And on Wednesday night, the former Tigers’ ace was announced as the National League’s Cy Young Award Winner following his second stellar season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Skenes is the first former LSU pitcher to win a Cy Young Award.

Skenes finished third in the NL’s Cy Young Award voting in 2024, placing behind Chris Sale and Zach Wheeler.

This past season, Skenes started in 32 games, nine more than the previous year. He recorded an ERA of 1.97 and went 10-10 as a starter, while his 216 strikeouts also eclipsed his 170 from 2024.

Pittsburgh finished the season at 71-91, prompting many to spin the rumor mill regarding Skenes’ attitude toward the club and others contacting the team about trades. The Pirates went 76-86 the year prior.

Skenes is certainly not used to losing, as he won the 2023 College World Series while at LSU, breaking the school’s record for strikeouts in a single season. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the World Series and also won National Pitcher of the Year honors. Skenes began his playing career at Air Force before transferring to Baton Rouge.

The post Former LSU standout Paul Skenes named 2025 NL Cy Young appeared first on Saturday Down South.

With the idea of a college coach making the leap to the majors drawing mixed reviews from many, some of Vitello’s past colleagues and players have been sharing their perspective on how their former peer will fare.

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Specifically, current Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer addressed the news, with him expressing his full confidence in Vitello’s ability to find success in the MLB.

“I absolutely believe in him,” Scherzer said. “He’s to this day one of my closest friends and I absolutely believe he’s gonna get it done at the big-league level.”

Scherzer pitched under the tutelage of Vitello while playing for Missouri from 2004-2006, which was when he broke out into a rising star before being drafted 11th in the 2006 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Vitello takes over a San Francisco franchise that is fresh off an 81-81 campaign, which resulted in the firing of former manager Bob Melvin.

The Volunteers went 52-10 (16-14 in the SEC) during Vitello’s last season at the helm, bowing out in the Super Regionals after claiming the 2024 National Championship. He arrived in Knoxville prior to the 2018 campaign.

The post Max Scherzer says he ‘absolutely’ believes in Tony Vitello as Giants manager appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The now former Tennessee baseball coach issued a statement on the unprecedented move, with the 47-year-old Vitello having no prior experience coaching at any major-league level. Vitello made a life-changing move on Wednesday and also made some history, becoming the first college coach to go directly to being an MLB manager without having any previous pro coaching experience.

“I’m incredibly honored and grateful for this opportunity,” Vitello said in his statement. “I’m excited to lead this group of players and represent the San Francisco Giants. I can’t wait to get started and work to establish a culture that makes Giants faithful proud.”

Vitello is replacing Bob Melvin, who was fired after the 2025 season ended after managing the Giants for the past 2 years. Interestingly, Melvin had many years worth of experience managing at the major-league level, so clearly the move to pivot to Vitello was a total change in philosophy for the San Francisco organization. Melvin has managed 5 different MLB franchises, while Vitello will be opening a new chapter of his baseball coaching life by taking the big leap to the big leagues.

Tennessee won its first national championship in 2024 under Vitello’s direction, and the Volunteers had a remarkable .722 winning percentage during Vitello’s 8-year tenure in Knoxville. The school announced on Wednesday that pitching coach Frank Anderson would be the Vols’ interim head coach while a national coaching search is conducted.

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Passan and Thamel also reported that the 47-year-old Vitello, who led the Volunteers to the 2024 national championship, “has emerged as the top target of the Giants, but the sides have yet to reach a deal.”

According to the Knoxville New Sentinel, Vitello said that “nothing is done” between himself and the Giants. The team is trying to replace Bob Melvin, who was fired after going 161-163 in 2 seasons as San Francisco’s manager.

According to a report by The Athletic earlier Saturday, the Giants were “closing in” on hiring Vitello, who doesn’t have any managerial experience at the major-league level or even in the minor leagues. Vitello served as an assistant coach at Mizzou, his alma mater, TCU and Arkansas before taking the coaching job at Tennessee in 2018.

He also led Tennessee to the College World Series in 2021 and 2023 before winning it all in Omaha in 2024. Vitello has a record of 341-131 in his 8 seasons in Knoxville.

Vitello played his college baseball at Mizzou, where he was an infielder from 2000-2002.

The post Baseball insider gives update on Tony Vitello situation, potential deal with Giants appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Industry sources told The Athletic on Saturday that the San Francisco Giants are close to hiring the 47-year-old Vitello to be their manager in 2026. The Giants had not responded yet to a request to comment on the report. According to The Athletic, Vitello said by text message that “there is nothing to confirm.”

Vitello has no managing experience at the major-league level or even in the minor leagues. He served as an assistant coach at Mizzou, his alma mater, TCU and Arkansas before taking the coaching job at Tennessee in 2018.

Vitello has taken Tennessee and turned the Volunteers baseball program from a lower-level SEC program into a national champion, guiding the Vols to the College World Series crown in 2024.

Now, according to The Athletic report, he’s going to get the opportunity to manager in another World Series, the Major League Baseball kind.

Vitello, a St. Louis native who played his college baseball at Mizzou from 2000-2002, has been Tennessee’s coach since 2018, leading the Vols to a 341-131 record in his 8 seasons in Knoxville. In 2024, he did the unthinkable, leading the Volunteers baseball program to the only national championship in its history.

He also led Tennessee to the College World Series in 2021 and 2023 before winning it all the following season.

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On Wednesday, Skenes added his 200th strikeout to his historic season. Skenes went 5 complete innings against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing just 2 hits and 0 earned runs. Skenes struck out 8 in his appearance and earned his 200th of the season in the bottom of the third. The Pirates would go on to lose to the Orioles 2-1.

It’s just the 12th time a pitcher for the Pirates has earned 200 strikeouts in a season, and Skenes becomes the eighth player to ever do it. Ed Morris (twice), Bob Veale (4 times), Oliver Perez, Mitch Keller, AJ Burnett, Francisco Lariano, Gerrit Cole, and now Skenes are the only players to complete this accomplishment in their time with the Pirates.

Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, is having a historic start to his career for the Pirates. His career ERA through 52 starts is the lowest ever for the live ball era at 1.97, per the Pirates. The next closest is Vida Blue with a 2.07 ERA. Skenes is also the only player since 1901 to have 350+ strikeouts and a sub-2.00 ERA through 53 career games.

Skenes is in his second year of his MLB career, and in each of the two seasons, Skenes has posted a sub-2.00 ERA, averaged 10.00+ K/9, and started the All-Star Game, per OptaSTATS.

Skenes is on a historic run to start his MLB career, and he is rewriting history books along the way.

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The MLB’s “Speedway Classic” between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds at Bristol Motor Speedway was scheduled for Saturday, but the game was postponed in the bottom of the 1st inning after multiple weather delays. Atlanta scratched planned Saturday starter Spencer Strider in the first weather delay and turned to Austin Cox for an emergency start. The club decided to go with Waldrep on Sunday.

Sunday served as Waldrep’s 2025 debut with the big-league club. He made 2 appearances with the Braves in 2024, but struggled. He was much more effective on Sunday.

In what was officially a relief appearance, Waldrep tossed 5.2 innings, allowing just 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 4. Thanks to a pair of home runs from Eli White, the Braves held on for a 4-2 victory over the Reds, making Waldrep the game’s winning pitcher.

First career MLB victory.

First MLB pitcher to win in Tennessee.

History for @HurstonWaldrep at Bristol pic.twitter.com/wcmgyqbOev

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) August 3, 2025

Waldrep, 23, is in his 3rd year professionally. He was taken No. 24 overall in the 1st round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Braves after helping the Gators reach the College World Series Finals.

