The MLB To Showcase Their Top Prospects In Spring Showcase
The MLB may be the worst league at showcasing their own talent. The NFL, the NBA, and even the NHL to an extent, are all better at promoting their star players. But for whatever reason, the MLB has refused to do anything to promote the best players in their sport. But it seems like that is finally starting to change. Because they came up with an idea that baseball fans should be excited about. A showcase during Spring Training featuring the top prospects in the league.
It is about time they did something fun like this. The MLB has the most extensive minor league system of all the sports. The NFL has no such system, and the best players in the NBA and NHL usually go right to the pros. But every single Baseball player starts out in the minor leagues, even if not for too long in certain cases. These players are a future of the league, and getting ahead of things and introducing them to the fans now can only be a good thing.
Giving fans a taste of the next wave of young players is exactly the type of thing baseball should be doing. We get that to an extent in the Futures Game. But now every fan will get to see their team’s top prospects.
The Phillies team will feature guys like Justin Crawford, Mick Abel, Aidan Miller, and Carlos De La Cruz, among others. The Phillies farm system has steadily gotten better under Dave Dombrowski. Unfortunately, their best prospect, Andrew Painter, will not be available while he recovers from Tommy John surgery. But they should still be able to put together an exciting group of young players.
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What we don’t know just yet is how it will go. A great idea can be wasted if it is poorly promoted, or poorly produced. The MLB has a tremendous idea here, and they need to execute it. The league has often shied away from spectacle, with old-school fans wanting to keep the game “pure.” There is a segment of baseball fans who seem to forget it’s a game and supposed to be fun. They don’t like players celebrating home runs, or showing off when they make a big play. But this showcase should celebrate these players not just as athletes, but as personalities.
It will be a small event this year but could grow into something bigger if it is successful. Maybe next year it will turn into a full tournament. But whatever it grows into, this is exactly the type of thing the league needs to be doing.
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Every Number The Phillies Have Retired, and 3 They Should
#15- Dick Allen
The most recent name to go up there among the retired numbers at Citizens Bank Park. As of now, Allen is the only Phillies player to have his number retired to not be in the Hall of Fame. But that is the MLB’s mistake for not inducting him yet. Allen is definitely deserving of being there. Allen has 351 HRs, 1,119 RBIs, an MVP Award, and 7 All-Star Appearances. The fact that the MLB has continued to snub Allen from the Hall of Fame played a big decision in John Middleton retiring his number 15 in 2020.
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
#32- Steve Carlton
Carlton has a strong case to be the best Left-handed Pitcher ever. 4 Cy Youngs. He was the first pitcher to ever accomplish that. He is also one of the rare cases of a trade actually going well for the Phillies. He and Schmidt helped break the Phillies curse and win the first World Series in the history of the franchise. And now no one will ever wear his number 32 again for the Phillies.
(Photo by Chris Gardner-Pool/Getty Images)
