Cowser Works On Selective Aggression
He hit just .115—that’s 7-for-61—in 26 games for the Orioles.
In past seasons, Cowser might have been granted a longer leash to figure things out in Baltimore. With the Orioles in contention for their first playoff appearance since 2016, that wasn’t the case.
That’s why the 24-year-old Cowser is holding out hope that he can learn from those struggles, build on his success at Triple-A Norfolk and win a role on Baltimore’s Opening Day roster.
“Just because you struggle doesn’t necessarily mean it’s always frustrating,” Cowser told reporters at the team’s Birdland Caravan event in January.
“There were some certain struggles that I couldn’t really control, and I think that it’s all about the frame of mind that you’re in and whether you take that as a learning experience or just kind of sulk in your sorrows.”
Cowser debuted on July 5 in New York with Cedric Mullins II and Aaron Hicks both out with injuries. He spent a monthplus in the majors but failed to adjust to pitchers in that time.
Cowser’s selective nature saw him taking strikes and ending up in bad counts, and MLB pitchers attacked his weaknesses on non-fastballs.
Still, the Orioles harbor hope for Cowser, whom they drafted fifth overall out of Sam Houston State in 2021. He put up a .996 OPS at Triple-A before his MLB debut. His .777 mark afterward reflects more aggression in the strike zone.
Cowser enters camp in a crowded Orioles outfield scene, with projected starters Mullins, Austin Hays and Anthony
Santander backed by homegrown 40-man roster players Heston Kjerstad, Ryan
McKenna and Kyle Stowers. —JON MEOLI
Mayer Stands Poised For A Healthy New Year
For the first two months of last season, shortstop Marcelo Mayer asserted himself as one of the top prospects in baseball.
Scouts came out of High-A Greenville raving about a player who had the defensive instincts and clock to stay at shortstop with potential middle-order power. A weighted bat program and general strength gains had helped Mayer’s bat play up. The added bulk contributed to the 2021 fourth overall pick hitting .290/.366/.524 with seven home runs through 35 South Atlantic League games.
That performance convinced the Red Sox to promote Mayer to Double-A Portland, making the then-20-year-old the youngest Boston position player to reach the level since Xander Bogaerts in 2013.
But Mayer’s performance suffered considerably in the Eastern League. He hit just .189/.254/.355 in 43 games before his season ended at the beginning of August with a left shoulder impingement.
The impingement actually occurred in Greenville shortly before Mayer’s promotion. While Mayer and team officials attributed some of his struggles to a Double-A adjustment, it became clear that the shoulder—which ultimately required a cortisone injection in September—had hindered his offensive performance.
“(The shoulder) ended up getting to a point where I just couldn’t really do it anymore,” Mayer said. “I think a lot of that’s on me not really knowing my body and not knowing how to handle a full season or communicate with my trainers.”
Early in the offseason, Mayer limited baseball activity while focusing on rehabbing his shoulder and strength gains. In mid January he returned to baseball activities.
“(The shoulder) feels as good as ever, so I’m excited for the new year,” Mayer said.
—ALEX SPEIER
Montgomery Will Tell When He’s Ready
The White Sox signed veteran Paul DeJong to man shortstop on Opening Day. He will play the role of stabilizer and, if things go according to plan, placeholder. That’s because No. 1 prospect Colson
Montgomery is moving toward Chicago fast, and it’s only a matter of time until the 22-year-old is the starter at shortstop.
“Guys who have that kind of talent, they’ll let you know when they’re ready,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “He’s coming to spring training and he’s got to do his thing.
“He’s got to learn the major league game, see major league pitching and we’ll continue to evaluate this thing.”
The White Sox drafted Montgomery 22nd overall in 2021 out of high school in Indiana. In his full-season debut in 2022 he reached base safely in 50 straight games playing at the Class A levels.
Oblique and back injuries limited him to 64 games last season, the final 37 with Double-A Birmingham. The 6-foot-3, 205pound Montgomery got extra work in the Arizona Fall League.
The lefthanded hitter owns a career .410 on-base percentage in the minor leagues and has flashed big raw power.
“In the box, the decisions he makes, the temperament, the under control operation, it really stands out,” White Sox GM Chris
Getz said. “And then defensively, he’s a solid defender at shortstop.”
Even if he stands out during spring training, Montgomery is likely to open the season with Triple-A Charlotte, just to get a needed taste of upper-level competition.
“At the end of the day, the goal is for him to be a really good major league player,” Getz said, “and I think that’s going to happen.”
—SCOT GREGOR
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1711362515/articles/x0Uu3Rq9E1711456602784/4793731824.jpg]
Rocchio Could Be The Best Shortstop BetIn recent seasons, the Guardians have overloaded their minor league system with shortstops.
From Andres Gimenez to Tyler Freeman to Gabriel Arias, shortstops have dominated Cleveland’s prospect lists.
The best may be yet to come. Brayan Rocchio checked all the boxes at Triple-A Columbus last season, hitting .280/.367/.421 with seven home runs and 25 stolen bases in 116 games. He drew 60 walks against 66 strikeouts.
The 23-year-old switch-hitter earned four different callups to Cleveland in 2023 but produced a light .600 OPS in 23 games.
“We are very excited about Rocchio’s development,” Guardians assistant GM James Harris said. “He is a hard worker, a great competitor and he cares about his teammates.”
Standing in at 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, Rocchio has more power than he showed in 2023. In 2022, he hit 18 homers between Double-A Akron and Columbus.
He has turned out to be a bargain for the Guardians, who signed him out of Venezuela in 2017 for just $125,000.
“He continues to improve offensively and on defense, while challenging himself on the bases,” Harris said.
While he might not be a finished product, Rocchio isn’t far off. It’s not out of the question that he could be the Guardians’ everyday shortstop at some point in 2024.
“There is a large gap between Triple-A and the big leagues,” Harris said, “and Rocchio has demonstrated an ability to make good swing decisions from both sides of the plate and put the ball in play.
“He has shown the ability to impact the ball on occasion and continues to work in the weight room and with our hitting coaches to do so more consistently.”
—JIM INGRAHAM
Jung Restores Balance After Slow Start
After going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in a game for High-A West Michigan, Jace Jung knew something was wrong. “That was the first time I’ve ever done that,” said Jung, a 23-year-old second baseman. “I don’t think many people realized it, but I kind of went through a timing issue with my front foot.”
He immediately reached out to his father, Tigers hitting instructor Jeff Branson and older brother Josh Jung, an all-star third baseman for the Rangers.
Diagnosing the timing issue was easy for Jace once he was able to dive in. “(Pitchers are) starting to throw you other things,” Jung said, “and you’re like, ‘Oh, I need to look for this,’ instead of just sticking to your plan.”
Jung had many conversations with his family and put in extensive work with Branson. The resolution came via the addition of a leg kick, just like Josh used in his 23-homer rookie season in 2023.
“It was kind of nice, because (Josh) is going through it at the big league level,” Jung said, “and he was able to help me out during last year.”
The Tigers promoted Jung to Double-A Erie on July 25. He belted 14 home runs in 47 games in the Eastern League. At the two levels he hit 28 bombs while batting .265/.376/.502 in 128 games.
“I’m definitely more on time now,” said Jung, whom the Tigers drafted 12th overall out of Texas Tech in 2022. “The big thing with the leg kick now is staying balanced and staying under control, because sometimes you have a habit to get out on the front side.
