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New York Times
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Scouting Aidan Miller, Max Anderson, Jett Williams, Enrique Bradfield Jr. and more
I caught a day game in Reading last week to get a look at a couple of hitters in the Fightin Phils' lineup and that of the Double-A Erie Seawolves. I got a two-hour pitchers' duel, with the final score 1-0, and the hitters I was there to see went a collective 1-for-11. Phillies shortstop Aidan Miller is in my top 10 prospects now, despite a soft start to his 2025 season, as I remain confident he's going to stick at short and that he's going to hit. Advertisement He started the year in Double A even though he won't turn 21 until next week, and had just one year of pro ball under his belt before 2025. After a slow April, he hit better in May, with a .274/.358/.417 line on the month. I saw none of that, unless you count the foul home run he hit down the third-base line, after which he popped up on a slider. He's got bat speed, he swings hard, and he doesn't expand the zone much at all — his outs and even his one whiff in this game were all on strikes. Miller played excellent defense at short, showing great instincts, nailing a runner who tried to go second to third on a groundball to short, with a 60 (out of the 20-80 scouting scale) arm. He has to keep hitting, of course, but I do believe he's going to do so. Detroit infielder Max Anderson has been hitting well all season for Erie, spurring at least one reader to ask why he wasn't on my ranking of the top 50 prospects in the minors from last week. The short answer to that is that it's a ranking based on long-term outlook and potential rather than short-term performance, but in Anderson's specific case, it's that his game is really limited beyond the hit tool. He will get to the majors and probably play for a while because his ability to put the ball in play and do so hard enough to sustain solid or better batting averages is real. He's hitting .339/.378/.554 through Friday's games with just a 16.1 percent strikeout rate. As you can infer from the triple-slash line, though, he doesn't walk (5 percent on the dot) and swings at a lot of pitches beyond the zone. And while he does hit the ball pretty hard, his hands are so far out from his body that he doesn't have great control or direction, so there aren't a ton of line drives here and I question whether that .200+ ISO power is sustainable. In the field, he has no position. He was standing at second base and had very limited range, even ceding a play to the shortstop on his side of the bag at one point. He's built like a catcher, but as far as I know, he's never played back there, at least not since high school. If you back all of this up and just assume he'll still hit .300 even with the approach and swing questions, just without many walks and maybe more of a .450-ish slug, that's an above-average regular if he sticks at second base and maybe not a regular at first base or DH. He's an outlier in many ways, but if you sum up all of the probabilities here, the expected value is probably an average regular or below. Oh, and the runner Miller threw out trying to go second to third on a grounder to short? That was Anderson, with the TOOTBLAN. Thayron Liranzo is off to a lousy start for Erie, and it wasn't a great day for him at the plate, with some bad whiffs on pitches he either should have hit (90 mph in the zone from a right-hander) or laid off (several sliders down below the zone). He was fine behind the plate, not challenged in any way, and he does have bat speed. He got off to a terrible start last year as well, pulling out of it in May, so maybe he's just someone who needs a longer adjustment period. His swing decisions in this game were bad, and that lines up with his year to date, unfortunately. Advertisement I also went down to Bowie, Maryland, to see the team now known as the Chesapeake Baysox — and sometimes as the, uh, Oyster Catchers — but got just six innings and change before the rains returned, ending that game. (Their game Wednesday was rained out, and as I'm writing this on Saturday afternoon it's pouring here in Delaware again.) The Mets' Double-A affiliate, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, were in town, and their top prospect at the moment, shortstop Jett Williams, was leading off. He looked very good at the plate, like his injury-marred 2024 season never happened, driving the ball well and running plus again. It's a big swing for a fun-sized guy — the Rumble Ponies had two players in their lineup who were 5-foot-6, Williams and Wyatt Young, so I felt seen — and Williams is going to have to max out his strength to make this swing work; otherwise it's a lot of flyouts, because he swings like he's going to hit it 450 feet. He doesn't chase much at all, and he barely puts the ball on the ground, which are good things as long as you have enough juice for those balls in the air to at least be doubles, not outs. He can play shortstop, but that's academic as long as he's in the Mets' system. Binghamton centerfielder Nick Morabito was 1-for-3 with an infield single that went about 10 feet, showing off plus speed, and he was caught looking on a pretty good pitch to hit. He was tentative in center field, so the speed isn't translating into plus range. The one prospect in Chesapeake's lineup was Enrique Bradfield Jr., Baltimore's first-rounder in 2023, who is recently back