Tag Archives: Baseball America

15 Nov

he is worthy

Ace is a status that must be earned. And Garrett Crochet did exactly that in his first season with Boston, which traded a boatload of prospects to get the Ocean Springs native from the Chicago White Sox last off-season. Crochet went 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA for a playoff team. In just his second year as a starter, he led the American League in quality starts, innings pitched and strikeouts. He finished second in the Cy Young Award voting to Tarik Skubal, garnering four of the 30 first-place votes. The lefty also made the All-MLB first team. Crochet’s season — one of the best ever by a Mississippi-born pitcher — is worthy of the Cool Papa Bell Award, given here for the top performance by a Mississippian (native or school alum) in the big leagues. “He was phenomenal,” Craig Breslow, the Red Sox’s chief baseball officer, recently told mlb.com. “It’s what we had hoped he could be when we traded for him, but to see that actually materialize is great.” Crochet’s second-place finish in the Cy Young voting is the best by a Mississippi native. Weir’s Roy Oswalt placed third in 2004. Crochet was two wins shy of becoming the sixth Magnolia State native to win 20. That club includes Reb Russell (22 in 1913), Guy Bush (20 in ’33), Claude Passeau (20 in ’40), Boo Ferriss (21 in 1945 and 25 in ’46) and Oswalt (20 in both 2004 and ’05). … Other winners of AMB’s Bell Award: Brent Rooker, Justin Steele, Austin Riley, Tim Anderson, Corey Dickerson, Mitch Moreland, Brian Dozier, Desmond Jennings, Lance Lynn, Cliff Lee, Oswalt and Chris Coghlan. P.S. Nick Sandlin, former Ferriss Trophy winner out of Southern Miss, has been outrighted off the 40-man roster to Triple-A by Toronto. Sandlin, in his first year with the Blue Jays, had a 2.20 ERA in 19 games but ended the regular season on the injured list and missed the postseason. … It’ll be interesting to see if former USM pitcher Tyler Stuart and ex-DeSoto Central High slugger Blaze Jordan make the 40-man roster in their respective organizations. Both would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft next month if they aren’t protected on the big league roster. Stuart, a 6-foot-9 right-hander, went 2-2 with a 4.29 ERA in 10 games in an injury-curtailed 2025 season in the Washington system. He has a career 3.44 ERA and has pitched in Triple-A. Jordan, St. Louis’ No. 18 prospect, belted a career-high 19 homers in 2025, playing in Triple-A in both the Boston and Cardinals systems. Still only 22 years old, the fifth-year pro hit .270 with 99 RBIs all told last season. … Madison Central High alum Braden Montgomery compiled some amazing numbers in the Arizona Fall League. The White Sox’s top prospect went 15-for-41 (.366) in 12 games for Glendale, with a homer, six doubles, a triple, 11 RBIs, 12 runs, three steals and 13 walks. His OBP was .527. A switch-hitting outfielder, Montgomery batted .270 with 12 homers and 68 RBIs over three minor league levels in his first pro season. (He was acquired by the ChiSox in the Crochet trade with Boston.) … Brandon Woodruff, the ex-Mississippi State standout from Wheeler, has until Nov. 18 to make a decision on the one-year/$22.025 million qualifying offer he received from Milwaukee. Woodruff, who has spent his entire pro career in the Brewers’ system, became a free agent after the World Series ended. … MSU’s 2026 signing class was ranked No. 8 by Baseball America. The feature signee is catcher Will Brick from Memphis; he ranks among the top 10 prep prospects on Perfect Game’s latest chart.

