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Transcript

Hot Sheet: AL Central Top Prospects · Foul Territory

0:00
Speaker 1: I was sitting there in the room when the ping
0:02
Speaker 1: pong balls and you got to about that last ping
0:03
Speaker 1: bug ball, and you could see Ethan Purser, who was
0:07
Speaker 1: there and for representing the Guardians, like, I think he's
0:10
Speaker 1: figuring out that this could happen here.
0:12
Speaker 2: Number one overall pick, number one overall prospect in the
0:16
Speaker 2: Cleveland Guardians organization. Let's talk about Travis Bozana. It's a
0:21
Speaker 2: Baseball America Prospect profile. Scottpro On, JJ Cooper, Jeff Ponce,
0:24
Speaker 2: Jeff number one overall pick by Cleveland and they were
0:27
Speaker 2: pumped at the first pick because it's a pretty good
0:30
Speaker 2: team that ended up making it to the ALCS. So
0:33
Speaker 2: will we see Travis Bozana contributing to this team in
0:36
Speaker 2: twenty twenty five? You know, I like to hit you
0:38
Speaker 2: with the hard hitters right off the jump.
0:40
Speaker 3: I'd say, if there's one spot in that infield that
0:42
Speaker 3: seems to have a hole at this point, at least
0:44
Speaker 3: long term, it's probably second base. And I wouldn't be
0:48
Speaker 3: shocked that, you know, if Bizanna hits the way he
0:50
Speaker 3: did for three years at Oregon State early on in
0:53
Speaker 3: the minor league season this year, that you know, maybe
0:56
Speaker 3: by August. Certainly by September he'll probably see some time
1:00
Speaker 3: with the Guardians. I think when you look at the
1:02
Speaker 3: player overall, just an absolute master of his craft when
1:06
Speaker 3: it comes to hitting, and I think the work and
1:08
Speaker 3: just the work ethic sort of the stuff behind it,
1:11
Speaker 3: his understanding of who he is as a hitter. I've
1:13
Speaker 3: written about this before. He's really into the numbers. He
1:16
Speaker 3: really knows, you know, what he wants to do and
1:19
Speaker 3: the type of hitter that he wants to become. What
1:22
Speaker 3: he is is he's somebody that that pairs and sort
1:25
Speaker 3: of blends really excellent bats of ball skills with really
1:29
Speaker 3: good approach and the ability to hit for some power
1:33
Speaker 3: despite being sort of a hit tool. First player, you
1:36
Speaker 3: know is looking to pull the ball in the air consistently,
1:40
Speaker 3: you know, get his swing at a point that he
1:42
Speaker 3: can consistently backspin the ball and get the most out
1:45
Speaker 3: of his power. He knows he's not the biggest guy
1:47
Speaker 3: in the planet, and that, you know, getting into his
1:49
Speaker 3: pull side power consistently, particularly on certain types of pitches
1:54
Speaker 3: and certain pitch locations, is going to allow him to
1:56
Speaker 3: put up the most production, you know, over the course
1:59
Speaker 3: of his career. I think just a really good all
2:01
Speaker 3: round player. You know, he's not going to play shortstop,
2:03
Speaker 3: He's going to play second base. He's really solid there defensively,
2:06
Speaker 3: a really good bass steeler as well. I wouldn't say
2:10
Speaker 3: quite five tools because it's not a great arm. But
2:13
Speaker 3: you know, when we look at this player, particularly from
2:15
Speaker 3: the offensive standpoint, I think has a chance to be,
2:19
Speaker 3: you know, a multi time All Star and a big
2:21
Speaker 3: star in the middle of that order for the Guardians
2:23
Speaker 3: for years to come.
2:25
Speaker 1: The thing that I just really it just jumps out
2:29
Speaker 1: to me about Travis Bizana is I feel very comfortable,
2:32
Speaker 1: very confident that he's going to be that kind of
2:34
Speaker 1: player who just keeps getting better, who keeps refining, who
2:37
Speaker 1: keeps improving, because he is kind of a cage rat.
2:41
Speaker 1: He is one of those guys who likes to find
2:45
Speaker 1: the challenge, attack it, and get better at it. He
2:49
Speaker 1: we saw this in the last year, his last year
2:51
Speaker 1: going in his draft year, where it's like, okay, he
2:53
Speaker 1: had some things to work on he wanted and Jeff
2:55
Speaker 1: just mentioned a couple of where it's like he just
2:57
Speaker 1: gets better. He's a guy who's going to spin his offseason.
3:00
Speaker 1: I'm kind of excited to see, Okay, what has he
3:02
Speaker 1: improve that this year in the offseason, because he looks
3:05
Speaker 1: at the offseason as an opportunity to fix, improve, get
3:09
Speaker 1: better at something.
3:10
Speaker 2: For the next year.
3:11
Speaker 1: And those are the kind of guys a lot of times.
3:14
Speaker 1: I mean, it could be a balance, right, you don't
3:15
Speaker 1: want to overdo it, but those kind of guys are
3:18
Speaker 1: the ones who often can make that fourth, fifth, sixth
3:21
Speaker 1: adjustment because nowadays in baseball it is point counterpoint. You
3:26
Speaker 1: do something, then the pitchers do something else. Then you
3:29
Speaker 1: do something else, then they do something else. And he
3:31
Speaker 1: has a lot of adaptability, He has a lot of
3:33
Speaker 1: baseball aptitude. And Jeff again, like you've seen him for
3:37
Speaker 1: years now, he just keeps getting better every time you
3:40
Speaker 1: see him, doesn't he.
3:42
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that's the big thing is you know,
3:45
Speaker 3: he wanted to add impact. You know, he went to
3:47
Speaker 3: drive line, he spent time doing that. He showed improved
3:50
Speaker 3: impact that continued to creep up the next year, you know, speed,
3:56
Speaker 3: all those sort of things. If there's an element of
3:58
Speaker 3: his game, I mean that, you know, potentially a weak point,
4:01
Speaker 3: He's somebody that's probably as well versed in that, if
4:04
Speaker 3: not more well versed than those that might be actually
4:06
Speaker 3: scouting him. You know, he knows the areas that he
4:09
Speaker 3: needs to improve in and I think just consistently has
4:12
Speaker 3: shown you know, aptitude and focus to do that.
4:15
Speaker 2: And I think a lot of that just comes down, you.
4:17
Speaker 3: Know, to the makeup and the type of individual he is,
4:20
Speaker 3: just you know, a guy that wants to win, you know,
4:23
Speaker 3: sort of challenges those around him to compete for excellence
4:27
Speaker 3: every single day. And I think in that sense, you know,
4:30
Speaker 3: a lot of like the off the field sort of
4:32
Speaker 3: make up comps that we got guys like Derek Jeter,
4:35
Speaker 3: you know, Brady et cetera, those sort of upper echelon
4:38
Speaker 3: mentality type of guys, and I think that's what sets
4:41
Speaker 3: him apart and what allows him to sort of get
4:43
Speaker 3: the most out of his skills and continue to improve
4:45
Speaker 3: every offseason.
4:46
Speaker 1: The point I wanted to make on that that really
4:47
Speaker 1: kind of stands out to me is he also has
4:50
Speaker 1: the chance to be really important for baseball because it
4:54
Speaker 1: has been quite a while since we've had a great
4:57
Speaker 1: AFSE baseball player in the majors, especially hitter. You know,
5:00
Speaker 1: Dave Nielsen is probably the best ASSI that you know,
5:06
Speaker 1: hitter that we've ever seen in the major leagues. Travis
5:09
Speaker 1: Bozana has a chance to kind of potentially exceed that,
5:13
Speaker 1: and if he does, you talk about the globalization of
5:16
Speaker 1: the game, and a lot of when we talk about
5:17
Speaker 1: the globalization of the game in the past, you know,
5:20
Speaker 1: five to ten years, it's been how Japanese players who
5:24
Speaker 1: are stars, both in the US and in basically Japan,
5:28
Speaker 1: but also Asia. We've seen Korean players who are stars
5:31
Speaker 1: coming over. Obviously, there's the Dominican, there's Mexico, there's even
5:35
Speaker 1: now we're seeing some players from Colombia in addition of
5:37
Speaker 1: the Venezuelan, Panama and all that. But Australia and New Zealand,
5:42
Speaker 1: especially Australia are a big part of that as well,
5:45
Speaker 1: and Travis Bozana could kind of be the first star,
5:50
Speaker 1: truly star player that we have coming out of Australia
5:54
Speaker 1: in a while, especially as a position player, which is
5:56
Speaker 1: a little different than if you're hoping to see a
5:58
Speaker 1: pitcher pitch, especially if you're hoping to see a reliever.
