The Prospect/Minor Leagues Thread

[metafour]

FanGraphs uploaded the following video a couple days ago of RHP Juan Meza, our top IFA signing from last year:

 

 

[burlingtonbandit]

Pretty good question + answer from Kiley's prospect chat today

 

Comment From Dan D

Kiley – thanks for abandoning your ‘started from the bottom now we’re here’ approach to prospect lists right when you would get to the Jays – Sneak peek at how they look from a depth perspective both 50+ and total?

12:52

Kiley McDaniel: No problem! Norris, Hoffman, Sanchez, Pompey, Pentecost & Osuna are the 50+ guys right now with Reid-Foley and Travis as 45+. Currently 13th best system.

 

Seems really high on Hoffman and Pentecost. Surprised Castro isn't a 45+ guy but he must feel like he is a reliever long term.

[Jimcanuck]

FanGraphs uploaded the following video a couple days ago of RHP Juan Meza, our top IFA signing from last year:

 

 

 

damn, good mechanics

[Ehjays]

Pretty good question + answer from Kiley's prospect chat today

 

Comment From Dan D

Kiley – thanks for abandoning your ‘started from the bottom now we’re here’ approach to prospect lists right when you would get to the Jays – Sneak peek at how they look from a depth perspective both 50+ and total?

12:52

Kiley McDaniel: No problem! Norris, Hoffman, Sanchez, Pompey, Pentecost & Osuna are the 50+ guys right now with Reid-Foley and Travis as 45+. Currently 13th best system.

 

Seems really high on Hoffman and Pentecost. Surprised Castro isn't a 45+ guy but he must feel like he is a reliever long term.

 

 

I can see Castro make the team in the pen out of spring

[ElNik2013]

I can see Castro make the team in the pen out of spring

 

 

I think it's unlikely out of ST, but a 2nd half bullpen role isn't out of the question since he's on an innings limit anyway. It would be sort of like Sanchez in 2014 - i.e. start at Dunedin, maybe even NH, and move him to the bullpen at around 100 IP. Or something similar.

[Angrioter]

I can see Castro make the team in the pen out of spring

Boxy says!!

[burlingtonbandit]

I can see Castro make the team in the pen out of spring

 

I can't. The guy barely has pitched above short season ball. If he pitches great in the minors I could see him in the pen in September.

[Laika]

The fact that the Orioles wanted Mitch Nay should be a good sign for a guy whose stats to date have been pretty underwhelming.

[Laika]

Actually, I guess it's not fair to call Nay's stats underwhelming. Not great obviously but his .731 OPS in the Midwest League came with good K and BB rates and he was about a year below the average age for the league. If he can stick at 3B somehow then I suppose that's a prospecty enough season.

[StroShow]

I believe Nay was dealing with an oblique injury throughout the season too.

[43211234]

Actually, I guess it's not fair to call Nay's stats underwhelming. Not great obviously but his .731 OPS in the Midwest League came with good K and BB rates and he was about a year below the average age for the league. If he can stick at 3B somehow then I suppose that's a prospecty enough season.

 

Nay's prospect status is buoyed by his raw power and the hope it will eventually translate into game power. The 34 doubles he hit in Lansing last year (only 3 HRs) gave a glimmer of hope in that respect. Hopefully he can breakout in 2015.

[King]

Devon Travis #6 on MLB Pipelines top 10 2B prospects list

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2015/#list=2b

 

Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

 

Just a year after the Tigers picked him in the 13th round of the 2012 Draft out of Florida State, Travis surprised scouts by finishing second in the Minor Leagues with a .351 batting average and third with 177 hits. An oblique injury hampered him in 2014, but his batting average still ranked in the top 10 in the Eastern League. His success attracted the attention of other teams and, in November, the Blue Jays acquired him in exchange for Anthony Gose.

Often overlooked because of his size, Travis simply finds a way to put the bat on the ball. He has a quick, compact swing and controls the barrel of the bat well. He's shown surprising power as a professional and could be good for double-digit home runs every year.

Travis is a solid defender at second base, capable of making all the plays required. He earns praise for his instincts and heady play, which allow his tools to play up.

[KingKat]

Devon Travis #6 on MLB Pipelines top 10 2B prospects list

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2015/#list=2b

 

Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

 

Just a year after the Tigers picked him in the 13th round of the 2012 Draft out of Florida State, Travis surprised scouts by finishing second in the Minor Leagues with a .351 batting average and third with 177 hits. An oblique injury hampered him in 2014, but his batting average still ranked in the top 10 in the Eastern League. His success attracted the attention of other teams and, in November, the Blue Jays acquired him in exchange for Anthony Gose.

Often overlooked because of his size, Travis simply finds a way to put the bat on the ball. He has a quick, compact swing and controls the barrel of the bat well. He's shown surprising power as a professional and could be good for double-digit home runs every year.

Travis is a solid defender at second base, capable of making all the plays required. He earns praise for his instincts and heady play, which allow his tools to play up.

 

He really sounds, in many ways, just like what the doctor ordered.

