Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2019 i Baseball America

@BaseballAmerica @BaseballAmerica BaseballAmericaMag ReadBA 2020 ALMANAC The definitive baseball annual reviews the statistics and stories from every level of baseball in 2019, from the major leagues to the minors and on down to college, high school, independent ball, international leagues and the draft. AVAILABLE IN LATE DECEMBER $25.95 2020 PROSPECT HANDBOOK The ultimate prospect reference guide features scouting reports for the top 30 prospects in all 30 organizations. Perfect for prospect hounds, invested fans and fantasy players. AVAILABLE IN EARLY FEBRUARY $34.95 store.BaseballAmerica.com SOCIAL BUZZ TRUE BLUE Dodgers shortstop Gavin Lux earned the BA Minor League Player of the Year award, then proceeded to start 19 big league games as a September callup and make Los Angeles’ postseason roster. DRAFT REPORT CARDS Our annual Draft Report Cards provide the names…

BASEBALL FACTORY’S CHIEF BASEBALL OFFICER I don’t accept that a strikeout is just another out. I hated doing it as a player and I don’t enjoy watching guys walk back to the dugout after a “K” these days. While I understand some of the rationale behind the philosophy—don’t sacrifice power, stick with your A swing—I think the advantages of contact far outweigh those things in nearly every hitter. With the average at the big league level well under .200 in two-strike counts, a different approach could be worth a try. In the simplest form, it just makes sense by the numbers. A ball put in play at least provides a chance for a hitter to successfully do his job—reach base. Adding the chance of an error being made certainly gives…

1. CASEY MIZE, RHP BORN: May 1, 1997. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-3. WT: 220. DRAFTED: Auburn, 2018 (1st round). SIGNED BY: Justin Henry. TRACK RECORD: The Tigers drafted Mize No. 1 overall in 2018 and inked him for $7.5 million, which set a since-broken record for any player since the current draft format was implemented in 2012. Mize faced durability questions his junior season at Auburn after missing time with a flexor strain as a sophomore and pitching only sparingly that summer for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. As an Auburn junior, Mize cemented himself as the best player in his draft class. He threw a career-high 114.2 innings but made just five starts in pro ball before being shut down. Mize dominated for 30.2 innings against Florida State League…

1. BRAILYN MARQUEZ, LHP AGE: 21. B-T: L-L. HT: 6-4. WT: 185. SIGNED: Dominican Republic, 2015. SIGNED BY: Mario Encarnacion/Jose Serra/Alex Suarez/Louie Eljaua. TRACK RECORD: When the Cubs gave Marquez $600,000 in 2015, they did so with the idea that his fastball, which sat in the low 90s, had the potential to give hitters nightmares. They were right. Marquez hinted at his potential in an excellent 2018 season that ended with the No. 3 spot among the Northwest League’s Top 20 prospects and a pair of strong starts at low Class A South Bend. He showed up even stronger in 2019, which ended in his first appearance on BA’s Top 100 list. SCOUTING REPORT: Marquez’s signature is his fastball, which sits in the upper 90s and regularly reaches triple-digits. The…

1. MITCH KELLER, RHP AGE: 24. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-2. WT: 210. DRAFTED: HS—Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 2014 (2nd round). SIGNED BY: Matt Bimeal. TRACK RECORD: Keller is the latest pitching prospect to top the Pirates’ system, joining the likes of Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow in the last decade. Keller has flashed the pure stuff to be a top-of-the-rotation starter, though the Pirates haven’t gotten those results consistently from the previous group. Keller’s chances might be better. He will work with a new big league pitching coach, following the firing of Ray Searage, and likely a more updated organizational pitching philosophy. Keller made his big league debut in 2019 and has already started to abandon the Pirates’ penchant for heavy fastball usage. He ran up a 7.13 ERA…

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS For years, Tristin English believed his future would be on the mound. Now the opposite is true, and the 22-year-old is eager to see how his future in the batter’s box plays out. “I’m curious,” he said, “and I’m also pretty excited about it.” So are the D-backs, especially after seeing his pro debut in the short-season Northwest League. A third-rounder from Georgia Tech in June, English hit .290 for Hillsboro with an .838 OPS that ranked third in the NWL. He also showed enough promise at third base to create optimism about his ability to stick. English’s baseball journey already has taken a number of turns. A righthanded batter and thrower, he spent the majority of his time in high school focused on pitching. However, injuries limited…

