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[SPEAKER_01]: Welcome back to another edition of the baseball America prospect podcast in the prospect deep dive series where we're going through all 30 organizations breaking down their top 30s.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Today we're diving into the San Diego Padre's, only the most loaded organization as my colleague Peter Flarity will tell you, Pete, what's going on man, glad to have you on with me.
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[SPEAKER_01]: For the last time.
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[SPEAKER_00]: No, this is a this is a fun change of pace.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'm I'm always on the the amateur and draft side and love love hopping on with you whenever I can because I mean, I wouldn't be at BA without the inevitable Jeff Ponds.
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[SPEAKER_00]: A little bit of BA lore for the listeners, but no, I would not be at BA without Jeff.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So this is a blast.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I know we're recording this the week before comes out.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So it'll be out next week, but very fun to hop on.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, exactly.
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[SPEAKER_01]: You'll be joining the other organization out here as a professional scout, very proud of you, Peter.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And yeah, and as that lore, like the first time was thinking about this today when I was on the treadmill, that it was like the first time that I met you was summer 2019, you were probably just finished your freshman year in college.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Super, super young.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, you were running the trackman behind the plate at Ketuit.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And I think it was, at least the first game that I had covered and like got into the scouting area.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So sitting there, we were kind of chatting.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Nick Gonzalez was kind of the big name was early part of the Cape Season, so not all the big names had showed up yet.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, Gonzales was a guy that, you know, wasn't a US, you would say national team guy, but it put up like this humongous season as a sophomore at New Mexico, and it was in New Mexico, Mexico State.
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[SPEAKER_01]: New Mexico State.
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[SPEAKER_01]: New Mexico State, exactly.
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[SPEAKER_01]: But it was a weird run environment.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, does he really have this power?
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[SPEAKER_01]: Can he really hit?
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[SPEAKER_01]: And I can remember, he went like, like, back side.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And it hit a home around like at like 99 miles per hour EV was just like an absolute like, you know, pissed rocket to right field and we kind of looked at each other and was like, all right, then I think you had a couple more hits that day played really well and I kept coming back to can do it.
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[SPEAKER_01]: and connecting with the end of work with me at Prospect's Live.
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[SPEAKER_01]: You know, went to the Yankees for a little bit and then of course when I had an opportunity to I brought you over here to BA.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So that's the, that's the Peter Flaherty lore right there.
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[SPEAKER_01]: But I was thinking about like that game today and like that home run from Nick Gonzales.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And then obviously the hype machine took off from there because he seemed to hit, you know, a couple of doubles, home runs, couple singles.
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[SPEAKER_01]: You know, just did something every single game that entire summer is one of the more dominant key performances I remember.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I was going to say, there were a lot of nicken solace swings throughout that 2019 season.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I looked at either you or my dad or my brother or any other scout and just kind of did a little eyebrow raise.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It was a it was a very special summer for for good old Nikki G. And as far as dominance goes from what I can remember with the capley, though my memory is not as or I guess
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[SPEAKER_00]: with more experience than than I have, but it's him, pambing Nick and Zalas, Alachbaum and Travis Pazana, three of the most dominant summers I've ever seen on the cape.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So it was really special.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And I would throw in maybe Brock will will can after his freshman year.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Like that was, yeah, it was a super, it was more of like a power hitting display, which you don't always see in the cape.
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[SPEAKER_01]: That was pretty dominant and I think just because it was like a freshman doing it to that, you know, had just turned like whatever 19 like weeks before, because he's really young.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So like weeks before, you know, he showed up on the cape.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So that was another one.
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[SPEAKER_01]: But we're not here to talk about the cape.
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[SPEAKER_01]: We're here to talk about some Padre's, Peter.
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[SPEAKER_01]: You did our Padre's top 30 this year for the handbook.
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[SPEAKER_01]: First question we always ask is diving into the decision at one
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[SPEAKER_01]: How difficult was it to rank Ethan's solace at one not a ton of other high end options here, but crew school craft is a pretty decent prospect.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So was he in the mix at one at all.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so I had the ponder his last year as well.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And it was a bit of an easier decision putting Leo to free up at number one over Ethan Salus.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's not a knock on Salus.
