Baez Ranked #4 of 97 Prospects Who Were Traded

[zoiks]

It’s funny to see people make comments about how this is a good thing for the Cardinals. In reality, it shows how few actually good prospects were traded at the trade deadline. None were traded for rentals that become free agents after this season.

[82birds]

Per this article from Kiley McDaniel from ESPN. He likes his "rare combination of plus raw power and plus bat control" and seems to think that he has the arm strength to stick at 3B, but thinks probably 2B is his most likely position.

He also put Blaze Jordan at #17 on the list. Interestingly, he says that he doesn't lift the ball as much as he should, which kinda sounds like our own Jordan Walker, if I'm understanding him.

He ranks Nate Dohm #38, Skylar Hales #54, Mason Molina #71, and Frank Elissalt #81.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/457 ... nged-teams

thx for the link RD.

wow, Twins have 3 of the top 10 on that list.
might make Twins fans feel a little better about yesterday's fiasco

Let's put those Twins top picks in context: It's 30% -- but they traded almost 40% of their 26-man roster (10), including the top reliever and two very good set-up men, plus Correa, Castro, and Bader.

like I said, fiasco

[stlbirdlover]

He's batting .244 in upper A ball a super star in the making!

[ClassicO]

Per this article from Kiley McDaniel from ESPN. He likes his "rare combination of plus raw power and plus bat control" and seems to think that he has the arm strength to stick at 3B, but thinks probably 2B is his most likely position.

He also put Blaze Jordan at #17 on the list. Interestingly, he says that he doesn't lift the ball as much as he should, which kinda sounds like our own Jordan Walker, if I'm understanding him.

He ranks Nate Dohm #38, Skylar Hales #54, Mason Molina #71, and Frank Elissalt #81.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/457 ... nged-teams

thx for the link RD.

wow, Twins have 3 of the top 10 on that list.
might make Twins fans feel a little better about yesterday's fiasco

Let's put those Twins top picks in context: It's 30% -- but they traded almost 40% of their 26-man roster (10), including the top reliever and two very good set-up men, plus Correa, Castro, and Bader.

like I said, fiasco

You were right!

[ggnoobs]

Thanks. Good stuff.
Baseball America did this as well. https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -deadline/

They have Baez #10 vs #4 (they had him as the Mets #6)
Dohm - #39 (close to #38)
Blaze - #42 (quite different than #17!)
Frank Elissalt - #62
Oddly, they don't include Hales or Molina even in lower categories, "worth a flier" and "role players."

This was interesting on Baez (after glowing remarks about bat speed, etc.) - "his hands and arm grade as plus, but he’s slow-footed and not rangy, making third base or second base good landing spots" and "Baez is the Mets’ top helium prospect. They rave about his attitude and work ethic."

For some reason Blaze Jordan reminds me of Allen Craig

Craig was a good hitter until the world series injury.

[ClassicO]

Thanks. Good stuff.
Baseball America did this as well. https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -deadline/

They have Baez #10 vs #4 (they had him as the Mets #6)
Dohm - #39 (close to #38)
Blaze - #42 (quite different than #17!)
Frank Elissalt - #62
Oddly, they don't include Hales or Molina even in lower categories, "worth a flier" and "role players."

This was interesting on Baez (after glowing remarks about bat speed, etc.) - "his hands and arm grade as plus, but he’s slow-footed and not rangy, making third base or second base good landing spots" and "Baez is the Mets’ top helium prospect. They rave about his attitude and work ethic."

For some reason Blaze Jordan reminds me of Allen Craig

Craig was a good hitter until the world series injury.

Craig was a very good hitter, in the minors and majors.

[jbrach]

Per this article from Kiley McDaniel from ESPN. He likes his "rare combination of plus raw power and plus bat control" and seems to think that he has the arm strength to stick at 3B, but thinks probably 2B is his most likely position.

He also put Blaze Jordan at #17 on the list. Interestingly, he says that he doesn't lift the ball as much as he should, which kinda sounds like our own Jordan Walker, if I'm understanding him.

