WEBVTT 1 00:00:04.280 --> 00:00:10.640 Ninety five miles an hour, riding to his head. He hopped down the 2 00:00:10.759 --> 00:00:17.079 first with the lump on his face, and on the very next pitch he 3 00:00:17.320 --> 00:00:29.760 up and stole second face with greatst He wasn't born that he had a day. 4 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:35.439 Yes, boy howdy, Welcome to episode three Prospect B Sides Podcast. 5 00:00:36.039 --> 00:00:39.200 This is the voice of Nate Handy. Thanks for joining me again. This 6 00:00:39.240 --> 00:00:43.399 week, we're gonna get into the al West, do little cram session, 7 00:00:43.719 --> 00:00:47.640 get caught up on the B side history there and who we got eyes on 8 00:00:47.719 --> 00:00:51.960 this season. But before all that, it's a long standing tradition that we 9 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:54.840 start off the show with a little Q and A. But this week I 10 00:00:54.920 --> 00:00:58.280 want to flip the script a little bit. I'm gonna be the que and 11 00:00:58.320 --> 00:01:02.799 you're gonna be the all. To mention my Twitter handle last week it's at 12 00:01:02.840 --> 00:01:06.519 Pitching Specs, So if you want to respond to my question that I'll be 13 00:01:06.560 --> 00:01:11.000 setting up here do so. There. I went back and forth in my 14 00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:12.879 head if I even wanted to bring this up, but in the end I 15 00:01:12.920 --> 00:01:15.920 felt it was just too pertinent to some of the things that we were talking 16 00:01:15.959 --> 00:01:22.920 about the last couple weeks, specifically valuing a prospect in relation to what it 17 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:26.840 is we are seeking. The Welsh and some others have i think in a 18 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:33.879 complimentary way, referred to me or said statements like when it comes to valuing 19 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:38.079 prospects, Nate beats to his own drum. And I found myself sitting at 20 00:01:38.120 --> 00:01:41.959 a draft table, so to speak, thinking about a lot of different things, 21 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:47.239 ADPs and ranks and goals I had with this team, and you know, 22 00:01:47.319 --> 00:01:52.879 evaluation process and all these all these different things. A good Fantasy Baseball 23 00:01:52.920 --> 00:01:57.920 IL prospect and friend Dan Greenberg, I think kind of talked Jeff Ponts and 24 00:01:59.480 --> 00:02:02.359 his RAS thirty crew of letting me take over a team in that league, 25 00:02:02.359 --> 00:02:07.840 which which was flattering. Now they made me take over the Cubs, which 26 00:02:07.520 --> 00:02:12.240 is a tough pill for me to swallow. But I found myself with an 27 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:15.759 interesting choice, and I kept going back and forth in my head of sharing 28 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:21.039 this because I don't want this to be like, hey, look at me, 29 00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:23.599 I'm cool, look at me. I'm I'm planning a flag on a 30 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:28.639 guy. You know, I want this to be my guy, or I'm 31 00:02:28.680 --> 00:02:32.120 smarter than everybody else or none of that. It's not even really about the 32 00:02:32.199 --> 00:02:36.360 player that I'm going to talk about. It's more about when we have to 33 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:40.080 decide if certain tools are useful to us or not. So this league, 34 00:02:40.120 --> 00:02:46.560 it's thirty teams, right, it's not like a true true dynasty league. 35 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:51.479 It's it's more of a large keeper league. You keep twenty five guys total, 36 00:02:51.560 --> 00:02:54.800 Minor leagues, majors twenty five total. So this draft that's still going 37 00:02:54.800 --> 00:03:00.479 on right now, his first year players and unknowned minor leaguers. The team 38 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:05.199 I took over is not young. Had a pretty good offense, maybe starting 39 00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:07.240 pitching that I can get by with, but the average age was like thirty 40 00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:13.159 three thirty four years old. I'm not one that's convinced that pitching is significantly 41 00:03:13.240 --> 00:03:16.879 more risky than hitters when it comes to prospects, right wrong, In different 42 00:03:16.919 --> 00:03:22.439 whatever, I've identified that getting some young arms is the first thing that I 43 00:03:22.439 --> 00:03:23.960 want to try to do with. This team made a trade for a young 44 00:03:24.120 --> 00:03:30.400 arm. But in this draft, first pick, nineteenth pick is my second 45 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:32.479 chance to try to work towards that goal. Gets to me at nineteen. 46 00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:38.919 There's been one pitcher taken. Cooper shirt Bay identified that the unknowned prospect I 47 00:03:38.039 --> 00:03:43.560 value the most is Mike Burrows, who I actually end up getting later in 48 00:03:43.560 --> 00:03:46.919 the draft, which was cool, But I'm looking at first year player pitchers, 49 00:03:47.400 --> 00:03:50.919 who am I going to take? I try to be smart. I've 50 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:54.919 trade back a couple of picks for an extra pick and explored trying to do 51 00:03:54.960 --> 00:04:00.639 that again and all this stuff because I've identified the player that has the traits 52 00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:05.479 that I'm looking for the most, and ADP and ranks tell me it's probably 53 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:10.120 far too early to take him, which is great. Thank you for people 54 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:14.560 who do those things, do that research, do that great work. It 55 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:18.480 was very helpful to me in that moment. But regardless, trading back wasn't 56 00:04:18.519 --> 00:04:23.560 really an option. I could have moved back like twenty twenty four picks. 57 00:04:24.279 --> 00:04:27.480 Right, this is a thirty team guys coming back to you as a different 58 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:30.600 story. It's a way bigger role of the dice. And again, I 59 00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:33.319 don't want This isn't really about the player or me being cool or anything like 60 00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:39.319 that, or me trying to be the guy first on somebody or something, 61 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:46.480 you know, silly like that. And I'm no amateur first year MLB draft 62 00:04:46.519 --> 00:04:50.519 afficionado, but I am competitive, and I am a nerd, and I 63 00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:56.240 do do homework and watch guys to say that I have as much knowledge about 64 00:04:56.319 --> 00:05:00.079 all of the pictures from the two twenty two draft as others would be absolutely 65 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:03.920 false. But I want to spend highly shooting for the moon, so to 66 00:05:03.959 --> 00:05:11.600 speak. I want an arm that is both power or stuff and command execution, 67 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:16.000 both ends of the spectrum coming together. My homework. My evaluation is 68 00:05:16.040 --> 00:05:19.439 that Adam Maser is that guy, and not that I've looked at a ton 69 00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:25.000 of them, but I'm not sure he's hitting top fifty first year player draft 70 00:05:25.079 --> 00:05:30.279 ranks anywhere. I might be completely wrong, but when it comes to valuing 71 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:34.639 guys in relation to what I want, what I'm seeking, he's number one. 72 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:39.160 I was listening to sports talk radio one day and I think it might 73 00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:44.079 have been but I think it was the GM of the Nuggets made a statement 74 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:46.560 that, like, the best thing that they can do is when it comes 75 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:51.240 to evaluating players and drafting players, signing players, the best thing they can 76 00:05:51.240 --> 00:05:57.000 do is make informed mistakes. And if you make a mistake, let it 77 00:05:57.040 --> 00:06:00.759 be your mistake, because it's a lot harder to learn from other mistakes. 78 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:06.439 Like is it justifiable to go I don't know, forty picks or whatever it 79 00:06:06.519 --> 00:06:11.920 might be above the ranks or adp my answer to that as hell, yeah, 80 00:06:12.040 --> 00:06:14.839 fuck yeah, and put one of those hash browns at the end, 81 00:06:14.839 --> 00:06:17.079 you know, like hash Brown Team Cobra Kai or something, and then set 82 00:06:17.079 --> 00:06:23.480 it to the internet. But now maybe there's some opportunity to profit though, 83 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:29.279 Right, Maybe I take the guy on top of the ranks. I don't 84 00:06:29.319 --> 00:06:32.160 know, maybe it was cade Horton. Maybe I take him. Wait to 85 00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:38.639 see if Adam Maser comes back to me or gets drafted by somebody else, 86 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:42.160 swap get my guy and get a cherry on top or something. Right, 87 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:44.519 maybe that would have been the smart thing to do. But maybe that would 88 00:06:44.519 --> 00:06:47.040 have been too cute too. I mean, all it really took is one 89 00:06:47.319 --> 00:06:53.240 out of twenty nine other guys to have similar the same line of thinking as 90 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:55.800 me, and that's not going to happen, right, So I didn't want 91 00:06:55.800 --> 00:06:59.720 to risk that, and I just took my guy. Was that absurd? 