Mlb Pipeline

With the MLB season just concluded and the playoffs in full swing, the latest Pipeline Podcast focuses on rookies. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo & Jason Ratliff break down the rookie standouts from the regular season, led by Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle, as well as from the postseason, including several members of the surprising White Sox. Then the guys are joined by Rays outfielder Theo Gillen, one of the most advanced hitting prospects in the game. Afterward, Jonathan shares his impressions from the first three days of Arizona Fall League play and they pay tribute to front-office legends Fred Claire and Bob Fontaine Jr., who passed away in the last week. The podcast concludes as it always does with the listener mailbag, this time with a question about Cardinals catchers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2026 Minor League season is officially in the books following last weekend's Triple-A Championship Game, but there's still so much to discuss. Sam Dykstra, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff kick things off on this week's Pipeline Podcast by looking at the big MiLB Award Winners like Hitting Prospect of the Year Andrew Fischer and Mariners lefty Kade Anderson, who picked up two accolades. From there, the guys turn their attention to the big league playoffs, ranking the rookies on rosters based on their projected postseason impact, then digging in to how each playoff-bound team was built. They finish things off with a Mailbag question about where Walker Jenkins would rank among the top prospects had he stayed healthy throughout his Minor League career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Minor League season coming to an end, Jim Callis, Sam Dykstra and Jason Ratliff sum it up on the latest Pipeline Podcast. They begin by breaking down the candidates for top honors at the upcoming MiLB Awards Show -- on MLB Network at 8 p.m. ET on Monday -- including Mariners left-hander Kade Anderson, Rays outfielder Theo Gillen and Cardinals catcher Rainiel Rodriguez. Then they talk to Futures Game MVP Nathan Flewelling (Rays) about baseball in Alberta, his upcoming Arizona Fall League stint and raising cattle. After that, the guys discuss the Triple-A playoffs, Minor League stat leaders and the sudden explosion of 20-20 seasons before fielding a mailbag question about the AFL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Arizona Fall League revealed its rosters for the upcoming season while the latest Pipeline Podcast was being recorded, giving Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo & Jason Ratliff plenty to talk about. The guys discussed the top prospects headed to the developmental circuit, including Dodgers outfielder Eduardo Quintero and Tigers outfielder Zyhir Hope, and highlighted several story lines, such as a loaded Glendale Desert Dogs roster and a number of injured players getting back on the diamond. Beyond the AFL, there's Jonathan's interview with Rockies first baseman Charlie Condon, a breakdown of prospects in the Double-A playoffs, Dodgers outfielder Josue De Paula's callup, Phillies shortstop Bryan Rincon's rise to the Top 100 Prospects list and a listener mailbag question about Rangers shortstop Sebastian Walcott. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo preview the playoffs at the High-A and Single-A levels in the latest Pipeline Podcast, spotlighting such top prospects as Grady Emerson (Rays), Josuar Gonzalez (Giants), Josiah Hartshorn (Cubs) and JoJo Parker (Blue Jays). Afterward, Jonathan interviews Diamondbacks second baseman Demetrio Crisantes, one of the best young hitters in the Minors. Then the guys project who will rank as baseball's best prospects on Opening Day 2028 -- they agree on No. 1 -- before answering a listener mailbag question about Pirates third-base prospect Murf Gray. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Callis and Sam Dykstra focus on prospects who have enjoyed breakout seasons in the latest episode of the Pipeline Podcast, highlighting standouts such as Rays shortstop Cooper Flemming, Braves outfielder Eric Hartman and Brewers outfielder Braylon Payne. Then they turn their attention to Top 100 Prospects, discussing what lies ahead for recent callups Lazaro Montes (Mariners) and Ethan Salas (Padres) and projecting who might join the list following some September graduations. They also delve into notable pro debuts by 2026 draftees before fielding a listener mailbag question about Angels prospects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just when you thought there wasn't anything else left to rank, the MLB Pipeline gang surprises you. This week, they've been ranking farm systems by positions and that's where Sam Dykstra, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff kick off this week's Pipeline Podcast. They take a look at which organizations have the best assortment of infielders (Brewers), outfielders (Dodgers), pitchers (Marlins) and catchers (Twins). Then they welcome in top Angels prospect Arjun Nimmala to talk about getting traded at the deadline, his development and the opportunity to keep playing in the Arizona Fall League. That served as a perfect segue into a discussion about who the guys would like to see in this year's AFL before they turned their attention to Kade Anderson's big league debut and who from the "next up" list might be... next up. Things wrapped up nicely with a Mailbag question about which callup could have a Randy Arozorena-esque postseason run this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The MLB Pipeline crew has been busy ranking all sorts of things this month, and that makes for plenty of fodder for the latest Pipeline Podcast. