Archive for Chat

Dan Szymborski: A rarity! Dan is on time and not distracted by arguing something with someone elsewhere

robertobeers: A man a Dan a chat cat update tadputactahcanadanama

Poncetification: When pondering Ponce, how does ZiPS weigh the surge in Korea vs more mediocrity in Japan vs MLB and MiLB way back when?

Dan Szymborski: Most strongly (since it’s most recent), but it’s also treated like a league between AA and AAA

Dan Szymborski: That doesn’t mean the best players aren’t as good as MLBers, but the depth of talent isn’t the same, and a pitcher/hitter will face mostly non-MLB talents’

Dan Szymborski: ZiPS sees NPB as between AAA and MLB

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks!

Jay Jaffe: Got a late start in creating this chat so I’m going to give it a few minutes to fill the queue. In the meantime, here’s my freshly-published piece on Jesús Luzardo’s extension  https://blogs.fangraphs.com/philly-ing-up-luzardo-inks-a-five-year-ext…

Jay Jaffe: and if you missed it, here’s Friday’s look at the Mets’ new-look outfield picture https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-mets-search-for-the-right-choices-in-t…

Jay Jaffe: Re: Luzardo, he was one of seven extension candidates highlighted by Dan Szymborski just yesterday https://blogs.fangraphs.com/lets-sign-some-contracts-2026-edition/

Jay Jaffe: I wish we had a World Baseball Classic game on right now as backdrop — there were so many games yesterday I couldn’t focus on and yet nothing tonight until 7. Blergh

Mike: Does the success of he WBC make the olympics more or less likely for mlb players?

Eric A Longenhagen: What’s up everyone? Good morning from the FanGraphs Desert Vista Compound where I’ve got double-barrel action on the TVs already: Cuba/Panama and a mix of the very early college games…

Eric A Longenhagen: The Mets list ran today, so folks should check that out. Braves and Yankees are next.

Eric A Longenhagen: Let’s hang out for a while today and watch some sports.

Alex: Can you see the Braves farm system ranking mid range by next year? Large draft bonus pool for the 2026 draft and Alfredo Sena signing next January?

Eric A Longenhagen: Probably still toward the bottom, growing prospects into 55 FV guys or better is what really moves the needle on our rankings.

Scotty: Afternoon Eric. Anyone you’re impressed with that you’ve seen recently on the backfields?

Brendan Gawlowski: Hello everybody

Brendan Gawlowski: Tigers list went up last week, if you haven’t seen it yet. In theory we should be posting a Mets and a Braves list this week although. I’m most of the way through delving into Atlanta’s system and it hasn’t been pretty.

Brendan Gawlowski: Also, my wife likes to submit a question to these with a random username and she gets very excited if I pick it. Just thought that was amusing to share.

Brendan Gawlowski: Anyway, let’s go.

Big Fan: It’s spring and all, but this is my first look at John Gil and I didn’t realize he’s Pete Alonso but playing SS.  Did he grow/change over the winter, or is it just a handful of homers early in spring training?

Brendan Gawlowski: Yes he looks enormous now. I don’t know if it’s a good change but here’s an example of how “that guy used to be a shortstop?!” happens in real time

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks! Welcome to my first chat of March, a month that will feature actual regular season baseball and before that, the World Baseball Classic, which starts at 10 ET tomorrow night (which will be Thursday in Japan)!

Jay Jaffe: Apologies in advance because the first 15 minutes of this chat are probably going to be a bumpy ride as I’ve got a grocery delivery about to arrive and it includes frozen stuff so I can’t just let it sit.

Jay Jaffe: Yesterday I wrote about the Yankees outfield picture in the wake of the addition of Randal Grichuk https://blogs.fangraphs.com/yankees-add-randal-grichuk-to-fill-a-niche…

Jay Jaffe: Last week, inspired by a couple exchanges in chats from earlier this year, I looked into Jarren Duran’s 2025 season and the state of the Red Sox outfield picture (https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/fitting-jarren-duran-into-the-red-sox-…), and then hitter month-to-month consistency through the lens of wRC+, a Duran-related tangent (https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/jarren-duran-jorge-polanco-aaron-judge…)

Jay Jaffe: I’m planning a follow-up on the last of those using Statcast data.

Jay Jaffe: Ok, let’s get started with the questions, mindful of the fact that I may soon have to step away

Eric A Longenhagen: Good morning from Tempe, where we’re creeping into the 90s this weekend. Thanks for stopping by, let’s talk some ball.

Alex: Can you tell us who is next up for the team prospect lists?

Eric A Longenhagen: Mets and Braves are next, Yankees and Astros deeper in the mix. Extra deep and weirdly specific: Washington is on track for the second week of April because I’ll see Rochester, Wilmington and Harrisburg the first series and a half of the minor league season.

Go Mudcats: Hey Eric, hope you are doing well. In thinking about the Pirates and Griffin breaking camp with the big team, I’ve been trying to figure out what the downside is specifically. I understand that development can get messed up/stunted by rushing prospects, but how exactly would that present and why would 2 or 3 months in AAA keep that from happening?

Eric A Longenhagen: I think there’d be an end-of-season benefit to getting his feet wet immediately. Move his adjustment period and the pomp and circumstance of his call-up to the start of the season, get it over with, and give your team a chance of having a rooted, productive Griffin from May on instead of July on, or something…

Eric A Longenhagen: But in this case you’re the Pirates. You’ve gotta max out how long you have this guy.