So, Mangum is well-versed in the fact that it’s the fans who are a very important part of what he gets to do for a living, playing a kids’ game. And on Sunday afternoon, while his Pittsburgh Pirates hosted the Tampa Bay Rays, who just happen to be the team that Mangum made his major-league debut for just last year, it was the Pirates’ starting left fielder who endeared himself to some young kids forever.

During a break in the action, Mangum just happened to have a baseball in his possession as he noticed a young fan in the stands well beyond the left-field wall who was wearing a Jake Mangum jersey. But Mangum didn’t just acknowledge the fan. He gave that young fan the gift she’ll always remember by gently tossing that baseball up in her direction.

The MLB social media account captured the tender moment with this post, with a young boy catching Mangum’s toss and then passing the ball along to the girl next to him, who was the one wearing the Pirates’ No. 28 Mangum jersey.

Apparently, there was a twist to this heartwarming moment that made it even sweeter. About an hour after MLB posted the moment on social media, there came another social media post by this woman, who claimed that the young boy and girl were her niece and nephew.

Assuming this is true, then the nephew made the nice catch and then made the even kinder gesture of giving the ball to the niece, who had the Mangum jersey on. And if that wasn’t enough of a tear-jerker, then how about the boy and girl embracing in a hug after the ball got to its proper destination.

Mangum and the upstart Pirates are one of the surprise stories so far in the young season, with a 13-9 record after Sunday afternoon’s victory over the Rays. There’s still a long way to go before we get to October, but here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the top teams in the mix to be holding the World Series trophy this fall:

Prediction Markets

Pro Baseball Champion

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Kalshi

Los Angeles D

33%

New York Y

10%

Seattle

7%

Atlanta

6%

Philadelphia

4%

Detroit

3%

New York M

3%

Toronto

3%

Boston

3%

Chicago C

3%

Predict

The post Jake Mangum, former Mississippi State OF, shares adorable moment with young Pirates fans appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The incident happened with little warning during Tuesday night’s matchup. Former Braves standout Jorge Soler, now playing for LA, took exception to a pitch thrown by Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez. Soler, who had been hit by Lopez earlier in the night, charged the mound and threw a few punches at Lopez, most of which missed its target.

The brawl ended when Weiss himself decided it was over. As mentioned above, Weiss — looking like an SEC linebacker — executed a perfect tackle of Soler, which gave both parties enough time to cool tensions. Both Lopez and Soler were ejected for their roles in the fight.

The Atlanta Falcons decided to join in on the discussion Wednesday morning, asking Weiss to come put on the pads with a picture of his tackle. Check it out below:

The Braves went on to win this game, 7-2, scoring 3 straight runs following the brouhaha. The Braves sit at 7-5 on the season and will face off against LA once again on Wednesday night.

Here’s a look at the full fight:

Prediction Markets

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Kalshi

Los Angeles D

33%

New York Y

10%

Seattle

7%

Atlanta

6%

Philadelphia

4%

Detroit

3%

New York M

3%

Toronto

3%

Boston

3%

Chicago C

3%

Predict

The post Atlanta Falcons praise Braves manager’s perfect form tackle during Atlanta-LA brawl appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The majority of the fight revolved around 2 players: Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez and Angels OF Jorge Soler, who won a World Series with Atlanta in 2021. Soler appeared not too happy with the placement of a few pitches (nor was he happy with being hit by a pitch earlier in the game) and felt free to let Lopez know about it.

A tipping point was reached, and Soler charged the mound, where he and Lopez threw a few punches that didn’t land with any effectiveness. Notably, Lopez decided not to let go of the ball while throwing a few punches at Soler.

The fight was extinguished when members of the Braves dugout were able to tackle Soler to the ground. In fact, it looks like Braves manager Walt Weiss was the one to bring Soler down with a perfect form tackle. Both Soler and Lopez were promptly ejected.

