WEBVTT - Eric Hartman Fever and 2026 MLB Draft Preview With Carlos Collazo 0:00:21.880 --> 0:00:24.680 Hello, everyone, Welcome back to the Hemmer Territory Podcast. It's 0:00:24.680 --> 0:00:27.840 a special edition of the show. I'm joining right now 0:00:27.960 --> 0:00:30.159 by Scott Coleman. Scott, we have a guest coming in 0:00:30.160 --> 0:00:33.239 a second. How are you hello, Brad? We do have 0:00:33.280 --> 0:00:37.160 a very special guest, Carlos Colazzo, a national correspondent for 0:00:37.560 --> 0:00:41.040 Baseball America in my eyes, like the leading authority on 0:00:41.280 --> 0:00:44.159 MLB draft coverage. And of course this is a massive 0:00:44.640 --> 0:00:47.400 draft on the horizon for the Atlanta Braves. I mean, 0:00:47.440 --> 0:00:50.760 in some ways it could be like a franchise altering draft. 0:00:50.760 --> 0:00:52.960 They have the number nine pick, where they are picking 0:00:53.040 --> 0:00:55.160 in the top ten for the first time in many years. 0:00:55.440 --> 0:00:57.920 They also have the twenty sixth overall pick because of 0:00:58.000 --> 0:01:01.200 Drake Bald and winning Rookie of the Year. Very important 0:01:01.280 --> 0:01:03.959 draft on the horizon and very happy to have Carlos 0:01:04.000 --> 0:01:06.480 on the show to talk about it all. Absolutely so 0:01:06.560 --> 0:01:08.720 we are running this the week of the draft. It 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:10.800 was recorded a couple of days ago. Nothing has changed. 0:01:10.800 --> 0:01:12.200 A m will be draft World. Just want to give 0:01:12.200 --> 0:01:15.600 that PSA out there. And the draft is this Saturday. 0:01:16.240 --> 0:01:17.800 So if you didn't know that already, now you know 0:01:17.959 --> 0:01:20.400 it's draft week. The draft is this Saturday, we'll talk 0:01:20.440 --> 0:01:22.440 all about it with someone who's actually qualified to talk 0:01:22.440 --> 0:01:24.920 about it. It's not us, So stay tuned. We'll dive 0:01:24.959 --> 0:01:27.680 in right now with us and Carlos Colaso on all 0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:29.240 things Braves and m'll be draft. 0:01:30.200 --> 0:01:30.480 All right. 0:01:30.520 --> 0:01:33.600 We're now joined by good friend, and I mean really 0:01:33.600 --> 0:01:35.360 good friend. I said that all the time, really good 0:01:35.360 --> 0:01:38.040 front of the program, Carlos Colaso a Baseball America. 0:01:38.080 --> 0:01:40.280 What's up, man? How are you? Hello? 0:01:40.319 --> 0:01:40.600 Hello? 0:01:40.840 --> 0:01:43.200 I am good, glad to be here. As always, it's 0:01:43.520 --> 0:01:48.480 fun to do the annual Hammer Territory adventure. So what's up, Brad? 0:01:48.480 --> 0:01:49.840 What's up? Scott? Thanks for having me back. 0:01:50.280 --> 0:01:52.320 Every once in a while we'll get a question about 0:01:52.320 --> 0:01:54.040 the draft, and as we always say, we don't know 0:01:54.040 --> 0:01:57.240 anything about the draft really, and I always know in 0:01:57.280 --> 0:01:59.600 my back pocket, I'm like, I do have someone we 0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:02.080 can call that will probably take my call based on 0:02:02.120 --> 0:02:04.800 our history, and his name is CARLS. Colosso, so thank you, 0:02:04.840 --> 0:02:09.120 sir for doing this. We're thought mostly drafts on this discussion. 0:02:09.440 --> 0:02:12.080 But as we're talking about this sports started recording, we 0:02:12.160 --> 0:02:15.200 have to ask you about Eric Cartman. Hey, Eric Cartman, 0:02:15.280 --> 0:02:18.760 is like the mania has taken hold nationally, especially locally, 0:02:18.880 --> 0:02:20.800 and this might be the only guy we talk about 0:02:20.800 --> 0:02:23.000 for much. This is in the system already, but uh, 0:02:23.280 --> 0:02:25.960 what's the buzz beyond our walls? Obviously he's become a 0:02:25.960 --> 0:02:28.440 big time prospect everywhere, but like, you're a national guy, 0:02:28.760 --> 0:02:30.000 what's your thought on Eric Cartman right now? 0:02:30.000 --> 0:02:30.680 Because it's crazy. 