With his strong showing Sunday, Waldrep appears likely to spend more time in Atlanta to help a Braves pitching staff that has been hit hard by the injury bug.

The post Former Florida P Hurston Waldrep picks up first MLB win in Atlanta’s Speedway Classic victory appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds took their series to Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday. Fans were treated to some pregame entertainment from country superstar Tim McGraw, who was joined by pop hitmaker Pitbull, aka “Mr. Worldwide.”

Tim McGraw x Pitbull.

What a duo. pic.twitter.com/AF6rZCTaV2

— Marshall Kramsky (@marshallkramsky) August 3, 2025

Baseball fans had mixed reactions to the performance. Here’s a small sample of what was said on social media:

The Tim McGraw Pitbull crossover was a train wreck, but I couldn’t look away. Now let’s play some baseball please

— Olivia Ray (@OliviaRayTV) August 2, 2025

Finally, the Pitbull and Tim McGraw concert we've all been waiting for

— Scott Coleman (@scottcoleman55) August 2, 2025

Pitbull & Tim McGraw? pic.twitter.com/HBckCArXWf

— Gabriella Razzetti Zumbiel (@GabRazzetti) August 2, 2025

Tim McGraw and @pitbull mashup #SpeedwayClassic25 pic.twitter.com/7JVoVQjGQJ

— DJ AHa (@DJAHa) August 2, 2025

This Pitbull x Tim McGraw crossover has me speechless pic.twitter.com/TMGg341NtU

— HMDSportsBlogVU (5.8% Sidewalk Fan) (@HMDSportsBlogVU) August 2, 2025

There's really nothing in the world that can mentally prepare you for a Pitbull appearance in the middle of a Tim McGraw performance

— Dylan Hallway (@dylanhallway) August 2, 2025

I'm watching Tim McGraw and Pitbull perform in Bristol Motor Speedway while players ride around the track before the Braves and Reds play in the infield. What an absurdly American event this is.

— Samuel (@tropicalonion17) August 2, 2025

pitbull and tim mcgraw wasn’t on my bingo card but hell ya sure !

— baby bell (@bellasdaze) August 2, 2025

Unfortunately, the pregame entertainment proved to be a bit early. The game entered a rain delay before the first pitch.

The post Fans puzzled by Tim McGraw, Pitbull performance before Speedway Classic appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Tidwell and Gilbert were shipped west along with right-hander Jose Butto by the Mets 1 day before Major League Baseball’s trade deadline. League sources confirmed the trade to The Athletic on Wednesday, with the Mets dipping into their well of prospects to acquire the 34-year-old submarine-style pitcher. Over the past 5 seasons, Rogers has a combined 2.74 ERA while appearing in a league-high 346 games, so the Mets liked his ability and his durability. Rogers’s 1.80 ERA this season is ranked 9th among all relievers.

Tidwell was a 2nd-round pick in 2022 out of Tennessee. He made his major-league debut earlier this season, posting a 9.00 ERA in 4 games with the Mets.

Gilbert was acquired from the Houston Astros in the Justin Verlander deal 2 trade deadlines ago. He was a consensus top-100 prospect before falling off the map in 2024. But Gilbert has responded this season and had a .785 OPS at Triple-A Syracuse. He was originally a first-round pick by the Astros out of Tennessee in the same 2022 draft that featured Tidwell.

Now, the 2 former Volunteers stars who were drafted together 3 years ago and reunited in the Mets organization are staying together yet again as new members of the Giants organization.

The post Former Tennessee stars Blade Tidwell, Drew Gilbert traded by New York Mets in deadline deal appeared first on Saturday Down South.

According to Jim Callis with MLB Pipeline, LaViolette has signed a rookie contract for $4 million with the Guardians. He was selected with the 27th overall pick in the first round, a slot that had a value of just under $3.4 million.

Callis reports that LaViolette’s contract is the richest overslot deal in the first round of this year’s draft:

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The 2024 season was a rough year for Texas A&M baseball after the Aggies missed the NCAA Tournament despite entering the year as the preseason No. 1 team in the country. However, LaViolette added to his elite career, rewriting the home run record books for Texas A&M.

LaViolette also sustained a broken bone in his hand during the SEC Baseball Tournament, but he came back to fight through the pain shortly after. It did not lead to a title for the Aggies, but it furthered his case as a true program legend willing to do anything for his teammates.

Now, LaViolette is off to MLB.

The post Jace LaViolette signs overslot contract with Guardians, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

While playing for the Lansing Lugnuts, Dickey blasted a 2-run homer well over the right field fence. The only problem? The ball appeared to land on top of a sleeping dog.

Here’s a clip from the home run:

Believe it or not, this does not appear to be part of a viral marketing scheme for the new Air Bud film. According to Lugnuts broadcaster Jesse Goldberg-Strasser, the dog ended up being OK following the incident.

While Dickey apparently doesn’t believe in letting sleeping dogs lie, he is having a good season in High A for the Lugnuts. He’s up to 6 home runs on the season and also has an on-base percentage of .366. He’s also struck out just 46 times in 82 games. It’s possible a promotion to AA could be coming sooner rather than later for the former Vol.

Dickey was a member of Tennessee’s 2023 team that reached the College World Series. He was then an 11th-round pick by the Kansas City Royals in the MLB Draft that summer. In July of 2024, Dickey was traded by Kansas City to the Athletics in a deal that included setup man Lucas Erceg.

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According to Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline, Russell’s deal is worth $2.6 million, much higher than the slot value of $1,846,700 for the 52nd overall selection.

Russell returned for the Volunteers late last season after undergoing elbow surgery. He was expected to get an over-slot deal from Texas that was more appropriate for a 1st-round pick, and that’s exactly what happened. With Russell being considered a first-round-level talent before suffering the injury, it was likely that his deal with the Rangers would far exceed what was slotted for somebody drafted in his spot.

According to Callis’s scouting report, Russell’s fastball reaches 98 mph with “crazy metrics.” Russell also features a “sweeping” slider in the low-80s, so his change of speeds is extraordinary.

Russell is 21 years old and in a shortened 2025 season because of the injury, he went 2-1 with a 3.55 ERA, striking out 36 batters in only 25.1 innings. He posted an impressive 2.70 ERA for his entire collegiate career, with 104 strikeouts in 42 appearances.

He was slated as the No. 70 prospect by MLB Pipeline and the No. 37 prospect by Baseball America going into the draft.

The post Former Tennessee star AJ Russell lands over-slot deal with Rangers appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The ex-LSU gymnast and boyfriend of Skenes took to social media to ask for another inning for the NL starter in the All-Star Game. Dunne has more than 190,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter), but the post did not sway Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. He pulled Skenes after 1 perfect inning for Clayton Kershaw.

Another inning PLZ?!

— Olivia Dunne (@livvydunne) July 16, 2025

Though brief, Skenes impressed in his 2nd All-Star Game, drawing strong reactions on social media. The Pittsburgh Pirates star became the youngest pitcher to ever start back-to-back All-Star Games, getting the 2nd nod at age 23.

Skenes has been fantastic on the mound this year, but it has been a frustrating year for his team. In 20 starts, Skenes has a 2.01 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over 121 innings, with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 131-30. Despite those numbers, his record is just 4-8 as the Pirates are 39-58 on the season.

Dunne was recently in the headlines for a baseball-adjacent story. She revealed to her social media followers that she a co-op board did not let her buy an apartment that formerly belonged to Babe Ruth. Dunne, who had the cash to make the purchase, jokingly wondered if they were Alabama fans denying her because she went to LSU.

Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne walk the MLB All-Star red carpet together pic.twitter.com/v2xzSsRAVJ

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 15, 2025

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This year, the All-Star Game is being played at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves. The game is set to start at 8 p.m. ET, airing on FOX.

