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Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
3 New England baseball players to watch during the MLB Draft Combine
The fifth annual MLB Draft Combine got underway on Tuesday, June 17 at Chase Field in Phoenix. Spanning five days, the combine gives draft eligible high school and college baseball players an opportunity to further showcase their talents to major league scouts. Advertisement This year, 322 baseball players made the trip to Arizona to participate indifferent actives from on-field workouts to strength and conditioning showcases. On Tuesday, the combine began with on-field workouts then transitioned to the Combine High School game at 9 p.m Eastern Time. Both were live streamed on Wednesday's workouts will also be able to be streamed, beginning at 12 p.m. Eastern and going until 8 p.m. Helping out with some of the instructions are former MLB players like CC Sabathia, Michael Bourn, and Brad Penny. The participants came from all across the country and all different levels of competition. Three of the participants may be familiar faces to college baseball fans in New England. Advertisement The first is left-handed pitcher Caleb Leys. The Rhode Island native is coming off his junior season with the Maine Black Bears. After a slow start to his career and a medical redshirt year in 2024 due to Tommy John surgery, Leys dominated for the Black Bears this season. Across 67 innings, Leys posted a 2.69 ERA for Maine, striking out 74 batters. His best outing of the year came against NJIT in March when he struck out 12 batters and allowed just one earned run over seven innings. Another name to keep an eye out for is Mason Estrada. Also a pitcher, Estrada did his work with the MIT Engineers this season. Hailing from Louisiana, the right handed sophomore was lethal in his first season appearing for MIT. Estrada made 10 starts and struck out 66 batters on the year. Advertisement The righty also finished with a 2.21 ERA and a .154 batting average against. If he is not drafted this year or declines to sign with a team that takes him, Estrada is set to transfer to one of the top programs in the country in Tennessee next year. The lone position player of this trio is Northeastern University outfielder Cam Maldonado. Named a freshman All-American in 2023, the Wolcott, Connecticut native only got better over the course of his Huskies career. The 6′3 centerfielder swiped at least 29 bags in each of his three seasons with Northeastern, and finished slashing .329/.440/.595. His efforts as a junior, including 17 doubles and 15 homers, earned him Northeastern All-Region First Team honors. Coming off a trip to the NCAA Tournament, Maldonado entered the combine as the 189th ranked prospect in this year's draft according to MLB Pipeline. Maldonado is the only one of the three New England representatives to crack the top 200 prospects list. Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Godfather' trade proposal sends Ronald Acuña Jr. to AL contender
There has been no bigger disappointment in the 2025 Major League Baseball season than the Atlanta Braves. The perennial contenders, who have made the postseason in every season since 2018, currently sit in fourth place in the National League East with a 39-50 record. The starting rotation is almost unrecognizable after injuries to Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, A.J. Smith-Shawver and Reynaldo Lopez, while a once potent lineup has been undone by shocking underperformances from the likes of Michael Harris and Ozzie Albies. The Braves showed some signs of life after sweeping the New York Mets in the middle of June, but an embarrassing home sweep at the hands of the last-place Baltimore Orioles seemed to solidify them as trade deadline sellers. Advertisement The issue for the Braves, however, is that they don't have any obvious pieces to sell off. The only pending free agent (assuming Sale's $18 million option is picked up) is Marcell Ozuna, a 34-year-old designated hitter who has hit just .159 with a single home run since June 3. Much of the Braves' core is locked up for years to come, which could lead the front office to chalk up 2025 as a lost season and run it back in 2026. Yet if the Braves do believe that the current roster is fundamentally flawed, they could make the daring decision to trade former Most Valuable Player award winner Ronald Acuña Jr. The 27-year-old superstar has not missed a beat since returning from his second torn ACL in mid-May, hitting .331 with nine home runs over his first 40 games. Given his age, track record and the fact that he still has four years left on his laughably team-friendly eight-year, $100 million contract extension, it's not unreasonable to think that Acuña could fetch the largest trade return of any player in history, topping even what the Washington Nationals got for Juan Soto. Of course, there are not many teams that possess the young talent that it would take to acquire Acuña Jr., but ESPN's David Schoenfield believes that the Rays could be a potential match, proposing a deal involving starting pitcher Shane Baz and a quarter of intriguing prospects, headlined by shortstop Carson Williams. It's easy to see why the Braves would target a shortstop like Williams in any deal for Acuña Jr., as they have gotten little production from Nick Allen this season and haven't had a dependable shortstop since Dansby Swanson left in free agency after the 2022 season. The 22-year-old Williams, who entered the season as MLB Pipeline's ninth-ranked prospect, has since slipped down to 31 after posting an unsightly Triple-A strikeout rate, but he has still displayed the elite power and defensive potential that could make him an MLB All-Star. Advertisement The Braves would also fill another one of their needs with the addition of Baz, who could help replace the injured Schwellenbach and Smith-Shawver as the club's right-handed power pitcher. Injuries and inconsistencies have prevented the 26-year-old from reaching his potential thus far, but he still throws as hard as any starter in baseball and generates ground balls at an elite rate. He has all the makings of a pitcher who would succeed outside of the bandbox that is George Steinbrenner field, perhaps recapturing the success of 2024 in which he posted a 2.09 ERA over his last nine starts. Schoenfield's package is rounded out with outfield prospect Theo Gillen and pitching prospects Brody Hopkins and Yoniel Curet. Though he shouldn't be expected to replace Acuña, Gillen is a very intriguing prospect in his own right, as the 2024 first-round pick currently sits as MLB Pipeline's 67th-ranked prospect thanks to a polished offensive approach and plus speed. Hopkins, meanwhile, is another highly-regarded prospect who was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in the Randy Arozarena trade. Like so many others, the six-foot-four-inch right-hander has taken a step forward under the Rays' development program and has struck 94 batters in 74.2 Double-A innings. The package is rounded up with Curet, who, despite being the least-regarded player in this trade proposal due to injuries and poor command, possesses an elite fastball that earned a rare 70 grade from MLB Pipeline. More MLB: Cubs insider details what to expect from Chicago at 2025 trade deadline
