Official MiLB/Prospects Thread

[Krylian]

I wonder what a drunk, candid Ross Atkins at his cousin's wedding would say about their actual strategy and approach.

 

I don't think Atkins has ever had any opinion of his own his entire life.

[burlingtonbandit]

Funny because I listened to an episode of Scott Mitchell's podcast with Atkins on and I went into it thinking oh cool I'll finally get to hear him not talk like a corporate robot. And he sounded exactly like he does in interviews. Like couldn't imagine being stuck in a room with the guy for 20 min, Id want to off myself.

[Brownie19]

Funny because I listened to an episode of Scott Mitchell's podcast with Atkins on and I went into it thinking oh cool I'll finally get to hear him not talk like a corporate robot. And he sounded exactly like he does in interviews. Like couldn't imagine being stuck in a room with the guy for 20 min, Id want to off myself.

 

Why wouldn't you expect him to do the corporate robot talk on a podcast?

[burlingtonbandit]

Why wouldn't you expect him to do the corporate robot talk on a podcast?

 

I find lots of times guests will let their guard down in podcast settings, and talk more freely. I don't even think its him trying to talk like that, thats literally how he is lol.

[Brownie19]

I find lots of times guests will let their guard down in podcast settings, and talk more freely. I don't even think its him trying to talk like that, thats literally how he is lol.

 

It would be interesting to know. I think it would be hilarious if he comes home after a press conference, smokes a joint and laughs about all the ******** he has to say to appease the public - joking about how f***ing stupid it all is. All Managers, GM's and players are essentially paid actors when in front of a camera (some better than others). Then again, you could be correct - he may just talk like that.

Edited February 8, 2024 by Brownie19

[Jimcanuck]

So the MLB is doing this this year, March 14-17... top 30 spects playing each other in a 7 inning exhibition game, Jays will be facing the Yankees on the 16th...

 

https://www.mlb.com/spring-training/spring-breakout

 

Hmmm i could fit that in....

[Jimcanuck]

Hmmm i could fit that in....

 

Lowest priced ticket is $60 US for a back bleacher seat. f*** that for a 7 inning game.

[WryNGinger]

Funny because I listened to an episode of Scott Mitchell's podcast with Atkins on and I went into it thinking oh cool I'll finally get to hear him not talk like a corporate robot. And he sounded exactly like he does in interviews. Like couldn't imagine being stuck in a room with the guy for 20 min, Id want to off myself.

 

I honestly cannot imagine Atkins in any situation being anything buy corporate Atkins.

 

Even banging his wife with only his shirt and tie on he would be talking to her about expected outcomes and probability.

 

Afterwards he would be going on about communication opportunities going forward and be analyzing possible gaps in areas of development that can be scrutinized.

 

No matter what, his wife is left watching porn and trying to rub one out 99% of the time after he has left the room.

[wamco]

I honestly cannot imagine Atkins in any situation being anything buy corporate Atkins.

 

Even banging his wife with only his shirt and tie on he would be talking to her about expected outcomes and probability.

 

Afterwards he would be going on about communication opportunities going forward and be analyzing possible gaps in areas of development that can be scrutinized.

 

No matter what, his wife is left watching porn and trying to rub one out 99% of the time after he has left the room.

 

He’d pull himself out for a cuck after about 3 minutes even though he was putting in work leaving her confused as to why.

 

Then he blames John Schneider.

[Spanky__99]

I wonder what a drunk, candid Ross Atkins at his cousin's wedding would say about their actual strategy and approach.

 

lmao

[Spanky__99]

Ross is likely a bigger Alpha than any of you guys in here chucking shade, dude played proball up until he retired to pursue a FO position, and has done well, joke's on you. Hah!

[Laika]

Ross is likely a bigger Alpha than any of you guys in here chucking shade, dude played proball up until he retired to pursue a FO position, and has done well, joke's on you. Hah!

 

Facts.

 

This guy runs a baseball team. He's basically at the pinnacle of masculinity.

 

Bunch of guys on this forum who do data entry or make sandwiches try to say that he is low T.

 

smh

[Olerud363]

Facts.

 

This guy runs a baseball team. He's basically at the pinnacle of masculinity.

 

Bunch of guys on this forum who do data entry or make sandwiches try to say that he is low T.

 

smh

 

I think they are using 'low T' as a proxy for 'obedience and low risk tolerance'. In most work places the low T obedient type has a very nice career path up to being second in charge.

 

About 50% of work places are involved in out-right fraud, and the 'low Ts' are great at this, they are too scared to ask even basic questions ...

 

Take recent examples of air plane doors falling off.

