craig

That's fun! Tangent, but I wonder if Jace Beck has any chance to get promoted if he can keep his burn going? And if so, whether it will all unravel at Iowa, or if he might keep it up? Like, if Brody took Beck's spot with Beck up?

That's great to read! Didn't know that. He might be improving fast, then? Last year at Myrtle, in 56 catching games he had 23 PB/E (12, 11), which is extraordinary. And the offseason writeups seemed to reflect bat and arm. If he's improved his receiving now to 'rave' levels, that sounds really significant. Any input on his "soft" skills? Pitch calling, working with pitchers, framing, all of those kinds of soft things?

I think the catcher defense is a question. Today is only his 34th games at catcher this season. He's got 4 errors and 3 PB. I think his catch-and-throw for base-stealing is above-average, but not sure about his receiving skills?

Conrad looked stiff in that clip. Guessing his back isn't 100% yet. Or else that after months avoiding bending, that he's just not fully free to trust it yet.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the info. We'll wait and see, I guess. I'm still kinda cautious. If he has qualities to be a useful big-leaguer, still seems curious that he's sustained 4+ ERA in Southern League, where hitters aren't as good as in majors. But really helpful to understand the scouting perspective from his supporters.

I often read you guys referencing Kipp. What's the source of interest in that? He'll turn 27 in a few months; he's never had an ERA below 4, and has yet to pitch an inning in AAA. Southern League was huge pitcher-friendly league last year, I think, but he was still a 4.22 ERA. His HR-rate is nothing special, his WHIP has never been notably good. So, I've always kinda just assumed he was an average minor-league roster-fill pitcher who wasn't actually a big-league prospect. He's supposed to have an interesting breaking ball, yes? But that hasn't dominated AA or A hitters, had huge K numbers, or kept the HR's off. So, could you give me the argument for why you think he might have potential to someday pitch effectively in the majors?

Who has written him off? Not sure there's a big-league role at present. Would you bench Happ or Seiya to play him? Shaw? If not, where's his role? Given his "dim" baserunning blunders, he's not better than Dean at Dean's role. Let him play at Iowa, and see if he can improve and sustain as a hitter. Combine power with improved contact, and get better. He's recently gotten hot and gotten his average up to .250. Can he sustain a little bit? If/when injury necessitates a platoon outfielder, he needs to blast through whatever window of opportunity he gets. Kinda think he's best getting semi-regular AB's, and may need to wait for an opportunity where he either keeps getting them in AAA, or has a big-league chance. Again, if/when he gets that, he'll probably need to do some hitting right away to sustain/extend such chance. 26th-man role might not be his best fit. But yeah, I'm thinking there is still developmental ceiling for him, and he's better served hitting regularly at Iowa than 26th-manning for Cubs. Likewise I think he's more likely to build trade value improving at Iowa compared to 26th-manning for Cubs.

goodbye cole mathis

Any info on Poteet as a defensive catcher?

Do we know why Kepley has DH'd so much? His rate of attempting to steal bases has also declined. Just curious.

Speaking of AAA type guys. Owen Caissie isn't in AAA anymore. He's hanging with a -0.6 WAR for Miami, with a .269 OBP, .209 BA, and 79/193 K/AB.

I don't really see that, Outshined. It's hardly like Wicks is too good for Iowa, and Wicks is bored and un-challenged. The strike zone is the same size and distance in AAA as in majors, so zero reason he can't practice his fringy control there, (17BB/34IP). Or work on his stuff (his K-rate and K/BB rate stinks there too.). Or work on his HR-factory there. (8HR in 34 innings?). 24K/17BB/8HR/1.8 WHIP, the minor leagues are the place to work on getting better. If we think he's got potential to be a big-league pitcher, let him work at Iowa and see if he can optimize into at least an anti-awful back-of-rotation AAA pitcher. He's got the opportunity, do some proving. Same for Alcantara. Nobody's making him hit sub-.250 with >1/3 of AB's being strikeouts. It's hardly like AAA isn't challenging him plenty, and he isn't facing plenty of pitches that he can't hit. He's got his opportunity to get better. Let him sustain some hitting and sustain success, and earn an opportunity. AAA is exactly where those two guys belong until/unless they earn another shot. They've got their opportunity, let them seize the opportunity and earn a big-league shot. But yeah, it's not at all the case that they aren't being more than challenged by the competition they face there.

Oropeza was a $55K signing. Not a big ticket, but not a $10K guy either. Would be fun to click on one of these guys, in addition to the more notable $$ guys.

Longenhagens has Hartshorn with "average" power. That's the hinge evaluation. Premise of average power for a corner/1B guy, it's not logical for Longenhagen to rank him high. How highly he will be ranked by others, and how good he will eventually be, that all hinges on the power. Some of the recent HR's, they seem like above average power to my amateur eye. Guessing some other scouts will evaluate the power more favorably, and Longenhagen may boost his power score in due time.

I don't know anything. But my sense is that Hartshorn has a better chance of being an every-day RF than Rojas has of being an every-day SS. Two very good prospects. Keep hitting, both of you!