[SPEAKER_02]: Hey everybody, J.J.

[SPEAKER_02]: Cooper, hazus could know baseball, America Prospect podcast.

[SPEAKER_02]: And today, we are diving into some of the lesser scene aspects of the season.

[SPEAKER_02]: Hazus basically gets to see more good baseball, more significant baseball with fewer people at it than anyone pretty much I know.

[SPEAKER_02]: Well, Bill Mitchell for us also, I would say, checks that same box, our longtime Phoenix resident.

[SPEAKER_02]: before we get into talk about instructional league, some of the names who stood out, some of the draftees, international links, no, and all that.

[SPEAKER_02]: You also went to something that is a little bit more seen recently.

[SPEAKER_02]: Just got back from the Triple A National Championship game and, you know, the key thing in the game like that is, is you want it to be memorable and man that ended up being memorable, didn't it?

[SPEAKER_03]: It didn't have to be memorable.

[SPEAKER_03]: I went to the Triple A Championship last year and off the top of my bat, I forget who won.

[SPEAKER_03]: This one is going to be a game that, you know, I will, I will look back on it and just be like, man, do you remember that Triple A national championship?

[SPEAKER_03]: Yes, we did.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, just everything happening.

[SPEAKER_03]: The last two innings, you know it with Brian Love's status, you know, go ahead home or after the ABators were down, five runs and came back with the 7 to 6 lead.

[SPEAKER_03]: And then Jacob Barry with the walk off home run, which first of all was the Jacksonville jumbo shrimp walking off the Las Vegas ABators at Las Vegas ballpark.

[SPEAKER_03]: And that's because for the for the purposes of the game, they were the home team in Las Vegas was the away team.

[SPEAKER_03]: So that'll be maybe the only instance you might ever see that ever again, but it was a memorable game celebration after got a good story up in a lot of good video on our social media at Baseball America.

[SPEAKER_03]: We've got both of those homers on our on our social and yeah, me just I'm

[SPEAKER_03]: I'm hoping I don't know what the official word is, but I'm hoping that game happens in Las Vegas again because I try to find any excuse to go to that stadium because that is just a, I've been to very, not as many minor league stadiums as yourself for other people, but top notch.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, just a great place, and not major league baseball play in their last year when the A's are there for two home stands.

[SPEAKER_03]: But yeah, it was such a fun experience and really they did a good job with the broadcast and just trying to grow the fan base a little bit more with minor league baseball, especially with such an important slate of Saturday games going on.

[SPEAKER_03]: Everything was well-rounded and yeah, I mean, check out the coverage at baseball america.com and it was it was a fun time, man.

[SPEAKER_02]: So I was thinking back when you said that, I went to a few over the years, and I remember one in Columbus, Memphis, 14, Durham, four.

[SPEAKER_02]: And one of the things I love about you look back at those games, and oh, who stood out?

[SPEAKER_02]: And it's like, oh, Randy Rosarina was three for four in that game with a pair of doubles, you know, Giovanni Gallegos, you know, closed it out for Memphis.

[SPEAKER_02]: You had, you know, Jake Cronenworth, who were watching earlier today as we record this in the, for the hundreds.

[SPEAKER_02]: Like there's always guys, you're like, oh, yeah, I remember Lane Thomas was in that game.

[SPEAKER_02]: And that's kind of one of the cool things is you never know, you know, some of them and then you look back on it again later and you're like, oh, I forgot that I also saw going to but that's like I said that is the that was on TV.

[SPEAKER_02]: That was the public game for everyone.

[SPEAKER_02]: You've been spending a lot of times, and I want to say when I say backfields, backfields primarily, right, with the instructional league.

[SPEAKER_02]: So if you could kind of start this by instructional league's been going on for a very long time, but it's kind of I would say changed over the years somewhat.

[SPEAKER_02]: You spiel a little bit more games, more rigid than it is now.

[SPEAKER_02]: You're going to instructional league now, kind of explain what instructional league's like in 2025.

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, so instructionally I think is you know a little bit different than what it was in the past I think before we explained what instructionally it's important to explain what the bridge league and the continuation camp was which for all of our readers at baseball America you saw me read the stuff out there basically will bridgely continuation campers is essentially you know a mini league you know hence the word bridge.

[SPEAKER_03]: I have to help out a lot of the recently drafted guys and some ACL FCO guys who did not get sent over to the next uh to affiliate ball right away to just essentially bridge that gap at the professional baseball get that ace some player state there the entire way some players get sent out to affiliates after a couple of games so that's kind of what it is and so originally essentially sends up what instructionally is right so it starts really towards maybe the last

[SPEAKER_03]: It's essentially, you know, for whoever finishes their season early and still want to get early looks mainly for a lot of the lower level prospects, you know, you're high, you're low ways, you're high A's, you know, and you're in some of your AA players, but also some of your international players who come over from the United States, from the Dominican Summer League for the first time, and they're playing on these games primarily on the back fields.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think the brewers have been the only teams so far who have played games at the stadiums and maybe here or there, you'll get a game in

[SPEAKER_03]: prize at those statements, but mainly they're on the back fields.

[SPEAKER_03]: And they're just essentially, you know, for these teams, these organizations, these player development to go on things and work on stuff that stay sought from some of their players who either played a full season, maybe a couple of weeks of affiliate ball and just incorporate a lot of the things that they saw there to the games back here in a low pressure environment, which is more of a, if you'll sometimes more of a practice, right, because it'll be situational ball and ball, you know, of course it'll be, you know,

[SPEAKER_03]: pictures will go three or four batters within the end to be able to get any counts and stuff like that.

[SPEAKER_03]: So we'll see this a lot at sometimes on the role that we're done with this role.

[SPEAKER_03]: It is one of the best words you can hear especially after the ACL where some of those endings went on forever.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean we're talking 20 30 minute half an inch and sometimes you see these endings just roll in.

[SPEAKER_03]: It's like okay we're closer.

[SPEAKER_03]: one step closer.

[SPEAKER_03]: So that's what Bridgety and Instructional League is.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think right now, I mean, some players, I mean, some teams still have instruction relate.

[SPEAKER_03]: I know that angels had a late start that giants are going through it.

[SPEAKER_03]: There's going to be the Rockies and the, in the podries are playing a couple of games.

[SPEAKER_02]: So we're actually still have one more week at least instruction.

[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know how to games.

[SPEAKER_02]: But

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, yeah, and they had a pretty loaded lineup today from what I saw Frodo Duno came Collier, a Neville, Key and Boone, a couple of their other players were there.

[SPEAKER_03]: So it was a pretty stack lineup, but it's like mentioned like, you know, they're these recently drafted guys playing on these backfields and like, you know, outside of scouts and player off and player development, there really isn't anybody else out there.

[SPEAKER_03]: So it's crazy to the amount of access you have to be able to watch these guys play, you know, and it sets up a lot of them before the Arizona

[SPEAKER_03]: And yeah, I mean, it's it's it's been the great experience.

