Annual KSig24 Top Prospect Q&A

[ksig24]

Re: Annual KSig24 Top Prospect Q&A

Taylor Guerreri is a favorite of mine because of the major sink on his fastball and his breaking pitch is almost as good. I know NY Penn is NY Penn but what's your thoughts on Taylor?

Whats not to like? Good body, similar to Verlander only a little shorter. Two plus pitches (hammer curve and +FB) and two pitches with makings of average offerings. Like I said, whats not to like. He is also a high ceiling/upside guy.

HS arm that TB should not rush. ETA 2015

[yanksdaniel99]

Re: Annual KSig24 Top Prospect Q&A

Woohoo it's that time of the year again

Would love to hear your thoughts on Matt Purke & Jed Bradley, two guys I liked coming into last year but evidently have fallen a ton according to most. Also obligatory Yankee fan question: thoughts on the quartet (Slade, Mason, Austin & Sanchez) ?

As far as the set goes this year, hopefully we got a true dynamic potential system in place but as of now, that looks unlikely. I think we determined that 30-50 A's was the safe number to prevent guys like Pujols, Crawford, A-Rod, etc. from retiring early into their contract. Based on that, hopefully we can get a solid list of guys going for that.

[juicer420]

Re: Annual KSig24 Top Prospect Q&A

Its not a top 50 thing so dont sweat it.

Great conversation on these two. I left Blackburn off my list, but barely. Crick I am in love with and I saw it coming all along. Stratton is the other one I really like, but to be honest it really is kind of hard to not see all three come along nicely. I just hope we dont have a repeat of Main, Kiker and Beavan with these good ol boys.

Crick - Most view him as the best of the bunch due to prospecting factors. Size, stuff, polish and UPSIDE.

Stratton - In all honesty, he is the best NOW. Anytime you can take a D1 shut down closer and turn him into your Friday starter that is saying something. His emergence through the organization as a potential frontline starter is all the more intriguing. He is the closest.

Blackburn - Another HS arm with all the tangilble goods to be another top of the rotation starter. Lets not forget that his feel for four solid pitches is already present. The only thing that has him a bit out of the top 50 is that I wanted to see a couple players who have been in the top 10-15 before finally fulfill their potentials. If not, to hell with them. Blackburn is on my bubble.

Picking up Stratton was a great pick. After the Giants traded Wheeler for 2 months of Beltran....I thought they seriously depleted their system of quality arms. With Crick and Stratton and the emergence of Blackburn as a mid round gem...they have a strong system of arms again.

Interesting that Blackburn is a fringe top 50 pitcher. That's good to know that he is viewed as an emerging prospect in some circles. I'm definitely excited and hopeful to see what the Giants have with these 3. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we see all 3 start the year in San Jose in the same rotation.

Thanks ksig and seanjeezy.

[ilstu24]

Re: Annual KSig24 Top Prospect Q&A

NVM. I'm dumb.

[bamadeuce2]

Re: Annual KSig24 Top Prospect Q&A

What do you think about Billy Hamilton? Its obvious the Reds are hoping he is ready to take over after this year(when Choo) leaves. What do you see his average years looking like? Pierre? Revere?
I was at a pre draft workout at Yankee Stadium with him and he looked like he didnt belong there till the 60s. Being a Reds fan and him being from nowher, Mississippi I have followed his career. I am a bit shocked at how well he has been progressing at the plate. I know he will never have any power(at all), but if he can hit 275 and carry a decent OBP he will be an extremely disruptive leadoff man.
Ive got a couple buddies in AA who say what is so amazing about Billy is the leads he can get and never come close to being picked off.

Also, do you know anything about Austin Adams(Indians) or Scott Shuman(Giants rule 5 from TB)? Scott has an elite fastball but laughable control. His strikeout and walk numbers are insane.

[ksig24]

Re: Annual KSig24 Top Prospect Q&A

Woohoo it's that time of the year again

Would love to hear your thoughts on Matt Purke & Jed Bradley, two guys I liked coming into last year but evidently have fallen a ton according to most. Also obligatory Yankee fan question: thoughts on the quartet (Slade, Mason, Austin & Sanchez) ?

As far as the set goes this year, hopefully we got a true dynamic potential system in place but as of now, that looks unlikely. I think we determined that 30-50 A's was the safe number to prevent guys like Pujols, Crawford, A-Rod, etc. from retiring early into their contract. Based on that, hopefully we can get a solid list of guys going for that.

Whats up buddy! I too was very high on both Purke and Bradley and still am, my overall consensus on these two are that it is too early to give up. I still have hope for Banuelos given his tools.

I always have a soft spot for collegiate pitchers, especially Friday night starters. College arms are typically battle tested and move faster than most. Purke was a first rounder non-signee who went to college and DOMINATED! He's still lefty and still provides some nasty stuff. It all comes down to health with Purke in my humble opinion.

