Brecht -- in 1st outing since '24 Draft -- wows at Spring Breakout
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sunday's Spring Breakout showcase was the perfect unveiling for Rockies No. 5 prospect Brody Brecht. A right-handed pitcher from the University of Iowa whom the Rockies selected 38th overall last summer, Brecht had a nice collegiate resume, an interesting backstory as a former wide receiver for the
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sunday's Spring Breakout showcase was the perfect unveiling for Rockies No. 5 prospect Brody Brecht.
A right-handed pitcher from the University of Iowa whom the Rockies selected 38th overall last summer, Brecht had a nice collegiate resume, an interesting backstory as a former wide receiver for the Hawkeyes and, of course, an attention-grabbing prospect ranking. But because he didn’t play in the Minors after being drafted, he was seen only on the back fields during instructional ball and Minor League camp.
After Brecht’s spotless, two-strikeout inning in the Rockies prospects' 3-1 victory over the White Sox prospects at Camelback Ranch, a wider audience should want to see more from him.
Brecht, 22, was more than eager for his breakout.
“It’s been a long offseason -- a long time without a game -- especially after not going [to a Minor League team] after the Draft,” Brecht said. “So I was really excited to go out there and play the game.”
Brecht replaced starter Gabriel Hughes (who threw two scoreless innings) and came back from a 2-0 count to fan White Sox No. 29 prospect Wilfred Veras swinging, authored another swinging K of Tim Elko and worked Chicago's No. 10 prospect George Wolkow into a fly ball to right field.
Out of the six swings he induced, Brecht coaxed four whiffs, a foul ball and Wolkow’s fly ball.
“I just wanted to establish a fastball and let everything else play off that -- let the slider work, let the splitter go to work, too,” Brecht said. “Just attack the zone, get ahead early and then everything else plays off each other.”
It’s not just Minor League fans and Rockies Nation who want to see more of Brecht.
“I absolutely loved his arm action, snapping that breaking ball really well,” said Double-A Hartford manager Bobby Meacham, who managed the Rockies' Spring Breakout club. “I could tell how happy he was to be out there healthy and pitching in a game like this. It must’ve been a ton of fun.”
📩 SUBSCRIBE TO THE BASEBALL TRAVELER NEWSLETTER
THREE MORE TAKEAWAYS FROM SPRING BREAKOUT
• Hughes (Colorado's No. 16 prospect) rounded out the impression: Many in Rockies camp were taken by Hughes’ intellectually curious manner, and impressed by the way he has been gradually rebuilding his off-speed pitches since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023.
But after each of his innings -- the two-strikeout first inning and a second-inning that featured a double-play grounder from MLB Pipeline's No. 39-ranked prospect Colson Montgomery -- Hughes was quite animated as he left the mound. He is as competitive as he is cerebral.
“I’m never going to back down the intensity,” Hughes said. “That’s just how I play, and I was happy to be able to go out and showcase that intensity.
“It’s incredible being around guys that I’m going to be moving up with, playing with in the future. And we came out with a win.”
• Amador (Rockies' No. 7 prospect) shows his full game: Considering Adael Amador’s bat-to-ball skills and strike-zone control, it's no surprise that he boasts a .472 on-base percentage and .805 OPS in 16 Cactus League games this spring.
While Amador is more a gap hitter than a power hitter, he knocked 14 homers in Hartford last year and showed off his power with a two-run homer off Riley Gowens in the sixth inning Sunday.
But the lasting impression came when Amador ranged to his left to nab Montgomery’s grounder to start a double play in the second. Amador moved from shortstop last year, but he took much of the season to find a level of comfort.
After bulking up last year, Amador lost movement and flexibility and dealt with oblique issues. The new Amador looks the part of a second baseman.
“I love that kid,” said Meacham, who managed Amador last season and made developing him as a second baseman a personal project. “He worked his butt off and I could see that coming into Spring Training. I saw him the first day and was like, ‘Wow. He looks great, looks like he lost a little weight.’ Then the first time I saw him fielding ground balls, I was like, ‘He’s been working on some of the stuff.’”
