Dan Szymborski: This is a chat.

ashtray: ZiPs really does not seem to like Andrew Vaughn despite all of the “most polished hitter” reputation he’s getting. What’s the issue?

Dan Szymborski: Well, ZiPS is not a scout and it’s going to be skeptical of most college players.

Dan Szymborski: Until they do stuff in the minors.

Dan Szymborski: And it wasn’t particularly enthralled by his minor league performance, which was largely walk-driven.

Blue Morpho: Any takeaways from Mize’s first start?

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks, and welcome to a slightly delayed edition of my weekly chat. I just walked in the door having pried a nearly-4-year-old away from water balloons on the playground and will need a few minutes to get settled

Jay Jaffe: I’m back, with a bit of housekeeping… here’s today’s story on Mookie Betts’ progress towards Cooperstown https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/mookie-betts-is-building-a-case-for-co… and here’s yesterday’s story about the Yankees’ mounting injury concerns https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/with-injuries-to-stanton-judge-and-lem…

Jay Jaffe: and now, on with the show

stever20: Should the Nats shut down Stras for the season?

Jay Jaffe: I’m not sure anyone knows enough to say that’s a necessity. He apparently has carpal tunnel neuritis but I have yet to see anybody offer a timeline for recovery. Obviously, the team shouldn’t push him to pitch if he’s not healthy, but if waiting a month and ramping up allows him to be ready to contribute in the postseason (assuming the Nationals make it; right now they’re tied for the eighth and final seed with the Mets), then that’s a reasonable course of action.

Estevão: How much the current struggles of the Red Sox pitching staff increase Dombrowski’s reputation as a winner but destroyer of farm systems or is that set in his legacy

Eric A Longenhagen: howdy howdy howdy

Eric A Longenhagen: Hope you’re all enjoying all the spoarts, I know I’m mainlining them basically all day, I’m even watching hockey for the first time in years.

Eric A Longenhagen: Baseball uber alles, of course

Eric A Longenhagen: let’s talk about it

Justin: Do you expect you will gain access to any of the tracking data from alternate workout sites that clubs are going to share to help along trades this year?

Eric A Longenhagen: I’m certainly going to try. I’ve been able to do it in years past, hopefully can swing it again.

Dan Szymborski: Hello chatters and chatees

Joe: The Orioles will win 28 or more games. True or false.

Dan Szymborski: EVER? True.

Ben: Kyle Hendricks is good at pitching baseballs

Dan Szymborski: After facing his curve and change, Hendricks fastballs look like Jordan Hicks

Dan Szymborski: Well, Jordan Hicks fastballs. They don’t actually look like Jordan Hicks

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon and welcome to another edition of my weekly chat. First off, here’s my piece from today about Fernando Tatis Jr.’s statistical dominance and the joy he’s bringing https://blogs.fangraphs.com/fernando-tatis-jr-enters-the-stratosphere/

Jay Jaffe: And here’s yesterday’s dispatch about the Marlins’ unlikely — and likely unsustainable — success amid a massive coronavirus outbreak https://blogs.fangraphs.com/despite-outbreak-marlins-skate-to-the-top-…

Jay Jaffe: And now, on with the show

Inaccessible Rail: Have you or anyone else looked at how lost playing time (wars, strikes, pandemics) affects one’s chances of HoF enshrinement?

Jay Jaffe: I took a stab in a 3-part series here https://blogs.fangraphs.com/missed-time-and-the-hall-of-fame-part-1/ (change the last digit in the URL) I have a couple stray thoughts that might lead me to revisit that down the road. It’s also worth noting that old friend Travis Sawchik did some of the heavy lifting for a piece on players missing time for WWII https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-a-year-off-might-do-to-baseb…

James: Manny Machado has logged 735 PA in a Padres uniform and has been good! At what point should the Padres be concerned that their $300 million man may actually be a good player instead of the excellent one that got him said contract?

Eric A Longenhagen: Good morning, all. There truthfully aren’t many of you in here so looks like this will be a quick one.

Pete: Who should we expect to rise in the next update of the BOARD for the 2021 draft?

Eric A Longenhagen: After showcase stuff is through

TDK: Should Ke’Bryan Hayes be the Pirates starting third baseman right now?

Eric A Longenhagen: Maybe not *right* now but I’d like to see it soon, especially since the DH enables them to play him, Bell and Moran all at once

AJ: Better prospect as an amateur, Zac Veen or David Dahl?