1 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 1: Welcome one and all to the latest edition of the 2 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 1: Hammer Territory Podcast. My name is Sean Coleman. As always, 3 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: it is a pleasure to be with you. My podcast 4 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: host his name is Hid this episode, but there's a 5 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: very good reason. Why is Steven Tobert Steven, How are 6 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: you doing, sir Sean? 7 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 2: How are you buddy? 8 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's always good to be on with you, man, 9 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 3: and it's always fun to have a special guest. We've 10 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 3: got somebody you know, you and I have talked to 11 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 3: many times before about how we are nowhere close to 12 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 3: experts on anything prospect related, especially when it comes to 13 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 3: the you know, the January fifteenth signing. Guys, I mean, 14 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 3: we just we don't know what we're talking about, so 15 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 3: I have to have somebody. Of course, everybody can see now, 16 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 3: like Ben Badler from Baseball America to come on and 17 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 3: talk to us about this is a real treat. 18 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 2: So I'm excited for this episode. 19 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's not many when it comes to when it 20 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 1: comes to the arena of prospect knowledge, especially on the 21 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: international front. Ben Badler has been named synonymous with with 22 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: those breakdowns for decades now. Ben don't mean to make 23 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 1: you feel old or anything. Like that, but last year 24 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:20,279 Speaker 1: had the chance to talk with you. Always a pleasure 25 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:21,680 Speaker 1: to talk with you. Thank you so much for taking 26 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:23,959 Speaker 1: the time to join us on this episode of Hammer Territory. 27 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:26,479 Speaker 4: Nks for having me on. Guys, you guys can keep going. 28 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 4: I love hearing this. Thanks for all the kind words. 29 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 5: I appreciate it, of course, of course. 30 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 1: But listen, there's a reason we brought you here, and 31 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 1: that's of course to hear your insight. So Ben, you know, 32 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: obviously this is a busy time of year for you. 33 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:43,759 Speaker 1: We have the International signing class that occurs across baseball. Obviously, 34 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: you know that's when you know, a lot of you know, 35 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: young talents come into the system, but some of the 36 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: biggest names we know now in baseball and for decades 37 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: in baseball have come to the majors that way. But 38 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: there's also the time when prospect list comes out as well. 39 00:01:58,240 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: So we're going to talk with Ben mainly about the 40 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: internet class for this year, but also talk with him 41 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: about some of the prospects and Dylan's jump right into 42 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: it and we'll get into a few of the names 43 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: here in just a moment. But let's talk about this 44 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 1: international class for the Braves as a whole, it feels 45 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: like it feels like that perhaps this class didn't have 46 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: like a standout prize of the pack like we did 47 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: the previous two years with Luis Guanipa as well as 48 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: Jose Perdomo, but we did to that level of talent. 49 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 1: But we did have several talents in this class that 50 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: make it be a bit deeper. Is that a true 51 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: statement or is it just that we've seen a few 52 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,920 Speaker 1: more names. Where would this class rank for recent classes 53 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: when it comes to quality of class overall? The Braves 54 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: twenty twenty five International. 55 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 4: Class, Yeah, I think you see you see a lot 56 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 4: of names that they signed the first day of the 57 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 4: signing period, or at least, you know, the first couple 58 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 4: of days of the signing period. I think it's tough 59 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 4: for you know, teams that have one Dominican Summer League team, 60 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 4: it's hard for them to just compete on volume compared 61 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 4: to the teams that have i mean literally double the 62 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,919 Speaker 4: roster spots, so you can have thirty five more players 63 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 4: in your in your DSL. It's a lot more players 64 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 4: that those teams can sign, just opportunities to take chances 65 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 4: on that ten thousand dollars arm who's you know, eighty 66 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 4: seven ninety one, now some various form of feel for 67 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 4: a breaking ball, very degrees of strikes, and then all 68 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 4: of a sudden you get them in the academy in 69 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:28,399 Speaker 4: six months later or maybe a couple of years later, 70 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 4: that eighty seven ninety one guy is, oh, now this 71 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 4: guy's ninety two to ninety seven, right. So those teams 72 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 4: that have more roster spots just can take more chances 73 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 4: on players. So I think it's an advantage for those clubs. 74 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 4: So you know, you saw a decent number of signings 75 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 4: for a team that has one DSL team, and it's 76 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 4: not like you know, you're right, it's not like one player. 77 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 4: You know where they've gone, almost like all in on 78 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 4: Jose Perdomo for example one year, where you know, this year, 79 00:03:57,560 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 4: I still think, you know, the centerpiece signing for them 80 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 4: is Diego Tornees, outfielder from Cuba, and then later in 81 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 4: the process Rowdy Reyes, the big, big fastball right had 82 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 4: a pitcher from the Dominican Republic. So maybe not just 83 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 4: one player, but you know those are really the two 84 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,039 Speaker 4: headline centerpiece guys for them this year. 85 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 1: Well, let's focus on those two. And let's look at 86 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: Diego Tornees and I know that you know, many will 87 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: you know when we talk about him being you know, 88 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: the prize of this year's pack when it comes to 89 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: the position, players don't want to compare him to a 90 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:35,600 Speaker 1: per Domo or a Gwanipa. Just from that perspective, where 91 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: does he kind of rank in terms of those two 92 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:41,160 Speaker 1: coming into this And the other thing that stands out 93 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 1: about Tornez is that's he's a big bodied, you know, 94 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 1: a hitter outfielder. But it seems like Atlanta really likes 95 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: the fact that how his physical stature is. Even though 96 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,360 Speaker 1: he's a big body, he's lean, he's muscular. It seems 97 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: like they feel confident that he's going to mature in 98 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: a way that's going to allow him to, if he 99 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: hits be able to be hopefully signing for us. Just 100 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: your thoughts on Diego Tornees, especially as he matures, you know, 101 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: starting off at being such a you know, big sixteen 102 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: year old himself. 103 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 4: Yeah, well, we know when they signed Gwinipa, he was 104 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 4: what probably five eleven six foot, very compact, stocky, strong, 105 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:20,360 Speaker 4: you know, very muscular frame for for his age. 106 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 5: Packed a lot of tools. 