The Official 2021 Los Angeles Angels Minor League Stats, Reports & Scouting Thread

[ThisismineScios]

14 hours ago, Second Base said:

Since Swanson appears to be staying on as the director of amateur scouting, I'm guessing drafts will largely remain the same, with the caveat that their first overall pick for at least the next three years or so should likely be the best PITCHER available. 

Rounds 2 - whatever, they can go with best player available, but this system was so drained of anything resembling upside pitching for so long that it wouldn't hurt them to use their top overall pick for the next half decade. 

In theory I agree--the system desperately needs more high talent pitching. Desperately. But I while we can afford to pass on outfielders for awhile, I don't think we should avoid top catching prospects if they fall to us for instance. 

[Angel Oracle]

Unfortunately, the prime college catcher in the upcoming draft is projected to go in the top 5 picks, and projects to be just average defensively although huge offensively.

Edited February 11, 2021 by Angel Oracle

[ThisismineScios]

44 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Unfortunately, the prime college catcher in the upcoming draft is projected to go in the top 5 picks, and projects to be just average defensively although huge offensively.

That's what I'm getting at--if he falls, can we really afford to pass him up? We don't have a single quality catching prospect. 

[Angels in 2030]

57 minutes ago, ThisismineScios said:

That's what I'm getting at--if he falls, can we really afford to pass him up? We don't have a single quality catching prospect. 

Not if he ultimately projects to move off of catcher....or even is a negative defensive asset.  Most scouts think he will have a hard time staying at C unless he makes major strides/improvments.  We're simply better off going SP at #9.

[Inside Pitch]

1 hour ago, Angel Oracle said:

Unfortunately, the prime college catcher in the upcoming draft is projected to go in the top 5 picks, and projects to be just average defensively although huge offensively.

Nobody believes he has any chance to stay at catcher.   He's that bad back there.  

Catchers have the lowest success rate among all positions in the draft.  That's why you see so many of them taken mid and late rounds.  

Jeff Mathis and his career 48 OPS+ is a first round catching success.  16 years in the majors.... Let that sink in.

[T.G.]

2 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Jeff Mathis and his career 48 OPS+ is a first round catching success.  16 years in the majors.... Let that sink in.

[Second Base]

2 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

Nobody believes he has any chance to stay at catcher.   He's that bad back there.  

Catchers have the lowest success rate among all positions in the draft.  That's why you see so many of them taken mid and late rounds.  

Jeff Mathis and his career 48 OPS+ is a first round catching success.  16 years in the majors.... Let that sink in.

Yeah but we need one of those evidently. 

[Docwaukee]

no catchers or 'advanced' college bats unless they're of the top 4 picks.  

athletic HS OFers or College pitchers and then HS or JC pitchers.  

[Chuck]

Kyren Paris in there! 

[Docwaukee]

1 minute ago, Chuckster70 said:

Kyren Paris in there! 

Howie with plate discipline.  

[Second Base]

13 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

Howie with plate discipline.  

I think that would be spectacular. Maybe my own scouting is ok ff, but I got the sense that that Kyren was smaller and faster than Howie, with less pop. I mean Howie when he was young (and older) absolutely stung the ball. 

I didn't think or know that Kyren had that ability. 

[mmc]

 

[totdprods]

I have to say, reading Law's assessment of the farm makes me really anxious about losing Eppler. 

It's too early to tell of course, but if some of those kids take off this year like Adell and Marsh did...we may really regret losing him. Of course, Eppler's failures at the big league level are what did him in, but I can't help but wonder what could have happened if he had one more year for the farm to develop or for him to trade some legit prospects for impact talent.

There could be huge ramifications if Minasian can't draft and develop like Eppler if we see Paris, Knowles, Jackson, Holmes, etc. take big steps forward this year. Like, Reagins all over again.

[tdawg87]

7 minutes ago, totdprods said:

I have to say, reading Law's assessment of the farm makes me really anxious about losing Eppler. 

It's too early to tell of course, but if some of those kids take off this year like Adell and Marsh did...we may really regret losing him. Of course, Eppler's failures at the big league level are what did him in, but I can't help but wonder what could have happened if he had one more year for the farm to develop or for him to trade some legit prospects for impact talent.

There could be huge ramifications if Minasian can't draft and develop like Eppler if we see Paris, Knowles, Jackson, Holmes, etc. take big steps forward this year. Like, Reagins all over again.

Well we have to give him a chance. It will be a couple years before we even know.

[BTH]

10 minutes ago, totdprods said:

I have to say, reading Law's assessment of the farm makes me really anxious about losing Eppler. 

It's too early to tell of course, but if some of those kids take off this year like Adell and Marsh did...we may really regret losing him. Of course, Eppler's failures at the big league level are what did him in, but I can't help but wonder what could have happened if he had one more year for the farm to develop or for him to trade some legit prospects for impact talent.

There could be huge ramifications if Minasian can't draft and develop like Eppler if we see Paris, Knowles, Jackson, Holmes, etc. take big steps forward this year. Like, Reagins all over again.

If anything, Law's assessment further backed up the idea that losing Eppler was a good thing.

One thing really stood out in that article and has been mentioned in other places: under Eppler, the Angels CONSTANTLY tinkered with player's swings and subsequently messed up a lot of players swings. Law specifically mentioned Jackson and Adams in his article, and others that have had their swings messed up under Eppler's regime include Knowles, Jones, and Deveaux.

[totdprods]

4 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

Well we have to give him a chance. It will be a couple years before we even know.

