'Great year of baseball' for Caglianone includes stamp of approval from Witt Jr.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- When the Royals selected Jac Caglianone with the sixth overall pick in July, fans and the front office alike saw the vision: a power-hitting middle-of-the-order bat with prolific collegiate slugging exploits teaming with Bobby Witt Jr. at the heart of the lineup for years to come. Those
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
AFL's Saguaros have the best record -- and the best celly
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Watching Chase DeLauter hit a double can be a thing of beauty. And at the Arizona Fall League this season, the entertainment didn't stop when he got to second. MLB's No. 41 prospect, as well as his Surprise Saguaros teammates, would strike a saguaro cactus-like pose to
Witt's wedding party is in the cards for Angels' Britt
MESA, Ariz. -- Three years into his Major League career, Bobby Witt Jr. has already had 2,035 regular-season plate appearances. That’s a lot of chances to make an impression. But when it comes to your wedding, you only get one chance to hit it out of the park.
Arizona Fall League Week 5 top performers
Here are the top performers from the fifth week of AFL action:
Fall League sluggers light up the night in Home Run Derby
The 2024 Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby lived up to its billing with a last-second long ball to close things out. Yankees prospect Garrett Martin finished with a flourish in the final round, hitting his 10th tater of the session to inch past Brewers No. 8 prospect Brock Wilken
Arizona Fall League Week 4 top performers
Here are the top performers from the fourth week of AFL action:
Trekking parallel paths, Caglianone & Kurtz heating up in desert
PEORIA, Ariz. -- The similarities between Nick Kurtz and Jac Caglianone are almost too numerous to recount. Both are left-handed-hitting first basemen with a ton of power. Both played for a big-time Division I program: Kurtz at Wake Forest, Caglianone at Florida. Both made it to the 2023 College World
KC roots add motivation, not pressure, for Royals prospect Jensen
MESA, Ariz. -- The “local kid done good” plot is an age-old storyline that everyone loves. But it can be easier said than done, with the expectations coming with it being too much for a young player to shoulder. Carter Jensen doesn’t seem to mind it so much. A Kansas
Caglianone, Jensen offering glimpse of Royals' bright future this fall
SURPRISE, Ariz. – Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen just missed each other during the summer. Jensen was promoted from High-A Quad Cities to Double-A Northwest Arkansas on July 18, four days after the Royals selected Caglianone sixth overall in the Draft. The former Florida star joined the River Bandits on
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.
Road to The Show™: Royals’ Mitchell
Each week, MiLB.com profiles an elite prospect by chronicling the steps he's taken toward achieving his Major League dream. Here's a look at second-ranked Royals prospect Blake Mitchell. For more stories about players on The Road to The Show, click here. Blake Mitchell’s numbers from his first full Minor League
Storm Chasers, Space Cowboys meet for Triple-A crown
While Storm Chasers vs. Space Cowboys sounds like a summer blockbuster, it's gearing up to be a fall classic. Omaha (Royals) and Sugar Land (Astros) square off in a single-game Triple-A National Championship at 10:07 p.m. ET on Saturday at Las Vegas Ballpark, airing on MLB Network. This will be
Omaha chases down history with International League crown
Longevity certainly has its perks. Just ask Triple-A Omaha and manager Mike Jirschele. As the ball settled into center fielder Drew Waters' glove for the final out, the Storm Chasers not only clinched their first International League championship, they accomplished something no other Triple-A club has ever done before. Omaha
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
Here are the weirdest stats and plays from the past month in the Minors
Welcome to Crooked Numbers, a monthly column dedicated to Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. The edition, rounding up the month of August, features RBI explosions, epic sweeps, same-named individuals and, of course, much more. Keeping track of this type of thing is a team effort, so get in
Newest River Bandit Caglianone hits one into river
After setting the single-season (35) and career (75) home run records at Florida this year, it was a matter of time before Jac Caglianone brought his light-tower power to the Minors. He just didn't draw up his first professional home run looking like this. The sixth overall pick in July's
Caglianone to make pro debut with River Bandits
KANSAS CITY -- Jac Caglianone, the Royals’ first-round Draft pick, will make his professional debut on Tuesday for High-A Quad Cities. After he was selected No. 6 overall in last month’s MLB Draft, Caglianone officially signed with the Royals on July 24 and headed to Arizona the next day to
Get au naturel with Ben in Northwest Arkansas
This is an excerpt from the latest edition of the Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter, bringing Minor League Baseball business and culture news to your inbox each and every Thursday. Check out the full newsletter HERE. The following ballpark road trip recap is presented by Wyndham, proud sponsor of Minor League
Omaha, Sugar Land aim for MiLB history
At the end of the first half, it seemed like two Triple-A clubs might challenge for the ever-elusive 100-win season.
These are the best ballpark promos in July
Welcome to Promo Preview, a monthly roundup of Minor League Baseball promotions to look forward to. Incendiary Independence Day ballpark spectacles are now in the rearview mirror, but July has plenty more in store. Highlights include meaty aromas, computer-generated jerseys and taking it easy on the water. Jump in.
The weirdest MiLB stats, plays from May
Welcome to Crooked Numbers, a monthly column dedicated to Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. This edition, covering the month of May, features reptile cameos, offensive explosions, oppositional surnames and, of course, much more. Keeping track of this type of thing is a team effort, so get in touch
Mitchell squares up first pro homer for Columbia
Blake Mitchell knew he just missed. In the bottom of the sixth inning in Single-A Columbia’s game against Myrtle Beach on Saturday night, the Royals’ 2023 first-round Draft pick saw back-to-back offerings in the sweet spot of the strike zone. Kansas City’s No. 1 prospect took a mighty swing, but
Check out these five MiLB alternate identities
This is an excerpt from the latest edition of the Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter, bringing Minor League Baseball business and culture news to your inbox each and every Thursday. Check out the full newsletter HERE. The season is imminent and yet new alternate identities just keep on coming. Here are
Ben's Biz: Triple-A promotional night highlights
This is an excerpt from the latest edition of the Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter, bringing Minor League Baseball business and culture news to your inbox each and every Thursday. Check out the full newsletter HERE.