Dave Saltzer

20 hours ago, Second Base said:

I feel like because of the uncertainty involved with high upside prospects in the low minors, the most sure indicator of farm wealth is immediate MLB impact. And the Angels system has quite a bit of that. 

O'Hoppe immediately upgrades the catching position in 2023. Neto the middle infield possibly at the end of the year. Same with Paris. Same with Stefanic. On the mound, you've got Silseth, Bush, Bachman, Erla and Davis as potential starters and Bachman, Davis and Soriano in the bullpen. 

And perhaps most notably, most of those guys aren't fringe where their long term impact is minimal. I mean yeah, probably Stefanic, Davis and Erla, but the others...particularly O'Hoppe and Neto have the potential to be very good major league starters. 

I would somewhat disagree. When thinking about organizational rankings, a lot of it has to do with the supporting cast around the talent that will make it to the majors. 

As was pointed out by @Jeff Fletcherin his part 3 of the Angels system, playing and developing in a winning organization makes those who make it to the Majors that much better. If a team is developing a few stars in a losing system, one that doesn't have a strong supporting cast, the stars will not be as bright when they hit the Majors. If they have to work harder to earn promotions and playing time, then they will be that much stronger, and the organization will be that much stronger. Having a few Major League impact prospects, and not much else, isn't as good of a system. 

7 hours ago, T.G. said:

It would be interesting to see how each of the 8 voted.

I'd be okay with my rankings being posted if others are willing to do so.

I am just going to say that this may be my favorite Top Prospect ranking that we've ever put out as an organization. 

Over the years, we've had better individual prospects, and better overall prospects. But, what makes this ranking so good is the format that we've gotten down and the caliber of the content that we've put out. I love how we have consensus rankings which gives readers a range of perspectives. I love the format with a picture for each player, and a link to all of the interviews that we have done. We have incorporated comments from everyone and we all have contacts with scouts and coaches, as well as having watched them, so there are a variety of viewpoints.

Basically, there is a ton of background work that goes into this ranking, and over the years, we've gotten this down into a very good form. Kudos to everyone who worked on it. This is really well done. 

19 hours ago, Chuckster70 said:

@Dave Saltzer are you going to bring your boys? 

Sorry Chuck. My boys have games for their fall ball/travel ball teams pretty much every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It is truly amazing how many games, trips, car rides, etc that it takes to get a baseball player through high school. It is so much more to go beyond that! By the time we see a major leaguer, we are talking about thousands of games.

If things change, I will let you know. 

I am so glad that Logan took the time to talk with us and that Chuck got such a great interview with him. I am so looking forward to seeing him in an Angels uniform for many years. 

Here is his first pitch caught in the major leagues. 

10 hours ago, Docwaukee said:

he's quietly turned a bit of a corner this year.  This was his best full season by far.  

there a bit of smoke and mirrors to it but that 9% walk rate is nice to see.  And his k rate isn't great but manageable for today's game at just a shade above 30%.  

After his pretty meh start of .217/.300/.290/.590 in 170 PA he went on for a .291/.366/.460/.826 for his final 268 PA but with a .407 BABIP.  Which, along with the fact that I think the Panda's home field is hitter friendly is the smoke and mirrors I mentioned.  

I know he's got a really good arm and not sure of his range but he only had 7 errors at 3b in 86 games and made none in 24 games at 1b.  

He's about halfway past 22.  

Overall it was an encouraging performance.  As we all know, the power comes last and it started to show in the second half.  Not ready to think he might 'solve a problem' at the major league level as of yet other than being potential bench depth.      

I'm sure he'll be in AAA next year.  And with his flexibility to play 1b or 3b, we might see him late next year or early 2024.  

 

For a while now, I've wanted them to stick Maitan at 1B. Take the defensive pressure off. Make his life simple, and see what can happen and if he can hit. I think there is something salvageable there, and if they simplify the game for him, he could still take off. At 22, and with the second half he had, he has turned his ship around. He's back in the top 30, IMHO. It may be at 29 or 30, but he might still be there. 

Chuck, another good interview. I  really enjoyed his comments about focusing on being a team player and working on consistency. Both are very important and useful skills. That's another good reason for the Angels to have a great supporting group around our best prospects, so that they develop in a winning tradition and learn those skills necessary to dominate. 

Here's one way that I see Adams. He's in AA now and mostly holding his own. As the article points out, he's 2.2 years younger than his competition. At 22 he would have just been drafted this year or last year. Very few draft picks fom either year are mostly holding their own at AA, which would still make him a 2st round draft pick. While it seems like he's been around for a long time, that's because he was signed at such a young age. He's still a 1st round talent (and with a true 80 grade speed, more than has the tools to be such). 

I'm hoping he gets to the consistency, becomes a top notch defensive outfielder who can get on base enough to leadoff. That would be ideal, and what I'm hoping for with him. 

On 9/3/2022 at 1:08 PM, Trendon said:

Yeah, but that was also in a different era. Shields’ prime years were 2002-2008

The average fastball velocity in 2007 (the farthest year back I can find) was 91.1 mph and the average fastball velocity now is 93.9 mph.

