metafour

No. If it was just an injury fill-in, then why not promote Gudino from Lansing who isn't even getting to play much SS because of Bichette? Like i said, given the preseason talk about Vicuna being one of the surprises of camp, my guess is that he's literally played himself into that call-up. It doesn't make sense to randomly throw a kid up multiple levels for shits and giggles.

Vicuna was a top IFA signee three years ago. Like Gudino he was a skinny defense-oriented SS who really struggled to hit after turning pro (needed to add a lot of strength). I remember hearing that he was looking a lot better at the start of spring camp, so its definitely intriguing that they brought him right up to Dunedin straight from extended. He got called up when they traded Kelly to Philly which pushed Cardenas to AA. If this hitting prowess is for real then he is definitely a real prospect as a 19 year old SS in High A.

The 91.4% LOB% won't last.

What peripherals? 3 innings? Use your eyes. His arm is average at best. Way too many pitches sitting in the heart of the plate. Its obvious why he's constantly put "behind" other relievers.

Wow! He got out of it! What a talent! Yeah, that 91mph fastball and changeup floating around the zone is basically the blueprint of an elite reliever.

Danny Barnes is a junkballer. No idea why everyone seems to think this guy is an elite reliever or something.

This team needed balls bouncing off Carrera's head and terrible errors (like the Cardinals' SS throwing the ball away with the game on the line) to win. We're looking "better" (duh, we were the worst team in the league) but I think you're overstating regarding turning the corner. Its been against the Angels and Cardinals, neither team impresses me.

Bichette 2 for 5 (HR, 2B) today. Unreal.

Tepera actually has a pretty good arm. Fastball up to 96, slider at ~89.

No obvious choice but its looking like a very strong college draft at the top. I have a sneaking suspicion that Auburn's RHP Casey Mize may be a darkhorse if he stays healthy. He's blown up this year dominating the SEC while sitting 95/96 and hitting 100. Auburn's HC (Butch Thompson) is a great pitching coach (he came from Miss State where they had Graveman and company).

Wrong. There's no clear-cut top player because there are several guys in college who are performing extremely well already. 2018 looks like a strong draft.

You guys would be a lot happier if you saw the gift of the #1 overall pick at the end of the tunnel

Amazing start, but I can't help but notice that 8 of his 11 HR's have been against the Reds....

First time I've ever seen Zeke use his head...

LOL he struck Carrera out twice in that at-bat...

Lane Thomas is quietly having a strong bounce-back season in Dunedin after struggling in Lansing last year. He's 2 for 3 with his 4th triple of the season tonight and had an .836 OPS going into today's game.

He's added a triple and a walk.

The constant arm injuries are still an obvious concern, but I'm not really sure why 1B is always the "other" position for Pentecost considering that he was always considered an above-average athlete. Unless he's somehow lost all athleticism, I find it hard to believe that he can't at least play LF.

We are in a very specific situation wherein our super-old and failing roster does not match up with the fact that our minor league talent is mostly spread apart with lots of it in the lower minors. In this situation, it makes every bit of sense to strip it down because it is the only sensible choice. We don't have near-MLB difference making talent that can "stretch" our current failing core roster. If you can't stretch what we currently have, then what the hell is the point of keeping them around anyway? Your other option is to sell your veteran players that you only have for 1-2 more years anyway and acquire MORE young talent which will naturally mesh better with what we already have in the minors from a pure timing standpoint. I can't believe that some of you are so blind to what kind of situation we are in. We are the oldest lineup in the league (or close to it) and we're dead-last in offense. There is no "quick fix" to the fact that our lineup consists of like 2-3 guys that you have any sense of confidence in. This would be somewhat fixable if we had a handful of guys in AAA all knocking on the door, but nope, we've got Rowdy Tellez who is in a huge slump....and thats it. By the time any additional pieces are even ready, the 2-3 guys we do have will either be gone or they will be crap themselves.

By the way, the fact that we've drafted literally 1 player worth a s*** in the first round (Stroman) in like the past decade+ of picking in the ~middle of the first round should kind of dispel the notion that its all meaningless and that it "doesn't matter" where you pick, much more so than the fact that you can name 2-3 guys who went first overall and failed.

Obviously; I'm not sure why these comparisons to hockey are even being brought up. No, you're not going to draft #1 overall in baseball and have that propel you into the playoffs two years later, but to pretend like "it doesn't matter" in baseball or that its a "total crapshoot" is pure crap. Yes, the MLB draft is more volatile, but like I said, you also can't scheme the draft in any of the other major sports like you can in baseball. Case in point: the Astros got Daz Cameron, a ~Top 15 talent, at pick #39 due to the sheer bargaining power they had in being able to talk him into scaring every other team off by flaunting a price tag that only the Astros could come even close to. Whether or not Cameron succeeds is irrelevant to the fact that you can't do that s*** in any of the other sports, which means that that there IS quite a bit of power that comes with picking #1 in baseball. To argue that picking #1 vs. #15 means nothing because Mike Trout wen't #25 one year is stupid, really stupid.

They've already done the research geniuses. Drafting #1 overall (or #1-5) gives you a significantly higher chance of finding a player that actually makes the league, as well as a significantly higher chance of finding an impact player. Yes, its an imperfect science. No s***. Its not as much of a crapshoot as you all seem to think however. You're also completely discounting the MLB's slotting system in which teams picking #1 overall are given massive advantages over every other team, which means that its not just about who you pick at #1, but also about the fact that you have an advantage in getting MORE players later as well if you play it smart. MLB drafts are a year-to-year case. For instance, I felt that last year was a very poor year to have the #1 pick. Why? No consensus top player led the Phillies into taking a somewhat-toolsy, somewhat-polished HS center fielder that doesn't exactly have superstar potential even if he makes it. Next year actually looks like a strong year to have the #1 pick as you already have several very good college prospects who have been performing at high rates much earlier than expected. Barring some sort of total collapse, whoever picks #1 next year isn't likely to be settling for a Mickey Moniak type player at #1.

I mean, you just kind of proved why you want to pick #1 overall LOL. Getting a Mike Trout at #25 is a freak occurrence and is pure luck; its not a case of "smart scouting" (ie: if it was obvious that he was that good, 24 other teams wouldn't have missed it). The draft that you just referenced had one sure-fire talent and that guy went #1 overall. Crapshoot? Not really.

We can't. He's been cleared to sign as a 2016/2017 IFA. We are still under penalty for that period and can't sign anyone for more than $300K.

His confidence is lacking because he had the ability to control the at-bat previously. When pitchers made mistakes, he crushed them, which meant that he could be much more selective as pitchers were naturally afraid to challenge him. Now that his bat-speed is gone it is clear that pitchers aren't afraid anymore, which means that they are attacking him. He's now playing from behind and doesn't know how to react.