WEBVTT - 511 | Just Baseball Top 100 Prospect Newcomers (Part 1) 0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:07.280 And he switched to high hat deep head, stay nigh. 0:00:13.240 --> 0:00:14.240 Deep, just shutter. 0:00:14.080 --> 0:00:16.480 Feel and it's come. 0:00:17.640 --> 0:00:17.840 Wow. 0:00:18.000 --> 0:00:22.400 His first big league swing is gonna be a gland slam, 0:00:22.480 --> 0:00:28.480 a home run swing. Good time t Walk two do Show. 0:00:31.920 --> 0:00:34.360 Welcome back to The Call Up, your go to podcast 0:00:34.400 --> 0:00:36.239 and the future stars of Major with Baseball. You got 0:00:36.440 --> 0:00:39.840 arm lighton Elijah Evans. I am back in the United States, 0:00:39.880 --> 0:00:42.360 which means we are giving you four episodes this week, 0:00:42.560 --> 0:00:46.640 all Top one hundred related. We got newcomers today, but 0:00:46.680 --> 0:00:48.360 we're actually gonna talk about a newcomer to the big 0:00:48.440 --> 0:00:51.080 leagues and Brandon Montgomery off the top with the White Sox. 0:00:51.280 --> 0:00:54.320 But we're gonna hit on part one of two of 0:00:54.520 --> 0:00:56.840 the newcomers on this top one of joist because there's 0:00:56.880 --> 0:00:58.800 like twenty five of them, so we're gonna hit on 0:00:59.160 --> 0:01:02.880 twelve today. A top one hundred content all week long. Elijah, 0:01:02.880 --> 0:01:05.000 I'm really excited about it. We might it'll probably bleed 0:01:05.040 --> 0:01:07.760 into next week as well, Like why not. This is 0:01:08.040 --> 0:01:10.600 a mammoth of an update. We got as many newcomers 0:01:10.600 --> 0:01:14.840 as many graduations, big time movers, really fun list, a 0:01:14.920 --> 0:01:17.280 lot of twenty twenty five draftees, a lot of guys 0:01:17.319 --> 0:01:19.640 that have just kind of emerged, and it becomes a 0:01:19.720 --> 0:01:23.120 really fun conversation with many of these players. 0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:26.000 Yeah, and you, to your credit, I'll expose you on 0:01:26.080 --> 0:01:27.480 this a little bit. Like you said, this was like 0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:29.480 a tough Top one hundred for you because it is 0:01:29.560 --> 0:01:31.039 a really weird in between time. 0:01:31.360 --> 0:01:32.120 There was a lot of grind. 0:01:32.120 --> 0:01:35.360 I mean, there was twenty twenty graduations, twenty five newcomers. 0:01:35.400 --> 0:01:36.960 We're gonna get into the first half of those today, 0:01:37.319 --> 0:01:39.440 a lot of shuffling order for you. There was a 0:01:39.520 --> 0:01:41.720 ton of risers. You and Jack are gonna do biggest risers. 0:01:41.760 --> 0:01:44.919 There was some crazy risers. Our biggest riser in Top 0:01:44.959 --> 0:01:48.000 one hundred history went up ninety one spots and Ethan Salas. 0:01:48.080 --> 0:01:50.080 So like, there was a ton of movement and a 0:01:50.160 --> 0:01:52.360 lot of moving parts of this Top one hundred, which 0:01:52.440 --> 0:01:53.840 makes it such a fun one to talk about it. 0:01:53.840 --> 0:01:56.440 And that's why we're gonna have five episodes basically dedicated 0:01:56.640 --> 0:01:58.680 to your Top one hundred list, because this was just 0:01:58.800 --> 0:02:01.080 such an interesting list and a tough one to put 0:02:01.120 --> 0:02:03.440 together across the board for you, I think, right, I mean, 0:02:03.680 --> 0:02:04.480 it was an interesting one. 0:02:05.040 --> 0:02:06.720 It was funny because I think we had more like 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:10.280 fifty future value guys than like ever like fifty plus 0:02:10.400 --> 0:02:12.120 is too many. We had like less fifty fives and 0:02:12.240 --> 0:02:15.240 less sixties, which meant like the top end was smaller, 0:02:15.360 --> 0:02:18.560 And then you had a really broad like seventy players 0:02:18.600 --> 0:02:21.359 that could be intertwined in any which way because they're 0:02:21.400 --> 0:02:24.280 further off, have just emerged, or trying