2275 - Fantasy discussion of NL Prospects

Tim interviews Rich about the Mets, Phillies and Nationals prospects

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Greeney Societytations, Everyone to Church twelve. I'm walking a Fantasy
Baseball Live. Today is December seventh, about two o'clock, well
actually two point fifteen here in the afternoon. Tim and
I have been gabbing about teeth. But we've got two
shows playing for you. We're recording today. The first one,
which will come out on Tuesday, is Our Prospects, and
that's what we're going to talk about first. But Tim,

(00:42):
we were talking about teeth. I had a root canal
and a crown put on, and it was it was quite.
It was quite an experience. And then you were sharing
your teeth experience. And for all of our younger listeners
out there, let's remind them that your teeth get worse
as you get older.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yeah. Around fifty five, if I was a horse, he
probably would have shot me.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Tim was telling me he didn't have every good teeth
to begin with, and then he just said take him out.
The tooth goes back taking him out.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
So that's it. Yes, no more, no more blowing bubbles
with bubble gum, no more, no more toffee. I've survived, Richard.
No more root canals. Yeah, so it Yeah, it gets
to that stage.

Speaker 1 (01:22):
Yeah, it is. It's uh, it's no fun. Everybody have
to tell you, and it's not just me. I was
at a party on Friday night and somebody asked on
my root, can out go because I somehow people just know,
and I said it went fine because I've had five
in the last two years, you know, and it's an
older woman. I'm like, like, what is everybody has it
with the older you get it's terrible.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
Well, yeah, like I was mentioning to you, you know,
and you get to the stage where you get tired
of them, and that's where you go for the plyers
and the way you go.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
I had. I had a tooth pulled when I was
like a teenager maybe early twenties, and I can still
remember that feeling coming out. It is it's not a fun.
It didn't last that long, but it came out quickly.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah. Yeah. It What amazed me it was the first
one that I had yanked. Was looking at the size
of it. It was one of the molars from the back, eh,
and like this sucker was about ninch and a half long,
and I'm thinking, how did how the hell was that
my john in the first place? It was I couldn't
believe how large a tooth actually is, but what we

(02:33):
see is only about a third from what I can gather.

Speaker 1 (02:36):
Yeah, I think you're right. And uh yeah, so I
had had a doctor rooting around in my roots, which
was no fun. But nobody wants to hear about that stuff,
timm it's a little gross. So we're sorry about this,
but just I feel impelled because no one shared with
this when I was a younger man. Enjoy your teeth
while you're young, because they start to fall apart when

(02:59):
you get older. So that's my that's my PSA for
the day.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yes, And my other word of advice would be, as
you head closer to retirement, if you have a dental plan,
use it prior to your retirement date. Okay, yeah, get
every get everything fixed before you retire when you have
those plans available and have access to them, because it's yeah, hey,

(03:24):
there's a reason that my dentist has got a thirty
foot book.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
That's true. I fortunately I was afforded my medical plan
until I hit Medicare. So Medicare starts in the United
States and sixty five it's mandatory you have to be
on certain levels of Medicare. So I've got a bridge
plan until I turned sixty five, So I've got essentially
the same thing that I had before, which is which

(03:49):
is nice, but it's funny. I never ever, nor did
my wife ever hit a maximum on our teeth until
this year.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
It's like blue rock through it, Timmy. So, yeah, I
had a bridge plan too, rich. Maybe it was a
real simple one. Look at the bill find a bridge jump.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
I gave you a rip shot on that, so I
knew it was common. I knew something was common. I
had it ready to go. All right, Timmy, let's uh,
let's talk prospects. We're going to be doing what are
we doing today? The Mets, Phillies and Nationals.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, and just like meat Loaf one said two three
eight bad.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
Uh So okay, yep, that's true. Meat Loaf no longer
with us. A real bummer there. So, so just a
quick commercial. If you like prospects stuff, you like fantasy stuff,
just join us at at the Patreon site bt r
o n dot com. Forward slash prospect three sixty one,
Tim Will we'll start doing our fantasy positional breakdown for drafts,

(04:57):
and Tim does that, and I'll do my draft targets
and the be extend a lot more stuff on the
Patreon site than is typically that we share on the podcast.
So you get all of that stuff if you join
us out at the Patreon site. So throw it over
to go ahead.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yeah, plus you plus you get the best discord in
the land. Okay, come join me over there on the
Discord site. Have a lot of fun, some great people.
Always always a fun conversation, even at this time of
the year with some of the trades happening right now,
it's it's a lively and.

Speaker 1 (05:30):
Yeah, I get people love the Discord site because if
it stops working, it's not it always works, but sometimes
people have trouble getting into it, and I hear it
from people like how do I get into this? I'm
gonna talk to Tim like, all right, let's figure this out. So,
but which is always.

Speaker 2 (05:48):
Good, yes, and and you avoid a lot of the
I'm gonna say bs. It goes along with message boards
sites and you know, the conflict. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's
it's a great group, a lot of fun. So I'm
really enjoying myself out there. So come come join me
on the Discord site and we'll we'll talk some baseball.

Speaker 1 (06:09):
Sounds good, all right, Timmy, I'm going to turn it
over to you. I need to find the mets here
we go go to collections and go to the it's
in the National league. They're in the National Age. Go
to the National League's Okay, I've got the mets up.
I'm assuming that's.

Speaker 2 (06:23):
What we're starting. Yes, that is That is it, and
we're starting right up at the top of the Dolan McClain.
The current ADP is one oh five. He's going off
the board as the forty third pitcher and that's the
number three starter. What are your thoughts on that? Does
that seem fair a little bit?

Speaker 1 (06:42):
Is that forty third pitcher or forty third starter?

Speaker 2 (06:48):
Forty third pitcher, so he's as a starter top you're looking, Yeah,
you're you're looking at a high number three.

Speaker 1 (06:59):
Yeah, I don't know. I mean I love the player.
I mean I think he's a top thirty starting pitchers.
Would have fantasy ceiling that, So, I mean it could
be more than that. This could be an ace guy.
I mean, there's there's a lot there, but it almost
feels like that's that's he is already going to where
I think he should go in two or three years,

(07:20):
you know, once he's fully developed. I don't know, it
feels a little rich.

Speaker 2 (07:24):
What do you think I share your thoughts. I I'm
just a little you know, he could return that value
and I like the picture a lot, but hey, there
is no discount this year. People are saying early on
he is going to be He's going to be everything
you want and then some right away. And that causes

(07:44):
me to shy away a little bit. I agree with
your thoughts, that's right.

Speaker 1 (07:49):
But I mean, but look, it's a great sweeper, a
three thousand rpm sweeper. I mean, it's it's a great
pitch and a guy that just I mean, I liked
him a lot coming into last season, twenty twenty five season,
but timmy, I mean what he did in the minor
leagues and particularly what he did when once he got promoted,
he was arguably the Mets best picture down the stretch.

(08:12):
And I mean, it does look like he has a
chance to be a special guy. But it's just do
you do you take cam or do you go a
little bit later and get try to get some value somewhere.
So I'm probably gonna bypass on him. But if he
falls a little bit, you know, I'd feel comfortable so.

Speaker 2 (08:31):
Okay, okay. Cool. At number two, we have Joonah Tong,
and I'm gonna quote you directly here. Tong Tong's frame
is anything but conventional, a small frame paired with a
big overhead motion reminiscent of Tim Lincicomb. Oh. We all
know Tim Lincekon's career was relatively short, even even by

(08:52):
pitching standards. How do you feel about Tong and the
comparison to Linsicon Kenny sustain that deception and that motion
over the long hauld? Yeah, do you have any thoughts
in their rich.

Speaker 1 (09:08):
Look? I did not come up with the Tien Lencacom comparison.
It was mentioned in the Futures game, and it was
kind of one of those things. As I'm watching the game,
I went huh, and then I thought about it, and
I saw him pitching a couple of games in Somerset,
which is, you know, my home stadium here in New Jersey,
and I'm like, my gosh, it is Tim Lenzcam. I mean,

(09:29):
it is a very similar type of delivery because he's
not a big guy, and neither is Sonny Gray. But
Sonny Gray is kind of stocky. Jonah Tong is little.
I think it's got narrow hips and narrow shoulders. He's
not a big guy. And I to me, Tien Lencacon
had a high peak and a kind of a short career,

(09:51):
and I think the same thing could be true with
Jonah Toong. If you're thinking dynasty leagues, he could be
good for five, six, seven years, really good. And to me,
I'm okay with that. Okay, if I'm if I'm the Mets,
and do I sign him to an eight year contract,
you know, for three hundred million dollars now, I mean

(10:12):
I would probably advise against that, but if I'm a
fantasy manager, I'm not. I'm not worrying about when he
turns thirty years old, which is about the time ten
Linseicon was done. What is he twenty two, twenty three?
You know, I'm okay with Tong over the next few years.
I think he's more of another three starter as opposed
to where Nolan McLain is, because I just want to

(10:34):
make sure everybody realize it. It's a great change up.
It's a very good fastball. It just jumps up on
hitters because I don't think they see it very well.
He does not have a slider, so if he can
develop something over the offseason. He could really be something.
But at the moment, Timmy, he's flawed. He is definitely
a flawed pitcher.