“I think with the leg kick, it allows you to stay more balanced on your backside, and really allow you to get into that backside when you’re making contact.”
—EMILY WALDON
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1711362515/articles/x0Uu3Rq9E1711456602784/9871441193.jpg]
Swing Understanding Is Next For Melton
Jacob Melton’s hitting ability is the first thing that stood out when Astros farm director Jacob Buffa saw him play for Oregon State.
Melton is more than a hitter, though. The Astros envision the 6-foot-3, 208 pound Melton as a big league center fielder, and that’s where the 23-year-old is likely to see most of his playing time this season.
“I saw (Melton’s) swing in college,” Buffa said of the 2022 second-rounder. “My first thought was, ‘Wow this kid can hit.’ If you look at what he did in college, that’s got to be your first thought.
“When I saw him in person when he first got here, my first thought was that this kid is a far better athlete than I thought.”
Melton has steadily climbed the minor league ladder after signing. He reached Double-A Corpus Christi late last season after playing primarily for High-A Asheville. In 99 total games he hit .245/.334/.467 with 23 home runs and 46 stolen bases.
Melton hit .364 at OSU and has put together solid stretches of hitting in pro ball, but he must become more consistent.
“I think the big thing is hitters as they get through the system, we’d just love for Melton to start to understand himself a little bit better,” Buffa said. “So when he gets in slumps, he can anchor himself to what he does best.”
“I think the present power is there,” Buffa said. “I feel confident saying that he can slug.
“We believe he can also hit for average because he’s done it before, which is why I’m most excited for him to understand his own swing.”
Once Melton understands how to anchor to the positive attributes of his swing, the Astros are hopeful that he’ll have a better chance to avoid long slumps.
—JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ
Mitchell Is Determined To Defy The Odds
Drafting a high school catcher in the first round is generally considered a risk because of the high attrition rate at the position.
Blake Mitchell is determined to overcome those odds.
The Royals drafted the lefthanded-hitting catcher eighth overall last year out of Sinton (Texas) High. They believe Mitchell has what it takes to exceed expectations.
“He’s extremely gifted and talented,” Royals farm director/field coordinator Mitch Maier said. “The mental side and the preparation and the discipline at a young age have been really impressive, (just) to watch the way he goes about his work as a professional.”
Mitchell has steadily improved since first reporting to the Royals’ Arizona complex last July. In a 13-game pro debut in the Arizona Complex League he hit .147/.423/.177 with 17 walks and 14 strikeouts.
At the Royals’ fall instructional league program, Mitchell showed more ease of operation at the plate and began tapping into his raw power.
Mitchell spent his offseason working both at the Royals complex and at the Dynamic Sports Training facility in Tomball, Texas. Dynamic uses Proline Velocity balls, which are similar to what the Royals use for hitter training at their facilities.
Mitchell took great strides with his defense in his first six months as a pro, citing the fact that he was working daily on his catching instead of sporadically as he did in high school. He especially takes pride in how he connects with pitchers.
“I just tried to get as close to (the pitchers) as possible,” Mitchell said, “try to get a personal relationship with them, and just earn their trust (so) they can throw whatever pitch at any count.”
The Royals believe that Mitchell will be ready for the challenge of breaking camp with Low-A Columbia.
“He’s in a really good spot offensively, defensively and physically as he enters spring,” Maier said.
—BILL MITCHELL
Schanuel Keeps Working To Improve
First baseman Nolan Schanuel’s rise to the big leagues was meteoric.
Drafted 11th overall last year out of Florida Atlantic, Schanuel appeared in just 22 minor league games before the Angels called him up on Aug. 18.
He found his first taste of MLB to be pretty sweet. Schanuel reached base in all 29 games he played and showed elite plate discipline with a .402 on-base percentage. He hit .275 with one home run.
The Angels were so impressed by Schanuel’s bat-to-ball skills, solid defense and work ethic that they essentially handed him the first base job this winter.
“Nolan has earned the right to have the opportunity to come into camp and compete for the first base job,” Angels GM Perry
Minasian said, “but with all of our young players, we understand where they are in their development.
“Some might need a lot more at-bats. Some get off to a good start early, then struggle and come back.”
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Schanuel’s career took a dramatic turn when he was fitted for a contact lens to correct an astigmatism in his right eye as an FAU junior.
Schanuel struggled in the Cape Cod League in 2022, but he raked in 2023, when he led Division I with a 1.483 OPS and hit 19 homers in 59 games.
Schanuel switched from a toe-tap to a leg kick as a college freshman. He holds his hands high above his head in his setup but gets his bat through the hitting zone quickly and efficiently, with minimal extra movement in his swing.
He has more of a hit-over-power profile, but the Angels believe he’ll develop into a 20-homer hitter.
“Knowing him, he’s just never satisfied,” Minasian said. “If you ask him how his month in the big leagues went, he’d tell you it was a good experience and all those things, but it could have been better.
“That’s something we appreciate about him. We want that type of makeup in our clubhouse.”
—MIKE DiGIOVANNA
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1711362515/articles/x0Uu3Rq9E1711456602784/3811811121.jpg]
Jenkins Wows Twins In Pro Debut
Walker Jenkins picked up his phone during an evening flight last July to the Twins’ minor league headquarters in Fort Myers, Fla., shortly after signing for $7 million as the fifth overall pick in the draft.
He texted Twins vice president of scouting Sean Johnson and made a request.
As relayed by Twins VP for hitting and acquisitions Alex Hassan: “Sean contacted me in Florida and said, ‘(Jenkins) wants to hit when he gets there, say, around 12:30.’ I said, ‘OK, that’s great. Anything he needs.’
“It took a minute before I put it together—he meant that night. After midnight.”
Hassan drove to the complex and unlocked the players’ entrance. Shortly after Jenkins’ flight landed around 11:45 p.m., the North Carolina high school product arrived, carrying his bat bag.
Between flying to Minneapolis, having a physical and signing his contract, Jenkins hadn’t found time to hit for three days, “and he just wanted to get going,” Hassan said. “Which I respected, because when I was a player, I wanted to hit all the time, too. So I wanted to make it happen.”
The duo took cuts in a batting cage for about 45 minutes, the session ending well after 1 a.m. The 19-year-old Jenkins hasn’t stopped hitting yet.
He stroked an opposite-field double down the left-field line in his first at-bat as a professional and opened his career with a seven-game hitting streak.
When the Florida Complex League season ended, the Twins promoted Jenkins to Low-A Fort Myers, where he put up a 1.054 OPS in 12 games and covered plenty of ground in center field.
“Amazing athleticism, all five tools, every bit as advertised,” Twins farm director Drew
MacPhail said. “But his work ethic and professionalism, that might be the most impressive thing about him.”
Overall, Jenkins hit .352/.417/.571 with three home runs in 26 games—but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
In his pro debut, Jenkins swung and missed at a fastball only once—“and that was 100-plus (mph) from (Paul) Skenes,” the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft.
“He made contact on every fastball but one—just incredible.”
—PHIL MILLER
Hampton Rounds Out Arsenal Upper Levels
Chase Hampton is ready to take the next step.
The 22-year-old righthander made a meteoric rise last season after the Yankees drafted him in the sixth round in 2022 out of Texas Tech.
