The Official 2018 Minor League Statline and Prospect Discussion Thread

[Docwaukee]

4 minutes ago, Scotty@AW said:

I want to believe me too!  Or more accurately, I want to believe Eppler.

but you've got to wonder.  seems to have zero focus.  

[Second Base]

9 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

but you've got to wonder.  seems to have zero focus.  

I'd need a closer look before I say that.  But right now, he's ice cold, and while he doesn't appear to be showing negative body language, you have to figure it's bothering him in his mind.  Baseball is a game of failure, and guys that have been dominant from an extremely young age like Maitan was, may not develop the ability to cope with failure or doubt.

But that's just my guess right right now.  I really don't know. 

It really doesn't play a big role in my rankings though.  30 teams would've offered him a multimillion dollar deal at age 16, and he signed yet another one at 17.  That says that  a lot of teams, not just the Angels believed a short time ago that this kid will be a star someday.

But if we're in July 2019 and Kevin Maitan is still in rookie ball and still hasn't figured it out yet, then I'll start thinking about removing him from the top 30, which sounds insane.  A 19 year old struggling in rookie ball is about as common as foul poles on a baseball field.  But by that time he'll have failed to make any headway at the same level for three consecutive years.  But I don't anticipate that happening.  

I think he's going to come around in the next couple weeks.  

[wopphil]

I'll go on record right now as saying Maitan never sniffs the bigs.

[Chuck]

14 minutes ago, wopphil said:

I'll go on record right now as saying Maitan never sniffs the bigs.

Or sniffs High-A. 

[Docwaukee]

8 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Or sniffs High-A. 

maybe

[Tank]

On 7/10/2018 at 8:06 PM, BackUpTheTruck said:

Baserunning mistake by Marsh

sweet, he's ready to be promoted! see you in anaheim after the all star game!

[Tank]

how come you guys don't think Maitan can't recover from this? what have you seen (or not seen)?

 

[Docwaukee]

16 minutes ago, Tank said:

how come you guys don't think Maitan can't recover from this? what have you seen (or not seen)?

 

he'll have these amazing moments of clarity where he looks like an incredible prospect. but the rest of the time it looks like he's floating around without any sort of concern for playing baseball.  

[Angelsjunky]

I wonder if the Angels should drop the whole shortstop thing for Maitan - put him at 3B and see how he does, or even 1B and let him focus solely on hitting. Everyone knows he'll never be a major league shortstop and his ticket to stardom is with the bat. Why complicate things for him?

[Angelsjunky]

Just now, Dochalo said:

he'll have these amazing moments of clarity where he looks like an incredible prospect. but the rest of the time it looks like he's floating around without any sort of concern for playing baseball.  

Sounds like most teenagers I've known. I'm wondering if checks his Snapchat while in the on deck circle.

[Docwaukee]

10 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

I wonder if the Angels should drop the whole shortstop thing for Maitan - put him at 3B and see how he does, or even 1B and let him focus solely on hitting. Everyone knows he'll never be a major league shortstop and his ticket to stardom is with the bat. Why complicate things for him?

Some would argue that giving him more responsibility could motivate him.  The times i've seen him at SS, he looks pretty natural but, again, he just checks out for periods of time.  Almost wondering if he just doesn't care about defense at all.  

[Inside Pitch]

4 hours ago, Dochalo said:

Some would argue that giving him more responsibility could motivate him.  The times i've seen him at SS, he looks pretty natural but, again, he just checks out for periods of time.  Almost wondering if he just doesn't care about defense at all.  

Dude is just lazy and loses focus.   Dude doesn't seem to have a motor.  Not sure what it will take to finally get him motivated.

[m0nkey]

Incorporate cheese fries somehow as performance incentives 

[Revad]

Maybe he has Attention Deficit Disorder and needs medication.  Something that should be checked out, I have a nephew that really benefits in that way.  It’s like night and day.

[Docwaukee]

3 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

Dude is just lazy and loses focus.   Dude doesn't seem to have a motor.  Not sure what it will take to finally get him motivated.