92 00:06:59.839 --> 00:07:02.639 Was that ridiculous? Well? How much of a difference in talent is there 93 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:09.839 really from a Cade Horton to an Adam Maser, to a first round pick 94 00:07:09.959 --> 00:07:14.480 to a second round pick. My inclination is that it's not nearly as much 95 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:19.480 as we lead on in rinks and such. Never Mind, this particular class 96 00:07:19.519 --> 00:07:24.800 of arms, college arms in particular, where a year before the draft it 97 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:29.199 was an entirely different conversation about who the top college arms would be. And 98 00:07:29.480 --> 00:07:31.639 Cade Horton was a guy who came back from Tommy John and had a good 99 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:36.480 like half of a season, made himself like what four or five million dollars. 100 00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:41.639 Maser was a guy who could have very well been a first round pick, 101 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:46.279 had a little back thing or something. And sometimes I don't think dynasty 102 00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:51.800 owners maybe remember or think about, you know, guys taken in the second 103 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:57.079 round of the draft. I'd bet you most of them have first round grades 104 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:01.639 by the team that takes them. I tend to think the real life gms 105 00:08:01.800 --> 00:08:07.839 have a much wider variance, a much broader opinion about who is better than 106 00:08:07.879 --> 00:08:11.480 who than us dynasty folks. And don't get me around, this is just 107 00:08:11.560 --> 00:08:22.560 a hypothetical conversation I'm essentially just having with myself. But um no, no 108 00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:28.079 one like, no one was like calling me out about it or any anything 109 00:08:28.120 --> 00:08:31.840 of that nature. You know, I hang out in the Prospect one room 110 00:08:31.840 --> 00:08:37.480 and we talk about first year players stuff quite often, and you see everyone 111 00:08:37.559 --> 00:08:41.639 and their mother putting out their ranks and they work hard on those and do 112 00:08:41.720 --> 00:08:46.080 their homework and put that out there for ridicule, and those all get read, 113 00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:52.240 and this thing called called consensus comes together and that birds a thing called 114 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:54.840 chalk, And all in all, I think it does a pretty dang good 115 00:08:54.919 --> 00:09:01.480 job of, in a general sense, identifying what player may have more to 116 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:05.519 offer for our Dungeons and Dragons baseball we like to play. But none of 117 00:09:05.559 --> 00:09:09.960 those lists were catered to a guy playing in a thirty team rodo with an 118 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:16.840 old squad and the number one goal being getting the pitcher that may have the 119 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:24.960 best combination of stuff and finesse. Additionally, there is a huge variance between 120 00:09:24.759 --> 00:09:31.000 the consensus first year player draft ranks and how that pans out. Again, 121 00:09:31.159 --> 00:09:37.759 not knocking anyone, it is extremely hard, but history has shown me that 122 00:09:37.879 --> 00:09:46.360 the consensus evaluation is not the most imposing foe valuing Debtmer's more than Asa Lacey 123 00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:56.399 was crazy wanting to draft Nick York before Austin Hendrick Nuts who was drafting Spencer 124 00:09:56.480 --> 00:10:01.279 Stryder really early. And now that these were you know, my thoughts are 125 00:10:01.559 --> 00:10:05.759 what I did, or my opinions, just conversations and things and examples. 126 00:10:07.120 --> 00:10:11.200 But you see the group think on these matters just get tighter and tighter as 127 00:10:11.240 --> 00:10:16.639 the offseason, draft season approaches just kind of perpetuates itself, and playing in 128 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:24.960 redraft leagues or NFBC, where tons of very smart and capable people build different 129 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:31.000 tools to maximize their drafts and production. They can get and crunch all these 130 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:37.320 numbers and get into tons of minutia. And maybe my nusia is not the 131 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:39.679 right word I want to use. I'm not trying to devalue it. But 132 00:10:39.799 --> 00:10:43.639 in a sense to me, that's putting on your suit and tie and your 133 00:10:43.679 --> 00:10:50.000 top hat and your fancy pants, getting real classy and sophisticated, because that's 134 00:10:50.039 --> 00:10:54.399 what it takes to win there. It's glittera and it's glad, and it's 135 00:10:54.559 --> 00:11:00.960 fabulous. Really, it's just not the right style. Style. You're gonna 136 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:03.919 talk to me about style. You can't even dust yourself. Look at the 137 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:09.120 bow time I've been talking about about time. Sometimes I just wonder if we 138 00:11:09.240 --> 00:11:15.360 take that mentality wear those clothes into the prospecting world when it's much dirtier and 139 00:11:15.480 --> 00:11:22.399 muddy there, when you've whittled down the mean outcome of hundreds of players in 140 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:26.480 smart ways, then I think things like chalk are much more applicable. But 141 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:31.639 when we carry that stuff into the prospecting world, it seems feels a little 142 00:11:31.639 --> 00:11:35.480 bit to me like trying to decide what color drapes we should hang in the 143 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:39.240 house while we're trying to pour the concrete for the foundation. Or maybe I've 144 00:11:39.320 --> 00:11:46.360 got this all backwards and the reality is I'm just too dumb. So my 145 00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:52.240 question to you in my off my Rocker was that choice egregiously awful. Hit 146 00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:56.559 me up on Twitter at pitching specs if you want to answer that anyway. 147 00:11:56.600 --> 00:12:01.200 It's enough of that rambled on far too long. Sorry. I might not 148 00:12:01.320 --> 00:12:05.159 even include that they don't fuck up the bass to Night Chuck because we're on 149 00:12:05.240 --> 00:12:11.200 a CD. Here, just a little bit of housekeeping. I was extremely 150 00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:13.759 rude the first couple of episodes, and I never thanked my guy, Michael 151 00:12:13.799 --> 00:12:20.039 Packard for doing the show logo. The show B side Prospect b siad's logo. 152 00:12:20.440 --> 00:12:24.519 A couple of you might already know this, but if anyone can tell 153 00:12:24.600 --> 00:12:28.919 me what that image is loosely based off of, I'll sign them a baseball 154 00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:33.279 card of their favorite player, something from a song from a video I believe 155 00:12:33.159 --> 00:12:39.360 nineteen nineties band with a fantastic bass player. Moving on to the Angels, 156 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:45.000 original selection was Jose Bonilla. I'm not even sure how that came to be. 157 00:12:45.399 --> 00:12:48.120 I don't know. I don't remember if it was recommendation by the writer 158 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:52.039 of that list or what it was. The Angels tend to just kind of 159 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:56.480 have a bunch of athletic guys, especially the young guys, or at least 160 00:12:56.519 --> 00:12:58.240 that's how it was a few years back. Just a bunch of athletic, 161 00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:03.679 kind of national guys. Don't really know how skilled of hitters they were. 162 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:07.159 But there's obviously some sort of interest in Bania because he was getting a shot 163 00:13:07.240 --> 00:13:09.879 at full season ball at a pretty young age. But I don't want to 164 00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:13.159 waste too much time talking about Bania. It's not been good and he strikes 165 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:18.480 out forty percent of the time, hits like one fifty. Not been impressed. 166 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:20.159 So going into the last season, you know, this is a you 167 00:13:20.200 --> 00:13:24.519 know Sharon stuff like this is one of the tough things. Is like how 168 00:13:24.600 --> 00:13:28.960 we talked about Luis Valdez having only watched two winnings of him, Like how 169 00:13:28.080 --> 00:13:33.360 interested in a guy can I get from only seeing a very small sample our 170 00:13:33.399 --> 00:13:37.799 selection last season, Edgar Quiro really paid off in this regard. There was 171 00:13:37.840 --> 00:13:41.399 only I think maybe a week's worth of games from twenty twenty one to watch, 172 00:13:43.039 --> 00:13:46.320 but that was enough to get me pretty impressed. And pairing that with 173 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:52.399 the reports of him being, you know, a pretty outstanding defensive catcher at 174 00:13:52.440 --> 00:13:56.559 a young age, kind of made an easy selection. And then of course 175 00:13:56.679 --> 00:14:01.320 this year he's gotten a lot more notarized. He was at two percent when 176 00:14:01.399 --> 00:14:05.320 he came onto the list, is at fifteen now. I think he's going 177 00:14:05.399 --> 00:14:09.399 to be a top one hundred prospect at some point this season. I was 178 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:15.240 on Jesse Severe's podcast Dynasy sports Life last season and again, just hard to 179 00:14:15.320 --> 00:14:18.240 be confident when you haven't seen a ton of a guy. But I have 180 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:20.559 kind of wandered out loud, and if you missed out on a young catcher 181 00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:24.320 like Harry Ford in your first year player draft, and it's a supplemental sort 182 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:28.320 of deal, like just go with Edgar Quero, you might be all right. 