Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2020 i Baseball America

@BaseballAmerica @BaseballAmerica BaseballAmericaMag ReadBA 2020 SUPER REGISTER If you prefer to have statistics all in one place rather than clicking through cyberspace, the Super Register is the book for you. Career statistics and transactions for every player who played in the majors or affiliated minors in 2019. AVAILABLE IN EARLY APRIL 2020 $84.95 2020 DIRECTORY The ultimate reference guide for industry veterans and a great gift for baseball fans, this 300-plus page book provides info on teams, people, addresses, phone numbers and schedules. AVAILABLE IN MID-MARCH $31.95 store.BaseballAmerica.com…

BASEBALL FACTORY’S CHIEF BASEBALL OFFICER The offseason is a time for many baseball players to get away from the game for a bit, and at Baseball Factory we encourage playing another sport during this season. Whether or not you put on a different sport’s uniform in the winter, there are many ways to prepare for the baseball season without picking up a bat or ball. Here are 10 areas to improve that will pay big dividends on the field come spring: ACADEMICS: Focus on improving your grades, and work ahead if possible, by completing projects and readings now. Practice good time management. FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH TRAINING: Tailor your workouts to improve strength and explosiveness that will specifically benefit movements related to baseball performance. FLEXIBILITY: Often neglected but extremely important is integrating…

It was the spring of 1972. Ted Simmons, the 22-year-old catcher for the Cardinals took a stand. He refused to sign the team’s contract offer, waiting until midseason before agreeing to a $30,000 salary, which at the time was a sizable amount. More than that, however, it underscored Simmons’ willingness to take a stand, and not back down. It opened the door for Simmons to become a key factor in the development of the Major League Baseball Players Association. It also created a bond between Simmons and Marvin Miller, the former negotiator for the United Steelworkers, who became the first legitimate head of the players’ union six years earlier. So it seems fitting that Simmons and Miller will go into the Hall of Fame together. Both were elected by the…

1. FORREST WHITLEY, RHP AGE: 22. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-7. WT: 207. DRAFTED: HS—San Antonio, 2016 (1st round). SIGNED BY: Noel Gonzales-Luna. AGE: 22. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-7. WT: 207. DRAFTED: HS—San Antonio, 2016 (1st round). SIGNED BY: Noel Gonzales-Luna. TRACK RECORD: Whitley was supposed to be a part of the Astros’ rotation by now. He reached Double-A in 2017 and seemed poised to help Houston’s playoff run in 2018. Instead, his season was derailed by a 50-game suspension for a violation of baseball’s drug program. Whitley’s 2019 season proved to be even rockier. He struggled with command in eight outings with Triple-A Round Rock and was eventually shut down with shoulder fatigue, though the break was a mental respite as much as anything. Sent to the Gulf Coast and…

1. JULIO RODRIGUEZ, OF AGE: 19. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-3. WT: 205. SIGNED: Dominican Republic, 2017. SIGNED BY: Eddy Toledo/Tim Kissner. TRACK RECORD: Rodriguez was one of the premier hitters in the 2017 international class and signed with the Mariners for $1.75 million. Seattle took it slow in Rodriguez’s first season and kept him in the Dominican Summer League, where he won MVP honors. The gloves came off in 2019. The Mariners teamed Rodriguez with fellow top prospect Jarred Kelenic at low Class A West Virginia in an aggressive assignment. The only speed bump Rodriguez encountered was a broken hand suffered in mid-April that kept him out of action for two months, but when he was on the field Rodriguez was the talk of scouts, managers and opposing players. The…

1. BRENDAN RODGERS, SS/2B AGE: 23. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-0. WT.: 185. DRAFTED: HS—Lake Mary, Fla., 2015 (1st round). SIGNED BY: John Cedarburg TRACK RECORD: The Rockies selected Rodgers with the No. 3 overall pick in 2015, the third shortstop taken in the draft’s first three picks. The other two are established in the big leagues—Dansby Swanson, who went No. 1 overall to the D-backs and was traded to the Braves; and Alex Bregman, taken second overall by the Astros and moved to third base. Swanson and Bregman were three years older than Rodgers, however, and debuted in the majors at the same age Rodgers was last May when he received his first big league callup. Rodgers played only 25 games for the Rockies before going on the injured list…

