Sam Dykstra
@SamDykstraMiLB
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Reporter with @MLBPipeline , @MiLB . MLB Network contributor. Email: Sam.Dykstra @MLB .com. Emailing is better than DMing. No, I’m not related. He/him.
New York, NY
Joined April 2013
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My happiest view?
That’s an easy call.
What’s your favorite seat or view that you’ve had at a Minor League park?
The latest Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter features replies to that question from fans around the country.
Subscribe here:
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First pitch from Brianna Wakefield at Fenway Park. She and brother Trevor raise the World Series trophy.
Perfection.
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AVERAGE TIME OF NINE-INNING GAME BY LEVEL THIS SEASON:
No pitch clock
MLB: 3:04
----------------
Pitch clock
Triple-A: 2:43
Double-A: 2:40
High-A: 2:34
Single-A: 2:36
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Jackson Holliday was born Dec. 4, 2003.
Only other active Major Leaguer born in 2003: Jackson Merrill
Only Major Leaguer born in 2004: Jackson Chourio
Jackson, Jackson, Jackson
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The Reds have released Fidel Castro.
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BUCKLE UP FOR THIS:
When he debuts Tuesday, Wander Franco will be the first-ever Major Leaguer born in the year 2001.
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You think Lucas Giolito likes getting to be on Shohei Ohtani's side now?
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The
#Dodgers
' Top-100 prospects yesterday, per
@MLBPipeline
:
Gavin Lux
Dustin May
Jeter Downs
Josiah Gray
Keibert Ruiz
The Dodgers' Top-100 prospects today after acquiring literally Mookie Betts and David Price:
Gavin Lux
Dustin May
Jeter Downs
Josiah Gray
Keibert Ruiz
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Brian Snitker managed 2,714 games in the Minor Leagues, all in the Atlanta system, dating back to 1982.
He had stops at Anderson, Durham, Sumter, Macon, Danville, Myrtle Beach, Greenville, Mississippi, Richmond, Gwinnett.
Next stop: World Series.
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This might be my favorite angle.
An all-timer in an all-time tournament.
See you tomorrow night.
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And there you have it.
The Rocket City Trash Pandas have thrown the first Minor League no-hitter of the 2023 season …
… in a 7-5 loss.
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Bob Uecker was born during Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s first term as US president.
Jackson Chourio was born one month after Facebook officially launched.
And what bridges that generational gap — baseball.
Bob Uecker ✖️Jackson Chourio
Turn up the volume for this one 👇
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110 teams today.
55 games.
The last one was Sept. 17, 2019.
Today is May 4, 2021.
At last,
it’s Opening Day in Minor League Baseball.
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Taylor Davis has signed a Minor League deal with the
#Orioles
, the club announces.
You know what that means. . .
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Recorded a pregame podcast interview with Lars Nootbaar.
Some news out of that: He really did trademark his last name and is in the beginning stages of creating a candy bar "that might be on the healthier side for athletes."
So look for that in the future.
#STLCards
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The fact that the first two columns are the same and the last is very much … not remains astonishing to me.
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#STLCards
prospect Pedro Pages takes BP as Eric Cartman … and puts a ball in play to the celebration of all.
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Orion Kerkering touched 99.8 mph on his fastball, averaged 3,046 rpm on his slider in his MLB debut.
That’ll play.
#phillies
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🚨No. 3
#Padres
prospect Ethan Salas has been added to the Single-A Lake Elsinore roster.
The 16-year-old catcher was signed for $5.6 million in January. He skips over the Dominican Summer and Arizona Complex Leagues to make his pro debut in California.
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Minor League teams, if I may, a team name suggestion:
Radioactive hybrid terror pigs have made themselves a home in Fukushima's exclusion zone
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The
#Yankees
selected Derek Jeter sixth overall in the 1992 Draft. In the 27 Drafts since, they haven't had a pick higher than 13th.
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Hall of Famer Larry Walker wearing a Hall of Fame shirt.
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At just 18 years old, Jackson Chourio will be the youngest player in Double-A upon his arrival with
@BiloxiShuckers
.
Since 2010, only two 18-year-olds have gotten more than 15 Double-A plate appearances in a season:
Bryce Harper, 2011
Fernando Tatis Jr., 2017
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Hank Aaron was an All-Star in *every* season from 1955-1975.
From Eisenhower to Ford.
