MLB Pipeline

Find out about the stars of tomorrow, from the guys who know today. Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) and Jonathan Mayo (@JonathanMayo) are your tour guides for this ride through the unfolding stories & breaking news in Minor League Baseball. From top prospects to scouting executives to farm directors, the MLB Pipeline is jam-packed with exclusive coverage of the minors you can't get anywhere else.

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Baseball
1
Looking into the crystal ball
At MLB Pipeline, we're always in the future business, but this week's podcast episode had Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff really focusing on looking ahead to 2025 with what is now an annual "predictions pod." After reviewing how Jim and Jonathan fared with their 2024 predictions (not too badly, actually), they prognosticated about next year, picking everything from the 2025 Rookies of the Year to who will be the No. 1 pick in the Draft in July. Then the guys talked about the group of evaluators named Scouts of the Year, broke down the prospect returns in the Devin Williams and Kyle Tucker trades and finishing off with a question from the listener mailbag.
66 min
2
Winter Meetings Wonderland (Guest: Danny Haas)
It was a busy Winter Meetings in Dallas, and Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff discuss all of the action on the latest Pipeline Podcast. They start by discussing the Draft Lottery and Jim's subsequent projection of the entire first round, followed by Jonathan interviewing Danny Haas, vice president of amateur scouting for the Nationals, who came away with the No. 1 overall pick. Then they break down the flurry of trades highlighted by the blockbuster that sent Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox and four prospects (including Top 100 dudes Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery) to the White Sox, discuss how the Rule 5 Draft went down and answer a listener mailbag question.
64 min
3
Kim, Sasaki seize spotlight as posting window o...
The MLB Morning Lineup podcast gets you up to date on all the biggest baseball news in under 10 minutes. Posting season starts Thursday, which means it shouldn't be long before KBO infielder Hyeseong Kim and NPB flamethrower Roki Sasaki join MLB clubs. MLB.com's Mandy Bell explains why they're such coveted players and what the signing process entails.
8 min
4
Prepping for the Winter Meetings
Major League Baseball's annual Winter Meetings start on Monday and the MLB Pipeline Podcast crew gets you ready for all of the potential prospect-related activity. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff start out by looking at teams who are most likely to trade prospects during this Hot Stove season and why. Then they move on on to looking at the Winter Meetings through Draft-colored glasses: first the Rule 5 Draft by picking out some intriguing possible selections, then the amateur Draft by discussing the Lottery and the upcoming Draft Top 100 list before finishing up with a 2025 Draft class-related Mailbag question.
66 min
5
Roster Recaps
In the wake of teams deciding which prospects to add to 40-man rosters, the latest edition of the Pipeline Podcast focuses on those moves. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff highlight the most surprising omissions (such as Guardians left-hander Ryan Webb) and the most intriguing additions (including relievers Luis Mey of the Reds and Jack Dreyer of the Dodgers). Then they discuss some of Sam Dykstra's reasons why every farm system should be thankful, talk about winter league standouts such as Mets infielder Luisangel Acuña and field a mailbag question about which players they're looking forward to seeing in person for the first time next year.
62 min
6
Awards Season (Guest: Niko Kavadas)
On this week's MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff put a bow on season No. 32 of the Arizona Fall League by discussing all of the AFL's award winners, from MVP Josue Briceno (Tigers) to Pitcher of the Year Andrew Painter (Phillies). That list also included Offensive Player of the Year Niko Kavadas (Angels), who sat down with Jim in Arizona. From there, the guys take a look at MLB awards, with this year's Rookie of the Year winners leading to a discussion about the top candidates for 2025 ROY. They wrap up, as always, with a question from the Mailbag, this one about the two-way future of Royals first-rounder Jac Caglianone.
70 min
7
The Fall Guys (Guest: Garrett Martin, Yankees)
We're in the Arizona Fall League homestretch and the MLB Pipeline Podcast crew has you covered. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff break down last weekend's AFL festivities, from the Home Run Derby to the Fall Stars Game, looking at top performers before hearing from one directly, with Jim sitting down with derby winner Garrett Martin
67 min
8
Fall Stars On The Horizon (Guest: Justin Crawford)
Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff celebrate this weekend's Fall Stars Game festivities on the latest edition of the Pipeline Podcast. They talk about which top prospects they're most excited about seeing play in Saturday's Arizona Fall League showcase and reveal which way they lean in the Final Two voting, which will add a prospect to each roster. Jim and Jonathan also draft teams from Friday's Home Run Derby field, with Jonathan grabbing Tigers slugger Josue Briceno with the No. 1 overall choice. In non-AFL matters, Jonathan interviews Phillies outfielder Justin Crawford, who's part of Team USA's roster for the upcoming Premier12 tournament, and the guys mull where Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki would land on the Top 100 Prospects list if he signs with an MLB club.
58 min
9
From Fall Classic to Fall League (Guest: Termar...