1. MARCO LUCIANO, SS BORN: Sept. 10, 2001. AGE: 18. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-2. WT: 178. SIGNED: Dominican Republic, 2018. SIGNED BY: Jonathan Bautista. TRACK RECORD: The Giants spent $6 million to sign Lucius Fox in 2015, thus putting themselves in the international penalty box for the next two signing periods. Once they were free of those restrictions, they quickly signed three of the top available talents: Venezuelan outfielder Luis Matos, Cuban outfielder Jairo Pomares and Luciano, the second-ranked player on the market behind only Victor Victor Mesa. The Giants paid $2.6 million to acquire Luciano, who dabbled in the outfield as an amateur but moved back to shortstop before signing. In 2019, the 17-year-old skipped over the Dominican Summer League and headed straight to the Rookie-level Arizona League, where…

MAJORS How teams could use the new 26th player on major league rosters in 2020 PAGE 57 MINORS Why the small-market Indians emphasize the youngest players in the draft PAGE 58 COLLEGE Assistant coach of the year Nick Schnabel helped key Michigan’s historic run PAGE 60 INTERNATIONAL The most promising under-theradar pitching prospects who turned pro during the 2019 international signing period PAGE 62…

If there’s one piece of conventional draft wisdom in 2019, it seems to be this: take safer college players and let riskier high school prospects slide. The most recent draft reinforced that the current system incentivizes teams to select from the college ranks. That’s thanks to both the current financial structure of the draft—which puts a soft cap on spending—and the fact that teams are able to get more reliable statistical information on college players. Among the top 10 rounds in 2019, teams drafted the highest percentage of college players ever. Teams like the Royals and Rangers, who previously coveted high upside high school talent, have pivoted to college-heavy drafts in recent years. Sixty of the 64 players the Royals signed in the last two drafts have been college players,…

Baseball America has partnered with the American Baseball Coaches Association for more than 20 years to present the Assistant Coach of the Year award. Previous honorees have included Tim Corbin (Clemson) and Brian O’Connor (Notre Dame), who went on to win national championships as head coaches and Derek Johnson (Vanderbilt), who is now a major league pitching coach. Again this year, BA and ABCA are honoring coaches beyond Division I. The following winners and more will be recognized in January at ABCA’s convention in Nashville. DIVISION II CHARLIE SPANO, MERCYHURST (PA.) Spano has spent 11 seasons at Mercyhurst, serving as the Lakers’ third base coach and recruiting coordinator. Spano, who also works closely with the infielders and team’s baserunning, has coached 11 all-conference infielders and helped the Lakers to three…

JAMES BANKS, a righthander who pitched in the Nebraska State and Midwest leagues for the Kansas City Athletics organization in in 1956 and ’57, died Nov. 14 in Macon, Ga. He was 82. JOHN BEVIL, a lefthander who pitched in the New York-Penn, Carolina and Florida State leagues for the Tigers organization from 1968-70, died Nov. 14 in New Braunfels, Texas. He was 73. BEARL BROOKS, a shortstop who played in the Evangeline, South Atlantic and Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee leagues from 1949-52 and returned as a player-coach after serving in the Navy in World War II in Japan, died Nov. 10, in Jonesboro, Ark. He was 93. WILL BRUNSON, a lefthander who pitched parts of three seasons with the Dodgers and Tigers, died Nov. 23 in Big Bend National Park, Texas. Brunson…

BASEBALL AMERICA chose the 20 players we expect to be the biggest major league stars of the 2020s So Young, So Good Young stars Ronald Acuña Jr., Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. have produced at a rate at least 30 percent better than league average, as measured by Baseball-Reference.com’s park-adjusted OPS+ metric. They are three of just 16 players in the integration era to hit that 130 OPS+ benchmark while batting 350 or more times before turning 22 years old. An asterisk (*) denotes a player who went on to a Hall of Fame career One of the strongest indicators of future stardom is mastery of the major leagues at a young age. That being the case, a trio of young National League stars is well positioned to dominate…