Here’s a full unedited look at the brawl:

Soler actually had a pretty decent outing before being ejected from this one. The former Braves outfielder, who was instrumental in Atlanta winning the World Series in 2021, hit a 2-shot home run in his first at-bat of the evening.

If you’re wondering, Atlanta went on to win this game 7-2.

Prediction Markets

Pro Baseball Champion

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Kalshi

Los Angeles D

33%

New York Y

10%

Seattle

7%

Atlanta

6%

Philadelphia

4%

Detroit

3%

New York M

3%

Toronto

3%

Boston

3%

Chicago C

3%

Predict

The post Massive brawl breaks out between Angels, Braves after Jorge Soler charges the mound appeared first on Saturday Down South.

It’s a whole new world in a whole different part of the country for the former Tennessee head baseball coach, and on Sunday during a home game against the New York Mets, Vitello got to experience something in the big leagues for the very first time.

He got to experience the frustration and intensity of being thrown out of a Major League Baseball game.

It happened during the bottom of the 7th inning, with his Giants leading the Mets, 2-1. There was 1 out, nobody on base, and the first pitch was coming from New York right-hander Huascar Brazoban. The pitch was chopped meekly by San Francisco’s Jerar Encarnacion to the third-base side of the pitcher’s mound. Brazoban fielded the ball and fired to first base, with his throw getting away from the first baseman despite it being somewhat on target and the Giants TV announcers thinking that Encarnacion had reached base safely on an error.

Not so fast.

The umpires ruled that Encarnacion had left the runner’s lane on his sprint to first base and because of that they ruled him out.

Here is the video of the controversial call that fired up Vitello and ultimately led to a big argument and his first ejection as Giants manager:

Vitello, who coached Tennessee from 2018-25 and led the Vols to a national championship in 2024, was sent to the showers early on Sunday. Making matters worse, the Giants’ 2-1 lead evaporated during a 4-run 8th inning by the Mets, who won the game 5-2.

So, it was a forgettable afternoon all around in San Francisco for Vitello, with the loss piled onto the ejection. But it didn’t take long for Vitello to get his first MLB ejection out of the way, in the 10th game of his first season as Giants manager.

Vitello isn’t at Tennessee anymore, but this season’s Volunteers are trying to do what Vitello did in Knoxville, which was lead the program to glory at the College World Series. Here is what the Kalshi market currently says about Tennessee and other top teams in the mix to prevail in Omaha in June:

Prediction Markets

College Baseball D1 Champion?

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Kalshi

UCLA

16%

Georgia Tech

12%

Texas

11%

North Carolina

6%

Georgia

6%

Mississippi St.

5%

Arkansas

4%

Auburn

4%

LSU

3%

Tennessee

2%

Predict

The post Tony Vitello earns first ejection with San Francisco Giants for fiery response to ump appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Kansas City Royals recently opened their 2026 campaign, now sitting at 3-2 on the year with a series ongoing against the Minnesota Twins.

Last night’s game wasn’t exactly played in perfect baseball weather. It was rainy and foggy at Kaufmann Stadium, so much so that several players actually lost pop-ups in the rain. Because of this, the Royals grounds crew was working overtime.

Their hard work didn’t go unnoticed, though. According to Royals writer Jake Eisenberg, Caglianone made sure to ask one of the grounds crew members how many people were working the game.

This morning, Caglianone apparently brought the 20 or so grounds crew members 3 dozen donuts plus coffee as a thank you for their hard work.

If you’re wondering, Kansas City won last night’s game, with today’s matchup still in progress.

Caglianone is an SEC and Florida Gators legend. He batted an insane .355/.447/.760 across 634 at bats with the Gators and led Florida to back-to-back College World Series appearances and owns the Florida career home run record with 75. He was drafted 6th overall by the Royals in 2024.