[SPEAKER_03]: I've looked here in Arizona for two years before I was at MLB dot com, but now working it specifically, you know, on the prospect side of things.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, this has a build like a different you learned so much being back there, whether it's just conversations you hear within the players, you know, when they're talking about what to expect from matter what the coaches tell the master country and the dugout.

[SPEAKER_03]: even with scouts have to say like if you truly want to learn so much more baseball to the next level you learn a lot of stuff at those backfields the same way for me as a recorder and definitely for the way the players for transitioning into professional baseball are doing so.

[SPEAKER_02]: So like you said there's a lot of instruction to this.

[SPEAKER_02]: That's where I would say one of the things that I do think that has changed somewhat and I think there's an intentionality to it.

[SPEAKER_02]: There's always been instruction like there's always been some players are working on certain

[SPEAKER_02]: It's become, I think, a little less formal, like you said, there are still games, but there are some teams that are playing, like, probably if I'm wrong, but are playing games against other opponents regularly.

[SPEAKER_02]: And others that are keeping it a little bit closer to home and kind of like, I know it's going on a good bit of Florida for what I've heard.

[SPEAKER_02]: It's like, where's like, the real focus is, is trying to make sure that they're, you know, whether it's today we're working on X, today we're working on Y.

[SPEAKER_02]: yeah, whatever it is.

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, no for sure.

[SPEAKER_03]: Like for example, the brewers during instructional league only played interest squad games.

[SPEAKER_03]: They did not play anybody else, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: They just placed off against each other because it's the environment they wanted to be in.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, you get situational, you know, positions for hitters, for defenses and all that type of stuff to go to too.

[SPEAKER_03]: But also you see the same carousel of teams playing each other, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: Like I know, and I know, you know, it's not floored, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: Where it's three, four hours away from

[SPEAKER_03]: teams play the East Valley teams, a lot of the West Valley teams play the West Valley teams.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think there's a good advantage that is kind of when teams start to see each other playing a little bit more.

[SPEAKER_03]: It kind of makes that joint practice feeling a little bit too.

[SPEAKER_03]: I was talking to a scout on the backfield, not too long ago, who was telling me, you know, when he was working for the Braids back in the day, you know, they'd have these type of joint practices at their respective facility, wherever they were.

[SPEAKER_03]: to kind of be able to do that.

[SPEAKER_03]: And he's seeing a little bit of glimpse of that and instructionally now with all these joint circles and pods and stuff like that that are together too.

[SPEAKER_03]: So I think it's it's a great opportunity obviously for the players too, but I think we're having the player development to see a lot of these pressure younger guys who are coming off after, you know, for some of them, the first professional season.

[SPEAKER_03]: It's the most competitive baseball they played all year and incorporate that stuff before they send them off, you know,

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, recuperate relax rest, which is very important.

[SPEAKER_03]: Rescue is very important.

[SPEAKER_03]: Getting the mental side of things is important, but have those things heading into the off-season to be able to incorporate once they come back in early February, back down here.

[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, AJ, our slab pack ripping continues now.

[SPEAKER_01]: You just ripped a card that I think you're actually going to keep.

[SPEAKER_00]: I am.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to keep it.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's a Ken Murphy Junior rookie card.

[SPEAKER_00]: The old business, the famous upper deck one I believe it is.

[SPEAKER_00]: And yeah, heck yeah, I'm gonna keep it because I'm gonna get griffy to sign.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'm gonna get him to send it to me what you can do.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm gonna get griffy to sign it and that's only gonna make it worth more.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I am all in on this card, I'm keeping it and it is one of the coolest cards with the highest turtleneck you've ever seen and the gold chain around is neck.

[SPEAKER_01]: Grated 9, 1989, upper deck, you get the offer for 179.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's valued at around $1.99.

[SPEAKER_01]: You're like, nah, I'm keeping it.

[SPEAKER_01]: But if you wanted to sell it back instantly, you can.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And you can do the same.

[SPEAKER_01]: 20% off your first slap hack or card purchase can happen for you.

[SPEAKER_01]: If you go to arenaclub.com slash foul and use the code F-O-U-L.

[SPEAKER_02]: But the key thing that we know a lot of you all are listening and watching for is, okay, that's great.

[SPEAKER_02]: That's the basis of this.

[SPEAKER_02]: But let's talk about some of the players.

[SPEAKER_02]: And that's kind of one of the key things here, which is obviously a lot of these players.

[SPEAKER_02]: We did see them get snippets in the minor leagues this year.

[SPEAKER_02]: But well, something in some cases, some cases, no, some cases, it is this.

[SPEAKER_02]: But

[SPEAKER_02]: Let's talk about some of the first rounders that you've seen out there.

[SPEAKER_02]: Let's start near the top of the draft.

[SPEAKER_02]: Ethan Holiday, I would say that his minor league debut was a little bit more strikeout prone, then ideal, more swing and miss.

[SPEAKER_02]: I think that's going to be an off season to do item going into next year.

[SPEAKER_02]: You know, we've seen this with the holidays in the past.

[SPEAKER_02]: We saw this with Jackson basically realizing he needed to make adjustments and then coming back the next year better because of it.

[SPEAKER_02]: Ethan's, I think, got some of that, you know, like in his offseason ahead of him as well.

[SPEAKER_02]: But what have you seen out there for me to hold it?

[SPEAKER_03]: All right, I'm gonna take a time out real quick because I'm gonna put Zoe in the room real quick.

[SPEAKER_03]: No problem.

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I mean, in regards to Ethan Holiday, I think you know what you said is kind of on the nose.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think one important thing to remember, especially more than anything for a lot of the high school baseball players who got drafted this year is they've been working at it nonstop throughout the circuits, you know, and everything that comes with high school ball and just a very big transition in their life that's going from graduating high school to immediately starting professional baseball.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think you see a lot of fatigue within a lot of those high school players to be specific, too, because it's the most amount of work they've ever done.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think you kind of saw that in a couple of the debuts, if we're talking about eat that holiday specific, there was a big adjustment that comes with with professional baseball, especially going to all the way to low way, you know, right away, being involved in a playoff hunt with the Fresno Grizzlies and everything that comes to it.

[SPEAKER_03]: From the snippets that I was able to see him though is for one much bigger than Jackson holiday.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, he is I would say the more physically developed and then his older brother and just looking at his swing, you know early on.

[SPEAKER_03]: I got to see him for two games before he eventually got promoted to low A.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think, you know, you can tell that he's a ball player and has a lot of good stuff going on for him too.

[SPEAKER_03]: But more than anything, man, I think it's the swing.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think there's going to be need to be a Justin's put a lot of swing stuff going on.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think his swing might need to get shorter over time.

[SPEAKER_03]: And obviously, you know, the sample sizes so small, whatever thing that you've been able to see.

[SPEAKER_03]: but on the defensive side of the ball, he was able to hold his own with everything that was going on down there.