107 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:22,720 Speaker 4: I when he could hit the ball really hard, he 108 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 4: could run good athlete, whereas Tornees is just you know, 109 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 4: a lot, a lot longer lady six foot four, probably 110 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:34,279 Speaker 4: what like two hundred pounds in that area. And I think, 111 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 4: really what, you know, what the big appeal with Tornees 112 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 4: was was the bat right in the offensive upside, especially 113 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 4: early on, he you know, showed a good job of 114 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 4: being able to recognize pitches, control the strike zone at 115 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:50,599 Speaker 4: least as much as you can tell at that age, 116 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 4: and he seems to always perform well against live pitching, 117 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 4: and at that size, the power that he has and 118 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 4: the power upside that he has, I mean, looking at 119 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:02,479 Speaker 4: somebody as a chance to be twenty maybe twenty five 120 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 4: plus home run hitter at least that kind of power 121 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 4: to be determined obviously on the battle. We'll know a 122 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:11,159 Speaker 4: lot more by the time the DSL season is over 123 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 4: this year in terms of how that translates right away. 124 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 4: But certainly the offensive upside I think was what drew 125 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 4: a lot of teams to him. And then I think 126 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:21,719 Speaker 4: the pleasant surprise has been the development of some of 127 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 4: the the other tools on the defensive side right where 128 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:26,279 Speaker 4: a lot of teams looked at him initially as well, 129 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 4: probably a left fielder. He's you know, already as big 130 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 4: as he was at that age, is maybe some risk 131 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 4: of going to first base, and I think more than 132 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 4: likely at his size, he probably ends up on a 133 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 4: corner outfield spot. 134 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 5: But he's improved his speed. 135 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 4: I mean, he runs well enough where they'll probably start 136 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:47,160 Speaker 4: him out at center field and see where it goes. 137 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 5: Right, So you know a lot of times guys that. 138 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 4: Big slow down and fill out slowly on as they 139 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:57,599 Speaker 4: fill out, and you know, probably not center field type 140 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 4: of a look. But I mean Aaron Judge played center field. 141 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 4: Julio Rodriguez when he signed thought I love Julio Rodriguez. 142 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 5: I thought no way was he gonna play center field. 143 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 4: So guys do surprise that when you're signing players at 144 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 4: you know, sixteen seventeen years old. 145 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 5: It's a lot of a lot of things to like, especially. 146 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 4: Offensively, but some of the progress of the speed and 147 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 4: defensive tools that he has has been pretty encouraging too. 148 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 1: You heard it here first, Ben Badler thinks that there's 149 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: a lot of air. I'm kidding, I'll go there, but no, 150 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: it does go to show that, you know, not all. 151 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: You know, hey, you can be six four two hundred 152 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:36,600 Speaker 1: even at the young age of sixteen. But there's different 153 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: types of that, right. You can have big bodied guys, 154 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 1: you know, who may not necessarily they be all mashed, 155 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 1: not that athletic. But the big thing with Torn is 156 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 1: that should help him out is that he does have 157 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 1: the ability it seems to stick potentially with some defensive 158 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: upside to go along with the bat and that has 159 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: to be encouraging for his overall prospect rise as time 160 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: goes on. 161 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean you're you know, you're looking at physical 162 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 4: indigator and just the progress that he's made, and you're 163 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 4: you're trying to make educate guesses. Really a lot of 164 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 4: times that at that age about where it's going to go. 165 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 4: So historically, you know, most guys like that end up 166 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 4: in a corner. So I would say that's probably the 167 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 4: most likely landing spot for him. But I mean, there's 168 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 4: no reason not to put him in center field for now, 169 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 4: until you know, later on where he said, Okay, maybe 170 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 4: maybe it's time to move, but for now, yeah, I 171 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 4: would run him out in center field and see what happens. 172 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 3: I mean, that's kind of the that's kind of the whole. 173 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 3: That's kind of what everybody does. Like every prospect that's 174 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 3: is a center fielder or a short you know, you 175 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:38,559 Speaker 3: see a lot of these guys who sign as. 176 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 2: Center fielders or short stops. 177 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:43,319 Speaker 3: Teams just let them, you know, they they obviously want 178 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 3: them in the most high value position and they force 179 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,320 Speaker 3: them to show they can't do it, right. I mean, essentially, 180 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:50,079 Speaker 3: there's a bunch of guys who signed a short stops 181 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 3: who will never be short stops at the major league level, 182 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 3: but teams want to make them show they. 183 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 2: Can't do it. That is that an accurate way of 184 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 2: putting it. 185 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:00,080 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean Miguel Sino signed as a shortstop. You 186 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 4: look at him right now and it looks like a 187 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 4: you know, a nose tackle, so I you know, and 188 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 4: I don't think anybody really thought he was going to 189 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 4: stay at shortstop at that time either, but also didn't 190 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 4: think he'd like blow up and be quite as big 191 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 4: as he is now. So guys, will you know, surprise 192 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 4: you in all sorts of different ways with the way 193 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 4: that they look at sixteen compared to what they're going 194 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 4: to look like when they're you know, twenty three, twenty 195 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 4: four to twenty five years old. 196 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:27,199 Speaker 3: Yeah, all right, so let's talk about risk, because this 197 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 3: this kid kind of jumped out of everybody, both physically 198 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 3: and you know, metaphorically. 199 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 2: Here a big, big kid. When we saw the. 200 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 3: Picture of him, I mean, the kid looked massive. He 201 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 3: throws one hundred and one miles an hour sixteen years old. 202 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:44,440 Speaker 2: My first question to you is this, how rare is 203 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:46,559 Speaker 2: that to throw that hard that young? 204 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 3: That seems like I remember being in high school and 205 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 3: like if you threw, if you threw eighty nine ninety 206 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 3: like you were, you were, you know, high level. Especially 207 00:09:57,160 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 3: at sixteen, you know, it's probably what like a sophomore 208 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:01,840 Speaker 3: in high school level age. How rare is it to 209 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,040 Speaker 3: have somebody that young throwing one hundred and one miles 210 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 3: an hour? 211 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 5: Yeah? I don't. I don't know that I've if I've 212 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:12,320 Speaker 5: ever seen somebody do that at that age. 213 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 4: You know, there is a picture. He's in New York, 214 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 4: he's in the draft right now. Who I think it 215 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:21,400 Speaker 4: was not like two falls to us, so I think 216 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:25,839 Speaker 4: he was sixteen. Miguel Sime committed to LSU. He threw 217 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 4: ninety nine miles an hour when he was sixteen years old. 218 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 4: You know, the velocity certainly is up, way way up 219 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 4: across the board just for high school pictures, and we 220 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 4: see that in Latin America as well. But even you know, 221 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 4: there's not even that many eighteen year old high school 222 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 4: pictures right who are throwing one hundred, let alone, like 223 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:49,680 Speaker 4: ninety nine ninety eight miles an hour. So the velocity 224 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 4: that he's showing is just like crazy for that age. 225 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 2: And is he. 226 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 3: I mean, I'm guessing again, we don't know, but is 227 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:01,839 Speaker 3: he somebody that could eventually be a starter. Is he 228 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 3: a pure reliever or is he is he just kind 229 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 3: of a hybrid? He throws hard, he's young, and we'll 230 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 3: see what he can do when he gets to pro bowl. 231 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, to be determined on that, it's hard to Certainly, 232 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 4: I'm sure the brains are going to develop him as 233 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 4: a starter and give him every opportunity as a starter, 234 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 4: you know, even I'm sure at some point if they 235 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:25,080 Speaker 4: even think he's gonna end up in a relief role 236 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 4: long term, just to continue to give him more opportunity 237 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 4: to get get innings, work on, you know, different pitches, 238 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 4: just get getting more experienced that way. Right now, I 239 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 4: think there's certainly, Yeah, I mean, it's hard to say 240 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 4: about like a sixteen year old kid, right, but there's 241 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 4: certainly relief risk factors there where Okay, there is a 242 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,359 Speaker 4: good amount of effort to to the to the operation. 