 

Dudley - 'Big Bill is raging that the airplane door might fall off, sure going crazy, might even the beat the s*** out of the accountant down there, but I don't know, Mr. Kinkins is the big boss, and he'd know if the airplane door is going to fall off, so I think everything, is OK.'

 

air plane door falls off. Dudley asked if anyone knew it might fall off. What about the Bill guy who got fired 6 months ago?

 

Dudley - 'Big BIll? He sure was a bit of a tense guy, always yellin' and yelled too much really about who knows what. He's gone now, but Mr. Kinkins is the big boss, and he and no one else could have known the airplane door would fall. Big Bill is just a kind of scary, crazy guy. Mr. Kinkins is pretty honest as far as I know."

 

Note the use of "As far as I know" typically low T expression, from a low T that get's 500k + a year for saying everything is OK, and no way we could have known.

 

Now is this dynamic present in MLB? Could high T super-nerd with mind blowing innovative ideas get shut down by low T guy who says 'Yes Mr. Shaprio... right away Mr. Shapiro'. I mean Atkins played ball so his T probably higher than a Subway sandwhich guy I guess, but question is more T levels within the eco-system, and whether lower Ts (within the system) can get promoted more by behaving, just like lower Ts in any work place ecosystem.

[TheHurl]

Don't care if you want to go off on Atkins, the unfortunate thing is there isn't enough "pieces of metal" on the commissioners trophy for him to stick up all your asses when he wins it. My apologies to those that had replies in there that got deleted.

[L54]

Im not excited about Roden at all, hes got like 30 or maybe 35 raw power. Read somewhere his max EV was like 103 or something.

 

Stumbled upon this from Baseball America

 

Is there any information on Alan Roden’s exit velocities? He’s up to a .500 SLG% at Double-A and his Plate Skills have been excellent all year.

 

He has elite plate skills and he’s an above-average defender in a corner outfield spot. He’s really not that different from Nolan Schanuel even from a swing and setup perspective. That said, like Schanuel his EVs are pretty below-average. I think it’s a nice hit tool driven corner outfield profile that can unlock some more power in the next 4-5 years.

 

 

Michael Brantley comp

[Spanky__99]

BA's Top 100 Fantasy rankings with Jays players and small blurbs...

 

15. Ricky Tiedemann, LHP, Blue Jays — An early May biceps injury robbed Tiedemann of the majority of his 2023, but he returned late in the season and impressed in the Arizona Fall League. He’s a low-slot lefthander with a chance to develop three plus pitches with above-average command. Health is the biggest question mark facing the Blue Jays top prospect.

 

47. Orelvis Martinez, SS, Blue Jays — Martinez rebounded big in 2023 after a difficult 2022 season that saw him hit just above the Mendoza line. Martinez refined his swing decisions and showed maturity at the plate, forcing pitchers to work. He possesses some of the best quality of contact in the minors, as he shows the ability to consistently backspin flyballs to his pullside. Martinez has seen time at both second and third base and is likely to move off shortstop.

 

66. Davis Schneider, 2B, Blue Jays — Schneider hit his way to the big leagues and caught the attention of the baseball world with a “god-mode” stretch to begin his big league career. Schneider has strong plate skills driven by his excellent on-base ability. He has average raw power but gets the most out of his power due to his barrel control.

 

90. Addison Barger, SS, Blue Jays — After a breakout 2022, Barger fell back to the pack in 2023 despite underlying data that says his early-season elbow injury was the culprit behind his average line. Barger still possesses above-average power (106.3 mph 90th percentile EV) and plus bat-to-ball skills (14.4% in-zone whiff) and could see time in Toronto in 2024.

[Spanky__99]

Baseball America’s Top 30 Toronto Blue Jays Prospects entering 2024 are here exclusively for subscribers. The list includes updated scouting reports, BA grades and tool grade projections every player.

 

Inevitably, there are players every year who barely miss the cut when we narrow down the list. These players are all worth monitoring for various reasons and it’s likely some will either reach the big leagues in 2024 or enjoy breakout seasons lower in the minors.

 

Here are next 10 players to know in the Blue Jays system beyond their Top 30.

 

31. Cade Doughty, 2B

 

Louisiana State baseball is a family tradition for the Doughtys. Cade followed his father Richard and brother Braden to LSU. Over his decorated college career, Cade was a three-year starter and hit .301 with 30 home runs and a .921 OPS. The Blue Jays drafted him in the supplemental second round in 2022 Doughty spent all of 2023 with High-A Vancouver, hitting .264/.342/.459 with 18 home runs. While Doughty’s surface-level stats are solid, his underlying data showcases how poor his plate skills were in 2023.

