[SPEAKER_02]: Hey, everybody, JJ Cooper, Josh Norris, another baseball-america prospect podcast.

[SPEAKER_02]: We covered Florida last week, so this week, we have Josh Norris and Hazoo's canoe with us.

[SPEAKER_02]: Josh just got back from Arizona.

[SPEAKER_02]: Hazoo's is in Phoenix all the time, but they were hitting the back field, hitting the spring breakout game, hitting everything of spring training in Arizona, especially with emphasis on the prospects.

[SPEAKER_02]: Josh is working right now on his magnum opus

[SPEAKER_02]: Basically, unveil a, after talking to scouts, a gazillion names of players who stood out in spring training on the backfields prospects are very focused and Josh, great to see you.

[SPEAKER_02]: And welcome back, what was your Arizona Spring Training trip like this time?

[SPEAKER_02]: A little hotter than normal, I think, for a lot of water than normal.

[SPEAKER_04]: It was the hottest march in the history of the state.

[SPEAKER_04]: So, but I've been there during June, it's the same thing.

[SPEAKER_04]: It was completely tolerable.

[SPEAKER_04]: I'll take that over, you know, 95 and humid in Florida any day of the week.

[SPEAKER_04]: So it was, I mean, I'm, you know, where, where pants outside and it's a hundred and nine and still fine.

[SPEAKER_04]: The only thing I would do differently is I wish I would ever remember to put a towel in my bag to put on some of the seats because, you know, most of the scouts sit way up top where they're shade.

[SPEAKER_04]: I can't do that because I need to do my camera work.

[SPEAKER_04]: So there were sometimes where your boy was getting cooked.

[SPEAKER_02]: Second or third degree burns to be avoided, you know, that's yeah, those seats get little a little bit of warm, but we're going to dive straight in and we got a couple of questions can ask you got same ask the same questions to a Zeus and the first one I want to start off with a pretty easy one because you saw a lot of top 100 caliber prospects out there.

[SPEAKER_02]: But is there someone among that group or a couple of guys if there are who stood out like, even though you knew like they're a top and a prospect already?

[SPEAKER_02]: There are guys who we already are much like, this is one of the better prospects in the game.

[SPEAKER_02]: But as anyone who really jumped out was like, oh, but this guy's even a little bit better than I thought coming in or stood out.

[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, and full disclosure, I did both Arizona and Florida.

[SPEAKER_04]: So I'll probably just stick to Arizona, but I might bleed to Florida into there.

[SPEAKER_04]: Ryan Sloan was, I'll just put it flatly, he's the best picture I'm going to see all year.

[SPEAKER_04]: There's no chance anybody at Clipses, what I saw was a three or four earnings.

[SPEAKER_04]: It checks every box, every single one of them.

[SPEAKER_04]: It's power, it's physicality, it's fastball, it's fastball life, it's command, it's spin, you can cut it, you can sink it, you can land the slider, you can sweep it away,

[SPEAKER_04]: and he's out there with the mindset of just dispose of these hitters as quickly as possible.

[SPEAKER_02]: You've seen him before, has he like, was it a step forward from when you've seen before?

[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe a little, but like,

[SPEAKER_04]: Last but not least, it was the same animal, like I've said before he's going to pitch in the big leagues for 15 years and it's going to be at the top of a rotation, there's not a question in my mind, if he stays healthy, which is the caveat with every person and player in history of man, but especially pitchers.

[SPEAKER_04]: I just got a full disclosure, I wrote a story a little bit ago about who could be the next Jacob Izzyarowski,

[SPEAKER_04]: and in our content management system, I had Ryan Sloan's name written.

[SPEAKER_04]: It was done.

[SPEAKER_04]: I woke up at like three in the morning and said, you know, he's only got like three games above hi.

[SPEAKER_04]: It's probably too far at this point.

[SPEAKER_04]: And I replaced him with Kate Anderson.

[SPEAKER_04]: Well, I don't know when you're seeing this, but today on Monday, he was, the, the, the break camp roster was announced for AA and there he is.

[SPEAKER_04]: So, he's going to get big outs.

[SPEAKER_04]: If the players, if the Mariners are in the playoffs, he's going to be on that roster and I think he's got a good, I picked them to win the world series.

[SPEAKER_04]: I think he's going to be a good part of that.

[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, he said you saw K the Anderson as well in that game if I remember right, right?

[SPEAKER_02]: Because they were both there above the breakout.

[SPEAKER_04]: He could expect a bit.

[SPEAKER_02]: Nothing against Kate Anderson, but it did seem like that Ryan Sloan's just at another level.

[SPEAKER_04]: The reason he's another animal entirely, like it's, you know, I saw it like I think it's 14 or 15 top 100 prospects and he's the best.

[SPEAKER_04]: Not, it's not particularly close.

[SPEAKER_04]: Number two is Seth Hernandez.

[SPEAKER_04]: Kate would be somewhere in the middle there, but

[SPEAKER_04]: You just there's not a whole lot of hitters in the mind of the leaves that are going to challenge Ryan slow at this point And they've got another one man.

[SPEAKER_02]: They got another pitcher like you said double a assignment If you start the season in double a and you're stay healthy hard to imagine you won't be in the big leagues That's hard.

[SPEAKER_04]: He started in double a after three high a starts because you know I'm so you had the eye thing last year that cut your season a little short, but it's just it's a monster It's a future top of the rotation starter

[SPEAKER_02]: And a guy who should be getting out like you said in the big leagues at some point this year.

[SPEAKER_02]: And the double A assignment is aggressive, but at the same time from what you described, it also seems like you'd be one of those things where it's like, okay, how much further development are you going to get in high A where he's going to overpower some hitters and double A, but double A is going to give at least a little bit more of a test there, right?

[SPEAKER_02]: Then because that's more advanced.

[SPEAKER_04]: You see that it's funny because like that.

[SPEAKER_04]: that particular high A where he would go to go on.

[SPEAKER_04]: The numbers would have been a little more unsightly because ever it's a really small park.

[SPEAKER_04]: Like it's like 340 to the alleyways.

[SPEAKER_04]: And the taxis league where he's going is not, well, there is some hitters parks.

[SPEAKER_04]: He's in the taxis league.

[SPEAKER_04]: There are some hitters parks, but you know, it's they don't hit the ball.

[SPEAKER_04]: You can't do damage.

[SPEAKER_04]: And I don't expect them to let the hit the ball vary often.

[SPEAKER_02]: The travelers are going to be well suited to have him in the end.

[SPEAKER_02]: It Anderson, again, was our amongst us.

[SPEAKER_02]: And not that Arkansas hasn't been the, I was going to say, that's a team that's been very fortunate over the last five years.

[SPEAKER_02]: I think you could say, like, yeah.

[SPEAKER_04]: When do you talk about the premier pitching development organizations in the country?

[SPEAKER_04]: You can't not talk about an error.

[SPEAKER_04]: Look at their big lead rotation.

[SPEAKER_04]: It's like, I mean, I guess Emerson Hancock was pretty good the other night too, but it's like five home grown guys and Louise Castillo.

[SPEAKER_04]: And now you're going to add Kate Anderson to that mix.

[SPEAKER_04]: Kate Anderson, Ryan Sloan, well Kate Anderson too, but we're talking about Ryan Sloan.