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff begin by breaking down the new Top 100 Prospects list, starting with a shortstop-heavy top 10 headlined by Jesús Made (Brewers) and also discussing where the top 2026 draftees, highest-rated newcomers and biggest upward movers landed. They they dish on baseball's best farm systems, beginning with the Dodgers, Rays and Brewers. After marveling at Joshua Baez's historic big league debut with the Cardinals, they identify 10 Top 100 guys who might get their opportunity before season's end before dipping into the listener mailbag. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's MLB Pipeline Podcast takes us to Iowa as much of Major League Baseball descends on the Field of Dreams this week. That includes the prospect world and Sam Dykstra, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff kick things off by previewing Tuesday night's Minor League game to be held in Dyersville between the St. Paul Saints (Twins) and Iowa Cubs, a contest featuring top prospects like the Twins' Walker Jenkins and the Cubs' Owen Ayers. Then, they look at Wednesday's High School All-American Game, with top prep players from the 2027 Draft class like Dylan Seward and Bryce Cunningham. After that long stop in the Hawkeye State, the guys turn their attention to creating an "All-Teen" prospect team in advance of the new Top 100 coming this week, headlined by Jesús Made of the Brewers and the A's Leo De Vries, then break down a trio of MLB debuts, all in the AL Central: the Twins' Kaelen Culpepper, the Guardians' Angel Genao and White Sox lefty Hagen Smith. They finish up with a question from the Mailbag asking to c

The dust has barely settled on the 2026 Trade Deadline, but Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff mustered plenty of energy to talk about all of the wheeling and dealing from a prospect perspective on this week's Pipeline Podcast. They started out with the five Top 100 prospects who were dealt, headlined by new Tigers outfielder Zyhir Hope, which led to a spirited discussion about the overall return in the Tarik Skubal trade. After taking a look at some of the other top prospects who changed teams, the guys then examined teams that had the most impressive prospect hauls, topped by the Mets (11 total prospects acquired). They shifted gears for a minute to talk about the Yankees' callup of top prospect George Lombard Jr. as well as a sneak peak at the Field of Dreams Minor League and High School All-American games before returning to the Trade Deadline to answer a mailbag question comparing the returns for Kevin Gausman and Dustin May/JoJo Romero. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho

With the Trade Deadline fast approaching, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff spend much of the latest Pipeline Podcast discussing which top prospects might be on the move, including Dodgers outfielder Zyhir Hope and Yankees right-hander Elmer Rodriguez. They also discuss the recent Draft Signing Deadline, risers from our refreshing of our organization Top 30 Prospects lists and the Rookie of the Year races before circling back to the Trade Deadline with a question from the listener mailbag. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are a couple of big deadlines on the baseball calendar ahead and with so many people focused on the Trade Deadline in terms of big leaguers who could change hands, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff looked a lot at the other side of that coin on this week's Pipeline Podcast: the prospects. They looked back: at blockbuster prospect deals of Deadlines past, headlined by the huge Juan Soto to the Padres trade in 2022, determining who won the biggest trades of the past decade. They also looked ahead: by examining which teams are best positioned to deal prospects to bring in big league help at this Deadline, starting with the Dodgers. Then the guys switched gears to look at the Draft, with the signing deadline coming next week, by creating a list of 2026 picks who could be the quickest to the big leagues. They finished off with a fun question about where prospects Leo De Vries and Ethan Salas would have gone in this year's Draft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh off of covering and broadcasting the Draft and the Futures Game last weekend, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff have plenty to discuss on the latest Pipeline Podcast. They break down the first round, from the White Sox taking Roch Cholowsky at No. 1 to the Brewers surprising with Trey Ebel at No. 25, highlighting surprise picks along the way. After that, they detail who hauled in the most talent and identify the best value picks in every round from 1 through 10. Then they welcome in Sam Dykstra, who was part of the Futures Game telecast, and he dishes on the standouts from the prospect showcase, including MVP Nathan Flewelling (Rays) and dominant pitcher Seth Hernandez (Pirates). The podcast wraps up with a listener mailbag question about which draftee will be the first to reach the Majors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the last Pipeline Podcast before this weekend's Draft, so Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff dedicate most of their time previewing what could happen in Philadelphia. They hash out the biggest story lines, including whom the White Sox will take with the No. 1 overall pick and the biggest wild cards, before taking a deep dive into the prep pitching class. One of