All Questions Answered Thread

He’s off to a good start in the Midwest League and his scouting reports from college support the idea, but we need to see what he can do against better pitching. If he remains hot, he’ll get to High-A later this year and maybe even Double-A if the Rays decide to be aggressive.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Close, but I’ll go Profar since he’s 2.5 years younger.

It’s two starts…i don’t see any reason to change my pre-season projection just yet. I had him as a “strong Grade B”, possible ace starter if he throws strikes. He’s thrown great so far but I don’t think 11 innings is enough to conclude that he’s found the consistency that eluded him at times in college. Let’s see how he’s doing in June before bumping the grade to a B+.

If he does keep pitching like this, then he could be as high as an A- (or even maybe a straight A if all goes REALLY well) by the end of the year.

I have liked Keyvius since high school. My main worry is the health issue after what happened last year.

Best case, he stays healthy and keeps ptiching like this. That would make him an A- prospect I’d say, or an A if he dominates to this extent all year. More probably he’ll weaken at some point and end up in the B+ range.

No sneaking two questions in.

Profar gets lots of attention so I’ll answer about Arenado. Two years from now, Arenado will be in Triple-A, hitting .300/.350/.445, with no obvoius place for him in the Colorado lineup and his name appearing in trade rumors.

Sounds reasonable to me, esp. given the depth in pitching percolating through the Jays system.

i love Neil Ramirez and rated him as a breakthrough guy pre-season. It looks like it is happening, granted as I said with Harvey we need more innings to be sure. But the scouting reports are great, Rangers sources are effusive, and he had all the “sleeper markers” pre-season. I had him as a B- pre-season but noted that his ceiling was quite high. I’d make him a B now, with helium.

yes we will see him in 2011. Ceiling….if he really pans out, Jason Bay.

almost ready. ETA late August/September

Well….“how much” is hard to quantify exactly.

Harper has the best power ceiling. Trout has the most speed and defensive ability. Heyward has the most balanced set of skills and has already proven himself in the majors.

Good power, strikes out a lot, doesn’t draw walks, too old to be a prospect. Could go on a hot streak and get lucky and have some success as a role player for a bit, but it isn’t likely.

I don’t know…I assume he’s in extended spring for some reason, but I don’t know why.

September 2011

.297/.359/.452. Three gold gloves.

Goat’s Head Soup.

Sorry…I always hated the Rolling Stones.

Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Who….awesome bands. But there was always something about the Stones and Jagger that I just really disliked.

Jack be nimble, jack be quick, jack flash sat on a candle stick

Chase….likeliest outcome is a utility infielder with occasional sparks of offense but not enough hitting to stay in a lineup long term. Comps…I dunno, there are tons of guys like that.

Eh…no. Steady improvement I’d buy, but not a huge breakout this year.

His command looks much, much better this year. If he maintains that and is still showing the same kind of stuff, he could develop into a number three starter I’d say

I haven’t heard anything specific scouting-wise yet. His range factor in the first six games is 1.40…granted the sample is way too small to mean anything. No errors, no assists.

The only report I have on him is from last year, which put him at 88-91 with a curveball and changeup. But that is an old report, and l have to tap some sources and try to find out more about him, he’s very interesting.

Well, like you said, it’s early, and he’s repeating the league. But it does look like he’s made some progress, and he is still young enough for the Cal League at age 20. He has the natural speed for center but there have been complaints about his route-running, and his arm isn’t good enough for right.

Mr. Hunt in a Wimmers jersey, engaging in a little sports-psychologist-approved role-playing?

Yeah that first start was a disaster, then he went on the DL with ‘flu-like symptoms." If he was sick, that could explain things. One bad start doesnt’ mean he’s a bust obviously, but it bears watching.

Since Miller is “a possible grade ‘A’ pitcher with ace potential,” barring injury it would be extremely surprising if Martinez was to jump ahead of Miller, IMHO.

It is possible. He has the arm to be a grade A prospect, if the command and durability are there. Miller would still rank ahead of him for now, but it is plausable that Martinez could jump him if everything goes perfectly.

The angels seem to think so, but it is in their best interest for them to say that.

He’s errorless through seven games, with a mediocre range factor…yes, yes, minor league defensive stats have all kinds of issues and the sample is small. So far, though, the results are what you’d expect.

I’d be interested to know why you see him as a long-term sleeper.

The early returns are terrible. At age 20 he’s young enough to get a lot better, but it hasnt’ happened yet.

well, lots of apples/oranges there. I tend to prefer power over speed. I’m just going to rank these guys on how I see their total upside.

Eibner, Yelich, Benson, Puello, Krauss, Marte, Washington, Szczur. In my mind, Eibner and Yelich are the class of the group.

Yes, he will have a chance to start next year.

.280/.340/.420 with doubledigit steals.

Sometime in the second half of 2012.

I don’t know anything specific that isn’t public knowledge…he’s Cuban, toolsy, with speed and his glove the best assets…power may be questionable, and no clue about his plate discipline at this point. I wouldn’t try to rank or grade him without more information.

