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craig

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Everything posted by craig

  1. craig
    I'll maybe also copy this to 2nd-day thread, but since this is the active thread, thought I'd add it here. Kantro comments on 2nd day guys. https://www.marqueesportsnetwork.com/cubs-wrap-up-first-day-of-draft-by-taking-intriguing-college-arm/ I found the following two comments most noteworthy. Particularly the idea that Carico could "maintain the catching position".
  2. craig
    Agree with the note about looking for ways to get value-per-limited dollar. Every team is trying to do that, of course. And risk-reward is complex for every individual player. But yeah, Wiggins has all three of wildman, TJ, and delayed start working against him. Cubs obviously thought those negatives enabled them to get a good-ceiling possibility at a place and price in the draft that otherwise wouldn't have been available. Your observation that the Cubs don't value top-of-zone riding fastballs like most teams was interesting and helpful. Not something I'd thought about before. Heh heh, not sure they're wise in that, given how ineffective some of our high-velocity fastballs have seemed to be! But that's a helpful thought for understanding some of their drafting.
  3. craig
    Agree. The long levers for 6'5/6'6" seem too long for my preference.
  4. craig
    I love having as many different scouting reports included as exist. After the first few rounds, often there aren't very many. But seeing different perspectives from different observers is really helpful. In the threads, California Raisin has posted a bunch, and it's super interesting to see different thoughts on Carico's defense, for example. Or Wiggins' fastball, one report can talk vertical drop, while another scout fastball as straight. So whether in the threads themselves, or in the synopsis listing, I'd love to have as many links to multiple reports.
  5. craig
    What do you think or know about Rosario? Haven't seen much info or media scouting on him. Seems to have the size and frame to have big power potential, and the arm to be perhaps really good. But, he's not been listed in any media-ranking top-250 or whatever. Being from New Jersey, and now at a sports-academy-HS in SC, I'm not sure why scouts would have missed him, it's not like he's from Manitoba or North Dakota and scouts never saw him. And being 19, he's not too young to have ever been seen. His height also lists differently. mlb Draft tracker has him at 6'6; NSB lists him at 6'5"; Perfect Game 6'2". I wonder which is real? I wonder how long he and his family lived in the states? seems like a man of much mystery. I'm guessing once the Cubs sign him, his bonus might provide some clues, too. *IF* he's slot ($326), or not hugely over ($400 or so?), that might provoke less "wow, I wonder if" that if he gets $700 or some really big super-slot.
  6. craig
    $145,500 over slot for Melendez, the 17-year-old 7th rounder from PR. Lots of projection for 6'3 165 17-year-old.
  7. craig
    Which bonus pool? From the previous-summer draft? Or would that count against the upcoming draft?
  8. craig
    https://theathletic.com/4678630/2023/07/10/cubs-draft-matt-shaw/ Kantrovitz. Longenhagen says "pure relief prospect". But Kantro's reference to curveball "really stood out" suggests that Cubs see a path as a starter. Combo of power fastball with ride, power slider, curveball, and the change that other sources have mentioned, that's obviously a pathway to being a rotation asset. Obviously the Cubs have had a lot of guys who work on lots of pitches but fail because they can't control any of them, that's totally Cubs typical. So Jaxon will probably be no better in rotation that Jensen or Luke Little or Palencia or Kohl Franklin or Riley Thompson or any of the wildmen. I'd like to believe, and I like going for some ceiling. But thus far, I have to agree with Longenhagen, that whatever capacity Cubs D+D pitch-lab stuff has had in boosting velo or pitch shape, it really hasn't shown much success in curing wildmen.
  9. craig
    Thanks, that makes sense, I'd forgotten about the rainout.
  10. craig
    Hodge used in relief. Is this the first time this year?
  11. craig
    Have we had guys younger than Moises in high-A? I think he's a few months younger than Caissie was when he broke with South Bend last year. Younger than Triantos, or Alcantara or PCA for their South Bend debuts. I think the immortal Aramis Ademan was some months older when he began at high-A, too. (I like to remember Aramis as a reminder that being super young for a league is nice, but only if you're good and you keep getting better, neither of which were true for him.) Gleyber Torres, was he maybe the last hitter younger than Moises to hit A+?
  12. craig
    90th percentile exit velocity is encouraging.
  13. craig
    Wow, 2 XBH for Howard, nice! Neither Tennessee nor SB are done as I write, but thus far great nights for all three of Howard (3/5,HR, 2B), Alcantara (5/5, 2HR), and Caissie (4/5, HR, 2BB). Fun!
