Topps, MiLB name Class A All-Stars
Joe Dunigan (23), of Chicago, hit .294 with 30 homers and 104 RBIs for the High Desert Mavericks. The first baseman finished among the top five in the California League in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage (.570). The Seattle Mariners drafted him in the fifth round in 2007 out of the University of Oklahoma.
Alexi Amarista (20), of Barcelona, Venezuela, led the Midwest League with a .319 batting average with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He also finished second in the league with 39 doubles and 10 triples. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim signed the second baseman as a free agent in January 2007.
Josh Vitters (20), of Anaheim, Calif., hit .316 in 70 games for the Peoria Chiefs. He was then promoted to the Daytona Cubs, appearing in 50 games for the Florida State League club. The third baseman's combined Class A numbers were a .284 batting average with 18 homers, 19 doubles and 68 RBIs. The Chicago Cubs selected him with the third overall pick in the 2007 Draft out of high school.
Danny Espinosa (22), of Santa Ana, Calif., scored 90 runs for the Potomac Nationals, tops in the Carolina League. He also led league third baseman with a .965 fielding percentage. Espinosa ranked in the top five in the circuit in homers (18), walks (74), on-base percentage (.375) and extra-base hits (53). The Washington Nationals tabbed him in the third round in 2008 out of Long Beach State (Calif.) University.
Jonathan Gaston (23), of Boise, Idaho, led Class A with 35 homers, 81 extra-base hits and 119 runs. The Lancaster JetHawks outfielder finished second in the classification with a .598 slugging percentage. The Houston Astros took Gaston in the second round in 2008 out of the University of Arizona.
Thomas Neal (22), of San Diego, Calif., paced the California League with a .431 on-base percentage and finished third in the loop with 102 runs. The San Jose Giants outfielder hit .337, fifth best in Class A. The San Francisco Giants selected Neal in the 37th round in 2005 out of Riverside (Calif.) Junior College.
Kyle Russell (23), of Magnolia, Texas, hit 26 roundtrippers and drove in 102 runs, both best in the Midwest League. The Great Lakes Loons outfielder also led the league with a .545 slugging percentage in winning the circuit's MVP honor. The Los Angeles Dodgers picked Russell in the third round in 2008 out of the University of Texas.
Koby Clemens (22), of Houston, Texas, hit a Class A-best .345 and also paced the classification with 121 RBIs and a .636 slugging percentage. The Lancaster JetHawks catcher's 45 doubles tied for best in Class A. The Houston Astros took Clemens in the eighth round in 2005 out of high school.
Derek Norris (20), of Goddard, Kansas, finished among the top five in the South Atlantic League in homers (23), extra-base hits (53), RBIs (84), runs (78) and slugging percentage (.513). The Hagerstown Suns catcher led the league with a .413 on-base percentage and 90 walks in being named the SAL's Most Outstanding Major League Prospect. The Washington Nationals tabbed Norris out of high school in the fourth round in 2007.
Rudy Owens (22), of Mesa, Ariz., went 10-1 with a 1.70 ERA for the West Virginia Power in being chosen as the South Atlantic League's Most Outstanding Pitcher. The left-hander then went 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA for the Lynchburg Hillcats. Overall, Owens was 11-2 with a 2.10 ERA in 124.0 innings. He fanned 113 while walking only 17. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Owens in the 28th round in 2006 out of Chandler Gilbert (Ariz.) Community College.
| Pos. | Player | Club/League | Aff. | Avg. | HR | RBI |
| 1B | Joe Dunigan | High Desert/CAL | SEA | .294 | 30 | 104 |
| 2B | Alexi Amarista | Cedar Rapids/MWL | LAA | .319 | 4 | 49 |
| 3B | Josh Vitters | Peoria, Daytona/MWL, FSL | CHC | .284 | 18 | 68 |
| SS | Danny Espinosa | Potomac/CAR | WAS | .264 | 18 | 72 |
| C | Koby Clemens | Lancaster/CAL | HOU | .345 | 22 | 90 |
| OF | Jonathan Gaston | Lancaster/CAL | HOU | .278 | 35 | 100 |
| OF | Thomas Neal | San Jose/CAL | SF | .337 | 22 | 90 |
| OF | Kyle Russell | Great Lakes/MWL | LAD | .272 | 26 | 102 |
| DH | Derek Norris | Hagerstown/SAL | WAS | .286 | 23 | 84 |
| W | L | ERA | ||||
| P | Rudy Owens | W.V., Lynchburg/SAL, CAR | PIT | 11 | 2 | 2.10 |
Minor League Baseball, Joe Torre Safe At Home partnership enters ninth year
For the ninth year, Minor League Baseball and Joe Torre Safe At Home have teamed up to raise awareness about violence and abuse and to inspire fans of all ages to join them in SAH’s critical work. This year, 63 MiLB teams will participate in an in-ballpark initiative from May
MiLB podcast discusses Anthony, Caglianone at Triple-A
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
These are the greatest Minor League promos happening in June
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.
New playoff format coming to 2025 Dominican Summer League
Minor League Baseball announced the 2025 Dominican Summer League (DSL) season will begin June 2 with Opening Day festivities taking place at the Boston Red Sox Academy in Guerra. The 2025 campaign will also see the introduction of the DSL Cup, a new playoff format that will see 16 DSL
Debating best Minor League home caps on 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
The Omaha Storm Chasers' 'Take Meow-t' cat night included a Litter Box Sundae
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.
Boston's Triple-A affiliate throws birthday bash for Roman Anthony
With all the hype that has surrounded Roman Anthony over the past two seasons, it’s easy to forget how young he really is. MLB's No. 1 prospect played 70 games at the highest level of the Minors before he could order a beer. But he can now. Roman Anthony turned
Friendly foes, 2024 first-rounders Moore and Caglianone trade first Triple-A homers
For years, Christian Moore and Jac Caglianone laced up their cleats against one another in the SEC. A rivalry that spanned Florida, Tennessee and other landmarks across the South moved to Salt Lake City this week as the Royals and Angels' top prospects got simultaneous Triple-A promotions. So it was
Phillies' Moore, Fausnaught join 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
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.
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
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