Who will win the World Series in 2026? Here’s a look at the latest odds, via Kalshi:

Prediction Markets

Pro Baseball Champion

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Kalshi

Los Angeles D

33%

New York Y

10%

Seattle

7%

Atlanta

6%

Philadelphia

4%

Detroit

3%

New York M

3%

Toronto

3%

Boston

3%

Chicago C

3%

Predict

The post Jac Caglianone surprises Royals grounds crew with donuts, coffee morning after win over Twins appeared first on Saturday Down South.

On Saturday’s national broadcast of the Yankees-Giants game, FOX’s Ken Rosenthal asked Vitello what adjustments he has made in his new role. Vitello joked that he could no longer “talk down” to players before describing how much vaster an MLB manager’s duties are than that of a college head coach.

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“I can’t talk down to guys anymore. They’re my age, or it feels like they’re close to it,” Vitello said with a smile. “But in all honesty… there’s just so many more people involved. There’s more people in the stands… in the clubhouse… it truly is a manager position, not just a head coach position.”

Vitello’s transition will be a long process, but it’s safe to say he and the Giants hoped for better results in their opening series. San Francisco scored just 1 total run in the series versus New York, and is 0-3 ahead of a three-game set in San Diego against the Padres. First pitch for tonight’s matchup, featuring Landen Roupp and Walker Buehler, is 9:40 p.m. ET.

Vitello had the Vols on top in 2024. Who’s winning the College World Series this year? Predict it at Kalshi!

Prediction Markets

College Baseball D1 Champion?

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Kalshi

UCLA

16%

Georgia Tech

12%

Texas

11%

North Carolina

6%

Georgia

6%

Mississippi St.

5%

Arkansas

4%

Auburn

4%

LSU

3%

Tennessee

2%

Predict

The post Tony Vitello jokes ‘I can’t talk down to guys anymore’ as MLB manager appeared first on Saturday Down South.

According to the conference, there’s 86 players from SEC programs on 2026 MLB Opening Day rosters. This figure includes players from current member schools when the program was in another conference.

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There’s 71 former SEC players on active rosters, while 15 are on injured lists. Florida (12) has the most current MLB players, followed by LSU (11), and Vanderbilt (8).

Some of Florida’s MLB players include Pete Alonso (Baltimore Orioles), A.J. Puk (Arizona Diamondbacks) and Harrison Bader (San Francisco Giants). Beloved Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola is a former LSU star. Notable ex-Vanderbilt players in the MLB right now are Sonny Gray (Boston Red Sox), and Walker Buehler (San Diego Padres) and Bryan Reynolds (Pirates).

The Kansas City Royals (7) have the most former SEC players of any MLB team this season. In total, there’s 29 MLB franchises with at least one former player from a current SEC school.

Arkansas 
Jalen Beeks, Texas Rangers
Andrew Benintendi, Chicago White Sox
James McCann, Arizona Diamondbacks
Peyton Pallette, Cleveland Guardians
Ryne Stanek, St. Louis Cardinals
*Heston Kjerstad, Baltimore Orioles

Auburn 
Ryan Bliss, Seattle Mariners
Edouard Julien, Colorado Rockies
Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers
Ryan Watson, Boston Red Sox
*Bailey Horn, Detroit Tigers

Florida 
Pete Alonso, Baltimore Orioles
Harrison Bader, San Francisco Giants
Hunter Barco, Pittsburgh Pirates
Jac Caglianone, Kansas City Royals
Jonathan India, Kansas City Royals
Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers
Brady Singer, Cincinnati Reds
Brandon Sproat, Milwaukee Brewers
Jacob Young, Washington Nationals
*A.J. Puk, Arizona Diamondbacks
*Hurston Waldrep, Atlanta Braves
*Danny Young, Atlanta Braves

Georgia 
Kyle Farmer, Atlanta Braves
Emerson Hancock, Seattle Mariners

Kentucky 
Zach Pop, Philadelphia Phillies
Ryan Ritter, Colorado Rockies
Taylor Rogers, Minnesota Twins