from a hamstring injury. He bunted in his first at-bat, I think an attempt to drag a bunt that failed, which would probably have made me scream if I were the Orioles' farm director — this kid needs to swing the bat, not advance the runners. I got one proper swing from him, where he completely collapsed his back side and was swinging uphill, popping the ball up. Orioles right-hander Levi Wells was their fourth-round pick in 2023 out of Texas State, then showed up last year with more velocity, bumping 97. This year, he's sitting 97-98 on the four-seamer and bumping 102, with a cutter, slider and curveball rounding out the arsenal. It's an odd package, though, as none of the pitches actually misses bats — the fastball doesn't have a lot of life or movement, the cutter is hard but also not that sharp, and the curveball might actually be the best offering of the bunch even though it's the slowest. Advertisement Mets left-hander Zach Thornton, their fifth-rounder last year out of Grand Canyon, is having a terrific season so far, with a 2.30 ERA since his promotion to Double A. It's all deception, though; he comes from a high slot with some cross-fire action, mostly 90-92 with nothing to miss bats in the zone. (Top photo of Miller: George Kubas / Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Dream come true': How Curtis Washington Jr. turned offseason changes into success
Curtis Washington Jr. is working smarter, not harder. His first few offseasons included extended time in the batting cages. He would take as many swings as possible, focusing on his swing path, how he was starting and where his bat was finishing. He wasn't done until he put in what he felt was the maximum amount of work each day. This offseason, the West Memphis, Arkansas, native and 2022 19th-round pick vowed to make the most of his hitting workouts, putting an emphasis on having a routine at the plate. But less time doesn't mean less work. 'I would try to do too much and have so many swings in one day,' Washington said. 'This offseason, it was more of just get barrels, get barrels, feel good, keep the swing count down and be done for the day.' Learning experiences are what a pro baseball player's time in the minor leagues is for. That's why he's having a career year. He is the Nuts' leadoff hitter, his first time hitting in the top spot in the order since high school, and has improved his batting average from .201 in his first season in Modesto to .348 during the most recent series against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. He also already has a career-high 47 hits, 12 doubles and 30 runs scored. He has tied single-season career highs in triples (3) and home runs (2) and is on pace to set new career highs in RBI (he has 18 entering Friday's game) and stolen bases (15). 'It's definitely something I've been dreaming of my whole life,' Washington said of his offensive production this season. 'Everything that's happening for me has been a dream come true, from starting the season off strong to batting in the leadoff spot. … At this level, these are all surreal moments. I just want to continue to put in the work and go out there and play every game like it's my last.' In a season of firsts for Washington, none is likely to stand out more than his 5-for-6 game in Modesto's 10-3 road win over the Inland Empire 66ers. Washington hit his first leadoff home run and hit for the cycle for the first time in his career. 'And it was a day after my 25th birthday,' Washington added with a smile. 'It was all hitting me at once.' He recorded a home run in the top of the first inning, a triple in the second, a double in the fourth and a single in the sixth. He also added another double in the top of the ninth inning. First-year manager Luis Caballero said Washington always has been a team-first guy, which made it easy for the dugout to celebrate after the outfielder bounced a single through the right side of the infield, securing the first cycle for a Modesto player in over a decade. 'It's just baseball and life giving him what he deserves,' Caballero said. 'Things are going well for him and it's just a result of him being consistent with his character, his personality and, obviously, the hard work.' If Washington ever was affected by the ups and downs of professional baseball, he didn't show it. His smile stayed the same, his energy upbeat, and he celebrated his teammates whether it was from the outfield or in the dugout. In his three years in Modesto, he's seen it all. Now, he is the leadoff hitter but spent his first two seasons batting eighth and ninth. His speed made him a constant threat when he was on base, but offensively, he didn't progress like others in his draft class. He was put on the development list in August 2023, where he practiced with the Nuts but was not allowed to play. He spent games in the dugout and, at times, as the first-base coach. During that time, he decided to go from switch hitting to being a full-time right-hand hitter. 'My first year here was my first year switch hitting in my career,' he said. 