Official MiLB/Prospects Thread

[Laika]

Pokemon has been bubbling up like crazy over the last year 

I think sports cards are kind of doing it too because online videos and apps for engaging in ripping packs are taking off, but the products are generally really confusing and cost prohibitive unfortunately 

[Laika]

it's also very predatory, like if a retail box of Topps cards has a price tag of $50 and an expected return of $3.99 in value, and minors can buy that... it's just gambling without any age restrictions. 

[Pendleton]

17 hours ago, Laika said:

Pokemon has been bubbling up like crazy over the last year 

I think sports cards are kind of doing it too because online videos and apps for engaging in ripping packs are taking off, but the products are generally really confusing and cost prohibitive unfortunately 

I think those Apps are definitely a huge part of it. The Topps Bunt app lets you collect free digital versions of all Topps/Bowman sets (there's also a pay to play type model like all of these apps of course). I'm pretty sure it's helped turn a whole new generation on to ripping packs. 

[Laika]

2 hours ago, Pendleton said:

I think those Apps are definitely a huge part of it. The Topps Bunt app lets you collect free digital versions of all Topps/Bowman sets (there's also a pay to play type model like all of these apps of course). I'm pretty sure it's helped turn a whole new generation on to ripping packs. 

What is the point of that Topps app?

Pokemon has a similar app but you can do battles and climb the ranked leaderboard so it's sort of fun to collect and make decks and fight. And semi-viable as a free to play. 

Why would someone do Topps Bunt though?

[Pendleton]

1 hour ago, Laika said:

What is the point of that Topps app?

Pokemon has a similar app but you can do battles and climb the ranked leaderboard so it's sort of fun to collect and make decks and fight. And semi-viable as a free to play. 

Why would someone do Topps Bunt though?

Admittedly I was on it for awhile. It's probably a similar dopamine hit to ripping physical packs and collecting but just in digital form. You complete the various sets within given time parameters and then get "rewards" which are usually either an exclusive card of some sort and/or coins needed to buy more packs. Then you can also make user to user trades and complete sets that way. 

I ended up lucking into some pretty exclusive pulls on there, a Marcelo Mayer 1/25 and Judge 1/35. I actually do see people listing their more exclusive digital Bunt cards like those on eBay, no idea if they actually sell or not. Also have heard of people selling their entire account. 

 

The perfect use of the app might be to introduce your youngster to the concept of card collecting, a bit earlier than they'd maybe be ready to take care of physical cards 

[Laika]

2 minutes ago, Pendleton said:

Admittedly I was on it for awhile. It's probably a similar dopamine hit to ripping physical packs and collecting but just in digital form. You complete the various sets within given time parameters and then get "rewards" which are usually either an exclusive card of some sort and/or coins needed to buy more packs. Then you can also make user to user trades and complete sets that way. 

I ended up lucking into some pretty exclusive pulls on there, a Marcelo Mayer 1/25 and Judge 1/35. I actually do see people listing their more exclusive digital Bunt cards like those on eBay, no idea if they actually sell or not. Also have heard of people selling their entire account 

wild!

[Omar]

 

 

[John_Havok]

Pinango has moved up to AAA, maybe just due to all the BUffalo guys coming up here recently, but maybe he gets a chance to stay

[Brownie19]

Disappointing start to the year for Orelvis....c'mon dude!

[glory]

Haven’t seen this posted anywhere else but justified if true. He’s already 24 and doing well in AA. Not much else to do at that level.

The team really needs to move some Buffalo position player depth for a SP. It won’t be a great one but “better than Francis” shouldn’t be a high bar to climb.

[Brownie19]

1 hour ago, glory said:

The team really needs to move some Buffalo position player depth for a SP. It won’t be a great one but “better than Francis” shouldn’t be a high bar to climb.

I'm not sure who in Buffalo is going to fetch you a ML ready starter.  Maybe Orelvis has just enough "potential" to do so?  I mean you might need to move Ricky T man.  Nobody is giving you a ML ready starter for Clase, Loperfido or Schreck....

[Laika]

24 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

I'm not sure who in Buffalo is going to fetch you a ML ready starter.  Maybe Orelvis has just enough "potential" to do so?  I mean you might need to move Ricky T man.  Nobody is giving you a ML ready starter for Clase, Loperfido or Schreck....

Hey, Joey Loperfido + Will Wagner landed Yusei Kikuchi recently! 

They could probably find some crusty veteran who is very much on the block and would be better than Bowden Francis, who probably is not actually an MLB starter if LHB hit him like this. 

[Laika]

Kasevich, Paningo, Robertson, Jimenez - four AAA bats that some other team, somewhere, probably values.

[Terminator]

50 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

I'm not sure who in Buffalo is going to fetch you a ML ready starter.  Maybe Orelvis has just enough "potential" to do so?  I mean you might need to move Ricky T man.  Nobody is giving you a ML ready starter for Clase, Loperfido or Schreck....

We won't get a cheap stud with a lot of team control but the slop in Buffalo could definitely get us a veteran #4/5 

[Brownie19]

5 minutes ago, Terminator said:

We won't get a cheap stud with a lot of team control but the slop in Buffalo could definitely get us a veteran #4/5 

Any names come to mind?

[Terminator]

23 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

Any names come to mind?

The Angels always want MLB ready prospects so we could get Tyler Anderson from them for some Buffalo Boys. I bet they would even trade us Kikuchi.