Speaker 2 (10:54):
Oh okay, yeah, or a well apparently he's working on that.

Speaker 1 (11:00):
Both either one. I didn't see him throw. I saw
two games, ten innings. He didn't throw one curveball.

Speaker 2 (11:06):
Is that that true?

Speaker 1 (11:07):
I have to go back and take a look at
He didn't throw hardly any sliders or curveballs. It was
all fastball, change up, fastball change up, and no one
could pick up that change up. I mean it was
there was some ugly, ugly swings.

Speaker 2 (11:20):
Yeah, I can I can imagine. Okay, at number three
we have Jed Williams. Everything's looking real good for Jed,
accepting one small thing playing time. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (11:32):
The trade that brought in Marcus Semi, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (11:36):
Would you would you look at him in a fifteen
team format as a reserve type pick. I know you
wouldn't have drafted Bold, but in a fifteen team mixed
any interest?

Speaker 1 (11:48):
I don't think so. I have a lot more interest
in Carson Binge because the Mets keep talking about they're
gonna give Carson Binge every chance to make the team.
Out of spring training. I have not heard that with
Jet Williams, have you.

Speaker 2 (12:03):
No, I haven't heard a thing with regards to Jet Williams.
And yeah, you pretty well just stole my intro on
Carson Benge.

Speaker 1 (12:15):
But so if I can compare the two, I mean,
Jet Williams is the fantasy home run. I mean, there's
there's tremendous speed there, really athletic. He's got some good pop.
I think Bench maybe has a little bit more pop there,
but it's the speed that I think that that he's
going to bring. Jet Williams is going to bring, which

(12:35):
is going to make him a really, really good fantasy player.
But with the addition of Marcus Simi and the fact
that that Jet Williams has never played in the athlete least,
I couldn't find any innings that he played. I looked
at it extensively. I mean, I I just think you've
got to be really careful. This to come up in
the second half maybe, but I think Carson Binge comes

(12:57):
up earlier than that. At least that's what the Mets
are saying.

Speaker 2 (13:01):
Yeah, I like the Mets are saying saying that as
far as being just concerned, does he break cav Where
would you label the odds of you of him? A question?

Speaker 1 (13:13):
First of all, Jet Williams, let me let me Jet Williams.
I think he's five eighty five. I got all all dress.
Let me just go to draft and hole. So I
mean he's not being drafted as a guy. Uh that
you need to jump on early. And it's probably even
falling war given you know kind of the market, Simon saying,
so Jet Williams, Yeah, his five thirty, so that's okay.

(13:37):
I mean he's way way down. I would definitely, So
here's interesting at five twenty five? Uh is Jet Williams
at five twenty four? Sebastian Walcott, who would you rather have?

Speaker 2 (13:50):
It's an easy one for me, Yeah, Sebastian Walcott.

Speaker 1 (13:54):
Absolutely as is with me, and I like Jet Williams
a lot. But Sebastian walk On, I think it's got
a cleaner, cleaner path to the major leagues, and I
just worry that the Mets are just loading up on veterans.
What was your question about Carson Bene?

Speaker 2 (14:11):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (14:11):
Does he break camp?

Speaker 2 (14:13):
Yeah? I know it's an impossible question. What's your gut feeling?
Does are the odds reasonable or the Mets just.

Speaker 1 (14:23):
Getting really hit. He can really hit, and that's that's
that's what teams care about. I mean, they they want
a guy that can hit out of spring training because
particularly if if the power potential is there, which it
is with Carson Bene, but if you can get on base,
that's what they're interested in. And Bene looked really strong
last year when I saw made it all the way

(14:43):
up to Triple A. So I I think there's better
than fifty to fifty odds that he breaks camp going
Bene is going, yeah for sixty nine. So you asked
me the same, Yeah, I probably take him as a
reserve pick. I wouldn't take my number five outfielder. I'm

(15:03):
not that confident, but I definitely think that there there's
a good chance. And if it's not doesn't break camp,
it's I think you see him in May that that
type of timeframe.

Speaker 2 (15:15):
So well, yeah, because right now, if you look at
their their oatfield, they got Tyrone Taylor and Jeff McNeil. Okay,
we don't know how McNeil's going to be from a
health point of view, and Tyrone Taylor is your fourth oatfielder, okay,
So there is an opportunity. There is an opportunity in
that oatfield, unless, of course, they they trade for one,

(15:37):
which I wouldn't rule out. After the Marcus Cyan deal.

Speaker 1 (15:41):
I would not roll it out either. I would not
rule out them signing a guy, maybe even like a
ten million dollar guy. You know, it's just coming in
for a year or two and have a bridge. But look,
I mean at some point that you have to believe
the teams, right, and they're saying multiple times that they're
going to give Carson benj every chance to break camp,

(16:01):
and okay, I mean I I don't know, Timmy. I
think you have to take them at their word.

Speaker 2 (16:08):
Okay, yeah, I even unless it's the Pirates or the Rockies.

Speaker 1 (16:14):
I mean the Rockies they did you hear the DFA
Drew romo and then I think it was the Orioles
picked them up or the Pirates or somebody picked them up.
And then Barnable got DFA, who got off to a
pretty good so I think he's more of a I
think they're both like marginal players, but it's like, wow,
they're like cleaning house.

Speaker 2 (16:35):
Well yeah, and if they don't have somebody to replace
the marginal players on their active roster. Where are they
getting these players from them? Right?

Speaker 1 (16:46):
It's marginal players coming up through the system, marginal players
at the making cup roster. What a mess?

Speaker 2 (16:52):
Is an absolute yes, absolutely, Getting back to the New
York Mets number, we have Brandon sprot I'm gonna quote
you again. The tools are all there. Now it's about execution.

Speaker 1 (17:08):
Look, Brandon Sproke was ahead of Jonah Toong and Nolan
McClain coming into this particular into twenty twenty five season,
and he just got off to a miserable start and
he pitched a lot in twenty twenty four. Maybe he
was a little tired. I don't know, but the stuff

(17:29):
is all there, and I just I stand by what
I say. It's it's all there. It's just a matter
of refinement. And he might be out of the three.
He might be the sneaky picked in draft and holds
where nobody's thinking about Brandon sprote and everybody's focused on
on Nolan McClain and Jonah Toong and Sproke might be
the guy that has value.

Speaker 2 (17:50):
Well, the price to acquire him is going to be
not fairly low. After the Yeah, it's yeah, especially you know, hey,
you're not gonna look at him fifteen leagues, but in
fifty man rosters, if you can sneak him in after
pick forty, it could could return some dividends.

Speaker 1 (18:11):
Is ADP is four to thirty five, So it's gonna
cost you a thirtieth round pick, So a little bit
more expensive than I would have thought, but it's still
not bad. Where's Tong going? Tong is going as to
seventy one, so he's expensive.

Speaker 2 (18:28):
Okay, at number six we have a j Ewing. There's
no doting the high end speed. It's all about whether
the power develops. Does Ewing now that he's in the
high minors, does he have a chance to end up
on that roster breaking camp where the good spring possibly
accelerate his arrival.

Speaker 1 (18:50):
I think he's trade fodder, tim, I really do. And
I like agu and I having a bunch of dynasty leagues.
I've seen him play. I'm very athletic, and and I
kind of give him a Jared Durant kind of comp
I think it's right he's going to be to steal
as many bases as they will allow him to steal
with you know, average type of power, maybe a little

(19:11):
bit low average. I think he's going to hit. That's
just who the player is. Is that going to be
good enough to play for the Mets, particularly when you
got Carson Binge and let's face it, Jet Williams is
going to move to the outfield along with Juan So
I just I don't think Ewing's going to be able
to push through Binge and Jet Williams and whoever else

(19:32):
they bring in. So I see him as trade fodder.
So there's always not you can't say no and everything,
But I would say get a low probability that he
breaks camp.

Speaker 2 (19:45):
Okay, fair enough, at number seven, we have Jacob Rhymer
break brought Beatty. He has some cause to be looking
over his shoulder, doesn't he? Could we see j Rymer
with meaningful at bats in twenty twenty six.

Speaker 1 (20:01):
Look, I think Brett Battie and the other guy is
the other explaining a lot of first base. Now, I
think Vanto's I think they're both flawed. And Jacob Ramer
played well. I mean he was in double A. I've
got his ETA is twenty twenty seven. I think I
think Baddy's got to play well. I think there's a

(20:23):
good chance he will, at least good enough that he
can hold off Jacob Raymer, but I Raymers a better hitter,
a lot better on base percentage. Guy Batty's probably got
more power, but looking over his shoulder, it's getting close
that Batty better start performing or rumors right there.

