1.43% CUBA 47 0.03% HAITI 1 12.04% DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 396 1.52% PUERTO RICO 50 SAUDI ARABIA 1 0.03% 0.03% ST. MAARTEN 1 0.06% U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS 2 0.21% CURACAO 7 0.12% ARUBA 4

UNITED STATES 2,356 72.65%

BY J.J. COOPER

ENGLAND 1 0.03%

7.76% VENEZUELA 255 0.58% COLOMBIA 19 0.06% SOUTH AFRICA 2

Judging by Opening Day rosters, seven out of 10 draft-eligible players turn pro out of college. In particular, college catchers like Will Smith, a Dodgers first-rounder out of Louisville in 2016, are in high demand because of their experience running a pitching staff and controlling the running game.

HIGHER LEARNING

College players are always in demand in each draft, particularly pitchers, catchers and shortstops. Their maturity and experience are vital to building rosters for a five-month minor league season. Of the 2,142 draft-eligible players in the minors on Opening Day, a full 70 percent of them come from four-year college programs.

Source

32

Players

Pct

College 1,510 High School 465 Junior College 167

70.49% 21.71% 7.80%

Vanderbilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Louisville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Louisiana State . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

South Carolina . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Florida State. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

North Carolina . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Oklahoma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Texas A&M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Texas Christian . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

UCLA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Arizona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cal State Fullerton . . . . . . . . . . .

Clemson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mississippi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Dallas Baptist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Stanford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Georgia Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Texas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

24 22 20 20 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 17 16 16 16 16 15 15 14 14

The Braves’ Kyle Wright (top) and the Rays’ Brendan McKay, two of the top five picks in the 2017 draft, represent Vanderbilt and Louisville in pro ball.

May 4–18, 2018

CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: STEPHEN SMITH/FOUR SEAM PHOTOGRAPHY; PETER AIKEN/GETTY IMAGES; MIKE JANES/FOUR SEAM PHOTOGRAPHY; BRIAN WESTERHOLT

SATISFIED CUSTOMERS

Southeastern and Atlantic Coast conference players tend to be more popular in the draft, judging by the number of alumni in the minors on Opening Day. Both the SEC (Vanderbilt, Louisiana State, South Carolina, Florida, Texas A&M and Mississippi) and ACC (Louisville, Florida State, North Carolina, Virginia, Clemson and Georgia Tech) had six schools represented among the top 20.

THE YOUNGEST PLAYERS IN EVERY MINOR LEAGUE ON OPENING DAY

Generally, players who are considered capable of playing in a league years before their peers are prospects worth watching.

These rankings also indicate players who will be favorites to rank on our postseason minor league Top 20 Prospects rankings.

0.03% JAPAN 1 0.06% SOUTH KOREA 2 0.24% TAIWAN 8 0.03% GUAM 1 0.03% PHILLIPPINES 1

Braves lefthander Jesse Biddle, a 2010 first-rounder, enters his ninth pro season with his 40-man roster status intact despite never reaching the majors.

STAYING POWER

Teams extend longer leashes to first-round draft picks, which shouldn’t come as a surprise based on the dollars invested. A tick more than 6 percent of all drafted players on minor league Opening Day were selected in the first round, a higher percentage than any other draft round. Second- and third-rounders each account for roughly 6 percent of the population.

Rounds 1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40

May 4–18, 2018

Players

Pct

1,242 604 337 142

53.23% 25.88% 14.44% 6.08%

TRIPLEA

HIGH CLASS A

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE No. Player Pos

Pos

Team (Org)

Age

Team (Org)

Age

CALIFORNIA LEAGUE No. Player

OF LHP RHP OF SS RHP RHP RHP C 1B

Gwinnett (Braves) Gwinnett (Braves) Gwinnett (Braves) Syracuse (Nationals) Scranton/W-B (Yankees) Durham (Rays) Charlotte (White Sox) Lehigh Valley (Phillies) Columbus (Indians) Durham (Rays)

