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Eric Longenhagen Prospects Chat
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Eric A Longenhagen
12:52
Yes
Brandon
12:52
Any updates on Joel Hurtado since your last evaluation?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:52
He's one of the hardest-throwers in the minors so far this year, think he's touched 103 or 104
Philip
12:52
Bryan Balzer seems to be getting a lot of helium as a possible padres pop up prospect. What have you heard/seen?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:54
Had a few outings at the start of ST when he was up to 98 or so, velo was way down before camp broke. Haven't checked in on him since then. Interesting story, though. American dad, born and grew up in Japan, signed as an int'l amateur, had TJ, now he's back and has flashed velo. Definitely a prospect.
Guest
12:54
Can you explain Sal Stewart's grade a bit more? I dont get the 45 hit grade, since all he's done is hit since he was signed. Is there underlying data that makes you skeptical it will translate?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:56
I think I go into thorough detail in his scouting report as to why, I knew it'd be a conclusion I had to support with cogent thought and analysis because it's counterintuitive.  I wrote 630 words about just him, is there anything specific in there you want me to flesh out more for you here?
Draft Man
12:57
Any idea of when a draft update will occur on the board? I realize you are very busy with the team lists in parallel, so I just want to say thank you for all the incredible quality and depth of scouting data.
Eric A Longenhagen
12:58
Soon, Gerth and I have to huddle on that, just got college trackman data update, have to circle back with some sources, etc. Appreciate your patience on the draft update, it needs a fresh coat.
MF Luder
12:58
I love the description "command artist." Was there anything else that stood out to you about Jedixson Paez that caused you to add him to the back end of the post-spring top 100?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:59
He was on the offseason top 100. just a freaky command guy with all kinds of deception, a good 2sm/changeup combo... I like him, think he'll be on the 40man after this season and has a shot to debut next year. His stuff is a little more vulnerable to damage than you want it to be and I could understand if you think his ceiling's a little lower.
re: Joel Hurtado
12:59
You’re saying Joel Hurtado in the Angels system touched 103 or 104? His last update from the winter on The Board had him topping out at 98 mph.
Eric A Longenhagen
12:59
Yes
Phil
1:00
Ah, I see Popovich is stepping down, very sad. Would Francona count as a baseball parallel, or is it simply impossible given the less central role of a manager?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:00
Ah man, I hadn't seen that yet but I worried it might be a thing. the Tito situation is different because, while he's had health stuff, I don't think he's had a *stroke* ya know?
1:02
Pop is wonderful and I wish I appreciated him more while I was young. Those Pistons and Spurs teams from that era were instrumental for my adolescent understanding and enjoyment of the game. Eventually I got sick of how good they were, my Grizz were under their thumb a lot of the time.
Oddball Herrera
1:02
Any indication that Mayer's offensive outburst has included doing better on breaking pitches?  "swinging over pitches" seems to have been the ding against him to this point
Eric A Longenhagen
1:02
Good question, lemme take a peek.
1:03
While that loads for me, lemme take a few more...
Guest
1:03
Is there any point in keeping Yesavage at low A any longer? Can he reach AA by the end of the year?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:03
No, yes.
Alex Haese
1:03
Very disappointed in your prospect write-up of Jake Bauers in 2018. It mentions nothing about how he would have more career Pitcher War than Hitter War xD
Eric A Longenhagen
1:04
lmao, I loved that guy, and I'd never shame anyone for having a big league career as long as his. It shows how tough it is to separate yourself when your defensive fit is 1B.
Marcelo: has seen 65 breaking balls this year per Synergy
1:05
41% swing, 25% chase, 27% miss. Those are all better than average
Numbers are way worse versus offspeed stuff, changeups and splitters
Guest
1:07
what's the time frame for holding a FV? is that a peak? you put an Espinosa comp on a 50 recently (I forget who), he had I think three ~2.5-ish WAR seasons but a lot of folks thought he was trash because of the other, worse years
Eric A Longenhagen
1:07
In short: average WAR production during your pre-free agency years where 2-ish annual WAR is a 50.
J
1:07
So, I wanted to ask this any way, and the list today gives it immediacy. Chase Burns is basically throwing 4 IP a game, I suppose as a way to preserve health. And it may be that all the Reds will want is for him to pitch 6 IP a game. But at what point, and I think we are past it, are baseball franchises diminishing the actual value of pitchers?

That said, it may just be a tacit admittance that Burns (and others) simply can't sustain what they're doing for more than 90 pitches. But it feels backwards.
Eric A Longenhagen
1:10
I think we're already at the point where the value curve for pitchers has shifted, it's flattened. The talented band that constitutes the margin is bigger, teams consider more players to be fungible, especially pitchers. It's probably decreased the value of a certain class of pitcher and increased some others, like he guys who can sustain huge stuff for 180 frames or so, as well as some of the fringe relievers who get to have a more robust big league career because teams are more apt to shuttle guys off and on the roster than before.
1:12
Ok guys, I've gotta go help someone move some furniture. Thanks for stopping by, great questions this week. Molly Shannon, call me.
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