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[SPEAKER_00]: That's just a testament to how good a player Leo is.
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[SPEAKER_00]: In this year, it was another,
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[SPEAKER_00]: It was probably a healthier debate between cruise school craft and Ethan Salas.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Ethan Salas in the end ended up taking over the top spot and has pole position in the system right now, but cruise school craft is right there.
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[SPEAKER_00]: 225 first round pick.
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[SPEAKER_00]: This big six eight two hundred
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[SPEAKER_00]: three pitch mix and the foundation with a fastball and a slider and everything really plays up especially as fastball plays up thanks to his elite extension so it's a really exciting blend of now stuff upside people use the phrase a lot you know this is fun clay to mold I think school graphics that to a T68 he's left handed he's at least an average strike throw he's got the
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's pretty easy to dream on a guy like that.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So he was right there as well.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And then Cash may feel also, you know, certainly was considered.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so let's dive into a little bit.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Ethan Solis is 2025.
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[SPEAKER_01]: It was all of 10 games.
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[SPEAKER_01]: He was coming off a 2024 season, though.
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[SPEAKER_01]: He was 18 years old in high A playing 111 games.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And obviously, as a catcher,
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[SPEAKER_01]: You know, caught I think 67 of those with somewhere in tear on the body, especially for a younger guy, but had a really disappointing season in 2024 hit 206 288 311
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[SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, having done this system for a few years, I'm sure yourself, Padres, you know, outside Scouts wanted to see something more from him this year.
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[SPEAKER_01]: How are we supposed to sort of evaluate this now that he sort of had a lost year?
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[SPEAKER_01]: And some of those guys from his draft class, excuse me, from his international class, are kind of catching up to the level that he's at.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if how many of them are going to be at AA, but there are a few that did reach AA last year, like I think mod A, et cetera.
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[SPEAKER_01]: The aged-to-level thing isn't what it was two years ago when he was a 17-year-old, you know, that got at bats in high A and double A before the end of the season, and, you know, over 48 games performed really well in low A as a 17-year-old.
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[SPEAKER_01]: You don't typically see that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Now that we're kind of three or four years removed from that, how are we supposed to evaluate
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[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
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[SPEAKER_00]: The defense is the defense.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I still think he has a chance to be a gold glove defender.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But like you said, I think there are more questions surrounding the the offensive ability.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's tough because 2025 was a Washington stress fracture in his back.
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[SPEAKER_00]: limited him to to 10 games, as you said.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I mean, you kind of have to throw that at the window.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's important to remember, he's still 19.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He'll be 19 until June, 2026.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And which you also said, once he turns 20 and you know, even heading into this year, being a 19, 20 year old at high is more of an age appropriate kind of deal for the level.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But it'll be interesting to see how
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[SPEAKER_00]: And if the bat is able to progress here between 2025 and 2026, really between 2024 and 2026, I thought it was really positive that even back in 2024, he showed the ability as a teenager to make a number of adjustments.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They ended up having a positive impact on his game.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He stood taller on the box, raised his hands set, wanted to put more of an emphasis on working down and through the baseball.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He's going to above average bat to ball skills.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But the power right now is more extra base oriented than it is home run oriented.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But it's in all fields approach.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I think that he's demonstrated an understanding of the strike zone and he's he's slimmed down his chase rate.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You're a rear, especially between 23 and 24, but I think just the overall.
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[SPEAKER_00]: offensive profile might not be as loud as initially anticipated, but, you know, he's, I don't want to say he's a very polarizing prospect, but it's sort of like there's more of a conundrum now.
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[SPEAKER_00]: in evaluating Salus because like you said 2025 was a really important season for him.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I think that was widely known and understood by anyone that even follows the game.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But that's now postponed essentially to 2026 because he didn't play in 2025.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I think it's a big season for Salus and I think it's important to remember like while the offensive performance and production might not be
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[SPEAKER_00]: As loud as people may have hoped or anticipated, you know, he's still 19 and I had kind of wait and see how he does in 26.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and I think, you know, that's, that's sort of what happens sometimes with these protege, especially if there's an injury.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, I think even saw it with like George Lumbar this year where, you know, he've raked in high A and got pushed up double A was one of the youngest players in the eastern league.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, for a long time kind of got his teeth kicked in, right?