183 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:31.159 Maybe one of the few examples of me saying something semi smart, but 184 00:14:31.799 --> 00:14:37.759 I think I've already used a few Quero chips in a trade. So this 185 00:14:37.879 --> 00:14:43.919 season we need a new Angels B side hitter and We're just gonna stick with 186 00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:50.840 Yadiel Sanchez, who was actually the Phillies B side selection to start last season 187 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:54.000 and still remains a big unknown to me. He was traded to the Angels 188 00:14:54.039 --> 00:14:58.200 this last season in the Noah Syndergard trade. He and Moniac. The biggest 189 00:14:58.200 --> 00:15:03.399 attraction to me is this guy just kind of looks the part. Physical looking 190 00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:09.559 six to two hundred pounds. Maybe he was a twenty nineteen twelfth round draft 191 00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:15.000 pick out of Puerto Rico, like prep school, decent signing bonus of three 192 00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:18.279 hundred K. He's a switch hitter, he's got a cannon from the outfield, 193 00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:20.960 seems to be a little bit better hitter from the last side. But 194 00:15:22.440 --> 00:15:24.480 all this stuff is really hard to tell because the guy hasn't been in one 195 00:15:24.559 --> 00:15:30.039 place for I don't even think thirty games yet. There's injuries last season, 196 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:35.639 some injuries this year, a trade, A physically imposing athlete who, from 197 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:39.759 what little looks I get it seems to have a nice swing and you know, 198 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:43.960 a decent approach, and just a guy that really is just still kind 199 00:15:43.960 --> 00:15:48.279 of a mystery. He's twenty one, he's still quite young. I guess 200 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:52.320 one will probably see him in high A this year, so they Adio Sanchez 201 00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:56.919 is our Angels B side, and then for the Angels pitcher, I went 202 00:15:56.960 --> 00:16:02.159 with Ryan Costeau I think, is how you say it, who's currently four 203 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:04.960 percent owned. It's a little bit on the higher end, but he was 204 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:11.639 one of the bazillion pitchers that the Angels drafted in twenty twenty one. Sec 205 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:15.559 guy pitched at Arkansas. It's probably about six foot, solid, two hundred 206 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:22.600 pounds or so. Major publication gave him the best changeup in the Angel system 207 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:26.679 from what I could tell, I believe he's got a four pitch mix fastball, 208 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:29.480 it gets up to the mid nineties, it's got a curveball. It 209 00:16:29.559 --> 00:16:33.360 looks pretty good. I don't know if anything well. I mean, the 210 00:16:33.480 --> 00:16:36.960 changeup must be pretty good, but just kind of all around the guy who 211 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:42.759 just looks really I don't know, solid and quality command and sequencing and pitch 212 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:48.279 quality. At sixty eight innings at High A with a three forty two R 213 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:53.440 struck out over ten per nine, walked under three per nine. I've probably 214 00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:57.200 watched I don't know three outings of his, and again, just a guy 215 00:16:57.240 --> 00:17:02.919 who just seems really solid, had some pretty dominant outings. So a guy 216 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:06.720 that I just kind of want to see more of the Angels using just kind 217 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:10.400 of an insect approach with some pitching, just getting a lot of guys and 218 00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:15.880 and hoping a few pop through. Twenty twenty three will be Custo's twenty two 219 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:19.039 year old season, and he could very well be pitching in the uppers. 220 00:17:21.400 --> 00:17:26.160 Moving on to the Mariners. The initial list Andy Patton had did the Mariners 221 00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:30.319 top fifty. He was my manager at Pitcher List. Helped me out tremendously 222 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:36.119 when I first started writing. Shout out to Andy. Great guy, but 223 00:17:36.240 --> 00:17:38.440 I think we had talked a little bit about this election, didn't really have 224 00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:41.839 a ton of great ideas, so we kind of just took a stab at 225 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:45.160 a guy who was getting some talk and I believe the DSL and that was 226 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:51.519 Milcar Perez, and something happened because February of two twenty two, he was 227 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:55.240 seven percent owned, so he had already graduated off of the list. I 228 00:17:55.279 --> 00:17:57.640 think the story was a guy who had pretty advanced contact skills. I don't 229 00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:02.400 think he's he still has a hit more than a couple of home runs. 230 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:04.759 I don't think in his pro career. It's a young switch hitter he's twenty 231 00:18:04.839 --> 00:18:08.240 one now five eleven, two hundred pounds. Well, he played a ball 232 00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:12.559 last year, and honestly, it was not very impressive looking. Not that 233 00:18:12.680 --> 00:18:17.000 I watched a bunch, but you know, just looking at his numbers, 234 00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:19.160 his first month was a little rough, but then he seemed to get get 235 00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:22.839 going, and then he got hurt came back. I mean, his numbers 236 00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:29.920 were really quite awful. I think he slugged under two hundred. That's marvelous. 237 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:36.359 But the guy who's on the Nickaragua WBC team not really high on my 238 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:41.079 watch list. But maybe the latted contact skills come out and lead to some 239 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:47.119 production this season. Studering last year, Robert Press Junior was our choice who 240 00:18:47.240 --> 00:18:49.640 was one percent owned at the time. He's now up to six percent. 241 00:18:49.920 --> 00:18:55.119 And I imagine some of that might have to do with the AFL this last 242 00:18:55.119 --> 00:18:57.200 season, where he was like the home run derby champ I think, or 243 00:18:57.240 --> 00:19:00.839 a participant. I think it was a champ. I don't Sometimes you really 244 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:08.319 like a player, perhaps more than his organization does. Two twenty one in 245 00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:15.039 Modesto Robert Perez, who is Hedbert Perez's brother, older brother. I believe 246 00:19:15.880 --> 00:19:18.079 he's twenty two, will be twenty three. This year, I really called 247 00:19:18.119 --> 00:19:22.559 my eye as kind of a RBI power. Well, I should back up. 248 00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:27.279 He first called my eye because dude is built like a brick shit house. 249 00:19:29.079 --> 00:19:32.079 I asked Welsh if he had the biggest biceps in the AFL this year, 250 00:19:32.119 --> 00:19:36.559 and I think he said definitely top three or two or something. But 251 00:19:36.680 --> 00:19:38.880 a guy who I mean, he can hit four hundred and fifty foot home 252 00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:45.359 runs easily. But what impressed me was that he wasn't just like all slugger. 253 00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:48.920 He would slow it down with two strikes or two outs with a guy 254 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:52.519 on second or something like that, and you know, kind of happily lace 255 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:56.480 a line drive over the second baseman's heading. And I had actually talked to 256 00:19:56.599 --> 00:20:00.799 James Anderson about him that season, you know, just asking his opinion. 