RiverDogs claim second straight league crown
Championship Series
Championship Series
Sept. 20
RiverDogs 6, Hillcats 2
Much like it did all season long, Single-A Charleston dominated in the postseason en route to a second straight crown.
The RiverDogs completed a sweep of the Carolina League Championship Series with a convincing victory over the Lynchburg Hillcats at Bank of the James Stadium.
Charleston completed its championship run with a perfect 4-0 mark in the playoffs. The RiverDogs outscored their opponents 29-14, while only trailing for a single inning throughout the postseason. The club completed the regular season with a league-best 88-44 record and +174 run differential.
"I think this group as a whole, from Day 1 throughout the entirety of the season showed up to work every day, wanted to get better every day, stayed hungry and they were never content," RiverDogs skipper Blake Butera said. "So credit to them for wanting it that badly and wanting to be successful, and when you finish a season off this way, it's a surreal feeling." Full story »
Sept. 18
RiverDogs 7, Hillcats 5
Early deficits proved to be nothing more than a minor nuisance for Charleston in the Carolina League Championship Series opener.
Despite falling behind twice, the RiverDogs came out swinging, using a four-run third inning to vault past Lynchburg, 7-5, in Game 1 of the best-of-3 Finals. Rays No. 3 prospect Carson Williams homered and No. 10 Willy Vasquez supplied the big blow, launching a three-run jack to put Charleston in front to stay.
After trading runs in the first and falling behind, 3-2, in the second, the RiverDogs opened things up in the ensuing frame. Vasquez capped the inning with his second postseason long ball, a 109-mph laser to center field. Charleston added an insurance run in the fifth and rode 1 1/3 perfect innings of relief from Roel Garcia III to the brink of a second consecutive championship.
The RiverDogs won the Low-A East crown in 2021 before moving onto the Carolina circuit this season.
Cleveland's No. 27 prospect Angel Genao had an RBI double and scored once for the Hillcats. Box score
Semifinals
Sept. 16
Hillcats 3, Nationals 0
For the first time since 2017, Lynchburg will be returning to a league finals.
Behind a combined one-hit effort from three Hillcats hurlers, the Single-A Guardians affiliate outlasted the Nationals in Game 3 to claim a spot in the championship series. The last time Lynchburg had a taste of the crown was when they were named co-champions of the Carolina League with Down East five years ago.
The tone was set early on by Ryan Webb, who didn’t allow a hit while scattering three walks across his five innings of work. To help ease the pressure, a run-scoring single by Richard Paz in the second inning and a wild pitch in the fourth staked the Hillcats to an early 2-0 lead.
Sergio Morillo entered the game in relief of Webb and also did not allow a hit, thus carrying a no-hit bid into the eighth frame of the win-or-go-home contest. Though the feat would not come to pass, thanks to a Branden Boissiere single to lead off the eighth, Lynchburg reliever Zach Pettway didn’t allow another batter to reach base to close out the victory.
The Hillcats will battle last year's champions, the Charleston RiverDogs, for the league title. Box score
Sept. 14
RiverDogs 10, Pelicans 6
Charleston's going to have a chance to go for a second consecutive title.
Willy Vasquez singled a career-high four times and scored twice to help the RiverDogs close out their semifinal series against Myrtle Beach at Pelicans Ballpark. Charleston completed a sweep of the best-of-3 series and will face Fredericksburg or Lynchburg in the Carolina League Finals. The team won the Low-A East crown in 2021 before Charleston moved onto the Carolina circuit this season.
The RiverDogs and Pelicans traded a pair of runs in the opening frame before the Rays affiliate jumped ahead for good during a five-run fourth. Vasquez, Tampa Bay's No. 10 prospect, ignited the two-out rally with his first single of the evening. No. 29 Rays prospect Ryan Spikes singled Vasquez home two batters later and Charleston was on its way.
A three-run rally in the eighth was again kicked off by Vasquez, who collected his third single and scored on Spikes' second RBI knock. Vasquez beat out an infield single in the ninth for his fourth hit.
Daiveyon Whittle earned the win in relief, allowing two hits and striking out one in 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
Myrtle Beach did not go quietly, scoring four times in the ninth. No. 15 Cubs prospect Moises Ballesteros and Josue Huma connected on back-to-back homers and Haydn McGeary, who hit a two-run jack in the first, added an RBI single. Box score
Hillcats 5, Nationals 2
Knowing it was win or go home, Lynchburg left nothing to chance.
