VERO BEACH, Fla. -- For one, baseball is a family tradition, passed down generationally like a gene pool. For the other, the game wasn’t taught, but discovered, and he’s pioneering his own familial legacy on the dirt. One is a country boy, not unaccustomed to high humidity, rural landscapes and

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- George Malone Jr. made it a point to shake every staff member’s hand after being awarded the Rob “Peach” Picciolo Award for on- and off-the-field sportsmanship during Week 2 of the 2025 Hank Aaron Invitational. It took Malone a couple of minutes to make sure he

Kourtney Jones-Caldwell could never have imagined she would be a Jennie Finch Empowerment Award winner. She recently received the honor at the Jennie Finch Classic during All-Star Week in Atlanta. “I was not expecting this, but I’m happy, I’m excited, I’m very grateful,” Jones-Caldwell said. As a JFEA recipient, she

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Several camp attendees gave mental skills coach Geoff Miller a standing ovation after he finished his presentation Saturday night at the 2025 Hank Aaron Invitational in Vero Beach, Fla. In a week full of unique instruction -- games and drills led by former Major Leaguers; speeches

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- After four days of baseball development and on-field action under the Florida sun, the first week of the 2025 Hank Aaron Invitational came to a close, setting the tone for the next crop of participants. Over 100 elite high school athletes from the classes of 2028

Eric Davis was wracked with nerves. It was 1984 and Davis -- a 21-year-old rookie at the time -- was in Spring Training with the Reds, “touching distance” away from Dave Parker, who had signed with Cincinnati that offseason. Davis had long admired Parker since childhood. From Parker’s heroics in

When Theo Swafford is not playing baseball, you surely can find him reviewing his batting average and on-base percentage stats. In his second year at the Hank Aaron Invitational, the sophomore shortstop who attends Sierra Canyon School in California, said the experience is important to help him be a well-rounded

ATLANTA -- Arthur Darensburg knew what he could do. Even though he was coming off little sleep. Even though his team’s flight from Dallas to Atlanta took off at 5 a.m. that day. He had to run the bases in less than 14.15 seconds. Darensburg knew what he could do.

CONYERS, Ga. -- When Terry Walker Moore first came to the A.R. Gus Barksdale Boys & Girls Club back in 2017, one of the first things she envisioned was a brand new baseball field. The one she walked into was old, outdated, with holes and divots scattered throughout “to the

Marley Jackson is passionate about softball and helping others feel included. Her contagious love for the sport is why she recently became a Jennie Finch Empowerment Award recipient at the Elite Development Invitational in Kansas City, Mo., which took place in June. “I’m very shocked, very excited,” Jackson said. “I

When Kamrin isn’t drinking smoothies in the morning and Kaylin isn’t sleeping, both twins are on the softball diamond, having each other’s back. For the Evans sisters, playing for the first time at the Elite Development Invitational this year in Kansas City, Mo., was something special.

KANSAS CITY -- Over the course of four days in Kansas City this past week, Milian Valdez received advice about her batting stance from Tamara Holmes and participated in fielding drills under the direction of Veronica Alvarez, two legends in the U.S. Women’s Baseball world. On Wednesday, Valdez capped her

ATLANTA -- The Braves hosted their fourth annual Native American All-Star Showcase last Saturday and Sunday at Truist Park, and the showcase has evolved immensely since its inception. The showcase, which featured 50 high school baseball players of Native American descent who aspire to play baseball at the next level,

FAIRFIELD, Ala. -- The bunting was hung, the scoreboard was turned on, and the last touches of red and blue paint on the steps and railings was so fresh you could still smell it. Everything was in place on Thursday morning to celebrate the great Willie Mays, one year and

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – With the No. 2 printed on their backs, nearly 150 local kids ran onto the field where one of the best Major League Baseball players began his storied career.

World Softball Day is Friday, presenting a perfect opportunity to recognize the expansive interest in an ever-growing sport. The Jennie Finch Empowerment Award, presented by ARM & HAMMER, is now in its seventh year of presenting scholarships to deserving softball players at Major League Baseball’s signature youth softball events who

PLAY BALL Weekend will feature events on six continents as part of a worldwide effort to inspire participation in baseball and softball through over 200 activities hosted by MLB, MLB Clubs, MiLB & Partner League Clubs, MLB’s international offices, and youth league partners from Friday, June 13 - Sunday, June

It’s not every day a young singer with no professional training is picked to perform at one of the biggest sporting events of the year, let alone do it twice. But that is exactly what happened -- thanks to Major League Baseball, its partnership with the Boys & Girls Club

The 2025 Trailblazer Series recently concluded in Vero Beach, Fla., after an exciting weekend filled with on-field baseball development and off-field mentorship. The event, which took place at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex from April 10-13, featured many newcomers on both the field and in the dugout, with standout performances

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The White Sox Amateur City Elite youth baseball program is one of the top initiatives in professional sports, let alone just Major League Baseball. At the very least, as the legendary Ken "Hawk" Harrelson regularly would say, there might be some programs as good as the White

JUPITER, Fla. – If you can see it, you can be it. This adage rings true for Marlins switch-hitting shortstop Xavier Edwards, who always considered pursuing a baseball career to be in the realm of possibility.

VERO BEACH, Fla. – Grambling State’s Chris Marcellus can look around the Jackie Robinson Training Complex and compare his growth as a player to that of the facility’s increasing popularity and standing in the baseball community.

This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola's Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

For most kids in the U.S., baseball is accessible practically from the day they are born. But elsewhere in the world, “America’s Pastime” is not quite so ubiquitous. It can be challenging to build up the sport in regions without inherent knowledge of the game. Sometimes though, all it takes

This story was excerpted from Do-Hyoung Park’s Twins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. One of the newest additions to the Twins’ 40-man roster, right-hander Travis Adams, had long wanted to take a trip to Japan, so he