Elledge not looking past Arizona Fall League
For Seth Elledge, the Arizona Fall League's annual Fall Stars Game was just the next step in his journey to the Major Leagues.In fact, making it to The Show is not something St. Louis' No. 25 prospect spends time thinking about."I just don't focus on it, to be honest," he
For Seth Elledge, the Arizona Fall League's annual Fall Stars Game was just the next step in his journey to the Major Leagues.
In fact, making it to The Show is not something St. Louis' No. 25 prospect spends time thinking about.
"I just don't focus on it, to be honest," he said. "I know it sounds cliché, but I focus on my next outing -- and right now, that's the Arizona Fall League."
Elledge pitched two-thirds of an inning Saturday night, registering a strikeout of third-ranked Mets prospectAndrés Giménez and coaxing No. 7 D-backs prospectGeraldo Perdomo into a 5-3 groundout.
For the season, the right-hander has not allowed an earned run across seven frames in six appearances for the Glendale Desert Dogs. He has given up only five hits while whiffing 11 for a 0.71 WHIP and one save.
Stocked with highly regarded prospects, the AFL provides an opportunity for the 23-year-old to learn.
"Day in, day out there is All-Star caliber competition," Elledge said. "The lineups, 1 through 9, I have to fully focus on my best stuff. It's a battle to get outs. I have to do my thing and work on honing my craft."
Fall Stars Gameday box score
The 2017 fourth-round pick of the Mariners was traded on July 27, 2018 for righty Sam Tuivailala. The California League Midseason All-Star piqued the Cardinals' interest by going 5-1 with nine saves and a 1.17 ERA in 31 games for Class A Advanced Modesto.
After the swap, Elledge was assigned to Double-A Springfield in the Texas League, where he finished 3-1 and converted four of six save opportunities with a 4.32 ERA. He was promoted to Triple-A Memphis in September and pitched one scoreless inning during the Redbirds' postseason march to the Pacific Coast League championship.
He began this season again with Springfield before being bumped up to Memphis. His cumulative stat line wasn't eye-popping -- 6-4, three saves, 4.26 ERA -- but Elledge said there were lessons learned and other takeaways that have proved critical to his AFL success.
"After the season, we talked about the Fall League, nothing too specific," he noted, "but I am working on my offspeed pitches and throwing the fastball to all parts of the zone. My curveball, throwing it for strikes, is key. I also have to be able to throw it late in the count.
"I'm here to face some really good competition," he said. "More than anything, it's about refining. I try to stick to my routine. … I haven't heard any long-range plans, so I keep doing my thing, and when the opportunity comes, be ready."
Elledge allowed five runs at Oklahoma City on July 28 and his ERA ballooned to 8.10. However, over his last 10 outings covering 21 innings, he yielded only six runs and lowered his ERA to 4.72 by season's end.
Being able to set aside a bad game is paramount to a reliever's success, and the Dallas Baptist University product said the AFL lineups laced with stars-in-the-making help him concentrate on the task at hand.
"I've definitely dealt with adrenaline," Elledge admitted. "I have to calm myself down, not worry about who's in the box. I like to attack the hitters -- throw strikes, challenge hitters.
"My first [professional] outing, I gave up a couple runs [for Class A Short Season Everett on June 24, 2017]. After a while, it set in that these are professional baseball games. I have confidence in my abilities to compete at the highest level. You have to."
Elledge has followed the Cardinals' trek through the National League playoffs and understands the opportunities at hand.
"I think it's something everyone can see themselves doing," he said of playing in the big leagues. "It's really awesome to see guys you played with at Memphis now in St. Louis. I'm happy to watch them.
"I was invited to Spring Training this year and being around those guys, that's the new normal. I was throwing bullpen sessions next to guys I see on TV. I want to take full advantage of it. … I definitely look forward, but it's more that the hard work is paying off."
Duane Cross is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @DuaneCrossMiLB.
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