to validate one 0:02:24.320 --> 0:02:27.160 guy's breakout more than the other, or a guy struggling 0:02:27.200 --> 0:02:28.920 but was really good the year before versus a guy 0:02:28.960 --> 0:02:31.639 that's breaking out. So many fun conversations that we're gonna 0:02:31.680 --> 0:02:33.760 have throughout the week, but we're gonna start with a 0:02:33.760 --> 0:02:36.160 guy that was already on the list and now is 0:02:36.440 --> 0:02:39.400 hopefully set to graduate if he sticks up there in 0:02:39.520 --> 0:02:42.600 the big League's number seventy for US Braydon Montgomery, switch 0:02:42.680 --> 0:02:45.840 hitting outfielder for the White Sox a little bit of 0:02:45.880 --> 0:02:49.000 a surprise to me. Not like that it was super 0:02:49.080 --> 0:02:50.840 far away. I just think that it was like, right now, 0:02:51.440 --> 0:02:54.240 you would know better than I where do you stand 0:02:54.280 --> 0:02:57.520 on this? Obviously performing really well, there's some underlying stuff 0:02:57.560 --> 0:03:01.000 we'll talk about, and it's just a larger conversation of it. 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:06.679 All tools are amazing, super high upside makeup. We just 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:08.560 talked about like people, people are so so high on 0:03:08.560 --> 0:03:10.040 the way he goes about his business, and I think 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:11.480 that's a big reason why we see him up there. 0:03:11.600 --> 0:03:13.919 And also the White Sox are on a spot where, hey, 0:03:14.000 --> 0:03:16.160 we want to compete right now and we can ride 0:03:16.160 --> 0:03:18.880 a hot hand here of a power hitting switch hitter, uh, 0:03:19.040 --> 0:03:21.480 that could play a solid corner. Were you a little 0:03:21.520 --> 0:03:23.519 bit surprised by the timing of this? Were you expecting 0:03:23.560 --> 0:03:25.240 it maybe closer to the break? After the break? 0:03:25.280 --> 0:03:26.040 What you know? 0:03:26.080 --> 0:03:28.920 What was your estimation of Braid Montgomery's call up. 0:03:29.480 --> 0:03:33.360 I think my estimation before the moona Taka Morricami injury, 0:03:33.480 --> 0:03:36.920 and before Bradon Montgomery's last week was probably like July, 0:03:37.200 --> 0:03:39.680 that was my initial estimation. I think earlier this season 0:03:39.720 --> 0:03:41.920 I definitely would have told you, like somewhere All Star 0:03:42.000 --> 0:03:44.080 break ish would have been my guest, because the intention 0:03:44.240 --> 0:03:45.280 was always to have him up this year. 0:03:45.520 --> 0:03:46.280 They always knew. 0:03:46.320 --> 0:03:48.520 The White Sox pretty much indicated this spring that like 0:03:48.560 --> 0:03:49.800 he was going to be part of the big league 0:03:49.800 --> 0:03:52.480 team this season. I did think it'd be a little later. 0:03:52.960 --> 0:03:55.920 With that said, you lose your power bat in MORECAMMI 0:03:56.000 --> 0:03:59.040 your top you know, power juice and Braida Montgomery. To 0:03:59.120 --> 0:04:01.760 his credit, he's on a ten game hit streak right now, 0:04:02.120 --> 0:04:04.920 hitting four seventy four in his past ten games, played 0:04:05.280 --> 0:04:08.040 with more walks than strikeouts, which is a big emphasis 0:04:08.080 --> 0:04:09.960 for him. So you've seen him in the past two 0:04:10.000 --> 0:04:13.000 weeks in Charlotte. Cut the walker, cut the strikeout right down. 0:04:13.280 --> 0:04:15.760 He's getting on base at an incredibly high clip. The 0:04:15.800 --> 0:04:18.480 White Sox lineup is actually still holding on without more 0:04:18.600 --> 0:04:21.120 COMI but I think the organization looks at it as 0:04:21.200 --> 0:04:23.800 like a we're still holding on, but we don't have 0:04:23.880 --> 0:04:26.760 more comedy for another month. Kyle Teal's rehab is getting delayed. 