You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Kevin Goldstein FanGraphs Chat - 5/24/2021
powered byJotCast
Kevin Goldstein
12:00
Hi everyone and welcome to another Monday chat. Wow, what a May tournament! I was rooting for Takakeisho to complete the incredible comeback, but you have to hand it to Terunofuji for winning his second straight basho and making the July event even more interesting as he is suddenly on a possible Yokozuna path. Wakatakakage continues to impress and hopefully finally gets promoted out of Megashira, and it looks like Takayasu could go into July as an Ozeki. Should be really interesting to see how the banzuke unfolds, and if Hakuho as anything left in him. Anyway, I look forward to 90 or so minutes of fun sumo talk until Ben Clemens shows up to talk baseball. Oh wait, it looks like you fine folks want to talk about baseball as well. Ok, we can do that . . .
South Side
12:01
KG - Love your chats and the scouting notes - thank you! Jake Burger was mentioned in both the chat and notes and after the weekend has a 962 OPS in AAA.. do you factor in the time away from baseball in the past few years as a part of your eval? Does this hurt him or make his start to the season more impressive? Thanks KG!
Kevin Goldstein
12:01
I mean, it makes for a more interesting story, but if you are scouting/evaluating, all you can do is focus on what's in front of you right now.
joe
12:02
Is it time for Luis Medina to hit AA? Or is he still walking a tad too many?
Kevin Goldstein
12:02
I don't think he needs to be rushed. Trying to develop him as a starter, so let's get some focus on pitch efficiency before moving him up.
Bad Bill
12:02
Clearly there has been front-office turnover in lots of teams in the last couple of years, with analytics being one reason (although not the only one).  Do you see any evidence that there have been risers and fallers in their capabilities for player development as a result?  Who's up in the age of analytics, who's down?
Kevin Goldstein
12:03
I don't think capabilities is the right word. Certainly areas of focus. Nothing really shocking here, just focus on 4-seam over 2-seam, etc.
Bob
12:04
Michael Toglia has been more of a balanced hitter at UCLA and even on the Cape, but so far this season he has put up a strikingly TTO batting line (6 homers, 3 other hits). Any idea if this is SSS weirdness, the Rockies tinkering with some things, or anything else that would suggest a long-term change to his profile or outlook?
Kevin Goldstein
12:04
He's was a big whiff guy in college as well. I think TTO type was what he was coming out of the draft and that's what he will be.
Jack
12:05
What do you make of Brujan's start? Can a level-headed person think he's tapped into something sustainable with this power, or is this a nice flash in the pan but don't assume anything has meaningfully changed in his profile? Or is it something else entirely (different approach, 2021 AAA ball, ect...)?
Kevin Goldstein
12:05
TONS of Brujan questions. I definitely think there has been a step forward in terms of power. I'm not ready to throw 25 HR on him or anything, but I feel better about it than I did in January, and can say Eric was more right about him than I was.
Dave
12:05
Idk if you’re a fantasy guy but I got offered Bregman for Trout in h2h points. Is that a no brainer for me given Trout’s injury?
Kevin Goldstein
12:06
I'm not a fantasy guy, and we have a great fantasy team here at FanGraphs. That said, this certainly sounds like a no-brainer to me.
Guest
12:06
Are you concerned about Jeter Downs slow start and high strikeout rate?
Kevin Goldstein
12:06
Maybe mildly.
joe
12:06
Who is one guy from your time in Houston who was "stolen" from you in the draft that you are still upset about?
Kevin Goldstein
12:07
Triston Casas.
Hunter
12:07
Is there a clear top 7 in this draft (Mayer, Lawler, Rocker/Leiter, Davis, House, and Watson)? Or are there others you would place ahead of those guys.
Kevin Goldstein
12:07
Writing about this for tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Jeb
12:07
As of today, is it basically down to Lawler or Mayer for the Pirates at #1?
Kevin Goldstein
12:07
There are more. Again, tomorrow....
The Opener
12:07
Do you think Taylor Walls will be a significant step up from Willy, a negligible one, or not at all/worse?
Kevin Goldstein
12:07
Somewhere around the same.
Tyler
12:07
Is Roansy Contreras a guy that can shoot up the rankings in the near future with the uptick in his stuff and the results at AA so far?
Kevin Goldstein
12:07
Absolutely.
Jason
12:08
This is a naive question. Does hit tool encompass both plate discipline and bat-to-ball ability? I often wonder if they could be separate scouting grades, since they seem to be distinct skills.
Kevin Goldstein
12:08
Not naive, and it's actually kinda complicated. Plate discipline is not part of the hit tool grade, yet it can play into it as for most players better swing decisions lead to better hitting.
Dan
12:08
how concerned should the Astros be about their bullpen issues? seems they can't win a game if they don't get 6+ innings from their starter
Kevin Goldstein
12:09
I think it's the only clear weakness on the team, and I'm sure it will be an area to focus on for July. I'm quite sure they are already lining up potential trade targets to help in the bullpen.
Myogiryu's top knot
12:09
What a tournament!! Terunofuji and Takakeisho have had a few head-to-heads for all the marbles already, and we're shaping up for peak Terunofuji vs Hakuho's last stand
Kevin Goldstein
12:10
I would love to see one last great showing for Hakuho, but I'm not especially optimistic.
Chamaco
12:10
Oswald Peraza’s blurb on Fangraphs reads: “An outstanding international find for $175,000, Peraza is a plus-run, plus-glove shortstop, and scouts see some untapped power potential.” He has 5 HRs this year, and had 5 total in the minors before this season. Is this him tapping into his untapped power potential, or small sample size/fluke?
Kevin Goldstein
12:10
Like Brujan, I do think this is a step forward. It's not a sudden plus power grade or anything, but good to see, and it's not some pure randomness.
Guest
12:11
Over the weekend, not only did Shelton allow position player Difo to give up 8 earned runs in a blowout loss but in low-A the organization allowed two position players to pitch, including one of their better prospects (Endy Rodriguez).  What's your take on position players pitching in the majors and the minors?
Kevin Goldstein
12:11
I don't really think I have a position. I just kinda "whatever" the whole thing.
Al
12:11
What parts of Manoah's game need the most refinement?  Semi-relatedly, would a team really promote a player like that and throw them right into a game @ Yankee Stadium?  How much do teams cherry pick a date/opponent when making a promotion?
Kevin Goldstein
12:12
Cherry pick is a bit strong, but date/opponent often comes into play when these kind of decisions are made. Starting your first game at Yankee Stadium is a good example of a situation that might play into the decision a bit. I'd rather have him go at Dunedin.
P-rick
12:13
Any thoughts on Nick Pratto's breakout? I know he made some swing adjustments since 2019, but wondering if this is SSS noise or something legit.
Kevin Goldstein
12:13
I think it's something legit, not in the sense that I think he's an 1100 OPS guy, but I do think he's a clearly different player, and more like the one who was the 14th pick in the draft four years ago.
Ronto
12:14
Can you give your opinion on Manoah’s third pitch?
Load More Messages
Connecting…