WEBVTT - 2026 MLB Draft Preview with Jim Callis 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:03.480 Howard, my dad was t boned by a utility vehicle 0:00:03.680 --> 0:00:06.640 and isn't surgery now what should I do? 0:00:07.320 --> 0:00:09.800 I'm sorry to hear about that. It's really great that 0:00:09.800 --> 0:00:11.680 you're getting him the medical care and treatment that he 0:00:11.760 --> 0:00:14.480 needs right now. These are three important things that I 0:00:14.520 --> 0:00:17.200 think you need to know. Injuries are unexpected and turn 0:00:17.320 --> 0:00:20.599 lives upside down. I'm Howard Ankin, and I'm here to help. 0:00:20.920 --> 0:00:22.320 If you are a loved one. I have been heard 0:00:22.360 --> 0:00:24.680 at work for the car truck to write your accident 0:00:24.880 --> 0:00:28.240 called three one two six million injury law made personal. 0:00:28.720 --> 0:00:29.520 That's aken law. 0:00:43.520 --> 0:00:48.480 From your favorite source for Chicago White Sox Talk, delivering news, interviews, 0:00:48.640 --> 0:00:53.120 analysis and more. This is the Socks Machine Podcast with 0:00:53.240 --> 0:00:57.440 your hosts Jim Margolis, James Vegan, and Josh Nelson. 0:00:58.280 --> 0:01:02.160 Hello, everyone, welcome to a episode of the Sox Machine Podcast. 0:01:02.320 --> 0:01:04.840 I'm your host of Josh Nelson and this is a 0:01:04.880 --> 0:01:08.160 special edition episode as we're just within a couple of 0:01:08.160 --> 0:01:11.440 weeks away of the twenty twenty six Major League Baseball 0:01:11.520 --> 0:01:14.039 Draft that will be held on July eleventh, part of 0:01:14.080 --> 0:01:17.560 Major League Baseball's All Star Game festivities. On that note, 0:01:17.920 --> 0:01:20.720 thanks to all of our Sox Machine supporters. We will 0:01:20.720 --> 0:01:24.399 be sending James Figan to Philadelphia to cover the All 0:01:24.400 --> 0:01:28.760 Star Game festivities for US at SOXS Machine tagalong with 0:01:29.000 --> 0:01:33.080 hopefully multiple Chicago White Sox players representing the team in 0:01:33.120 --> 0:01:36.400 the Midsummer Classic. But for this episode, with the MLB 0:01:36.560 --> 0:01:40.560 Draft combine completed, we don't see any more games, no 0:01:40.680 --> 0:01:44.560 more showcases, so we have a better understanding of what 0:01:44.600 --> 0:01:48.760 these prospects can and can't do. So we'll be previewing 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:51.400 the upcoming MLB Draft. But also want to let you 0:01:51.480 --> 0:01:55.160 know that on July eleventh, Sox Machine will be having 0:01:55.320 --> 0:01:58.800 our own MLB Draft show that will be streaming. You 0:01:58.840 --> 0:02:01.320 could watch us or listen to us while the Mob 0:02:01.480 --> 0:02:04.680 Draft is unfolding again on Saturday, July eleventh. 0:02:05.280 --> 0:02:06.160 Now joining me to. 0:02:06.120 --> 0:02:08.960 Help review the upcoming MLB Draft is one of our 0:02:09.000 --> 0:02:11.600 best friends of the show from MLB dot Com. It's 0:02:11.680 --> 0:02:14.000 Jim Kallis and Hello, Jim, how are you? 0:02:14.760 --> 0:02:16.800 I'm doing good, Josh? I guess as we record this 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:19.840 we are? Are we twelve days from the draft? Is 0:02:19.840 --> 0:02:22.359 that what we are? All the days? Are you excited? 0:02:22.440 --> 0:02:23.120 Number one pick? 0:02:23.880 --> 0:02:24.280 You know what? 0:02:24.800 --> 0:02:27.799 When I was going to bring this topic up with you, 0:02:28.040 --> 0:02:31.119 it's so funny and how things have changed. Like when 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:34.400 the White Sox won the draft lottery, it seemed like 0:02:34.440 --> 0:02:38.280 my task was easy track Rock Jelowski and Landon Tomi. 0:02:38.960 --> 0:02:41.240 But Jim, we can be talking about the first place 0:02:41.360 --> 0:02:45.600 Chicago White Sox having the number one overall pick, and 0:02:45.639 --> 0:02:48.760 in the grand scheme of things like this number one 0:02:48.800 --> 0:02:52.880 pick doesn't carry as much important to the franchise as 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:54.800 it did back in last December. 