Author Archives: Mike Christensen

18 Jul

back to work

Nathaniel Lowe went into the MLB All-Star break on a 4-for-28 skid, down to .227 on the season for a scuffling Washington club. But the Mississippi State alum should enter today’s game vs. San Diego with a little confidence. He is 5-for-11 with two home runs career against Padres starter Dylan Cease, per The Baseball Buffet. Lowe, in his first season with the Nats, has 14 homers, second on the team to All-Star James Wood. … Adam Frazier starts the “second half” with a new team, having moved from Pittsburgh to Kansas City. The MSU product figures to be in the lineup today at Miami. He is 8-for-17 with two homers and a double career against the Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara. Frazier was hitting .255 with three homers for Pittsburgh. … Brent Rooker of the A’s entered the All-Star break on a tear (.360 with two homers over his last seven games), then went nuts during the All-Star festivities, hitting 17 homers in the Home Run Derby, another in the All-Star Game itself and then two more in the tiebreaking swing-off. The ex-MSU slugger faces Cleveland’s Slade Cecconi today. … Former Biloxi High standout Colt Keith, now with Detroit, was on an 18-for-51 (.353) heater entering the break. The Tigers, with the best record in MLB at 59-38, face Texas and lefty Patrick Corbin today. … Jordan Westburg, another ex-Bulldogs star, entered the break on an 11-for-31 roll with three homers for Baltimore. He’ll try to keep it going today against Tampa Bay and Taj Bradley. P.S. Texas recalled MSU alum Justin Foscue from Triple-A, with Jake Burger going back on the injured list. Foscue is 1-for-6 for the Rangers this year and 3-for-48 career. … That was quick: Drafted on Sunday, with the eighth overall pick, JoJo Parker already is rated the top prospect in the Toronto farm system by Bleacher Report. The state’s Gatorade player of the year out of Purvis High, Parker tops a system that is ranked 25th overall by BR in its post-draft evaluation. (Note that Parker hasn’t yet signed.) The 6-foot-2, 195-pound shortstop is “one of the best pure hitters in the (2025 draft) class, with real power to go with his polished hit tool,” per Baseball America’s scouting report. Still, he has yet to play a pro game. Landon Harmon, the 6-foot-5 right-hander out of East Union picked in the third round by Washington, is slotted in as the Nationals’ No. 9 prospect by Bleacher Report. (He also has yet to sign.) Baseball America calls Harmon a “high-upside, projectable right-hander” with “tremendous arm speed and a fastball that explodes.” It’s interesting to note that each of Bleacher Report’s top 3 farm systems features a Mississippi product in its top 10. Pittsburgh, ranked No. 3, has Konnor Griffin at No. 2; Milwaukee, ranked second, has Cooper Pratt at No. 5; and Seattle, the top-rated system, has Jurrangelo Cijntje at No. 9. … Kevin Roberts Jr., a rising senior at Jackson Prep, was listed as the 15th overall pick in a “way-too-early” 2026 mock draft by mlb.com. Roberts, currently competing for a spot on the Under-18 Team USA, is a 6-foot-5 outfielder with a power bat and arm.

17 Jul

meanwhile …

While the major and minor leagues were on hiatus for the All-Star break, there were pro games on Wednesday night in the MLB Partner leagues, aka independent ball. A host of Mississippians took the field in American Association games, with former Ole Miss catcher Hayden Dunhurst enjoying the brightest moment. He went 3-for-4 with a double and a run in Lake Country’s 8-0 win against Gary SouthShore. He also called pitches for Luke Hansel’s five-hitter. (Former big leaguer Cody Reed of Horn Lake pitches out of the bullpen for Gary SouthShore but didn’t work on Wednesday.) Ole Miss product Taylor Broadway, who has a 4.45 ERA in 21 games as a reliever for Cleburne, was in the lineup Wednesday as the DH — for the first time — and went 1-for-5 in the Railroaders’ 13-4 win over Kane County. Former Hattiesburg High star Joe Gray Jr. had a hit for Milwaukee — which only had five — in an 11-1 loss to Chicago; Gray is hitting .238 with three homers and 15 RBIs since the Milkmen picked him up on waivers in late May. (Southern Miss alum J.C. Keys pitches for Chicago but didn’t get in Wednesday’s game.) Ex-Mississippi State standout and onetime big leaguer Jacob Robson was 1-for-4 for Winnipeg in a 3-2 loss to Sioux Falls; he has hit seven homers for the Goldeyes. West Point native Steffon Moore threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts in his second appearance for Kansas City, which lost to Fargo-Moorhead 4-2. Jackson State alum Jaylyn Williams, a .298 hitter for the Monarchs, was 0-for-4 on Wednesday. (Ex-Itawamba Community College star Kyle Crigger, 5-4 with 3.05 ERA for F-M, did not pitch.) … In the Frontier League All-Star Game, the Atlantic team beat the Midwest 5-4. Travis Holt of the Mississippi Mud Monsters had a hit for the Midwest. P.S. Three Mississippi high school players are among the 88 invited by USA Baseball to the Under-18 National Team Training Camp in Cary, N.C: Oak Grove outfielder Eric Booth, Magnolia Heights infielder Cole Prosek and Jackson Prep outfielder Kevin Roberts Jr. Phase 1 of the camp starts Friday. Forty players will advance to Phase 2.

