MLB to give top prospects spring showcase in ’24
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Jeff Passan, ESPN
Major League Baseball will showcase the sport’s best young players during a series of spring training games it’s calling “Spring Breakout,” the league announced Wednesday.
The event, scheduled to take place March 14-17, will pit an organization’s best prospect group against another team’s in a game that’s part of a doubleheader with a regularly scheduled spring game. Although highly regarded prospects often participate in major league spring training games, rosters filled with the best minor league players from each team typically participate on the backfields at spring complexes.
Spring Breakout will bring the top-caliber players over to the big league field and look to leverage the opportunity to better market minor leaguers, an added point of emphasis for MLB since it started running the minor leagues in 2021. All 30 teams will participate in the event — which will combine the game with in-person autograph sessions and other meet-the-prospect opportunities — and the league could televise Spring Breakout games on MLB Network.
“Spring Breakout will provide a new opportunity to showcase the future stars of the game as they continue on their journey to the Major Leagues,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a prepared statement. “Our fans will get unique opportunities to meet our best prospects, get autographs, and see the next generation of Major Leaguers up close. We are thrilled that Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball and all of our Clubs are working closer than ever to grow the game and to shine a brighter light on our future All-Stars.”
Farm directors surveyed by ESPN were generally optimistic about the event. While MLB teams have balked at allowing their best players to participate in the World Baseball Classic, the short window for Spring Breakout, along with the ability to keep players near spring facilities, sold them on the concept.
If the event does find success, the ability for it to grow in a second season is limitless. MLB could stage a tournament or turn it into a weeklong event. Already MLB is planning to increase its coverage of the minor leagues on its app and digitally.
NEW YORK — Dan Iassogna will be the umpire crew chief and work the plate during Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Atlanta’s Truist Park.
His crew will include Marvin Hudson at first, Chris Segal at second, Jansen Visconti at third, Jeremie Rehak in left and Erich Bacchus in right, Major League Baseball said Thursday.
Iassogna, 56, will work his second All-Star Game. He was at third base for the 2011 game at Arizona.
He worked his first big league game in 1999, was hired to the major league staff in 2004 and appointed a crew chief ahead of the 2020 season. Iassogna umpired the World Series in 2012, ’17 and ’22 along with eight League Championship Series and seven Division Series.
Segal, Visconti, Rehak and Bacchus will work their first All-Star Games and Hudson his second after being in left field in 2004 at Houston.
Tony Randazzo will be the replay umpire in New York.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Athletics slugger Brent Rooker is adding his name to the list of Home Run Derby participants.
Rooker announced Thursday that he’s participating in the event, which takes place Monday in Atlanta. He will become the first Athletics player in the Home Run Derby since Matt Olson in 2021.
“Competing in the Home Run Derby has always been a dream of mine,” Rooker said in an Instagram post. “Can’t wait to make it happen next week in Atlanta! See ya there!”
Rooker, 30, entered Thursday with a .270 batting average, 19 homers and 50 RBIs, putting him on pace for a third straight season of at least 30 homers. He went deep 30 times in 2023 and had 39 homers in 2024.
His 58 homers since the start of the 2024 season rank him third among all American League players.
The only A’s to win the Derby were Mark McGwire in 1992 and Yoenis Céspedes in 2013 and 2014.
Other announced participants include Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr., Minnesota’s Byron Buxton, Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz, Seattle’s Cal Raleigh and Washington’s James Wood.
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