August 14, 2025 • 28 mins
The following players are discussed:
Sam Bassalo (Bal)
Denzer Guzman (LAA)
Abimelec Ortiz (Tex)
Aidan Miller (Phi)
Patrick Clohsy (Atl)
Carson Roccaforte (KC)
Home Bush (TB)
Konnor Griffin (Pit)
Devin Saltiban (Phi)
Jeral Perez (CHW)
Elian Perez (NYM)
Cristian Arguelles (Col)
Robby Snelling (Mia)
Quinn Mathews (Stl)
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (NYY)
Trey Gibson (Bal)
Miguel Mendez (SD)
Luis De Leon (Bal)
Alex Clemmey (Was)
Cam Caminiti (Atl)
Sam Bassalo (Bal)
Denzer Guzman (LAA)
Abimelec Ortiz (Tex)
Aidan Miller (Phi)
Patrick Clohsy (Atl)
Carson Roccaforte (KC)
Home Bush (TB)
Konnor Griffin (Pit)
Devin Saltiban (Phi)
Jeral Perez (CHW)
Elian Perez (NYM)
Cristian Arguelles (Col)
Robby Snelling (Mia)
Quinn Mathews (Stl)
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (NYY)
Trey Gibson (Bal)
Miguel Mendez (SD)
Luis De Leon (Bal)
Alex Clemmey (Was)
Cam Caminiti (Atl)
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey guys, it's rich. It is about nine point fifteen
on the fourteenth of August, the hot prospects of the week.
I might make this available to all podcast listeners. I'm
not sure I've got time to do a special podcast
just for a non Patreon members, So for our Patreon members,
I just put out a Royce Lewis, a Royce Lewis
(00:23):
Baseball SLOV breakdown from one of our members, and I
noticed I was pretty happy with as I was going
through my analysis and I missed an obvious thing. He's
only got five home runs this season. So I tried
to change my little write up when I wrote about him,
like why does he only have five home runs and
two hundred and twenty two plate appearances? And that's just
(00:44):
an anomaly. I mean, the power is still there. So
for Shawn who asked if you're listening to this as well,
I mean, I definitely think there is a correction coming,
a normalization coming, where there's going to be more home
runs there this season. But look, every we all know
what the and I think maybe I got distracted because
(01:06):
the big problem with Royce Lewis is can't stay healthy
and Almas it really isn't matter what he does on
the field. From a fantasy a dynasty league particularly standpoint,
you got a debate whether whether you want to deal
with that frustration. Obviously, in a one year league, he
might be a guy to acquire just because you think
there's probably going to be some power if he can
stay healthy here at the end of the year. However,
(01:29):
is there a lingering injury that would indicate, you know,
that would say why is not hitting home runs? The
data doesn't suggest anything that's there. I mean, he's still
got the high end eggs of velocity and the leverage
in the swing. So I just think he's just it's
just the balls are just not going over the fence.
That'd be my guess. Anyway, back to the hot prospects
of the week, obviously twenty this week first guy, we've
(01:53):
had a lot of people move up. As I wrote
a little introduction to get a chance to see the
big four horseman. There's actually a lot more of that
in that Binghamton being it's bing Bingington even though it's
spelled bing Hampton, New York, and that double a New
York team who they won the first half in leading
(02:15):
to the second half. So that's a really good team
in the Eastern League. But they decided to move all
their guys up at once. Jonah tonks On pitched twice,
Jet Williams, Carson bench Binge was really good. Jet Williams
just okay and the two looks I had at him.
They also moved up Ryan Clifford has showing really big power,
lots of swing and missing his game. But Chris Chris
(02:37):
Swarro was there. Jacob Breemer is still there, so they
still got some interesting prospects. I mean, that was the
team was absolutely loaded. Obviously, Luis leunder Revel, I don't
know if he's pitching the big league sect, but he
got moved up. Travis Bizana got moved to Triple A,
Tigers moved to Max Anderson to Double A, Jacob Meltin
(02:57):
and Jase Dolander back in the major leagues. And then
they just announce today that Nolan McClain, which I'm pretty
excited about, it's going to be making his major league
debut on Saturday for the Mets. And don't be surprised
if we don't see Brandon's sprout come up, because the
Mets and all these very good teams are just I mean,
the pitching is starting to run out of gas here,
(03:17):
so they need some fresh arms. So I think you're
going to see that. And another positional player just got
moved up. I can't remember who else I read about
this morning just got moved up. But there's just a
ton of guys coming up, and it's tis the season
where you get these players that I mean, teams are
(03:37):
running out of gas, particularly the pitching staff. Ohen Casey
got moved up with the Cups, which I will surprise
at because the Cups have a really good team and
you're surprised that they're going to try to incorporate Casey
here at the end of the season. Huge raw power,
swings and misses a lot, good walk rate, So I mean,
you hope he's Kyle Schwarber. That's what the hope is.
(03:59):
That he's a two thirty batting average but a three
thirty one base percentage with thirty five home runs, but
probably's not gonna hit enough to get there. But I mean,
that's that's the hope and dream that you have for
Oward Casey. But so it's fun time of the season.
We were starting to get a lot of guys up,
and the first guy my list, sam Maasaiah is a
(04:19):
guy that we should see. He and Dylan Beaver should
both be up in Baltimore here. I'm going to say
the twenty fourth that was a math that I worked
out with Tim on Sunday. I think that's when we
see guys start to matriculate up to the big leagues
and the same Asia's had a good week, it had
a good season. Saw him in a spring training by
(04:40):
the way, I didn't look all that great and there
was a swing and missing his game. He looked the
bat looks slow, which is kind of crazy. I saw
I'm on High a couple of years ago. I did
not look slow at all, But in spring training the
bat looked a little slow. So maybe just wasn't quite
stretched out as well. And I know he spent time
early in the season on the ils and maybe was
(05:01):
already dealing with some kind of injury. But I didn't
like my first looks at him this year. But he's
a big, hulking guy that is going to be a
power hitting first base and most likely catch a little bit.
Hopefully he'll be like Ben Rice. So somebody put out somewhere.
