[SPEAKER_00]: Hello, and welcome to baseball, America's draft podcast.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'm Carlos Colazzo joined by Peter Flaherty.

[SPEAKER_00]: After a bit of a week off, I'll take the L on that one.

[SPEAKER_00]: I was dealing with some some sickness that I couldn't push through, but we're back here now.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, it is about to be August, Peter, about to really dive into the twenty twenty six draft cycle.

[SPEAKER_00]: But me and you have not had our post more done on the twenty twenty five draft because I missed last week.

[SPEAKER_00]: So wanted to just kind of tie a bow on the twenty five class, talk about the signing deadline, kind of break things down, get your thoughts on everything, and then maybe do a little preview of what we're expecting and what we're excited about for twenty six.

[SPEAKER_00]: So first of all, how are you and also have you birthday as a surprise?

[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's funny.

[SPEAKER_01]: I get the birthday shout out because I'm like you.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm not a huge birthday guy.

[SPEAKER_01]: So I like to keep it on the DL.

[SPEAKER_01]: But no, I appreciate it.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's been a great day.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm here.

[SPEAKER_00]: Now everyone knows.

[SPEAKER_01]: I know I was going to say, but now I'm lucky to be surrounded by by family and everyone that I love.

[SPEAKER_01]: So that's all I can really ask for.

[SPEAKER_01]: But I'm excited to do our final, I guess, wrap up and put a bow on the twenty five class for good.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think now that the signing deadlines passed,

[SPEAKER_01]: We can officially turn the page to twenty six.

[SPEAKER_01]: So it's another nice landmark to hit.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it does feel like we've spent and I think part of this is because this cycle feels like our most consistent in terms of the amount of podcast we've done covering a draft, but it does feel like we've spent years talking about this twenty five class.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I am pretty excited to move on to twenty six.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think this is the case for for every draft class.

[SPEAKER_00]: You just spent so much time talking about the players.

[SPEAKER_00]: you're excited about like the fresh new new looks at new classes and just the excitement about discovering a draft class and seeing the players who really stand out to you and trying to line them up is always a fun new challenge but you are right like so much of how we contextualize the draft has to do with the actual signing day how much

[SPEAKER_00]: players sign for seeing who would actually sign this year.

[SPEAKER_00]: We had just two players in the first ten rounds, not sign contracts with their team, Angel Cervantes, the second rounder by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and then the Dodgers six rounder Mason Legenza, two high school players who didn't sign inside the top ten rounds.

[SPEAKER_00]: Kind of a bit surprising for me.

[SPEAKER_00]: I was asked about this even

[SPEAKER_00]: even earlier in the process where there's kind of some uncertainty about whether or not savantees would sign.

[SPEAKER_00]: I still expected him to, because in recent years, teams have done a nice job identifying signability with high school players in particular, and it does feel like the college guys who have not signed have kind of been a little bit random.

[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, what are your thoughts on those two not signing?

[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, the hit rate of top ten run guys is still pretty high in JJ Cooper wrote a piece, just breaking down

[SPEAKER_00]: that this this class was the highest percentage of sign players we've ever seen outside of COVID, which was a five year draft.

[SPEAKER_00]: So maybe the new norm in the twenty round draft to see basically ninety percent or more of players who are drafted actually getting signed.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, it's pretty surprising because I don't have the exact number in front of me, but I remember you tipped everyone off leading up to the draft and in the wake of the draft.

[SPEAKER_01]: If guys weren't signing immediately that, you know, hey,

[SPEAKER_01]: I think, ninety seven or ninety eight percent of all top ten rounders do end up signing.

[SPEAKER_01]: So obviously, and I think just naturally a more surprised about Cervantes, not signed with Pittsburgh, then I am LaHenza.

[SPEAKER_01]: With the Dodgers just given where he's picked, he's a top fifty overall guy.

[SPEAKER_01]: But it sounds like the behind the scenes there was, you know, it was an interesting one just given the, you know, there may have been some more wrinkles to that one than initially realized, but it'll be a really fun piece for UCLA.

[SPEAKER_01]: So I think just natural and surprised that those two guys didn't sign, but outside of that there weren't really any

[SPEAKER_01]: like huge, uh, ground-breaking pieces of news.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think Cervantes was just because went on Twitter at like, nine thirty Eastern, like a week and a half ago I think now, um, and broke it himself and then left the deadline pass and it seemed like as we got closer and closer to the deadline.

[SPEAKER_01]: that there was a little more buzz and traction with him eventually making it to campus and getting to, getting to pit, which is a huge gap for Coach Bell and Company and a program that's always kind of been scrappy in the ACC.

[SPEAKER_01]: So that's immediately a really, really fun piece from inside to watch them for a couple of years.

[SPEAKER_00]: Those, those two specific players not signing was really a bummer for me because Servantes being the second round pick tied to Seth Hernandez.

[SPEAKER_00]: One of the reasons why I was so excited about Pittsburgh's class on night one.

[SPEAKER_00]: And so not having him really cuts into the excitement for that quite a bit, although as anyone who's listening to this podcast knows any class that includes Seth Hernandez, I'm going to like to a strong degree regardless of who's drafted after him.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then

[SPEAKER_00]: Legenda as well.

[SPEAKER_00]: He was a little hint that might be betraying his name.

[SPEAKER_01]: You seen beyond top and more than me, but I was going to say, I think I'm wondering if you went against it yet.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think one of us got it right.

