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The best of the best local student-athletes, coaches and teams were celebrated at Monday’s Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Evening with the Athletes at Marjorie Luke Theater.

High school and college Athletes of the Year were named and two coaches were named Coaches of the Year, as selected by the local sports media.

SBART also honored this school year’s Scholar-Athletes of the Year, Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award Winners, Special Award Winners and scholarship recipients.

Greg Zuffelato of Santa Barbara High boys basketball was named the 2024-25 High School Coach of the Year.

The Santa Barbara High boys basketball team had one of its most successful seasons in program history this year, led by coach Zuffelato. The Dons put together an overall record of 27-7 and a 13-1 league record to capture the Channel League championship. 

In the regular season, the team earned a marquee win over Sierra Canyon to put the program on the map as one of the best in the state. They also reached the CIF Southern Section Division 1 Semifinals in a bracket full of powerhouse programs.

Meanwhile, Jo Evans of UCSB Softball was named the 2024-25 College Coach of the Year.

Evans was at the helm as the Gaucho softball program made history this spring, winning the Big West Tournament Championship for the first time ever. They followed that up by winning a pair of NCAA Regional games and reaching the Regional championship, also for the first time in program history. 

When all was said and done, the Gauchos went 36-26 and set new single-season program records for home runs, runs, runs batted in, doubles and hits.

The special award and scholarship winners included Arlette Godges (Master Athlete), Gabriela Gomez (Russ Morrison Memorial Golf Scholarship), Gianna Mandarino (SBART Founders Scholarship), Francesca Court (James Ranta Memorial Scholarship) and Adair Rosas (Larry Crandell Memorial Scholarship).

Fall High School Athletes of the Year

Boys Water Polo – Sam Rich – San Marcos

Rich, the starting goalie, led the Royals to a Channel League championship and a spot in the CIF Open Division playoffs. He racked up 300 saves, was named the Channel League MVP and to the All-CIF Open Division Third Team.

Girls Volleyball – Eliana Urzua – Bishop Diego

Urzua put together a Tri-Valley League MVP season, leading to a Tri-Valley League championship and a CIF Division 3 Runner-Up finish. She averaged 18.5 kills per match, tallying 554 kills, 80 aces and 37 blocks in 30 matches played. 

Girls Golf – Sagarika Manian – Dos Pueblos

Manian won her fourth straight Channel League individual championship in dominant fashion, finishing three strokes ahead of the rest of the field. She ended her year with a 25th-place out of 114 golfers at the CIF Northern Regional Individuals.

Girls Tennis – Nicole Buist – Santa Barbara

Buist won the Singles MVP with an individual record of 48-10. She was also the League Doubles Champion and reached the Round of 16 in the CIF Championship Tournament alongside her sister, Caitlyn.

Boys Cross Country – Cullen Gully – Dos Pueblos

Gully placed 1st in the CIF Prelim race, 9th at the CIF Finals and was the team’s top finisher with an 18th-place finish at the State Championship Race. He also came in second in the Channel League race.

Girls Cross Country – Cate Bishop – Dos Pueblos

Bishop helped her team to a first-place finish at the Santa Barbara County Championship with a third place individual showing. She took third in the Channel League championship and 43rd at the CIF Finals race.

Girls Flag Football – Rio Chesluk – San Marcos

Chesluk won the Channel League Two Way Player of the Year Award. On offense, she ended with 96 catches for 1,104 yards and 24 touchdowns, while also passing for seven touchdowns. She was also a ballhawk defensively, recording 14 interceptions.

Football – Kai Mault – Santa Barbara

Mault did it all to lead the Dons to the Division 4 playoffs. As a receiver, he caught 28 passes for 601 yards, while as a quarterback, he threw for 302 yards and rushed for 652. He ended with 18 total touchdowns and was named the Conejo Coast League Receiver of the Year.

Fall College Athletes of the Year

Men’s Soccer – Alexis Ledoux – UCSB

Ledoux was the Big West Offensive Player of the Year Award and a member of the All-Big West First Team. He ended the season with 14 goals and 33 points, both of which were good for second in the nation.

Girls Soccer – Devin Greer – UCSB

Greer helped her team win the Big West Championship Tournament in her freshman year. She scored 10 goals and totaled 24 points to earn the Big West Freshman of the Year honor and spots on the All-Big West First Team and All-Big West Freshman Team.

Women’s Golf – Annie Betts – SBCC

Betts won the 3C2A SoCal Regional Championship for the Vaqueros with an impressive two-day score of 4-under-par. She followed that performance up with a strong eighth-place showing at the 3C2A State Championship.

Football – Jack Myers – SBCC

Myers anchored an SBCC defense that faced some of the toughest competition in the nation last fall, earning him a spot on the All-Conference Second Team. He finished the season with 55 tackles and 6 ½ tackles for a loss.