I think you were one of my patron members that
(05:21):
Ben Rice just got his twenty twentieth game catching, So
if you play those rules that you have to have
twenty games coming into the season the Dynasty Leagues to
be a catcher, then Sambasaia is that guy Denzer Guzman.
We haven't talked about Denser Goozm much. The first time
I had written about him shortstop, third basement of the
Los Angeles Angels. He's in Triple I just got promoted
(05:42):
the Triple A. And I tell you, I mean people,
you get warped impression of guys when they move to
the Pacific Coast League because it's such a hitters league,
and Salt Lake City is a really good hitters park
as well. And it's interesting the Angels typically they take
their high end prospects and move them directly from Rocket City,
(06:03):
which is their Double A affiliate, and go directly to
the big leagues. And they put Guzman to go up
to play for a period of time in Triple A,
which is really unusual, and I don't quite undersure why
understand why they did that. Probably there's no room at
the end. He has been playing a little bit more
third base of late. Rahifo is a free agent at
(06:24):
the end of the season, so that might be the
math there. Zachndo is just breaking out as one of
the better young players. I don't see him playing short stuff,
but Guzma can play. Physical guy. Still really young, still
learning to hit. That's never slowed down. The Angels, they
love them young, they love moving them up to the
big leagues. But I think he's got twenty home run
(06:45):
pop but can hit a little bit. There's not a
ton of speed there. Yeah, good little player. It's denser Guzman.
So if he's floating around on your waiver wire and
deep dynasty leagues, might be a guy would be interesting
to add a look Ortiz. My good friend Bob King
high Uh and I talked about I've been with Ortiz
(07:07):
for years and in the end, he's got big time
raw power. But it is tremendous platoon splits. He's against
right handed hitters this season two eighty five, three seventy
eight at five thirty slug get this against left hand
at one seventy four to two eighty three and a
woeful three twenty six slug So you know it's he's
(07:33):
not going to get at bats at the highest level
against left hand at pitchers is is not. So he's
going to be a platoon outfielder, first baseman, and so
that's four hundred at bats, that's who the guy is.
But he could probably hit fifteen to twenty home runs
as a as a platoon guy, and ye know, decent
batting average. It's just going to be, you know, everything's
(07:53):
going to be muted a little bit, just because he's
not going to get full time at bats unless he
has an awakening and learns it left handed pitching, which
typically doesn't happen. I think that's why we're so worried.
Tim and I are so worried about Evan Carter Aid
Miller has had a season so far, good week. Hopefully
(08:15):
this is a late season push for Aiden Miller because
he really should repeat double A next season. I mean,
if you take a look at just what he's done,
and it's I mean, he's not showing as much power
as he did last season, but I think there's big
boy power here there. He hits the ball really hard.
It's it's high end exit velocity. It's just going to
(08:36):
get better as he gets stronger and matures a little bit.
And he's doing a fine job at shorts, and I
think when he was first drafted, I wasn't sure he
was going to stay at shortstop. But Aiden Miller is
still a top twenty five prospect for me in a really,
really good player. It's just not been the greatest of seasons,
and I blame the Phillies. It's easy to blame the
(08:58):
Phillies because they pushed their guys extremely hard. Maybe not
as hard as the Angels do, but they're right up
there where they particularly in the lower levels of the
minor leagues. They don't like keeping in Low A and
High A very long. If you're showing that you can
play at those levels, they're going to get you in
and out very quickly. And we saw that with Miller
(09:19):
last year. Starts in low WAY a month, six weeks there,
and then the High A and finishes in Double A.
And then this season he's hit a bit of a
wall trying to climb over. I think there's great tools
there that he can eat, that he can climb over it.
Here's an interesting name, and I don't know have pronounced
this last name. It's Patrick Close c l O. His
(09:41):
y outfielder with the Atlanta Braves. And anytime I get
a chance to write about the Atlanta Brave prospect. I'm
going to take it nine for twenty three this week.
A double, a home run, three stolen bases, two strikeouts,
and two walks. He's got what does he got like
sixty stolen bases and seventy three attempts in High A.
He's hit couple of home runs, above average contact rates
(10:04):
of nineteen percent and good walk rates of eleven percent.
I mean, he might ultimately be a fourth outfielder, but
I thought he was an interesting guy. And against some
of the players for the Braves are starting to get
older and that team you know who had all those
team can salary controlled guys, kind of what the Boston
(10:26):
Red Sox are doing now. They're all starting to get
a little long in the tooth and at the end
of those long term contracts. When you have Ronald accun
you still got a chance every year, provided he can
stay healthy. But close see or Clo Hi say or
however pronounce his name is an interesting guy. I mean
he's not a small guy and with seventy great speed
(10:48):
at five foot ten, maybe he can put a little
bit of weight on, get a little leverage in a
swing and hit five to ten home runs and be
a full time regular. I just find him very very interesting.
Carson Roke, that's Kansity Outfield writ about him a couple
of times this season. I've raised my ceiling to a
top sixty outfielder. He's still got some fourth outfielder risk,
(11:10):
but he's seventy grade runner. He's added some leverage to
swing to get a little bit more over the fence
power and that's starting to work. So I mean he
does swing and miss too much. That is a problem.
So again, much like Patrick Cooeesy, Carson Rogueford is again
fourth outfielder type of risks. The close is actually striking
(11:35):
out a lot less. I think maybe closely is the
better prospect from that perspective. Here's another similar guy fourth
outfielder risk, which is Homer Bush. Stealing bases and bunches
this year, but he has zero power. Ninety four games
a season, he has not hit a home run. He
did hit six last season. However, I think the risk
(11:58):
of him becoming a fourth out fi fielder is definitely
becoming apparent. And the Rays love these athletic guys that
with the big speed and they just collect them, and
you know, Chandler, symptoms of the world, Caballerio who's now
with the Yankees, and now Homer Bush and maybe you know,
(12:18):
they come up and they have a good season, they
become utility guys, fourth outfielders for other teams, and then
the Rays continue to add prospects with those players, and
you know, it's a decent strategy and the Rays, that's
just how they've always rolled. And I think Homer Bushes
yet another one of those Condor Griffin. I mean, what
(12:39):
can you say. I think he is going to be
the player of the Minor League Player of the season.
