Jammer7

Some say low A ball is about equivalent to the SEC. So Westburg has roughly three years experience in low A. Henderson has a month. Maybe, Henderson needs a lot of work on his defense; or maybe the Orioles are waiting for the league to adjust to Gunnar and see how he handles the adjustments after they get a book on him. No matter how badly fans want Henderson to be ahead of Westburg, he just is not there yet.

What is the rush? I mean he now has just a month of at bats above the GCL. I don't put any stock into the results of the 2020 Alternate Sight, honestly. He made some progress, reportedly. Great. He needs a chance to prove it against other teams. The Orioles can gather data on Gunnar and aid in his development. Perhaps they think he needs a lot of work defensively. He's a 20 year old kid, no need to rush his progression. Let him dominate and grow into his game and mature. Phenom or not, rushing him can really be problematic.

Many high school coaches I know here in Central Florida will not pitch their shortstops, except maybe in a closer role. Different throwing mechanics involved. They will usually play their pitchers in OF or 1B to care for the arm. But I suspect you are not far off, if at all. Some travel ball coaches will have a guy catch, pitch and play SS all in the same game. Ridiculous. Good travel programs have many who are PO's, pitchers only. Some position guys do pitch, but they have to be legit 2 way guys. And when they pitch, they sit most, if not all, of the remaining innings.

I've noticed his production the past four days or so. The video is tough to see if he has made real adjustments, but I would hope that he has. It is reasonable to think he made some adjustments in minor league spring training that are just now taking hold in his game. It sure would be a welcome development if it is a sign of things to come. And as far as the competition, or feeling the heat of Ortiz coming up, could be. It is possible that it made him feel a sense of urgency. Depends on the guy, really. Maybe his pal, Rutschman, noticed something in his swing. Whatever it is, I just hope it is sustainable. I am curious what Buck Britton would say about this.

We have absolutely beaten this to death. Numerous threads of long arguments for, and against. You are assuming that Elias does not think Kjerstad was the best man available. No one can say for sure, except Elias. We'll see. Elias' track record is excellent in evaluating talent. Five years or so, and we will be able to judge this.

I did not get that from watching it. From my perspective, Hyde is not mad at him. His answer was direct, and I think it was telling of how much he is tired of having to juggle a stable of struggling relievers. He has to protect nearly every reliever he has access to, but it's not about Hunter only. At some point, enough is enough. Throw him out there and let him sink or swim...or go back on the IL. I think Hyde has handled himself with class and dignity through a terrible stretch.

@MurphDogg I think the two inning hopes are based on pitch count, certainly. But I think you're right that they would like to not use him on back to back days, if possible. I watched the Zoom conference, and Hyde did say that it is very difficult to protect pitchers these days. Personally, I say throw him out there, even back to back nights on occasion. It is time to take the training wheels off.

An interesting piece on a DSL kid, part of the Givens trade, that we know little about. He should be in the GCL next to Luis Gonzalez. https://www.mlb.com/orioles/news/mishael-deson-impressing-as-orioles-prospect?t=orioles-pipeline-coverage

That explains some things.

I agree with your observations. Also not sure I would compare him to Hardy at his best, and really a very different defender than JJ. Galvis has been a pleasant surprise. Dependable and productive.

We certainly look bad enough the past three weeks. It depends on what trades Mike Elias makes, which players get called up and what injuries are incurred. We don't score many runs, our starters (aside from Means) rarely finish five innings, and our pen is falling apart. We play 76 games in the AL East. We are looking at a top 3-4 pick.

I disagree. Chris Taylor comes to mind as a guy who was a good defensive SS in Seattle, but was light with the bat. He switched to CF and found a swing that works. For some players, a move from SS can help unlock the bat. It has worked for other players in the past, although I cannot think of any at this very moment. I do not think Martin is an elite SS, for the record. He has a ceiling of a lower division starter for me. So a utility profile makes sense. Richie is a very good athlete, and I think he can hit enough to play in that role. I do not know what preparation the organization has given him. I doubt they just threw him out there without significant reps. I am also not really in favor of moving so many players around the field so frequently when they are young, such as Gunnar, Westburg, et al. I think it stunts their growth at a particular position. A little tinkering is fine, but to do it several times a week seems silly for young players. Jack of all trades, master of none. With an older guy like Richie, it makes sense to me.