A four-run first inning keyed by Will Bartlett's bases-loaded double helped the Hillcats topple visiting Fredericksburg to even up the best-of-3 semifinals at 1-1.
Lynchburg loaded the bases on three consecutive walks to open the bottom of the first. After tallying its first run on a wild pitch, a fourth walk reloaded the bags for Bartlett, who pushed the lead to 4-0 with a double to right.
The offensive outburst was more than enough for Juan Zapata. The Hillcats starter allowed two runs on five hits over five frames, striking out four. Yeury Gervacio, Franco Aleman and Tyler Thornton combined for four hitless innings in relief.
No. 17 Nats prospect Trey Lipscomb tallied two hits and an RBI for Fredericksburg. Jarlin Susana started, battled his control and retired just one batter. The eighth-ranked Washington prospect was charged with four runs on four walks and one hit. Box score
Sept. 13
Nationals 2, Hillcats 0
Jackson Rutledge looked every bit the No. 17 overall pick in the 2019 Draft in this one.
The 12th-ranked Nationals prospect turned in arguably the best outing of his career, scattering three hits and a walk while fanning six over eight frames to set the table for Single-A Fredericksburg's blanking of Lynchburg in Game 1 of the best-of-3 semifinals at Virginia Credit Union Stadium.
After yielding a bloop single to lead off the game, the right-hander locked in to retire the side on five pitches en route to setting down the next nine Hillcats batters in a row. The only jam Rutledge found himself in was in the fourth when he loaded the bases with one out, but the defense backed up its starter. Will Bartlett hit a hot shot to third that was scooped by Trey Lipscomb, who threw a strike to Sammy Infante at second to begin an around-the-horn double play to end the inning.
Infante carried that momentum into the bottom half of the frame when he broke the scoreless tie with a two-run double to left.
That's all the support Rutledge needed as he faced the minimum over his final four frames -- aided by another double play in the sixth. Marlon Perez tossed a perfect ninth, with a punchout, to pick up the save. Box score
RiverDogs 6, Pelicans 1
Behind a four-knock, three-RBI effort by Rays No. 19 prospect Junior Caminero and six strong innings from starter Andrew Gross, Charleston took Game 1 of the best-of-3 semifinals at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Ballpark.
Caminero laced a two-out double in the first inning before recording a trio of RBI singles.
Gross yielded one run on six hits and one walk while whiffing three over six frames.
Ryan Spikes, Tampa Bay's third-round pick (No. 100 overall), opened the scoring for the RiverDogs with a solo home run in the second.
Third-ranked Cubs prospect Kevin Alcantara (No. 90 overall) accounted for Myrtle Beach's offense on a two-hit night with a sixth-inning long ball. Box score »
How they got there
Sept. 7
Charleston RiverDogs
After jumping out to an early lead, Charleston needed a few extra innings to secure a second-half South Division title. Behind a two-homer, four-RBI performance from No. 19 Rays prospect Junior Caminero, the Tampa Bay affiliate defeated Columbia, 11-7, in an 11-inning thriller at Segra Park.
The reigning champions jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the opening inning and tacked on a fourth run in the following frame before the Fireflies answered back with two runs. The RiverDogs extended their lead to 5-2 and Columbia fought back to make the score 5-4 after a Gavin Cross triple and a Dayton Dooney dinger.
Caminero launched his first homer of the night in the top of the ninth to give Charleston some insurance, but Columbia wasn’t going down without a fight. Down to their last out in the bottom of the ninth, Omar Hernandez singled and Cross -- the Royals’ top prospect -- made them pay with a game-tying, two-run jack to keep the Fireflies alive.
Both teams drove in the free runner in the 10th, but Caminero led off the 11th with his second homer of the night to give the RiverDogs a 9-7 lead. Willy Vasquez and Brock Jones both launched solo jacks to cap a four-run frame to propel Charleston to victory. The club earned its 85th win of the season and improved to 39-23 in the second half.
Sept. 6
Fredericksburg Nationals
With a magic number of two entering action, the FredNats took care of their own business while getting the help they needed to punch their ticket to the postseason with a second-half North Division crown. Fredericksburg handily defeated Salem, 15-5 behind an eight-run first inning and some web gems at Carillion Clinic Field. Geraldi Diaz capped the offensive outburst in the opening frame with a three-run homer and finished the game with a game-high four RBIs.