Hampton recorded a 3.63 ERA in 20 starts between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, striking out 145 in 106.2 innings.
He thrived in the first half but allowed 26 earned runs over his final 48 innings at Double-A before ultimately being shut down prior to the Eastern League playoffs.
“It was definitely just him getting used to his first full year in pro ball,” Yankees director of pitching Sam Briend said, explaining that Hampton nearly doubled his innings total from 56.2 as a college junior in 2022.
“But (Double-A) was a good jump for him. He was so dominant in Hudson Valley . . . so he didn’t really have to have an approach and didn’t have to move the ball around the zone as much.
“He could just go after guys and out-stuff them.”
In Somerset, Hampton got away from a fastball that Briend described as “one of the best—if not the best” in the Yankees’ system more than they would have liked. Instead he relied more on his cutter, while still developing a slider, curveball and changeup at the upper levels.
That process will continue at the upper levels in 2024. The organization remains confident that Hampton can contribute in MLB sooner rather than later.
“I think he’s a top-of-the-rotation starter when he’s at his best,” Briend said. “That’s the guy we all kind of envision him being.”
—MIKE ASHMORE
Wilson Intrigues By What He Could Become
While the Athletics like what they see in Jacob Wilson right now, they dream about what the 22-year-old shortstop will be once he puts on his “man strength.”
That is the term that A’s broadcaster Shooty Babbitt and other scouts use to indicate the muscle mass that comes with maturity—and time in the weight room. The weight room is just where the A’s want the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Wilson to spend a good deal of time as he blossoms.
Oakland drafted Wilson sixth overall out of Grand Canyon last year, mostly for his potential plus hit tool. Now, can he pair that with some power?
“He’s already put on some strength, and he’s going to put on more,” A’s hitting coordinator Jim Eppard said. “I’m a firm believer that if you’re not super strong and a linedrive hitter, when you get stronger, those gap balls are going out of the park.”
Eppard predicts that Wilson will reach at least average power as he progresses.
“I love his approach. He uses the whole field,” Eppard said. “He’s more of a line-drive hitter . . . He stays inside the ball and takes it to right field.”
Wilson is the son of all-star shortstop Jack Wilson. He grew up in Thousand Oaks, outside Los Angeles, before heading to GCU.
In three seasons in the Western Athletic Conference, Wilson hit .361 with 61 walks and 31 strikeouts in 155 games. He struck out just five times as a junior, when he hit six home runs.
Wilson hit .318/.378/.455 for High-A Lansing in his pro debut. He collected 10 extra-base hits and had 10 strikeouts.
“I think a lot of it is that he just doesn’t like striking out,” Eppard said.
While Wilson is big for a shortstop, Eppard said that he excels at the position. Part of the polishing process will be to improve his basestealing and speed.
“He’s a super kid,” Eppard said. “He comes to the cage with a smile on his face. He shows fire on the field. He’s competitive.”
—CASEY TEFERTILLER
Athleticism Helps Ford Adapt Quickly
Harry Ford is one of the more unusual prospects in baseball.
The 21-year-old catcher possesses a rare level of speed and athleticism for a backstop, along with a strong overall hitting profile and an above-average arm.
But during an impressive first two full seasons at Low-A Modesto and High-A Everett, it’s not just Ford’s on-field talent that has drawn lofty praise.
“His maturity over the last two years has been the thing that’s really stood out to me,” said Ryan Scott, who worked closely with Ford while coaching him in Modesto and managing him in Everett.
“The way he’s able to lead a pitcher-catcher meeting before a game, the way he goes about his work in the day to day, the way he prepares—all of that just speaks to the maturity that he’s shown.”
After starring for Great Britain in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Ford hit .257/.410/.430 with 15 home runs and 24 stolen bases in 118 games at Everett. He was the only catcher in the minors with at least 15 homers and 15 steals.
Ford continued to show great plate discipline in Everett, leading the Northwest League in on-base percentage and drawing nearly as many walks as strikeouts.
“His swing decisions are as elite as you’re gonna get,” Scott said. “And we’ve seen that across a couple different levels now to where that just hasn’t changed.”
Behind the plate, Ford has a strong arm and quick release. He has worked hard to refine other aspects of his catching repertoire since his 2021 first-round selection out of a suburban Atlanta high school.
Scott pointed to receiving as a major area of growth.
“He’s so receptive to feedback and coaching that he just takes things in,” Scott said. “And then with the athleticism that he possesses, he can just implement things like you wouldn’t believe.”
Ford is expected to begin the season at Double-A Arkansas.
“The biggest thing going forward is just to not lose sight of who he is and not trying to be anybody else,” Scott said. “If he’s able to do that, he’s gonna be really good for a really long time.”
—CAMERON VAN TIL
Isaac Could Be Just Scratching Surface
Many in the industry expressed surprise and skepticism when the Rays drafted high school first baseman Xavier Isaac 29th overall in 2022.
Because of injuries, Isaac had not played much on the showcase circuit the previous summer. He also raised concern based on his 6-foot-3, 240-pound frame and limited defensive upside.
But it didn’t take long for the Rays to come out looking good.
The 20-year-old Isaac turned in an impressive full-season debut at Low-A Charleston and High-A Bowling Green, hitting .285/.395/.521 with 19 home runs in 102 games. He drew 64 walks against 92 strikeouts.
Now the major question facing Isaac is how quickly he could reach the major leagues.
What is clear is that the time and effort put in by the Rays to learn more about Isaac at his North Carolina high school has paid off. That starts with area scouts and extends to crosscheckers, scouting supervisors and, ultimately, the front office for approving the $2,548,900 bonus.
“Our work on Xavier is a great example of a lot of different perspectives within a process playing a role,” Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said.
“There being trust in the people who work in our amateur space—and the great work was done among our staff—and a belief in the talent was established that was only supported further, upon us getting to know X and his family better.”
And even more so when they saw the commitment Isaac made, including to his body conditioning, to take full advantage of the opportunity.
“It’s nice to see him go out and perform at the level he has to date,” Neander said. “He is someone we believe is just scratching the surface of his potential, and he’d say the same thing.”
—MARC TOPKIN
Carter Stays Humble Amid Life Changes
Evan Carter still can’t believe how drastically his life has changed.
In January, the 21-year-old outfielder found himself signing autographs at a Dallas-area baseball card show. He signed more than 400 items before signing for fans who paid as much as $125 for his signature.
He was readying for spring training in relative obscurity the same time a year ago.
“I feel a little bit spoiled,” he said. Carter didn’t make his MLB debut until
Sept. 8 and then was a postseason standout as the Rangers won the first World Series in franchise history.
He’s now a big league star, even with 62 regular-season at-bats and 60 more in the postseason. But he understands that the nature of baseball can make him feel like a Class A player if he doesn’t keep working.
“No matter how good you’re doing, it’s got a funny way of showing you you’re not very good real quick,” Carter said. “(I try to) just have fun between the highs and lows and be able to stay as consistent as possible.”
Carter learned that early last season at Double-A Frisco, when he was hit in the wrist by a pitch and then smacked in nearly the same spot a week later on a pickoff throw.
He tried to play through the pain, which led to some bad swing habits and a trip to extended spring training to get straightened out.
