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Brendan Gawlowski Prospects Chat: 4/28/26
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Brendan Gawlowski
2:55
Yes, go now.
Ponopoly
2:55
Lost in the Murakami hype is that Montgomery and Vargas have also been pretty good. Do you think they will be building blocks for the next good Sox team?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:56
Murakami's short deal complicates that somewhat. I don't know if Vargas is a building block, more of a useful player on a good run? Montgomery could be... If nothing else, they and Schultz should give you a lot of hope that you're out of the desert and watching decent baseball again, at least.
Matt
2:58
Hey Brendan, following up from last week! No new homers but a couple more xbh and so far more swing and miss than last year...any notes or visuals of a swing tweak or mechanical changes from Ching-Hsien Ko?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:59
Thanks for following up... Still seeing a lot of inside out swings, getting the bat out in front a little more often than last year, mostly on soft stuff
3:00
I came away mildly encouraged
HairyKnapp
3:01
Why only 50 FV for Ryan Waldschmidt? The dude has mashed at every level.
Brendan Gawlowski
3:02
He was close to a 55. Righty corner bats really have to fash
Farhandrew Zaidman
3:03
Hey Brendan! Has Alex Freeland's 2026 results changed your eval of him in any meaningful way? Seems like a dude who should just hit L full time, no?
Brendan Gawlowski
3:03
Not really, that was always a possibility...
Punk in Drublic
3:03
What is the realistic timetable we see Jesus Made in Milwaukee?
Brendan Gawlowski
3:03
2027
Alex
3:05
Is Ryan Wideman a more legitimate prospect cutting down his K% or is it still too early for any conclusions?
Brendan Gawlowski
3:05
High probability bench piece
Wood
3:05
How does video access work on the team side? Did the Pirates have some sort of stream sharing agreements with the other 29 teams for their affiliates or do they use their own in-person video setup for each game?
Brendan Gawlowski
3:06
Video sharing agreements
Silly Little Guy
3:06
A lot of heat comes on Rob Thomson for the Phillies failure, but more heat is starting to come on Dave Dombrowski. Do you think he has done a good job of building up the Phillies farm system? It feels like they still haven't had a lot of success developing anyone
Brendan Gawlowski
3:06
They're on a typical Dombrowski trajectory. Competitive for years but when it goes, it goes
3:07
I think the guy's a Hall of Famer but when you push the chips in, you're going to need a beat to build back up when the old players age out of their primes
OI OI OI
3:07
Sorry for another Bazzana Q, but there has been a lot of hay made over perceived "passivity" in his approach what with minimal swing%, minimal whiff%, but still a modest amount of strikeouts despite that and (until recently) little production in the upper minors. Just smoke or outback brushfire?
Brendan Gawlowski
3:08
This kind of skillset tends to get a rude awakening in the big leagues. But, part of that is because a lot of guys with that skill set don't have as much talent as Bazzana has. We're obviously on the lower end on him but we still see him as an everyday guy and an above average hitter.
Guest
3:09
Has Franklin Arias unlocked a skill that has lead to an increase in game power? I think I read a blurb that he's pulling the ball more. Do you have any dope on his stupendous first month of baseball?
Brendan Gawlowski
3:09
Understandably a lot of Arias questions. I don't have anything for you at the moment but he's one who will get a fresh look for the Boston list and it wouldn't surprise me if he's a 60 by that point.
Uncle Spike
3:10
How are you feeling about Gage Workman?  He's been given a 20 on his hit tool and a 70 in the field.  Not sure if it's just SSS variance but his contact % is up and he's hitting the ball with authority, third in the minors with a 94.4 MPH Adj. EV.
Brendan Gawlowski
3:11
He's definitely got power... I put on some tape in the background and some of the markers in his swing that led to the low hit grade are still there. I'm intrigued by the additional contact though, maybe he's doing a little better with soft stuff?
3:12
It's also a few weeks in April; Spencer Jones has stretches where he strikes out a quarter of the time too.
Fletcher
3:12
Are the grades on the prospect lists solely the evaluation of the writer with the byline or are they a consensus evaluation of you, Eric, James, etc?
Brendan Gawlowski
3:12
Almost always the writer with the byline.
For the J2 guys in the '26 class, they're all Eric's.
3:13
Even if they're on my or James's list. We try to mention that in the blurb when it happens.
Occasionally we'll kick around an FV or a tool grade together but it's the writer's call ultimately.
Jason
3:14
What's the balance between "he's young and athletic enough to make this work" and "nobody can succeed long term with this profile?"
Brendan Gawlowski
3:14
Sliding scale based on how young/athletic, and how extreme the problem is
3:15
There are some guys who look so helpless on spin that it looks like there's a visual problem, and that's really tough to project on
Pretty rare to kill a guy for that at the complex level though
Booney
3:15
Saw Ethan Salas just homered for the third time in three days. Hard to believe he’s still only 19. Is the biggest thing for him just to amass a full, healthy ish season showcasing the type of promise he did a few years ago? Hard to imagine him reentering top 5-10 prospect status territory…but the age/package is still there
Brendan Gawlowski
3:15
A healthy season would do him a world of good
3:16
He was held back in the 50 tier due to the injuries, guys who miss the year get bumped to the back of the line
If he's healthy and performing, he'll rise up the list again
SCJH
3:17
Awhile back I asked Eric if there was an advantage for clubs like Arizona and Tampa having all of the complexes in their backyard and he answered with a resounding yes, because high-level personnel can get so many more in-person looks at players who stay down there. In a world where a lot of things can be done remotely would there be an argument for other teams to base all of their FO personnel who have any scouting role whatsoever out of their complex rather than in their home city?
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