Here are the 42 teams ticketed to be removed from the affiliated minor leagues in Major League Baseball’s proposal. This list is highly preliminary, and Baseball America had heard rumors of other teams being on the list earlier in the process. DOUBLE-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies Chattanooga Lookouts Erie SeaWolves Jackson Generals HIGH CLASS A Lancaster JetHawks Daytona Tortugas Florida Fire Frogs Frederick Keys LOW CLASS A Beloit Snappers Burlington Bees Clinton LumberKings Lexington Legends Hagerstown Suns West Virginia Power SHORT-SEASON Auburn Doubledays Batavia Muckdogs Connecticut Tigers Lowell Spinners Mahoning Valley Scrappers Salem-Keizer Volcanoes State College Spikes Staten Island Yankees Tri-City Dust Devils Vermont Lake Monsters Williamsport Crosscutters ROOKIE Billings Mustangs Bluefield Blue Jays Bristol Pirates Burlington Royals Danville Braves Elizabethton Twins Grand Junction Rockies Great Falls Voyagers Greeneville Reds Idaho…

JOE SHEEHAN @JOE_SHEEHAN As we come to the end of the 2010s, it’s time to pick the Team of the Decade Let’s start with first principles: You play to win championships. (Sorry, Herm Edwards.) That doesn’t mean you only count the rings, but those rings will go a long way toward the answer. The Yankees in the 1900s weren’t the Team of the Century because they had a .567 winning percentage, best in baseball; they were the Team of the Century because they won 26 World Series. So we begin with apologies to those Yankees, who not only didn’t win a Series in the 2010s but failed to win even an American League pennant for the first time since the 1910s. That’s before Yankee Stadium, before The Curse of the…

The 2019 World Series marked the first time that the visiting team won each of the seven games. But don’t be surprised that the wild card Nationals won the World Series, even when pitted against an Astros team that won a major league-high 107 games. Since the wild card teams were added to the postseason in 1995, they have won seven World Series championships. That is the same number of times the team with the best record in baseball has won it all. The Marlins, an expansion team that began play in 1993, have reached the postseason twice in their history, both times as a wild card. They won the World Series both times—in 1997 and 2003. The four other wild card champions are the 2002 Angels, 2004 Red Sox,…

• 1971: Drafted by the A’s as a first baseman out of Kansas in the second round of the secondary phase of the January draft. • 1979: Retired as a player having never reached the big leagues. He spent his final season at Triple-A Ogden, where he was teammates with a 20-year-old Rickey Henderson. • 1980: Begins post-playing career as manager at high Class A Modesto. • MID 1980S: As skipper for Triple-A Tacoma, he managed Jose Canseco (1985), Mark McGwire (1986) and Walt Weiss (1987), who would all go on to win AL Rookie of the Year and star for the pennant-winning A’s of 1988, ’89 and ’90. • 1992: Assumes role of farm director, replacing Karl Kuehl, and makes empathy and instruction hallmarks of his tenure. • 1999:…

1. LUIS ROBERT, OF AGE: 22. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-3. WT: 185. SIGNED: Cuba, 2017. SIGNED BY: Kenny Williams/Marco Paddy. TRACK RECORD: The White Sox signed Robert out of Cuba for $26 million, which busted well past their previous franchise high for an amateur player. After spending his first pro season in the Dominican Summer League, Robert spent an inconsistent 2018 in the U.S. He opened eyes in spring training but a torn thumb ligament days before the season meant his debut didn’t come until mid-June in the Rookie-level Arizona League. He re-injured the thumb with high Class A Winston-Salem later in the year, then dealt with nagging injuries in the Arizona Fall League as well. After an offseason to get healthy, Robert spent all of 2019 showing the gifts…

1. BOBBY WITT JR., SS AGE: 19. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-1. WT: 185. DRAFTED: HS—Colleyville, Texas, 2019 (1st round). SIGNED BY: Chad Lee TRACK RECORD: Witt Jr. bested his father by one draft slot when the Royals picked him second overall in 2019. The elder Witt, a righthander from Oklahoma, was the third overall pick in 1985 and went on to pitch 16 years in the big leagues. Witt Jr. was a regular on the showcase circuit as an amateur. He won the high school home run derby at Nationals Park during 2018 all-star weekend and led USA Baseball’s18U National Team to a gold medal at the 2018 Pan-American Championships. He followed that up by winning the BA High School Player of the Year award his senior year and signed…