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SEC fans will see plenty of familiar faces in tonight’s game.

LSU fans get to continue to enjoy baseball season with a pair of former Tigers playing in the All-Star Game. Alex Bregman will play for the AL, representing the Boston Red Sox. Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes has again been named the starter on the mound for the NL.

Former Florida standout Pete Alonso took the Home Run Derby off this year, but he’s in the NL lineup at 1st base for the ASG. All in all, it’s 4 SEC alumni for the AL and 2 for the NL.

Check out the full list:

American League
Alex Bregman, 3B, Boston Red Sox (LSU)
Garrett Crochet, P, Boston Red Sox (Tennessee)
Casey Mize, P, Detroit Tigers (Auburn)
Brent Rooker, DH, Athletics (Mississippi State)

National League
Pete Alonso, 1B, New York Mets (Florida)
Paul Skenes, P, Pittsburgh Pirates (LSU)

The post MLB All-Star Game schedule, TV info: Which former SEC standouts are playing? appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rooker blasted 17 home runs in the opening round of the Derby, and for awhile it looked like that might be enough to advance. But then Seattle’s Cal Raleigh also hit 17 bombs to tie Rooker for the 4th and final spot in the next round.

The tiebreaker for the Derby these days appears to be simple: Who hit the longest home run?

Not so simple, as it turns out. There was a brief period of confusion on ESPN’s broadcast as both Rooker and Raleigh’s longest homer was 471 feet. But then the folks at Statcast dug a little deeper and found Raleigh edged out Rooker’s distance by less than an inch.

Raleigh’s longest homer was 470.61 feet while Rooker’s best blast went 470.53 feet.

Like baseball itself, the Home Run Derby can certainly be a game of inches.

It was still a respectable showing for Rooker, who will participate in his second MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Atlanta. Rooker is one of seven ex-Mississippi State players to reach multiple mid-summer classics.

The post Brent Rooker eliminated from Home Run Derby by less than 1 inch appeared first on Saturday Down South.

McAfee was a big part of the pre-Derby festivities and delivered introductions for all 8 competitors. Here’s a clip from the broadcast:

Although McAfee has established himself as one of the ESPN’s biggest college football personalities, baseball fans may not be quite as familiar with his emceeing style. Complaints about McAfee’s presence at the event filled up on social media during and after his appearance on the broadcast.

Here’s some of the reaction on social media:

This is McAfee’s first time at MLB All-Star week for ESPN. He’s become a fixture for the World Wide Leader across numerous live events in addition to his work on College GameDay each fall.

His daily show, the Pat McAfee Show, is being staged in Atlanta this week. Notable names such as Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge were guests on his show on Monday afternoon.

Tuesday night’s All-Star game is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET.

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But that doesn’t mean the Volunteers’ talent level wasn’t at a supreme level in 2025, and Day 1 of the Major League Baseball Draft proved that emphatically. On Sunday night in Atlanta, Tennessee set a program record with 4 first-round draft picks, capped with right-hander Marcus Phillips going 33rd overall to the Boston Red Sox. Phillips’s selection put the finishing touches on a historical start to the draft for Tennessee.

Left-hander Liam Doyle started the Vols’ draft parade by going No. 5 overall to the St. Louis Cardinals. Eight picks later, shortstop Gavin Kilen was taken by the San Francisco Giants with the 13th overall pick. Then at No. 20, the Milwaukee Brewers continued the UT party by taking 3rd baseman Andrew Fischer. Phillips completed the first-round quartet from Knoxville and set that program record that proved for all to see how talented the 2025 team was despite not going back-to-back in Omaha.

Naturally, the Tennessee baseball social media account celebrated the record-breaking draft achievement with this post on Sunday night:

The 4 former Tennessee stars are now headed their separate ways as they try to carve out their own niche at the major-league level. No matter what happens in the future though, the 4 are a part of Tennessee baseball history for what they were a part of at the 2025 draft.

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The Orioles selected the shortstop sensation with the 31st overall selection of the MLB Draft on Sunday night in Atlanta. All Aloy did in his final season in Fayetteville is capture the Golden Spikes Award and SEC Player of the Year honors while helping the Hogs get all the way to the College World Series.

Arkansas didn’t win that elusive first national title, but it wouldn’t have come as close as it did without Aloy’s magical bat. His projected slot value at No. 31 is $3.04 million, and the Orioles are hoping Sunday night is the very beginning of a much more lucrative marriage.

With right-hander Gage Wood being picked 5 spots earlier by the Philadelphia Phillies, Aloy became the 12th first-round pick in Arkansas baseball history. Aloy and Wood helped make Hogs baseball history, too, with this being the first draft that Arkansas has had 2 first-round picks.

Aloy’s selection was hailed by Arkansas baseball’s social media account with this post:

The 6-foot-2 Hawaiian was Arkansas’s 3rd Golden Spikes Award winner. He was the engine in the Hogs’ offense all season, leading Arkansas in slugging percentage (.673), OPS (1.107), hits (93), runs scored (81), doubles (19), triples (2), home runs (21), extra-base hits (42), multi-hit games (30) and total bases (179).

The Orioles are banking that some day in the near future, Aloy will show off that kind of production in Baltimore.

The post Wehiwa Aloy, Golden Spikes winner from Arkansas, selected in 2025 MLB Draft appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Root became the 13th Razorback player and seventh Hog hurler to be taken in the first round of the draft. He finished his career with an All-American and All-SEC junior season.

In 2025, Root made 19 starts for Dave Van Horn’s team. Over 99.1 innings, Root posted a 3.62 ERA while limiting opposing batters to a .220 average and striking out a team-high 126.

The Dodgers decided they wanted another Hog in the organization, so Davalan went with the next pick. He’s the 14th Razorback and 8th hitter to go in Round 1.

A draft-eligible sophomore, Davalan was named first-team All-SEC and a second-team All-American by multiple publications. He played in 65 games for the OmaHogs, starting all but 1. He slashed .346/.433/.561 in 2025, leading the team in base hits with 93 while hitting 14 home runs and collecting 60 RBIs. His bat improved in SEC play as he slashed .338/.409/.596, hitting 9 of his home runs and logging 33 of his RBIs.

For Arkansas fans, it will be fun to track how long Root and Davalan remain teammates in the Dodger organization.

Dodgers double up on Arkansas prospects with LHP Zach Root and OF Charles Davalan!

Root has four average or better offerings with above average control with a fairly safe floor as a back end SP

Davalan has one of if not the best hit tools in the class with some pop for his size… pic.twitter.com/NCKDD08lTo

— Owen Hurd (@Owen_FBB) July 14, 2025

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Now, the former Arkansas right-handed flamethrower will try to prove that all over again at the major-league level. The Philadelphia Phillies loved what they saw of Wood, and so they selected Wood with the 26th overall selection of the MLB Draft on Sunday night in Atlanta. Wood’s selection gives Arkansas its 11th first-round pick in program history.

Wood’s projected slot value at No. 26 is $3.49 million, but he and the Phillies are hoping he’s in the Philadelphia organization long enough to make a whole lot more than that. Wood made just 10 starts this past season because of a shoulder injury that made him miss 7 weekend starts.

But Wood certainly made up for lost time in 2025, returning from the injury in mid-April and finishing his junior season in Fayetteville with a 4-1 record and a 3.82 ERA.

Then came the real highlight of Wood’s final season at Arkansas. He helped the Razorbacks get all the way to the College World Series, and once Wood got there he set Omaha on fire with a moment it’ll never forget. Wood fired the 3rd no-hitter in the history of the CWS, setting an Arkansas record with 19 strikeouts in the process to help the Hogs to a 3-0 victory over Murray State. The performance was not only legendary in itself, but it kept Arkansas’s national championship dreams alive.