0:04:27.240 --> 0:04:29.640 If we can get a guy who's really hot right 0:04:29.680 --> 0:04:32.359 now to kind of keep this lineup progressing and staying 0:04:32.440 --> 0:04:34.680 steady for the rest of June, then you get more 0:04:34.760 --> 0:04:35.960 comedy and Kyle tealback. 0:04:36.040 --> 0:04:36.160 Man. 0:04:36.279 --> 0:04:38.280 Like, I mean, I know it's a little homer Ish 0:04:38.320 --> 0:04:40.200 of me, but like this lineup is up there with 0:04:40.240 --> 0:04:42.120 a lot of lineups in the American League, especially when 0:04:42.160 --> 0:04:45.080 you get more comedy and tealback like he had Brandontcumber 0:04:45.080 --> 0:04:46.320 to the fold. I think the other factor is, like 0:04:46.520 --> 0:04:49.520 they've been rotating right fielders all season. Sam Antonaci settled 0:04:49.560 --> 0:04:52.880 into left field. Borderline All Star Tristan Peters is in centerfield, 0:04:52.880 --> 0:04:56.120 which is the craziest thing of crazy, but right field 0:04:56.160 --> 0:04:57.720 has been this kind of hole where it's you've had 0:04:57.720 --> 0:05:00.799 Austin Hayes who's injured, You've had Everson Pereira who's rehabbing 0:05:00.920 --> 0:05:03.360 right now. Rikudashida comes up and is a fun story, 0:05:03.400 --> 0:05:05.840 but ultimately, like Radon Montgomery is the right fielder or 0:05:05.839 --> 0:05:08.240 the future in Chicago. So right now, if that's your 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:10.240 hole in your lineup and you're trying to get some 0:05:10.320 --> 0:05:13.600 power to replace more commedi's absence, I see why with 0:05:13.760 --> 0:05:16.120 a crazy hot past two weeks, they just decided to 0:05:16.120 --> 0:05:17.080 pull trigger on this move. 0:05:17.680 --> 0:05:19.400 What's fascinating in the way you lay it out to 0:05:19.600 --> 0:05:22.360 is like, this is a move that I think really 0:05:22.440 --> 0:05:24.880 implies the urgency of the White Sox here, which, OK, 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:26.200 are they gonna go all and we talked about in 0:05:26.200 --> 0:05:27.640 the Just Baseball Show, like are they gonna go all 0:05:27.680 --> 0:05:29.240 in and be buyers to the deadline? Know they may 0:05:29.480 --> 0:05:32.120 buy and sell, be strategic, but there's urgency for this 0:05:32.240 --> 0:05:35.679 team to compete and stay afloat. Hey, you don't always 0:05:35.720 --> 0:05:38.920 have to, you know, mortgage prospects in the future to say, hey, 0:05:38.960 --> 0:05:40.520 we want to win right now. I think it can 0:05:40.560 --> 0:05:43.039 also be evident in the way that you are going 0:05:43.120 --> 0:05:45.880 about your business with your young players here. But I 0:05:45.960 --> 0:05:48.599 think there's a real scenario if you had truth serum 0:05:48.640 --> 0:05:51.159 to the White Sox front office that Montgomery could end 0:05:51.240 --> 0:05:53.480 up back in Triple A. Like. I don't think that 0:05:53.600 --> 0:05:56.359 they are, you know, fully banking on him getting up 0:05:56.360 --> 0:05:57.680 there and playing the rest of the year. That's at 0:05:57.720 --> 0:05:59.960 least my guest, because there is some swing and miss there. 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:03.240 I think they are doing this with the understanding that 0:06:03.760 --> 0:06:06.120 it could go really well, he could get blown up 0:06:06.120 --> 0:06:08.320 a little bit, and either way it doesn't change how 0:06:08.360 --> 0:06:10.279 we look at him long term, which is a guy 0:06:10.320 --> 0:06:12.480 that I, as I've talked about him here, I think 0:06:12.560 --> 0:06:15.120 is a slower burn. It's gonna take some time. You 0:06:15.200 --> 0:06:18.080 look at like the contact rates this year, sixty six 0:06:18.160 --> 0:06:24.040 percent contact rate basically right at the like, right at 0:06:24.080 --> 0:06:25.560 the borderline of where you could be at the major 0:06:25.640 --> 0:06:28.040 league level to be a qualified like big league hitter. 