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MLB Pipeline

MLB.comwww.mlb.com
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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Episodes

Justins, Skenes & The Draft

On the latest edition of the Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis, Sam Dykstra and Jonathan Mayo discuss prospects past, present and future. Jonathan revisits a 2004 story he did on a college pitching duel between Justin Verlander and Justin Orenduff and relates how Verlander presented him with a Gold Pass last weekend to celebrate Jonathan's 25 years with MLB. Then Sam discusses his recent visit with Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes, baseball's best pitching prospect, before we hear Sam interview Skene...

Apr 23, 20241 hr 6 min

Rookies, Prospects & The Draft

There's so much going on in every aspect baseball right now and Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff tried to cram discussion of it all into the latest Pipeline Podcast. They started by talking about scorching-hot rookies (Michael Busch, Mason Miller) and Minor Leaguers off to fast starts (including Astros outfielder Joey Loperfido and Rockies right-hander Chase Dollander) as well as two big-name prospects just called up to the Majors (Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages, Rangers righty Jack Le...

Apr 16, 202452 min

Cagli-Oh My!

The MLB Pipeline Podcast crew is back with another fantastic guest from the college hitter ranks. This week, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo welcome in Florida Gators two-way star Jac Caglianone. Jonathan and Jim also preview USA Baseball's National High School Invitational, with Jonathan at the National Training Complex to take in the big high school tournament. After all that Draft talk, the duo switch gears, discussing the top Minor League rosters across baseball this year, headlined by the Norf...

Apr 09, 202458 min

Exact Time Of Arrival

On the latest Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff look at the slew of top prospects in Triple-A (Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday, Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes & Co.) and predict exactly when they will make it to the Majors this season. Then they interview Georgia slugger Charlie Condon, the potential No. 1 overall pick in July's Draft. After that, they discuss Ronel Blanco and the no-hitter no one saw coming and take a Draft question from the listener mailbag...

Apr 02, 20241 hr 8 min

It's Opening Week(s)!

Sure, the MLB season officially got underway in Seoul last week, but things really get going this week and next in MLB Pipeline world, and Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff are here to tell you all about it. They kick things off by discussing some big prospects making Opening Day big league rosters, like Jackson Chourio and Wyatt Langford. There's a ton of talent starting in Triple-A, with that season beginning on Friday, and the trio look at the sheer volume of guys at the Minors' hig...

Mar 26, 20241 hr 12 min

Celebrating Spring Breakout

MLB staged its inaugural Spring Breakout event with 13 all-prospects showdowns over the weekend, and the latest MLB Pipeline Podcast reviews all the action. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff talk about all that transpired, from the much-anticipated Jackson Holliday vs. Paul Skenes matchup to standouts such as Spencer Jones and Brock Selvidge of the Yankees and Xavier Isaac of the Rays. Reds 2023 first-round pick Rhett Lowder joins Jim in an interview recorded prior to Spring Breakout b...

Mar 19, 20241 hr 4 min

Spring Breakout Week!

This week's MLB Pipeline Podcast is brimming with buzz about the inaugural MLB Spring Breakout. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff can't contain their excitement about the debut of the prospect showcase this week and they break down everything from the top rosters to the best matchups. While in Arizona, Jonathan got to talk to top Mariners prospect Cole Young about Spring Training, the top hitters in the organization and, of course, his own excitement in playing in Seattle's Spring Brea...

Mar 12, 20241 hr 4 min

It's Top 30 Time!

MLB Pipeline is releasing Top 30 Prospects lists for all 30 organizations this week, so Jim Callis and Jason Ratliff open the latest Pipeline Podcast by breaking down the rankings in a variety of ways. Jonathan Mayo checks in from his Cactus League adventure with an interview with Padres left-hander Robby Snelling before Jim talks about the highlights of his recent Grapefruit League travels. Jim and Jason then preview next week's Spring Breakout spectacular before answering a listener mailbag qu...

Mar 05, 20241 hr 7 min

Spring Breakout Buzz

On this week's MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff are abuzz with excitement over the start of Spring Training games and jump right in to early prospect performances in Grapefruit and Cactus League games while also taking a sneak peek at the upcoming Spring Breakout. One player they all hope will be playing in it is Tigers top prospect Max Clark, and he joined the pod to talk about his first Spring Training and who he wants to play with and against in a Spring Breako...

Feb 27, 202457 min

Spring Has Sprung

Spring Training is officially underway, the college baseball season also has begun and Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo couldn't be more excited on the latest MLB Pipeline Podcast. They begin by discussing prospects fighting for jobs in big league camp, including Jackson Holliday (Orioles), Wyatt Langford (Rangers) and Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs). Then they're joined by another, as Diamondbacks shortstop Jordan Lawlar talks about a big league debut that took him all the way to the World Series. After...

