2022 Minor League Thread

[BimboColesHair]

@BimboColesHair

I have a question about the catcher situation in our minors... Do you think they have had enough C talent brought in lately? I feel like personally we haven't had enough C talent in general brought in. I am glad Izturis can play C since that is something I feel like we don't have enough talent in overall...

Yeah, their catcher depth is fine for guys they feel will stick at C.

Lavastida, Naylor, Paz, Ramirez, Robert Lopez as your top 5 prospects at the position puts them in a place 90% of the league wishes they were at with C depth, even with Melendez passing away. But that last one hurt, Andres will be missed by the pitchers he was grouped with from level to level.

 

[KluberSociety]

Did he get the comps for Rocchio and Kwan swapped? Cronenworth is a MIFer and Hays is an OFer. Or is this another case of the computers not being able to quantify half the game?

I don't even know if defense is part of the comps. Cronenworth has a similar offensive skill set to Kwan. However, Kwan has better minor league stats at a younger age despite being one of our older prospects. But I wouldn't project his majors numbers to be as high as Cronenworth's just because Cronenworth has already done it and the power he showed in 2021 is unlikely to be replicated by Kwan.

Apart from that, Cronenworth seems like one of those rare success stories where a 7th round guy proves himself in the minors, makes his MLB debut in his age 26 season and shows he more than belongs.

 

[sportscoach]

Yeah, their catcher depth is fine for guys they feel will stick at C.

Lavastida, Naylor, Paz, Ramirez, Robert Lopez as your top 5 prospects at the position puts them in a place 90% of the league wishes they were at with C depth, even with Melendez passing away. But that last one hurt, Andres will be missed by the pitchers he was grouped with from level to level.

I guess maybe I am being greedy since I don't feel like there is enough MLB potential talent in our catching depth. Then again when I run a baseball simulator I go out of my way to have maybe to much C talent. I mean when I ran KC, I still went out and acquired a 60, 55 and a couple 45 FV talent catchers to be depth behind Salvy. then I always find them heavy defensive backups at every level. I guess I care maybe too much about getting C talent lol

 

[petes999]

Sorry I posted that lost w Kwan at 13 .... It even had Junior Cam just above Arias. Did we really give all that up for Myers really?

Just saw another guy have Freeman at 99% on line drive rate ... Still think with Gimenez, Arias, Rocchio and now Tena on horizon, why he and Miller dont get that OF glove to try to morph into super utility guy who can play 4-6 times a week. And after a lifetime at SS, its not like they will forget to play 2nd/ss if they beat out one of above. And, even if Ramirez is traded and Arias goes to 3rd, not like we arent going to get a MIF in return.

"Tyler Freeman had an average EV of 89 and a max of ~107 last year. He whiffed 13.3% of the time and had a 99th percentile LD rate. He's consistently been ~90th percentile in that regard. Never pops up as well.

Someone explain to me how he's not a consensus top 50 prospect?"

 

[NorthCoastBias]

Keith Law said in the chat that the "just missed" listing would be posted on Tuesday 2/1/22..

Only one Guardian made the list: Steven Kwan.

Steven Kwan, OF, Cleveland Guardians​

Age: 24 | 5-9 | 170 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 163 in 2018

Kwan doesn’t quite look the part of a top prospect, since you won’t find many 5-9 left fielders of any sort in the majors — only Andrew Benintendi and Ben Revere have had at least 2 WAR and played the majority of their games in left at 5-9 or shorter in the last 10 years. Kwan does hit, though, and hit, and hit, going .328/.407/.527 last year between Double A and Triple A at age 23, with more walks than strikeouts. His strikeout rate of 9.1 percent was the fifth-lowest of all minor leaguers with at least 200 PA, and it came with more power than any of the guys who struck out less often. He runs close to average but doesn’t have the arm to play center, and there’s a ceiling on his production given his size and positional limitations. I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t hit enough to be at least a fringe regular, though, and his upside is someone who challenges for the league lead in batting average.

 

[BimboColesHair]

I guess maybe I am being greedy since I don't feel like there is enough MLB potential talent in our catching depth. Then again when I run a baseball simulator I go out of my way to have maybe to much C talent. I mean when I ran KC, I still went out and acquired a 60, 55 and a couple 45 FV talent catchers to be depth behind Salvy. then I always find them heavy defensive backups at every level. I guess I care maybe too much about getting C talent lol

Lavastida, Naylor, Ramirez, and Lopez all have the makings of being plus defensive catchers. Anything they add at the plate is just the cherry on top for the team. And then you have Paz who is all hit tool, poor defensively right now like Diaz was. It's a good array of high floor players, because they project to be plus players defensively already at the MLB level, and a couple high ceiling players if the bat (Naylor) or glove (Paz) put it all together.

They're just fine. Lavastida and Naylor could hang defensively in the MLB right now if need be.

 

[KluberSociety]

Gotta say I like these lists that put Tena or Kwan or Williams up high, sometimes above Freeman or Arias. They might be wrong but at least they aren't afraid to do something other than regurgitate old lists and hype up "pedigree". They are reacting to actual data and evidence that is unfolding in real time... Mainly referring to Keith Law and Baseball Prospectus so far. Wonder if Fangraphs will have an interesting take, that's the one I await the most.