243 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 4: The control is you know, all over the place. Right now, 244 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 4: He's gonna have to sharpen a lot of other things 245 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,880 Speaker 4: to his game. But he's also, you know, sixteen years 246 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 4: old throwing triple digits velocity, So like there's there's a 247 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 4: very good foundation to work from, at least from from 248 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 4: that one pretty special pitch that he already has for 249 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 4: that age. So you know, we'll learn a lot more 250 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:14,959 Speaker 4: once he goes out this year in the DSL. We'll 251 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 4: see how how the secondary stuff looks, how the strikes 252 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 4: look I'm you know, I'm sure they'll have his innings 253 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 4: very carefully monitor especially with that kind of velocity yet 254 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,119 Speaker 4: at that age. But I mean, you look back historically 255 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,840 Speaker 4: at guys like you know, like when Frankie Montes was 256 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 4: with uh, he's with the Red Sox in the Dominican 257 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:33,199 Speaker 4: Summer League and I think he had to repeat the 258 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 4: league and was just a ton of walks there, and 259 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:37,840 Speaker 4: oh like you would never look at that on paper 260 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 4: and think, oh yeah, this guy's gonna be a not 261 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 4: just a starter in the big leagues, like a pretty 262 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 4: good starter or. 263 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 5: Two in the major leagues. 264 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:46,160 Speaker 4: But guys, guys can make a lot of changes and 265 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 4: make a lot of development obviously from the time they're 266 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 4: sixteen until they're you know, getting into their twenties and 267 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 4: getting closer to the big leagues. 268 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:56,880 Speaker 1: I'm not making this comparison in terms of his whole 269 00:12:56,920 --> 00:12:59,760 Speaker 1: profiler who I think he develops into. But you know, 270 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 1: I'm to Stephen knows, I've got to put him in 271 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: there when I can. Being a Tennessee fan, you know, 272 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 1: a guy when it comes to just a rare level 273 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 1: of velocity that we've seen recently, has been Joyce, you know, 274 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:11,959 Speaker 1: closer for the Angels. But the reason I bring him 275 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:15,680 Speaker 1: up is because the velocity at which he throws, I imagine, 276 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 1: is kind of, you know, stands out like what Rays 277 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 1: throws at sixteen. You just don't see that level of 278 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 1: velocity at that age. But I bring up in Joyce 279 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: because he was a year He took him what less 280 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 1: than a year to get to the majors. With ray 281 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: esk we're talking about three four, probably five plus years 282 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,079 Speaker 1: to get there. What is the concern when it comes 283 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 1: to how much of a high risk, high reward prospect 284 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 1: he is. Is there more concern with how far away 285 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 1: he likely is for the majors, or is there a 286 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 1: bit more confidence in the fact, Well, if he's throwing 287 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 1: this fast is young, there's some ease, there's more ease 288 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: in his way of being able to throw that velocity. 289 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:54,839 Speaker 1: How do you come from the perspective of how consistently 290 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: he's going to be able to hit that velocity while 291 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 1: also not becoming a huge inyury risk as time goes on. 292 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:02,080 Speaker 5: Yeah, you're right. 293 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 4: I mean it's kind of a double edged sword where 294 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 4: I think just even the teams don't know what to 295 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:13,200 Speaker 4: do with it, right, Where it's just velocity, elite young 296 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:15,640 Speaker 4: velocity in general. Right, where like you get so excited 297 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:18,200 Speaker 4: it's great that a young pitcher can throw you know, 298 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 4: ninety six or ninety eight or one hundred miles an hour. 299 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:26,480 Speaker 4: But also like we see the correlation right between velocity 300 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 4: and injury risk. So it's kind it's a double edged 301 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 4: sword where you get excited, but you know, you also 302 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 4: get really nervous sometimes about that. I mean, with ray, 303 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 4: it's the good thing is you don't you don't have 304 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 4: to project anything on him. As far as physical development 305 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 4: to be able to gain velocity. You know that's there, 306 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 4: that's already in place. It's it's just the rawness as 307 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 4: far as strike throwing and development of the secondaries and 308 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 4: understanding of how to pitch, the pitch ability, all all 309 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 4: those other factors beyond just the enormous fastball, the enormous 310 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 4: velocity that he has. So yeah, I think it's it's 311 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 4: not somebody who I think you're gonna see racing through 312 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 4: the minor leagues, even if he was there by the 313 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 4: time he's like twenty twenty one years old, that would 314 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 4: very much surprise me. I think it's somebody who's going 315 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 4: to need quite a bit of time developing at the 316 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:19,280 Speaker 4: lower levels, working on a lot of the finer points 317 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 4: of pitching, even some of the basic points of pitching, 318 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 4: right let's say, which is not a terrible thing for 319 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 4: somebody who's sixteen years old to say that about. But 320 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 4: he obviously has the ability to blow a fastball by 321 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 4: anybody right now. So it's more about teaching, all right 322 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:37,360 Speaker 4: here is you know, hitting your spots, mixing in your 323 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:39,920 Speaker 4: you know, your breaking ball, change up, learning a little 324 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 4: bit more about the soft the soft stuff to the 325 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:45,320 Speaker 4: finer the kind of the pitch ability parts of the 326 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 4: game with him. 327 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 3: So Ben, obviously there was torn as, there was Reyes, 328 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 3: and then there was a third kind of big three 329 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 3: of this class was on hell Carmona. So I don't know, 330 00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 3: I know very little about this prospect of what basically 331 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 3: what I read from you. So I just got kind 332 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 3: of give you the floor. I don't not set up 333 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 3: this question. I'm just gonna kind of give you the floor. 334 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 3: What's special about his game? Why was he intriguing to 335 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 3: the Braves and what did they get when they signed him? 336 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 4: He trained at a program run I don't know if 337 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 4: it's run by Labor Torres, but basically Labor Torres Academy. 338 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 4: You know, he has a day job during the season, 339 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 4: and I'm like, intimately he is involved during during the year, 340 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 4: but I think it's him and his dad running the 341 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 4: program there. So yeah, things to like with him. A 342 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 4: good athlete, six foot one, still pretty lean, uses the 343 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 4: whole field. He can project more power coming like it's 344 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:42,800 Speaker 4: it's not big power right now, He's still a pretty 345 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 4: slender I think sixteen, maybe seventeen years old now, kid 346 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 4: more of like a line drive gap to gap type 347 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 4: of approach from the right side of the plate. So 348 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 4: somebody who has a chance to maybe stay at short 349 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 4: stuff project somewhere in the infield with some you know, 350 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 4: some offensive upside. Again, see how he See how he 351 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 4: fills out, See what that, See what direction the rest 352 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:07,560 Speaker 4: of the tools take as far as the power the speed, 353 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 4: because he's still pretty pretty slender player right now. So 354 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 4: definitely some more more physical upside and more room for 355 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 4: growth with him. 356 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: With that being said, you know, just I know that 357 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 1: you know from you being a prospect guy, everybody looks 358 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:24,959 Speaker 1: at the perspective of well, how do they rank versus 359 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:27,960 Speaker 1: other notable names in the system, and to what extent 360 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,119 Speaker 1: you want to discuss that, But I will ask you know, 361 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 1: of course we talk about Luis Gwinepa two years ago, 362 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:36,360 Speaker 1: we talked about Jose Pedermo, now Tornez as well as Carmona. 