0:02:31.880 --> 0:02:34.360 I'm very torn on Eric Cartman, because part of me 0:02:34.520 --> 0:02:37.840 is very excited because when I did the Prospect Handbook 0:02:37.880 --> 0:02:40.680 chapter last off season, I tabbed Eric Cartman as a 0:02:40.680 --> 0:02:45.080 breakout prospect. But at the same stage I ranked Eric 0:02:45.120 --> 0:02:48.000 Cartman in the twenties on the Braves List, which looks 0:02:48.240 --> 0:02:52.840 egregious and horrible right now, because we recently updated our 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:55.760 top thirties, we recently updated our top hundred. He is 0:02:55.800 --> 0:02:58.200 a top twenty five prospect in baseball. He is the 0:02:58.320 --> 0:03:01.760 number one prospect in the CISM. So I can kind 0:03:01.800 --> 0:03:03.799 of lie to myself and say, oh, I had him 0:03:03.800 --> 0:03:07.320 as a breakout, But truthfully, I never expected this sort 0:03:07.360 --> 0:03:11.920 of season from Eric Cartman. The tools that he has shown, 0:03:12.000 --> 0:03:14.239 in addition to the pure hitting ability he has shown, 0:03:14.400 --> 0:03:18.080 is exceptional. I mean, there were some traits he showed 0:03:18.080 --> 0:03:19.640 a year ago that I was like oh there, these 0:03:19.680 --> 0:03:22.400 are kind of interesting. Maybe with some continued polish, you 0:03:22.440 --> 0:03:25.239 can get to like a low average in game power, 0:03:25.280 --> 0:03:27.880 which would be good for a center fielder with his speed. 0:03:27.880 --> 0:03:30.680 And it's like he's on pace for a forty sixty 0:03:30.760 --> 0:03:35.680 season in seventy one games. It's it's utterly insane. He's 0:03:35.680 --> 0:03:37.480 been one of the most impressive players in all of 0:03:37.520 --> 0:03:41.000 minor league baseball. He's still twenty years old. The guys 0:03:41.040 --> 0:03:42.680 that I've talked to on our staff who are more 0:03:42.720 --> 0:03:45.680 focused on the prospect side of the game at this 0:03:45.760 --> 0:03:49.800 point in the calendar, are talking about just like how 0:03:49.960 --> 0:03:54.720 scouts are drooling over him, and like the continued development 0:03:54.760 --> 0:03:56.840 and potential you could see with a player like him 0:03:56.880 --> 0:04:00.360 who really doesn't have the same sort of background in 0:04:00.440 --> 0:04:05.360 reps in baseball. It's just been insane to see. And 0:04:05.400 --> 0:04:07.160 I think for Brave fans, they've got to be thrilled 0:04:08.200 --> 0:04:10.800 about what he's done. I don't know if they are 0:04:10.840 --> 0:04:13.640 in the camp of like, oh, this player is the future, 0:04:13.920 --> 0:04:16.240 or hey, we can really trade him for an impact 0:04:16.320 --> 0:04:19.680 player now. Because he has only played at HIA, I 0:04:19.720 --> 0:04:22.680 don't know exactly what his ETA timeline is going to be, 0:04:23.440 --> 0:04:25.479 but it's certainly not a bad thing when you're getting 0:04:25.720 --> 0:04:27.800 a performance like this from your farm And I also 0:04:27.960 --> 0:04:30.480 feel like he's one of a number of offensive players 0:04:30.920 --> 0:04:32.720 in the system who are really doing well, which is 0:04:32.760 --> 0:04:34.760 great news for the Braves because for years and years 0:04:34.760 --> 0:04:39.520 now it's been such a picture heavy system. And I 0:04:39.560 --> 0:04:41.280 say that, but you have guys like Drake Baldwin and 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:43.359 Michael Harris, but I guess Michael Harris has been up 0:04:43.400 --> 0:04:45.480 for a while now, so no, just really really cool 0:04:45.520 --> 0:04:47.440 story and one of the best in the miners right now. 0:04:48.400 --> 0:04:48.560 Yeah. 0:04:48.480 --> 0:04:50.560 I mean, Carlos, we were fortunate enough to have you 0:04:50.600 --> 0:04:52.920 on the show I don't know, eight months or so ago, 0:04:53.000 --> 0:04:55.839 and I think you know, objectively, the farm system was 0:04:55.880 --> 0:04:58.760 not in a great place. I think it