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Who was the best at fielding Tal's Hill?

slide_into_first wrote:Who was the best at fielding Tal's Hill?

Kevin, I feel unheard and alone. My questions return unanswered, pelting me like bird droppings falling from an indifferent sky. My ears fill with the cacophonous laughter of baseball wizards, cold, callous, indifferent to the plight of ordinary fans caught in the Kafkaesque nightmare of a baseball discussion board, thinking that, just this once, the gods would deign to listen and respond to them. Kevin, Kevin, lama sabachthani?

Mods: Has anyone reached out to Jason Parks and asked him if he will pinch-hit for KG on this? I know BP just brought in a team of regional scouting dudes to work with Parks on expanding the prospect coverage there, and he's probably super busy, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

If Parks declines, maybe try Jim Callis or Ben Badler at BA.

If they decline, try John Sickels at minorleagueball.com. I like Sickels quite a bit, his site is part of SB Nation so he's not beholden to a job for a site that's behind a paywall. He might be the best bet from the jump to answer these questions.

The Third Man wrote:When grading or ranking prospects, what balance do you try to strike between factors such as well-roundedness, floor vs. ceiling, bust potential, etc.? Do you prefer boom-or-bust prospects or those most likely to stick in MLB?

Who are the best prospects you've ever seen? In addition, who had the best individual tools (fastest, most power, best fielder, hardest throwing, best breaking pitches)?

I tend to prefer high ceiling types, which often come with high risk factors as well. I'm not against ranking low ceiling/low risk players high on a list, but it would depend on the other players in the system. I'm a tools whore. No question.

I saw Trout and Harper very early on, and they stand out. I saw Profar at 16; Elvis at 17; Teheran at 17; Gerrit Cole as an amateur, etc. My answer is Bryce Harper, though. I like Trout more as a player, but when I first saw Harper I was completely intoxicated with the skill-set. From a few feet away, I watched him hit 450 ft shots into the stands. He was 18. That's not normal.

Swirls wrote:Assuming no injuries and daily playing time (either MLB or AAA), how would you address the Cardinals' potential logjam next year in trying to find a spot for Adams and Taveras?

I think Taveras could be a high-impact talent, so I would be focused on his role more than Adams. I'd let both players marinate in Triple-A until they either force the issue with a ridiculous offensive assault or a spot opens on the 25-man. It's highly unlikely that the Cardinals outfield will remain 100% healthy and productive all season long. Oscar will find a way into the lineup sooner rather than later. Same with Adams, although the payoff won't be nearly as lucrative.

heyzeus wrote:What do you think about innings caps on young pitchers? Is the "x% rule," ie, only increasing a young pitcher's total innings pitched by x percent over the previous year (I believe a lot of teams use 10%), statistically supported?

Everything should be player specific. It all depends on how the arm works, how the delivery works, etc. Every arm is created definitely, so you have to treat each arm accordingly. I also don't think the issue is innings, I think the issue is pitches. Just like arms, not every inning is equal. Some pitchers can throw 100 pitches in five innings, while others can go eight innings with the same output.

Ha. Thanks for taking the time to answer. Who is, you know, going to have the better career? Harper or Trout?

Fan_In_NY wrote:Is there a disadvantage to developing players to subjecting them to an extreme run (+ or -) environment? Do having organziations having teams in High Desert, Las Vegas, Albuquerque suffer in player development because players get bad habits or have issues overcoming these environments?

Depends on the player and developmental situations, but I'm not a huge fun of putting pitchers in extreme offensive environments. I think it can often cause more harm than good, as pitchers won't attack the zone as they normally would, and it can lead to aiming and a timid approach. Yes, it can force a pitcher to rely more on sequence and secondary stuff, but some California league parks are barely 300 ft to the stands, with heavy winds blowing out. Even pitchers that hit their spots can watch the balls fly out. It's almost as if the hitters get to use old-school aluminum bats in that league. I'm not a fan.

MrCrowesGarden wrote:Obviously a small sample size, but Michael Wacha seems to be firing on all cylinders right now. Where does he seem to fit among the Cardinals' best prospects? How much (if at all) does his ability to move quickly through the system impact where you place him?

He's top ten in the system, and top 100 in baseball. He was only working in short bursts last season, but as a starter, I expect him to be 91-94 with the FB, with a plus CB and a very promising CH. He has size, strength, and pitchability, so I think he can develop into a very solid middle-of-the-rotation starter.