23 Sep

faded glory

Perusing the box score from Atlanta’s game Monday against Washington evokes many thoughts, some positive, some sad. The Braves won their ninth straight, 11-5 at Truist Park. The familiar names of Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II, Drake Baldwin and Nacho Alvarez Jr. combined for eight hits, five walks, an HBP, six runs and eight RBIs. Quite a game. And yet, here the Braves are, stuck in fourth place in the National League East, nine games under .500 and out of the playoff picture for the first time in eight years. End of an era. Those five familiar names once played at Trustmark Park in Pearl for the Mississippi Braves, Atlanta’s highly productive Double-A team that now resides in Columbus, Ga., another era having ended. The Braves’ current win streak makes one wonder what might have been had this team stayed healthy and performed to expectations. (As fate would have it, Albies, having a tough year, broke a bone in his hand Monday.) It’s easy to forget that Baseball America ranked Atlanta as the majors’ second-best team entering the 2025 season, and Lindy’s magazine picked the Braves as NL champs, as did many others. On Monday, the Braves banged out 14 hits all told and went 7-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Stranding baserunners was a huge issue this season. There was production up-and-down the lineup; every starter save for Matt Olson — the most dependable hitter — got at least one knock. Yes, the pitching staff needs some attention this off-season, but the current lineup, if it clicks like it has recently (72 runs during the win streak), should be fine for 2026. … Meanwhile, Milwaukee lost its second straight — a 5-4 defeat in 11 innings at San Diego, a playoff-clinching win for the Padres. The Brewers have clinched the NL Central title but their lead over Philadelphia for the top seed in the NL postseason is down to 2.5 games with a week to play. Former Biloxi Shuckers star Freddy Peralta was good for Milwaukee on Monday, leaving after five innings with a 3-2 lead. However, ex-Shuckers Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick and Brice Turang went 1-for-15 with five strikeouts and a GIDP. P.S. Ex-Jackson Prep star Konnor Griffin was named the Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America. The top-rated prospect had a remarkable first pro year: .333 with 21 home runs, 65 RBIs, 117 runs and 94 steals over three levels in Pittsburgh’s system. The 19-year-old shortstop is among three finalists for MLB Pipeline’s player of the year honor. … In the minors tonight, Jacksonville — with Ole Miss alum Kemp Alderman and Southern Miss’ Matthew Etzel on the roster — plays Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the opener of the Triple-A International League Championship Series. In the Double-A Southern League, Montgomery — with ex-Mississippi State standout Colton Ledbetter — takes on Birmingham — featuring former UM catcher Calvin Harris — in Game 2 of the title series. The Biscuits won the opener on Sunday.

20 Sep

it’s that time

Fall baseball — the college variety — is in the air. Mississippi State, now in the Brian O’Connor era, played the first of its 11 intrasquad scrimmages Friday at Dudy Noble Field. The Bulldogs’ first exhibition game is Oct. 18 against Florida State in Pensacola, Fla., and they’ll host a second fall game on Nov. 1 vs. Louisiana Tech. Southern Miss, which recently extended the contract of coach Christian Ostrander, started practice Friday and will conclude its fall season with a best-of-5 intrasquad series in early November. Ole Miss, under 25-year coach Mike Bianco, will play two exhibitions, both at Swayze Field: Oct. 4 against Arkansas-Little Rock and Oct. 18 vs. Tulane. This is a particularly significant fall season for NCAA Division I schools and players: The new 34-man roster limit goes into effect on Dec. 1. … MSU was ranked No. 4 in Baseball America’s way-too-early 2026 poll. The magazine hails the arrival from Virginia of the veteran O’Connor — who faces “perhaps the highest expectations in the country” — and several portal additions. State also welcomes highly touted freshman Jacob Parker from Purvis and returns Ace Reese, SEC newcomer of the year in 2025. Ole Miss, with Judd Utermark, Austin Fawley and Hunter Elliott back in the fold, was ranked No. 24 by BA. The ’26 season starts Feb. 13. Of note: Ole Miss is slated to play in Astros Foundation College Classic in Houston from Feb. 27-March 1. Also in the field: Ohio State, Coastal Carolina and Baylor. USM will play in the Round Rock Classic in Texas from Feb. 20-22. Purdue, Oregon State and Baylor are also in that field.