[SPEAKER_04]: I think, you know, Nolan McLean just graduated.

[SPEAKER_04]: We did a piece on, you know, who was going to be the next number one, pitching prospect in the minor leagues.

[SPEAKER_04]: I think he's the best.

[SPEAKER_04]: non-debuted pitching prospect in the nine of these.

[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, in the mind of it, it's a way I can qualify because painters in the big leagues and you might have pitch, but I mean, this gets to air.

[SPEAKER_04]: Tray is savaged still going to count for a little while longer.

[SPEAKER_04]: But he's been in the big leagues.

[SPEAKER_04]: He's been in the world.

[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, he's not.

[SPEAKER_04]: He's not.

[SPEAKER_04]: He's not.

[SPEAKER_04]: He's not.

[SPEAKER_04]: He's not.

[SPEAKER_04]: I think I'll be the number one pitching prospect in the sport by, you know, early June.

[SPEAKER_04]: Just within the candidates might work about it.

[SPEAKER_02]: And I would say with that, like you mentioned Zephranandas, I do think it's going to be easy for Rhinestone to be ahead of Zephranandas when we do this when we update because Zephranandas is very impressive, but Rhinestone is several steps closer, you know.

[SPEAKER_05]: But that's another fun thing.

[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, it's very close.

[SPEAKER_04]: Those ceilings are the only reason I would go Sloan pretty definitively right now is because there's a little more to do with the body with Seth, there's a little more refining to do on the breaking stuff, but they're going to have similar ceilings.

[SPEAKER_04]: But that's not a question any.

[SPEAKER_04]: I saw him, I think I saw him better than you guys did.

[SPEAKER_04]: Like I saw him versus Camenity on the back, and I know 102, I don't really care about that.

[SPEAKER_04]: It was going below, he was sitting comfortably at 96.98, and that change up was, you

[SPEAKER_04]: poor brave DSL hitters, the breaking stuff was okay, but I mean, I had one scout say put an 80 on him this past week.

[SPEAKER_02]: I will say with Seth, I cannot wait to see like I feel like that we're just seeing the ground floor right here.

[SPEAKER_02]: And we were talking about him and saying kind of looking at him and saying, okay, so here's where he is right now.

[SPEAKER_02]: But imagine him throwing eventually if you count the cutter as a fastball essentially.

[SPEAKER_02]: Imagine him throwing three fastballs one day where you were going to be worrying about that.

[SPEAKER_02]: And you'd be worried about that, you were worried about that.

[SPEAKER_02]: And then imagine him, you know, like again, refining the breaking ball to go with the change up and all of a sudden,

[SPEAKER_02]: We're going to be talking about again, because he's still basically he's one of the you'll be one of the younger pictures in full season ball this year Yeah, I don't know where you're going to go assume it's a brightened in but Hopefully it's Greensboro in short order for greed's sake Yes, I mean we won't want to be making that trip, but okay, well, that's the top hundred side

[SPEAKER_02]: This is where it gets more fun.

[SPEAKER_02]: And this is where I know you've been a lot of time and have a lot more fun.

[SPEAKER_02]: Because, yes, you saw Ryan Sloan great.

[SPEAKER_02]: You love seeing great prospects.

[SPEAKER_02]: But you love finding the guys who are a little bit further off the radar.

[SPEAKER_02]: And I'll ask you with that.

[SPEAKER_02]: And I know this will be more than one probably.

[SPEAKER_02]: But who are some non-top 100 prospects who really caught your eye?

[SPEAKER_02]: And again, you're doing a lot of reporting right now, as well, who stood out in your conversations as well.

[SPEAKER_04]: You know, one that really jumps out is Nate Sneed with the angels and, you know, it's interesting.

[SPEAKER_04]: In my reporting, like, there's been a lot of Tennessee guys who's come up.

[SPEAKER_04]: Marcus Phillips came up as a really, really high-end pitching prospect, and I'm feeling pretty good about that.

[SPEAKER_04]: Tanner Franklin sounds like he was the best Tennessee prospect in the Cardinals Spring Breakout game.

[SPEAKER_04]: He was better than the embroiled.

[SPEAKER_04]: I mean, it wasn't a close...

[SPEAKER_04]: Like, the fourth or fifth does Tennessee Prospect to come out of this draft class.

[SPEAKER_04]: Like, other guys are...

[SPEAKER_04]: They're got some now stuff, man.

[SPEAKER_04]: Nate's needs through a sinkers so vicious that the guy filed it off his own face, right?

[SPEAKER_04]: You don't, you've got three fast balls that all move, it's high effort.

[SPEAKER_04]: You're probably riding the line between starter and bullpen.

[SPEAKER_04]: The sliders fill the, it comes right at you and he's just gonna blow it by you.

[SPEAKER_04]: They're gonna obviously keep him as a starter for now and they're gonna try city's gonna have one of the best rotations in the miners.

[SPEAKER_02]: Let's stop for a second there and just acknowledge for the good news that is for Tri-City because it was not that long ago that Tri-City was basically, you know, kind of, it was like, wait, why do they all go to Rocket City?

[SPEAKER_02]: You know, we're here too.

[SPEAKER_04]: Well, right, and it's tricky, I don't know, is there assignment, but I think it's there assignment based on where they were finishing the year and talking to their pitching coordinator

[SPEAKER_04]: But, you know, he's, it's, it's nasty stuff, man.

[SPEAKER_04]: He's really, really, really good.

[SPEAKER_04]: Brought up Marcus Phillips on the backfields of Florida.

[SPEAKER_04]: It's a loose armed right hander with low slot and big extension and big velocity.

[SPEAKER_04]: He can sweep it.

[SPEAKER_04]: He can land it.

[SPEAKER_04]: There's a little bit of a change up in there.

[SPEAKER_04]: He can force him it to.

[SPEAKER_04]: There's, you know, it was a great get by the volunteers

[SPEAKER_04]: and then the Red Sox did a great job scooping him up.

[SPEAKER_04]: And I talked to some people at Area Code Games last year that was their favorite arm on that staff.

[SPEAKER_04]: And that's certainly what I saw in three days and Tennessee last year.

[SPEAKER_04]: Doyle was great, but this one was better for me at least.

[SPEAKER_04]: Another guy who came up, James Tibs.

[SPEAKER_04]: We can talk about him too.

[SPEAKER_04]: Oh, and...

[SPEAKER_02]: I already had a great start to his triple.

[SPEAKER_02]: I see a two-home run game already.

[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, they made some mechanical tweaks with him and I know talk to guys who have

[SPEAKER_04]: who have been around him, and have history with him with the past organizations.

[SPEAKER_04]: And they say, a little different, there's more intent in the swing, and it's really showing up.

[SPEAKER_04]: I mean, it's interesting.

[SPEAKER_04]: They're probably going to have to like, it's a corner or a first-based profile, and it's probably just by necessity, because they've got so many outfielders coming up.

[SPEAKER_04]: That's like the glut of red sauce or red sauce.

[SPEAKER_04]: Dodgers prospects with this point are outfielders.

[SPEAKER_04]: So he might be at first basement, but he's going to have the bat to bang over that position just fine.

