Official MiLB/Prospects Thread

[Spanky__99]

Same, but it makes no sense in having both Barger and Lukes on the 26. KK maybe had a set back?

 

Barger's wife is due.

[burlingtonbandit]

Barger just seemed to show that he wasn't used to major league pitching, he didn't show that he couldn't handle it. Given that we're less than .500, might as well give him some more at bats. The lineup needs some major reshuffle.

 

There's a huge adjustment once you get to the MLB level. Look at Holliday the number 1 prospect in baseball, he couldn't hit s*** when he came up.

 

Everyone always clamors for a "sustained window" however its pretty hard to actually pull that off since there is a big learning curve at the MLB level and rookies often struggle.

[The_DH]

he's got a great looking swing and some power. He'll get there.

[Terminator]

Lukes is officially up and Barger was optioned back to AAA

[Jonn]

Pulling the plug on him after 18 AB’s is pretty weak sauce.

 

But they were also playing him in a position he never played and he isn’t a very good defensive player to begin with.

[Olerud363]

So you fully admit you are one of the brain cell deprived. Odd how that worked itself out so quickly.

 

Do you really struggle this hard with being human?

 

I'm not here often enough to care about any posters (nor do I know ANY of them), but so far I've seen, there are some posters like you who have the literary chops of a dancing plough horse with a peg leg. Guess the ignore list starts now.

 

? Fully admit I am one of the Brain cell derived? Yes. I have no problem being one of the common people. I try to keep up with the four smarter posters I mentioned when I can.

 

? LIterary chops? Not sure what to say. Would you like my reading list? I read the classics. X-Men issue 94 onwards, Bill James 1984 abstract, Bill James 1985 abstract, Bill James 1987 Abstract, Bill James 1988 Abstract, Bill James 1990 Baseball book, Bill James 1991 Baseball Book, BIll James 1992 Baseball book. The Stand by Stephen King. The Dark Forest (middle book) by Cixin Liu (translated by Ken Liu, I do not know Mandarin of course). Confessions of a Street Addict by Jim Cramer, A pale blue dot by Carl Sagan. Calculus 4th Edition by Edwards and Penny, Skin in the Game by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Win Bigly by Scott Adams.

 

Of course I am a bit embarrassed to admit I read the pop bullshitter Nassim Nicholas Taleb... "I know the fooled by randomness, I know Black swan, I am so smart so I can be an angry ******* even though I just read pop airport book that everyone else reads.". So I would like to clarify I do not take Taleb too seriously, sometimes he has an interesting point but mostly it is just light reading, and I would like to clarify I'm not angry based on being one of Taleb's cult members. I am just really an angry guy having to deal with so many morons here and other places.

 

I think that is it. Don't remember reading any other books but that list is a pretty good selection including literary classics, financial, cultural classics.

[Stangstag]

Pulling the plug on him after 18 AB’s is pretty weak sauce.

 

But they were also playing him in a position he never played and he isn’t a very good defensive player to begin with.

 

He was always going to be just an injury fill-in. Lukes at least gives them another CF backup until KK returns

[Ray]

Tucker Toman has been such a disappointment so far in pro-ball. He's still younger for the level, but he's sporting a 37% k-rate in his 2nd go-around in A-ball and making less contact than before.

 

I was quite hyped for that pick at the time. Toolsy switch-hitting prep shortstop whose dad was coaching college baseball. He can still turn it around, but was hoping he'd be further along in his development by this point.

[Brownie19]

Pulling the plug on him after 18 AB’s is pretty weak sauce.

 

But they were also playing him in a position he never played and he isn’t a very good defensive player to begin with.

 

I think we thought we'd see that he's gone on the parental leave list (or whatever it is called), so this is a bit odd. Perhaps they feel the poor kid has too much happening right now to have success at the ML level. Send him down, let him relax, become a father, refocus, gain the confidence back, tear the cover off the ball, learn to play LF better, then re-emerge for another shot in the majors.

 

Or perhaps they just don't want Donny Baseball wearing off on the kid

[Laika]

Not everyone needs to be given a big long chance

Not every prospect has 50 FV upside

 

I don't really care how the team handles most of these AAA guys, Orelvis Martinez aside.

 

Barger looked like f***ing s*** and bled -0.4 WAR in almost no playing time. He can try again later this year.