29 Jul

trade breeze

A pair of former Mississippi college standouts will trade places today in a deal that will soon be overshadowed when the trade winds pick up in MLB. Tampa Bay, in need of a defensive-minded catcher, is acquiring former Ole Miss star Nick Fortes from Miami, sending ex-Southern Miss star Matthew Etzel, a third-year minor league outfielder, to the Marlins. The Rays are 54-53 after beating the New York Yankees on Monday and are hanging on the fringe of the American League wild card race. Fortes, in his fifth big league season, was batting .240 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in 59 games as a part-timer for Miami. He’ll join a Rays team that includes Mississippi State alum Jake Mangum and share catching duties with Matt Thaiss, a .219 hitter. Etzel is currently on the injured list at Double-A Montgomery. He is batting .230 with five homers, 34 RBIs and 17 steals. Originally drafted by Baltimore in 2023 and traded last summer, the speedy Etzel is a .267 career hitter with 83 steals. He’ll likely go to Double-A Pensacola and join a club that includes Ole Miss product Kemp Alderman. P.S. Former Mississippi Braves star Michael Harris II, in the throes of a tough offensive year, was named the National League player of the week. He batted .478 with six extra-base hits, including two homers and two triples, last week. … A host of former Biloxi Shuckers started for Milwaukee on Monday in an 8-4 win over the visiting Chicago Cubs that moved the Brewers a game up in the NL Central. Shuckers alum Sal Frelick, batting leadoff, went 2-for-4 with a walk, a homer and two runs as the Brewers overcame a ragged start by ex-Shuckers star Jacob Misiorowski. … Former Jackson Prep star Konnor Griffin, currently in High-Class A for Pittsburgh, is now Baseball America’s No. 1 overall prospect; MLB Pipeline previously ranked Griffin No. 1.

24 Jul

hot topics

Landon Harmon, the touted right-hander from East Union High, has signed with the Washington Nationals for $2.5 million, according to several reports. He was taken in the third round, 80th overall; the slot value for that pick was $1.01M, per mlb.com. His pitch repertoire will need some polish, according to Baseball America’s pre-draft scouting report: “While Harmon’s fastball is one the better pitches in this class, his secondaries need more refinement.” Harmon was a Mississippi State signee and is the second high-profile MSU recruit to sign with an MLB club, joining eighth overall pick JoJo Parker from Purvis. Parker’s twin brother Jacob also was drafted (19th round) but has chosen to attend MSU. All told, five prep players from the state were drafted this year. Talon Haley (12th round), a pitcher from Lewisburg, signed with the Los Angeles Angels, and Jay McQueen (20th round), an outfielder from Brandon, reportedly has inked with Texas, though that has not been confirmed on mlb.com. … Konnor Griffin, the No. 9 overall pick in 2024 out of Jackson Prep, is rated the No. 1 overall prospect in the minors in MLB Pipeline’s updated Top 100 rankings. He entered his first pro season ranked No. 43; he is batting .324 with 13 homers and 42 steals at two levels of A-ball in Pittsburgh’s organization. Braden Montgomery (Madison Central alum) is No. 27, Cooper Pratt (Magnolia Heights) No. 38 and Jurrangelo Cijntje (MSU) No. 71. … MSU is ranked No. 4 in Baseball America’s first 2026 college poll. The magazine’s story hails the arrival of new coach Brian O’Connor and several portal additions plus the return of Ace Reese, SEC newcomer of the year in 2025. Ole Miss is No. 24, thanks in part to the return of Judd Utermark, Austin Fawley and Hunter Elliott.

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.