16 Jul

just stuff

Adam Frazier left Kansas City as a free agent last fall. Today, the Royals decided they wanted him back. They sent a Triple-A prospect to Pittsburgh to reacquire the Mississippi State product, a utility player who was batting .255 with three homers and 21 RBIs for the last-place Pirates. The Royals are 47-50 and playing better of late. Frazier, a lefty hitter, had a down year with KC in 2024 but is a .263 career hitter in 10 MLB seasons with five different clubs. He has 63 homers and 62 steals. Earlier this season the Royals released two ex-MSU players: Hunter Renfroe and Chris Stratton. Ex-Ole Miss star James McArthur is on their injured list. … MLB Pipeline hailed Washington as having one of the better drafts this year. The Nationals, who took Oklahoma high schooler Eli Willits first overall, drafted East Union High right-hander Landon Harmon in the third round and in later rounds got Ole Miss righty Riley Maddox and MSU first baseman Hunter Hines. Maddox (11-14, 6.09 ERA in four years in Oxford) and Hines (career-record 70 homers in four years in Starkville) already have signed. … Pearl River Community College had four alums drafted, all pitchers: Jacob Johnson and K.K. Clark off the 2025 team and former Wildcats Conner Ware of LSU and Landen Payne of Southern Miss. All four are Magnolia State natives. The River has had 34 alums drafted since 1983, per the school’s website. … The Frontier League All-Star Game is tonight at Troy, N.Y. Brian Williams, Victor Diaz and Travis Holt of the independent Mississippi Mud Monsters have been invited. … On this date in 1988, the longest game in Texas League history concluded with the San Antonio Missions beating the Jackson Mets 1-0 in the 26th inning. It took 7 hours, 23 minutes over three days to complete. It began on July 14 and was suspended at 2:28 a.m. on July 15, scoreless in the 25th inning. It was resumed on July 16 and finally ended in the 26th inning. Blaine Beatty, a future big leaguer with the New York Mets, gave up the winning run. Current Nationals pitching coach Jim Hickey pitched six scoreless innings for the Missions, a Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate. He would later serve as pitching coach for the Double-A Jackson Generals.

16 Jul

have a blast

Mississippi State has sent a boatload of players to the major leagues, and quite a few of them have played in the MLB All-Star Game. Only two have ever hit a home run. Will Clark in 1992 and Brent Rooker on Tuesday night in a highly entertaining Midsummer Classic at Atlanta’s Truist Park. Rooker’s seventh-inning homer — a three-run shot off Randy Rodriguez, he of the 0.87 ERA — started the American League’s comeback from six runs down. The AL stars ultimately tied it at 6-6 before losing in the first-ever swing-off that decided the outcome, which goes in the books as 7-6. It was quite the All-Star experience for Rooker. He hit 17 bombs in the Home Run Derby on Monday night, narrowly missing a berth in the semifinals. He also participated in the swing-off and, as the leadoff batter in the six-man competition, hit two home runs; the National League would win that showdown 4-3 thanks to Kyle Schwarber’s three bombs. Home runs are kind of a thing for Rooker, who was making his second ASG appearance; he has 20 homers this season for the A’s and 89 over his last three seasons with the club. On Tuesday night, San Francisco’s Rodriguez came in with two runners on and none out to face Rooker, who took two sliders off the plate. “I was swinging no matter what at that 2-0 pitch,” Rooker said in an in-game TV interview. The 407-foot drive to left field put the AL on the board and gave the team some needed juice. They tied it with two runs in a crazy ninth inning, setting the stage for the swing-off. Rooker again gave the AL some mo with his two homers. “I don’t know what the viewing experience was like,” Rooker said in an mlb.com story, “but on the field, it was electric.” … Clark’s 1992 homer, also a three-run shot, came against Rick Aguilera, a former Jackson Mets star then with Minnesota, at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. The AL beat Clark’s NL squad — he was with the Giants at the time — 13-6.