  14. craig
    No XBH for Howard since game 1, and hitless back-to-back-to-back. 8K/0BB/1XBH thus far. Hope springs eternal.
  15. craig
    Wow. Nice! Would sure be fun if the international operations had a burst. Alzolay has been good, and Amaya with a HR today. Man would it be fun if Ballesteros, Rojas and Derniche are good.
  16. craig
    Man has Arias been hot. On his pitch count, sequencing 3-straight 5-inning games is impressive. He threw a lot of strikes tonight.
  17. craig
    That report has his velocity at only 90-92, and thats in his best game in 13 months. Is that where his velocity is always at? Or is it perhaps even softer when he's not feeling quite as great? Or does he often overthrow to get more velo, so maybe he's cutting back to something softer that maybe he can locate a little better? Am I misremembering? I thought two years ago when he was breaking out, that his fastball was considered excellent, and he was 93-95 then, plus with youth projection to perhaps get faster? Certainly when he was drafted, the scouting reports then weren't "projects to become a soft-toss 90-92 guy if things develop well." Hard to make it in the majors as both a soft-toss and command-challenged guy.
  18. craig
    Dom Hambley went 4 innings without a walk. Nice outing for a wildman.
  19. craig
    Those were some encouraging comments by the scout. " probably the cleanest arm and delivery I had seen all year." I love that, both for health/durability and also for control and repeatability. "He has a four-seam he can bully guys with. It has velo and life and rode up in the strike zone. It was a plus pitch,". I love that too. I've seen velocity reports, but In a world where every RHP throws at least mid-90's, I've wondered whether his fastball was above average, or had asset spin or movement. So nice to see a favorable eval. "So that’s three potential plus pitches in his arsenal." At draft there was talk of two-pitch guy, maybe ends up in relief. The scout touched on both change and curve; not sure which of those he was viewing as the 3rd potential plus pitch? I assume the curve?
  20. craig
    Wrong thread, but yesterday I'd asked for thoughts on Aliendo's defense. Cubs in NY wasn't especially positive, and foresaw him as kind of an organizational guy and fringe-major leaguer. (Quote below). I recall in past Tom with a comment that he's too small. Curiously enough, BA and Callis have somewhat more enthusiastic perspective on his defense. I don't think they spend a lot of time on kinda obscure prospects like Aliendo, though, so grain-of-salt etc.. Just kinda interesting how different sources can perceive guys somewhat differently. Baseball America on Aliendo defense: Jim Callis/Pipeline on Aliendo defense:
  21. craig
    Iowa game is weird. Tie game, bottom of the 10th, bases loaded with only one out. Perhaps one pitch from the game being done, but it's delayed by rain.
  22. craig
    Thanks for your observations, NY. I really appreciate that a lot. Bummer, because I'd had the sense as you mentioned, that he's popular and has good personality qualities that the Cubs seem to prioritize. So I'd hoped that if pitchers love him, and if he proves to be a good hitter, that being kinda average in terms of catch-and-throw and actually catching/receiving might be enough to allow for a successful career. Sorry to hear that the actual physical aspects of catching are sub-par. Disappointing news, but your observations are helpful.
  23. craig
    Scouting question: Aliendo is 7/37 in CS/SB, ~16%. I don't know how to find the league SB-success rate, but just going through the individual teams, there are a couple of exceptions but most teams have SB-success in the 79%-83% range. So, Aliendo is a couple of % below league-norm in throwing guys out. Scouting-wise, does he look clunky/slow on his pop-times? Does his arm-strength look sub-par, or his accuracy? How about as a receiver, does he look clunky and like a guy who will unnecessarily allow an unusual amounts of passed balls and wild pitches? I'm just kinda wondering whether his catch-and-throw capacity is a problem, and whether his receiving capacity is a problem, in terms of his prospect-hood? Or if he's pretty much just fine; maybe some of the tall wildmen pitchers don't give him a chance? Or maybe his receiving is excellent, and he's great with all the soft stuff; so even if his arm is unexceptional it's not at all a show-stopper for becoming a good big-league catcher?
  24. craig
    Frankling lifted after 5 innings, but at only 53 pitches. I think he got through the 4th at only 37 pitches. 2 walks, 1 wild pitch, and 1 single is it. The strike-throwing version of Franklin is pretty interesting.
  25. craig
    When Cassie gets them, he sometimes really hits them! Interesting that yesterday was on a pitch, top of the strike zone or else a little above it, this one a low strike.
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