Good start is always better than a slow one ! :)

Tools have always been there, it is a matter of plate discipline and health. The sample is too small to draw conclusions yet, but it looks good so far, and I know Pirates sources felt he was overlooked pre-season. Profiles as an offense-oriented second baseman.

Eveyrthing i’ve heard indicates that he’s taking his conditioning very seriously nowadays. Obviously he’s off to a fast start in Double-A. He might be in San Diego later this year, but more probably 2012.

I love Gary Sanchez, but Myers is going to be tremendous.

False. Utility infielder.

JP higher upside, JD more likely to reach his

his bat is ready now, but i wouldn’t conclude at all that he won’t play in New York. He’ll play next year or they will trade him. he won’t rot in Triple-A.

June 14th, 2011.

already answered. love decker’s bat.

hmm….i really can’t think of a good comp. I know the Twins feel he has 15-20 homer raw power in that bat but it isn’t showing up on the field yet. Mike Cameron with a few less home runs?

Well, I heard the same thing, but he’s fanned 11 times in his first 27 at-bats for Stockton, so the jury is out on that.

Good start so far with hugely improved K/IP and K/BB compared to last year. Haven’t heard anything that contradicts the old scouting reports other than his command is better this year. Have to see if he maintains it.

I can see him becoming an elite defender, yes. But his bat is a real problem for me…poor plate discipline, weak power, ineffective use of speed on the bases. He’s still very young but has a LOT of work to do to reach even Bourjos’ level with the bat.

but the glove is great, i agree.

Hmm…close. Taveras is younger, arcia has more present power. I’ll go arcia but I’m not certain about it.

Well he has 211 games of Double-A under his belt. Sometimes guys get promoted because it is “time” for them to move up even if they haven’t played that well. I don’t really have an issue with the Pirates doing this…it is time for lambo to make some adjuments and maybe they felt he would respond to the challenge.

No…extended spring training, havent’ heart anything else. I really like him.

Well he has some pretty signfiicant issues with the changeup last year. It is plausable he can fix this, but the Royals have a lot of starting pitcher candidates and if Crow continues to thrive in releif (and I think he will), he’s got the stuff and attitude to close when/if Soria moves on. He COULD return to the rotation, but I’m just thikning tha he fits well as a closer.

sometime in 2012. Honestly his performance in the Cal League was so weird last year that I wnat to see what happens in AA before going too far with a prediction. He could still develop into any number of different kinds of players.

I heard his changeup has looked good but I can’t confirm that specifically on short notice.

I am pro-Kyle Blanks and while I think Rizzo is a really good prospect, there was probably a bit of Boston hype about him. People seem to have forgotten about Kyle, and that’s a mistake in my view.

Yeah. And I think he breaks, ends up in relief, and does better in the bullpen.

Let’s see how he does in full-season ball first. It is too early for me to get a feel for him, and I havent’ seen him in person.

Oh, man…you can’t go wrong with any of those guys on upside.

Maybe Cole, Taillon, Heredia, Allie? but really, all of those guys have ace upside if they can reach it. Cole is the most advaned one of course.

I won’t compare pitchers to hitters, sorry I just don’t do it.

I’ll go Ackley, Chisenhall, Lawrie, jennings. If you are in a fantasy context and want speed, moving Jennings up./

Have the Cabreras effectively killed Kipnis’ chances of making a pre-roster-expansion appearance or might he sneak into left field sometime in May or June?

Kip at 2B. 2B who can hit are harder to find than OF who can hit.

Yeah, Sands.

The JWTGCFH Award seems to have a bad track record the last few years…Max Ramirez and Kellen Kulbacki got wiped by injuries

Like I said, it’s two starts in High-A. Let’ see how the season progresses. If he moves up to AA and keeps pitching like this, then we could see him as soon as August. More probably sometime in 2012. Upside…i’d say number two starter.

The glove at third gives him a bettrer chance than the bat alone would. He’s got to get the strike zone under somewhat better control I think. If that happens, he can be a solid regular although I don’t see him as a star.

if you want a guy not in the top 15 but who WAS in the top 50, I’ll go with Brett Eibner.

If you want someone not on either list….how about Eric Thames? I don’t know about elite but I really really like him, have since he was at Pepperdine.

I think I will cover this one in a Post-Hype Analysis….

I didn’t have him ranked pre-season and to be honest I don’t know much about him. he’s off to a fast start. Worth tracking and researching certainly.

Choice. A lot more power upsdie.

I think he’s capable of being a decent regular, not a star. Comp…I dunno, someone who hits .260 with 15-20 homers and average defense?

I think he’s probably a reliever longterm

big leaguer, yeah. Full-time…probably not long-term.

I think the answer would take too much time for a rapid-fire response

i’ll think about it

Well if he keeps this up he’ll be in AA shortly and we’ll get a better view then on his future. His first two starts he was just way too good for the competition.

