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Eric Longenhagen Prospects Chat
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Eric A Longenhagen
2:02
Mornin' from Tempe. Only link to plug today is this: https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/early-2019-21-draft-rankings/
Beni and the Betts
2:03
Where would Clint Frazier rank on prospect lists if he were still eligible?
Eric A Longenhagen
2:04
A timely question as, while sourcing on NYY players for team list updates, I've asked on Frazier, who scouts still think is a 50.
So, he'd be a 50 FV on the lists.
Chuck
2:04
For guys in the DSL and AZL, even GCL, at what point can you tell someone is a legit prospect? Obviously not everyone can see them in person, so much of it is stat line scouting or reading elsewhere.
Eric A Longenhagen
2:06
I see players myself and talk to scouts and front office people who have seen them or have info on them. No statline stuff, no reading elsewhere, all about evaluating the physical tools.
Matt
2:06
Do you find that high-level plate discipline is typically something hitting prospects develop late? If he initially looks a bit lost with higher level pitching, how concerning is that and what qualities can mitigate that concern?
Eric A Longenhagen
2:08
It's different, player to player. You can clearly see some players changing and adjusting in many different ways even late into their big league careers. Prospect plate discipline can be tough to scout because your looks at them are shorter than you'd need to evaluate such a thing and just looking at their walk rate could be misleading because minor league pitchers have worse control than big leaguers do.
Fangraphs reader
2:08
Is Joe Perez injured?
Eric A Longenhagen
2:10
That's Astros RHP/3B prospect Joe Perez who began his pro career this season after returning from TJ. Plus power, plus arm, could spin a breaking ball as an amateur (actually had some of the better spin rates in his high school class). I've noticed he hasn't played in a while but don't know if he's hurt (though I assume so) nor what might be wrong.
JH
2:10
It seems like most top-100 prospects don’t get bounced around between AAA/MLB the way Barreto has this year. Usually teams hesitate to bring up a top guy unless he’s going to play every day. Are the A’s souring on him?
Eric A Longenhagen
2:10
They did the same thing with Olson. I don't think it's great for the player but I don't think it's a sign they've soured on him.
Igiloo McDaichly
2:10
I've seen some positive comments from you about Yerry Rodriguez's performance in the AZL.  He's not been on the prospect map even among Rangers prospect watchers...is this NP with good command carving up teenagers, or is Yerry someone who is worth following?
Eric A Longenhagen
2:13
This is 20 y/o Texas righty Yerry Rodriguez, carving up AZL so far. He's a prospect. Part of why I live in AZ is so I can see these guys in person and know if they're dudes or not right away. Rodriguez is a dude. 90-95, commands it, will show you a 6 changeup and 5 breaking ball but both sit a bit beneath that. Breaking ball plays up against righties because of his lower slot and will be fine if he's locating it, which he seems likely to do as other aspects of his command are already in place. Wouldn't call him a high ceiling guy, but he's a good prospect.
Here's his player page with links to where I've written on him so far: https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=sa918130&position=P
christian
2:14
Do you think the uptick in Gavin Lux's power is sustainable?
Eric A Longenhagen
2:16
That's Dodgers SS prospect Gavin Lux, a former glove-first first round HS shortstop suddenyl hitting for power in the Cal League. Some of it is driven by the hitting environment but there has also been a change in his batted ball profle that indicates a swing change has been made, and some of this is probably real. Groundball rate has dropped from 53% to 40%.
The CL
2:16
What's your hot take on Sean Guilbe, stealth-signed by San Diego out of the 12th round?
Eric A Longenhagen
2:17
(Screaming like the High Heat guy)
SEAN GUILBE IS A RAW MIDDLE INFIELDER WITH PLUS BAT SPEED AND A HIGH-RISK CONTACT PROFILE
XXXXyyyy
2:17
Frainyer Chavez -- name to know, or just a guy having a couple of good weeks?
Eric A Longenhagen
2:19
Another Rangers AZL kid. Was a late round pick (22nd round? 28th round? I forget) out of a Texas JUCO. He was born in Venezuela but fled here with his family to avoid religious persecution in his home country. I like him. He's small, but the swing works and he has good pop for his size, feel for all-fields contact. Looks more like a utility type right now, but that'd be a great outcome for a pick that late.
Mark
2:19
How do you like what Ian Anderson is doing in high A?
Eric A Longenhagen
2:19
How could anyone not like it?
Pio
2:19
Lauer hit 95 a couple times yesterday and topped out at 96. Is this new for him or has he always had that kind of heat ready?
Eric A Longenhagen
2:20
It's new. His velo has pretty clearly been ticking up throughout the year. https://www.fangraphs.com/graphs.aspx?playerid=19316&position=P&pitchg...
Kiermaierkegaard
2:20
Keon Broxton is credited for 10 DRS this season in 89 innings (only 13 games!). Crazy/SSS? and can the Brewers turn him into a viable trade chip for Machado/deGrom?
Eric A Longenhagen
2:21
Small sample, but he is a plus defensive CF. I guess I'd consider him a piece because I think he's a viable big leaguer, but realistically he's a 40, maybe a 45. So not a centerpiece.
Jake Junis Priest
2:22
Are there take-aways from the MiLB all star games or are they just for fun?
Eric A Longenhagen
2:23
It's nice to see pitchers air it out for an inning and see what happens to the stuff when they do it. It's also nice to watch a higher concentration of talent take BP in succession.
Greg
2:24
How much differently should a player like Brewer Hicklen be evaluated since he was a multi-sport athlete for so long? Generally a 22yo in A ball is rather uninteresting, but it seems like he could have a pretty high ceiling
Eric A Longenhagen
2:26
Royals OF prospect Brewer Hicklen, two-sport guy at UAB (sorta) who was a top 100 draft guy for me last year (https://www.fangraphs.com/scoutboard.aspx?draft=2017mlb&type=0&pos=all...) and who is having a good season (https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/daily-prospect-notes-7-5/)  ... just provides context for the eval. If you see someone like that and think he has deficiencies, it's imporant to note there might be a reason, independent of talent, he has them.
Robb Nen’s labrum
2:27
Where would you rank Luciano in the Giants Prospects list?
Eric A Longenhagen
2:28
That's $2.6mil SS/oF Marco Luciano, who the team signed on July 2. He was a 45 FV on the international list and will be one on the Giants team list, which means he's in the 3-5 range in the system.
Bo
2:28
Do you see Gohara in the Braves rotation as soon as next season? Any chance he works his way back in this year?
Eric A Longenhagen
2:29
No idea, just think it's a lost year for the kid, through no fault of his own.
Pio
2:29
Is Lucchesi on a innings count or is going deep into games going to be an issue for him?
Eric A Longenhagen
2:30
Seems like there's hesitancy to use the whole repertoire, and I expect it'll be the latter until that changes.
Purple Mays Haze
2:31
Watching Enyel De Los Santos' MLB debut, he 'shortarms' the ball. How much does that influence a scouting report (and what does it influence)? Injury proneness, lower perceived velo, ability to repeat delivery, ability to stay as an SP?
Eric A Longenhagen
2:32
Lower perceived velo if he truly doesn't get great extension (and I'd say this is true of De Los Santos), wouldn't worry about the injury stuff until an individual actually gets hurt a bunch.
2:34
I actually looked at his MLB page and did a statcast search and they don't have Enyel's extension or perceived velo up yet, which is a bummer. Did they just take all that stuff away? I really dug that.
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