[SPEAKER_04]: I mean, it is spring training, and he was not facing the greatest pitching in the history of man, but you saw, he did it twice, and like opening day or two days, it'll be new ever first series again.

[SPEAKER_02]: It wasn't opening day, but he over the first weekend, he had a two home run game, both to center field, by the way, also like straight center.

[SPEAKER_02]: It was

[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, well, the one that I put on my Twitter was not cheap.

[SPEAKER_04]: It was, and I was lucky.

[SPEAKER_04]: I got it in the beautiful slow mode version.

[SPEAKER_04]: But you're watching on the YouTube as we are talking about it here.

[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, probably put that there.

[SPEAKER_04]: There's another one who I'm going to look at my notes here that I found out about today who was pretty good shocking of all shocks, but the the brewers have a pop up prospect who can pitch.

[SPEAKER_04]: Jason Woodward, Florida Gulf Coast coming off of Tommy John.

[SPEAKER_04]: He was 94 to 96 with ride and a plus plus change up and a new cutter, breaking balls kind of loose, but he carved in the adding that this particular scout saw solid delivery.

[SPEAKER_04]: Maybe a little bit, maybe.

[SPEAKER_04]: It's a little bit, but there's a good live arm there.

[SPEAKER_04]: And I can think of not too many better guys than organizations that the Provers to find young arms like that.

[SPEAKER_04]: The third name will give you is Justin Campbell from the Guardians.

[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, here's how long it's been since for Justin Campbell.

[SPEAKER_04]: He was college teammates with Nolan McLean.

[SPEAKER_04]: Since then, Nolan McLean has made his debut, pitched in the world baseball class that kind of exhausted his prospect eligibility.

[SPEAKER_04]: Nope, Justin Campbell has not thrown an official pro pitch yet.

[SPEAKER_04]: But I saw him two scouts who saw him and the first words out of their mouth were damn on both of them.

[SPEAKER_04]: So, yeah, that's interesting.

[SPEAKER_02]: Hey, this is for the Guardians.

[SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, they are who we're really, did I not mention that?

[SPEAKER_05]: Uh-huh.

[SPEAKER_05]: Did I not mention that?

[SPEAKER_02]: I'll say, I'm just saying this for the Guardians.

[SPEAKER_02]: They are patient because Daniel Espino and Justin Campbell, it's like, you know what?

[SPEAKER_02]: We're willing to wait.

[SPEAKER_02]: And by the way, when you say like the about Justin Campbell, I wrote about Justin Campbell and I saw him for 15 USA, 15 U, which probably was a decade ago now.

[SPEAKER_02]: But it's also probably only about 150 innings ago because he was also a two-way player at Oklahoma State.

[SPEAKER_02]: I'm always liked him as a prospect, but

[SPEAKER_02]: There was a long and long recovery from injury here, but it is great to hear that he is back to being what he looked to be.

[SPEAKER_02]: When he was drafted, many years ago now.

[SPEAKER_04]: I mean, here's the tears of what we got on him.

[SPEAKER_04]: Um, six, seven, two, twenty with big stuff.

[SPEAKER_04]: Upper 90s was swimming miss.

[SPEAKER_04]: Flash two good braping balls through legit weapons.

[SPEAKER_04]: Uh, already 25 without any pro experience.

[SPEAKER_04]: Operation was fine.

[SPEAKER_04]: Turned over a change up, okay.

[SPEAKER_04]: only fair cutter, but he's got five pitches and maybe he might be real fine eligible, which is kind of insane to think about.

[SPEAKER_02]: He was a 20-22 supplemental first rounder, so basically he got 22, 23, 24, 25.

[SPEAKER_02]: So that was the next year, this is an easy protection.

[SPEAKER_04]: You know, yeah.

[SPEAKER_04]: And then I'll give you another Oklahoma state guy.

[SPEAKER_04]: His name is Gabe Davis.

[SPEAKER_04]: He's with the White Sox.

[SPEAKER_04]: And I found two guys who saw him and just two winnings, you know, 96, 99 with some nasty braking stuff, hasn't doesn't have the official pro winning yet, but he's wanted to watch.

[SPEAKER_04]: There's a couple sleepers in that White Sox camp.

[SPEAKER_04]: We have another question.

[SPEAKER_02]: But that leads into the next question, because I think you have a couple of answers for this as well.

[SPEAKER_02]: I know one answer when you talk about Nate Sneed.

[SPEAKER_02]: Is there an organization whose farm system talent exceeded your expectations to spring training?

[SPEAKER_02]: That's the angels, isn't it?

[SPEAKER_02]: Or is that some of them, please?

[SPEAKER_04]: Oh yeah, um, absolutely the angels.

[SPEAKER_04]: Like, you know, you go, I saw their breakout game just because, you know, they, the way this, that, that, that heat wave in Arizona was kind of blessing you to sky, because I was not scheduled to go to that game, but they kept it that early, and then my game was late red giants, um, and you will double up if you can.

[SPEAKER_04]: You will trip all of the 6 hours in between.

[SPEAKER_04]: So, um, so anyway, I went to that

[SPEAKER_04]: And I think they rolled out, you know, Dylan Jordan, Nate Sneed, uh, nausea victor who, if you were a fan of the last day star, or airs on a bay, or folly.

[SPEAKER_04]: You decide which is more important.

[SPEAKER_02]: Um, we, we just said, I was perfect.

[SPEAKER_02]: You had your, you know, reason that you would love him.

[SPEAKER_02]: I have mine.

[SPEAKER_04]: So it's great.

[SPEAKER_04]: Um,

[SPEAKER_04]: I mean, mid upper 90s cutters will do that to you.

[SPEAKER_04]: They rolled out those guys, track record, Alford, it's like, they've got our intent.

[SPEAKER_04]: Hayden Alvarez instead of feels has gotten better.

[SPEAKER_04]: That's there.

[SPEAKER_04]: There's some guys that've gone backwards.

[SPEAKER_04]: Gabriel Davileo.

[SPEAKER_04]: But he does not seem like he's going in the correct direction for a lot of reasons.

[SPEAKER_02]: Guy can hit, but there's positional, the positional concern for getting louder and louder.

[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, there's, but the point is those, they're going to have some pitching at the lower level.

[SPEAKER_04]: I don't know how many more big leagues started.

[SPEAKER_04]: We didn't even talk about how they're rendering chase shores, mostly because I didn't see them.

[SPEAKER_04]: But her good things, you know, but there's a lot of stuff cooking in that camp.

[SPEAKER_02]: uh, any others that really exceeded expecting white boxes another one that I mean, it's not shocking now, but stands out to me a little bit from Yeah, it's one of those three.

[SPEAKER_04]: I'm not fresh on my mind because most of the guys I didn't see myself like then the the white socks that I did see in camp or in that breakout game were not good.

[SPEAKER_04]: were bad.

[SPEAKER_02]: In fact, yes, that was one of the game.

[SPEAKER_02]: That was one of the teams that was like, there is a strike zone.

[SPEAKER_02]: Why is it feel like it's moving around and no one can throw it?

[SPEAKER_04]: There's 27.5 walks in that game.

[SPEAKER_04]: It took a while.

[SPEAKER_04]: I thought we were going to run out of pictures.

[SPEAKER_02]: You had to call that early, but I thought you were going to run out of baseball, maybe.

