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Jeffrey
8:29
Opinion on what the angels should do (sell or stand pat)
Taylor Ward
8:29
Wait four days
Tbone
8:30
I hear a lot about Angels recent draft pick Chris Rodriguez. Can you give me a quick rundown on his arsenal and what makes him a prospect to watch?
Taylor Ward
8:30
Electric fastball, saw him in the mid 90's last year. Slider and curve have both developed well, and the changeup is a work in progress. I wasn't in AZ early in the summer, but everyone I've spoken with says he's been very impressive. I'll see him in Orem in a few weeks.
Bud
8:31
it seems like the Angels system is currently undervalued by the major analysists. Do you think they are as bad as they are being ranked (last) or are they on the upswing?
Taylor Ward
8:33
I see these kids more than most analysts (it's my job to do so), so I get a more in depth look at each kid. I saw that MLB gave a few grades lower than I would have, but it was also the opposite for some they're higher on. I speak with guys from Baseball America and spoke to Jonathan Mayo as recent as today about the system. It's still a long ways from being solid. Jeff and I will have our system rankings after the top 10's and the Angels will not be last but they will not be anywhere near the front... or middle...
Johnathan
8:33
What is the ceiling for a guy like Brennon Lund in terms of WAR? Is having a couple 2 WAR years way above expectation?
Taylor Ward
8:33
Good hitter, good fielder, undersized. Fourth outfield profile. Whatever the average to better fourth outfielder's WAR is, I'd look towards that.
Patrick Kennedy
8:33
Angels will have a hard time staying in the hunt for the wildcard...will they become sellers and who would be the first few off the board?
Taylor Ward
8:34
Ask me in four days, they're going through three straight first-place teams and competing against them in some sense (ignore tonight's game). Five games out going into August isn't a bad spot, especially when the schedule gets easier.
Jeffrey
8:34
What ever happened to Roberto Baldoquin?
Taylor Ward
8:35
Dislocated shoulder. Another injury when he was beginning to find a groove in both power and contact. I still believe he has a utility profile, but my opinion is dampened based on how fragile he is.
Bud
8:35
Brandon Marsh is struggling to stay healthy. If he was, do you think he'd be a top 150 prospect?
Taylor Ward
8:36
Depends on which outlet you're talking about. MLB and Baseball America both ranked him #6 and I know one of those outlets did so strictly due to his injury risk. On our Top 10 coming in the next few weeks, he'll be higher than #3. Jeff Ellis and I only go 100 deep, and based on my opinion, I could think of 100 better prospects across baseball right now.
Corbin
8:36
Why is Joe Gatto still in Burlington with the year he's been having?
Taylor Ward
8:37
Consistency. Started the season on a poor note, been much better of late and showing more consistency. He may be moving upward near season's end, but the outings weren't good enough regularly to award him that promotion.
Jake
8:38
Could any reliever on the Angels fetch a Top 100 prospect? I would think Bedrosian or Parker are probably the only ones. Think either would be traded?
Taylor Ward
8:38
Bedrosian possibly, but it'd be someone very close to #100
Johnathan
8:38
What's the outlook for Michael Hermosillo?
Taylor Ward
8:39
Keeps his approach, has good speed, can play center field... all based on contact and power, he might have a chance at being a starter for a few years. Spoke with a scout early in the season who comped him to Craig Gentry (Rangers scout that signed Gentry).
Dex
8:39
Does anybody in the angels farm system have top 100 potential
Taylor Ward
8:39
Yes, Jahmai Jones was on our list last year (not MLB or Baseball America), and Jo Adell has a chance as well. If they don't, it's because of opinion from each outlet and the opinion of seeing 100 guys better.
Vincent Page
8:39
Are you a Taylor Ward believer?
Taylor Ward
8:41
I'm torn. Kid has a cannon from behind the plate and I've seen streaks of good PA's. It seems he's back to a more disciplined approach, which is where he needs to be. He's traded discipline and a bit more power for a few more strikeouts. I don't think he'll ever be a big contact guy, but if he can provide strong every day defense and 15 home runs a year, you've got yourself a strong future MLB catcher.
Garrett
8:41
Any teams prospect questions good? If so what kind of player do you think Lewis Bronson becomes?
Taylor Ward
8:42
I don't understand the beginning of this question, but... Lewis Brinson, as long as he stays simple, he has star potential. Between his athleticism, speed, and power, he could be really special, but it really lies on him not doing too much at the plate (see: Byron Buxton)
Corbin
8:43
Is there anybody that isn't a "prospect" in Mobile that could be a sleeper to make the big leagues in a year or two?
Taylor Ward
8:44
Depends on how you feel about titling guys as "prospects," but... Justin Anderson, Jeremy Rhoades, and Jose Briceno are guys who have a shot at some MLB time
Johnathan
8:44
While Deveaux is a great get... what prevented us from getting some of the higher ranked prospects? Were we in the mix? And such a focus on the Bahamas?
Taylor Ward
8:45
I'm assuming this is strictly based on the int'l market, and if so, I'm not the guy to answer this. I don't go down there, and don't get to meet the int'l scouts to even speak to them about these guys. Each team negotiates differently with these kids who are actually kids (16 or 17 years old), and with the Angels being out of that market for a pretty lengthy amount of time, they might not have the best negotiating rights with the families who are more familiar with others who have pursued them for years.
Garrett
8:45
Also who is your favorite( not necessarily top ranked) pitching and hitting prospect in the minors?
Taylor Ward
8:46
I touched on this earlier, try not to pick favorites because it shows a bit of bias. If I had to pick one pitching prospect or one hitting prospect across all MLB, I'd go with Brent Honeywell and Brendan Rodgers
Vincent Page
8:46
What is Jo Adell's bust potential? Anyone else you would have taken at 10?
Taylor Ward
8:48
Adell is too good an athlete with too loud of tools to be a serious bust. If you consider Byron Buxton a bust, you could see that as Adell's "bust potential." If I was GM in that spot, I'd have taken Shane Baz
Dex
8:48
Who might get the call as the season begins winding down
Taylor Ward
8:48
Anyone currently on the 40-man roster, and possibly a speed threat like Hermosillo
Johnathan
8:48
Is Nonnie Williams coming along?
Taylor Ward
8:49
I'll see him in about 2-3 weeks down in AZ, will have a better idea then. Hearing his swings from the left-side are getting better but still pretty long
Tbone
8:49
Do you think Cowart can finally stay up in the bigs? He doesnt look so jumpy anymore and his swing looks smooth. Kid could always play defense.
Taylor Ward
8:50
Jeff Fletcher of the OC Register has a good quote from Kaleb in his notebook from yesterday. Kaleb said he finally feels comfortable which is what it was going to take for him to stay up. There's always a reason a kid isn't called up from Triple-A or elsewhere even if they're producing at a high rate. It seems we found the reason for Cowart staying down for some time
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