0:02:55.680 --> 0:02:57.799 Yeah, I mean, I still think it curious the same importance. 0:02:57.840 --> 0:03:01.080 But it's funny because I do think most White Sox 0:03:01.120 --> 0:03:03.639 fans and I probably would have said the most important 0:03:03.680 --> 0:03:06.320 day in twenty twenty six for the White Sox will 0:03:06.360 --> 0:03:11.520 be July eleventh, and it's still an important day. But 0:03:12.560 --> 0:03:14.840 you know, they've hung around this long and the Al 0:03:14.960 --> 0:03:19.240 Central is not a juggernaut, and they have a shot 0:03:19.280 --> 0:03:21.480 to make the playoffs, which we don't like. I always 0:03:21.520 --> 0:03:23.880 thought they'd be respectable this year, maybe get to seventy 0:03:23.880 --> 0:03:26.440 five wins, you know, because they're bringing young talent, and 0:03:26.480 --> 0:03:28.480 then next year maybe they'd kind of make a little 0:03:28.520 --> 0:03:30.480 run at the wild card. And a lot of times, 0:03:30.560 --> 0:03:32.639 you see, I don't mean to rain a little down 0:03:32.639 --> 0:03:34.280 the parade when they like the team's a lot of 0:03:34.320 --> 0:03:37.360 young talent I think get better more quickly, more often 0:03:37.360 --> 0:03:39.360 than not than we expect. Like they all like a 0:03:39.400 --> 0:03:41.320 year ahead of time, and then they take a little 0:03:41.320 --> 0:03:43.200 step back and then they're good going forward. So I 0:03:43.240 --> 0:03:44.880 don't know if the White Sox take a little step back, 0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:48.160 but yeah, it is. It is funny, how like not 0:03:48.200 --> 0:03:50.320 only do we think of July eleven day, it matters, 0:03:50.320 --> 0:03:52.280 Just like I was joking, like surely, like can I 0:03:52.320 --> 0:03:54.880 put Rock Chilowski and Landon Tome on the White Sox 0:03:54.880 --> 0:03:57.080 top thirty back in February? Come go ahead and do that? 0:03:57.680 --> 0:04:00.680 And he laughed. But but yeah, like a has changed 0:04:00.720 --> 0:04:03.360 since they won the draft lottery six months ago. 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:07.360 Now, last week was the MLB Draft Combine, and for 0:04:07.520 --> 0:04:10.520 podcast listeners and Sox Machine followers, you guys are aware 0:04:10.560 --> 0:04:12.960 of what the combine is. You also know that the 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:16.159 top prospects don't participate. So this is a great opportunity 0:04:16.160 --> 0:04:19.360 for some of those high schoolers that are maybe on 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:22.560 the radar teams in the late first round gym to 0:04:22.880 --> 0:04:25.960 get one last chance to impress, maybe some of those 0:04:26.040 --> 0:04:28.719 college hitters that we don't know exactly where to place 0:04:29.080 --> 0:04:32.000 in our top one fifty or top two hundred lists. 0:04:32.200 --> 0:04:35.120 So for this year's draft combine, how did it go 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:35.880 in your opinion? 0:04:36.640 --> 0:04:39.960 Yeah, I mean it's interesting because the draft combine does matter, 0:04:40.040 --> 0:04:42.320 although I do think the most important aspects of draft 0:04:42.320 --> 0:04:45.320 combine for ninety nine percent of players, maybe ninety five 0:04:45.360 --> 0:04:49.240 percent of players, are the interviews with teams, although they've 0:04:49.240 --> 0:04:51.200 talked to teams in a lot of cases beforehand, but 0:04:51.240 --> 0:04:53.880 just you get to talk to upper level guys maybe 0:04:53.880 --> 0:04:56.240 more than you would and the medical exams, like the 0:04:56.279 --> 0:04:59.760 on field stuff doesn't really matter that much, like if 0:04:59.800 --> 0:05:01.680 you're till I'm out of college hitter, those guys have 0:05:01.720 --> 0:05:04.920 all played sixty games, like we've seen him play. There's 0:05:04.960 --> 0:05:06.919 there's video of every at bat of those guys on 0:05:07.000 --> 0:05:09.719 Synergy and True