The D-Bags have Merril Kelly and Zac Gallen entering FA, but I'm not sure they need MLB ready position players.

Nats would trade Soroka and Trevor Williams and both are having better seasons than it looks like. They need right-handed hitting infielders so they might have interest in Jimenez or Kasevich. 

The Pirates will move Heaney and they will want MLB-ready prospects to try and contend next year (lol) while they still have Skenes and Oneil Cruz.

Don't laugh but I would have my nerds take a look under the hood of Kyle Freeland and German Marquez. Both have FIPs under 4 and if you get them away from Coors Field and the worst run organization in the history of team sports you could see improvement. They are tough to trade with though.

[Spanky__99]

On 6/3/2025 at 10:49 AM, Brownie19 said:

Disappointing start to the year for Orelvis....c'mon dude!

He heard you, 3-4 2 HR's and a BB. Hopefully he gets it going.

[Spanky__99]

All this kid does is rake...
 

 

[Laika]

Shrek and Flamingo are beasting this year. 
Will Robertson having a good one. Old guy.
Roden was wrecking AAA after his demotion. 
Clement and Barger excelling in MLB.
I've never heard of Ryan McCarty but I see numbers.
Clase and Loperfido, Jimenez and Schneider, Tirotta and Nunez, all treading water at least, 

 

Waves of prospects was not a lie.

 

Now do some pitchers.

[glory]

Pinango hit a HR last night that went 448 feet with a 109 EV. Apparently based on a screenshot someone posted on X, he also hit 3 balls that were 113, 104, and 109 (single and 2 groundouts) two days ago. No idea how his defense and baserunning grade out, but if he’s hitting the ball that hard then there might be some real upside with the bat. He’s been drawing walks and not striking out that much either so far this season (15.2 BB%, 20.6 K%). At least he might be someone to keep an eye on.

[Terminator]

3 hours ago, glory said:

Pinango hit a HR last night that went 448 feet with a 109 EV. Apparently based on a screenshot someone posted on X, he also hit 3 balls that were 113, 104, and 109 (single and 2 groundouts) two days ago. No idea how his defense and baserunning grade out, but if he’s hitting the ball that hard then there might be some real upside with the bat. He’s been drawing walks and not striking out that much either so far this season (15.2 BB%, 20.6 K%). At least he might be someone to keep an eye on.

Fangraphs' scouting of him tracks this. They call him a statcast-darling with elite exit velos but they say scouts think he has a long swing which could lead to struggles in MLB.

But if he keeps mashing as he moves his way up the ranks I think the concerns with the latter have to dissipate some. 

[Laika]

Paningo doesn't have good projections yet. The Jays must have unlocked something because his track record is mediocre at best. 

Year - MiLB wRC+

2025 - 173
2024 - 111
2023 - 87
2022 - 90
2021 - 97
 

dude toiled in high A for two full season plus over 100 PA in two other seasons 

[BatFlip]

42 minutes ago, Terminator said:

Fangraphs' scouting of him tracks this. They call him a statcast-darling with elite exit velos but they say scouts think he has a long swing which could lead to struggles in MLB.

But if he keeps mashing as he moves his way up the ranks I think the concerns with the latter have to dissipate some. 

This kid has 200 plate appearances already this year and started off in Buffalo with a bang.  His defense is nothing to write home about, so he'll have to make it as a bat-first corner outfielder.

He's going to rocket up the organizational rankings at the mid-year updates.

 

[Spanky__99]

4 hours ago, glory said:

Pinango hit a HR last night that went 448 feet with a 109 EV. Apparently based on a screenshot someone posted on X, he also hit 3 balls that were 113, 104, and 109 (single and 2 groundouts) two days ago. No idea how his defense and baserunning grade out, but if he’s hitting the ball that hard then there might be some real upside with the bat. He’s been drawing walks and not striking out that much either so far this season (15.2 BB%, 20.6 K%). At least he might be someone to keep an eye on.

Found this...

 

Quote

Pinango is a below-average athlete with a short, stocky frame. He's a below-average defender who is limited to left field with his below-average speed and average arm strength.

The Future: Pinango needs to find a more balanced approach between average and power. He can be a solid everyday left fielder if he does.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 45. Speed: 40. Fielding: 40. Arm: 50.

 

[Terminator]

Pinango being a lefty helps his profile.

[glory]

Below average speed and fielding will hurt his upside a bit, but if the bat is legit, then it certainly help compensate for that. Let's see what he does with more AAA PA's. If he's destroying AAA like he destroyed AA, with underlying/Statcast numbers to match, then he becomes a very interesting piece. A bat-first anything would be helpful to the Jays given their offensive struggles from 2023-2025 (pre May 2025). 

[John_Havok]

18 hours ago, Spanky__99 said:

Found this...

 

 

Watched a few videos of him and to say he is stocky is an understatement. He looks like Davis Schneider build only taller, and thicker. 

[Spanky__99]

On 6/6/2025 at 8:47 AM, John_Havok said:

Watched a few videos of him and to say he is stocky is an understatement. He looks like Davis Schneider build only taller, and thicker. 

Yeah, he's grown since that review, what I like is he seems to have figured out that bit on to become a future LF. 😎

[Laika]

Yesavage to AA

[AMS528]

Schreck and Pinango have not slowed down the slightest since they hit AAA. 

Lot of OF depth available right now. 

Following the minors last year was a demoralizing experience, it's nice to be able to see several great performances happening.