[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, Zach Root.

[SPEAKER_04]: Well, they don't leave the park pages.

[SPEAKER_04]: Get one of the catches then.

[SPEAKER_04]: I mean, three and a half hours of open-site footage edited down to 47 seconds.

[SPEAKER_04]: Um, but, you know, they had some guys that just didn't have their best day, it could happen.

[SPEAKER_04]: I think Christian Ophor is probably better than what I saw, it's hard to not be.

[SPEAKER_04]: but they've got Billy Carlson.

[SPEAKER_04]: It's been a pretty good reviews on Billy.

[SPEAKER_04]: Even with the back, like there's some interesting there.

[SPEAKER_04]: And we, you know, Sam Antonachi, this is a different animal than what he was last year.

[SPEAKER_04]: He's bigger and stronger.

[SPEAKER_04]: Last year it was like a scrappy, dappy dude who's gonna get to the big leagues and cargo out a nice cup of coffee.

[SPEAKER_04]: Now it's okay.

[SPEAKER_04]: This got my bangin' off to be a regular, or at least a part time or a second division regular.

[SPEAKER_04]: question about where you're going to play, but it's a lot of different stuff there.

[SPEAKER_04]: And you saw that in the World Baseball class, and you saw it in the, I think you started well, like everybody else has in the Charlotte series, and then there's not one really, William Bergoya was kind of, I took a lot of,

[SPEAKER_04]: Ribbing for having him as high and affiliates as I did early in his career.

[SPEAKER_04]: I'm starting to look smart like this guy can make contact with a lot of stuff It's not going to be any power, but you know, he can get to 99 and dump it into left field or what have you and he can play in them in all the infields.

[SPEAKER_04]: There's there's some stuff there I'll give another name that I Nothing to do with the other teams, but one of my favorites from Cleveland system is dowry for nandes.

[SPEAKER_04]: I do can hit like it's not gonna be big time power because he's super narrow frames

[SPEAKER_04]: He got 99 and redirected it in the left field.

[SPEAKER_04]: He can turn and burn to and stay up to the middle.

[SPEAKER_04]: He's a fun little player.

[SPEAKER_04]: He seems to be separating himself and that younger middle in field pack that the guardians have on their side.

[SPEAKER_02]: So, that Charlotte team, I will say, it looks good and no fan base, I mean, not why I'm getting really granular here.

[SPEAKER_02]: No fan base deserves that more than fans in Charlotte, because the Charlotte Knights have been terrible year after year after year after year.

[SPEAKER_02]: Now, I know wins and losses at the minor league level are not that important, but- That's what we do.

[SPEAKER_02]: But, but.

[SPEAKER_02]: If you're a fan going a game, you kind of like to see your team win, and Charlotte pretty much a normal year is this their 20 games under 500, their 30 games under 500.

[SPEAKER_02]: They have not had a winning record in the 2020s.

[SPEAKER_02]: They've had one winning record since 2016, one year or they ended up above 500.

[SPEAKER_02]: They started out three and a, with like a sub 2 ERA, they are outscored, they're opponent 25 to 6, they have a pitching staff that looks really intriguing, they have actual like you said,

[SPEAKER_02]: Hey, the AAA Charlotte Knights, actually looking like a feisty team, it's been a while.

[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, even if they're, and this is the constant complaint I have about the Knights.

[SPEAKER_04]: Why is your mascot a dragon?

[SPEAKER_04]: That is the enemy of the Knight.

[SPEAKER_04]: Doesn't make any sense.

[SPEAKER_02]: They've come to a peaceful coexistence agreement, you know?

[SPEAKER_02]: I don't buy it.

[SPEAKER_02]: They don't hear it.

[SPEAKER_02]: Now it can catch living together.

[SPEAKER_04]: Yes.

[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.

[SPEAKER_04]: You don't have any doors to Durham, mascot.

[SPEAKER_02]: You know, but there's going to be so much work cited.

[SPEAKER_02]: We've got the minor league season here and we're going to be

[SPEAKER_02]: going to a whole lot of games and watching a whole lot of my LETV and producing a whole lot of content and video from that and we'll be doing that all season.

[SPEAKER_02]: So we're looking forward to that.

[SPEAKER_02]: That was Josh.

[SPEAKER_02]: We're going to do the same thing after the break with Hey Zeus Kano as well.

[SPEAKER_02]: So we'll be right back right after this quick break.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And we're back.

[SPEAKER_02]: And as you can see, Josh Norris has left us.

[SPEAKER_02]: And we have been joined by Jesus Kano, who has been living on the backfields in Arizona, because while Josh was making the trip out there,

[SPEAKER_02]: For you, that's just, that's just every day, you know, because this is what you do as our Phoenix Base Correspondent.

[SPEAKER_02]: But so take me through, this is year two of you prowling the backfield during spring training for us in Arizona.

[SPEAKER_02]: Before we dive into the prospects, how is it different year two from year one?

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, I feel like here one is obviously you're learning the ropes of things.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, I had, you know, a background covering the Diamondbacks, at MLB.com and a covering high school sports.

[SPEAKER_03]: So I had covered different sports to different levels and also work with younger players.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I think specifically on the baseball development standpoint and just what everything that goes with on the back feels it's a lot.

[SPEAKER_03]: It can be, it can be over-stimulating.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, it's like my cat Zoe when there's like more than three people in my apartment.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, it can be quite a lot bit.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I think after that first year, you know, you,

[SPEAKER_03]: You talked to a lot of people, you get to know a lot of the people, the same people who are, you know, they're getting trackman data, the same coaches, the same players to at some point, like they recognize you and everything becomes a lot more familiar and I think the other thing for me too is just like understanding the game more because while I've been a fan of baseball.

[SPEAKER_03]: I didn't play a grownup, I played soccer growing up, you know, but baseball's always been the sport that I've been watching and just learning everything that goes into, you know, what makes a good picture, what adjusts us a pitch, you need to make to be able to do.

[SPEAKER_03]: How does data that we, you know, get provided to, you know, effect and come into play and how are you able to see that type of stuff.

[SPEAKER_03]: So I think, go into your two, I was able to identify talent that stood out to me right away, rather they just rely on what Scouts were saying or somebody saying, hey, this guy could be good.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think this was the time and you've seen it, I think, in our air zone and backfield and tell, I talked about, you know, Jose Fernandez and then Jose Fernandez ended up getting called up to the D-backs after just three at bats in AAA and, you know, plenty of experience down in AA and hi.

[SPEAKER_03]: So I think that's been the biggest thing, there's just been so much talent and it's, you know, I needed to take some rest because obviously you don't want to deal with burnout beginning of the season, but even when I was home, you know, I felt like I needed to restrain myself from going out there because there's just so much to see how, so much to do and so much

[SPEAKER_03]: just a fan of the game, want to become a scout or in my position, want to be able to deliver the best news and just the most excited about what's going on in the backfields.

[SPEAKER_02]: So, same as we did with Josh, we'll dive right in.

[SPEAKER_02]: And so who is a top tier?

[SPEAKER_02]: Who's a top hundred prospect?

[SPEAKER_02]: Someone who is absolutely 100% on even the more casual prospect radar, someone who stood out to you.