257 00:20:02.519 --> 00:20:06.839 And I was wondering if because he had this little stint of triple A when 258 00:20:06.839 --> 00:20:10.799 he was like nineteen and actually you know, wasn't overmatched there hit a couple 259 00:20:10.880 --> 00:20:14.680 of home runs and whatnot, and I was wondering out loud if this was 260 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:18.799 a guy who would jump up the double A boy. I was sure wrong 261 00:20:18.839 --> 00:20:22.559 about that, because he ended up repeating or starting off low A again. 262 00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:26.759 This year. I don't really get why, but I think he's obviously starting 263 00:20:26.759 --> 00:20:29.480 to get noticed a little bit. You know. He finally got up to 264 00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:33.920 High A this year and he was actually produced, had a much higher clip 265 00:20:33.960 --> 00:20:36.839 than he was at Low A. In one hundred and fifty three High A 266 00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:41.240 played appearances, he slashed three forty two, four seventy seven, five eighty 267 00:20:41.359 --> 00:20:44.720 three with seven home runs, and you know, and then he went on 268 00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:47.400 to the AFL. He didn't like light the world on fire there, but 269 00:20:47.480 --> 00:20:49.880 again the kind of the run producing stuff showed up a little bit. At 270 00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:53.839 fourteen RBIs in nineteen games, there were three home runs. And I don't 271 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:56.880 know, maybe this is a guy who just you know, the ceiling, 272 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:02.519 so to speak, is playing in Asian League. But I'm definitely not done 273 00:21:02.599 --> 00:21:06.799 watching Robert Press junior. And then I had a hard time really getting inspired 274 00:21:06.839 --> 00:21:10.920 by anyone to choose for the Mariners this season. I went with Spencer Packard, 275 00:21:11.079 --> 00:21:14.559 who was only old than one percent leagues in November. Now he's an 276 00:21:14.599 --> 00:21:19.880 older guy, twenty five, who's twenty five, played twenty four playing playing 277 00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:22.920 in HIGHA, which is, you know, like a year and a half 278 00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:26.599 old. But he was an older you know, Coles guy coming out of 279 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:29.960 Campbell in the twenty twenty one draft. I don't I don't want to get 280 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:32.640 two in it. But he I mean, he's a left handed hitter who 281 00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:37.640 can legitimately mash right handed hitting. I don't have any outlandish, crazy, 282 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:41.240 wild dreams with Packard, but a guy who I don't think it's far fetched 283 00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:45.160 to see him make the bigs, you know, maybe being a strong side 284 00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:48.920 platoon type or something like that. But you know, the Mariners are pretty 285 00:21:48.920 --> 00:21:52.079 talented and popular. Because it was tough to find some prospects not owned that 286 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:56.720 much, the picture I went with was one Mercedes, who is three percent 287 00:21:56.799 --> 00:22:02.240 owned this month. First my attention pitching in Triple A. When I was 288 00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:06.759 trying to watch Corey Lee of the Astros so on that bad versus Mercedes, 289 00:22:07.640 --> 00:22:11.079 Mercedes threw up. I think it was four sliders, none of them really 290 00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:18.240 particularly well located and just kind of meatballs, and Lee couldn't touch any of 291 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:22.799 them. It's kind of a combination of I think, bad pitching and even 292 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:26.759 worse hitting. But I don't know, I'm just speculating here, but it 293 00:22:26.839 --> 00:22:30.720 seemed like Mercedes was maybe you know, going to be a relief pitcher in 294 00:22:30.839 --> 00:22:33.599 the uppers, or he was just filling in for a little while or something 295 00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:37.880 like that, and there's some backdoor savant stuff from his outings in Triple A 296 00:22:38.440 --> 00:22:41.640 and it looked like fastball slider. And then all of a sudden he had 297 00:22:41.640 --> 00:22:45.359 an outing where he threw three more offerings or something like that, and they 298 00:22:45.559 --> 00:22:48.599 sent him back down to A or it looks like there might be a little 299 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:52.480 bit of an experiment going him starting. In no way do I think this 300 00:22:52.599 --> 00:22:53.559 is a guy that, you know, we need to own and leads or 301 00:22:53.559 --> 00:22:56.920 anything like that. But I'm interested. I think there's enough stuff there to 302 00:22:57.039 --> 00:23:03.160 maybe remember him. And let's check out this Mariner's pitching development. They get 303 00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:06.839 a lot of credit for developing, you know, rightfully so form higher end 304 00:23:06.920 --> 00:23:11.599 investments. Maybe Mercedes offers a good little case study of how they may develop 305 00:23:11.880 --> 00:23:15.920 more of a project. That's why Mercedes a good sized righty, still pretty 306 00:23:15.960 --> 00:23:21.000 young. I don't know, it was the best I could do, all 307 00:23:21.079 --> 00:23:26.160 right. The Oakland Athletics a wide open wild west of most likely a shit 308 00:23:26.279 --> 00:23:33.160 storm of baseball, but also perhaps a fantastic B side hunting ground. These 309 00:23:33.240 --> 00:23:38.839 days, seems to me there might be Major League opportunity going around in spades 310 00:23:40.480 --> 00:23:44.079 the initial list, I've got another guy. I'm not really sure how he 311 00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:48.680 got on it, what the thinking was, who's thought it was necessarily I 312 00:23:48.759 --> 00:23:52.960 mean, ultimately it was my article, but a Cuban signee who I think 313 00:23:52.039 --> 00:23:56.480 had done some stuff in rookie ball in twenty nineteen. Again, this was 314 00:23:56.720 --> 00:24:02.200 coming out of twenty twenty. There were some fairly blind dart throws being thrown 315 00:24:02.240 --> 00:24:08.680 around, not much different than speculating on some international signe prospects and first year 316 00:24:08.759 --> 00:24:12.359 player drafts and such like that. But Lester Madden was the first choice, 317 00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:17.119 and we can pour one out on that dream because he was released by the 318 00:24:17.200 --> 00:24:22.039 A's in July after an unimpressive run. I'm sorry, I was whack. 319 00:24:22.359 --> 00:24:27.599 I was whack. I was whack. But year two, the A's B 320 00:24:27.720 --> 00:24:32.720 side was Jordan Diaz, who who was a little bit of a cheap because 321 00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:36.759 he was at six percent at the time. But I just as I still 322 00:24:36.839 --> 00:24:41.920 do value him higher than most he's up to while he was thirty nine percent 323 00:24:41.200 --> 00:24:45.319 in November, I imagine that's crept up as some others are taking him in, 324 00:24:45.720 --> 00:24:49.279 you know, even redraft bench spots and stuff like that. Speculating that 325 00:24:49.400 --> 00:24:53.279 he will get quite a bit of run this season with the A's Nonetheless a 326 00:24:53.599 --> 00:24:59.839 I think successful B side selection. I'm excited to see his season this year. 327 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:02.880 I think that's a guy who can really swing a bat. I think 328 00:25:02.920 --> 00:25:06.920 it's fair to question how much he might slug in the major leagues if the 329 00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:11.440 contact will consistently be quality. I'm betting that will be. I've seen the 330 00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:17.079 guy hit some monster opposite field shots. I don't think it's out of the 331 00:25:17.160 --> 00:25:21.160 question that he could have some more power protection. But nonetheless, he has 332 00:25:21.240 --> 00:25:25.279 long graduated and so this season, so it was time for a new choice, 333 00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:29.960 and Brett Harris continues to be one of my favorite guys on the new 334 00:25:30.039 --> 00:25:34.240 list. He's a defensive stud third base, second base, could probably even 335 00:25:34.279 --> 00:25:37.519 play a short stop. I don't know if you want him every day, 336 00:25:37.559 --> 00:25:41.039 but could fill in. In November, he was owned in one percent of 337 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:45.119 leagues. He's twenty four years old, right handed hitter, good sized guy 338 00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:48.880 like six three, two hundred I don't know, twenty maybe maybe a little 339 00:25:49.000 --> 00:25:52.319 less. He played High A in Double A last year. He was a 340 00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:57.119 twenty twenty one seventh round pick out of Gonzaga. I'm not a huge signing 341 00:25:57.119 --> 00:26:00.319 one hundred and twenty K. He got a lot of attention his senior year 342 00:26:00.400 --> 00:26:06.400 in college because he put up some big numbers, but offensive potential was the 343 00:26:06.440 --> 00:26:10.160 big question. But I'm wondering if he sort of came into his own down 344 00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:14.559 the stretch last season his last one hundred and sixty two played appearances in Double 345 00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:18.039 A, he slashed