their run differential is pretty bad (-20 or something) despite being four games over .500
The greatest "run differential" statistic has to be the 1960 World Series where the Yankees outscored the Pirates 55-27 and lost the series 4-3. The Yankees' three wins were by scores of 16-3, 12-0, and 10-0 while the Pirates won their games by margins of 2, 1, 3. and 1. I love that stat.
As long as his elbow doesn't explode, it's very exciting to know Nola will be an amazing #3 in the rotation.
Agreed, but it's also disconcerting that after trading hamels they still don't have a 1 or 2.
Mazara sure would look good in RF for the Phillies tonight.
Who's to say Nola doesn't develop into a 2? That was his ceiling after being drafted. He's certainly pitching like a 1 right now. Velasquez is demonstrating top of the rotation stuff too. Even if all these guys end up as a bunch of 3's with maybe a 2 sprinkled in, they still have tons of resources to sign or trade for a true ace. It's not like Lee and Halladay came up through the system. Oh, and they also have the first pick in the draft next month.
This team's in good shape...
I really don't think the team is in great shape. They have 3 pieces on their current roster. Crawford will be up soon. Really, that's it. For all of the trades they made I don't think they got enough of a return. Too much quantity and not enough quality.
All while we have to watch Hamels dominate for another team. I'd take that trade back in a heartbeat.
Feels like all Philly teams have terrible luck with these top draft picks. Iverson and mcnabb were really the last ones that were no brainers (and a lot of people didn't like the mcnabb pick). Patrick Kane would have been but the stupid lottery screwed us. Whenever one of our teams have a top pick it never seems like the inevitable superstar is there to pick.
good to see the Penn State cult still comes out in force to defend Paterno even with confirmation now of a settlement in 1971 for Sandusky molesting someone. it really is unbelievable.
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The Juggler
Behind that bush over there. Posts: 47,501
As long as his elbow doesn't explode, it's very exciting to know Nola will be an amazing #3 in the rotation.
Agreed, but it's also disconcerting that after trading hamels they still don't have a 1 or 2.
Mazara sure would look good in RF for the Phillies tonight.
Who's to say Nola doesn't develop into a 2? That was his ceiling after being drafted. He's certainly pitching like a 1 right now. Velasquez is demonstrating top of the rotation stuff too. Even if all these guys end up as a bunch of 3's with maybe a 2 sprinkled in, they still have tons of resources to sign or trade for a true ace. It's not like Lee and Halladay came up through the system. Oh, and they also have the first pick in the draft next month.
This team's in good shape...
I really don't think the team is in great shape. They have 3 pieces on their current roster. Crawford will be up soon. Really, that's it. For all of the trades they made I don't think they got enough of a return. Too much quantity and not enough quality.
All while we have to watch Hamels dominate for another team. I'd take that trade back in a heartbeat.
I think Williams will be up before Crawford. Possibly mid summer.
"It's the Phillies' Herschel Walker moment," Law said. "Yes, I'm showing my age, but I believe that. When the Dallas Cowboys dealt Walker to the Minnesota Vikings, it set up their next winning team with an amazing array of assets. This deal did that for the Phillies."
"Alfaro is hitter, regardless of if he plays catcher or the outfield," Law said. "Williams has a chance to be very dynamic. I'm convinced that Jake Thompson is a major-league starter, likely a very solid No. 3. Those players all could be part of the next winning Phillies team or shipped off in trades to acquire players that will get the Phillies there by the end of this decade."
alfaro can't stay on the field and williams' approach sounds like he's a hacker and aloof in the field(that's coming mostly from Law, among others).
I understand that most analysts like the phils system more than I do. Other than Crawford, I like the guys they have at their lower levels more than the guys in the upper levels. Randolph sounds like he will be a beast.
Like I've said here before, the Phils system isn't as good as the Nationals or Braves. And the Mets have way more talent than the Phils when you consider their young MLB talent -- and Dom Smith may be better than any of the phils prospects.
Best thing the Phils have going for them is that they don't have much money tied up to players on their 40 man roster. That and the anchor playing 1B will be gone in a few months. Talent-wise I think their system is vastly overrated. The sum is greater than the parts.
As for the hamels trade, failing to get a superstar was my complaint at the time of the trade. Fact that Mazara (the guy they should have gotten) looks like a superstar only confirms my stance.
I know minor league stats don't tell the entire story about a player but these jump of the page...
Nick Williams has walked 92 times and struck out 417 times in 4+ minor league seasons (4 walks and 20 k's this year). Not quite ryan howard bad, but color me skeptical that this approach works at the MLB level.