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, and I think the best way to lead to talk about this guy is, you know, the antidote that I gave a couple weeks ago when I talked about it is the fact that, you know, you and I, I mean, we had just we're in Atlanta, uh, crazy how things come full circle.

[SPEAKER_03]: We were in Atlanta, um, you know, coming back from the future's game, I flew out that Monday and I was going to use that Tuesday to rest, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: It was a long trip.

[SPEAKER_03]: I had also just come back from Alaska like 10 days before, so I only spent like two days at home.

[SPEAKER_03]: And so I was like, you know what?

[SPEAKER_03]: I'm going to use it.

[SPEAKER_03]: And then I get a message from from Josh actually, that's like, hey, Kendry Cheerio is going to pitch tomorrow.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I'm like, all right, that sounds good.

[SPEAKER_03]: That complexly games at the time, you know, at this point, Kendry Cheerio was pitching in the Dominican Summer League 17 years old, states had to just absolutely dominate.

[SPEAKER_03]: It was by far,

[SPEAKER_03]: potentially the best player at the time in the Dominican Summer League and they decided to move him up and I was like okay the you know the complex league happens you know at 6pm I'll have some time to rest no that game was at 11 a.m. in 116 the great weather so I was like well dang I cannot go see this guy and it was worth it seeing everything as advertised it was the walls against the rent down in good year and just immediately when I start seeing impigeos like wow this guy is different

[SPEAKER_03]: disguise 17 years old.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think not that that was the case at the time and just the way that he was able to show high-ocked things stuff at the time hitting 95, 96, you know, with the fastball at just 17.

[SPEAKER_03]: In an international prospect, no less, you know, and I think it was really interesting to see him make that jump right away.

[SPEAKER_03]: And obviously, he from there, you know, after the ACL was over, he went over to low-way with the Columbia Fireflies, and you know, had a little bit of a learning curve there,

[SPEAKER_03]: it kind of really showed his maturity and prowess at the time.

[SPEAKER_03]: And then, you know, he was obviously the guy was most excited to see and just Kendrick Curio has continued to be amazing from the moment that I saw him pitch.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, the fastball at his age, you know, I think it's now at 96, 97, can touch 98 at times, which is so impressive to do.

[SPEAKER_03]: But the way he's able to do it is, is, you know, how on the stripes on at the end of the day, it's what it is, you know, a lot of it really is, you know, you're going to

[SPEAKER_03]: have, yeah, really good control and then it's kerbal.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, it is just I, you know, it's high spin with a fading, and it has a fading change of to go along with it.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I mean, the kerbal just gets so much with it's such a never really good spot.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I mean, this guy has the making of it.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, he's going to be 18 years old.

[SPEAKER_03]: He's going to start in low way.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, I don't expect him to kind of see Kavey, you know, maybe or, you know, push the way he's been able to do it so far.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I mean, his delivery, you know, and he's such a quiet guy, like a very,

[SPEAKER_03]: seems like he turns into completely different person when he's on the mountain.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, this is a guy that I'm excited to kind of see the bell up.

[SPEAKER_03]: And you know, there's still, there's still improvements with any other prosper that he used to be made.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, I know we wrote a story recently about baseball America, you know, I think after the first week of,

[SPEAKER_03]: spring after spring break out is when we talked about who could be the next pitcher's the best best pitchy prospect in the game.

[SPEAKER_03]: And obviously Hernandez was one of the guys mentioned in stuff like that.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I'd wrote about sure you, but I think sure you have plenty of other words to do before being able to reach that.

[SPEAKER_03]: But at the end of the day, being kind of suffered and isn't a couple of those guys in pitchy prosperity rankings, it's not a bad thing to be at all.

[SPEAKER_02]: So he's the top hundred prospect that we expect to see, take even further steps forward and which considering his age, you know, and the fact that he'd really just got to full sees him all the end of last year for the royals.

[SPEAKER_03]: And the big thing to JJ, like not to interrupt him, but yeah, what I think needs to happen for Cheerio this year is why the fastball's high octane.

[SPEAKER_03]: There's not a lot of swinging messed that comes with the fastball.

[SPEAKER_03]: I know there's a little bit of writing life, you know, with the fastball, but in the time that I've ever seen him, it doesn't get a lot of whiffs.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, I think batters are able to kind of fell off of it and maybe, you know, catch looking and stuff like that.

[SPEAKER_03]: But in the spring break out game, I think out of all the fastball games he threw, there was only one with on the ball.

[SPEAKER_03]: And more joy, yeah, with came from the curveball, obviously.

[SPEAKER_03]: So I think that's just another thing to find a way to be able to give a little bit more right and a little bit more moving with that fastball to kind of be able to guard your a little bit because obviously it's going to be his main pitch.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I mean, 17 right now, 96.

[SPEAKER_03]: 97.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I mean, by the time he's 2021, it could be 98.

[SPEAKER_03]: 99.

[SPEAKER_03]: And that's cool and all, but at the end of the day, a lot of other pictures are doing that fast, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: And if you just have a straight fasthold that just goes right away straight at you as a hitter, it's going to be easy to get that compared to one that has a little bit of movement.

[SPEAKER_03]: So I think that's the next step.

[SPEAKER_03]: He needs to take in order to kind of become like that top tier pitching prospect.

[SPEAKER_02]: So that's a good note about Royale's prospect can re-tureo, but we also are going to go beyond the top 100.

[SPEAKER_02]: other players and the foot I said just to you and said who do you want to talk about?

[SPEAKER_02]: One of these guys is a guy that you've been very much talking about, I feel like for the last year, but there's a certain Rockie's prospect that comes to mind.

[SPEAKER_03]: Of course, of course, and we're talking about Roldy Brito.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, the kid can flat out kid.

[SPEAKER_03]: And when I wrote a story about him, I believe in no member.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, I was asking a couple of pictures around the complex league that had faced them.

[SPEAKER_03]: And one picture, you know, I asked him in Spanish.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I'll give you guys a Spanish translation, everything I asked him, hey, what makes Kendri Tree so hard to go?

[SPEAKER_03]: I'm not Kendri Tree on my back.

[SPEAKER_03]: And what makes Roldy Brito so hard to go up against when you're pitching against them?

[SPEAKER_03]: And this picture said, it said, local is mowing, mowing, mowing,

[SPEAKER_03]: In translating, it means that crazy dude is really, really good in legit, you know, and everything in all aspects of it, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: And we're coming, it's crazy dude.

[SPEAKER_03]: It means that it's a term of environment in Dominican and Latin culture, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think the thing with Brito at the end of the day, you know, he can really hit.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, that's what it comes down to, he's such a discipline, so a chitter.

[SPEAKER_03]: I remember seeing them for the first time in the conflict so the last year and I think the the cream of the crop heading into that team was Ashley and DuPara who was the team's top international signings same classes, Roldie Brito and there was plenty other players there but there was nobody quite hit her quite like Brito in the way that he's able to just hit make contact with the ball in the zone you know and you know the e-bees for his age group at the time I think were average but I think there's also different tools that come into said with them too his speed

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, at the time, speed was rated as a, as a 70, I mean, in the DSL, some people were saying it was an 80, we keep him a 70.

[SPEAKER_03]: And it's, it's a true weapon, you know, I think when he was playing second, basically helped his mobility.