three fifteen, three sixty seven, four fifty nine, 346 00:26:18.519 --> 00:26:22.359 four home runs, and eight stolen bases. He's got like an average walk 347 00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:26.680 rate, a great seven point nine percent swings strike rate, and he's up 348 00:26:26.720 --> 00:26:30.440 there looking to do some damage. He seems to have some fast hands, 349 00:26:30.720 --> 00:26:37.519 like an react velocity inside, which leads to like some real plate coverage potential 350 00:26:37.160 --> 00:26:41.960 corner infielder who may not you know hit for power. Isn't the most sought 351 00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:45.559 after profile in the draft, but he ended up hitting seventeen home runs this 352 00:26:45.720 --> 00:26:49.079 last season in total. And I was reading the article about him and his 353 00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:52.880 Double A coach was speaking about how his power surge had nothing to do with 354 00:26:52.960 --> 00:26:57.440 any sort of change at the plate. Those sort of swing change whom I 355 00:26:57.519 --> 00:27:02.359 think often we see a spike and something like that, and we think something 356 00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:06.359 must have been different, but his coach were just saying, he's being better 357 00:27:06.400 --> 00:27:08.319 at finding the barrels, better at what he was doing. Really like the 358 00:27:08.400 --> 00:27:12.160 look of him from a technical aspect at the plate, and sure he might, 359 00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:15.200 you know, be a little bit older than what you might be looking 360 00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:19.000 for. But with the defense and some budding offense, I mean, I 361 00:27:19.079 --> 00:27:25.960 think we have a legit, potential, everyday prospect that no one owns right 362 00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:34.720 now. Are very few people so Brett Harris Oakland A's very much into it. 363 00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:41.759 The A's have also kind of been into some of the same prospects that 364 00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:47.359 I have been the last couple of years, as they have traded for two 365 00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:52.480 what I'd maybe call it three B sides over the last two off seasons. 366 00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:59.119 Go hard, go fast, Go your lovely bastards. Rubial Angelis when they 367 00:27:59.160 --> 00:28:02.200 got from the Padre I mean, he wasn't a B side with Joe. 368 00:28:02.279 --> 00:28:04.240 Yes, this was very much a B side ass pitcher that I was into, 369 00:28:06.039 --> 00:28:11.119 got him from the Braves, and now this offseason they just traded for 370 00:28:11.599 --> 00:28:17.279 Darryl hernaz Um from the Orioles. English was owned in zero percent of leagues 371 00:28:17.279 --> 00:28:19.079 in July of two thousand and twenty one when he came onto the list. 372 00:28:19.559 --> 00:28:22.359 He impressed the heck out of me in the Cow League twenty and twenty one, 373 00:28:23.279 --> 00:28:26.559 and he really he put up some some big number. I think he 374 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:30.240 had like three close to three seventy or something like that, and he was 375 00:28:30.279 --> 00:28:33.599 getting noticed in the Dynasty world. He popped up to ten percent by February 376 00:28:33.680 --> 00:28:37.319 of twenty twenty two. But man, in low way, this he was 377 00:28:38.839 --> 00:28:41.200 in a lot of ways is kind of like a man amongst boys. Now 378 00:28:41.319 --> 00:28:47.119 he's not he's not a big guy, but you would see him, you 379 00:28:47.200 --> 00:28:51.000 know, big moments late in games when his team is down. You know, 380 00:28:51.079 --> 00:28:55.000 he might be sitting on two strikes, but he's he's up there laughing 381 00:28:55.119 --> 00:29:00.480 and joking around with the catcher and and boom, there's uh, there's the 382 00:29:00.559 --> 00:29:04.839 game winning double in the gap. I think it's safe to, you know, 383 00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:10.039 wonder if there'll ever be a whole lot of power. But the ability 384 00:29:10.079 --> 00:29:12.960 to hit, the ability to put the bat on the ball was really one 385 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:15.319 of the best bats in that league. And that was a loaded league. 386 00:29:15.759 --> 00:29:19.839 And he got traded. He went over to Oakland and Hia not nearly the 387 00:29:19.920 --> 00:29:23.920 same sort of success. And I'm not going to pretend like I watched a 388 00:29:23.960 --> 00:29:29.240 ton of him last season. His ownership rates have dropped back down to four 389 00:29:29.279 --> 00:29:34.640 percent, but way too skilled of a contact hitter for me to close the 390 00:29:34.680 --> 00:29:40.920 book on your rebial Ungliz. And then heading into last year, Darryl Hernaz 391 00:29:41.039 --> 00:29:44.960 was my ORIOL selection. He was owning two percent of leagues and then as 392 00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:48.440 of November he was up to ten percent. I think it's safe to say 393 00:29:48.480 --> 00:29:52.480 that's a B side win to some extent, but it was hard to get 394 00:29:52.599 --> 00:29:56.359 too excited with him in that system and all the talents and all the high 395 00:29:56.400 --> 00:29:59.960 investment prospects that they have in front of him. But then this trade, 396 00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:04.839 it has definitely revitalized my personal interest. Twenty one right handed hitter six one 397 00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:10.599 one ninety list and played high end a little bit of double a last year 398 00:30:11.119 --> 00:30:17.160 fifth round pick in twenty nineteen out of Texas prep hitter. Now he's listed 399 00:30:17.200 --> 00:30:22.119 at six one ninety but I don't know. He doesn't really seem that big, 400 00:30:22.079 --> 00:30:26.720 but I think the end result of what he could be offensively is fantasy 401 00:30:26.759 --> 00:30:32.519 appealing. And man, apparently the A's might be thinking the same thing because 402 00:30:32.759 --> 00:30:38.640 they traded probably their best starting pitcher another pitching prospect for just him, and 403 00:30:40.039 --> 00:30:41.720 he had a nice season, but it isn't like he was lighting the world 404 00:30:41.799 --> 00:30:48.279 on fire statistically. But I think her NAIs is trying to be a legit 405 00:30:48.680 --> 00:30:52.720 power hitter slutter, which is pretty interesting for a guy who I think can 406 00:30:52.799 --> 00:30:56.839 play up the middle. I'm not a scholar on his defense. He's played 407 00:30:56.880 --> 00:31:03.079 shortstop, second base, third base. He swings the bat hard, but 408 00:31:03.200 --> 00:31:06.720 he doesn't get out of control, and he doesn't strike out a time. 409 00:31:07.319 --> 00:31:11.200 Seventeen percent k in high A jumped up to twenty seven percent in his very 410 00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:15.799 small double A stint, but I watched some there and he I would say 411 00:31:15.839 --> 00:31:19.839 it was it was some pretty dang good pitchers that were getting him. So 412 00:31:19.960 --> 00:31:25.240 I'm not really gonna ding him too much for admittedly not really the kind or 413 00:31:25.359 --> 00:31:29.079 type of hitter than I'm drawn to, but I'm trying to open my mind 414 00:31:29.119 --> 00:31:33.039 a little bit more too. I was not the highest guy in the world 415 00:31:33.319 --> 00:31:38.119 on Julio Rodriguez, and that was obviously not the greatest call. Now his 416 00:31:38.200 --> 00:31:44.559 splits aren't super encouraging, much better versus lefties. Again, he's a righty. 417 00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:48.160 He went three seventy eight four thirty four. It's like six hundred versus 418 00:31:48.279 --> 00:31:52.319 right ees, no excuse me, versus lefties versus rieties. He was two 419 00:31:52.440 --> 00:31:57.440 forty four three fourteen three ninety two, but he produced home runs versus both 420 00:31:57.559 --> 00:32:01.599 rities and lefties. But he's on the map some again, A guy who 421 00:32:01.640 --> 00:32:07.960 I think if if it all goes well and he becomes who I think he's 422 00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:10.839 trying to be at the plate, it could get pretty exciting. If he 423 00:32:10.920 --> 00:32:15.000 had a big home run season coming up here, I would not be surprised 424 00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:20.680 he had twelve this season. I'm sorry, I was across three levels, 425 00:32:20.759 --> 00:32:24.119 I said too, but regardless, he said, well worth watching. Still 426 00:32:24.599 --> 00:32:27.960 there are a's pitcher that I went with. I don't want to talk too 427 00:32:28.039 --> 00:32:31.160 much about him, but it's Jorge One first called my eye win In twenty 428 00:32:31.400 --> 00:32:35.920 twenty one, he was added to the forty man roster and not watched a 429 00:32:36.039 --> 00:32:39.720 lick of him up until then. And what was interesting was he hadn't and 430 00:32:39.880 --> 00:32:45.160 still hasn't, really logged a lot of minor league innings. And then he 431 00:32:45.480 --> 00:32:50.319 was taken off of the forty man DFA or whatever after I believe an injury. 432 00:32:50.799 --> 00:32:53.680 He was released and resigned with the last season, he only logged twenty 433 00:32:54.200 --> 00:32:58.319 twenty innings. He's twenty one years old. No, that's not right, 434 00:32:58.359 --> 00:33:01.839 he's twenty three years old. Guy at six eight, two hundred pounds looks 435 00:33:01.839 --> 00:33:07.400 like a lively two pitch combo of fastball and a slider. Really enhing more 436 00:33:07.440 --> 00:33:09.279 than a guy that I just kind of wanted to see again, and was 437 00:33:09.480 --> 00:33:13.759 obviously valued enough at one point to be put on the forty man roster. 