[SPEAKER_03]: Man, I mean, Granite was only two weeks and I've actually gone to see him a little bit now on the instructional league a little bit more.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I think for him, the important thing for him is that you see him holding on, you see him doing, which is what you want to see, you know, from your, from the fourth overall pick and your first round pick for the Rockies, which, you know, is very important for them, given everything that's gone on with the farm system for the past

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, as somebody who is doing the Rock East Top 30 for the mid-season up, they am doing the handbook season, it seems like the disorganizations kind of on the rise when it comes to stuff like that, but it's going to be the key thing that we've discussed year after year after year is once they get it to the majors, are we going to see the results?

[SPEAKER_03]: But I think there's a lot of things to be excited about when it comes to these players.

[SPEAKER_02]: I'm going to have a little more cautious with them.

[SPEAKER_02]: I think that they need to do a better job of developing hitters.

[SPEAKER_02]: The tough thing about that is, is that Charlie Condensier looks worse when you compare it to, say, a Nick Kurtz, the other Tom Powell.

[SPEAKER_02]: And again, I'm not saying, we don't expect every rookie to go out there, draft you to go out there and hit 36 numbers in the majors within the year after the draft.

[SPEAKER_02]: That's not a, that's an unrealistic, but, but Condens like the power again, he had wrist injuries in all this year, but we need to see more power next year.

[SPEAKER_02]: They were at an unsustainable rate this year.

[SPEAKER_02]: It was a small sample.

[SPEAKER_02]: It is something that you are hoping, like, we root for prospects.

[SPEAKER_02]: You're hoping that next year he will improve that.

[SPEAKER_02]: But it is something where it is a little bit worrisome just from the standpoint of like, those are things that you don't wanna see like you're in your pro debut.

[SPEAKER_02]: When you like said it instructs, are you seeing a little bit more contact?

[SPEAKER_02]: Cause I know that again, that was something we were seeing a little bit and originally too.

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, we are seeing a little bit more contact.

[SPEAKER_03]: I've seen, I think the rock is maybe one of the teams I've seen the most since obviously that has to do with being my organization.

[SPEAKER_03]: But it's one of the teams I've seen the most and I think there has been a different side of holiday that I've seen since the one that got drafted, you know, straight out and was playing in the in the originally right away.

[SPEAKER_03]: There has been a little bit more contact to it and a lot of deeper counts.

[SPEAKER_03]: I feel like whenever especially taking video, I felt like I would only get maybe

[SPEAKER_03]: one or two good swings from holiday, whether it was either a with or just making contact to stay alive.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think we're seeing going a lot of deeper into counts of being a little bit more selective.

[SPEAKER_03]: And since the urgency when it comes to getting deep into the counts, I think I certainly saw that throughout the first, throughout the couple games that I've seen at Instruct so far.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I'll get another look at them this upcoming Thursday because they're playing on the watching them against the podries down here at Salt River Field.

[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, so what about Billy Carlson, another of these high school shortstop, you know, top of the draft picks, what have you seen from Billy between bridge and in instructs?

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, so the white sobs didn't have your traditional instruct league.

[SPEAKER_03]: It was them, the mariners, and the d-backs, and the guardians I want to say that didn't have instructs.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I got to see Billy Carlson.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, quite a lot at the beginning of the of the British, as soon as it opened up.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think the big thing for him, you know, is defense.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, the bats there, but I want to talk about defensively as first.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, you look at his arm and you look at the way he's able to play the position.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think, you know, you mentioned JJ that there's a lot of good baseball playback here, but there's also a lot of bad baseball playback here with defense, with base running.

[SPEAKER_03]: It's just stuff that you don't see in the majors, and that's a reason why they're in the majors.

[SPEAKER_03]: But a lot of these guys, you know, you see routine ground balls that should be easy, slam dunk, you know, throw the first stand.

[SPEAKER_03]: It turns into this whole thing.

[SPEAKER_03]: We're extending it in a lot more.

[SPEAKER_03]: I didn't see that with Carlson a lot.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, I feel like he was really agile at the position.

[SPEAKER_03]: And kind of moved out there, I would say close to a major leader, but definitely close to somebody who has quite a lot of experience playing professional baseball, you know, at short stuff.

[SPEAKER_03]: So on the defensive side, I think I was impressed with him as one of the better defensive players in the entire bridge league, but the bat, I think there was a couple of times, you know, I went out to watch him and he drawn a box, but there would be a hit, there was one day I had where he was able to drag three hits and it was through, you know, all oversized of the field and stuff like that.

[SPEAKER_03]: and and talking to the white socks farm director Paul Yanish.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think that's something that he was really impressed about the most of him and me and him were watching Carlson going on at the same time too.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think one thing that really stands out just because as a reporter, you're able to see them make up a little bit more when you talk to these players.

[SPEAKER_03]: Is the way he's so inquisitive about the game and just questions like he was consistently asking, you know, in the dugout to his manager to his coaches to his teammates.

[SPEAKER_03]: Just about how to make that a Jefferson even better on a thing for the white socks, especially in the state that they're given in with what's going on at the major league level.

[SPEAKER_03]: Having your high school guy, your first round draft break on this past year and here and things like that.

[SPEAKER_03]: from, you know, the farm director right away and seeing that firsthand is a really encouraging sign.

[SPEAKER_03]: Obviously Carlson didn't get assigned to a low to a affiliate ball this year and that was going to be the case for all of their recently high school players at least from what Yonnis told me and we saw that and stuff like that.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I think it builds a good foundation for what they have this upcoming year.

[SPEAKER_03]: Though I saw I've had a pretty interesting line up every time I was out there, I think it was one of the more appealing lines that they had not just from the Carlson standpoint, but a lot of their draft fix, but also some of their ACL DSO guys that came over that they were able to retain.

[SPEAKER_02]: And keeping it in the first round, keeping it in first round high school short stops.

[SPEAKER_02]: What about steel hull?

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, so Steve Hall was actually the first, you know, draft pick that I got to see, you know, opening day at the good year complex for the reds and and the wife sucks where I saw Carlson too.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, speed man speed speed speed speed it's insanely quick.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think I was watching the game with Bill Mitchell down there and we were just impressed how he was able to beat out a what looked like a routine, you know.

[SPEAKER_03]: and field hit, you know, with a 3.9 speed to be able to get the first base and we were all like, wow, that is insanely quick, that is insanely fast.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I think for Hall specifically, you know, I think it was similar to Carlson, a plus short stop defender with fluid, but word, shorter you quickness and a really strong arm.

[SPEAKER_03]: But when you look at the bat from a lot of scouts that I've been able to talk to, that there's a little bit of aggressiveness and there's a quick

[SPEAKER_03]: is really good to see him take hacks and take a lot of swings in the zone where they makes contact or not you want to be able to hit those balls into the zone and I think against the pitching that he was able to face that he was able to hold his own against them too.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, I think there is more a bit hit over power profile when it comes to him right now in the instance that I've seen him so far.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I think there is a lot of potential for him to grow.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, you look at it.

[SPEAKER_03]: I always forget, you know, as I'm learning through this evaluation side that when you look at guys who are they right now, they're going to grow.