His 21 All-Star seasons are a record, one ahead of Willie Mays and Stan Musial in second.
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Below the red line is pre-broken leg.
Above is, I can't stress this enough, post-BROKEN LEG.
Charlie Morton is something else.
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If you wanna know how that Aaron Judge homer sounded in the stadium.
(Hint: LOUD)
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Drew Maggi was a 15th-round pick in 2010. He’s played 1,154 games in the Minor Leagues across 13 seasons. Zero have been in the Majors … until now.
At 33 years old, Drew Maggi is headed to The Show.
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BRETT PHILLIPS IS ABOUT TO ENTER FROM THE BULLPEN.
And boy is he ready.
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Paul Skenes delivers a bullpen pitch to Yasmani Grandal, in slo-mo
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Minor League organizational standings (i.e. best combined record of four affiliates):
1. Cubs, 96-62 (.608)
2. Dodgers, 94-64 (.595)
3. Brewers, 93-65 (.589)
...
28. White Sox, 66-92 (.418)
29. Royals, 64-93 (.408)
30. Astros, 63-95 (.399)
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It started with a strike from Debbie Skaggs.
In their first home game since the passing of Tyler Skaggs, the Los Angeles Angels have no-hit the Seattle Mariners.
I don’t know what you believe in on any other night. Tonight, you should believe in Angels.
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Welcome to the Futures Game, Masyn Winn.
100.5 mph (!!!!) on the throw to get Yainer Diaz on a groundout to short.
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Attention,
#Dbacks
fans.
Gabriel Moreno is capable of hitting the ball hard enough that it can go STRAIGHT THROUGH A WALL.
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#SFGiants
LHP Carson Whisenhunt threw three changeups (out of his 10 total pitches) and got two whiffs.
This one against top overall prospect Jackson Holliday was particularly impressive.
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This can’t be said enough: The same amount of baseball is being played!
A game is still measured in innings, and you’ll still see 200+ pitches and plenty of hits and runs.
The pitch clock limits the inactive moments, the dead time.
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This is how Ian Desmond’s announcement ends. His whole IG post is well worth reading here:
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Thinking a lot about this moment right now.
Even if he wasn't as productive as ever, Albert Pujols means so much to those on the field.
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Matt Carpenter talking about working out with Jackson Holliday, Matt Holliday and Ethan Holliday on
@MLBNetwork
:
“If you want to feel bad about where you are as a hitter, go hit with the Holliday family.”
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On Instagram, Bryce Harper calls Tyler Skaggs “by far the nastiest prep arm I ever faced.”
Skaggs was the 40th overall pick one year before Harper went first overall.
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A full day for James Wood.
2nd inning: Nice catch in CF
3rd inning: HR (106.8 mph EV)
5th inning: Single (108.0 mph EV)
6th inning: Double (111.9 mph EV)
8th inning: HR (108.8 mph EV)
His slash line now stands at .441/.558/.794 through nine games for Triple-A Rochester.
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It's 10:22 a.m. on the east coast of the United States.
Former
#RedSox
outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin already has made the baseball play of the day.
The man had AN ENTIRE STADIUM faked out.
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Hensley Meulens:
-Is already the
#Mets
bench coach, so he's been around this offseason
-Won three World Series as a Giants coach
-Managed the Netherlands in the WBC
-Speaks five languages (English, Dutch, Spanish, Japanese, Papiamento)
Just saying.
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Mark McGwire: Cardinals Hall of Famer
Sammy Sosa: Not invited to Wrigley Field
Whenever fans are allowed back in Chicago, that needs to be rectified.
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BREAKING: Fernando Tatis Jr. has been suspended 80 games after testing positive for Clostebol, a banned performance-enhancing substance, MLB says.
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@pjbreenphoto
This is awful, Patrick. Please know there are plenty grateful for your work. Bet there are tons of kids and parents elated to see their pictures in the Republic, thanks to you. Keep your head up, if you can, and keep putting good into the world.
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#STLCards
outfielder Lars Nootbar smashes a leadoff homer to right. He got all of it (as well as a few boos in a Cubs ballpark).
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Looking for the next Padres (i.e team that beats expectations with young, exciting talent)?
Psst, it’s the Mariners.
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Update: Duque Hebbert -- the pitcher who struck out Soto, Rodríguez and Devers today -- has signed with the
#Tigers
, per this Nicaraguan National Team IG post.