• Remember these arms: In 2023, righty prospect Jordy Vargas (No. 14 in the Rockies' system) joined Hughes and Rockies rotation members Germán Márquez and Antonio Senzatela in undergoing Tommy John surgeries from Rangers physician Dr. Keith Meister over one of the darkest periods in Rockies history. Now healthy, Vargas threw a clean, 13-pitch seventh inning.
“I didn’t know much about him, but I saw him pitch once earlier this spring and it was a ‘Who is that guy?’ kind of thing,” Meacham said. “It’s so fun to see guys have success after going through that full year of work coming back from surgery.”
Lefty reliever Welinton Herrera (No. 23) entered with two out and two on in the fifth and fanned White Sox No. 8 prospect Chase Meidroth.
“He’s kind of flown under the radar with people outside of the Rockies, not us,” Rockies pitching strategist Flint Wallace said of Herrera, 20, who struck out 92 in 62 1/3 combined innings with Single-A Fresno and High-A Spokane last year.
Senior Reporter Thomas Harding has covered the Rockies since 2000, and for MLB.com since 2002.
Toolshed: Recent noteworthy FSL seasons
This space started honoring the short-season leagues after their respective campaigns were delayed in June. Now, following the cancellation of all Minor League Baseball in 2020, we're turning it into an appreciation of the full-season circuits as well. So Toolshed is revisiting the 10 most notable individual seasons put together
Florida State League Announces Hall of Fame Class of 2020
July 22, 2020 Vero Beach, Florida — Florida State League President, Terry Reynolds, has announced the 2020 inductee class for enshrinement into the Florida State League Hall of Fame. “Our 2020 class is one of the most decorated in our Hall of Fame history. The class includes one former and
2020 Minor League Baseball season shelved
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Major League Baseball™ (MLB™) has informed Minor League Baseball™ (MiLB™) that it will not be providing its affiliated Minor League teams with players for the 2020 season. As a result, there will not be a Minor League Baseball season in 2020. "These are unprecedented times for
Did you know? Florida State League edition
When it comes to size, scope and longevity, few, if any, sporting bodies can rival Minor League Baseball. With 160 teams in nearly as many markets, there are innumerable nooks and crannies to explore. This marks the eighth installment in a 14-part series dedicated to such explorations, providing one unique,
FSL announces Covid-19 relief efforts in all cities
Today the Florida State League announced that all its member teams will be participating in a League wide effort to support Covid-19 relief. The 12 teams have partnered with LiveSource to set up an auction site that will make bidding for auction items a simple and efficient process. The collectible
Mussels come up mighty during COVID-19 testing
FORT MYERS, Florida -- Things were finally starting to get back to a semblance of normal for general manager Judd Loveland and employees of the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. After a month of working from home due to the statewide shutdown from the COVID-19 pandemic, Loveland began going back into
Florida State League All-Star Game cancelled
The Florida State League announced today that the 2020 Florida State League All-Star Game, hosted by the Daytona Tortugas and scheduled for June 23 at Historic Jackie Robinson Ballpark has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
A message from Pat O'Conner
March 13, 2020Dear Minor League Baseball Fans,As you may be aware, with the closure of Spring Training camps in Arizona and Florida in response to the coronavirus outbreak across the country, the Minor League Baseball season will not start on April 9 as planned.
Florida State League statement on coronavirus outbreak
Florida State League President Terry Reynolds said "The FSL will be following the guidelines as outlined in the statement issued by MiLB and as we receive additional guidance we will provide it to our fans."
Florida State League Hall of Fame Event and Fall Meetings coming to Jupiter in October
The Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals will serve as hosts for the 2020 Florida State League Fall Meetings & Hall of Fame Dinner. This will be the first time West Palm Beach hosts the distinguished meetings after Clearwater served as the hosting site since 2015.The League Fall Meetings will
Florida State League launches new logo
Clearwater, Fla. -- On Thursday, the Florida State League released a new look for the circuit as it enters its 101st year.The new Florida State League logo features a baseball sunburst over a silhouette of the Sunshine State in colors that are frequently associated with Florida and was created by
Miracle morph into the Mighty Mussels
After 28 seasons as the Miracle, Fort Myers' Florida State League team is coming out of its shell. The Mighty Mussels have washed ashore. The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels name was unveiled to the public during a ballpark news conference Tuesday morning, alongside a logo set featuring the titular brawny bivalves
Twins' Costello found dead in New Zealand
Minnesota Twins infield prospect Ryan Costello died overnight in Auckland, New Zealand, his Australian Baseball League team announced early Monday. He was 23.