In 108 minor league games he hit .288/.413/.450 with 13 home runs and 26 stolen bases.
While Carter hit .308 with 16 extra-base hits in his first 40 MLB games—including the postseason—he’s going struggle at times as a rookie, just as every hitter does.
“The ‘unknown factor’ is out now, and he knows he can play in the major leagues,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “He has that experience. (He knows) the kind of pitching he is going to have to handle and the defense he has to play.”
—JEFF WILSON
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1711362515/articles/x0Uu3Rq9E1711456602784/1111317884.jpg]
Tiedemann Learns That Less Can Be More
Ricky Tiedemann arrived at his second big league spring training camp eager to apply the lessons learned from a stop-andstart 2023 season.
The 21-year-old lefthander dealt with shoulder and biceps issues that limited him to just 44 minor league innings last year.
He added 18 more in the Arizona Fall League, which taught him “a lot when it comes to my own routines and habits throughout the year.”
Part of that is in scaling down his work between starts, rather than adding on, something Tiedemann did through osmosis while watching veterans at camp with the Blue Jays a year ago.
“Going out there once every five days is already a routine in itself, so you want to slow down a little bit in between,” Tiedemann said. “Last year I wasn’t doing that so much.
“I was continuously adding stuff rather than slowing it down and regrouping between starts. I’ve kind of honed that coming into this year.”
Tiedemann’s shoulder flared up at spring training last year before the biceps shut him down during his fourth outing in early May at Double-A New Hampshire. He didn’t get back into games until late July, and the Blue Jays tried to get him some catch-up with four more appearances in the AFL.
By then, the club’s top prospect started to find a consistency in routine, stuff and performance that had eluded him in a season that still ended with 82 strikeouts in 44 innings across three levels, including one start at Triple-A Buffalo.
“At the beginning of the year, everything was out of place, in a way. Not too much, but just a little bit off,” Tiedemann said. “But at the end of the year we got it locked in.
“Everything started falling into place routine-wise and everything started feeling good in between each start. That’s where I want to be this year.”
—SHI DAVIDI
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1711362515/articles/x0Uu3Rq9E1711456602784/1179148111.jpg]
D-backs Want Lawlar To Force Their Hand
The D-backs have aligned their roster in such a way that 21-year-old shortstop Jordan Lawlar might not be on it when Opening Day rolls around.
But they still very much expect their top prospect to figure into their future in a major way.
With shortstop Geraldo Perdomo coming off his best season and newcomer Eugenio Suarez expected to anchor third base, it is difficult to see a path for Lawlar to get everyday at-bats. At least at the outset.
The D-backs don’t want Lawlar to sit and stagnate, so all signs point to a likely opening assignment to Triple-A Reno.
“He just has to put the finishing touches on his game,” D-backs assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye said. “Some of that is going to come in the big leagues, obviously. Some of it may happen in the minors.
“That’s up to him. He’s going to press his way onto this team at some point.”
Lawlar is coming off a 2023 season in which he hit .278/.378/.496 with 20 home runs and 36 stolen bases in 105 games at Double-A Amarillo and Reno before making his MLB debut in September. He appeared in three postseason games, going 0-for-1 with a walk, as Arizona reached the World Series.
Lawlar struggled at the plate in the majors, going 4-for-31 with 11 strikeouts in limited play. That likely won’t be the case with his next big league opportunity.
“We don’t need him to watch and pinchrun anymore,” Sawdaye said. “We need to him to get consistent at-bats.”
Though Sawdaye said Lawlar could possibly see time at third base in Reno, he expects him to remain mostly at shortstop. Both he and Perdomo are flexible enough to thrive at a variety of positions.
“Guys who are that instinctual and that good of athletes” can play almost anywhere, Sawdaye said.
—NICK PIECORO
Waldrep Could Be On A Fast Track To Atlanta
It’s not an expectation, but it’s a possibility that 22-year-old righthander Hurston Waldrep will reach Atlanta this season.
The Braves drafted Waldrep out of Florida with the 24th overall pick last year. He pitched at all four of Atlanta’s full-season affiliates in his pro debut, recording a 1.53 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 29.1 innings.
The Braves, retooling their depleted minor league system, have taken pitchers in the first round of the past four drafts.
“We got a really athletic college starter with power stuff,” Braves scouting director Ronit Shah said. “He’s been 95-99 (mph) with two plus breaking balls and one of the best secondary pitches in the draft with his splitter.”
Waldrep pitched to a 3.68 ERA in three college seasons, the first two at Southern Mississippi before transferring to Florida. He helped the Gators reach the College World Series in 2023, when he finished third in the nation with 156 strikeouts.
The Braves had been following Waldrep since he was a South Georgia prep.
The splitter is undoubtedly Waldrep’s most effective pitch. Shah said the pitch “has a chance to miss a lot of bats at the big league level.” His fastball command is a work in progress and will largely determine how quickly he reaches the majors.
Four of Waldrep’s eight starts last season were made at Double-A or Triple-A. That type of rapid ascent indicates that he could be on the fast track to Atlanta.
It’s easy to envision Waldrep as a longterm piece in the Braves’ rotation. Spencer Strider is signed to a lengthy deal, but lefthander Max Fried is a free agent following the season. Charlie Morton is 40 years old and pitching year to year.
Certainly, Waldrep could become an integral part of the Braves’ rotation soon.
—GABE BURNS
Crow-Armstrong Knows Where To Focus Energy
A September callup provided 22-yearold outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong with a blueprint for where he must improve to contribute in Chicago this year.
He showed glimpses of why he is one of the best prospects in baseball during his three weeks in the majors. His highlight-reel catches in center field contrasted his struggles in the batter’s box.
“It’s no secret what I didn’t handle very well last year,” Crow-Armstrong said. “On the other side of things, the way I went about my work, based on who I listened to, set me up really well to know what I’ve got to do.
“Listening to the right people in the clubhouse and using my time correctly, I think that will take all the external stresses away from whatever I’m worrying about.”
Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs know pitchers exposed him on elevated fastballs, contributing to him going 0-for-14 with seven strikeouts in 13 games. But the Cubs won’t overreact to a slow offensive start to PCA’s major league career.
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer noted how former Cub Anthony Rizzo had a rocky MLB debut in 2011 with the Padres before a trade to Chicago.
“I still did what I was supposed to do in the sense of playing defense,” CrowArmstrong said.
There are no guarantees Crow-Armstrong begins the season in Chicago. Some of that depends on whether the Cubs re-sign center fielder Cody Bellinger.
Last season, Crow-Armstrong hit .283/.365/.511 with 20 home runs and 37 stolen bases in 107 games split between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. He heads into spring training focused on what he must do to improve.
“We complicate things so much as hitters and that’s because what we do is so hard,” Crow-Armstrong said. “We lose feel from time to time, but again the goal is to make that line flatter.”
—MEGHAN MONTEMURRO
Phillips Has Raw Stuff To Impact Rotation
Even in a league calibrated for pitchers with bat-missing stuff, righthander Connor Phillips stood out. His 39.1% strikeout rate for Double-A Chattanooga last season led all Southern League starters.
The 22-year-old continued to miss bats with Triple-A Louisville in July and August and then with Cincinnati in September.
Despite reaching the big leagues, not everything went smoothly in his ascent.
Phillips walked 3...