Looking forward to seeing his WBC stuff translate to the Minors.
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Seeing some comments about the effects of TV and ad breaks, and it’s true that there are other aspects that add time to MLB games. We aren’t going to see a 2:34 average in The Show.
But getting closer to 2:45-50 will be noteworthy. And the gameplay itself is so much crisper.
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This would be why tonight's Montgomery games were cancelled. Unspeakably sad. May the Bivens family find the help it needs after something like this.
Hearts all over baseball are broken.
Just an awful tragedy: The wife and child of Blake Bivens, a Double-A pitcher in the Tampa Bay Rays organization, were among three people killed in rural Virginia on Tuesday, sources tell ESPN. Police have charged Bivens' wife's brother with first-degree homicide.
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Good news given the discourse today around Minor League Baseball.
A total of 41,504,077 fans attended Minor League games in 2019. That's up more than one million from 2018 and an increase of 2.6%. That's the largest year-over-year growth since 2006-07.
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When he debuts, Luis Patiño will become the fifth Major Leaguer born in the year 1999.
The others: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Adrian Morejon, Andres Munoz
That's right. Four of the five are
#Padres
.
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Highest
#Mariners
exit velocities so far in 2022:
1. Jarred Kelenic, 114.0 mph (April 14 homer)
2. Julio Rodríguez, 112.9 mph (tonight's double)
3. Julio Rodríguez, 111.7 mph (April 19 single)
4. Julio Rodríguez, 111.5 mph (April 17 groundout)
These kids are alright.
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111.7 mph off the bat.
The
#STLCards
have three exit velos at 108+ mph this spring. Jordan Walker has two of them.
This double was his hardest-hit shot ... so far.
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Anyone else do an absolute triple take when Billie Eilish wore a Jake Peavy jersey on SNL?
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Reminder:
It is MLB. Not the MLB.
You can say the NBA, the NFL, the NHL because those acronyms end with the league itself.
If you think “the MLB” made a decision, then you believe a physical baseball had a sentient thought. That’s not reality. It’s a DreamWorks movie.
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#Royals
catchers with home runs tonight:
Salvador Perez, MLB (2)
MJ Melendez, Triple-A
Carter Jensen, Single-A
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#Braves
prospect Spencer Strider figuring prominently on today's early Statcast leaderboard. You could expand that velo board to eight, and it'd still be all him.
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There is one 20-20 player in the Minor Leagues right now.
Bobby Witt Jr. 24 HR, 20 SB. 21 years old playing at Double-A, Triple-A.
Pretty good.
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Yoshinobu Yamamato was born the same year as Nick Frasso, Gavin Stone, River Ryan and Kyle Hurt and is younger than Landon Knack.
While not prospect-eligible, he gives the
#Dodgers
an arm that’s equal to their best pitching prospects in age and well exceeds their ceilings.
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MLB: The Futures Game will only be seven innings this year.
The Futures Game: lol
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MLB makes it official:
Kerwin Danely is the first black umpire named as an MLB crew chief. Alfonso Marquez is the first Latino umpire to become an MLB crew chief.
Also, Ramon De Jesus becomes the first Dominican Republic native to be named a full-time MLB umpire.
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Marco Luciano CRUSHES his first Arizona Fall League homer.
A three-run blast to left for the top
#SFGiants
prospect.
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This is far from the point but wanted to highlight this:
The Lakers waited until Vanessa Bryant could release her statement before putting out their own. In doing so, they echoed her call to help the families. They put people first in an awful time. That's class.
The Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to support the families affected by this tragedy. To help, please visit . For those who are inspired to continue Kobe and Gianna’s legacy in youth sports, please visit
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Top Arizona Fall League exit velocities (in Statcast games played at Salt River):
1. Jordan Walker, 112.7
2. Walker, 112.3
3. Walker, 112.1
4. Rece Hinds, 110.6
5. Walker, 110.0
Walker has a slight advantage because he plays for Salt River. But yeah, that'll play.
#STLCards
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Slo-mo BP thread from today’s Fall Stars Game
Starting with
#STLCards
top prospect Jordan Walker
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Since returning from the Olympics, Julio Rodríguez is hitting .438/.544/.548 over 20 games with Double-A Arkansas. That's a 204 wRC+.
The top
#Mariners
prospect doesn't turn 21 until December.