Speaker 2 (20:44):
Well, yeah, and I love the Mets system, I really do.
And as we move on from Jacob rim we get
to Ryan Clifford and it's the same situation. Uh, you know,
twenty four home runs before promotion to Triple A in August,
and Mark Viianto's should be looking over his shoulder along
with bred Baby, I think, because Clifford is not that

(21:06):
far off, and we're seeing some nice stuff in the miners,
aren't we.

Speaker 1 (21:10):
Ryan Clifford, to me, is the sneaky pick here. I
got him eight, I could have had him higher. I mean,
at all eight of these guys, tim he are just
about ready for the minor leagues and excuse you, major leagues.
It's pretty impressive. And Ryan Clifford has just got massive
raw power. I mean, and to me, if the Mets

(21:31):
decide not to re sign Pete Alonzo, obviously they were
taking a huge risk on on Ryan Clifford because he
is totally unproven but I mean it's got He's got
Pete Alonzo type of potential where it could be thirty
forty home run pop. I know, maybe a loss fifty
home run potential, but you know what I mean, it's

(21:52):
in the same kind of area.

Speaker 2 (21:53):
It's that that high he hit the wall, he hit
the ball along way, would you say it right?

Speaker 1 (21:59):
It's high base for senate skills. There's some platoon risk there, granted,
but it's huge power and I think he might be
a sneaky pick here again in draft and whole leagues,
particularly once we find out what's gonna what's up with
Pete Alonzo. If the Mets don't sign Pee Alonzo, I
think Clifford becomes very, very interesting for them.

Speaker 2 (22:22):
Yeah. I think personally myself, the odds are higher that
I will have Jacob Rimer and Ryan Clifford on my
fantasy teams this year as compared to Mark Bientos and
Brett Patty.

Speaker 1 (22:35):
I think I would. I'm a little down on Vienttis
in terms of his potential playing to Batty played okay
last year and the data looks okay on him. But
I'm with you. I think if those guys stumble, they've
got guys in the minor leagues that they can you know,
they can bring up and I think Clifford would be
the first one to come up.

Speaker 2 (22:56):
Cool at number nine, we have Elli and Payne. Yeah,
big Buck signing five mili last January, and so far
the DSL returns are pretty positive. Birthday, he got.

Speaker 1 (23:10):
Off really really slow, and he was first of all,
he was the he and Hasweer Gonzales with the with
the San Francisco Giants, which we'll talk about a couple
of months once we finally get to the National West
or maybe a month. He was the big star in
the DSL and looks the most ready, but Pania was

(23:33):
rout there as well. I mean seven was it seven
home run? Six home run something like that.

Speaker 2 (23:38):
Yeah, six, But if you if you take a look.

Speaker 1 (23:41):
After like the first six weeks of the season where
he just did not hit at all, he just got
things cranking and played extremely well. I'm a big fan here.
I think he does move to third base. We're going
to see him in the Complex League and potentially low
A next year. And again it was a five million
dollars sign so he was well thought of coming out

(24:02):
of the international ranks, and I think he moves quickly.
To me, I think we saw a lot. I was
very impressed with what they saw, and the Mets loved
this kid.

Speaker 2 (24:10):
So yeah, no, everything's pointing very in a very positive fashion.
At number ten. We've got a guy that I really
haven't the fund, but I followed that much in Nick
more Abido. But the more you look at him, the
more you have to tip your cap to the Mets.
There's a ton of talent in the system and more

(24:31):
Abido was one of the youngest players in the Eastern
League at the beginning of last year, and hey, you
got to love that speed. But as your tenth ranked prospect,
many organizations would love to have a player of his
skills at number ten, wouldn't they.

Speaker 1 (24:46):
It reminds me a little bit of Dylan Beavers. There's
some platoon problems there.

Speaker 2 (24:52):
You know.

Speaker 1 (24:53):
He's also got a little aj ewing and him with
his carrying tool as his speed, I like more. You know,
he played well in the Fall League. He was there,
so he's getting very close as well. Now again, does
he get a shot. He's behind a bunch of really
good prospects, and there's Jan Soto and then there's there's
all the guys that the Mets are going to bring,

(25:13):
and we've talked about that at nauseam, including some of
you know leuisn Gellicunya and you know, and and oh
the other the other Dominican kid that's there. I can't remember,
it's heard all of twenty twenty four. I'll think of
him later, Tim. So there's a lot of there's a
lot of mouth that he's going to have to crawl
over to get a shot. So I again to me,

(25:34):
he could be he could be trade fodder as well.

Speaker 2 (25:39):
Okay, that goes through the top ten. What say you
about one more name you want to mention to the
faithful rich again, the Mets.

Speaker 1 (25:50):
Have one of the stronger systems in all of the
minor leagues. And you know, it's funny there. I'll go
with number eleven, Mitch, who was their first round draft pick,
their first pick draft at number thirty eight overall because
they lost their first draft pick because I forgot who
they signed, but it was a two way player in college.

(26:14):
I believe he's going to play in the field. I
was signed to low way hit two thirty five and
twenty two games as toolsy kid. There's a lot of
excitement and energy with him, and it's somebody that I
think from a first year player draft, don't forget about him,
even though he's coming in at number eleven. That's just

(26:35):
because you've got really advanced players in front of him,
and then you got Penia. It was a five million
dollar sign that sitting in front of you and Mitch
Voight in most other systems would be a top six
to seven prospect in their system.

Speaker 2 (26:51):
Okay, sounds good, and with that we are finished in
New York. Mets. Take a pause for the cause, will
be right back.

Speaker 1 (27:01):
We will see Anut. Okay, the Mets are Don Timmy,
and we are moving on to Phillies.

Speaker 2 (27:22):
Yeah, the Phillies. Yeah. I love doing a system like
the Mets because we could have we could have spent
probably an hour and a half going through that system.
It is that good and makes it nice and easy
when when you've got a system with that much talent
in it.

Speaker 1 (27:38):
Right, So I will tell you, as the writer of
these things, I can I can write down the Mets
in a few hours and I'm done. I literally put
the finishing touches on the Angels this past week. It's
brutal Timmy. I mean, it's just coming up with names
that are legitimate, won is a paint, and then just

(27:58):
trying to raft narratives that give you some hope that
these guys are gonna make it. It's you just feel
like you're wasting your time, like these guys are these
guys are never gonna be good enough to make it
to the major leagues. Why am I even writing about them?

Speaker 2 (28:14):
But well, yeah, it is like you do a capsule
for for the player you've got at number ten, right,
and then for the next six players you put see above,
see above, see above. You know what I mean. It's yeah, well,
what do you say?

Speaker 1 (28:29):
You say is a chance to be a reliever that
if you go, I can't wait till you see the
angels when you get down to it. It's this guy's
chance of pitching the bullpen, this guy's chance. I mean,
who cares? I mean, fantasy managers don't care. And I
just know if people aren't going to read it, I
don't want to read it.

Speaker 2 (28:45):
But yeah, yeah, you care about a closer and a
setup guy. Right, Well, when you've got six players in
your miners you're writing about, you got a whole bunch
of of starting pitchers who are going to fail. Yeah,
the overall usefulness is yeah, it's yeah, it is what
it is. It's not good.

Speaker 1 (29:04):
It's tough. And whoever, way before my time, came up
with the notion let's do it by team. I mean,
at some point I wish we just would do the
top five hundred prospects in the game, irregardless of team,
because then you might have, you know, like really stack systems.
You might put thirty people in there. But that's just

(29:24):
not the way it's done. And I tried to do
a little bit of a hybrid of that, but I
still tried to do twenty at least a minimum of
twenty for each and I did that even for the Angels.
I came up with twenty. The only team tem me
that I did not come up with twenty and I
wanted to make a statement was the San Diego Padres.
I stopped at fifteen. Just love gone.

Speaker 2 (29:43):
They've treated them all the way left, right, Hey, I'm
done here.

Speaker 1 (29:49):
So I just ran out. I ran out probably six seven.
I just you know, just that's a really really weird system. Anyway,
I'll turn it back over to you, So.

Speaker 2 (30:01):
Okay, the Philadelphia Phillies. Starting at number one, we have
Aiden Miller. With Dray Turner signed through the twenty thirty
three season. Miller's future won't likely be a shortstop, but
he just turned twenty last June and boasted a thirteen
homer fifty one season at Double A. Are we going

(30:22):
to see a cup of coffee out of Aiden Miller
this year? Maybe a little bit more?

