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Eric Longenhagen Prospect Chat: 4/10/2026
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Kate
12:54
Loved the aggressive grade on Wilder Dalis!  What would he need to do in the first couple months to get added to the T100?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:55
Let's see where the power is at in a measurable sense. Both Brendan and I thought the bat speed had ticked up this spring compared to last year, now we wanna know exactly how much.
Meredeith
12:55
I'm dying for another home grown Yankees position plater star. How confident should I be in Lombard Jr.?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:55
*Star* is a little much for me there, more solid everyday shortstop who K's a bunch but hits for a decent amount of pull power and plays great defense.
Porkbl
12:55
How does Jackson Flora stack up to other recent top of the class college pitchers? Both in terms of present ability and future projection
Eric A Longenhagen
12:57
I think he's definitely behind Skenes and probably behind (or level) with Chase Burns and what I thought about Doyle last year.
Sperts Valuez
12:58
Law has Lackey at #2!! Thinking Cubs at 23….what’s Brady Neal missing?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:58
I'm on board with Lackey that high, had him sixth entering the year which was probably (I think?) highest of the peer group at the time. Neal lacks typical catcher size. I have liked him since HS tho.
Ben
12:58
What your thoughts on the weight that Made put on?  Is that going to push him off of SS (maybe Pratt does that anyways)?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:59
Yeah, it's scary how fast he got this big. Still has Ketel/Cano right tail outcomes, sooo much power.
Sideshow Eno
12:59
I think you mentioned in the past you were hoping to see Dorian Soto? Has this happened? Any news?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:59
I'll be en route to Fort Myers in 150 minutes
Kate
1:00
SSS but Rushing looking much more like who we thought he was coming up so far this year.  Is he really just stuck behind Will Smith for the foreseeable future?  That would be so sad.
Eric A Longenhagen
1:01
Man, I wonder what they're gonna do. They ripped the AJ Ellis band-aid off once, right? Maybe Smith is an offseason candidate to move, I think you find ways for both of them to play a fair bit this season and it's not a problem.
Smith's contract only gets more team friendly as it goes, it's just about weighing how much is left in the tank.
Sloth
1:02
When you co-write a Top 100+ list—this year, or in general— which group causes more debate: the end of the 50 grades (i.e. players who just made the list) or the top of the 45s (players who just missed)?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:02
The just missed group and the guys toward the back of the 55 FV tier
MD
1:03
If Benge needs to be sent down, is there any outfielder in the system who could give the Mets league average production?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:03
I think they'd just platoon Taylor and Melendez/Young. Morabito is more a Speed/D reserve guy, maybe Ronny Mo finds a way to play more often. Did I underrate how long Benge's swing is?
Guest
1:04
Is there anyone in the Twins system that could realistically become the everyday first baseman at the big league level in say the next 2-3 seasons?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:04
I think you're looking at the Tait timeline if it turns out he can't catch.
Chip
1:05
What do you expect Waldschmidt's role will be in the second half?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:05
Blerg, what is Lourdes' timeline? The snakes are soo injured again. I mean look at this: 2026 Arizona Diamondbacks Depth Chart | RosterResource | FanGraphs Baseball
1:07
Let's let Waldschmidt's hit tool stabilize some at triple-a before throwing him in there, but I have to believe he'll be more dangerous than Tawa/Barrosa/Alek Thomas right away
Kate
1:07
Looks like the Mariners are holding Becker back for complex season?  Any insight there?  Are they working on his swing?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:08
Just a long young guy growing into his body and I think they learned some stuff from having been overzealous with Tai Peete that they're slow playing Becker. He might go to A ball later this year if he hits on the complex. I'm glad to get to see him when I get back to the desert later this month.
Salty
1:09
Was watching McLean's start last night after looking at FG's new pitching tool, and the DBacks lost two ABS challenges against him.  Could level of deception be an even more important skill now to potentially cause opponents to burn challenges early in a game?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:10
Yeah I think we're still learning about what might lead a player to challenge and some of these guys with crazy breaking balls are at the top of the list for who I think might benefit from the system. I think teams are over-indexed for situations right now and under-indexed for which guys actually know the zone. Aren't the new tools cool?
Our website is pretty sweet.
1:11
Really happy to be part of it. Ten years in June.
Will
1:11
Any rough ranges on where the '26 Draft guys are tracking for the hundo?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:13
Roch probably 10-15, Emerson toward the rear of that young SS group in the high 50 FV tier, Lackey probably close to them, too. Flora right ahead of Kade Anderson. Gracia idk if I think he'll be a 50 by draft time because of the defense piece. Booth might sneak on toward he back.
Tyring to think about who else I might stuff, feels like I'm missing a name.
Cameron
1:14
What do you feel is the next untapped inefficiency in baseball? Do you think it has to do with player development? We are so granular at this point it's hard to think of anything that hasn't been beaten into the ground yet.
Eric A Longenhagen
1:14
Africa
1:15
I think over time that could be a big deal.
1:16
And I hope MLB approaches it in a way that avoids some of the ugly ways people in latin america have been impacted by the system there.
1:17
Folks should read Alden Gonzalez's story from this week. I know you know a lot of that stuff if you've been coming here and reading, but it's good that the bigger outlets are surfacing it for your dad to read.
1:18
BTW my dad asked me this week if you bunt at the ball and miss, is it a strike? Autodidacts ftw. Taught me how to play every guitar chord there is, sports are not his thing.
Oaktown Blues
1:18
I really appreciate that you give us hard hit rates on The Board. How rare is it for a DSL player to put up a 50%+ HH rate like Edgar Montero?
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