363 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:39,680 Speaker 1: When you look at the last three classes, like where 364 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:43,680 Speaker 1: does Tornez compare in terms of his you know, stature 365 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 1: of a potential prospect next to a Pedermo and Gwinipa. 366 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:49,440 Speaker 1: Is there a certain way that you might rank them? 367 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: I know, again, it's very hard to do when they're 368 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 1: all sixteen. But in terms of when they came into 369 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 1: the system as an international signing, where would Tornia is 370 00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 1: compared to Gwinipa as well as Perdermo in terms of, 371 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:02,159 Speaker 1: you know, seed Ley as a potential major leaguer. 372 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:05,440 Speaker 4: Yeah, I would say at the time Perdomo would be 373 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:08,119 Speaker 4: would be the top guy from that group, and then 374 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 4: I would have Tornez ahead of Guanipa. I mean, Gwennepa 375 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 4: is an interesting guy, but I think Tornez just has 376 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:19,760 Speaker 4: more more physical upside than him. Guanipa is a bit 377 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:22,600 Speaker 4: more physically mature, like what you see is what you get, 378 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:24,960 Speaker 4: Like you don't expect the tools to get a lot better, 379 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 4: whereas with Tornez, you're you're seeing flashes of power now. 380 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:32,320 Speaker 4: But you know there's certainly I mean, I I don't know, 381 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,240 Speaker 4: he might get thirty pounds heavier, who knows, I don't 382 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,359 Speaker 4: know exactly, but you know, six four to two hundred, 383 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 4: he's gonna pack on more way, pack on more strength. 384 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 4: There's there's a lot more physical upside there, I think 385 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 4: with him, and probably more present ability to offensively with him, 386 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 4: whereas with Jose Perdomo, you know, I think he was 387 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:55,360 Speaker 4: clearly one of the top players in that class at 388 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 4: the time. I mean, it's tough to say, because you know, 389 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 4: these players are reaching agreements with teams when they're you know, thirteen, 390 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:04,639 Speaker 4: fourteen years old, sometimes even younger than that. The international 391 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 4: market's really gotten crazy. 392 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 5: But you know, Perdomo looked like. 393 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:10,840 Speaker 4: A you know, at the time, a middle in, a 394 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:13,639 Speaker 4: middle endfielder who could who could hit, and you know, 395 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 4: had a chance to be a mix of hitting ability 396 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:17,720 Speaker 4: and and power, kind of along the lines of like 397 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 4: a Glaber Tours, you know, like the hopefully the good 398 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:23,960 Speaker 4: Glaber Tours and every if in the you know, during 399 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:27,119 Speaker 4: his his best years with the Yankees. But as far 400 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 4: as like what right now, it's a little hard to 401 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 4: say on Jose Perdomo because he's just been on the 402 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 4: field for uh so little. I think he got like 403 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 4: twenty at bats in the DSL last year. So I 404 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 4: just really want to see him healthy and on the 405 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 4: field this season. 406 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:44,680 Speaker 3: So Ben, we're gonna we're gonna zoom out a little 407 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,560 Speaker 3: bit here, and we've got Ben Badler from from Baseball 408 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:51,679 Speaker 3: America on the show with us tonight, and so we 409 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 3: had this conversation I want to ask you this question 410 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:54,440 Speaker 3: because we had this comment. 411 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:57,439 Speaker 2: Me and Sean had this conversation a couple a couple of. 412 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:00,439 Speaker 3: Nights ago, I think, and the conversation will about the 413 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 3: Braves farm system as a whole, and how when you 414 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:05,880 Speaker 3: look up and down for the last few years, especially 415 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 3: since the Michael Harris graduation, that there really hasn't been 416 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:14,399 Speaker 3: the elite level position player prospects that you see in 417 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 3: other systems. The Braves are pretty consistently and kind of 418 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:22,159 Speaker 3: the bottom third of farm rankings by most people. And 419 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:24,119 Speaker 3: and Sean, we're having Sean and I were having the 420 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:27,479 Speaker 3: conversation that you know, the Braves had that four year stretch, 421 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:29,560 Speaker 3: three or four year stretch where they were they had 422 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:32,920 Speaker 3: the penalties from the previous regime, they couldn't sign international 423 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:34,919 Speaker 3: free agents, and we were kind of talking about the 424 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 3: fact that, you know, because these guys are four or 425 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:39,400 Speaker 3: five years away when they signed that even though those 426 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 3: penalties were four or five years ago, that this is 427 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:43,480 Speaker 3: kind of the time because of that lack of time, 428 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 3: This is kind of the time where the team is 429 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 3: really kind of paying for that for not having that 430 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:49,760 Speaker 3: depth in the in the system that may maybe other 431 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:50,200 Speaker 3: teams do. 432 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:52,120 Speaker 2: So I just want to get your perspective. 433 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:55,159 Speaker 3: You know, the penalties were I think twenty seventeen to 434 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:58,879 Speaker 3: twenty twenty's when the Braves were either had sanctions or 435 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:02,160 Speaker 3: you know, certain amount they could sign or players for 436 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 3: a certain amount. So I just want to get your opinion. 437 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 3: Do you think this is where the team is really 438 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 3: feeling the effects I'm not having those international classes. 439 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 2: For three or four years. Do you think it's something else? 440 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,399 Speaker 3: I know they've gone very pitching heavy in the domestic draft. 441 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:19,480 Speaker 3: In your opinion, why have we seen kind of this, 442 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 3: this lull, this drag and position player prospects in the 443 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:25,240 Speaker 3: Brave system going on the last probably I don't know, 444 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:26,119 Speaker 3: three or four years. 445 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,240 Speaker 5: Yeah, I think it's probably a mix of the two. Yeah. 446 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:32,119 Speaker 4: I think the penalties, especially if you look at like 447 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:35,240 Speaker 4: the upper levels of the Braves farm system, it's like, well, 448 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 4: where where these international prospects that every other team pretty 449 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 4: much has, right, Well, it's I think a lot of 450 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 4: it is those penalties that they were under. And this 451 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:47,360 Speaker 4: is this is that lag time where okay, like sure 452 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 4: you have like a Jackson curio, right, and he gets to. 453 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:51,680 Speaker 5: The big leagues when he's twenty years old. 454 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:55,080 Speaker 4: But there's only like maybe one Jackson curio that comes 455 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 4: around every couple of years or so. Right, most guys are, 456 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 4: you know, getting to the big leagues. They're you know, 457 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:03,359 Speaker 4: they're signed at sixteen or seventeen, might get there at 458 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 4: twenty two, twenty three, twenty four. 459 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 5: It takes a long time for those guys to matriculate. 460 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 4: Not just to the big leagues, but just to the 461 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 4: upper levels of the farm system where you really have 462 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:13,439 Speaker 4: a better idea too of what you have in your system. 