6:01
Speaker 1: You hope to see Graham Lloyd coming to the game,
6:02
Speaker 1: or some of Travis Blackley, some of the pitchers that
6:04
Speaker 1: we've seen over the years coming out of Australia. So
6:06
Speaker 1: I'm really excited also to see from that standpoint what's
6:09
Speaker 1: going to mean for baseball if Travis Bizana gives us
6:12
Speaker 1: an Australian position player star.
6:16
Speaker 2: Yeah, that would be very cool.
6:18
Speaker 4: You know.
6:18
Speaker 2: The other thing that makes him special is he's part
6:21
Speaker 2: of a system that produced a lottery number one overall pick,
6:26
Speaker 2: which I think is special to JJ. I know you've
6:28
Speaker 2: written about the draft lottery quite a bit, and you
6:32
Speaker 2: know the White Sox are a perfect example right now,
6:34
Speaker 2: a team that set the lost record and they're going
6:36
Speaker 2: to pick tenth because they're being punished on the opposite
6:39
Speaker 2: end of this. So this is a cool component and
6:42
Speaker 2: it's not just saying, hey, if you're as bad as possible,
6:45
Speaker 2: you get to take the top player according to your organization.
6:49
Speaker 1: The Guardians were not expected to get the number one pick.
6:53
Speaker 1: I was sitting there in the room when the ping
6:55
Speaker 1: pong balls and you got to about that last ping
6:57
Speaker 1: pong ball, and you could see Ethan hers Or, who
7:00
Speaker 1: was there and for representing the Guardians, is like, I
7:03
Speaker 1: think he's figuring out that this could happen here, and
7:06
Speaker 1: it is. It's one of those things that for them
7:08
Speaker 1: and the Reds because the Reds also picked second that year.
7:11
Speaker 1: These can be organizational changing moments when that ping pong
7:14
Speaker 1: ball just bounces the right way and you beat the
7:17
Speaker 1: odds to get a number one pick. The other thing
7:19
Speaker 1: about this is is we've talked about this is a
7:22
Speaker 1: really good Guardian system, and Jeff you mentioned like second
7:26
Speaker 1: base is kind of the one opening. The one thing
7:28
Speaker 1: I'll say about that though, is whoever you are, including
7:30
Speaker 1: if you're the number one pick them and the draft
7:32
Speaker 1: of Travis Maazana, you better grab your opportunity and take
7:36
Speaker 1: it because there's probably someone else coming trying to snatch
7:40
Speaker 1: that opportunity away from you. Because this is the team
7:42
Speaker 1: that's going to have multiple options at almost every infield
7:46
Speaker 1: and outfield position, I would say over the next couple years,
7:49
Speaker 1: especially in the infield.
7:51
Speaker 3: When you look at organizational depth, that's something that the
7:53
Speaker 3: Guardians have done a great job here, you know, over
7:56
Speaker 3: the last couple of years, and it's allowed them, you know,
7:59
Speaker 3: to spite some limitations on spending, to consistently be competitive
8:05
Speaker 3: and you know they've had to get creative with some
8:07
Speaker 3: of that, but a lot of it comes down to
8:09
Speaker 3: their ability to sort of nail picks an the domestic
8:13
Speaker 3: market and in the actual draft, as well as how
8:18
Speaker 3: well they've done internationally, where it seems like every year
8:21
Speaker 3: they got two or three guys coming out of a
8:22
Speaker 3: crop that are you know, switch hitting middle infielders with
8:26
Speaker 3: a slick glove or something like that. So they do
8:29
Speaker 3: they do have a lot of you know, organizational infield depths.
8:32
Speaker 3: So you know, for them to be able to add
8:34
Speaker 3: a number one overall pick and you know, a star
8:38
Speaker 3: college hitter on top of it, I think, you know,
8:40
Speaker 3: just further adds to the riches that they have.
8:44
Speaker 2: All Right, if you like what we're talking about here
8:47
Speaker 2: with the top prospect in the Cleveland organization, we have
8:51
Speaker 2: this for every single team. If you're missing one that
8:53
Speaker 2: you're looking back for, it's coming. They get released on
8:56
Speaker 2: a day to day, weekday basis during spring training. Let's
8:58
Speaker 2: say you're a Guardian's ven. You want to know about
9:00
Speaker 2: the rest of your division and what those top prospects
9:03
Speaker 2: look like. Go for it. We'll have videos for you
9:05
Speaker 2: available on the Baseball America YouTube channel, and we'll see
9:08
Speaker 2: on the next prospect profile. We're not gonna beat around
9:10
Speaker 2: the bush. The White Sox were the worst team basically
9:12
Speaker 2: in baseball history, so they better have some gems on
9:16
Speaker 2: the way coming to the major league organization. Let's talk
9:19
Speaker 2: about their top prospect, No Schultz at the BA prospect
9:23
Speaker 2: Profile Baseball Americas, JJ Cooper and Jeff Ponce along with
9:26
Speaker 2: me Scott Broun. JJ. Is No Schultz the next big
9:30
Speaker 2: thing for the White Sox and their rotation?
9:33
Speaker 1: He better be, because obviously he said they need a
9:35
Speaker 1: lot of help. But they do have a very nice
9:37
Speaker 1: one to two pairing here with Schultz and Hagen Smith,
9:40
Speaker 1: their number one pick last year. And Schultz really does
9:43
Speaker 1: have a chance to be special. It's you don't want
9:47
Speaker 1: to go overboard here because he's a young pitcher. We
9:51
Speaker 1: want to see if he can be durable. We want
9:53
Speaker 1: to see if he can hold up. But then you
9:55
Speaker 1: when you watch him pitch, you just over and over.
9:58
Speaker 1: It's like, this is a guy who's as good as
10:01
Speaker 1: promising as any pitching prospect in baseball right now. He's
10:06
Speaker 1: not our number one pitching prospect, but he's right in
10:08
Speaker 1: that group. And if you said, well, if you think
10:10
Speaker 1: he's so great, why is he not number one? We
10:12
Speaker 1: just want to see him throw five innings. The White
10:14
Speaker 1: Sox have been very conservative. He's very young, so they've
10:17
Speaker 1: been conservative on his workload. But because of that, he's
10:19
Speaker 1: never faced twenty batters in a pro game. He's never
10:21
Speaker 1: thrown five innings in a program. But when you watch
10:24
Speaker 1: him pitch, you can't help but think about Randy Johnson.
10:28
Speaker 1: And that's because you have this six foot nine lefty.
10:32
Speaker 1: The ball comes out of a little bit of a
10:34
Speaker 1: weird slot, makes it hard for hitters to pick it up,
10:36
Speaker 1: and he hesitate to throw that on a guy. Because
10:39
Speaker 1: I'm not saying that Noah Schultz is going to be
10:41
Speaker 1: a Hall of Famer, but when you talk to evaluators,
10:44
Speaker 1: you talk to scouts who watch him, that's the guy
10:46
Speaker 1: who keeps being brought up because there just aren't a
10:48
Speaker 1: lot of pitchers on the planet who have ever kind
10:51
Speaker 1: of looked like this, and the one who looks like this,
10:54
Speaker 1: who's a little taller. Noah Schultz is six', nine not six.'
10:57
Speaker 1: eleven but, that ball that, breaking ball you just can't
11:02
Speaker 1: help but think of the big unit when you watch,
11:03
Speaker 1: Him pitch, jeff LIKE am i going? Overboard there, or
11:07
Speaker 1: again not saying he's going to, be that but that's
11:09
Speaker 1: the kind of the memories that.
11:10
Speaker 3: He, EVOKES yeah i think when you just look at
11:14
Speaker 3: the player and just sort of what the arc, type
11:16
Speaker 3: is like what this low slot left hand or with a,
11:19
Speaker 3: humongous body, you know and humongous stuff and a big
11:22
Speaker 3: slider can potentially become kind of naturally you just go
11:26
Speaker 3: to Somebody Like.
11:27
Speaker 2: Randy JOHNSON but i.
