Pitchers and catchers are starting to report to spring training and the college season has begun, but in Cuba, baseball season has been well underway for months.

Serie Nacional, Cuba's top professional league, holds its midseason all-star game tomorrow at 2:15 p.m. ET in a game that is scheduled to be streamed here live online. The quality of Serie Nacional baseball ranges from players who wouldn't make it out of Rookie ball in the United States all the way up to guys who could step into the big leagues tomorrow and be above-average regulars. The all-star rosters, of course, include many of Cuba's top players.

The league will hold its home run derby finals before the game with outfielder Alfredo Despaigne, second baseman Hector Olivera and first baseman Alexander Malleta. Despaigne was an automatic entry into the finals as Serie Nacional's current home run leader, while Malleta and Olivera earned spots in the finals after beating first baseman Jose Abreu, outfielder Rusney Castillo, third baseman Yulieski Gourriel and catcher Lisban Correa in the semifinals today.

A few notes on some of the players to watch:

• Abreu just turned 25 last month and is the reigning Serie Nacional MVP after tying Yoenis Cespedes last season for the single-season Cuban home run record with 33. This year Abreu is hitting .371/.526/.724 in 170 at-bats, leading the league in OBP and ranked second in slugging, so he could be adding another trophy to his mantle. Here's a video of him going deep.

[...] Continue Reading »

SURPRISE, Ariz.—Gerrit Cole was the last East All-Star player to leave the field Saturday night at the end of the Rising Stars Game.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2011 draft was trying to follow his Arizona Fall League teammates down the left-field line, toward the clubhouse at Surprise Stadium. Instead, he had stopped and was signing autographs for fans, even posing for a picture here or there.

"I didn't get to do it pregame," Cole said with a shrug. "It's not that big of a deal."

It was probably the highlight of the evening for Cole, who didn't make it out of the first inning and gave up two home runs in the East's 11-2 loss to the host West squad in the Rising Stars Game. Cole's counterpart on this night, Mariners farmhand Danny Hultzen, was more successful in his stint, lasting two innings and striking out the side in the first, whiffing Mike Trout (Angels) in the process. [...] Continue Reading »

SURPRISE, Ariz.—Batting practice is over here at the Rising Stars Game in the Arizona Fall League. Here's a few quick observations from pregame, plus today's lineups:

• Bryce Harper is the DH tonight, which gives him a better chance of playing the entire game. Harper has hit five home runs in his last seven games here and has a 13-game hitting streak.

"Even his line drives sound different," said one American League scout. "He's the real deal."

• Several other players impressed with their BP turns other than Harper. Royals farmhand Wil Myers struggled during the regular season, but you couldn't tell by the way he's swinging it in the AFL. He's hitting .384/.505/.685 with five doubles, four triples and three home runs, and the coaches on the West all-stars said his hands are as quick as anyone in the league. He had easy power in BP.

[...] Continue Reading »

On Monday we updated the International League's roster for today's Triple-A all-star game, which removed from the exhibition prospects like Julio Teheran, Jesus Montero, Zack Cozart and Desmond Jennings. Now, let's address the comings and goings on the Pacific Coast League roster.

The Astros called up righthander David Carpenter just before the break, as did the Marlins with outfielder Bryan Peterson. So they're out. The Rangers removed slugger Chris Davis from the all-star game as they considered calling him up to play left field for the big club.

Marlins lefty reliever Victor Garate and Brewers righty Mark DiFelice will not play due to injury. Third baseman Brian Barden decided to opt out of his deal with the Rangers . . . and the all-star game.

The PCL announced four alternates to replace the six all-star team departures.

Key to notations: *bats/throws lefthanded. #switch-hitter. @reliever.  

The Braves' Julio Teheran started the Futures Game for the World Team on Sunday, which prompted Atlanta to withdraw the Gwinnett righthander from Wednesday's Triple-A all-star game. But he's not the only International League all-star forced to miss the game due to circumstances beyond his control.

All three of the Yankees' representatives—Scranton/Wilkes-Barre closer Kevin Whelan, catcher Jesus Montero and first baseman Jorge Vazquez—will miss the all-star game as they recover from injuries. Middle infielders Zack Cozart (Reds) and Luis Valbuena (Indians) are in the big leagues and out of the Triple-A exhibition. Rays center fielder Desmond Jennings is recovering from a finger injury and will not participate.

The Indians withdrew righty Jeanmar Gomez from the IL all-star game so that he can focus on starting for Cleveland either on Sunday or during a Monday doubleheader against the Twins.

The IL announced three alternates to replace the eight all-star team departures.

Key to notations: *bats/throws lefthanded. #switch-hitter. @reliever.  

