Deadlines are looming

Deadlines are looming

There are a couple of big deadlines on the baseball calendar ahead and with so many people focused on the Trade Deadline in terms of big leaguers who could change hands, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff looked a lot at the other side of that coin on this week's Pipeline Podcast: the prospects. They looked back: at blockbuster prospect deals of Deadlines past, headlined by the huge Juan Soto to the Padres trade in 2022, determining who won the biggest trades of the past decade. They also looked ahead: by examining which teams are best positioned to deal prospects to bring in big league help at this Deadline, starting with the Dodgers. Then the guys switched gears to look at the Draft, with the signing deadline coming next week, by creating a list of 2026 picks who could be the quickest to the big leagues. They finished off with a fun question about where prospects Leo De Vries and Ethan Salas would have gone in this year's Draft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The Newsiest Weekend Of The Year

Fresh off of covering and broadcasting the Draft and the Futures Game last weekend, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff have plenty to discuss on the latest Pipeline Podcast. They break down the first round, from the White Sox taking Roch Cholowsky at No. 1 to the Brewers surprising with Trey Ebel at No. 25, highlighting surprise picks along the way. After that, they detail who hauled in the most talent and identify the best value picks in every round from 1 through 10. Then they welcome in Sam Dykstra, who was part of the Futures Game telecast, and he dishes on the standouts from the prospect showcase, including MVP Nathan Flewelling (Rays) and dominant pitcher Seth Hernandez (Pirates). The podcast wraps up with a listener mailbag question about which draftee will be the first to reach the Majors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Breaking down the Draft class: High school pitchers (Guest: Brody Bumila)

It's the last Pipeline Podcast before this weekend's Draft, so Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff dedicate most of their time previewing what could happen in Philadelphia. They hash out the biggest story lines, including whom the White Sox will take with the No. 1 overall pick and the biggest wild cards, before taking a deep dive into the prep pitching class. One of the more intriguing members of that group, Brody Bumila, sits down with Jonathan for an interview. After all the Draft talk, the guys also preview Sunday's Futures Game before answering one of the best listener mailbag questions of the year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Breaking down the Draft class: College hitters (Guest: Justin Lebron)

Back from the MLB Draft Combine and heading full steam towards the Draft and Futures Game, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff come with tons of prospect info on this week's episode of the Pipeline Podcast. Before focusing on the Draft, the guys dig into the new "market corrections" for the Top 100 Prospects list, highlighting big jumpers like the Rays' Theo Gillen and the Dodgers' Mike Sirota. This week's installment of analyzing a Draft demographic looks at the college bats, starting of course with UCLA's Roch Cholowsky, and includes a conversation with one of those hitters, Alabama's Justin Lebron. After feting Golden Spikes Award winner Daniel Jackson, the trio finishes up with a Mailbag question about how many high school players will command big bonuses come Draft time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Breaking down the Draft class: High school hitters (Guest: Jacob Lombard)

The MLB Draft Combine takes center stage and serves as a backdrop for a discussion of the top prep position players on the latest Pipeline Podcast. Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Jason Ratliff talk about which players stood out most on the first day of Combine workouts, including UCLA first baseman Mulivai Levu and Rocco Maniscalco. That leads to talk of the high school bat class, including whether Grady Emerson is the top prospect in the entire Draft, and an interview with another talented prep shortstop in Jacob Lombard. If that's not enough, Jim and Jonathan do a joint mock draft where they project each club's top selection before fielding a listener mailbag question about Phillies right-hander Gage Wood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]