Alfaro has walked 96 times and k'd 499 times. Yikes.
Crawford on the other hand - 184 walks, 182 k's. He's gonna be a monster.
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The Juggler
Behind that bush over there. Posts: 47,501
Yeah but Williams showed quite a bit of improvement last year. Cut his strikeouts down by 43 and walked 13 more times. That's not insignificant. Looking forward to seeing him this summer.
I'm more inclined to side with the vast majority opinion on what the Phils have done. Fingers crossed but I think the future looks bright.
Yeah but Williams showed quite a bit of improvement last year. Cut his strikeouts down by 43 and walked 13 more times. That's not insignificant. Looking forward to seeing him this summer.
I'm more inclined to side with the vast majority opinion on what the Phils have done. Fingers crossed but I think the future looks bright.
most of that improvement was early in the year. as the season played out he regressed back to his hacking ways, which has continued for the first month of this season (4 walks, 20 k's).
I hope I'm wrong. Not all guys with bad approaches fail to become solid players (jimmy rollins for example). That path is the exception rather than the norm though.
Also, can we just start calling Mark Appel - Luke Hocheaver II? Pretty safe at this point.
I think people are looking for immediate results from these trades because of this surprising start. These kids are still pups. Let them develop.
I just don't think the players they got for hamels are very good. That's my issue. If you're gonna trade an ace pitcher in their prime who is signed to multiple years of below market value, then I think you need to get at least one star player in return. Phillies failed to do that. Keep in mind, they didn't HAVE to trade him when they did.
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The Juggler
Behind that bush over there. Posts: 47,501
I think people are looking for immediate results from these trades because of this surprising start. These kids are still pups. Let them develop.
I just don't think the players they got for hamels are very good. That's my issue. If you're gonna trade an ace pitcher in their prime who is signed to multiple years of below market value, then I think you need to get at least one star player in return. Phillies failed to do that. Keep in mind, they didn't HAVE to trade him when they did.
I think they got 3 players who could all eventually be significant contributors to a good team.
See I like the quantity over quality argument. Instead of putting all your eggs in one prospect's basket, you hedge your bet with multiple guys. There are no guarantees that any prospect, even top 5 guys (cough Dom Brown cough cough) will make it. Why not give your team a few more chances? Multiple assets is a good thing.
And Appel has pitched well so far. I like how they're keeping him in double A and kind of easing him into the system.
Edit---plus Eickoff. Haha. I keep forgetting he was in the Hamels trade. I figured anything you got from him was a bonus. He's looking like a mid rotation guy at this point.
I think people are looking for immediate results from these trades because of this surprising start. These kids are still pups. Let them develop.
I just don't think the players they got for hamels are very good. That's my issue. If you're gonna trade an ace pitcher in their prime who is signed to multiple years of below market value, then I think you need to get at least one star player in return. Phillies failed to do that. Keep in mind, they didn't HAVE to trade him when they did.
I think they got 3 players who could all eventually be significant contributors to a good team.
See I like the quantity over quality argument. Instead of putting all your eggs in one prospect's basket, you hedge your bet with multiple guys. There are no guarantees that any prospect, even top 5 guys (cough Dom Brown cough cough) will make it. Why not give your team a few more chances? Multiple assets is a good thing.
And Appel has pitched well so far. I like how they're keeping him in double A and kind of easing him into the system.
they traded one of the best pitchers in mlb. I don't want guys who 'could be' contributors. Mazara was a lock to be a stud. Brinson could be. I didn't want Gallo or Alfaro or Thompson -- all maybes.
Hocheaver, I mean Appel got shelled in his last start. His WHIP is 1.50. He's gone six innings in only one of his starts. Not sure how that's good. Move him to the pen already, he's not a starter . Also he's not in AA
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The Juggler
Behind that bush over there. Posts: 47,501
I think people are looking for immediate results from these trades because of this surprising start. These kids are still pups. Let them develop.
I just don't think the players they got for hamels are very good. That's my issue. If you're gonna trade an ace pitcher in their prime who is signed to multiple years of below market value, then I think you need to get at least one star player in return. Phillies failed to do that. Keep in mind, they didn't HAVE to trade him when they did.
I think they got 3 players who could all eventually be significant contributors to a good team.
See I like the quantity over quality argument. Instead of putting all your eggs in one prospect's basket, you hedge your bet with multiple guys. There are no guarantees that any prospect, even top 5 guys (cough Dom Brown cough cough) will make it. Why not give your team a few more chances? Multiple assets is a good thing.