0:06:28.080 --> 0:06:29.920 I think there's not many qualified hitters are gonna below 0:06:30.000 --> 0:06:33.320 sixty five percent. That said, in the span that he's 0:06:33.360 --> 0:06:35.520 been performing in you mentioned like in the last couple 0:06:35.600 --> 0:06:38.559 weeks his chase rate is down to like seventeen percent. 0:06:38.680 --> 0:06:40.200 So if he can lean into the three true outcome 0:06:40.200 --> 0:06:42.120 sid which we've talked about with him, like that is 0:06:42.200 --> 0:06:46.440 that next step. And he's demolishing fastballs. So if he's 0:06:46.480 --> 0:06:49.080 dialed in right now crushing heaters as he sees him 0:06:49.279 --> 0:06:51.640 not chasing breaking balls, they can ride a hot hand 0:06:51.720 --> 0:06:54.800 here for a few weeks. If he struggles, you assess 0:06:54.920 --> 0:06:56.760 and you figure it out. But again, I don't think 0:06:56.760 --> 0:06:59.280 it changes the long term outcome. I think a lot 0:06:59.320 --> 0:07:01.760 of times you tread a little bit lightly because you 0:07:01.920 --> 0:07:03.360 bring a guy up when you want him to stick 0:07:03.400 --> 0:07:05.440 and stand, and I know they want him to. But 0:07:05.640 --> 0:07:07.640 as all these other guys that you mentioned come back, 0:07:08.000 --> 0:07:10.560 and if Montgomery struggle one, don't you think there's a 0:07:10.640 --> 0:07:12.480 chance he just gets optioned back to Triple A. And 0:07:12.800 --> 0:07:15.120 I don't think it's like anything change. He gets an 0:07:15.160 --> 0:07:17.880 idea of what he needs to work on and tries 0:07:17.920 --> 0:07:19.240 to play his way back in the end of the year. 0:07:19.720 --> 0:07:20.600 I think it's possible. 0:07:20.720 --> 0:07:22.600 I also think the White Sox when they when they 0:07:22.720 --> 0:07:25.360 call up names and did guys with name value, they 0:07:25.520 --> 0:07:27.280 like to just let it ride I think that's kind 0:07:27.280 --> 0:07:29.000 of how it was gonna go with no Schultz. Obviously 0:07:29.080 --> 0:07:31.360 he's injured now, but like they were gonna let Schultz 0:07:31.520 --> 0:07:35.160 keep going this season regardless of if he struggles. I 0:07:35.480 --> 0:07:37.720 kind of think it's gonna be similar with Montgomery. The 0:07:37.880 --> 0:07:40.520 interesting wrinkle from a positional standpoint is he's playing a 0:07:40.520 --> 0:07:42.400 lot of center field so in Triple A in the 0:07:42.400 --> 0:07:45.119 past couple weeks especially, So I do think a slight 0:07:45.240 --> 0:07:48.560 part of the calculation here for the positional aspect is 0:07:48.920 --> 0:07:51.920 against left handed pitching. Does Montgomery play center in replace 0:07:51.960 --> 0:07:54.000 of Tristan Peters, Because Christan Pieters has been awesome, but 0:07:54.120 --> 0:07:56.560 he still does have pretty heavy splits, So I wouldn't 0:07:56.560 --> 0:07:59.760 be surprised to see Montgomery become your center fielder against 0:07:59.840 --> 0:08:02.720 let tended starters. Actually, even as good as Peters has been, 0:08:03.040 --> 0:08:05.200 I think you could consider the possibility of Peter's being 0:08:05.240 --> 0:08:08.040 the strong side platoon center fielder, having Braden be your 0:08:08.120 --> 0:08:10.440 your you know, your your weak side platoon center fielder, 0:08:10.680 --> 0:08:13.600 your strong side right fielder, and then right field you 0:08:13.680 --> 0:08:15.080 have guys like ever Sin prayro On a bunch of 0:08:15.120 --> 0:08:16.320 other guys who can hit lefties. 0:08:17.040 --> 0:08:17.800 As a right fielder. 0:08:17.880 --> 0:08:21.000 So that's an interesting drinkle where I think Brayden getting 0:08:21.040 --> 0:08:23.080 a couple of days a week potentially at center field 0:08:23.320 --> 0:08:25.800 makes the equation even more palatable to keep him on 0:08:25.840 --> 0:08:28.080 the roster even if he goes through some ebs and flows. 0:08:28.280 --> 0:08:30.000 I still think he's a right fielder long term. I 0:08:30.120 --> 0:08:31.840 do from watching him, you know, a lot, in the 0:08:31.880 --> 0:08:34.160 past two years. But they still have played him a 0:08:34.160 --> 0:08:35.960 lot in center all season and seem like they feel 0:08:36.000 --> 0:08:37.680 like he can be at least a part time center 0:08:37.720 --> 0:08:38.800 fielder at the highest level. 