[SPEAKER_00]: Mason was one of the players that uh mean you drafted our favorite picks on on day two and I really liked the pick of Mason by the Dodgers because I feel like they are a team that is really well suited to help him actualize the tools and the upside that he has like I think with some other teams I maybe would have been a little bit more reserved about whether or not it'd be excited about his hitting upside but in particular the fit with the Dodgers was the reason that I drafted that pick is one of my favorites so

[SPEAKER_00]: A little bit, personally upsetting, I guess, the C-two players and two player organization fits, not come to pass.

[SPEAKER_00]: Outside of those two players, not signing, was there anything that stood out to you about the bonuses, the best values in the class?

[SPEAKER_00]: Now that we can kind of see the money and see like with clarity, which players in the eleven to twenty round range are actually signing.

[SPEAKER_00]: What stands out to you?

[SPEAKER_00]: I'd say as I'm throwing this at you and letting you collect your thoughts on it.

[SPEAKER_00]: I expected to see someone sign for a bit more than the nine million that we saw Ethan Holiday sign for and maybe

[SPEAKER_00]: I should have tempered my expectations for the biggest bonus in this class, but I mean, I don't think holiday surprised anyone by being the biggest bonus.

[SPEAKER_00]: That was kind of where we were assuming it was going to go in the weeks and months leading up to this.

[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe worth noting that both Eli Willis and the Ethan Holiday

[SPEAKER_00]: broke the record for biggest bonus for high school player in the draft.

[SPEAKER_00]: Eli will its top Ethan's older brother Jackson with a point two million and then Ethan holiday signed a few days later and set the bonus once again at nine million holiday now has a top five overall bonus joining

[SPEAKER_00]: believe it's Paul schemes, Chase Burns, Charlie Condon, Dylan Cruz.

[SPEAKER_00]: So they did well for just like historic high school players in the bonus pool era.

[SPEAKER_00]: But I did, I kind of expected or assumed holiday would either match or surpass burns in Connor from a year ago.

[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe that was too bullish from me.

[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, what are your thoughts on any actual bonuses or maybe classes?

[SPEAKER_01]: I was expecting it like you with holiday just again, given the buzz leading to the draft and potential landing spots with him and maneuvering that and also that he's a Boris guy.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I'm with you that I was I was expecting perhaps a little bit more of a juicy bonus there, but.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think with the nationals and will it's going one, you know, one, and I think you and I could go on a tangent on this one for an entire podcast episode.

[SPEAKER_01]: One, it was not all that surprising at all.

[SPEAKER_01]: First off.

[SPEAKER_01]: But second, I think they did a really nice job maneuvering the rest of the draft, especially in rounds three, four, and five, signing land and harm in Miguel Simey and Koy James going three for three on those guys on pretty hefty over slot deals.

[SPEAKER_01]: Especially see me in quite James, so I actually think they ended up with a really good class.

[SPEAKER_01]: Certainly when I'm a fan of the tigers, you could kind of see a little bit similarly what they ended up doing.

[SPEAKER_01]: Kind of making flashier and and splashworthy picks with Jordan.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yo's and Michael all veto with their first and second overall picks and they give me your take on Detroit because.

[SPEAKER_00]: I may be more skeptical of the choice draft than any team's draft and I know I think been kind of shared some similar thoughts here.

[SPEAKER_00]: A lot of it just comes down to viewing their class while lining up the BA board beside it.

[SPEAKER_00]: We did a piece on the best and worst values at the class just using slot values tied to B-A-F-Hundred player rankings and then comparing those rankings and BA values quote unquote with the actual signing bonuses and based on that which again, I don't I don't think is an exact science.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think there's a lot of room to

[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe adjust the values you might, you might personally have on players here.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm not saying like that this tires class is horrible, but I mean, it could very well turn out to be good and much better than I'm expecting.

[SPEAKER_00]: But I would say like based on the capital Detroit ad and then just some of the players available, it had me kind of scratching.

[SPEAKER_00]: My head, I like Jordan Yost and Michael Olavito to varying degrees.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's just like where they had to sign them and pay them.

[SPEAKER_00]: I would have just rather had some other players, but then you also look further down their board and I don't quite understand what happened with Nick Dumanel.

[SPEAKER_00]: being available first of all in the eighth round and also signing for two.

[SPEAKER_00]: For two hundred sixteen thousand dollars or excuse me, two hundred fourteen, you're right.

[SPEAKER_00]: I guess I'm just a lot with the signing bonus contingency, but.

[SPEAKER_00]: Like, between those three players, we've got two of our worst values in the entire draft, and then one of our best overall values.

[SPEAKER_00]: So it's just an odd draft class for me, and then I think you could also push back and say, hey, it's also very Detroit-esque, because Oliveto and Yost are hit orish high school left in it bats that they have seemed to like and recent years.

[SPEAKER_00]: So what are your thoughts on that one?

[SPEAKER_01]: I like Jordan Jose and Michael Veto.

[SPEAKER_01]: I liked him going into the draft and it seemed to be the general sentiment that all of it was going to really was going to go in a really good spot.

[SPEAKER_01]: On the first day, I was not expecting to hear his name call at thirty four again.

[SPEAKER_01]: two good players like Yoast is an up the middle profile.

[SPEAKER_01]: If he doesn't stick it shortstop, there's a chance he shifts and moves to the grass and plays center field, plus runner, borderline, plus hit, how much power and impact he grows into.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm not as bullish on, but there are fun tools there.

[SPEAKER_01]: He's a really, really good athlete.

[SPEAKER_01]: The contactability stands out all of that out much like really any amateur catcher, whether it be collegiately or in high school, the defensive skill set does any work.