Speaker 1 (30:26):
I think so. I think last I mean, you just
kind of threw out his numbers for last season. If
you take a look him in the first half versus
him in the second half, completely different player. I mean,
he struggled badly through sometime at July, just about the
All Star break. I can't remember the numbers, but I

(30:47):
think it was over the last two months of the
season he hit like three fifty six with eight home runs,
and he just started to put things together, and it
just took him a while to get accustomed to the level.
But this is one of the best prospects in the game.
There's sixty seventy great speed there. It's enough power that

(31:07):
there's a chance he could hit twenty home runs. And
I think he's gonna hit He's gonna hit the ball
really hard. This is a complete player and a guy
that's going to be a very good player. Now for you,
you bring up the excellent point short term, where is
he going to play? Tray Turner is signed till the
next century, so where does he I think it's third base,

(31:28):
that's right.

Speaker 2 (31:28):
I like it. I like Boem better better have a
good start to the season. Is that what you're saying.

Speaker 1 (31:34):
I think so Alec Boom could be moved and they
could just go with Aight Miller. I think a Miller
would be great in the outfield as well, But that
he has yet to play anything be it. I think
I get all the players confused. I think he's only
played shortstop, so okay.

Speaker 2 (31:53):
So that is definitely more of an opportunity in the
oat field. But if it's not, if it's not something
that's happened at this point, i'd be interesting to see
in spring training if he is playing in the oatfield.

Speaker 1 (32:04):
Yeah, I mean, and again, two or three weeks in
the outfield in the minor leagues, and then there could
be some something there for him to come up. But
I think this guy is the real deal, and I've
seen him playing and it's a pretty impressive overall, kind
of package of tools along with just really good baseball.

(32:25):
Like you, it's a good player, you're.

Speaker 2 (32:27):
Gonna roster him, I'm assuming in your reserve rounds in
a fifteen team mixed.

Speaker 1 (32:33):
Let's see where he's going first, Aiden Miller going at
three eighty, So three eighty divided by fifteen three eighty
divided by twenty twenty sixth round. Yeah, he would probably
be in a traditional draft, kind of one of my

(32:54):
last reserve guys, and I would feel very comfortable in
a in a draft and whole league making sure that
I jump on him.

Speaker 2 (33:02):
Okay, at number two, we have Andrew Painter, and we're
gonna make this short, short and sweet to start. Anyways,
innings pitched Strakeoats and Era.

Speaker 1 (33:15):
First of all, I sprained my arm patting myself on
the back as I continued throughout this season, because everybody
was convinced that Painter was going to see the major
leagues in twenty twenty five, and I was concerned at
the beginning of the season and his stuff backed up
and the Mets, the Mets the Phillies decided to change

(33:39):
his pitch mix around and they tried to get him
to throw the curveball more and it just wasn't good enough.
I think they get him to go back to that
slider the way he was in twenty twenty three, I
think the last time he pitched before Tommy John surgery
and see and just let let him get to the
major leagues. I think we're going to see at least
one hundred twenty to one hundred and fifty innings. I

(34:02):
think he's going to be a high threes e a
guy with over a strikeout and aything's gonna be very
very good.

Speaker 2 (34:10):
Pretty well answers everything, So we might as well move
on to this.

Speaker 1 (34:16):
As far as Whitley, Okay, so far, Yeah, so everybody knows.
Far as Whitley was Japan, Yes, Forrest Whitley was arguably
the best pitcher of the minor leagues back five six
years ago, just like Andrew Paynter was, and it just
went sideways for the kid. He got hurt and just
never came back. Uh sort of. It looked actually pretty

(34:38):
good last season. I was shocked that he signed in Japan.
I had him on a couple of dynasty leagues. I
don't wind up dropping him. I don't think Andrew Painter
is going to fall into that same that same model
that that Forrest Whitley did. So I think there's a
slipside here.

Speaker 2 (34:57):
Well, you can rest assured that I will be discussed
forced with Lee about a year from now when he's
looking at returning to Major League baseball and getting a
half decent contract.

Speaker 1 (35:07):
Andrew Painter still relatively expensive, tim so people, I mean
it's three fifty seven, so that's twenty third or so round.

Speaker 2 (35:16):
So yeah, last starting pictured around out your rotation or
a reserve type pick. Yeah, he's not coming for free,
that's for sure. No.

Speaker 1 (35:26):
I mean, but this is a guy that prior to
the surgery, people were talking about him breaking camp in
twenty twenty four and he was really jumping up. He
was really jumping up list and draft slots, and that
just just went sideways for him.

Speaker 2 (35:41):
It happens, Yep, it happens. At number three, we have
Justin Crawford, and we're going to repeat the exercise that
we just went through for Andrew Peter, except we're going
to be looking of course at bats, home run, stolen bases,
and batting average for Justin Crawford.

Speaker 1 (35:58):
So you were all in on Justin Crawford. I think
when we talked about the Phillies from a fantasy standpoint,
I was a little bit more reserved.

Speaker 2 (36:08):
That sounds right.

Speaker 1 (36:10):
I'm going to say it's going to be more around
the two D and fifty plate appearances or at bats.
I think we'll steal as many bases as they let him.
I don't think there'll be any home runs or very
modest home runs, and I think he'll hit, so I
think it's going to be a nice fantasy contribution. I've

(36:31):
seen him play. He's a sloppy hitter, tim unless he
starts to really muscle up and start to hit the
ball with more authority. I think he feels and smells
a lot like a fourth outfielder to me. But Chandler
Simpson's a fourth outfielder, and then you know he's going
where he's going. And I think I've got in our

(36:52):
next podcast, which I think it put over under seventy five,
stole a piece for Chandler Simpson. Could we be doing
the same thing next year justin Crawford. We could be
he has he could he could blow up like Chandler Sepson.
He absolutely could.

Speaker 2 (37:07):
Okay, yeah, defender as well, so well, yeah, I just
look at that situation. For me, it's I always have
and always will play the opportunity game. And I see
it there and if only only only time time Hotel
Rich is to Yeah, I the Philly's got to do something,

(37:29):
that's for sure. Somebody's they got two open holes in
that oatfield, and hopefully they're not going to go into
the season with them empty, that's for sure.

Speaker 1 (37:38):
It's just everybody be careful, right Justin Crawford fid ball rate.
This is a slappy hitter. He slaps them on the
ground and tries to get on first base. This is
typically in the modern game, is not a guy that
becomes a full time regular baseball team unless you're the
Tampa Bay Rays, who defies the logic. You know, they

(37:58):
just they have their own way of doing it. I
think the Phillies are a championship level team. Do they
go into the season with Justin Crawford playing center field
for him? I don't know.

Speaker 2 (38:09):
Maybe they do. Yeah, we'll see, and maybe they don't.

Speaker 1 (38:13):
That's right. But I mean, look, and I think the
Chandler Simpson comps are very fair here. I think you'll
have a little bit of power. Sampson's never going to
hit a home run unless you know, unless he closes
his eyes and he swings as hard as he can,
and Justin Crawford could hit five, four or five home
runs a year. I mean, it could be that kind
of thing. It feels like it feels like his father,

(38:34):
you know, and maybe with ye it's a little less power,
but more like like an eighties throwback kind of outfielder. Right,
just uses wheels and get on base and steal a
bunch of bases. I think that's who the player is.

Speaker 2 (38:49):
Yeah, Carl Crawford, Tim Range. If you want to go
back a little earlier, Rains had a little pop, but yeah,
they depended on their wheels to generate a Patchriock, that's
for sure. At number four. And here here's a player
was totally off, totally off my radar. So when it
gets to the end of this podcast, you know his
name will be brought up. Aroun Escobar twenty twenty five

(39:13):
was a good year for the twenty year old, you know,
and fifteen homers, twenty five stolen bases, and he made
it to double a for a cup of coffee in
September as a twenty year old. Some really impressive stuff
I'm reading about this young man, Richard.

Speaker 1 (39:33):
Yeah, I liked him. My AI assistant likes him. I mean,
there's a lot to like here. You really got off
the slide in Low Waight extremely well. Was hitting everything
hard because that's where we have baseball savant data. And
it was a lot of one hundred and nine mile
hour fast, nine mild hour eggs of lossy, which is
plenty good for twenty twenty five our runt pop. It
didn't go well as well when he got to Double A.

(39:57):
Wasn't hitting as many home runs, but they did have
finish the season in Double A. He does he start
and overall it was fifteen home runs and twenty four
stolen bases. I mean the numbers are great, eighteen percent
contact strike out rate, which you like. So overall this
the season was good, but he did not perform as

(40:17):
well once he saw a little bit better pitching. So
I would like to see him start the season back
in High A. But the Phillies many, they like it.
Their guys at Double AY they liked the challenge. They
did the same thing with a Miller and like, all right,
you're good enough, we're gonna put you in Double A
and you need to learn how to perform against better pitching,

(40:39):
and you know, and that's I think that's what they have.
They have a tendency to do and they could do
that with Escobar, which we'll see a lot of times
Phillies guys blow out because they get they treat him poorly.
Like this, we'll see. I do like Escobar a lot.
I think there's twenty plus m run pop, more speed
than you think. Again, it's not a burner. I think

(40:59):
he's gonna hit. I love the player.