Obviously...it was less an indictment on Minasian and more of a concern about losing Eppler. 

There's also a chance all of these guys flop and that would pretty much erase any legacy Eppler could have left. The farm is his crowning achievement, to date. 

[totdprods]

6 minutes ago, Trendon said:

If anything, Law's assessment further backed up the idea that losing Eppler was a good thing.

One thing really stood out in that article and has been mentioned in other places: under Eppler, the Angels CONSTANTLY tinkered with player's swings and subsequently messed up a lot of players swings. Law specifically mentioned Jackson and Adams in his article, and others that have had their swings messed up under Eppler's regime include Knowles, Jones, and Deveaux.

This could also prove true. 

But Walsh, Adell, Marsh, Ward, Thaiss, Jackson, Rengifo and Fletcher have all taken big steps forward either in the minors or bigs.

Knowles took a big step back his second year, Deveaux improved. 

Jones definitely struggled as he moved up, but he never quite put up huge offensive numbers. Good for his age, but the decline could have simply been that he was overmatched too. 

It's far too early to tell, but the type of players that Eppler drafted are pretty boom or bust...if they boom this year, is it because Eppler's team found them and drafted them, or Minasian's guys corrected any issues? Both? It'll be interesting. How Minasian drafts, which will take a couple years to identify any patterns or strengths/weaknesses, will certainly be something to compare.

Edited February 15, 2021 by totdprods

[Inside Pitch]

2 hours ago, Trendon said:

If anything, Law's assessment further backed up the idea that losing Eppler was a good thing.

One thing really stood out in that article and has been mentioned in other places: under Eppler, the Angels CONSTANTLY tinkered with player's swings and subsequently messed up a lot of players swings. Law specifically mentioned Jackson and Adams in his article, and others that have had their swings messed up under Eppler's regime include Knowles, Jones, and Deveaux.

Thats called player development.   

Tinkering is part of the process.  All of MLB has been jumping all over the swing change and launch angle craze.   To say it's a failing of Epplers while ignoring that others like Walsh, Thaiss, and Ward have been said to benefit from it is hypocritical.

Maybe more importantly, when it didnt work in Jones case -- he went back to the old swing.   

[Inside Pitch]

2 hours ago, totdprods said:

There could be huge ramifications if Minasian can't draft and develop like Eppler if we see Paris, Knowles, Jackson, Holmes, etc. take big steps forward this year. Like, Reagins all over again.

Im less worried about the draft than most at least until there is a huge turnover of scouts or Swanson gets removed.  I think the biggest change we will likely see is a move away from the "two-way" player thing.  That seemed to be a pet project of Eppler's that while it merited a try also ignores the reality that baseball moved away from that for a reason.

Baseball is hard.  Being great at both hitting and pitching is even harder.  And for a player to be above average at the MLB level he has to be pretty great.

[Angel Oracle]

1 hour ago, Inside Pitch said:

Im less worried about the draft than most at least until there is a huge turnover of scouts or Swanson gets removed.  I think the biggest change we will likely see is a move away from the "two-way" player thing.  That seemed to be a pet project of Eppler's that while it merited a try also ignores the reality that baseball moved away from that for a reason.

Baseball is hard.  Being great at both hitting and pitching is even harder.  And for a player to be above average at the MLB level he has to be pretty great.

And Ohtani has been given every chance to be healthy on the mound.  80 innings in 4 years is not giving me a warm fuzzy feeling.   This has to be his last attenpt at getting to over 100 innings at least.

[totdprods]

2 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

Im less worried about the draft than most at least until there is a huge turnover of scouts or Swanson gets removed.  I think the biggest change we will likely see is a move away from the "two-way" player thing.  That seemed to be a pet project of Eppler's that while it merited a try also ignores the reality that baseball moved away from that for a reason.

Baseball is hard.  Being great at both hitting and pitching is even harder.  And for a player to be above average at the MLB level he has to be pretty great.

It’ll be interesting to see if they have Rivera and Holmes drop down to one focus and see where that takes them as well. Could almost make for two new really good prospects instead of two really intriguing prospects.

[Inside Pitch]

4 hours ago, totdprods said:

It’ll be interesting to see if they have Rivera and Holmes drop down to one focus and see where that takes them as well. Could almost make for two new really good prospects instead of two really intriguing prospects.

Holmes at least has shown he could do either -- Rivera, he's a pitcher.  If you're left handed can touch 98 and aren't trying to pitch you may be working against yourself.

[Stradling]

18 hours ago, Trendon said:

If anything, Law's assessment further backed up the idea that losing Eppler was a good thing.

One thing really stood out in that article and has been mentioned in other places: under Eppler, the Angels CONSTANTLY tinkered with player's swings and subsequently messed up a lot of players swings. Law specifically mentioned Jackson and Adams in his article, and others that have had their swings messed up under Eppler's regime include Knowles, Jones, and Deveaux.

The last season Jackson played was 2019, he set a record for home runs in that league.  Also just about every kid drafted out of high school has their swing tinkered with. 

[Angelsjunky]

18 hours ago, totdprods said:

It’ll be interesting to see if they have Rivera and Holmes drop down to one focus and see where that takes them as well. Could almost make for two new really good prospects instead of two really intriguing prospects.

That will probably happen eventually, but I'd like them to wait a year or two - if only to make sure their arms are sound. It would be quite tragic if they both focused on pitching only and then four years from now blew out their arm(s) and then had to back-track to hitting. Might as well keep both doors open for now, considering how young they are.

[greginpsca]

Anyway to see his list without paying.