I mean you typically don't. I typically don't put minor
league players of the year and who are in the
lower levels of the minor leagues. It's low, A and high.
He's still the lower levels of the minor leagues. But
I mean he has just been all world. His Fantasy
see only is a first round pick. I mean, he's
(13:00):
still got some swing mechanical issues there. He's got an
arm bar, which is you know where you bring your
arm up a little bit and you're punching the ball.
But I mean it's nothing. I mean, it's it's just
been all whorld. So nothing has slowed this guy down.
I'd love to see him in Double A. Obviously, he's
owned in every ditacea league at this juncture. I wouldn't
(13:23):
be trading him. Just know there could be some creepy
crawleys down the road that he you know, that get
his way in Double A. But if he handles Double
A without without much difficulty is eta of twenty twenty
seven to twenty eight, he's going. He's going to be
in the big leagues next season. So if he might
even see Double A, because High A ends about two
(13:45):
weeks before Double A ends, so you could see Connor
Griffin spending the last two weeks in Double A just
to get his feet wet. He starts Double A next
season and if by July he is crushing the ball,
or June he's crushing the ball, short stint and and
Triple A and he's up. So he's just being fantastic
(14:07):
this season. Next guy is Devin Sultaban, second basement with
the Philadelphia Phillies. He's in High A. It's been a
rough season injuries, pour at bats, he's just hitting one
seventy eight. The strikeout rate is up to thirty percent.
He's still young again. The Phillies love to really push
(14:28):
their guys, and I think this has been problematic for him.
He probably still should be in low way and again
not been able to stay healthy. Is not hurt. But
it was a great week. Three doubles, two triples, a
harm run, three stolen bases. I mean, that's the kind
of guy if he could put it together that he is.
There's speed, there's power, he just needs to cut down
(14:49):
on his strikeout rate. Guerrero Perez former Los Angeles Dodgers,
now with Chicago White Sox. Another good week. He is
wh I only had a really good season. He's got
eighteen home runs, He's got league average contact rates across
the board. It's only hitting two twenty nine, but the
babbit's at two fifty one. And again, as I've talked before,
(15:13):
you you can drive your babbit up by hitting the
ball really hard, which Jerrel Perez has got good eggs
of velossity. It's above average, not crazy eggs of velocities.
But when you're sitting with a two fifty one babbit,
I mean you're getting unlucky, right. There's even if you
don't hit the ball very hard, you're going to have
two seventy two to eighty type of babbit sitting there,
(15:35):
and if you hit the ball really hard, you're probably
going to have three twenty to three thirty type of babbits.
I mean, it's it's it's a swing. It's not a
huge swing, right. So if you correct Jerrel Perez's babbit
up to two eighty and put thirty more points on
his two to twenty nine batting average also, and he's
hitting two sixty with eighteen home runs and people are
(15:56):
talking about him a lot more. I think that's who
the player is. Elaine Perez shortstop, second basement with New
York Mets. He was their five million dollar investment, got
off the snide really slow this season and it's just
started to really put it together. Sitting three sixty six.
Since he got off to that tough start for the
(16:18):
season two ninety six four ninety three, he's got five
home runs, twenty one stolen basis, more walks and strikeouts.
This is a dude, everyone, Elaine Perez. He and Christian
Argulus who's the next guy, and a couple other DSL
guys have really taken it to the next level. We
don't have the DSL class that we had last season,
(16:41):
led by Hazus Mata and Luis Pina from the Milwaukee Brewers.
But it's still a pretty good class, particularly with Elaine
Perez and Christian Argulus has made my list multiple times,
sitting batty, leading the league with batting average of four
to forty two. He's also posted a six to eighty
(17:03):
one slut with five on runs. Now he is a repeater,
so he's not really in that twenty twenty five class.
He was in the twenty twenty four class, which makes
it even stronger from last season. But he's had a
really good year. But he plays with the Colorado Rockies,
and I don't know. I'm glad Ethan Holiday has finally
been assigned to Low Way. He's got a couple of
(17:23):
hits on his first game. Yay, I am pulling for
Ethan Holiday, but I've made my case multiple times of
I just am really down on anything coming out of Colorado.
Let's go to our pictures we've got I think it
was seven pictures, eight pictures. Pitching was really good this
past week, and Robbie selling but made our Hot Prosser
(17:46):
or made our daily notes last night. So another really
good outing and you would think, as I wrote in
the notes today, that I mean Selling's probably going to
get a chance to play because Urie Perez and Alcatara
both coming back from Tommy John surgery. You wouldn't think
they would want them to pitcher too much the rest
(18:07):
of the season, particularly Santi Alcantra, who started the season
with the with the Marlins, so I would think he
would rest here, start to limit his innings, kind of
getting into the late into August and September. And Uri Perez,
you know, came back mid season, but I would think
he would They would rest in the last couple three
(18:27):
weeks of the season as well. I think that gives
Robbie Snelling the chance to come up and perform. And
I got to tell you, I always have loved his
arm the Padres. He just did not play pitch well
when he got the double A with the Padres, and
Miami Marlin straightened him out. Fastballs back up the ninety seven.
The curveball looks great, the change up looks good. I
(18:49):
think this is a at least a number three starting pitcher.
He might be more than that. Quinn Matthews lefting a
pitcher with the Saint Louis Cardinals. He led the minor
leagues and innings pitch last season, started the season on
the il, but now he's fully healthy. I think it's
another guy that we could see in the big leagues
here at the end of the season. And Quinn Matthews
(19:11):
is a pretty good pitcher, I mean number four, maybe
a little bit more than that, so I mean good stuff.
I mean like the fact that he's a left hander,
So I mean so it's at least a number four starter.
My guy Elmer Rodriguez Cruz. I could have put Jonah
Tong in here, but he didn't, and I put an
(19:32):
erc because he went up against Jonahtong and beat him
in both games. He got two wins, thirteen innings pitch,
five hits, nowhere runs, fifteen shrikouts, four walks, and he
outpitched Jonah Toong that Jonah Tong looked very good as well.