LSU 
Alex Bregman, Chicago Cubs
Hunter Feduccia, Tampa Bay Rays
Jake Fraley, Tampa Bay Rays
Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays
Cole Henry, Washington Nationals
Jaden Hill, Colorado Rockies
Alex Lange, Kansas City Royals
Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies
Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
Josh Smith, Texas Rangers
Grant Taylor, Chicago White Sox

Ole Miss 
Nick Fortes, Tampa Bay Rays
Drew Pomeranz, Los Angeles Angels
*Gunnar Hoglund, Athletics
*James McArthur, Kansas City Royals

Mississippi State 
Adam Frazier, Los Angeles Angels
J.T. Ginn, Athletics
Nathaniel Lowe, Cincinnati Reds
Jake Mangum, Pittsburgh Pirates
Brent Rooker, Athletics
Brandon Woodruff, Milwaukee Brewers
*Jordan Westburg, Baltimore Orioles

Missouri 
Pete Fairbanks, Miami Marlins
Spencer Miles, Toronto Blue Jays
Max Scherzer, Toronto Blue Jays
Rob Zastryzny, Milwaukee Brewers
*Tanner Houck, Boston Red Sox

Oklahoma 
Cade Cavalli, Washington Nationals
Cade Horton, Chicago Cubs
Jake Irvin, Washington Nationals
Steven Okert, Houston Astros

South Carolina 
Carlos Cortes, Athletics
Carmen Mlodzinski, Pittsburgh Pirates
Christian Walker, Houston Astros
*Jordan Montgomery, Texas Rangers
*Clarke Schmidt, New York Yankees

Tennessee 
Jordan Beck, Colorado Rockies
Garrett Crochet, Boston Red Sox
Chase Dollander, Colorado Rockies
*Ben Joyce, Los Angeles Angels

Texas 
Kody Clemens, Minnesota Twins
Bryce Elder, Atlanta Braves
David Hamilton, Milwaukee Brewers
Hoby Milner, Chicago Cubs

Texas A&M 
Brooks Raley, New York Mets
Christian Roa, Houston Astros
Michael Wacha, Kansas City Royals
*Stephen Kolek, Kansas City Royals
*Bryce Miller, Seattle Mariners
*A.J. Minter, New York Mets

Vanderbilt 
Walker Buehler, San Diego Padres
Sonny Gray, Boston Red Sox
Jack Leiter, Texas Rangers
Austin Martin, Minnesota Twins
Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates
Kumar Rocker, Texas Rangers
Dansby Swanson, Chicago Cubs
Mike Yastrzemski, Atlanta Braves

(* = injured list)

Meanwhile, the 2026 MLB Draft is set for July 11-13 from Philadelphia and there’s some highly touted SEC prospects. Three SEC players are projected to go in the top 10 according to Flo Baseball: Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron (No. 3), LSU outfielder Derek Curiel (No. 7), and Florida pitcher Liam Peterson (No. 10).

Prediction Markets

Pro Baseball Champion

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Los Angeles D

33%

New York Y

10%

Seattle

7%

Atlanta

6%

Philadelphia

4%

Detroit

3%

New York M

3%

Toronto

3%

Boston

3%

Chicago C

3%

Predict

The post 86 players from SEC schools make 2026 MLB Opening Day rosters appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Both squads are staring at fresh 0-0 records, giving us a complete blank slate. But while the Mets are handing the ball to Freddy Peralta to defend their home turf, the real storyline is Pirates ace Paul Skenes.

As Skenes, a former LSU Tigers star, prepares to take the mound, the entire betting landscape revolves around one massive question: what can we expect from the phenom in this matchup?

We’re looking at a generational arm stepping into the spotlight once again. Let’s dive into his granular performance data, break down how he matches up against Peralta and the New York lineup, and pinpoint exactly where the value lies in his strikeout props as he looks to dismantle the Mets and secure Pittsburgh’s first win.

