The Official 2018 Minor League Statline and Prospect Discussion Thread

[Angelsjunky]

3 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

why did Jo Adell leave early?

We traded him for Jerry Dipoto Jr.

[tdawg87]

42 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

why did Jo Adell leave early?

Forearm tightness.

[Chuck]

1 hour ago, Dochalo said:

why did Jo Adell leave early?

Jammed thumb on a broken-bat grounder earlier in the game. He’s OK, just precautionary.

[stormngt]

10 hours ago, Dochalo said:

the wipeout slider was the best part.  hope he has that third pitch though.  

If I am not mistaken don't the best closers have only two pitches?

[Dick B Back]

22 minutes ago, stormngt said:

If I am not mistaken don't the best closers have only two pitches?

No, the best closers only have one pitch (i.e. Rivera).

[Second Base]

I'm still getting used to this concept of Justin Anderson - elite arsenal reliever. I only saw him once before but wasn't blown away at all. That guy on the mound in Houston last night, that was someone different altogether.

It's like when Middleton went from a geeky jerky starter throwing 92-94 to a reliever touching triple digits, and now clear cut potentially dominant closer.

It just happens so fast.

[stormngt]

2 hours ago, Dick B Back said:

No, the best closers only have one pitch (i.e. Rivera).

anyone besides Rivera have only one pitch?  Percy had two, KROD had two

[stormngt]

6 minutes ago, Scotty@AW said:

I'm still getting used to this concept of Justin Anderson - elite arsenal reliever. I only saw him once before but wasn't blown away at all. That guy on the mound in Houston last night, that was someone different altogether.

It's like when Middleton went from a geeky jerky starter throwing 92-94 to a reliever touching triple digits, and now clear cut potentially dominant closer.

It just happens so fast.

hate to speculate but could it be PEDs?

[eaterfan]

@Scotty@AW Any idea on what to expect from Trent Deveaux this year? Everything I've read about him suggests his feel for the game (especially at the plate) is further along than was expected. Scouts for publications are raving about him. Any chance he gets to Orem this year?

[Chuck]

Tons of scouts have raved about Trent Deveaux so far, as have the guys at Baseball America and Fangraphs.

I'm looking forward to seeing him in action. Guessing the AZL Angels, but hoping it's Orem.

I heard 80 grade speed on an 80 scale.

[Stax]

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/the-bahamas-are-on-the-rise/

[Dick B Back]

35 minutes ago, stormngt said:

anyone besides Rivera have only one pitch?  Percy had two, KROD had two

I think Hoffman had one pitch too.

[Angel Oracle]

50 minutes ago, Scotty@AW said:

I'm still getting used to this concept of Justin Anderson - elite arsenal reliever. I only saw him once before but wasn't blown away at all. That guy on the mound in Houston last night, that was someone different altogether.

It's like when Middleton went from a geeky jerky starter throwing 92-94 to a reliever touching triple digits, and now clear cut potentially dominant closer.

It just happens so fast.

Same with K-Rod, he was a decent prospect as a starter in rookie through advanced-A ball from 1999-2000, then fell back to a 5.00+ ERA and 1.60 WHIP as an advanced-A starter in 2001, then converted to relief for the 2002 season and rolled through AA and AAA before stunning the MLB world in September/October 2002. 

[Angelsjunky]

Here's more on the Angels international signings, from a couple weeks ago:

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/international-reviews-los-angeles-angels-2018/

Deveaux sounds awesome, but some other intriguing prospects: Knowles, Reyes, Uceta, etc.

[Inside Pitch]

51 minutes ago, Stax said:

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/the-bahamas-are-on-the-rise/

Thanks for linking to this -- great read.

[Inside Pitch]

17 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Here's more on the Angels international signings, from a couple weeks ago:

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/international-reviews-los-angeles-angels-2018/

Deveaux sounds awesome, but some other intriguing prospects: Knowles, Reyes, Uceta, etc.

From virtually no presence to being in every single market... in less than three years...   

[Inside Pitch]

New signing period getting closer...

https://www.mlb.com/news/2018-top-30-international-prospects-list/c-273511500

Top 30 possible international signs... http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2018/?list=int

Edited April 24, 2018 by Inside Pitch

[eaterfan]

4 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

New signing period getting closer...

https://www.mlb.com/news/2018-top-30-international-prospects-list/c-273511500

Top 30 possible international signs... http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2018/?list=int

How active do you think the Angels can be after already using big money on Maitan and Soto? I'm guessing a lot of top 30 guys are going to be out of reach. There are still plenty of guys who the Angels can get, but do you think they can still be players for anyone on that list?

[Angel Oracle]

Hey Dipussy, you gonna use your $5 million left over from a year ago?  

[Second Base]

2 hours ago, stormngt said:

hate to speculate but could it be PEDs?

I think it's unlikely. No name minor leaguers can't afford the untraceable stuff that some of the veterans use today. They'd almost certainly pop positive.

I think this one just comes down to physical maturation, they're in their man bodies now, coupled with professional coaching which brings out the best, and a shift in role, going from six innings at 90% to one frame at 100%. 

Throw it all together and you have someone that jumps up 5+ mph. 

Or maybe I'm simply a naive optimist.

[Inside Pitch]

44 minutes ago, eaterfan said:

How active do you think the Angels can be after already using big money on Maitan and Soto? I'm guessing a lot of top 30 guys are going to be out of reach. There are still plenty of guys who the Angels can get, but do you think they can still be players for anyone on that list?

Depends on what guys at the back end of the list got last year I guess.   I think we likely see one guy for decent money ...    Epp likes to spread money around so, it's anyone's guess.  

[Inside Pitch]

2 hours ago, stormngt said:

hate to speculate but could it be PEDs?

Unless it's a different Anderson -- this guy was a two time All State selection while at St. Pius HS in Texas...   Draft reports from those days claimed he could hit the mid 90s but was inconsistent with his velocity.   In college he was a full time starter, his velocity stabilized but was unremarkable.   

He may just be one of those guys that greatly benefits from being able to let it all fly for shorter stints.

[Second Base]

2 hours ago, eaterfan said:

@Scotty@AW Any idea on what to expect from Trent Deveaux this year? Everything I've read about him suggests his feel for the game (especially at the plate) is further along than was expected. Scouts for publications are raving about him. Any chance he gets to Orem this year?

I've heard the same thing everyone else has heard. The only difference between myself, actually AW collectively and the rest of the prospect world is that I think we bought the hype a little earlier than the rest. My rankings really weren't any more special or different from others that contributed, which illustrates just how much homework everyone here does on these kids.

I expect Deveaux to be a fast riser. He's smart, articulate, athletic and hard working. It's a great combination.

[John Smith]

Casey (Morgantown):

• Give me a guy not on the BA 100 you can see vaulting into the top 25 to start next season.

Kyle Glaser: Brandon Marsh. Dude is a mix of size, athleticism, tools and skills that are scary, and if he stays healthy we're talking about one of the top OF prospects in all of baseball

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/prospect-hot-sheet-chat-42418/

[Angelsjunky]

I'm very glad to see the improvement in Brandon Marsh's plate discipline. That was the one concern I had for him, and now he's walked 11 times in 14 games. I think he's going to advance quickly and be in the majors by 2020, at least by the end of the year - maybe around the same time as Jones, and a bit before Adell.