Yesterday, the International League unveiled its roster for the 24th annual Triple-A all-star game to be held Wednesday, July 13, the day after the major league All-Star Game. The Pacific Coast League, playing as the home team in Salt Lake City, announced its squad on Wednesday.

Let's take a closer look at this year's participants, noting age, acquisition history and performance through the end of June. We'll keep you updated with changes to rosters brought about by injuries or by players being called to the big leagues.

Key to notations: *bats/throws lefthanded. #switch-hitter. @reliever. Starters and league leaders in bold. 

Other League Leading All-Stars: Batters—Vazquez 20 HR, Viciedo 55 RBIs, Viciedo 102 H, Mesoraco 28 2B, Gartrell 39 XBH, Kipnis 58 R, Kipnis 9 3B and Viciedo 162 TB. Pitchers—Whelan 18 SV, Milone 95 SO, Lindsay .096 AVG (relievers) and Milone 0.50 BB/9 (starters).

Coaching Staff: Mike Sarbaugh, manager, Columbus (Indians); Rich Dotson, coach, Charlotte (White Sox); Dean Treanor, coach, Indianapolis (Pirates); and Mike Graus, trainer, Gwinnett (Braves). [...] Continue Reading »

A quartet of minor league all-star games took place last night. A quick look at each.

Double-A Southern League
Northern Division 6, Southern Division 3

Rays lefthander Matt Moore threw a no-hitter in his last start for Montgomery and got the ball to start the SL all-star game for the South. Things didn't go quite so well this time. Moore was touched for four runs on three hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning. Moore's allowed four earned runs just once in 14 stars for the Biscuits, but he was tagged for the loss yesterday after the North never relinquished its lead.

"I saw a guy get a hit and I looked in our dugout, I was wondering what was happening," South first baseman Paul Goldschmidt told the Huntsville Times. "I almost didn't bring my glove out there (with Moore pitching)."

Goldschmidt's Mobile squad was the one victimized by Moore's no-hitter. Goldschmidt, the minors' home run leader with 22 at the break, did have his moment though, slugging a two-run homer in the first inning off North starter Jarrett Grube (Mariners). Goldschmidt finished the night 1-for-4. Among other performers, Diamondbacks outfielder A.J. Pollock went 2-for-3 for the South, and Dodgers first baseman Scott Van Slyke led the North's offense by going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. He won the game's MVP award.

Pat Corbin (Diamondbacks) and Randall Delgado (Braves) both threw scoreless innings in relief of Moore, but Chris Archer, Moore's Montgomery teammate, gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits in his inning of work. [...] Continue Reading »

By Greg Auman

CLEARWATER, Fla.—The Northern Division has been the high Class A Florida State League’s better half this season. St. Lucie paces the Southern Division, but at just three games over .500 they would be tied for fourth in the six-team North.

That North exerted its dominance once more on Saturday night in defeating the South 5-3 in the FSL all-star game before a crowd of 5,134 at Bright House Field, home of the Phillies' Clearwater affiliate.

Bradenton first baseman Aaron Baker hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning and walked twice to take home game MVP honors in a losing effort. The former Oklahoma Sooner said he was much more relaxed this year than a year ago as a South Atlantic League all-star.

"This was a lot of fun. Last year I was pretty nervous and didn’t play like I would like," said, a Pirates 11th-round pick in 2009. "I think having gone through that, it was more enjoyable and was able to get a nice little hit."

Daytona owns the FSL's best record at 46-21 as well as a seven-game lead in the North, and Cubs batters had three straight hits to bring home the deciding runs in the fifth. Third baseman Matt Cerda put the North ahead with an RBI double, then scored on catcher Mike Brenly’s single. DH Justin Bour, who won the league’s home run derby exhibition before the game, followed with a single. [...] Continue Reading »

SURPRISE, Ariz.—At 29, Cuban defector and Rays farmhand Leslie Anderson was the oldest player at Saturday's Rising Stars Game.

He's seen more baseball than any of the other players, and he seemed to know he got all of the changeup Bruce Billings (Rockies) threw him on the 1-0 pitch of their bottom-of-the-ninth showdown.

Anderson connected and threw his arms up in the air as he started rounding the bases. Billings, though, didn't think he got all of it, nor did his first baseman, Brandon Belt (Giants).

"I thought he got in on him," Belt said. "I guess he's a big strong guy, though, and got enough to get it out."

The high fly to right just scraped over the wall, and Anderson's West Division teammates tumbled out of the third-base dugout to greet him at home plate after his walk-off homer gave them a 3-2 victory in the Arizona Fall League's all-star showcase game.

Anderson doesn't speak much English, but his teammates were more than happy to talk about how his game-winning shot earned them an extra $500 bonus for getting the victory.