[SPEAKER_03]: And when he decided to put him out in said, you're able to speed was a big reason, because they knew that he'd be able to cover the ground, and he'd be able to hit long term to be in that position.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think one thing that we've seen about him a little bit too and this is something that I touched up in our backfield intel story was the fact that you know he's got a bigger you know I talked to him you know first game and you know you told me that you got measured at six foot one and yes he did get measured at six foot one because he's tall I mean I'm like five eleven six foot depending on what they I want to say.

[SPEAKER_03]: So he definitely added a little bit size and I think with that we're going to see a little bit more pop coming into his game, you know He has a right here now has got to get pop.

[SPEAKER_03]: I would say, but I think also too is he has the potential to turn that gap to get pop into over the fence power He's not going to be a guy that's going to select 25 30 home runs and make sure this appealing slugger that a lot of people talk about

[SPEAKER_03]: But I think as he continues to develop and get a lot more of barrels on the mall, I think it's potentially that see that you can see 15 to 20 from a guy that can lead off and play really good defensively.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I think what that said too, I think as he continues to get bigger, I think the speed's going to go down a little bit, which isn't bad at all.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, they 60 great speed at any level is impressive to do.

[SPEAKER_03]: So, especially with a guy that's able to get on base, like he does,

[SPEAKER_03]: But I think the other thing too, J.J. is one area of improvement that brewed it doesn't need to do.

[SPEAKER_03]: It's like, I think I've seen them try to steal, uh, uh, stolen base attempts like five or six times.

[SPEAKER_03]: He's been thrown out in every single one of them.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think that's just one area, his instincts need to get a little bit better.

[SPEAKER_03]: And because it's starting, you know, that's, I don't know, obviously pushing them to steal more bases, stuff like that's a top of the order guy.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I think that's one area where this tease and come in and low a, uh, Fresno for Amazon is going to need to be able to kind of do that a little bit just because, you know, it's important part of this game, but this guy,

[SPEAKER_03]: My bold prediction, you know, is I wouldn't be surprised if we'll be Bruno A by the end of this, but the year, you know, at some point this year, he's going to be a top of 100 prospect.

[SPEAKER_03]: I firmly believe it's going to be a top of 100 prospect.

[SPEAKER_03]: And the other thing too, I want to be surprised and be as a chance to be the top prospect in the rocky system.

[SPEAKER_03]: depending how to both Charlie Conning and eat that holiday fair out at the beginning of the year at the beginning of the year and how things transpired.

[SPEAKER_03]: I really believe in the tools that he has, you know, he was the first player that I got to see last year and I felt like it was kind of a discovery for me early on where I was like, whoa, this is what a good ball player looks like compared to a lot of people to complicate.

[SPEAKER_03]: And you know what, when he got up to the low eight Fresno, it was the same thing.

[SPEAKER_03]: It's not even better and the production was up there, but like with typical Rockie's prospects that we need to be able to talk about here is that that

[SPEAKER_03]: we continue because we could talk about freedom.

[SPEAKER_03]: We talked about Wilder Dahlies.

[SPEAKER_03]: We could talk about Ashley, how I'm to hard and Christian our ways who's making a state say debut from the DSL who did the MVP last year.

[SPEAKER_03]: But we can also talk about different players like Adele Amodor, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: We could talk about a young Kiel Fernandez.

[SPEAKER_03]: We could talk about, you know, a lot of other player international players that come up, haven't.

[SPEAKER_03]: done good in those lower levels.

[SPEAKER_03]: Robert Colis, Kelvin, and Algo being one of those other two and just kind of floundered a little bit in low way.

[SPEAKER_03]: The progression is going to be key to be able to put them up into an upper echelon because I think the, I mean, there's just so much potential with what Brody Brino right now.

[SPEAKER_02]: We can't let me eat just one.

[SPEAKER_02]: So who's another guy who stands out to you who's jumped out this spring?

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, you know, I, the one guy on the A's, I was very excited to watch was Edgar Montereau, but by the end of it, Bryson Gidez, the outfielder that I played with him in the Dominican summer league, I think was the talk of this international side, not just because of what he was able to do on the

[SPEAKER_03]: hack field, but also what he was able to do with to major late team.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, he took Michael King and established, you know, pitch your deep almost close 450, you know, 440, you know, to, to, to, it'd be or a, you know, and that was kind of like, whoa, here's this thing going on.

[SPEAKER_03]: And he had another home run, you know, with, in the spring break out game that would pretty deep.

[SPEAKER_03]: And now it's kind of the same thing in, in the, you know, what's the call in the backfield, you know, the way he was able to just take really good at bats and like send them off with high EVs.

[SPEAKER_03]: He's also, you know, a guy that was one and done in the Dominican summer league and then went on to, you know, didn't repeat or anything like that.

[SPEAKER_03]: You see here younger than Edgar Montero.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think out of all the players in the A's, I think he has an A system, I think he has the potential to really jump up, you know, he's keeping the Arizona complexly along with Monteiro too.

[SPEAKER_03]: He's skipping the Arizona complexly and going straight up to low A stocked in which I think really kills that confidence.

[SPEAKER_03]: I don't think that was the plan heading into the season at all.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think both him and Monteiro were expected to plan the Arizona complexly and after what they saw, you know, I know I've been talking about the desert, a lot of Monteiro also had a pretty good.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think those are two guys that are going to be top of the line of guys for the stocked

[SPEAKER_03]: But it's speaking with Gendez.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think the plan was for him to be in ACL and they meet the batches kind of swung it about a Arizona.

[SPEAKER_03]: So instead of dealing with 115 degree in the Arizona complex, they killed the it would 95 degrees in beautiful stock in California.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So I will lead into the next one, which is one topic of the organizations.

[SPEAKER_02]: And that's the, I think there's one or a player you want to talk about, but I'll just say that we'll just lay it into this, which is, is there's an organization whose farm system pound exceeded your expectations?

[SPEAKER_02]: And this may be cheating, because this is an organization whose basically, they're, their games are being played in your backyard.

[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, this is like the, this is the easy commute for you, over to the beautiful complex, the upgraded complex at Papago.

[SPEAKER_02]: Best backdrops, best backdrops, I believe, of any spring training backfield back there, but who jumped out and why?

[SPEAKER_03]: I think of course just like similarly to what I talked about on hot sheet and just to be able to kind of demand a tune of how close pop of the park is.

[SPEAKER_03]: I don't have a very strong arm, but it's a former soccer player.

[SPEAKER_03]: I believe I could kick a soccer ball into the complex where we're at right now.

[SPEAKER_03]: So, I mean, it's beautiful, complex of course and with that, there's just so much excitement around.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think seeing the farm system, obviously I grew up in the Bay Area, I didn't grow up a giant span, but I saw the way the farm system helped the team.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, that homegrown infield that they have in the early 2010s, like it was impossible to be not be a kid in the Bay Area at the time and just seeing the amount of the amount of posy shortages, the amount of sandaballgers, the amount of crop for dirties that were just littered around my middle school at the time and just throughout the Bay Area.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think what that comes a lot of high expectations of like, okay, if the giant's farm system was able to do this in the past, okay, why hasn't it been able to do since?

