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Brendan Gawlowski Prospects Chat: 7/21/26
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Brendan Gawlowski
2:14
It depends on the player, a fair bit lower than that for guys with big pop and a lot of present production, since they're probably going to get pitched around.
I don't have a percentage in mind, really, it's a sliding scale
BeyondTheHalo
2:16
You mentioned before the draft that you’d be watching what kind of pitchers the Angels draft. Obviously they went position player heavy at the top of the draft, but is there anything you were able to glean from the pitchers they did take?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:16
The way the draft fell, it's a little tough to read too much into it given how long they went before they took a pitcher only. I guess Trevor Hansen doesn't seem like the kind of guy they'd have gone out of their way to draft in years past.
Baseball Learner
2:17
Elmer Rodriguez Cruz hasn't looked awesome in his cups of tea in the majors. Does that effect his prospect status and is he trending down?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:17
Holding steady. Sinker is a monster GB generator, needs to throw a few more strikes.
philly
2:17
What are the key things you’d like to see from Juneiker Caceras post promotion?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:18
The crux of his profile is the hit tool. Every level renews the "is the bat to ball good or special?" question
So, that
dan norman lear
2:19
It is August 4th, 2026. You are Kevin Alcantara. To whom have you been traded?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:19
Hmm. Angels.
dan norman lear
2:19
The MLB propaganda commercial it runs about "fairness" is pretty fantastically transparent, but it also gives a window into how deep the owners are dug in on this. I am skeptical about a whole season being cancelled, for a number of reasons, I am expecting baseball to start approximately June 17th next year. What is your sense of things?  (This may be a wee bit more than a chat q)
Brendan Gawlowski
2:19
"We listen to our fans, especially when they regurgitate the talking points we advertise to them"
You don't have to take this seriously
2:20
As for the start date, I read the March 24th opening day announcement as a sign that we'll actually start March 31st
Broken Bat
2:20
I was wondering if you would comment or could comment on the success the Pirates have had in selecting their pitchers. Skenes, Ashcraft, Jones, Chandler,, and now a 19 year old phenom in the minors. As a past scout, did you have any degree of influence on their selections. What stands out in observing guys all tossing 90 with past success?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:21
I was a pro scout, so I had nothing to do with those guys. But on both the pro and amateur side, the acquisition and development pipeline is humming along really nicely. The org does very well with finding and developing arms.
2:22
More specifically, they're good at broadening a pitcher's arsenal and helping guys get stronger.
OddBall Herrera
2:23
So what's the deal with Manuel Pena?  Any thoughts?

(sorry, it had to be done)
Brendan Gawlowski
2:23
Joe West tosses OddBall Herrera
pmaguran
2:24
Zach Root is putting up some pretty impressive numbers in A+.  Recognizing that he wasn't on your preseason Picks to Click article...is he Clicking anyway?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:24
eyeseyeseyes
Proph of the Sandlot
2:26
How would you assess the Red Sox's underslotting and chasing HS players with the cash in the 3rd and mid rounds?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:26
Valid approach
soupmonkey
2:26
Should the Giants target particular positions at the deadline or just the best available prospects?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:27
Within reason, best available. It's not quite the draft though, if they're dealing with, I don't know, Cleveland, Ralphy Velasquez is maybe worth a tick less to them than he would be otherwise given Eldridge
Jonathan Adelman
2:28
Re: Bloss, it looks like his ability to locate is worse (or possibly not all the way back) but his stuff is, if anything, -better- than pre-injury. Is that a fair assessment?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:29
I'd give guys returning from TJ a lot of grace on location/feel in that first year back, so yes, it's not great right now but that's something I'd be patient with. Stuff/arm strength looks great, he's not working all that deep, so that's potentially part of it. Nothing that would sway my grades one way or the other yet.
JayGray007
2:30
When you see a skinny college player, how do you determine "this is just gonna be a small guy" vs "this is a guy who has a shot to fill out"?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:32
It's a feel thing. You'd like to see broad shoulders and some width to the ankles and wrists, you'd like to see what mom and dad look like... it's more art than science.
war2d2
2:32
Brendan! Appreciate all you do! The draft coverage was awesome this year, loved the live chat (until they booted you). I’ve missed the last couple chats because they expect me to do the work I’m paid to do during chat hours, which seems rude to me. The last time I made it I asked if Hartshorn seemed like a possible pop-up guy, and you said you hoped to get eyes on him (at the futures game? maybe?). Any news or still on the to-do list?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:33
He's going to be on the T100. Big power, corner profile. He's matured physically very quickly, in ways both good and a little concerning.
pdunes
2:33
Not a prospect but how can someone like Curtis Mead hit for a lot more power by slowing down his swing speed by 2 mph? Over swinging before?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:33
That would be one way.
2:34
Think about the difference between statcast bat speed and the way scouts have traditionally used the term. To use a ridiculous example, you could probably increase the statcast bat speed by Happy Gilmore'ing it, but it wouldn't really help you hit.
And to be clear, this is no knock on measurable bat speed, which is important and a valuable thing to know
2:35
It's important, it's just not everything
ankoalec
2:35
Is David Davalillo okay? Started the year pitching pretty well in AA, then completely lost control in AAA, and now his last three starts have been complex, A+, complex. Is it common for pitching prospects to jump around this frequently with command issues, or would this be related to managing a potential injury?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:36
I'm concerned. It's not unusual for pitchers to struggle with the big league ball the first time they're exposed to it -- I had a source mention that overhand slot guys seem to struggle with it more than others, which is fascinating -- but he's also been sitting in the low-90s some outings. He doesn't look quite right.
philly
2:36
As a follow up , what are the statistical things we might see that would help differentiate good bat to ball from special?
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