0:08:39.520 --> 0:08:41.839 What's really exciting here and to highlight some positives and 0:08:41.880 --> 0:08:43.679 how he can maybe stick and fill that role, is 0:08:44.400 --> 0:08:46.720 three eighty against fastballs this year with a twelve oh 0:08:46.800 --> 0:08:52.280 seven OPS. The challenge though, is chase rate balloons against spin. 0:08:52.840 --> 0:08:55.520 He has crushed mistakes, so it's eight thirty eight ohps. 0:08:55.559 --> 0:08:58.000 It's good enough. Even though the contact rate crator is 0:08:58.000 --> 0:09:00.240 a little bit against spin. It's good enough. He can 0:09:00.320 --> 0:09:02.640 be competitive. We're gonna like the Brandon Marsh thing this year. 0:09:02.679 --> 0:09:04.360 Marsh has been one of the best fastball hitters in 0:09:04.400 --> 0:09:07.760 Major League Baseball and he is just not sucked against spin. 0:09:08.200 --> 0:09:10.600 And Brandon Marsh has been really, really good this year. 0:09:10.720 --> 0:09:13.840 So if he can be really, really good and Hold 0:09:14.000 --> 0:09:17.079 is just just dominant against fastballs and instead of getting 0:09:17.280 --> 0:09:19.640 picked apart by secondaries, hold his own, it's gonna be 0:09:19.679 --> 0:09:22.480 a good spot average a vlosity of ninety four point 0:09:22.559 --> 0:09:24.679 five miles per hour. That'll put him if he can 0:09:24.800 --> 0:09:28.839 maintain that, among the tops in Major League Baseball. A 0:09:29.000 --> 0:09:31.040 lot to be excited about here, and a guy that 0:09:31.080 --> 0:09:33.400 could absolutely be a jolt for the White Sox. I 0:09:33.520 --> 0:09:35.520 am a little bit concerned about the whiff and chase 0:09:35.559 --> 0:09:38.079 on secondaries, but this is really exciting, and I think 0:09:38.360 --> 0:09:40.400 a guy that could absolutely ride the hot hand and 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:42.840 just continue to be, you know, a productive piece at 0:09:42.840 --> 0:09:43.520 the highest level. 0:09:44.000 --> 0:09:46.319 It's one of the more lopsided lineups in terms of 0:09:46.440 --> 0:09:49.880 your your true power three outcome. Guys like Coulson Montgomery's 0:09:49.880 --> 0:09:52.120 becoming like to talk about Acami, but then you've got 0:09:52.160 --> 0:09:54.000 the total flip side in your Sam Antonaci and your 0:09:54.000 --> 0:09:55.560 Miguel Varguez who just work the. 0:09:55.600 --> 0:09:56.560 Crap out of the bats. 0:09:56.760 --> 0:09:59.000 It's a pretty interesting way to watch baseball because you 0:09:59.040 --> 0:10:01.520 watch the White Sox, you just got like this total 0:10:02.000 --> 0:10:05.000 you know, opposite spectrum hitters. But at least it's some 0:10:05.160 --> 0:10:06.719 of both, right, Like you can't have one of you 0:10:06.760 --> 0:10:08.520 can't have everything being the same. So it is a 0:10:08.559 --> 0:10:10.079 funny lineup, but it's kind of how it is, like 0:10:10.120 --> 0:10:12.079 you got total opposite hitters in terms of style. 0:10:12.480 --> 0:10:14.120 I like the balance. I mean something that we're seeing 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:15.520 the Rays even do a little bit of as well. 0:10:15.559 --> 0:10:17.400 They still have their EV guys, but they also have 0:10:17.440 --> 0:10:19.640 their contact and speed guys, and I think it's a 0:10:19.679 --> 0:10:21.719 good way to approach things. And at the end of 0:10:21.720 --> 0:10:24.360 the day, though, like for the White Sox to continue 0:10:24.400 --> 0:10:26.679 on this trajectory. And I don't think he's a make 0:10:26.760 --> 0:10:28.319 or break guy for them obviously, but he's a big 0:10:28.320 --> 0:10:30.520 piece of it. Brandon Montgomery having success at the big 0:10:30.600 --> 0:10:34.760 league level really catapults this team into I think, just 0:10:35.000 --> 0:10:37.040 being able to get very, very excited about what it 0:10:37.040 --> 0:10:38.080 can look liket next year too. 0:10:38.520 --> 0:10:39.400 Yeah, one hundred percent. 