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FanGraphs 2021 Top 100 Chat
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Eric A Longenhagen
1:13
there are lots of similar questions in the queue about Adell, Bohm, etc. and they're all more or less answered through that link.
Matt
1:14
JRod has been known to hit the ball very hard for his age. Is the reason you have him lower than someone like Kirilloff because JRod has higher uncertainty? It seems that if he can put it together he will be a superstar but if he continues to strikeout, he will be more of a bust
Eric A Longenhagen
1:15
Correct. I think if you compare those two players directly that they have very similar skillsets, very similar potential issues (they like to swing an awful lot) and one of them will be in the big leagues tomorrow (Kirilloff) while the other is further away.
Alvin
1:15
Do you think your grades will be more sensitive to players' early 2021 performances than usual, after the extra-long layoff? Or were you able to source enough information to provide the regular amount of certainty. Thanks!
Eric A Longenhagen
1:17
There was no shortage of information from 2020, it's just hard to know how much to weigh that info. I barely care about Alt site performance at all, unless I'm getting it from a source outside the org who did video work or who is looking at data. I put more stock into instructs because kids were actually competing there, and it was more open to scouts. I'll be quick to move guys in 2021 if a change in performance coincides with a change in something else (body, swing, delivery, stuff like that)
Tim
1:17
Player comp for Ronaldo Hernandez?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:18
less athletic Alfaro
Keith P.
1:18
Thanks for your work, Eric. How close was Hedbert Perez to your Top 100 and do you see him as a threat to make the list next year?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:19
Not that close, he'll be a 40+ FV for me this offseason. LF only, 30 arm. Chance for hit/power combo, tho. Saw him a handful of times in the Fall and thought he was pretty interesting, just not a beast.
Corbin Carroll
1:20
have heard comps of Johnny Damon and Adam Eaton. Who does he more closely comp to?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:21
closer to Eaton since Carroll's a better glove than Damon. I've mentioned Brett Gardner, too.
GSon
1:21
Indians middle infield prospects/players are so plentiful.. If you had could only keep four, who of Gabriel Arias, Owen MIller, Jose Tena, Angel Martinez, Gabrial Rodriguez, Tyler Freeman Brayan Rocchio and Aaron Bracho would you regret losing the most?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:22
I'd cut Gabby and Tena. You'd have to pry Rocchio from my cold, dead hands.
Angry Fan
1:22
Why do you hate my team specifically?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:23
because of all the commercialist signage all over their ballpark
Big League Choo
1:24
In a vacuum, which skill would you most like to see in a prospect.
  1. Big in-game power.
  2. Ability to lay off balls.
  3. High contact rate.
Eric A Longenhagen
1:24
3
Jake
1:24
Why do nearly none of the top pitching prospects have cutting fastballs?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:24
because most of the top MLB pitchers don't.
Annie
1:26
Throw out the defense, Heriberto Hernandez is a top ___ hitter in the minors.
Eric A Longenhagen
1:26
20
Jaiden
1:27
As far as I'm aware, Gregory Santos has never made a top 100 list. Could you talk a bit about why he made it?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:27
Are the scouting reports not showing up on the list or something?
Uncle Spike
1:27
Slightly off topic but what are your thoughts on the Red Sox/Rays trade that went down today?  You've got a 45 on Ronaldo Hernandez and seems like the Sox got him for essentially nothing.
Eric A Longenhagen
1:27
oh wait, I haven't seen this yet...
1:28
oh hey, look at that
1:29
I like Springs. This is TB moving a guy with a bad approach for pitching depth that every contender needs. BOS has the big league PA's to give him a shot and see if it works. Nice trade for BOS even if Ronaldo is risky.
Peter
1:29
Hi Eric. Thanks for making this week so much fun. Your deep sourcing with team scouts and officials, and ability to translate their opinions for us normies, is one of your (and KG's) great strengths. I wondered though how much you also tried to gather intel from other players, whether opposing players or perhaps big leaguers in the same org who see prospects for the first time at spring training or an alt site. Obviously a player might not want to highlights a teammate's flaws, but at the same time, who better to identify what will fly in the big leagues than big leaguers themselves? I remember an anecdote about Atlanta major leaguers singling out Soroka before his breakout. Do you include players in your contacts?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:31
I do not. I think you can learn a lot about players by talking with them, but it's impossible for me to do at scale, and it might also impact my objectivity.
Evan
1:33
Yerry Rodriguez at #124 is a departure compared to other publications (BA has him 29th in org; Law did not name him at all). Could you share what it is you see in him that others may be missing?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:33
I just think his stuff and command line up with other 4th starter types toward the back of the 50 FVs. I'm betting a little bit on his unique delivery having positive effect on how his stuff works, and his ability to spin the ball let's me  project on his breaking stuff, which needs to get better. He was back up to 98 during the Fall so I felt ok leaving him on after he missed 2019 with elbow stuff. He was a 50 FV last year, nothing new from me here.
Guest
1:34
Good morning! I was curious about your thoughts ranking Manning, Skubal & Mize?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:35
It was super hard. Teams are all over the place as to how to line them up. Ultimately I thought Mize's health stuff had to slide him, and I feel better about Manning's command than SKubal's while also thinking Manning's stuff still has a chance to take another leap because of his size/athleticism.
Matt
1:35
What do you see in Corbin Carroll to put him 22 spots in front of Kristian Robinson? I have seen Robinson in front of Carroll in a lot of rankings
Eric A Longenhagen
1:36
better at-bat quality. Several grades higher. Carroll's fall at-bats were freaking incredible.
GK
1:36
What does a "grooved swing" mean?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:36
the bat traverses the zone in roughly the same place every time.
let me see if I can get some video up for some of these quesitons...
Jeff
1:36
As someone who writes the list, is there any disdain for how these things - especially the rankings over the words - come to dominate the perception of these players?
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