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think right now that

[SPEAKER_03]: position.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, they're cooking up with the guys that they've been able to draft maybe not necessarily in the first round, but a couple of other guys that they, you know, look up through on the other side too, that I'll talk to a little bit the international side.

[SPEAKER_03]: And also with them, happy to sell, sell off at the trade deadline last year.

[SPEAKER_03]: They were also able to acquire some pretty good people on the pro side.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, and I think that's, you know, a testament to

[SPEAKER_03]: to scouting and ball with thing Michael Holmes was cooking, but I also think Kyle Haynes and the entire, you know, player development system is cooking down there with what they've been able to do.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think that's just a long form of what we're saying is that they have arguably, they have a really excited, you know, excited top five, you know, group.

[SPEAKER_03]: Obviously when you mention, you know, price leverage both day with sin, Johnny level, you know, these are established talent that I've already been there.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I think the talk of the, the, the, the, the

[SPEAKER_03]: the complex in this case has been both Luis Hernandez and Joe Swarkin's LS video obviously we reported the Luis Hernandez news and got that out here for our followers at baseball american.com which is another region you guys should subscribe but we also got that video home run of him just absolutely smack

[SPEAKER_03]: the crap out of the ball and you know my favorite saying JJ hit the ball like it owed it money and at 17 years old you know I mean Hernandez is always the crown jeweled the international signing $5 million heading into the season you know it was playing in a professional then a swathlete where he was you know one of the best hitters in the league at 16 years old ripping off a dudes who had double a triple a experience.

[SPEAKER_03]: you know.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think that I think at the time we could tell like this there's no way this keep going through the Dominican summer league and obviously is making a state say debut both him and Joe Swarkins all this who will talk about a little bit too.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean are going to be both they're developing and that's just such a that's such a group you know thanks for the giants to have too but it's not just those guys throughout the the system that we've seen right we we can talk about price sell rich in the copper coffee that he's had and going through the real learning pains that

[SPEAKER_03]: But it's also guys like Bo Davis and who, you know, an undrafted guy out of a juke go that they were able to find, you know, put his way up as, you know, one of the better hitters last year kind of has close to a five tool talent is possible.

[SPEAKER_03]: With there and obviously, you know, going to be.

[SPEAKER_03]: We're going to do the ringer at that in the double.

[SPEAKER_03]: But it's also, you know, I think Luis Hernandez, Joe Sworkin's all is, you know, Johnny Love, I think he's getting overshadowed because it is.

[SPEAKER_03]: And Johnny Love was, you know, probably the best player in the Arizona complex year that played the entire season.

[SPEAKER_03]: And it's not just them, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: You have a guy like the code of Jordan too.

[SPEAKER_03]: If the hit was going to be able to be able to improve even just 10 grades above,

[SPEAKER_03]: He's going to become a really successful major league hitter with the right approaches, and on the pitch you sighted Jacob for us in a hand, you know, a guy that they got from the guardians in the relatively, you know, trade for one of their star eight pitchers.

[SPEAKER_03]: Tainer Martinez, Luis de la Torre, our henny scalyama, he's guys from the international sign that they've scouted and signed and kind of gone, you know, on top really, you know, successful first years in the Arizona Complexly.

[SPEAKER_03]: And, you know, each have a profile that to play somewhere relatively there.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, Trevor Cohen, a guy that, you know, didn't have a lot of hype coming into the draft.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, it was arguably the best reforming player from the draft class last year.

[SPEAKER_03]: And top the bottom, you know, it's guys like Carlos Gutierrez, to another international guy who can remain healthy.

[SPEAKER_03]: Has the hit tool, has the speed to be able to become a reliable top of the order bad?

[SPEAKER_03]: Park Cerber who they acquired, you know, from the Yankees in the Camilla Devault trade, a guy who was undrafted out of Georgia, a guy that nobody really knew about and then you look at the data, he was absolutely smashing the ball into the Yankees system, comes over to the Giants, something becomes on our hot sheet, the very first week he's there.

[SPEAKER_03]: And even guys, you know, on the younger side too, you know, on the complex side guys, like Carlos de la Rosa, who also acquired in the Yankees trade Alberto La Roja, one of their international guys.

[SPEAKER_03]: Um, you know, the giants, you know, I think the lower levels right now are going to be good and I think, you know, the systems going to get better, you know, they lucked into a top draft pick, you know, in the draft water.

[SPEAKER_03]: I know they were very, very happy as all of that was transferring.

[SPEAKER_03]: So, I mean, and regardless of what happens to the season, you know, they play in the tough division, what they do at the trade deadlines, going to be really dependent on what happens, you know, with with their record and their positioning at the time, if it's, you know,

[SPEAKER_03]: something like last year where they know they aren't going to make a stretch right anything like that.

[SPEAKER_03]: And when they have players to sell out, they even develop it even more.

[SPEAKER_03]: So I mean, it's just everything's going to the right direction for the giants.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think for a lot of giant spans for a lot of people within the system that haven't seen that come up to play.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think it's, you know, I'm trying to come up with a desert team, but it's like a beat.

[SPEAKER_03]: It's like a phoenix rising out of pop a bill park right now.

[SPEAKER_03]: Like it's exactly just what's happening.

[SPEAKER_02]: So that is our look at what was going on in Arizona during spring training as well.

[SPEAKER_02]: We did Florida last week or doing Arizona to speak.

[SPEAKER_02]: And next week, we will be talking about full bore minorly games at all full season levels.

[SPEAKER_02]: We have AAA going on right now, but you're getting ready for the start of, we're all getting ready for the start of low AA and AA, but before we wrap up today, we also have some news.

[SPEAKER_02]: And I say this, this is truly good news bad news.

[SPEAKER_02]: You know, which is, hey, Zeus is leaving us.

[SPEAKER_02]: We cannot say yet.

[SPEAKER_02]: We will not say yet what he's going to, but he's leaving for a good reason.

[SPEAKER_02]: He's not leaving.

[SPEAKER_02]: This is not something, we would not have Jesus on you know, this is something or it's leaving for a good opportunity.

[SPEAKER_02]: We'll let him announce that later on.

[SPEAKER_02]: But we also did want to make sure that the, you know, our baseball America podcast, you know, viewers are,

[SPEAKER_02]: YouTube viewers knew as well.

[SPEAKER_02]: We're going to miss, we're going to miss Jesus.

[SPEAKER_02]: I've been fun working with Jesus.

[SPEAKER_02]: It's been fun bouncing around the back fields with you last year.

[SPEAKER_02]: You know, at the same time and you're at the all-star game and all that, but also watching the the work you've put in and the way that you've really kind of just in, you know, embrace kind of like the the backfield life of bouncing around.

[SPEAKER_02]: all around spring training, all around the complex leagues, all around the instructs and the years and the folly.

[SPEAKER_02]: But on top of that, also driving our Spanish language coverage that we do at the site and also, I think, the key thing, one of the key things is, telling stories of players who, you know, by being able to speak in their native language, being able to tell the stories in a way that has been wonderful for baseball America.

[SPEAKER_02]: Hey, Zeus, we're going off.

[SPEAKER_02]: Got a couple more weeks here.

[SPEAKER_02]: Did I leave it right now, but we will miss you, and it has also been wonderful to have you, and you will continue to be part of the baseball America team.