[SPEAKER_03]: They're going to have a couple of pounds of muscle down the road.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think for Carl so as he begins to develop a little bit more, I think we

[SPEAKER_03]: could see a little bit of a power spike up a little bit more.

[SPEAKER_03]: But overall, I mean, he was a really excited player at the watch and he was always a player always in the lineup where there was batty lead-off, but herbs batting cleanup.

[SPEAKER_03]: It seemed like there was a lot of versatility for him being put out there whenever he was out playing for the reds.

[SPEAKER_02]: So we've gotten through some of the first founders, but I think that maybe the most interesting guy that you got to see is one of the few we could say true two-way players who are still doing it in pro ball and we'll get to that right after this quick break.

[SPEAKER_02]: And we're back.

[SPEAKER_02]: So Jesus, okay, I gotta ask you Joshua Wins,

[SPEAKER_02]: We see us every now and then, right?

[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, show you, Tony is the guy.

[SPEAKER_02]: He's the two-way, he's the two-way star.

[SPEAKER_02]: But is there anyone else out there who can at least give it a run?

[SPEAKER_02]: Not to be show you, Tony, but to be plausible as both on the mound and as a hitter?

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, I think there's two players in the instructionally that I saw going on, but we're going to talk about Joshua and right now because I think if there would to be a standout player.

[SPEAKER_03]: Award given out within the bridge league instructionally, I think it has to be Joshua and do you know he wasn't even their first round pick.

[SPEAKER_03]: Um, but he was the guy that stood out in count, you know, when I talked to Schaustier, be a lot of Schaustier would tell me you need to go out to surprise the, to watch Owens play.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I got to see him as a hitter to begin with, um, and I think that, you know, who's one of the more impressive hitters in the lineup.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, you look at his advanced tools said he shows a lot of gap to,

[SPEAKER_03]: get power has a lot of natural veric control and an advanced field for the strike.

[SPEAKER_03]: So from what I was able to see.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I got to see my earlier two during the draft combine here at Chase field with Carlos Colazo and Bill Mitchell and we were watching his batting practice and he was ripping up exit velocities as high up as 180 miles per hour.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think he is a very developed hitter obviously high school.

[SPEAKER_03]: hitter has a lot more work to do but I think the polish was there to go and then I got to see him pitch for the first time a week ago and granted it was just in the inning I think it was just three batters but I think you look at the way he's able to he kind of has a little bit of a sidearm delivery you know he doesn't have your traditional three quarter slaughter anything like that

[SPEAKER_03]: And he was able to move through hitters.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, he had his fast level sitting in the mid 90s with arm sight life.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I also got to see him pull out his sharp slider a couple times.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, and I think he, he was really impressive and in talking to a lot of different scouts too, when I'm asking, do you guys think he genuinely has the potential to be a two-way player?

[SPEAKER_03]: Because you see a lot of teams, you know, taking the gamble and a lot of these high school and international guys that come in as two-way players take the gamble maybe after your year or so, you know, they give up on them.

[SPEAKER_03]: In talking to scouts, a lot of them think that Josh Owens has the potential to have a pretty deep run, you know, as a two way player, you know, maybe on not the level as like show, hey, or time, right, because that's a unicorn.

[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, no, let's.

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[SPEAKER_03]: That's one of a kind right, but as somebody who could be effective, you know, I don't think we've seen, we haven't seen anybody that's been a two way player that can play at the highest level possible.

[SPEAKER_03]: But a lot of people are are, you know, there's a lot of helium when it comes to Josh Owens, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: and he went up to Lowe this past year and I mean this past season and he, you know, did it both way.

[SPEAKER_03]: He hit and he, he pitched there too.

[SPEAKER_03]: So I think it's a lot of encouragement right there too when it comes to job show.

[SPEAKER_03]: And so I think like I mentioned, he was a big camp standout and you know, look forward to see what he can do in the first year of professional baseball.

[SPEAKER_02]: I would say with him like the thing that will walk because you said we do see multiple guys who they dabble right they start out their career doing it and it's just really hard that the the next step is to me a lot of times where it becomes much harder you know like when you're in the complex you can kind of

[SPEAKER_02]: divide up the season and it's, it's a little easier.

[SPEAKER_02]: But then you get to, you know, I would say that what you kind of get to that point where you say, okay, now, how are you going to pit?

[SPEAKER_02]: Like you, you almost become a DA try it away.

[SPEAKER_02]: If you're going to do it.

[SPEAKER_02]: Like we saw this Mason win.

[SPEAKER_02]: Mason win arrived as a two way player.

[SPEAKER_02]: It was going to pitch and he was going to play shortstop.

[SPEAKER_02]: But,

[SPEAKER_02]: ended up playing shortstop because it's really how to play shortstop and pitch, um, you know, uh, we have guys like a Changlin with the, uh, reds like is a guy who, last year was primarily uh, Peter outfield or third baseman.

[SPEAKER_02]: This year is primarily a pitcher and it looks like that's maybe his path long-term.

[SPEAKER_02]: Now, it's just hard to figure out how you're going to give you everything up, but let's see if Joshua wins can do it.

[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, these other guys we're going to talk about that also stood out are not guys who we have for about that.

[SPEAKER_02]: Cruise school, Crafton, I know you've seen him hit in high school.

[SPEAKER_02]: We don't have to worry about that anymore.

[SPEAKER_02]: He's a pitcher.

[SPEAKER_02]: But what did you see from schoolcraft?

[SPEAKER_03]: So yeah, I think it's important for me, you know, as I go through this for the first time, I got to see crew schoolcraft play in a big prep tournament going down here in Arizona.

[SPEAKER_03]: I got to see him down in Chandler.

[SPEAKER_03]: And that was my initial view at him, man.

[SPEAKER_03]: Granny, it was just one, a couple of endings, but he was really struggling with command.

[SPEAKER_03]: And you know, in that, in a, you know, there was a lot of balls in the dirt, a lot of balls outside, um, and the team he was playing wasn't necessarily too competitive, but they were able to get hits off of him left and right.

[SPEAKER_03]: And seeing, you know, him and his, and his, not professional, they be, but see them in this, and there's a,

[SPEAKER_03]: originally constructionally debut.

[SPEAKER_03]: There was a lot of hype around him when being able to watch and play, you know, I wrote a story about him earlier in the year.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, earlier in the season about what he was able to do, just immediately after the outing soft advice from veteran scout Ron Rizzi about his pro debut.

[SPEAKER_03]: and you look at him and a guy that I see a lot in cruise school, a cruise school craft and something that I talked to with a lot of the scouts to when I come up with my own comp, just to make sure that I'm not just how to de-ordinary, but I see a lot of AJ puck in him.

[SPEAKER_03]: Obviously a guy who at one point as a prepster was a two-way player, solidified himself as a starter at Florida and now

[SPEAKER_03]: more of a reliever that could turn into a closer now on the shelf with the diamond backs, but there's a lot of that similar profile on him too.