Wood hit 1 batter and hurled 119 pitches in the no-no. No, Wood couldn’t help Arkansas win that elusive first national championship, but his no-hitter will never be forgotten, and now the Phillies are hoping there’s plenty more magic in that right arm.

They celebrated the selection of Wood with this post on Sunday night:

The post Gage Wood selected in Round 1 of 2025 MLB Draft appeared first on Saturday Down South.

His name was once thrown around as a potential #1 overall pick, quite the steal for the @CleGuardians getting Jace Laviolette at 27th overall! pic.twitter.com/aBDyqT8JjC

— Big Leaguers in College (@collegeplayers9) July 14, 2025

It has been quite a journey for LaViolette. He entered the year rated the top college prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft, but ended up going late in the first round.

LaViolette had a sensational sophomore season in 2024, slashing .305/.449/.726 with 29 home runs and 78 RBIs. He was recognized as first-team All-SEC and a first-team All-American by Baseball America, D1Baseball and the NCBWA. He grabbed Texas A&M’s home run record in 2025, but saw his draft stock dip.

In 2025, LaViolette slashed .258/.427/.576. He hit 18 home runs in 2025 to give him 68 for his career, topping the program record book. LaViolette walked 57 times and collected 61 RBIs on the season. Even in a down year compared to 2024, LaViolette still led the Aggies in 2025 with 19 multi-RBI games.

LaViolette had a rough finish to his career in College Station, sustaining an injury in the SEC Tournament as Texas A&M unsuccessfully pushed for an NCAA Tournament bid.

The post Jace LaViolette selected in Round 1 of 2025 MLB Draft appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Orioles made the 21-year-old Irish the 19th overall pick in Sunday night’s Major League Baseball Draft in Atlanta. While Irish was previously a star catcher and was listed as a catcher at the draft, he switched to the outfield this past season so he could focus on hitting.

That strategy worked to perfection for Irish, who posted a ridiculous slash line of .364/.469/.710 this past season on the Plains. Irish belted 19 home runs, had 58 RBIs and showed some speed, too, with 11 stolen bases in 55 games in 2025 for the Tigers. Now, after donning Auburn burnt orange, he’ll have the opportunity to wear a different shade of orange if things work out long-term with the Orioles.

The Orioles appear to see Irish as a catcher for the long haul, and they celebrated the drafting of Irish with this post on Sunday night:

The projected slot value of the No. 19 pick in this draft is $4,420,900. The Orioles weren’t shy at grabbing Irish in that spot, either, knowing what he could one day bring to the franchise. Irish’s presence at Auburn translated into winning. In 3 years on the Plains, Irish was part of 2 regional teams and this past season helped the Tigers host a Super Regional for the very first time.

Irish also entrenched himself into the Auburn baseball record books, finishing with all-time top-10 marks for career batting average (.350) and home runs (39).

The post Ike Irish selected in Round 1 of 2025 MLB Draft appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Liam Doyle and Gavin Kilen were the first 2 Vols taken on Sunday night. Tony Vitello also saw multiple signees go in Round 1.

Fischer gives the Brew Crew an impact bat that’s likely to contribute at the big-league level sooner rather than later.

The Brewers have taken 3B Andrew Fischer with the 20th overall pick in the MLB Draft. Fiery personality, excellent swing decisions and hit 25 for homers for Tennessee this year.

pic.twitter.com/sr02FPUv2y

— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) July 13, 2025

Fischer spent his 3-year college career with 3 programs. He played for Duke in 2023 before transferring to Ole Miss for 2024 and landing at Tennessee for 2025, his 3rd and final season.

With the Vols, Fischer tied Tennessee’s single-season record with 63 walks and led the SEC with 25 home runs. He started all 65 games in UT’s 2025, and reached base safely in all of them.

Fischer finished the season slashing .341/.497/.760. Over 217 at-bats, Fischer collected 74 hits, 16 doubles, 25 home runs, 63 walks and 65 RBIs. A first-team All-American as a 1st baseman, Fischer posted a .988 fielding percentage this season.

The post Andrew Fischer selected in Round 1 of 2025 MLB Draft appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 13th round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Kilen heard his name called a little earlier on Sunday night in Atlanta when the San Francisco Giants grabbed him with the 13th overall selection. So, after a banner season wearing Volunteer orange, Kilen was drafted by a franchise that wears a different shade of orange.

Kilen spent the first 2 years of his college career at Louisville before transferring to Tennessee for the 2025 season. He was a smashing success in Knoxville as a junior, batting .357 with 75 hits, 15 home runs, 13 doubles, 4 triples, 46 RBIs, 60 runs scored, 30 walks and 6 stolen bases. If that offensive stat line wasn’t enough to make the Giants salivate, Kilen also posted a .963 fielding percentage this past season with 52 putouts, 78 assists and just 5 errors.

He was also remarkably durable in 2025, appearing in 53 games, including 52 starts for a Tennessee program that was coming off a national championship the year before. Kilen was drafted as a shortstop despite spending most of the 2024-25 season at 2nd base. Kilen was a first-team All-SEC selection this past season as a 2nd baseman, but apparently the Giants like Kilen better at shortstop.

It looks like Kilen’s decision to play college baseball instead of settling in with the Red Sox has paid off, with Kilen being a 1st-round selection on Sunday night. Kilen was MLB Pipeline’s No. 21 overall draft prospect, but he did a little better than that when San Francisco came calling at No. 13.

The Giants celebrated the pick with this post:

The post Gavin Kilen selected in Round 1 of 2025 MLB Draft appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Oklahoma‘s ace pitcher heard his name called on Sunday night during the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft. Witherspoon was taken No. 15 overall by the Boston Red Sox to begin his professional baseball career.

Witherspoon, a 6-2, 207-pound right-hander, spent the past 2 seasons with the Sooners after beginning his career at Northwest Florida State College. In his lone SEC season, Witherspoon was one of the top arms in the conference.

In 2025, Witherspoon was recognized as a Consensus All-American with Baseball America, D1Baseball, Perfect Game and the NCBWA naming him to the first team. Witherspoon posted impressive numbers in 2024 and then improved them across the board in 2025.

In 2024, Witherspoon made 15 appearances, including 11 starts. He posted a 3.79 ERA over 76 innings, striking out 86 batters while walking 38 as opposing batters hit .222.

This season, Witherspoon made 16 appearances, all starts. His workload increased to 95 innings and his ERA went down to 2.65 while his strikeout-to-walk ratio improved to 124-23.

Red Sox have taken RHP Kyson Witherspoon with the 15th overall pick, per @JoeDoyleMiLB.

He falls to the Red Sox after being #10 on MLB Pipeline’s big board.

Another year of the Red Sox landing someone who wasn’t expected to be there…

pic.twitter.com/h7vN3EssUm

— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) July 13, 2025

The post Kyson Witherspoon selected in Round 1 of 2025 MLB Draft appeared first on Saturday Down South.

In what was considered a stunner, the Fort Cobb, Okla., product and 17-year-old became the youngest player to be drafted first overall since Ken Griffey Jr. was picked by Seattle in 1987. Willits is the son of former major leaguer Reggie Willits and apparently the Nationals believed his monstrous upside would prove beneficial in the long run. Washington is hoping that years from now the historical selection of Willits will prove to not be the huge surprise that many were viewing it as on Sunday night.