[SPEAKER_02]: Going forward, you know, but we did want to make sure when when it happens in a few weeks that people don't go away, wait, where did Jesus go?

[SPEAKER_02]: This is he's leaving, but it's for something quite good, but we are going to miss you, Jesus.

[SPEAKER_03]: I appreciate that.

[SPEAKER_03]: I appreciate that a lot, JJ.

[SPEAKER_03]: I remember Matt Myers, who was one of the BP at content said it will be dot com and also a former baseball staff for baseball America staff for when I informed them that I was going over the baseball America.

[SPEAKER_03]: The first thing that told me has really stuck out throughout this entire process was.

[SPEAKER_03]: You're going to learn so much about baseball that you thought you did, but there's plenty of more things that you don't know.

[SPEAKER_03]: And that's been truly the case.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think from day one, even from day one of our meeting, looking, you know, obviously doing the studying for a content when I was a plant for the position, but at the same time too, it's like, you go out to those backpills and you get exposed to a different side of things.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I really just enjoyed it.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, I've been a prospect fan since I was a kid.

[SPEAKER_03]: but I think it's one thing looking at the rankings online and actually being out there and seeing what player developing goes through with scouting goes through what everything goes to to just give these guys one at bat or one any pitch in the majors.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know there's so much so much obviously process and watching them play a scouts, trapping them developing all the bus rides, all the sessions, all the lifting sessions, all the back view games, all the sim games, all the whatever through instructional league, all the everything right just for them to be in a position to be able to get one of

[SPEAKER_03]: everyone that's followed my work like I really appreciated you know I think obviously tapping into the backfield side gear around to be specific I think was a you know foreign territory for BA and it was a challenge that obviously with my location at the time because I was still living in Arizona I used it to my advantage man and I will say this you know like I you know at the time you know I had just come off of working at MLB.com covering the diamond backs and coming into this rod that would be a big transition

[SPEAKER_03]: But in the sense of it is like I enjoyed so much stepping on today.

[SPEAKER_03]: It didn't matter if it was like a hundred and ten, a hundred and eighteen degree day.

[SPEAKER_03]: Like the day I watched Kendri Turio play.

[SPEAKER_03]: That was just such an amazing experience as talking to everybody interacting with so many people, so many fans.

[SPEAKER_03]: They're really getting an understanding for the product.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I'm just so thankful for my time here at Baseball America.

[SPEAKER_03]: Not just for work with amazing people like you, JJ, of course.

[SPEAKER_03]: But you know, Josh, Jeff, you know, everybody on the pro side,

[SPEAKER_03]: Mark, Eric, you know, I could name everybody on the list so far Carlos Ben, you know, Pete, you know, um, who is no longer with us, he's with the nation, let them have to, but he's with the nation's now, of course.

[SPEAKER_03]: Um, it's just been such a great experience, so it's going to be something I remember, you know, for the for the rest of my life, you know, I'm not without revealing too much about what my next role is going to be, it's not going to be like in scouting or working from a front office team, which I do as kind of,

[SPEAKER_03]: some things that baseball, America, all of my go on to do, mine is going to stick within reporting, I'm excited for when that comes out to play, but I'm thankful, I'm going to miss living in Arizona, I'm going to miss being on those back fields, I'm going to miss interacting, I'm going to miss posting the videos, the crack of the bat when a whole run goes on or the reaction from some of the players' teammates when they just have a nasty pitch, I'm going to visit all, but I think it's really helped me for the next step and I think in terms of what comes from me next, I think it's going to help take my work to another level, so

[SPEAKER_03]: I just want to say thank you so much for believing in me, but also for believing in the vision with the Spanish website.

[SPEAKER_03]: I've gone to tell so many stories that I think would have gone untold of.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, one of those that comes into mind was the Elaine Gomez Goudinho story, which I hope we can find a way to nominate effort award because it could win something for real.

[SPEAKER_03]: Danny, anybody who hasn't checked it out, be sure to check it out because they just really put it into perspective about life and the opportunity that we have here in the United States regardless of what profession you want to go into and a lot of sacrifices that.

[SPEAKER_03]: you know, people from outside countries who want to bring in good into their life, you know, want to do it to be part of, you know, so thank you so much, JJ.

[SPEAKER_03]: I know I know it's tough.

[SPEAKER_03]: I don't want to cry or anything like that, but it's tough.

[SPEAKER_03]: This is tough, but this was this tough position regardless of what the next came in and I'm a misman.

[SPEAKER_03]: I'm going to miss it a lot.

[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, we're going to miss you, but at the same time, as I told you, when we were talking about this, like excited for you as well.

[SPEAKER_02]: We are very excited for the opportunity that you have going forward is something that you were talking about, like the long-term goals and all, and long-term goals have gotten here sooner than we could have ever even imagined, you're in a half ago.

[SPEAKER_02]: So that's very, it's very good news.

[SPEAKER_02]: Again, we are, we're going to miss Jesus, but it is very good news.

[SPEAKER_02]: We have that coming.

[SPEAKER_02]: But again,

[SPEAKER_02]: a couple more weeks still not yet.

[SPEAKER_02]: And we'll have also will be welcoming on unrelated to this.

[SPEAKER_02]: You know, we also have the announcement this week.

[SPEAKER_02]: We have that that the Ian Cundall is joining the B.A.

[SPEAKER_02]: staff.

[SPEAKER_02]: He starts actually as we're recording this tomorrow.

[SPEAKER_02]: Was this goes up today?

[SPEAKER_02]: And that's no joke.

[SPEAKER_02]: That's no joke.

[SPEAKER_02]: Even if it's on April Fool's.

[SPEAKER_02]: It's not a joke.

[SPEAKER_02]: This is absolutely true.

[SPEAKER_02]: We're announcing it as we're recording in some March 31st.

[SPEAKER_02]: So this is not part of an April 1st.

[SPEAKER_02]: I'm proposing he is coming.

[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, unrelated to like Hazus departing.

[SPEAKER_02]: These are two unrelated moves.

[SPEAKER_02]: But we're excited to have that.

[SPEAKER_02]: So we'll also have him as well.

[SPEAKER_02]: But that's where it's want to make sure that everyone knew, you know, where that's where Hazus is going.

[SPEAKER_02]: We will have further on that.

[SPEAKER_02]: But

[SPEAKER_02]: for his use.

[SPEAKER_02]: For Josh Norris, I'm JJ Cooper.

[SPEAKER_02]: Thank you for listening to another edition of the baseball America.

[SPEAKER_02]: Prospect podcast and on our YouTube pages.

[SPEAKER_02]: Well, and by the way, if you enjoyed this, please do check out baseballamerican.com.

[SPEAKER_02]: Before we have so much more about this, we're doing all kind of analysis of everything you need to know as the minor league season really gets rolling.

[SPEAKER_02]: We have Prospect reports up every day.

[SPEAKER_02]: We have emails by the way with that that you can check out that will give you also what, so you know what happened yesterday.

[SPEAKER_02]: We give you a little bit of rundown on the prospect side.

[SPEAKER_02]: I do this one days.

[SPEAKER_02]: His host does us another.

[SPEAKER_02]: We do that every weekday all season.

[SPEAKER_02]: So check that all out at baseballamerica.com and so long everybody.