[SPEAKER_03]: The fastball was heavy, was high, you know, 97, 99 miles per hour in the start that it was able to see him play.

[SPEAKER_03]: He's made two starts since then.

[SPEAKER_03]: And he also flashed out his change up the one thing I didn't get to see was his slider, which was a pitch that I saw in when he made his high school start earlier in the year and that was kind of a pitch that I want to see where it was.

[SPEAKER_03]: But in talking to different scouts and stuff like that, there's just no reason to throw that slider when he was facing a bunch of right-handed hitters.

[SPEAKER_03]: It just wasn't allowed for the situation about so it's not like they're hiding it or they're letting

[SPEAKER_03]: the work on that it was in the situation going on too.

[SPEAKER_03]: So I mean it was really encouraging to see I think a lot of people within the podries organization that I talked to were very surprised and we're very excited that they were able to land them there and eventually he spent I think in any near two in low way look like Elsa to be able to picture them but it sounds like the plan for him next year to start at the level next year and for a

[SPEAKER_03]: for a pod race system that absolutely depleted their farm system for all the trade deadline moves that they were able to make.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think it's a really encouraging time to see what cool schoolcraft was able to pull out this year.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think heading into the upcoming season, you know, there's still no things to work on, obviously with any patrons stuff like that.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I think there's a lot of really good better things coming out of this first start compared to bad things.

[SPEAKER_02]: So what about we, you've all talked a little bit about white socks, but what about Jaden Faske, their second rounder.

[SPEAKER_02]: Here's another guy I seem like he was one of the, the standouts that you saw.

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, and, you know, just like I was talking to Polyonish about him, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: He, the big thing that he thought about a him is he was the guy from day one to start taking that leadership role a little bit more among the new draft.

[SPEAKER_03]: They don't know the new draft these.

[SPEAKER_03]: And that was just something that stood out to them right away because it can firm everything that they sound their makeup and stuff like that.

[SPEAKER_03]: When looking at Foski, I think he was a really good get for the white socks and the location that they were in, you know, polished, looked handed back, smooth, really good swing, with excellent play coverage and high contact right from what I was able to see in the, you know, a couple of games at the beginning.

[SPEAKER_03]: and a really good feel for the zone, which you don't see a lot in a lot of high school players, but he had a really good feel for the zone and growing into his body, but he did show a little bit of a plus power.

[SPEAKER_03]: I didn't seem to hit any home runs, but I did see a couple of balls who, you know, if they were playing in a couple other major league parts would have left there and I think for a high school player to see that power come up for him and the slot that he was taken.

[SPEAKER_03]: was very impressive.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think also defensively too, like defensively, like I really like what I saw from him too.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, I think while, you know, he used to be a below average runner, I saw a little bit of speed for him to come out in center field.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think that was like one

[SPEAKER_03]: question that was looming as I was doing my research heading into the bridge deconstructionally.

[SPEAKER_03]: But from what I saw right out there the base running was great the defense was great and there's a lot of poise in hand from a lot of people from from Paul Yhoners to be specifically with within the white socks organization that's seen a lot of good results on him.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I would say, you know, Izia can't stand up for the white socks, potentially I think him and Billy Carlson will broke up there too, but to have a high school guy that choose sign for and stuff like that, especially because he still has room to grow into a plus raw power like a 20 to 25 home range, I think the results are very encouraging.

[SPEAKER_02]: So, but.

[SPEAKER_02]: Probably even the guys I'm more enrusted here about is for some guys this is their first chance to come over to the states from the DSL from signing internationally Located plain to DSL and then come over and kind of get their further feet wet in Arizona that's prepping them really for going into next year

[SPEAKER_02]: And that's where you get, I mean, you're getting your first eyes on these guys too.

[SPEAKER_02]: You have an advantage over me in that, you know, there are guys that you can converse with much more easily than I can, because my Espanol is terrible, but but I, we've got to start with, okay, I'll let you tee it up, but I know which way you're going to go.

[SPEAKER_02]: Who stood out to you?

[SPEAKER_03]: guy right away, Joe's work, Joe's work in Dallas from the Giants.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, there's, you know, it's, I think it's, it's very, I've only been here for, I mean, close to a year now.

[SPEAKER_03]: But how, how rare is it to have a guy who's only played DSL in the top 100.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, it's at something pretty rare to happen.

[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, a couple of times, but not often.

[SPEAKER_02]: And why don't we grow junior did it.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I remember vividly the day that I was sitting at this desk behind me.

[SPEAKER_03]: I was doing a work thinking, I was like, oh, let me take a day off.

[SPEAKER_03]: And then I get a text message from a scout saying, hey, Joe Swords and the line up for the Giants and Tempe, which is five minutes away from where I live.

[SPEAKER_03]: And it was like nine, 20.

[SPEAKER_03]: And it was no, it was like 10, 20, the game started 11.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I packed everything I could and headed down there.

[SPEAKER_02]: Because if I remember correctly, how that day went?

[SPEAKER_03]: you were already like wait there was someone playing for the brewers and you were like I could go check out that and then we heard Joss Warren is like nope Joss Warren there we go Yes exactly that's what was happening and it's uh yeah and like it I mean right away he got two hits that day and you just see it and it was just like he made that transition just looks so smooth so easily against uh

[SPEAKER_03]: the ink against the angels pictures that they had right there and it was just kind of, I mean, I didn't expect it to happen.

[SPEAKER_03]: I didn't expect them to be there, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: And then just be able to see play because you see the video, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: You see with Josh Norris, right, you see in the, you hear the conversations you have with it, but seeing them, it's like, wow,

[SPEAKER_03]: contact contact contact like it's it's I don't know how many times he he missed uh he with when he was playing out there it seemed like no matter what it was you know he had contact every single step of the way and also the speed oh my god it's it's you know it's crazy that the moment he got on the bass paths how

[SPEAKER_03]: how much attention will be brought on to him from the picture from the battery, you know, it's it's in to see him go and and steal a bunch of bases to and see the work at the fence at short stop too.

[SPEAKER_03]: Like he is everything that you know, I had hoped for and you know, I just, you know, he's an age.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think he said there's 17 or 18 years old there's a lot more stuff to you.

[SPEAKER_03]: Yes, exactly like there's a lot more stuff to come through and the other thing too, one thing to point out, JJ is I got to see in a second time against the ace and in that game.

[SPEAKER_02]: inside the park humor opposite fuel homeer and if you're watching this on YouTube you're watching those because you know you were there you got video of them but yeah like that I mean when you're talking about play days you dream of this is like hey I'm gonna go see one of the best young prospects in the game I hope he does something today no he didn't do something he did two different spectacular things

[SPEAKER_02]: the body, the feel, the maturity, you know, it just, a lot of boxes are checked there.

[SPEAKER_02]: But I would also say, a little bit of a tougher evaluation, but a very interesting one is Eggher Monteiro.

