8 stats to remember from the 2024 Arizona Fall League
There’s no denying that the 2024 Arizona Fall League season was historic. There was a little bit of everything in the desert, with record books being rewritten during the 32nd year of prospects putting their skills on display. It’s always difficult to gauge just how significant six weeks' worth of
Here's the 2024 All-Arizona Fall League Team
Season No. 32 of the Arizona Fall League is in the books, with the Salt River Rafters beating the Surprise Saguaros, 3-2, in the Championship Game on Saturday. It was another fall full of top prospects and top performances. Below is the 2024 MLB Pipeline All-AFL Team. This is based
8 prospects who stood out in the AFL Championship Game
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- And just like that, the curtain has fallen on the 2024 Fall League campaign. The Salt River Rafters thwarted the Surprise Saguaros’ attempt at a three-peat in unconventional fashion as the road club in their home park (by virtue of Surprise finishing with the regular season’s best
A master of deception, Rockies prospect Justice makes Fall League history
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- When the Arizona Fall League season got underway on Oct. 7, it offered participants a chance to hit reset on their Minor League statistics. For Evan Justice, that was a welcome reprieve on a year where not much went right on the hill. But nearly everything went
These rookies could win a Gold Glove in '25
Defense is increasingly becoming a young man’s game. From 1957, the year they were first handed out, to 2012, only nine rookies won Rawlings Gold Glove Awards. The same amount have captured the game’s top defensive prize since 2013, including six in the past three seasons alone. Red Sox right
Here are 10 of the top Minor League jerseys in 2024
Fans typically buy a sports jersey because of who's wearing it. But in the Minor Leagues, what’s on a jersey can often mean so much more. Teams have a way of making fans part of franchises by bringing local culture into their jersey and theme nights. “It's taking pride in
Lifelong Rox fan Messinger cherishes chance to don purple pinstripes
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Niwot, Colorado, boasts a population just north of 4,000 residents, a figure that has remained largely unchanged since the turn of the century. Named for a 19th-century Arapaho tribal leader, the historic town that sits just off Highway 119 was where Skyler Messinger plied his craft on
Well-rounded Ritter leads Rockies' representatives in Fall League
Coming out of the University of Kentucky, Ryan Ritter had a reputation as a glove-first shortstop who could really defend at the next level, but there were questions about his impact at the plate after hitting .280/.350/.423 in two seasons with the Wildcats. The Rockies thought there was enough there
Here are the weirdest stats, plays from the final month of the MiLB season
Welcome to Crooked Numbers, a monthly column dedicated to Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. The edition, rounding up the month of September, encapsulates the end of the regular season as well as the playoffs. Thanks for reading this season, and here's to an even more "Crooked" 2025.
Here's the '24 All-MiLB Prospect Team
Just think of some of the big numbers put up in the Minors this year -- 40 homers, 104 stolen bases, 202 strikeouts -- and they’re just the tip of the iceberg. Terrific performances came in a variety of shapes and sizes during the 2024 Minor League season. To celebrate
Here are 5 must-visit ballparks for Minor League playoff games
The MLB Postseason opens with Wild Card games on Oct. 1, but eager fans can go ahead and get into playoff mode right now. At the Rookie and A-ball levels, titles have already been decided or will be in the next couple days. At the Double-A and Triple-A levels, the
'Spokane needed a title': Indians snap championship drought
For the first time since 2008, the Spokane Indians took home the Northwest League title after a back-and-forth Championship Series against the 2023 victors, the Vancouver Canadians. After three one-run games, Game 4 followed the same script. Knotted at 1 after nine innings, Vancouver struck first in the top of
Former college roommates clash at Triple-A
College football season officially kicked off on Saturday, and at its Midwest epicenter in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the reigning national-champion Wolverines toppled Fresno State. Fifteen hundred miles away in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a pair of former Michigan athletes celebrated the victory and their own momentous occasion. Tommy Henry and Karl
Here are the 10 farm systems with the best outfield prospects
Last week, we looked at the top farm systems based on infield talent. This week, let’s go from the dirt to the grass. Below is a ranking of the top 10 organizations when it comes to those who patrol the outfield, using a combination of top-end Top 100 talent and
Dollander continues domination for Hartford with latest double-digit K outing
This week on the MLB Pipeline Podcast and in Jonathan Mayo’s inbox, the question came up: Is right-hander Chase Dollander the best pitching prospect in Rockies history? With the way he's pitching, there might not be much time left for the debate to rage on. But no matter where you
Here are the 2024 Rookie-level All-Stars and award winners
As the four full-season levels of Minor League Baseball enter the last leg of their 2024 campaigns, award season is officially upon us. Kicking off the festivities is the Rookie-level leagues. Starting in the Arizona Complex League, Rockies outfielder Robert Calaz took home MVP honors, with San Francisco’s Jacob Bresnahan
Condon gets first HR out of way on 4-hit night
One 0-fer was enough for Charlie Condon. After going hitless in his professional debut on Tuesday night, the No. 3 pick in last month's Draft hit his first home run and finished with four hits to help lead High-A Spokane past Tri-City, 7-0, on Wednesday at Gesa Stadium. The University
Hats all folks: Top MiLB caps at the Futures Game
This year's Futures Game featured more old-fashioned, Minor League-style fun than ever, and the most visible addition was one fans could see at every moment. Each of the 45 players who appeared in the game wore on his head the cap of his Minor League team. As a result, some
The weirdest MiLB stats, plays from June
Welcome to Crooked Numbers, a monthly column dedicated to Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. The June edition features a doubles deluge, oppositional surnames, way too many walks and, of course, much more. Keeping track of this type of thing is a team effort, so get in touch if
Round 1: Former Gators both get bragging rights
As Sterlin Thompson rounded the bases after smacking a seventh-inning homer off Brandon Sproat, the highly touted right-hander gave his former Gators teammate a little nod. Sproat and Thompson played together at the University of Florida from 2021-22 before the Rockies selected Thompson 31st overall in the 2022 Draft and
Indians Clinch Northwest League First-Half Title
The only thing that could slow Spokane's pursuit of a Northwest League first-half title was—you guessed it—more rain in Vancouver. After showers delayed the start of Sunday's game for over 90 minutes, the Indians (36-24) emerged triumphant in 10 innings, 5-4, to clinch a return to the postseason for the
MiLB pays homage to the Negro Leagues in June
On June 18, America's oldest professional ballpark will host a Double-A game between the Montgomery Biscuits and Birmingham Barons with MiLB at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues. This game, with Montgomery suiting up as the Gray Sox and Birmingham playing as the Black Barons, will kick off
These are the best June ballpark promos
Welcome to Promo Preview, a monthly round-up of Minor League Baseball promotions to look forward to. June highlights include iconic socks, bipedal cows, regional food battles and, of course, much more. Dive in.
Yard Goats' Amador busts out with career day
In a game that contained 29 runs on 33 hits -- including 13 for extra bases -- Adael Amador stood out among the rest on Saturday. The top Rockies prospect balled out for a career day for Double-A Hartford as he collected five knocks -- including a pair of dingers
Here are the top switch-hitters in the Minors
In an era that places a premium on platoon advantages, switch-hitters can be the most versatile members of a lineup -- even if they've become increasingly hard to find. Over the past four seasons, the number of switch-hitting batters in the Majors has slowly ticked down from 10.7 percent in