And Appel has pitched well so far. I like how they're keeping him in double A and kind of easing him into the system.
they traded one of the best pitchers in mlb. I don't want guys who 'could be' contributors. Mazara was a lock to be a stud. Brinson could be. I didn't want Gallo or Alfaro or Thompson -- all maybes.
Hocheaver, I mean Appel got shelled in his last start. His WHIP is 1.50. He's gone six innings in only one of his starts. Not sure how that's good. Move him to the pen already, he's not a starter . Also he's not in AA
Like I said, there are plenty of intelligent baseball minds out there who disagree with your assessment of that trade. Law thinks the Phils made out real well. Most analysts also think The Phils fleeced the Houston too. Time will tell.
And Dom Brown was once a lock to be a stud too. I just like the fact that they have multiple lottery tickets.
I think people are looking for immediate results from these trades because of this surprising start. These kids are still pups. Let them develop.
I just don't think the players they got for hamels are very good. That's my issue. If you're gonna trade an ace pitcher in their prime who is signed to multiple years of below market value, then I think you need to get at least one star player in return. Phillies failed to do that. Keep in mind, they didn't HAVE to trade him when they did.
I think they got 3 players who could all eventually be significant contributors to a good team.
See I like the quantity over quality argument. Instead of putting all your eggs in one prospect's basket, you hedge your bet with multiple guys. There are no guarantees that any prospect, even top 5 guys (cough Dom Brown cough cough) will make it. Why not give your team a few more chances? Multiple assets is a good thing.
And Appel has pitched well so far. I like how they're keeping him in double A and kind of easing him into the system.
they traded one of the best pitchers in mlb. I don't want guys who 'could be' contributors. Mazara was a lock to be a stud. Brinson could be. I didn't want Gallo or Alfaro or Thompson -- all maybes.
Hocheaver, I mean Appel got shelled in his last start. His WHIP is 1.50. He's gone six innings in only one of his starts. Not sure how that's good. Move him to the pen already, he's not a starter . Also he's not in AA
Like I said, there are plenty of intelligent baseball minds out there who disagree with your assessment of that trade. Law thinks the Phils made out real well. Most analysts also think The Phils fleeced the Houston too. Time will tell.
And Dom Brown was once a lock to be a stud too. I just like the fact that they have multiple lottery tickets.
the man was negative when the Phils were winning 95-100 games, do you really expect him to be positive now Juggler?
Its always iffy when talking about prospects. remember when a good portion of people didn't want to give up Kyle Drabek in a Roy Halladay trade? It's very difficult to project who is going to be a star in the majors outside of a few can't miss guys. I man Pat Burrell was the #2 pick. good major leaguer but not a stud by any stretch.
Right now you have to like what you see out of Nola, Vasquez, Eichoff, Franco, and Herrera on the MLB roster and hopefully Crawford by the latest the beginning of next season.
I think people are looking for immediate results from these trades because of this surprising start. These kids are still pups. Let them develop.
I just don't think the players they got for hamels are very good. That's my issue. If you're gonna trade an ace pitcher in their prime who is signed to multiple years of below market value, then I think you need to get at least one star player in return. Phillies failed to do that. Keep in mind, they didn't HAVE to trade him when they did.
I think they got 3 players who could all eventually be significant contributors to a good team.
See I like the quantity over quality argument. Instead of putting all your eggs in one prospect's basket, you hedge your bet with multiple guys. There are no guarantees that any prospect, even top 5 guys (cough Dom Brown cough cough) will make it. Why not give your team a few more chances? Multiple assets is a good thing.
And Appel has pitched well so far. I like how they're keeping him in double A and kind of easing him into the system.
they traded one of the best pitchers in mlb. I don't want guys who 'could be' contributors. Mazara was a lock to be a stud. Brinson could be. I didn't want Gallo or Alfaro or Thompson -- all maybes.
Hocheaver, I mean Appel got shelled in his last start. His WHIP is 1.50. He's gone six innings in only one of his starts. Not sure how that's good. Move him to the pen already, he's not a starter . Also he's not in AA
Like I said, there are plenty of intelligent baseball minds out there who disagree with your assessment of that trade. Law thinks the Phils made out real well. Most analysts also think The Phils fleeced the Houston too. Time will tell.
And Dom Brown was once a lock to be a stud too. I just like the fact that they have multiple lottery tickets.
the man was negative when the Phils were winning 95-100 games, do you really expect him to be positive now Juggler?
Its always iffy when talking about prospects. remember when a good portion of people didn't want to give up Kyle Drabek in a Roy Halladay trade? It's very difficult to project who is going to be a star in the majors outside of a few can't miss guys. I man Pat Burrell was the #2 pick. good major leaguer but not a stud by any stretch.