"It definitely was different from other games out here, more fans, different atmosphere," said lefthander Patrick Urckfitz (Astros), who as a non-drafted free agent was one of the more unlikely Rising Stars roster members. "I signed for $15,000, so for me the extra $500 definitely helps." [...] Continue Reading »

SURPRISE, Ariz.—The Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars Game will feature most of the top players in the AFL, but it doesn't have the one player everyone wants to see.

Bryce Harper, the Nationals' No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft, just missed being the youngest player in Fall League history. When made his debut in the AFL, he was four days older than Mets prospect Fernando Martinez was when he played here in 2006.

Harper has bigger tools than Martinez, who has reached the big leagues but hasn't established himself as a regular yet. It's not easy to say when Harper will establish himself, but he has already set himself apart from many of his AFL peers with his hard play and effort, not to mention his tools.

"He plays the game the right way and has baseball instincts," said East manager Randy Knorr, who managed Harrisburg in the Nats' system this season. "He goes hard at all times. He's fun to watch for sure." [...] Continue Reading »

Just like their Pacific Coast counterparts, the International League all-star squad will be playing with fewer players (24) than initially announced (30). The losses result from injuries and promotions to players elected to the Triple-A all-star game, which will be played tomorrow. The two roster substitutions:

Key to notations: *bats/throws lefthanded.  #switch-hitter.  @reliever.  Starters in bold, with best guesses for starting pitchers and outfield alignment.

[...] Continue Reading »

Huntsville, Ala., played host to this year's Southern League all-star game, in which the Northern Division squad defeated their Southern counterparts by a 3-2 score. Jacksonville third baseman Matt Dominguez, the Marlins' first-round pick in 2007, secured game MVP honors by going 3-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs. He accounted for both of the Southern Division's runs in the losing effort.

West Tenn shortstop Carlos Triunfel, the Mariners' prospect playing for the Northern Division, went 1-for-3 with a double. But overall, pitchers ruled this Double-A all-star game.

The Northern Division set the tone, completing four scoreless innings to begin the contest. Mobile righty Josh Collmenter (Diamondbacks) started and allowed two hits and one walk in two innings, striking out one and receiving credit for the win. Huntsville righthander Michael Bowman (Brewers) and West Tenn lefty Mauricio Robles (Mariners) followed with single no-hit innings. [...] Continue Reading »

The Pacific Coast League today announced that six replacement players have been added to its all-star game roster. Reinforcements come to replace players who are injured or who have been called to the big leagues.

Key to notations: *bats/throws lefthanded.  #switch-hitter.  @reliever.  Starters in bold, with best guesses for starting pitchers and outfield alignment.

[...] Continue Reading »

While true that this year's Triple-A all-star game will feature 12 players age 30 and over, the average age of all participants actually checks in at 26.4. That's because every grizzled veteran like Lehigh Valley's Andy Tracy or Durham's Joe Dillon is offset by a young pup like Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's Jesus Montero or Norfolk's Chris Tillman, the two youngest players headed to Allentown, Pa., home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, for the July 14 contest.

Traditionally, the Triple-A all-star, which pits the International League's finest against those of the Pacific Coast League, takes place one day after the major league All-Star Game, and this year is no exception. The MLB Network will have the telecast next Wednesday.

Let's take a closer look at this year's participants, noting age, acquisition history and performance through early July. We'll keep you updated with changes to rosters brought about by injuries or by players being called to the big leagues.

Key to notations: *bats/throws lefthanded. #switch-hitter. @reliever.
Starters in bold, with best guesses for starting pitchers and outfield alignment. 
Players listed with (+) will not participate in the all-star game. See the IL and PCL replacements.

Coaching Staff: Charlie Montoyo, manager, Durham (Rays); Dave Huppert, coach, Lehigh Valley (Phillies); Frank Kremblas, coach, Indianapolis (Pirates); and Jason Kirkman, trainer, Lehigh Valley (Phillies). [...] Continue Reading »

At the big league level, players beg out of the home run derby because they are worried about screwing up their swing. But Carolina-California League all-star home run derby champion Jon Gilmore has no such worries.

"We take thousands of swings during the year, so I don't think 20 swings is going to hurt much," Gilmore said. "It's not your game swing. It's kind of like separating your golf swing from your baseball swing."

Gilmore had to go to a tie-breaking swing off in the first round after he and teammate Justin Greene each finished second in the Carolina League with three home runs. Gilmore advanced to the finals by beating Ronnie Welty two home runs to one, then topped California League derby champion Rich Poythress by hitting four home runs (to Poythress' three) in the finals. [...] Continue Reading »

A trio of minor league all-star games took center stage Tuesday night. BA's J.J. Cooper was in attendance at the California-Carolina League all-star game in Myrtle Beach, S.C. You can find all the details from there in his post here. The other two all-star contests were held by the low Class A leagues, the Midwest and South Atlantic.

