The Official 2018 Minor League Statline and Prospect Discussion Thread

[Second Base]

Griffin Canning is a good major league pitcher that is currently being limited to 80-90 pitches in AA.

Mid-90's with movement, "plus-plus" curve, "plus" change and command to go with it.

The only starting pitcher in the entire organization that is without debate, better than Canning is Ohtani. I think Richards is better but not by a wide margin. Skaggs and Barria are debatable. 

[GrittyVeterans]

3 minutes ago, Scotty@AW said:

Griffin Canning is a good major league pitcher that is currently being limited to 80-90 pitches in AA.

Mid-90's with movement, "plus-plus" curve, "plus" change and command to go with it.

The only starting pitchers in the entire organization that are better than him are Ohtani and Richards, and it might he close with Garrett.

You've been underrating Skaggs since February so no surprise here

[Second Base]

Just now, GrittyVeterans said:

You've been underrating Skaggs since February so no surprise here

Fool me once...

[Angelsjunky]

I love the Angels 1st and 2nd round draft picks the last few years:

2018: Jordyn Adams, Jeremiah Jackson

2017: Jo Adell, Griffin Canning

2016: Matt Thaiss, Brandon Marsh

2015: Taylor Ward, Jahmai Jones

So much upside there.

[Chuck]

47 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

I love the Angels 1st and 2nd round draft picks the last few years:

2018: Jordyn Adams, Jeremiah Jackson

2017: Jo Adell, Griffin Canning

2016: Matt Thaiss, Brandon Marsh

2015: Taylor Ward, Jahmai Jones

So much upside there.

YEP!! and here we thought Ward was a wasted pick, that Jones was just the steal in that draft. 

[Inside Pitch]

15 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

YEP!! and here we thought Ward was a wasted pick, that Jones was just the steal in that draft. 

Ward the 3B doesnt much resemble Ward the C.   The position change altered his profile -- as least as an Angels prospect.

[GrittyVeterans]

6 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Ward the 3B doesnt much resemble Ward the C.   The position change altered his profile -- as least as an Angels prospect.

Could you expand on this a little? Didn't see him much before the move to 3B, and haven't seen him much after

[Angel Oracle]

Just now, Inside Pitch said:

Ward the 3B doesnt much resemble Ward the C.   The position change altered his profile -- as least as an Angels prospect.

LOL at Dips_ito and company acting like they drafted the next Johnny Bench 3 years ago.    Although now, he may at least be the next, say, David Freese?

[Chuck]

8 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Ward the 3B doesnt much resemble Ward the C.   The position change altered his profile -- as least as an Angels prospect.

I know they've given some love to Walsh, Suarez, Canning, Adell and Marsh in their prospect hotlists and other features, but I've been breaking balls (as usual) to the Baseball America staff in trying to get Luis Rengifo, Matt Thaiss and Taylor Ward some love. 

They all deserve it! 

[eaterfan]

2 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Ward the 3B doesnt much resemble Ward the C.   The position change altered his profile -- as least as an Angels prospect.

I don't follow minor league players as closely as many in this thread, but I don't think I've ever seen a player change his whole profile so drastically as I have with Ward. Sometimes guys get moved to pitcher but that's a whole different animal. His draft profile was basically major league ready at a defensive position and it would be a struggle to see if his bat could even play there. Then his defense falls off and his bat improves enough to potentially become an offensive first player at a more offensively based position. It would be like if 2 years ago Simmons couldn't play short stop anymore but he starts hitting 30 bombs a year and they moved him to 3B.

[Inside Pitch]

8 minutes ago, GrittyVeterans said:

Could you expand on this a little? Didn't see him much before the move to 3B, and haven't seen him much after

Well, there were lingering questions about his being able to be an everyday catcher..   Dude has all the tools and a cannon arm but you'd watch him play and it just seemed like he was meh back there and the bat wasn't showing enough to make you believe he would be worth starting over someone who did do all the things you want to see in a catcher -- even after he proves he COULD hit.   Eppler and company said it best when they opined that moving Ward out from behind the dish meant his advancement would be completely on him -- he would no longer be burdened with needing to help the pitchers along and that sort of stuff.   To his credit his move to 3B has seen a spike in his isolated power and other positive rates.  He's been sporting a higher BABIP than in the past but more and more his bat has been significantly more consistent since moving off of catcher.   

