It’s not quite a Cy Young Award, but Rays southpaw Blake Snell captured another unique honor by winning the MLB The Show Players League championship today. (MLB.com’s Mandy Bell, Adam Berry, Do-Hyoung Park and Juan Toribio have the details.) The tournament featured one player from each team competing in a round-robin regular season of games of MLB The Show, with the top performers advancing to the postseason. Snell dominated play in both the regular season and playoffs, including a three-game sweep of Lucas Giolito in the best-of-five World Series.
Snell’s victory clinched an extra donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast. Each of the 30 players represented a different local Boys & Girls Club, with every Club receiving charitable donations from the league, the players’ union, and Sony Interactive Entertainment. Full details on the tournament are available here.
Some more notes from around the non-virtual baseball world…
- There seems to be an increasing expectation that the Tigers will take Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson with the first overall pick in the amateur draft, according to both Lynn Henning of the Detroit News and Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. While nothing will be certain until Torkelson’s name is called, the slugger is considered the top prospect available by many pundits, and is perhaps something of a safer pick. Perfect Game national director Brian Sakowski tells Fenech that the lack of spring baseball created less opportunity for any prospect to showcase new skills or have a breakout performance, so while Vanderbilt’s Austin Martin may not necessarily be behind Torkelson on Detroit’s draft board, the lack of clarity about Martin’s future defensive position might inspire the Tigers to just go with Torkelson’s more obvious power potential. Henning is even more straight-forward in his assessment, writing “the Tigers are all but certain to take Torkelson,” as he would immediate become the headline bat in a Detroit farm system that is rich in quality young arms but short on blue chip hitting prospects.
- Yadier Molina raised some eyebrows by recently saying that he was open to play for another team besides the Cardinals when he reaches free agency, though Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch still feels Molina will ultimately remain with the Redbirds. “The Cardinals need Molina more than any other team needs him, and no other team would appreciate him like the Cardinals do,” Frederickson writes, and a reunion should eventually happen “as long as sanity and reason remain at the heart of the conversation.” That said, if another team could emerge as a potential suitor for the veteran catcher, Frederickson speculates the Angels could be a possibility, given Molina’s ties to Albert Pujols and Tony La Russa (who was hired in November as a special advisor to the Halos’ baseball operations department).
- Jefry Rodriguez started eight of his 10 games with the Indians last season, though Cleveland.com’s Joe Noga feels the right-hander could be a swingman option for the Tribe if the 2020 season gets underway. It was an open question as to whether or not Rodriguez would have made Cleveland’s Opening Day roster under normal circumstances, but his ability to work in multiple roles and pitch multiple innings could be helpful in a shortened season, given a compressed schedule and the likelihood that regular starters would be on a reduced workload. The 26-year-old Rodriguez came to Cleveland from Washington as part of the Yan Gomes trade in November 2018, and he posted a 4.63 ERA, 6.4 K/9, and 1.57 K/BB rate over 46 2/3 innings last season.
Can’t wait for the tigers to pick Tork!
O how low have we fallen
#Pujols2STL2022
Really hope they have a NL DH by then if thats the case lol
Snell foreshadowing the next WS winner.
“we dont know where Martin might play so we’re going to take a 1B/DH.” so silly. Martin has to at least be good somewhere. he hardly sounds like a liability and can probably play every position other than 1B better than Torkelson. weak validation.
Agreed
As an O’s fan with them having the 2nd pick, I would be excited if Detroit takes Torkelson. If Martin is a SS I am sure he can handle other positions and he looks to be the best player IMO.
The Angels hired Tony La Russa!!??
Watch out!
I’m sorry. But Blake Snell is disrespectful
All the guys were talking smack! We do not know the relationship that these guys have off the field. Many came up from the minors together. He wasn’t talking to you so take off your sensitivity suit or go watch bowling.
Hoping Torkelson will fall to the fourth pick (though highly unlikely). Royals need a first base prospect. O’Hearn has absolutely no potential and Nick Pratto is way behind, don’t think he’ll make the majors.
2B Nick Gonzales (New Mexico St) looks like the best pure hitter in the draft (Nick Madrigal with more power — wow). If he falls to #4 (very possible), KC would have a great double-play duo between Witt Jr. and Gonzales for the foreseeable future. That’d be 2 great building blocks.
Has a college 1B ever been picked first overall in the draft?
Interesting, no. Only 2x a 1B was taken (Ron Bloomberg NYY, Adrian Gonzalez FLA) #1 overall.
Also interesting, a 2B has never been taken #1 overall.
Interesting note that the tigers GM Al Avila was heavily involved in the marlins front office when they took Adrian Gonzalez #1 and now he might be the gm to take Spencer Torkelson #1
The Tigers should draft him on his name alone.
Rod Torkelson’s Armada featuring Herman Menderchuk!
I just hoped this wasn’t rushed. That would mock Snell.
Glad the Tigers want the 1B with the #1 pick. I’m opposed to taking a 1B that high almost all the time.
Especially w/ a system like Baltimore’s. There always ends up being too many bad gloves that could eventually get shifted over to 1B. You’re taking a huge risk that this kid absolutely mashes.
But anyway, that leaves the 3B from Vandy or Hancock/Lacy for the O’s. Which fits our needs a whole lot better. I would’ve been surprised if Elias would’ve taken Torkelson even if he had the #1 pick.
What do y’all think of the odds that some teams say “Since we’re here for a good time and not a long time, 80 games, we’re going to ask our pitchers how much they got left after 130 pitches”?
Are they going to play George Strait as the pitcher throws his 130th pitch?
Doubt it. The season will almost certainly go a month past normal, meaning less recovery time before ST 2021. Injuries are also more likely to happen when a pitcher is tired, and even if injuries are avoided, a tired pitcher can quickly give up three runs. They only reason to go just a hair longer is that the BP will be more taxed, but it’s believed there will be expanded rosters, many of the spots of which will go to the BP.
Considering how MLB Network is showing “Trouble With the Curve” every day why am I thinking the Tigers are walking into a trap with Torkelson?
Isn’t there a Roy Hobbs hiding out there?
Think Martin will ultimately be a 2B. Tork is the pick for the Tigers
I’m with Martin, need the 2b/SS for Tigers.. need infielders not including 1b.
look at 2019… the game has changed and it geared towards the longball and the Tigers don’t have that guy… yet.
I hope the Dodgers take Abel, I feel like they would go pitcher heavy the first few picks