I think there is a fair chance that Elias does not take Leiter. There is a lot of effort in his delivery, no matter the pedigree or how well-coached he is. His frame is not ideal, but he his legs are very strong. Rocker is another big risk profile, but for different reasons. If Mayo's first four picks play out, Elias may well make a surprise under slot like James Wood.

The talk of James Wood is intriguing, but that pick has extreme risk/reward profile. A huge guy at 6'-06" 230 lbs., and BA stated in their recent mock that Wood might be a candidate for 1-1 if not for the swing and miss this Spring. That was a quote from an unnamed scout. There is some speculation that it is prospect fatigue as he did not show so much swing and miss in previous showcases and such. If they go underslot and take him, he had better hit. If he fails, you guys will eat Elias up. LOL 2021 MLB Mock Draft Version 3.0 (baseballamerica.com)

I agree, but there will be other teams considering the same players in the picks that follow us. Those conversations will determine the asking price as the draft approaches. Perhaps House and the other high school guys are not good fits for the picks immediately after us. It is interesting, but I trust that if there is a clear talent above all the others that Elias will make the "right" choice. Best value available. If Maier or Lawler falls to us, I would expect Elias to take them and run away laughing at his good fortune. Obviously, high school hitters like House have more leverage than a college player. It all depends on the player and their representative, but I just cannot see why House would take much of a discount at #5. Maybe $500k or so would be reasonable, or perhaps he really likes the opportunity that lies ahead in Baltimore with things on the upward trend, IDK.

Reading through some of these posts, and here I am scratching my head at the over-reactions. Please, come back off the ledge. Development happens when prospects fail and are driven to succeed through the adjustments they need to make along the way. I will say that I do not like his swing right now, the upper cut is more pronounced than what I remember in college. I am not sure why anyone would teach that swing, honestly. But that aside, can we give him some time to adjust before we trash the face of the franchise? I liked Abrams a lot too. He was plan B for me. But I would still take Adley over him.

Tony, thanks for putting this together. Great idea! Many intriguing players and pitchers to see for ourselves, finally. Beyond the more acclaimed prospects, the pitchers that were drafted in 2019, along with those acquired in trades under Elias, are of particular interest for me. OF Rob Neustrom is a guy who has swung the bat well in Bowie, so far. (SSS and all) He will not be 25 until November. Fifth round pick in 2018. He was my breakout candidate for 2020, before COVID. https://www.milb.com/player/robert-neustrom-680438

It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out, for sure. They've spoken of these guys being versatile and moving around some. I think that stunts their progression to an extent. Still think Westburg slides over to 3B a lot and becomes our 3B of the future. Henderson is the most interesting for me as he looks athletic enough to actually stick at SS. He shows me energy and bounce with enough twitch and hands to stick, for now anyway. We'll see. Hernaiz may not be there when the rookie leagues begin either.

I suppose my guesses were solid. Not going to break my arm patting myself on the back, though. They were just guesses. So excited to see these guys play a season!

Yep, must be nice to have those resources.

Good question. I went with Zimm because he generally commands four pitches well and is a competitor. Akin, for me, seems destined to be in the pen. His fastball plays up as it is, but in shorter stints could be even better. Has not shown consistent command of anything off speed, but the slider can be a swing and miss pitch for him. Needs to get serious about his conditioning as well. Lowther is interesting, and since I have not seen him much at this point. He apparently has great deception and throws his four-seam well up in the zone, and the spike curve is an above average pitch. If he can develop the slider and change to above average, then maybe he is the guy. Alex Wells, he just has so much to prove at this point. Like Lowther, I just have not seen him much to put him ahead of Zimm.

Interesting. I am not sure he'll take an under slot deal, not much of one anyway. Why would he? He has all the leverage and his stock is back up, except with Keith Law, of course.

Actually, the Dodgers have had great success in the past seven years growing their own arms. Our own Dean Kremer, Walker Buehler, Dustin May, Julio Urias*, Caleb Ferguson*, Mitch White, Josiah Gray, Bobby Miller, Tony Gonsolin, Clayton Beeter, Dennis Santana and Jordan Sheffield were all drafted/signed and developed by them. You could argue that they have been the best at developing pitching. Hyun Jin Ryu was signed by them, though already a finished product.

Good question. Cleveland, Dodgers, Padres and Cardinals come to mind. I don't have empirical data to back that up, just my perception. Several years ago, it seemed like the Mets were well stocked in young pitching on the major league roster and in the minors. Aside from Degrom, not much left from that group, and that was only 5-6 years ago.