He hit just .115—that’s 7-for-61—in 26 games for the Orioles.
In past seasons, Cowser might have been granted a longer leash to figure things out in Baltimore. With the Orioles in contention for their first playoff appearance since 2016, that wasn’t the case.
That’s why the 24-year-old Cowser is holding out hope that he can learn from those struggles, build on his success at Triple-A Norfolk and win a role on Baltimore’s Opening Day roster.
“Just because you struggle doesn’t necessarily mean it’s always frustrating,” Cowser told reporters at the team’s Birdland Caravan event in January.
“There were some certain struggles that I couldn’t really control, and I think that it’s all about the frame of mind that you’re in and whether you take that as a learning experience or just kind of sulk in your sorrows.”
Cowser debuted on July 5 in New York with Cedric Mullins II and Aaron Hicks both out with injuries. He spent a monthplus in the majors but failed to adjust to pitchers in that time.
Cowser’s selective nature saw him taking strikes and ending up in bad counts, and MLB pitchers attacked his weaknesses on non-fastballs.
Still, the Orioles harbor hope for Cowser, whom they drafted fifth overall out of Sam Houston State in 2021. He put up a .996 OPS at Triple-A before his MLB debut. His .777 mark afterward reflects more aggression in the strike zone.
Cowser enters camp in a crowded Orioles outfield scene, with projected starters Mullins, Austin Hays and Anthony
Santander backed by homegrown 40-man roster players Heston Kjerstad, Ryan
McKenna and Kyle Stowers. —JON MEOLI
Mayer Stands Poised For A Healthy New Year
For the first two months of last season, shortstop Marcelo Mayer asserted himself as one of the top prospects in baseball.
Scouts came out of High-A Greenville raving about a player who had the defensive instincts and clock to stay at shortstop with potential middle-order power. A weighted bat program and general strength gains had helped Mayer’s bat play up. The added bulk contributed to the 2021 fourth overall pick hitting .290/.366/.524 with seven home runs through 35 South Atlantic League games.
That performance convinced the Red Sox to promote Mayer to Double-A Portland, making the then-20-year-old the youngest Boston position player to reach the level since Xander Bogaerts in 2013.
But Mayer’s performance suffered considerably in the Eastern League. He hit just .189/.254/.355 in 43 games before his season ended at the beginning of August with a left shoulder impingement.
The impingement actually occurred in Greenville shortly before Mayer’s promotion. While Mayer and team officials attributed some of his struggles to a Double-A adjustment, it became clear that the shoulder—which ultimately required a cortisone injection in September—had hindered his offensive performance.
“(The shoulder) ended up getting to a point where I just couldn’t really do it anymore,” Mayer said. “I think a lot of that’s on me not really knowing my body and not knowing how to handle a full season or communicate with my trainers.”
Early in the offseason, Mayer limited baseball activity while focusing on rehabbing his shoulder and strength gains. In mid January he returned to baseball activities.
“(The shoulder) feels as good as ever, so I’m excited for the new year,” Mayer said.
—ALEX SPEIER
Montgomery Will Tell When He’s Ready
The White Sox signed veteran Paul DeJong to man shortstop on Opening Day. He will play the role of stabilizer and, if things go according to plan, placeholder. That’s because No. 1 prospect Colson
Montgomery is moving toward Chicago fast, and it’s only a matter of time until the 22-year-old is the starter at shortstop.
“Guys who have that kind of talent, they’ll let you know when they’re ready,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “He’s coming to spring training and he’s got to do his thing.
“He’s got to learn the major league game, see major league pitching and we’ll continue to evaluate this thing.”
The White Sox drafted Montgomery 22nd overall in 2021 out of high school in Indiana. In his full-season debut in 2022 he reached base safely in 50 straight games playing at the Class A levels.
Oblique and back injuries limited him to 64 games last season, the final 37 with Double-A Birmingham. The 6-foot-3, 205pound Montgomery got extra work in the Arizona Fall League.
The lefthanded hitter owns a career .410 on-base percentage in the minor leagues and has flashed big raw power.
“In the box, the decisions he makes, the temperament, the under control operation, it really stands out,” White Sox GM Chris
Getz said. “And then defensively, he’s a solid defender at shortstop.”
Even if he stands out during spring training, Montgomery is likely to open the season with Triple-A Charlotte, just to get a needed taste of upper-level competition.
“At the end of the day, the goal is for him to be a really good major league player,” Getz said, “and I think that’s going to happen.”
—SCOT GREGOR
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1711362515/articles/x0Uu3Rq9E1711456602784/4793731824.jpg]
Rocchio Could Be The Best Shortstop BetIn recent seasons, the Guardians have overloaded their minor league system with shortstops.
From Andres Gimenez to Tyler Freeman to Gabriel Arias, shortstops have dominated Cleveland’s prospect lists.
The best may be yet to come. Brayan Rocchio checked all the boxes at Triple-A Columbus last season, hitting .280/.367/.421 with seven home runs and 25 stolen bases in 116 games. He drew 60 walks against 66 strikeouts.
The 23-year-old switch-hitter earned four different callups to Cleveland in 2023 but produced a light .600 OPS in 23 games.
“We are very excited about Rocchio’s development,” Guardians assistant GM James Harris said. “He is a hard worker, a great competitor and he cares about his teammates.”
Standing in at 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, Rocchio has more power than he showed in 2023. In 2022, he hit 18 homers between Double-A Akron and Columbus.
He has turned out to be a bargain for the Guardians, who signed him out of Venezuela in 2017 for just $125,000.
“He continues to improve offensively and on defense, while challenging himself on the bases,” Harris said.
While he might not be a finished product, Rocchio isn’t far off. It’s not out of the question that he could be the Guardians’ everyday shortstop at some point in 2024.
“There is a large gap between Triple-A and the big leagues,” Harris said, “and Rocchio has demonstrated an ability to make good swing decisions from both sides of the plate and put the ball in play.
“He has shown the ability to impact the ball on occasion and continues to work in the weight room and with our hitting coaches to do so more consistently.”
—JIM INGRAHAM
Jung Restores Balance After Slow Start
After going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in a game for High-A West Michigan, Jace Jung knew something was wrong. “That was the first time I’ve ever done that,” said Jung, a 23-year-old second baseman. “I don’t think many people realized it, but I kind of went through a timing issue with my front foot.”
He immediately reached out to his father, Tigers hitting instructor Jeff Branson and older brother Josh Jung, an all-star third baseman for the Rangers.
Diagnosing the timing issue was easy for Jace once he was able to dive in. “(Pitchers are) starting to throw you other things,” Jung said, “and you’re like, ‘Oh, I need to look for this,’ instead of just sticking to your plan.”
Jung had many conversations with his family and put in extensive work with Branson. The resolution came via the addition of a leg kick, just like Josh used in his 23-homer rookie season in 2023.
“It was kind of nice, because (Josh) is going through it at the big league level,” Jung said, “and he was able to help me out during last year.”
The Tigers promoted Jung to Double-A Erie on July 25. He belted 14 home runs in 47 games in the Eastern League. At the two levels he hit 28 bombs while batting .265/.376/.502 in 128 games.
“I’m definitely more on time now,” said Jung, whom the Tigers drafted 12th overall out of Texas Tech in 2022. “The big thing with the leg kick now is staying balanced and staying under control, because sometimes you have a habit to get out on the front side.