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[SPEAKER_01]: And I think that's what happens.
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[SPEAKER_01]: to a similar extent in high A and the Midwest League, which for points to the season, particularly early in the season and over the final weeks, it gets pretty cold up there.
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[SPEAKER_01]: It's not the best place to hit the ball doesn't travel as far.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Didn't strike out a lot and did walk quite a bit.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So there is some positives, it's just a matter of adding impact, which is something that could come with age.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And as you said, still 20 years old,
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[SPEAKER_01]: Um, the idea of him being one of like the top 20 prospects in baseball and this sort of elite guy, he really does need to put up, you know, standing offensive season for him to kind of climb back into that conversation, um, you know, the way it wasn't 2023 where, you know, he was putting up a 123 WRC plus or 48 games 16 17 year old and getting into big league games is a 16 year old, right?
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[SPEAKER_01]: Let's move on to the next question here, Peter.
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[SPEAKER_01]: How much better or worse is this system in last year?
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[SPEAKER_01]: I think this answer is probably fairly easy, but I'll leave it to you.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So it's worse than last year, but it's, I'm trying to fret, like it's not really to the fault of anyone I would say.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's because, you know, the trade deadline, you know, much as
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[SPEAKER_00]: They were very, very active at the deadline.
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[SPEAKER_00]: There were a trio of formerly top 10 prospects that were dealt with Leo DeVry, braiding net and Henry Bias.
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[SPEAKER_00]: They're all part of the package that was sent to athletics to acquire Mason Miller and JP Sears.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And then, you know, this kind of feels like the part of an infomercial where they say, but wait, there's more because he packaged another trio of prospects in Boston, Bateman, Cobb, High Tower, and Tyson Navers, he sent them to the Orioles in the deal that allowed them to acquire Ryan on her and Ramon, Loriano.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So Ryan Berger and Stephen Colick were also
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[SPEAKER_00]: where like, you know, eight of if all eight of these guys are still in the system or even five or six are seven of them are still here.
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[SPEAKER_00]: We're probably talking about a much different and a much deeper system.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I'd say that.
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[SPEAKER_00]: on the developmental arc or developmental roller coaster, whatever you want to call it, the system is more thin than in years past, but it's simply a byproduct of acquiring high impact, bigly talent that paid positive dividends in 2025.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and I think more often than not,
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[SPEAKER_01]: That's the case with competitive teams that have bad systems.
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[SPEAKER_01]: They're dealing from the system to backfill other areas.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I'm sure there's a few of these guys over the last couple of years that Podrace fans might look at and say, ah, I kind of wish we still had that guy considering we don't have soda.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I wish I had wood or, you know, gore or whatever at this point.
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[SPEAKER_01]: But with how competitive the team has been over the last handful of years and how aggressive they are
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[SPEAKER_01]: finding opportunities to buy because I wouldn't say that they're the most aggressive team in free agency, but I think when they spot there's maybe a market inefficiency or guys being undervalued a little bit and they can get them on a decent deal or on the trade market, they do it.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And the other thing they've done well is they identified talent, well, I think that's been the story of A.J.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Pro's career date back to his time of the Rangers.
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[SPEAKER_01]: He just evaluates and that group of amateur guys just evaluates, amateur talent as well as anybody in the world.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So there's always a couple of guys lurking here and maybe we'll get into that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Next year's number one.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Who's your guess for next year's number one?
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[SPEAKER_01]: Is it somebody that's not even in the system?
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's a good question because you never really know.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Um, but if we're going to keep it in house and keep it in the system, I'm going to say that cruise school craft will ascend to the number one spot.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that's more a testament to cruise as abilities than it is a knock on anyone else as we hit on it at the top, but he's six foot eight, he's left sanity throws strikes.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's really exciting stuff with a mid to high 90s fastball that plays above its velocity band, thanks to cruises.