[Brownie19]

Not everyone needs to be given a big long chance

Not every prospect has 50 FV upside

 

I don't really care how the team handles most of these AAA guys, Orelvis Martinez aside.

 

Barger looked like f***ing s*** and bled -0.4 WAR in almost no playing time. He can try again later this year.

 

It's funny that some bitch about how the FO doesn't show any sense of urgency and is seemingly willing to give away wins at the start of the season. Then when they take action and show a sense of urgency, they are also questioned. I guess that's what people on message boards do - question everything. I know I certainly remember what it was like when my wife was about to give birth to our first child - and for about 6+ months afterwards. I guess he wouldn't be home all the time dealing with the initial growing pains and lack of sleep, but the LAST thing I could imagine doing during that time is having success at the ML level for the first time in my life.

 

Edit - apparently this is their 2nd kid, so the excuse of him being overwhelmed is thrown out the window.

Edited May 3, 2024 by Brownie19

[bluejaysinternNo5]

Barger clearly isn’t very serious about baseball if he had a baby during the season anyway. Real pros schedule their baby’s birth for the off season.

[Terminator]

Barger was too big of a liability in the field (for now) to continue to wait on his bat.

 

Overall, I'm definitely down on him after this stint, as small of a sample size as it is.

 

My view on his bat hasn't really changed much, but reports on his defense were all over the map. But after seeing him play the field it's hard to imagine him being an even average 3B or OF. Pair that with his bat and he seems like a bench player at best.

[Eat My Shatkins]

Hopefully Bargers D was just nerves, the bat too I guess.

 

Like I've said, not every guy is going to hit the ground running like Schneider and Clement

[Terminator]

Hopefully Bargers D was just nerves, the bat too I guess.

 

Like I've said, not every guy is going to hit the ground running like Schneider and Clement

 

Yeah I think nerves were a huge part of his defensive issues so I'm trying to give him some leeway but his body movements look super stiff out there. The nerves could perhaps make him tighten up even more but he's pretty buff for a baseball player. Just did not look natural out in the field at any point ever.

[Brownie19]

Yeah I think nerves were a huge part of his defensive issues so I'm trying to give him some leeway but his body movements look super stiff out there. The nerves could perhaps make him tighten up even more but he's pretty buff for a baseball player.

 

He's our version of Gabe Kapler. I just hope he's a better ball player long term.

[glory]

This was Barger's first taste of big league pitching, and 3 of the 5 games he started were at a position he had never played before. Not sure I'd read anything into that at all. Maybe he does suck defensively but I wouldn't use his big league time in LF as a barometer for that. I don't think "sustained contention" is possible with this group anymore so it really doesn't matter at this point, but if sustained contention is the goal, then you kinda have to incorporate prospects onto the team during competitive windows. Davis Schneider hit like prime Barry Bonds last season and they were salivating for his first cold streak so they could bench him for Biggio. I can't imagine Barger and Orelvis will be given much of a shot while the team is desperate to make the playoffs. If things start to fall off and 2024 becomes a wash, then maybe we will see more sustained playing time.

[Olerud363]

Barger was too big of a liability in the field (for now) to continue to wait on his bat.

 

Overall, I'm definitely down on him after this stint, as small of a sample size as it is.

 

My view on his bat hasn't really changed much, but reports on his defense were all over the map. But after seeing him play the field it's hard to imagine him being an even average 3B or OF. Pair that with his bat and he seems like a bench player at best.

 

I don't know. This isn't Cavan Biggio's son we are talking about. He took a bad route to one ball, and butchered another ground ball at third, but he also showed the greatest arm in Blue Jays history (tie Barger, Barfield, Whiten).

 

People think I am a real joker with stuff like this, but not at all. I'm 100% serious. I think Barger had the first 100 mph outfield throw in Blue Jays history and it was right on the mark, maybe Barfield and Whiten did it before stats cast. He also threw some bullets from third. Can't teach that.

 

Maybe you can teach routes and better footwork on slow grounders... maybe not, but he has a tool or two.

[Olerud363]

There's a huge adjustment once you get to the MLB level. Look at Holliday the number 1 prospect in baseball, he couldn't hit s*** when he came up.

 

Everyone always clamors for a "sustained window" however its pretty hard to actually pull that off since there is a big learning curve at the MLB level and rookies often struggle.

 

This is one of those things that I'm not sure is true or not just going by my memory of various players first 50-100 at bats.

