The Time Is Now

Ethan Wilson looks to lead a talented South Alabama club back to a regional

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE . . .

College baseball teams continue their search to make their sport a revenue generator

WELCOME BACK

The 2021 college season will be unlike any before it, with more talent across the country than at any other time in the history of the sport.

Southeastern

Jud Fabian and No. 1 Florida sit atop the SEC standings following a 16-1 start to the 2020 season

Super sophomores

Boston College’s trio of preseason All-Americans has the Eagles envisioning a trip to Omaha

Scout Spotlight - SCOUTS IN THEIR OWN WORDS. THE PLAYERS. THE JOURNEY. THE STATE OF THE GAME.

Perseverance pays off for a Tigers area scout

REKINDLING THE PASSION

For top prospect Brandon Wood, failure was the teacher that granted him the perspective to aid others

More competitive than ever

College baseball enters a season of unprecedented depth and talent

Big 12

Texas Tech is the favorite, but there’s plenty of competition in the Big 12 race

Obituaries

DICK ALLEN, a third baseman and first baseman who played in the major leagues for 15 years from 19631977 with the Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, White Sox, and Athletics and won the National League Rookie of the Year in 1964 and the American League MVP in 1972, died Dec. 7. He was 78.

Scout Spotlight

SCOUTS IN THEIR OWN WORDS. THE PLAYERS. THE JOURNEY. THE STATE OF THE GAME.

HOW A FRANCHISE WAS BUILT

In 1981, Baseball America was launched to fill a void in scouting and player development coverage

THE 120

MLB invited 120 teams to its minor league system. Find out what that means for fans, players and teams.

NO DOWNSIDE

Smart front offices are taking advantage of the minor league Rule 5 draft

CLUBHOUSE CHARACTER

Tim Dillard prides himself on helping his team both on and off the field

OLD MEETS NEW

Brian Snitker expertly navigated the Braves to a third straight division title despite myriad pitching injuries

Focusing on the Northeast pays off for the Indians

Over the past few years, the Indians have mined the Northeast for talent. The 2020 team got big-time contributions from former college righthanders Aaron Civale (Northeastern) and James Karinchak (Bryant). Waiting in the wings are three more prospects from the region, all from high school: third baseman Nolan Jones (Bensalem, Pa.), catcher Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) and righthander Lenny Torres (Beacon, N.Y). All five of those players were signed by area scout Mike Kanen, a former Baseball America intern. BA recently spoke with Kanen about his first impressions of those players. The interview is edited for brevity.

SECRET WEAPON

Bobby Dickerson was integral in transforming the Padres’ infield from error-prone to October-caliber

TRUST THE TOOLS

The minor league season was lost, but dynasty players should keep the faith for these nine prospects

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: FEW TEAMS CAN MATCH THE DODGERS' DOMINANCE

The 2020 Dodgers led the National League in runs scored and fewest runs allowed.

BLUEPRINT

From scouting to player development to analytics to acquisition, the Dodgers cover all the bases as baseball’s model franchise.

COAST TO COAST

Andrew Friedman has more money to play with in Los Angeles than he did in Tampa Bay, but his core principles remain unchanged— just like the results

WINTER OF DISCONTENT

The hot stove could quickly turn to deep freeze

A MODERN-DAY CRASH DAVIS

Cody Decker mashed his way into the hearts of minor league fans

A LASTING LEGACY

All-star player. Decorated manager. Ambassador for the Dominican Republic. Felipe Alou wore many hats, but above all he was a pioneer who helped pave the way for generations of Latino players.

FOR THE RECORD

Obituaries

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

Observations from the unprecedented 2020 postseason

MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR - FOR LOVE OF THE GAME

An intense bout with COVID granted Freddie Freeman perspective on how much he loves playing baseball

MAJOR LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - CLOSE CALL

Tony Gonsolin blends present value and future potential like few other rookies in a jam-packed field

HALL GETS BACK IN THE GAME IN A BIG WAY

Shaeffer Hall spent five seasons as a minor league lefthander, primarily in the Yankees organization.