While pitching has gotten faster since then, two things:

Innings and number of pitches per outting have gone down. So, pitchers come in throwing harder and don't have to hold as much back in the tank. It's no different than comparing the average FB velo fom 2009 to the late 80s when pitchers went far deeper into games. 

The second thi g is, I'm not sure exactly when the most common radar guns changed, but most older players smirk at the velos posted because the radar guns from the past recorded the velo at a different location than when they were pitching, so the hubs appear "hot" and showing higher velos. So, depending on when that switch occurred, and how much it affected things, that too could play a role in the difference in velos. 

It's like how in the past they recorded temperatures at one height and now record it at another, which then appears to affect global climate change. 

7 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

That Android autocorrect is a bastard.

Luckily Dave with Queso is not. 

19 hours ago, Second Base said:

I've been burned enough times to know that I shouldn't get too attached to prospects. 

I would say O'Hoppe, but I'm just not convinced the Angels will have him catch more than 80 games a year in the major leagues which kind of minimizes his value. Dave with Queso.

I'm not convinced Neto isn't something we already have in Luis Rengifo. He's good, but I think he's going to be more of a consistent regular rather than all-star.

DiChiara should be a decent DH for a couple years, similar to Vogelbach, but that really doesn't move the needle much. 

Jeremiah Jackson has tons of upside but it looks right now as though it'll take him a little bit to make enough contact to be a realistic option. 

Aside from Maitan and all his awesomeness, I think the ones I'm most excited about that are still "prospects" are Kyren Paris and Ben Joyce. Kyren, I think will have more power and speed than realized, which when coupled with his athleticism is going to make him a very good major league 2B. Ben Joyce because the Angels could either insert him straight into the bullpen next year and have an elite closer in no time, or they can stretch him out as a starter with some Michael Kopech type of upside in 2-3 years.

Overall, I'm most excited about our post-prospect youngsters. Rengifo has broken into the lineup and there's no way you take him out of the spot he's earned. Matt Thaiss is showing he has the chops to be a legit major league catcher. If not for Stassi and O'Hoppe, I think Thaiss would have a bright future here. I think it'll have to happen elsewhere. And Chris Rodriguez. What he showed as a starter getting stretched in the minors last year was enough to convince me that he should be a starter and he'll be a good one at that. Reid Detmers too. I think he's exactly as advertised in college. Should be a solid mid rotation lefty.

Yes? I like cheese. And Edgar is not cheese. He's legit, like O'Hoppe. 

I'm still a bit more bullish on Jackson than you. That power is legit and I always thought that they would move him off of SS to either 3B,2B or the OF. He is very athletic. I believe he can get the contact rate and walk rate to something acceptable and will be a major leaguer. His versatility will be very desirable, along with his power. 

Agreed that we don't want to overvalue our prospects, but our farm is nowhere near as barren as people think. Go ahead and make a top 30 list and you will quickly see that you can't fit everyone in. You will be leaving names off. 

And, at the same time, check game logs and splits. I figured Paris would earn a promotion based on his splits. And he's not the only one improving after a horrid start. So, there is lots to like down on he farm. 

15 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

This may be my favorite AW.com interview of all time, definitely heard my all time favorite response to any question when he said the thing he works at most is limiting his mistakes... Kid wants to be swaggy but gets that limiting mistakes trumps it all.  Love it.

That's an excellent point. More players should make their focus on limiting mistakes and making that a major goal. 

The hat. And Arte calling him out on the hat. No one can ever forget that. 

Congratulations on your first game as a Major Leaguer Ryan! We need more players who can draw a couple of walks in a game. 

It's always great to see a local kid making it with his hometown team. But seriously people, can we get more of our players to model their play after Trout or Ohtani? Enough with Yankee players, even if he is Jeter..... 

Thank you @TaylorBlakeWard for this Writeup. I always enjoy your insights.

There are so many variables to consider when looking at numbers from the DSL and ACL that in many cases, the small sample sizes are too variable. Plus, even when kids come from the DSL to ACL, there is so much work done to get the kids used to living in America, etc, that again a lot of it becomes noise. 

How's ver, in aggregate, the noise actually does become useful. You pointed out all the top 10 performances the teams saw this year. So, this is my question to you:in aggregate, how would you compare our DSL and ACL teams to those fom other organizations? 

Thanks again. 

Speaking of Joyce, congratulations on earning your first professional save tonight! 

With Ky Bush starting and Joyce closing, that's a solid combination bat should last for many years. 

I believe that we have the potential within 2 years of having a very good and homegrown bullpen in Anaheim. Very excited about seeing Joyce as a part of that. 

4 minutes ago, Docwaukee said:

it is my understanding that the minor league clubs themselves ie ballparks and facilities are owned and operated independently while the players, coaches and staff have agreements with the parent club that would be included as part of any sale.  I also presume that any and all agreements between the main club and minor league facilities would transfer to new ownership.  