the more intriguing members of that group, Brody Bumila, sits down with Jonathan for an interview. After all the Draft talk, the guys also preview Sunday's Futures Game before answering one of the best listener mailbag questions of the year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back from the MLB Draft Combine and heading full steam towards the Draft and Futures Game, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff come with tons of prospect info on this week's episode of the Pipeline Podcast. Before focusing on the Draft, the guys dig into the new "market corrections" for the Top 100 Prospects list, highlighting big jumpers like the Rays' Theo Gillen and the Dodgers' Mike Sirota. This week's installment of analyzing a Draft demographic looks at the college bats, starting of course with UCLA's Roch Cholowsky, and includes a conversation with one of those hitters, Alabama's Justin Lebron. After feting Golden Spikes Award winner Daniel Jackson, the trio finishes up with a Mailbag question about how many high school players will command big bonuses come Draft time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The MLB Draft Combine takes center stage and serves as a backdrop for a discussion of the top prep position players on the latest Pipeline Podcast. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff talk about which players stood out most on the first day of Combine workouts, including UCLA first baseman Mulivai Levu and Rocco Maniscalco. That leads to talk of the high school bat class, including whether Grady Emerson is the top prospect in the entire Draft, and an interview with another talented prep shortstop in Jacob Lombard. If that's not enough, Jim and Jonathan do a joint mock draft where they project each club's top selection before fielding a listener mailbag question about Phillies right-hander Gage Wood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff begin a four-part series on each demographic of the 2026 Draft Class. After talking about the College World Series -- with Jim in Omaha for his favorite baseball event -- they kick the series off by analyzing the college pitching in the class. Santa Barbara's Jackson Flora tops the list of prospects in that  pool, and he joins the pod to talk about his outstanding season for the Gauchos, how much he learned from Santa Barbara's pitching factory and what he thinks about the next steps of his career. Then the guys preview Saturday's MLB Network Prospect Showcase between the Columbus Clippers and Scranton-Wilkes Barre RailRiders, a game that features six Top 100 prospects, headlined by Yankees No. 1 George Lombard Jr.. They close things out with a Mailbag question about whether the Giants should consider Flora with their pick at No. 4. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the College World Series field set, the latest Pipeline Podcast focused on the upcoming action in Omaha. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff broke down all eight teams, identifying their best prospects for the 2026 Draft -- and upcoming Drafts as well. They also discussed which players might be under the brightest Draft spotlights at the CWS and some more Draft intel before highlighting the two most recent Top 100 Prospects (Nationals SS Seaver King, Marlins RHP Karson Milbrandt) and another who was just promoted to the Majors (White Sox OF Braden Montgomery). As always, the guys finish with a question from the listener mailbag, this time about what trades they could concoct if first-round picks were in play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The calendar has flipped to June and Draft fever rages on for the MLB Pipeline crew. This week, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff kick their Draft chat off by digging into the newly-published Top 200 rankings, looking at the fairly static top of the list and the biggest risers on it a bit further down. From there, the guys turn the Draft lens on the recently completed NCAA Regionals -- where the top four ranked prospects in action were all sent home, leading to the pod's final Roch Watch -- followed by a preview of the top Draft prospects still competing in this weekend's Super Regionals. There's always time for pro prospect talk, with some discussion of a shortstop just added to the Top 100 in Felnin Celesten Mariners), and one just called up to the big leagues in Edwin Arroyo (Reds), before the pod wraps up with a Mailbag question about which college guys could catapult into first round talk with strong College World Series performances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic

Just ahead of expanding (to a Top 200!) and re-ranking the MLB Pipeline Draft prospects list, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff do a deep dive into NCAA postseason play through decidedly Draft-colored glasses on this week's Pipeline Podcast. They bring up storylines across all 16 Regionals, set to begin Friday, from top prospect Roch Cholowsky and UCLA to No. 3 Vahn Lackey and his powerful Georgia Tech lineup and on to top pitching prospect Jackson Flora and Santa Barbara on a bigger stage, this episode has you covered. There was still time to talk professional prospects, of course, with the guys breaking down the newest addition to the Top 100, Nationals infielder Devin Fitz-Gerald, and a pair of Top 100 players getting called up to the bigs for the first time in Pedro Ramirez (Cubs) and Gage Jump (A's). As always, the trio wrapped things up with a fun Mailbag question about where Lackey would rank on the last three Draft lists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices