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Eric A Longenhagen
12:31
I actually haven't asked anyone if they're focused on baseball over there more than usual, it's a good question.
Uncle Spike
12:31
If Kumar Rocker was in the years draft class, would he be the consensus #1 pick?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:32
No, and I have him behind Leiter for next year
Nick
12:32
Why is Tork considered a better prospect than Martin when Martin has a track record and will play a position (or multiple) that's not 1B or DH? Is it based on Tork having a higher chance an impact player? It seems to me I'd rather take a chance on a guy who could be a 60-70 bat with average power at a premium position than a R-R 1B/DH-only type.
Eric A Longenhagen
12:34
There are people who think Martin's early-season defensive performance squashed his chances of playing the left side of the infield, and it's not like we had a nice long look at him in CF to be sure he's good at it. That's a reasonable knock. They're 1, 1a for most people I spoke with so your argument is also pretty reasonable.
Carlos
12:34
Hi, thanks for the draft board update! What caused Crews, Walker and Soularie to drop?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:36
Crews' slow out of the gate enough that he's clearly in the tier below PCA and Hassell now, so he went from 45 to 40+, Walker's body went backward and he's now more 3B/1B projection than SS/3B projection, Soularie I was just too high on from the jump and was more correcting myself than something changing with him.
fangraphs reader
12:36
do you have any thoughts on the Red Sox punishment?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:38
I was actually so wrapped up in other stuff yesterday that I haven't read the report or sat and thought hard about it at length. It's also not my instinct to be outraged at something that seems meaningless in the context of the pandemic and economic instability left in its wake
Kiermaier's Piercing Green Eyes
12:38
I don't think I've seen this anywhere--has it been decided how this season will count for minor league service time? (E.g. for Rule 5 eligibility.)
Eric A Longenhagen
12:38
It has not
Colt
12:38
Hi, Eric- What resources would you recommend for those who want to improve their visual scouting skills in baseball?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:40
I'd try to watch a lot of baseball that is of mixed quality (seriously, purposefully watch bad baseball) and read relevant literature, in which I'd include Dollar Sign on the Muscle, the BP Extra Innings volume 2 for Parks' essays, and yes, the McDongenhagen tome 'Future Value'
Ted
12:40
Curious about fastball shape, like you mentioned with Cole Wilcox. How much can that be changed in player development?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:42
Depends on how workable you think a pitcher's slot or hand position are. For Wilcox I think such a change would alter his mechanics pretty considerably and so I think it's less likely that it is with someone like Charez Butcher.
12:44
SuspendedTommy
12:44
Which player in your top 7 do you think has the best chance of sliding down the board a few spots?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:45
Uh, I guess the logical way to answer that is to point to the only high schooler.
Eric C
12:46
How difficult of a sign would Tanner Witt be if he were to be selected in the mid second round? Thanks!
Eric A Longenhagen
12:46
I think you're poking right around the point where slot might not do it
Carlos
12:46
With over 200+ players mentioned, I'm surprised to not see Vandy's Friday SP Mason Hickman on the draft board. Pedigree, performance track record, height, secondaries, command. Only FB Velo is missing, but considering his body, there's projection left. It's basically the Shane Bieber profile
Eric A Longenhagen
12:49
I'm not a Hickman guy, think he's a 35. Don't think the stuff and *def* not the command belong in Bieber territory
Chamaco
12:49
Thanks! Missed that. Also, thank you for doing these chats - in such trying times, baseball and sites like FanGraphs are a welcome distraction.  Please support FabGraphs if you can.
Eric A Longenhagen
12:50
Thanks, Chamaco. And thanks to anyone who's subbed in the last month, it's given us a better chance of making it through baseball's eventual return.
Roger
12:50
How badly impacted do you think MLB scouts are going to be by the various changes that are in the wind (to both minor leagues and draft). How much reduction in number of scouts are we likely to see in coming years on pro and amateur sides?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:51
I do think there will be a shrinkage. There probably would have been eventually anyway, but the milb team reduction and how the pandemic alters our collective relationship with travel is likely to accelerate it.
Roger
12:52
For this year's college pitchers, where would you separate between Tier 1 guys and Tier 2 guys (if it makes sense to think about it like that)?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:52
I have Lacy and Hancock in their own tier, then the 45 FV tier is thicc
Larry
12:52
Is it going to be easier or harder for you (and other media guys who do mocks) to connect players and teams this year?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:53
Yes because a huge part of how I/we've done it in the past is spotting decision makers at games, and that just ain't happening this year.
There is no spoon
12:53
Aaron Bracho’s chance of staying in the dirt?  Is the stick good enough to play in LF?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:54
I have him in LF and think it has a chance to be enough, yeah. He'll be a 40+ on the CLE list.
Jay
12:54
Max Meyer, longterm injury risk or increased injury risk with the slight build?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:55
I don't think so. I don't think Small Pitcher = Injury Risk. The formula for torque includes length of the lever from the fulcrum, which means taller pitchers may actually put more stress on their ligaments than smaller guys if you think about injury risk in those terms.
Tony B
12:57
Hi Eric, not a question just wanted to say I've recently discovered your content and I have absolutely devoured it. Just picked up future value as well. Really enjoying reading your stuff I am learning alot. Thanks for all your hard work its making this time alot more enjoyable for me at least!
Eric A Longenhagen
1:00
Thanks dude, I know we're all forcing our brains to not constantly think about what's going on, and the severity of it is warlike but the action surrounding it is not (we're all quietly sitting at home) and that dichotomy is also weird. I'm feeling that stuff too and trying to push through and think about Yermin Mercedes vs Zack Collins like I normally would and am not always successful, so I'm glad that people get lost in the work because I seek to get lost in it too
Mike
1:00
Do you see CJ Van Eyk was a first rounder? He has good stuff but his mechanics seem a bit inconsistent.
Eric A Longenhagen
1:01
I think he's back of rd 1 in a typical year but maybe not this year. I agree, the delivery is not great, think his lower half is kinda stiff.
Billy Beane
1:01
I get what you're saying re:corners but it seems like the research suggests corners are probably more important than we have historically been giving them credit for in terms of sacks and generally the increased focus on pass defense. Might be the NFL starting to catch up.
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