Washington's No. 12 prospect Jackson Rutledge improved to 8-6 after allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out seven in five frames. Peyton Glavine, son of two-time Cy Young Award winner Tom, followed with a scoreless frame, and Marlon Perez closed out the rout with a scoreless ninth.
The FredNats also needed a loss by Carolina, which came via a 5-4 walk-off win by Myrtle Beach. Fredericksburg improved to 72-54 on the year and 39-21 in the second half. This postseason berth marked the first for the franchise since its relocation to Fredericksburg in 2020.
June 23
Lynchburg Hillcats
A lot of things needed to happen for Single-A Lynchburg to clinch, but when all was said and done, the Guardians affiliate took care of business by sweeping a doubleheader over Delmarva to claim the first-half North Division title. Game 1 starter Will Dion fanned eight over six frames en route to a 3-2 victory, while Game 2 starter Jack Leftwich went all seven innings, striking out nine and retiring the final 11 batters he faced in a 5-1 win.
On the season, the Guardians affiliate's staff posted a 3.84 ERA, good for fourth in the league, a 1.28 WHIP (third-best) while striking out 714 (second). Lynchburg’s offense posted a .351 OBP (third) while swatting 104 doubles (tied for fourth) and drawing 320 walks (third).
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Single-A Myrtle Beach has been dominant all season long, but couldn't clinch without a little late-inning drama. The Cubs affiliate took down Kannapolis, 7-6, in 10 innings to capture the first-half South Division title. After falling behind 6-1 through five frames, the Pelicans scored six unanswered runs for a 7-6 lead. A wild pitch with two outs tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, but Myrtle Beach capitalized on the free runner to take the contest.
With a 47-19 record, the Pelicans have racked up the most wins in the Minor Leagues with a farm-best run differential of +149. They lead the Carolina League with 337 RBIs and 388 runs scored and have the second-most hits (549), third-most homers (56), second-best average (.250) and third-highest OPS (.738). While the offense was stellar, the pitching has been even better. The Myrtle Beach staff leads the circuit with a 3.03 ERA (the second-lowest team ERA in the Minors), 1.24 WHIP, 21 saves and eight shutouts while surrendering the fewest homers (28) and second-fewest hits (444). Gameday box score
Orioles' Honeycutt joins The Show Before the Show
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Red Sox prospect rips double THROUGH Fenway-esque scoreboard
Red Sox No. 4 prospect Franklin Arias, an infielder for High-A Greenville, REALLY didn’t want to let visiting Asheville score any runs in the top of the eighth inning on Friday night. With runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth, Arias showed he apparently held
April's hottest hitting prospects -- one for each organization
The Minor League season is a month old and several of the game's best hitting prospects are off to fast starts. Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is tearing up Triple-A (just like he did at the end of last year), Padres shortstop Leo De Vries is leading the High-A Midwest
Check out the best -- and wackiest -- Minor League promos happening in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast coming LIVE to a Somerset this June
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
New ballparks highlight 2025 MiLB road trip stops
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Minor League Baseball partners with TruGreen
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- TruGreen, the nation's leading lawn care treatment provider, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Minor League Baseball that includes activations across all 120 clubs, a makeover of the home dugout in each market, sponsorship of select MiLB team grounds crews, and a new initiative called
Podcast explains why the Syracuse Mets are looking for Jim Morrison
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Dash im-prom-tu promo and Mets' Suero joins the podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minor League Baseball partners with Circle K
Minor League Baseball announced a new national partnership with Circle K, which will see the convenience store giant become the “Official Convenience Store of Minor League Baseball.” During the 2025 season, the Circle K brand will be integrated into the MiLB in-stadium experience through in-game video board assets at most
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Everything you need to know for Triple-A Opening Day
First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight. The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB’s two Opening Days. And right out of the gates, several of baseball's
Top prospects to watch at Triple-A -- one for each organization
It’s Triple-A’s turn up to bat on Friday. The regular season begins for the Minor Leagues’ highest level one day after the action starts on the Major League side. Fun fact: it’ll be the earliest start to a Minor League season since 1951 (March 27). Double-A, High-A and Single-A will
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
Stewart embraces Spring Breakout: 'What's not to love?'
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect. On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between