“I think with the leg kick, it allows you to stay more balanced on your backside, and really allow you to get into that backside when you’re making contact.”
—EMILY WALDON
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1711362515/articles/x0Uu3Rq9E1711456602784/9871441193.jpg]
Swing Understanding Is Next For Melton
Jacob Melton’s hitting ability is the first thing that stood out when Astros farm director Jacob Buffa saw him play for Oregon State.
Melton is more than a hitter, though. The Astros envision the 6-foot-3, 208 pound Melton as a big league center fielder, and that’s where the 23-year-old is likely to see most of his playing time this season.
“I saw (Melton’s) swing in college,” Buffa said of the 2022 second-rounder. “My first thought was, ‘Wow this kid can hit.’ If you look at what he did in college, that’s got to be your first thought.
“When I saw him in person when he first got here, my first thought was that this kid is a far better athlete than I thought.”
Melton has steadily climbed the minor league ladder after signing. He reached Double-A Corpus Christi late last season after playing primarily for High-A Asheville. In 99 total games he hit .245/.334/.467 with 23 home runs and 46 stolen bases.
Melton hit .364 at OSU and has put together solid stretches of hitting in pro ball, but he must become more consistent.
“I think the big thing is hitters as they get through the system, we’d just love for Melton to start to understand himself a little bit better,” Buffa said. “So when he gets in slumps, he can anchor himself to what he does best.”
“I think the present power is there,” Buffa said. “I feel confident saying that he can slug.
“We believe he can also hit for average because he’s done it before, which is why I’m most excited for him to understand his own swing.”
Once Melton understands how to anchor to the positive attributes of his swing, the Astros are hopeful that he’ll have a better chance to avoid long slumps.
—JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ
Mitchell Is Determined To Defy The Odds
Drafting a high school catcher in the first round is generally considered a risk because of the high attrition rate at the position.
Blake Mitchell is determined to overcome those odds.
The Royals drafted the lefthanded-hitting catcher eighth overall last year out of Sinton (Texas) High. They believe Mitchell has what it takes to exceed expectations.
“He’s extremely gifted and talented,” Royals farm director/field coordinator Mitch Maier said. “The mental side and the preparation and the discipline at a young age have been really impressive, (just) to watch the way he goes about his work as a professional.”
Mitchell has steadily improved since first reporting to the Royals’ Arizona complex last July. In a 13-game pro debut in the Arizona Complex League he hit .147/.423/.177 with 17 walks and 14 strikeouts.
At the Royals’ fall instructional league program, Mitchell showed more ease of operation at the plate and began tapping into his raw power.
Mitchell spent his offseason working both at the Royals complex and at the Dynamic Sports Training facility in Tomball, Texas. Dynamic uses Proline Velocity balls, which are similar to what the Royals use for hitter training at their facilities.
Mitchell took great strides with his defense in his first six months as a pro, citing the fact that he was working daily on his catching instead of sporadically as he did in high school. He especially takes pride in how he connects with pitchers.
“I just tried to get as close to (the pitchers) as possible,” Mitchell said, “try to get a personal relationship with them, and just earn their trust (so) they can throw whatever pitch at any count.”
The Royals believe that Mitchell will be ready for the challenge of breaking camp with Low-A Columbia.
“He’s in a really good spot offensively, defensively and physically as he enters spring,” Maier said.
—BILL MITCHELL
Schanuel Keeps Working To Improve
First baseman Nolan Schanuel’s rise to the big leagues was meteoric.
Drafted 11th overall last year out of Florida Atlantic, Schanuel appeared in just 22 minor league games before the Angels called him up on Aug. 18.
He found his first taste of MLB to be pretty sweet. Schanuel reached base in all 29 games he played and showed elite plate discipline with a .402 on-base percentage. He hit .275 with one home run.
The Angels were so impressed by Schanuel’s bat-to-ball skills, solid defense and work ethic that they essentially handed him the first base job this winter.
“Nolan has earned the right to have the opportunity to come into camp and compete for the first base job,” Angels GM Perry
Minasian said, “but with all of our young players, we understand where they are in their development.
“Some might need a lot more at-bats. Some get off to a good start early, then struggle and come back.”
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Schanuel’s career took a dramatic turn when he was fitted for a contact lens to correct an astigmatism in his right eye as an FAU junior.
Schanuel struggled in the Cape Cod League in 2022, but he raked in 2023, when he led Division I with a 1.483 OPS and hit 19 homers in 59 games.
Schanuel switched from a toe-tap to a leg kick as a college freshman. He holds his hands high above his head in his setup but gets his bat through the hitting zone quickly and efficiently, with minimal extra movement in his swing.
He has more of a hit-over-power profile, but the Angels believe he’ll develop into a 20-homer hitter.
“Knowing him, he’s just never satisfied,” Minasian said. “If you ask him how his month in the big leagues went, he’d tell you it was a good experience and all those things, but it could have been better.
“That’s something we appreciate about him. We want that type of makeup in our clubhouse.”
—MIKE DiGIOVANNA
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1711362515/articles/x0Uu3Rq9E1711456602784/3811811121.jpg]
Jenkins Wows Twins In Pro Debut
Walker Jenkins picked up his phone during an evening flight last July to the Twins’ minor league headquarters in Fort Myers, Fla., shortly after signing for $7 million as the fifth overall pick in the draft.
He texted Twins vice president of scouting Sean Johnson and made a request.
As relayed by Twins VP for hitting and acquisitions Alex Hassan: “Sean contacted me in Florida and said, ‘(Jenkins) wants to hit when he gets there, say, around 12:30.’ I said, ‘OK, that’s great. Anything he needs.’
“It took a minute before I put it together—he meant that night. After midnight.”
Hassan drove to the complex and unlocked the players’ entrance. Shortly after Jenkins’ flight landed around 11:45 p.m., the North Carolina high school product arrived, carrying his bat bag.
Between flying to Minneapolis, having a physical and signing his contract, Jenkins hadn’t found time to hit for three days, “and he just wanted to get going,” Hassan said. “Which I respected, because when I was a player, I wanted to hit all the time, too. So I wanted to make it happen.”
The duo took cuts in a batting cage for about 45 minutes, the session ending well after 1 a.m. The 19-year-old Jenkins hasn’t stopped hitting yet.
He stroked an opposite-field double down the left-field line in his first at-bat as a professional and opened his career with a seven-game hitting streak.
When the Florida Complex League season ended, the Twins promoted Jenkins to Low-A Fort Myers, where he put up a 1.054 OPS in 12 games and covered plenty of ground in center field.
“Amazing athleticism, all five tools, every bit as advertised,” Twins farm director Drew
MacPhail said. “But his work ethic and professionalism, that might be the most impressive thing about him.”
Overall, Jenkins hit .352/.417/.571 with three home runs in 26 games—but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
In his pro debut, Jenkins swung and missed at a fastball only once—“and that was 100-plus (mph) from (Paul) Skenes,” the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft.
“He made contact on every fastball but one—just incredible.”
—PHIL MILLER
Hampton Rounds Out Arsenal Upper Levels
Chase Hampton is ready to take the next step.
The 22-year-old righthander made a meteoric rise last season after the Yankees drafted him in the sixth round in 2022 out of Texas Tech.
