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Spring Breakout returns for 2025!

See all of the matchups for next year's prospect showcase
@SamDykstraMiLB
August 15, 2024

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

Watch Robinson in Spring Training at Daytona Beach in 1946
@SamDykstraMiLB
June 25, 2024

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

@SamDykstraMiLB
June 25, 2024

This story was excerpted from MLB Pipeline's newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Rickwood Field road trip -- Part III

Epic conclusion of the journey to legendary Rickwood Field
@SamDykstraMiLB
June 22, 2024

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

Exploring Mobile and Montgomery before Rickwood Field
@SamDykstraMiLB
June 21, 2024

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

Stops at Daytona Beach and Jacksonville en route to Alabama
@SamDykstraMiLB
June 20, 2024

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

Rays No. 10 prospect pens fitting tribute to legendary Hall of Famer
@SamDykstraMiLB
June 19, 2024

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

Cardinals right-hander baffling FSL hitters with mystifying pitch
@SamDykstraMiLB
May 28, 2024

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

MLB's No. 3 prospect dives into what makes his pitches so filthy
@SamDykstraMiLB
May 8, 2024

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

Adjustment in stance pays off for Yankees' No. 2 prospect
@SamDykstraMiLB
May 6, 2024

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

Top '24 international prospect bumped up at 17 years old
@SamDykstraMiLB
April 21, 2024

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

Top Pirates prospect ties career high in strikeouts for Indians
@SamDykstraMiLB
April 18, 2024

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

It didn't take long for these squads to get in the swing of things
@SamDykstraMiLB
April 9, 2024

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

No. 3 Red Sox prospect learning from catching coach Jason Varitek
@SamDykstraMiLB
March 15, 2024

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

Ranking the 10 best prospect showdowns expected this weekend
@SamDykstraMiLB
March 14, 2024

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

Tickets, special rules and more as Minor Leaguers take big stage
@SamDykstraMiLB
March 6, 2024

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

Six organizations that made the biggest leap in 2023
@SamDykstraMiLB
December 27, 2023

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

All 30 MLB clubs will assemble rosters filled with best prospects
@SamDykstraMiLB
December 13, 2023

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

Red Sox prospect dominates two months removed from indy ball
@SamDykstraMiLB
October 10, 2023

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

33 prospects met or exceeded 20-HR, 20-SB plateau this year
@SamDykstraMiLB
September 26, 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?

O's Holliday, Dodgers' Busch, Rays' Caminero finalists for award
@SamDykstraMiLB
September 24, 2023

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

No. 13 prospect stays hot in Sept. as Rays affiliate punches ticket
@SamDykstraMiLB
September 17, 2023

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

Mets right-hander fans 6 in 6 no-hit frames for Rumble Ponies
@SamDykstraMiLB
September 1, 2023

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

Youngsters put best foot forward during annual summer showcase
@SamDykstraMiLB
July 26, 2023

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

MLB Draft comes to a close with 10 final rounds of selections
@SamDykstraMiLB
July 11, 2023

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