463 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 4: And the Braves just don't have that internationally because they 464 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:20,080 Speaker 4: I think, yeah, the penalties were a big part of it, 465 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:22,639 Speaker 4: both losing players and obviously then losing the ability to 466 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:25,920 Speaker 4: sign players, and it's just you know, having to rebuild 467 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:30,919 Speaker 4: the entire international scouting department too. I mean, that takes 468 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 4: quite a bit of time to just rebuild that internal 469 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:37,719 Speaker 4: scouting infrastructure as a as a scouting staff and as 470 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 4: an organization. So yeah, I think that's hurt them. And 471 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 4: like you know, like you said, it's been a pitching 472 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:47,040 Speaker 4: heavy emphasis and a lot of their drafts and it 473 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:51,199 Speaker 4: certainly shows up in their top ten with you know, 474 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 4: the obvious exception of Drake Baldwin's looking pretty good right now. 475 00:22:57,480 --> 00:22:57,680 Speaker 2: Yeah. 476 00:22:57,680 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: I mean, I think that the other thing that kind 477 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:02,399 Speaker 1: of stands out is that, you know, Braves Country, you know, 478 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:04,560 Speaker 1: kind of spoil because you know, if you go back 479 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 1: to the previous decade, Hayward did not hit. But then 480 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:12,280 Speaker 1: after that Freddie became I think better than anybody thought. 481 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: He became our franchise player. And then within a five 482 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,719 Speaker 1: year span we had well maybe six year we had 483 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 1: Swans and then Alby's and the Kunya, then Riley then 484 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:22,960 Speaker 1: Harris all come up. So kind of spoiled when it 485 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 1: comes to the fact that you typically don't see teams 486 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:28,640 Speaker 1: over a decade, within the decades timeframe had that much 487 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:32,159 Speaker 1: of a hit rate with position prospects, especially when the 488 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:36,240 Speaker 1: Braves with the previous regime had had such an intent 489 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:39,000 Speaker 1: focus on pitching. And so I think that's kind of 490 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:41,920 Speaker 1: helping us out. But you I also want to get 491 00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 1: your perspective on a prospect who's on the rise. One 492 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: thing that seems to have stood out about Alex and 493 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 1: Thopolis during his time is that he can identify catching 494 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:55,000 Speaker 1: prospect Shang lang Leers, Wilson Contreras or William Conterrest excuse me, 495 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: and now Drake Baldwin. Your thoughts on Drake Baldwin, who 496 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 1: definitely lead many people seem to really be coming around 497 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:05,919 Speaker 1: on his bat. What do you feel, even mishean Murphy 498 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:08,680 Speaker 1: here long term? What do you feel the Braves really 499 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:11,639 Speaker 1: value about him? And where do you stand on his 500 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:13,959 Speaker 1: potential upside in Atlanta in the future. 501 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,040 Speaker 5: Yeah, I really like Drake bad. 502 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:18,720 Speaker 4: I feel like he gets and it's weird to say, 503 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:21,119 Speaker 4: maybe about a number one prospect in a farm system, 504 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 4: but I feel like he gets maybe a little bit 505 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 4: overlooked too sometimes relative to the other big catching prospects 506 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 4: out there. I mean, offensively, he checks a lot of 507 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 4: boxes that you look for in. 508 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 5: A young hitter. 509 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 4: I think he is a pretty good sense of the 510 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:40,399 Speaker 4: strike zone. He makes a lot of contact. There's not 511 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:42,879 Speaker 4: a lot of swing and miss to his game. And 512 00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:45,879 Speaker 4: you know, maybe it's not like, you know, thirty plus 513 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:48,800 Speaker 4: home run type power, but this is a guy who 514 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:51,800 Speaker 4: should hit you know, fifteen, twenty, maybe twenty plus home 515 00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:55,000 Speaker 4: runs in some seasons obviously, you know, depending how much 516 00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:57,400 Speaker 4: he gets on the field as or how many bats 517 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:00,040 Speaker 4: I want to give him as a catcher. But I 518 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:02,440 Speaker 4: think is a you know, somebody who's gonna stick behind 519 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 4: the plate and be a you know, potential high OBP 520 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:10,520 Speaker 4: type catcher. So just a pretty well rounded, like no 521 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:14,399 Speaker 4: glaring holes or weaknesses, and a guy who's a pretty 522 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 4: good offensive track record now all the way up through 523 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:21,159 Speaker 4: through TRIPLEA, where you know, maybe there's not like a 524 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:27,600 Speaker 4: seventy tool that everybody like jumps up and down over like. 525 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:32,119 Speaker 4: I think catchers who have a strong arm or like, 526 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 4: especially like a seventy arm, everybody like gets super excited 527 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:38,040 Speaker 4: about that. And those guys tend to get really overrated 528 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 4: because a lot of times they can't hit. But people 529 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:43,040 Speaker 4: love to see a catcher who can, who has an 530 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 4: absolute hose. But you know it's maybe not Drake. You know, 531 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:50,280 Speaker 4: Drake Bald was not that guy. But he he can catch, 532 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:52,639 Speaker 4: and I think he can really hit too, So I 533 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 4: think he's one of the better better catching prospects in 534 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:55,880 Speaker 4: the minor leagues right now. 535 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:00,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, I feel like catching specifically, and you can correct 536 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:02,879 Speaker 3: me if I'm wrong here, you've done it for so 537 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:04,959 Speaker 3: many years now. I feel like catching specifically is one 538 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:07,879 Speaker 3: of those positions that because there's so much that is 539 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 3: hard to quantify with catchers, you know, we run into 540 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:12,880 Speaker 3: this in Hall of Fame voting too, where like it's 541 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 3: tough to just use the same metrics we use for 542 00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 3: every other position because there's so much more that just 543 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,120 Speaker 3: goes into catching, Right, There's dealing with pitching staffs. There's 544 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:23,000 Speaker 3: learning how to you know, you know, talk to you know, 545 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:26,000 Speaker 3: key pitchers in games, calling games. You know how much 546 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:29,280 Speaker 3: individual catchers call games versus the pitchers, especially now with 547 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 3: PitchCom system. I feel like catching in general is just 548 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 3: one of those positions that's very tough to grade. It's 549 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:38,199 Speaker 3: very tough to judge until you see a guy, you know, 550 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:41,240 Speaker 3: with a major league you know, with a major league 551 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 3: rotation that he's controlling or with he's catching for. Is 552 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:47,359 Speaker 3: that fair that it's that that catching is one of 553 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:50,720 Speaker 3: the tougher positions to to scout on your end. 554 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, I think so, that's I would agree with that. 555 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:55,880 Speaker 4: And if you look at the track record, like look 556 00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:59,400 Speaker 4: at the track record in the draft for teams drafting 557 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 4: high school catchers in the early rounds, it's it's rough. 