Willits starred at Fort Cobb-Broxton High School in Oklahoma and comes with a complete package that includes a high baseball IQ. Although he’s listed as a shortstop, Willits can also play center field, so perhaps that versatility tilted things for Washington in considering Willits as its No. 1 overall prize.

In addition to playing in the majors, Willits’s father also now coaches at Oklahoma, where the younger Willits signed. He was ranked as the best prospect in this draft class by CBS Sports but was the No. 5 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.

The latter didn’t matter to the Nationals, who made Willits their guy on Sunday night. The team celebrated its pick with this post:

The post MLB Draft shocker: Eli Willits, Oklahoma signee, goes No. 1 overall appeared first on Saturday Down South.

A 6-2 left-hander, Doyle joined the Volunteers for the third and final season of his college career. He previously played for Ole Miss (2024) and Coastal Carolina (2023).

At UT, Doyle made 19 appearances, including 17 starts, in the 2025 season. Doyle set the Tennessee record for strikeouts with 164, a rate of 15.43 Ks per 9 innings to lead the country.

Over 95.2 IP, Doyle had an ERA of 3.20 and a record of 10-4 with 1 save. He faced 385 batters, who posted an average of just .184 facing the Tennessee ace. Doyle walked just 32 batters

Doyle’s sensational season on Rocky Top earned him Perfect Game‘s Pitcher of the Year honor and an inclusion as a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award. He was also named SEC Pitcher of the Year and a first-team All-American by numerous publications.

In 2024, Doyle made 16 appearances on the mound at Ole Miss, including 11 starts. He was the Rebels’ strikeout leader with 84 for the year.

Doyle played his freshman season at Coastal Carolina. He pitched in 23 games, including 7 starts. Doyle had a 4.15 ERA with 69 Ks over 56.1 IP in 2023.

The post Liam Doyle selected in Round 1 of 2025 MLB Draft appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Anderson stamped his greatness at the college level and cemented his place in LSU baseball lore with his performance in the College World Series Championship Series against Coastal Carolina. In Game 1 of the best-of-3 series that could have gone either way, and with momentum in the series hanging in the balance, Anderson was simply brilliant. He pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing just 3 hits and striking out 10 while working around 5 walks. Anderson threw an astounding 130 pitches, 83 of them for strikes, and he did it all with no margin for error because LSU’s 1 run in the first inning was its only run of the game.

But that was the only run the Tigers needed on June 21, because Anderson wasn’t letting Coastal Carolina dent the scoreboard at all. LSU won, 1-0, and the next day the Tigers won again to clinch the series without needing a third game. Anderson was named the College World Series’ Most Outstanding Player, and exactly 3 weeks later he achieved another dream by being selected in the MLB Draft.

Anderson was very high among all MLB Draft mock boards, so it’s no surprise that it didn’t take long for him to be selected on Sunday night. Now, he’ll be starting a new journey in the majors after achieving glory at LSU.

The post Kade Anderson selected in Round 1 of 2025 MLB Draft appeared first on Saturday Down South.

RELATED: What the Pirates are doing with Paul Skenes is criminal

The announcement was made on Saturday. Tarik Skubal will get the start for the AL squad.

Your NL #AllStarGame starting pitcher for the second straight year: Paul Skenes pic.twitter.com/P4NsKp2E1M

— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2025

Skenes’ getting the start was highly expected and widely considered to be decided. Still, Los Angeles Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts wanted to deliver the official decision to Skenes on Saturday.

The call to National League Starting Pitcher, Paul Skenes pic.twitter.com/s38F41vV4o

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 12, 2025

Skenes is having a fantastic second season after being named NL Rookie of the Year in 2024. In 20 starts this season, the former LSU star is posting an ERA of 2.01 over 121 innings with 131 strikeouts to 30 walks. Skenes has a record of just 4-8, but that’s because the Pittsburgh Pirates are 20 games under .500 at 38-58 on the season.

Last season, Skenes finished at 5.9 WAR (wins above replacement-level player). At this point of the season he’s already at 4.8 WAR.

The 2025 All-Star Game is set for Tuesday in Atlanta at 8 p.m. ET.

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The post Paul Skenes named All-Star Game starting pitcher for second straight year appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rooker and MLB confirmed the news on Thursday afternoon. The former Mississippi State star has developed into one of baseball’s best power hitters over the last few seasons. He’s currently on pace for his third consecutive season of 30+ home runs.

So far this season, Rooker has hit 19 home runs in 94 games for the Athletics. Since the start of the 2023 campaign, Rooker has hit 88 home runs. That’s 9th-most in MLB over that span, with only 18 sluggers hitting 75+ homers during that time period. Amongst AL hitters, only Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh have more homers since the start of 2023.

This will be Rooker’s second All-Star appearance as he also participated in the game last season. According to Robbie Faulk, Rooker is just the seventh former Mississippi State player to participate in multiple All-Star games. Brandon Woodruff is the only other active former Bulldog to accomplish that feat.

The rest of the Home Run Derby field includes Ronald Acuña, Byron Buxton, Junior Caminero, Oneil Cruz, Raleigh and James Wood. One more participant will be finalized in the coming days.

The Home Run Derby is slated for July 14 in Atlanta.

The post Former Mississippi State star Brent Rooker to participate in 2025 Home Run Derby appeared first on Saturday Down South.

A star hurler in just his 2nd MLB season, the Pittsburgh Pirates still hold team control on Skenes for a long time, and his rookie contract will be the most affordable he will ever be as a pro. Even for a small market club like the Pirates, it’s unlikely any team can come close to the massive trade package it would take to land Skenes.

But, for a small market club, the Pirates are always in need of quality players and prospects at a manageable cost. That got ESPN’s David Schoenfield at least interested in the idea of trying to compile a trade package for the star hurler.

According to Schoenfield, the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers have enough capital among teams looking to win the World Series that could put together an enticing package. Among those 3, Schoenfield’s projected trade from the Tigers of OF Max Clark (No. 8), SS Kevin McGonigle (No. 11), RHP Jackson Jobe, IF Colt Keith, RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long could be enough to get it done.

Here is a portion of Schoenfield’s rationale:

It will take one of the best farm systems in the sport to acquire Skenes, and Detroit is incredibly well positioned to make this kind of deal, with depth at both the major league and minor league levels, not to mention a payroll with only one expensive long-term commitment in Javier Baez.

For any LSU baseball fans, it would certainly be fun to see Skenes on a contender, especially after he has pitched to an MLB-best 1.94 ERA but with a losing record (4-7) through his first 19 starts of the season.

Even with the losing record, Skenes is still the frontrunner to win the NL Cy Young Award, coming in at -140 via bet365. Fans can use the bet365 Louisiana bonus code for the best offers available.

The post Paul Skenes on the trade block? ESPN mulls potential deals for Pirates ace appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Some of the SEC’s best players are about to begin their professional baseball careers. The 2025 MLB Draft is under a week away, with Rounds 1-3 set to begin Sunday during All-Star Game festivities in Atlanta.

SEC fans can expect a lot of familiar names called on Sunday. The latest mock draft from MLB.com has 12 SEC players going in the first 43 selections (including supplemental first-round picks).

The mock includes College World Series Most Outstanding Player Kade Anderson and Golden Spikes winner Wehiwa Aloy. Here’s the full list of SEC players:

• No. 1 – Kade Anderson, P, LSU – Washington Nationals
• No. 2 – Liam Doyle, P, Tennessee – Los Angeles Angels
• No. 5 – Ike Irish, OF/C, Auburn – St. Louis Cardinals
• No. 13 – Kyson Witherspoon, P, Oklahoma – San Francisco Giants
• No. 17 – Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas – Chicago Cubs
• No. 20 – Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M – Milwaukee Brewers
• No. 21 – Gavin Kilen, 2B, Tennessee – Houston Astros
• No. 22 – Gage Wood, P, Arkansas – Atlanta Braves

Supplemental first-round picks:

• No. 29 – Andrew Fischer, 1B/3B, Tennessee – Arizona Diamondbacks
• No. 35 – Max Belyeu, OF, Texas – Seattle Mariners
• No. 39 – Riley Quick, P, Alabama – New York Yankees
• No. 43 – Charles Davalan, OF, Arkansas – Miami Marlins

The 2025 MLB Draft is set to begin at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday.