He ranks Nate Dohm #38, Skylar Hales #54, Mason Molina #71, and Frank Elissalt #81.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/457 ... nged-teams

[nonsense] all cardinal trades are disasters and the cards will never win again...pretty much the view of everyone here

[An Old Friend]

Re: Jordan... I think he's getting undersold as a hitter. Consider:

Age-18 - hit .324 with a 135 wRC+
Age-19 - hit .289 with a 119 wRC+ split between A and High-A (average age 22.5)
Age-20 - hit .324 with a 144 wRC+ in High-A.
Age-22 - hit .320 with a 168 wRC+ in AA, promoted to AAA, 22 walks to 19 strikeouts in 176 PA
Age-22 - hitting .298 with a 114 wRC+ in his first 44 games in AAA (average age 26.4)

It's a track record based on performance and age that typically turns into a good hitter at the major league level. I could see him primed to be the primary 1B heading into 2028 in his age-25 season after Contreras' contract concludes.

[LCA1951]

He's batting .244 in upper A ball a super star in the making!

I suggest that you examine Batting Averages at every level of baseball. .240/.250 is good now. In times past, you got no playing time with that.

[Futuregm2]

Re: Jordan... I think he's getting undersold as a hitter. Consider:

Age-18 - hit .324 with a 135 wRC+
Age-19 - hit .289 with a 119 wRC+ split between A and High-A (average age 22.5)
Age-20 - hit .324 with a 144 wRC+ in High-A.
Age-22 - hit .320 with a 168 wRC+ in AA, promoted to AAA, 22 walks to 19 strikeouts in 176 PA
Age-22 - hitting .298 with a 114 wRC+ in his first 44 games in AAA (average age 26.4)

It's a track record based on performance and age that typically turns into a good hitter at the major league level. I could see him primed to be the primary 1B heading into 2028 in his age-25 season after Contreras' contract concludes.

Agreed, I’ve been intrigued by him as a hitter. He had a down year last year, but this year has been much better.

You know 30 years ago the Red Sox traded a 22 year old minor league 1B named Jeff Bagwell for a rental reliever. Can lightning strike twice?

Come to think of it, the team they traded him to had a guy named Biggio who played catcher and couldn’t throw anyone out so they moved him to another position a la Herrera

[Ronnie Dobbs]

Shhh he's just blowing up his brand new doll.

I'm just thankful that he apparently likes them older.

[Ronnie Dobbs]

He's batting .244 in upper A ball a super star in the making!

Using batting average to scout a 20 year old prospect. Very cool and very smart.

[Ronnie Dobbs]

Re: Jordan... I think he's getting undersold as a hitter. Consider:

Age-18 - hit .324 with a 135 wRC+
Age-19 - hit .289 with a 119 wRC+ split between A and High-A (average age 22.5)
Age-20 - hit .324 with a 144 wRC+ in High-A.
Age-22 - hit .320 with a 168 wRC+ in AA, promoted to AAA, 22 walks to 19 strikeouts in 176 PA
Age-22 - hitting .298 with a 114 wRC+ in his first 44 games in AAA (average age 26.4)

It's a track record based on performance and age that typically turns into a good hitter at the major league level. I could see him primed to be the primary 1B heading into 2028 in his age-25 season after Contreras' contract concludes.

I thought the same thing. I wonder if a lot of his ranking has some to do with prospect fatigue. He was drafted as a relatively high profile high school prospect and here we are 5 years later.

But it's not like he's a Josh Baez who took a few years to finally start showing what we thought he was capable of. Judging by those stats you posted, he has just hit. Maybe the power hasn't been there as projected. He had a down year last year, while some other Red Sox prospects passed him up, so maybe that contributed to it.

I'm at least intrigued for the very near future. Unlike any of the other guys we got back, he could contribute next year. Kareem, the Cardinals prospect guy, doesn't seem thrilled with him, but he does seem to like the guys we got for Helsley. He posted his AAA Statcast numbers and they don't look great. Then again, we've seen some Statcast heroes not be able to actually produce, so who knows.