Bradley is pretty much in the same boat except that he gained his notoriety by performing well in the college ranks. He too, lefty with good stuff, not nasty, but not below average. Good frame with a good idea of commanding all of his pitches. I see him being a high floor guy like a John Danks when and if it all comes together....I think it will. Milwaukee has some nice arms to build off of.

Yankees questions eh....You do know that I am a die hard Red Sox fan dont ya, ya Hahvid yahd pahkin chowdahead? J/K

Slade has always intrigued me every since I saw him at Area Codes in Long Beach. Kid is build like a brick shidooby house. Blessed with good speed and a cannon for an arm, not to mention budding power. He keeping his head on straight? The Josh Hamilton comparison ship has sailed, but that doesnt mean that he cant become a watered down version. I love that he plays as hard as he does, very few do nowadays. He is more of a slap hitter than a 20 HR guy, but I would not put it past if he surpassed that mark at some point. He is built similarly to Trout.

Williams, while I do like him I am not as high on him as most are. I see a player that needs to pack on some muscle in order to effectively be able to use his important tools. His running is solid, but looks to me more like a AAAA player at this point. His hit tool is good and his power is there, but I am not too fond of his approach at this point. He NEEDS to grow into his body.

I love Sanchez and have since day one. A 19 yr old who should be up in the show by the time he is 21 is saying a lot. I love his bat and his power is easy and sustainable. He'll catch too.

Austin was a relatively unknown, but has since emerged as a nice prospect. I like his raw power and he shows it in game well. His hands are too busy for me, but he seems to make them work for him.

[ksig24]

Re: Annual KSig24 Top Prospect Q&A

What do you think about Billy Hamilton? Its obvious the Reds are hoping he is ready to take over after this year(when Choo) leaves. What do you see his average years looking like? Pierre? Revere?
I was at a pre draft workout at Yankee Stadium with him and he looked like he didnt belong there till the 60s. Being a Reds fan and him being from nowher, Mississippi I have followed his career. I am a bit shocked at how well he has been progressing at the plate. I know he will never have any power(at all), but if he can hit 275 and carry a decent OBP he will be an extremely disruptive leadoff man.
Ive got a couple buddies in AA who say what is so amazing about Billy is the leads he can get and never come close to being picked off.

Also, do you know anything about Austin Adams(Indians) or Scott Shuman(Giants rule 5 from TB)? Scott has an elite fastball but laughable control. His strikeout and walk numbers are insane.

I personally think Hamilton is great for baseball and I hope he is as genuine as everyone thinks he is. I guess we'll find out once he comes up. The kid is one hell of an athlete and though he will never have any real power, he can change games with his speed. OBP says it all. Pierre is a great hitter and always has been, even he has more raw power than Ham. I saw Hamilton myself and thought to myself what is the big deal about this kid. His speed looks nothing like it translates on the field. Its stupid and freakish. I think if he can get on base at a decent clip that he breaks SB and R records. Furthermore, I think he then breaks his own records as his career progresses. He has to hit in order to be anything more than Tony Campana.

Adams looks to me like a right handed Billy Wagner with less stuff. I dont know too much about him but I can ask. I dont have anything on Shuman either, sorry.

[bamadeuce2]

Re: Annual KSig24 Top Prospect Q&A

I personally think Hamilton is great for baseball and I hope he is as genuine as everyone thinks he is. I guess we'll find out once he comes up. The kid is one hell of an athlete and though he will never have any real power, he can change games with his speed. OBP says it all. Pierre is a great hitter and always has been, even he has more raw power than Ham. I saw Hamilton myself and thought to myself what is the big deal about this kid. His speed looks nothing like it translates on the field. Its stupid and freakish. I think if he can get on base at a decent clip that he breaks SB and R records. Furthermore, I think he then breaks his own records as his career progresses. He has to hit in order to be anything more than Tony Campana.

Adams looks to me like a right handed Billy Wagner with less stuff. I dont know too much about him but I can ask. I dont have anything on Shuman either, sorry.

I agree with everything you said on Hamilton. I didnt see many of his at bats last year but the triple he hit at the futures game got me excited.

Also, how is my man B Fletcher doing? Still coming out of his shoes on every single swing? He has a violent stroke, needs to be patient and selective though.

[rjackson]

Re: Annual KSig24 Top Prospect Q&A

Welcome back ksig, and good luck on your career outlook.

[yanksdaniel99]

Re: Annual KSig24 Top Prospect Q&A

Whats up buddy! I too was very high on both Purke and Bradley and still am, my overall consensus on these two are that it is too early to give up. I still have hope for Banuelos given his tools.

I always have a soft spot for collegiate pitchers, especially Friday night starters. College arms are typically battle tested and move faster than most. Purke was a first rounder non-signee who went to college and DOMINATED! He's still lefty and still provides some nasty stuff. It all comes down to health with Purke in my humble opinion.

Bradley is pretty much in the same boat except that he gained his notoriety by performing well in the college ranks. He too, lefty with good stuff, not nasty, but not below average. Good frame with a good idea of commanding all of his pitches. I see him being a high floor guy like a John Danks when and if it all comes together....I think it will. Milwaukee has some nice arms to build off of.