was fair 0:04:58.800 --> 0:05:01.120 to say that maybe a little better than what it 0:05:01.240 --> 0:05:03.200 was in like twenty twenty four, So it was just 0:05:03.279 --> 0:05:06.799 completely void of real talent outside of one or two guys. 0:05:06.839 --> 0:05:09.240 But you know, the farm system as a whole as healthy, 0:05:09.400 --> 0:05:13.159 and obviously, I mean that has layers to it because 0:05:13.160 --> 0:05:14.719 not only does it help the big league team, but 0:05:14.760 --> 0:05:17.360 as the trade deadline approaches, I think you can say 0:05:17.360 --> 0:05:19.360 with a straight face that if the Braves want to 0:05:19.400 --> 0:05:22.080 go out and make a real trade of substance for 0:05:22.200 --> 0:05:24.400 like an impact. Let's go all in or at least 0:05:24.480 --> 0:05:27.440 really try to give ourselves a chance. You have Eric Hartman, 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:29.479 you have Cam Kimminetti who was just named to the 0:05:29.480 --> 0:05:32.440 Futures Game. Tate South, the scene, who was the first 0:05:32.520 --> 0:05:34.640 round pick a year ago, has really come on after 0:05:34.720 --> 0:05:38.680 a pretty disappointing kind of mini debut as a professional. 0:05:38.760 --> 0:05:40.760 So it just you know, I think, I mean, you're 0:05:40.800 --> 0:05:43.400 the expert at Baseball America. I think BA does the 0:05:43.440 --> 0:05:47.120 best job of anybody covering the farm systems in the draft. 0:05:47.160 --> 0:05:49.200 But it feels like this is the healthiest the Braves 0:05:49.200 --> 0:05:52.400 farm system has been in I mean years at this point. 0:05:53.080 --> 0:05:54.680 Yeah, it does feel like it. I think having a 0:05:54.760 --> 0:05:58.600 couple of young headliners offensively is good. They always seem 0:05:58.640 --> 0:06:01.400 to have pictures and consider duration. Cam Kemminiddie, we've had 0:06:01.400 --> 0:06:03.080 in the top one hundred for a while now. Jed 0:06:03.160 --> 0:06:05.320 Richie got in that top one hundred range for the 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:07.400 first time, I believe at the start of our preseason 0:06:07.440 --> 0:06:11.200 list this year. I'm so pretty excited about him. The 0:06:11.240 --> 0:06:13.520 improvements that we've seen from Tate South Asceene and his 0:06:13.560 --> 0:06:16.240 approach this year. It almost makes me feel like his 0:06:16.320 --> 0:06:19.479 debut was just a blip because pre draft we expected 0:06:19.520 --> 0:06:22.800 Tate south Assen to be a much more polished offensive 0:06:22.880 --> 0:06:25.719 player than he showed in his debut, And it really 0:06:25.760 --> 0:06:28.240 does just make me wonder, Okay, do we just have 0:06:28.279 --> 0:06:31.320 a terrible entry point for young high school players in 0:06:31.360 --> 0:06:34.159 minor league baseball these days? Like there's no real appropriate 0:06:34.240 --> 0:06:36.440 level for them to play in official games. If you 0:06:36.480 --> 0:06:38.520 want to get them in official games, it does seem 0:06:38.560 --> 0:06:42.080 like it's probably too advanced for them, especially after coming 0:06:42.080 --> 0:06:45.120 off a full spring season. Tate south Asen absolutely looked 0:06:45.120 --> 0:06:46.880 over match. I don't think it's hyperbole to say he 0:06:46.960 --> 0:06:50.839 was one of the most disappointing players of any player 0:06:50.839 --> 0:06:53.920 in that draft class. For how bad the approach was. 0:06:54.320 --> 0:06:56.159 The one kind of glimmer of hope for him was 0:06:56.160 --> 0:06:57.839 that he was hitting the ball exceptionally hard when he 0:06:57.880 --> 0:07:00.520 did make contact, and now the swing to sessions are 0:07:00.520 --> 0:07:02.200 far better. He's getting the ball in the air a 0:07:02.200 --> 0:07:04.960 lot more frequently. I'm still not entirely sure where he's 0:07:04.960 --> 0:07:07.320 going to play defensively, but the fact that he has 0:07:07.320 --> 0:07:10.240 a chance to play a handful about the middle premium 0:07:10.280 --> 0:07:13.360 positions is really exciting for him as well. So it's 0:07:13.400 --> 0:07:16.040 great to see that pick already aging really well. And 0:07:16.080 --> 0:07:18.760 the Braves have just shown a knack for hitting on 0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:21.160 value late in the draft, and getting Hartman in the 0:07:21.200 --> 0:07:25.760 twentieth round is kind of egregious for everyone the other 0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:27.640 team in the industry at this stage. 