 

32. Alex De Jesus, 3B

 

Acquired in the trade that sent righthander Nick Frasso to the Dodgers, De Jesus is a bat first their baseman with major questions around his glove. De Jesus hit .248/.340/.466 over 82 games and showed improvements in contact, in-zone contact and chase rates. De Jesus has fringe-average power and a knack for finding the barrel. De Jesus got more aggressive this season with a 4% jump in swing rate and showed real skill progression. De Jesus lacks adjustability in his barrel which adds some question to his hit tool despite improvements.

 

33. Adrian Pinto, 2B/SS

 

Pinto was acquired by the Blue Jays from the Rockies in the Randal Grichuk trade a few weeks before the 2022 season began. Over two seasons in the Blue Jays organization Pinto has been limited to just 82 games as he’s dealt with multiple lower body injuries (quadriceps and hamstring). When Pinto has been healthy, particularly in his 35 games this season, he’s shown a well rounded skillset at the plate. Pinto is an above-average contact with a patience rarely seen in the lower levels of the minor leagues. Despite dealing with injuries Pinto saw gains to his exit velocity data without sacrificing contact. Pinto is a fit at a variety of positions defensively but lacks the arm strength to play shortstop long term. He’ll likely move to second long term with a possibility he moves to the outfield.

 

34. CJ Van Eyk, RHP

 

Van Eyk received significant buzz leading up to the Rule 5 draft after a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League. Van Eyk returned from Tommy John surgery this summer and reached Double-A by season’s end, pitching as a starter limited to three to four innings per appearance. Van Eyk mixes a four-seam fastball at 92-94 mph with a power curveball at 81-83 mph and a cut slider in the mid-80s. Van Eyk has been flagged as a candidate for a potential move to the pen, where evaluators believe his stuff could play up.

 

35. Nick Goodwin, SS

 

Kansas State has produced some solid prospects in recent seasons and Goodwin might be the next Wildcats alumni to find success as a professional. Goodwin combines solid plate skills with a knack for finding the barrel. Hes likely to move off shortstop but has enough offensive upside to move to second or third base. Goodwins high level outcome is a bat-first utility infielder.

 

36. Devereaux Harrison, RHP

 

After spending most of his college career and the early portion of his professional career working as a reliever, Harrison made the jump to the Vancouver rotation on May 21st. In the 16 starts the followed Harrison pitched to a 2.88 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and a .224 opponents average. Harrison mixes a four-seam fastball at 92-94 mph, a riding sweeper slider at 82-84 mph, a changeup and a cutter. Harrison doesn’t generate many strikeouts, but his unusual combination of ride and sweep on his slider make it an above-average pitch. Harrison generates an outlier amount of extension for his 6-foot-height averaging 6-foot-8 feet of extension on average.

 

37. Gabriel Martinez, OF

 

After a breakout 2022, Martinez’s lack of approach and middling exit velocity data caught up to him. These were all factors lurking beneath the surface in his underlying data the season prior. Remarkably Martinez’s contact rate, chase rate, in-zone contact rate and exit velocity average and 90th percentile all look nearly identical. Martinez has natural bat-to-ball ability and a swing that looks to do damage, he simply lacks the strength at present to optimize this approach. Martinez is a corner outfield only prospect with a lack of defensive skills, putting more pressure on him to perform at the plate.

 

38. Manuel Beltre, SS

 

Signed in July of 2020 for $2.35 million, Beltre is one of the Blue Jays more highly billed international free agents in recent years, but has failed to hit as a professional. Beltre is an above-average defender in the infield, who profiles best as a utility infielder long term. Beltre hit .231/.335/.340 in 2023 and his underlying contact (27.1%) and chase (28.5%) rates are only average. Beltre lacks power and is a slightly above-average runner and basestealer, limiting his offensive upside. Improvements to Beltre’s approach and contact hitting could yield enough offense to profile as a defensive utility infielder.

 

39. Ryan Jennings, RHP

 

A fourth round pick in 2022 out of Louisiana Tech, Jennings looks like a potential steal at $70,000. After Jennings showed upper-90s velocity at Louisiana Tech, his velocity was down in 2023 as he sat 93-94 mph touching 95-96 mph at peak. Despite missing a chunk of the season with injury Jennings returned for the playoffs. Jennings mixes a fastball with heavy armside run, a power curveball in the low-80s, a mid-80s gyro slider, a cutter and a changeup. If Jennings can recapture his college velocity and maintain health he could move up the rankings in 2024.

 

40. Dasan Brown, OF

 

There aren’t many players with Brown’s athleticism and twitch. A standout centerfield defender, Brown’s defense is a true plus tool. Unfortunately he’s struggled to develop as a hitter over parts of five seasons. Brown had the worst offensive season of his career in 2023 after returning to High-A, where he had success to finish 2022. Brown has above-average approach and solid bat-to-ball skills, but well below-average impact, limiting the quality of all of his contact. At 21 years old potential strength gains can still come, but that remains to be seen.