20.3 20.6 20.7 20.9 21.3 21.8 21.9 22.3 22.4 22.5

1. Eguy Rosario 2. Adrian Morejon 3. Hudson Potts 4. Kelvin Melean 5. Joe Rizzo 6. Sandro Fabian 7. Omar Estevez 8. Jose Suarez 9. Gavin Lux 10. Colton Welker

2B Lake Elsinore (Padres) LHP Lake Elsinore (Padres) 3B Lake Elsinore (Padres) SS Lake Elsinore (Padres) 3B Modesto (Mariners) OF San Jose (Giants) SS R. Cucamonga (Dodgers) LHP Inland Empire (Angels) SS R. Cucamonga (Dodgers) 3B Lancaster (Rockies)

18.6 19.1 19.4 19.6 20.0 20.1 20.1 20.2 20.4 20.5

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE No. Player Pos

Team (Org)

Age

CAROLINA LEAGUE No. Player

Pos

Team (Org)

Age

SS Tacoma (Mariners) 2B El Paso (Padres) OF Fresno (Astros) RHP Salt Lake (Angels) RHP Colo. Springs (Brewers) OF Oklahoma City (Dodgers) OF New Orleans (Marlins) C Tacoma (Mariners) SS Nashville (Athletics) RHP Fresno (Astros)

18.4 20.8 21.2 21.7 21.8 21.9 22.0 22.0 22.1 22.4

1. Bryan Mata 2. Aramis Ademan 3. Leody Taveras 4. Khalil Lee 5. Anderson Tejeda 6. Roniel Raudes 7. Carter Kieboom 8. Brendon Davis 9. Hildemaro Requena 10. Jhon Peluffo

RHP SS OF OF 2B RHP SS SS RHP RHP

Salem (Red Sox) Myrtle Beach (Cubs) Down East (Rangers) Wilmington (Royals) Down East (Rangers) Salem (Red Sox) Potomac (Nationals) Down East (Rangers) Salem (Red Sox) Frederick (Orioles)

18.9 19.5 19.6 19.8 19.9 20.2 20.6 20.7 20.7 20.8

FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE No. Player Pos

Team (Org)

Age

1. Isaac Paredes SS 2. Cristian Pache OF 3. Andres Gimenez SS 4. Mickey Moniak OF 5. Ian Anderson RHP 6. Josh Lowe OF 7. Wennigton Romero LHP 8. Pablo Olivares OF 9. Bryse Wilson RHP 10. Estevan Florial OF

Lakeland (Tigers) Florida (Braves) St. Lucie (Mets) Clearwater (Phillies) Florida (Braves) Charlotte (Rays) Daytona (Reds) Tampa (Yankees) Florida (Braves) Tampa (Yankees)

19.1 19.4 19.6 19.9 19.9 20.2 20.2 20.2 20.3 20.3

1. Ronald Acuna Jr. 2. Kolby Allard 3. Mike Soroka 4. Victor Robles 5. Gleyber Torres 6. Jose Mujica 7. Michael Kopech 8. Enyel de los Santos 9. Francisco Mejia 10. Jake Bauers

1. Cesar Izturis Jr. 2. Luis Urias 3. Kyle Tucker 4. Jaime Barria 5. Freddy Peralta 6. Alex Verdugo 7. Magneuris Sierra 8. Rainis Silva 9. Franklin Barreto 10. Francis Martes

DOUBLEA EASTERN LEAGUE No. Player

Pos

Team (Org)

Age

1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2. Bo Bichette 3. Cornelius Randolph 4. Willi Castro 5. Peter Lambert 6. Ke’Bryan Hayes 7. Edgar Garcia 8. Beau Burrows 9. JoJo Romero 10. Brendan Rodgers

3B New Hampshire (Blue Jays) SS New Hampshire (Blue Jays) OF Reading (Phillies) SS Akron (Indians) RHP Hartford (Rockies) 3B Altoona (Pirates) RHP Reading (Phillies) RHP Erie (Tigers) LHP Reading (Phillies) SS Hartford (Rockies)