The Matchup: Paul Skenes vs. Mets Lineup

Skenes enters this matchup as an absolute force of nature, carrying a microscopic 1.96 career ERA and a 0.948 career WHIP over his 2 professional seasons. Hitters are essentially guessing at the plate, managing an anemic .199 opponent batting average against him. Point being: Skenes completely stifles traffic and misses bats at an elite level, racking up 10.36 strikeouts per 9 innings (K/9). Against a Mets lineup with some new faces in key places trying to establish some early rhythm, Skenes’ suffocating base-runner prevention makes him a monumental roadblock.

Finding the Edge: Paul Skenes Pitcher Props

When you have a pitcher with this kind of raw talent, the prop market is where we want to operate. Let’s look at the current board for Skenes’ highly anticipated start across the major sportsbooks:

Total Pitcher Strikeouts:

• FanDuel: Over 6.5 (+102) / Under 6.5 (-136)
• DraftKings: Over 6.5 (-109) / Under 6.5 (-117)
• BetMGM: Over 6.5 (-110) / Under 6.5 (-118)

Other Paul Skenes Pitcher Props (BetMGM Odds):

• Total Earned Runs: Over 1.5 (-110) / Under 1.5 (-125)
• Total Pitcher Outs: Over 15.5 (-105) / Under 15.5 (-135)
• Total Hits Allowed: Over 3.5 (-145) / Under 3.5 (+105)

The Pick: Paul Skenes over 6.5 strikeouts

Dude, what are you doing if you aren’t taking the over here? It’s early in the season, yes. That means the Pirates might have a shorter leash than normal for their ace. But it also means that the New York hitters aren’t quite in midseason form, either.

Look for Skenes to really get going in the 2nd and 3rd innings. If he pitches into the 6th inning of this matchup, I really like the over. Seven or more strikeouts is very doable for the Pittsburgh ace, and with FanDuel posting +102 odds on that prop, I’ll be taking that with a smile on my face.

Kalshi Win Probabilities

The Pirates are very slight underdogs on Kalshi. Pittsburgh is given a 49% chance to pull off the upset in the Big Apple. Check out the Kalshi market for this marquee Opening Day matchup below:

The post Paul Skenes Props & Predictions: Pirates vs. Mets Preview appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Up first is Team USA squaring off with the red-hot Dominican Republic, and the Americans will utilize a familiar face in an attempt to cool off the visitors.

LSU alum Paul Skenes will be taking to the mound for Team USA, as the former Bayou Bengal is arguably the best pitcher left in the bracket and thus the field’s best chance at slowing down the Dominicans.

In 5 games thus far, the Dominican Republic has ripped off 14 homers and 51 runs in total, allowing them to largely cruise the group stage and dominate Korea in a 10-0 quarterfinal victory.

But Skenes has already picked up a win in this tournament, allowing just 1 hit in 4 innings pitched to go along with 7 strikeouts. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ ace will be charged with producing one of the best performances of his career in arguably the biggest game he’s ever played in.

The Americans will face the Dominicans at 8 p.m. ET in Miami, with the game being broadcast by FOX.

Here are the latest odds on Kalshi for the World Baseball Classic

The post Former LSU star Paul Skenes to pitch for Team USA in World Baseball Classic semifinal appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The San Francisco Giants were taking on the Milwaukee Brewers when the former Florida standout stepped up to bat in the top of the fourth. He mashed a ball 408 feet and 113.8 mph off his bat into left field to give him his first homer as a Giant, and the ball found a food truck in the outfield, leaving a noticeable dent.

After the game, Bader went out to the food truck, Cactus Bowls, that he hit and signed the dent, saying, “Sorry.”

The Giants would go on to lose 13-12 to the Brewers, but the dent stole the show.

Bader was a member of the Gators baseball team from 2013 to 2015. In 2015, he was a member of the College World Series All-Tournament Team and Second-team All-SEC. He would end up getting drafted in the third round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.