15 Jul

starry, starry nights

On the occasion of the 95th MLB All-Star Game, here’s a look at some anniversaries of significance:
Ten years ago, Brian Dozier made his only appearance in the Midsummer Classic — and made an indelible mark. The former Southern Miss star from Fulton, then with the Minnesota Twins, hit a home run in his lone at-bat, taking Mark Melancon deep in the eighth inning at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark. The American League stars won the game 6-3. Dozier became just the fourth Mississippi native to homer in an All-Star Game, following George Scott (1977), Dave Parker (1981) and Frank White (1986). (Mississippi State alum Will Clark also hit an ASG bomb in 1992.) Dozier would hit 28 homers in that 2015 season, helping the Twins to their first winning season in five years. … Twenty years ago, Roy Oswalt made the first of his three All-Star Game appearances. The 2005 season was a banner one for the former Holmes Community College star from Weir. He won 20 games for Houston, went 3-0 in the postseason, took National League Championship Series MVP honors while leading the Astros to the World Series and finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting. But his memories of the All-Star Game that July might not be so pleasant. He allowed two hits, a walk and two runs in an inning of work as the NL lost 7-5 at Detroit’s Comerica Park. In the 2006 ASG, Oswalt threw a scoreless inning. … Tonight’s game will be the third All-Star Game played in Atlanta, each in a different ballpark. In the first, at Fulton County Stadium in 1972, ex-Ole Miss star Don Kessinger of the Chicago Cubs started at shortstop and went 0-for-2 for the Nationals in a 4-3 win. Kessinger made six All-Star teams in his 16-year career. In the 2000 game, at Turner Field, Gulfport native Matt Lawton of Minnesota subbed in for the Americans and went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run in a 6-3 victory. Lawton made two All-Star teams in his 12-year MLB tour. … The Braves’ Hank Aaron homered in the ’72 game and Chipper Jones went yard in the 2000 game. That might bode well for former Mississippi Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr., who’ll bat second for the NL tonight at Truist Park. P.S. Brent Rooker, former Mississippi State standout and an All-Star reserve, missed by an inch — literally — of eliminating eventual champ Cal Raleigh in the first round of Monday night’s Home Run Derby. Both hit 17 homers, but Raleigh advanced to the semifinals on a tiebreaker. His longest homer — a 471-footer — was .08 of an inch longer than Rooker’s 471. (Rooker also inadvertently ran out of balls before his time expired in the first round.) Despite the letdown, Rooker said the experience was “super fun.” Tonight will be Rooker’s second All-Star appearance; the A’s slugger went 1-for-2 as a sub in the 2023 game. … Ocean Springs’ Garrett Crochet, now pitching for Boston, was chosen for the ASG for a second time but elected not to participate.

14 Jul

a bountiful crop

A total of 23 players from Mississippi schools were chosen on Day 2 of the MLB draft — and there were some surprises, as there always are. Southern Miss’ Nick Monistere, who wasn’t ranked among the top 200 prospects by MLB Pipeline or Baseball America, was taken in the fourth round by Houston, No. 126 overall. Monistere, a second baseman, was a first-team All-America selection and the Sun Belt Conference’s player of the year. Mississippi State’s Hunter Hines, who went undrafted as a junior in 2024, was picked in the 10th round by Washington. A first baseman/DH, he hit a school-record 70 homers and batted .282 for his four-year college career. Talon Haley, the lefty from Lewisburg High, slipped to the 12th round, 349th overall, taken by the Los Angeles Angels. A Vanderbilt commit, he was projected to go on Day 1. Purvis High’s Jacob Parker, twin brother of first-rounder JoJo (see previous post), was rated the No. 109 draft prospect by MLB Pipeline but lasted until the 19th round, picked by Arizona. The power-hitting outfielder might wind up at Mississippi State. Three junior college players were picked: Pearl River CC’s co-aces Jacob Johnson and K.K. Clark — Johnson in Round 11 to Texas, MACCC pitcher of the year Clark to Baltimore in Round 15 — and Meridian CC’s Connor Gehr, who went to Baltimore in Round 20. Other state draftees on Day 2: Luke Hill, Ole Miss, Cleveland/fourth round; Pico Kohn, MSU, New York Yankees/fourth; Will McCausland, UM, Cleveland/seventh; Riley Maddox, UM, Washington/eighth; Evan Siary, MSU, Texas/eighth; Karson Ligon, MSU, Toronto/ninth; Mason Nichols, UM, Tampa Bay/ninth; Luke Dotson, MSU, Arizona/11th; Connor Spencer, UM, Chicago Cubs/12th; Nate Williams, MSU, Chicago Cubs/13th; Jacob Pruitt, MSU, Philadelphia/15th; Patrick Galle, UM, Boston/17th; Landen Payne, USM, Chicago White Sox/18th; Brayden Jones, UM, Tampa Bay/18th; Sam Tookoian, UM, Los Angeles Angels/20th; Jay McQueen, Brandon High, Texas/20th. … Including the five state products picked on Day 1 (Rounds 1-3), Mississippi had 28 players chosen in 2025.