But arc has got just a great arm. Fastballs up
(19:53):
the ninety seven don't love the delivery. Delivery has definitely
got some It's definitely got some reliever risk on it
because it comes a little bit more side arm, which
causes a lot more horizontal movement on his curveball, and
he throws his curveball a lot. He's got a decent
looking splitter as well, so it's really good stuff. And
(20:13):
he relies on his fastball a lot. And I think
with this cross body delivery, he's got to be tough
on right hand at writing at hitters, and again he
neutralized some of the best hitters in the minor leagues.
As we've talked about the big four horsemen coming into
the podcast, Jonah Toong really good as well. It's a
(20:34):
little guy with a great change up. He gets the
most out of his stuff that he's got, but it
is I mean I didn't chart the pitches, but it's
probably eighty to eighty five percent fastball change up. He
throws a curveball very little. He can't land it for strikes,
(20:55):
so he's primarily a two pitch pitcher. If he can
get that curveball to play effectively, he's going to be
a really interesting guy. Now is can he last? At
six foot one? And he's again a little guy. I mean,
he's not big and strong at all. He's a little guy,
not just short wise, but also just body type. He's
(21:16):
just not He's just not a very big dude, And
I think that's the worry that you've got with Jonah
Toong is gonna be injury risk with him. But the stuff,
assuming he can get a better curveball and stuff, definitely
screams starting pitcher. And it is a nasty, nasty change up.
Everybody was in front of it. And again, the Yankees
(21:37):
don't have the great offensive team anymore, particularly now that
Spencer Jones is out. And I have to tell you
I've seen of George Lombard Junior. I've seen twenty to
twenty five games of him. I just haven't seen him
do much. I mean, he's he's not swinging and missing
(21:58):
a lot, and he's athletic. He looks great in the uniform.
He's a big kids, drunk kid, somewhat chiseled, just laid
on everything and seems to get fulled pretty easily with
off speed pitches in particular way out in front, on
on on change ups, et cetera. So I you know,
(22:19):
I got him as a top player because of the
scouting report if you take a look at him, but
in game production has just nothing there. He's been flat
out overwhelmed by double A pitching. He just can't catch
up to it. I think it's all there batting practice.
I've seen him in a handful of batting practices. He
hits the ball out, he hits the ball hard. It's
(22:41):
not the tools. He just hasn't put it together yet.
But ear ceed was great reliever risk for sure. Also,
at least a number three could be a top of
the rotation guy as well. Trey Gibson has really put
it on lately. He's a right handed pitcher with the
Baltimore Orioles. Since July started ninety two ear a forty
(23:02):
three strikeouts and seven walks. I think he's going to
end the season here in Triple A and is actually
with Chase McDermott just having a tough season. Tray Gibson.
In the upper levels of the minor league, they get
Esteban Oh, what's what's his last name? Anyway, that I
believe is a young kid in the Complex League or
(23:24):
Low Way that's really turning heads. He might be the
best pitching prospect with Baltimore, But Tray Gibson is a
kid in the upper levels of the minor league. It's
just about ready. He's had a really, really good season.
Miguil Mendez one of our Patreon members and one of
our teams tried to add him. Cannot do that to
illegal to add a player after the last July fab
(23:47):
run in our Dynasty League, so I had to drop him.
But it was a good ad. He's had a pretty
good season and no one's really talking about him. And again,
the Padres only have a handful of legitimate prospects and
he has won of them two seventy great pitches with
his fastball slider. He doesn't have yet a change up,
(24:07):
and there's some definitely effort in his delivery, so I mean,
he could wind up being in the bullpen, but it's
a really good arm. Lewis de Leon, who's also in
the Baltimore organization, a really good outing six innings during
his start over the weekend. He's pitch relies a lot
on the ground ball, so it's a heavy sinker arsenal.
(24:29):
He hasn't given up a home run all season. Let
that sit in and we're sitting here in the middle
of August and he has yet to give up a
home run. It's a great arm. He doesn't have tremendous control.
He's got to work on that. But that's why I've
got him likely as a reliever. Alex Clemy and I
(24:49):
don't know if you're if you've heard, but Travis Socora
was just dominating the league. Started the season off late.
I think he had hip surgery. I'm going on memory,
but unfortunately he blew out his elbows. If you haven't
heard that, that's a real bumber because I mean, he
was looking absolutely dominating in High A this season. I
(25:11):
think it just gotten promoted to Double A. But he
has gone for the rest of the season and a
good part, if not all, of next season, which is
a real bummer. So Alex Clemy is you know, Secour
is still the number one pitching prospect in the Washington Nationals,
but Clemy is the number one pitching prospect. That's healthy.
I guess Harless has seen is still out there as well.
(25:31):
He's athletic. You throw sorrerdy six foot six, the upside
is very, very high. But he still can't throw strike
So when you see six innies pitch, no hits, eight
strikeouts in three walks, yeah, that's who the guy is.
He has no hit stuff. He just doesn't know where
the ball was going. However, at six foot six, you
expect that a little bit, because it takes these really
(25:52):
tall guys a while to try to you know, kind
of get their bodies and sync with everything and throw strikes.
I haven't completely I just think we need to give
time for Alex Klemy to learn to pitch and learn
to throw strikes. Cam Kemnetti lefting a pitcher with the Braves.
(26:13):
Another Brave on our prospect list, and again the Braves
don't have the greatest of minor league system. The fact
that they've got two here in the hot process of the
week I think is good. But he was their number
one pick in twenty twenty four and they usually go
with college arms, but he was a high school arm,
touching ninety seven with his fastball, interesting secondary pitches. He's
(26:37):
a very athletic guy. So this guy could be a
you know, a top of the rotation dude. But you
know he's it's again, solid debut, good outing last week.
Just a kid that looks like he's probably'll see hiya
here at the last couple of weeks of the season,
but we'll probably definitely start twenty twenty six and high
(26:59):
a that is our list again. I will probably give
this out to the entire podcast population, but I encourage
all of you who are not members of our Patreon
site to jump over to our Patreon patr o n
dot com Forward Slash Prospect three sixty one. I do
a lot of content for everybody there. You get all
six hundred prospects. I've already written about five hundred and
(27:21):
fifty of them, so I will polish them up for
our big presentation here in the fall. Get the top
five hundred prospects of the game. I don't know if
I'm going to release another one before August, since I might.