Speaker 2 (41:02):
And he's only twenty years old. He hasn't filled out
his body anywhere close to it yet, so we really
don't know who he could be. You know, we can
you know two years down the road, right he puts
on twenty five thirty pounds. That changed the equation, doesn't it?

Speaker 1 (41:18):
Yes? It does?

Speaker 2 (41:22):
Okay, at number five, we have game. Here.

Speaker 1 (41:25):
Here's your guy, Tim, here's your guy.

Speaker 2 (41:27):
Yeah, I got I've got I know here that says
see rich for why he's going to be successful in
twenty twenty five. And I wanted bats, home run, stolen
bases and batting average.

Speaker 1 (41:40):
He's the guy, Tommy. Look, I know you think Crawford
is going to get the call and he might, and
again there is Chandler Simpson upside, which is you being
the speed where I get the whole thing. But reren
Coones is a guy that's just been hanging out for
a while. I think he took a nice step up
this season. Hits the ball harder than you think. There's

(42:03):
a there's some speed. It's more eight to ten, ten
to fifteen kind of stolen bases. But I think the
guys has a chance to hit twenty home runs. Play
a corner outfield, maybe a little bit of center field,
and I think he's going to hit. There's high on
base percentage skills here. So I like Rincones Junior. So
to me, he's a more complete player than Crawford is,

(42:27):
and arguably is ahead of Crawford at least from time
and level. Right so because Raccon's has been kicking around
for a while.

Speaker 2 (42:37):
Mm hmm, So how many that's? Oh yeah, it's a
good one. Yeah, you've justified your your case. I'm still
a speeder. So do I know at bats for Rinco
home runs, stolen basest.

Speaker 1 (42:54):
I think he's I think you're going to see him
play a lot, so I'm going to put his at
bats more if I put it's Crawford at more of
the two hundred level, I'll put it more of the
three three hundred and fifty. I don't know if he
starts the season up. It just depends on the opportunity.
And I think there's if he gets three hundred and
fifty at bats, maybe twelve to fifteen runs and handful

(43:16):
of stolen bases, and I think, you know, to sixty
two seventy, I think it's I think it's going to
be a good player.

Speaker 2 (43:22):
Yeah, he's going to be mentioned in a waiver wear
piece when you get it's the call, assuming he goes
to start the season there.

Speaker 1 (43:29):
Gabri incons is, Gabri Raccons is at seven thirty eight.
Come on, that's that's sneaky value as your forty seventh pick, right,
I mean just picking forty five just to make sure
you get them.

Speaker 2 (43:43):
Yeah. Yeah, you've got two oatfield slots that have to
be filled, possibly three depending on what happens with marsh
If there's lots of room in that oatfield, and that's
seven hundred plus, Yeah, he deserves a little bit more
love than that. I would think.

Speaker 1 (43:58):
Well, justin Crawford going at three nine two. So I
mean people already are buying in that he's going to
get on. I mean it's twenty seventh pick.

Speaker 2 (44:06):
I mean I don't know, man, Yeah, that's that's third
third pick in a reserve draft.

Speaker 1 (44:13):
Yep, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (44:15):
Yep, that's that's up there.

Speaker 1 (44:17):
Okay. I think is a sneaky pick there. If you
were Arbitrage and Phillies players.

Speaker 2 (44:26):
At that price, I agree he is. At number six.
We got Griffin burke Holder. You've got his ceiling as
a top forty five outfielder with extreme risk. Why the
extreme risk? Rich? What are you seeing that sort of
defines that risk? Is his youth? The hit tool power,

(44:47):
combination of all of the above.

Speaker 1 (44:49):
Well, I think it's partially because his father, his grandfather,
great grandfather was a Nazi general. I think that's the first.
Oh really, General Burkholter from Pogan's Heroes.

Speaker 2 (45:02):
Oh, come disappoint me, great cramp, great cramp. I need
more coffee. I have to break before we edge of
the next podcast. I'm going to break out the jumble mug.
Yeah yeah, limited and.

Speaker 1 (45:22):
All of three hundred pounds I have. So Griffin Buckholder,
A lot of people, fantasy people went into this season
thinking he was he was going to be the next
great thing, and he got hurt and he just really
struggled to to put it all together last season, which
to me, the people that were saying that were probably

(45:44):
a little over aggressive. But now there's a buying opportunity
for Griffin Bulkholder because of the bad season they had.
And as you know, timmy dynasty league managers are fickled. Man,
you have one bad season and they give up on you.
So there's a lot of ex velocity there. There's bat speed.
I think he is a guy that's going to break out.

(46:05):
He did strike out a lot more than I would
have liked him as at thirty, But there's speed and
power there. Do not let this guy. If people are
getting low on him because of his off season last season,
I would not be given up on him.

Speaker 2 (46:22):
Yeah, don't pull a Timmin' Bob and drop Jacob Mersey.

Speaker 1 (46:27):
Yeah. Well I think Richard picked him up in that
league or picked him up on a bunch of looms.
So yeah, I always think there's I'm always I'm you're
the speed horror, I'm the value horror. I'm always looking
for guys that you've given up one and not yet particularly,
but people have given up one that I still think
that are there because again, Dynasty League managers, Timmy, you

(46:51):
know what I mean, it's like, what have you done
for me lately? And there's always a new shiny bobble
out there that that you just like more.

Speaker 2 (46:59):
And yeah, and one of the problems, and I'm not
going to put this as a goal, is lobbying for
more Dynasty spots, because what happens is if you if
you're active at the game and you're very aggressive in
looking at players, you're always seeing somebody you want, just
even marginally more than somebody else who doesn't. It's not

(47:22):
because he doesn't hold value. It's because you're continually shuffling
people in trying to upgrade your system, hoping to find
the next Ronald Acunir. Well. That doesn't always work work out, well,
does it. Yeah?

Speaker 1 (47:33):
And it's it's interesting because if you take a look
at broke Hold, I mean, you're buying the tools and
hope and he learns to hit, okay, And to me,
that's that's what I want to do with a kid
that's a nineteen year old kid that's in low way right.
And yeah, and then Look, if it's by twenty one,
he's still striking out thirty percent of the time and
it doesn't look like he's going to hit, then I

(47:54):
start to say, okay, maybe we need to downshift a
little bit on this guy. So that's if you If
you don't, if you only put people on your team
that can hit first of all, in your minor league rosters,
it's gonna be very short list, right, because the hitting
is the last thing that comes. And usually the guys
that can hit in general don't have very good fantasy profiles, right.

(48:18):
I mean, they're usually guys that are that are hitters
and not very for whatever reason, don't have huge power
and speed unless you're like Wana Juan Soda or something
like that, which is are just freaks you know that
are great hitters as well. So to me, you gotta
have a mixture of everything. And but Burkeholter, given his
age and just the speed and power and enough of

(48:40):
the beginnings of a hit tool, I'm still all in.

Speaker 2 (48:44):
Okay. Cool. At number seven, we have Dante Nori, an outfielder. Uh,
Chandler Simpson here we come, Yes.

Speaker 1 (48:55):
Chandler Simpson. Justin Crawford, I think I've told the story
six times. I'll tell him the seventh time. Here one
of the and whatever Dynasty league.

Speaker 2 (49:04):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (49:06):
I think it was a redraft on, you know, a
supplemental draft. And the guy said, look, I'm sorry, I
can only do the first two rounds and then i'm
I've got it. I'm off. I'm dark. He was going
hunting or something like that. Can you draft the players
that you you know, just whoever's on your queue, Can
you just draft them for me? Because I won't leave
him to do it. I said sure. So Nori was

(49:28):
at the top of my queue and like the sixth
round or something, so I I really wanted him, and
I said, look this it's his the other guy's time
to draft, and i'm I told him I would do
I'd give him the first guy on my queue, and
I drafted for him. Damned if he didn't drop him
to me. I was so upset, like crazy, he asked
me to draft drop him. So what did I do?

(49:55):
I picked them up.

Speaker 2 (49:56):
So it's like, good for you. He was. He was
still at the top, that's obviously.

Speaker 1 (50:03):
But I was really upset that here I helped this
guy out and he just dropped them. But look there
maybe he mounts, then he doesn't amount to much because
there is no power there. But the tools man are
are are loud. It's it's just got a long way
to go. And if if he does develop power, watch out.

(50:24):
So but this is a typical Phillies, incredibly athletic. And
you can see Raen Coones is there, Crawford is there,
nor He's there, Aiden Aiden Miller's and all these guys
are very similar loud tools. You're not so sure how
much they're going to hit, et cetera. But there that's
who the Phillies like to to bring in. So there's

(50:44):
there's some talent in this system for sure.

