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The Official 2019 Minor League Statline and Prospect Discussion Thread


Chuck

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3 hours ago, HaloNArizona said:

Do you  think AP continues after 2019 with the reduced playing time.

He has gotten 38 AB;s over the last fifteen days. (I'm not arguing with that), just wondering if he can handle a bench/part time role.

Let's see...hang out on a bench eating sunflower seeds, occasionally getting up to swing a bat at a ball, hanging out with your friends, and getting paid $30 million for it? I think he can "handle" it.

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26 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

Bradish finished with 12k in 5.1ip and 1h.  2bb and 2 unearned runs.  

Was just going to post the same. With the way our "major league" team is playing I decided to check the box scores early. You'd have to imagine Bradish will be getting the call to Double-A soon, right? 

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1 hour ago, Angelsjunky said:

Let's see...hang out on a bench eating sunflower seeds, occasionally getting up to swing a bat at a ball, hanging out with your friends, and getting paid $30 million for it? I think he can "handle" it.

If the union didnt push for clubhouse chefs back in the day, hed bounce. But who would quit when your work has an omelette bar?

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2 hours ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

Bradish so far with 4 no hit inning, and 8ks. He's easily making it look like there more upside than initially thought. It's only single A but the ways he's pitching  has been a delight! it's only a matter of time before he hits AA and i can see him being a 3/4 in the Major, or even more depending on how he does in AA.

He definitely has the ceiling of a mid-rotation arm. For some reason he reminds of the recently retired Grayson Long when he was coming up the system.

For those who have seen him pitch how is his third pitch developing? He has a solid fastball and a plus-curveball but his development as a starter hinges on his slider or changeup turning into a weapon as well. @Dochalo@Chuckster70@Inside Pitch@Second Base@Dochalo@totdprods@Angelsjunky

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58 minutes ago, rafibomb said:

He definitely has the ceiling of a mid-rotation arm. For some reason he reminds of the recently retired Grayson Long when he was coming up the system.

For those who have seen him pitch how is his third pitch developing? He has a solid fastball and a plus-curveball but his development as a starter hinges on his slider or changeup turning into a weapon as well. @Dochalo@Chuckster70@Inside Pitch@Second Base@Dochalo@totdprods@Angelsjunky

I would say Bradish has higher ceiling than Long. during the draft I remember one of the analysis saying that the 3 and 4th pick were a steal for us and that both guys had upside. Aaron Hernandez is still a question mark but bradish has shown the upside! now its depends on that 3rd pitch and command.

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haven't been able to see much of him until tonight.  IE games haven't been on milb tv much.  

big RHer who comes straight over the top with a fair amount of effort in his delivery.  

heard the broadcaster give a 93mph for the fastball on one pitch but several of them looked more firm than that.  I bet he touched 95.  has good arm side movement.  
curve was straight up and down with some good depth.  got several swings and misses with it.  threw if for strikes several times.  also missed horribly with it a few times.  he actually got some arm side movement with it a few time which made it that much more effective.  there were also a couple he threw with a bit more velo.  Almost like a slurve with later break.  
was using a cut fastball as well vs. RHers that had some serious glove side movement.  He whiffed a few guys on that pitch.  It was pretty nasty.  
change up was outstanding tonght.  excellent sink with arm side movement.  

he generally had good control but when he missed, it was out of the zone.  He had good command of the fastball and the rest of the pitches it was more control than command but the movement was just too much for the opposing hitters.  

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1 hour ago, Dochalo said:

haven't been able to see much of him until tonight.  IE games haven't been on milb tv much.  

big RHer who comes straight over the top with a fair amount of effort in his delivery.  

heard the broadcaster give a 93mph for the fastball on one pitch but several of them looked more firm than that.  I bet he touched 95.  has good arm side movement.  
curve was straight up and down with some good depth.  got several swings and misses with it.  threw if for strikes several times.  also missed horribly with it a few times.  he actually got some arm side movement with it a few time which made it that much more effective.  there were also a couple he threw with a bit more velo.  Almost like a slurve with later break.  
was using a cut fastball as well vs. RHers that had some serious glove side movement.  He whiffed a few guys on that pitch.  It was pretty nasty.  
change up was outstanding tonght.  excellent sink with arm side movement.  

he generally had good control but when he missed, it was out of the zone.  He had good command of the fastball and the rest of the pitches it was more control than command but the movement was just too much for the opposing hitters.  