0:07:28.560 --> 0:07:31.600 Yeah, it's also it's also like maybe a reminder not 0:07:31.640 --> 0:07:34.600 to overreact, especially a high school kid coming up. You know, 0:07:35.280 --> 0:07:36.880 as much as I don't know much about this stuff, 0:07:36.920 --> 0:07:40.680 Like my prior is to hey, like, let's not overreact 0:07:40.680 --> 0:07:42.800 to a handful of games for an eighteen year old, 0:07:42.880 --> 0:07:45.240 even if as bad as he looked, Like I I 0:07:45.280 --> 0:07:47.640 heard the same things the limit time that I saw 0:07:47.920 --> 0:07:49.920 it didn't look good. But it's like, hey, that was 0:07:49.960 --> 0:07:51.600 six it was six eight months ago, and now it's 0:07:51.640 --> 0:07:53.920 like a totally different world for Salvastine and that's just 0:07:53.920 --> 0:07:54.360 one player. 0:07:54.680 --> 0:07:55.360 Is that reasonable? 0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:57.280 Like, how do you approach like the first time you 0:07:57.280 --> 0:08:00.000 see a guy after the draft, especially when they're eighteen. 0:08:01.160 --> 0:08:03.160 Yeah, I think what was tricky about Tate was it 0:08:03.200 --> 0:08:05.080 wasn't just like it was kind of disappointing, Like the 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:09.440 approach was just horrendous. In Yeah, fifteen games, sixty six 0:08:09.480 --> 0:08:12.320 and then it's not that much time. But he also 0:08:12.440 --> 0:08:15.120 cleared like what I think of as the stabilization rate 0:08:15.160 --> 0:08:18.320 for strikeout rate in particular, and that was the number 0:08:18.720 --> 0:08:23.320 that really concerned me. I think I'm quicker to react 0:08:23.360 --> 0:08:27.480 to strikeout rate and contact rate noise for players, but 0:08:27.520 --> 0:08:29.840 for me, it's served as a very good reminder of, like, hey, 0:08:30.320 --> 0:08:32.760 especially when players are entering pro ball for the first time, 0:08:33.080 --> 0:08:35.840 with our understanding of where the minor league system is now, yeah, 0:08:36.040 --> 0:08:38.520 it is probably a good idea to kind of pump 0:08:38.559 --> 0:08:40.960 the brakes, be cautious, let them get acclimated, let them 0:08:40.960 --> 0:08:42.800 get some more time under their belt, let them start 0:08:43.080 --> 0:08:47.480 the season fresh, and then see what you've got. It's 0:08:47.520 --> 0:08:49.760 always tricky, and we do this with our n season updates, 0:08:49.760 --> 0:08:51.800 both on the draft side and on the pro side. 0:08:51.840 --> 0:08:54.719 We want to be reactive to new information and to 0:08:54.840 --> 0:08:57.040 things that have changed with players. But if the more 0:08:57.080 --> 0:08:58.720 you iterate on a list, I think the more you 0:08:58.760 --> 0:09:01.439 open yourself up to react too much. And so kind 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:04.000 of striking that balance and trying to figure out what 0:09:04.160 --> 0:09:08.120 the best lane to take is I think a persistent 0:09:08.240 --> 0:09:10.400 question mark and one we're kind of always grappling with. 0:09:10.559 --> 0:09:14.200 So it's tough, but I mean he has what seventy 0:09:14.240 --> 0:09:17.640 one games now of really impressive performance, So it's nice 0:09:17.640 --> 0:09:19.160 to see. 0:09:19.080 --> 0:09:23.000 Yeah, yeah, I was gonna say, I mean, we'll take 0:09:23.000 --> 0:09:24.960 the wins. You know, you use a first round pick, 0:09:25.040 --> 0:09:28.040 and you know, there's so much nuance to a draft, 0:09:28.080 --> 0:09:30.120 and it's you know, he's eighteen years old playing pro 0:09:30.200 --> 0:09:32.520 ball and he was facing high schoolers three months before. 