558 00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:06,400 Speaker 4: I mean, like there's Joe Mauer and you know, Hall 559 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 4: of Famer and all that, but like otherwise it is 560 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:12,080 Speaker 4: it is really rough because it's hard to tell until 561 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:16,240 Speaker 4: these guys really get into professional baseball. I mean even 562 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 4: even the college catchers. You know, like there's misses at 563 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 4: every position. But uh, you know, like Kevin Parata with 564 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:26,399 Speaker 4: the Mets was a very high first round pick a 565 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:29,640 Speaker 4: couple of years ago, like Henry Davis number one overall pick, 566 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:32,040 Speaker 4: and you know, maybe that was to save some money, 567 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:34,000 Speaker 4: but it's it's not looking good. It's not look like 568 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 4: he's even gonna catch. And then you have other guys 569 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:40,159 Speaker 4: like Austin Wells with the Yankees, where okay, sort like 570 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:41,800 Speaker 4: he was a he was a high pick, but the 571 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 4: big question mark was h on him coming out of 572 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:48,720 Speaker 4: college was defense. But now looks pretty good defensively, Like, 573 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:51,159 Speaker 4: no doubt he's gonna be able to catch in the 574 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 4: big leagues and it looks pretty good for them. So 575 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:56,600 Speaker 4: there's there's just a lot that goes into the development 576 00:27:57,560 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 4: of a catcher in addition to the evaluation where Okay, 577 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:02,399 Speaker 4: now you get them into professional baseball, and you know, 578 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:04,719 Speaker 4: whether it's a high school catcher or even a college 579 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:08,119 Speaker 4: guy who you know is older and has more experience, 580 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,240 Speaker 4: but okay, he's got to deal with school and so 581 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:13,159 Speaker 4: many other things, and how good is the quality of 582 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:19,200 Speaker 4: instruction for catching specifically that he's getting in college. There 583 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:22,359 Speaker 4: are some college coaches that are tremendous coaches, some of 584 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:25,480 Speaker 4: the best coaches in the world for helping catchers and 585 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:26,160 Speaker 4: their development. 586 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:28,400 Speaker 5: And there's other programs that are you know. 587 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:31,159 Speaker 4: Just don't have don't have the resources that you know 588 00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:35,680 Speaker 4: an MLB organization has for catching specific instructors and where 589 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,160 Speaker 4: your job now full time is to do every like 590 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:40,320 Speaker 4: you can go out every single day and work with 591 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:43,240 Speaker 4: somebody on catching, so you have a lot more time, 592 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:44,280 Speaker 4: better resources. 593 00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:48,520 Speaker 5: Guys can get a lot better, I think really at 594 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:49,240 Speaker 5: a lot of positions. 595 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 4: But there is just so much that goes into catching, 596 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 4: So both the evaluation of catchers in terms of being 597 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:57,800 Speaker 4: to evaluate who they are now and then the development 598 00:28:57,840 --> 00:28:59,560 Speaker 4: and then the projection of where they're going to be 599 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 4: down the road, and just all the you know, demands. 600 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:04,160 Speaker 5: It's such a. 601 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 4: Grind on your body for you know, one hundred what 602 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:10,960 Speaker 4: is it now, one hundred and forty something games and 603 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 4: in the minor leagues, I was one hundred and sixty 604 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 4: two in the big leagues that you know, you're just 605 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:16,680 Speaker 4: not seeing you know, you know't obviously get that as 606 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:19,320 Speaker 4: a high school catcher or even a college catcher where 607 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:21,280 Speaker 4: you're you know, maybe catching a few times a week 608 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:24,520 Speaker 4: through you know, throughout the spring, throughout the college season. 609 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:30,360 Speaker 4: So yeah, I totally agree the evaluating catching is very 610 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:31,880 Speaker 4: much a challenge. 611 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:37,160 Speaker 1: So of course it's awesome to have Ben Badler on 612 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 1: from Baseball America as we're wrapping up this edition of 613 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 1: The Hammer Territory, which has been a great addition with 614 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:45,120 Speaker 1: Ben Badler, also want to point out Baseball America has 615 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:48,000 Speaker 1: released their top thirty prospects for each of the teams, 616 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 1: and if you look below, we have a promotion going 617 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:52,240 Speaker 1: on right now through Foul Territory. If you use the 618 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:55,120 Speaker 1: promo code Hammer thirty with the QR code that you 619 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:57,320 Speaker 1: see on the screen here on YouTube, you'll get thirty 620 00:29:57,320 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 1: percent off your first year of annual subscription. Some of 621 00:29:59,920 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 1: the most well known names when it comes to prospect 622 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:05,160 Speaker 1: coverage at Baseball America, Ben Badler me and among the 623 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:08,040 Speaker 1: best of them. You'll get all his great content as well, 624 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 1: so make sure you take advantage of that special offer. 625 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 1: Blow Ben before we before we end this edition with 626 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:15,120 Speaker 1: you of the Hammer Territory podcast, just a couple of 627 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:18,880 Speaker 1: quick lightning round questions if you don't mind. The first 628 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 1: one that I'll ask is, Okay, we know Drake Baldwin. 629 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:23,960 Speaker 1: You know, we know Nacho Alvarez as well. We've talked 630 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:27,400 Speaker 1: about some of the more high ceiling, lower level prospects. 631 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:29,760 Speaker 1: Could you give me a name or two position prospect 632 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:33,720 Speaker 1: wise in the Brave system that you feel could have 633 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:36,840 Speaker 1: a kind of breakout season where they may not necessarily 634 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:39,200 Speaker 1: become a top prospect in baseball, but they could work 635 00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:42,320 Speaker 1: themselves into relevancy when it comes to the Brave systems. 636 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:45,120 Speaker 1: Just one or two position prospects that you have your 637 00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:47,040 Speaker 1: eye on that you feel could take a big step 638 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:47,480 Speaker 1: this year. 639 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, you know, Carlos Colaza does are Braves 640 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:54,920 Speaker 4: top thirty and I know he got a lot of 641 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:56,640 Speaker 4: good feedback on John Gill. 642 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,920 Speaker 5: He was in that twenty twenty three Braves class. Those 643 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:03,800 Speaker 5: that was the year was was the year they signed Guanipa. 644 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:06,760 Speaker 4: He had a nice year for himself in in the 645 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:09,920 Speaker 4: Florida Complex League last season as an eighteen year old. 646 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 4: So somebody where you know the swing seems like it 647 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:15,600 Speaker 4: works really well. 648 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:17,240 Speaker 5: Uh, performed well. 649 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:19,760 Speaker 4: Made a lot of contact, showed an idea. The strike 650 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:23,160 Speaker 4: zone didn't show a lot of power, but he can 651 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:25,240 Speaker 4: really run too. I mean, he's a plus plus runner, 652 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:28,120 Speaker 4: a lot of a lot of tools, or at least 653 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 4: you know, it's certainly the run tool, and then the 654 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:33,600 Speaker 4: offensive performances is pretty promising early for a guy in 655 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:35,960 Speaker 4: the lower levels. He's a he's a pretty intriguing name 656 00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:38,720 Speaker 4: to keep an eye on that, you know. Obviously, you know, 657 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 4: I love international prospects, but he was a name that 658 00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:45,080 Speaker 4: really once Carlos did a lot more work on him, 659 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:48,080 Speaker 4: him to pop a lot more than I realized. 660 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:52,520 Speaker 1: Next, talking about the next wave of arms in the 661 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 1: Brave system, you know, and we'll get to the Waldrip 662 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:57,840 Speaker 1: and Smith, Shover and and others, and Kim Cammanditty will 663 00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:00,680 Speaker 1: put in that group as well. Kind of the same perspective. 664 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:02,720 Speaker 1: A name that you feel, a name or two that 665 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:06,760 Speaker 1: you feel you know could really step up and emerges 666 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:10,680 Speaker 1: that next really intriguing Braves arm in their system. You know. 667 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:13,240 Speaker 1: Swelling Back of course had a better season than anybody 668 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: could have thought at the major's last year, But in 669 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:17,360 Speaker 1: terms of the miners who could kind of be the breakout, 670 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:19,840 Speaker 1: you know, a name when it comes to the mound 671 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 1: for the Braves this season to the minors. 672 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:24,520 Speaker 4: I have some of it is just gonna get be 673 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:27,520 Speaker 4: some some of these guys back and healthy again, right, 674 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:30,360 Speaker 4: like an Owen Murphy or some of these other guys 675 00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 4: who just missed some time. 676 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:33,640 Speaker 5: But I think Diddy or Flintes. 677 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:38,240 Speaker 4: Ray Hand, a pitcher who they signed out a Columbia 678 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 4: a few years back, hit a nice year for himself. 