438 00:33:20.359 --> 00:33:24.759 Let's get into the Rangers. Admittedly so not the most successful organization for us 439 00:33:24.839 --> 00:33:29.599 here. I did the Rangers top fifty back in twenty twenty one, and 440 00:33:29.920 --> 00:33:34.240 my selection was Zion Banister. I had never seen him play baseball, and 441 00:33:34.359 --> 00:33:38.039 here we are few years down the road and I have barely seen him play 442 00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:44.839 baseball. Researching him two years ago. He was a prep player in Maryland, 443 00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:47.119 I believe, originally from the Bahamas, and he moved back to the 444 00:33:47.200 --> 00:33:52.519 Bahamas so that he could sign as an international free agent in twenty nineteen. 445 00:33:52.039 --> 00:33:55.640 I believe that's how the story went. You know, the Rangers have gone 446 00:33:55.680 --> 00:34:00.359 outside of the box, so to speak, in recent history. I think 447 00:34:00.440 --> 00:34:04.240 had some success with that, so I was intrigued. I think Welsh has 448 00:34:04.279 --> 00:34:08.840 probably seen more of Zion Banister hanging around the complex, and he's been down 449 00:34:08.920 --> 00:34:13.280 there with some of their bigger signings and bigger names. But at this point 450 00:34:13.320 --> 00:34:17.440 we're only talking about eighty pro games over the course of two seasons. Now, 451 00:34:17.519 --> 00:34:21.800 he did get up to high A this year, none of the production 452 00:34:22.360 --> 00:34:27.719 is anything remarkable. This power of speed combo stuff that I had was hearing 453 00:34:27.760 --> 00:34:30.760 about has not come to be. I think he's barely stolen a handful of 454 00:34:30.840 --> 00:34:34.840 bases, and I think he's maybe hit two home runs. You know, 455 00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:39.760 twenty one switch hitter, good size, but Zion Banister not really much of 456 00:34:39.880 --> 00:34:44.760 a priority watch for me at this juncture. Then, heading into last year, 457 00:34:45.280 --> 00:34:50.000 I chose Miguel Operisio, who was two percent own is now down to 458 00:34:50.119 --> 00:34:52.440 one percent own. But back in twenty fifteen, if I remember correctly, 459 00:34:52.480 --> 00:34:58.280 I think he was one of their more highly touted international free agents from Venezuela. 460 00:34:58.800 --> 00:35:00.920 But in twenty twenty one, we'll caught my eye. Was a left 461 00:35:00.960 --> 00:35:07.519 handed hitter who hit lefties significantly better than righties, albeit you know, obviously 462 00:35:07.599 --> 00:35:12.719 a smaller sample size, but he slugged five sixty seven with twelve home runs. 463 00:35:13.559 --> 00:35:15.639 Now, the k percentage was like at a twenty seven percent, but 464 00:35:15.760 --> 00:35:19.639 when I was watching him down the stretch, he got up to double a 465 00:35:19.800 --> 00:35:22.719 little bit. I don't know, the swing choices and the swing of miss 466 00:35:22.800 --> 00:35:27.760 didn't seem all that horrible to me, so you know, I was thinking, 467 00:35:28.559 --> 00:35:34.199 interesting profile, maybe the maybe the pedigree was starting to catch up. 468 00:35:34.719 --> 00:35:39.360 The last season was kind of a lost season. Early April he was put 469 00:35:39.440 --> 00:35:44.800 on the I L. He didn't get his season started until late in July 470 00:35:45.320 --> 00:35:49.519 rookie ball some high A, and then finally got back up to double A, 471 00:35:50.679 --> 00:35:53.320 where it wasn't really a great twenty three games, but again only twenty 472 00:35:53.360 --> 00:35:59.760 three games. Then now we're also talking about a twenty three will be twenty 473 00:35:59.800 --> 00:36:02.800 four where year old with very little upper levels experience. I don't know, 474 00:36:04.079 --> 00:36:07.519 maybe we watch him, maybe we doubt, but I moved on to a 475 00:36:07.599 --> 00:36:10.840 different B side for this season, and that's Ian Moehler. He caught my 476 00:36:10.920 --> 00:36:16.719 attention when he took Dryland Susannah's fastball and sent it my little four hundred and 477 00:36:16.920 --> 00:36:22.880 sixty feet or something like that. This last season, he's not without some 478 00:36:22.079 --> 00:36:28.159 interesting I don't know history, pedigree or something. But he was a twenty 479 00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:31.440 twenty one fourth round draft pick, maybe twenty years old this season. Good 480 00:36:31.519 --> 00:36:37.000 sized right hand catcher, six foot two hundred pounds or something like that, 481 00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:40.719 very strong. He hasn't really blown up the stat sheet yet, but he's 482 00:36:40.760 --> 00:36:45.360 from Dubuque, Iowa, not a place where he played a ton of high 483 00:36:45.360 --> 00:36:50.039 school ball, and he really shot up draft boards kind of later in the 484 00:36:50.159 --> 00:36:55.280 process, if I'm not mistaken, because of just some massive power potential and 485 00:36:55.360 --> 00:37:00.320 a very athletic catcher. He can scoot. He gets around the bases faster 486 00:37:00.440 --> 00:37:07.920 than Matt Vogel's mom, ladies and gentlemen. We got him. He was 487 00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:10.599 kind of a I don't know, maybe like a semi regular player in a 488 00:37:10.719 --> 00:37:15.760 ball this year for a large part of the season. But then you know, 489 00:37:15.960 --> 00:37:21.320 he slugged. He slugged almost six hundred in August, granted smaller sample 490 00:37:21.400 --> 00:37:24.760 size. He stole eighteen bags on the season. So I'm just wondering, 491 00:37:24.840 --> 00:37:29.599 you know, Northern guy, maybe it just takes a little bit longer. 492 00:37:30.679 --> 00:37:35.559 You know, the Rangers invested seven hundred k on him. You can definitely 493 00:37:35.639 --> 00:37:38.679 handle velocity and you know, power for days. So we'll be checking in 494 00:37:38.760 --> 00:37:45.159 on Ian Mohler. Then my picture selection was Ryan Garcia, who was a 495 00:37:45.239 --> 00:37:49.280 second round pick out of UCLA in twenty nineteen. The Rangers, man, 496 00:37:49.679 --> 00:37:53.599 they just seem kind of jaded, and maybe they've taken some questionable profiles, 497 00:37:53.800 --> 00:37:57.599 especially like on the pitching side and stuff like that. But here they are 498 00:37:57.679 --> 00:38:00.360 in twenty nineteen. They take Ryan Garcia, who is considered one of the 499 00:38:00.760 --> 00:38:05.760 safest pitching prospects, most likely to me, you know, very likely to 500 00:38:05.800 --> 00:38:08.440 make the major leagues in some level, and unfortunately his career has just been 501 00:38:08.559 --> 00:38:13.960 kind of riddled with injuries. He's currently four percent own. I think he 502 00:38:14.280 --> 00:38:16.920 was coming back from Tommy John. He didn't pitch a ton of innings this 503 00:38:17.079 --> 00:38:21.840 year. He's like a strong, six foot righty. I don't know, 504 00:38:21.960 --> 00:38:23.760 even out of college. I don't know if it. I don't think the 505 00:38:23.800 --> 00:38:28.360 story was like a bunch of overpowering stuff, but just a guy who could 506 00:38:28.400 --> 00:38:31.199 like really pitch and locate. Watching a few outings this year, he would 507 00:38:31.239 --> 00:38:37.280 start his velocity would start off like high eighties first inning, but he I 508 00:38:37.320 --> 00:38:39.760 saw him get up to like ninety three ninety four by the end of some 509 00:38:39.920 --> 00:38:43.679 outings. So you know, maybe some of that's just like kind of working 510 00:38:43.760 --> 00:38:46.760 back, but you know, maybe he's healthy this year, regains that you 511 00:38:46.840 --> 00:38:51.119 know, second round form. He can pitch, Sure, seems like he 512 00:38:51.119 --> 00:38:54.519 can pitch. It's a pretty easy looking delivery, you know, almost looks 513 00:38:54.519 --> 00:39:00.119 like he's thrown batting practice, but the balls getting up there. You know, 514 00:39:00.159 --> 00:39:04.840 maybe he gets his career back going in twenty twenty three and puts himself 515 00:39:04.920 --> 00:39:08.360 back on the map. All right, let's get into some Houston astros. 516 00:39:08.519 --> 00:39:14.360 I don't know what the story is. Perhaps the organization that is real life 517 00:39:14.440 --> 00:39:17.639 b sides. In a lot of ways, they're kind of how I want 518 00:39:17.960 --> 00:39:27.960 to win my dynasty league. Homegrown d smell like out dumb, a lot 519 00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:32.719 of guys undervalued by others. Sure there's a couple of high dollar studs in 520 00:39:32.800 --> 00:39:38.239 there, like Bregman and Kyle Tucker, but we're talking about the best rotation 521 00:39:38.320 --> 00:39:43.880 in baseball, one World Series, the best pitching staff in baseball. Now, 522 00:39:43.920 --> 00:39:47.320 the bullpen was a couple of homegrown guys, and yeah they had Verlander. 523 00:39:47.400 --> 00:39:52.880 The I don't know, obviously, the cy young winner McCullers was a 524 00:39:52.960 --> 00:39:55.440 first round draft pick who had some pedigree. He may have been around a 525 00:39:55.559 --> 00:40:00.360 top fifty prospect at one point, but the rest of that, wrote Titian 526 00:40:00.440 --> 00:40:07.400 Frmberveldez, Luis Garcia, Christian Navier, Jose or Keaty. We're never top 527 00:40:07.480 --> 00:40:12.519 one hundred prospects. I believe Garcia might have been, you know, their 528 00:40:12.599 --> 00:40:15.960 top prospect one year, but it wasn't enough to crack the top one hundred. 529 00:40:16.760 --> 00:40:21.880 Go back and read some of the scouting reports on the current Astros starting 530 00:40:22.000 --> 00:40:27.400 rotation. And this isn't knocking anyone who wrote those or anything of that nature. 531 00:40:27.599 --> 00:40:30.920 It's tough, it's a hard thing to do, and the Astros continue 532 00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:36.159 to be a riddle for the prospecting world. But some of their reports. 