Yankees questions eh....You do know that I am a die hard Red Sox fan dont ya, ya Hahvid yahd pahkin chowdahead? J/K

Slade has always intrigued me every since I saw him at Area Codes in Long Beach. Kid is build like a brick shidooby house. Blessed with good speed and a cannon for an arm, not to mention budding power. He keeping his head on straight? The Josh Hamilton comparison ship has sailed, but that doesnt mean that he cant become a watered down version. I love that he plays as hard as he does, very few do nowadays. He is more of a slap hitter than a 20 HR guy, but I would not put it past if he surpassed that mark at some point. He is built similarly to Trout.

Williams, while I do like him I am not as high on him as most are. I see a player that needs to pack on some muscle in order to effectively be able to use his important tools. His running is solid, but looks to me more like a AAAA player at this point. His hit tool is good and his power is there, but I am not too fond of his approach at this point. He NEEDS to grow into his body.

I love Sanchez and have since day one. A 19 yr old who should be up in the show by the time he is 21 is saying a lot. I love his bat and his power is easy and sustainable. He'll catch too.

Austin was a relatively unknown, but has since emerged as a nice prospect. I like his raw power and he shows it in game well. His hands are too busy for me, but he seems to make them work for him.

Thanks for all the great info bud. Glad to hear the career work is going good. Looking forward to working on the set with you this year

[PadresFan]

KSig...

General prospect question for you...

Of the players you have personally scouted and are currently playing pro ball, who have been pleasant surprises? And disappointments?

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2

[ksig24]

Re: Annual KSig24 Top Prospect Q&A

I agree with everything you said on Hamilton. I didnt see many of his at bats last year but the triple he hit at the futures game got me excited.

Also, how is my man B Fletcher doing? Still coming out of his shoes on every single swing? He has a violent stroke, needs to be patient and selective though.

Ahhhh B Fletch! Kid could surprise and I hope he does. Everyone loves an under the radar player that excels. YES, still coming out of his shoes, but I think this will be a big year for him and his approach. Looking forward to seeing him up this year....maybe....?

And yeah I was sitting right next to Keith Law at that game so I got a nice glimpse of Hamilton's speed IRL. Its hard to see a lot of these guys due to geographical location, but whenever I got a chance I jump.

[ksig24]

Re: Annual KSig24 Top Prospect Q&A

Thanks for all the great info bud. Glad to hear the career work is going good. Looking forward to working on the set with you this year

Here's to hoping I can contribute at some capacity.

[ksig24]

Re: Annual KSig24 Top Prospect Q&A

KSig...

General prospect question for you...

Of the players you have personally scouted and are currently playing pro ball, who have been pleasant surprises? And disappointments?

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2

Man I love the movie HEAT! Great avatar.

Great question,
With scouting it really is an inexact science. There are elements and rubrics to follow, but in my honest estimation, I feel that its about intuition of the scout himself. Me, being a younger scout than 95% of the pool, I think I bring a newer/hip mentality to the approach of my reports. Its probably a huge reason why I am friends with pretty much every player/personality I encouter. Being me has it perks!!!

As far as players. There are always the Nick Noonan's and the Matt Harrington's of the world. Yes, the two players are polar opposites, but in reality they arent all that far off. Hype surrounds a player all the way through the draft and rises or falls depending on many mitigating circumstances and factors.

I have seen more surprises come in the form of Robinson Cano, Rymer Liriano and Oscar Tavares due to incredible international scouting development programs. The programs in the states are fine, but the player pool being as plentiful as it is, comes with its hangups as well.

Specific players I have seen, hmmm the list is never ending. I had Nolan Arenado on my scout team and we used him at catcher. He isnt all that big of a kid and you truly wouldnt see him having the type of year he had the year before last when he started gaining helium. The thing in scouting is that its very hard to find someone and keep him under wraps without the whole world finding out.

Gary Brown is a pure example. He was virtually unknown until his Sr. season when he got on a couple showcase circuits. He went from being an easy draft steal to a starting CF at one of the best baseball programs this country has ever seen at CSUF, then all the way to the end of the first round. Go figure.

Stanton has to be the biggest beast I have seen that not many were aware of and Murph over at FLA/MIA took the chance that I lobbied for. It worked out pretty well for him. I got laughed at. I guess that final laugh isnt on me anymore.

You'd be truly surprised at how many top draft choices simply flounder after being drafted. Gruler, Moses, Taylor, Mottola, Kiker, Main, VanBenschoten, Bullington, Everts, Myers, Johnson, Stodolka, the list goes on and on. I guess that is why they call three out of ten successful, I think it goes for scouting too.

[ksig24]

Re: Annual KSig24 Top Prospect Q&A

Anyone got any names that they see being major risers this year? I absolutely love when fringe top 100 prospects or virtually unknowns become top 10's!!!!

Who's got something interesting?