679 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:43,920 Speaker 4: A ton of strikeouts. It was up to ninety seven 680 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:47,720 Speaker 4: miles an hour. Feel for for a slide, right, there's 681 00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:52,120 Speaker 4: nothing nothing to wipe out there, but still really strong 682 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:56,960 Speaker 4: performance this year. And he just the way he throws, 683 00:32:57,040 --> 00:33:00,480 Speaker 4: like the fastball seems to play up and gets on 684 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:04,880 Speaker 4: hitter as faster than they're expecting. So they for the 685 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:06,920 Speaker 4: year that he just had as an eighteen year old 686 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:10,640 Speaker 4: basically you know, same age as what like a or 687 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:15,680 Speaker 4: eighteen nineteen years old last year, that was pretty impressive. 688 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 4: So I'm he's somebody I've I've definitely got my eye 689 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:19,640 Speaker 4: on to see what he what he does this year. 690 00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:22,959 Speaker 1: And then the final question I have Ben is going 691 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:25,880 Speaker 1: to center on the two top arms Hirst and Waldrip 692 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:28,520 Speaker 1: as well as aj Smith Shover Waldrip, you know got 693 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:31,320 Speaker 1: roughed up in his debut last year, smith Shover, we 694 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:34,120 Speaker 1: were really hoping he was going to get an extended look, 695 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:36,320 Speaker 1: but of course had the oblique injury after what was 696 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:40,640 Speaker 1: a pretty good debut last year in Chicago. Schwellenbach had 697 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:42,400 Speaker 1: a great year last year. Looks like a fixture of 698 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:45,120 Speaker 1: the rotation moving forward hopefully. What are your thoughts on 699 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:48,280 Speaker 1: Waldrop and smith Shov Do you feel if given the opportunity, 700 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:51,600 Speaker 1: they may be able to make their mark and cement 701 00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:54,400 Speaker 1: their place in the Rays rotation moving forward? What are 702 00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:56,840 Speaker 1: your thoughts on either one of them becoming a significant 703 00:33:56,840 --> 00:33:58,400 Speaker 1: contributor at the majors this season? 704 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:03,440 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean still get good reports on smith Shov's stuff. 705 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:06,440 Speaker 4: I think he's he has the stuff to be and 706 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:10,040 Speaker 4: just the overall profile to be a pretty solid back 707 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 4: of the rotation type starter. Hursted Waldrop man, it was 708 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 4: a tough. 709 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:16,719 Speaker 5: Year for him. 710 00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:20,040 Speaker 4: We were some people were extremely high on him, uh 711 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:22,399 Speaker 4: coming out of the draft, and he just didn't any 712 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:26,560 Speaker 4: you know, move fast initially, but uh, yeah, it was rough. 713 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:31,239 Speaker 4: I think more than likely probably ends up in in 714 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 4: a bullpen roll, but I certainly wouldn't put him into 715 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:37,719 Speaker 4: that spot quite yet. 716 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:38,239 Speaker 5: At least at. 717 00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:42,040 Speaker 4: Least not full time. So more more optimistic right now 718 00:34:42,040 --> 00:34:44,240 Speaker 4: about Smith Schavor than than north Waldrop. 719 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:47,680 Speaker 2: All right, Ben, we're gonna get you out of here 720 00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:49,920 Speaker 2: with this one. And this is one. This is one 721 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:51,160 Speaker 2: I've actually wanted to ask. 722 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:53,560 Speaker 3: Somebody to like you in your position for a couple 723 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:56,280 Speaker 3: of years now, because this was a big topic around 724 00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:58,960 Speaker 3: the CBA time when they were negotiating the new CBA 725 00:34:59,560 --> 00:35:01,439 Speaker 3: and there was all this talk about the domestic draft 726 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:04,480 Speaker 3: versus an international draft, about how players come into the game, 727 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:07,680 Speaker 3: how we want all players to come into the game 728 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:11,000 Speaker 3: the same way. And obviously the domestic or the international 729 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:13,880 Speaker 3: draft did not happen. It's almost certainly going to come 730 00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:17,960 Speaker 3: up every CBA that we have going forward. There's nobody 731 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:21,319 Speaker 3: that has a better perspective on this concept than you do, 732 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:23,640 Speaker 3: in my opinion, So I just want to get your opinion. 733 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:27,800 Speaker 3: How do you feel like international free agency as a whole? 734 00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:29,759 Speaker 3: How do you feel like it's gone? Do you like 735 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:33,200 Speaker 3: the bonus system? Do you feel like a draft is inevitable? 736 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:34,520 Speaker 2: Would you prefer a draft? 737 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:37,719 Speaker 3: Just from your perspective, kind of a zoomed out, thirty 738 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:40,600 Speaker 3: thousand foot look over the entire sport. With the way 739 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:42,640 Speaker 3: these guys come into the sport, how do you feel 740 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:44,160 Speaker 3: like it should be? Do you like the way it 741 00:35:44,239 --> 00:35:46,520 Speaker 3: is or do you see a draft coming down the line? 742 00:35:47,760 --> 00:35:47,960 Speaker 5: Yeah? 743 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:51,960 Speaker 4: I mean generally speaking, I'm pro freedom right, pro freedom 744 00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:56,560 Speaker 4: for players, pro freedom for teams. So I like the 745 00:35:56,600 --> 00:36:01,000 Speaker 4: part I like about international free agency is that players 746 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:04,120 Speaker 4: have the ability to go to all thirty teams and 747 00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:07,120 Speaker 4: make a decision. I mean, they can't just choose whoever 748 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:08,960 Speaker 4: they want to sign with, right, but they have the ability. 749 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:09,959 Speaker 5: They're not limited just. 750 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:14,960 Speaker 4: Negotiating with one team whatever team drafts them, right, So 751 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:17,440 Speaker 4: they have more freedom to go where they want to 752 00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:19,560 Speaker 4: go and the team's the same way. They can go 753 00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:23,200 Speaker 4: out and compete. There's all thirty teams have the ability 754 00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:26,560 Speaker 4: to go out and sign you know, whoever the next 755 00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:29,400 Speaker 4: you know. I don't always say Ronaldlecunya maybe not a 756 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:31,120 Speaker 4: good example because he wasn't a big bonus guy, but 757 00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:36,880 Speaker 4: Vladimir Guerrero Junior, right, Julio Rodriguez, any big bonus player, 758 00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:40,360 Speaker 4: any team can go out and sign those guys if 759 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:43,239 Speaker 4: if they want to put their whole bonus pool or 760 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:46,319 Speaker 4: compete to sign them, they can go do that if 761 00:36:46,320 --> 00:36:48,400 Speaker 4: you want to go and beat other teams to sign 762 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:53,759 Speaker 4: that player. I like that competitive aspect where everybody's on 763 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:58,000 Speaker 4: a roughly equal playing field. Obviously, the smaller market, smaller 764 00:36:58,040 --> 00:37:00,880 Speaker 4: revenue teams have a little bit more bonus pool money 765 00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:03,960 Speaker 4: to start in their bonus pool, but everybody can go 766 00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:05,520 Speaker 4: out and compete and sign players. 767 00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:07,000 Speaker 5: Well. 768 00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:09,160 Speaker 4: One of the bad parts of the system that's really 769 00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:12,799 Speaker 4: broken right now is just how early these players are 770 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:16,640 Speaker 4: committing to sign with teams, or you have teams making 771 00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 4: agreements to sign players when they're thirteen years old, which 772 00:37:20,200 --> 00:37:23,279 Speaker 4: means really means the players are getting scouted when they're 773 00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:26,480 Speaker 4: you know, especially starting when they're twelve years old, and 774 00:37:26,680 --> 00:37:29,479 Speaker 4: the trainers are getting these players into their programs even 775 00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:32,920 Speaker 4: younger and trying to get them ready earlier and earlier 776 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:36,239 Speaker 4: to go to showcases and go to workouts and just 777 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:38,600 Speaker 4: to be ready if you can even call it, being 778 00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:42,160 Speaker 4: ready to be seen by MLB clubs when they're thirteen 779 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:46,440 Speaker 4: years old. So that part is, you know, there are 780 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:50,399 Speaker 4: very few people, whether it's on the club side or 781 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:54,000 Speaker 4: on the trainer side of the people are developing and 782 00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:58,920 Speaker 4: representing the players who who are in favor of keeping 783 00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:02,839 Speaker 4: this this type of system in place. So certainly where 784 00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:05,279 Speaker 4: a draft would help things is it would it would 785 00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:08,360 Speaker 4: slow everything down, right, It would not be you know, 786 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:10,920 Speaker 4: not have these super early commitments. You just can't do 787 00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:14,360 Speaker 4: that