11:29
Speaker 3: Think when you, dig into, you know under, the hood
11:30
Speaker 3: you look at. The numbers, you know it's a sinker
11:33
Speaker 3: that sits, ninety five, ninety six ninety seven miles. An
11:36
Speaker 3: hour we'll touch ninety nine to one hundred with true
11:39
Speaker 3: sink and heavy armside run kind of just see how,
11:42
Speaker 3: you know the ball comes out of, the hand. It
11:44
Speaker 3: explodes he's. Really deceptive he hides the ball, really well
11:48
Speaker 3: and as, you mentioned it's a funky arm slot that
11:50
Speaker 3: kind of plays up the horizontal movement on both the
11:53
Speaker 3: sinker and on, that slider which is really like his go.
11:56
Speaker 3: TO pitch, i think you know the pitch that when
11:59
Speaker 3: you talk About No ish schultz. The, caution yeah he throws,
12:02
Speaker 3: really hard, he's big but the conversation starts with that plus.
12:05
Speaker 3: Plus slider it's a, huge sweeper plays really well off
12:09
Speaker 3: of the arm side movement on that two. Seam fastball
12:13
Speaker 3: it's a drop down of like twelve to thirteen fourteen
12:16
Speaker 3: miles per hour in terms, of velocity but still gets
12:18
Speaker 3: a good amount of movement for the amount of velocity
12:21
Speaker 3: does generate on. That pitch and then he's got a
12:24
Speaker 3: change up, as well which is less ballyhooed than the
12:27
Speaker 3: fastball and, the slider but it's still a really, good
12:29
Speaker 3: pitch has good vertical and good velocity separation off of
12:33
Speaker 3: the fastball also runs a ton like sixteen to seventeen inches,
12:38
Speaker 3: on average which once again when you're playing that off,
12:41
Speaker 3: of that, you know two seamer at, ninety five, ninety six,
12:43
Speaker 3: ninety seven sometimes ninety nine miles an hour with all that,
12:47
Speaker 3: armside run and you're looking at a pitch in the
12:49
Speaker 3: mid eighties to high eighties with that sort of arm
12:52
Speaker 3: side movement and then a slider that moves the. Opposite
12:54
Speaker 3: direction he works in the cutter. As well it's a
12:57
Speaker 3: really interesting pitch mix and a big box and very
13:00
Speaker 3: projectable once he adds innings and sort of figures out
13:03
Speaker 3: how to get deep into starts and be more efficient with.
13:06
Speaker 3: HIS pitches i think the sky's the Limit with schultz
13:09
Speaker 3: and probably has as much upside as any arm that's
13:12
Speaker 3: on the top.
13:12
Speaker 2: One hundred, Right now.
13:13
Speaker 1: I'm now going to just point out something where he
13:15
Speaker 1: actually is Better Than. Randy johnson at this Point In randy,
13:19
Speaker 1: johnson's career coming Out of Southern Cal randy johnson was
13:22
Speaker 1: as wild as anyone you were ever going. To see
13:24
Speaker 1: this was a guy who's walking seven. Per nine this
13:26
Speaker 1: is a guy who really did you just didn't know
13:29
Speaker 1: where the ball was going. To Go noah schultz already.
13:31
Speaker 1: Throws strikes he's basically got a above average, walk ray
13:35
Speaker 1: above average control at a very. Young age now again
13:40
Speaker 1: we'll put that caveat in he hasn't shown that he
13:42
Speaker 1: can do that for five six innings because he hasn't
13:44
Speaker 1: really got. That opportunity but he throws, strikes already which
13:48
Speaker 1: often is kind of that last to do list item
13:51
Speaker 1: for these really long limb these really tall. Pitchers understandable
13:56
Speaker 1: it's like it just takes longer to get everything. Under
13:58
Speaker 1: Control noah schultz has everything under control at a very.
14:01
Speaker 1: Young age you kind of put that, all together it's
14:04
Speaker 1: really hard not to get excited about, him again just
14:09
Speaker 1: hoping that he could just keep it, to going keep.
14:11
Speaker 1: It healthy he doesn't really have a whole lot, of,
14:14
Speaker 1: like oh if he can do this a lot better
14:16
Speaker 1: other than stay healthy and work deeper, into games which
14:19
Speaker 1: we probably will get to see. This year this is
14:21
Speaker 1: the year that you really got to start getting him
14:23
Speaker 1: ready to be pitching the. Big leagues and, That, means
14:26
Speaker 1: okay it's time to take a little bit of the
14:27
Speaker 1: training wheels off and say, here's five here's six innings
14:30
Speaker 1: in the, minor league so you can, do, five six
14:32
Speaker 1: seven innings in the.
14:33
Speaker 2: Major leagues, big picture we need to do This For white. Sox,
14:37
Speaker 2: fans Okay obviously i'm going to be hard on the organization,
14:40
Speaker 2: Right now but at the, same time do, We, feel
14:43
Speaker 2: jeff like this organization is in a good spot to
14:47
Speaker 2: start getting some talented big leaguers developed into the big
14:50
Speaker 2: leagues and become. Impact players just your overall look at
14:54
Speaker 2: Where The white sox, are at because unfortunately this team
14:57
Speaker 2: can't just rack up three straight years of number. One
15:01
Speaker 2: picks that's not a thing anymore with the way the. Lottery, WORKS.
15:06
Speaker 3: Yeah, i think, you know certainly the trade Of The
15:07
Speaker 3: red sox helped to do that a. Little bit, you
15:10
Speaker 3: know adding a player Players Like kyle teel to the
15:14
Speaker 3: top of. That system they already have some young catching
15:16
Speaker 3: depth With Like edgar quero and then Of Course cory
15:20
Speaker 3: lee at the major, league LEVEL but i Think adding
15:22
Speaker 3: teal into that mix is a, huge upgrade especially from,
15:25
Speaker 3: you know both sides of, the ball where like we
15:27
Speaker 3: don't have as much Question with quero, maybe offensively but
15:31
Speaker 3: defensively there are still some question. Marks there and then
15:34
Speaker 3: you look at Somebody Like, braden montgomery who has, huge
15:36
Speaker 3: upside one of the better power bats out of a
15:38
Speaker 3: loaded college class. LAST year i think That. Helps chase
15:41
Speaker 3: mydraft is sort of a sneaky player, as well all
15:44
Speaker 3: GUYS that i think you know fit and project as major,
15:47
Speaker 3: league regulars some sooner. THAN others i think both my
15:50
Speaker 3: Draft and TiAl could potentially contribute. This year, you know
15:52
Speaker 3: you look at. The pitching Schultz Adding hagen smith in
15:55
Speaker 3: the draft, this year one of the two top arms,
15:58
Speaker 3: you know Outside Of chase earns probably, you know one
16:01
Speaker 3: of the best college lefties we've seen in a. FEW
16:03
Speaker 3: years a really good pitcher has shown a little bit
16:05
Speaker 3: already in. Spring training you know how lethal his stuff.
16:09
Speaker 3: Can be then you have a Guy Like colson montgomery
16:11
Speaker 3: who's looking to bounce back this year and, you know
16:13
Speaker 3: potentially could see a lot of Time in chicago With The.
16:16
Speaker 3: White SOX so i think there's, you know some some good.
16:18
Speaker 3: PLAYERS here i think the stars are probably more on
16:22
Speaker 3: the pitching Side With, scheltzon smith but a few big
16:26
Speaker 3: league regulars and guys that should be up in twenty
16:28
Speaker 3: twenty five and then others in twenty. Twenty six but
16:31
Speaker 3: there is. SOMETHING coming i just don't know if it's
16:33
Speaker 3: enough to potentially compete in, the division certainly enough that
16:37
Speaker 3: they could win seventy, five games which is a.
16:39
Speaker 1: Huge upgrade That's where i'm going to be like the
16:44
Speaker 1: cloud reigning on, everything here which is. Just no you
16:47
Speaker 1: look at this big league lineup and there's very few
16:50
Speaker 1: even potentially, tradeable pieces you know that you're you look at, And,
16:55
Speaker 1: say okay these are guys who you hope have a
16:58
Speaker 1: bounce back year and then you get something significant for
17:01
Speaker 1: them and trace they don't have a ton.
17:02
Speaker 2: Of those guys.