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[SPEAKER_00]: outstanding extension, the his load of mid 80s change up and his slider both flash above average and look the part of potential swing and miss pitches.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He's still just an 18 year old kid.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I think that
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[SPEAKER_00]: The the upside here with crews is really, really exciting and in his first professional season fingers cross city is able to stay healthy and stay on the mound.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It'll be very fun to kind of watch him take off.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, 100% agree with that, and I think that, you know, he's probably the obvious choice as, you know, we dive into this into this system a little bit and you look at it, kind of read leads to the next question, what is this organization, good at developing, which is kind of a loaded question because so many of their prospects to end up getting traded.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's an interesting question to think about because, like you said, at least in recent years, you know, they've been active on the trademark it and a lot of that has involved dealing some of their higher and prospects and it's also this was just my second year with the system.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm still kind of.
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[SPEAKER_00]: getting used to it and sort of developing a track record with it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But it seems like at least on the pitching side, you know, they're they're pretty good at developing stuff and getting the most and out of each individual pitcher's shapes.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I guess so to speak.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's becoming a more more popular phrase now in player development as we Korean towards 2026.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But
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[SPEAKER_00]: At least in the arms that I've seen in the arms that I've dove deep on, it seems like they've done a really good job of developing these guys stuff, especially there are a couple of arms that will get into it at various points throughout the rest of the podcast, but I've been excited with some of the arms that they currently have, arms that they've drafted, and then also some
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[SPEAKER_01]: Interesting.
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[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
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[SPEAKER_01]: This is going to wrap up the video portion of the podcast.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Is there anything you want to sort of say, enclosing in that part of it on sort of the top 10.
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[SPEAKER_01]: The direction that they're going or maybe even the type of players you'd like to see him draft this year to reinforce the system a little bit.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, I think the direction in which they're headed, I mean, I think it's exciting, you know, obviously the system is more thin than it was at this point last year, especially at the top, but the top four or that quartet of Ethan Salus cruise school craft, fellow lefty cash may feel than right hand or Miguel Mendez.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's a really strong core at the top to build around however they see fit and then also behind them.
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[SPEAKER_00]: There are some exciting guys and recent draftees who are quality players and players and pitchers and the teens who have a real chance.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I think it'll be
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[SPEAKER_00]: You know, a little bit of a, not a waiting game, but it'll be interesting to see where it is at this point in 2027 because there's a chance that some of the guys who are less or no now, particularly the guys that I alluded to in the like 11 to 17 or so range, take a leap and take that next step on their developmental path and potentially.
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[SPEAKER_01]: There you go.
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[SPEAKER_01]: This is going to wrap up the video portion of the podcast for the YouTube viewers out there.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Thanks for tuning in for the podcast listeners tripping over myself stick around.
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[SPEAKER_01]: We still probably have another 15 20 minutes to go and we'll dive into that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: All right, and we are back on the podcast.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Video just ended.
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[SPEAKER_01]: We're gonna get into a little bit more, a little bit deeper onto this top 30.
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[SPEAKER_01]: This is where we get into the really juicy names.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Some of the sleepers, some of the names to know.
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[SPEAKER_01]: But let's talk a little bit more of an overview question here.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Because I think this is a conversation that comes up a lot with this pottery system.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Like just how shallow is the system comparatively to other systems.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm going to make you at the end guess, how many big leaders do you think they are in the system at this moment?
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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I like it.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And that's just like anybody who feeds anybody who plays in the big leagues.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Do you hear me?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, yeah.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Did you want me to hop in?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, try guess how many big leaders are playing right now?
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[SPEAKER_00]: My bad, that I just misunderstood.
20:29.189 --> 20:30.112
[SPEAKER_00]: I was.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to say like of this 30, like how many of these guys you think are in the big leagues at some point in their careers.
20:37.651 --> 20:41.140
[SPEAKER_01]: It's more or less a round about polite way of being asking if there's any 20s.
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[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
20:42.383 --> 20:44.869
[SPEAKER_01]: So we'll just jump back in from this point
20:48.713 --> 20:49.134
[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
20:49.174 --> 20:52.259
[SPEAKER_01]: And we are back on the other end with the podcast.