The post 12 SEC players featured in latest MLB Mock Draft from MLB.com appeared first on Saturday Down South.

On Sunday, Paul Skenes faced the Seattle Mariners and was brilliant during his 5 innings in the game. He did not walk a batter and scattered just 5 hits, striking out 10 batters in the process. It’s a season high in strikeouts for Skenes and his 3rd career game with double-digit strikeouts.

Skenes’ final pitch of the outing was a 97 mph pitch that painted the corner and caught Julio Rodriguez to end the 5th inning. The Pirates, still playing it careful with Skenes’ pitch count, lifted the starter after 78 pitches in the game.

During Skenes’ start, news was announced that he is heading back to the All-Star Game, making it 2 appearances in 2 seasons for Skenes. He was the National League starter for the 2024 All-Star Game.

For now, Skenes is projected to make one more start for the Pirates before the All-Star break. That start, if he makes it as scheduled, is for Saturday, so it’s possible Skenes will not be able to participate in the game this time around.

Regardless of how his next start plays out, Skenes is already the frontrunner for the 2025 NL Cy Young Award. According to BetMGM, Skenes leads the pack at -135 with Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler the closest competition at +105, and fans can track all the odds through the Louisiana sports betting app.

It’s not hard to see why, with Skenes tied for the MLB lead among pitching WAR at 4.8. (Wheeler is the co-leader in that metric.) Skenes also leads the NL in ERA at 1.94, but he currently holds a losing record of 4-7 overall.

Of course, a lot of Skenes’ record has to do with the overall offensive struggles of the Pirates. Unfortunately, it is incredibly tough for a pitcher with a losing record to make serious headway with Cy Young voters, but we may soon find out if Skenes can buck that trend.

The post Paul Skenes adds 10 K’s, All-Star nod to growing Cy Young case appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Alonso was named to the NL roster for the 2025 All-Star Game, which is being held at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, this year. Though Alonso already has 20 home runs on the season for the New York Mets, the 1st baseman has decided not to take part in the Derby this year, which will be held on July 14.

“I’ve never really fully enjoyed the three off days,” Alonso told reporters Sunday. “I just want to be in the best possible position to help this team win. I feel like I’m in a groove with certain things. I definitely will do it again, (this) doesn’t mean no forever. If an All-Star Game happens at Citi Field or another park that I love to hit at, like Fenway or Wrigley, for sure, but I’m not necessarily called this year to do it. I love the event, but didn’t really feel motivated to do it this year.”

A former Florida standout, Alonso was a second-round selection in the 2016 MLB Draft by the Mets. He won Rookie of the Year in 2019 and is now a 5-time All-Star with his 2025 selection.

Alonso won the Home Run Derby in 2019 and ’21.

Pete Alonso says he will not be participating in this year's Home Run Derby: pic.twitter.com/yTQ2BJsbFF

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 6, 2025

The post Pete Alonso makes decision on 2025 Home Derby appeared first on Saturday Down South.

In the 8th inning, Moore blasted a clean solo home run to left field to tie the score at 1 and force extra innings. Then, in the bottom of the 10th inning, Moore blasted a walk-off 2-run home run to the opposite field.

It was the first multi-home run game of Moore’s young MLB career, giving the former Tennessee baseball star his 2nd and 3rd career home runs. He also drove in all 3 of the runs scored by the Angels in the low-scoring affair.

Altogether, Moore’s one-game accomplishments accounted for a game-tying home run, a walk-off home run with his team trailing and accounting for every RBI in the win. According to OptaSTATS, Moore is the first player in MLB history to produce all of those feats in the same game.

That’s a nice feather in Moore’s cap, especially for the young star in his 12th-ever game. It has been rough sledding for Moore so far, but the hope is he can build some momentum heading into the heat of the summer.

So far, Moore has not made a dent in the AL Rookie of the Year odds produced by bet365. Oakland A’s infielder is still the heavy favorite to win the honor, but fans can grab the bet365 TN bonus code for great offers on the latest odds.

The post Christian Moore delivers historic MLB first in multi-HR game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

On Tuesday, the Angels were facing the Boston Red Sox in a tight pitcher’s duel. Boston held a slim 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 8th inning, but that’s when Moore began to take hold of the game.

Moore drilled a 0-1 fastball from Greg Weissert on a sharp line drive home run to left field to tie the game at 1-all. It was a great pitch to hit, and Moore did not miss, with his home run clocked at 108 MPH off the bat and a projected distance of 387 feet.

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The game eventually went into extra innings, and Boston held a 2-1 lead heading to the bottom of the 10th inning. Moore once again came to the plate with a runner on 2nd base, and he smashed a low slider on a line drive out to right center field.

There was some initial confusion as to whether or not Moore’s blast cleared the fence as a home run, but it would have been a clean game-tying triple if not. However, umpires quickly ruled that the ball hit an area beyond the right field fence, giving Moore his first career multi-home run game and a walk-off for the Angels.

Moore has been off to a slow start since his MLB call-up as he finds his footing. Hopefully, his outing on Tuesday will provide some much-needed confidence and momentum moving forward.

The post Christian Moore delivers first multi-HR game of MLB career in walk-off fashion appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Caglianone’s first homer came at Texas in the top of the 2nd inning of the Royals’ game against the Rangers.

LumberJAC

Jac Caglianone cracks his first Major League home run pic.twitter.com/rmvF7B9E5y

— MLB (@MLB) June 19, 2025

Caglianone’s solo shot went 387 feet to right-center field at an exit velocity of 106.5 mph. Fans are amazed that the pitch was high and well out of the zone for the 6-5 Caglianone. He went up and got it, and hit the ball at a 35-degree launch angle.

Jac Caglianone homered on this pitched waaayyy up there. Rangers down, 3-0. pic.twitter.com/zxXtos2kl0

— kennedi landry (@kennlandry) June 19, 2025

In the dugout, Caglianone was given an extended silent treatment before his Royals teammates finally celebrated.

Jac Caglianone first career big league homer and an extended “silent treatment” from his teammates to celebrate. Wait for the end! pic.twitter.com/QUHQh4ZbcI

— Joel Goldberg (@goldbergkc) June 19, 2025

Everyone expects this to be the first of many homers for Caglianone. He hit a program record 75 home runs at Florida, with 68 coming in the 2023 and ’24 seasons. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Caglianone hit 15 hoe runs in 50 games of AA and AAA action in 2025.

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The Boston Red Sox shipped superstar slugger Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Tibbs, right-hander Jordan Hicks, left-hander Kyle Harrison and minor-league righty Jose Bello, according to the Boston Globe. The shocking Devers deal was confirmed by CBS Sports, and with that Tibbs is heading east to continue a baseball journey that has high expectations.

Tibbs was drafted by the Giants with the 13th overall pick in the 2024 Major League Baseball draft. Last summer, Tibbs signed a $4.75 million contract with the Giants. Tibbs was a top prospect entering that 2024 draft, and now he’ll be trying to prove his worth in the Red Sox organization, which sent shock waves through the baseball world on Sunday night by sending the 3-time All-Star to San Francisco.

