If there was one alum whose 2025 season has shocked the baseball world more than most, it would likely belong to Raudi Rodriguez.
A 19th-round pick by the Los Angeles Angels in 2023, his addition to the organization out of Georgia Premier Academy was somewhat under the radar, even despite a vast toolbox that saw future grades of no lower than 50 assigned to his last scouting report with the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series.
In part, it read: “Line drive hitter with impact skills — pitches stay hit and has carry to all fields — setup and overall hitting approach is solid and very little to work on except game AB’s.”
He’s getting plenty of those now. And they’re going quite well.
Rodriguez was named the California League Player of the Month for April as a member of the Inland Empire 66ers, and is currently hitting .294 with three home runs and 37 RBI in his first 37 games this season.
An alum of both the Main Event and Caribbean Classic, as well as the path it took to get to that point with numerous combines and Scout Days, there’s a path for the 21-year-old to make a quick ascent through an Angels organization that is in need of some big-league lineup stability.
Additionally, Mick Abel’s big league debut was a big cause for celebration throughout the Future Stars Series. Abel outpitched Paul Skenes on Sunday, leading the Phillies to the win, his first in the big leagues. He tied a franchise record for most strikeouts in a debut with nine, and held the Pirates off the scoreboard over six scoreless frames.
Abel pitched in the 2017 National Tournaments before earning invitations to the 2017, 201,8 and 2019 International Week events. CEO and Director of Baseball Operations Jeremy Booth recently wrote about his relationship watching Abel develop into a big leaguer, a story you can read here.
Notes: Kyle Henley became the first player in Low-A Daytona Tortugas history to steal home twice in one game…Daylen Lile is slashing .369/.431/.538 in his first three weeks in Triple-A Rochester…C.J. Kayfus had 11 hits in his first 17 AB’s during this past week’s series against Omaha…Dylan Crews homered on Sunday, already his sixth of the season for the Washington Nationals…Braylon Bishop continues his renaissance in the Pirates system, posting a .796 OPS thus far for Low-A Bradenton.
Since 2003, he has covered multiple World Series and has worked high-profile events ranging from the MLB All-Star Game to the World Baseball Classic. In addition to his role working for the Future Stars Series that he's held since 2017, Ashmore currently serves as the beat writer of the Double-A New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as well as national hockey writer and New York Jets game day beat reporter for The Trentonian.
A regular contributor to Baseball America, Ashmore has worked seven Super Bowls, 11 Stanley Cup Finals, the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NBA Playoffs, College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Frozen Four, Daytona 500, major UFC events and much more as he approaches 3,200 games covered in his career.
An avid card collector and sim racer, he lives with his wife, Sarah, their son William, and their beloved dog, Bailey, and cat, Smokey.