Media. So just because a guy goes 0:05:09.760 --> 0:05:12.040 out kinen Bogenpol, for instance, goes out and hits the 0:05:12.080 --> 0:05:14.240 alle hundred nineteen miles an hour, that's great, and I 0:05:14.279 --> 0:05:16.520 like kan Bogenpol and he's a big athlete. But he 0:05:16.560 --> 0:05:19.080 hit six home runs this year Missouri State after hitting 0:05:19.080 --> 0:05:21.839 twenty one freshmen. So it's not like all of a sudden, like, oh, 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:24.600 he hit the one hundred nineteen miles an hour. I 0:05:24.640 --> 0:05:26.680 feel good that he's gonna hit for Power and like, 0:05:26.880 --> 0:05:28.640 I will say, the thing was interesting this year is 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:31.640 I think more of the top high school guys participated. 0:05:31.960 --> 0:05:34.600 Not great Anderson in Jacob Lombard, but you saw Trevor Kahn, 0:05:34.680 --> 0:05:36.880 and you saw Bo Laurence, you saw toaj Mark Sean, 0:05:36.960 --> 0:05:39.440 you saw Aiden Release, you saw Cold Prosec. Cold pro 0:05:39.560 --> 0:05:42.679 Sec not only worked out, he played in the game 0:05:43.160 --> 0:05:46.120 on Monday night they play. It's more of a more 0:05:46.120 --> 0:05:48.960 of a showcase style. It's not really a game where 0:05:49.000 --> 0:05:50.880 you know, they roll innings and Titcher's face ex o 0:05:50.920 --> 0:05:52.799 her batters and it was funny. I alway was shocked 0:05:52.800 --> 0:05:54.120 he played in the game because what he told me, 0:05:54.160 --> 0:05:55.320 I was like, oh, really, why'd you play in the game. 0:05:55.360 --> 0:05:57.680 He's like, I was here, why wouldn't I? So I 0:05:57.680 --> 0:05:59.840 do think with the high school guys, at least they 0:06:00.120 --> 0:06:01.320 like And I know I was trying to one agent 0:06:01.320 --> 0:06:02.880 who represents a lot of the top high school players, 0:06:02.880 --> 0:06:04.840 and he's like, these guys take VP and INFO all time. 0:06:05.160 --> 0:06:07.880 It's not going to hurt them, and they like to compete. 0:06:08.040 --> 0:06:10.039 So I don't know that that stuff mattered, But I 0:06:10.040 --> 0:06:13.160 do think from a broadcast standpoint, I do think this 0:06:13.400 --> 0:06:17.200 was the best broadcast we've had in six years on 0:06:17.320 --> 0:06:20.640 MLB Network because A you had a higher quality of players, 0:06:20.720 --> 0:06:23.160 especially in the high school side, actually participating in workouts, 0:06:23.440 --> 0:06:27.719 and B for whatever reason we had I think it 0:06:27.720 --> 0:06:30.880 feels like a patridge. We've had fifteen plus guys wired 0:06:30.920 --> 0:06:33.280 up from network, maybe more than that. This year, I 0:06:33.279 --> 0:06:35.480 think there were only nine people wired up, like from 0:06:35.520 --> 0:06:39.160 a commentating standpoint, and they focused a lot more on 0:06:39.200 --> 0:06:41.599 the players as opposed to, hey, here's Prince Fielder or hey, 0:06:41.760 --> 0:06:44.880 you's CC Sabathia's son. It was like all prospects. And 0:06:44.920 --> 0:06:48.440 in particular I enjoyed having Dano Doubt and Mike Rizzo 0:06:48.440 --> 0:06:51.960 at the desk, two longtime general managers, and Mike Rizzo 0:06:52.080 --> 0:06:54.840 was a longtime Sky director. And then I thought, if 0:06:54.839 --> 0:06:59.159 anybody watched, you had Jim Tome, Xavier Scruggs, and Mike 0:06:59.240 --> 0:07:02.520 Lowell behind the batting cage, and I thought they were 0:07:02.560 --> 0:07:05.440 great just breaking down players and grabbing players and talking 0:07:05.480 --> 0:07:08.760 to them. So I thought from a broadcast standpoint, it 0:07:08.920 --> 0:07:10.800 was the best broadcast we've done, and it was cool 0:07:10.800 --> 0:07:13.240 to see the Trevor Connons and the Bola Ronces and 0:07:13.400 --> 0:07:16.480 taj Marshawn's and all those cult process going on. It 0:07:16.600 --> 0:07:18.840 just seemed like I didn't out count it up. But 0:07:18.840 --> 0:07:20.360 I bet if you took the top ten high school 0:07:20.400 --> 0:07:23.280 hitters in the class, it felt like at least six 0:07:23.400 --> 0:07:25.280 or seven of them were working out, and that's kind 0:07:25.280 --> 0:07:25.800 of unusual. 