20:52.299 --> 20:57.148
[SPEAKER_01]: We're going to dive in a little bit more to the top 30 here on this Padre system.
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[SPEAKER_01]: We'll dive into some of the sleep or some of the good names.
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[SPEAKER_01]: We're going to go negative a little bit here, though, Peter.
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[SPEAKER_01]: How shallow is this Padre system comparatively to some of the other 30s you're involved in some of the proof reading for the handbook, et cetera.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So you got some feel.
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[SPEAKER_01]: for some of the other teams, and how many big leaders would you guess are currently in this top 30 in the future?
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[SPEAKER_01]: That's even just one in, one at bat.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I think comparatively speaking, and it's unfair, I think at this point, to compare the pottery system to some of the others, just because of what we mentioned at the top of the show and even in the middle with how active they were at the deadline, trading eight guys who at one
21:45.886 --> 22:13.311
[SPEAKER_00]: So I mean, it would look a lot different and we be having a different conversation and the narrative would also be shifted if that were the case, but it's not so I'd say it is a little bit more of a thin system that's not to say that there aren't a lot there aren't a lot of exciting players in it, which I think is the case, and as far as how many guys will play in the big leagues, one A B or one pitch throne, um, that's a great question.
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[SPEAKER_00]: of the 30, I'll say, at the end of the day, at least, I'll say 20 plus and go on the, I guess somewhat optimistic and encouraging side.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I think at least 20 of these guys get up there.
22:44.122 --> 22:47.788
[SPEAKER_01]: Of course, in this system, it should probably players to know outside the top four.
22:49.972 --> 22:57.645
[SPEAKER_01]: And you can certainly include some of these guys in the back end of the top 10. Who are some of the players that you really do like in the system?
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[SPEAKER_01]: You know, outside of those top guys like Salas and Schoolcraft and Mayfield and Mendez, that we did bring up.
23:04.496 --> 23:06.940
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so I think one guy that's become,
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[SPEAKER_00]: sort of a favorite of of Padre's fans or at least Padre's fans who really go and depth and know their stuff with the system and, you know, even a lot of us at BA with, I know you and Josh Norris like him as well, and as to I.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Right-hand a pitcher, Tucker Musgrove, who currently ranks it at number 12 in the system.
23:30.549 --> 23:32.191
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a pretty interesting story with Tucker.
23:32.211 --> 23:37.918
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's a scouting success story for the pod raise, but he was drafted in 2023.
23:38.278 --> 23:53.295
[SPEAKER_00]: He was a two-way player at NAIA Mobile, down in Alabama, a sign for just under $200,000, but had Tommy John shortly after he was signed, missed all of
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[SPEAKER_00]: had a pretty limited 20 and a third in example in 2025.
23:56.860 --> 24:04.169
[SPEAKER_00]: Then he sort of made some some waves and noise out in the ears on a fall league when Josh got a really good look at him.
24:05.010 --> 24:09.415
[SPEAKER_00]: But he's a really athletic arm pitches exclusively out of the stretch.
24:10.237 --> 24:16.144
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a really loud and dynamic fastball sweeper combo with Musgrove.
24:16.124 --> 24:20.148
[SPEAKER_00]: For me, as fastball as the best in the system, the Velo is the Velo with them.
24:20.408 --> 24:45.270
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, it's mid to high 90s, and he was up to 100 out in Arizona with some carrying the top half of his own, but it's the stuff that's under the hood that sort of helps push it over the goal line and makes it a strong 60, perhaps even closer to a 70 or 65, however you take your
24:45.250 --> 24:53.179
[SPEAKER_00]: He's got a really flat vertical approach angle that enhances its rotting effect, consistently gets it above the barrel of opposing hitters.
24:53.239 --> 24:56.803
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it had a 39% misrate in 2025.
24:56.843 --> 25:07.054
[SPEAKER_00]: The sweepers a little inconsistent and shape, but at its best, it flashes a lot of teeth with sharp lateral life with some late depth.