17:03
Speaker 1: Right now there are, prospects coming but it's hard, To
17:08
Speaker 1: say like if you Compare The white sox right now
17:11
Speaker 1: To the guardians who won the division last year and
17:14
Speaker 1: you said who has a better? Farm system could make
17:17
Speaker 1: a pretty strong argument For. THE guardians i Think the
17:18
Speaker 1: gardians have a. DEEPER system i Think the guardians have more,
17:21
Speaker 1: position players even though they don't Have A.
17:23
Speaker 2: Noah shultz, right now.
17:26
Speaker 1: This is an organization that it's going to be a.
17:29
Speaker 1: Long rebuild you don't get back from one of the
17:32
Speaker 1: worst records of all time in a year or probably even.
17:36
Speaker 1: TWO years i would say that the good news For
17:40
Speaker 1: The white sox is that rock bottom has, been struck
17:44
Speaker 1: but the climb from rock bottom is going to take quite.
17:46
Speaker 2: A while the only bit of Good news i'll finish
17:50
Speaker 2: with here Is For white socks to remember you're in The. Al,
17:53
Speaker 2: central generally that does give you a chance to get
17:58
Speaker 2: back into the fold a little. Bit Quicker and JJ's
18:01
Speaker 2: going to Tell me, I'm wrong but if you, compare
18:04
Speaker 2: it you play all the. OTHER questions. I understand i,
18:07
Speaker 2: understand that.
18:08
Speaker 1: And only that three. Playoff teams but and it's not
18:11
Speaker 1: because they just kept playing, each other because now the
18:12
Speaker 1: schedules are such that there's much less. Of THAT so,
18:16
Speaker 1: I mean i if you want, to say Like the
18:18
Speaker 1: tigers are in a good position to be competitive for
18:20
Speaker 1: a while Now the guardians are in a good position
18:23
Speaker 1: to be competitive for. A while Now the royals have
18:25
Speaker 1: the best player in, the division and he's locked up
18:28
Speaker 1: for basically Longer than i'll be probably doing This At.
18:32
Speaker 1: Baseball america, MAYBE not i. Hope not but that's. NOT
18:37
Speaker 1: like i don't think this is the same as, it
18:38
Speaker 1: is you, know where maybe, in, seventeen eighteen, nineteen twenty
18:42
Speaker 1: even when we thought they were in. Twenty two this
18:43
Speaker 1: is a division That the twins have been consistently that
18:47
Speaker 1: and they didn't do it, last year but they've been,
18:49
Speaker 1: pretty good and they still have a core of. YOUNG
18:51
Speaker 1: talent i think THAT the i don't think that this
18:54
Speaker 1: is necessarily as easy a path back as it was at.
18:57
Speaker 2: Other, TIMES okay i refuse TO let jj prevent at
19:02
Speaker 2: least a droplet, of OPTIMISM so i will give him some,
19:05
Speaker 2: of That and i'm going to give you. This instead
19:06
Speaker 2: this is how we'll. Finish this google the Name and
19:10
Speaker 2: i'll give you the Spelling. Ishbia ishi why because that
19:17
Speaker 2: could be the owner of, your team hopefully in the next.
19:19
Speaker 2: Several YEARS and i don't know a ton about the
19:22
Speaker 2: two brothers that also Own, the SUNS but i can tell,
19:25
Speaker 2: you this they will probably up your payroll in a
19:27
Speaker 2: big Market like chicago and make the rebuild go quicker
19:30
Speaker 2: if you're able to buy, some vets some big, time
19:32
Speaker 2: vets trade, them off and then, of course once you're
19:34
Speaker 2: getting a little, bit better sign some players up. Long
19:37
Speaker 2: term so there. You go i'm going to give you
19:38
Speaker 2: some optimism on the. Way out and thanks for checking
19:41
Speaker 2: out this prospect Profile On noah schultz And The Chicago.
19:44
Speaker 2: White sox we've got prospect profiles on the top top
19:47
Speaker 2: prospect in each organization According To baseball america if you
19:51
Speaker 2: check them out ON the ba. YouTube channel i.
19:53
Speaker 3: Almost Feel like, tigers fans, you know who have dealt
19:55
Speaker 3: with so much over the last. Decade plus it's it's
19:58
Speaker 3: almost a breadth, fresh air but sort of shocking to them.
20:02
Speaker 2: As well let's hit the top prospect In the. Tigers
20:05
Speaker 2: organization you've seen them already in. The bigs the Name Is.
20:07
Speaker 2: Jackson job It's A baseball america. Prospect Profile scott brown
20:12
Speaker 2: HERE With jj Cooper And. Jeff Ponce Jeff jackson job
20:16
Speaker 2: taking maybe even another step before we've seen much of
20:19
Speaker 2: him in the bigs yet and leading to a potential
20:22
Speaker 2: of the year conversation coming up twenty. Twenty five, your thoughts.
20:26
Speaker 3: It's going to be a matter of how many innings
20:28
Speaker 3: is he going to throw, this year how many innings
20:29
Speaker 3: is he going to throw in the, big leagues and
20:31
Speaker 3: how are?
20:32
Speaker 2: The strikes and they've been pretty.
20:33
Speaker 3: GOOD previously, i mean he's had, some WALKS but i
20:36
Speaker 3: think that his level of stuff probably induces, less swings
20:41
Speaker 3: particularly at the minor, league level than it does in,
20:43
Speaker 3: other levels particularly. The majors when we dive into, his
20:48
Speaker 3: arsenal it. Is phenomenal there are almost no pictures on
20:54
Speaker 3: earth that can do the sort of Stuff that job,
20:58
Speaker 3: can do just from a pitch, movement perspective where he
21:03
Speaker 3: gets a ton of ride in. HIS fastball i mean
21:05
Speaker 3: during spring training he's been sitting ninety seven to ninety
21:08
Speaker 3: eight on his four. Steam fastball he mixed in a
21:11
Speaker 3: two seam fastball and does a great job of killing
21:14
Speaker 3: lifts on, that pitch so it more drops or sinks,
21:18
Speaker 3: of course and has a lot of armside running comparison
21:20
Speaker 3: with the four. Seam fastball he added a power curveball
21:24
Speaker 3: as well that has a lot of two plane movement
21:26
Speaker 3: and dynamic drop at an unusual, high velocity and then
21:30
Speaker 3: a course sort of his signature cutter as well in his,
21:33
Speaker 3: change up which have been plus or better pitches for
21:36
Speaker 3: him really throughout his entire time as. A professional so
21:39
Speaker 3: it's just an outstanding. Pitch MIX and i think it's
21:42
Speaker 3: just a matter of how deep's he going to get in,
21:44
Speaker 3: the starts how efficient is he going, to be how
21:46
Speaker 3: many innings are they going to, Give him because from
21:48
Speaker 3: a matter of a, stuff perspective it's almost all world
21:52
Speaker 3: stuff that we're seeing in.
21:53
Speaker 2: This spring.
21:55
Speaker 1: The thing that stands out to me you mentioned about.
21:56
Speaker 1: THE control i have zero Worry about job's ability to.
22:00
Speaker 1: Throw strikes even last year when we saw the walk rate,
22:03
Speaker 1: go up like, you said THERE were i think that
22:06
Speaker 1: there might be. SUBSEQUENCING issues i think that sometimes he
22:11
Speaker 1: kind of mixes, pitches enough especially in, the minors where
22:14
Speaker 1: sometimes he would have counts go longer than. They should
22:17
Speaker 1: but pure, strike throwing he's never had a problem. With
22:19
Speaker 1: it even last year when the walk rate, went up
22:22
Speaker 1: he had a one of the best strike percentages in the,
22:25
Speaker 1: minor leagues sitting there sixty seven sixty eight. Percent strikes
22:29
Speaker 1: you don't really almost see anyone going much, beyond that
22:32
Speaker 1: and really you probably don't want to be too far
22:35
Speaker 1: beyond that year around the zone. Too much so far
22:37
Speaker 1: in spring training, this, year well we've seen really high.
22:40
Speaker 1: Strike percentages this is a pitcher at a very young
22:44
Speaker 1: age who manages combine exceptional stuff with really quality strike throwing.