0:07:26.360 --> 0:07:30.360 So after this combine, because there's no more college games, 0:07:30.440 --> 0:07:33.160 there's no more high school showcases for this draft. 0:07:32.880 --> 0:07:34.360 Class, it's pretty much it. 0:07:34.560 --> 0:07:37.960 So from now until draft day, it's all conversations and 0:07:38.000 --> 0:07:42.440 negotiations between teams and those players representatives if either that's 0:07:42.520 --> 0:07:45.240 family for high schoolers or now they can have agents. 0:07:45.720 --> 0:07:47.600 Do you have a better sense of the quality of 0:07:47.640 --> 0:07:49.920 this draft class after the combine gym? 0:07:50.840 --> 0:07:53.240 I wouldn't say I have a better sense because I 0:07:53.280 --> 0:07:55.840 don't really think the combine, like I said, moved the needle. 0:07:55.960 --> 0:07:57.720 Like it's not like we saw a bunch of college pictures. 0:07:57.720 --> 0:07:59.680 And even if the best college pitchers are all out there 0:07:59.720 --> 0:08:04.320 throwing twenty pitches, okay, but I mean I think, you know, 0:08:04.400 --> 0:08:06.920 a I think it's a decent draft, and I you know, 0:08:07.000 --> 0:08:10.040 even if it's like it's not like you think about 0:08:10.040 --> 0:08:11.920 to twenty twenty four and how low that draft was 0:08:11.960 --> 0:08:13.520 with college players who are gonn get to the big 0:08:13.560 --> 0:08:17.840 leagues almost overnight. It's not as strong as that, at 0:08:17.920 --> 0:08:20.560 least the top first round. But even this isn't a 0:08:20.560 --> 0:08:22.320 bad draft. But even if it were a bad draft, 0:08:22.320 --> 0:08:24.600 there's good players in every draft, Like, like Thomas skyn 0:08:24.680 --> 0:08:26.360 director is always tell you, like, even if it's not, 0:08:27.120 --> 0:08:29.000 you know, a great draft, their job is still the 0:08:29.040 --> 0:08:30.720 same to go out and find the best players they can. 0:08:30.880 --> 0:08:35.640 So I think it's a you know, I think, you know, 0:08:35.760 --> 0:08:38.640 just breaking down, like, think about it. Demographically, the high 0:08:38.679 --> 0:08:41.160 school pitchers are pretty strong. Oh that's funny because that's 0:08:41.200 --> 0:08:44.439 the demographic that scares teams the most. The high school hitters. 0:08:45.559 --> 0:08:47.079 You know, originally I was thinking they weren't that deep. 0:08:47.120 --> 0:08:48.640 It seems like more and more guys are emerging. So 0:08:48.720 --> 0:08:51.600 high school hitting crop is fine. The college hitting crop 0:08:52.000 --> 0:08:53.760 is interesting because there's a lot of depth to it. 0:08:53.760 --> 0:08:55.559 Although a lot of the guys have like a major 0:08:55.640 --> 0:08:59.000 Hickey that you know, it's hard to separate them. After 0:08:59.040 --> 0:09:02.040 the top couple guys and the college pitchers, I feel 0:09:02.040 --> 0:09:04.520 like maybe that's the weakest part, Like there's death there, 0:09:05.160 --> 0:09:07.960 but there's there's almost a major question mark. You know, 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:10.559 once you get past Jackson, Flora, you know, whoever you're 0:09:10.559 --> 0:09:12.559 talking about, there's a major question mark. But I think 0:09:12.600 --> 0:09:14.520 it's probably I don't know. It feels like close to 0:09:14.559 --> 0:09:16.640 an average draft. And you know, nice thing for the 0:09:16.679 --> 0:09:19.520 White Sox is, you know, I think there's there's two, 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:22.400 maybe three players who separate themselves from everybody else, and 0:09:22.400 --> 0:09:24.880 because they're picking one, they can get one of those 0:09:24.920 --> 0:09:26.840 guys and take whichever one they want. 0:09:28.160 --> 0:09:32.000 So since opening day Milwaukee, we've been seeing White Sox 0:09:32.040 --> 0:09:36.959 fans with Rock Jelawski White Sox jerseys and they have 0:09:37.120 --> 0:09:39.120 so they've been sold that this is what's going to 0:09:39.120 --> 0:09:41.440 be the number one VIC in July. 0:09:42.120 --> 0:09:44.920 We'll get to that in a moment podcast listeners. 