He made 12 errors in 35 games all of last year.  

the ADD thing @Revad mentioned would make the most sense.  

otherwise, who knows why a guy with tremendous talent doesn't want to use it.  

maybe he doesn't really like baseball that much.  

[Glen]

12 hours ago, Dochalo said:

Maitan is a disaster.  18 errors in 22 games.  4bb/21k.  .635 ops.  I want to believe Scotty, but my faith is wavering.  He looked good early on.  What the hell happened?  Something might be wrong with him upstairs.  

The Angels farm system is remembering it is the Angels farm system.

[mulwin444]

Curious about Joe Gatto.  I know there are some guys well informed in his stuff and his potential but it seems he struggles significantly at times, especially with his move to AA recently.  The good news is, lately (last 3 games: 16.2 IP 6 ER 6 BB 10 K), he seems to be clicking a bit more.  

I guess my all encompassing question is "What's his deal"?  Does this guy have legit stuff that is basically unharnessed at this time or are the Angels hoping for something that may not be there?  Genuinely curious... 

[Tank]

1 hour ago, Dochalo said:

He made 12 errors in 35 games all of last year.  

the ADD thing @Revad mentioned would make the most sense.  

otherwise, who knows why a guy with tremendous talent doesn't want to use it.  

maybe he doesn't really like baseball that much.  

maybe he needs one of mark grace's slump busters.

[Second Base]

36 minutes ago, mulwin444 said:

Curious about Joe Gatto.  I know there are some guys well informed in his stuff and his potential but it seems he struggles significantly at times, especially with his move to AA recently.  The good news is, lately (last 3 games: 16.2 IP 6 ER 6 BB 10 K), he seems to be clicking a bit more.  

I guess my all encompassing question is "What's his deal"?  Does this guy have legit stuff that is basically unharnessed at this time or are the Angels hoping for something that may not be there?  Genuinely curious... 

Gatto has legit "stuff". Mid-90's fastball, great curve, good change up, tall, strong frame, clean mechanics.

The reason why he gets hit as hard as he does is his fastball does not move at all. It's straight and it's firm and with professional hitters, if you throw that hard, they don't have to make great contact for it to go extra bases.

He also leaves the ball up in the zone way too much. He needs to be pitching downhill. Instead he's serving up 95 mph BP with hitters that can catch up with it.

Also, his pitch selection could use some work but that's also on his catchers and coaches. His pitch sequencing is predictable.

The good news on all of that is that they are correctable for the most part. The further development of a two-seamer at 91-92, a slight tweak in mechanics or release point and more confidence in locating his off-speed pitches would make Gatto a mid-rotation starter.

Not saying that will happen, but it's a possibility.

[Second Base]

In regards to Maitan, I think right now you're all reaching, talking about him having special needs, not caring, laziness.

I remember a few years ago hearing the same crap about GA.

The more likely scenario is this: baseball is hard.

He's only 18 and he's still playing in a league where he's 2-3 younger than the average player. He was lighting the world on fire before and now he's gone cold. He needs to adjust.

This game is hard. That's it. 

If he still isn't hitting and is still stuck in the Pioneer League 2-3 years from now, then you can look into all that, but for now, you're trying to guess why a high school senior isn't crushing a bunch of college juniors.

Trout and Adell have spoiled you.

[Angel Oracle]

I assume that it is possible for Gatto to adopt 2 and/or 4 seamers in his repertoire?    Without movement on his heat, he's doomed to a lower level MLB career as a swingman/long innings guy.   

[Angelsjunky]

1 hour ago, Scotty@AW said:

In regards to Maitan, I think right now you're all reaching, talking about him having special needs, not caring, laziness.

I remember a few years ago hearing the same crap about GA.

The more likely scenario is this: baseball is hard.

He's only 18 and he's still playing in a league where he's 2-3 younger than the average player. He was lighting the world on fire before and now he's gone cold. He needs to adjust.