25:08.055 --> 25:14.903
[SPEAKER_00]: And then, you know, it's also a consistent
25:15.490 --> 25:40.468
[SPEAKER_00]: lacks a real viable third pitch right now, it's a mid to upper 80s down or curveball in the command, it's got her shot so he kind of looks the part of a bullpen arm in the future potentially, but in his first full health year in 26, it will be very interesting to see the kind of season he puts together because there are some really exciting qualities here with him.
25:42.693 --> 25:57.832
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, um, who are some other guys, you know, outside of this top 10 that are names to know, maybe even recent drafts, because they do have a few of those guys sort of mixed into this, uh, this 11 to 20 range.
25:58.473 --> 26:02.338
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, excuse me, right outside or right behind.
26:03.247 --> 26:08.565
[SPEAKER_00]: Tucker Musgrove is outfielder, Braden Carpathios, pretty intriguing tools with him as well.
26:08.605 --> 26:12.017
[SPEAKER_00]: He's another, that's a scouting success story for San Diego.
26:12.057 --> 26:15.990
[SPEAKER_00]: He was signed as an undrafted free agent.
26:16.190 --> 26:23.558
[SPEAKER_00]: out of harford, no tea, junior college down in Maryland, has solved year in 2025.
26:23.598 --> 26:31.907
[SPEAKER_00]: The bed of ball data with him is is really encouraging, um, posted a 90th percentile EV of just under 106.
26:31.927 --> 26:36.892
[SPEAKER_00]: He's gotten above average arm and right field, powers teetering on above average.
26:37.553 --> 26:44.560
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, there are some exciting traits there.
26:45.383 --> 26:58.968
[SPEAKER_00]: I think draft necks became very familiar with in 2025, after his time at St. Bonaventure, he had a, he was on his way to what was looking like a great year for the Bonnie's.
26:59.870 --> 27:06.442
[SPEAKER_00]: But it was limited to just four starts due to an arm injury that ended up requiring Tommy John surgery.
27:06.502 --> 27:07.003
[SPEAKER_00]: But.
27:07.793 --> 27:09.215
[SPEAKER_00]: little bit undersized, righty.
27:10.056 --> 27:16.987
[SPEAKER_00]: Another guy that operates exclusively out of the stretch, but his fastball has been up to 101.
27:18.830 --> 27:20.553
[SPEAKER_00]: Last fall, it was allegedly up to 102.
27:20.833 --> 27:29.987
[SPEAKER_00]: And it proved to be really just overpowering for hitters last spring at the collegiate level.
27:31.115 --> 27:38.424
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, and, you know, generated with and chase rates of 34 and 33% respectively.
27:38.504 --> 27:43.891
[SPEAKER_00]: And you kind of e-pares it with a, with a two plane slider that flashes above average.
27:44.191 --> 27:48.737
[SPEAKER_00]: And like Musgrove, obviously, the, the traits of each picture, a little different.
27:49.998 --> 27:57.848
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, but they're both were the invaluable swinging mispitches and also like Musgrove.
27:57.946 --> 28:15.803
[SPEAKER_00]: probably to a higher degree, he lacks a real third pitch and the command is also on the frontier side, but exciting building blocks from a stuff standpoint, from a dynamism standpoint, he's an arm to follow.
28:16.863 --> 28:32.104
[SPEAKER_00]: his pro debut probably won't come until the middle of the spring or early summer 2026 and maybe the early site there's no reason to rush a guy like that, but he's a high octane arm that, you know, he's he's got a chance.
28:32.827 --> 28:35.190
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think he's, I think he's really interesting.
28:35.230 --> 28:38.954
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to throw a one more draft name at you with true Madonna.
28:39.635 --> 28:48.406
[SPEAKER_01]: He did hit like, it was 12 games, but 279, 365, 12 with a couple of homers and four doubles.
28:48.826 --> 28:54.413
[SPEAKER_01]: And the MLB draft league was, you know, a high school senior was a high school pick.
