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Klawchat 5/2/24
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Keith Law
1:01
Really don't mind if you sit this one out. Klawchat.
Brett
1:01
Is Ralphy Velasquez a guy, or could be a GUY?
Keith Law
1:02
The bat looks like a GUY, but he's only playing first base now and that raises the bar significantly (versus catching).
Matt
1:02
How excited should I be about Wichrowski?
Keith Law
1:03
Great arm, up to 96-97 with a really sharp slider (maybe a sweeper, I hate that term), no pitch for lefties - it's FB, SL, cutter, and the cutter isn't great - so right now it's a relief profile. Arm action seems fine to start; maybe he can learn a splitter or split-change to give him that extra pitch he needs for LHB?
Josh
1:04
Is Matt Wilkinson an actual prospect or just old for his level?
Keith Law
1:05
He's definitely old for his level, and his season line is a bit skewed by one incredible start (6 IP, 15 K!). I'd rather say we just don't know, and that he should at least be in high A now, given the results. LHB are striking out half the time they face him, which is a pretty good starting point.
Zirinsky
1:05
Hey there Keith. Thanks for doing these chats. I'm curious: how would you handle what's going on on various college campuses (protests, etc.) if you were an administrator at one of them where there was a lot of activity?
Keith Law
1:06
I can tell you what I wouldn't do: send in large groups of heavily armed police and hope I didn't just create another Kent State. It'd be nice if they learned a single lesson from past protests. There's also a great piece in the Atlantic today about how some of these same schools have touted their 'activist' credentials and talked up freedom of expression ... and now they're zip-tying professors and expelling students.
Dallas
1:06
Hi Keith- hope you are having a great day and I throughly enjoy your work. My question is regarding the development of the Pirates position players. We are in year 5 of the Cherington Era and several bats (Suwinski, Davis, Cruz, etc) are struggling mightily. Is there hope these guys can turn it around, or is the outlook as bleak as it appears?
Keith Law
1:10
Suwinski was never a 'guy' like the other two as a prospect; last year looked like a pretty big fluke. The others were very highly-rated prospects, for totally different reasons, but I think it's fair to ask the question - and note that some of this goes back to the previous regime, as well. They really haven't developed a hitter into an offensive star since Reynolds, who they got in a trade when he was 22 and already reasonably developed. Davis fits their mold of guys who can hit the ball hard, but don't do it often enough. Cruz is unique among their guys in that it's about approach and his unusual size, rather than too much weak contact.
Justin
1:13
Is there anything in Cade Povich's arsenal thats actually improved from last year, or is this just a small sample stellar chunk where his true talent hasn't really improved?
Keith Law
1:13
He's working a lot more with a cutter now, and that probably explains a lot of the improvement, along with some good luck on BIP.
Justin
1:13
Over or under 60 wins for Oakland?
Keith Law
1:13
Over.
SamG
1:13
Cam Collier appears to have a nice start to the season. Obviously small sample size. Do you expect he plays the entire season in Dayton, or do you expect a promotion to AA if he continues to play well?
Keith Law
1:14
He's 19; I hope they leave him in Dayton all year, or close to it. He's performing very well overall, but obviously there's some aggressiveness there early in counts that pitchers will exploit at some point.
J
1:14
Was Theo Gillen close to making your Draft top 50?
Keith Law
1:14
No, but he should have been, and he'll be on the update in the top 30 or so.
Dana
1:14
Austin Wells isn't terrible behind the plate! Not a Gold Glover, but somewhere between below average and average. Are you willing to issue a formal mea culpa on that one?
Keith Law
1:14
He is way worse than you are saying. Already a ton of balls getting past him. Also hard eye roll at "formal mea culpa." The fuck does that even mean?
Matt K
1:15
Thank you for chatting, Keith. As a Brewer fan, very excited for the kids they already have up in the majors, and the ones to come. Do you think Sal Frelick will be able to start elevating more to get his ISO into a more helpful area - sorta what Tyler Black has seemed to?
Keith Law
1:15
Don't think Frelick's ever going to be a high ISO guy - could be a high average, high doubles type.
Matt
1:15
Should Drew Thorpe get called up to the majors soon, or is keeping him as far away as possible from Chicago best for his development (and general wellbeing)?
Woody
1:17
Are CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore making the leap this year? And where do you think Abrams's long-term defensive home is? Second base?
Keith Law
1:18
Thorpe: No idea why he's in AA. I would get him to AAA and see what happens there with his below-average FB. He's not missing a ton of bats in AA right now, but he's too good of a pitcher (in terms of feel, mixing pitches, command) for that level. I wouldn't call him up tot he majors now or soon.
1:20
Abrams: He was on my breakouts list, so of course I hope this is real. I thought we'd see more hard contact, and we are, even though his top-end contact quality hasn't changed.

Gore: I want to believe, and there are some things here I think are sustainable, like the improved strike-throwing, and at least some of the reduction in hard contact allowed. He's such a good athlete that I figured at some point he'd get that delivery consistent enough to be a low walk guy.
Justin
1:20
Do we have any idea what's up with River Ryan?   Any chance this injury results in him having high quality bullets left in September for the big league club?
Keith Law
1:21
He was supposed to be out 4-6 weeks, I think. I am assuming we'll see him rehabbing very soon, based on that timetable. I would not anticipate him pitching in the majors this year.
Guest
1:21
Alex Bohm has been hitting really well but his defense has surprised me. I am not saying he’s even average but his turnaround from where he was at his lowest has been a surprise to even get to the point where he is at now.  What do you make of his defense?
Keith Law
1:21
I think he's at least a 50 (average) defender now. He started to show a lot of this last year, and so far this year he's been that guy more consistently.
Braydon
1:21
Brody Brecht has been much better his last two starts. Can his final few starts of the year improve his draft stock significantly?
Keith Law
1:22
I don't think "significantly," but maybe slightly. He's probably the fourth college starter taken after Burns, Smith, Yesavage. Word is the Angels would just take Yesavage and rush him to the big leagues. If that's true those three arms all go in the top ten, and then we may not see another pitcher taken until the back half of the round.
JT
1:23
How does Kurtz compare to recent bat first 1B draftees such as Vaughn and Torkelson?
Keith Law
1:23
He reminds me a lot of Vaughn, but he's a LHB, and I think he has better bat speed right now than Vaughn did. Still a worrisome profile. Was very glad to see Kurtz come back from the injury and get way more aggressive - when I saw him this year and even last year I worried he was taking to take, happy to walk, rather than looking to do damage in advantageous counts.
1:25
Torkelson was a different profile - nowhere near as disciplined as the other two, more raw power, decent argument he was power over hit. I ranked him highly, so I don't want to make it sound like I didn't like him or think he was a good pick, but I didn't think he was a great athlete and thought he was a guy who'd have to hit from day one because he may not make adjustments that easily.
1:26
Vaughn, BTW, may be one of the biggest busts in the last 20 years. That guy dominated in the Pac-12 for three years - the Pac-12 used to be a major college conference, kids - and there was nothing about the swing to make you doubt he'd at least hit for average with high OBPs. The White Sox definitely rushed him, but at some point he needs to make an adjustment, too.
Jibraun
1:26
I know it's only been a month, but is it too early to think Goldschmidt is in age-related decline? He looks like he has lost bat speed, and he is compensating by cheating fastball and guessing.
Keith Law
1:26
I think that's exactly what's happening. He does seem to have lost bat speed. Father Time is undefeated.
Jordan Walker
1:26
What is going on? Why can’tI hit in the majors? A piece in the Athletic thinks hitting too low in the lineup is partially to blame. That can’t be true?
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