This game is hard. That's it. 

If he still isn't hitting and is still stuck in the Pioneer League 2-3 years from now, then you can look into all that, but for now, you're trying to guess why a high school senior isn't crushing a bunch of college juniors.

Trout and Adell have spoiled you.

Good point, but the problem is that you yourself have supported the "Maitan v 1.0" view that he is a future superstar, and future superstars tend to burn through the minors like rice paper; and yes, outplaying guys much older than them. So while I agree that some patience is in order, I do think his struggles thus far--going back to last year--give valid reasons to temper those future star expectations and consider that maybe he's something a bit less. 

Maybe we need to wipe all expectations clean and look at who Maitan actually is, not who he was two years ago or supposed to be. I think when we do that, he's not quite as exciting but certainly has potential.

[halomatt]

1 hour ago, Scotty@AW said:

In regards to Maitan, I think right now you're all reaching, talking about him having special needs, not caring, laziness.

I remember a few years ago hearing the same crap about GA.

The more likely scenario is this: baseball is hard.

He's only 18 and he's still playing in a league where he's 2-3 younger than the average player. He was lighting the world on fire before and now he's gone cold. He needs to adjust.

This game is hard. That's it. 

If he still isn't hitting and is still stuck in the Pioneer League 2-3 years from now, then you can look into all that, but for now, you're trying to guess why a high school senior isn't crushing a bunch of college juniors.

Trout and Adell have spoiled you.

Looking for negatives is easy.  It's finding positives that people often struggle with the most.  He's a kid.  Let him be. 

[Inside Pitch]

1 hour ago, Scotty@AW said:

In regards to Maitan, I think right now you're all reaching, talking about him having special needs, not caring, laziness.

I remember a few years ago hearing the same crap about GA.

The more likely scenario is this: baseball is hard.

He's only 18 and he's still playing in a league where he's 2-3 younger than the average player. He was lighting the world on fire before and now he's gone cold. He needs to adjust.

This game is hard. That's it. 

If he still isn't hitting and is still stuck in the Pioneer League 2-3 years from now, then you can look into all that, but for now, you're trying to guess why a high school senior isn't crushing a bunch of college juniors.

Trout and Adell have spoiled you.

Please stop.  Comping GA to Maitan is an apples and oranges conversation.   GA making things look easy while making it happen, isn't remotely the same as Maitan looking completely disconnected while failing.  

I never heard anyone in baseball who actually had a clue about baseball call GA lazy -- that was all the message board types that bought into mythology like Disar being the heart and soul of the team or those who watched Darin Erstad ram into a wall at top speed in ST to make the first out of an inning and incorrectly believed that anyone that didn't go at it as hard (or stupidly), was lazy.   Nobody ever questioned GA's work ethic or dedication to his craft, instead you had guys like Chili Davis singing his praises for how hard he worked in the cages and in fielding practice.  Maitan's work ethic has been in question almost from the moment he signed and he seemingly showed a greater interest in collecting all the happy meal toys than base hits.  It takes all of ten minutes of watching him play to see him both show his tools and his lack of interest -- it can actually be quite annoying.  You could almost look past it if it was a case of his being so smooth he's making it look easy, but it's not .. it's him taking plays off completely failing to get his mitt down or quitting on a play.  Dude will take a step and then quit or try to matador shit...  it's the kind of crap even HS kids are taught not to do or they get mitts thrown at them by their HS coaches.

You are right about Adell and Trout -- they HAVE spoiled us.  When you see players putting in the wrench time someone like Maitan leaves you cold...   He's not in their league because of a lack of ability or tools -- it's a lack of drive.... and he's the only one that can ultimately change that.

Basebal IS hard..  Maitan needs to realize that or his talents will be wasted.

 

[GrittyVeterans]

Gatto is trash from what I saw in a start of his I went to in Inland Empire. I don't see a MLB pitcher there

 

I'm definitely no scout though, he just didn't look very good, other pitchers on the team were throwing the ball harder and had more movement.