Men’s Cross Country – Zola Sokhela – Westmont

Sokhela raced his way onto the All-PacWest First Team. He took fifth place individually at the PacWest Championships where Westmont came in fourth and followed that up with a 29th place individually at the NCAA D2 West Regionals.

Women’s Cross Country – Ava Maier – UCSB

Maier led her team to a spot in the NCAA Division 1 West Regionals. In the Big West Championship meet where UCSB finished in eighth place as a team, Ava came in 26th place individually.

Women’s Water Polo – Addie Lane – SBCC

Lane was a key member of the WSC Champion and State Runner-Up Vaqueros in the fall, leading the team in goals with 99, finishing second in assists with 41 and third in steals with 84. She was named to the WSC 1st Team, the SoCal All-American 1st Team, and the All-State 1st Team.

Men’s Water Polo – Levi Lentin – UCSB

Lentin was in the middle of the Gauchos’ defensive success in the pool all season as one of the top goalies in the conference. He was named to the All-Big West Second Team after leading the conference in saves with 196 and steals per game with 1.4.

Winter High School Athletes of the Year

Boys Basketball – Luke Zuffelato – Santa Barbara

Zuffelato averaged 24.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game to win Channel League MVP and lead his team to a league title and a CIF Division 1 Semifinal appearance. He leaves as the program’s all-time leader in points, rebounds, and three-pointers made.

Girls Basketball – Taylor Grant – Dos Pueblos

Grant averaged 10.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while guarding the other team’s top options. She led her team to a playoff win in Division 2AA and was named to both the All Channel League First team and the All Ventura County Second Team. 

Boys Soccer – George Marin – Cate

Marin scored 30 goals in 13 regular season games and scored all four of his team’s goals in their two Division 1 playoff wins. He was named the Tri-Valley League Offensive Player of the Year and led his team to an undefeated regular season and league title.

Girls Soccer – Natalie Gonzalez – Carpinteria

Gonzalez gave up just 11 goals in 19 games played while recording 10 shutouts. She was named the Citrus Coast League Goalie of the Year for the third straight season and led her team to a 2nd place finish in league and a playoff win.

Girls Water Polo – Charlotte Raisin – San Marcos

Raisin helped lead the Royals to a Channel League Championship and a spot in the CIF Open Division Playoffs. She scored 68 goals, dished out 42 assists and had 38 earned exclusions. She was the Channel League Co-MVP.

Girls Water Polo – Lucy Haaland-Ford – San Marcos

Haaland-Ford was the other Channel League Co-MVP, after playing a key role in the team’s success throughout the league schedule. She scored 60 goals of her own and racked up 67 steals while also tallying 30 earned exclusions.

Boys Wrestling – Jonathan Corona – Santa Barbara

Corona captured a Channel League Championship for the 190 pound division. He also came in 4th place at the CIF-SS Masters Meet and was the first ever Santa Barbara High male wrestler to reach the State Meet.

Girls Wrestling – Sierrah Kendig – Dos Pueblos

Kendig was the only local girls wrestler to reach the CIF playoffs this winter after winning the Channel League Championship in the 135-pound division. She came in 8th place at the CIF-SS Eastern Division Meet.

Winter College Athletes of the Year

Men’s Basketball – Adrian McIntyre – Westmont

McIntyre finished the year first in the nation at the Division 2 level with 27.9 points per game. He set the single-season scoring record with 723 points and single-game record with 51. He was the PacWest Player of the Year and a Division 2 First-Team All-American.

Women’s Basketball – Alyssa Marin – UCSB

Marin averaged 14.3 points per game along with two assists and two rebounds per contest on her way to being named to the All-Big West Second Team.

Men’s Swimming – Kyle Brill – UCSB

Brill was the Big West Swimmer of the Year Award. He set or had a hand in setting new program records in the 200 breaststroke, 200 IM, 400 IM, 400 freestyle relay and 400 medley relay. He won Big West titles in the 200 medley and 400 medley to help his team to a conference championship.

Women’s Swimming – Samantha Banos – UCSB

Banos played a key role in her team capturing the Big West Championships this season. As an individual, she took home first place in the 200 butterfly, the 200 freestyle, and the 500 freestyle as the team’s leading point getter in the Big West Championship meet.

Spring High School Athletes of the Year

Girls Beach Volleyball – Josie Gamberdella/Cora Loomer – San Marcos

Gamberdella and Loomer went undefeated against league opponents to win league MVP awards and lead their team to a Channel League Championship. They reached the CIF-SS Individual Tournament Quarterfinals and took home 5th place.

Baseball – Eric Anthony – Santa Barbara

Anthony was the ace of a Santa Barbara High team that won its second straight Channel League title. He ended the year with a 6-3 record, a 1.41 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, 61 strikeouts and a .183 batting average against in 64 ⅔ innings.