Right now you have to like what you see out of Nola, Vasquez, Eichoff, Franco, and Herrera on the MLB roster and hopefully Crawford by the latest the beginning of next season.
Pretty sure any team would take Pat Burrell's career regardless of where he was picked. .834 OPS over 12 years
I think people are looking for immediate results from these trades because of this surprising start. These kids are still pups. Let them develop.
I just don't think the players they got for hamels are very good. That's my issue. If you're gonna trade an ace pitcher in their prime who is signed to multiple years of below market value, then I think you need to get at least one star player in return. Phillies failed to do that. Keep in mind, they didn't HAVE to trade him when they did.
I think they got 3 players who could all eventually be significant contributors to a good team.
See I like the quantity over quality argument. Instead of putting all your eggs in one prospect's basket, you hedge your bet with multiple guys. There are no guarantees that any prospect, even top 5 guys (cough Dom Brown cough cough) will make it. Why not give your team a few more chances? Multiple assets is a good thing.
And Appel has pitched well so far. I like how they're keeping him in double A and kind of easing him into the system.
they traded one of the best pitchers in mlb. I don't want guys who 'could be' contributors. Mazara was a lock to be a stud. Brinson could be. I didn't want Gallo or Alfaro or Thompson -- all maybes.
Hocheaver, I mean Appel got shelled in his last start. His WHIP is 1.50. He's gone six innings in only one of his starts. Not sure how that's good. Move him to the pen already, he's not a starter . Also he's not in AA
Like I said, there are plenty of intelligent baseball minds out there who disagree with your assessment of that trade. Law thinks the Phils made out real well. Most analysts also think The Phils fleeced the Houston too. Time will tell.
And Dom Brown was once a lock to be a stud too. I just like the fact that they have multiple lottery tickets.
the man was negative when the Phils were winning 95-100 games, do you really expect him to be positive now Juggler?
Its always iffy when talking about prospects. remember when a good portion of people didn't want to give up Kyle Drabek in a Roy Halladay trade? It's very difficult to project who is going to be a star in the majors outside of a few can't miss guys. I man Pat Burrell was the #2 pick. good major leaguer but not a stud by any stretch.
Right now you have to like what you see out of Nola, Vasquez, Eichoff, Franco, and Herrera on the MLB roster and hopefully Crawford by the latest the beginning of next season.
Pretty sure any team would take Pat Burrell's career regardless of where he was picked. .834 OPS over 12 years
yeah, some people here should never talk about baseball. track records around here speak for themselves. dude doesn't even know that burrell was the first overall pick and the other one doesn't know what level appel is playing at
this thread is definitely a case where being in the minority is a good thing
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The Juggler
Behind that bush over there. Posts: 47,501
Still early but nice to see the young bucks mashing the ball
Matt Winkelman Retweeted Daren Willman @darenw 5h5 hours ago
Most HRs by @MiLB system: #Rangers 104 #Phillies 92 #Royals 91 #Indians 91 #Dodgers 86 . #Angels fewest 46
I think people are looking for immediate results from these trades because of this surprising start. These kids are still pups. Let them develop.
I just don't think the players they got for hamels are very good. That's my issue. If you're gonna trade an ace pitcher in their prime who is signed to multiple years of below market value, then I think you need to get at least one star player in return. Phillies failed to do that. Keep in mind, they didn't HAVE to trade him when they did.
I think they got 3 players who could all eventually be significant contributors to a good team.
See I like the quantity over quality argument. Instead of putting all your eggs in one prospect's basket, you hedge your bet with multiple guys. There are no guarantees that any prospect, even top 5 guys (cough Dom Brown cough cough) will make it. Why not give your team a few more chances? Multiple assets is a good thing.
And Appel has pitched well so far. I like how they're keeping him in double A and kind of easing him into the system.
they traded one of the best pitchers in mlb. I don't want guys who 'could be' contributors. Mazara was a lock to be a stud. Brinson could be. I didn't want Gallo or Alfaro or Thompson -- all maybes.
Hocheaver, I mean Appel got shelled in his last start. His WHIP is 1.50. He's gone six innings in only one of his starts. Not sure how that's good. Move him to the pen already, he's not a starter . Also he's not in AA
Like I said, there are plenty of intelligent baseball minds out there who disagree with your assessment of that trade. Law thinks the Phils made out real well. Most analysts also think The Phils fleeced the Houston too. Time will tell.