in a draft. So I think that would be 788 00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:16,280 Speaker 4: a benefit of the draft. But as far as having 789 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:18,720 Speaker 4: like you know, well, there's a draft in the States, 790 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:22,359 Speaker 4: so there should be a draft internationally so everybody comes 791 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:27,160 Speaker 4: through the same system, I don't know that that that that. 792 00:38:26,840 --> 00:38:30,879 Speaker 5: That argument's never really swayed me much. 793 00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:35,360 Speaker 4: I mean, there's just two very different ways that players 794 00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:39,600 Speaker 4: are developed and that teams are scouting and evaluating uh 795 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:42,799 Speaker 4: players in Latin America compared to the United States, where 796 00:38:42,840 --> 00:38:46,440 Speaker 4: everything is so much more organized between high school baseball, 797 00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:51,319 Speaker 4: college baseball, junior college baseball. There's just it's a lot 798 00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:55,560 Speaker 4: different in in Latin America. So I don't think just 799 00:38:55,560 --> 00:38:58,160 Speaker 4: because we have a draft in the United States means 800 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:01,080 Speaker 4: we need to have the same thing internationally. I think 801 00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:05,080 Speaker 4: there are good arguments in favor of a draft, but 802 00:39:05,719 --> 00:39:08,560 Speaker 4: certainly there will be things that would both both the 803 00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:11,279 Speaker 4: teams and the player side would would lose if we 804 00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:12,200 Speaker 4: went to a draft too. 805 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:18,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, And I mean, let's be honest, drafts. Owners love drafts. 806 00:39:18,360 --> 00:39:21,560 Speaker 3: Because they control costs, right, That's the whole point is 807 00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:26,600 Speaker 3: it suppresses salaries, that controls cost So Yeah, like. 808 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:29,520 Speaker 2: I love, I do. 809 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:34,600 Speaker 3: I do understand the argument for wanting everybody international domestic 810 00:39:34,640 --> 00:39:35,520 Speaker 3: to come through the same way. 811 00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:36,839 Speaker 2: But I'm with you. 812 00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:40,080 Speaker 3: I just I love the fact that these kids can 813 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:42,600 Speaker 3: kind of choose where they go, and I wish domestic 814 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:44,919 Speaker 3: kids got the same. I would love for domestic kids 815 00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:47,920 Speaker 3: to have the same, you know option where they get 816 00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:50,919 Speaker 3: to negotiate with twenty five teams and pick the best one. 817 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:53,800 Speaker 3: I would much rather do that than do an international draft. 818 00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:57,040 Speaker 3: But I'll be honest, it feels I don't know if 819 00:39:57,040 --> 00:40:00,239 Speaker 3: it feels inevitable, but owners love controlling costs so much much. 820 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:02,799 Speaker 2: I don't know. I feel like it might be coming 821 00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:03,640 Speaker 2: at some point, But. 822 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:06,920 Speaker 3: I very much appreciate your perspective on it because obviously 823 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:08,919 Speaker 3: that I don't think there's anybody that knows more about 824 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:09,400 Speaker 3: it than you do. 825 00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:15,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, and absolutely, and that's why we enjoy talking with 826 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:17,880 Speaker 1: Ben second straight year. Ben has been kind enough to 827 00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:20,440 Speaker 1: join us. If it works out to where we can 828 00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:22,440 Speaker 1: make this an annual event, it would be something that 829 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:24,719 Speaker 1: we very much look forward to doing. But of course 830 00:40:24,760 --> 00:40:28,359 Speaker 1: a couple more things again below. Make sure you check 831 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:31,879 Speaker 1: out the QR code below thirty percent off your first 832 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:35,040 Speaker 1: year of annual of any annual subscription through Baseball America. 833 00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:38,200 Speaker 1: Their top thirty prospects are out, You'll get thirty percent 834 00:40:38,200 --> 00:40:39,800 Speaker 1: off using the promo code Hammer thirty. 835 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:40,000 Speaker 5: Ben. 836 00:40:40,320 --> 00:40:43,360 Speaker 1: Please, by all means, promote any work that you have 837 00:40:43,719 --> 00:40:45,400 Speaker 1: coming up. I know you've already done a lot of 838 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:48,080 Speaker 1: legwork in the month of January, but anything that that 839 00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:51,000 Speaker 1: that the listeners are, you know, just in general can 840 00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:53,520 Speaker 1: look forward to, you know, through that be a subscription 841 00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:54,440 Speaker 1: with Baseball America. 842 00:40:55,320 --> 00:40:56,000 Speaker 5: Yeah, thanks guys. 843 00:40:56,120 --> 00:40:57,719 Speaker 4: Yeah, like you said, we got our top thirties up 844 00:40:57,800 --> 00:40:59,759 Speaker 4: right now, our top one hundred, and you know we 845 00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:02,560 Speaker 4: can those updated throughout the year. So pretty much every 846 00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:06,160 Speaker 4: month during the season, we've got a whole team working 847 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:09,080 Speaker 4: to make sure that we're keeping both our top one 848 00:41:09,160 --> 00:41:12,280 Speaker 4: hundred and as well as our top thirties consistently updated. 849 00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:15,680 Speaker 4: Because we're always getting feedback from from the scouting community, 850 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:19,280 Speaker 4: from from teams to make sure we keep our rankings 851 00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:21,360 Speaker 4: up to date. That's been a really big emphasis for 852 00:41:21,480 --> 00:41:23,920 Speaker 4: us over the last couple of years. 853 00:41:24,680 --> 00:41:25,120 Speaker 5: Both of us. 854 00:41:25,360 --> 00:41:26,920 Speaker 3: I think you guys are the only ones that I 855 00:41:27,280 --> 00:41:28,799 Speaker 3: don't want. I think you guys are the only ones 856 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:32,200 Speaker 3: that do that that update, that are consistently updating your 857 00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:34,759 Speaker 3: list as you would get new information. That's what I 858 00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:37,640 Speaker 3: appreciate much. But most about I have a Baseball american'scription. 859 00:41:37,719 --> 00:41:39,480 Speaker 3: That's what I appreciate most about it is you guys 860 00:41:39,480 --> 00:41:42,200 Speaker 3: are constantly constantly updating stuff. 861 00:41:42,719 --> 00:41:44,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, because it would you know, it would just frustrate 862 00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:46,879 Speaker 4: us internally. Even we're you know, a few years ago 863 00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:49,960 Speaker 4: with trades would be happening and people say, oh, they 864 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:54,000 Speaker 4: traded for the numbers eighteen Baseball America prospecting the Braves 865 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:55,880 Speaker 4: top thirty. Well no, now this guy is actually like 866 00:41:55,960 --> 00:41:58,320 Speaker 4: number you should be number four if we had updated. 867 00:41:58,320 --> 00:41:59,960 Speaker 4: But so now we're just saying, Aris, we'll just update 868 00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:03,080 Speaker 4: it faster. So hell, we'll just we'll be crazy people 869 00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:05,560 Speaker 4: and putting all the work to do that, and obviously 870 00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:07,400 Speaker 4: all the work that Carlos does on are keeping our 871 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:10,239 Speaker 4: draft rankings updated as well, so in addition to all 872 00:42:10,239 --> 00:42:14,480 Speaker 4: the international stuff too. So hopefully something for everybody if 873 00:42:14,480 --> 00:42:18,000 Speaker 4: you're interested in everything prospect really and hopefully we've got 874 00:42:18,239 --> 00:42:19,600 Speaker 4: something something for you guys. 875 00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:22,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, And I don't want to put words in your 876 00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:24,560 Speaker 1: mouth or speak for you, Ben, but I imagine with the 877 00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:26,560 Speaker 1: work that you do for as long as you've done it, 878 00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:28,799 Speaker 1: and the high quality of work that you do, it's 879 00:42:28,840 --> 00:42:30,759 Speaker 1: just a pure love for baseball and that's why we're 880 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:34,040 Speaker 1: all here to talk about it and you know what 881 00:42:34,120 --> 00:42:36,560 Speaker 1: makes the most of it. But being I can't thank 882 00:42:36,560 --> 00:42:39,040 Speaker 1: you enough for taking the time to join us, especially 883 00:42:39,239 --> 00:42:40,800 Speaker 1: you know in the midst of you know, one of 884 00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:42,960 Speaker 1: the busier times in the year for you. You can 885 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:47,160 Speaker 1: follow Ben at Ben Badler on x slash Twitter, but 886 00:42:47,520 --> 00:42:49,200 Speaker 1: please make sure you follow him and do all this 887 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:51,239 Speaker 1: great work. Ben, Thank you again so much for your time. 888 00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:53,480 Speaker 5: Absolutely thanks for having me on guys. 889 00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:56,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, you can buy myself at Stat's sac And I 890 00:42:56,280 --> 00:42:58,399 Speaker 1: know you can't see it, but Steven tober is at 891 00:42:58,480 --> 00:43:02,640 Speaker 1: b Underscore Outliers on Twitter slash x. Foul Territory across 892 00:43:02,640 --> 00:43:05,920 Speaker 1: all forms of social media. Hammer Territory across all forms 893 00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:07,800 Speaker 1: of social media. So proud to be a part of 894 00:43:07,840 --> 00:43:10,880 Speaker 1: the foul Territory family of podcasts. And like we told you, 895 00:43:10,880 --> 00:43:14,320 Speaker 1: we're always going to deliver content from great sources like 896 00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:17,200 Speaker 1: Ben all the way down to discussing a slow off 897 00:43:17,239 --> 00:43:19,879 Speaker 1: season for the Braids. But until next time for Ben 898 00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:22,720 Speaker 1: Badler and Steven Talbert, my named Sean Coleman Go Braids 899 00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:25,400 Speaker 1: will talk to you again here on the Daily Hammer.