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Brendan Gawlowski Prospects Chat: 2/24/26
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Brendan Gawlowski
2:01
Hello everybody. I'm happy and relieved that we managed to get through prospect fortnight -- I hope you all enjoyed the content. If you have any further questions on the list, picks to click, or anything else fire away.
Datt Mamon
2:01
Long-term, do you like M. Clark or DeLauter more?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:02
Clark. If you could guarantee me that DeLauter would be healthy... Probably still Clark but I'd have to think about it.
Guest
2:02
People talk a lot about players being able to spin the ball being necessary to create good breaking ball shapes. What physical traits lead to being able to do that?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:03
Whether it's in the wrist or the fingers, some guys just have an innate ability to generate more spin, and that gives you more wiggle room to play around with shapes and grips. There isn't a 1:1 correlation between spin ability and the quality of your breaking balls, though.
blackjack
2:04
Can Charlie Condon regain elite prospect status?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:04
Doubtful. If he maxes out, he's probably not down long enough to fly up lists anyway.
War2D2
2:05
Congrats on the release of the Top 100(ish)! One of the things I most look forward to every year on the site. Thanks for all the hard work you put into it.
Brendan Gawlowski
2:06
Appreciate it. Mildly amusing anecdote... Sometime Saturday night, I was chatting with Eric and asking about our progress and he was like "We're doing great, this might be the first time since Kiley was here that I don't have to pull an all nighter before the list drops!" And sure enough...
Mike
2:06
I know he’s not a prospect anymore, but how would you compare Colson Montgomery to Carson Williams at the moment? The downside risks with the whiffs seem pretty similar, Colson obviously showed more in mlb than Williams last year but I’m not sure how much that impacts either’s eval
Brendan Gawlowski
2:07
I'm more scared of Carson's swing and miss, personally. And while I've always been sort of the high man on Colson, the big-league production is a legitimate separator between the two right now.
Craig
2:07
Thoughts on who might make it to the big leagues first between Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan on the Mariners?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:08
Anderson. Sloan needs to stretch out.
BP
2:08
Who was your favorite player as a kid?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:08
Charles Gipson.
ponopoly
2:08
Any idea on an ETA for the Rockies prospect list?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:09
After spring training. They're one of the systems I'll be tackling down in Phoenix this year. Lot of interesting DSL players, plenty of guys where it makes sense to see if something changed over the offseason.
NFP
2:09
How do you/Eric/James and scouts in general account for the ability of players to make drastic changes? If you scout a guy and he has a grooved swing, is there reason beyond peripheral considerations (small school background, multi-sport athlete, two-way player) to round up on his ability to improve bat control or otherwise make swing changes?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:10
You're looking for some blend of athleticism and aptitude. Maybe you see something in a game or BP that makes you think he either can/can't find another gear. The ability to see them move and get sustained reps in BP is one of the bigger advantages to being in the park re: video scouting.
Tim L
2:12
Are any of the Giants young arms best suited to grab a starter spot even though they seemingly have a 1-5 set? Or rather, which one would be first guy up for the inevitable Mahle/Houser injury?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:12
I still like Birdsong.
Sirras
2:13
Are there any philosophical differences in projecting/evaluating prospects between you and Eric?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:15
With the caveat that we're generally not drastically apart on things, by training I tend to be more optimistic/see paths for guys with approach or swing and miss warts. Coming into this job, I thought I'd be the high guy on really young/talented guys, but we've tended to be aligned on pushing that group (Yolfran/Celesten making the 100 is a good example).
2:16
I tend to be higher on the Laz's and Spencer Jones's of the world. Lot of risk but sometimes these guys turn into Aaron Judge.
Dodgers Blue
2:16
In reviewing the latest The Board, it seems like there are very few impact arms with expected arrival dates in 2026.  Is that your take as well - that this may be a very lean year of future star rotational pieces coming?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:16
Not at all, I think it's a very strong year for pitching. And I think that's reflected in the list, there are more pitchers -- and more pitchers high on the list -- than usual.
2:17
When's the last time we had a pitcher ranked third overall?
idk
2:17
Are there any common threads to the prospects ZiPS and other projection systems like more than scouts?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:18
Yeah, they're factoring in performance to a greater degree. RJ Schreck is a good example of a player that scouts mostly don't like a whole lot but he lights up the models.
Guest
2:20
Did you read the article driveline put out in the last week discussing their findings on repeatability/adjustability as it relates to command? would be interested on the scout's perspective on their findings
Brendan Gawlowski
2:22
Yes. I love the Bernstein's Hammer analogy -- elite blacksmiths will always hit the center of the blade, despite never having the exact same swing path -- and think it applies nicely. I think this could be an example of two sides talking past each other a little bit. When scouts say a guy "repeats" I don't think they really mean "does everything identically every time." It's more about getting to release in a good spot. When I write that a guy "doesn't repeat well" it's meant to indicate that the delivery is a mess and that he doesn't get himself in a good spot to release the ball consistently.
millville meltdown
2:23
do you have any guys who maybe you didn't pick to click, or aren't in the 100, who are just personal faves who you're rooting for?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:24
Plenty. And as for the picks to click... we restricted ourselves to 25. It was kind of funny to read a comment along the lines of 'shook that nobody picked JD Dix' after I hemmed and hawed internally about including him on my list and ultimately picked somebody else.
Michael - FG since 2016
2:26
How many Curve burgers have you eaten?
Also Who is the best pro prospect I’ll see in Altoona this year.
Brendan Gawlowski
2:27
Zero! Never made the trip. For the second part: You might get Valdez to start the year. If things go very well, maybe Florentino? If things go very, VERY well, Seth Hernandez at the end.
Mike
2:27
Zack Veen apparently has sobered up after real challenges with substance abuse, and put on a ton of muscle (he said that he was not eating well and was down to 200 lbs, and is now up to 245). Is there any reason to have hope there? He hit a massive pump (468 ft) yesterday to walk off the white sox
Brendan Gawlowski
2:28
Sure. Talented kid. Hope he's in a better spot in his life first and foremost, but this is the kind of thing that absolutely could put a guy in a better spot to play.
millville meltdown
2:28
do you ever find yourself scouting athletes from other sports? what grades would you give, say, eileen gu?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:28
Definitely. Can't say I watched a ton of figure skating this cycle but that's one of those sports where the body control stands out immediately.
mekonsrock
2:29
Thanks for chatting, BG!  In the Rainiel Rodriguez writeup, James Fegan said Rai-Rod's "early minor league framing numbers are nuts."  So, (1)how predictive are MILB framing numbers, and (2)where if anywhere are they available to the general public? Thanks again!
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