LLWS, Tampa Bay Rays Player Development, & Winter Leagues

• Wild Florida weather playing baseball during Hurricane season.
• Shane McClanahan injury – look back at his original early playoff usage, and comparisons to Mark Prior’s career.
• Pitching depth – AAA arms, Forrest Whitley & Brian Van Belle, as possible support for the Rays’ future.
• Late season debuts can create high-stakes stress for pitchers.
• Little League World Series - Lake Mary, FL’s recent run, and the emotional intensity for young athletes.
• LLWS Youth Baseball - Maria Pepe & standout players like Mo’ne Davis, plus Tampa ties w/MLB alumni such as Gary Sheffield & Kevin Cash
• Idea for an International Little League World Series - a global youth tournament, a precursor to the World Baseball Classic model.
• Infectious energy of youth tournaments – Sportsmanship & positive crowd atmosphere at Little League events.
• Shift in team priorities – Are Rays focusing on draft positioning & long-term planning rather than immediate contention.
• Roster & trade philosophy – recent acquisitions as part of a multi-year plan and the impact of keeping top prospects in AA.
•  Challenges of integrating two new catchers midseason & how that affects pitching performance.
• Rays Under 1% chance of winning World Series
• Rays’ current Home and Away stadium situations
•  Sacramento (Oakland) A’s & San Francisco Giants stadium arrangements
• Giants benefiting from increased Bay Area market control & high rental fees to A’s
• MLB expansion - Vegas, an underrated but now proven sports market
• NHL success paving the way for baseball in new markets
• Utah seen as a strong future expansion candidate for travel and regional market benefits
• Nashville and Vancouver possible expansion cities
•  Rays’ draft and prospect rankings concerns
• Confusion over MLB Pipeline ranking Rays 2nd preseason but 10th after a top-3 draft
• Inconsistent prospect evaluations & bias toward “hot” names
• Promotion of draft picks Brendan Summerhill and Quinn Irons to Charleston
• Angel Mateo promoted to A+ level for playoff run
• All affiliates above .500 but only one likely playoff team
• Overview of minor league playoff structure
• Notable performances: Tre Morgan (Durham), Bob Seymour’s 30th HR in AA
• Lakeland Flying Tigers vs. Bradenton Marauders game rained out
• Southpaw mascot birthday 
• Value of watching player development at minor league and complex levels
• Challenges in Rays hitter development
• Mat highlights progress of Nathan Flewelling in Charleston
• Concerns that high-end draft picks not performing to potential
• Rays excel in developing Latin American players, often via Winter Leagues
• Call to send drafted players to winter ball or overseas leagues for additional reps
• Experienced college should begin in Double-A (e.g., Summerhill in Low-A)
• Challenging players at higher levels earlier to accelerate development
• Comparison to other MLB clubs (White Sox, Angels, Marlins)  as they promote strong prospects quickly through their farm system
• Jen Pawol - makes it to Majors as first woman umpire
• The Wit & Wisdom of the invisible team of umpires
• Economics of umpiring
• NFL football announcement - Taylor Swift, new album
• Rays’ future ownership impact & potential for front office changes with new ownership
• Hopes for more aggressive player development & roster experimentation late in season

You can find Mat at @matgermain.bsky.social or reach Mark at  [e-mail] BaseballBiz on Deck, at iHeart Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and at www.baseballbizOnDeck.com 
Special Thanks to Scott Holmes for the music Stomps & Claps