As a freshman at FSU in 2022, Tibbs hit exactly .300 in 56 games with 10 homers and 32 RBI in 170 at-bats. There was no sophomore jinx for Tibbs in Tallahassee, as he started all 54 games and hit .339 with 17 homers and 43 RBI in 195 at-bats. Tibbs played in the prestigious Cape Cod League in the summer of 2023 and was named a league all-star with the Brewster Whitecaps.

Now, after less than a calendar year with the Giants organization, Tibbs’s baseball life has changed as his goals to be a productive major-leaguer stay the same.

The post Former FSU star James Tibbs III moved in shocking Rafael Devers trade appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Now, 12 months later, while the College World Series gets ready to crown its next champion, Moore has realized another baseball dream. The 2nd baseman, who is the Los Angeles Angels’ top prospect, got called up to the major leagues and was immediately inserted into Friday night’s lineup against the Baltimore Orioles.

Mother Nature had a sense of humor, though, and Moore had to wait a little longer for that first taste of the big leagues. Friday night’s game in Baltimore was delayed by inclement weather. When it eventually begins, so will Moore’s time in the major leagues. He was slotted in the No. 9 hole in the Angels’ lineup and will be at 2nd base to launch the next phase of his baseball life.

To celebrate the occasion, the Angels’ social media account gave Moore a little tip of the cap, tweeting a post this afternoon with the headline: “Today just got much Moore exciting”. The play on words was cute, but Moore will be relieved when the game finally begins and he can get those nerves out of the way.

Here is the Angels’ post:

RELATED: Fans interested in any of the betting lines for Moore’s Angels throughout the MLB season can grab the Tennessee betting apps to get started!

Moore was the 8th overall selection in last year’s draft after that glorious run with the Vols in Omaha. He had a sparkling .984 OPS across 2 levels in just 25 games last season, so he merely had a taste of pro baseball in 2024. Then he began this season with Double-A Rocket City, where he had a .665 OPS in 34 games. Moore was promoted to Triple-A Salt Lake City on May 20, where he went crazy with a .999 OPS with 4 homers in just 20 games.

Less than a month later, on Friday the 13th, Moore got the call he only had to wait about a year for.

The O’s-Angels game eventually got underway about an hour later, and now it was go time for Moore in the big leagues.

The post Former Tennessee star Christian Moore earns MLB call-up from Angels appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Yes, Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates ultimately won Friday’s matinee against the first-place Chicago Cubs, getting a run in the 10th inning in a 2-1 victory. Once again, though, Skenes’s best efforts weren’t rewarded with a victory.

The right-handed flamethrower who led LSU to the 2023 national championship tossed 5 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts. His pitch count got run up a bit, and Skenes was pulled after 5 innings after throwing 95 pitches, 60 for strikes.

Skenes did get a little help from his defense to preserve his latest gem, with Ian Happ getting thrown out at home on a Kyle Tucker double to end the 5th inning and end Skenes’s outing. Unfortunately, Skenes was given no help from his offense. He’s now allowed 1 or fewer earned runs in 7 straight starts, yet Skenes sits here in mid-June with a 4-6 record.

Out of those 7 straight stellar starts, he’s only gotten the decision in 3 of those games, and 2 of them have been losses. Paul Skenes has a ridiculously good 1.78 ERA and 0.85 WHIP to go with 97 strikeouts, which also tells fans how ridiculous that 4-6 record truly is.

Despite the record, Skenes is still the frontrunner for the NL Cy Young Award, coming in at -300 via BetMGM. That is far from surprising after Skenes finished 3rd in CY Young voting as a rookie, in spite of appearing in just 23 games, and fans can grab their choice of Louisiana sports betting app to take advantage of those odds.

Skenes can only do his part, of course, so he will continue to try to put up 0s on the scoreboard and hope that the anemic Pirates offense finally provides him with some support as we hit the summer months.

The post Paul Skenes continues elite stretch with sharp outing vs. Cubs appeared first on Saturday Down South.

After a frustrating 0-for-5 MLB Debut on Tuesday that featured multiple Cardinals’ web gems to keep him off the stat sheet, Caglianone couldn’t be held at bay any longer. In the second at-bat of his second game, Caglianone finally broke the seal, recording an RBI double to give the Royals an early 2-0 lead over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

Here’s video of the moment:

According to StatCast, that ball was struck at 91.4 miles per hour. Caglianone has had no issues with making hard contact so far in his MLB career. When combined with a 95 mile-per-hour groundout in the first inning on Thursday, this is already the 6th batted ball for Caglianone that has registered at least 90 miles per hour.

He did so 4 times in Tuesday’s game despite the 0-for-5 effort, including the 2 hardest-hit balls for any player in that game (both over 112 miles per hour).

Caglianone has been a quick riser through the Royals’ system since they took him with the No. 6 overall pick out of Florida in the 2024 MLB Draft. He tore up the minor leagues this season and now Kansas City is hoping he can provide a spark for what has been one of the worst offenses in the league to this point in the year.

The Royals and Cardinals are playing a double-header on Thursday, so Caglianone will have plenty of more chances to cause additional damage on this special day.

The post Jac Caglianone collects first MLB hit, RBI in second game with Royals appeared first on Saturday Down South.

After a Sunday evening report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Kansas City Royals confirmed that the former Florida baseball star was being called up from Triple A. Caglianone received an OF/1B designation in the roster move announcement, so it’s possible he sees time as an outfielder in order to help the big-league club.

Shortly after the news broke, Kansas City also dropped a behind-the-scenes clip of Caglianone receiving the news. It involves a hilarious reaction from the star slugger and some good-natured ribbing from his manager.

The clip begins with Caglianone’s Omaha manager asking the slugger how he’s been feeling.

“How do you feel? Do you feel a little tired because you’ve been doing a lot of stuff?” quizzed the manager. “I mean, you’ve been doing outfield stuff, you’ve been taking your ground balls.”

“Rusty’s been working me, but it’s been good,” said Caglianone with a chuckle.

His manager then asked if Caglianone thought he was ready to go help the big-league club. Caglianone admitted he did before his stunned but excited reaction.

“I need to call my dad,” said Caglianone.

The Royals will be idle on Monday before beginning a 6-game road trip at the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago White Sox. If all goes as planned, Caglianone be primed for his home debut against the New York Yankees on Tuesday, June 10.

The post Jac Caglianone has hilarious reaction to MLB call-up appeared first on Saturday Down South.

All signs have been pointing toward a midseason call-up for Caglianone after he was on a blistering pace to start the season. While he struggled a bit in 29 games at High A in his first professional season, he started hitting at Double A to begin the 2025 season and hasn’t cooled off yet.

In 38 games at the Double A level, Caglianone slashed .322/.394/.553 with 9 home runs and 8 doubles. Though a much smaller sample size, Caglianone has only improved after a promotion to Triple A.

During 12 games at Triple A, Caglianone has 6 home runs in 47 at-bats and significantly cut down on his strikeouts. He has 9 strikeouts and 5 walks at the Triple A level with a 1.093 OPS.

The Royals are also in dire need of a spark offensively this season. Kansas City is tied for the 2nd-fewest runs in all of MLB (194) at the start of action on June 2. The Royals also have just 34 home runs on the season, by far the fewest in the majors. The Pittsburgh Pirates have the next fewest total with 43.

Following reports of Caglianone’s promotion, he is already down to +900 to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award this season, according to DraftKings. Oakland A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson is currently the leader at -400, and fans can track the odds with the best available Florida sports betting apps in their area.

The post Jac Caglianone slugs his way to majors, earning call up from Kansas City Royals appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Per Click on Detroit, the injury occurred during the 7th-inning stretch. He appeared to injure his leg while raking the infield for the top of the 8th inning.