0:09:32.559 --> 0:09:36.240 I mean, there's obviously a giant leap and just everything. 0:09:36.320 --> 0:09:38.040 You know, you're on your own for the first time, 0:09:38.160 --> 0:09:40.480 you're in a new city, sometimes you travel all the 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:43.480 way across the country. It's very, very different, a lot 0:09:43.600 --> 0:09:45.640 beyond just trying to hit a baseball, which in and 0:09:45.679 --> 0:09:49.240 of itself is is plenty difficult to do. Carlo is 0:09:49.280 --> 0:09:51.280 the last prospect I wanted to ask you about. Is 0:09:51.440 --> 0:09:54.120 the bravest first round pick two years ago, Kim Keminetti. 0:09:54.240 --> 0:09:58.240 We mentioned he was the team's lone futures game representative. 0:09:58.880 --> 0:10:01.480 You know, two years in you mentioned just before we 0:10:01.480 --> 0:10:03.320 started recording that you like Cam and Eddy and the 0:10:03.320 --> 0:10:05.679 progress that he's made. But kind of where does Cam 0:10:05.760 --> 0:10:08.840 Kemedy sit two years after being the club's first round pick. 0:10:09.559 --> 0:10:12.200 Yeah, I'm still pretty excited about what he could provide 0:10:12.240 --> 0:10:15.480 to a starting rotation. I think there is a really 0:10:15.520 --> 0:10:18.079 electric fastball in the tank for him from the left side. 0:10:18.200 --> 0:10:21.480 I think what we've seen from him throughout his basically 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:23.880 two plus years now in pro bawl. I guess, not 0:10:23.880 --> 0:10:27.360 two full years, but what does he have like one 0:10:27.440 --> 0:10:31.720 hundred and fifty ish innings total at this stage. I've 0:10:31.760 --> 0:10:35.160 been my concerns with him, I guess coming into pro ball, 0:10:35.280 --> 0:10:37.880 where what's going to be the development of his breaking 0:10:37.920 --> 0:10:40.320 ball and what's the control going to look like? And 0:10:40.320 --> 0:10:43.240 I think, especially after the full season a year ago, 0:10:43.880 --> 0:10:46.480 what he did from a strikeout and walk perspective was 0:10:46.679 --> 0:10:49.439 really exciting to me. I was very happy to put 0:10:49.480 --> 0:10:51.520 him onto our top one hundred as soon as we 0:10:51.679 --> 0:10:54.840 possibly could. I don't think my perspective of him has 0:10:54.920 --> 0:10:57.600 changed too dramatically at this stage. He's still very young. 0:10:57.640 --> 0:10:59.960 It's crazy to think of him still being just nineteen 0:11:00.080 --> 0:11:01.800 years old. I don't know if he's turned twenty yet 0:11:02.760 --> 0:11:05.960 as of this recording, but he did stand out as 0:11:06.000 --> 0:11:07.760 like one of the younger players in the class. And 0:11:08.600 --> 0:11:10.320 when I look down and just see the agent what 0:11:10.360 --> 0:11:12.920 he's done so far ready getting to Hya I think 0:11:12.920 --> 0:11:16.240 it's just a really appealing combination of athleticism, arm talent, 0:11:16.360 --> 0:11:19.320 a change up that I really like, and better strikes 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:21.040 than I was expecting at this stage in his career. 0:11:21.080 --> 0:11:23.000 Although I guess you could say that's still an area 0:11:23.040 --> 0:11:24.480 where you're gonna want to see a little bit more 0:11:24.600 --> 0:11:27.760 sharpness and Christmas crispness from him moving forward. But I 0:11:27.800 --> 0:11:30.680 think if he developed into a made rotation arm, that 0:11:30.679 --> 0:11:31.600 wouldn't shock me at all. 0:11:32.559 --> 0:11:33.440 Sounds pretty good to me. 0:11:34.320 --> 0:11:38.240 Okay, Carlos, We're going to use your giant pervasive expertise 0:11:38.280 --> 0:11:40.360 on the on the MLB drafts momentarily because were gritten 0:11:40.400 --> 0:11:42.240 very close to that first thoughts. 