You get daily notes, which I usually write about five
to seven eight or so every day, a little bit
longer on the weekends, and then you get Tim out
(27:44):
on the discord site. So we think it's a good
group of people. We bring a lot of content that
our members get and it's five bucks a month or
fifty four dollars for the year, a little bit of
a discount there, So I encourage you to jump join
us out at that. Tim and I were back on Friday,
which is tomorrow, going to write the notes. I have
no idea what we're going to talk about, because again,
(28:06):
this week's been just out of sorts for me and
then of course we'll be back on Sunday with Tim's
Waiver Wire. Until next time, guys be well,
Hey guys, it's rich. It is about nine point fifteen
on the fourteenth of August, the hot prospects of the week.
I might make this available to all podcast listeners. I'm
not sure I've got time to do a special podcast
just for a non Patreon members, So for our Patreon members,
I just put out a Royce Lewis, a Royce Lewis
(00:23):
Baseball SLOV breakdown from one of our members, and I
noticed I was pretty happy with as I was going
through my analysis and I missed an obvious thing. He's
only got five home runs this season. So I tried
to change my little write up when I wrote about him,
like why does he only have five home runs and
two hundred and twenty two plate appearances? And that's just
(00:44):
an anomaly. I mean, the power is still there. So
for Shawn who asked if you're listening to this as well,
I mean, I definitely think there is a correction coming,
a normalization coming, where there's going to be more home
runs there this season. But look, every we all know
what the and I think maybe I got distracted because
(01:06):
the big problem with Royce Lewis is can't stay healthy
and Almas it really isn't matter what he does on
the field. From a fantasy a dynasty league particularly standpoint,
you got a debate whether whether you want to deal
with that frustration. Obviously, in a one year league, he
might be a guy to acquire just because you think
there's probably going to be some power if he can
stay healthy here at the end of the year. However,
(01:29):
is there a lingering injury that would indicate, you know,
that would say why is not hitting home runs? The
data doesn't suggest anything that's there. I mean, he's still
got the high end eggs of velocity and the leverage
in the swing. So I just think he's just it's
just the balls are just not going over the fence.
That'd be my guess. Anyway, back to the hot prospects
of the week, obviously twenty this week first guy, we've
(01:53):
had a lot of people move up. As I wrote
a little introduction to get a chance to see the
big four horseman. There's actually a lot more of that
in that Binghamton being it's bing Bingington even though it's
spelled bing Hampton, New York, and that double a New
York team who they won the first half in leading
(02:15):
to the second half. So that's a really good team
in the Eastern League. But they decided to move all
their guys up at once. Jonah tonks On pitched twice,
Jet Williams, Carson bench Binge was really good. Jet Williams
just okay and the two looks I had at him.
They also moved up Ryan Clifford has showing really big power,
lots of swing and missing his game. But Chris Chris
(02:37):
Swarro was there. Jacob Breemer is still there, so they
still got some interesting prospects. I mean, that was the
team was absolutely loaded. Obviously, Luis leunder Revel, I don't
know if he's pitching the big league sect, but he
got moved up. Travis Bizana got moved to Triple A,
Tigers moved to Max Anderson to Double A, Jacob Meltin
(02:57):
and Jase Dolander back in the major leagues. And then
they just announce today that Nolan McClain, which I'm pretty
excited about, it's going to be making his major league
debut on Saturday for the Mets. And don't be surprised
if we don't see Brandon's sprout come up, because the
Mets and all these very good teams are just I mean,
the pitching is starting to run out of gas here,
(03:17):
so they need some fresh arms. So I think you're
going to see that. And another positional player just got
moved up. I can't remember who else I read about
this morning just got moved up. But there's just a
ton of guys coming up, and it's tis the season
where you get these players that I mean, teams are
(03:37):
running out of gas, particularly the pitching staff. Ohen Casey
got moved up with the Cups, which I will surprise
at because the Cups have a really good team and
you're surprised that they're going to try to incorporate Casey
here at the end of the season. Huge raw power,
swings and misses a lot, good walk rate, So I mean,
you hope he's Kyle Schwarber. That's what the hope is.
(03:59):
That he's a two thirty batting average but a three
thirty one base percentage with thirty five home runs, but
probably's not gonna hit enough to get there. But I mean,
that's that's the hope and dream that you have for
Oward Casey. But so it's fun time of the season.
We were starting to get a lot of guys up,
and the first guy my list, sam Maasaiah is a
(04:19):
guy that we should see. He and Dylan Beaver should
both be up in Baltimore here. I'm going to say
the twenty fourth that was a math that I worked
out with Tim on Sunday. I think that's when we
see guys start to matriculate up to the big leagues
and the same Asia's had a good week, it had
a good season. Saw him in a spring training by
(04:40):
the way, I didn't look all that great and there
was a swing and missing his game. He looked the
bat looks slow, which is kind of crazy. I saw
I'm on High a couple of years ago. I did
not look slow at all, But in spring training the
bat looked a little slow. So maybe just wasn't quite
stretched out as well. And I know he spent time
early in the season on the ils and maybe was
(05:01):
already dealing with some kind of injury. But I didn't
like my first looks at him this year. But he's
a big, hulking guy that is going to be a
power hitting first base and most likely catch a little bit.
Hopefully he'll be like Ben Rice. So somebody put out somewhere.
I think you were one of my patron members that
(05:21):
Ben Rice just got his twenty twentieth game catching, So
if you play those rules that you have to have
twenty games coming into the season the Dynasty Leagues to
be a catcher, then Sambasaia is that guy Denzer Guzman.