28:55.186 --> 29:16.452
[SPEAKER_01]: Is this potentially like like an AJ Padre special here where a year from now this guy is a top 10 prospecting the system and somebody we're talking about is you know potentially scouting fine by them there's been a few he's definitely he's definitely someone to keep very close tabs on I know and with you know and how we.
29:16.651 --> 29:18.673
[SPEAKER_00]: do our prospect handbook chapters.
29:18.734 --> 29:26.583
[SPEAKER_00]: We talked to a lot of people both inside and outside of the respective systems that we're working on.
29:27.104 --> 29:30.448
[SPEAKER_00]: I know the podres are really, really high on on on true it.
29:31.049 --> 29:37.917
[SPEAKER_00]: Like you said, he had a very encouraging showing in the draft league pre draft last summer,
29:37.897 --> 29:41.883
[SPEAKER_00]: they're able to sign them away from as UCLA commit.
29:42.824 --> 29:47.731
[SPEAKER_00]: They'd sign them to a way over slot due to the 11th round worth like $650,000.
29:49.634 --> 29:59.348
[SPEAKER_00]: Big strong kid kind of a classic like raw power, arm strength type of deal behind the plate at the catcher position.
30:00.357 --> 30:19.206
[SPEAKER_00]: A lot of it's going to come down to just like it does with, I guess every prospect to an extent, but just how much he's going to hit and how much he's going to be able to hit, he posted just a 53% overall contact rate in his pro debut, but it was across a very small sample size.
30:20.007 --> 30:27.158
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that picking up secondaries and spin out of the pitcher's hand was a particular bug a blue forum.
30:27.138 --> 30:34.807
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, the chase rate was over 30% against every type of non-fastball pitch, um, but easy.
30:34.827 --> 30:36.429
[SPEAKER_00]: Got a ton of strength in his swing.
30:36.469 --> 30:37.671
[SPEAKER_00]: It's powered.
30:37.751 --> 30:38.291
[SPEAKER_00]: All fields.
30:38.331 --> 30:52.909
[SPEAKER_00]: You just got to move the baseball and put it in play, um, and he'll continue to, to work hard at refining his defensive skill sets so he can stick behind the plate, uh, he's obviously a bigger kid at 6-3-2-15, um,
30:52.889 --> 30:54.852
[SPEAKER_00]: but he's gotten above average arms.
30:54.912 --> 31:07.975
[SPEAKER_00]: So, to above average tools that services foundation, but he's going to need to add polish to his hit tool and continue to work hard on, you know, the catching minutia so you can stick behind the dish.
31:09.457 --> 31:17.631
[SPEAKER_01]: Be interesting to follow and this is the system where I always kind of look through it and be like, who a year from now are people
31:17.797 --> 31:24.287
[SPEAKER_01]: No, if we had that guy so much last year, but a lot of that is because they've betrayed somebody these guys.
31:24.327 --> 31:28.073
[SPEAKER_01]: So we'll see, Peter, I want to thank you for joining me.
31:28.093 --> 31:32.300
[SPEAKER_01]: I want to thank all the listeners out there for listening and tuning in and supporting us.
31:32.781 --> 31:34.544
[SPEAKER_01]: Go over to baseballamerica.com.
31:34.704 --> 31:37.148
[SPEAKER_01]: All the top 30s are now up on the site.
31:37.168 --> 31:38.690
[SPEAKER_01]: We have all over fantasy rankings up.
31:39.091 --> 31:42.336
[SPEAKER_01]: Drive rankings, college content is ramping up.
31:42.316 --> 31:46.282
[SPEAKER_01]: For the college season to begin, of course, Peter, thanks for joining me.
31:46.323 --> 31:47.084
[SPEAKER_01]: Thanks for working with me.
31:47.104 --> 31:48.366
[SPEAKER_01]: It was a pleasure work with you.
31:48.406 --> 31:53.735
[SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, reading your content, listening to your podcast with the guys, etc.
31:53.775 --> 31:55.598
[SPEAKER_01]: Over the years, it's been a blast.
31:56.699 --> 31:57.200
[SPEAKER_01]: This has been it.
31:57.561 --> 32:00.105
[SPEAKER_01]: It's the prospect podcast, podries top 30.
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