Prospect Stuff

[thecrow124]

Jim Callis said today on MLBPipeline that he expects Josh Bell to be a top 100 prospect next year, and should be well into the top 100.

So counting them up,
Taillon
Polanco
Glasnow
Hansen
Meadows
McGuire
Bell
Kingham
Heredia (back end of some lists possibly).

That would be 9 Pirate prospects that should all get some serious consideration for top 100 lists next year. I could see 3-4 of those as top 50, so the pipeline of talent that we need to sustain succes is definitely in place, just need to continue to limit injuries and develop the talent and we could be good for more than the typical small market 3-5 year window.

 

[element1286]

Disappointing players from the Arizona Fall League - ESPN (insider only)

Per KLaw's 10 disappointing AFL players:

Alen Hanson | IF | Pittsburgh Pirates
Hanson looked great in BP, with plus bat speed and average to slightly above-average power from both sides of the plate. But once the games started, the plan to get him out was simple and easy for pitchers to execute: fastballs up, sliders down.

He punched out five times in the 10 plate appearances I saw, and it wasn't fluky given how lost he looked. He was actually fine at shortstop, which has long been the concern with him, but he couldn't have looked worse at the plate.

 

[thedddd]

Pirates add rookie-level Appalachian League team | pirates.com: News

Good to see another team added with all the depth in the organization. Wonder if this will help pull more Latin players for development?

 

[steelparrot]

Pipeline Perspectives: Pittsburgh Pirates have baseball's top farm system | MLB.com: News

nice read lets stay on course

Times are a changing in MLB, seems to be a young mans game since the drug crack down. Trade relievers and meh prospects, lets keep all the good ones.

 

[thecrow124]

Pirates add rookie-level Appalachian League team | pirates.com: News

Good to see another team added with all the depth in the organization. Wonder if this will help pull more Latin players for development?

Probably just a place to have players play games since teams in extended spring training increasingly don't want to play the Pirates because of all the focus at that level on pitching inside. I am sure there will be more latin American players just as there will be more American players. Anytime you can increase the amount of players getting game action it is a good thing.

 

[thecrow124]

So Gregory Polanco has been hitting pretty well in the DWL. Every time I see a player really take off in that league I tend to think it is against inferior talent. Luckily John Drecker over at Pirates Prospects follows the league pretty closely and did a breakdown of whom Polanco has been hitting against. He has had success (though small sample sizes for all) against pitchers that played at every level from A+ to the majors. The only pitchers to keep him in check so far are the ones that did not play professional baseball in America last year. I don't know that this really tells us anything that we couldn't already figure out, he is a pretty special player and when he gets comfortable with his body he could be the best outfielder we have, but that could be said for either of our other two outfielders as well.

On a different but related note. Alen Hanson played in the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game. I did not check the results of the game, but one thing that stuck out in an article I read. From the last 3 Stars games at this particular league, more than 20 players each year that played in the game have gone on to play in the major leagues the next season. I think that him making that game speaks more to how he has played than the couple of games that Kaith Law watched in person. I have a lot of respect for KL and his processes for ranking players, but I also feel that in such a short league, watching only a handful of games is not a good enough timeframe to make the judgements he did about any of the players he made them about. Probably an article he should have not posted IMO.

 

[Illinest]

I don't respect keith law. I tried to interact with him once. He acted like a douche.

 

[thecrow124]

I don't respect keith law. I tried to interact with him once. He acted like a douche.

That is pretty much how he is unless you agree with everything he says. So no I don't have a lot of respect for him as a person, but as far as his ability to do his job and assess the talent level of prospects he is one of the better ones out there. That being said he also doesn't hold much value for certain franchises and the way they do things. So I am not sure I would classify him as a douche, but he can really grate on ones nerves.

 

[navamind]

BA: 2014 Pirates Top 10 Prospects

 

[steelparrot]

You know your farm system is looking good when your 6th best prospect according to BA was ranked as the 42nd best prospect in baseball by Sickles

 

[Darkstone42]

Pirates OF prospect Evan Chambers passed away in his sleep over the weekend at the age of 24. That is a shame. Thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.

 

[element1286]

Pirates OF prospect Evan Chambers passed away in his sleep over the weekend at the age of 24. That is a shame. Thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.

Crazy, unbelievable how that could happen to someone so young.

 

[sychmd]

sad,
reminds us about what really is important, how much control we really have, and where we should put our focus.
prayers for his family and friends, especially around this time of year when loss and hurts are magnified.

 

[thedddd]

Man that is sad and at such a young age!

RIP

 

[steelparrot]

Some top 100 prospect lists during the lull I like to call "Waiting on AJ"

Breaking down the Top 100 Prospects list | MLB.com: News

Baseball Prospectus | Prospects Will Break Your Heart: Top 101 Prospects

 

[element1286]

Houston Astros top farm system rankings - MLB - ESPN

Law's top 100 comes out tomorrow, fwiw.

He has the Pirates #3 in org rankings though, from the link:

3. Pittsburgh Pirates

Almost everything went right for the Pirates in 2013 -- and I'm only talking about their farm system. They bounced back from failing to sign their first-round pick in '12, Mark Appel, by landing the best prep hitter in last year's class in Austin Meadows, while several prospects already in the system took huge steps forward into my overall top 20.

 

[element1286]

Top 100 prospects of 2014 including Byron Buxton, Xander Bogaerts and more - MLB - ESPN

KLaws top 100:

14. Polanco
20. Glasnow
27. Taillon
35. Meadows
73. Kingham
74. Hanson
97. Bell

 

[element1286]

Chat Q/A RE Pirates if anyone is interested:

Nick (CT) What do you think the chances are Reese McGuire ends up a top 100 guy this time next year?

Klaw
(1:28 PM)
Low to moderate.

Brendan (NYC) Could Josh Bell be an option at 1B for the Pirates down the line? Seems to be a crowded OF situation with Mccutchen, Marte, Polanco and Meadows.
Klaw
(1:38 PM)


Yes.

Klaw
(1:38 PM)
@Brendan: Yes, Bell at 1b makes a lot of sense, just because they have better OF gloves.

Jake (Pittsburgh)
Luis Heredia still gets some hype on org prospect list. I know he's still young, raw, and enormous but is there much to be excited about there?
Klaw
(1:59 PM)

Good arm, not a great body, bad delivery, passed by lots of better guys in their system.

 

[thedddd]

The forgotten guy seems to be Allie. I wonder if the power will stay in higher levels and could develop into a 1B/3B?

 

[element1286]

Allie is pretty much a lottery ticket at this point. I'm wondering where he starts next year, A+ was not kind to him.