[SPEAKER_01]: But the offensive package is really appealing like there's a chance he's in above average hit and above average power guy.

[SPEAKER_01]: Again, I like those two players in a vacuum where they got him was was.

[SPEAKER_01]: It was those were kind of two of the main surprises.

[SPEAKER_01]: I would say on night one.

[SPEAKER_01]: And then to your point with doing what I'm being a one available still in the eighth crazy.

[SPEAKER_01]: You're getting him on an underslaught deal.

[SPEAKER_01]: Like that one still is so weird to me and like yeah, I'm like missing something because that's exactly what I've been thinking the whole time I'm like.

[SPEAKER_00]: We did we really just over stuff him in the rankings.

[SPEAKER_00]: Do we think he's way better than he actually like clearly we thought he's better than the industry paid him and selected him for.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't entirely know what happened.

[SPEAKER_00]: I know in day two, we were talking about it.

[SPEAKER_00]: We're looking at our best available board.

[SPEAKER_00]: And typically once you get into day two, that best available board quickly becomes a bunch of high school players.

[SPEAKER_00]: You're like, okay, these guys are just

[SPEAKER_00]: either unsignable now or they're going to go into later round and they're going to get over paid.

[SPEAKER_00]: Like that's what happens.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then for the longest time, it was Henry Ford and Nick Dumanel sitting at the top.

[SPEAKER_00]: And with Ford, you can again kind of rationalize that when he's a draft eligible sophomore.

[SPEAKER_00]: If he starts to slip a little bit and doesn't get the amount of money that maybe he was expecting date or hope to get, he can very easily make the case.

[SPEAKER_00]: Hey, I've got more eligibility than in civil college player.

[SPEAKER_00]: Let's run it back, try again next year.

[SPEAKER_00]: Then I since we've seen that happen before with Dumanel,

[SPEAKER_00]: It's just like, what is happening?

[SPEAKER_00]: Is there a medical situation that we don't know about that?

[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, that might be the easiest answer.

[SPEAKER_00]: Like sometimes when players slip and we don't really know why it just because teams have medical information, but man, that was a real puzzler for me.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I cannot wait to see like five years from now, what doom knows career it looks like.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm with you because like coming out of the summer and like I got a number of looks at him.

[SPEAKER_01]: I had him like mentally in the like second to fourth round range like and I mean there were there were tools there.

[SPEAKER_01]: I remember in the all star game and this is time at the Cape League.

[SPEAKER_01]: He tops up on a home or the pull side of like one oh five one oh six and I was like he's a strong athletic kid plus runner really good athlete like yeah, there's a chance he moves off of

[SPEAKER_01]: Center field eventually and the hit tool might be a little bit light with right on right span, but the tools here are really, really exciting.

[SPEAKER_01]: And for them to get him in the eighth was, I think you cited it as one of your favorite picks on day two and rightfully so.

[SPEAKER_00]: So it felt like a like a layup because it's just such a highly ranked player in that range that you don't see too often.

[SPEAKER_00]: So it's almost like you don't have to think too hard about picking that as a pick to like, but man, it's just weird.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and if all is good on the the health side, I mean, I have no and I have no reason to believe otherwise, like I'm with you in this being an excellent pick and really good value, especially the fact that they really didn't have to pay a whole lot to to get him there and then obviously

[SPEAKER_01]: Similar to the nationals and other clubs.

[SPEAKER_01]: You kind of saw what they're doing a little bit with with buying River Hamilton down to the level has a fun arm with with intriguing upside.

[SPEAKER_01]: So that was one of the more interesting classes I would say.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I'm trying to.

[SPEAKER_00]: So we've got this piece best and worst values of the draft.

[SPEAKER_00]: You can if you want like at some sort of like.

[SPEAKER_00]: post draft ranking of talent.

[SPEAKER_00]: We don't do that because it just feels like a dishonest way to go about a value in a draft class.

[SPEAKER_00]: We need five years.

[SPEAKER_00]: We need ten years to really see which classes actually panned out.

[SPEAKER_00]: Like we just have to have a lot more humility and uncertainty and like acknowledging where these players are going to wind up.

[SPEAKER_00]: But like you can look and see which classes that the BA board like's best based on this this value.

[SPEAKER_00]: exercise that we've done.

[SPEAKER_00]: So some of the top teams just in terms of total BA value coming away from the draft this year.

[SPEAKER_00]: The Orioles, unsurprisingly, just given all the pit capital bonus full money they had to work with.

[SPEAKER_00]: The Rockies number two, the Nationals, who you mentioned, I also really like how they attacked the board this year getting a very solid one, one sort of player in Eli Willitz and then loading up on on high school up side guys.

[SPEAKER_00]: I like the Marlins.

[SPEAKER_00]: the Mariners, the Red Sox.

[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe as the the most out of place team here just in terms of them ranking this high with a more pedestrian bonus bonus pool and pick capital.

[SPEAKER_00]: At the bottom end, we've got teams like the Metz, the Yankees, the Astros who pick later and have a lot of my to work with the Tigers who we talked about the giants and the pod trays.

[SPEAKER_00]: Do you find yourself liking any particular team because they just happen to take a lot of players that you really found yourself liking?

[SPEAKER_00]: One of the teams for me that I really find myself.

[SPEAKER_00]: Just liking their class a lot is the Diamondbacks.

[SPEAKER_00]: We have them as like very middle of the pack in terms of total BA value.

[SPEAKER_00]: We've got them nearly neutral in terms of expected value based on the bonuses they hand it out in our assessment of like the BA draft value of these players.