533 00:40:36.599 --> 00:40:38.920 Luis Garcia, you know, if things go well, he could be a 534 00:40:39.199 --> 00:40:44.880 nice bullpen piece, and darn near all of those guys not getting graded very 535 00:40:44.920 --> 00:40:47.519 well in their breaking balls. And that doesn't so much jive these days, 536 00:40:47.559 --> 00:40:52.280 does it. And now Hunter Brown, their current bigger name pitching prospect, 537 00:40:52.480 --> 00:40:55.280 is getting you know, rank love and all that stuff. But even he 538 00:40:55.679 --> 00:41:00.079 was a fifth round draft pick out of Wayne State, starting center fielder, 539 00:41:00.239 --> 00:41:05.800 was a twenty first round draft pick of Theirs back in twenty seventeen. Chas 540 00:41:05.880 --> 00:41:10.199 McCormick very much a B side type coming up. David Hensley, I mean 541 00:41:10.280 --> 00:41:14.960 he was slept on up until he was in the bigs doing some things. 542 00:41:15.559 --> 00:41:19.880 He was an eighteenth round draft No. Twenty sixth round draft pick. It's 543 00:41:19.880 --> 00:41:23.519 an organization that has produced more major league players than any other organization over the 544 00:41:23.599 --> 00:41:28.400 last I don't know, a decade or so. Their draft picks have produced 545 00:41:28.480 --> 00:41:31.639 more war than any other organization over that same timeframe, and it's not even 546 00:41:31.719 --> 00:41:37.800 particularly close. Jeremy Paanya, the runner up to the al Rookie of the 547 00:41:37.920 --> 00:41:44.840 Year World Series MVP, was still very much undervalued coming into this last season, 548 00:41:45.599 --> 00:41:50.239 and yet year and year out. It's an organization, but the prospecting 549 00:41:50.320 --> 00:41:55.760 World, fantasy and real life alike perpetually ranked in the bottom third by people 550 00:41:55.800 --> 00:42:00.559 who do the organizational ranked type stuff. So what's the disconnect? Now, 551 00:42:00.599 --> 00:42:05.360 that's a bit rhetorical. I'm not going to pretend I have the answer to 552 00:42:05.440 --> 00:42:09.440 that, So down there, cowboy O, I'm got any answers only questions. 553 00:42:09.880 --> 00:42:14.239 But I have some suspicions that might play into it. One is stat 554 00:42:14.320 --> 00:42:19.239 sheet scouting. I've heard a lot of statements like why do the Astros continuously 555 00:42:19.840 --> 00:42:25.239 get players that outperform in the majors compared to their minor league production? Well, 556 00:42:27.199 --> 00:42:32.199 maybe minor league production isn't the end goal. Maybe developing good major league 557 00:42:32.239 --> 00:42:38.360 players is the goal. Within that, there's also ballpark stuff, disregarding what 558 00:42:38.400 --> 00:42:43.440 happens in Asheville because it's a small stadium and it's a hitters league with other 559 00:42:43.519 --> 00:42:50.079 small parks, discounting what happens in the PCL. Conversely with that, maybe 560 00:42:50.159 --> 00:42:54.360 some pitching numbers aren't as attractive looking. I often wonder folks who like to 561 00:42:54.440 --> 00:43:00.280 dig into minor league numbers make projections from such things. The way the Astros 562 00:43:00.320 --> 00:43:05.280 developed their starting pitchers could throw a monkey wrench into whatever that system is of 563 00:43:05.400 --> 00:43:09.440 theirs. They like to run a piggyback system. Guy goes three innings, 564 00:43:09.599 --> 00:43:15.119 Guy piggybacks and goes three after him. It's kind of their m O developing 565 00:43:15.159 --> 00:43:19.599 starting pitchers. Somebody glancing at a guy's season stats might say, might see, 566 00:43:19.840 --> 00:43:22.519 I don't know, thirty games, fifteen starts. That doesn't mean he's 567 00:43:22.559 --> 00:43:27.400 a relief pitcher or being groomed to be a relief pitcher. And just a 568 00:43:27.480 --> 00:43:31.079 little aside to that, something I've been noticing more as I've been watching more. 569 00:43:31.440 --> 00:43:36.000 If you're thinking, how can a guy develop into a starting pitcher only 570 00:43:36.039 --> 00:43:38.559 going through a lineup once. Well, I've kind of noticed that some of 571 00:43:38.599 --> 00:43:43.639 their guys will pitch differently outing to outing, So maybe they are pitching through 572 00:43:43.679 --> 00:43:47.079 a lineup differently the second time through. It's just it's going to be four 573 00:43:47.159 --> 00:43:51.880 or five days later. On the hitting side of things, it almost seems 574 00:43:51.920 --> 00:43:57.280 like they've got like two different kinds of profiles that they're loading up on. 575 00:43:57.840 --> 00:44:00.519 Really athletic. I don't know, phone and say toolsy, but I guess 576 00:44:00.599 --> 00:44:07.519 toolsy guys who just might not have very great contact skills. Or they've got 577 00:44:07.599 --> 00:44:13.480 guys who technically mechanically just do things very well swing wise and they have to 578 00:44:13.519 --> 00:44:19.320 play wise. And like I like to think I'm trying to do in Dynasty, 579 00:44:19.960 --> 00:44:24.320 is they cast a very large net. Perhaps because they are or were 580 00:44:24.599 --> 00:44:30.159 at least at the forefront of doing a lot of video scouting compared to other 581 00:44:30.280 --> 00:44:35.199 organizations, perhaps they can see more get more eyes on guys, but they 582 00:44:35.239 --> 00:44:38.039 will take guys from small colleges. And on the pitching side, I mean, 583 00:44:38.079 --> 00:44:42.880 they're just they're spin factory. They know how to coach breaking balls. 584 00:44:43.400 --> 00:44:46.880 And there's other organizations like the Rays and the Braves and I don't know, 585 00:44:47.000 --> 00:44:51.960 Mariners. Maybe not to take anything away from those organizations. They get lauded 586 00:44:52.199 --> 00:44:55.079 as great pitching organizations, but when you want to talk about developing guys that 587 00:44:55.199 --> 00:45:00.679 you have not invested a lot of money in or or high draft dround picks, 588 00:45:00.000 --> 00:45:02.519 I mean, I don't think anyone can really touch the Astros. And 589 00:45:02.599 --> 00:45:07.719 I'm not really totally sure why I am a little bit passionate on this subject 590 00:45:07.800 --> 00:45:13.840 because I hate the Astros, But here I am Jesus man, could you 591 00:45:13.960 --> 00:45:17.559 change the channel? Come on, I had a rough night the Eagles, 592 00:45:17.679 --> 00:45:23.119 man. My point being, this is primo B siding territory. It's hard 593 00:45:23.400 --> 00:45:28.280 to see who's gonna pop because I feel like there's a lot of possibilities. 594 00:45:28.559 --> 00:45:32.039 On top of that in their lowers Their High A team doesn't broadcast. A 595 00:45:32.159 --> 00:45:38.519 lot of teams in that league don't broadcast. Fayetteville's got a goofy camera angle 596 00:45:39.079 --> 00:45:44.639 they're Low A team, and some other teams in that league don't broadcast. 597 00:45:45.079 --> 00:45:50.239 But I very much pay attention to what the Astros do and who they're investing 598 00:45:50.320 --> 00:45:52.920 in, who they're playing, etc. Back in two thousand and one, 599 00:45:52.960 --> 00:45:57.920 I did the top fifty list at pitcher List. My B side selection was 600 00:45:57.960 --> 00:46:00.880 a kid by the name of Kennedy Corona, be lying if I said I 601 00:46:00.000 --> 00:46:05.639 knew much about him at the time. The Astros made a trade Jake Morizinac. 602 00:46:05.760 --> 00:46:07.480 I think it's who they traded to the Mets, and I think they 603 00:46:07.559 --> 00:46:10.440 got two players in return. One of them was Kennedy Corona, guy who 604 00:46:10.519 --> 00:46:15.880 was signed in April of twenty nineteen. Mets pushed him through three levels that 605 00:46:16.079 --> 00:46:19.920 season where you got a couple of games in an A ball towards the end 606 00:46:19.920 --> 00:46:22.079 of the season twenty nineteen. That's all that I ever saw of him, 607 00:46:22.559 --> 00:46:28.039 I believe, if I remember correctly, he was playing in the Venezuelan League 608 00:46:28.119 --> 00:46:31.119 or something like that. Always curious about what the Astros are doing, why 609 00:46:31.159 --> 00:46:35.440 they traded for this kid. A little bit of really poor looks. I 610 00:46:35.480 --> 00:46:37.480 think it was mostly just press box stuff, but there seemed to be maybe 611 00:46:37.480 --> 00:46:42.880 a speed power potential here that was enough to be my B side selection. 612 00:46:43.519 --> 00:46:46.599 Obviously, twenty twenty happened. Twenty twenty one, He's the A ball did 613 00:46:46.679 --> 00:46:50.559 not go very well. I watched a little bit. It wasn't pretty. 614 00:46:50.760 --> 00:46:52.480 Put him on the developmental list. I don't know. I don't even know 615 00:46:52.679 --> 00:46:57.280 what that is, totally all about going back to the complex to work on 616 00:46:57.400 --> 00:46:59.840 some things. I guess came back towards the end of the year for a 617 00:47:00.039 --> 00:47:02.880 little bit. Twenty twenty two he seemed to be a bit of a breakout. 618 00:47:04.159 --> 00:47:06.239 I wanted to get him back on the list, but he was owned 619 00:47:06.280 --> 00:47:08.320 just a little bit too much. But still going to talk about him for 620 00:47:08.360 --> 00:47:13.320 a quick second, So I don't know. Maybe twenty twenty wasn't the greatest 621 00:47:13.360 --> 00:47:15.119 for Corona, but he seems to have caught up a little bit here. 622 00:47:15.480 --> 00:47:20.880 He's twenty two. I'll turn twenty three early this season. Less he was 623 00:47:20.960 --> 00:47:23.400 low A and high A p some of that power of speed, and I 624 00:47:23.559 --> 00:47:29.360 know small park in high A. But he hit nineteen home runs and stole 625 00:47:29.440 --> 00:47:34.760 twenty eight bases, two hundred and seventy nine played appearances and high A ten 626 00:47:34.840 --> 00:47:37.960 home runs, twenty bags, hit two ninety three, seventy three, select 627 00:47:38.000 --> 00:47:43.480 four ninety eight. Twenty two point six percent strikeout right. The Astros have 628 00:47:43.679 --> 00:47:47.840 some guys who high contact. Lack of k's doesn't seem to be the highest 629 00:47:47.880 --> 00:47:52.920 priority for them, but twenty two point six percent isn't horrible, and it 630 00:47:52.000 --> 00:47:55.280 was last one hundred and seventy one played appearances, he went three oh seven, 631 00:47:55.679 --> 00:48:00.079 three seventy four, five forty nine with six home runs eleven stolen bases. 