So being honest here: does he project as a guy that could have upside to be a top of the rotation guy? Or is he destined for the back of the rotation/bullpen?

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6 hours ago, GrittyVeterans said:

So being honest here: does he project as a guy that could have upside to be a top of the rotation guy? Or is he destined for the back of the rotation/bullpen?

Bradish doesn't profile in the bullpen pretty much at all.  For him, it appears to be starter or bust, but that's not necessarily a bad thing in his situation, particularly if he keeps pitching the way he has.  Average fastball, decent command, good set of off-speed pitches.  Again, not completely dissimilar to Nick Tropeano.  I know he's not talked about a lot around these parts but Nick was another one of those 3-4-5 round picks as a pitcher, profiled with the same stuff as Bradish, and laid waste to the low minors and was in the major leagues for the first time after 2-3 years in the minors.  Shoot, he even managed a 3.03 ERA in the PCL and a 3.56 ERA with the Angels with an ever 9.0 K/9.  

Solid work. 

Injuries have derailed his career in 2017, 2018 and now 2019, but if he ever manages to get on the mound again and is completely healthy, Tropeano is the sort you're comfortable with slotting in as a 5th starter, against the likes of Jaime Barria or Felix Pena. 

And that's where I see Bradish.  He's a big boy with decent stuff.  He'll do pretty well in Advanced A Ball and AA as a 22 year old.  Next year he'll be 23 in AAA Salt Lake and might receive a bit of a wake up call on hitter friendly environs.  Once he's 24, he'll make the adjustments and will be in the middle of a dogfight for the 5th starter spot with guys like Jose Suarez and Jaime Barria.  That's about all you can ask for from a 4th round pick out of college, that they're major league ready in a couple years. 

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Bees manager Lou Marson has liked what he’s seen from Thaiss so far.

“He continues to improve,” Marson said. “He’s been moving around defensively — third base, first base. He’s been doing a great job at third base, it’s a new position, a new move. He continues to swing the bat, he always stays in the zone and makes good decisions up there at the plate. He barrels the ball in the zone. He’s definitely a nice player and that’s why we took him in the first round.”

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I think it'll be interesting to see how serious the Angels are about Thaiss as a 3B.  

Just a couple of examples, when Taylor Ward moved to 3B, the Angels were serious.  No more catcher, this is his position.  There were going to be lumps on the way but the Angels were committed, right up until it became clear that after a year, he still looked like a non-3B trying to play 3B.  This is only compounded now by the fact that he now looks like a non-OF playing OF and a non-1B, playing 1B.  He's a bit of a modern day Grant Green, a man without a position.

And Jared Walsh.  Yeah, the Angels were having him pitch in AA and AAA and it was cool to see.  They even sent him to instructs to learn the craft more.  But when it came time for his promotion, the Angels are showing no interest in putting him on the mound, even in games they aren't going to be winning.  Walsh pitching is a versatitility thing, but the actual impact of it upon his career appears to be minimal. 

The  Angels under Billy Eppler have made no secret that they are a defense-first team, having Simmons at SS, and using superior defensive players like Fletcher and Rengifo up the middle or really, anywhere they can fit them.  

So the question remain, are the Angels serious about Matt Thaiss playing 1B.  When he's promoted, will he be put over at 1B because that's where he's spent the most time and the whole third base thing is more of a just in case thing, or are the Angels serious about fielding a lineup that features Matt Thaiss as their starting 3B?  I'll say this for him, Thaiss is a much better defensive 3B than Taylor Ward was.  He still seems a bit out of place but he's playing the spot pretty well.

I just think the Angels have a lot of guys play positions in the minors that they'd never pit them a in the majors.  Jose Rojas at 2B comes to mind. 

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@Second Base I think Ward is gonna start becoming more of a 1B/LF/3B guy (in that order) if he is hitting enough. This hinges a lot on Ward’s hitting. If he is, they cycle him between those three positions based on who needs a day off, who is pitching, lineup construction, etc. Basically, his bat is so good they have to find ways to get him in the lineup. That’s no sure thing, but goes to show how strongly I feel about his upside. 

Thaiss then falls in behind him on the depth chart - playing 1B/3B whenever Ward (or Pujols or Fletcher or La Stella whomever) isn’t able. 