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It might take until the morning for the lists to reflect the trade, but for now:
Marco Vargas will jump to No. 6 on the
#Mets
list. Ronald Hernandez joins at No. 18 (one spot behind Reimer).
Reminder: Our midseason update is coming in August, so these two will move again soon.
The
#Mets
are expected to acquire INF Marco Vargas (MIA 18) and C Ronald Hernandez (MIA 21) in exchange for Robertson, per multiple reports.
Both currently play in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League:
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Non-trade news:
#Cubs
first-rounder Matt Shaw (13th overall) is joining High-A South Bend.
The former Maryland star went 4-for-8 with a homer, a double and two steals in the Arizona Complex League.
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No. 2
#Guardians
prospect Gavin Williams has five strikeouts and nine whiffs over 35 pitches through two innings today for Triple-A Columbus.
This 101.1 mph fastball against Christian Encarnacion-Strand is the fastest pitch thrown by an International League starter this season.
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All of you youngins replying with "Oh wow, someone my age is making the Majors!!!" can promptly get the heck out.
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Anyone looking for a Spin King?
#Reds
RHP Tejay Antone featured the highest spin rate on any fastball (2,999 rpm) AND curveball (3,376 rpm) measured by Statcast today.
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Study closely. Six Top 10 prospects with 2023 ETAs.
Closest thing we’ll see to a Reds wave.
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They’re rotating the player posters outside the MLB office today.
But I’ll admit this gave me a brief shock that there had been a MAJOR trade in Southern California.
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Update: Jackson Holliday has reached six times, Kyle Stowers has homered three times, Heston Kjerstad has driven in 10 runs.
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And so the sun sets on baseball once more.
Soon, may it rise again.
Be safe out there, everyone.
—30—
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Rookie leaders through Aug. 24 (position players):
AVG: Kyle Lewis, .368
OBP: Alec Bohm, .462
SLG: Edwin Ríos, .690
OPS: Lewis, 1.041
HR: Lewis/Luis Robert, 7
RBI: Lewis, 19
SB: Andrés Giménez, 6
H: Lewis, 39
R: Lewis, 24
wRC+: Lewis, 189
fWAR: Lewis, 1.7
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The AL and NL Rookie of the Year awards were renamed after Jackie Robinson in 1987, 40 years after he broke MLB’s color barrier.
Kyle Lewis and Devin Williams made this the first time that two African-American players have won the Jackie Robinson Awards.
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Mookie Betts just signed the second-biggest contract in history. He knew all eyes would be on him. He sent a message by kneeling during the national anthem while others stood.
Long may he reign as a face of baseball.
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Western PA Eastern PA
🤝
Love for Andrew McCutchen
A lot of you in
#PA
are voting from home this year, so let's go over how to make sure your vote is counted w/ a little help from some friends
@Phillies
@MichaelKeaton
@RMcElhenney
@TeamJuJu
@MeghanKling
@AdamRippon
@BroadCity
#MailInBallots
#NakedBallots
#VOTE
#Vote2020
#Election
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If Evan White shows this power over 60 games, that, along with his defense, will make him a strong AL Rookie of the Year candidate.
And with the Kyle Lewis start, he might not be the only one on the
#Mariners
.
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TIL: The
#Mets
(38-20, .655) have the best Opening Day winning percentage of all 30 clubs.
Family Guy lied.
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It’s a kids game, remember.
And it’s the best one around.
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5 got Stephen Strasburg ejected from the stands
6 got Pete Alonso called out on strikes
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Outfielders in the Nationals system:
Dylan Crews
James Wood
Robert Hassell III
Elijah Green
Cristhian Vaquero
Daylen Lile
Jeremy De La Rosa
Lotta development needed before that crew is solidified in DC, but that has a chance to be a great outfield group.
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Jackson Holliday hit ZERO homers off left-handers in 2023.
Zero.
First at-bat against a lefty ... first at-bat against anyone in the 2024 regular season and:
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.
@jasonbenetti
is setting the standard for excellent baseball broadcasting these days.
When I make these breakdowns I pull from both broadcasts and I always love noticing the slight differences in productions and commentary.
Well in this one, the difference in commentary was far from slight.
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All three of Jackson Merrill’s batted balls in play have exceeded the hard-hit standard.
Nothing to show for it, but this hasn’t been a meek debut for the 20-year-old either.
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