[SPEAKER_00]: They took case in Cunningham in the first round, eighteenth overall.

[SPEAKER_00]: I was very happy to see Cunningham not slide into the twenties.

[SPEAKER_00]: I know we had talked about that potentially happening, just given some questions about size, but the D-backs, one of the more aggressive teams on shorter hitters.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then they took a bunch of live arms that I really like after that.

[SPEAKER_00]: Patrick Forbes, I do think is a little bit risky at twenty nine, just given his control issues, but the fact that they have that twenty ninth pick as their second pick,

[SPEAKER_00]: helps kind of stomach some of the risk a little bit for me and I do think his arm talent is super exciting.

[SPEAKER_00]: Brian Curley I think was a player that we talked about a lot that we liked on the stretch just like a a flame throw with a really hard slider.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'll be curious to see what sort of role he he winds up pitching in and then both Dean Livingston and Joe Areola really fourth and seventh round picks.

[SPEAKER_00]: Our pictures that I, I don't know that I had super strong opinions on one way or another, but both of them were really impressive at the combine for me and their bullpins and so then digging into them a little bit more.

[SPEAKER_00]: I found myself liking them a bit more often.

[SPEAKER_00]: I do wonder how many strikes Ariel is gonna throw.

[SPEAKER_00]: That has been a real question, but maybe he can pull a sort of brain and Clark transformation going from this real erratic strike throw where

[SPEAKER_00]: And then parlaying a really solid bullpen at the combine into better strikes and pro ball.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I really find myself just liking a lot of the arms getting excited about the upside and then loving the fact that they took who I've used the best pure hitter in this class of eighteen.

[SPEAKER_00]: So that's one for me.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, they got off to a great start with case, and I love the hit ability with him like you, and then with Ariel, if they can get him consistently in and around the straggs on and in throwing quality strikes.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's a left hander who's got a chance for three plus pitches when I'll send on.

[SPEAKER_01]: Now that's a big if with getting him around the zone, but.

[SPEAKER_01]: If they're able to do it and accomplish that, then they're player and pitching development departments.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's a, that's a huge win and really good value getting him in the seventh.

[SPEAKER_01]: I like Baltimore's class a lot.

[SPEAKER_01]: I know you touched on it.

[SPEAKER_01]: Mainly for their first five picks with I. Kyrish, then going back to back with Keaton Bowdoin and Vaheva, Lloyd, Slater DeBron and Joseph Jerwa, like those five guys that's,

[SPEAKER_01]: That's a really, really legit group Irish, whether or not he sticks behind the dish is a little bit of a question mark, but you're buying the the offense of profile with him with the fifty five hit and fifty five power.

[SPEAKER_01]: But would I, for me, was the best catcher in this year's class, no doubt, plus defender.

[SPEAKER_01]: one of I think two or three guys that had a plus hit tool attached to them in the in the final DA five hundred or at least within the first however many guys but.

[SPEAKER_01]: outstanding feel for the barrel really advanced offensive profile.

[SPEAKER_01]: He's hit at every single stop.

[SPEAKER_01]: I have no reason to believe that that'll he'll buck that trend as he gets in a pro ball.

[SPEAKER_01]: We have a one the golden spikes were hit tool took a step in the right direction the spraying that we still need some.

[SPEAKER_01]: You know, it still needs to take a step forward against right on right spin, but.

[SPEAKER_01]: And I think now, and I think a lot of people share this feeling, I'm more confident in his ability to stick at shortstop now than I was coming into this season.

[SPEAKER_01]: You know, the internal clock at better he's got arms strength through the position, slated up round was when my favorite looks at World Woodbatte down in Jupiter, prototypical bouncy lead off guy with fun tools.

[SPEAKER_01]: Um popular body comp and somewhat of a player comp with him is played called well and then Joseph Jura.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's a really fun clay to mold six eight lefty interesting fastball chain tips above average and flash plus and even JT Quinn was excellent on the cape pre draft.

[SPEAKER_01]: huge boost to his stock.

[SPEAKER_01]: He made himself a ton of money out here.

[SPEAKER_01]: And then the Red Sox pitching in particular, I like Tyson, where there's been a huge fan of Marcus Phillips at thirty three was a little bit of an eye.

[SPEAKER_00]: Red Sox had really just.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, the Red Sox had really just done a nice job of just letting someone out of the top to your fault of them in the middle of the first round and capitalizing bread in Montgomery, a year ago, and then Tyson, where there's been the guy who.

[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I guess we had a mocked a few times in this range, but I view him as a comparable talent to the Jamie Arnolds and William Doils and Tyler Bremner, so the world who went quite a bit in front of him, so I think that's a good one as well.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, Tyson could have very well gone inside the top ten picks, and I don't think either of us would have blinked.

[SPEAKER_01]: The value pick that I love and we're doing our draft night stream when it happened, but Anthony ions in at eighty seven.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, a favorite picks in the draft.

[SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, they got them for a little bit of an oversaw deal at a shade under two mill at one seven five, but man.

[SPEAKER_01]: That at eighty seven is what a coup they pulled off because I mean he's a plus strike there are no doubt starter the fastball quality is obviously a little light.

[SPEAKER_01]: Um, but he's got two legit and distinct breaking balls that both drive me swings real four pitch mix.

[SPEAKER_01]: They rounds out with a change up that's a fine fourth offering.

[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I think he's going to pitch the big leagues.

[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think he's going to be a number one or number two starter, but I think he's a really, really good arm and I'm excited to see them develop and because.