Dude looks like he will be at least a league average hitter with quality OBP skills...   At 3B -- thats a lot of value to the Angels.

Edited June 12, 2018 by Inside Pitch

[Second Base]

I wonder if Ward would've made such a giant leap forward in the batter's box had it not been for him moving out from behind it.

It can't be coincidence that as soon as Ward is moved to third base, he begins to hit the ball like never before.

When I first heard that he had been moved to third base, I immediately thought the organization was done with him. His bat barely played as a catching prospect, he wouldn't hit like a 3B. In fact I even thought it was punishment, like he was so bad at handling pitchers that the Angels just wanted to get him out of that situation.

But I think Taylor must've seen it for the blessing it was. Third base wasn't spoken for as catcher was with Maldonado, and all he had to do to claim it was was cleanly field a ground ball, throw the ball to 1B with some velocity and hit the ball.

He's done all that and he's now closer to the major leagues than he ever was as a catcher.

And it makes sense in my mind. Look back to rookie ball, before he worried about implementing all that catchers in a Scioscia-ran system had to do. Ward hit the crap out of the ball.

Take catching out of the equation and he hits.

[Docwaukee]

I think he made the Angels break up with him as a catcher.  There's no bigger grind in all of baseball than going out and putting that gear on for 9 innings 5-6 days per week.  But on top of that, not only do you have to do what other hitters do and learn the scouting report of every pitcher you face for your own benefit, you have to also know the scouting report of every hitter your pitcher is going to face.  You have to know every last bit about every pitcher that throws to you.  You have to adjust the entire game plan on the fly based on what your pitcher can and can't do that day.  Based on game conditions.  

If your heart isn't in that and you don't have that commitment level in you, then move on to another position.  Doesn't make him or anyone else lazy if they don't want to do that.  I am sure he went out and tried his best but they probably saw his lack of enthusiasm which could be translated as a lack of aptitude.  But it wasn't.  My guess is that he just didn't really like it.  

Now he's free.  Hit of the tee.  take extra grounders.  extended BP.  Legs are fresher.  Hence the 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts this year where he had 1 attempt total the previous two seasons.  BTW, he's got some pop.  My guess is that shows up in about 2-3 years when he's 26/27

[Docwaukee]

4 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

I love the Angels 1st and 2nd round draft picks the last few years:

2018: Jordyn Adams, Jeremiah Jackson

2017: Jo Adell, Griffin Canning

2016: Matt Thaiss, Brandon Marsh

2015: Taylor Ward, Jahmai Jones

So much upside there.

1st rounders JA, JA

2nd rounders JJ, JJ

I'll let tdawg point out the other similarities.  

[Docwaukee]

so seriously.  what's up with Thaiss?

 

[Second Base]

4 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

so seriously.  what's up with Thaiss?

 

No clue, but his swing is absolutely beautiful this year. I think he's silenced a lot of doubters. 

Eppler knew what he was doing. Draft a 1st rounder to an underslot bonus and draft a first rounder in the second round to an overslot bonus.

[Docwaukee]

19 minutes ago, Scotty@AW said:

No clue, but his swing is absolutely beautiful this year. I think he's silenced a lot of doubters. 

Eppler knew what he was doing. Draft a 1st rounder to an underslot bonus and draft a first rounder in the second round to an overslot bonus.

I mean the fact that he got put on the temp inactive list.  

but yes.  All those things you've mentioned are true and to your credit, you stayed a believer.  