1. JO ADELL, OF AGE: 21. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-3. WT: 215. DRAFTED: HS—Louisville, 2017 (1st round). SIGNED BY: John Burden. TRACK RECORD: Adell missed most of April and May because of hamstring and ankle injuries he suffered on a bizarre baserunning mishap in spring training, but that did little to slow his ascent. The 10th overall pick in 2017, Adell slashed .289/.359/.475 with 10 homers, 27 doubles, 36 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 76 games across three levels, though his strikeouts (94) were a bit high and his walks (30) were a little low. Adell did most of his damage at Double-A Mobile and starred in the Futures Game before cooling at Triple-A Salt Lake, where he struggled adjusting to a higher level of pitching. Adell rebounded with…

1. JOSH JUNG, 3B AGE: 22. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-2. WT: 215. DRAFTED: Texas Tech, 2019. SIGNED BY: Josh Simpson. TRACK RECORD: Jung was one of the best hitters in college baseball during his three seasons at Texas Tech. He was a first-team Freshman All-American in 2017, then a second-team All-American in both 2018 and ‘19. The Rangers drafted Jung with the No. 8 overall pick in 2019 and signed him for $4.4 million. After a quick tuneup in the Rookie-level Arizona League, Jung went to the low Class A South Atlantic League in mid-July and helped Hickory capture the second-half crown in the Northern Division. SCOUTING REPORT: Jung’s bat is his calling card. He’s calm and under control at the plate, staying inside the ball well with a short…

1. GAVIN LUX, SS/2B BORN: Nov. 23, 1997. B-T: L-R. HT: 6-2. WT: 190. DRAFTED: HS—Kenosha, Wis., 2016 (1st round). SIGNED BY: Trey Magnuson TRACK RECORD: Wisconsin high school players are historically one of the draft’s least successful demographics, but Lux was a unique case. His uncle Augie Schmidt won the 1982 Golden Spikes Award and later became the coach at Division III Carthage (Wis.) College, where Lux began accompanying him to practices as a 6-year-old. After blossoming physically as a high school senior, Lux became the first Wisconsin prep drafted in the first round in 37 years when the Dodgers drafted him 20th overall in 2016. Lux struggled his first full season, but after adding 20 pounds to his skinny frame and adjusting his bat path, he took off.…

American League BALTIMORE ORIOLES The Orioles had three easy decisions at the Nov. 20 deadline to finalize rosters for the Rule 5 draft. They were assured of protecting first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, lefthander Keegan Akin and righthander Dean Kremer. They also chose to protect 22-year-old outfielder Ryan McKenna, which required them to look past some of the numbers at Double-A Bowie and lock into the qualities that continue to intrigue. McKenna appeared in 135 games with the Baysox and slashed .232/.321/.365 with 26 doubles, six triples and nine home runs. He also stole 25 bases. Speed and defense separate McKenna from many of the other players in the Orioles’ system. The righthanded hitter has small-ball skills and a little pop. A scout…

FACTORY ATHLETICS,, is BA’s For the Love of the Game Selection Partner LANDON MACK, 14 COLUMBUS, NJ: Landon was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 3 but does not let that get him down. He is an honor roll student and an accomplished shortstop and pitcher. But his most admirable trait is how he tries to “pay it forward” the way a young Devin Smeltzer did for him after they met during Devin’s junior year in high school. Landon identifies young players who may need a little extra help or may be struggling. He spends extra time with them and uses his own story to help inspire them. DOMINIC CARLEO, 13 EAST NORWICH, NY: Dominic is a leader on and off the field and a role model for his peers.…

You have a family. It’s a good family. Your kids are great. They’re kind and smart and funny and sweet. And then your parents show up for a visit from out of town. Right after they walk in the door, your kids decide it is time to declare World War III on each other. Toys are thrown, names are called, meltdowns are had. And as you watch the carnage you wonder: why couldn’t they have done this the day before your parents got there or the day after your parents left? The Florida Fire Frogs are one of Minor League Baseball’s kids. And right now, they are acting up at the worst possible time. At the 2019 Winter Meetings, Major League Baseball and MiLB continued work to try to negotiate…