[SPEAKER_01]: The Red Sox recently and perhaps underratedly have a really good pitching development department, and they do an excellent job.

[SPEAKER_01]: So these are three really fun arms at the top that they get to work with the kind of mold.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned Ionson.

[SPEAKER_00]: There are a couple other players that fit into a similar sort of bucket for me that are similar to them and just like great values on the college side that I was really surprised to see them last.

[SPEAKER_00]: as long as they did.

[SPEAKER_00]: The other one was Max Ballou, who went in the supplemental second round to the Rockies' seventy-fourth overall pick.

[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, he's a player who we had ranked in a very similar spot to Iinson.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think if he was fully healthy, there's a chance we're talking about like an actual first round pick here.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know how much like the injury with him.

[SPEAKER_00]: was more of a question or just the profile, like some thoughts about whether or not he is going to be a corner player at the next level, but they didn't even have to pay him the huge bonus.

[SPEAKER_00]: It was exactly a slot value, one point one million.

[SPEAKER_00]: At seventy-fourth overall, so it's not even the case where like Ionson, where you're paying a little bit to get him down to you, which again is generally just hard to do.

[SPEAKER_00]: for a college player.

[SPEAKER_00]: The other one, I feel like I've found myself becoming more and more of a fan of this player.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I like him even more now, just given the bonus and the the pick he was selected at, but Alex low D's at sixtieth overall.

[SPEAKER_00]: Like I can understand not wanting to to pull the trigger on him in the first round because there are some just

[SPEAKER_00]: aggressive tendencies to his approach.

[SPEAKER_00]: But I think just toolset performance this spring, I really think he's a good defender at shortstop.

[SPEAKER_00]: I look at the braves getting him the second round, signing him for an under-slot deal.

[SPEAKER_00]: At at six theeth overall, I think that's a tremendous value.

[SPEAKER_00]: Low D's actually checks in as the second best overall value in our class behind Seth Hernandez.

[SPEAKER_00]: But Lewis on that list, I believe.

[SPEAKER_00]: Anthony, yep, Anthony, Iainsen is also on that list.

[SPEAKER_00]: So those are kind of just three of the college guys that I think are excellent values in the top three rounds.

[SPEAKER_00]: kind of surprised they were able to get as far down the board as they did.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm with you.

[SPEAKER_01]: If this is a full video podcast, you'll see one of my one of my cats interrupting.

[SPEAKER_00]: We love that.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm with you.

[SPEAKER_01]: But Lou, I think it a lot of it has to do with the injury and it wasn't just for him at least way dealt with during the season.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think during the fall he got banged up.

[SPEAKER_01]: There was maybe a hammy if you in there.

[SPEAKER_01]: So I think there's a little bit of a

[SPEAKER_01]: of an if you track record of staying on the field and staying healthy and low ds as well.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think value wise.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's outstanding value.

[SPEAKER_01]: The brave's got to pick sixty now.

[SPEAKER_01]: We were in the same camp of.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, first round is a little bit rich for low ds.

[SPEAKER_01]: Lax had ability, but.

[SPEAKER_01]: Stagging him at sixty I'm a huge fan of it because I mean he's in above average defender at short you can feel pretty confident with him sticking at the position.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think the impact and the ability that he has to drive the baseball and we saw this year more than any other year.

[SPEAKER_01]: If him at the amateur level was really, really impressive.

[SPEAKER_01]: So if you can short the hit tool even a little bit and make contact on a consistent basis against pro arms.

[SPEAKER_01]: And like a lot of these guys, particularly against right on right spin and you know, if you can see shapes better.

[SPEAKER_01]: There's a chance for a really enticing profile.

[SPEAKER_01]: So those two stood out to me.

[SPEAKER_01]: And then outside of that, there weren't any like.

[SPEAKER_01]: crazy spots or agreed to spots.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think the fillies get engaged would.

[SPEAKER_01]: At twenty six was also an eight plus pick inside that that first the second round range.

[SPEAKER_01]: I was honestly surprised he lasted that long.

[SPEAKER_01]: I know he's on a rocket ship and had all the momentum in the world and

[SPEAKER_01]: Um, you know, he started out ranked.

[SPEAKER_01]: Well, it's had the first round, but I wouldn't have been surprised.

[SPEAKER_01]: And we were talking about it on one of our podcast leading up to the draft.

[SPEAKER_01]: And if he had gone in the mid teens, I mean, I think the profile with him is really, really exciting.

[SPEAKER_01]: One of the best fastballs in the draft above average curve ball the boot consistently around the strike zone.

[SPEAKER_01]: He has the enough pitch ability where you can command and locate his arsenal enough to worry maximizes it.

[SPEAKER_01]: So

[SPEAKER_01]: I really like that pick as well.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I'm just looking at like how every team spent this year.

[SPEAKER_00]: Once again.

[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, every team is using their full bonus pool.

[SPEAKER_00]: I know there's a lot of fans who think that when you see underslot deals, teams are being cheap.

[SPEAKER_00]: But if you just look at the total pool of spend for every team this year, only three teams didn't spend a full one hundred percent of their pool.

[SPEAKER_00]: If you look at those three teams, basically rounding airs for those, the brewer spent ninety nine point nine percent, the Cardinal spent ninety nine point seven percent.

[SPEAKER_00]: the DBAC spent ninety nine point two percent we had nine teams that went to the full five percent overage that's the guardians the meds the tigers the fillies the blue jays the Dodgers the Orioles the Nationals and the Angels um there were four teams that were just barely outside of that range at four point nine percent overage the Astro's Padres

[SPEAKER_00]: white socks and giants.