Reynolds named FSL President
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Florida State League today announced longtime baseball executive Terry Reynolds will become the league's new president on Jan. 1, 2020. Reynolds will take over for retiring league president Ken Carson, who ran the league for the past five seasons.Reynolds, who has served as special assistant to
Larnach caps season with Twins' honor
Trevor Larnach burned his way through two Minor League levels in his first full professional season, capturing midseason and end-of-season All-Star recognition as well as the Florida State League's MVP award. With the campaign in the books, he added to his haul Sunday.The Twins named MLB.com's No. 78 overall prospect their 2019
FSL announces 2019 executive awards
CLEARWATER, Florida -- Florida State League President Ken Carson and the FSL Awards Committee today announced the winners of the 2019 Florida State League Annual Awards.CHUCK MURPHY EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR: Andrew Seymour, General Manager of the Palm Beach Cardinals, has been named the Executive of the Year Award winner
FSL cancels weekend series, 2019 playoffs
Florida State League President Ken Carson announced today that the Florida State League final weekend series and postseason will be canceled because of the threat of Hurricane Dorian's potential impact."This was a tough decision to make," said Carson. "The safety of our players, staff, umpires and fans are top priority
Larnach, Romero grab top FSL awards
The Florida State League may be known as a pitchers' league, but the biggest names on this year's list of honorees are reserved for those on the hitting side.Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach (Fort Myers) and Rays right-hander Tommy Romero (Charlotte) were named Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, as
Balazovic puts up five zeros for Miracle
Jordan Balazovic put an exclamation point on a breakout regular season.The fourth-ranked Twins prospect gave up two hits and struck out nine over five scoreless innings Wednesday, but Class A Advanced Fort Myers dropped a 2-1 decision to Dunedin in the first game of a doubleheader at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium.
Orimoloye Shell-Shocks the Tortugas with Two Home Runs in Win and Jimenez Records Second Save
Clearwater- Maximo Castillo had a strong beginning to the game allowing just two hits through the first two innings. The offense helped out in a big way with a Reggie Pruitt double to begin the game. A walk by Ryan Noda set the table for Demi Orimoloye. For the second
Late comeback falls short in 7-5 loss to Miracle
FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 21, 2019) - Wander Franco reached base four times and the Stone Crabs mounted a late comeback, but the Fort Myers Miracle held on for a 7-5 win at Hammond Stadium.With Charlotte (77-50, 42-19) trailing 7-3 entering the ninth inning, Zac Law singled to start the
Marauders' Swaggerty goes deep twice
Travis Swaggerty is having the best month of his career. The latest proof -- his first multi-homer game as a pro, which pushed Class A Advanced Bradenton past Lakeland, 3-2, on Saturday night at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium -- was the most emphatic power surge he's displayed since
Crabs' Franco posts season-high four hits
The top of the lineup was menacing for the Stone Crabs on Sunday afternoon, and Wander Franco was in the center of it all.MLB.com's top overall prospect notched his first four-hit game of the season and scored three times as Class A Advanced Charlotte romped past Tampa, 9-0, at George
Jays' Woods Richardson makes new home
Simeon Woods Richardson was in the car with his parents on the way to report to the Mets' Class A Advanced affiliate in Port St. Lucie -- ready for his promotion to the Florida State League -- when he got word from his agent that he should stay close to
Rays' Ryan notches career-high 13 K's
Joe Ryan wasn't just good on Wednesday afternoon. He was close to being perfect.The Rays' No. 16 prospect struck out a career-high 13 batters and allowed just one hit over seven innings before Class A Advanced Charlotte bested Bradenton, 2-0, in the eighth frame of a seven-inning game at Charlotte