1. HUNTER GREENE, RHP AGE: 20. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-4. WT: 215. DRAFTED: HS—Sherman Oaks, Calif., 2017 (1st round). SIGNED BY: Rick Ingalls. TRACK RECORD: The Reds drafted Greene second overall in 2017 and inked him to a $7.23 million bonus, a draft record for an amateur at the time. Cincinnati opted to develop him as a pitcher rather than a shortstop or two-way player, which was at least a possibility given the power he showed in high school. His hitting ability raised some questions among evaluators, while his arm strength, pure stuff and athleticism on the mound were too enticing to put on the back burner. Greene saw 30 at-bats as a DH and tossed just 4.1 innings for Rookie-level Billings after signing in 2017. He didn’t dominate in…

1. DYLAN CARLSON, OF AGE: 21. B-T: B-L. HT: 6-3. WT: 205. DRAFTED: HS—Elk Grove, Calif., 2016 (1st round). SIGNED BY: Zach Mortimer. TRACK RECORD: The son of a famed high school coach, Carlson grew up playing older competition from a young age. His father Jeff built a renowned program as the head coach of Elk Grove High, where he won eight CIF section titles and produced a long list of future major leaguers. Carlson was a fixture at team practices from the time he could walk and began taking infield and batting practice with the team at age 11. He entered high school at 13 and made varsity as a freshman, the start of a decorated four-year career that culminated with the Cardinals selecting him 33rd overall in the…

For more, search “2019 MLB Draft Report Cards” at BaseballAmerica.com. 1. Rockies outfielder YORVIS TORREALBA (20th round), the son of 13-year major leaguer Yorvit Torrealba, Yorvis was kidnapped in Venezuela when he was 11 years old and held for a $500,000 ransom. 2. Indians righthander JAKE FORRESTER (37) is the son of Mike Forrester, one of the world’s best competitive timber sportsmen who was once profiled on The Colbert Report. 3. Reds catcher LUKE BERRYHILL (13) spent one season at South Carolina and is also a talented country singer who could carve out a career in the music industry one day. 4. Mariners lefthander ADAM MACKO (7) is trying to become just the third native-born Slovakian to make the big leagues. He began playing baseball in his home country before…

FACTORY ATHLETICS is BA’s For the Love of the Game Selection Partner • JAKE LENAHAN, 13 SOUTH ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA: A true gentleman on and off the field, Jake took part in Challenger events this year, which help those with disabilities play baseball. He plays 13U for Baseball U PA. Jake and his teammates encourage and help those with special needs have fun competing in these games. His coach works for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Triple-A affiliate of the Yankees. Off the field, he maintains a high grade average with honors and led his baseball team in most statistical categories. • ALEX BOSTON, 14 LAKE ELMO, MN: After struggling when he first started playing, Alex has worked hard on his game and it’s starting to pay off. He will play…

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT TONY GWYNN AWARD Keith Lieppman Athletics TRAILBLAZER AWARD Jean Afterman Yankees MAJORS ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR Tampa Bay Rays PLAYER OF THE YEAR Justin Verlander RHP, Astros ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Pete Alonso 1B, Mets EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Mike Rizzo Nationals MANAGER OF THE YEAR Craig Counsell Brewers COACH OF THE YEAR Derek Johnson Reds MINORS PLAYER OF THE YEAR Gavin Lux SS Dodgers MANAGER OF THE YEAR Corey Ragsdale Down East (Rangers) TEAM OF THE YEAR Double-A Amarillo Padres EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Don Logan Las Vegas Aviators INDEPENDENT LEAGUES PLAYER OF THE YEAR Keon Barnum 1B Chicago Dogs COLLEGE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Adley Rutschman C Oregon State COACH OF THE YEAR Mike Martin Florida State ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR Nick Schnabel Michigan FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Kumar Rocker RHP Vanderbilt HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER OF THE YEAR Bobby Witt Jr. SS…

No major league manager makes better use of an overcrowded clubhouse than Craig Counsell. For the second consecutive season, the Brewers’ homegrown manager took full advantage of expanded September rosters to do what seemed impossible at the outset of the month—lead Milwaukee to a playoff berth. When you don’t have Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole in your rotation, or Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, you do what is necessary to record 27 outs and notch a victory. For Counsell and the Brewers, that meant “bullpening” the heck out of games over the final month, using the extra arms provided by expanded rosters. How tunnel-visioned was Counsell in doing whatever was necessary to achieve those 27 outs? So much so that he often refrained from using the terms “starters” and “relievers”…

