FSL notes: Tampa's Solak hard to ignore
It didn't draw much attention that Nick Solak wasn't included when Florida State League All-Star rosters were announced at the beginning of June. The Tampa second baseman's omission was no longer easily overlooked, though, by the time the game was played.
It didn't draw much attention that Nick Solak wasn't included when Florida State League All-Star rosters were announced at the beginning of June. The Tampa second baseman's omission was no longer easily overlooked, though, by the time the game was played.
Then, as calendar turned to July, Solak's absence from the June 17 showcase looked in hindsight like a significant snub. How could the second-round choice by the Yankees in the 2016 Draft not even be picked as a reserve?
Solak may not be a flashy player with eye-catching tools, but he had a June that was hard to ignore.
The former University of Louisville standout batted .392, lifting his average from .274 to .312, and had a 1.048 OPS thanks to an on-base percentage of .453 and slugging mark of .595 during the month. Along the way, the New York Yankees' No. 18 prospect helped carry Tampa to the first-half title in the North Division.
Solak was 4-for-5 with four runs scored and three RBIs in the clincher as the Yankees edged Clearwater by winning their final seven games.
"It was awesome," Solak said. "We didn't start of the way we wanted to individually or a team, but it all came together and we ended up right where we wanted to be."
Solak's final college season as a junior a year ago didn't go as he had hoped, with a broken right hand caused by an errant pitch costing him a month and Louisville then being swept in the NCAA Super Regional.
But other than a 1-for-17 start to this season, there have been few bumps in the road since the right-handed hitter signed with the Yankees for a slightly under-slot $950,000 as the 62nd overall pick in the 2016 Draft.
"I was excited to be picked by such a storied franchise with a tradition of winning," said Solak, who finished with a .376 average for Louisville after batting .455 in 22 games before the injury.
The product of the Chicago suburbs hit .321 with a .412 on-base percentage in the short-season New York-Penn League for Staten Island last season and skipped the Class A South Atlantic League to go directly to Class A Advanced this year.
At Tampa, the 22-year-old gets to play for former Major League infielder and coach Jay Bell, and that makes for a perfect pairing.
"He offers a wealth of knowledge," said Solak, who didn't play second base until his final season at Louisville. "As the manager he works with everybody, of course, but he puts in extra time with the middle infielders.
"He's passionate about sharing his experiences, and he's been at the highest level and played in the biggest games under the most pressure. He knows exactly what it takes."
Bell's message to Solak and all his players is that you have to slow things down despite trying to move up the Minor League ladder as quickly as you can.
"That's something that Jay talks about all the time," Solak said. "You have to slow down the game. At the plate, I'm trying to improve my pace. In the field, I'm trying to smooth things out a little bit and be a little more fluid.
"Whether it is in how to prepare or things during a game, Jay's helped me a lot. It has really been a great opportunity playing for him."
Bell, for his part, wouldn't mind having more players like Solak.
"I'd take nine of him every night," the manager said. "He's just someone who loves playing the game."
Solak isn't a burner, but he was 8-for-8 in steal attempts last year and was 6-for-7 in June this year. He doesn't possess an abundance of power, either, but he has five homers this season in a pitcher-friendly league and occasionally serves as the cleanup hitter for Tampa.
"He's a baseballer," Bell said.
Someday, Solak wants that to be Major League baseballer.
"The last year has flown by," Solak said of the 12 months since his signing. "It feels like it has gone really fast. But I've learned a lot in a short time. Every day is a new day to try to get better. As you move up, the competition gets tougher and you have to get better, too. I think I have."
In brief
Tebow time:Tim Tebow got off to an encouraging start after his promotion by the Mets to St. Lucie and, as expected, the former Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Florida supplied a big attendance boost for the usually low-drawing Florida State League. The 29-year-old outfield hopeful was 6-for-14 with three walks, a homer and two RBIs in his first six games after hitting .220 with Columbia of the South Atlantic League. Tebow attracted home crowds of 2,315 and 3,402 in St. Lucie, then helped draw 6,315 and 4,015 at Fort Myers during a rainy first week in which a pair of rainouts necessitated doubleheaders.