The injury happened in front of the San Francisco dugout, and the Giants were quick to send out trainers to check on the injured man. Tigers staff also tended to him, and even EMS was called to the field.

FanDuel Sports Network covered the injury, but the injured man made it clear he did not want to be on TV. He flipped of the TV camera. Awful Announcing captured the video.

A member of the Comerica Park grounds crew was hurt between innings.

While on the ground, he flipped off the cameras. pic.twitter.com/jZktvlHsiI

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 28, 2025

The injured member of the grounds crew eventually left the field on a cart.

As for the game, the Tigers had a 4-3 lead at the time and held on for the home victory to complete the sweep, improving to 37-20 on the season, giving the Tigers the best winning percentage in the MLB (.649). San Francisco fell to 31-25 on the year with the loss.

The post MLB grounds crew member gets injured on field, flips off TV cameras appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Ahead of his home AAA debut in Omaha, Caglianone was asked about the inevitable call from the Kansas City Royals.

“It’ll happen when it happens,” Caglianone told reporters on Tuesday.

Caglianone has crushed minor-league pitching. He hit 9 home runs in 175 plate appearances with AA Northwest Arkansas. He was recently promoted to AAA, hitting 5 homers in his first 6 games with the Omaha club.

Understandably, baseball fans want to see Cags in the show. Royals fans are itching to see how he can contribute to the big-league club. Outside the Kansas City faithful, plenty of baseball fans are interested to see what he can do facing major-league pitching.

Caglianone is on board with the organization’s approach to his professional career.

I do think they have my best interest at heart,” Caglianone said, per The Athletic. “It alleviates the pressure of the ‘when.’ I just take it day by day.

Beyond the joy of watching Cags crush the ball, there are other reasons to keep an eye on Kansas City’s plans. Despite not having made his MLB debut, Caglianone is in the top 10 when it comes to AL Rookie of the Year odds. At BetMGM, Caglianone opened at +3000 and remains there. He has the 8th-best odds at the book, offering bettors the chance to turn a $100 wager into a $3100 payout if he wins the award as a current longshot.

The Caglianone situation will remind some baseball fans, particularly those with SEC allegiances, of Paul Skenes. Skenes also opened with +3000 odds. The former LSU flamethrower did not make the Opening Day roster, but had a sensational season with the Pittsburgh Pirates and won NL Rookie of the Year.

Skenes got the call on May 11. With Caglianone playing AAA ball on May 27, the clock is ticking on his chance to be named 2025 AL Rookie of the Year.

The post Jac Caglianone on MLB call-up: ‘It’ll happen when it happens’ appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Maybe. Maybe the Kansas City Royals aren’t quite there yet. But it’s getting harder to deny the former Florida slugger. After smacking his first AAA home run on Thursday night, Caglianone went yard again on Friday.

Thursday’s belter went 410 feet and came off the bat at 113.6 miles per hour. Friday’s blast to right field went 431 feet and left his bat at 111 miles per hour.

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The home run came in the first inning of Friday night’s contest between the Omaha Storm Chasers and the Salt Lake Bees. Three batters in, Cags gave the Storm Chasers a 3-0 lead.

Friday’s affair marked Caglianone’s fourth game at the AAA level. He earned a promotion after spending 38 games at the AA level in the Kansas City Royals organization. Over those 38 games, he slashed .322/.394./553 with 9 home runs.

Perhaps a call-up is coming sooner rather than later. At 28-23, Kansas City is only 5 games out of first in the AL Central, but pitching proficiency is powering the season. Kansas City is 26th in the MLB in runs scored this season and dead last in home runs.

Caglianone mashed 68 home runs over his final 2 seasons with the Gators, and if he finds a groove with the Storm Chasers, it will only be a matter of time.

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The former Florida star hit his first AAA home run, sending a ball 410 feet over the right field wall to tie the game at 3-3. The ball left his bat at 113.6 miles per hour.

Here’s a clip of the blast:

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This was just Caglianone’s third game at the AAA level. He earned a promotion after spending just 38 games with AA in the Kansas City Royals organization. Over those 38 games, he slashed .322/.394./553 and hit 9 home runs.

It’s been an extremely strong season for Caglianone, who did struggle at times in his pro debut a year ago. He began the year at AA despite hitting just .241 in High-A to close out the 2024 season last summer.

It’s possible Caglianone will find himself in Kansas City before the end of the 2025 season. The Royals are competitive, but their lineup has struggled this season — particularly with outfield production. They may look to Caglianone sooner rather than later as a potential solution for an offense that’s 26th in runs scored so far this season.

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On Sunday, the Royals confirmed that Caglianone is headed to the Triple A level after 38 games in Double A to begin the season. That move sends Caglianone to the Omaha Storm Chasers, and it’s possible Caglianone’s trajectory is for a mid-season call-up in his 2nd professional season.

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Caglianone joined the Royals as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft after an electric 2-way career in Gainesville. However, his focus in the minors has been as a slugger, and that’s understandable given his potential as a generational power hitter.

Last season, Caglianone began his career with 29 games at the High A level and experienced the understandable struggles of making the mid-year jump from college baseball to the professional ranks. He did hit 2 home runs and 9 doubles, but struck out 26 times with a .690 OPS.

However, Caglianone opened his 2nd season at Double A and has been hot across the first 38 games of the season. He is slashing .322/.394/.553 with 9 home runs, 8 doubles and 32 runs scored. Strikeouts have still been a problem at times (37 on the season), but Caglianone is showing the translateable power and hit tool to keep progressing through the system.

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Elko recently got the call up to the big leagues from the Chicago White Sox. The Miami Marlins and White Sox were tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 6th inning on Sunday. Elko broke the tie doing what he does best, smashing a 3-run home run to left field. It ended up being the difference in the game, as Chicago held on for a 4-2 victory.

FIRST @MLB HIT.
FIRST HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/IX9fwQ0StZ

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 11, 2025

Elko is the 56th Ole Miss baseball player to reach the MLB. He might be the most adored of all by the Rebels fanbase.

The leader of the 2022 national championship squad, Elko left his mark on Oxford. He is Ole Miss’s single-season home run leader, hitting 24 dingers in the 2022 season. Lifting the Rebels to the title, Elko also posted a .300 average with 75 RBIs and 63 runs scored over 65 games in the magical 2022 season.

Elko left Ole Miss as a career .293 hitter with a .642 slugging percentage and 46 home runs over 5 seasons. He was selected by the White Sox in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft.

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It was originally reported on Friday evening and has since been relayed through multiple sources that the Chicago White Sox will call Elko up to the MLB level on Saturday. The first baseman is off to a blistering start in Triple-A this season.

Andrew Vaughn, Chicago’s primary first baseman to start the season, is hitting just .186 with a .516 OPS and below -1 bWAR in 36 games this season. Meanwhile, Elko has slashed .348/.431/.670 with 10 home runs in 31 Triple-A games.

Originally a 10th-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Elko did not see Triple-A until the 2024 season. He posted an .833 OPS with 9 home runs and 7 doubles at the level in 48 games last season before his breakout to open 2025.

Elko delivered a legendary career during his time in Oxford, including finishing the 2021 season on a torn ACL, complete with multiple home runs after the injury. In the 2022 season, he delivered an early home run in the College World Series Finals, where the Rebels won the first 2 games to beat Oklahoma in the best of 3 series.

Elko’s Ole Miss team also has a unique distinction as one of the worst teams to win the College World Series. The Rebels went from the last team in the final field to hoist the trophy at the end.

Now, Elko will try and prove that he belongs at the MLB level to stay.

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