22:49
Speaker 1: As well it's it's hard not to get over excited
22:54
Speaker 1: about IT because i think the way we wrote it
22:57
Speaker 1: up In Our prospect handbook report on him, is this
23:00
Speaker 1: if you were designing a pitcher in, the lab they
23:02
Speaker 1: would kind of look a Lot Like. Jackson job he
23:04
Speaker 1: has multiple. Plus pitches he has pitches that really kind
23:09
Speaker 1: of feed in and. Work, together well even if, you
23:12
Speaker 1: know like, you said even if that fastball may not
23:14
Speaker 1: always play as a bat misser as much as maybe you,
23:17
Speaker 1: would expect you still put it. All together and especially
23:21
Speaker 1: when we talk about when this guy's twenty four to,
23:23
Speaker 1: twenty five twenty six years old and has a little
23:25
Speaker 1: bit more experience under, his belt, watch out because this
23:29
Speaker 1: is a guy who just has, the tools who has
23:31
Speaker 1: the ingredients to be a front of.
23:34
Speaker 5: The.
23:34
Speaker 1: Rotation, ax.
23:36
Speaker 2: YEAH and i think you know that's.
23:38
Speaker 3: Well put you had brought up to, strike percentage you
23:40
Speaker 3: know when we were talking about this during handbook season
23:43
Speaker 3: and figuring out where he was going to rank inside
23:45
Speaker 3: of the top, one hundred and, YOU know i think
23:47
Speaker 3: the big conversation was is this the year of, the
23:50
Speaker 3: picture because there's so many pictures that are ranked inside
23:52
Speaker 3: the top ten of the top one hundred. This YEAR
23:55
Speaker 3: but i think part of it is just the talent
23:57
Speaker 3: level when you do have Somebody like rokisaki, come over
23:59
Speaker 3: but you also have a Picture Like jackson JOB who
24:02
Speaker 3: i think had a legitimate conversation for the number one
24:05
Speaker 3: prospect over the last, you know six seven months since
24:08
Speaker 3: we Initially Put roman anthony into that into, that spot
24:11
Speaker 3: and then, you know Of course sosaki. Took IT but
24:13
Speaker 3: i think you just look at, the stuff, you know
24:15
Speaker 3: you look at the, strike throwing you look at. The athleticism,
24:18
Speaker 3: you know he's an incredibly athletic pitcher. As well we
24:21
Speaker 3: usually don't see guys sort of check all. Those BOXES
24:24
Speaker 3: and i think it's one of the reasons that he
24:26
Speaker 3: is able to do things like add new PITCHES and
24:29
Speaker 3: i wouldn't say on the fly because he had a full,
24:31
Speaker 3: off season but add new pitches that can become, you
24:34
Speaker 3: know above average or better major league pitches within under
24:38
Speaker 3: a year and just tinkering with things and being able
24:40
Speaker 3: to make adjustments and attack lineups in all, different ways and,
24:44
Speaker 3: you know off handed batters differently than he did the.
24:46
Speaker 3: Year before it's that sort of. Interesting development and we've
24:49
Speaker 3: seen guys Like you darvish just continually. Add pitches we've
24:52
Speaker 3: seen Guys Like bryce miller do the same and have.
24:54
Speaker 3: Some success so it'll be interesting to see how this
24:57
Speaker 3: all projects out over the, next year but could be
24:59
Speaker 3: a very excit, you Know al rookie Of the year
25:01
Speaker 3: front runner sort.
25:02
Speaker 2: Of candidate i'm always looking for eighty grade media, quotes
25:06
Speaker 2: Too and jackson was able to. Accomplish that Recently said
25:10
Speaker 2: i'm done with trying to dot a. NAT's ass just here's.
25:13
Speaker 2: My stuff if you hit, it good odds are probably
25:18
Speaker 2: not love that eighty. Grade quote it was the best
25:21
Speaker 2: quote we've heard in spring. Training overall so that's what
25:24
Speaker 2: you want to hear from. Your bulldog that's a future
25:26
Speaker 2: ace quote. Right, there anyway let's go, global here The
25:30
Speaker 2: entire tigers farm system, RIGHT, now jj in, your mind
25:33
Speaker 2: how good.
25:34
Speaker 1: Is it we've been doing This At baseball america since nineteen.
25:38
Speaker 1: EIGHTY one i CAN'T say, i have but we Have
25:40
Speaker 1: A baseball america since. EIGHTY one i think this is
25:44
Speaker 1: The best tigers farm system we've had over. That, time
25:46
Speaker 1: Now the tigers have really had a pretty thin farm
25:50
Speaker 1: system a lot of, those years like this has not been,
25:52
Speaker 1: a team an organization has really kind of built from
25:55
Speaker 1: within over the last twenty. Thirty years even when there,
25:57
Speaker 1: was success it was often by bringing in talent. FROM
26:00
Speaker 1: outside a lot of The case i'd go to one.
26:03
Speaker 1: Take away, you Know justin verlander is a is a
26:06
Speaker 1: feather in. The cap there are there, are examples but
26:09
Speaker 1: especially on the position, player side it's been a lot
26:12
Speaker 1: of years where it's been. Really thin that's not the.
26:14
Speaker 1: CASE now i mean we just Talked, about joe but
26:16
Speaker 1: you Talk About, max clark you Talk about, kevin McGonagall
26:18
Speaker 1: you Talk About, bryce rainier you talk about probably the
26:21
Speaker 1: best assemblage of catching prospects or in some cases hitters
26:26
Speaker 1: who play catcher or some you know that you can think,
26:29
Speaker 1: out there this is an organization that's got kind of
26:32
Speaker 1: a wide array of some close to the big, leagues
26:34
Speaker 1: guys some further away, high up, you know, high ceiling
26:37
Speaker 1: high impact guys that, has PITCHERS and i think that
26:40
Speaker 1: really you got to look and feel very confident about
26:43
Speaker 1: their ability to. Develop pictures we've seen that they really
26:47
Speaker 1: have a. Good Plan chris fetter was our their major
26:49
Speaker 1: league pitching coach who really plays a role in this
26:51
Speaker 1: Was Our Major league coach Of the year. Last Year
26:54
Speaker 1: but jeff kind of look at it all TOGETHER and
26:56
Speaker 1: i feel like that this is an organization obviously had
26:58
Speaker 1: success made it to the playoff, last year but it
27:01
Speaker 1: does feel like They Have Cy young Winner And trek,
27:03
Speaker 1: Scooble ALSO but i feel like there's a chance that
27:06
Speaker 1: the best is still to.
27:06
Speaker 3: Come here you look over their drafts over the last couple,
27:09
Speaker 3: of years they've consistently found talent all over the, draft
27:13
Speaker 3: board which is a big part, of it a big
27:15
Speaker 3: part of why the system is ranked as highly as.
27:18
Speaker 3: It is, you know you have a combination like, You
27:21
Speaker 3: Know max Clark and kevin McGonagall that you can add
27:24
Speaker 3: to the top. Of this they've gone out and they've
27:26
Speaker 3: acquired players that had. Big upside, YOU know i think
27:30
Speaker 3: it's a pretty big win for them that they got,
27:32
Speaker 3: You know Loronzo And, trey sweeney and they were able
27:35
Speaker 3: to Then Add jack flaherty back in free agency the following.
27:39
Speaker 2: Off season so.
27:40
Speaker 3: Things have kind of gone really Well In tigers land
27:43
Speaker 3: over the last year. Or SO and i almost Feel like,
27:46
Speaker 3: tigers fans, you know who have dealt with so much
27:48
Speaker 3: over the last. Decade plus it's almost a breath of,
27:52
Speaker 3: fresh air but sort of shocking to them. As well
27:55
Speaker 3: it's a shock of the system that the organization is
27:58
Speaker 3: just really functioning at a very high level. Right NOW and,
28:00
Speaker 3: i think, you know they're sort of hitting their stride
28:03
Speaker 3: in a bunch of different areas and that's one of
28:05
Speaker 3: the reasons that the major league roster looks. Pretty good
28:07
Speaker 3: and they, also have, you know one of the best
28:09
Speaker 3: farm systems.
28:10
Speaker 2: In baseball you have to feel good about watching this
28:13
Speaker 2: entire video here if You're a. Tigers fan so that's
28:16
Speaker 2: It on detroit and their number, One Prospect, jackson, joe who,
28:20
Speaker 2: of course if all, goes right should be graduating from
28:23
Speaker 2: that status quite soon early on. This season thanks for
28:26
Speaker 2: checking this. One out if you want to learn more
28:28
Speaker 2: about top prospects, per organization we've got that for you
28:31
Speaker 2: ON the ba, YouTube channel and you can check out
28:34
Speaker 2: podcast versions as. We go division by division that. Way
28:37
Speaker 2: too Just Type baseball america into wherever you get.