We haven't talked about Denser Goozm much. The first time
I had written about him shortstop, third basement of the
Los Angeles Angels. He's in Triple I just got promoted
(05:42):
the Triple A. And I tell you, I mean people,
you get warped impression of guys when they move to
the Pacific Coast League because it's such a hitters league,
and Salt Lake City is a really good hitters park
as well. And it's interesting the Angels typically they take
their high end prospects and move them directly from Rocket City,
(06:03):
which is their Double A affiliate, and go directly to
the big leagues. And they put Guzman to go up
to play for a period of time in Triple A,
which is really unusual, and I don't quite undersure why
understand why they did that. Probably there's no room at
the end. He has been playing a little bit more
third base of late. Rahifo is a free agent at
(06:24):
the end of the season, so that might be the
math there. Zachndo is just breaking out as one of
the better young players. I don't see him playing short stuff,
but Guzma can play. Physical guy. Still really young, still
learning to hit. That's never slowed down. The Angels, they
love them young, they love moving them up to the
big leagues. But I think he's got twenty home run
(06:45):
pop but can hit a little bit. There's not a
ton of speed there. Yeah, good little player. It's denser Guzman.
So if he's floating around on your waiver wire and
deep dynasty leagues, might be a guy would be interesting
to add a look Ortiz. My good friend Bob King
high Uh and I talked about I've been with Ortiz
(07:07):
for years and in the end, he's got big time
raw power. But it is tremendous platoon splits. He's against
right handed hitters this season two eighty five, three seventy
eight at five thirty slug get this against left hand
at one seventy four to two eighty three and a
woeful three twenty six slug So you know it's he's
(07:33):
not going to get at bats at the highest level
against left hand at pitchers is is not. So he's
going to be a platoon outfielder, first baseman, and so
that's four hundred at bats, that's who the guy is.
But he could probably hit fifteen to twenty home runs
as a as a platoon guy, and ye know, decent
batting average. It's just going to be, you know, everything's
(07:53):
going to be muted a little bit, just because he's
not going to get full time at bats unless he
has an awakening and learns it left handed pitching, which
typically doesn't happen. I think that's why we're so worried.
Tim and I are so worried about Evan Carter Aid
Miller has had a season so far, good week. Hopefully
(08:15):
this is a late season push for Aiden Miller because
he really should repeat double A next season. I mean,
if you take a look at just what he's done,
and it's I mean, he's not showing as much power
as he did last season, but I think there's big
boy power here there. He hits the ball really hard.
It's it's high end exit velocity. It's just going to
(08:36):
get better as he gets stronger and matures a little bit.
And he's doing a fine job at shorts, and I
think when he was first drafted, I wasn't sure he
was going to stay at shortstop. But Aiden Miller is
still a top twenty five prospect for me in a really,
really good player. It's just not been the greatest of seasons,
and I blame the Phillies. It's easy to blame the
(08:58):
Phillies because they pushed their guys extremely hard. Maybe not
as hard as the Angels do, but they're right up
there where they particularly in the lower levels of the
minor leagues. They don't like keeping in Low A and
High A very long. If you're showing that you can
play at those levels, they're going to get you in
and out very quickly. And we saw that with Miller
(09:19):
last year. Starts in low WAY a month, six weeks there,
and then the High A and finishes in Double A.
And then this season he's hit a bit of a
wall trying to climb over. I think there's great tools
there that he can eat, that he can climb over it.
Here's an interesting name, and I don't know have pronounced
this last name. It's Patrick Close c l O. His
(09:41):
y outfielder with the Atlanta Braves. And anytime I get
a chance to write about the Atlanta Brave prospect. I'm
going to take it nine for twenty three this week.
A double, a home run, three stolen bases, two strikeouts,
and two walks. He's got what does he got like
sixty stolen bases and seventy three attempts in High A.
He's hit couple of home runs, above average contact rates
(10:04):
of nineteen percent and good walk rates of eleven percent.
I mean, he might ultimately be a fourth outfielder, but
I thought he was an interesting guy. And against some
of the players for the Braves are starting to get
older and that team you know who had all those
team can salary controlled guys, kind of what the Boston
(10:26):
Red Sox are doing now. They're all starting to get
a little long in the tooth and at the end
of those long term contracts. When you have Ronald accun
you still got a chance every year, provided he can
stay healthy. But close see or Clo Hi say or
however pronounce his name is an interesting guy. I mean
he's not a small guy and with seventy great speed
(10:48):
at five foot ten, maybe he can put a little
bit of weight on, get a little leverage in a
swing and hit five to ten home runs and be
a full time regular. I just find him very very interesting.
Carson Roke, that's Kansity Outfield writ about him a couple
of times this season. I've raised my ceiling to a
top sixty outfielder. He's still got some fourth outfielder risk,
(11:10):
but he's seventy grade runner. He's added some leverage to
swing to get a little bit more over the fence
power and that's starting to work. So I mean he
does swing and miss too much. That is a problem.
So again, much like Patrick Cooeesy, Carson Rogueford is again
fourth outfielder type of risks. The close is actually striking
(11:35):
out a lot less. I think maybe closely is the
better prospect from that perspective. Here's another similar guy fourth
outfielder risk, which is Homer Bush. Stealing bases and bunches
this year, but he has zero power. Ninety four games
a season, he has not hit a home run. He
did hit six last season. However, I think the risk
(11:58):
of him becoming a fourth out fi fielder is definitely
becoming apparent. And the Rays love these athletic guys that
with the big speed and they just collect them, and
you know, Chandler, symptoms of the world, Caballerio who's now
with the Yankees, and now Homer Bush and maybe you know,
(12:18):
they come up and they have a good season, they
become utility guys, fourth outfielders for other teams, and then
the Rays continue to add prospects with those players, and
you know, it's a decent strategy and the Rays, that's
just how they've always rolled. And I think Homer Bushes
yet another one of those Condor Griffin. I mean, what
(12:39):
can you say. I think he is going to be
the player of the Minor League Player of the season.
I mean you typically don't. I typically don't put minor
league players of the year and who are in the
lower levels of the minor leagues. It's low, A and high.
He's still the lower levels of the minor leagues. But
I mean he has just been all world. His Fantasy
see only is a first round pick. I mean, he's
(13:00):
still got some swing mechanical issues there. He's got an
arm bar, which is you know where you bring your
arm up a little bit and you're punching the ball.
But I mean it's nothing. I mean, it's it's just
been all whorld. So nothing has slowed this guy down.