Hampton recorded a 3.63 ERA in 20 starts between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, striking out 145 in 106.2 innings.
He thrived in the first half but allowed 26 earned runs over his final 48 innings at Double-A before ultimately being shut down prior to the Eastern League playoffs.
“It was definitely just him getting used to his first full year in pro ball,” Yankees director of pitching Sam Briend said, explaining that Hampton nearly doubled his innings total from 56.2 as a college junior in 2022.
“But (Double-A) was a good jump for him. He was so dominant in Hudson Valley . . . so he didn’t really have to have an approach and didn’t have to move the ball around the zone as much.
“He could just go after guys and out-stuff them.”
In Somerset, Hampton got away from a fastball that Briend described as “one of the best—if not the best” in the Yankees’ system more than they would have liked. Instead he relied more on his cutter, while still developing a slider, curveball and changeup at the upper levels.
That process will continue at the upper levels in 2024. The organization remains confident that Hampton can contribute in MLB sooner rather than later.
“I think he’s a top-of-the-rotation starter when he’s at his best,” Briend said. “That’s the guy we all kind of envision him being.”
—MIKE ASHMORE
Wilson Intrigues By What He Could Become
While the Athletics like what they see in Jacob Wilson right now, they dream about what the 22-year-old shortstop will be once he puts on his “man strength.”
That is the term that A’s broadcaster Shooty Babbitt and other scouts use to indicate the muscle mass that comes with maturity—and time in the weight room. The weight room is just where the A’s want the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Wilson to spend a good deal of time as he blossoms.
Oakland drafted Wilson sixth overall out of Grand Canyon last year, mostly for his potential plus hit tool. Now, can he pair that with some power?
“He’s already put on some strength, and he’s going to put on more,” A’s hitting coordinator Jim Eppard said. “I’m a firm believer that if you’re not super strong and a linedrive hitter, when you get stronger, those gap balls are going out of the park.”
Eppard predicts that Wilson will reach at least average power as he progresses.
“I love his approach. He uses the whole field,” Eppard said. “He’s more of a line-drive hitter . . . He stays inside the ball and takes it to right field.”
Wilson is the son of all-star shortstop Jack Wilson. He grew up in Thousand Oaks, outside Los Angeles, before heading to GCU.
In three seasons in the Western Athletic Conference, Wilson hit .361 with 61 walks and 31 strikeouts in 155 games. He struck out just five times as a junior, when he hit six home runs.
Wilson hit .318/.378/.455 for High-A Lansing in his pro debut. He collected 10 extra-base hits and had 10 strikeouts.
“I think a lot of it is that he just doesn’t like striking out,” Eppard said.
While Wilson is big for a shortstop, Eppard said that he excels at the position. Part of the polishing process will be to improve his basestealing and speed.
“He’s a super kid,” Eppard said. “He comes to the cage with a smile on his face. He shows fire on the field. He’s competitive.”
—CASEY TEFERTILLER
Athleticism Helps Ford Adapt Quickly
Harry Ford is one of the more unusual prospects in baseball.
The 21-year-old catcher possesses a rare level of speed and athleticism for a backstop, along with a strong overall hitting profile and an above-average arm.
But during an impressive first two full seasons at Low-A Modesto and High-A Everett, it’s not just Ford’s on-field talent that has drawn lofty praise.
“His maturity over the last two years has been the thing that’s really stood out to me,” said Ryan Scott, who worked closely with Ford while coaching him in Modesto and managing him in Everett.
“The way he’s able to lead a pitcher-catcher meeting before a game, the way he goes about his work in the day to day, the way he prepares—all of that just speaks to the maturity that he’s shown.”
After starring for Great Britain in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Ford hit .257/.410/.430 with 15 home runs and 24 stolen bases in 118 games at Everett. He was the only catcher in the minors with at least 15 homers and 15 steals.
Ford continued to show great plate discipline in Everett, leading the Northwest League in on-base percentage and drawing nearly as many walks as strikeouts.
“His swing decisions are as elite as you’re gonna get,” Scott said. “And we’ve seen that across a couple different levels now to where that just hasn’t changed.”
Behind the plate, Ford has a strong arm and quick release. He has worked hard to refine other aspects of his catching repertoire since his 2021 first-round selection out of a suburban Atlanta high school.
Scott pointed to receiving as a major area of growth.
“He’s so receptive to feedback and coaching that he just takes things in,” Scott said. “And then with the athleticism that he possesses, he can just implement things like you wouldn’t believe.”
Ford is expected to begin the season at Double-A Arkansas.
“The biggest thing going forward is just to not lose sight of who he is and not trying to be anybody else,” Scott said. “If he’s able to do that, he’s gonna be really good for a really long time.”
—CAMERON VAN TIL
Isaac Could Be Just Scratching Surface
Many in the industry expressed surprise and skepticism when the Rays drafted high school first baseman Xavier Isaac 29th overall in 2022.
Because of injuries, Isaac had not played much on the showcase circuit the previous summer. He also raised concern based on his 6-foot-3, 240-pound frame and limited defensive upside.
But it didn’t take long for the Rays to come out looking good.
The 20-year-old Isaac turned in an impressive full-season debut at Low-A Charleston and High-A Bowling Green, hitting .285/.395/.521 with 19 home runs in 102 games. He drew 64 walks against 92 strikeouts.
Now the major question facing Isaac is how quickly he could reach the major leagues.
What is clear is that the time and effort put in by the Rays to learn more about Isaac at his North Carolina high school has paid off. That starts with area scouts and extends to crosscheckers, scouting supervisors and, ultimately, the front office for approving the $2,548,900 bonus.
“Our work on Xavier is a great example of a lot of different perspectives within a process playing a role,” Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said.
“There being trust in the people who work in our amateur space—and the great work was done among our staff—and a belief in the talent was established that was only supported further, upon us getting to know X and his family better.”
And even more so when they saw the commitment Isaac made, including to his body conditioning, to take full advantage of the opportunity.
“It’s nice to see him go out and perform at the level he has to date,” Neander said. “He is someone we believe is just scratching the surface of his potential, and he’d say the same thing.”
—MARC TOPKIN
Carter Stays Humble Amid Life Changes
Evan Carter still can’t believe how drastically his life has changed.
In January, the 21-year-old outfielder found himself signing autographs at a Dallas-area baseball card show. He signed more than 400 items before signing for fans who paid as much as $125 for his signature.
He was readying for spring training in relative obscurity the same time a year ago.
“I feel a little bit spoiled,” he said. Carter didn’t make his MLB debut until
Sept. 8 and then was a postseason standout as the Rangers won the first World Series in franchise history.
He’s now a big league star, even with 62 regular-season at-bats and 60 more in the postseason. But he understands that the nature of baseball can make him feel like a Class A player if he doesn’t keep working.
“No matter how good you’re doing, it’s got a funny way of showing you you’re not very good real quick,” Carter said. “(I try to) just have fun between the highs and lows and be able to stay as consistent as possible.”
Carter learned that early last season at Double-A Frisco, when he was hit in the wrist by a pitch and then smacked in nearly the same spot a week later on a pickoff throw.
He tried to play through the pain, which led to some bad swing habits and a trip to extended spring training to get straightened out.
In 108 minor league games he hit .288/.413/.450 with 13 home runs and 26 stolen bases.