 

[Gson]

Lavastida, Naylor, Ramirez, and Lopez all have the makings of being plus defensive catchers. Anything they add at the plate is just the cherry on top for the team. And then you have Paz who is all hit tool, poor defensively right now like Diaz was. It's a good array of high floor players, because they project to be plus players defensively already at the MLB level, and a couple high ceiling players if the bat (Naylor) or glove (Paz) put it all together.

They're just fine. Lavastida and Naylor could hang defensively in the MLB right now if need be.

...neither are legitimately ready or close to ready for MLB.. this comment is disingenuous...

 

[LL3]

Only one Guardian made the list: Steven Kwan.

Steven Kwan, OF, Cleveland Guardians​

Age: 24 | 5-9 | 170 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 163 in 2018

Kwan doesn’t quite look the part of a top prospect, since you won’t find many 5-9 left fielders of any sort in the majors — only Andrew Benintendi and Ben Revere have had at least 2 WAR and played the majority of their games in left at 5-9 or shorter in the last 10 years. Kwan does hit, though, and hit, and hit, going .328/.407/.527 last year between Double A and Triple A at age 23, with more walks than strikeouts. His strikeout rate of 9.1 percent was the fifth-lowest of all minor leaguers with at least 200 PA, and it came with more power than any of the guys who struck out less often. He runs close to average but doesn’t have the arm to play center, and there’s a ceiling on his production given his size and positional limitations. I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t hit enough to be at least a fringe regular, though, and his upside is someone who challenges for the league lead in batting average.

For context there were 14-15 guys in the "just missed".


Lots of interesting items in his follow up chat yesterday, but to our Guardians in particular...

John G.

Keith, always love the list. Is Tyler Freeman not on it due to durability concerns or concerns about the amount of power he will hit for?
1


Keith:

(Freeman) Low upside guy due to lack of power. Think he's a regular, better than Madrigal, but low chance to be more than a solid 50.

 

[BimboColesHair]

...neither are legitimately ready or close to ready for MLB.. this comment is disingenuous...

Defensively.

And yes, they are.

 

[LL3]

...neither are legitimately ready or close to ready for MLB.. this comment is disingenuous...

This seems like a very harsh characterization. To each their own, but his body of work/contributions to the board would not lead me to this place.

 

[petes999]

This seems like a very harsh characterization. To each their own, but his body of work/contributions to the board would not lead me to this place.

I think it was just miss communication. He said Naylor has high upside if bat develops. What was implied is kind of like saying Leon is a good MLB catcher. Leon and Hedges can handle a staff but that is it. I said the other day Naylor has glove already thus could be 2nd catcher this year if needed due to injury because bat can’t be worse than Leon. I just didn’t realize Lavastida was also ready but we compared Gomes in Tor to Lavastida’s transition and Gomes only had 40 more games than Lavastida has now in college and minors combined. Bimbo wasn’t saying that either was a finished product but they could “hang”, hold their own compared to what we have now. Big difference then Moreno level comparison.

 

[sportscoach]

Sorry I posted that lost w Kwan at 13 .... It even had Junior Cam just above Arias. Did we really give all that up for Myers really?

Just saw another guy have Freeman at 99% on line drive rate ... Still think with Gimenez, Arias, Rocchio and now Tena on horizon, why he and Miller dont get that OF glove to try to morph into super utility guy who can play 4-6 times a week. And after a lifetime at SS, its not like they will forget to play 2nd/ss if they beat out one of above. And, even if Ramirez is traded and Arias goes to 3rd, not like we arent going to get a MIF in return.

"Tyler Freeman had an average EV of 89 and a max of ~107 last year. He whiffed 13.3% of the time and had a 99th percentile LD rate. He's consistently been ~90th percentile in that regard. Never pops up as well.

Someone explain to me how he's not a consensus top 50 prospect?"

Freeman lacks power... thats one thing that's not in his game nor I think ever will be...

 

[LL3]

I think it was just miss communication. He said Naylor has high upside if bat develops. What was implied is kind of like saying Leon is a good MLB catcher. Leon and Hedges can handle a staff but that is it. I said the other day Naylor has glove already thus could be 2nd catcher this year if needed due to injury because bat can’t be worse than Leon. I just didn’t realize Lavastida was also ready but we compared Gomes in Tor to Lavastida’s transition and Gomes only had 40 more games than Lavastida has now in college and minors combined. Bimbo wasn’t saying that either was a finished product but they could “hang”, hold their own compared to what we have now. Big difference then Moreno level comparison.

I agree with above...just cannot see calling that Bimbo commentary disingenuous, but so it goes.

 

[sportscoach]

...neither are legitimately ready or close to ready for MLB.. this comment is disingenuous...

I'd say if @BimboColesHair says it then I am siding with him with how close they are... he has more actually knowledge about the prospects and organization than we do, so not all information is ever 100% right but siding with the one with more inside knowledge is always the best bet...