Rojas is the new Marte, but with options, so he cycles back and forth from Anaheim and AAA as needed, simply as bench depth.

Walsh will be more of a long-term 1B/RF reserve - his future will be really dependent on what happens after 2019 for guys like Calhoun, Goodwin, Pujols, and La Stella. If we retain all of them for 2020, Walsh is squeezed out. There’s a chance, albeit minimal, that all four are gone in 2020 - in which case Walsh becomes a big piece. More likely, we see 2-3 here, and Walsh (and his options) fills a role like Rojas (and Rengifo), rotating for a couple seasons between AAA and Anaheim based on the team’s bench needs.

Ultimately, as I’ve been saying for awhile, we’re going to see one of Ward/Thaiss traded, and it could very well happen within the next two months. Rojas and Walsh have emerged to give us juuuuust enough prospect depth at the corners to make that feasible, especially with La Stella and Fletcher looking like they’ll be solid major league infielders for us the next two seasons.

Thaiss seems safer but with a lower ceiling, Ward has a higher bust potential but much more exciting ceiling. Either could help land a SP if we need help going for the WC, either a big name rental like Bumgarner (maybe with Will Smith?) or more controlled arm (Junis? Urena?)

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1 hour ago, Second Base said:

I think it'll be interesting to see how serious the Angels are about Thaiss as a 3B.  

Just a couple of examples, when Taylor Ward moved to 3B, the Angels were serious.  No more catcher, this is his position.  There were going to be lumps on the way but the Angels were committed, right up until it became clear that after a year, he still looked like a non-3B trying to play 3B.  This is only compounded now by the fact that he now looks like a non-OF playing OF and a non-1B, playing 1B.  He's a bit of a modern day Grant Green, a man without a position.

And Jared Walsh.  Yeah, the Angels were having him pitch in AA and AAA and it was cool to see.  They even sent him to instructs to learn the craft more.  But when it came time for his promotion, the Angels are showing no interest in putting him on the mound, even in games they aren't going to be winning.  Walsh pitching is a versatitility thing, but the actual impact of it upon his career appears to be minimal. 

The  Angels under Billy Eppler have made no secret that they are a defense-first team, having Simmons at SS, and using superior defensive players like Fletcher and Rengifo up the middle or really, anywhere they can fit them.  

So the question remain, are the Angels serious about Matt Thaiss playing 1B.  When he's promoted, will he be put over at 1B because that's where he's spent the most time and the whole third base thing is more of a just in case thing, or are the Angels serious about fielding a lineup that features Matt Thaiss as their starting 3B?  I'll say this for him, Thaiss is a much better defensive 3B than Taylor Ward was.  He still seems a bit out of place but he's playing the spot pretty well.

I just think the Angels have a lot of guys play positions in the minors that they'd never pit them a in the majors.  Jose Rojas at 2B comes to mind. 

It does seem that they're angling Thaiss to be the 3B in the majors next year. The Angels probably hope that one of Ward or Walsh hits well enough to take over at 1B, but I don't see both on the team long-term. There is just no need and the other will be worth more in trade than in the minors. Maybe the Thaiss-to-3B move is partially about them wanting to keep one of Ward/Walsh...if Thiass is at 1B, they don't need either.

I don't see much of a future for Rojas on the major league team, except as a temporary bench or platoon bat.

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1 hour ago, totdprods said:

@Second Base I think Ward is gonna start becoming more of a 1B/LF/3B guy (in that order) if he is hitting enough. This hinges a lot on Ward’s hitting. If he is, they cycle him between those three positions based on who needs a day off, who is pitching, lineup construction, etc. Basically, his bat is so good they have to find ways to get him in the lineup. That’s no sure thing, but goes to show how strongly I feel about his upside. 

Thaiss then falls in behind him on the depth chart - playing 1B/3B whenever Ward (or Pujols or Fletcher or La Stella whomever) isn’t able. 

Rojas is the new Marte, but with options, so he cycles back and forth from Anaheim and AAA as needed, simply as bench depth.

Walsh will be more of a long-term 1B/RF reserve - his future will be really dependent on what happens after 2019 for guys like Calhoun, Goodwin, Pujols, and La Stella. If we retain all of them for 2020, Walsh is squeezed out. There’s a chance, albeit minimal, that all four are gone in 2020 - in which case Walsh becomes a big piece. More likely, we see 2-3 here, and Walsh (and his options) fills a role like Rojas (and Rengifo), rotating for a couple seasons between AAA and Anaheim based on the team’s bench needs.