While the MLB Pipeline Podcast is dedicated to prospect talk, there's no denying that the World Series is the big thing in baseball right now, so that's where Sam Dykstra, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff begin this week's episode, talking about the Fall Classic. The rest of the episode is dedicated to the Arizona Fall League, from discussing the experimental check swing challenge to top performances from the likes of the Phillies' Andrew Painter and the Tigers' Josue Briceño. In his first day of AFL coverage, Jonathan also got to catch up with the ebullient Termarr Johnson of the Pirates before he leaves the Fall League to play for Team USA in the Premier 12 tournament. The pod finishes up, as always, with a question from the listener mailbag, this time about prospects who could see a position change in their future.
67 min
10
Legends of the Fall (Guest: Tommy Troy)
On this week's Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff dig into what prospects are up to this "offseason," starting with a look at standouts from Week 2 of the Arizona Fall League. One of those AFL participants, D-backs infielder Tommy Troy, sits down for a conversation with Sam Dykstra before the guys turn their sights on prospects who will suit up for Team USA in the Premier12 Tournament and in various Winter Leagues. The guys wrap things up with looking at the World Series through prospect lenses, answering a Mailbag question about who would win an all-prospects Series between the Yankees and Dodgers.
66 min
11
Start Of The AFL Season (Guest: Zyhir Hope)
The Arizona Fall League began play last week, so that's where Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff turn their focus on the latest Pipeline Podcast. They discuss early top performers such as Marlins outfielder Kemp Alderman, Mariners shortstop Colt Emerson and Reds right-hander Connor Phillips; interview Dodgers outfielder Zyhir Hope, who hit the longest homer and made the best defensive play of the first week; and answer a listener mailbag question about Phillies right-hander Andrew Painter. They also break down the highest risers on the Top 100 Prospects after some end-of-season tweaks, most notably Red Sox infielder/outfielder Kristian Campbell and Rangers right-hander Kumar Rocker.
67 min
12
The Arizona Fall League is here! (Guest: Xavier...
The 32nd season of the Arizona Fall League is underway and the MLB Pipeline Podcast crew is all over it. Jim Callis, who is out in the desert covering the opening week, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff get you ready for all of the AFL action.
59 min
13
Awards and the postseason (Guest: Quinn Mathews)
It might seem as if the prospect season is over, but it's far from it! Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff were buzzing with talk of award-winning prospects and those (present and former) playing in the MLB Postseason. This week's pod kicked off with a discussion of some of the recently-announced MiLB Awards winners, from Hitter of the Year Kristian Campbell of the Red Sox to Pitcher of the Year Quinn Mathews of the Cardinals, who joined Jonathan for a conversation about his extremely successful first season of pro ball. Then the guys took a closer look at rookies who could have a big impact in the playoffs and how each of the 12 postseason teams were built. And they wrap up with a Mailbag question about Padres 17-year-old phenom Leodalis De Vries.
64 min
14
Rosters Of The Fall (Guest: Bryce Eldridge)
With the Arizona Fall League set to begin play on Oct. 7, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff use the latest edition of the Pipeline Podcast to discuss the many quality prospects headed to the developmental circuit. They focus on the 14 Top 100 Prospects set to attend, headlined by Royals first baseman Jac Caglianone and Padres catcher Ethan Salas, and identify a few sleepers before interviewing another Top 100 dude headed to the desert in Giants first baseman Bryce Eldridge. The guys also discuss Jonathan's rankings of the top 20 high schoolers for the 2025 Draft (starting with Jackson Holliday's younger brother Ethan) and the Tigers' promotion of the game's top pitching prospect (Jackson Jobe), then answer a listener mailbag question about potential AFL MVPs.
55 min
15
Finally, the final finalists
As the 2024 season reaches its conclusion, it seems a great time for Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff to look at the best prospect performances of the year, with a nod to the September 30 MiLB Awards show on MLB Network. They kicked things off by discussing the finalists for hitting and pitching prospects of the year. The guys then dug a bit deeper by breaking down candidates for breakout prospect of the year before looking much further ahead by peeking at the top 20 college players for the 2025 Draft before finishing with a Mailbag question about a 2024 college draftee, Rockies outfielder Charlie Condon.
48 min
16
Dudes On The Move (Guest: Kristian Campbell)
Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff discuss several notable promotions on the latest edition of the Pipeline Podcast, including No. 3 overall prospect Walker Jenkins (Twins) to Double-A and Jasson Dominguez and Kumar Rocker to the big leagues.