Feb 20, 20241 hr 4 min

Back to School Day

On this episode of the MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff go back to campus to preview the start of the 2024 college baseball season, especially important because so much of the top of the Draft class are college hitters. No. 1 Wake Forest's star-studded roster is discussed and they look ahead to the Desert Invitational, which Jim will be broadcasting. He also welcomed in one of Wake's best hitters, Seaver King, a potential top 10 pick, for a conversation about the...

Feb 13, 20241 hr 5 min

Way to go, Joe!

Newly elected Hall of Famer Joe Mauer was the first-ever No. 1 prospect when MLB.com started rankings back in 2004. On this week's edition of the MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff take a look at Mauer and the other 'greatest hits' from 20 years of rankings, while also looking at guys who were top prospects who didn't quite live up to billing. The guys are then joined by former long-time Twins general manager Terry Ryan for a look back at how Minnesota decided to d...

Feb 06, 20241 hr 17 min

What Gives With The New Top 100?

On the latest Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis, Sam Dykstra, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff discuss the Top 100 Prospects list that MLB Pipeline unveiled last Friday. They discuss why Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday was a relatively easy choice for the No. 1 spot and the immediate impact of what could be a historic 2023 Draft class. Other topics included players who made huge jumps, picks to do the same this season and which teams had the most representation on the list. Then the guys answered 1...

Jan 30, 20241 hr 6 min

Gearing up for the Top 100

It's a special time of year as we near the release of a new Top 100 prospects list, and this week's episode helps get everyone ready. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff take a closer look at a quartet of Top 10 by Position lists (C, 1B, 2B, 3B), with Jim and Jonathan picking the player on each list who most intrigues them, as well as a sleeper pick from outside the top 10. Then Jim and Jonathan put their draft hats on to select a 10-man squad using only players on the Top 10 by Position...

Jan 23, 202454 min

IHOP (International House of Prospects)

To celebrate the opening of the 2024 international signing period, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff welcome in international prospect guru Jesse Sanchez to this week's MLB Pipeline Podcast to break down the top players and all the signings. It's also the start of prospect ranking season, so the guys take a closer look at the first two Top 10 position lists, the right-handed and left-handed pitchers, before answering a Mailbag question about righty pitching prospects. To learn more abo...

Jan 16, 202448 min

Survey Says...

In the latest edition of the Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff dive into MLB Pipeline's annual Executive Poll. They discuss industry insider opinions on a wide variety of subjects from 2024 Rookie of the Year predictions, the best hitting and pitching prospects in the game, top prospect tools, which organizations do the best job of developing prospects and much, much more. The guys also break down prospects with breakout potential in the upcoming season and answer a l...

Jan 09, 202459 min

Looking Ahead, Looking Back

On the newest addition of the Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis, Sam Dykstra and Jason Ratliff divided their attention between the year to come and the year just completed. First, they try to project when some of the most anticipated 2024 big league debuts will occur, including those of Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday, Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio and Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes. Then they break down six farm systems that improved most in 2023, highlighted by the Brewers and Cubs, befor...

Jan 02, 202453 min

Predictions: Looking back at 2023 and ahead to '24

In this special year-end episode of the MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff take a look back at the predictions that were made for 2023, highlighted by correctly picking both Rookies of the Year. Jim and Jonathan also looked ahead to '24 to make a new set of predictions, from top rookies to who will be the Pipeline Hitting and Pitching prospects of the Year in the new season. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.co...

Dec 26, 202351 min

Draft Top 100 + an interview with the No. 1 prospect

In the penultimate MLB Pipeline Podcast of 2023, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff bring a lot of 2024 Draft talk your way. The guys break down the newly minted Top 100 Draft Prospects list, which has an historic number of college hitters at the top, and are joined by the No. 1 player on the list, West Virginia infielder JJ Wetherholt. Then they turn their sights to MLB's exciting new Spring Breakout event, where the best prospects from each organization will square off against each ot...

Dec 19, 20231 hr

Tools and the Trades

On this week's MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff give a sneak peek at the soon-to-be released 2024 Draft Top 100 list by breaking down each of the top tools from the list, from hit and power to fastball and control. The guys then take a look at the big Juan Soto trade as well as the deal the Dodgers made to clear 40-man space for Shohei Ohtani, with both deals involving the Yankees. From there, they turned their sights to last week's Rule 5 Draft, with Jim and Jon...

Dec 12, 202356 min

Lottery Pays Off For Ohio

The latest Pipeline Podcast comes on the heels of the second annual Draft Lottery, and Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff break down the results. In a stunning turn of events, the Guardians moved up from the No. 9 pick to No. 1 and the Reds jumped from No. 13 to No. 2. Jonathan sat down with Paul Gillispie, Cleveland's vice president of scouting, to discuss the ramifications of the first No. 1 overall choice in franchise history. There's also talk about the game's top two prospects (Ori...