1. JESUS LUZARDO, LHP AGE: 22. B-T: L-L. HT: 6-0. WT: 209. DRAFTED: HS—Parkland, Fla., 2016 (3rd round). SIGNED BY: Alex Morales (Nationals). TRACK RECORD: Born in Peru, Luzardo was raised in Florida and attended Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland. He was on track to be a potential first-round pick in 2016 until he needed Tommy John surgery two months before the draft. He fell to the third round, where the Nationals picked him No. 94 overall and signed him for an above-slot $1.4 million. Luzardo made a full recovery and flashed big stuff when he returned, leading the Athletics to acquire him at the 2017 trade deadline with Blake Treinen and Sheldon Neuse in the trade that sent Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle to the Nationals. With the A’s,…

1. DAULTON VARSHO, C/OF AGE: 23. B-T: L-R. HT: 5-10. WT: 190. DRAFTED: Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2017 (2nd round supp). SIGNED BY: Rick Short. TRACK RECORD: Varsho, the son of ex-big leaguer Gary Varsho, cemented his status as one of the Diamondbacks’ most dynamic prospects last year when he put together one of the better seasons of any hitter at Double-A. In leading the Southern League in OPS, Varsho showed an ability to hit for average and get on base, displayed both power and speed and played well at two positions high on the defensive spectrum. Though he finally began to gain industry-wide recognition in 2019, his production generally fell in line with what he had done throughout his career. SCOUTING REPORT: With short arms and a compact swing, Varsho finds the…

1. MacKENZIE GORE, LHP AGE: 21. B-T: L-L. HT.: 6-3. WT.: 195. DRAFTED: HS—Whiteville, N.C., 2017 (1st round). SIGNED BY: Nick Brannon. TRACK RECORD: Gore led Whiteville (N.C.) High to three state championships and went 11-0, 0.19 as a senior with 158 strikeouts and five walks in 74.1 innings to win BA’s High School Player of the Year award. The Padres drafted him third overall and signed him for $6.7 million to forgo an East Carolina commitment. Gore’s first full season was limited to 16 starts by blisters, but his full ability came out with full health in 2019. He posted a 1.02 ERA at high Class A Lake Elsinore, the lowest ERA by a starter with at least 70 innings in California League history, and earned an invitation to…

National League ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS About the nicest thing Triple-A Reno manager Chris Cron could think to say about third baseman Wyatt Mathisen was to call him a dirtball. And the best way he could explain it was with a story. One night in Tacoma, Mathisen hurt his leg but remained in the game. He went on to hit an opposite-field home run and needed to hobble, Kirk Gibson style, around the bases. The injury was so serious it cost him the next month on the injured list. The D-backs liked what they saw in Mathisen, which was why, in a somewhat surprising move, they added him to their 40-man roster. He is coming off a career year at Reno in which he…

The active roster limit from Opening Day through Aug. 31 and in postseason games will increase from 25 to 26 players. Teams will be allowed to add a 27th player for doubleheaders. Elimination of the 40-man active roster limit in September. From Sept. 1 through the end of the regular season, all clubs must carry 28 players on their active roster. The number of pitchers a club may carry on the active roster will be capped. Clubs must designate each of its players as either a pitcher or a position player prior to each player’s first day on the active roster for a given season. That designation will remain in effect for the player, and cannot change, for the remainder of the season and postseason. No player on the active…

Teams have signed 30 players for bonuses of at least $1 million since the start of the 2019-20 international signing period on July 2. Of those 30 players, just two of them are pitchers. That’s a fairly typical distribution. Teams are hesitant to make big investments in 16-year-old pitchers. At that age, even the best pitchers in the world require significant improvements in their stuff to have the repertoire of a major league pitcher. That doesn’t even account for all the risks inherent in trying to keep pitchers healthy, and with pitchers that young, there’s a longer road to go than with high school or college arms. With pitchers that young, their stuff can change quickly. Once players sign, it’s not uncommon to see their fastballs jump a few miles…