24 Jun

ratings game

With the college season finally done and a national champion crowned in NCAA Division I, it’s time to close the book on the Magnolia State season, another very good one. Ranking the teams on the 80-20 scouting scale — with 50 being average, 80 exceptional and 20 the pits — there are three teams that probably deserve a 65 rating.
Start with Belhaven University, which reached a Super Regional in NCAA D-III, the only state school to get that far. The Blazers went 34-15, 13-5 (second in the CCS), won the Maloney Trophy (over Millsaps), reached the finals of their conference tournament and won a regional on the road in their first postseason appearance in 14 years.
Give a 65 also to Southern Miss and Ole Miss, ranked No. 21 and No. 19, respectively, in Baseball America’s final poll. The Golden Eagles won 47 games, finished second in the Sun Belt, reached the finals of the SBC Tournament (losing to Coastal Carolina) and reached the finals of the regional they hosted. They also produced the SBC player of the year (Nick Monistere) and two first-team All-America selections (Monistere and J.B. Middleton, the Ferriss Trophy winner). Ole Miss won 43 games (16-14 SEC), won the Governor’s Cup, reached the final of the SEC Tournament (beating national champ LSU along the way), earned a No. 10 national seed and made the finals of their regional. And they were unranked at the start of the season.
At the 55 level, there are four. William Carey University won 38 games (17 on the road), won the SSAC title (24-6) and reached the finals of the league tournament. However, the Crusaders went 2-and-out in the NAIA Opening Round tourney they hosted. Delta State went 33-20, won the Gulf South regular season championship and went to an NCAA D-II regional, where the Statesmen went 1-2. Mississippi College finished 35-23, swept Delta State in the regular season finale, went 2-2 in the GSC Tournament and upset the No. 1 team in the nation (Tampa) in their D-II regional before bowing out. Millsaps went 29-15, won the SAA regular season title and went to a D-III regional. The Majors also produced a D-III All-America pick: Bradley Pelle.
Coming in with a 50 is Mississippi State. The Bulldogs wound up 36-23, 15-15 SEC, and lost in the first round of the SEC Tournament. They got a regional bid but lost twice to host Florida State. They also endured a midseason coaching change and coaching search. Give interim coach Justin Parker some props for navigating that with a 10-4 record. Jackson State also rates a 50 after going 30-21, 16-12 SWAC, and putting together a clutch 10-game win streak late in the year. They bowed out in three games in the SWAC Tournament. Blue Mountain Christian also scores a 50; the Toppers finished 28-24, 16-14 SSAC (beating Carey two of three), and won a game in the league tourney. Give a 50 also to D-III MUW, which posted a 21-17 mark (with a win over Millsaps), went 14-4 in the SLIAC and made the league tournament finals.
Rust, of the NAIA-level HBCUAC, comes in at 40. Rust went 22-28 (13-17) and was 0-2 in the league tourney. A shade below at 35 are Tougaloo, Mississippi Valley State and Southeastern Baptist. Tougaloo was 14-32 and 9-20 HBCUAC. Valley finished 12-29, 7-23 SWAC. Southeastern Baptist, an NCCAA program in Laurel, went 20-19, beat Alcorn State and went 2-2 in a Christian college regional.
Alcorn State gets stuck with a 25. Under new coach Carlton Hardy, who got a late start with the program, the Braves finished 6-43, winning only one of 30 SWAC games (against Southern University). Hardy, who has a good track record, has a lot of work to do in Lorman.

05 Jun

charging rapidly …

After enduring a curious power outage in the month of May, Kemp Alderman is starting to light it up again at Double-A Pensacola. The former Ole Miss star from Decatur extended his hitting streak to 10 games with his sixth homer of the season on Wednesday night against Columbus. After going homerless in 26 games in May, the 6-foot-2, 235-pound slugger — the No. 10-rated prospect in Miami’s organization — has gone deep in two of three games this month. His average had dipped to .238 before his current hit streak began. He is up to .282 with 24 RBIs and 13 steals in 50 games all told. In a recent Baseball America article, Alderman said one of his goals this season was a 20-homer, 20-steal season. He might have a shot. He isn’t known for speed, really, but his raw power is unquestioned. In the 2024 Arizona Fall League, he hit a 119.5 mph home run, the hardest hit ball in that elite league last year. He smacked six homers in just nine games there after hitting eight in an injury-shortened (77 games) 2024 season spent at four levels of the minors. In 2023, Alderman put up one of the best seasons in Ole Miss history, batting .376 with 19 homers and 61 RBIs, winning the Ferriss Trophy and earning second-team All-America honors. Miami drafted him in the second round, 47th overall, that summer. MLB Pipeline’s scouting report hails Alderman’s power tool but notes that “he’s prone to chasing all types of pitches out of the zone.” Alderman told Baseball America that’s something he’s working to improve on in 2025. He has struck out 39 times (with 19 walks) in 181 at-bats with an on-base percentage of .348. P.S. DeSoto Central High product Blaze Jordan, also renowned for his power (see previous post), hit a homer Wednesday in his second game at Triple-A Worcester and now has 50 in his pro career in the Boston system. He’s not quite ready for The Show, but Red Sox fans should note: Jordan, 22, can play first base.