19.0 20.1 20.8 20.9 21.0 21.2 21.5 21.5 21.6 21.6

SOUTHERN LEAGUE No. Player

Pos

Team (Org)

Age

1. Ricardo Sanchez 2. Austin Riley 3. Nick Neidert 4. Trent Grisham 5. Genesis Cabrera 6. Jermaine Palacios 7. Touki Toussaint 8. Isan Diaz 9. Kodi Medeiros 10. Spencer Adams

LHP Mississippi (Braves) 3B Mississippi (Braves) 21.0 RHP Jacksonville (Marlins) OF Biloxi (Brewers) LHP Montgomery (Rays) SS Montgomery (Rays) RHP Mississippi (Braves) 2B Jacksonville (Marlins) LHP Biloxi (Brewers) RHP Birmingham (White Sox)

21.0

TEXAS LEAGUE No. Player

Pos

1. Fernando Tatis Jr. 2. Keibert Ruiz 3. Yordan Alvarez 4. Josh Naylor 5. Logan Allen 6. Michael De Leon 7. Jake Woodford 8. Caleb Ferguson 9. Samir Duenez 10. Cionel Perez

SS C 1B 1B LHP SS RHP LHP 1B LHP

LOW CLASS A MIDWEST LEAGUE No. Player

Pos

Team (Org)

Age

21.4 21.4 21.5 21.7 21.8 21.8 21.9 22.0

1. Justin Lopez 2. Tirso Ornelas 3. Gabriel Arias 4. Jeisson Rosario 5. Hunter Greene 6. Melvin Jimenez 7. Royce Lewis 8. Maximo Castillo 9. Jo Adell 10. Blayne Enlow

3B OF SS OF RHP RHP SS RHP OF RHP

Fort Wayne (Padres) Fort Wayne (Padres) Fort Wayne (Padres) Fort Wayne (Padres) Dayton (Reds) Great Lakes (Dodgers) Cedar Rapids (Twins) Lansing (Blue Jays) Burlington (Angels) Cedar Rapids (Twins)

17.9 18.1 18.1 18.4 18.7 18.7 18.8 18.9 19.0 19.0

Team (Org)

Age

SOUTH ATLANTIC LEAGUE No. Player Pos

Team (Org)

Age

San Antonio (Padres) Tulsa (Dodgers) Corpus Christi (Astros) San Antonio (Padres) San Antonio (Padres) Frisco (Rangers) Springfield (Cardinals) Tulsa (Dodgers) NW Arkansas (Royals) Corpus Christi (Astros)

19.2 19.7 20.8 20.8 20.9 21.2 21.4 21.7 21.8 21.9

1. Luis Garcia 2. Yasel Antuna 3. Heliot Ramos 4. Mason Martin 5. Rodolfo Castro 6. Lolo Sanchez 7. Miguel Aparicio 8. Calvin Mitchell 9. Oswaldo Cabrera 10. Ryan Vilade

Hagerstown (Nationals) Hagerstown (Nationals) Augusta (Giants) West Virginia (Pirates) West Virginia (Pirates) West Virginia (Pirates) Hickory (Rangers) West Virginia (Pirates) Charleston (Yankees) Asheville (Rockies)

17.9 18.4 18.6 18.8 18.9 18.9 19.0 19.1 19.1 19.1

SS 2B OF 1B SS OF OF OF SS SS

33

inside the game / baseballamerica.com

BEHOLD THE BALLPARK

STEVE RUSHIN STEVERUSHIN

The Big A now stands in the parking lot of Angel Stadium in Anaheim, but in its heyday it manned center field and seemed to bestow a giant letter grade on the whole ballpark experience.

34

W

hen Citizens Bank Park opened in 2004, the Phillies’ new home instantly smelled like every other park in baseball. How? On Day 1, it was redolent of concrete, Lysol, spilled beer and refrigerated meat. Is there an aerosol spray— like New Car Smell, but the opposite—to make a stadium reek of a thousand baseball games? Is it possible to bottle it, and slap on Old Ballpark the way your dad slapped on Old Spice? Asking for a friend.

