Ben Badler

United States

Senior Writer at Baseball America

Host at Baseball America Podcast

I write about prospects for Baseball America. Future Projection podcast. IG ben.badler

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Articles

MLB Draft Combine Reactions & Complex League Sleepers | Future Projection

1 week ago | baseballamerica.com | Ben Badler |Carlos Collazo

On this week’s episode of Future Projection, Ben Badler and Carlos Collazo break down the 2025 MLB Draft combine. We talk about standout players, what the event was like, what value teams get from it and get into the specifics of names like Brandon Compton, Quentin Young, Kayson Cunningham, Marcos Paz and others.
50 Standouts From PG Junior National For The 2027 Class

1 week ago | buff.ly | Ben Badler

Skip to content The Perfect Game Junior National showcase is one of the premier events of the summer to see a large collection of the top players in the 2027 class.
50 Standouts From PG Junior National For The 2027 Class

1 week ago | baseballamerica.com | Ben Badler

Skip to content The Perfect Game Junior National showcase is one of the premier events of the summer to see a large collection of the top players in the 2027 class.
Scouting The 2026, 2027 High School Draft Class, MLB Promotions

2 weeks ago | bvmsports.com | Ben Badler |Carlos Collazo

By Ben Badler, Carlos Collazo via College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America, On this week's episode of Future Projection, Ben Badler and Carlos Collazo talk about Ben's most recent scouting trip, where he saw some of the top 2026, 2027 and 2028 class high school players in the country.
2025 Milwaukee Brewers Top 30 Prospects June Update

3 weeks ago | baseballamerica.com | Ben Badler

Caleb Durbin, 3B: The Brewers acquired Durbin and lefthander Nestor Cortes in the offseason trade that sent Devin Williams to the Yankees. Durbin, who ranked No. 23 in the Brewers’ system coming into the season, has continued to show a low swing-and-miss rate in the big leagues, but it’s empty contact that leaves him with minimal offensive impact, cutting into his OBP and power. He’s 25, so there probably isn’t much more upside here.
Top International MLB Prospects To Know For 2025 | Future Projection

3 weeks ago | baseballamerica.com | Ben Badler |Carlos Collazo

On this week’s episode of Future Projection, Ben Badler and Carlos Collazo talk about the insanity that has been college baseball through regional play (both on and off the field). The two briefly discuss the resurgence of Dodgers outfielder Mike Sirota and then discuss Royals first baseman (outfielder?) Jac Caglianone and what to expect with his big league promotion. After that, it’s all things 2025 international prospects.
20 Dominican Summer League Pitching Prospects To Watch In 2025

3 weeks ago | baseballamerica.com | Ben Badler

Kevin Defrank, RHP, Marlins: Defrank was one of the best pitchers in the 2025 class when the Marlins signed him for $560,000 out of the Dominican Republic and his stuff has only become more electric since then. He has a great pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds with broad shoulders and entered the year already reaching 95 mph. In preseason games, Defrank has been up to 100 mph, extraordinary velocity for a pitcher who will be 16 nearly the entire season.
San Diego Padres 2025 International Signings Review

3 weeks ago | baseballamerica.com | Ben Badler

The price tag went up for Dominican lefthander Carlos Alvarez after he had an open workout for teams on Jan. 15 when he was still unsigned while teams were waiting on Sasaki. The Padres ultimately were able to keep him, signing him for $1 million, the biggest bonus for any lefthander in the 2025 signing period. Alvarez is 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, a highly projectable, athletic frame for him to continue adding to a fastball that reached 93 mph before he signed and has inched up to 94.
Cincinnati Reds 2025 International Signings Review

3 weeks ago | baseballamerica.com | Ben Badler

Cincinnati’s top bonus this year went to Venezuelan shortstop Liberts Aponte, who signed for $1.9 million. He’s 6 feet, 170 pounds at 17, a wiry, fast-twitch athlete who shines at shortstop. He’s a graceful, agile defender with quick feet and soft hands, able to make the flashy, highlight plays but with the internal clock to be able to play under control.
Texas Rangers 2025 International Signings Review

3 weeks ago | baseballamerica.com | Ben Badler

When Sasaki informed the Rangers they were no longer in in the mix to sign him, the Rangers proceeded with the rest of their signing class as normal on Jan. 15, but they were left with more than $2 million in their bonus pool. They used $1.2 million of that to sign Seong-Jun Kim, an 18-year-old two-way player out of Gwangju Jeil High in South Korea.