Softball – Anastasia Brunner – Dos Pueblos

Brunner was a hitting machine for the Chargers, hitting .490 with an on base percentage of .592. She ended the year with 47 hits, including seven homers, while driving in 22 runs and scoring 38 of her own. She was named to the All-Channel League First Team.

Boys Lacrosse – Jack Finneran – Dos Pueblos

Finneran scored 78 goals, good for 8th in California, and had 54 assists to finish 5th in the state. His 127 total points is the All-Time Channel League Record and is 4th in California. He led his team to an undefeated regular season and a league title.

Girls Lacrosse – Livanna Plourde – San Marcos

Plourde was the Channel League Midfielder of the Year on a San Marcos squad that went 10-0 in league play on the way to a Channel League title. She ended the season with 78 goals, 51 ground balls, 114 draw controls and 21 assists for the Royals.

Boys Volleyball – Matteo Burdick – San Marcos

Burdick was a dynamic outside hitter for the Royals all season, racking up kills for a team that put together a 23-10 record. He led the way on the offensive end as San Marcos went 9-1 against league opponents and captured the Channel League championship.

Boys Tennis – Carter Cotich – San Marcos

Cotich was dominant on the singles courts, helping his team on its way to a CIF-SS Division 3 Runner-Up finish. As an individual, Carter went undefeated in Channel League play and never lost a set, finishing it off with a Channel League Singles Title.

Boys Swimming – Bennett Sullivan – Laguna Blanca

Sullivan was a critical member of the CIF Division 3 champion 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay Laguna Blanca teams. Individually, he came in 4th in the 100 breaststroke and 5th in the 200 IM at the CIF Championship meet.

Girls Swimming – Sierra Tallman – San Marcos

Tallman set the school record in the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke and set the Channel League record with an All-American time in the 200 IM. She helped lead the Royals to a league title and a 4th-place finish at the CIF-SS Finals Meet.

Girls Swimming – Taylor Steelman – San Marcos

Steelman’s year was headlined by a second-place finish in the 500 freestyle at the State Meet to earn All-American status. She placed 1st in both the 500 freestyle and 100 backstroke at the league finals, and followed that up with 5th in the 500 freestyle and 7th in the 200 freestyle at the CIF Finals.

Boys Track & Field – Carter Battle – Santa Barbara

Battle won the County and Channel League championship in the high jump. He set the school record in the event with a mark of 6 feet, 8.75 inches. He ended his season in sixth place in the CIF Finals and 10th place at the Masters Meet.

Boys Track & Field – Malachi Johnston – Santa Barbara

Johnston was the County and League Champion in both the shot put and the discus. He also made a strong run in the CIF playoffs, placing 4th in the shot put at the CIF Finals and 11th place at the Masters Meet.

Girls Track & Field – Elina Stump – Santa Barbara

Stump won the County and League Championships in the long jump, triple jump and 100-meter hurdles. She also earned a CIF Division 2 title in the long jump. She paired that with second-place finishes in the triple jump and 100 hurdles at the CIF Finals.

Boys Golf – Teddy Vigna – Dos Pueblos

Vigna finished the Channel League Individual Tournament with a total score of one-under-par, good for 3rd place. In the postseason, he placed 9th with a 5-under-par at the State Qualifier and came in 29th in the CIF State Championship.

Spring College Athletes of the Year

Women’s Beach Volleyball – Madelynn Papia/Sage Thorne-Thomsen – SBCC

Papia and Thorne-Thomsen helped lead the team to a co-WSC Championship. As a duo, they reached the 3C2A State Pairs Championship and played a key role in SBCC coming in third place as a team in the 3C2A State Championship Tournament.

Baseball – Ryan Humphreys – Westmont

Humphreys went 11-1 with a 2.44 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP and 107 strikeouts in 81 innings pitched. He was named the PacWest Pitcher of the Year and a First Team Division 2 All-American, helping the Warriors to a PacWest Championship and hosting a Regional Tournament.

Softball – Malaya Johnson – UCSB

Johnson was the go-to arm for the Gauchos, who went on an incredible run to win the Big West Championship Tournament. She was named the Big West Pitcher of the Year after going 22-10 with 1 2/68 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP and 112 strikeouts in 198 ⅔ innings pitched.

Women’s Swimming – Lily Carrick – SBCC

In the conference meet, Carrick won the 500 freestyle and 400 IM. She followed that up by winning Swimmer of the Meet at the State Meet after winning the 500 freestyle, 400 IM and 1,650 freestyle to give her team a State Runner-Up finish.

Men’s Volleyball – George Bruening – UCSB

Bruening collected an All-Big West Honorable Mention to go along with his spot on the All-Big West Freshman team. He racked up 201 points and 178 kills on the season, while also serving as the team’s go-to hitter in conference play.

Men’s Tennis – Mauritz Seitz – SBCC

Seitz captured the WSC Singles Championship and was named the WSC Co-Most Valuable Player. To go along with his singles dominance, he was also the WSC Doubles Runner-Up with teammate Ada Guler.