0:10:39.760 --> 0:10:42.040 Let's get into our newcomers. We got twelve guys. We're 0:10:42.040 --> 0:10:43.719 starting at the back of the top one hundred. We're 0:10:43.720 --> 0:10:45.439 working our way down. We'll have a whole second part 0:10:45.480 --> 0:10:47.120 of this too, because there's so many names, like you 0:10:47.200 --> 0:10:50.520 mentioned earlier, twenty five newcomers. We started at number ninety 0:10:50.600 --> 0:10:54.640 seven with sever King of the Washington Nationals organization. Sever King, 0:10:54.679 --> 0:10:56.080 we've talked about on the heat sheet. I think two 0:10:56.200 --> 0:10:58.800 or three times are us. Because last year was rough. 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:01.040 This year has been awesome. He got to triple A 0:11:01.160 --> 0:11:03.640 recently slowed down a little bit in Triple A marginally, 0:11:03.720 --> 0:11:06.079 but he destroyed double A to start the season. Now 0:11:06.120 --> 0:11:07.600 he's in trips knocking on the door of the big 0:11:07.679 --> 0:11:09.440 leagues if he gets, you know, going a little bit 0:11:09.440 --> 0:11:10.079 more at the triple A. 0:11:10.160 --> 0:11:12.679 Love. He's just in a different hitter this year. I think, 0:11:12.880 --> 0:11:15.199 just a little bit more free in the box. I 0:11:15.280 --> 0:11:16.960 mean from some of the things that I was hearing 0:11:16.960 --> 0:11:19.559 about him and reading too, I think Sever was really 0:11:19.640 --> 0:11:21.240 selling out to try to pull the ball in the 0:11:21.280 --> 0:11:23.800 air more last year, and with that came more with 0:11:24.440 --> 0:11:26.640 and now I do think sever needs to find a 0:11:26.679 --> 0:11:28.679 happy medium here and get the ball back in the 0:11:28.760 --> 0:11:31.120 year post side a little bit more. But he's gone 0:11:31.200 --> 0:11:33.000 back to just let me go be an athlete in 0:11:33.080 --> 0:11:35.559 the box and hit the ball hard and compete and 0:11:35.800 --> 0:11:38.640 the rest will work itself out. And that's exactly what's happening. 0:11:39.320 --> 0:11:41.000 Because of the bat speed that he has, which is 0:11:41.240 --> 0:11:45.200 just comfortably plus and up from last year. Last year's 0:11:45.200 --> 0:11:47.600 bat speed was already above average, like seventy three miles 0:11:47.600 --> 0:11:49.559 per hour. He's at seventy four miles per hour this year. 0:11:50.240 --> 0:11:53.480 With that kind of bat speed, you can inside out 0:11:53.559 --> 0:11:55.719 balls and split the opposite field, gapp or leave the 0:11:55.800 --> 0:11:57.839 yard the other way, and that's what he's done. But 0:11:58.280 --> 0:11:59.840 you imagine how much power could be in there if 0:11:59.840 --> 0:12:02.480 you can just airpole a little bit more, just getting 0:12:02.480 --> 0:12:04.640 be able to get the barrel out there a little 0:12:04.640 --> 0:12:07.000 bit further, contact one a little bit further out more consistently. 0:12:07.400 --> 0:12:09.200 That's a nitpick for a guy that is just better 0:12:09.400 --> 0:12:13.319 across the board this year. Contact rates are better, hard 0:12:13.400 --> 0:12:15.880 hit rate is up ten percent, the chase rate, which 0:12:15.920 --> 0:12:17.880 is a big thing for me, is down seven percent. 0:12:17.960 --> 0:12:20.840 He was just hyper aggressive last year, so to improve 0:12:20.920 --> 0:12:22.599 that is great. He is still hitting the ball in 0:12:22.640 --> 0:12:25.959 the air a little bit more consistently. And then yeah, 0:12:26.040 --> 0:12:29.480 you look at the production against breaking balls, that is 0:12:29.520 --> 0:12:31.160 the biggest thing for me. Last year he had a 0:12:31.240 --> 0:12:33.600 five seventy six ops against breaking balls. This year it's 0:12:33.679 --> 0:12:36.640 nine to seventy three. Just to see the improvements across 0:12:36.679 --> 0:12:38.880 the board for Zever King are so so exciting, and 0:12:39.440 --> 0:12:41.440 I think you're still trying to figure out the bat, 0:12:41.720 --> 0:12:44.880 Eric seving the glove. He has all of the tools 0:12:44.920 --> 0:12:47.160 and the ingredients to stick it short, but when he 0:12:47.160 --> 0:12:49.439 transferred awake force, it was a little bit of center. Second, 0:12:49.679 --> 0:12:52.040 like he's played all over the map. With more reps 0:12:52.040 --> 0:12:55.040 at shortstop, can he develop into a solid defender there? 