0:09:44.600 --> 0:09:47.200 But as you can also read on Sox Machine, I 0:09:47.240 --> 0:09:49.760 updated my top one fifty this class and I made 0:09:49.760 --> 0:09:52.280 my case and why I have Grady Emerson number one 0:09:52.840 --> 0:09:54.040 over Rock Cholowski. 0:09:55.000 --> 0:09:56.800 Jim, I'm with you. I'm with you, Joe, you. 0:09:56.840 --> 0:09:58.400 Are with because I was gonna ask who is your 0:09:58.480 --> 0:10:00.000 number one prospect in this class? 0:10:00.040 --> 0:10:02.920 Yes, I would take Great Emerson for one. Now again, it's 0:10:02.920 --> 0:10:05.040 funny because like when you make a decision and the 0:10:05.040 --> 0:10:06.480 White Socks are in the same boat. But where you 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:08.280 have guy whoever number on your last or I I 0:10:08.320 --> 0:10:10.560 said something you can only put like it's very close, 0:10:10.840 --> 0:10:12.920 but you can only pick one guy. You can't be like, well, 0:10:12.960 --> 0:10:15.240 it's fifty two percent like And I just think if 0:10:15.280 --> 0:10:17.160 you're comparing those two guys, there's a couple of things 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:19.520 that stand out. One, if you look at the players 0:10:19.520 --> 0:10:22.560 at the same stage of their careers, which is fair comparison, 0:10:23.320 --> 0:10:25.160 Rock Cholowski could have gotten first round money out of 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:27.599 high school if you wanted to sign, But nobody was 0:10:27.600 --> 0:10:29.760 talking about Rock Chlowski being the number one overall pick 0:10:29.760 --> 0:10:31.760 in the draft like they were Grady Emerson. And I 0:10:31.760 --> 0:10:33.640 think if you compare those guys at the same stage 0:10:33.640 --> 0:10:36.400 of their careers, I think Grey Emerson is a better 0:10:36.440 --> 0:10:38.520 hitter with maybe a little bit more impact. He's definitely 0:10:38.600 --> 0:10:43.160 quicker the probably comparable defenders. I think if you I 0:10:43.200 --> 0:10:44.800 don't know what the percentagould be, if you had thirty 0:10:44.800 --> 0:10:47.000 teams and you said who has the most upside in 0:10:47.000 --> 0:10:49.440 this draft, I think Grady Emerson would win that poll 0:10:51.160 --> 0:10:53.319 of of you know, especially if you're comparing had to 0:10:53.320 --> 0:10:54.839 head to Rock. Now that's not knock on Rock. I 0:10:54.880 --> 0:10:58.920 do think Rock has obviously three years of track record UCLA. 0:10:59.040 --> 0:11:00.640 He's probably a little bit better as a sophomore than 0:11:00.640 --> 0:11:02.680 as a junior, but he still had a good junior season. 0:11:03.080 --> 0:11:05.680 I think the floors higher because you see him hit 0:11:05.720 --> 0:11:08.800 against better competition. You've seen him like he's a really 0:11:08.840 --> 0:11:11.160 good defender. He's not. People don't rave about him like 0:11:11.200 --> 0:11:12.960 they did about Billy Carlson O the best high school 0:11:13.000 --> 0:11:16.360 shortstop I've ever seen. But like Rock rockmy bible to 0:11:16.360 --> 0:11:18.600 step in the big leagues and play close to plus 0:11:18.679 --> 0:11:21.240 defense from day one, like like you have no doubt, 0:11:21.320 --> 0:11:22.960 Like you have to project rate orson a little bit 0:11:23.000 --> 0:11:25.720 because you haven't seen him against bigger, stronger guys, hitting 0:11:25.720 --> 0:11:28.280 the ball harder and running faster. But like I think 0:11:28.360 --> 0:11:30.520 Rock is an easy sixty defender, like you, like you 0:11:30.520 --> 0:11:32.760 don't have to to worry about that. So I think 0:11:32.800 --> 0:11:35.480 it's neck and neck. I know I would air on 0:11:35.520 --> 0:11:39.120 the side of upside, and I always say it's easy. 