JotCast | Eric Longenhagen Prospects Chat

Eric Longenhagen Prospects Chat

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Moltar

1:52

It's clear to me at this point that d'Arnaud is unlikely to be healthy and productive enough for the Mets to continue to count on him going forward. Do they have a "catcher of the future" in the system? Tomas Nido, whose early season numbers don't look great? Or is it more likely somebody not yet acquired?

Eric A Longenhagen

1:54

I got mixed opinions about Nido during the Mets org audit with some thinking he had a chance to be a low-end every day guy and others putting an org grade on him. Not off to a great start. Some like Ali Sanchez who's struggling at Columbia but even if you like him it isn't like he's close to the bigs.

Ian

1:54

Can Ibandel Isabel become a Joey Galoo type player...already has 10 home runs( some of them have been measured for 440 ft) and strikes out a lot? What do you think Erix?

Eric A Longenhagen

1:56

Not as athletic as Gallo, 1B-only with swing and miss issues and yes, there's big power there, but the Cal League is caricaturing it right now. I'm skeptical.

BarryBaker

1:56

The Reds are stacked in good relief pitchers...Wandy Peralta, Ariel Hernandez, Jimmy Herget,Alejandro Chacin..who has the best outcome results long term

Eric A Longenhagen

1:56

I'll say Herget.

Dave

1:57

A few weeks ago you mentioned hearing positively from scouts regarding Ben Gamel, giving you a reason to pay more attention to him. Given his hot start with Seattle, could you elaborate on what you heard?

Eric A Longenhagen

1:59

Patient, has improved his timing and, generally, his swing since 2014, good hand-eye, hits balls gap to gap for copious doubles. Plays hard. Solid big leaguer.

Jonathan Sher

2:00

Are scouts whiffing on Astros catching prospect Garrett Stubbs? Elite defense, BB>K in AA, above-average power for a catcher, speed on bases and improved at ever level. Is he being sold short because he doesn't look like a catcher? (he's lean, not stocky)

Eric A Longenhagen

2:00

There's apprehension because scouts have never seen someone his size catch a full season of games.

2:02

He's not lean like young Benito Santiago was. He's small, like my size. I love the tools and Stubbs has been a sleeper favorite of mine since he was at USC but there are certainly reasons to temper expectations. Also he's 23 and hitting .240 at Double-A so it isn't as if we're talking about Altuve-level performance that's being ignored.

Jason

2:02

Any opinion on Evan White at Kentucky? I think with his athleticism and pure hitting, he could rise a bit heading into the draft, but then again I am really high on him.

Eric A Longenhagen

2:02

You

YOU!

No, I hit enter too fast, hold on...

2:05

You're right, he's moving up in part because there just aren't any college bats in this class. To fill the vacuum, the baseball gods have sent us a bunch of weirdos. The best college bat in the class might be a pitcher. The two best outfielders are polar opposites of one another. We've got a couple of redshirt juniors who were passed over last year. And we have White, the weirdest of them all, a skinny, backwards 1B who is a plus runner.

Bobby

2:05

When a prospect is promoted to the majors for the first time, why are they "recalled"? How can you be RE-called if you were never called before?

Eric A Longenhagen

2:06

Murse Wigwam

2:06

Jake Bauers' power was always in question, but the hit tool was not. Now what is he, all question marks?

Eric A Longenhagen

2:06

Nah, he's the age of a college junior playing ball at the doorstep of the Majors.

Erik

2:07

You mentioned Phillies pitchers as one of the groups of prospects whose stock has rose so far this season. Which guys in particular are moving up?

Eric A Longenhagen

2:07

The guys with the badass names. Seranthony Dominguez, Adonis Medina, Sixto Sanchez.

2:07

Do you have any notes on Matt Sauer? Where do you think he gets taken in the draft?

Eric A Longenhagen

2:09

Mid-90s, holds it deep into games, chance for a plus slider, has some relief risk.

I'd say he goes around 20.

KevinWC

2:10

Have you been out to see Yanio Perez in the SAL league? Any thoughts on him?

Eric A Longenhagen

2:10

Saw him this spring. 1B/LF-only for me but has huge power.

Kiermaier's Piercing Green Eyes

2:11

I'm learning about the draft. Teams generally seem to say that they just draft the best player available. I know the Rays for example take prep bats early in the hopes of getting a controllable superstar, which this year would mean someone like Lewis or Gore (or Beck, whom I know you don't like that high). But since they hope to be competitive in a season or two when Adames, De Leon, Honeywell, and Snell 2.0 are established, would they lean towards someone like Wright who could make the club for that window?

Eric A Longenhagen

2:11

I think they'll go best player available. I think they lean on upside as a BPA tiebreaker but I don't think it's their end all, be all.

2:12

Also keep in mind it's a relatively new scouting director there so it might be a bit early to draw conclusions about their strategy, though I agree with you that they hunt upside in the minors/draft/j2 as a group.

Dan

2:13

Has your opinion changed significantly on Hoy-Jun Park?

Eric A Longenhagen

2:13

Not yet, still more of a util profile for me. Keep in mind he's repeating the level.

DTH

2:14

I'm feeling better about Trevor Clifton than Dylan Cease, largely because of the lack of doubt about his starting ability and his success at higher levels. Is this: an OK opinion, dumb, or super dumb?

Eric A Longenhagen

2:15

I saw Clifton really bad this spring. Velo down into the 80s, was getting tagged by low minor league hitters. Haven't checked to see where his stuff is at since then but I know I've been surprised that he's pitching so well.

I'd take Cease if given the choice.

some dude

2:15

In the honorable mentions section of your Nats writeup, you wrote about Daniel Johnson, that he "might require a mechanical overhaul at the plate to hit in pro ball. If he does, he’s a dude." So far this season he's slashing .302/.355/.587 with 9 HR and making a solid amount of contact (17% K rate). Something real there? Or just a case of a small sample size from a college bat in low-A?

Eric A Longenhagen

2:17

Would certainly like to see him challenged with a promotion after the draft but he has big league tools. 7 run, good bat speed. I don't know how Juan Soto's injury complicates Washington's outfield situation in the minors but it's worth noting that it could be why Johnson is still own there. They might not have anyone in extended ready to come up and replace him in Hagerstown.

Tom

2:18

Who are some options for the Mariners at #17?

Eric A Longenhagen

2:18

Don't have them connected to anyone but I think it'd be good for them if one of the good prep arms (like Baz or Carlson) falls that far.

Brandon M

2:19

Who are some of the pitchers that could be around in the late first round?

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