Women’s Tennis – Amelia Honer – UCSB

Honer earned her third straight Big West Player of the Year award. She was ranked the #16 player in the country at the end of the regular season after going 16-2 atop the Gaucho lineup. Of her 16 victories, 13 came in straight sets as UCSB captured the Big West Championship.

Women’s Track & Field – Kennedy Johnson – UCSB

Johnson first in the triple jump at the Crimson Elite Invite, Bruce Lehane Scarlet & White Invite, Gaucho Relays and Challenge Cup. Her jump of 12.61 meters set a new UCSB program record. She won the Big West title in the event and jumped a mark of 12.46 meters at the NCAA West Regionals.

Men’s Track & Field – Brad Thomas – UCSB

Thomas took first place in the Decathlon at the Big West Championships. He accumulated 8,108 points at the championship, setting a new UCSB and Big West record in the event. He also competed in the Javelin at the conference championship meet and took home fifth place.

Women’s Water Polo – Annie Kuester – UCSB

Kuester was the spark plug for the Gaucho offense this season, leading the way with 60 goals while also chipping in 21 assists to bring her season-long point total to 81. She also collected 32 steals on her way to an All-Big West Second Team selection.

Men’s Golf – Dylan Ma – UCSB

Ma earned himself an All-Big West Honorable Mention nod. He finished in second place individually at 9-under-par at the Big West Championships. On the season, he had a 74.1 stroke average, two top 10 finishes and four top 25 finishes.

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Welcome back to Diamond Diplomas, a weekly rundown of all the players knocking on the door to the major leagues. Whether you compete in the deepest of dynasty leagues, or simply want to win the office redraft title, Prospects Live has you covered. For an overview of the tier system used to prioritize players in this series, take a look at the first article in the series here:

Diamond Diplomas 5/6/25Lucas Morel (@theprospectprof) delivers a rundown of all the players getting their caps and gowns ready for graduation to the major leagues. Class is in session, time to find out who you need to add to your roster or watch list this week.

After a promotion-filled week, let us kick things off with a “Report Card” (all statistics courtesy of BaseballSavant, TJStats, Fangraphs and Milb.com, updated as of the conclusion of play on June 8):

Report Card

Called Up:

• Roman Anthony, OF (BOS): After he launched a ball into orbit this weekend, the Red Sox finally decided to bring Anthony up to Beantown. His ten home runs and .914 OPS in Triple-A give fans an idea of what to look forward to with him regularly in the big league lineup. Anthony is our #1 overall prospect and has all the makings of a fantasy superstar. Pick. Him. Up.
• Kyle Teel, C (CWS): Teel brought his hot bat from Charlotte to Chicago this week, tallying three hits and walking twice during his debut series against Kansas City. He will be splitting time with Edgar Quero behind the dish in the near term but could certainly play his way into a larger role with continued production.
• Johnathan Rodriguez, OF (CLE): With Jhonkensy Noel sent down to Triple-A Columbus, Rodriguez again got the call to the bigs. Making his first start with the Guardians since early April, the outfielder went one-for-three with a single.
• Otto Kemp, 3B (PHI): The Phillies called up the current International League home run leader on Saturday, but he went hitless across both weekend games. Bryce Harper’s injury will keep Kemp with the big league club for now, but perhaps not in an everyday capacity.
• Tim Elko, 1B (CWS): Elko picked up right where he left off upon rejoining the White Sox this week, showing off premium power and little else. He will need to keep the homers coming to maintain fantasy relevance.
• Ryan Ritter, SS (COL): Fresh off his appearance in last week’s article as a Sleeper Pick, Ritter got the call to fill in for the injured Ezequiel Tovar. He has tallied a base hit in each of his first three games with the Rockies, albeit with a 37.5% strikeout rate.
• Eury Perez, P (MIA): The Marlins activated Perez from the injured list on Monday, marking the final step in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. He has ace upside, looked close to full strength during rehab outings, and could be a fantasy difference maker in both dynasty and redraft formats the rest of the way.
• Ian Seymour, P (TB): Seymour joined the Rays on Sunday but has yet to make his major league debut. His first appearance with Tampa will likely come out of the bullpen, but his fantasy value would rise significantly if he worked his way into the rotation mix.
• Michael McGreevy, P (STL): Making his second big-league start of the year, McGreevy got knocked around a little by a potent Dodgers lineup. Eight hits and four earned runs were the extent of the damage, though he did not give away any free passes. He was subsequently optioned back to Triple-A but could still be in the Cardinals rotation mix going forward, so keep an eye on their announced starters for the next couple of weeks.
• Brandon Walter, P (HOU): My most controversial One to Watch selection yet, Walter returned to the Astros on Sunday, rewarding anyone who streamed him with a quality start, five strikeouts, and no walks issued. The Astros will reportedly keep him as the sixth man in their rotation for the next few weeks, enhancing his short-term value.

