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Brendan Gawlowski Prospects Chat: 4/14/26
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Brendan Gawlowski
2:00
Hello everybody. A little list housekeeping to start... I wrote up the Rangers system yesterday, and Eric tackled Sacramento last week. He's currently working on the Nationals and I'm writing up Kansas City. Hopefully both will be live by this time next week.
2:01
I also went out to Everett last week and wrote up some notes on a few Top 100 guys -- Farmelo, Bremner, Celesten -- and a few other guys, including Luke Stevenson, who has a chance to make the list on our next update.
2:02
It appears Johnny Level has homered again
2:03
I'll have Brecht and the Spokane/Vancouver game in the background, maybe we can all follow along with that together too
Otherwise, let's get going
Insert Witty Name Here
2:03
Have you watched Painter's games at all this year? SSS of course, but curious to know how you think he looks.
Brendan Gawlowski
2:04
Saw two of his three outings... Stuff broadly looks good, a little concerned about how the arm strength dips fairly early in the outing. Not a great fastball if he's not throwing really hard. SFG had incredibly good takes against him, made me wonder if they were seeing something. Encouraged that he righted the ship in his last outing. Looks like the guy we wrote up writ large.
miguel sime, sr.
2:05
have you watched either of Sime's 2 starts?  interested to know your opinion on where he stands as a prospect given he doesnt have a grade on fg yet.
Brendan Gawlowski
2:05
I have not, but check back in soon for Eric's list. His lack of an update is kind of a quirk, he signed a week after Eric did the Nats list last year.
Wallyworld
2:05
I saw your notes on Farmelo. Imagine the high end of his range would be PCA esque? Live with the hit tool/K's, high end speed and plus power?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:06
The surface offensive production could resemble what PCA posted last season but I don't see them as similar players. PCA is faster and a better defender, Farmelo has way more physicality and pop
Alec
2:07
Prospects putting up the same stats in the same minor league level can be valued very differently based on their age. What do you view as sort of the threshold at the minor league levels to say "wow, he's playing great here for his age" to "I would expect him to play above average here given his age", and does that change between hitters and pitchers?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:07
Sliding scale based on the tools and experience.
2:08
And it's not linear, either. If you're 19 on the complex, you're already kind of old. But it's not weird for college draft picks to go to Low-A at 21 or 22
War2D2
2:09
Brendan! Given the fact that Willson Contreras is currently in the top-10 on bWAR leaderboards and Michael Busch is currently microwaved ass, I got to thinking about how the Cubs messed up by not extending Willson to be the post-Rizzo 1B and instead let him go for a draft pick. I was curious who the pick turned into, but I can’t find an easy way to see what pick it was or who they drafted in that slot. Any help would be much appreciated.
Brendan Gawlowski
2:09
It's 15 games
Billy G
2:09
At what level do swing holes tend to reveal themselves? Are there certain levels you expect certain holes to show up? Or is it more case by case? I know Eric has talked about guys like Kieboom having swings that worked until they didn't at the MLB level
Brendan Gawlowski
2:10
All things are possible here, case by case
Guest
2:10
Curious to know if you have anything on newest chicago prospect Jordan Rich, really nothing I can find elsewhere
Brendan Gawlowski
2:10
Small, athletic, not much power. Flier/project type, scout I spoke with said he didn't really stand out on the backfields. But it's very early.
Guards! Guards!
2:11
When a prospect is described as having short levers, is that something based on visual analysis, or vibes? And is there any benefit to a hitter's swing if their arms are shorter, the same way NBA players typically have a wingspan larger than average?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:13
Just look at them. You're looking for short arms, which generally means someone on the short side.
When you have a big guy with short arms, that's ideal
Soderstrom is kinda like that
Seth
2:13
Samuel Zavala hit 286/.396/.398 at High-A from June 1 last year and seems to be continuing to hit as a 21-year-old in AA. Did the Sox maybe actually get something in return for Cease?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:14
Sometimes guys need a beat. The jump from Low-A to High-A while changing orgs may have just been a lot for him.
Bumpin Ugglas
2:14
What would you realistically like to see change with the draft in the new CBA?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:14
Realistically: Move it earlier, teams hate having that and the deadline back to back. Better to get the drafted guys going earlier in the year too
2:15
I'm not holding my breath
Hop
2:15
The Padres have the second-best record in MLB, though it feels like the smoke-and-mirrors embodiment of a Randy Vasquez start. Is there any hope the minor league system will be able to provide any reinforcements?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:16
It's pretty lean down there
Getting $.60 on the dollar for years has taken a toll
Tacoby Bellsbury
2:16
You seem quite conflicted by Felnin Celesten. Are there other notable prospects for whom you've had similar thoughts? How has that played out?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:17
He's a tough report. Guys with big gaps between tools and skills often are. Pitchers on a bad day can be tricky. Hitters when their timing looks off.
Also guys where there's a gap between hype and what they actually look like
2:18
If you go back and read all the stuff I wrote here about Jordyn Adams, for instance, prior to being an actual scout... I'm just dancing around saying "I don't think he can hit"
At this point, I'd feel more comfortable just saying it in that situation
2:19
Off the top of my head, other tough reports in recent years... Tai Peete, Miguel Vargas, Oscar Colas.
Of recent systems we've written up, AJ Russell and Malcolm Moore presented different kinds of challenges
DJ Tofu
2:19
Looking back at the previous top top prospects that didn't pan out (Kelenic, Lux, Robles), were there signs that could have foreshadowed future problems?
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