[Docwaukee]

Btw, David Fletcher's twitter feed is almost entirely highlights of his little brother who's a sophomore with Arkansas.  Plays CF and most of the vids are of him throwing guys out after making great plays in CF.  He's got some pop too with an .851 ops as a freshman and .809 ops as a soph.  He also played summer ball in the wood bat CCL (cali collegiate league) and hit .382 with an ops over 1.000 with 7 bombs, 9 sbs and 10 doubles in 123 at bats.  He was ranked 209th by BA a couple years ago but went undrafted.   He'll be eligible again next year.   

[Angelsjunky]

3rd rounders are a different story - although have proven quite useful in trades.

2018: Aaron Hernandez - ominous name?

2017: Jacob Pearson - traded for Ohtani international money

2016: Nonie Williams - Whothafuk knows

2015: Grayson Long - in Justin Upton trade

2014: Chris Ellis - in Andrelton Simmons trade

2013: Elliot Morris - in Huston Street trade

[Docwaukee]

5 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

3rd rounders are a different story - although have proven quite useful in trades.

2018: Aaron Hernandez - ominous name?

2017: Jacob Pearson - traded for Ohtani international money

2016: Nonie Williams - Whothafuk knows

2015: Grayson Long - in Justin Upton trade

2014: Chris Ellis - in Andrelton Simmons trade

2013: Elliot Morris - in Huston Street trade

weird.  what's funny is that if Nonie has a nice start this year, he could be traded in a package to get a reliever. 

[Second Base]

1 hour ago, Angelsjunky said:

3rd rounders are a different story - although have proven quite useful in trades.

2018: Aaron Hernandez - ominous name?

2017: Jacob Pearson - traded for Ohtani international money

2016: Nonie Williams - Whothafuk knows

2015: Grayson Long - in Justin Upton trade

2014: Chris Ellis - in Andrelton Simmons trade

2013: Elliot Morris - in Huston Street trade

I suppose that happens when you want major leaguers but won't trade your elite prospects.  you trade the guys that aren't quite elite. 

[Second Base]

Raider Uceta went 4-5 with 3 doubles.  Huge power, and he signed for as much as D'Shawn Knowles and Livan Soto did.  Ironic that they're included int he top 30 but he isn't.  Still HUGE frame and HUGE power for a 16 year old.  No way he remains in the OF but if he hits as much as I think he will, that may not matter so much. 

Prediction: Raider Uceta is a Top 30 AW Prospect this winter. 

[ettin]

5 hours ago, eaterfan said:

I don't follow minor league players as closely as many in this thread, but I don't think I've ever seen a player change his whole profile so drastically as I have with Ward. Sometimes guys get moved to pitcher but that's a whole different animal. His draft profile was basically major league ready at a defensive position and it would be a struggle to see if his bat could even play there. Then his defense falls off and his bat improves enough to potentially become an offensive first player at a more offensively based position. It would be like if 2 years ago Simmons couldn't play short stop anymore but he starts hitting 30 bombs a year and they moved him to 3B.

When you think about it more moving a guy off C to 3B takes the pressure off their legs which does impact their lower base of power at the plate and still allows them to  exercise their lateral movement, sharpen their existing reaction times (the "hot corner"), and utilize their strong throwing arms.

The shift to 3B really allows Ward to focus on his offense. Maybe he is forced to move to 1B or DH eventually, we will see.

[ettin]

2 hours ago, Dochalo said:

1st rounders JA, JA

2nd rounders JJ, JJ

I'll let tdawg point out the other similarities.  

I feel like I am playing League of Legends with all of the Brazilian players.

[Angelsjunky]

39 minutes ago, Scotty@AW said:

Raider Uceta went 4-5 with 3 doubles.  Huge power, and he signed for as much as D'Shawn Knowles and Livan Soto did.  Ironic that they're included int he top 30 but he isn't.  Still HUGE frame and HUGE power for a 16 year old.  No way he remains in the OF but if he hits as much as I think he will, that may not matter so much. 

Prediction: Raider Uceta is a Top 30 AW Prospect this winter. 

I read about him in an article about international signings and I think did include him in my top 30, or close to it. Cool name, too.

I was actually going to ask you if there were any DSL players to watch. Uceta, obviously. Who else?