0:12:55.080 --> 0:12:57.920 I absolutely think he has the tools too, but still 0:12:58.000 --> 0:13:01.360 kind of a little bit shaky with the team moving 0:13:01.400 --> 0:13:04.200 to third. Could be really solid there. Second, he'd obviously 0:13:04.240 --> 0:13:06.040 be great as well. He's just an explosive athlete, So 0:13:06.040 --> 0:13:07.520 I think it's gonna work out one way or another 0:13:07.720 --> 0:13:09.800 at one of these spots. But it just seems like 0:13:09.840 --> 0:13:12.600 he's better across the board. Everything that you wanted to see. 0:13:12.640 --> 0:13:14.600 And remember this was one of the more athletic players 0:13:14.920 --> 0:13:17.000 in the twenty twenty four class. That's why he went, 0:13:17.320 --> 0:13:19.679 you know, as high as he did. And now we're 0:13:19.679 --> 0:13:21.360 starting to see that athleticism shine through. 0:13:22.040 --> 0:13:24.160 Yeah, one hundred percent, he's been awesome. I think it's 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:26.079 it's gonna be cool. I mean, Washington's one of the 0:13:26.120 --> 0:13:28.040 best offices in baseball, Like you guys have talked about 0:13:28.040 --> 0:13:29.400 on the TV show a lot like and this is 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:31.400 another guy who could add a wrinkle like even if 0:13:31.440 --> 0:13:33.559 he's not playing shortstop right like he he could be 0:13:33.600 --> 0:13:35.280 another bat at the bottom half of that lineup that 0:13:35.440 --> 0:13:37.760 just continues to make that team even better on offense, 0:13:37.800 --> 0:13:40.240 which is so crazy that we're talking about the White 0:13:40.280 --> 0:13:42.560 Sux in the Nationals offense is so highly right now, 0:13:43.000 --> 0:13:44.280 but it's how it's where we are right now. The 0:13:44.360 --> 0:13:46.800 Nationals have done a great job getting to this point. 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:49.160 And both have that young talent working their way up 0:13:49.160 --> 0:13:50.920 and as you mentioned, the Asciver King could get up 0:13:50.920 --> 0:13:53.440 there sooner rather than later. Big thing is to see 0:13:53.480 --> 0:13:55.679 those those swing decisions continue to hold in the way 0:13:55.720 --> 0:13:58.280 that they have and how much better they are. And again, 0:13:58.360 --> 0:14:00.400 ninety two miles per hour average ecxs of all for 0:14:00.440 --> 0:14:03.600 this guy too. I mean it's it's up four miles 0:14:03.640 --> 0:14:06.120 per hour, almost four and a half from last year. 0:14:06.440 --> 0:14:08.520 Clearly sever kings finding the barrel and swinging the bat 0:14:08.559 --> 0:14:09.200 a little bit harder. 0:14:09.559 --> 0:14:10.400 It's a huge jump. 0:14:11.160 --> 0:14:14.000 Next guy right up, next list on the top one 0:14:14.120 --> 0:14:19.520 hundred ninety sixth is Brayland Dodie of the Cleveland Guardians organization. 0:14:20.240 --> 0:14:23.080 This was a twenty twenty four what was it, just 0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:25.760 outside the CBA pick so just outside the first round 0:14:25.800 --> 0:14:28.120 in twenty twenty four. Last year was a really solid 0:14:28.200 --> 0:14:30.440 first pro season and has pretty much just carried it 0:14:30.520 --> 0:14:31.080 over and then some. 0:14:31.280 --> 0:14:31.560 This year. 0:14:31.640 --> 0:14:33.880 He goes from Single A last year at nineteen years old, 0:14:34.200 --> 0:14:36.160 now he's in high A as a twenty year old. 0:14:36.520 --> 0:14:38.880 The strikeout rates even higher, the walk rates even lower. 