Midwest League All-Star Game
Fort Wayne, Ind.

Eastern Division 6, Western Division 2

The East opened up a 5-0 lead through two innings and cruised from there. West starter Trey McNutt (Cubs) can still say that, officially, he hasn't given up a home run all season. But MWL home run leader Jerry Sands (Dodgers) took him deep in the first inning of the all-star game, clubbing a two-run shot that capped off the East's three-run first inning. That outburst represented more runs than McNutt had allowed in all but two of his 13 starts for Peoria.

“I had faced (McNutt) a few weeks ago and he had a pretty good slider,” Sands told the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. “I didn’t want to see it, so I was looking for a fastball early, and I got it. And luckily I put a good swing on it. I hit that one a little better than I did some (in Monday's home run derby).” [...] Continue Reading »

Getting a spot on a minor league all-star roster leads to mixed feelings for a lot of minor leaguers. It's a big honor, but it also means that the only three-day break of the entire season turns into a working holiday.

Juan Perez didn't mind. It may be a long trip from San Jose to Myrtle Beach, but the Giants' center fielder has a memory to remember forever.

Playing in front of his mother for the first time as a pro, Perez went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, two runs scored and two RBIs as the California League defeated the Carolina League 4-3 in the league's annual all-star game.

While Perez was the MVP, pitching dominated the night. Multiple pitchers, led by Braves' top pitching prospect  Teheran, topped 95 mph on the stadium radar gun. Tehran hit a game-high 98 mph on the gun while striking out two in two innings of work. California League starter Craig Westcott (Giants) struck out the side in the first. [...] Continue Reading »

The Arizona Fall League’s Rising Stars Game didn’t have Stephen Strasburg in it, as the 2009 No. 1 draft pick and Nationals phenom was scratched from his appearance by a stiff neck.

Mike Minor, the lefthander out of Vanderbilt whom the Braves drafted six picks after Strasburg, probably wishes he’d slept the wrong way too.

Minor gave up seven runs in the first inning, including giving up a three-run homer to Brandon Allen (Diamondbacks) to dead center field. That set the tone for the evening, an entertaining all-star game with plenty of offense and tools on display. Minor’s West Division club overcame the East’s seven-spot in the first, capping the rally for an 8-7 victory with a two-run eighth-inning home run by Matt McBryde (Indians) off Strasburg’s fellow Nationals prospect, righthander Drew Storen. [...] Continue Reading »

The World Series will be over by Saturday, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any baseball on TV. Set your TiVo for 8:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 7 on MLB Network, and you can watch the fourth-annual Arizona Fall League’s Rising Stars Game.

The teams are split up by AFL divisions. The East team will have players from the Mesa Solar Sox (Angels, Cubs, Marlins, Red Sox and Twins), Phoenix Desert Dogs (Athletics, Blue Jays, Nationals, Orioles and Rays) and Scottsdale Scorpions (Giants, Diamondbacks, Phillies, Pirates and Rockies). The West team will be comprised of players from the Peoria Javelinas (Brewers, Dodgers, Mariners, Tigers and White Sox), Peoria Saguaros (Astros, Braves, Indians, Padres and Reds) and the Surprise Rafters (Cardinals, Mets, Rangers, Royals and Yankees).

The game is arguably as loaded with talent as the Futures Game and the scheduled starting pitchers are two first rounders: Nationals righthander, and first-overall pick, Stephen Strasburg will take the hill for the East squad and Braves lefthander Mike Minor will toe the rubber for the West.
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ST. LOUIS—Thanks to XM Radio, I’ve been able to watch the last four Futures Games from field level, doing interviews during the game from the dugouts. This year, I was back in the U.S. dugout, and had some extra points that didn’t make it into our Twitter feed.

• Brett Wallace was our first interview during the long rain delay, and the Cardinals third baseman was outstanding to talk to. Wallace relayed that he stayed in touch with former Arizona State teammate Mike Leake, who was the Reds’ first-round pick this year, and made sure to reach out to Leake after his poor start against Texas in the College World Series. I’m paraphrasing here, but Wallace said he predicted to anyone who’d listen that Leake would get back on the mound and throw well in Omaha, and he did, throwing six solid innings and striking out seven on two days’ rest.

I got Wallace’s attention by asking him if he’d gotten a pregame brawl started prior to the Futures Game, as Arizona State staged before losing the 2008 super-regional to Fresno State. Wallace rolled his eyes but was a tremendous sport anyway during the interview, to his credit. [...] Continue Reading »