'It was something I wanted to put to the test. … That was also part of me thinking I needed to do more and showcase more ability in my game.' He stayed on the list the rest of that season but was there to see the Nuts win their first of back-to-back California League titles. Defensively, Washington always shined. His speed and ability to track the ball kept him in the lineup and gave him the ability to play anywhere in the outfield. He made his share of SportsCenter Top 10-worthy catches, laying out to dive for a fly ball or make a running catch before banging against the outfield wall. His defensive prowess earned him temporary stints with High-A Everett and Triple-A Tacoma, but just as a reserve. He returned to Modesto to finish the season. Caballero said Washington has an infectious personality and no problem being a vocal leader. But younger players on this year's Nuts roster also can learn just by watching him and learning about his story. Washington is the perfect example that things won't always go your way in the pros. Surely, in a perfect world, he'd be in Everett or in Double-A with the Arkansas Travelers but Washington said he has just focused on improving. 'I just keep my head down and focus on what I can control,' he said. 'That's coming out here every day, being myself and being a good teammate whether I'm playing or not.' Washington leads by example, Caballero said. 'The way he shows up every day, the energy he brings to the clubhouse, the effort he puts in every play and every at-bat sometimes speaks louder than words. Younger guys come in and can immediately see the impact he has on the game … they can look at the scoreboard and see his numbers and that says a lot about the grind. It's that everyday work you have to put into the game to get where you want to get. There's a lot to learn from just looking at him every day and I hope the younger guys are learning from him.' The Nuts are locked in a tight race with the San Jose Giants for the top spot in the California League North first half title. On the back end of their six-game series against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Nuts are just a game ahead of the Giants (28-20). A first-place finish after the first half of the regular season puts the Nuts one step closer to the California League's first title three-peat. Washington has been there for each title run. After being on the development list for the first title, he was a mainstay in the lineup for the 2024 title run. After hitting .225 during the regular season, he hit .333 last postseason as the starting center fielder. In 2024, the Nuts won the first half of league play, securing their postseason spot. It's a balancing act, Washington said. They're not looking too far into the future, but they also know what a No. 1 seed through the first half of the season does for them. 'As a team, we're not really thinking about it right now,' Washington said. 'We're just taking it day by day, continuing to do what we do. But we do want to win the first half. We want to win to have that opportunity to make the playoffs.'
New York Times
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Ranking MLB top 50 prospects after 2 months: Roman Anthony remains No. 1
With so many graduations, significant injuries and other changes among the top prospects in baseball since I ranked 100 of them back in January, I'm offering an earlier-than-usual update to those rankings with the top 50 prospects currently in the minors. To be eligible for this list, a player must be currently playing in the minor leagues (including the injured list) and retain his eligibility for Rookie of the Year; thus Jordan Lawlar, Dalton Rushing, and Marcelo Mayer, among others, are ineligible because they're in the majors. Advertisement I don't use a model or any precise formula for these rankings, but because we are still in small sample-size territory, what you see here only reflects 2025 performance a little bit. New information, like someone adding a pitch or changing a swing, carries more weight than performance, as does significant injury that might affect a player's short- or long-term outlook. I've talked to pro scouts who've been out seeing players, as well as some execs, and reviewed data and video, in addition to the handful of prospects I've seen between spring training and regular-season games. When in doubt, I have deferred to the pre-2025 evaluation and outlook, because we're only about a third of the way through the season. In going through the exercise, though, I was surprised at how few 'votes' I got for players who hadn't been on the top 100 this winter. I'm sure there will be further breakouts as the year goes along, especially among younger players who might be in the complex leagues (there are none on this list except guys on rehab) or who are otherwise just ramping up, but right now, all 50 of these prospects were at least pretty good prospects coming into the year. The next update will come after the draft, in late July, and will include the just-selected players. (Note: Player tools are rated on the traditional 20-80 scouting scale. Ages are as of July 1, 2025. The shadow of the strike zone refers to pitches just off the edges of the strike zone.) (Photo illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos (left to right): Sebastian Walcott, Roman Anthony, Samuel Basallo / Emilee Chinn and Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
New York Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Live MLB Draft and prospects Q&A with Keith Law today at 2 pm ET
May 9, 2025 at 2:00 PM EDT Yesterday, Keith Law released his first mock draft for the 2025 MLB Draft. He'll be live on the site at 2pm ET on Friday, May 9 to talk about the draft, as well as how prospects are faring in the minor leagues one month into the season. Keith Law May 9, 2025 Updated 11:22 am EDT