Locked In:

• Samuel Basallo, C/1B (BAL): What else can we say about this kid? Basallo bombs are becoming a regular occurrence in Norfolk, as the 20-year-old phenom crushed his eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth home runs this week. His season OPS is soaring closer and closer to 1.000.
• Dylan Beavers, OF (BAL): Basallo’s teammate in Triple-A, Beavers has not missed a beat since returning from injury on May 31. With twelve hits (two of them homers) this week alone, the former Cal Golden Bear officially regains his Diamond Diploma status.
• Brooks Baldwin, UTIL (CWS): The 24-year-old utility man has recently tapped into a power surge with Triple-A Charlotte, hitting three home runs and two doubles in his last six games. He has looked more dangerous at the plate since his mid-May demotion but remains a better real-life ballplayer than a fantasy producer.
• Chase Burns, P (CIN): Burns pitched a full seven innings for the first time in his professional career this week, carving up the Knoxville Smokies (Cubs AA affiliate). He struck out six, walked none, and gave up just three hits in this latest gem, and with each passing outing, he makes a 2025 big league debut look more and more likely. His Sunday night promotion to Triple-A came as no surprise.
• Chase Petty, P (CIN): The second-most aptly named Reds pitching prospect also put on a show this week, punching out eight batters over six innings of one-run baseball. His first two major league appearances were less than impressive, but the third time might be the charm for the rejuvenated Petty. That third time could also come quite soon, given that Wade Miley currently gets the ball every fifth day for Cincinnati.
• Jack Perkins, P (ATH): Perkins made his case for a call-up this week, racking up ten strikeouts in five shutout innings. The 25-year-old has a 3.58 ERA and 1.07 WHIP through seven starts this season and looks poised for a big league promotion this summer. Stay tuned for a closer look at Perkins below.

Dropped Off:

• Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF (MIN): Health has been the most significant concern for Rodriguez during his time in the minors, and this most recent injury to his right hip accentuates that red flag. He has exceeded 50 games played in just one of his four previous professional seasons, so he will need to come back healthy and stay healthy for 2025 to feel like a step in the right direction.
• Sean Linan, P (LAD): After his shock move to Triple-A, the 20-year-old struggled to miss bats and find the strike zone. The Dodgers sent him back to High-A on May 31, and it looks like that will be his home for the foreseeable future.

Next up, take a look at this week’s Diamond Diplomas hitters:

Diamond Diplomas (Hitters)

Priority Add: Bryce Eldridge, 1B (SF)

Nick Kurtz and Jac Caglianone have stolen headlines all season for their light tower power from the left side. Still, Bryce Eldridge deserves to be in the conversation with those guys for the most impressive game-power among prospects. At 6’ 7”, 240 lbs., Eldridge could easily be mistaken for an NBA player, but he has a remarkable ease and fluidity in his swing that allows him to generate loft via his long levers. A wrist problem kept him sidelined for the beginning of the 2025 season, but in 39 games played across the AA-AAA levels since being activated on April 22, the former two-way player has hit .246/.346/.839 with eight home runs.

Though he did end the year in Triple-A last season, Eldridge had to work his way back, beginning at Double-A after recovering from his wrist injury. He was just recently promoted back to Sacramento on June 3. His five games played in AAA are a meager sample, but his underlying data provides some helpful insights. The top concern with a power-hitter of Eldridge’s size will almost always be swing-and-miss issues, as Spencer Jones of the Yankees’ system exemplifies. Not many players of their stature can control the zone and manipulate the barrel well enough to make consistent contact, limiting access to their power potential. What sets Eldridge apart is his solid (and still improving) bat-to-ball ability; his 84.6% Zone-Contact% far exceeds Caglianone’s rate (71.0%) in the twelve games he spent at Triple-A, for instance. He will likely never win a batting title. Still, suppose Eldridge continues to maintain Z-Contact% above 80% as a big leaguer with a tolerable strikeout rate. In that case, we could be looking at a fantasy monster at the first base position, one who should be viewed as just a hair behind Caglianone and Kurtz from a dynasty perspective.

One To Watch: Colson Montgomery, SS (CWS)

Going into the 2025 season, not many people held out hope for a bounce back from Colson Montgomery. The hype around the 23-year-old shortstop had been slowly fading for a while, with his weaker bat-to-ball skills and lack of tangible game power becoming more and more difficult to justify as he moved up the minor league ladder. The early stages of this season only increased the skepticism: Montgomery hit just .160/.227/.247 in April and only hit for extra bases four times in his first 23 games of 2025. The White Sox, recognizing that something needed to change as April came to a close, sent him to their Arizona Complex to recalibrate with the club’s Director of Hitting, Ryan Fuller.