What could’ve been just a dent in the food truck is now an unforgettable memory for the food truck owners. Cactus Bowls now has a mark that all baseball fans will recognize when they go and visit American Family Fields of Phoenix.

The post Harrison Bader dents food truck with home run, offers wonderful memento appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Skenes, who will have a busier than usual spring while hoping to make multiple starts for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic, struck out 4 but also walked 4 during his debut at CoolToday Park in North Port, Fla. He only allowed 1 hit though and 1 earned run, as his bid to win the National League Cy Young Award in back-to-back seasons officially got under way on the last Wednesday in February.

Naturally, Skenes began his start against the Braves with — what else? — a strikeout of Atlanta superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. Skenes got Acuna swinging on a 2-2 pitch, not wasting any time showing off his finishing touch.

There would be 3 more strikeouts on tap for Skenes on Wednesday, but there were also those 4 walks, whether it was just pure adrenaline working against him in his spring debut or the fact that he hadn’t pitched in a game situation for quite a while. Whatever it was, Skenes will get ample more time to polish his pitching for the Pirates and for Team USA before the regular season begins in about a month.

Skenes will look to build on an already impressive young career in 2026. He’s been an NL All-Star during his first 2 seasons in the majors, was named 2024 NL Rookie of the Year and made the All-MLB First Team in 2024 and 2025, almost instantly becoming one of baseball’s top pitchers at the ripe old age of 23.

The right-handed phenom ended his collegiate career with a bang at LSU in 2023, winning the Dick Howser Trophy and leading the Tigers to the 2023 College World Series title. Skenes was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player, setting the stage for what has been an incredible start to his major-league career.

Here are Kalshi’s top contenders for the NL Cy Young Award, which Skenes took home last season in only his second year. Skenes is currently being given a 22% chance to repeat his feat from 2025 with another Cy Young Award season in 2026:

Prediction Markets

NL Cy Young Winner

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Paul Skenes

20%

Yoshinobu Yamamoto

19%

Cristopher Sanchez

13%

Shohei Ohtani

12%

Jacob Misiorowski

7%

Zack Wheeler

3%

Logan Webb

2%

Hunter Greene

1%

Freddy Peralta

1%

Spencer Strider

1%

Predict

The post Paul Skenes posts 4 Ks in spring debut vs. Atlanta Braves appeared first on Saturday Down South.

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.

RELATED: Interested in Daily Fantasy Sports? Check out our Underdog Fantasy review of one of the top DFS operators!

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.

The post Tony Vitello releases statement on becoming manager of San Francisco Giants appeared first on Saturday Down South.

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.

The post MLB team ‘closing in’ on hiring Tennessee coach Tony Vitello as manager, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

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.

The post Paul Skenes makes MLB history as he tops 200 K’s for Pittsburgh Pirates appeared first on Saturday Down South.

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.

The post Former Tennessee baseball star hits sleeping dog with home run appeared first on Saturday Down South.

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

The post Livvy Dunne reacts to Paul Skenes’ brief outing in All-Star Game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

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.

RELATED: Don’t miss the Midsummer Classic! FubuTV is offering a free trial that you can take advantage when you click here!

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.

The post Fans blast Pat McAfee for wild Home Run Derby introductions appeared first on Saturday Down South.

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.

The post Tennessee sets program record with 4 first-round MLB Draft picks appeared first on Saturday Down South.

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

The post Arkansas teammates go back-to-back to Los Angeles Dodgers in MLB Draft appeared first on Saturday Down South.

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

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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:

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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.

Sports betting is live in Louisiana! Get in on the action today with the latest bet365 Louisiana bonus code from SDS!

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.

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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.

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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

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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.

Sports betting is coming to Missouri! Follow SDS to make sure you get a BetMGM Missouri bonus code to bet on the Royals and more upon launch!

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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.

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