14 Jul

power trippin’

It wouldn’t be a total shock to see Brent Rooker win tonight’s Home Run Derby. Ex-Misssisippi State standout Rooker certainly has power. He’s got 20 homers this season, 89 over the last two-plus seasons with the A’s and 99 (in 461 games) in his MLB career. He has 102 minor league homers (in 402 games) on his resume and hit 36 at MSU, 23 in 2017 when he won the SEC Triple Crown. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound right-handed batter has big power: 11 of his 20 homers this year are 400-foot clouts, and he has a career-best of 463. And he enters the competition at Atlanta’s Truist Park on a bit of power trip with four bombs in his last 14 games. Rooker will be the first Mississippian (native or school alum) to participate in the All-Star Game’s Derby since Brian Dozier in 2014. Dave Parker won the first such event in 1985 and also took part in ’86. Ellis Burks was in the 1996 Derby, and Rafael Palmeiro competed in two: 1998 and 2004. Rooker’s competition tonight includes Seattle slugger Cal Raleigh, the betting favorite, plus fan favorite Matt Olson of the Braves, Byron Buxton, Oneil Cruz, James Wood, Junior Caminero and Jazz Chisholm. (You can get some good odds on Rooker, if you’re so inclined.) The event begins at 7 p.m. on ESPN. P.S. The Mississippi Mud Monsters won again at Trustmark Park on Sunday night, their eighth win in 10 games, and enter the Frontier League All-Star break with a 30-27 record. All-Star Travis Holt hit his ninth homer and enters the break at .300 with 39 RBIs. Brandon Mitchell (4-3) went six innings for the victory. The FL All-Star Game is Wednesday in Troy, N.Y. … Tyler Pitzer, a portal transfer into Mississippi State, has been named to the Cape Cod League All-Star Game on July 19. Right-hander Pitzer, pitching for Yarmouth-Dennis, leads the CCBL in ERA with an 0.57 over 15 2/3 innings with 21 strikeouts. He pitched the last two years at South Carolina.

14 Jul

pick five

As the eighth overall pick in the MLB draft, Purvis High product JoJo Parker is in elite company. Only three other high school players from Mississippi have been drafted at No. 8 or higher in the 60-year history of the draft. Ted Nicholson was taken third overall in 1969 out of Oak Park in Laurel by the Chicago White Sox, Donny Castle went eighth in 1968 out of Coldwater High to the Washington Senators and Kirk Presley was selected No. 8 in 1993 out of Tupelo High by the New York Mets. Only Castle made it to the big leagues. Parker, a lefty-hitting shortstop, was the state Gatorade player of the year and is regarded as one of the best pure hitters in the 2025 draft class. He was picked by Toronto; the slot value of the eighth pick is $6.81 million, according to mlb.com. (Konnor Griffin, the ninth overall pick last year out of Jackson Prep, signed with Pittsburgh for approximately $6.5M; he already has reached the High-Class A level.) Interestingly, 11 of the top 24 picks, including No. 1 Eli Willits, are high school shortstops. … Southern Miss’ J.B. Middleton was the 45th overall pick — the second pick of the second round — by Colorado. The right-hander was a 2025 All-America selection and the state’s Ferriss Trophy winner. On MLB Network’s draft coverage, he was described by Tennessee coach Tony Vitello as “the ultimate competitor” and “a truly tough kid,” qualities a player would need to pitch at Colorado’s Coors Field. Vitello said he recruited Middleton out of Benton Academy. … In the third round, East Union High pitcher Landon Harmon, who can throw 99, went to Washington at No. 80 overall; Jake Cook, an unsung speed demon at Southern Miss, was picked at No. 81 by Toronto; and Ole Miss righty Mason Morris went at No. 83 to Cincinnati. … All told, five players from Mississippi schools, all natives of the state, were drafted on Day 1, which covered the first three rounds and 105 picks. … Of note: Milwaukee took with the 20th overall pick Tennessee third baseman Andrew Fischer, who played at Ole Miss in 2024 and hit 20 home runs, then popped 25 for the Vols this season. He could be at Double-A Biloxi in short order.