28 Apr

watch list

Delta State, which has never had a Ferriss Trophy winner, has produced quite a few viable candidates over the years. The Statesmen have another solid one in 2025. Right-hander Drake Fontenot is 9-1 with a 1.96 ERA, a .208 batting average against, 78 strikeouts and 19 walks in 91 2/3 innings for the Gulf South Conference regular season champion. Fontenot’s only loss came on Friday at Mississippi College in his worst outing of the season (seven runs in six innings). The Ferriss Trophy — named in honor of Delta State coaching legend Boo Ferriss — will be awarded to the best college player in the state for the 21st time on May 19 by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. The finalists, who will attend the ceremony, have not yet been named. As usual, there are a bunch of players around the state who have put up mighty impressive numbers. Throwing out a few more names: Southern Miss’ J.B. Middleton, regarded as a top pro prospect, is 8-1 with a 1.92 ERA for the Golden Eagles. Teammate Nick Monistere, on a recent tear, has 16 homers, 56 RBIs, 42 runs and a .335 average for 31-13 USM. Ole Miss’ Luke Hill is batting .352 with 51 runs for the nationally ranked Rebels (31-13). Mississippi State’s Ace Reese has 16 bombs and 53 RBIs. Jackson State’s Jordan McCladdie is hitting .381 with 51 runs and 33 steals. Millsaps’ Gray Berry (.426, 61 runs) and Nick Tarantino (9-1, 2.74) have been stellar for a 28-11 conference championship club. MC’s Korey Cooper is a .376 hitter with 12 homers, 55 RBIs and 52 runs. At William Carey, also a conference champ, Rigoberto Hernandez is batting .386 with 12 homers, 51 RBIs, 63 runs and 17 bags for a 33-13 team. Blue Mountain Christian’s Hayden Redding has 46 steals and a .339 average. P.S. Mississippi College’s stunning blowout of Delta State in Clinton last weekend was the first-ever three-game sweep for the Choctaws over their longtime rival. MC (31-19, 21-12 GSC) outscored the Statesmen 40-7 and will go into the GSC Tournament next weekend as the No. 4 seed. DSU (32-16, 23-10) is the top seed, having gotten some help elsewhere over the weekend to win the regular season title. … Ole Miss jumped to No. 13 (from 22) in the new Baseball America Top 25 after taking two of three from then-No.8 Vanderbilt last week.

07 Apr

a page-turner … so far

Though the book is far from finished, Ole Miss is writing one of the best stories in college baseball. From unranked in preseason — and picked to finish 15th in the vaunted SEC — the Rebels are 24-7 and ranked seventh nationally again this week in Baseball America’s Top 25. The Rebels battled for a 5-4 win in 12 innings at Kentucky on Saturday to win their third straight SEC series. They’re 8-4 in the league. National champs three years ago, UM foundered through the ’23 and ’24 seasons. Coach Mike Bianco rebuilt the roster for 2025 and apparently has found pieces that fit. The Rebels are middle-of-the-pack in the league in hitting (ninth in average) and pitching (12th in ERA). But they’re winning, which is all that really matters. In that 12-inning victory at Kentucky, they took a lead in the 11th, then lost it. Undaunted, they got a clutch two-run homer from Luke Hill — a .353 hitter — in the final frame and an heroic save from Alex Canney, who has a 1.50 ERA. A big week looms. The Rebels visit longtime rival Memphis on Tuesday, host undermanned Alcorn State on Wednesday and then welcome No. 4 Tennessee to Swayze Field for a weekend series that could define the season. The Vols, defending national champs, are 28-4 and 9-3 and no doubt plenty angry after losing a series at Texas A&M in ugly fashion (17-6 in the finale). UM fans are no doubt eager to see how the next chapter of this season is penned. P.S. Whenever there’s a list, there’s usually a Mississippian on it. Since 2007, Barry Bonds’ last season, San Francisco has started a different left fielder on opening day every year — 18 all told. Fred Lewis, former Stone County High and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College standout, is on the list. He was in left field on April 7, 2009, and he went 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs — plus an error — in a 10-6 win over Milwaukee at AT&T Park. In 2009, Lewis was in the fourth year of a seven-year MLB career in which he batted .266.