Thoughts on Samuel Basallo

[Just Regular]

He figures to be the leading edge of big time Elias IFA's in stateside full season ball.     Nine months younger than Jackson Holliday, that's about the same difference Schoop and Machado had when they were Low-A Delmarva teammates in 2011.      Creed Willems may also be in the picture for Delmarva catching reps.

In the 2022 FCL, B-Ref gives 100 Bats qualifying at Minimum 54 AB's.    Toggle by Age, he was the youngest.    How Clubs confer reps on super young players tells me something independent of performance.     His 6 HR tied for the league lead.

Here's how those old Orioles, one old "catcher" and a handful of IFA Bat superstars from recent years handled Low-A:

6.25.1972 Carlos Delgado - 855 OPS in 528 PA (1991)

10.16.1991 Jonathan Schoop - 890 in 238 (2011)

7.6.1992 Manny Machado - 859 in 170 (2011)

10.24.1996 Rafael Devers - 773 in 508 (2015)

12.18.1997 Ronald Acuna - 819 in 171 (2016)

10.25.1998 Juan Soto - 950 in 96 (2017)      the Nationals had Soto start at Low-A again in 2018, a fun yardstick what one of the World's Best Hitters might do if put in Low-A

1.2.1999 Fernando Tatis - 910 in 518 (2018)

12.29.2000 Julio Rodriguez - 850 in 295 (2019)

11.19.2001 Francisco Alvarez - 1213 in 67 (2021)

If the Orioles develop Basallo as a catcher, that's 5 years to slow cook.     I'm hoping he'll hit his way off the position.    Machado had the closest birthday month of the above guys - Basallo 8.13.2004 will play Delmarva about 1 month younger relative to Manny.

 

 

[RZNJ]

Predictions.

1. Basallo eventually is a 1B but probably splits catching 50/50 with Willems.   

2. Aron Estrada opens at 2B for Delmarva on OD and makes a name (or bigger name) for himself this year.

3. Anderson Delosantos at 3B for Delmarva.  

I think GCL to Delmarva is the biggest jump in minor league baseball.

Delmarva Lineup to start the season.

SS Holliday

2B Estrada

1B Basallo

DH Craig

C   Willems

RF Acevedo

LF Deson

3B Delosantos

CF Prado

 

[Frobby]

I had a look at several catchers signed as international amateurs, who are now either solid major league veterans or top ranked prospects, to see how they hit in low A and and how old they were at the time.

Willson Contreras hit .652 OPS at age 19, repeated the level at 20.

Omar Narvaez didn’t reach low A until age 22, and hit .646 OPS there. 

Salvador Perez had a .777 OPS in short season A, got promoted mid year and  had a .486 OPS in low A at age 19.   

Alejandro Kirk reached low A at 20, hit .947 and was promoted.  

Gabriel Morena (lost rookie status after being ranked no. 12 by BA in 2022) had an .823 OPS in low A at age 19.

Francisco Alvarez (BA no. 8 this year) had a 1.213 OPS in 15 low A games at 19, then got promoted and posted .889 in hi A the rest of the year.  

Diego Cartaya (BA no. 18 this year) had a 1.023 OPS in low A at 19.   

Endy Rodriguez (BA no. 23 this year) had an .892 OPS in low A at 19.

Jeferson Quero (ranked no. 45 by Keith Law but unranked by BA/BP/MLB Pipeline) had a .757 OPS in low A at age 19.   
 

[joelala]

Basallo might be my favorite prospect in the system right now. If he moves off catcher, is 1b his only option we think? I wonder how he’d play in RF. 

[Just Regular]

A Longenhagen detail from today's Orioles write-up.     We'll see if B-Ref keeps him anchored on his 16-year-old self like Felix Bautista.    I'm adjusting to picturing a Yordan Alvarez-sized dude.

There are all kinds of potential stumbling blocks for a propect like Basallo. He’s huge (comically listed at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Basallo is probably closer to 250 than he is to 180)

[emmett16]

4 hours ago, Just Regular said:

A Longenhagen detail from today's Orioles write-up.     We'll see if B-Ref keeps him anchored on his 16-year-old self like Felix Bautista.    I'm adjusting to picturing a Yordan Alvarez-sized dude.

There are all kinds of potential stumbling blocks for a propect like Basallo. He’s huge (comically listed at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Basallo is probably closer to 250 than he is to 180)

Watching Basallo ABs right after Holiday ABs this summer is going to be a lot of fun.  

[RZNJ]

4 hours ago, Just Regular said:

A Longenhagen detail from today's Orioles write-up.     We'll see if B-Ref keeps him anchored on his 16-year-old self like Felix Bautista.    I'm adjusting to picturing a Yordan Alvarez-sized dude.

There are all kinds of potential stumbling blocks for a propect like Basallo. He’s huge (comically listed at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Basallo is probably closer to 250 than he is to 180)

You can find some so so footage of Basallo in 2022 FCL games and Yordan Alvarez is an excellent comp, physically.

https://m.youtube.com/results?sp=mAEA&search_query=fcl+orioles+game

Edited February 3, 2023 by RZNJ

[sportsfan8703]

I say keep him as C for as long as possible. It’s sad to say this, but we only have Adley for 5 more years. Basallo should matriculate up the system in that time. However, I don’t want the wear and tear of catching to negatively impact a All Star level bat. We’re not exactly swimming in impact 1B bats either. Silas Ardoin probably makes it to the majors first and be the Caleb Joseph to AR. 
 

Also, Manny Machado was not an international FA

 

[CharmCityHokie]

On 2/3/2023 at 1:41 PM, Just Regular said:

A Longenhagen detail from today's Orioles write-up.     We'll see if B-Ref keeps him anchored on his 16-year-old self like Felix Bautista.    I'm adjusting to picturing a Yordan Alvarez-sized dude.

There are all kinds of potential stumbling blocks for a propect like Basallo. He’s huge (comically listed at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Basallo is probably closer to 250 than he is to 180)

I'm pretty sure BBRef just copies whatever the teams put out on the MLB/MiLB sites; Basallo is listed as 180 on MiLB.com and Bautista is listed at 190 on Orioles.com, so its more on the Orioles to update that I think before BBRef would reflect it, and given how secretive they are with even the most mundane of information, I doubt that's happening any time soon.