I'd love to see him in Double A. Obviously, he's
owned in every ditacea league at this juncture. I wouldn't
(13:23):
be trading him. Just know there could be some creepy
crawleys down the road that he you know, that get
his way in Double A. But if he handles Double
A without without much difficulty is eta of twenty twenty
seven to twenty eight, he's going. He's going to be
in the big leagues next season. So if he might
even see Double A, because High A ends about two
(13:45):
weeks before Double A ends, so you could see Connor
Griffin spending the last two weeks in Double A just
to get his feet wet. He starts Double A next
season and if by July he is crushing the ball,
or June he's crushing the ball, short stint and and
Triple A and he's up. So he's just being fantastic
(14:07):
this season. Next guy is Devin Sultaban, second basement with
the Philadelphia Phillies. He's in High A. It's been a
rough season injuries, pour at bats, he's just hitting one
seventy eight. The strikeout rate is up to thirty percent.
He's still young again. The Phillies love to really push
(14:28):
their guys, and I think this has been problematic for him.
He probably still should be in low way and again
not been able to stay healthy. Is not hurt. But
it was a great week. Three doubles, two triples, a
harm run, three stolen bases. I mean, that's the kind
of guy if he could put it together that he is.
There's speed, there's power, he just needs to cut down
(14:49):
on his strikeout rate. Guerrero Perez former Los Angeles Dodgers,
now with Chicago White Sox. Another good week. He is
wh I only had a really good season. He's got
eighteen home runs, He's got league average contact rates across
the board. It's only hitting two twenty nine, but the
babbit's at two fifty one. And again, as I've talked before,
(15:13):
you you can drive your babbit up by hitting the
ball really hard, which Jerrel Perez has got good eggs
of velossity. It's above average, not crazy eggs of velocities.
But when you're sitting with a two fifty one babbit,
I mean you're getting unlucky, right. There's even if you
don't hit the ball very hard, you're going to have
two seventy two to eighty type of babbit sitting there,
(15:35):
and if you hit the ball really hard, you're probably
going to have three twenty to three thirty type of babbits.
I mean, it's it's it's a swing. It's not a
huge swing, right. So if you correct Jerrel Perez's babbit
up to two eighty and put thirty more points on
his two to twenty nine batting average also, and he's
hitting two sixty with eighteen home runs and people are
(15:56):
talking about him a lot more. I think that's who
the player is. Elaine Perez shortstop, second basement with New
York Mets. He was their five million dollar investment, got
off the snide really slow this season and it's just
started to really put it together. Sitting three sixty six.
Since he got off to that tough start for the
(16:18):
season two ninety six four ninety three, he's got five
home runs, twenty one stolen basis, more walks and strikeouts.
This is a dude, everyone, Elaine Perez. He and Christian
Argulus who's the next guy, and a couple other DSL
guys have really taken it to the next level. We
don't have the DSL class that we had last season,
(16:41):
led by Hazus Mata and Luis Pina from the Milwaukee Brewers.
But it's still a pretty good class, particularly with Elaine
Perez and Christian Argulus has made my list multiple times,
sitting batty, leading the league with batting average of four
to forty two. He's also posted a six to eighty
(17:03):
one slut with five on runs. Now he is a repeater,
so he's not really in that twenty twenty five class.
He was in the twenty twenty four class, which makes
it even stronger from last season. But he's had a
really good year. But he plays with the Colorado Rockies,
and I don't know. I'm glad Ethan Holiday has finally
been assigned to Low Way. He's got a couple of
(17:23):
hits on his first game. Yay, I am pulling for
Ethan Holiday, but I've made my case multiple times of
I just am really down on anything coming out of Colorado.
Let's go to our pictures we've got I think it
was seven pictures, eight pictures. Pitching was really good this
past week, and Robbie selling but made our Hot Prosser
(17:46):
or made our daily notes last night. So another really
good outing and you would think, as I wrote in
the notes today, that I mean Selling's probably going to
get a chance to play because Urie Perez and Alcatara
both coming back from Tommy John surgery. You wouldn't think
they would want them to pitcher too much the rest
(18:07):
of the season, particularly Santi Alcantra, who started the season
with the with the Marlins, so I would think he
would rest here, start to limit his innings, kind of
getting into the late into August and September. And Uri Perez,
you know, came back mid season, but I would think
he would They would rest in the last couple three
(18:27):
weeks of the season as well. I think that gives
Robbie Snelling the chance to come up and perform. And
I got to tell you, I always have loved his
arm the Padres. He just did not play pitch well
when he got the double A with the Padres, and
Miami Marlin straightened him out. Fastballs back up the ninety seven.
The curveball looks great, the change up looks good. I
(18:49):
think this is a at least a number three starting pitcher.
He might be more than that. Quinn Matthews lefting a
pitcher with the Saint Louis Cardinals. He led the minor
leagues and innings pitch last season, started the season on
the il, but now he's fully healthy. I think it's
another guy that we could see in the big leagues
here at the end of the season. And Quinn Matthews
(19:11):
is a pretty good pitcher, I mean number four, maybe
a little bit more than that, so I mean good stuff.
I mean like the fact that he's a left hander,
So I mean so it's at least a number four starter.
My guy Elmer Rodriguez Cruz. I could have put Jonah
Tong in here, but he didn't, and I put an
(19:32):
erc because he went up against Jonahtong and beat him
in both games. He got two wins, thirteen innings pitch,
five hits, nowhere runs, fifteen shrikouts, four walks, and he
outpitched Jonah Toong that Jonah Tong looked very good as well.
But arc has got just a great arm. Fastballs up
(19:53):
the ninety seven don't love the delivery. Delivery has definitely
got some It's definitely got some reliever risk on it
because it comes a little bit more side arm, which
causes a lot more horizontal movement on his curveball, and
he throws his curveball a lot. He's got a decent
looking splitter as well, so it's really good stuff. And
(20:13):
he relies on his fastball a lot. And I think
with this cross body delivery, he's got to be tough
on right hand at writing at hitters, and again he
neutralized some of the best hitters in the minor leagues.