0:11:42.320 --> 0:11:44.920 You have to work more partners on today's show. 0:11:46.600 --> 0:11:49.320 Hey, for the families out there looking for a different 0:11:49.360 --> 0:11:51.800 path to help your child succeed at home, look into 0:11:51.960 --> 0:11:55.319 K twelve powered schools. Todd Father, you've done the homeschooling 0:11:55.360 --> 0:11:56.920 thing in the past. I know you liked it. 0:11:57.720 --> 0:11:58.280 Yeah, I did. 0:11:58.400 --> 0:12:00.000 I liked it a lot. All my kids have done 0:12:00.160 --> 0:12:03.640 it before. It's an opportunity for them to stay at 0:12:03.640 --> 0:12:07.480 home and enjoy school just as much. They learn a lot, 0:12:07.800 --> 0:12:09.880 and this is an opportunity for families that are on 0:12:09.920 --> 0:12:12.440 the go too as well. They have to understand Listen, 0:12:12.760 --> 0:12:15.080 can't be at a regular school at all times. I 0:12:15.120 --> 0:12:17.320 need my child to be doing this, whether it's an 0:12:17.320 --> 0:12:21.160 athletic career, whatever stature they are at. And we loved 0:12:21.160 --> 0:12:23.040 every second of it, and I think it is an 0:12:23.040 --> 0:12:24.720 easy opportunity for some children. 0:12:24.800 --> 0:12:28.760 K twelve offers tuition free, accredited online public education for 0:12:28.840 --> 0:12:31.720 students in K through twelve on a setting that works 0:12:31.760 --> 0:12:34.400 for your family. See how K twelve parate schools can 0:12:34.400 --> 0:12:37.720 help unlock your child's full potential. Enroll today at K 0:12:37.800 --> 0:12:41.240 twelve dot com slash foul. That's the letter K, the 0:12:41.320 --> 0:12:45.480 number twelve dot com slash foul. K twelve dot com 0:12:45.480 --> 0:12:46.359 slash foul. 0:12:47.720 --> 0:12:48.280 Okay, Carl. 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:51.719 Before we dive back in Baseball America, there's been a 0:12:51.720 --> 0:12:53.199 little bit of a promo with us. So if you 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:55.760 go to Baseball America dot com, I believe is the 0:12:55.800 --> 0:12:57.240 place you can tell me if I'm wrong there it 0:12:57.280 --> 0:12:59.720 is on the street US. You can see this, but 0:13:00.040 --> 0:13:02.319 we have a promo code for you. It's Hammer thirty 0:13:02.360 --> 0:13:05.120 for thirty percent off the first year of any annual 0:13:05.200 --> 0:13:08.040 digital debscription at Baseball America dot com and as of 0:13:08.080 --> 0:13:11.079 course war Carlos works, so please support Carlos and also 0:13:11.200 --> 0:13:13.840 get great content all joking aside, So check it out 0:13:13.960 --> 0:13:16.040 and we appreciate, of course you're being here and also 0:13:16.200 --> 0:13:20.840 Ba's work all year round. Look, the draft is coming. 0:13:21.000 --> 0:13:25.760 The draft is on Saturday the eleventh. I believe Carlos 0:13:25.960 --> 0:13:27.480 will be on TV again. We get to watch your 0:13:27.520 --> 0:13:30.520 shiny face on the big screen. Yapen, sorry about that. 0:13:30.640 --> 0:13:32.560 You will have to uh, you will have to deal 0:13:32.559 --> 0:13:34.880 with me on the draft this year again. Yes, first 0:13:34.920 --> 0:13:36.439 four rounds. 0:13:36.760 --> 0:13:38.920 First four rounds. You have a lot better hair than 0:13:39.120 --> 0:13:42.040 either the people on the other than yourself. So that's 0:13:42.080 --> 0:13:45.000 that's part of the appeal here. But look it's coming. 0:13:45.080 --> 0:13:47.280 And for the first time in a while, the breaks 0:13:47.320 --> 0:13:49.160 up a top ten pick. They have the number nine pick. 0:13:49.280 --> 0:13:50.880 Obviously they didn't want to have an m y pick 0:13:50.880 --> 0:13:53.440 because that means they were bad last year, but they 0:13:53.440 --> 0:13:58.000 were and that's what happened. Look, without happened to get 0:13:58.040 --> 0:14:00.840 crazy into intel, Like there's the intel side in scouting side. 0:14:00.920 --> 0:14:02.840 Have you heard anything on the intel side yet that 0:14:02.840 --> 0:14:05.040 points you in any specific directions around the braves? Because 0:14:05.080 --> 0:14:06.440 it gets a little bit it's a little bit easier 0:14:06.480 --> 0:14:08.480 maybe maybe I'm crazy. You can tell me if I'm wrong. 