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Phillies acquire Jesmuel Valentin from Dodgers
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Phillies have acquired 20-year-old middle infielder Jesmuel Valentin from the Los Angeles Dodgers as the first of two players to be named for pitcher Roberto Hernandez. Valentin is the son of former major-league infielder Jose Valentin. The younger Valentin is primarily a second baseman. He hit .282 with seven homers, 47 […]
Keep ReadingCleveland Indians report: Top prospect Francisco Lindor remains on fast track to big leagues
CLEVELAND: Francisco Lindor probably wonders what the Indians are waiting for. He’s already 19 years old and he’s heard (and probably read) that he is one of the best prospects in all of the minor leagues. Before the season, Baseball America ranked him 28th. Fans in Cleveland and now in the Carolina League know about […]
Keep ReadingKimbrel stands alone as new gold standard of closers
CHICAGO -- Long before he established himself as baseball's most dominant closer, Craig Kimbrel was assigned to write about his career ambition. When he wrote about his desire to play for the Atlanta Braves, his third-grade teacher made him redo the assignment, because she did not believe he should've viewed becoming a big league ballplayer […]
Keep ReadingLos Angeles Dodgers prospect Jesmuel Valentin pursues Major League dream of playing for father, Jose Valentin
MIDLAND, MI — If his father isn't too old to dream, there isn't any reason for Jesmuel Valentin to give up on his dreams. Valentin, 20, leads the Great Lakes Loons in runs scored with 33 and triples with three entering Friday's game against the South Bend Silver Hawks. It is his second season with […]
Keep ReadingKimbrel chipping in to aid kids with cancer
ATLANTA -- Life may seem unfair in the batter's box when Braves closer Craig Kimbrel is on the mound blowing away big league hitters. But for Grainne and Clay Owen of Marietta, Ga. -- who lost their 9-year-old son, Killian, to Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in 2003 -- and parents like them, the unfairness of life […]
Keep Reading2014 Appalachian League Top 20 Prospects - Ozhaino Albies
The earlier signing deadline continues to bolster the talent in the Rookie-level Appalachian League, which had an above-average year for talent as it featured the No. 5 overall pick in 2014 (Elizabethton shortstop Nick Gordon) and 10 selections from the top two rounds of the past two drafts. Eight of those players made the list, […]
Keep ReadingBowa on Kimbrel's success
Bowa on Kimbral's Success MLB Network studio analyst Larry Bowa looks at the reasons why the Braves' Craig Kimbrel may be the best closer in the Majors
Keep ReadingKimbrel named Delivery Man of the Year
ATLANTA -- Craig Kimbrel was named Major League Baseball's Delivery Man of the Year on Thursday afternoon. Kimbrel is the first member of the Braves' organization to win this honor, which has been given annually to the game's top closer since 2005. Further establishing his dominance in this role, Kimbrel converted 50 of 54 save […]
Keep ReadingKimbrel not content after record-breaking year
ATLANTA -- Craig Kimbrel understood the historic opportunity that he had when he took the mound to pitch the ninth inning of last year's regular-season finale against the Pirates at PNC Park. Through his first 62 appearances of the season, the Braves closer had struck out 113 of the 227 batters he had faced. There […]
Keep ReadingBraves Craig Kimbrel named MLB Delivery Man of the Month for August
Atlanta Braves closer Craig Kimbrel, who led the Majors with 12 saves during August, has been selected as the winner of the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Month Award for August, marking the third career monthly honor for the right-hander. Kimbrel also captured the award in August 2011 and September 2012. This Major […]
Keep ReadingLindor sparks Mudcats with bat, attitude
A quick look atop the Carolina League leaderboards confirms Francisco Lindor's potential stardom. A quick chat with him reveals not only how much he wants to win, but how willing he is to do what it takes to do so. The Indians' top prospect went 3-for-3 with a pair of walks and two runs scored […]
Keep ReadingFrancisco Lindor interview with Darren Headrick
Francisco Lindor speaks with the Mudcats Radio Network about being drafted, and how his life has changed since then. https://soundcloud.com/darren-headrick/francisco-lindor-interview
Keep ReadingBraves' Craig Kimbrel having another great season -- and more brushes with greatness
ATLANTA, Georgia -- There he is, on the shelf under the hotel TV, celebrating on the cover of an Atlanta visitors' magazine and inside, talking about Atlanta traditions like tubing on the Chattahoochee River. There he is, on the pages of "Sports Illustrated," answering questions about what gift he'd give the Royal Baby and what […]
Keep ReadingFrancisco Lindor gets ready
By now, every Indians fan has heard of Cleveland Indians shortstop and top prospect Francisco Lindor. It’s kind of hard not to know who he is since he has taken the organization by storm since he was drafted in June of 2011. In almost two years’ time, Lindor has established himself as the heir apparent […]
Keep ReadingLindor's impressive April
Cleveland Indians prized shortstop prospect, Francisco Lindor, just wrapped up an impressive April hitting .341, with a home run, 10 RBI, seven stolen bases and .911 OPS in 24 games. That is about as impressive a showing a top prospect can have, making his High-A debut and as one of the youngest players in the […]
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