As we've talked about the big four horsemen coming into
the podcast, Jonah Toong really good as well. It's a
(20:34):
little guy with a great change up. He gets the
most out of his stuff that he's got, but it
is I mean I didn't chart the pitches, but it's
probably eighty to eighty five percent fastball change up. He
throws a curveball very little. He can't land it for strikes,
(20:55):
so he's primarily a two pitch pitcher. If he can
get that curveball to play effectively, he's going to be
a really interesting guy. Now is can he last? At
six foot one? And he's again a little guy. I mean,
he's not big and strong at all. He's a little guy,
not just short wise, but also just body type. He's
(21:16):
just not He's just not a very big dude, And
I think that's the worry that you've got with Jonah
Toong is gonna be injury risk with him. But the stuff,
assuming he can get a better curveball and stuff, definitely
screams starting pitcher. And it is a nasty, nasty change up.
Everybody was in front of it. And again, the Yankees
(21:37):
don't have the great offensive team anymore, particularly now that
Spencer Jones is out. And I have to tell you
I've seen of George Lombard Junior. I've seen twenty to
twenty five games of him. I just haven't seen him
do much. I mean, he's he's not swinging and missing
(21:58):
a lot, and he's athletic. He looks great in the uniform.
He's a big kids, drunk kid, somewhat chiseled, just laid
on everything and seems to get fulled pretty easily with
off speed pitches in particular way out in front, on
on on change ups, et cetera. So I you know,
(22:19):
I got him as a top player because of the
scouting report if you take a look at him, but
in game production has just nothing there. He's been flat
out overwhelmed by double A pitching. He just can't catch
up to it. I think it's all there batting practice.
I've seen him in a handful of batting practices. He
hits the ball out, he hits the ball hard. It's
(22:41):
not the tools. He just hasn't put it together yet.
But ear ceed was great reliever risk for sure. Also,
at least a number three could be a top of
the rotation guy as well. Trey Gibson has really put
it on lately. He's a right handed pitcher with the
Baltimore Orioles. Since July started ninety two ear a forty
(23:02):
three strikeouts and seven walks. I think he's going to
end the season here in Triple A and is actually
with Chase McDermott just having a tough season. Tray Gibson.
In the upper levels of the minor league, they get
Esteban Oh, what's what's his last name? Anyway, that I
believe is a young kid in the Complex League or
(23:24):
Low Way that's really turning heads. He might be the
best pitching prospect with Baltimore, But Tray Gibson is a
kid in the upper levels of the minor league. It's
just about ready. He's had a really, really good season.
Miguil Mendez one of our Patreon members and one of
our teams tried to add him. Cannot do that to
illegal to add a player after the last July fab
(23:47):
run in our Dynasty League, so I had to drop him.
But it was a good ad. He's had a pretty
good season and no one's really talking about him. And again,
the Padres only have a handful of legitimate prospects and
he has won of them two seventy great pitches with
his fastball slider. He doesn't have yet a change up,
(24:07):
and there's some definitely effort in his delivery, so I mean,
he could wind up being in the bullpen, but it's
a really good arm. Lewis de Leon, who's also in
the Baltimore organization, a really good outing six innings during
his start over the weekend. He's pitch relies a lot
on the ground ball, so it's a heavy sinker arsenal.
(24:29):
He hasn't given up a home run all season. Let
that sit in and we're sitting here in the middle
of August and he has yet to give up a
home run. It's a great arm. He doesn't have tremendous control.
He's got to work on that. But that's why I've
got him likely as a reliever. Alex Clemy and I
(24:49):
don't know if you're if you've heard, but Travis Socora
was just dominating the league. Started the season off late.
I think he had hip surgery. I'm going on memory,
but unfortunately he blew out his elbows. If you haven't
heard that, that's a real bumber because I mean, he
was looking absolutely dominating in High A this season. I
(25:11):
think it just gotten promoted to Double A. But he
has gone for the rest of the season and a
good part, if not all, of next season, which is
a real bummer. So Alex Clemy is you know, Secour
is still the number one pitching prospect in the Washington Nationals,
but Clemy is the number one pitching prospect. That's healthy.
I guess Harless has seen is still out there as well.
(25:31):
He's athletic. You throw sorrerdy six foot six, the upside
is very, very high. But he still can't throw strike
So when you see six innies pitch, no hits, eight
strikeouts in three walks, yeah, that's who the guy is.
He has no hit stuff. He just doesn't know where
the ball was going. However, at six foot six, you
expect that a little bit, because it takes these really
(25:52):
tall guys a while to try to you know, kind
of get their bodies and sync with everything and throw strikes.
I haven't completely I just think we need to give
time for Alex Klemy to learn to pitch and learn
to throw strikes. Cam Kemnetti lefting a pitcher with the Braves.
(26:13):
Another Brave on our prospect list, and again the Braves
don't have the greatest of minor league system. The fact
that they've got two here in the hot process of the
week I think is good. But he was their number
one pick in twenty twenty four and they usually go
with college arms, but he was a high school arm,
touching ninety seven with his fastball, interesting secondary pitches. He's
(26:37):
a very athletic guy. So this guy could be a
you know, a top of the rotation dude. But you
know he's it's again, solid debut, good outing last week.
Just a kid that looks like he's probably'll see hiya
here at the last couple of weeks of the season,
but we'll probably definitely start twenty twenty six and high
(26:59):
a that is our list again. I will probably give
this out to the entire podcast population, but I encourage
all of you who are not members of our Patreon
site to jump over to our Patreon patr o n
dot com Forward Slash Prospect three sixty one. I do
a lot of content for everybody there. You get all
six hundred prospects. I've already written about five hundred and
(27:21):
fifty of them, so I will polish them up for
our big presentation here in the fall. Get the top
five hundred prospects of the game. I don't know if
I'm going to release another one before August, since I might.
You get daily notes, which I usually write about five
to seven eight or so every day, a little bit
longer on the weekends, and then you get Tim out
(27:44):
on the discord site. So we think it's a good
group of people. We bring a lot of content that
our members get and it's five bucks a month or
fifty four dollars for the year, a little bit of
a discount there, So I encourage you to jump join
us out at that. Tim and I were back on Friday,
which is tomorrow, going to write the notes. I have
no idea what we're going to talk about, because again,
(28:06):
this week's been just out of sorts for me and
then of course we'll be back on Sunday with Tim's
Waiver Wire. Until next time, guys be well,
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Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.