[SPEAKER_00]: So nothing too surprising there.

[SPEAKER_00]: Just over four hundred million dollars in total signing bonus spend for the draft this year.

[SPEAKER_00]: We also saw one of the biggest undrafted free agent deals with trace philips with the blue jays or the race.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, with the race excuse me.

[SPEAKER_00]: So second largest undrafted free agent bonus behind just TJ Friedel who was twenty sixteen to the reds.

[SPEAKER_00]: So that was kind of fun to see after the fact is a guy we had ranked inside the top two hundred.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, those are kind of my final thoughts on the draft.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'll let you have the final word Peter on.

[SPEAKER_00]: If there's anything you want to mention before we turn the page to twenty six.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, not to beat a dead horse here because it's already, you know, it's coming gone, but like the narrative of the nationals being cheap and like the whole, I guess, discussion around the E.I.

[SPEAKER_01]: Willets pick is it drove me nuts for probably longer than I'd like to admit, but they took the player that was first on their board, like undoubtedly.

[SPEAKER_01]: Like if Ethan Holiday was the first player on the board,

[SPEAKER_01]: They're going to take him and sign him if Kate Anderson was the number one player on the board.

[SPEAKER_01]: They would take him and sign him to like it just happens to be that Eli will it's it works out well because and rightfully so Eli will it's a really really good player.

[SPEAKER_01]: He was their guy they got their guy.

[SPEAKER_01]: It works out well where they can sign him for an underslot deal and you suck exactly.

[SPEAKER_01]: How they were able to maneuver that and maximize it and runs three through five and get really a trio of high quality prep guys who had buzz significantly higher than where they were drafted.

[SPEAKER_01]: So I like the nationalist class in general, obviously fronted by and led by.

[SPEAKER_01]: They're, they're early round picks, but I, I really like the Eli Willets pick at one offensive profile super enticing defensive skill set and athleticism at short stop is also really appealing.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think he's going to stick there.

[SPEAKER_01]: So just kind of wanted to give them their flowers a little bit.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and it does seem like the nationals have clearly the last two drafts, like just targeting players with context skills has been something of an emphasis or seemingly an emphasis for them.

[SPEAKER_00]: And we talked about it all spring, like there's not a lot separating these top hitters in the class.

[SPEAKER_00]: If you wanted more of a power oriented bat, Ethan Holiday could be your guy.

[SPEAKER_00]: And if you wanted Will, it's whose

[SPEAKER_00]: Just an exceptionally well-rounded player who does a lot of things well, and is now the youngest ever, one-one pick.

[SPEAKER_00]: And that group of players, the youngest ever to go, one-one is a pretty successful group of names.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I also generally like their class, think he like, well, this was more than deserving to be the one-one, and not disparaged as some sort of like cheap cop-out pick.

[SPEAKER_00]: He was ranked number three on our board.

[SPEAKER_00]: Peter, I think you had said multiple times that he was in consideration for the first pick for you.

[SPEAKER_00]: If you were picking there, I'd said throughout the process that if I was taking a hitter, I would take Eli Wilets.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, excited to see what he's going to do, what this class is going to pan out for Washington, because we like the pick individually, the BA board likes the pick, and their class as a whole.

[SPEAKER_00]: We had them as the third best in terms of total BA value, and nearly two million dollars more in value than expected given their bonus pool.

[SPEAKER_00]: So, good host of the nationals for that.

[SPEAKER_00]: And with that, Peter, let us take this twenty twenty five draft.

[SPEAKER_00]: Out of the room, let's move into twenty six.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'm flying out tomorrow as we're recording this to East Coast Pro.

[SPEAKER_00]: Can't wait for that event.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'll do East Coast Pro than Erica's and I you've already been active on the cake.

[SPEAKER_00]: You've been better than me in terms of seeing these twenty six guys.

[SPEAKER_00]: I guess briefly now, we don't need to spend too much time because it has been already thirty minutes on this pod, but I'm all excited for your for twenty twenty six are you because I don't know that I've mentioned it on this podcast specifically, but I think this is the most anticipated draft class I've ever had and that's like dating back to the twenty eighteen, which was my first like full cycle with BA.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think this is the

[SPEAKER_00]: like whether it's just from like hearing you and Ben talk about the players or hearing scouts like really get amped about the high school talent like the high school side in particular is what I'm excited about so these next two weeks it can be a blast for me but where's your head at in terms of anticipation for twenty six?

[SPEAKER_01]: Well, one, I'm jealous that you're going to have an ACP because it's a loaded field, um, truck full of all these, you know, really talented underclassmen.

[SPEAKER_01]: Um, but one, I'm just excited to turn the page and talk about a new group of players.

[SPEAKER_01]: And I think what adds that is the quality of the class.

[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, they've got a ton of juice.

[SPEAKER_01]: Both on the collar side and also the the prep side and the prep side.

[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, there's a there's a ton of town.

[SPEAKER_01]: I like a ton of the college guys as well.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think the top of the classes.

[SPEAKER_01]: Um, you know, it's led by Rock Chalowski and there are a number of guys, um, who could could play their way higher into that range.

[SPEAKER_01]: AJ Grossie is one of them.

[SPEAKER_01]: Justin LeBron's another Derek Creole at LSU.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm curious to see how much impact he grows into, but on record right now my.

[SPEAKER_01]: sleeper one one guy.