632 00:48:00.280 --> 00:48:07.599 Now Corona is right handed, and he's significantly better versus lefties four thirty 633 00:48:07.679 --> 00:48:13.440 seven, four eighty seven, six ninety as opposed to two forty five, 634 00:48:13.639 --> 00:48:19.079 three thirty seven, four fifty four versus rights. Long story short, Corona 635 00:48:19.159 --> 00:48:23.400 may have revitalized his development here they wrote me off, I ain't right back 636 00:48:23.440 --> 00:48:25.840 though. That's the problem. All right, right back, let's go. 637 00:48:27.159 --> 00:48:30.239 There's still some bad swings. Don't think he's anywhere close to the big leagues 638 00:48:30.320 --> 00:48:34.599 or anything like that, with plenty to prove, but a guy who kind 639 00:48:34.639 --> 00:48:37.280 of put himself back on the B side map. When it took Corona off 640 00:48:37.320 --> 00:48:43.199 the list, I went with Emmanuel Valdez, who, after leading their system 641 00:48:43.280 --> 00:48:46.400 in home runs in twenty twenty one, was still only owned one percent of 642 00:48:46.480 --> 00:48:52.199 leagues in February of twenty twenty two. He's obviously gained some more popularity. 643 00:48:52.599 --> 00:48:55.760 He was traded to Boston at least early this offseason. Some murmurs that he 644 00:48:55.880 --> 00:49:00.239 may play some second base for them this year. We'll talk more about him 645 00:49:00.239 --> 00:49:02.239 when we get to Boston. Now, last season. I was pretty certain 646 00:49:02.320 --> 00:49:07.719 that Joey la Profito would be my B side selection, Astro's B side selection 647 00:49:07.800 --> 00:49:10.800 for this season, and I should have just done it, but he was. 648 00:49:12.000 --> 00:49:14.800 He was owned at three percent. But regardless of I want to talk 649 00:49:14.800 --> 00:49:16.599 about him a little bit. Twenty three year old, he'll be. He'll 650 00:49:16.679 --> 00:49:22.239 during twenty four this season, nice size lefty six to four, A twenty 651 00:49:22.480 --> 00:49:27.119 twenty one seventh round pick, had a duke, not a big signing bonus. 652 00:49:27.719 --> 00:49:30.039 He played lowe and HIGHA. This year. He had twelve home runs 653 00:49:30.079 --> 00:49:35.119 and stole thirty two basses, even before I had started digging into some of 654 00:49:35.239 --> 00:49:38.280 his stats last year. I think he first caught my eye. We really 655 00:49:38.320 --> 00:49:42.079 got my attention. I don't know. I think maybe it was June. 656 00:49:42.199 --> 00:49:45.800 I was watching Stephen Cruz, a nice looking young pitcher for the Brewers, 657 00:49:45.199 --> 00:49:51.400 and he had nowty where he was. He was dealing taking care of Lafayette's 658 00:49:51.719 --> 00:49:53.960 line up, no problem, except for la Profito, who took him deep 659 00:49:54.039 --> 00:49:58.000 to two run home runs in a walk, and I started paying a little 660 00:49:58.000 --> 00:50:00.039 bit more attention to him. It's really l look of him at the plate, 661 00:50:00.480 --> 00:50:05.079 nice left handed stroke, stays nice and balanced. I know you might 662 00:50:05.199 --> 00:50:08.440 think like, oh, big college guy playing a ball. That's fine. 663 00:50:08.480 --> 00:50:12.039 I understand that, But again, I don't want to overdo the age thing. 664 00:50:12.360 --> 00:50:16.280 Versus older pitchers. He went three forty eight four twenty seven, five 665 00:50:16.480 --> 00:50:22.039 forty one. Versus younger pitchers, he went two eighty nine, three ninety 666 00:50:22.079 --> 00:50:25.480 one, four fifty six home runs versus each Now, I don't want to 667 00:50:25.519 --> 00:50:29.440 make too much of that, but let's bring that up if you're, you 668 00:50:29.480 --> 00:50:30.920 know, stickler for the age thing. For the most part, I think 669 00:50:30.960 --> 00:50:35.320 pitchers are a little older than hitters for the level. What I like about 670 00:50:35.400 --> 00:50:38.320 him is he can hit lefties much smaller sample size versus lefties, but he 671 00:50:38.360 --> 00:50:43.679 went three eighty six four forty two, four seventy one, no home runs 672 00:50:43.920 --> 00:50:46.400 res Versus righties he went three oh one, four one, four ninety seven 673 00:50:46.440 --> 00:50:50.639 with all twelve of his home run. But again, stats and all that 674 00:50:50.679 --> 00:50:53.360 stuff aside, I just like the look of him at the plate, hitting 675 00:50:53.400 --> 00:50:58.480 different locations, hitting different speed, staying nice and balance, and not getting 676 00:50:58.519 --> 00:51:02.559 fold too much to prove some stuff against upper level pitching. But a lat 677 00:51:02.639 --> 00:51:06.760 Pafito could very well be, you know, one of these kind of patented 678 00:51:06.840 --> 00:51:10.679 astros outfielders that not very heralded, but find themselves in the bigs, probably 679 00:51:10.719 --> 00:51:15.840 get traded. Astros are good at that, but alat Pafito definitely on the 680 00:51:15.920 --> 00:51:20.159 b side radar here he's a little too owned. So I guess my official 681 00:51:20.280 --> 00:51:23.119 choice. I went with Quincy Hamilton, who I liked the look of tuning 682 00:51:23.159 --> 00:51:28.079 in a little bit last year twenty twenty one, fifth round pick. Another 683 00:51:28.280 --> 00:51:31.519 smaller college guy out of right state, so obviously gotta have questions about level 684 00:51:31.559 --> 00:51:36.719 of competition, but another lefty, strong guy, thick bass, kind of 685 00:51:36.760 --> 00:51:42.679 a bowling ball of a dude at across three levels last year a high a 686 00:51:42.840 --> 00:51:45.360 double A. He hit seventeen home runs, stole twenty seven bases, and 687 00:51:45.440 --> 00:51:50.840 his splits actually might be slightly reversed, might be a little bit better against 688 00:51:50.920 --> 00:51:54.360 lefties. He's got some power to all fields. He slept over seven hundred 689 00:51:54.920 --> 00:51:59.840 as a senior in college. It doesn't really seem to get full too often, 690 00:52:00.760 --> 00:52:04.280 doesn't strike out, it seems aggressive, looking to do damage. I'm 691 00:52:04.320 --> 00:52:07.880 sure the narrative will be potential fourth outfielder type, and you know, the 692 00:52:07.000 --> 00:52:10.599 level of competition stuff. He might be just starting to answer some of that. 693 00:52:12.119 --> 00:52:15.000 So we'll be keeping an eye on Hamilton this year, at least early 694 00:52:15.079 --> 00:52:17.840 on in the season. Again, not a guy that I'm super excited about, 695 00:52:17.920 --> 00:52:22.559 but I want to pay attention to nonetheless, and then our Astros B 696 00:52:22.719 --> 00:52:25.639 side pitcher selection is kind of one of my more favorites on the list, 697 00:52:25.719 --> 00:52:30.480 and that's a Denson Batista, twenty year old who pitched in Low A last 698 00:52:30.519 --> 00:52:35.400 season. He did get a couple of High A starts in I reviewed him 699 00:52:35.440 --> 00:52:39.960 for Prospect Picture List and Review listen at six two eighty five variety. He's 700 00:52:40.159 --> 00:52:47.000 pretty dominant versus right hand hitters. Fastball slider curveball into fastball is about mid 701 00:52:47.159 --> 00:52:52.880 nineties. There's a change up in there. I wouldn't say it's really any 702 00:52:52.960 --> 00:52:55.760 good right now, but it's pretty early in this guy's development. In ninety 703 00:52:55.800 --> 00:53:00.679 three and a third single A innings, he had a two RA one point 704 00:53:00.920 --> 00:53:06.000 zero nine three whip, ten point nine k per nine, four point one 705 00:53:06.559 --> 00:53:09.320 walks per nine. I would say there's definitely a lot of polish needed here, 706 00:53:10.119 --> 00:53:15.440 but the two breaking balls in the Houston Spin Factory probably would intrigue me 707 00:53:15.519 --> 00:53:20.480 the most. He's got a harder slider and he's got a slower you know, 708 00:53:20.639 --> 00:53:24.239 kind of loopier curveball, more traditionally shaped curveball. Both, at least 709 00:53:24.320 --> 00:53:30.320 from video, seemed to have quite a been a movement. There lies a 710 00:53:30.400 --> 00:53:34.119 little bit of you know, the high walks and some higher pitch counts and 711 00:53:34.159 --> 00:53:37.079 stuff like that. You know, again, twenty years old, we've seen 712 00:53:37.119 --> 00:53:42.920 the astros helpe a guy tighten the screws on breaking balls consistently for many years 713 00:53:43.039 --> 00:53:46.159 now. I have a few speculative Batista shares in some of my deeper league 714 00:53:46.480 --> 00:53:51.960 just in case I think he's a little bit sharper at twenty years old than 715 00:53:52.360 --> 00:53:54.719 some of the studs in their rotation were at that time. But very much, 716 00:53:55.239 --> 00:54:00.519 you know, I had only three percent owned very much a Houston side 717 00:54:00.840 --> 00:54:05.400 interest to me. All right, so you survived the aos B side cram 718 00:54:05.519 --> 00:54:08.480 session. Hopefully that wasn't too painful for you. But I'm want to stop 719 00:54:08.559 --> 00:54:14.440 talking at you. Don't hesitate to get at me pitching specs on Twitter or 720 00:54:14.519 --> 00:54:17.360 the it L group me rooms again, if you're not a member of the 721 00:54:17.559 --> 00:54:20.760 Army. IM not going to tell you how to live your life, but 722 00:54:21.039 --> 00:54:24.119 you should consider it. Go to in this league dot com, check out 723 00:54:24.199 --> 00:54:30.119 Patreon. Next week we'll get into the NL Central. That's got a good 724 00:54:30.199 --> 00:54:34.760 chunk of exciting B side hitters for us to watch the season. Thanks for 725 00:54:34.880 --> 00:54:38.920 listening. Let's Chicago Farmer take us out here, be well, and I'll 726 00:54:38.960 --> 00:54:45.760 talk to you Monday. Down first with the lump boniest face, and on 727 00:54:45.920 --> 00:54:57.400 the very next pitch he up and stole second face. He wasn't born, 728 00:54:58.639 --> 00:55:01.800 he had already as uniful