Dec 06, 20231 hr 6 min

Prepping for the Winter Meetings

The baseball world will descend on Nashville next week for the Winter Meetings and the MLB Pipeline Podcast gets you ready. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff kick off this Winter Meetings-focused episode by talking about the second Draft Lottery and how it will impact the 2024 Draft order. From there, they start previewing the Rule 5 Draft before welcoming in Cubs national crosschecker Marti Wolever, one of this year's Scouts of the Year who will be honored in Nashville. After that con...

Nov 28, 20231 hr 7 min

Talking Rule 5 turkey with a side of Fall League

On this Thanksgiving episode of the MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff dish on all the 40-man roster/Rule 5 decisions made by teams, from the Top 100 prospects added to interesting decisions made by teams to protect or not to protect players. From there, the trio head back to the Arizona Fall League one last time, looking at players who faced Rule 5 decisions in the league to the ranking of the Top 25 prospects in the circuit. For dessert, the guys look at Jim's mu...

Nov 21, 20231 hr 2 min

That's a wrap on the Fall League

Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff put a bow on another Arizona Fall League season on this week's episode of the MLB Pipeline Podcast, but not before breaking down the 2023 Rookies of the Year, Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Carroll, and drafting potential 2024 ROY candidates. AFL Offensive Player of the Year James Triantos (Cubs) sat down with Jim in Arizona and then conversation turned to the championship game and all of the award winners, including MVP Jakob Marsee (Padres) and Pitcher ...

Nov 14, 20231 hr 8 min

Fall Stars Shine

On the latest edition of the MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo focus on the Arizona Fall League and its Fall Stars Game festivities from the past weekend. They discuss several standouts from the AFL's all-star game, including Top 100 Prospects Colson Montgomery (White Sox) and Kyle Manzardo (Guardians) and 2022 first-round pick Eric Brown (Brewers). Jonathan interviews Mariners catcher Harry Ford, who didn't participate in the Fall Stars Game but is one of the top prospects in t...

Nov 07, 202354 min

Previewing Fall Stars Game, 2024 Draft

The latest edition of the Pipeline Podcast features Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff discussing the upcoming Fall Stars Game and looking ahead to the 2024 Draft. First, they talk some Arizona Fall League and players they hope to see in Sunday's all-star prospect showcase, including Top 100 Prospects Jace Jung (Tigers) and Kyle Manzardo (Guardians) as well as catcher Dominic Keegan (Rays) and outfielder Victor Scott (Cardinals). Then Jonathan sits down for an interview with shortstop C...

Nov 01, 20231 hr 16 min

Power Ranger

The World Series is upon us and we're halfway through the Arizona Fall League and Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff dig into all of it in this week's episode of the MLB Pipeline Podcast. The guys start out by unpacking the latest postseason news, from Adolis García's unusual path to the big stage to rookie Brandon Pfaadt getting the ball in Game 7 of the NLCS for the D-backs. Sam Dykstra's conversation with Rockies prospect Benny Montgomery helps shift the discussion to the AFL, with t...

Oct 24, 20231 hr 6 min

The Joys of Fall

If it's October, then the Pipeline Podcast must be discussing the postseason and the Arizona Fall League. Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo do just that, starting off by riffing on the Championship Series before discussing some early AFL standouts. Sam Dykstra contributes an interview with Fall Leaguer Eric Brown, the Brewers' 2022 first-round pick. Then Jim and Jonathan discuss how the Rangers landed Evan Carter when not many teams were on him in the 2020 Draft, break down some organization hitters ...

Oct 17, 20231 hr 12 min

Loving October baseball

The leaves may be changing and thoughts of pumpkins are in the air, but there's still plenty of great baseball to talk about on the MLB Pipeline Podcast. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff start by breaking down the opening week of the Arizona Fall League, focusing on top performers like Padres outfielder Jakob Marsee and Blue Jays lefty Ricky Tiedemann. Jim sits down with Guardians Top 100 prospect Kyle Manzardo, who is also in the AFL, and then the trio takes time to admire the work o...

Oct 10, 202352 min

Awards & AFL

With the Minor League season ending and the MLB postseason and the Arizona Fall League beginning, there's a lot for Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff to unpack in the latest edition of the Pipeline Podcast. They start by recapping the first-ever MiLB Awards show, including Hitting Prospect of the Year Jackson Holliday (Orioles) and Pitching Prospect of the Year Drew Thorpe (Yankees). Then they dive into the AFL with an interview with Tigers second baseman Jace Jung and a discussion of ...

Oct 03, 20231 hr 1 min
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