0:14:08.760 --> 0:14:11.080 But higher you go, maybe a little bit easier to 0:14:11.080 --> 0:14:13.400 like narrow things down a bit on that first pick. 0:14:13.600 --> 0:14:16.520 Yes, that is typically how it works, although this year 0:14:17.200 --> 0:14:19.400 we feel like there is a group of six players 0:14:19.440 --> 0:14:21.720 who are the clear top players in the class, and 0:14:21.800 --> 0:14:25.000 so it is difficult to envision scenarios where all those 0:14:25.040 --> 0:14:28.800 six players aren't off the board inside the first six seven. 0:14:29.000 --> 0:14:31.120 Once you get to eight picks, it feels really unlikely 0:14:31.120 --> 0:14:33.120 for those players to be off the board. So if 0:14:33.120 --> 0:14:36.040 you're the Braves, you maybe don't like that because after 0:14:36.080 --> 0:14:39.000 that range, I think this class is maybe more muddled 0:14:39.680 --> 0:14:43.440 and difficult to separate and full of players that the 0:14:43.600 --> 0:14:47.520 industry has been incredibly split camp on, Like, there are 0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:51.040 players who should be available for the Braves, college hitters 0:14:51.040 --> 0:14:54.160 in particular, who I talk with some teams and are like, 0:14:54.240 --> 0:14:57.280 this guy is a no doubt top ten prospect, and 0:14:57.400 --> 0:14:59.520 other teams say we wouldn't take this player in the 0:14:59.520 --> 0:15:04.920 first round. And so depending on your scouting philosophy, your 0:15:05.000 --> 0:15:10.040 preference on tools and athleticism versus performance or contact ability, 0:15:10.480 --> 0:15:12.880 I think there is an incredibly wide range of opinions 0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:15.520 on the players that Braves are likely to be picking 0:15:15.560 --> 0:15:17.560 from now. If they get one of these players in 0:15:17.560 --> 0:15:19.680 the top six range to fall to them at nine, 0:15:20.080 --> 0:15:22.440 I think that's probably a win, regardless of the player 0:15:23.000 --> 0:15:26.560 who that is. I wouldn't bet on it now. And 0:15:26.600 --> 0:15:28.880 for the first pick for the Braves in particular, we 0:15:28.960 --> 0:15:31.640 hear a lot of college hitters and they are one 0:15:31.720 --> 0:15:35.440 of the landing spots that seem most likely for the 0:15:35.480 --> 0:15:38.240 first high school pitcher off the board, in left hander 0:15:38.320 --> 0:15:41.680 Jioe Rojas. Whether or not that's because the Braves historically 0:15:41.680 --> 0:15:44.520 have just loved taking high school pitchers. Alex Anthopolis seems 0:15:44.560 --> 0:15:47.600 really just geared towards getting as much pitching as he can. 0:15:48.360 --> 0:15:50.240 I'm uncertain, but I know that they have spent time 0:15:50.280 --> 0:15:52.160 on Jioe Rojas. I know there is a collection of 0:15:52.160 --> 0:15:53.680 college hitters that make a lot of sense for the 0:15:53.720 --> 0:15:57.400 Braves at nine. And I'm unsure if last year's draft 0:15:57.400 --> 0:16:01.280 of them taking three straight shortstops, is that an indication 0:16:01.440 --> 0:16:05.000 that they are flipping into a more hitter centric draft. 0:16:05.240 --> 0:16:07.280 Is that just an indication that a year ago the 0:16:07.280 --> 0:16:09.240 best players on their board were hitters and that's just 0:16:09.320 --> 0:16:12.920 kind of how it fell. We'll get a better understanding 0:16:12.920 --> 0:16:15.120 of that on Saturday, hopefully, But those are kind of 0:16:15.120 --> 0:16:17.840 the names that I'm hearing right now, or the profiles 0:16:17.880 --> 0:16:18.880 I should say, you. 0:16:18.880 --> 0:16:20.640 Know, in terms of you know, this is a unique 0:16:20.720 --> 0:16:23.000 draft for the Braves just because they have not had 0:16:23.040 --> 0:16:25.560 a top ten pick in a long time. So not 