The professional baseball season is such a day-to-day grind, with players seeing the field five or six days a week, even in the minor leagues, that making substantive changes to a player’s mechanics or approach becomes difficult, if not impossible.  Though uncommon, the White Sox’s decision to have Montgomery step away for some drastic, in-season workshopping certainly seems to have been the correct call. Upon returning to Triple-A Charlotte on May 5, Montgomery has proceeded to hit .250/.346/.426 in May, and has also had two multi-homer games to his name since then. 
Additionally, while the former Indiana prep star’s underlying data still looks rough due to his abysmal start to the season, his exit velocities show signs of life. Lack of game power was many people’s most significant concern in terms of future production, but a Max EV of 115.3 mph and 90th-percentile number of 108.3 mph are both excellent figures that point to some still untapped juice in the bat. Just like his overall stat line, the market for Montgomery’s fantasy value has yet to catch up to his newfound comfort in the batter’s box. This seems like an ideal buy window for a guy whose acquisition cost is the lowest it has ever been while the early signs of a post-hype breakout are just beginning to emerge.

Sleeper Pick: Brennen Davis, OF (NYY)

Like Montgomery, Brennen Davis once lived near the top of dynasty prospect rankings but has seen his stock fall precipitously over the past few seasons. The former Chicago Cubs second-rounder battled through several serious health issues in that time, most notably a back surgery in 2022 and an ankle surgery in 2024, before the Cubs designated him for assignment this past November. The Yankees swooped in shortly thereafter to sign him to a minor league deal. While the start of his 2025 season was also delayed because of said ankle injury, he has torched opposing pitching since his season debut on May 8.

In 19 games across three levels (Rookie and Double-A for rehab appearances, then recently in Triple-A full-time), Davis has an absurd 2025 slash line of .375/.481/.766. Also, in case you were worried, these numbers are inflated because of how well he performed against Rookie-ball pitching; his Triple-A-only line looks even more impressive: .474/.525/.895 with two homers in five games played. His batted ball data backs up his offensive outburst in this small Triple-A sample, with a 57.1% Hard hit rate and 14.3% barrel rate as the standout metrics. A weaker Z-contact% and a high Whiff% temper my optimism and hint at some looming regression, but Davis looks as dangerous as ever at the plate right now. He is currently rostered in just 7% of Fantrax leagues, and that number should be much, much higher, given his pedigree, his upside, and his hot start.

Hitters done, pitchers next. Here are this week’s Diamond Diplomas arms:

Diamond Diplomas (Pitchers)

Priority Add: Logan Henderson, (MIL)

With Mick Abel and Michael McGreevy back in the majors, the title of “Most Undeserved Demotion” is now squarely in Logan Henderson’s possession. The Brewers gave Henderson four starts with the big league club already this season, and each time he delivered: across all four outings (21 innings pitched), the right-hander boasts an ERA of 1.71, a WHIP of 0.95, and an outstanding 12.43 K/9. He even has a 3-0 record to show for it all! Despite his repeated excellence, Henderson currently finds himself in Triple-A Nashville, where he has demonstrated similar dominance (1.89 ERA and 0.92 WHIP over eight appearances, seven of them starts). 

The key to Henderson’s success? The dynamic duo of his fastball and changeup, which he turns to about 88% of the time, and to great effect. His 11.84 K/9 in AAA this year would rank third in the International League (behind Bubba Chandler and Ian Seymour) if he had thrown enough innings at the level this season to qualify. The only downside of his FB/CH combo being so deadly is how dependent the 23-year-old is on these two pitches alone and how the lack of a compelling breaking ball in his arsenal opens him up to some loud contact.

Back in February, our own Greg Hoogkamp highlighted Henderson in his comprehensive “Dynasty Starting Pitcher Preview,” noting that “Henderson is an extreme flyball pitcher, and while this hasn’t hurt him yet, it will once he reaches Milwaukee. Adding a capable third pitch is essential. He has been working hard on a slider, which will only help Henderson succeed.” This has proven to be spot on, as in Henderson’s four big league outings this season, hitters put up a 55.6% flyball rate, and he conceded three homers. If he can hone either his slider or his cutter into a viable third option, look out. Until then, the current iteration of Logan Henderson still deserves a big league rotation spot, and given his track record already in the majors this season, he will likely get that nod before his (equally deserving) Nashville teammate, Jacob Misiorowski.

One To Watch: Cam Schlittler, (NYY)

Ever since pitching wizard Matt Blake took the role of Yankees pitching coach in November of 2019, the New York club has quietly become a powerhouse for pitching development. Clarke Schmidt and Will Warren serve as current examples of this in the big league rotation, but the latest Yankee to dazzle in the lower levels is Cam Schlittler, a seventh-round pick out of Northeastern from 2022. The 24-year-old right-hander brings an imposing presence to the mound at 6’ 6”, 225 lbs., making his 96-98 mph fastball feel even more impossible to catch up with, given his extension. Schlittler began 2025 with Double-A Somerset and made it look easy, finishing his ten appearances with a 2.38 ERA, an 11.17 K/9, and a 64:17 K:BB ratio. He then was promoted to make his first Triple-A start last Saturday and picked up right where he had left off, going five innings and striking out eight, allowing just one earned run from two hits and three walks.

