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Brendan Gawlowski Prospects Chat: 3/17/26
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Brendan Gawlowski
2:26
Hello everybody, sorry for the delay.
I'm out in AZ and running between a meetup with a scout and getting out to the backfields. My apologies, let's get going.
Mariner Fan
2:26
Hey Brandon! Have you been to a game yet down there? Who impressed you at the most recent game you were AT?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:27
I like the capital 'AT' at the end. I saw Josuar yesterday, so I'll say him. 0-3, a couple groundouts, looked like he tweaked his leg sliding but obvious speed and athleticism.
Punk in drublic
2:27
Who are some prospects outside the top 100 you think could make significant impact in the majors this year?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:28
Tons of relievers fall into this bucket.
Could Francisco Aleman have a big year? Peyton Pallette? Sure
Conor
2:28
Curious your view on the Rockies 2B situation. Roc Riggio seems like he has a shot to be the 2027 starter, but the 2026 situation is a bit of a mess. Do you still see Amador as a future big leaguer? How they've dealt with his promotion pace has been so strange.
Brendan Gawlowski
2:29
He's backed up a bit but I agree the path with Amador has been bizarre. Would like to see him get a real crack.
coachricky
2:29
in retrospect, roman anthony should have been at least a 70fv?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:30
All of the 80's are going to have been undervalued in retrospect.
Alex Anthopoulogy
2:30
Hey why shouldn't I have Ritchie and Fuentes in the Atlanta rotation by April 15th after the brutal 13-in-13 start to the season?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:32
I was tempted to write something like "well, you 'next man up'd' Fuentes last year, and how'd that go?"
But Fuentes has looked really sharp this spring.
2:33
In his case, you're looking at the changes you'd have liked to see going into the year -- is he getting to the glove side? Is his change more consistent -- and if you're seeing progress... up he goes
Ryan
2:33
Any new looks you saw this spring that could be picks to click that weren't previously on your radar?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:34
I wouldn't say he was off the radar, but Wilder Dalis is sure coming along nicely
Corey Avant threw really well the other day, hadn't run into him before.
BP
2:34
Cole Young has a very high max EV but a lower EV90. Is that just an error? Can Cole Young get to decent power?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:35
He absolutely mauled a ball last summer, it was legit. I don't entirely know what to make of it and am kind of treating it like an outlier at this point.
Buff
2:36
A friend tells me that the Cardinals have always prioritized defense at catcher (think Willson Contreras). I’m wondering if this will continue with the new regime, and how it will affect the career of Rainiel Rodriguez. Who’s the long time catcher for the Cards, Rodriguez or Pages?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:36
I think Willson Contreras is a good counterpoint to your friend's claim
Oaktown Blues
2:37
Tommy White's statcast data has caught my eye this Spring: 95.8 EV, 66.7 HH%, 20% barrel, 82% contact in 30 batted balls. Did his metrics look this good in the minors? Is this sample still too small to be meaningful?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:38
The latter. Thirty batted balls in a weird environment.
Kelly Clarkson
2:38
Any prospects that have dramatically improved their stock this spring?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:39
An Angels source told me Walbert Urena looks great. Intriguing, but we'll see; he's teased before.
Matt
2:39
Curious what your role as a pro scout entailed. How often were you out scouting on the road vs. working from home? Did your fellow pro scouts follow similar schedules in different locales or did it vary?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:41
I was at a series something like five out of seven weeks over the course of the year, maybe three out of four, somewhere in that range. Sometimes those were close to home -- Everett in particular was convenient. That felt fairly routine. It's maybe a bit more than previous generations, but some teams had their guys travel even more.
2:42
I'd occasionally do video reports, more on an as-needed basis than a regular part of the job.
ZH
2:42
Devin Taylor's single best player comp is....
Brendan Gawlowski
2:42
Scott Schebler
SCJH
2:42
Are we far enough into minor league backfields play that it's time to ask the "who are you hearing buzz on" question? If so, um, this is me asking that question.
Brendan Gawlowski
2:43
Backfield buzz is flowing. It's particularly amusing when it goes both directions. Within a day, I had one veteran scout say that they think Miguel Mendez is a potential Top 25 prospect and another say Miguel Mendez is probably a 40
Good rebuttal to the idea that all of the data circulating around the game has just flattened opinions on everybody
Petey Halpin
2:44
In your write up you mention several swing changes over the years for this guy - are reports of "a new swing" this year kinda more of the same? Anything different here from years past?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:45
Apologies for the crap answer, but Eric handled that one and has more familiarity on the player
Guest
2:45
Anything to Jose Fernandez, ARI ST standout? Hits the ball pretty hard it looks like
Brendan Gawlowski
2:45
He's been a "stay on the body and glove" report for years; cautiously excited for him.
Jon
2:45
It's time to get away from calling pitches "nasty, dirty, gross, disgusting, evil, diabolic" and just say "really good."
Brendan Gawlowski
2:45
Maybe we could just say 'good' and 'ungood'
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