13 Jul

draft watch

Four players from Mississippi schools were picked on Day 1 in the 2024 MLB draft, two among the first 15 picks. Impressive, but … if MLB Pipeline’s current rankings mean anything, there are five from state schools who could go today when the 2025 draft begins (5 p.m., MLB Network). Rounds 1-3 cover 105 picks, including supplementals. MLB Pipeline has five state products ranked in the top 98. Purvis High’s JoJo Parker is the No. 9 prospect, Southern Miss’ J.B. Middleton No. 41, East Union High’s Landon Harmon No. 48, Lewisburg High’s Talon Haley No. 91 and Ole Miss’ Luke Hill No. 98. … The most intrigue surrounds Parker and how high he might go. A lefty-hitting shortstop and the state’s Gatorade player of the year, he is a consensus first-round talent, buoyed mainly by his hit tool. Baseball America has him at No. 10. Middleton rode a sinker/slider combo to a 10-1 record, first-team All-America recognition and the state’s Ferriss Trophy. MLB Pipeline notes that Middleton could become the highest-drafted pitcher from USM; Brandon Parker went 55th overall in 1997. Harmon, dominant in high school, goes 6 feet 5 and throws 99. Haley, a lefty and a Vanderbilt commit, has overcome cancer and arm surgeries; he had an 0.55 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 38 innings this season, per MaxPreps. Hill, an infielder and second-team All-SEC pick this season, hit .336 with eight homers and 18 steals. … Four other state players are ranked in the top 122 by MLB Pipeline: USM’s Jake Cook, whose speed turned heads in the MLB Combine; JoJo Parker’s twin Jacob, whose raw power stands out; Ole Miss’ 6-4, 225-pound right-hander Mason Morris; and Mississippi State’s crafty lefty Pico Kohn. (Of note: Former Ole Miss players Liam Doyle, a lefty, and Andrew Fischer, a third baseman, both of whom played at Tennessee this past year, are also regarded as first-round prospects. Doyle is one of the hardest throwers in the draft.) … Last year, Konnor Griffin was the ninth overall pick out of Jackson Prep and Mississippi State’s Jurrangelo Cijntje went 15th. MSU’s Khal Stephen was picked in the second round and Nate Dohm in the third, No. 84 overall. In addition, Braden Montgomery, a Madison Central grad, was picked 12th overall out of Texas A&M. Five players from state schools went in Rounds 4-9 and 21 were drafted overall in 2024. … The Athletic/New York Times singles out Cook and Ole Miss lefty Hunter Elliott as players outside its top 100 who might go higher than expected. P.S. Tens were wild for Mississippians in MLB on Saturday: 10 wins for Garrett Crochet, 10 homers for Matt Wallner and 10 strikeouts for Brandon Woodruff. Crochet, from Ocean Springs, threw a three-hit, nine-strikeout shutout — his first complete game — for his 10th win for surging Boston, which beat Tampa Bay for its ninth straight win. (Props to Mississippi State alum Jake Mangum, who went 0-for-4 but did not punch out for the Rays.) Ex-Southern Miss star Wallner hit his 10th homer — fourth in 14 games — as resurgent Minnesota drilled Pittsburgh 12-4 for its seventh win in nine games. Woodruff, former MSU standout from Wheeler, struck out 10 batters in 4 1/3 innings in just his second start of the year for Milwaukee, which beat Washington 6-5 for its sixth straight victory. … In case you missed it in Saturday’s All-Star Futures game, Griffin went 1-for-2 with an HBP (his right hand reportedly is OK); Montgomery was 0-for-3 with an RBI; and Cijntje, pitching both righty and lefty, struck out two and yielded an infield hit in his one inning.

12 Jul

update

Atlanta has recalled No. 3 prospect Nacho Alvarez from Triple-A Gwinnett, with Austin Riley going on the 10-day injured list (see previous post). Alvarez is in the lineup at third base for today’s game at St. Louis. The Double-A Mississippi Braves’ shortstop the first half of 2024, Alvarez is batting .361 in 11 games for the Stripers, having spent a chunk of time on the IL himself. He went 3-for-30 in a brief stint with Atlanta last year. A career .286 hitter in the minors, he can play third base, shortstop and second base. The Braves also added former M-Braves lefty Joey Wentz to the active roster; he was recently claimed off waivers from Minnesota. He has a 5.75 ERA over 103 MLB games. He pitched in Mississippi in 2019 before being traded.