[43211234]

It's top 100 prospect list season so I'll post this site that aggregates many prospect rankings (maybe too many, as some sites I've never even heard of). Not too many of the big guys have lists out yet, but they should be coming in the next week or two.

 

http://fantasyrundown.com/2015-mlb-prospect-rankings/

[Laika]

MLB.com pipeline prospect coverage seems pretty legit now with Callis in the fold. No longer a joke.

[43211234]

MLB.com pipeline prospect coverage seems pretty legit now with Callis in the fold. No longer a joke.

 

Agreed. Baseball America has really fallen.

[Mikeleelop]

Dave Adams on MLBTR chat just said he has heard "makeup issue" concerns for Pompey

 

Comment From CC:

Is Dalton Pompey the next big thing?

Tuesday January 27, 2015 3:03 C

3:03 Steve Adams: Have heard less than glowing things about his makeup

 

 

 

First I've heard - makeup usually means lazy due to entitlement

 

Anyone else see this anywhere??

[HERPDERP]

Never heard of that.

 

Who is Dave Adams, how would he get this type of info?

 

...Maybe Pillar is spreading rumors so he can win the job

[Angrioter]

Dave Adams on MLBTR chat just said he has heard "makeup issue" concerns for Pompey

 

Comment From CC:

Is Dalton Pompey the next big thing?

Tuesday January 27, 2015 3:03 C

3:03 Steve Adams: Have heard less than glowing things about his makeup

 

 

 

First I've heard - makeup usually means lazy due to entitlement

 

Anyone else see this anywhere??

 

Bad news for the Jays. Barry Bonds-esque

[LunchBox]

All players entering the draft should be taking standardized intelligence and personality tests. There will still be prospects that bust for reasons other than physical ability, but at least scouts won't have reason to speculate about players' "makeup, intangibles" ect. which they are in no way qualified to do.

[43211234]

Bad news for the Jays. Barry Bonds-esque

 

Hopefully his personality doesn't hold back his talent as much as it did with Bonds.

[KingKat]

Everything I've heard so far about Pompey said that his makeup was off the charts.

[Orgfiller]

Everything I've heard so far about Pompey said that his makeup was off the charts.

 

Either he has exceptional poise and maturity that allowed him to adjust to each new level or he's a douchebag who's really good at baseball. As long as he doesn't get on Swisher/Youkilis/Papelbon level (to the point where seeing his face makes you cringe) then I'm alright with either scenario.

[LunchBox]

Everything I've heard so far about Pompey said that his makeup was off the charts.

 

Brah there's nothing indeterminable about character, buddy said he's a POS so he's obviously a 20/80 on makeup scale. Trade his ass for a sparkplug, class act or gym rat with a Goins' bat and a Viciedo glove.

[nmrch]

Dave Adams on MLBTR chat just said he has heard "makeup issue" concerns for Pompey

 

Comment From CC:

Is Dalton Pompey the next big thing?

Tuesday January 27, 2015 3:03 C

3:03 Steve Adams: Have heard less than glowing things about his makeup

 

 

 

First I've heard - makeup usually means lazy due to entitlement

 

Anyone else see this anywhere??

 

 

 

I know people are gonna be offended by this but here it goes, "makeup" issues are thrown around pretty casually at black and latino players in Baseball, especially super athletic guys like Pompey. Its sometimes used as a codeword for "uppity" and less than humble/not subservient, and interestingly Pompey doesn't come across as cocky(which for some reason is seen as a negative trait in an athlete but only in selected cases, see Puig vs Harper) in interviews and on twitter.

[Mikeleelop]

Many good comments here

 

I agree that everything Ive read on Pompey is that he has great makeup. Humble Canadian kid

 

Also agree that makeup concerns gets thrown around far too casually and that black/Latino kids get the label far more frequently.

 

I hope this is a case of that. Pompey seemed to adjust quite well to early struggles at a few levels LY and persevered to reach the majors

 

Seemed to be a good kid

[Angrioter]

Many good comments here

 

I agree that everything Ive read on Pompey is that he has great makeup. Humble Canadian kid

 

Also agree that makeup concerns gets thrown around far too casually and that black/Latino kids get the label far more frequently.

 

I hope this is a case of that. Pompey seemed to adjust quite well to early struggles at a few levels LY and persevered to reach the majors

 

Seemed to be a good kid

 

Pompey looks like a white boy into black guy body. I like him

[Jimcanuck]

every professional athlete these days has makeup issues..... no such thing as a perfect human being

 

hell, even a guy many thought was the epitome of class and goodwill, Bill Cosby, is being revealed as far less than perfect

 

also, random stupid comments by dumbass commentators are commonplace in the digital age

[TheHurl]

Dalton has continued to support Mississauga North Baseball and show up/coach at their den without charging any appearance fees. They rave about him there (not that you expect the place he played his club ball to rip him but they certainly didn't talk about their other major league players the way they did about Dalton). I've never heard a bad thing about him.

[Angrioter]

Ftfy u fob

Gracias por la ayuda.