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:40.360 You know, same thing for you, Josh. And we do 0:11:40.400 --> 0:11:43.439 these lists, we aren't giving ten million dollars to whoever 0:11:43.480 --> 0:11:46.040 we put number one on the list, right, We're not 0:11:46.080 --> 0:11:49.280 going to lose our jobs if we say take player 0:11:49.320 --> 0:11:51.160 A over player D and player A is not good, 0:11:51.520 --> 0:11:55.760 like we aren't. Matt Ishbie isn't gonna come in and say, 0:11:55.800 --> 0:11:59.000 wait a minute, what was this down the road? So 0:11:59.160 --> 0:12:02.640 it's a little different, But I would give Grady Emerson 0:12:02.800 --> 0:12:04.920 a sled edge over Rock Scholowski. 0:12:04.920 --> 0:12:08.360 Okay, because there's White Sox fans that will push back 0:12:08.360 --> 0:12:11.360 a little bit and say, well, what happened in March? 0:12:11.440 --> 0:12:15.800 Because in March you're telling me after that tournaments against 0:12:15.840 --> 0:12:18.760 the SEC teams that you can go ahead and buyer 0:12:19.080 --> 0:12:22.600 Rockshawsky White Sox jerseys because he passed the toughest test 0:12:22.720 --> 0:12:25.080 that UCLA is going to have during the regular season 0:12:25.440 --> 0:12:28.320 and he was crushing it early. So what changed between 0:12:28.400 --> 0:12:32.440 March and now coming into July and why Chilawski is 0:12:32.480 --> 0:12:34.239 not the number one overall prospect? 0:12:34.280 --> 0:12:37.880 And for me at the end, close, yeah good, I'm 0:12:37.920 --> 0:12:40.480 with you, Like the more did you see Grady Emerson 0:12:40.520 --> 0:12:43.920 and you look at the data, but also Jim and 0:12:43.960 --> 0:12:46.880 you guys come to an amazing job covering just prospects 0:12:46.880 --> 0:12:48.920 throughout all of Major League Baseball. 0:12:49.480 --> 0:12:50.319 It's the trend. 0:12:51.760 --> 0:12:54.880 A lot of your top ten are really young players, 0:12:55.160 --> 0:12:59.040 guys who are twenty years or younger, and Rock Schlowski, 0:12:59.679 --> 0:13:02.800 Rock's older than Kayleb Bonnemer, who's currently the White sox 0:13:02.880 --> 0:13:06.960 number one prospect in the farm system. Rock Shlawski's facing 0:13:07.040 --> 0:13:10.440 ninety ninety one when facing Washington, KYLEB. Bonnemer is in 0:13:10.480 --> 0:13:13.560 Double A, and Caleb Bonnomer has already accumulated more played 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:16.839 appearances against the Vans pitching than Rock Schalowski. And we've 0:13:16.840 --> 0:13:20.080 seen what Kevin mcconagal has been doing for Detroit and 0:13:20.120 --> 0:13:22.760 what Connor Griffin has been doing for Pittsburgh. I just 0:13:22.800 --> 0:13:26.280 feel like, also influencing my decision put Emerson number one 0:13:26.600 --> 0:13:30.319 is more of the trend of Major League Baseball siding 0:13:30.400 --> 0:13:35.199 with youth, then I guess, quote unquote older prospects, even 0:13:35.240 --> 0:13:38.000 though Rockchlawski is just twenty one. Does that make sense 0:13:38.040 --> 0:13:40.280 as far as influencing some of the thinking. 0:13:41.280 --> 0:13:42.720 A little bit. I mean, I'm not so much worried 0:13:42.720 --> 0:13:44.520 about that because if Grady if I mean, I'm sorry, 0:13:44.559 --> 0:13:46.720 if Rochowsky won the sign, he would have been drafted 0:13:47.000 --> 0:13:49.839 Polly right around where Kevin McGonagall went, and he might 0:13:49.880 --> 0:13:51.720 be in the big leagues right now, and like, that's 0:13:51.760 --> 0:13:54.160 just a path I've taken for me. I think it's 0:13:54.840 --> 0:13:56.720 you start to talk at the beginning of that that 0:13:56.800 --> 0:13:59.760 Grady Emerson just the more you watch him, the more 0:13:59.760 --> 0:14:02.440 you like. I think it's more Grady Emerson moving up 0:14:02.440 --> 0:14:05.560 a little bit than Rock Scholowski's slumping now, I will say, 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:08.200 And I am an SEC snob, and I went to 0:14:08.200 --> 0:14:10.760 Georgia and I wear my love for George in the 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:15.080 SEC on my sleeve. The Big Ten's not very good, 0:14:15.440 --> 0:14:17.120 like like, on one hand, it's probably the fourth or 