Lately, Yankees prospects have had to bide their time before earning a full-time role in the majors, with the organization waiting well past when fans feel a player deserves the chance (Exhibit A: Jasson Domínguez). Schlittler may find himself in a similar situation even if his superb form continues, given that Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil are both expected to reclaim spots in the Yankee rotation when they return from injury; that said, Cole will probably not be back until mid-2026, and Gil has yet to face live batters in his recovery process. If (and this is a sizable “if”) an opening were to materialize in the majors within the next couple of months, Schlittler is the most talented and advanced arm within proximity. Undoubtedly, the Yankees are telling him to keep doing him, and good things will happen. For fantasy managers, Schlittler is a must-add in dynasty formats with mid-to-deep prospect capacities and an arm to keep tabs on in redraft, just in case.

Sleeper Pick: Jack Perkins, (ATH)

Unlike Schlittler, who may have to thread the needle with some fortunate timing to reach the bigs in 2025, Jack Perkins may get the most important phone call of his life quite soon. The Athletics have the worst team ERA (5.68) in all of Major League Baseball, with multiple starting arms on the IL, so they have little reason not to let some of their more promising prospect arms garner some big league experience. If not Luis Morales, the next call will almost certainly be to Perkins. The former Indiana Hoosier has a 3.58 ERA and 1.07 WHIP, with a fantastic 13.50 K/9 in seven starts for Triple-A Las Vegas this season. 

A bit undersized for a starter at 6’ 1”, Perkins has two plus-grade offerings in his fastball and slider, the latter of which he uses as his put-away pitch and supplements these with a cutter, curveball, and changeup. The command was the knock on him coming into 2025 since he finished the last two seasons with walk rates of 10.2% (2023) and 10.9% (2024), respectively. He has improved slightly in this regard, as his 2025 walk rate is 9.7%. In our pre-season Athletics farm rankings, Rhys White wrote that Perkins “could be a fine four starter or a nice weapon to pair with Mason Miller,” and I concur. Although owned in only 11% of leagues (less than half of Luis Morales’ 24% ownership), Perkins could provide an excellent return from a fantasy production standpoint in either a bullpen or rotation role as soon as this summer.

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When Burba, a 1984 Kenton Ridge High School graduate, returned to his hometown to visit his parents Gerald and Linda, who still lived in the Northridge neighborhood where he grew up, he recognized that he had probably thrown his last pitch in professional baseball.

“I just don’t think it’s going to happen,” Burba said then. “I don’t think somebody’s going to call and say, ‘Hey, we need you to come try out for spring training.’ A 39-year-old guy who didn’t even play in the big leagues last year. What do you think? You’ve got a better chance of winning the lottery.”

Even though Burba wanted to keep pitching, he couldn’t complain about what he was able to accomplish in the game. He pitched for six big-league teams, including the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians (now the Guardians), between 1990 and 2004.

Burba was the winning pitcher in Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995. That remains the last playoff series the Reds have won. He pitched for three playoff teams in Cleveland.

Burba finished his career with a record of 115-87 and 4.49 ERA. He spent the majority of his time early in his career in the bullpen, became a starter with the Reds and Indians, and then finished his career as a reliever.

Burba did make one last attempt to resurrect his pitching career in 2006, signing with the Seattle Mariners in February, but he was released in late March.

The question of what was next for Burba came up in that 2005 interview. He mentioned the possibility of stepping into the broadcast booth. A year later, after not making the Mariners roster, he told the News-Sun he was interested in being a pitching coach.

That’s exactly what he’s done. Burba is now the pitching coach for the Lansing Lugnuts, the High-A affiliate of the Athletics in the Midwest League. It’s the latest stop in a coaching career that began in 2011.

Burba, 58, returned to Ohio for a recent series against the Dayton Dragons at Day Air Ballpark and once again spoke about a baseball career that has now spanned five decades.

“It’s been awesome,” Burba said. “When I first was done, I didn’t think that I would want to get back into baseball, but my kids started getting to the age where they were in little league, and of course, all the parents found out who I was. And it was, ‘Hey, can you coach?’ I’m not doing anything else. I guess I can. So I started coaching, and I enjoyed it.”

One day, Burba told his wife Star, “Hey, I can’t really be myself around these kids.”

“What do you mean?” Star asked.

“Well, I’m biting my tongue a lot.”

“What are you saying?”

“Well, I’m enjoying coaching, so I think I’m going to try to get back in.”