Ultimately, as I’ve been saying for awhile, we’re going to see one of Ward/Thaiss traded, and it could very well happen within the next two months. Rojas and Walsh have emerged to give us juuuuust enough prospect depth at the corners to make that feasible, especially with La Stella and Fletcher looking like they’ll be solid major league infielders for us the next two seasons.

Thaiss seems safer but with a lower ceiling, Ward has a higher bust potential but much more exciting ceiling. Either could help land a SP if we need help going for the WC, either a big name rental like Bumgarner (maybe with Will Smith?) or more controlled arm (Junis? Urena?)

Inevitably, the Angels need one of Thaiss, Ward and Walsh to separate themselves from the other in order to gain a clearer picture here.  Taylor Ward, I can pretty much say right here off the bat will never hit for average at the major league level, or play credible defense, and that puts him at a disadvantage because we know Thaiss and Walsh will both do just that.  If he's going to make it, it has to come on the strength of the thunder in his bat and his ability to reach base via the walk.  He's doing both in AAA, and hasn't done either in the majors, but I have every reason to believe that he will.  He's young enough and while his adjustments have been slow, they've happened at every level, so he may be delayed but it seems like Ward will figure it out at the top level. 

Matt Thaiss is a solid defensive 1B and looks fine at 3B, so he can play up with the glove.  And there's little question as to whether or not he'll be able to hit and reach base at the higher level.  With him, it comes down to actually doing enough damage when he does hit the ball.  We know Ward and Walsh will, but will Thaiss?  Again, I think this answer is a resounding yes.  He makes solid contact more consistently than any of the three listed here.  He's a line-drive machine.  But with a lack of loft, will OF's play him honestly?  In the end, I think he hits enough gap shots to keep them honest, but never hits more than 10-15 HR's a year.  Still, a good BA/OBP. 

Jared Walsh, I have little doubt will hit for power.  He'll also play a solid first base, though not as good as Thaiss in my opinion, still quite good.  But I wonder if he'll make enough contact in the majors.  Contact appears to be an issue in AAA at Salt Lake, so it figures to definitely be an issue at sea level in the majors.  If he proves he can make enough contact and reach via walk, then he probably runs away with this competition.   But it's been a problem at every level, so to me, I'm not so sure Walsh is the answer.

End of the day, I think Walsh ends up being a power bat off the bench that can also cover some innings in a non-close game.  The sort that bounces between AAA and the majors for 3-4 years filling in where needed.  Ward, I think ends up being the sort that bounces between AAA and MLB until about age 28.  Then suddenly it clicks for him and someone ends up getting a starting LF/1B out of it.  I hope he stays with the Angels long enough for that to happen, but that will take some patience on their part.  Thaiss, I think ends up breaking into the lineup at 25 and quickly becomes a fan favorite with his hot-hitting.  He'll be a better hitter than any expected, but the more folks watch him, the more they'll get annoyed with his hot and cold streaks.  But he ends up being the sort that hits .270, gets on base and is a doubles machine.  Not all-star worthy, but a win or two above replacement level basically. 

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3 minutes ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

Another interesting fact about bradish. In 38 innings he has only allowed 5 xbh in that league. Pretty impressive of what he's done.

Imagine we see him move to AA soon, and we see some of the SP glut are Burlington move up as well.

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10 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Imagine we see him move to AA soon, and we see some of the SP glut are Burlington move up as well.

It'll be interesting to see if the organization pushes the pitchers this year as aggressively as they pushed the hitters last year.  Down in A Ball, Soriano, Molina and Pina for sure look like they could be pushed, but you could even make an argument for Yan and Alvarado if you wanted, and that doesn't even take into account the relievers.  But they'd need space at IE and the only 66ers worth promoting right now may be Bradish and Brady. Of course, that requires room in AA and aside from Alexander and Ball, there aren't any screaming for a promotion. 

Just a guess, but I think Cris Molina will get promoted soon, because he's finding the strike zone the most consistently.  Soriano is still missing his spots with regularity and Pina has fits here and there.  That would lead to a Bradish promotion which would end in an Alexander promotion (Ball is on the DL). 

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