[3dender]

Re: Jordan... I think he's getting undersold as a hitter. Consider:

Age-18 - hit .324 with a 135 wRC+
Age-19 - hit .289 with a 119 wRC+ split between A and High-A (average age 22.5)
Age-20 - hit .324 with a 144 wRC+ in High-A.
Age-22 - hit .320 with a 168 wRC+ in AA, promoted to AAA, 22 walks to 19 strikeouts in 176 PA
Age-22 - hitting .298 with a 114 wRC+ in his first 44 games in AAA (average age 26.4)

It's a track record based on performance and age that typically turns into a good hitter at the major league level. I could see him primed to be the primary 1B heading into 2028 in his age-25 season after Contreras' contract concludes.

I thought the same thing. I wonder if a lot of his ranking has some to do with prospect fatigue. He was drafted as a relatively high profile high school prospect and here we are 5 years later.

But it's not like he's a Josh Baez who took a few years to finally start showing what we thought he was capable of. Judging by those stats you posted, he has just hit. Maybe the power hasn't been there as projected. He had a down year last year, while some other Red Sox prospects passed him up, so maybe that contributed to it.

I'm at least intrigued for the very near future. Unlike any of the other guys we got back, he could contribute next year. Kareem, the Cardinals prospect guy, doesn't seem thrilled with him, but he does seem to like the guys we got for Helsley. He posted his AAA Statcast numbers and they don't look great. Then again, we've seen some Statcast heroes not be able to actually produce, so who knows.

That's a weird statcast profile. Strong kid who makes a ton of contact with a good approach, yet has trouble squaring up the ball or hitting line drives.

Seems like a profile that could improve over time and one that at least has a high floor.

[An Old Friend]

Re: Jordan... I think he's getting undersold as a hitter. Consider:

Age-18 - hit .324 with a 135 wRC+
Age-19 - hit .289 with a 119 wRC+ split between A and High-A (average age 22.5)
Age-20 - hit .324 with a 144 wRC+ in High-A.
Age-22 - hit .320 with a 168 wRC+ in AA, promoted to AAA, 22 walks to 19 strikeouts in 176 PA
Age-22 - hitting .298 with a 114 wRC+ in his first 44 games in AAA (average age 26.4)

It's a track record based on performance and age that typically turns into a good hitter at the major league level. I could see him primed to be the primary 1B heading into 2028 in his age-25 season after Contreras' contract concludes.

I thought the same thing. I wonder if a lot of his ranking has some to do with prospect fatigue. He was drafted as a relatively high profile high school prospect and here we are 5 years later.

But it's not like he's a Josh Baez who took a few years to finally start showing what we thought he was capable of. Judging by those stats you posted, he has just hit. Maybe the power hasn't been there as projected. He had a down year last year, while some other Red Sox prospects passed him up, so maybe that contributed to it.

I'm at least intrigued for the very near future. Unlike any of the other guys we got back, he could contribute next year. Kareem, the Cardinals prospect guy, doesn't seem thrilled with him, but he does seem to like the guys we got for Helsley. He posted his AAA Statcast numbers and they don't look great. Then again, we've seen some Statcast heroes not be able to actually produce, so who knows.

That's a weird statcast profile. Strong kid who makes a ton of contact with a good approach, yet has trouble squaring up the ball or hitting line drives.

Seems like a profile that could improve over time and one that at least has a high floor.

I’ve said it a couple of times… I could see him being similar to a guy like Josh Naylor… .280-.300 type with 15-20 HR, 80-100 RBI, low strikeouts

[Ronnie Dobbs]

I’ve said it a couple of times… I could see him being similar to a guy like Josh Naylor… .280-.300 type with 15-20 HR, 80-100 RBI, low strikeouts

A right handed Alec Burleson, assuming that this current version of Alec Burleson is the true Alec Burleson? Hopefully without the splits issues.

I'd take that. Praying they can unlock that sought after power, though.