Archive for Chat

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, and welcome to the first chat of September! Which means that yes, you’ve been called up to the majors and added to the roster.

Jay Jaffe: Yesterday I wrote about Tristan Peters, a former Savannah Banana (from their days in wood-bat collegiate summer leagues) and unheralded prospect who’s been one of the top rookie position players in the game this season. This was a fun one to put together https://blogs.fangraphs.com/tristan-peters-has-gone-bananas/

Jay Jaffe: Last week, I did my annual Hall of Fame progress update, dividing players into those who have had rough seasons that have hurt their cause (https://blogs.fangraphs.com/cooperstown-notebook-a-rough-year-for-gian…) and those who have helped their cause (https://blogs.fangraphs.com/cooperstown-notebook-chris-sale-and-others…)

Jay Jaffe: I’m mulling writing something about position players pitching, which is on the rise again. So, let’s do a quick, unscientific poll…

Jay Jaffe:

Jay Jaffe: Let’s see how that does with our readers here (small sample size noted)

Eric A Longenhagen: Good morning, readers. Thanks for coming to another chat. Let’s get right to it.

veest: How is Dylan Jordan looking these days? I know there was some velo improvement, but is anything else moving forward?

Eric A Longenhagen: Struggled with walks for the better part of the last two months. 93-96 t97 with extreme uphill angle because of his delivery, slider 80-84 generating elite miss. Still a good pitching prospect even though he’s struggled with strikes, could end up having multiple plus-plus pitches.

Anthony Hoehner: Okay, I can’t ignore it anymore. Is Ryan Cesarini an actual prospect?

Eric A Longenhagen: Yep, platoon OF prospect. Great pull-side, high-ball hitter, especially against righties. 50 hit, 55 power against righties, more like 35 hit, 45 power against lefties. Swings over the top of lots of soft stuff down and away from him. How much that gets exposed by big leaguers will dictate whether or not he sticks. He should get an opportunity at some point in his mid-20s, doesn’t have to go on Cleveland’s 40-man until after 2027 season so look out for him in ’28

crazyhorse: Happy Walker Jenkins Day

Dan Szymborski: The appointed time has arrived.

Gerry McDonald: Jay Harry just keeps on hitting and his strikeout numbers have been better in AAA.  What stops him from being a regular major leaguer?

Dan Szymborski: I imagine he *will* get time in 2027, should he keep hitting early next year

opifijikl: Have you ever tracked how ZiPS player comps stick or change through the years? Do you think around 50% would stay the same and 50% would change?

Dan Szymborski: Oh, they do generally change quite a bit, because no two players are truly the same, and paths vary a lot

motown oden: Hey Dan! In your milestones article, Gerrit Cole’s projections seemed a bit odd. It has him winning 30 more games, but fanning less than 400 more batters. In his career, recent and otherwise, he’s at about 1.5 K : win. Even in their 40’s, Scherzer and Verlander didn’t completely crater regarding strikeouts. Not that he’s necessarily their peers.

Eric A Longenhagen: Hello internet friends, it’s that time again.

rossredcay: Ethan Petry struggled pretty bad to start at AA after getting promoted, but seems to be picking it up lately (HR in 4 straight games, 5 in last 8).  Does he have a shot to hit enough to be an everyday guy?  Or have the cracks showing in the hit tool at AA made that less likely?

Eric A Longenhagen: He’s the sort who could have window where he’s an everyday guy, think Luke Voit.

Eric A Longenhagen: Where he’s technically an everyday guy but he’s a 40

Turks Teeth: Jake Munroe looks awfully solid for an under the radar 4th rounder. Thoughts on his projection?

Eric A Longenhagen: It’s above average contact but not the kind power you’d expect from a guy slugging .500

Dan Szymborski: Frivolity may now commence.

ThisIsBob: Not going to lie I expected Baez 2.0 with PCA. Are there any examples of players that dramatically improved their plate discipline and increased their walk rates like PCA has?

Dan Szymborski: Morandini

Dan Szymborski: Votto wasn’t born the plate discipline god either

Dan Szymborski: Jose Bautista too, but it could also be the rushed nature of being rule 5

Dan Szymborski: I would suspect Sosa too, but we don’t really have out-of-zone data for him