0:14:17.120 --> 0:14:20.920 fifth best conference in college baseball. But I remember there 0:14:20.960 --> 0:14:23.800 was this somebody tweeted out about Rock Scholowski's numbers on 0:14:23.800 --> 0:14:26.120 Friday night one very good, and I was like, it's 0:14:26.120 --> 0:14:28.640 more random because there's no first round picks pitching on 0:14:28.680 --> 0:14:32.360 Friday night in the Big Tent. Like maybe Mason Edwards 0:14:32.360 --> 0:14:36.280 at USC that's it. Like I think the second unless 0:14:36.280 --> 0:14:38.760 I'm forgetting somebody, you know, Isaac Moorean got hurt. So 0:14:38.760 --> 0:14:42.320 maybe Carson Yassa might be the next best Big Ten starter. 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:45.320 And he's like, I don't know, fourth round pick, I 0:14:45.320 --> 0:14:46.960 don't think he's a big league starter. It's a really 0:14:46.960 --> 0:14:51.960 good arm. So I think maybe Rock no, it's not 0:14:52.000 --> 0:14:55.320 prospect fatigue. But I also think Rock came into the years. Okay, 0:14:55.320 --> 0:14:59.640 he's the biggest lock or strongest favorite to be number 0:14:59.680 --> 0:15:02.520 one coming into the year since Ali Rushman in twenty nineteen. 0:15:03.200 --> 0:15:06.840 Ali Rushman twenty nineteen went out and had unbelievable year. 0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:09.480 He was the best player in the country, and Rock, like, 0:15:09.480 --> 0:15:11.280 I don't know if it's fair, but measuring Rock against 0:15:11.280 --> 0:15:14.000 twenty twenty five Rock, Rock wasn't quite as good and 0:15:14.040 --> 0:15:16.160 he had a good year, but he didn't dominate, and 0:15:16.200 --> 0:15:18.840 he didn't tear up Big Ten competition, and down the 0:15:18.880 --> 0:15:21.160 stretch that whole lineup just seemed like they didn't hit 0:15:21.200 --> 0:15:23.200 the final month of the season, and they went from 0:15:23.240 --> 0:15:26.160 being number one from preseason through the regular season to 0:15:27.200 --> 0:15:29.640 I think they won all three their Big Ten They 0:15:29.640 --> 0:15:31.160 won the Big Ten tournament. I think all three games 0:15:31.200 --> 0:15:33.480 were walk offs right their last inning wins like they 0:15:33.480 --> 0:15:37.040 weren't like formidable, and then they got upset by a 0:15:37.120 --> 0:15:40.520 number four seed I think twice same team, number four 0:15:40.560 --> 0:15:44.160 seed in the regional. So I just think it's like 0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:45.760 in that part, I don't know that it's really fair 0:15:45.800 --> 0:15:47.560 to Rock because I think the tools are still the 0:15:47.600 --> 0:15:51.440 tools but I think if Rock tyears were flipped and 0:15:51.480 --> 0:15:53.960 he was very good last year and Great this year 0:15:54.160 --> 0:15:55.640 might be a little different. But but I think in 0:15:55.680 --> 0:15:58.240 all more comes down to if your tool and the 0:15:58.240 --> 0:16:00.520 players out. I think Grey Emerson a little bit better. 0:16:00.600 --> 0:16:02.040 And like I said, the thing I keep getting hung 0:16:02.120 --> 0:16:04.960 up on is at the same stage of their careers, 0:16:05.320 --> 0:16:08.080 because I mean, greyt Emerson's going to Texas and that's 0:16:07.960 --> 0:16:10.040 to see. But let's say Great Emerson didn't sign, he 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:12.560 went to UCLA. I think he would destroy big ten 0:16:12.640 --> 0:16:14.640 pitching that he'd probably have. He'd probably put up the 0:16:14.680 --> 0:16:17.240 same numbers that Rock Chelowsky put up for three years. 0:16:18.280 --> 0:16:20.880 So I just think, you know, trying to compare them 0:16:20.920 --> 0:16:23.640 the same stages and the tools. I like Grady Emerson. 0:16:24.240 --> 0:16:26.880 I like the bat a little bit more. He's definitely quicker. 