While Carter hit .308 with 16 extra-base hits in his first 40 MLB games—including the postseason—he’s going struggle at times as a rookie, just as every hitter does.
“The ‘unknown factor’ is out now, and he knows he can play in the major leagues,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “He has that experience. (He knows) the kind of pitching he is going to have to handle and the defense he has to play.”
—JEFF WILSON
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1711362515/articles/x0Uu3Rq9E1711456602784/1111317884.jpg]
Tiedemann Learns That Less Can Be More
Ricky Tiedemann arrived at his second big league spring training camp eager to apply the lessons learned from a stop-andstart 2023 season.
The 21-year-old lefthander dealt with shoulder and biceps issues that limited him to just 44 minor league innings last year.
He added 18 more in the Arizona Fall League, which taught him “a lot when it comes to my own routines and habits throughout the year.”
Part of that is in scaling down his work between starts, rather than adding on, something Tiedemann did through osmosis while watching veterans at camp with the Blue Jays a year ago.
“Going out there once every five days is already a routine in itself, so you want to slow down a little bit in between,” Tiedemann said. “Last year I wasn’t doing that so much.
“I was continuously adding stuff rather than slowing it down and regrouping between starts. I’ve kind of honed that coming into this year.”
Tiedemann’s shoulder flared up at spring training last year before the biceps shut him down during his fourth outing in early May at Double-A New Hampshire. He didn’t get back into games until late July, and the Blue Jays tried to get him some catch-up with four more appearances in the AFL.
By then, the club’s top prospect started to find a consistency in routine, stuff and performance that had eluded him in a season that still ended with 82 strikeouts in 44 innings across three levels, including one start at Triple-A Buffalo.
“At the beginning of the year, everything was out of place, in a way. Not too much, but just a little bit off,” Tiedemann said. “But at the end of the year we got it locked in.
“Everything started falling into place routine-wise and everything started feeling good in between each start. That’s where I want to be this year.”
—SHI DAVIDI
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1711362515/articles/x0Uu3Rq9E1711456602784/1179148111.jpg]
D-backs Want Lawlar To Force Their Hand
The D-backs have aligned their roster in such a way that 21-year-old shortstop Jordan Lawlar might not be on it when Opening Day rolls around.
But they still very much expect their top prospect to figure into their future in a major way.
With shortstop Geraldo Perdomo coming off his best season and newcomer Eugenio Suarez expected to anchor third base, it is difficult to see a path for Lawlar to get everyday at-bats. At least at the outset.
The D-backs don’t want Lawlar to sit and stagnate, so all signs point to a likely opening assignment to Triple-A Reno.
“He just has to put the finishing touches on his game,” D-backs assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye said. “Some of that is going to come in the big leagues, obviously. Some of it may happen in the minors.
“That’s up to him. He’s going to press his way onto this team at some point.”
Lawlar is coming off a 2023 season in which he hit .278/.378/.496 with 20 home runs and 36 stolen bases in 105 games at Double-A Amarillo and Reno before making his MLB debut in September. He appeared in three postseason games, going 0-for-1 with a walk, as Arizona reached the World Series.
Lawlar struggled at the plate in the majors, going 4-for-31 with 11 strikeouts in limited play. That likely won’t be the case with his next big league opportunity.
“We don’t need him to watch and pinchrun anymore,” Sawdaye said. “We need to him to get consistent at-bats.”
Though Sawdaye said Lawlar could possibly see time at third base in Reno, he expects him to remain mostly at shortstop. Both he and Perdomo are flexible enough to thrive at a variety of positions.
“Guys who are that instinctual and that good of athletes” can play almost anywhere, Sawdaye said.
—NICK PIECORO
Waldrep Could Be On A Fast Track To Atlanta
It’s not an expectation, but it’s a possibility that 22-year-old righthander Hurston Waldrep will reach Atlanta this season.
The Braves drafted Waldrep out of Florida with the 24th overall pick last year. He pitched at all four of Atlanta’s full-season affiliates in his pro debut, recording a 1.53 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 29.1 innings.
The Braves, retooling their depleted minor league system, have taken pitchers in the first round of the past four drafts.
“We got a really athletic college starter with power stuff,” Braves scouting director Ronit Shah said. “He’s been 95-99 (mph) with two plus breaking balls and one of the best secondary pitches in the draft with his splitter.”
Waldrep pitched to a 3.68 ERA in three college seasons, the first two at Southern Mississippi before transferring to Florida. He helped the Gators reach the College World Series in 2023, when he finished third in the nation with 156 strikeouts.
The Braves had been following Waldrep since he was a South Georgia prep.
The splitter is undoubtedly Waldrep’s most effective pitch. Shah said the pitch “has a chance to miss a lot of bats at the big league level.” His fastball command is a work in progress and will largely determine how quickly he reaches the majors.
Four of Waldrep’s eight starts last season were made at Double-A or Triple-A. That type of rapid ascent indicates that he could be on the fast track to Atlanta.
It’s easy to envision Waldrep as a longterm piece in the Braves’ rotation. Spencer Strider is signed to a lengthy deal, but lefthander Max Fried is a free agent following the season. Charlie Morton is 40 years old and pitching year to year.
Certainly, Waldrep could become an integral part of the Braves’ rotation soon.
—GABE BURNS
Crow-Armstrong Knows Where To Focus Energy
A September callup provided 22-yearold outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong with a blueprint for where he must improve to contribute in Chicago this year.
He showed glimpses of why he is one of the best prospects in baseball during his three weeks in the majors. His highlight-reel catches in center field contrasted his struggles in the batter’s box.
“It’s no secret what I didn’t handle very well last year,” Crow-Armstrong said. “On the other side of things, the way I went about my work, based on who I listened to, set me up really well to know what I’ve got to do.
“Listening to the right people in the clubhouse and using my time correctly, I think that will take all the external stresses away from whatever I’m worrying about.”
Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs know pitchers exposed him on elevated fastballs, contributing to him going 0-for-14 with seven strikeouts in 13 games. But the Cubs won’t overreact to a slow offensive start to PCA’s major league career.
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer noted how former Cub Anthony Rizzo had a rocky MLB debut in 2011 with the Padres before a trade to Chicago.
“I still did what I was supposed to do in the sense of playing defense,” CrowArmstrong said.
There are no guarantees Crow-Armstrong begins the season in Chicago. Some of that depends on whether the Cubs re-sign center fielder Cody Bellinger.
Last season, Crow-Armstrong hit .283/.365/.511 with 20 home runs and 37 stolen bases in 107 games split between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. He heads into spring training focused on what he must do to improve.
“We complicate things so much as hitters and that’s because what we do is so hard,” Crow-Armstrong said. “We lose feel from time to time, but again the goal is to make that line flatter.”
—MEGHAN MONTEMURRO
Phillips Has Raw Stuff To Impact Rotation
Even in a league calibrated for pitchers with bat-missing stuff, righthander Connor Phillips stood out. His 39.1% strikeout rate for Double-A Chattanooga last season led all Southern League starters.
The 22-year-old continued to miss bats with Triple-A Louisville in July and August and then with Cincinnati in September.
Despite reaching the big leagues, not everything went smoothly in his ascent.
Phillips walked 3...
You're reading a preview of
Baseball America (Digital) - 1 Issue, March/April 2024