 

Bo Bichette, Davis Schneider, Brett Lawrie, Devon Travis, and many others all did fine their first 100 or so PAs. Scheider and Travis under pressure of playoff expectations.

 

Going way back Junior Felix, Fred McGriff, John Olerud all brought up in contending years and did fine.

 

The teams that do have sustained windows bring up Rookies. The Yankees have had 33 winning seasons in a row and cycles in Sanchez, Judge, and Torres in 2017 or so, and some other players last year.

 

So on average rookies do fine and do exactly as the minor stats predict with the usual variance of anyone in 40 at bats. So Jackson Holliday, or Barger can suck for 30 at bats just like Julio Rodiruiguez can.

[Eat My Shatkins]

Nimmala hit his 2nd dinger today, hopefully he starts to figure low A out

 

In the same game Fernando Perez had 8 K's in 5 innings and Kai Petersen had 5 K's in 3 innings both were sitting 93-94 MPH with their FB's

 

Not bad for 20-21 year olds. I'm sure their arms will fall off soon like everyone else.

[spats]

Bonilla was 4/5 today with 3 doubles in the opening game of the FCL.

[Jimcanuck]

I used Michael Busch as a comp for Barger earlier. Busch also kinda sucked his first calls to the show.

[Krylian]

Bonilla was 4/5 today with 3 doubles in the opening game of the FCL.

 

Saw that. Boner City

[BatFlip]

I don't know. This isn't Cavan Biggio's son we are talking about. He took a bad route to one ball, and butchered another ground ball at third, but he also showed the greatest arm in Blue Jays history (tie Barger, Barfield, Whiten).

 

People think I am a real joker with stuff like this, but not at all. I'm 100% serious. I think Barger had the first 100 mph outfield throw in Blue Jays history and it was right on the mark, maybe Barfield and Whiten did it before stats cast. He also threw some bullets from third. Can't teach that.

 

Maybe you can teach routes and better footwork on slow grounders... maybe not, but he has a tool or two.

 

I don't think anyone thinks you're joking. Barger has an incredible arm. Guerrero had a great arm and look how he ended up (I kid, I kid).

 

I think Barger was just uncomfortable/nervous and as I recall, can actually play a decent 3B. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[BigCecil]

Anyone have any real intel on Alberta boy Adam Macko we got with Swanson for Teo?

 

I looked at his AA numbers - high BB rate 3.64 FIP. V? Stuff?

[Laika]

Anyone have any real intel on Alberta boy Adam Macko we got with Swanson for Teo?

 

I looked at his AA numbers - high BB rate 3.64 FIP. V? Stuff?

 

Fastball had decent figures in small spring sample

 

94.2 mph 18.2 IVB (decent rise)

 

And the slider had an okay grade. These were his pitch "stuff+" grades in spring (from that tjstats guy, not Eno Sarris' metric)

 

Pitch - count - grade

CH 1 95

CU 4 101

FF 11 100

SI 4 94

SL 7 103

 

 

So the information right now makes it look like he has 50 grade pitches across the board, perhaps with a chance at a 55/60 FB and a 55/60 breaking ball with some improvements

 

And probably 40 command at best based on MiLB walk rates

 

I think he remains an okay prospect, he's just boring. Could be a kitchen sink LHSP if the command ticks up to a 50 (backend SP).

Could be a reliever if the FB/SL combo ticks up from a stuff perspective and command never improves.

 

Not really a 2024 option. Needs more growth.

[metafour]

Saw that. Boner City

 

Bonilla is 2 for 4 with a HR today, to go with an outfield assist.

 

I think that is 4 extra base hits in 3 games.

[Laika]

Bonilla is 2 for 4 with a HR today, to go with an outfield assist.

 

I think that is 4 extra base hits in 3 games.

 

fap fap fap

[Olerud363]

Bonilla is 2 for 4 with a HR today, to go with an outfield assist.

 

I think that is 4 extra base hits in 3 games.

 

Call me back when is at least in full season ball.

 

Actually calling back when he has been able to maintain performance through age 25 without unexplained collapses.

[Brownie19]

Call me back when is at least in full season ball.

 

Actually calling back when he has been able to maintain performance through age 25 without unexplained collapses.

 

Exactly. As soon as the coaches in the upper minors get ahold of him, he'll be useless in no time.