0:16:27.160 --> 0:16:29.440 I think they'll be comparable defenders in the long run. 0:16:30.440 --> 0:16:32.760 Ill And again I always err on the side of 0:16:32.880 --> 0:16:36.640 upside and I would do that, and I think with 0:16:36.720 --> 0:16:40.360 the White Sox I kind of like and things will change, 0:16:40.520 --> 0:16:42.240 Like there'll be a lot of discussions obviously in the 0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:47.240 next twelve days. What I keep hearing is I think, 0:16:47.640 --> 0:16:49.920 and it's not a vote it's not a democracy in Chicago. 0:16:50.160 --> 0:16:52.680 But I think if you if the Scout, like the 0:16:52.720 --> 0:16:56.280 Scouting decision makers voted, I think Grady Emerson would win 0:16:56.320 --> 0:17:00.000 that vote. But they don't like this guy, like especially 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:02.240 number on overall pick. They don't just say, hey, Mike, 0:17:02.280 --> 0:17:03.800 surely do what you want. We'll be good with it, 0:17:03.840 --> 0:17:06.439 and like and not. And Mike's very capable. But you 0:17:06.440 --> 0:17:10.240 know you're gonna have Chris Gatz and you know, guys 0:17:10.280 --> 0:17:12.520 who are higher up the food chain, you know, assisted 0:17:12.640 --> 0:17:18.760 GM special assistance weighing in. I don't know to watch St. 0:17:18.840 --> 0:17:21.159 Jerry rein store for when I don't want to extend Ishbo, 0:17:21.359 --> 0:17:23.440 you know, like I don't know how much power Ishba 0:17:23.480 --> 0:17:26.960 has right now. I would assume some like at some 0:17:27.040 --> 0:17:30.000 point he's gonna he's putting money into the team and like, 0:17:30.520 --> 0:17:32.239 like it was funny because you talked about how much 0:17:32.280 --> 0:17:34.639 has changed come into your two like like even the 0:17:34.640 --> 0:17:38.320 Star season. I think the narrative was okay, Like the 0:17:38.400 --> 0:17:41.159 higher ups want a guy who like help quicker. You 0:17:41.160 --> 0:17:42.560 know this team needs a lot of help. Say you 0:17:42.560 --> 0:17:45.040 want a guy who can get to the big leagues quicker. Well, again, 0:17:45.119 --> 0:17:46.800 I mean, I'm not saying this team, you know, we're 0:17:46.800 --> 0:17:49.120 not buying playoff tickets yet this team is like right 0:17:49.119 --> 0:17:51.439 there in first place in the Al Central, so they 0:17:51.440 --> 0:17:55.800 don't need immediate help. So and even the whole immediate 0:17:55.800 --> 0:17:59.560 health thing, like that's a terrible way, Like I don't think. 0:17:59.680 --> 0:18:03.240 I don't think I'd rather have the best return round 0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:06.000 than the quickest return on my investment. So like I've 0:18:06.040 --> 0:18:08.840 never bought, like you, immediate help is a great way draft, 0:18:08.920 --> 0:18:12.000 Like like maybe if you know and they don't have 0:18:12.000 --> 0:18:13.320 a shortz the whole, maybe you know, if they were 0:18:13.320 --> 0:18:15.920 in first place and they had the world's worst shortstop 0:18:16.000 --> 0:18:18.240 playing for them, and know like like not the Rocks 0:18:18.240 --> 0:18:20.200 and go straight to the big leagues. But like maybe 0:18:20.200 --> 0:18:22.360 if you had somebody who was the most advanced player 0:18:22.359 --> 0:18:24.000 of all time was right in your lineup and fill 0:18:24.080 --> 0:18:26.800 position to need, or you had Paul Skins was out 0:18:26.800 --> 0:18:28.320 there and you're like, you know what, We'll take Paul 0:18:28.320 --> 0:18:30.680 Skins and put them in the rotation, like which he 0:18:30.720 --> 0:18:32.080 would have been a good pick on tap, Like I 0:18:32.080 --> 0:18:34.320 could see that, but I think you're better off taken 0:18:34.440 --> 0:18:36.719 whoever you think the better player is. But it like 0:18:36.960 --> 0:18:38.879 I keep hearing the narrative that they want and they 0:18:38.920 --> 0:18:42.440 want a more advanced player with a little bit of 0:18:42.480 --> 0:18:45.960 a higher floor. So I I feel like it's kind 0:18:46.000 --> 0:18:50.159 of I don't know. It's either I keep I keep like, 0:18:50.240 --> 0:18:53.160 is it fifty percent Rock, forty percent Emerson, ten percent 0:18:53.240 --> 0:18:55.840 von Lackey or it might be forty five forty five 0:18:55.880 --> 0:18:58.919