[SPEAKER_02]: Now, in Joshua's case, he was the guy who,

[SPEAKER_02]: was a big money dude, was a very prominent signing, you know, January, part of the January class goes to the DSL and it's like, oh no, no, no, we thought he was here which was already very high and he took a step further than that.

[SPEAKER_02]: In Montero's case, he's kind of something we're seeing more of now, which is the last year he was a DSL guy.

[SPEAKER_02]: This year he was a DSL guy, second year DSL, and everything really emerged this year.

[SPEAKER_02]: So then he comes to the states, having kind of in his second try of the DSL, 10 years ago, that would have been like a second year in the DSL.

[SPEAKER_02]: But now, with how it works with the 165 and the minute you set foot in the states, you are counting as one of the roster, you know, the roster, the major league, roster limits for the minor leagues.

[SPEAKER_02]: It's something where teams are a little bit more hesitant to push guys until they're really ready.

[SPEAKER_02]: when you saw that looks like Edgar Montero is ready now for the states.

[SPEAKER_03]: No, yeah.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, he's definitely ready.

[SPEAKER_03]: The one thing I will say is that the A's were a little bit more conservative.

[SPEAKER_03]: What did him?

[SPEAKER_03]: He wasn't playing in games.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, Joe Saur was playing in games every day.

[SPEAKER_03]: Every time there was a game, he was in the lineup.

[SPEAKER_03]: I would say Montero was playing maybe once, maybe twice a week.

[SPEAKER_03]: That would be pushing it.

[SPEAKER_03]: Everything else would be interscored.

[SPEAKER_03]: Worker just work on the field and stuff like that.

[SPEAKER_03]: Just because the A's are a little bit more.

[SPEAKER_03]: Cauchas, especially the given the track record or the international signings in the past, now that they've been able to find out your Monterey on the way he's been able to play and produce so far.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, and I've actually, you know, with Joe Swar, too, but I actually got to speak to Edber Monterey, and I got to speak to him in Spanish, which you know, it's always great to see that sign of relief from him when he's able to talk somebody in his native town.

[SPEAKER_03]: But also, too, I mean, for him just being 18 years old, I mean, that's uh, there's a lot of maturi on this, you know, it's, that's one thing I really true admire about a lot of the international players that come and make that change, you know, just maybe going a little bit off topic, but I think it's important to talk about this JJ that these,

[SPEAKER_03]: Players are coming into a whole different world when they come over here.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, I mean, you, I mean, yeah, 18 was a lot closer to me than it is for you, but you can us remember, at 18, right?

[SPEAKER_02]: And just how it was going off to college was a big deal.

[SPEAKER_02]: And that was going like I'm going a few hours away from home and everyone speaks the same language that I do and it's really not that much different than what it was.

[SPEAKER_02]: That's different from I'm going literally a long plane flight from home.

[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, a different culture, a different country, speaking a different language, that eats different food, that, you know, like all those aspects.

[SPEAKER_02]: But I do want you, because you've done some reporting on this too, stuff up at Baseball America.

[SPEAKER_02]: The key thing with that, I think that where teams are doing a much better job.

[SPEAKER_02]: I remember a conversation I had.

[SPEAKER_02]: 10 years ago, probably now, raise camp one day, and it was talking to one of their, you know, their top, you know, front office officials who worked in the international market.

[SPEAKER_02]: And we were also talking to one of the guys who kind of been there from the beginning of win,

[SPEAKER_02]: team started going into Venezuela when team started making more of an effort in the Dominican and he was talking about how back then It really was kind of almost like just the way they treated it was you rolled out the baseballs and It was survival of the fittest and even like when I was covering you know, mind only baseball in the 90s and It really was something where their teams were starting to do a little better job But it really wasn't there was not a whole lot of

[SPEAKER_02]: helping prepare, helping set the stage for players to succeed.

[SPEAKER_02]: What you're seeing now, still a big jump, still a big hurdle.

[SPEAKER_02]: But when these players are coming over for the first time to the states, it does feel like now it's kind of, their teams are trying to make sure that there are situations there with, in some cases like, you know,

[SPEAKER_02]: English language classes to help basically players actually with a dormitory type setting where you're here, but you're also not just kind of set off to like at your own devices.

[SPEAKER_02]: It's a little bit more programmed, a little bit more kind of under team control.

[SPEAKER_02]: But what do you, again, you're there, you're seeing it.

[SPEAKER_02]: What are you seeing?

[SPEAKER_03]: there's a lot more support for sure you know and the story that I wrote about how complexes are helping a lot of these players adapt to it.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know I talked to Ankel Gray as who was a who now works as a real estate agent but is continuously you know working and helping people within the complexes help their players adapt but he was somebody who was in the rocky system came over from the DR and it was in a much different state and time you know they weren't paying for housing, they weren't providing for housing, they weren't providing transportation I believe.

[SPEAKER_03]: And now, you know, in talking to him and how everything's changed, it's almost been day and night.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, like it's, and I'm pretty sure at least on the cactus league side, you know, not so much on the great food league side, just because my sister's my home area.

[SPEAKER_03]: There is at least a life skills coordinator at every facility that helps a lot of these athletes go through that.

[SPEAKER_03]: It helps a lot of these international guys, not just in talking to the, you know, the Latin American, the Caribbean guys, but also, you know, a lot of the ones who come from Asia too.

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, they spent a lot of time, you know, just teaching them how to do simple things, JJ.

[SPEAKER_03]: Like, stuff that you and I probably take for granted, like, how to use a washing machine, how to order a nub or how to order out a restaurant, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: This is stuff like that.

[SPEAKER_02]: I've known players before who, you know, the story was is like, I were the same thing over and over, because I learned how to say, you know, fried chicken or chicken with rice or pizza or whatever.

[SPEAKER_02]: And it was like, that was where you're going to eat every night because I knew I had that word.

[SPEAKER_02]: I remember when I was covered in the making braves that there was the clubbie would go out with a pickup truck and pick up like seven players who didn't have transportation and all in the back of a pickup truck coming in every day, you know, like that was the transportation and I'm talking there were multiple future major leaders who were.

[SPEAKER_02]: In the back of a truck, you know, and, you know, again, not I'm not in with a cab like just kind of sitting in the back of a truck, and that was just like, yeah, this is how we do this nowadays again, there, there has thankfully been improved in some of this.

[SPEAKER_03]: Yes, but proper transportation added.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, there's housing, right, and it's paid by me.

[SPEAKER_03]: That's the biggest thing, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: Sure, like you look at teams like in surprise, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: The Royals and the Rangers have their, you know, their dormitory, and it's quite the site to see and stuff like that.

[SPEAKER_03]: The red started in corporate that the guardians have something like that.

[SPEAKER_03]: Other teams are trying to find ways to do that, but if not, they're finding actual apartment complexes where players can congregate and be together instead of each of having them in their own individual hotel room and just

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, when they get home, it's just that silence that comes with it, that thinking those nights, those thoughts that you haven't your head, instead you're building a community, and I truly think that now with those international players and speaking to a lot of them and a lot of guys who made it up the ranks a little bit more, it gives them that comfort ability to, you know, feel a little bit at home, make it as much as home as possible, being around familiar environments and having people who genuinely want to help you.

