Spring Breakout returns for 2025!
Remember Paul Skenes squaring off against Jackson Holliday on opening night of the inaugural Spring Breakout? Pitching in his first Spring Training, the 2023 No. 1 overall pick struck out the 2022 No. 1 overall pick while showcasing a fastball up to 101.7 mph, a 90.4 mph splinker and a
Check out newfound footage of Jackie Robinson
Always bring your camera to the ballpark. You never know what historic moment you’ll capture. That’s what Robert Bates Sr. learned – and taught the rest of us – 78 years ago. Filming his sons George and Robert Jr. as batboys on April 2, 1946, the elder Bates also recorded
Here are 11 first-half Minor League MVPs
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Rickwood Field road trip -- Part III
Birmingham’s Rickwood Field – the oldest professional baseball stadium in America, standing since 1910, and the former home of the Negro American League’s Birmingham Black Barons – hosted Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball games this week, and on the way to the hallowed ground, MLB Pipeline took a
Rickwood Field road trip -- Part II
Birmingham’s Rickwood Field – the oldest professional baseball stadium in America, standing since 1910, and the former home of the Negro American League’s Birmingham Black Barons – hosted Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball games this week, and on the way to the hallowed ground, MLB Pipeline took a
Rickwood Field road trip -- Part I
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – When the Negro Leagues Statistical Review Committee – containing baseball historians and journalists as well as former executives and players – released its findings last month that led to the incorporation of Negro Leagues stats into the Major League database, it made sure to highlight how fans
Simpson electrifies during MiLB at Rickwood Field
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Chandler Simpson was on his way back toward the field when he heard the news. The Double-A Montgomery center fielder tweaked his calf while trying to make a play in the bottom of the seventh inning and had exited the game with the team trainer. Simpson was
Palm Beach's Giulianelli throws screwy screwball
It’s the screwball seen ‘round the world. Cardinals pitching prospect Ettore Giulianelli has one of the funkiest breaking balls in Minor League Baseball, and one such pitch in particular has caught the internet’s attention.
Indy's Skenes breaks down his wicked arsenal
INDIANAPOLIS -- Paul Skenes was a national champion at LSU. He became a No. 1 overall pick with the Pirates in 2023. He’s been the Minors’ most dominant pitcher at Triple-A Indianapolis to begin 2024. And in many ways, he still thinks like that catcher calling pitches for Air Force
Jones lowers hands, raises potential
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – Spencer Jones spent a good chunk of his offseason working out with and talking to pitchers, particularly his fellow Vanderbilt alums in Nashville. One night, he chatted with good friend and former Commodores teammate Jack Leiter over dinner, and he got a little jealous. “He said, ‘Man,
Padres' De Vries heading to Lake Elsinore
The Padres signed the top prospect of his international class. They brought him over stateside in his first professional spring, and his Minor League debut will come at a full-season level. Sound familiar?
Stellar Skenes fans 8, extends scoreless streak
INDIANAPOLIS -- Thursday night brought another Paul Skenes start, and that meant more triple-digit heat, more strikeouts, more zeros in the runs column … and another relatively abbreviated outing for the top pitching prospect in baseball. In his fourth outing of the young season, MLB Pipeline’s No. 3 overall prospect
Don't sleep on these loaded MiLB teams
Following last Friday’s second Opening Day, all four full-season levels of Minor League Baseball are officially playing their 2024 regular seasons. That has given us a few days to take in and digest rosters across Triple-A, Double-A, High-A and Single-A to determine the best of the best. Some are loaded
First-round pick Teel showing traits of Boston great
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- It’s impossible to avoid ruminating on the parallels. Two former All-ACC first-team catchers. Two 14th overall picks. Two players who reached Double-A in their first tastes of the Minor Leagues. One is just getting his career started with the Red Sox. The other won two World
Must-see matchups we'll see at Spring Breakout
Some of the best Spring Training matchups don’t come in the Cactus or Grapefruit League. They’re on the backfields, where prospects square off away from the bright lights and sharpen their tools against each other as they work to be the future stars of the game. This year, Spring Breakout
Everything to know about Spring Breakout
One of the great joys of the annual All-Star Futures Game is the chance to put some of the game’s top prospects on one field in the middle of the summer and let them show off the tools that make them the future of baseball. But what if instead of
This season's most improved farm systems
We talk about breakout prospects all the time, like Ethan Salas going from being a 16-year-old new signee to a Double-A player in just a few months or Junior Caminero starting the season outside the Top 100 and ending it at No. 6 (and likely higher by the time of
Spring Breakout! Prospect showcase to debut in March
For those looking to check in on prospects each spring, you’re typically best served heading to the backfields of the Spring Training facilities across Arizona and Florida or sticking around for the latter innings of Cactus and Grapefruit League games for a few stray pitches or at-bats. But what if
Penrod's amazing story continues in Fall League
MESA, Ariz. -- Zach Penrod's story is one of the best of this year's Arizona Fall League. It added another chapter Monday night. The Red Sox left-hander struck out five and scattered one hit and two walks over four scoreless innings in Glendale's 2-0 win over Mesa at Sloan Park.
That's 20-20 vision! Minors set record in 2023
The decade of the 2020s is turning out to be the decade of the 20/20s. Thirty-three Minor League players met or exceeded the 20-homer, 20-steal plateau during the 2023 season, beating out the previous record (since data first became available in 1958) total of 27 set just last year. Most
Who will be MiLB Hitting Prospect of the Year?
The nominations continue. Last week, we announced the three finalists for the MiLB Pitching Prospect of the Year. Now, it’s time to turn our attention to the batters, with three Hitting Prospect of the Year candidates. These finalists were determined by MLB Pipeline staff, which considered many worthy performers from
Auer's 2-run tater sends Biscuits back to playoffs
BILOXI, Miss. -- Mason Auer knows a thing or two about playing for a Minor League championship. He helped lead High-A Bowling Green to a 2022 South Atlantic League title and deserves credit for his contributions to Carolina League champ Single-A Charleston in the first half of the same campaign.
Unhittable Suarez nabs spotlight in Bingo debut
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- Thursday’s Double-A Binghamton-Harrisburg game was meant to be a showcase for bats. Six Top 100 prospects were split evenly between hosts Binghamton (Luisangel Acuña, Drew Gilbert, Kevin Parada) and visitors Harrisburg (Dylan Crews, James Wood, Brady House), and each of the half-dozen plied their trades at the
Future shines bright at Appy League All-Star Game
KINGSPORT, Tenn. -- The 2021 Appalachian League All-Star Game ended with a home run derby, and the 2022 edition concluded with a walk-off single in the 10th. The latest version of the wood-bat collegiate circuit’s midsummer classic was a less powerful, but equally exciting contest. The West took home a
Clubs search for hidden gems on Day 3
With the first two days of the 2023 MLB Draft already completed, the most-hyped names were already off the board. But there's always game-changing talent available throughout the Draft, which concluded on Tuesday with Rounds 11-20. Five of this year’s All-Stars were taken and signed in the 10th round or