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Scout Spotlight

SCOUTS IN THEIR OWN WORDS. THE PLAYERS. THE JOURNEY. THE STATE OF THE GAME.

HOW A FRANCHISE WAS BUILT

In 1981, Baseball America was launched to fill a void in scouting and player development coverage

THE 120

MLB invited 120 teams to its minor league system. Find out what that means for fans, players and teams.

NO DOWNSIDE

Smart front offices are taking advantage of the minor league Rule 5 draft

CLUBHOUSE CHARACTER

Tim Dillard prides himself on helping his team both on and off the field

OLD MEETS NEW

Brian Snitker expertly navigated the Braves to a third straight division title despite myriad pitching injuries

Focusing on the Northeast pays off for the Indians

Over the past few years, the Indians have mined the Northeast for talent. The 2020 team got big-time contributions from former college righthanders Aaron Civale (Northeastern) and James Karinchak (Bryant). Waiting in the wings are three more prospects from the region, all from high school: third baseman Nolan Jones (Bensalem, Pa.), catcher Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) and righthander Lenny Torres (Beacon, N.Y). All five of those players were signed by area scout Mike Kanen, a former Baseball America intern. BA recently spoke with Kanen about his first impressions of those players. The interview is edited for brevity.

SECRET WEAPON

Bobby Dickerson was integral in transforming the Padres’ infield from error-prone to October-caliber

TRUST THE TOOLS

The minor league season was lost, but dynasty players should keep the faith for these nine prospects

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: FEW TEAMS CAN MATCH THE DODGERS' DOMINANCE

The 2020 Dodgers led the National League in runs scored and fewest runs allowed.

BLUEPRINT

From scouting to player development to analytics to acquisition, the Dodgers cover all the bases as baseball’s model franchise.

COAST TO COAST

Andrew Friedman has more money to play with in Los Angeles than he did in Tampa Bay, but his core principles remain unchanged— just like the results

WINTER OF DISCONTENT

The hot stove could quickly turn to deep freeze

A MODERN-DAY CRASH DAVIS

Cody Decker mashed his way into the hearts of minor league fans

A LASTING LEGACY

All-star player. Decorated manager. Ambassador for the Dominican Republic. Felipe Alou wore many hats, but above all he was a pioneer who helped pave the way for generations of Latino players.

FOR THE RECORD

Obituaries

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

Observations from the unprecedented 2020 postseason

MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR - FOR LOVE OF THE GAME

An intense bout with COVID granted Freddie Freeman perspective on how much he loves playing baseball

MAJOR LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - CLOSE CALL

Tony Gonsolin blends present value and future potential like few other rookies in a jam-packed field

HALL GETS BACK IN THE GAME IN A BIG WAY

Shaeffer Hall spent five seasons as a minor league lefthander, primarily in the Yankees organization.

Data Missing

Top rookies receive an “incomplete” because of the 60-game season

BASEBALL'S BOUNTY

The affiliated minor leagues are shrinking, but that doesn’t mean competitive baseball is going away

ALL INCLUSIVE

Factoring postseason results into award chases of the past 25 years

WINTER WONDERS

Where high-profile prospects could go to develop after the season

PROS AND CONS

The myriad ramifications of moving the 2021 draft back a month

AN HONOR RICHLY DESERVED

Allan Simpson’s unconventional thinking created an enduring baseball convention

SLAM DIEGO BACK TO BASICS

How the Padres executed a textbook four-year rebuild to become baseball’s most exhilarating team

MAJOR STARS WE NEVER SAW COMING

Major league stars who never ranked as Minor League Top 10 Prospects

EVEN-KEELED ACE

The Angels’ Dylan Bundy has succeeded in ways that would not have been predicted a decade ago

END OF AN ERA

Pat O’Conner’s retirement signals the likely end for Minor League Baseball as an independent entity