[SPEAKER_03]: outside of baseball and prepare for you in case you know because the reality is a lot of these guys aren't going to make it out the complex so where you are going to be able to make it all the way to the highest level possible like Juan Soda like Ellie the La Cruz right but a lot of them need to prepare for life after baseball and I think they're doing a good job doing that and in turn so you know

[SPEAKER_03]: all to bring it circle it back together to what we were talking about is you see that comfortably a lot in these players you see it in in Joe Swar you see it in Edgar and you see it in all the other guys who will spend your first year in the ACL and I think that's a really important topic and I think you know I see it in talking to a lot of these players now it's important to have those conversations with them in Spanish to let them know hey

[SPEAKER_03]: I'm a reporter.

[SPEAKER_03]: I'm a Latino reporter.

[SPEAKER_03]: I can speak Spanish.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, I want to tell your story.

[SPEAKER_03]: I want to hear about you more.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think it really creates that.

[SPEAKER_03]: So good opportunity to bring that just because it's you see, you see the finished product, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: You see once you see Ellie Delacruz, you see these guys, but you don't see when they first arrived and everything they have to go through.

[SPEAKER_02]: And that speaking of one more that which a player who comes from,

[SPEAKER_02]: You could say with Gabriel Davileo, you could say like, well, his brother, by the way, you may recognize that Davileo name because his brother is one of the better pictures of the Rangers organization.

[SPEAKER_02]: David Davileo.

[SPEAKER_02]: But then, really, you should be saying, wait a second, I remember that name, because his grandfather, Vick Davileo, was a long time successful, big leader for many years.

[SPEAKER_02]: Uncle's father played pro ball all that, but I would say that like if you said if you're looking at angels prospects And you talk about hitters pure hitting ability ceilings all that Gabrielle is one that really does jump out as a guy who the the tools are that now He's big for a catcher right now like that's gonna be something to watch, but

[SPEAKER_02]: as a hit or he really does jump out when you watch him swing, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, that's actually the only player I haven't seen play on this list, but I think it's important to mention that just because you know a lot of our subscribers and just sure if you're listening to this podcast, you were wondering who the, you know, that's the great thing about this podcast is I know these people who listen to it.

[SPEAKER_03]: Thank you guys, you guys want to hear about this stuff.

[SPEAKER_03]: That's the one player I haven't seen play it, but I think it's important to mention if you mentioned the lineage and you also mentioned, you know, the state of the angels,

[SPEAKER_03]: the angel's farm system hasn't been the strongest, you know, and, you know, they're on respective whatever, but the lower level seems to start taking the turn a little bit more, you know, the low-A, the, the, uh, well, their former low-A affiliate in La Nempire, um, you know, had a good season, the ACL angels won their first ever ACL title, and, you know, now we're starting to see a lot of their international guys, not just, you know, Debelia, but also I think

[SPEAKER_03]: But we're just seeing this and that's a guy you know that will be going to be a guy that I'm going to go out and watch and we'll get video will post it on baseball american dot com But I think it was an important thing to mention here and talking about prospects who have made their Assension over here to the state side and stuff like that just because he did well in the Dominican summer league, you know, he was a guy that I think Josh Norse had mentioned a couple of times too and I look forward to seeing them play whenever I get him because the angels Two more weeks of instructionally from them, which is nice it bleeds into the air.

[SPEAKER_03]: It's on the following so means I can

[SPEAKER_03]: double-up at some point.

[SPEAKER_03]: It also means Josh Norris made double-up or triple-up on some thought.

[SPEAKER_02]: I promise you he will.

[SPEAKER_02]: He's counting the days until the start of the years on a following.

[SPEAKER_02]: I may enjoy things, but I don't know if I enjoy anything like he enjoys the years on a following.

[SPEAKER_02]: And I know that you're looking forward to it, you know, a whole lot as well.

[SPEAKER_02]: But well, that leads us to the thing we always wrap this up with, which is our prospect soap boxes.

[SPEAKER_02]: As we know, as you know, Jesus, but if you're listening for the first time, we do this every week.

[SPEAKER_02]: And what we want to do is we want to highlight someone who's not a top 100 prospect, right?

[SPEAKER_02]: So the rule of this simple enough is, if you're in the top 100, we're not talking about for this.

[SPEAKER_02]: We already are giving plenty of reason to pay attention there.

[SPEAKER_02]: So with that, who is your prospects of bucks?

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, so when you mentioned this to me, I think right away, I had my guy right away, and that is Luis Delitori from the giant organization who played in the Arizona Complex Lake this past year and made it up to low a San Jose and was just dominant at every single level.

[SPEAKER_03]: And you know, when we talk about baseball and pitching to be specific right now we're just seeing a bit of an increase when it comes to speed right we're seeing you know.

[SPEAKER_03]: to have us not necessarily have success, but it's more common to see young pictures top, you know, 96, 98 more frequently than we used to back in the day.

[SPEAKER_03]: Me making it sound like I was there back in the day.

[SPEAKER_03]: But the good thing of the, I think what makes a Delitorious such an interesting prospect is he has that speed, but he also has the exception, which is starting to become the new trend that I think we're seeing in a lot of pictures and how they descend it.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, a left-handed picture

[SPEAKER_03]: be 22, last time I checked, but he was 21 when I did a story about him.

[SPEAKER_03]: And you talk about a guy who has interesting journeys, I mean the giants have a lot of guys who do that in the two, but the Latora wasn't a guy who was an international signy, you know, from Mexico or anything like that, you know, he was

[SPEAKER_03]: born in Mexico race there and then move to the United States and you taught to just go to school.

[SPEAKER_03]: They had a baseball team.

[SPEAKER_03]: He tried out COVID shut that down and then he was just playing some adult wreck league and somebody said, hey, you're pretty pretty fast.

[SPEAKER_03]: You're pretty good.

[SPEAKER_03]: Maybe you should try playing baseball professionally, be took the gamble, went over to the Dominican Republican train there, and eventually was able to get signed out there for $10,000 and going from this unknown name, who I don't believe was on our top 30 to begin the year, and now he's somewhere middle of the pack and, you know, Josh Norris, keep going up.

[SPEAKER_03]: and he's going to keep going up and he's he's he's he's a little bit on the older side, you know, for for low-way.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think he's a guy who could ascend his way up.

[SPEAKER_03]: Um, there's a guy who has had a lot of helium, you know, a ballingy group signed them and snag them right away because they saw a lot of potential in him.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think that there is a lot of potential.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think at the beginning for me, my question was, does he have the potential to be a starter in the majors?

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think that was answered when he went up to low A and just dominated every single step of the way and was going deep into gains.