48 min
17
Crews-ing for prospects
The big news in prospect-land this week is the debut of Nationals' top prospect Dylan Crews, and Sam Dykstra and Jonathan Mayo are all over his callup on this week's MLB Pipeline Podcast, breaking down the 2023 No. 2 overall pick's game and first full season of pro ball. From there, Sam and Jonathan head to Montgomery, where the Biscuits have perhaps the most prospect-laden lineup in the Minors, something they discuss with Biscuits broadcaster Jack Sadighian. The Rays also top a list of farm systems ranked by infield prospect talent and the guys discuss that and other organizations on that list before debating the merits of adding Rangers right-hander Kumar Rocker to the Top 100 and answering a question from the listener mailbag about the Rockies' Chase Dollander.
64 min
18
Dog Days of Summer
It's late August, the week after launching all of MLB Pipeline's new rankings, but there was still plenty to talk about on this week's episode. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff dig some more into the new Top 100 list, examining new names on the list, including Red Sox second baseman/outfielder Kristian Campbell, Dodgers lefty Jackson Ferris and a pair of Nationals flame-throwers (one of whom isn't officially on the list . . . yet!). From there, the guys take a look at 2024 Draftees and how they've started their pro careers, focusing on guys with some upward mobility, like first-rounders Christian Moore (Angels) and Nick Kurtz (Athletics). While the Arizona Fall League doesn't start until early October, it's never too early to dream about rosters, with Jim and Jonathan providing a wish list of who they'd like to see this year before providing a "si" or "no" on if they think the top 30 prospects from the Top 100 will head to the AFL. The episode finishes, as always, with a mailbag question asking about two college bats from the Class of '24.
58 min
19
Breaking Down The New Top 100
On the latest Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo & Jason Ratliff dive deep into MLB Pipeline's newly revamped Top 100 Prospects list, which is headlined by infielders Jackson Holliday (Orioles) and Junior Caminero (Rays). They discuss why this is the most hitter-heavy Top 100 ever and talk about players who made the biggest jumps from the preseason, including infielders Colt Emerson (Mariners) and Kevin McGonigle (Tigers). Afterward, they give a sneak preview of MLB Pipeline's soon-to-be-released farm system rankings before circling back to the Top 100 with a listener mailbag question.
63 min
20
The New Top 100 Is Nearly Here (Guest: George K...
MLB Pipeline will drop a fully updated Top 100 Prospects list next week, and Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo give a sneak preview without giving away any of the rankings on the latest Pipeline Podcast. They begin by discussing the Top 100 process, chat about candidates for the No. 1 spot and how many 2024 draftees to expect on the new list. Jonathan interviews right-hander George Klassen, who significantly has boosted his stock in his pro debut and went to from the Phillies to the Angels in the recent Carlos Estévez trade. Then the guys name other players who have rocketed up prospect lists this summer before answering a listener mailbag question about promising Nationals pitching prospects.
55 min
21
Deadline sandwich
This week's MLB Pipeline Podcast comes to you right in between the Trade Deadline and the Draft signing deadline and Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff have you covered on both fronts. They kick things off by looking at the top prospects who changed teams and the sheer volume (90!) of prospects who changed hands. Then the guys broke down the biggest hauls by teams, highlighting the Marlins, Rays and Blue Jays. The trio pivoted from the Trade Deadline to the Draft signing deadline to talk about the remaining unsigned draftees, with four likely not to sign at the time of recording. The pod wrapped up with a question about the White Sox return in the Erick Fedde/Michael Kopech deal from the listener Mailbag.
60 min
22
Deadlines and Rerank Approaching
On the latest Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff break down the upcoming Trade and Draft Signing deadlines and the midseason rerank. First, they rank the contenders that have the best combinations of desire to make a deal and the prospects to make it happen. Then they discuss some record-setting Draft signings and preview more to come. After that, the guys tease the upcoming overhaul of the Top 100 Prospects and organization Top 30 lists before answering a mailbag question about prospects who could make an impact in the postseason.
65 min
23
Live from Arlington: Futures, Draft and more
After an action-packed week in Texas for All-Star festivities, the MLB Pipeline gang gathered together in person to wrap up all of the events. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff started off by breaking down the Draft, from surprises in the first round to the biggest steal in each round. From there, they reviewed the excitement of the 25th Futures Game and the first ever Futures Skills Showcase before answering an unprecedented five-part question in the Mailbag.
63 min
24
Predictions Galore
The biggest prospect week of the year is upon us, highlighted by the All-Star Futures Game and the start of the Draft, and Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff have you covered on the latest Pipeline Podcast. The guys offer prognostications on the Futures Game winner, final score and MVP before Jim and Jonathan make their annual picks for the Futures Game batting practice/unofficial home run derby. With the new Futures Skills Showcase this year, they draft participants in that as well, with Jonathan's No. 1 overall selection prompting Jim to nearly curse on air. After that, it's more predictions as they break down the percentage chances of various players getting selected by the Guardians with the No. 1 overall pick. Lastly, they dip into the listener mailbag for not one but two Draft-related questions.
57 min
25
Futures Game, Draft and Moore (Christian)
It's a very busy time in MLB Pipeline world these days and the Pipeline Podcast guys have it all for you.
65 min