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Klawchat 4/2/25
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Keith Law
1:01
My spoon is too big. Klawchat.
Dr. Bob
1:01
Thanks for continuing to do these chats here. I love The Athletic, but not its chat feature. I had a question amid the discussion about the torpedo bats. Is this going to change the definition of a barrel?
Keith Law
1:02
You're welcome - I also don't care for the format of TA's chats, but I also don't get and don't feel like I can answer questions too far afield from baseball there, whereas here anything goes. To your question, no, I don't think it would change the definition, but it might change the frequency of Barrels.
Smitts
1:02
How good can Casey Mize be with the arsenal he showed last night?
Keith Law
1:03
The splitter looked fantastic on tv, but he still didn't throw a ton, and Statcast doesn't seem to think it's that different from 2024. I loved Mize in the draft/before he debuted and would love this to be sustainable, but I need to see more.
addoeh
1:03
When does your top 50 draft prospects ranking come out?  And still planning on your top 100 in early May?
Keith Law
1:03
Top 50 is scheduled for 4/15. And yes to the top 100.
addoeh
1:03
More surprising event in Mondays Vagabond A's - Chicago Cubs game; Jacob Wilson first career HR or Carson Kelly hitting for the cycle?
Keith Law
1:03
Oh, Kelly by a mile. Requires four events rather than one, and that Sacramento park is probably going to be pretty power-friendly.
Aaron C.
1:03
Best tacos you've ever had in the *eastern* time zone and outside of your own kitchen?
Keith Law
1:04
Nuvotaco in Durham.
Guest
1:04
Jackson Merrill $135MM/9: yay all around?
Keith Law
1:04
Yep. No notes.
Heather
1:04
Did the torpedo bats injure Giancarlo Stanton, or was the perpetually injured Stanton injured while standing near a torpedo bat?  NYC needs to know!
Keith Law
1:04
Are you saying the bats ... torpedoed his career?
JJ
1:04
Why is Marcelo Mayer in Worcester, and Trevor ".235 Career Hitter Away from Coors" Story in the Red Sox' starting lineup?  When he's not hurt, Story's a lousy hitter.
Keith Law
1:04
I think Mayer needs AAA time and wrote as much this winter. He'll be up soon enough.
Aaron C.
1:04
NOT asking you to name names, but have you ever scouted a kid with legitimate "make-up" concerns who went on to have an MLB career of note?
Keith Law
1:04
Yes.
Mike Trout
1:04
I saw you mention that you are also a big fan of Zone of Interest. Will you be reviewing it?
Keith Law
1:06
No, I watched it too long ago to write about it. It was the best movie I saw from 2023, though. It's a masterpiece of subtlety. All of the evil is just outside of your view.
Finnegan
1:06
Was Roki Sasaki really one of the five best SP options for the Dodgers this spring?  I don't understand why he's not in Oklahoma City.
Keith Law
1:06
Who was a better option? Setting aside his experience in NPB and the hype around him, I think he was one of of their five best SP.
Richard
1:06
Baseball is back!!  Dana Brown called Cam Smith an 'aircraft carrier,' which I guess is good, but promoting him and immediately putting him in Right seems like a lot to handle...any concerns about long-term damage from pushing him too quickly, or could he benefit in the long run?
Keith Law
1:07
I do not like having a player play a new position as he transitions to the majors. Jackson Merrill pulled it off, if you want a counterexample.
Richard
1:07
Based on your recommendation I read Nettle and Bone and loved it! The modernization of classic fantasy road trip themes, and abundant humor were great.  Have you read any of her other work that you'd recommend (or someone doing similar things)?
Keith Law
1:07
I'm about halfway through her newest novel, A Sorceress Comes to Call, and it's excellent. Her style reminds me of Connie Willis and Jo Walton.
Alek
1:07
This pirates rebuild has not gone according to plan. Looks to be a combo of missing on their trades (musgrove, bell, etc) and their drafted hitters underperforming (davis, gonzales, termarr) . Any other insights you’d add?
Keith Law
1:10
The thing about their drafts is that those guys were pretty much all seen as good or apt picks for where Pittsburgh took them. Davis is a special case because they did the thing I just said I hate to see - they promoted him to the majors and had him play a new position, and it seems to have derailed him completely.
Alek
1:10
I’m not sure many had Mitchell parker as being as successful as hes been, but hes pitched like a good number 5, maybe even a 4. (which is a relative win)..do you think thats about what he is?
Keith Law
1:10
He's a 5, nothing more.
Johnny Beisbol
1:10
White Sox starting rotation has some interesting guys. Between Burke, Martin, Smith, and Cannon, who do you think has the brightest future?
Keith Law
Braydon
1:11
Does the top of the draft seem more uncertain this year than in recent years, or is it still too early in the process?
Keith Law
1:12
Uncertain in terms of who the players are up top, yes, for sure. Teams generally don't know who they're taking this far in advance, but the issue I'm having is that nobody is really a #1 prospect in this class. Lots of guys who'd be good picks at #6 and down. Every player I think could go top 5 has some significant flaw or question mark.
Dana
1:12
Is Jasson Dominguez hopeless defensively, or is he just a young player who needs more reps in LF? Yanks keep pulling him for defense in close games late.
Keith Law
1:12
Another position change guy. Even weirder because he can really play centerfield.
Insert Witty Name Here
1:12
Oh sweet, a Klawchat!  Considering how terrible our political candidates are, who do you think would/could actually do the job of POTUS and be FDR like? If you can’t think of a name, what kind of background that isn’t multiple failed businessman.
Keith Law
1:15
I don't know that that person exists right now. FDR took office in the midst of a global depression, and thus had a lot of latitude to implement big, bold policy changes that probably wouldn't have flown five years earlier. The New Deal was as close to socialism as the U.S. has ever gotten; can you imagine the reaction today if President Walz or Ocasio-Cortez proposed the WPA and CCC?
Jay
1:15
Rafael Devers -- some say the switch from 3B to DH is too much of a mental adjustment, and messing with his mind.  Others say the four week staycation he took in lieu of participating in spring training games threw off his timing at the plate.  Where do you stand?
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