Speaker 2 (50:47):
And move them quickly.

Speaker 1 (50:49):
That's right, you look, it's it's think or swim man. Yeah,
if you're if you're a high draft pick, you get
thrown in the low way, sometimes high right off the bat.
And I've talked to it about this and that they're
adamant that they believe that the best opportunity is just
to drop the talent in and let them learn on

(51:10):
the on the fly. And I'm like, well what happens
If it doesn't they go, well, then they're you know,
they're not cut out for it. I mean they're very
very specific about that. And then you take a look
at the rays just the opposite. They want a player
to go through, this is what they'll tell you. They
want him to master a level. They want him to
have total confidence and visibility before they move them up
a level. And which one works better? I mean, I

(51:33):
don't know, that's just how they do it.

Speaker 2 (51:36):
Well, we know financially which one works better.

Speaker 1 (51:38):
Yeah, that's for sure.

Speaker 2 (51:40):
Yeah, yeah, take it, taking your time in patience, right,
that's right. We get into ourbitation in your thirty just
before your thirty first birthday, right, that's right.

Speaker 1 (51:49):
And you've had really solid years at them, very inexpensive yep,
that's yeah.

Speaker 2 (51:57):
At number eight we have gauge would off the board.
Last year at number twenty six, that nineteen strikeout College
World Series no hitter. That looks awful good on his resume,
doesn't it.

Speaker 1 (52:09):
Yeah, I mean there could be something here. I mean
there is a chance he's a reliever, but it's a
high strikeout guy, definitely very high floor. That again might
be a reliever, but I mean it's big stuff there,
and again showing you the aggressiveness of the Phillies. He

(52:30):
is one of the only pitchers, and he might be
the only pitcher that was drafted in twenty twenty five
and still pitched in the minor leagues. Almost everybody, particularly
in the first five rounds, that was a pitcher that
was taken ten college pitcher they didn't pitch.

Speaker 2 (52:48):
But not the Phillies man, No, say, everybody else gives
him time off for the arm to for the arm
to heal up after a long college season or whatever,
but not the Phillies. No.

Speaker 1 (53:01):
I mean, look, he one hundred and nineteen pitch College
World Series which was in June, and they've got him
out there in August. It's rowing again. I mean, they
don't care. Just let's scrap it on.

Speaker 2 (53:13):
Let's go sinker s whim.

Speaker 1 (53:16):
That's right.

Speaker 2 (53:18):
Okay. At number nine, we have Jean or Jane Carrera.
That fastball changeup combo. It's it's impressive, isn't it.

Speaker 1 (53:29):
Yeah. I think shows really good control. He needs that
third pitch. That's why there's a chance he's a reliever.
But you know, you talk to the Phillies. I didn't
get a chance to see Cabrera pitch last season, but
my understanding is the stuff is really good, good pitch shape,
so it's a real good from a from a metric standpoint.

(53:49):
So he shows up really good there. So that's why
I have him a little bit in front of Moyes's
sesse who you know comes in at number ten, He
had Tommy John surgery, former oriole Kid. He has probably
higher upside, but the but the injury, the Tommy John surgery,
pushes him down a little bit. But I like both

(54:10):
of these guys. I think fantasy managers need to kind
of monitor these guys. I don't know if I'd be
running to add them, but I would, And Jean Cabrera's standpoint,
i'd be looking at a twenty twenty six potentially being
promoted as a bullpen arm.

Speaker 2 (54:27):
Okay, yeah. My next question on Moyes's is it how
you pronounced his last name again, I think it's Chess.

Speaker 1 (54:34):
I think it's Jess said, but I could.

Speaker 2 (54:35):
Just say, Okay, if somebody cuts him in a dynasty
league you're playing in, will you pick them up?

Speaker 1 (54:43):
I mean a Tommy John surgery guy. I don't know. Okay,
let's let's let's take a look to me. I play
in twelve dynasty leagues. As I've mentioned many times. I
do not advise playing in that many leagues.

Speaker 2 (54:59):
For a good cause. Very good because let me see.

Speaker 1 (55:01):
How many leagues he has taken in here. These are
pretty experienced players. I'm gonna say two, let's see, okay,
roster that don't know, he's in more one, two, three, four, five, six,
seven out of the twelve, so more than fifty percent
he is in.

Speaker 2 (55:19):
Wow, so interesting to see what happens to him in
those seven leagues heading into heading into this year.

Speaker 1 (55:27):
Yeah for sure.

Speaker 2 (55:30):
Okay, there's our top ten from a strong Phillies system.
What say you about number eleven?

Speaker 1 (55:38):
Really drops off in a hurry. I like the top
ten are very good.

Speaker 2 (55:47):
Let's see weird. I was gonna say it seems weird
not to see Mick Abel's name here.

Speaker 1 (55:52):
Right yeah, Yeah, he's with the he's with the Twins,
right yep. And he's he's over the fifty any limit too,
So they didn't make their list as well. I think
it was just over it. I'm going to go with
thirteen and Devin Salt the Bond. It's a kid that
I had roster in a couple of dynasty leagues. Again,
another really athletic kids. Seventy runner chance for power. I

(56:15):
don't know if he's going to hit enough. I mean,
for the while he was under the Mendoza line. In fact,
it might have been under the Mendoza line for the
entire season. So but he is really athletic. So he's
still a guy that I don't think I have any
more on any team, but I haven't forgotten about him.

Speaker 2 (56:32):
Okay, fair enough, and with that we will break and
come back to take a look at for Washington Nationals.

Speaker 1 (56:50):
All right, two now, one to go.

Speaker 2 (56:54):
Let's see it, and this one will be fairly quick.
At number one, we've got Travis Sakora. It's all about
waiting and seeing how the TGS plays out. Correct.

Speaker 1 (57:07):
What a disappointment that guy. It looked like the best
picture in the minor leagues. He was that good. He
was great in twenty twenty five. And that was to me,
just a punch in the gut. Should he be number one?
Or should I put Eli Willet's number one? I mean Tomato, Tomato,
I think Travis Sacora could be could be an ace.
This is a guy just incredible stuff. Splitter. I mean,

(57:30):
anybody that's got a seventy great splitter to me, I
mean you think of Yamamoto, and you think of all
these Japanese guys, but Golsman with the seventy grade. I mean,
a lot of your better pitchers have these crazy splitters
and that's what Sakora has. And Tim is right it
just if he comes back healthy and I've got him
in several leagues, and I'm he is a guy that

(57:51):
I'm just holding moll and two for dear life. He's
probably gonna miss most of the season though, if not
all of.

Speaker 2 (57:56):
The season, right, Yeah, just a shame number. At number two.
We have Eli Willitts, the number one overall pick. Last year,
he took a deal three million underslot. Why how do
the Nationals or how does any team convince a number

(58:16):
one pick to take a deal under slut value?

Speaker 1 (58:19):
So I know how this this is one thing I
actually know how how it actually all works. So, okay,
all all of the top teams are talking to all
of the top players, and everybody knows who those players are.
You know, it's it's the Kate Anderson Ethan Holidays. They
were seth and these are all this going to be

(58:42):
the top players. And it was well known that Ethan
Holiday was going to be the number one cost costed guy,
so so they were so when you went to Baris
and said how much does he what does Ethan Holiday
want to sign? Nine million dollars that's what he said.

(59:03):
And so someone like the Washington Nationals might say, Eli
will it's representative's gone. It's going to be eight eight
and a half million dollars to sign him. That's that's
what this that's what he is worth. That's what we
want for his value. Now, So all of these guys
have price tags on them ahead of time. Every every
one of the teams picking in the first round knows

(59:26):
what these guys are going to cost to me, because
you got to stay under your budget. If you don't
stay under your budget, you got to pay penalties, and
the penalties get pretty dramatic. So it can't be I'm
gonna take Eli Willet's number one and I have no
idea what he's going to sign for. That's just not
the way it works. You already know. That's why these
guys are being signed two days later. You already know

(59:46):
what this guy wants. So what the So what the
Washington Nationals will do? Eli Willis is probably an eight
million dollar guy. They'll go we'll give you eight point two.
We're going to take you number one. You're gonna make
you a number one overall pick. We're gonna save money,
we're gonna be able to deploy that into other realms,
and so we're gonna get you a little bit cheap

(01:00:07):
because we don't think Ethan Holiday is worth a million
dollars more than you. That's the logic there, or we
don't want to deal with Scott Boris for Ethan Holiday.