28:41
Speaker 5: YOUR podcasts i think he's going to be a consistent
28:43
Speaker 5: twenty five thirty plus home. RUN guy, i mean if
28:46
Speaker 5: you see this GUY take vp when, he's healthy there's
28:49
Speaker 5: a ton of.
28:50
Speaker 2: Bat, Speed okay, Twins Fans walker jenkins is the top
28:53
Speaker 2: prospect in the organization According To. Baseball america We Have ben,
28:57
Speaker 2: badler here We Have carlos. Colaso here talk. It out
29:01
Speaker 2: this is your prospect Profile On. Walker jenkins feels like
29:05
Speaker 2: we were talking about his name and draft runnings not too, Long.
29:08
Speaker 2: Ago carlos but where are we at with him as.
29:10
Speaker 2: A prospect we're in a great spot.
29:12
Speaker 4: With him not only is he the top prospect in,
29:14
Speaker 4: THE system i think he's a favorite on the staff
29:17
Speaker 4: to maybe be the top prospect in baseball a year.
29:20
Speaker 4: From now we've got him five entering. The year he's exceptionally,
29:24
Speaker 4: well rounded he's, very young he's extremely. TOOLED up i
29:28
Speaker 4: think the only question mark maybe that we've got with
29:30
Speaker 4: a Guy Like, walker jenkins and maybe this also is
29:33
Speaker 4: just a frequent question Mark with twins Players and, twins
29:37
Speaker 4: prospects is just the. Injury questions he's a player who's
29:40
Speaker 4: dealt with injuries going back to his. Draft year the
29:42
Speaker 4: summer before his, senior spring he had a handmate injury that.
29:45
Speaker 4: Limited him this, past season he was limited by a.
29:47
Speaker 4: Hamstring injury so if we can just get him healthy
29:50
Speaker 4: and keep him on, THE field i think we're talking
29:53
Speaker 4: about a five tool player who's got above average or
29:55
Speaker 4: better tools across. The board he always stood out as
29:59
Speaker 4: one of the best pure hitters in his class at
30:01
Speaker 4: a really strong twenty twenty three high school class where
30:04
Speaker 4: he was kind of battling it Out With max clark
30:06
Speaker 4: to be the top ranked high school player in. That
30:08
Speaker 4: class and then his power was a separator for him.
30:11
Speaker 4: As well we haven't seen the raw power for him
30:14
Speaker 4: or the in game power for him so far in,
30:16
Speaker 4: pro Ball but i'm extremely confident that he's going to
30:19
Speaker 4: be a guy who has a chance to hit for
30:21
Speaker 4: thirty or more home runs down the line. As well
30:23
Speaker 4: he hits the ball. Incredibly hard he has minimized his
30:26
Speaker 4: strikeouts at a RATE that i don't EVEN think i
30:29
Speaker 4: was expecting him. TO do i thought he was going
30:31
Speaker 4: to be a plus hitter with maybe a few more
30:33
Speaker 4: strikeouts than he's shown but he makes a ton of
30:35
Speaker 4: contact against every. Pitch type he's A very, i mean
30:39
Speaker 4: his swing from the left side is one of the
30:40
Speaker 4: more aesthetically pleasing Swings that. I've seen he can run
30:45
Speaker 4: fairly well for. His size most people seem to think
30:48
Speaker 4: he's going to be a long term, corner outfielder where
30:50
Speaker 4: he has a chance to be a. PLUS defender i
30:52
Speaker 4: actually think he runs well Enough that i'd be curious
30:54
Speaker 4: to see him just continue playing. Center FIELD and i
30:56
Speaker 4: also am pretty high on. HIS arm i think he's
30:58
Speaker 4: shown a plus arm in. THE past i expect him
31:01
Speaker 4: to have an above average arm. Moving FORWARD so, I,
31:04
Speaker 4: guess ben what's your question Mark With walker jenkins outside
31:06
Speaker 4: of the injury, his issues because it's a pretty well.
31:09
Speaker 4: Rounded player, for.
31:10
Speaker 5: Me how fast can we get? HIM up, i, Mean
31:14
Speaker 5: yeah i'm. WITH you i think he checks pretty much
31:17
Speaker 5: every box you're looking for in a. YOUNG outfielder, i
31:22
Speaker 5: mean he's six, foot three, he's strong, he's, athletic powerful
31:26
Speaker 5: and it's really a great blend of power explosiveness and
31:31
Speaker 5: at the, same time like you, Were, saying carlos he
31:33
Speaker 5: makes it look so free and easy in the, batter's,
31:37
Speaker 5: Box right like sometimes you see guys who are big
31:39
Speaker 5: and strong and physical and they got kind of a
31:41
Speaker 5: stiffer swing and its, power overhead and he has some
31:45
Speaker 5: question marks about how it's going to work against more.
31:48
Speaker 5: Advanced pitching but he has a ton of adjustability to.
31:51
Speaker 5: His swing he makes a lot, Of contact he makes
31:54
Speaker 5: really good swing decisions because he. Recognizes spin he controls
31:58
Speaker 5: as it bat's. Extremely well and he does have huge. Power,
32:01
Speaker 5: too now maybe if you're just looking at the numbers
32:04
Speaker 5: on paper, last year you might not get a full
32:07
Speaker 5: sense of his power because he had a couple of,
32:10
Speaker 5: leg INJURIES and i think. THAT durability, i know twins
32:13
Speaker 5: fans don't want to have another prospect who, may have,
32:17
Speaker 5: you know history. Of injuries but, you know it's only
32:20
Speaker 5: one year. WITH him i wouldn't call him injury. Prone
32:22
Speaker 5: yet but when he was, you know he missed time
32:26
Speaker 5: last year with the, legger injuries and when he was
32:28
Speaker 5: back on, the field it seems like it it still
32:30
Speaker 5: had an impact on him in terms of his ability
32:33
Speaker 5: to really get his whole whole body in really his
32:36
Speaker 5: lower half fully into his swing to drive the ball
32:39
Speaker 5: the way that he's fully capable of when he is
32:41
Speaker 5: one hundred. Percent HEALTHY but, i mean if, everything CLICKS
32:45
Speaker 5: and i think it will, WITH him. I agree i mean,
32:48
Speaker 5: high obps thirty plus, home runs, and yeah maybe it's
32:52
Speaker 5: more right field than, center FIELD but, I agree i'd
32:55
Speaker 5: give him as much rope as possible to stay out
32:58
Speaker 5: there in. Center field and, if, not, okay fine you
33:01
Speaker 5: have maybe an above average defender in right field who
33:04
Speaker 5: can also hit in the middle of your lineup.
33:06
Speaker 4: One.
33:06
Speaker 2: Day OKAY and i know you keep mentioning obviously there's,
33:09
Speaker 2: injury concerns, you know just as much with many. Other
33:12
Speaker 2: players but it's sounding, To, me carlos like the floor
33:15
Speaker 2: is pretty high, Here, Too right sometimes we're talking about
33:18
Speaker 2: a guy who, you know might have one thing that's
33:20
Speaker 2: so off that it could prevent him from really being
33:23
Speaker 2: a solid big league regular aside, from health it would,
33:28
Speaker 2: you say it's hard to see him not being at
33:30
Speaker 2: least a regular contributor in the. Big leagues it's hard
33:33
Speaker 2: to totally project. A, superstar.
33:35
Speaker 4: YEAH yeah i. THINK so, i mean he still is,
33:39
Speaker 4: very young he still hasn't really been tested the upper
33:41
Speaker 4: levels of the miners at an, exceptional rate so we'll
33:43
Speaker 4: see what. Happens there but in terms of how we're
33:46
Speaker 4: thinking about him as, a hitter how Me and ben
33:48
Speaker 4: have described him as. A hitter we'd be very surprised
33:51
Speaker 4: if he struggled at. THOSE levels, i mean it's a
33:53
Speaker 4: chance for a double plus. Hit tool we're talking about
33:56
Speaker 4: how we're bullish on the power despite not maybe seeing
33:59
Speaker 4: the home run total in the miners, so far just
34:01
Speaker 4: knowing the ex velosites he's capable of seeing the balls
34:04
Speaker 4: that he hit as a high schooler with. WOOD bats
34:07
Speaker 4: i think the power is going. TO come i think
34:09
Speaker 4: we tend to maybe get overly critical of power output for,
34:12
Speaker 4: young players and especially for players who have the sort
34:15
Speaker 4: of physicality and bat speed in pure hitting Chops That walker.