It took Burba a couple years to find an opportunity. He said he didn’t go about it the right way at first. He talked to people he knew in the game and told them he was interested in coaching. He thought if he talked to enough people eventually he would find a job. They told him they’d get in touch. No one got back to him.

Finally, his agent told him to put a resume together, and an old connection paid off. Burba pitched for the Indians from 1998-2002. John Hart was Cleveland’s general manager at that time. In 2011, Hart helped Burba get a job in the Colorado Rockies organization.

Burba started his coaching career with the Tri-City Dust Devils, a Short Season Class-A affiliate of the Rockies, in Pasco, Wash., in 2011. He spent two seasons there before moving to the Single-A Modesto Nuts in 2013. He coached with the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats in Connecticut in 2015 and stayed in Connecticut the following year as the Rockies moved their Double-A affiliate to Hartford. He has since coached with the Lancaster JetHawks in California and has spent time in the Arizona Complex League.

Burba moved to the Athletics organization last year, staying in the Complex League. Throughout his coaching career, Burba has developed his own style.

“I thought about some of the pitching coaches that I had — the good things that they did and the bad things — and I can remember being a player and saying, ‘I’m never going to do that to a player,’“ Burba said. ”I’m not going to mention names, but back in the day, you could tell who they paid attention to and who they didn’t. I didn’t think that was right. As a coach, you create the right spark, and you never know what could happen.”

Burba has adjusted his methods as the game has changed. He coached through the defensive shift era and has seen the effects of the pitch clock. Technology also has given coaches and players new tools.

“The game has changed a lot,” Burba said. “I didn’t pay attention to it because I was in rookie ball. Well, I knew it was important, but to apply it to a rookie ball pitcher doesn’t make sense. You’re trying to get him to throw strikes. Then they’re like, ‘Hey, you’re going to High-A ball, and you need to know.’ So I did a lot of educating this offseason.”

Burba worked with Jim Gott, the pitching coach for the A’s Single-A affiliate, the Stockton Ports, in the offseason. They educated themselves.

“I’m no genius with it,” Burba said, “but I understand how it works.”

Burba has called Arizona home for decades now. This is the first time he has coached in the Midwest. The job in Lansing has allowed him to visit his dad Gerald and sister Jane in Springfield often this year. His mom Linda died in 2021 at 84.

The A’s told Burba they were sending him to Lansing this season. Getting to visit his family is a bonus. He also recently returned to Kenton Ridge. His friend Scott Zerkle, his former KR teammate and a former assistant coach with the program, invited him to visit. Burba threw batting practice for the players while he was there.

Burba was the first of four Kenton Ridge graduates in a three-decade span to make it to the big leagues. All had lengthy careers. All played for longtime coach Tom Randall, who retired after leading the Cougars to a state championship game appearance in 2007.

Burban debuted in 1990 with the Seattle Mariners. Rick White debuted in 1994 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Dustin Hermanson debuted in 1995 with the San Diego Padres. From 1990-2007, at least one of those pitchers — and often all three — were in the big leagues.

The run of Kenton Ridge pitchers ended when White made his last big-league appearance in 2007. Adam Eaton graduated from Kenton Ridge that same year and made his big-league debut five years later with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Eaton’s 10-year career, which ended in 2021, included a World Series championship with the Washington Nationals in 2019.

“I just think it’s amazing,” Burba said, “not because I’m part of it but because of the fact that there’s four kids from an 800-student enrollment school to spit out four big leaguers and some other professional guys. Then you’ve got Greg Beals coaching (now at Marshall). It’s pretty neat.”

MINNEAPOLIS – University of Minnesota women’s golf head coach Matt Higgins announced the signing of Olivia Deakins to join the Golden Gophers for the 2025-26 campaign with one year of collegiate eligibility remaining.

“We are very excited to add Olivia to the team for this upcoming season,” said head coach Matt Higgins. “She brings a lot of tournament experience to our program. She is very athletic and long off the tee. She is very motivated and an extremely hard worker.” 

Deakins comes to Dinkytown after spending three seasons at NCAA Division II Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Fla., where she was the 28th-ranked player nationally last year. A native of Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., she improved her scoring average each season with the Lions and won individual event titles in each of the last two seasons. She was also named an Honorable Mention All-American in NCAA Division II this season. 

“I am super excited for the opportunity to play for Coach Higgins and Coach Greene at the University of Minnesota,” said Deakins. “I chose Minnesota for the combination of elite athletics and academic opportunities. I am extremely excited to get the year started with my new teammates and coaches. Go Gophers!” 

She competed in all 12 events as a junior and led the Lions with a 74.0 scoring average across 34 total rounds. Deakins paced Saint Leo four times during the 2024-25 season, including six top-10 performances, and won a tournament title at the Augustana Spring Fling. She carded a season-low round of 6-under-par (66) to close the Lynn Invite and ended the season with 13 rounds of even par or better.