Speaker 2 (01:00:19):
Okay, yeah, just to me, Okay, I'm just being the
greedy capitalist. Okay, I got a chance to go number one. Okay,
I'm gonna try and grind for every penny I can,
knowing the odds of eventually seeing the big leagues. You know, Hey,
it's a long road ahead. Okay. I would have a

(01:00:39):
hard time taking a deal under slought. That's just me personally,
Richard I and the ability to convince me to take
something under slot. You'd have to have a really good argument,
at least to me. Anyways, I'd be the Scott Morris there. Hey,
if I was at nine million slot, I want nine million,
pay me.

Speaker 1 (01:01:00):
Yeah, then so the team will go, Okay, you're not
worth nine million dollars, have a good career, and they'll
go on to the next guy. That's just the way
it works, and that's okay, And then what will happen
is you don't know. Look, it's best just to get signed,
right And so if you get signed and you're an
eight million dollars, you take the money. You don't wait

(01:01:23):
because the slot amounts go down the longer you have
to wait. So so it's a bit of you know,
you're playing this chicken little game as well. These teams
are doing that. So you could say, you like, well,
it's look, it was an eleven eleven million dollars slot
of bonus for going number one. Your logic would have
been I signed, I won eleven million dollars, and the

(01:01:44):
Washington Nationals are going no, because now we've already committed
to land in hand. I'm a million and a half
dollars over slot, you know, which you know that pick
was made at the end of the day three hours later,
so they've already made that commitment to him. And if
Eli will Itson comes back because I've had a change
of heart, I really want to eleven million dollars, they're
going to go Sorry, Powell.

Speaker 2 (01:02:06):
No, yeah, okay, yeah, it's a it's a big game.
But I just from my is it about me? Or
is it about the team? Or is it about you know,
a combination of all of the above. I'd want to
secure as much as I could, knowing the risk factor
and actually getting two year first and second year of

(01:02:28):
arbitration with a big league Team's.

Speaker 1 (01:02:30):
Every every team is breaking the rule. This is just
well understood. The deal or the deal is cut well
before the draft starts. You know exactly what every one
of these guys are signing for because the team has
got to stay under their slot at bonus. Now, look
what the Nationals did, Eli will It's two point eight
million dollars under slot. They went over one hundred thousand

(01:02:52):
dollars for the second pick, over a million and a
half or the third pick, over a million point three
for their fourth pick, over two million dollars for their
fifth pick. So there, they've already cut that deal with
will It's you know exactly what. So now they can
reallocate that stuff later on in the draft and it
and then what will happen If Eli Willardson changes his mind,

(01:03:13):
then it hurts the agent because then that agent will
get blackballed. Just not buy the Nationals. We'll get black
baled everywhere, and that they'll say, look, if we can't
trust you that we agree with the number, and then
you screw us over, we're not doing business. And this
has happened before, and agents literally have gone out of
business because they haven't you know, been able to you know,

(01:03:35):
because they screwed over the team and that that gets
out and you just you can't do that now. Is
it all contrived? Is it all.

Speaker 2 (01:03:44):
No?

Speaker 1 (01:03:44):
But that's just the way it's done.

Speaker 2 (01:03:46):
So and continue getting done that way until something drastic
happens that forces change.

Speaker 1 (01:03:55):
Right, And it used to be there was no slotted amount,
there was no budget, and you know, it was a
free for all, and then there was all kinds of
other stuff that was going on that was money business.
Then it was all the rich teams were able to,
all the wealthy teams were able to just promise signing
these guys for two million dollars, three million dollars, a

(01:04:17):
lot more than somebody else would sign. And then so
the Rockies would go, well, I'm going to sign player X,
and the advisor would go, he's not going to sign
with you. He'll go back into the draft for the
next year. So then you worry about that because you
really want to sign with the Yankees to get a
lot more money for them, and that wasn't working either,
so this is why they went to the slotted amount.

(01:04:38):
So you know anyway, that's how it all worked.

Speaker 2 (01:04:41):
Yeah, okay, Well, I thank you for sharing that because
I had my I had my hunch, but you filled
in a lot of the blanks for me, and I
appreciate that. At number three, we have Jarlins Susanna. That's
seventy nine strikeouts in forty seven and the third innings
double a something impressive, wasn't it.

Speaker 1 (01:05:04):
Before we do Sosana just we never really talked about
Willets in terms of.

Speaker 2 (01:05:07):
Oh yeah, sorry, yeah, I'm a little.

Speaker 1 (01:05:10):
Down on Eli Willets, and I could be dead wrong.
I had Reggie Willets and my fantasy team who was
his father played for the Angels, and he was kind
of a Justin Crawford guy, right, just slappy hitter, stole based.
I don't know if you had him on any other teams,
but no, I don't think so. My understanding is Eli
Willarts is a lot like his father. I mean, can

(01:05:32):
hit there's no power, slappy hitter and so forth. And
I just I just like like Ethan Holliday and a
couple other guys that were in the draft more. I
love Katie Anderson that the Seattle Mariners took. It's just
a perfect setup for them. Even though he's a picture
I mean, so that's why I you know you'll see him.

Speaker 2 (01:05:51):
He doesn't fit your profile. He doesn't fit your profile. Rich's.

Speaker 1 (01:05:55):
Yeah, it's my old profile of wanting guys that can
hit and steve and I'm change that. I'm looking for
guys that can really hit the ball hard now because
that's that's what teams are looking for. And we now
know that hitting the ball hard drives your batting average
of balls and play, which elevates your batting average, et cetera.
So I've kind of I've really changed in terms of

(01:06:16):
how I evaluate players. I'm looking for guys that hit
the ball hard.

Speaker 2 (01:06:21):
Yeah, yeah, you once, who's Dona? Did you say?

Speaker 1 (01:06:29):
Yeah? Oh, Susana, Yeah, one hundred and two miles an
hour off off the off the bump. He's probably a closer.
It's a kid that was originally signed by the Padres,
which half the half the minor leagues. It was originally
signed by the Padres. He did have some UCL sprame
in July, so you worry that Tommy John Surgery could

(01:06:51):
be there. But uh, it's a really live arm and
a guy that I think we could see in a
bullpen roll for the Washingtons, and all of a sudden,
now they need a closer. So I'll just leave that
out there because far got moved.

Speaker 2 (01:07:06):
Yeah, we'll be talking about him, I'm assuming in the
next podcast. And that sucked, Smuzzle, It did.

Speaker 1 (01:07:13):
Suck because I have him in a bunch of leagues.
I'm just really disappointed.

Speaker 2 (01:07:17):
So yes, yes, I'm glad we put off ranking catchers
until next week because I've got some I've got some
movement to do. I think in that set of rankings. Okay,
number four, we've got Luke Dickerson, second round pick, and
we know why he's signed for above slot, don't we.

Speaker 1 (01:07:37):
Yeah. It's a guy that got off to really really
strong start. It's kind of cooled off, you know, after
he got promoted up into low way, but it really
made a name for himself and scouts just love the swing,
love the potential for that power to emerge. I think
there's something here with Luke Dickerson. So even though if
you take a look at his overall stat line it

(01:07:59):
wasn't great, I think the tools are a little bit
louder than what the actual stat line shows.

Speaker 2 (01:08:07):
Okay, and moving on to Koy James. He went off
the boarder one forty two last year for late first
round money. Good for Koy James.

Speaker 1 (01:08:19):
Yes, we just talked about I mean, the Nationals were
able to do that. And look, I've got him pretty
high in first year player drafts, so I'm pretty bullish
on Koy James. Moved him up ahead of there are
other guys that were taken in front of him. So again,
top prep player in North Carolina. He did not play,

(01:08:40):
but it's it's potential power. It's not a ton of
not a ton of speed, but it's a good swing
and again looks a lot like Brady House, which I
know you're not as high on Brady House as some
others are. I'm not sure I'm high owned Brady House,
but I think Brady House is going to be, you know,
at least an average major league player, and I think

(01:09:01):
Quay James could be an average, if not above average player,
and a guy at one in a first year player
draft that you can get fifth or sixth round. Gimme, gimme,
gimme ye.

Speaker 2 (01:09:13):
Yeah, definitely next up at number six, we have sever King.
It sort of seems wrong that he's like not on
the Mets roster or maybe the Reds Big one. But
one hundred and twenty five games last year he walked

(01:09:35):
a total of thirty two times. That's not good, is it? No?
But but.

Speaker 1 (01:09:43):
Sever King mid season July started to change his approach
a little bit. The Nationals in lower levels of the
Minor League on it had to get really aggressive about
the plate, something that he did not do when he
was in college. He was much more patient approach. They
actually had him add a lot of loft to his swing,

(01:10:05):
and the strikeouts went up, and he just didn't play
that well. July came, August came, and I had heard
about this. I didn't see a whole lot of change
in his statistical profile, so I didn't really bring it
up too much, and I said, he maybe somebody's bssing
me about this or whatever. But in the Fall League
it really came out about how different his swing was.