[Stangstag]

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2024-top-100-prospects/

 

Fangraphs released their top 100. Pretty different from most lists...

 

Jays have 2 in the top 100, Ricky T and Orelvis.

 

Orioles' Basallo ranked #7

[z3r0s]

No Snelling on the list. Straight miss?

[BlueRocky]

Its probably pretty loose already if you're talking about the lips between his legs. He got f***ed hard on the Versho trade lmaooo

 

 

Years of control were lost that day

[BlueRocky]

Stumbled upon this from Baseball America

 

Is there any information on Alan Roden’s exit velocities? He’s up to a .500 SLG% at Double-A and his Plate Skills have been excellent all year.

 

He has elite plate skills and he’s an above-average defender in a corner outfield spot. He’s really not that different from Nolan Schanuel even from a swing and setup perspective. That said, like Schanuel his EVs are pretty below-average. I think it’s a nice hit tool driven corner outfield profile that can unlock some more power in the next 4-5 years.

 

 

Michael Brantley comp

 

 

Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #9 prospect in 2024

BA Grade: 45/High

 

Track Record: Roden maintained freshman eligibility into his third season at Creighton after redshirting in 2019 and seeing just three games of action during the shortened 2020 season. He spurned draft interest following his 2021 freshman campaign in order to complete his physics degree. The Blue Jays drafted Roden in the third round in 2022 and signed him for an under-slot $497,500. Assigned to High-A Vancouver in 2023, he hit his way to Double-A New Hampshire on July 19 and batted .310/.421/.460 in 46 games at the higher level.

 

Scouting Report: Roden has always shown elite bat-to-ball skills and approach. He has a stockier build with broad shoulders but is a better athlete than he appears. Roden has an unusual setup and swing, as he sets up with his hands high above his head in a similar fashion to Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel. This is an alteration from Roden’s setup during college, when his bat rested on his shoulder in a deep crouch. Roden is now more upright and his front leg drift has been replaced by a more traditional leg kick. Despite the unusual setup and mechanics, Roden is able to control his barrel with high accuracy, rarely swinging and missing. He shows fringe-average game power, but it’s not a matter of hard contact. It’s a lack of lift in his bat path. Most of Roden’s hardest-hit balls in play are line drives. He’s an average runner underway, which allows him to play an average to perhaps a touch better defense in the corner outfield. Roden has an above-average arm that plays well in the corners.

 

The Future: Roden has a hit tool-driven profile with limited power upside due to his unusual swing and setup. He can be a solid second-division regular with the ability to play an outfield corner and provide high batting averages and on-base ability.

 

Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55

 

No exit velo data just a scouting report.

I did see an article like that but I don’t think he was on the list, only top 100 guys.

[Sorrow]

According to Keegan Matheson Ricky T has put on about 19lbs of in Ricky’s words muscle, so just a clean bull I hope.

 

Would put him at 6’4” 240ish.

[deanmike]

 

Orelvis no longer a 3B prospect confirmed

 

Barger is splitting RF/3B in spring so him at 3B isn't completely dead

[Spanky__99]

Orelvis no longer a 3B prospect confirmed

 

Barger is splitting RF/3B in spring so him at 3B isn't completely dead

 

lol

[Laika]

Someone go press Scott Mitchell on the Jorge Soler lies

[Brownie19]

 

Orelvis no longer a 3B prospect confirmed

 

Barger is splitting RF/3B in spring so him at 3B isn't completely dead

 

Let's stop pretending that Scott Mitchell knows anything, or that what the media prints is factual please.

[Terminator]

Barger still at 3B is good. He was playing OF exclusively in AAA so I had worried that he had moved down the defensive spectrum but they were just adding some versatility to his resume.

 

I wonder if the projections are a touch low for him since his 2022 performance was likely due to some injury issues. If he doesn't break camp with the big league team, and he probably won't, I hope the plan is to call him up after a month or two. He could be the solution to our 3B problem.

[deanmike]

Let's stop pretending that Scott Mitchell knows anything, or that what the media prints is factual please.

 

The only reason I posted it is because it's Atkins answers on Orelvis/Barger questioning

 

And not trying to sound like BNS here but considering what Soler got I am very happy Mitchell was wrong about that

[Krylian]

According to Keegan Matheson Ricky T has put on about 19lbs of in Ricky’s words muscle, so just a clean bull I hope.

 

Would put him at 6’4” 240ish.

 

After Brandon Barriera last year, I want to see this 19lbs for myself.

[Jimcanuck]

After Brandon Barriera last year, I want to see this 19lbs for myself.

 

He's being described as Hercules. We good.