I’d say he spends most of this year in AA. If he keeps pitching anything close to this, he could be in the majors later this year. More probably he’s a promotion sometime in 2012.

I know he’s not a gold glove but I think Norris has made a lot of progress defensively and can stick there if they want him to. If Ramos keeps going they will have some decisions to make. I see Norris as a low-batting-average-high-walks-high-power slugger, something like Mickey Tettleton or Gene Tenace were back in the 70s and 80s. He’ll have more value if he can remain behind the plate.

that was one hell of a move last year at the deadline

Well, his biggest statistical flaw last year was a highish walk rate, so it isn’t a surprise that this is an issue for him. I remain very optimistic about him but sure, in the short run there will be some glitches. He’s a rookie!

well actually I agree with you totally, but they didn’t ask me.

Probably yes. Probably no.

I have no specific report other than a vague report that the Mets are happy with the progress of his secondary pitches. There was talk this spring that the major league staff sees him as a future releiver, not a starter, but so far he’s starting in AAA.

I don’t see why there is any reason to EXPECT him to improve, other than he’s still young enough to do so. he’s drawn six walks in six games for Stockton…but is hitting .095. If i had to guess, i’d look for marginal improvement then maybe a larger improvement next year

Dodgers OF’s. What are your thoughts on Sands and Robinson? Who arrives in MLB first and who plays where?

Perhaps. too early to say for sure, but a big improvement in his BB/K/AB so far this year. If that sticks, he’ll thrive.

The chuck norris thing is idiotic. The MIMITW is cool. Sam Fuld is cool.

His future is….Seth Smith with a bit more speed and a bit less power.

I’d have to go back in my books and look but I think I liked Bruce a little better. Both were top flight prospects.

yeah, that’s right. Bruce ranked as Number One in 2008, Rasmus was Number Four in 2009. I think i’d still go with Bruce.

yeah, from what I have heard, yeah. Not a fluke is what I’ve heard. Better approach than last year in the Cal League.

That is something better answered in a couple of weeks when I start working on mock draft stuff.

well pre-season I had them something like Fields, Davis, Jones, Puello….big gap… Dixon.
I don’t see any reason to change that based on the small amount of 2011 data avialable. All have high physical upsides.

Well he has enough talent to do that, but the Dodgers aren’t as reckl…I mean, aggressive, about promoting pitchers as the Tigers are. I like Lee but unless he turns into a right-handed Clayton Kershaw, I think the Dodgers will go easy with him…4 years in the minors.

Well he’s got the tools…but I’d be more confident in the hot start sticking if his BB/K/AB was better. I’m still a bit skeptical.

I dont’ remember off the top of my head what the Yankees rumored package was. I didn’t think the Rangers package was that great, so maybe.

He could make it next year, but odds are the Rays would prefer Torres. Of course, this would have to be assuming the Rays trade a starter.

Well…what does he need to do to get into that tier? I’m not sure how to answer that. I already think he’s a pretty damn good defender….far more reliable than most SS his age, good range and arm too. I think he’s a very underrated prospect.

Hmmm…good question. Keep in mind this is NOT a “who john thinks is the best prospect at each position” OK? Let’s say I’m trying to develop a team that could actually win a few games..not many, but a few. DOES NOT INCLUDE ANYONE CURRENTLY IN MAJORS

C: Devon Mesoraco
1B: Eric Hosmer
2B: Dustin Ackley
3B: Lonnie Chisenhall
SS: Jose Iglesias
LF: Eric Thames
CF: Mike Trout
RF: Bryce Harper
DH: Jesus Montero
P: S. Miller, K. Gibson, M. Banuelos, D. Betances, M. Moore
CL: Z. Stewart

How many games would that team win?
CL: C. Sale

I say no. mid to late july

he has emotions, sometimes you need your manager to light a fire under the teams ass.

Kirk.

But I’d take Benjamin Sisko over either of them.

Hmm…

I like a healthy FMM but there’s a decent chance he ends up as a reliever, if only due to durability concerns

At this point in the season, a single 0-for-8 stretch can wreck your stat line. At this point I’m not really worrying too much about it. In another week that will change.

I’m not a big Thompson guy.

slowish start in AAA so far. I think he gets to the majors but never gets quite established beyond occasional bench work.

Not as good as profar, not as much upside. I have felt his offensive potential has been somewhat underrated. Not that he’ll be outstanding, but I think he can be better than people currently expect with the bat.

Nice start, but the BB/K/AB is weak so far, makes it harder to sustain.

.293/.359/.463

If he produces in AA while reducing his strikeout rate somewhat, yeah, for real.

Too really good outings so far. If that keeps up for another 2-3 starts, buzz will commence. He’s always been somewhat underrated.

I think he has more raw power than Loney does.

one bad start. not worried yet

already answered upthread

already answered this upthread.

A fully healthy Ranaudo would be in a Top 50 list certainly, probably in a Top 20. He could be a number two starter if all pans out.