I’m a ballpark figure, in thrall to baseball stadiums since birth, first encountering them as individual parts on TV: the Green Monster at Fenway, the pavilion roof at Dodger Stadium, the frieze at old Yankee Stadium, the planes sharking in over Shea, and those things that looked like Starlight mints on the scoreboard at Comiskey. These parks were ancient wonders in distant lands, only accessible (for all I knew) by perilous sea voyage.

But then, as a kid, on a family trip to visit old neighbors in Chicago, we went to Wrigley, walked up the gray concrete and painted steel ramp, turned right and saw green grass and ivy. It reminded me of the moment the world changed from black-andwhite to Technicolor in the annual airings of “The Wizard of Oz.” On another summer vacation, to California, we went to Anaheim Stadium and Disneyland on consecutive days, three miles apart on Katella Avenue, but I know which park I preferred, which Mickey (Scott) and which Donald (Baylor) I liked best. The Big A stood in center field then—holding the

scoreboard and wreathed by a halo—and looked to me like a letter grade, 230 feet tall, confirming the whole glorious experience.

My first job, at 13, was in a commissary at Metropolitan Stadium in my hometown of Bloomington, Minn., where we prepared the food that the vendors sold to Twins fans. We also pulled the tarp across the infield when it rained, and I managed to combine these two elements—the grass and the hot dogs, nature and anti-nature—in a job covering baseball as a grownup for Sports Illustrated, which meant a different ballpark every week. It was like stepping through the bottle-green glass of my childhood TV. In Detroit, I gaped at the right field overhang in Tiger Stadium. If it’s possible for a ballpark to have a sexy overbite, this was it.

At Dodger Stadium, the orange ball of the Union 76 logo hung like a second sun above the scoreboard. The multi-purpose parks— Riverfront, Three Rivers, Busch, Veterans— were derided as “cookie-cutters,” but who doesn’t love cookies?

Over the years, I began to miss these old ballparks the way I miss departed friends, eulogized as saints, their faults forgotten.

I’ve been to games in at least 20 stadiums that no longer exist: Metropolitan Stadium and the Metrodome, Atlanta-Fulton County and Turner Field, the Astrodome, Yankee and Shea stadiums, old Comiskey, The Vet, Three Rivers, Riverfront, Arlington Stadium, Milwaukee County, Candlestick, Jack Murphy, the Kingdome, the last Busch Stadium, Tiger Stadium, Cleveland Municipal. Olympic Stadium, the Expos’ for-

mer home, still stands but, alas, is no longer a big league ballpark.

But then you needn’t have been to a ballpark to miss it. I’ve walked several times to Sullivan Street and McKeever Place in Brooklyn, the site of the rotunda at Ebbets Field, and tried to picture the Brylcreemed crowd passing through on some late September Saturday afternoon.

Jack Norworth had never attended a big league game in his life when he rode the Ninth Avenue elevated train past the Polo Grounds in 1908 and saw a marquee for that day’s Giants game. The Tin Pan alley songwriter removed a scrap of paper from his pocket and wrote, in less than an hour, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” for only a ballpark can inspire a person who has never been in one to write: “I don’t care if I never get back.”

Those words are inscribed on Norworth’s headstone. He’s buried a mile from the Big A in Anaheim, in perpetual reach of the peanuts and Cracker Jack.

The rest of us can go back any time we please, and leave whenever we like. Ballgames end in an instant, but ballparks, like humans, drift off to dreamland in stages: there’s the end of beer sales in the bottom of the seventh, the scoreboard reminders to drive safely, the early leavers—the disbelievers—beating traffic. With the final out comes the end-ofgame recessional, like leaving church, replete with organ music. A sleeping child is carried to the car. A gloved 10-year-old goes home empty-handed. And on the train platform, the beer-buzzed and be-jerseyed, strangers to one another, plot their return. Q May 4–18, 2018

CHRISTY RADECIC/ANGELS BASEBALL/GETTY IMAGES

From classics to cookie-cutters, all parks tend to have their faults forgotten over time

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