[SPEAKER_03]: It seemed like he was a recurring character in our in our hot sheet, you know, and I think whether the giants where they want to put him next year start him up and hi.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I can see them starting up in low way too, you know, with the way just how players, you know, ascend a little bit through the farm system more.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I, that is going to be a guy that I think a lot of people need to keep up.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I just think about how fortunate I was to be able to see Luis de la Torre or Henny Skayama and kind of Martinez all in the same starting rotation and they eventually

[SPEAKER_03]: I have, you know, I'm from originally from the San Francisco Bay Area in the East Bay and I have a lot of friends who are Giants fans and I told them multiple times.

[SPEAKER_03]: You guys need to get down to San Jose to watch these, you know, San Jose Giants because the pitch is electric.

[SPEAKER_03]: The lineup was really good and I think for the low and for the Giants system, there's a lot of good stuff going on, but Louis still adore it to me.

[SPEAKER_03]: It's a guy that's going to break out next year.

[SPEAKER_02]: So mine I'm going to go on this one I got to be honest this one's a little bit more straightforward than I like to do it a lot of times.

[SPEAKER_02]: But I'm going with the the twins Mary Houston because I can't not because we did a little project here we've been working on which is.

[SPEAKER_02]: I've been pulling the best place for every prominent shortstop I think I think I'm going to keep adding to it, but like I believe right now I'm looking at it and one.

[SPEAKER_02]: probably 25 minor league short stops right now, because really useful.

[SPEAKER_02]: Like where we said best plays, you're kind of like doing the extra effort plays, right?

[SPEAKER_02]: I'm not saying this is a full like every play that every short stop made in the miners, this year, and it's like that.

[SPEAKER_02]: But you are looking for a place like, okay, can we go in the hole?

[SPEAKER_02]: Can we go to his left?

[SPEAKER_02]: How's the arm look?

[SPEAKER_02]: Like the plays that really are stressing the short stop?

[SPEAKER_02]: And of all the short stops that we've looked at,

[SPEAKER_02]: I've looked at again, everyone that you can think of, mod A to freeze, obviously Connor Griffin, who's probably really good.

[SPEAKER_02]: But first rounders from this year, if they made it to full season ball all this, but thank you, Synergy Sports, for to have the video that allows to do this.

[SPEAKER_02]: The one who jumps out the most, and I really would say it's not that close, is Marikusti.

[SPEAKER_02]: The first rounder from the Wake Forest,

[SPEAKER_02]: He's really good like when I talk about in pro ball he's at Cedar Rapids.

[SPEAKER_02]: I think primarily but you every now and then you see those plays where you're like okay you kind of see everything you want to see and there were a couple of those really especially to his left where he was going well past second base making the play one where he's like on his knees and still has enough

[SPEAKER_02]: Another, which maybe kind of showed me that internal clock that you're looking for, where he goes to his left, he's really hurrying because he's got a long way to get to this ball and then he kind of clocks that, oh, slow runner and you can see him just relax and slow down makes a play like there's no reason to put all that on it or anything like that don't need to on this play.

[SPEAKER_02]: And so that kind of heading this ability to go into the hole, the ability to go to his left, the body control, the ability to go to the ground and then get right back up very smoothly, cleanly quickly, which is something, you know, that some players like Luis Payne is really good prospect.

[SPEAKER_02]: You watch him go to the ground.

[SPEAKER_02]: It's not nearly as fluid.

[SPEAKER_02]: It's not near as easy.

[SPEAKER_02]: You see why some of that why he might end up at, you know, second or third based on the road because that kind of stuff.

[SPEAKER_02]: But Marick Houston, we'll see how good the bad is.

[SPEAKER_02]: I don't really have any worry about whether this guy.

[SPEAKER_02]: Like if you told me right now and I'm not saying they should do this.

[SPEAKER_02]: But if you said, who is the best, the twins best sure stop defensively in spring training next year?

[SPEAKER_02]: It's going to be Mary Custon because that guy's that good defensively, it just really just jumps out when you watch him.

[SPEAKER_02]: So that's my prospects of box for this week.

[SPEAKER_02]: Hey Zeus, you've got a busy week ahead again because it doesn't really float down now.

[SPEAKER_02]: You've got, you know, the end of Instructs but we got Arizona folly media day on Friday, which you'll be going to and then it's here.

[SPEAKER_02]: Arizona folly opening day by the time we record our next podcast, we'll have games, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: We will, we will.

[SPEAKER_03]: No, it's, you know, it's, it's been world when for sure.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, it feels like I celebrated spring training opening day extended opening day ACL opening day Originally opening day, instantly opening day and now just what six unofficial opening night.

[SPEAKER_02]: What really of the year, right, like this is your last hoping that it actually

[SPEAKER_02]: conversation that we had in person, you know, in spring training was like, I know it's been slow, it's going to be a fire hose soon, and then you'll really enjoy the slow.

[SPEAKER_02]: The slow is coming again now.

[SPEAKER_02]: Like, you know, we get to November.

[SPEAKER_02]: There's not that much going on in Arizona.

[SPEAKER_02]: Even though the funny thing is it's probably the coolest and most comfortable for you.

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I do want to say before we sign out real quick though that I think you know for all our baseball America subscribers who see this you know there has been an influx of Arizona coverage and that's as we mentioned I'm based out of here full time yes I yes before anybody yes yes the summer suck but we got to do it right that's what it is.

[SPEAKER_03]: Um, but I, you know, want to thank them because I think, you know, this is the first time, you know, really there's been any coverage of the, of the bridge league and instructional league in the way that it's been presented so far and when I joined baseball American, we had that conversation, you know, crazy around this time last year, JJ, um,

[SPEAKER_03]: Jack Hague Leo was playing in the bridge league and a lot of their players are playing in the bridge league and they've made their way down here to the majors now Nick Kirk's is a you know baseball America worker do you should be the AL rookie the year two You know and this was year one for majors a lot that I learned a lot that you know that I enjoy it and heading into next year You know there's a lot that I want to get done after now going through it going through the rhythm of talking to scouts

[SPEAKER_03]: Evalently in players watching games on the backfields and the coverage is only going to get better next year.

[SPEAKER_03]: So if you're a baseball America subscriber, look forward to that next year.

[SPEAKER_03]: If you aren't a baseball America subscriber, there's another reason to subscribe.

[SPEAKER_03]: It's stuff you won't find anywhere with the extensive coverage that we do.

[SPEAKER_03]: I just want to thank everybody for that because it's been really fun covering this.

[SPEAKER_03]: But we still have the fall leak.

[SPEAKER_03]: We're going to get coverage of that.

[SPEAKER_03]: So we just keep some going down here into desert.

[SPEAKER_02]: It keeps on going and we'll have it and we're gonna wrap this up because we are in the I believe seven thinning of Yankees Red Sox.

[SPEAKER_02]: If you see me kind of on the screen looking over ever now and then sorry guys, but we're we're playoff baseball pretty we're trying to do both.

[SPEAKER_02]: We're trying to multitask here.

[SPEAKER_02]: It's been a fun day already with all that for Jesus.

[SPEAKER_02]: I'm JJ.

[SPEAKER_02]: So long everybody.