[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know how much of a sleeper you can even haul because right now he's he's fourteen th on our on our twenty twenty six combined rankings as if like two weeks ago and it was released but um... sort of straw cider from tcu calling shot now's trust center okay like yeah just a tool shed to the end degree um... it's a ton of fun now skills and tools and and upside and i think i was most encouraged by

[SPEAKER_01]: with the hit tool looked like this spring at TCU.

[SPEAKER_01]: I was kind of one of the the main question marks this one could get a little long and there was some whiff coming at a high school, but he figured really well this spring tons of bats feed plus power the pull side plus arm

[SPEAKER_01]: plus runner, probably profiles best in a corner spot, long term.

[SPEAKER_01]: I guess to take out one of my favorite phrases, like if the hit tool adds a code of polish, I don't think so.

[SPEAKER_01]: But you got off the really slow start to classic freshman growing pains.

[SPEAKER_01]: And then he was hitting a shade under one, seventy in the middle of March.

[SPEAKER_01]: And then he just flipped a switch and went gangbusters, led the country with ten triples.

[SPEAKER_01]: There are just a ton of fun tools here with Strauss and I are now that I'm talking through him.

[SPEAKER_01]: We might even have him a little underranked at fourteen, which is kind of crazy to say, but he very well could play his way into the into the one one convo.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, right now, the one-one combo combo convo.

[SPEAKER_00]: Jeez, I can get through this.

[SPEAKER_00]: I remember that a podcast.

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[SPEAKER_00]: a college shortstop that is as dynamic a prospect as well rounded a prospect at the shortstop position of in the college ranks since i've been doing this at baseball america i i do think looking at some of the top college shortstop profiles to go we've had a lot of really good ones

[SPEAKER_00]: Jacob Wilson was a very unique prospect that certainly didn't have the kind of well-rounded game that rock brings to the table but had this sort of uncanny contact ability that is clearly allowing him to make his market the big lead level right now.

[SPEAKER_00]: Trying to even think through some of the other short stuff that have gone like top ten, top five off the top of my head in the college ranks recently, like Nick Madrigal played the position, but like second base seemed more likely for him.

[SPEAKER_00]: So there really have not been

[SPEAKER_00]: a lot of super elite high-end guys that go in this range from the college shortstop position.

[SPEAKER_00]: I do wonder, like, how we're going to compare Chalaski to guys like Tansby Swanson to guys like Alex Bregman.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's already

[SPEAKER_00]: like added himself to a really elite group of players by winning the BA player of the year award as an underclassman.

[SPEAKER_00]: We've rarely had players do that and that group of players is pretty successful in terms of just like what they went on to do and their big league careers.

[SPEAKER_00]: It really does feel like Rock has gone from top fifty prospect coming out of high school

[SPEAKER_00]: who is really well regarded for defensive ability athleticism, just buttery smooth around the bag, super instinctual player with some offensive tools and now has layered on a lot of conviction and just as overall offensive game with two years of really strong performance, obviously coming off an exceptional year in twenty twenty five, it feels like

[SPEAKER_00]: I remember talking about this class, at this stage last year when we were talking about how there were a lot of players with the question marks in their profiles.

[SPEAKER_00]: To me, Rock is a pretty bulletproof prospect right now, and I wonder if that will just remain to be the case.

[SPEAKER_00]: And if he'll have like a sort of wire to wire, Dylan Cruz, Adley Rushman sort of track for this year's class.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think he kind of fits into that bucket right now.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's hard to argue against it, just given what he did.

[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, he could defend in the big leagues right now.

[SPEAKER_01]: I have no doubt about it.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's a plus, plus defender of shortstop.

[SPEAKER_01]: And it's a whole lot of this is what it looks like arm strength, buttery smooth action, super soft hands.

[SPEAKER_01]: advanced internal clock, like the baseball sense with him is off the charts, both offensively and defensively, like that's a quality that shines across all facets of his game and he grew into a lot more impact.

[SPEAKER_01]: This year, it was consistently on the barrel, I think it's ninety-a-th percentile XIV velocity, it was one of six-five.

[SPEAKER_01]: posted multiple bad at balls over hundred and ten and what's really impressive me he's got plus bad to ball skills on top of his knack for being on the barrel and consistently generating quality contact.

[SPEAKER_01]: He has no issue.

[SPEAKER_01]: pulling the ball in the air and lifting the ball to the pull side, which is a contributing factor in his massive uptick and power.

[SPEAKER_01]: That was huge for him just getting the ball up in the air to the pull side.

[SPEAKER_01]: He handles Velo really well.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think it's all pitch is ninety two plus he hit three, foury.

[SPEAKER_01]: He does have the

[SPEAKER_01]: I think the quality is in the making of of as someone at least in terms of where they're selected of like a Dylan cruise or alley restaurant, even though Dylan didn't go one one.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, just gotta just stay here.

[SPEAKER_00]: These are these are the college short stops.

[SPEAKER_00]: So these are all college players who have at least been selected at short stop who've gone inside the top ten picks.

[SPEAKER_00]: going back to that Dan's response and Alex pregnant draft.

[SPEAKER_00]: So in in twenty twenty five we just had I've our kit seventh overall and twenty four we had JJ weatherhold seventh overall and twenty twenty three we had Jacob Wilson sixth overall and twenty two we had Brooks Lee eight overall

[SPEAKER_00]: In twenty twenty we had Austin Martin and Nick Gonzalez fifth and seventh overall.

[SPEAKER_00]: So Austin Martin is the first like top five player.

[SPEAKER_00]: You have to go back to twenty twenty to get a top five college shortstop.

[SPEAKER_00]: Going further we got twenty eighteen Nick Madrigal fourth overall and I think with both Madrigal and Nick Gonzalez.