0:14:39.160 --> 0:14:41.200 Era is about the same as last year. You're talking about, 0:14:41.360 --> 0:14:43.640 you know, a twenty year old righty who's got a 0:14:43.760 --> 0:14:46.280 thirty percent k rate, five percent walk rate this season. 0:14:46.360 --> 0:14:49.040 It's just he's been really, really solid, and he's another 0:14:49.080 --> 0:14:51.800 Guardians pitcher who just continues to work their way into 0:14:51.880 --> 0:14:53.160 a top prospect list. 0:14:53.200 --> 0:14:56.080 Now, yeah, he's He's a fascinating arm because you just 0:14:56.080 --> 0:14:58.320 feel like there's still so much more in there. I mean, 0:14:58.560 --> 0:15:01.560 such a good athlete, a phenomenal athlete in the mound, 0:15:01.600 --> 0:15:03.720 and there was a multi sport athlete in high school. 0:15:03.720 --> 0:15:06.200 And you can really see that he hole vary his 0:15:06.360 --> 0:15:08.960 leg kicks kind of hesitate with it, mess with your timing, 0:15:09.280 --> 0:15:12.680 and his balance is just so evident and clear on 0:15:12.760 --> 0:15:16.000 the mound. What's also fascinating is I think there's even 0:15:16.040 --> 0:15:18.920 more in there for the fastball. We see him touch 0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:23.280 ninety seven, but he averages closer to ninety three ninety four, 0:15:23.560 --> 0:15:25.360 and he's ninety three point seven to be exact in 0:15:25.400 --> 0:15:28.800 the four seamer. The other thing is he averages over 0:15:28.880 --> 0:15:31.600 twenty five hundred RPMs on the four seamer. It gets 0:15:32.520 --> 0:15:35.000 fair like slightly above average carry, but with a little 0:15:35.000 --> 0:15:37.200 bit more beneficent tea and consistency like that could have 0:15:37.320 --> 0:15:40.040 plus ride to it. The command of the heater is fantastic, 0:15:40.840 --> 0:15:43.040 seventy six percent strike rate on the four seamer. He 0:15:43.120 --> 0:15:45.600 also mixes in a two seamer with a sixty seven 0:15:45.640 --> 0:15:47.920 percent strike rate. I think that's the really fun thing 0:15:47.960 --> 0:15:50.560 with Dodi. He's like, you spin it the way that 0:15:50.600 --> 0:15:54.280 he does. His curve ball is over three thousand RPMs. 0:15:54.480 --> 0:15:55.960 He has a cutter as well that he mixes in 0:15:56.040 --> 0:15:58.800 there like twenty seven hundred. The slider looks like a 0:15:58.880 --> 0:16:01.160 good pitch. He can spin the living crap out of 0:16:01.200 --> 0:16:03.800 the baseball. So you have a plus curveball plus slider 0:16:04.080 --> 0:16:06.560 leading the way. But the fastball is the really interesting 0:16:06.720 --> 0:16:10.040 X factor. If it's hovers and stays around average, I 0:16:10.120 --> 0:16:11.840 think it plays up even with the just the high spin, 0:16:11.880 --> 0:16:13.480 it just seems to kind of stay up a little 0:16:13.480 --> 0:16:15.840 bit more than you expect. But if he can find 0:16:15.840 --> 0:16:17.640 a little bit more spinefficiency and hold the villo a 0:16:17.640 --> 0:16:19.760 little bit more, that's gonna play closer to and above 0:16:19.760 --> 0:16:22.120 average plus pitch. You got three plus pitches there, and 0:16:22.200 --> 0:16:23.880 Dode's change up has come along to where it's at 0:16:23.920 --> 0:16:26.600 least an average fourth offering and it looks like he's 0:16:26.600 --> 0:16:29.680 gonna have plus command. So this guy screams at worst 0:16:29.840 --> 0:16:31.920 back end of the rotation starter. But you see this 0:16:32.080 --> 0:16:34.640 upside now with you know, a four pitch mix that 0:16:34.760 --> 0:16:37.800 looks really solid and you know three potentially plus pitches 0:16:37.800 --> 0:16:40.600 at least two where Dodi's gonna be I think, a 0:16:40.760 --> 0:16:42.560 really solid on for a long time and still has 0:16:42.600 --> 0:16:44.800 that middle rotation upside. He also just looks like at 0:16:44.800 --> 0:16:46.680