Most minor league teams are independently owned and operated. The ACL Angels and DSL Angels are the only teams that I think the Angels own. The players are controlled by the team, so they won't be leaving

The agreements tying the Minor League teams to us are usually for 2 years, and rarely for 4 years. The affiliations would transfer to a new owner.  If a Minor League team wanted to switch, they would have to find a new ML organization that wants to affiliate with them, and then there will be a reshuffling of the deck. 

Great job on this Chuck! The dude is ripped. Not only was I super stoked about this pick, but my sons were too. They'd show me YouTube videos of his heat. 

I hope that we can have a decent closer for a year to teach him and get him ready to be our future closer, much like we had Lee Smith mentor Percy, but I am looking forward to the day he takes over the 9th inning role. 

I would like to get some interviews with the IE66ers. Some of their best players only speak Spanish. While I am bilingual, it is very hard for me to do the interview and translate simultaneously. So, it would be a lot easier if a Spanish speaker could meet up at the ballpark (or we can carpool from the OC). We need to be there about 2:30 to do the interviews. 

Please send Chuck or me a PM if you can do this. 

What's really exciting to see is that this AA team is doing so well and has so much talent. There is a wave of players in development, and they will be in Anaheim soon to make the team better. 

Great job on the interview Chuck! And, Zach, great job answering the questions. 

I'm super excited to see Neto in Anaheim. His "swag" is an interesting mix of confidence and humility. The Angels need some more passionate players like Neto, and I'm looking forward to seeing him in the big leagues soon! 

Th thing is, Vin was such a humble man, he may have known how much he meant to helLA and the Dodgers, and I'm sure he heard everyone tsay how he was the greatest announcer ever, but he never came across that way. He was just an honest man he did his craft very well, and let everyone else proclaim his greatness. He just seemed happy to tell the story of the game and to make people smile, even if the Dodgers lost. 

Another thing about him, he knew how to let the moment be the moment and get out of the way of the drama. He never made the game or the interview about him. It was always about what was happening on the field or about the player. He didn't berate people with pithy questions to make it about himself (like so many "reporters" do. Instead, he was sure to be out of the way and let the story tell itself. 

He set an incredible example of what a dedicated, hard-working, reporter can be and should be. 

If you have ever seen all the information provided by the teams prior to the game, and realize how long it takes to go through it all, just to prepare for a broadcast, and then to get it all in, including all the advertisements and everything, then you know just how amazing it was that Vinny did it for so many years, and did it so well. 

RIP Vinny. There is so much to dislike about the Dodgers, but not you. You were a legend. When I'd go to my cousins' home, and they'd always have the Dodgers game on, the only way I got through it was knowing that I would hear him calling a game. Exceotit really wasn't calling a game as much as it was just him painting a picture of what happened on the field. You could be in the other room, not seeing the game, but knowing exactly what happened by his description. 

Growing up, we were so blessed with 3 of the greatest announcers in sports. Vinny towers over Hearn and Miller, which just shows how great he was. And, by all accounts, a class act, great family man, and wonderful human being. I got to meet him once, and he was just that. Listening to him was like listening to a friend. 

I'm sure anyone who heard him can picture him nnow calling a game in heaven. "it's a beautiful day at the ballpark, not a cloud in the sky. Fans are streaming in, and to be honest, there isn't a bad seat in the house. I'd invite you to come down, but this is one time we can wait for you to be here.

While you're here, by sure to get a Dodger dog, brought to you by Farmer John.....

Let's look at the lineup that Tommy Lasorda brought out for us today. Boy is it a beauty! Leading off for the Dodgers, playing second base, none other than Jackie Robinson. Batting second, playing shortstop, Pee Wee Reese....

And now, it's time for Dodgers basebal!"

In the past, I've written how I believe that G-d is a baseball fan. G-d and all the players in heaven are happy to have their voice for the game.

I wish we, as Angels fans, had a run of 25+ years with Victor Rojas so that we could truly have an Angels voice that could have given us a fraction of the connection that helLA had with Vinny. 

RIP. 

6 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

There are not really other impending free agents with value (since Lorenzen and Bradley are hurt and Suzuki is old), so the use of the plural there is really just to cover myself in case they do something unexpected. 

Basically, if @jefffletcher were a weatherman, his use of the plural is like predicting a 10 percent chance of rain to.orrow.

1 hour ago, Angelsjunky said:

I can't believe I forgot @Lou.

@Dave Saltzer, @Tank, @Jason, @UndertheHalo.

Honestly, it depends on what type of prospects we are talking about and when we are talking about. If the players match up with our needs better, I'd take less prospects if what we got better fit. 

For example, 2 65 FV pitchers and a 55 catcher all of whom are ready by 2023 is more useful than 3 60+ OFers and 2 45 grade MIFers who won't all be ready until 2025.

Right now, I'd trade him for 2 60+ starting pitchers, a 55+ catcher and a lottery pick from any position and in low A ball.

In the offseason, I'd want 1 60+ starting pitcher another 60 player (preferably another SP but I'd be a bit more flexible), and a 50+ catcher. 

I would first make a very large and public offering to try and sign him in the offseason, but, if he won't sign, you have to trade him. 

I think trading him in the offseason makes a lot more sense for everyone. But, if some team wants to blow us away with an offer right now, I'd do it.