Kyle Parker, OF, Rockies (High-A Modesto): 2-for-4, 2 HR (17), 3 R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K.

When the Orioles promoted top positional prospect Manny Machado last week, there was a lot of debate as to whether or not the 20-year-old infielder was ready for the big leagues since he had just 928 minor league plate appearances. He's made the decision look good so far, but what is beyond debate is that the Orioles acted aggressively, which brought up the obvious question: if Machado, then why not Dylan Bundy?

The remainder of this post cannot be viewed at this subscription level. Please click here to subscribe.

A minor league update consisting solely of players from the game I attended last night in Beloit, Wisconsin.

The remainder of this post cannot be viewed at this subscription level. Please click here to subscribe.

J.O. Berrios, RHP, Twins (Rookie-level Elizabethton)
He wasn't a first-round pick in June, but he was the first pick right after it ended, going 31^st overall and ending up just the sixth high school arm selected. He signed quickly for a $1.55 million bonus and he's looked nothing short of fantastic since taking the mound: 27 strikeouts and just seven hits allowed over 16 2/3 innings in the Gulf Coast League, adding four one-hit innings with five more whiffs on Saturday in his Appy League debut. Berrios is undersized at an even six feet tall, but he makes you forget about his size quickly with plus to plus-plus velocity coming out of one of those easy deliveries that makes it look like he's playing catch. He's flashed a good slider so far and has some feel for a changeup; the few pro scouts that have seen Berrios think the Twins may have really found something here.

The remainder of this post cannot be viewed at this subscription level. Please click here to subscribe.

After our big celebration for Episode 100, we're back to normality, or at least as normal as the show gets. We talk about the Manny Machado call-up, some prospects that we are higher or lower than most on, and also just what to make of Austin Wood. Then we try to gauge Mike Trout's value (good luck) and talk about scouting little league games. Our special guest is a good friend of the show in Andy McCullough of the Newark Star-Ledger who talks about the future of the Mets, and then our listener of the week is the amazing Craig Robinson, better known to many of you as the Flip Flop Flyin' guy. From there it's the goofy stuff with a tribute to the late, great Juan Deli, and some talk about weird neighbors . . . and mattresses. As always, we hope you enjoy.

Note: We do alert you to the presence of the occasional adult language and subject matter. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Read the full article...

Gregory Polanco, OF, Pirates (Low-A West Virginia): 2-for-5, 2 HR (15), 2 R, 3 RBI.

Read the full article...

The situation: Winners of five in a row and suddenly tied for the lead in the wild-card race, the Baltimore Orioles made an aggressive and surprising move Wednesday night, calling up their top position prospect in Machado, who just turned 20 last month. Machado was hitting .266/.352/.438 in 109 games at Double-A Bowie and was 16-for-33 with 32 total bases in his past nine games.

The remainder of this post cannot be viewed at this subscription level. Please click here to subscribe.

The remainder of this post cannot be viewed at this subscription level. Please click here to subscribe.

Aaron Hicks, OF, Twins (Double-A New Britain): 1-for-2, HR (12), 2 R, 2 RBI, BB; 2-for-3, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.

The 14^th selection of the 2008 draft, Hicks has always had tremendous tools, but the numbers never matched. 2012 was not a make-or-break year, but as his first exposure to upper-level pitching, it was certainly a critical one, and he's passing with flying colors.

The remainder of this post cannot be viewed at this subscription level. Please click here to subscribe.

Mike Trout is having a season for the ages. That shouldn't be news to you. But let's forget about the present for a second and think about what could be an even more promising future, as terrifying as that sounds. By common thought in the analytical community, Trout is still six to eight years away from his peak, and if you’re the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, you want that peak. That means an extension for the most valuable young asset in the game. If you are the Angels, how do you even approach this? To find out, I talked to a number of scouts and executives to get their take.

The remainder of this post cannot be viewed at this subscription level. Please click here to subscribe.

Manny Machado, SS, Orioles (Double-A Bowie): 2-for-3, R, RBI, BB.

Bryce Harper and Mike Trout has been among the best things in baseball this year. For prospect people, they've been among the worst as they've created ridiculous expectations for every prospect in baseball. Manny Machado is 20 years old, more than holding his own at Double-A, and people yawn because Trout and Harper.

The remainder of this post cannot be viewed at this subscription level. Please click here to subscribe.

The remainder of this post cannot be viewed at this subscription level. Please click here to subscribe.