34:18
Speaker 4: Jenkins does that power is just going to, come naturally
34:21
Speaker 4: and hopefully we can get that lower half figured out.
34:24
Speaker 4: And healthy, but yeah there's he's just going to impact
34:26
Speaker 4: the game in so. Many ways he's not a, true
34:27
Speaker 4: burner so maybe he's not going to be a huge stolen,
34:30
Speaker 4: base guy but he's going to add value on. The
34:31
Speaker 4: bases he's going to be a good defender wherever he
34:34
Speaker 4: winds up in. The OUTFIELD so i do think that
34:38
Speaker 4: there is a solid. Floor here that's why we have him.
34:40
Speaker 4: So high that's why he was so well regarded in.
34:42
Speaker 4: His class if he's not hitting, for average he's going
34:45
Speaker 4: to be taking, His walks he's going to have strength
34:47
Speaker 4: to mishit balls like they're just it's hard for me
34:52
Speaker 4: To See walker jenkins not panting out in. Some capacity
34:55
Speaker 4: i'm just super convicted in the, hitting ability in the all.
34:57
Speaker 5: Around, PROFILE yeah i really have no questions about the power.
35:02
Speaker 5: WITH him i think he's going to be a consistent
35:04
Speaker 5: twenty five thirty plus home. RUN guy, i mean if
35:07
Speaker 5: you see this GUY take vp when, he's healthy there's
35:10
Speaker 5: a ton of. Bat speed he gets the ball airborne
35:13
Speaker 5: naturally with the way his swing, Path works he's consistently on,
35:17
Speaker 5: the barrel and he has he has huge. Raw power
35:20
Speaker 5: so that's not really a question. For me and like, You,
35:23
Speaker 5: SAID scott i mean it's it's hard to talk about
35:26
Speaker 5: a floor necessarily with a player who's mostly been AT
35:29
Speaker 5: the a ball. Level already but at the, same time
35:32
Speaker 5: like it's hard to see just from a, hitting perspective
35:35
Speaker 5: what is going to go wrong with him or like
35:37
Speaker 5: what wouldn't translate what wouldn't work with him at higher
35:40
Speaker 5: levels because he is such an advanced, pure hitter with
35:43
Speaker 5: his feel for, the barrel with his ability to control
35:46
Speaker 5: as at bats and manage the. Strike zone so it's
35:48
Speaker 5: a really appealing combination of a huge upside but also
35:53
Speaker 5: again relative for, you know, a nineteen, you know twenty year.
35:56
Speaker 5: Old prospect he's only been the lower levels, balance too
36:01
Speaker 5: of floor. AS well, I mean carlos, said earlier it
36:04
Speaker 5: could be the number one prospect in baseball. NEXT year,
36:08
Speaker 5: I mean i think if he goes out and he's dominating,
36:10
Speaker 5: THIS year i think we might have him at some
36:13
Speaker 5: point the number one on one of our our mid
36:15
Speaker 5: season lists.
36:16
Speaker 4: This.
36:16
Speaker 2: Year wow, all right trivia question then on our, way
36:19
Speaker 2: out because this Will make twins fans appreciative for the
36:22
Speaker 2: moment what happened in twenty twenty three for the first
36:26
Speaker 2: time in our. Game's history do you guys know that
36:29
Speaker 2: kind of led to. This happening it's it's the, rule change.
36:36
Speaker 4: Oh. For, slaughtering yeah do.
36:40
Speaker 2: You know how many picks they jumped so That, the
36:42
Speaker 2: twins if you just took them almost seven eight Picks,
36:46
Speaker 2: ten yeah. Eight picks so if you just took, their
36:49
Speaker 2: record they would have been eight. Picks later they would
36:51
Speaker 2: not Have Had, walker jenkins so thank you to their.
36:54
Speaker 2: Parting agreement there.
36:56
Speaker 4: Is also a huge tear break in. That class we
36:58
Speaker 4: had five very top of the, class players so picking
37:02
Speaker 4: from five to six that year is much bigger difference
37:05
Speaker 4: than four. Or five so that's a, huge.
37:07
Speaker 2: ONE exactly i remember the big, Storyline, was wow look
37:11
Speaker 2: who jumped in and look how much of a difference,
37:13
Speaker 2: it is and it can change the future of a franchise.
37:15
Speaker 2: That Way so i'm a big fan of the draft lottery. Of,
37:18
Speaker 2: course hey for more, of these you can check them
37:21
Speaker 2: out team, by team top prospect in the organization just
37:24
Speaker 2: hit Up The baseball america YouTube channel if, you're listening
37:26
Speaker 2: if you're watching, right now and you can also check
37:28
Speaker 2: them out wherever you get. Your podcasts the.
37:31
Speaker 5: Raw powers right up there with the best hitters. IN baseball,
37:34
Speaker 5: I Mean, O'Neil Cruz. Jordan, alvarez like it's, not oh
37:38
Speaker 5: this guy has a lot, of power or this guy
37:40
Speaker 5: has seventy power on the twenty.
37:43
Speaker 2: Eighty scale, it's true top of the. Scale eighty let's
37:46
Speaker 2: hit the top prospect In the, Royals organization, jack hagleone,
37:49
Speaker 2: you're up It's A baseball america. Prospect profile let's get right.
37:54
Speaker 2: Into It, ben badler your thoughts on how he looked
37:57
Speaker 2: in spring training pretty. Damn, GOOD yeah, i mean and he.
38:00
Speaker 5: Looks good he. LOOKS phenomenal, i mean he is one
38:03
Speaker 5: of the most fascinating prospects, in, baseball right even aside
38:07
Speaker 5: just from the two way ability that he had, IN
38:10
Speaker 5: college i just mean what he does as a, position
38:12
Speaker 5: prospect because he is just so extreme in what, he.
38:17
Speaker 5: Does right it's. Extreme size he's, six' five like two hundred.
38:21
Speaker 5: And fifty pounds it's, extreme bat speed. It's extreme power
38:26
Speaker 5: we're talking about top of the. Scale bat speed the
38:29
Speaker 5: same with, the raw power and especially for somebody who
38:32
Speaker 5: is as big. As he is he's not just an
38:36
Speaker 5: all or nothing. Type hitter either where it's huge power
38:39
Speaker 5: that comes with a. Ton of strikeouts he actually made
38:43
Speaker 5: a lot of contact Last, year at florida especially when
38:47
Speaker 5: he was swinging at pitches that are in. The strike
38:49
Speaker 5: zone but that last part really his the other end
38:53
Speaker 5: of the extreme, with him too because he chases, a
38:56
Speaker 5: ton too, like a scary scary. Amount of chase AND that's.
39:00
Speaker 5: Where i Think You know nick kurtz from the, draft
39:03
Speaker 5: last year you know fourth overall Pick with with oakland
39:06
Speaker 5: is ahead of him as A prospect because kurtz has
39:09
Speaker 5: a really good understanding of. The strike zone he'll draw a,
39:13
Speaker 5: lot of walks especially as a, first base prospect to go,
39:16
Speaker 5: with his power. Which is, Important whereas cagleone i'm worried
39:20
Speaker 5: about what will, happen with him especially, against better pitchers
39:25
Speaker 5: if he continues with, this you know super aggressive swing
39:28
Speaker 5: that stuff outside the strikes and approach, that he has,
39:32
Speaker 5: AND you know i think he knows that. And understands
39:34
Speaker 5: that it's just it's hard for a first baseman to
39:38
Speaker 5: deliver a ton of value if if you're just relying
39:42
Speaker 5: on power and aren't drawing, that many walks even if
39:45
Speaker 5: he does have the ability to put the battle on
39:46
Speaker 5: the ball pretty well when it's swinging that stuff. In
39:49
Speaker 5: the zone but on, the other hand if everything, clicks
39:52
Speaker 5: for him we were talking about a player has a
39:54
Speaker 5: chance to hit forty. PLUS home runs i wouldn't be
39:58
Speaker 5: surprised if he HAD a season i know where he
40:00
Speaker 5: hit fifty. Plus home, runs he, has you know he
40:03
Speaker 5: has that type of power and also that type of
40:07
Speaker 5: feel for. For the barrel but just the fact that
40:11
Speaker 5: he's a, likely first baseman although it Sounds like maybe
40:14
Speaker 5: i'll get some exposure in a, corner outfield spot but
40:18
Speaker 5: a likely first baseman for me who's ultra aggressive beyond
40:21
Speaker 5: the strike zone with. His swing decision that's what creates
40:24
Speaker 5: the very high layer of, Risk with him but obviously
40:29
Speaker 5: the reward potential is.