New leadership: Rocket Wheeler took over as Florida manager after the Fire Frogs went a league-worst 25-41 in the first half under Paul Runge. Wheeler was the Florida State League's Manager of the Year in 1999 at Dunedin before leaving the Blue Jays organization and joining the Atlanta system. He managed in the Carolina League the past six seasons before the Braves moved their Class A Advanced affiliation to the FSL this year. Runge, who was switched to a roving instructor position, had returned to the Braves this year after six years as Minor League field coordinator with Houston.
Miracle inning: Shut out for seven innings by St. Lucie starter Jordan Humphreys, the Fort Myers Miracle had an eighth inning worthy of the team nickname, scoring 11 times off three Mets relievers for an 11-0 victory June 30. There were seven hits, four walks, two hit batters and a balk in the inning, which saw 16 Fort Myers players come to the plate. Shortstop Jermaine Palacios and catcher Kevin Garcia each had two hits in the inning, while first baseman Zander Wiel had a three-run double and a walk. Palacios, recently promoted from Cedar Rapids, had three hits in that game and the next as well for the Miracle.
Power drain: Bradenton outfielder Logan Hill, who led the FSL with 16 homers and 52 RBIs, was promoted to Double-A Altoona by Pittsburgh on July 1. Hill's departure left the league without its three top home run hitters. First baseman Gavin LaValley, who had hit 15, and second baseman Shed Long, who had smashed 13, were promoted from Daytona to Double-A Pensacola by Cincinnati at the end of the first half. Hill, 24, had a .266/.351/.533 line. He was a 25th-round pick by the Pirates in the 2015 Draft out of Troy University.
Guy Curtright is a contributor to MiLB.com.
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
Stewart embraces Spring Breakout: 'What's not to love?'
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect. On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between
Prospect Peña quietly drawing raves in Brewers' farm system
PHOENIX – Jesús Made was at the top of the Brewers’ lineup for Sunday’s 9-7 loss to the Reds in the finale of MLB’s four-day Spring Breakout, a fitting perch when you consider that the 17-year-old infielder is under a bright spotlight as MLB Pipeline’s No. 55 prospect. Made could
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
Braves prospects show promise in Spring Breakout
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- As Terry Pendleton prepared to serve as the manager of the Braves prospect team that played the Tigers prospect team in a Spring Breakout game on Sunday afternoon, he said fans should be patient with John Gil and Luis Guanipa, a pair of teenagers who have
Yanks' Lagrange flashes triple-digit heat in Spring Breakout
SARASOTA, Fla. -- There was an audible “Ooh” from the crowd at Ed Smith Stadium, and Carlos Lagrange quickly glanced beyond the right-field wall, checking the velocity of the pitch he’d just thrown in Saturday’s 5-4 Spring Breakout loss to the Orioles. It had registered in the triple digits, and
Bradfield dedicates Spring Breakout performance to late friend
SARASOTA, Fla. -- It was about more than playing in the national spotlight. More than the dinner bet placed with an old college teammate earlier in the month. More than a game. As Enrique Bradfield Jr. slid home to score a run during the first inning of Saturday night’s Spring
'Hungry' Alcántara hoping to pounce on big league prey in '25
MESA, Ariz. -- The thing about jaguars is, you don’t want to see one when it’s hungry. So when Cubs legend Sammy Sosa spoke to the organization’s No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline -- and the No. 89 prospect overall -- the former slugger gave him some apt advice. “His
Rainiers broadcaster Pay talks historic role on MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Prospect Santos 'electric' in Spring Breakout start
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Malcolm Moore knew Winston Santos was locked in before he even threw a pitch. In the second annual Spring Breakout game, Santos -- the Rangers’ No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline -- was throwing to Moore, the Rangers’ No. 4 prospect and highest-ranked catcher. The battery more
Switch-pitcher Cijntje deals from both sides in Spring Breakout
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Jurrangelo Cijntje knew who’d be waiting for him in the batter’s box when he emerged from the visiting bullpen on Friday evening. The Mariners’ switch-pitcher had seen Guardians infielder Travis Bazzana recently at a card-signing event, to which they each joked, “I’m going to see you soon,”
Fans in this Minor League town are hungry for ... the Spicy Meatballs?!?
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Chandler adds mix to upper-90s heat in stellar Spring Breakout start
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- In the inaugural Spring Breakout game a year ago, as he was coming out to pitch the ninth inning, Bubba Chandler slammed a Red Bull and declared “let’s do this” before pumping upper-90s heat.