Tag Archives: Baseball Digest

23 Oct

in the spotlight

Konnor Griffin has been named the minor league player of the year by USA Today/Sports Weekly and is featured in the Oct. 22 publication. The former Jackson Prep star, who also received the 2025 top player award from milb.com and Baseball America, batted .333 with 21 homers, 65 steals and a .941 OPS across three levels of Pittsburgh’s system, peaking at Double-A. As the article notes, Griffin is the first minor leaguer in 20 years to hit .300 with 20 homers, 60 bags and 100 runs. Other winners of this award include former Mississippi Braves Jason Heyward and Ronald Acuna Jr. The Sports Weekly article focuses on Griffin’s family, notably dad Kevin, and his Florence roots. “I’m so proud to be from Florence, Mississippi,” Konnor Griffin says. “And I’m going to do everything I can to make sure they’re proud of me.” … The venerable Baseball Digest, one of the few remaining periodicals of its sort, has nice feature stories on Mississippi natives Garrett Crochet and Herb Washington in its September/October issue. Crochet, from Ocean Springs, starred for Boston this year in his first season since a trade with the Chicago White Sox. The Red Sox gave him a 6-year/$170 million contract, and the 6-foot-5 left-hander responded with a Cy Young-caliber season, going 18-5 and leading all pitchers in strikeouts. He also beat the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Series opener. In the article, titled “Money in the Bank,” Crochet talks about how he came to appreciate the intense scrutiny players are under in Boston from fans in addition to media: “At first it was … not off-putting, but kind of awkward. I didn’t really know how to react. But now, you appreciate the fandom in the city.” … Washington, from Belzoni, is best known from his days as the Oakland A’s “designated runner” in 1974-75. An international sprint champion, he was hastily trained as a base-stealer by Maury Wills and, after a horribly slow start, stole 31 bases in 48 tries, scored 33 runs and never batted in 105 games. He was infamously picked off in the 1974 World Series and released early the next season. Per the article, he was offered the chance to bat in the final game of the ’74 season — against Nolan Ryan — and declined. He told the Baseball Digest writers that he just figured, “If you never have an at-bat, not matter how long you’re in baseball, you will have a uniqueness that will make your mark in baseball.” … Brent Rooker is a finalist for a Silver Slugger Award at DH in the American League. The Mississippi State product hit .262 with 30 homers, 92 RBIs and a .479 slugging percentage for the A’s this season. He won the award in 2024. Ex-DeSoto Central High standout Austin Riley is a finalist at third base in the National League but would have to be considered a longshot to win. He was limited by injury to 102 games for Atlanta and hit .260 with 16 homers, 54 RBIs and a .428 slug. He won the award in 2021 and ’23. … One hundred years ago this month, Ellisville native Buddy Myer made his World Series debut with the old Washington Nationals (Senators), helping the club get off to a 3-1 lead against Pittsburgh. Myer, one of Mississippi’s all-time best (.303 career hitter), went 2-for-8 with a walk over those first four games. The rookie infielder didn’t play in the final three, all won by the Pirates. Myer got back to the Series in 1933 with Washington but lost there, too.

30 Dec

position switch, take two

Prior to last season, the Detroit Tigers gave raw rookie Colt Keith a big contract — which could be worth some $80 million — and a new position to play. The former Biloxi High standout, a third baseman in high school and the minors, switched to second base for his MLB debut — and handled the move with aplomb. Keith has been named the second baseman on Baseball Digest’s MLB Rookie All-Star Team for 2024, joining the likes of Paul Skenes, Jackson Merrill, Colton Cowser and Jackson Chourio on the venerable magazine’s honored list. Mississippi’s 2019 Gatorade player of the year, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Keith batted .260 with 13 homers and 61 RBIs in 148 games for the Tigers, who made the postseason. What’s next for Keith? Well, the Tigers will ask him to switch positions again in the spring, moving to first base to accommodate the arrival of free agent signee Gleyber Torres. Expect Keith, 23, to make a smooth adjustment, just as he did last spring. P.S. Waiting to see what’s next for Grae Kessinger, the Oxford native and ex-Ole Miss star who was designated for assignment by Houston last week. Kessinger could return to the Astros’ system if he clears waivers or he could wind up somewhere else as a minor league free agent. The 27-year-old infielder has been in pro ball since 2019, with 49 games in the big leagues. In 23 games with the Astros in 2024, he was 0-for-21. He batted .262 in Triple-A. … Entering the final day of the Mexican Pacific League regular season, Taylorsville High product Billy Hamilton leads the winter league with 38 stolen bases. The former big leaguer — who has 838 steals overall in pro ball — is batting .246 for Jalisco. Ex-Gulfport High standout Bobby Bradley, also an ex-big leaguer, is tied for third in the MPL with 10 homers for Navojoa.

07 Oct

something special?

Among the flood of pitchers who have toed the rubber at Trustmark Park en route to the big leagues, Ian Anderson achieved a special distinction. He had a hand in one of the three no-hitters hurled by Mississippi Braves pitchers during the Double-A club’s first 15 years in Pearl. The right-hander, now Atlanta’s No. 2 starter, worked the first seven innings of a combo no-no (with Jeremy Walker) in June of 2019. And Anderson worked his magic on a special night in front of a big crowd: The M-Braves wore throwback Jackson Generals uniforms, honoring the old Double-A franchise that played at Smith-Wills Stadium from 1975-99. M-Braves fans might remember Anderson, with his distinctive, over-the-top delivery, as a good — if not great — pitcher. He went 7-5 with a 2.68 ERA over 19 starts in 2019. Since getting the call to Atlanta in late August, Anderson has been even better: 3-2, 1.95 in the regular season. He shut down the New York Yankees in his MLB debut and handcuffed Cincinnati in Game 2 of the wild card series. He goes today in Game 2 of the National League Division Series against Miami, with the Braves up 1-0. Braves fans should be enthused. Here’s what Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci recently wrote: “Anderson, 22, is the difference-maker, capable of reshaping what you thought you knew about this postseason the way rookie Michael Wacha of the (St. Louis) Cardinals did in 2013.” Wacha went 4-1, 2.64 in five postseason starts for the World Series team. P.S. Another former M-Braves hurler, Charlie Morton, starts for Tampa Bay against the Yankees tonight in Game 3 of that division series. Morton had a down year: 2-2, 4.74 ERA. … Baseball Digest’s annual awards had a distinct Mississippi flavor, with former Mississippi Braves star Freddie Freeman earning player of the year honors and Biloxi Shuckers alum Devin Williams tabbed as reliever of the year. Freeman batted .341 with 13 home runs, 53 RBIs and an MLB-leading 51 runs scored for National League East champion Atlanta. Freeman passed through Trustmark Park in 2009 – arriving in July in tandem with Jason Heyward – and hit .248 with two homers and 22 RBIs in 41 games, missing part of the season with an injury. Williams, a rookie, had a breakout campaign for Milwaukee, finishing with an 0.33 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 27 innings, leading all relievers. He pitched for Biloxi in 2019, going 7-2 with four saves and a 2.70 ERA in 31 relief appearances. Williams joined the Braves’ Anderson on MLB Pipeline’s all-rookie team for 2020. … Ole Miss alum and Mississippi resident Andy Fletcher was behind home plate for Tuesday’s Atlanta-Miami game, which produced some drama after Ronald Acuna, who belted a leadoff homer, was hit by a pitch in his second at-bat.