(01:10:27):
So I went aside, did a side by side analysis,
and yes, his swing had change, his approach had change,
and he had a great fall league. So I kind
of look at sever King as maybe a kid that
struggled the first two thirds of the season started to
find something in the second half. After he got the
double A and the double A. Manager said hey, let's

(01:10:49):
go as actually the roving hitting manager. Hey let's go
back to why you were successful in college. And so
that's the story with sever King. So he might be
a little low on this list because a lot of
this stuff didn't come out to the list. My list
here was baked and everything there. I kind of like
sever King a little bit more than I did coming
into writing this. If that makes any level of sense.

Speaker 2 (01:11:12):
Yeah, no, it makes total sense because things are constantly
changing and he made some significant changes to his game.
I would think he's a player that you will want
to track very closely the first two months of twenty
twenty six.

Speaker 1 (01:11:25):
Yes, I totally agree with you there. Let's say I
think sever King has probably still owned in all dynasty leagues.
Let me because he was a number one pick. But again,
people get frustrated. This might be one of those guys
that he's owned in all of the twelve's dynasty leagues
I play in, But that doesn't mean that people aren't disappointed.
They take a look at his season ago and don't

(01:11:46):
know about the fact that he's had an approach change
and a swing change, and that might be something you
can kind of dislodge.

Speaker 2 (01:11:52):
Him, right, And not every leagues are as deep as
yours when it comes to minor league prospects, right.

Speaker 1 (01:11:59):
Is this that is true?

Speaker 2 (01:12:01):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:12:01):
Look at his overall season last year, six home runs,
thirty solar basis. They got to love the stolen basis,
but a five point eight percent walk rate, as Tim
was talking about, just the lack of walks at a
ninety three ISO, So I mean, just really showed no power.
Three thirty seven slug and part of that was just
they were trying to get him to hit home runs
and it just wasn't happening. So you could be looking

(01:12:23):
at a guy that really increases his walk rate, becomes
a better hitter and still only hits five or six
on runs with steels thirty bases.

Speaker 2 (01:12:31):
That might work right, Okay, moving on at number seven,
we have Alex Klemmy, a left handed pitcher one hundred
and sixteen and two thirds innings pitched last year seventy
three walks. Wow.

Speaker 1 (01:12:49):
Yeah, this is a guy that throws one hundred miles
an hour, has no idea where the ball is going.
But it's a live arm and from the left side.
So if you look at his fantasy to see only
top thirty starting pitcher or closer with extreme risks, that
essentially was that, I have no idea. Yeah, wild lefty
with power stuff relief, he.

Speaker 2 (01:13:10):
Fall back likely Randy Johnson profile. Right. I remember when
he first came up. He couldn't hit, he couldn't hit
home plate if he gave the GPS. He was all
over the place, just crazy wild. But again, sometimes it
works and sometimes it doesn't.

Speaker 1 (01:13:27):
Said a good job with Sosana. Uh, And there's a
lot of similarities between the two. Obviously Ones a right
hander and Clemy is a left handed, but there's a
lot of big, tall, strong kid, great arm, has no
idea where it's going, and Soasana started to throw more strikes,
and you hope that Clemy can can do the same thing.
So I mean it's a he's a lottery pick for sure.

(01:13:47):
It's a great arm.

Speaker 2 (01:13:49):
So yep, okay, at number eight, we have your handy Morales.
Uh uh, you say the power is real and the
path to ball is clear.

Speaker 1 (01:14:02):
Yeah, yoyo, Morales, that's that's his nick nance. When he
goes by. There's big power there. I think he's gonna
get on base a lot. There's going to be some
swing and missing his game. I think it's primarily going
to be at first base. I know he's still playing
a little bit of third base. I think he's a player.
I think we see him in twenty twenty six. I
bet you no one is on this guy at all.

(01:14:22):
You take a look at it, moralesis. Yeah, he's not
even being he's not even being drafted in in NFBC drafts.

Speaker 2 (01:14:31):
So so okay, there you go. Yep, at number nine,
we have Brian Cortesia sixteen percent walk great in the
sixteen to six Draco rate as a teenage signee. That
sounds solid, doesn't it? Big?

Speaker 1 (01:14:47):
Signing for the you know overall one point nine million
dollars puts him in the top ten. Uh yeah, time's right.
I mean everything just said. There's speed, potentially some power there,
and the fact is that he looks like he can
flat out hit. So he's a kid that no one
is talking about uh And look, the Nationals have done
historically a really good job at mining players in the

(01:15:08):
in the Dominican. So I think Curtisia could be another
one of those players.

Speaker 2 (01:15:14):
Okay. At number ten we have Ethan Petree. Too bad,
he's not a picture or a catcher behind the dish,
but that's the name. Oatfield went off board at number
forty nine. The tool summary above average, rup power, OBP,
skills and swing and miss risk.

Speaker 1 (01:15:37):
What if he's related to Rob Petrie? You know Rob
Petrie is name rings a bell Tick Van Dyke show.

Speaker 2 (01:15:47):
Oh there we go, yeah, Ti Vandyke.

Speaker 1 (01:15:50):
Is one hundred years old.

Speaker 2 (01:15:52):
Yes, yes, that deckman.

Speaker 1 (01:15:53):
I guess that demand anyway, big strong kid. I comp
him a little bit to Cassis, who looks like he
might get a chance with the Cubs. This year's interesting guy.
So it's big home run power, highland based percentage, swinging,
miss three true outcome type of player.

Speaker 2 (01:16:12):
Okay, there's our top ten from the Washington Nationals organization.
And at number eleven we have.

Speaker 1 (01:16:20):
I'm going to give you two. One is twelve at
Sean Paul Lannon was a former Dodger that has a
oh a really good change up, but it looks more
like a screwball that no one could hit in the
lower levels of the minor league. Look like he was
all world. And then the Dodgers kind of unexpectedly promoted

(01:16:44):
him to triple a directly from low way, got beat up,
eventually got traded. I'm not sure what's there, Tim, but
he's got to pitch that wacky with his uh uh
you know that were the screwball. So Kip and I
on him, not suggesting you go run and pick him up,
and keep an eye on him. And another former Dodger kid,

(01:17:05):
Eric Swan, also came over to the to the Nationals.
Probably a closer upside, but a really good arm up
to ninety eight miles an hour, big kid at six foot,
six hundred and fifty pounds. So two former Dodger guys,
and I kind of like both of them when they
were with the Dodgers. So just keep an eye on
both those really live arms.

Speaker 2 (01:17:27):
Okay, it sounds good, and that wraps up our podcast today.
Or take a quick break and come back.

Speaker 1 (01:17:34):
And just pump you up. Sound good till let me
let me wrap this up by a simple question, give
me a play or two that coming into today's discussion,
Coming into your research, you didn't think much about it,

(01:17:57):
know a lot about but now you've a little bit
more informed and feel better about the player.

Speaker 2 (01:18:04):
I want everybody in the New York Meths system, Rich, No,
definitely the two that jump out to me, or Raymer
and Ryan Clifford, Okay, both of them. I was not
really on that much. And if it's hard to not like,
uh where I saw after I started digging into it

(01:18:26):
in the Philly system. Well, you know my love for Crawford,
but I've also had I got a soft spot for Gabriel.
It goes you, I want one of those outfielders. Okay,
somehow I'm gonna get one of those outfielders in Philadelphia.
It'll probably be the wrong one, but I'm gonna get one.
And there's absolutely nobody I like in Washington. I that

(01:18:46):
was not a lot of fun when your number one
prospect isn't gonna play. It just sort of cascaded down
from there. It just it just wasn't fun, Rich, What
can I say?

Speaker 1 (01:18:57):
There's some good players there though, It's just I mean, well,
he could turn into somebody, could be a lot better
than I thought, And Sosana could if he stays help them.
Don't forget about Luke Dickerson. It's a nice talented guy.
But it's a little disappointed after James Wood and then
Dylan Dylan Carl and Dylan sees Dylan Carl Dylan.

Speaker 2 (01:19:15):
Yeah, that Dylan Cruz. Cruise, Dylan Cruise, Dylan.

Speaker 1 (01:19:18):
Cruz, and then all of a sudden, you kind of
take a step down this year. So it's a little disappointed.
I have to say the Nationals, they really haven't developed
those guys, right.

Speaker 2 (01:19:30):
Yes, yeah, Like I said, it was just disappointing after
going through the Mets in the Phillies, especially in the Mets,
I just love that system. They've done a great job.
And again, as always, I got I gotta thank you
for the opportunity. It's always fun talking prospects with you.

Speaker 1 (01:19:47):
Rich Tommy, let's break it here an hour and twenty
minutes and too if you've have a lot to listen to,
Tim and I are gonna take a quick break and
then we're going to talk another hour about more stuff.
So holy Timmy, be well, my friend.

Speaker 2 (01:20:00):
You will catch indent