The Hudson Valley Renegades have continually ranked among the most successful teams in the New York-Penn League. So when the 2018 season ended, the Renegades did what highly successful teams do. Instead of looking at their success and standing pat, they looked at what they could do differently and better in 2019. Staff-run fan focus groups led to the decision to add postgame concerts after some Saturday games. A jersey auction following the annual game honoring veterans that raised more than $5,000 for charity. The Renegades lowered the cost of concession items slightly in response to fan feedback. And, as usual, the Renegades were quite successful at the gate in 2019. Hudson Valley’s 4,116 fans per game were the second-most in the New York-Penn League and second most among all…

1. NOLAN JONES, 3B AGE: 21. B-T: L-R. HT: 6-2. WT: 185. DRAFTED: HS–Bensalem, Pa., 2016 (2nd round). SIGNED BY: Mike Kanen. TRACK RECORD: Jones was one of the players the Indians targeted with their first-round pick in 2016. The team instead selected Will Benson 14th overall and didn’t expect to see Jones still on the board when they next picked at No. 55. But he remained available and the Tribe didn’t pass on the Pennsylvania prep product a second time, happy to be able to select one of the best high school hitters in the draft class. He’s lived up to that reputation in pro ball, showing off his offensive ability at every stop in the minor leagues. In 2017, Jones led the New York-Penn League in OPS (.912)…

1. ROYCE LEWIS, SS/3B AGE: 20. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-2. WT: 200. DRAFTED: HS—San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 2017 (1st round). SIGNED BY: John Leavitt. TRACK RECORD: After a decorated high school career at JSerra and multiple successful stints with Team USA, Lewis was the first overall pick in 2017 and signed for $6.725 million that was both a club record and a full $1 million under slot. He showed enough promise in his pro debut that the Twins promoted him to low Class A Cedar Rapids for 18 games to finish the year. Lewis ranked as the No. 1 prospect in both the Midwest and Florida State leagues in 2018, his first full season, but holes started showing up in his game at high Class A. His day-to-day performance in…

1. BRICE TURANG, SS AGE: 20. B-T: L-R. HT: 6-1. WT: 175. DRAFTED: HS—Corona, Calif., 2018 (1st round). SIGNED BY: Wynn Pelzer. TRACK RECORD: The Brewers did not expect Turang to still be available when the 21st pick came around in the 2018 draft. There had been talk of him going much higher, even No. 1 overall at one point, but his performance as a high school senior slipped a bit and Turang became a victim of so-called “prospect fatigue.” The Brewers went well over slot to sign him for $3,411,100 and keep him from a Louisiana State commitment. Turang immediately hit at two Rookie levels after signing and continued to perform in his first full season. He earned Midwest League all-star honors at low Class A Wisconsin and finished…

BALTIMORE ORIOLES Righthander Michael Baumann arrived late to Double-A Bowie’s party this summer, but he joined in the playoff push. The 24-year-old Baumann has continued to climb the prospect ranking in the Orioles’ system since they drafted him in the third round in 2017 out of Jacksonville. He joined 2018 first-rounder Grayson Rodriguez as the organization’s co-minor league pitcher of the year after posting a combined 2.98 ERA with 142 strikeouts in 24 games between high Class A Frederick and Bowie. Baumann’s personal summer highlight was a July 16 no-hitter, but he impressed across the board, with only one run allowed and 32 strikeouts in his first 27 innings after the promotion. “I think the biggest thing was just with my consistency,” he said. “Cleaning some stuff up with my…

When Baseball America first explained in detail Major League Baseball’s proposal to dramatically change the shape of the minors leagues, one question from people in the industry kept popping up: Are these guys for real? MLB’s proposal was significant. It would completely rework the minor leagues in a way that hasn’t been done in roughly a half century, if not more. Cities that have had affiliated minor baseball teams for a century would see their teams eliminated. What everyone in MiLB wanted to know was: Was the proposal a dramatic initial negotiating ploy or was it a serious proposal? That question won’t fully be answered until Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball announce a new Professional Baseball Agreement, which is the framework of the agreement between the two organizations.…