[SPEAKER_00]: Most people probably thought they're moving to second base at the next level, or at least there were some questions about that.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then, twenty-fifteen, you get Dan's response and Alex Breggman, first and second, overall.

[SPEAKER_00]: I would expect that we're gonna get our second, I guess, third draft since, twenty-fifteen, with a top five college short stop.

[SPEAKER_00]: Unless, let's rock Chalaski completely falls apart, which I don't anticipate.

[SPEAKER_00]: Seems like it seems like it's a pretty classic one one sort of candidate.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's a really deep, really exciting group of players.

[SPEAKER_01]: So it's a pretty ironclad profile.

[SPEAKER_01]: And I mean, just on the collar side of the top of the class, like it's a, it's a really, really fun group.

[SPEAKER_01]: And there's depth to it as well.

[SPEAKER_01]: Just taking a quick scan through a hundred, like, you know, even guys who are the first handful of players off of it.

[SPEAKER_01]: In a clear picture, we'll be painted of that when the in updated college hundred comes out in a couple of weeks, but you know, hunter car and sitting there at seventy eight jacknatilly at seventy seven.

[SPEAKER_01]: Dalton went some camp closure also in the seventies whole car loans going to be Arizona State's Friday guy plus fastball side or combo.

[SPEAKER_01]: like it's a it's a very exciting group and it doesn't stop on the college side like you know even even me who's pretty college oriented and college centric.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm super juiced up about the prep class.

[SPEAKER_00]: There's just so many up the middle tools, the athletic.

[SPEAKER_00]: high school profiles.

[SPEAKER_00]: Like the Gradie Emerson and Jacob Blombard duo at the very top Tyler Spangler, a short stop at a California.

[SPEAKER_00]: You've got toolsheds like Kevin Roberts, set of Mississippi, Brady Harris, out of Florida.

[SPEAKER_00]: It really does seem like a bit of a resurgence for Florida in particular.

[SPEAKER_00]: There's just a ton of talent in Florida, Joe Rojas left in a picture out of the absolute powerhouse that is dumb and Douglas High in Parkland, Florida.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I'll see basically all those guys over the next few weeks.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm absolutely stoked and I'm sure I'll have much more to say about them when I get back.

[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm jealous, but I got a really good look at Jacob Lombard.

[SPEAKER_01]: You'll see it in Jupiter and October and like the

[SPEAKER_01]: The tools with him are real.

[SPEAKER_01]: I know is kind of a slow circuit form at times.

[SPEAKER_01]: This summer, but it seems like he kind of got going recently, but just elite elite athlete.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm just kind of curious to see how much he hits, but man.

[SPEAKER_01]: He's a, these are really, really fun player, Brady Emerson.

[SPEAKER_01]: Also fits in that bucket.

[SPEAKER_01]: Like those are two, I'd say the two main prepsters along with Spangler that fit in the, in the one one con vote and that top to your right now.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, if you guys want more of a taste of what's coming for twenty-six, definitely would encourage you guys to check out the list that the Peter and Ben were kind of the backbone and putting together for us on the site.

[SPEAKER_00]: There are reports and rankings for all the top one hundred players in the class already, which is a godsend for me.

[SPEAKER_00]: So you guys have basically handed this class to me on a silver platter and make my life a lot easier.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I appreciate that Peter.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's the least we could do.

[SPEAKER_00]: At least we could do.

[SPEAKER_00]: Cool.

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, that's all I got for today.

[SPEAKER_00]: Anything else you want to mention for we get out of here?

[SPEAKER_01]: No, nothing on mine.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'd say the biggest thing is the trade deadline tracker, which is up on baseball, America.com right now.

[SPEAKER_01]: I know I've been using it even the last couple of days to keep up with everything and reading reports on guys.

[SPEAKER_01]: So every trade will be in there and

[SPEAKER_01]: and broken down at least the bigger ones and then yesterday completed the the top one hundred transfer forward rankings.

[SPEAKER_01]: Um fully updated with everyone after the signing deadline.

[SPEAKER_01]: So guys that were previously on there like Ryan Wydeman.

[SPEAKER_01]: Um AJ soldier, et cetera.

[SPEAKER_01]: are no longer on there and they've been replaced last year.

[SPEAKER_01]: It was up at the end of August.

[SPEAKER_01]: We push that up almost a month.

[SPEAKER_01]: So you have full hundred on those guys with reports and then coming down the pike is we both alluded to a college top hundred in a couple weeks for twenty twenty six, a college top fifty by the end of August.

[SPEAKER_01]: So even though the page has kind of turned a little bit in the twenty twenty six cycle is

[SPEAKER_01]: in its infancy stages, there will be no shortage of coverage going on it.

[SPEAKER_01]: Going on around it, we'll get back into a groove here with the draft pod and keep it rolling on a weekly basis.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, absolutely.

[SPEAKER_00]: Cool.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's all I have.

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, I said Peter, thank you guys for listening.

[SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for supporting BA and hanging out.

[SPEAKER_00]: We really appreciate it.

[SPEAKER_00]: Hope you enjoyed the draft, the signing deadline.

[SPEAKER_00]: Hope you guys are excited for twenty, twenty, six.

[SPEAKER_00]: I hope the trade deadline goes good for all of your teams out there if you're looking to get an upgrade or you want some exciting prospects coming back if you're rebuilding.

[SPEAKER_00]: Best of luck to see you guys on that front.

[SPEAKER_00]: So for Peter, I'm Carlos, so long everybody.