0:16:25.640 --> 0:16:27.320 only do they have the ninth pick, but they also 0:16:27.400 --> 0:16:29.880 have the twenty sixth pick and all of the money 0:16:29.880 --> 0:16:33.360 that comes with those two top selections. You know, Historically 0:16:33.480 --> 0:16:35.520 it's been kind of a mixed bag, I feel like, 0:16:36.040 --> 0:16:37.960 in terms of whether the Braves go for best player 0:16:38.000 --> 0:16:40.640 available or if they go for cutting a deal with 0:16:40.680 --> 0:16:42.960 a player who maybe isn't as high up on the 0:16:43.000 --> 0:16:46.360 consensus board. But of course there's ways to manipulate a 0:16:46.440 --> 0:16:49.920 draft pool, Carlos, Which is kind of your read on 0:16:50.200 --> 0:16:53.000 the Braves, who generally have not picked this high in 0:16:53.000 --> 0:16:55.880 about a decade. You know, do you think they're gonna 0:16:55.880 --> 0:16:57.880 go best player available? Do you think they're going to 0:16:57.960 --> 0:17:01.400 try to cut a deal and really make the most 0:17:01.400 --> 0:17:05.000 of it. I mean, of course, this is probably something 0:17:05.000 --> 0:17:07.359 that changes by the hour, depending on who the Braves 0:17:07.359 --> 0:17:08.879 feel like they're going to be able to draft. But 0:17:09.000 --> 0:17:10.920 just kind of your read on the Brave strategy in 0:17:10.960 --> 0:17:13.840 the next ten days or so to the draft. 0:17:14.400 --> 0:17:16.120 Yeah, I think most teams will tell you that they're 0:17:16.200 --> 0:17:19.600 drafting best player available, even if maybe that's not true 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:23.280 in some sense. Yeah, they're not going to draft a 0:17:23.320 --> 0:17:24.640 guy and tell you that he wasn't the best player 0:17:24.640 --> 0:17:26.359 available on their board. But the Braves have been a 0:17:26.400 --> 0:17:30.000 team who are very willing to take players on underslot 0:17:30.040 --> 0:17:32.119 deals with their first pick and then push that savings 0:17:32.440 --> 0:17:36.119 to players with the next few picks. I think in 0:17:36.160 --> 0:17:38.280 the last four or five drafts they've done that every 0:17:38.320 --> 0:17:40.600 single year, actually, and they could be in a position 0:17:40.600 --> 0:17:43.119 where that strategy makes a lot of sense. I was 0:17:43.160 --> 0:17:47.120 talking about this with an Orioles podcaster. Or they're picking 0:17:47.200 --> 0:17:49.240 number seven, and I think they're in a similar range 0:17:49.240 --> 0:17:51.360 of talent. Both those teams are tied to a lot 0:17:51.359 --> 0:17:54.040 of the same players. If you're in a situation where 0:17:54.080 --> 0:17:57.480 you have six college hitters who your scouting department is 0:17:57.520 --> 0:18:00.840 torn on, you viewed no real separation, I think that 0:18:00.880 --> 0:18:02.960 creates a situation where there could be a lot of 0:18:03.000 --> 0:18:05.840 value in saying, hey, we don't feel confident that we 0:18:05.840 --> 0:18:08.120 can separate the talent here. We like all these players 0:18:08.119 --> 0:18:11.480 in a similar range. Let's get the best deal we 0:18:11.600 --> 0:18:14.800 can here and then add some value later on. Again, 0:18:14.840 --> 0:18:16.320 the Braves have done a great job of this in 0:18:16.320 --> 0:18:20.600 the past. Them signing Briggs Mackenzie a few years or 0:18:20.680 --> 0:18:22.760 last year in the third or fourth round. I think 0:18:22.760 --> 0:18:24.879 he got the biggest bonus in their entire draft class 0:18:25.320 --> 0:18:27.439 that could easily happen this year. I think the talent 0:18:28.000 --> 0:18:31.919 of this year's class is extremely deep with high school pitching. 0:18:32.280 --> 0:18:34.280 So even if they don't take a high school pitcher 0:18:34.720 --> 0:18:36.760 ninth overall, I think there are a number of appealing 0:18:36.800 --> 0:18:39.840 options that will be available for them at twenty six 0:18:39.920 --> 0:18:42.760 with their second pick in the first round. What's interesting 0:18:42.880 --> 0:18:45.680