40:31
Speaker 2: Sky, High too.
40:33
Speaker 4: Yeah jack is, an OUTLIER prospect and i think a
40:36
Speaker 4: lot of times these these outlier players can be really
40:39
Speaker 4: scary for. Number Of reasons but, i've, been wondering like
40:42
Speaker 4: are his outlier contact skills and outlier power enough to
40:46
Speaker 4: make up for the fact that he is so aggressive in.
40:48
Speaker 4: His swing decisions ben mentioned that he does make a
40:51
Speaker 4: lot of contact, in the zone he doesn't really strike
40:54
Speaker 4: out at. A high clip his end zone mis rate
40:57
Speaker 4: was between twelve and thirteen percent and a brief protate.
41:00
Speaker 4: You LAST year and i also think he has the
41:02
Speaker 4: sort of levers and plate coverage that he's still going
41:06
Speaker 4: to be able to do damage on pitch locations that
41:10
Speaker 4: most hitters they don't have the ability to get their
41:13
Speaker 4: hands or. The barrel there and then when you pair
41:15
Speaker 4: that with the exceptional strength that, he does have it's
41:18
Speaker 4: just a. Really dangerous, game, for pitchers like how do
41:21
Speaker 4: you attack a guy who is going to be? Swinging
41:25
Speaker 4: at everything like there's not a safe location for. You,
41:29
Speaker 4: to operate really now that maybe can cut both ways
41:32
Speaker 4: because you maybe won't have to ever attack him in
41:34
Speaker 4: the middle of his own if he's just going to.
41:36
Speaker 4: Swing and everything that's going to be the big question
41:37
Speaker 4: when we have a Full season of jack. Against pro
41:40
Speaker 4: pitchers are they going to take advantage? Of that aggression
41:44
Speaker 4: is his ability to barrel up the ball just so
41:47
Speaker 4: freakish that him having a chase rate for other prospects
41:51
Speaker 4: would be almost like we're. Not considering them the fact
41:55
Speaker 4: that he's, got the power he's got, the contact skills
41:58
Speaker 4: it makes it, a, really interesting sting kind of. Scary
42:01
Speaker 4: offensive profile i'm also intrigued to, by the defensive like
42:06
Speaker 4: if he's actually going to run around in, a corner
42:07
Speaker 4: outfield how does. HE look there i don't think he's,
42:10
Speaker 4: A great runner he's not a base clogger. By any means,
42:12
Speaker 4: AT first base i think he actually has really good
42:15
Speaker 4: tools because he's a. Big target there he has moved
42:17
Speaker 4: around well at the first base, bag at times so
42:20
Speaker 4: that piece. Will be fascinating and if he can move around.
42:23
Speaker 4: In the outfield the pressure has just taken off. The
42:25
Speaker 4: offensive profile but it was eye opening what he did.
42:28
Speaker 4: IN the spring i would expect him if and when
42:30
Speaker 4: he does get to, the major leagues he will consistently
42:33
Speaker 4: be at the very top of the leaderboard in terms
42:35
Speaker 4: of max. Exit and velocity he's already had one hundred.
42:38
Speaker 4: And fourteen plus last year, in college baseball he had
42:40
Speaker 4: the hardest hit balls we. Saw all year so it
42:43
Speaker 4: truly is.
42:43
Speaker 2: Eighty, great power okay if everything, works out right as
42:47
Speaker 2: you guys, are both mentioning there is, definitely risk here
42:51
Speaker 2: and this. Is an outlier what kind of power are?
42:54
Speaker 2: We looking, at you know the, top end here the
42:56
Speaker 2: headliner give. Me a number And, also in carlos the
43:01
Speaker 2: ballpark that he'll be playing in, in the future which also.
43:04
Speaker 2: Affects his legs, by the way if he's going to
43:06
Speaker 2: be an, OUTFIELDER there consistently.
43:07
Speaker 4: I think the i mean the comp that makes a
43:09
Speaker 4: lot of.
43:09
Speaker 2: Sense to Me It's.
43:10
Speaker 4: Actually pete alonso they went to the, same high school
43:12
Speaker 4: they went to. The Same college pete alonso has led
43:14
Speaker 4: the league. In home Runs we think jack has the
43:16
Speaker 4: sort of power to lead the league. In home runs
43:18
Speaker 4: maybe he is that same sort of like, More limited
43:22
Speaker 4: profile like he's not going to excel, on the bases
43:24
Speaker 4: he's not going to, be elite defender but he's got a,
43:26
Speaker 4: ton of power and in, his peak years he's got
43:29
Speaker 4: a chance to have forty five, Fifty HOME runs like
43:33
Speaker 4: i think. That's certainly possible like in, His peak years
43:36
Speaker 4: jack could. Lead the league i'm not sure exactly what
43:39
Speaker 4: sort of specific home run total then maybe you think he.
43:42
Speaker 4: Has in him i'm also curious if you guys can
43:44
Speaker 4: think of any recent free swinging hitters that just have
43:47
Speaker 4: the sort of skill set to. Make that work because
43:51
Speaker 4: as people who are looking at a, lot of prospects
43:53
Speaker 4: we obviously want that really. Well rounded profile we want
43:56
Speaker 4: to feel safe that there is some walk rate floor
44:00
Speaker 4: when the hits aren't. Falling for you but if there's
44:02
Speaker 4: any real free swinger that, Comes to mind i'd be curious,
44:05
Speaker 4: to hear it because you just don't see these.
44:07
Speaker 2: Profiles, very often.
44:09
Speaker 5: Yeah you don't see hitters who swing As often as
44:13
Speaker 5: kaglione does typically have success in. The major leagues we
44:18
Speaker 5: also just don't see many players on the planet who
44:20
Speaker 5: have his kind of raw power and again ability to
44:24
Speaker 5: actually put the bat to the ball when he swing
44:25
Speaker 5: at stuff. In THE zone so i imagine pitchers. Are this
44:29
Speaker 5: year they're gonna know because right exactly what the book
44:32
Speaker 5: is on him, is stay away throwing a lot of
44:34
Speaker 5: stuff out, of the zone get. Him a chase we'll
44:37
Speaker 5: see how that, works this year what his adjustments are
44:40
Speaker 5: in terms of being able to modify his approach and improve.
44:44
Speaker 5: His swing decisions but the raw powers right up there
44:47
Speaker 5: with the best. HITTERS in, Baseball I, Mean O'Neil. Cruz,
44:51
Speaker 5: jordan alvarez like, it's not oh this guy has a,
44:55
Speaker 5: lot of power or this guy has seventy power on the.
44:58
Speaker 5: Twenty eighty scal it's true top with a scale. EIGHTY raw,
45:02
Speaker 5: power i mean Maybe Aside From. John carlos stanton otherwise
45:06
Speaker 5: there's not. Really Anybody else so i'd say clearly has
45:09
Speaker 5: More power than jack cag leone because, his bat speed
45:14
Speaker 5: his ability to impact a baseball. Is, pretty jarring.
45:18
Speaker 2: Yeah that's what makes. This conbo intriguing of course is
45:21
Speaker 2: the home run potential if it. All works out we know,
45:24
Speaker 2: prospects or, prospects but yeah maybe this wing decisions improve
45:27
Speaker 2: and there could be some much Needed Power in kansas
45:30
Speaker 2: city coming their way over the next. Couple of years
45:33
Speaker 2: it's been hard for them to find some. Consistent, Power
45:35
Speaker 2: bats Obviously bobby wit junior. Is a star salvy's been there,
45:38
Speaker 2: for a minute but it's not an offense that has
45:40
Speaker 2: intimidated people the, last few years even last year when
45:42
Speaker 2: they were, A playoff team so this could be a
45:44
Speaker 2: welcome edition. At some point if you want to learn
45:47
Speaker 2: more about top Prospects Per organization baseball america number, one
45:51
Speaker 2: per team we've got it up on, the YouTube channel
45:53
Speaker 2: so make sure you. Check that out