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mets DFA pair of relievers to make room for touted prospect
The post Mets DFA pair of relievers to make room for touted prospect appeared first on ClutchPoints. The New York Mets made significant roster changes on Wednesday, reshaping their bullpen by designating left-handers Jose Castillo and Richard Lovelady for assignment to make room for right-handed pitching prospect Jonathan Pintaro and left-hander Brandon Waddell. Advertisement Pintaro, 27, joins the major league roster as the Mets' No. 22 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. A standout in Double-A Binghamton this season, Pintaro posted a 3.40 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 42.1 innings, tallying 57 strikeouts across 11 starts. Despite his role as a starter, he typically pitched in stints of three to five innings and will now transition to a multi-inning bullpen role in the majors. Pintaro was briefly promoted to Triple-A Syracuse before being called up to the big league roster. Renowned for a deep and deceptive arsenal, Pintaro features a plus-rated cutter, a sinker, sweeper, an upper-90s four-seam fastball, and a changeup. Scouts have praised his unusual delivery and pitch movement, identifying him as a strong candidate for a relief role. His journey to the majors is notable. After five collegiate seasons at Division II Shorter University and time in the independent Pioneer League with the Glacier Range Riders, he was signed by the Mets in 2023. Advertisement Alongside Jonathan Pintaro, Brandon Waddell was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets' bullpen has been heavily taxed recently, with all eight relievers used over the previous two days, prompting the need for fresh arms. The moves came at the expense of Jose Castillo and Richard Lovelady, both of whom are now in DFA limbo. Castillo, acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a cash deal, had pitched well with a 2.38 ERA in 11.1 innings over 13 appearances for the Mets. He maintained a 24.1% strikeout rate, a 10.3% walk rate, and a 55.9% ground ball rate. However, a difficult outing against Atlanta on Tuesday, where he allowed three inherited runners to score and was charged with two earned runs, factored into the decision. Lovelady, signed just days earlier to a minor league deal, made his Mets debut on Tuesday, allowing two earned runs on one hit and two walks across 1.2 innings. Before joining the Mets, he had excelled at Triple-A with the Twins, recording a 1.31 ERA over 20.2 innings, with a 26.5% strikeout rate and 60.4% ground ball rate. Advertisement The moves leave the Mets with no true left-handed specialist in the bullpen. Although Waddell is a lefty, he is expected to serve in a long relief capacity. Brooks Raley, recovering from Tommy John surgery, remains a possible option for later in the season. In the meantime, the Mets are expected to explore external options for left-handed relief help as the trade deadline approaches. Related: Mets' trade proposal for Alex Bregman if Red Sox continue trading Related: MLB rumors: Mets, Phillies still keeping trade tabs on struggling White Sox star
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Top Red Sox prospect from Rafael Devers trade hits first homer in system
James Tibbs III, the top prospect who the Red Sox acquired in the Rafael Devers trade, hit his first organizational home run Sunday. The 22-year-old left-handed hitter sent his two-run shot to center field in the third inning to give Portland a 3-2 lead over New Hampshire. See it here. Advertisement He went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs, one walk and one strikeout in Portland's 10-5 loss. MLB Pipeline ranks Tibbs Boston's No. 6 overall prospect. The Sox acquired him, pitching prospect Jose Bello and pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison in the trade. Tibbs is 18-for-63 (.286) with a .378 on-base percentage, .397 slugging percentage, .775 OPS, one home run, one triple, two doubles, five RBIs, 10 runs, nine walks and 15 strikeouts in 16 games. Devers, meanwhile, has struggled so far as a member of the Giants. He has gone 15-for-68 (.221) with a .325 on-base percentage, .382 slugging percentage, .707 OPS, two home runs, five doubles, nine RBIs, six runs, 11 walks and 26 strikeouts in 18 games. Advertisement More Red Sox coverage Read the original article on MassLive.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
White Sox SS Colson Montgomery makes big-league debut
Chicago White Sox shortstop prospect Colson Montgomery, promoted from Triple-A Charlotte on Friday, went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and a walk against the Colorado Rockies in his major league debut. White Sox SS Colson Montgomery makes big-league debut Montgomery, who batted seventh, reached base on catcher's interference in his first plate appearance during Chicago's 3-2 win. The 23-year-old received the news of his promotion from Charlotte manager Sergio Santos on Thursday night. Santos was giving details about a trip that included an overnight bus ride to Jacksonville for a game on Friday. Then he dropped the surprise on Montgomery. "Unfortunately, you won't be playing shortstop for us tomorrow," said Santos, with a well-timed pause during a video. "You'll be playing shortstop for the Chicago White Sox." Montgomery was then overwhelmed with emotions. Montgomery was a first-round pick of the White Sox in 2021 . He is rated the White Sox's No. 5 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He has 11 homers and 30 RBIs in 55 games for Charlotte this season but batted just .218 and struck out 82 times. Chicago designated third baseman Vinny Capra for assignment to open up a 40-man roster spot for Montgomery. Capra, 28, hit .190 with two RBIs in 23 games with the White Sox after being claimed off waivers on May 15. He was with Milwaukee earlier this season and batted .074 with one homer and four RBIs in 24 games with the Brewers. The White Sox also activated left-hander Fraser Ellard from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Charlotte. Ellard, 27, had a 6.75 ERA in seven appearances for Chicago earlier this season. Field Level Media This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