And Dom Brown was once a lock to be a stud too. I just like the fact that they have multiple lottery tickets.
the man was negative when the Phils were winning 95-100 games, do you really expect him to be positive now Juggler?
Its always iffy when talking about prospects. remember when a good portion of people didn't want to give up Kyle Drabek in a Roy Halladay trade? It's very difficult to project who is going to be a star in the majors outside of a few can't miss guys. I man Pat Burrell was the #2 pick. good major leaguer but not a stud by any stretch.
Right now you have to like what you see out of Nola, Vasquez, Eichoff, Franco, and Herrera on the MLB roster and hopefully Crawford by the latest the beginning of next season.
Pretty sure any team would take Pat Burrell's career regardless of where he was picked. .834 OPS over 12 years
yeah, some people here should never talk about baseball. track records around here speak for themselves. dude doesn't even know that burrell was the first overall pick and the other one doesn't know what level appel is playing at
this thread is definitely a case where being in the minority is a good thing
good to see the Kayne of this thread is back. sue me for forgetting what pick Pat Burrell was 19 fucking years ago. been kind of busy for those past 19 years you know.
At least there is no doubt which team Juggler and I cheer for. aren't you an Orioles fan now? i mean you were a Phils fan when they were winning, then a few years ago it was the O's when they were in the playoffs, so who is it now? Are you a fan of someone else now? Cubs maybe? Nats, Mets? or do we have to wait until the playoffs before you decide again?
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The Juggler
Behind that bush over there. Posts: 47,501
Even better than expected: Jose Altuve, Nolan Arenado, Aaron Nola, Anthony Rizzo
3:43 PM ET David Schoenfield Evaluating baseball prospects sometimes seems like a preposterous idea: Take a teenage kid, project him four or five years into the future and predict whether he'll develop the ability to hit breaking balls or whether he'll add velocity to his fastball (or lose velocity). Then factor in all the intangibles: Will he deal with failure? Will he stay healthy? Does he have that desire to get better and work at his game?
It's remarkable that the evaluators do as well as they do. Sometimes they're right in predicting a guy as a future big leaguer, but underestimate on his ultimate upside. Here are a few stars who turned out better than expected.
Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies
Peak prospect rating: No. 39 Baseball America, No. 60 Baseball Prospectus, No. 57 Keith Law
Quote: "Nola's hallmark is his stellar command, which stems from good athletic ability and freakish flexibility. His fastball checks in at 93-95 mph and gets excellent life from a mid-three-quarters arm slot. He backs up the fastball with a slider and changeup, which each have the potential to be plus in the future." -- 2015 Baseball America Prospect Handbook
Nola was the seventh overall pick in the 2014 draft out of LSU, so it's not as if he has come out of nowhere. But he was described as a guy with a higher floor than ceiling -- a good bet to make the majors but more likely to settle in as No. 3 starter than an ace. It always seemed a little odd that the Phillies would take a pitcher without major upside that high in the draft. Well, maybe the Phillies knew something because Nola is currently pitching like an ace: 3.13 ERA, 46 IP, 31 H, 8 BB, 49 SO, 3 HR. His knockout pitch is a curveball that might be the best in the game right now. What's interesting is that his pitch was always described as a slider, not a curve. Whatever it is, it has been almost impossible to hit: Batters are hitting just .074 against it (they hit .191 last year). Note as well from that piece I linked to that Nola has moved from the middle of the rubber to the first-base side.
Nola's average fastball velocity is actually just 90.0 mph, so less than than the ranges described as an amateur. But note what Keith Law wrote last year: "Nola has grade-70 command of his 91-94 mph fastball, with very good life on the pitch, locating it where he wants to either side of the plate and showing little fear when working with it." It's the big velocity that gets pitcher a high ranking on the prospect lists, but if you have grade-70 command and movement, that's a road to success as well.
Lenny Dykstra just joined Twitter. God bless America.
Also I just realized I forgot to get his book. That is next on the list.
And I promptly followed.
I cannot, for the life of me, be able to purchase and read that. I'm going to assume at least 75% of it is made up. But when you're done with it I'll gladly borrow it.
Who knew my childhood idol was a complete scumbag?
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The Juggler
Behind that bush over there. Posts: 47,501
Lenny Dykstra just joined Twitter. God bless America.
Also I just realized I forgot to get his book. That is next on the list.
And I promptly followed.
I cannot, for the life of me, be able to purchase and read that. I'm going to assume at least 75% of it is made up. But when you're done with it I'll gladly borrow it.
Who knew my childhood idol was a complete scumbag?
His cover photo is awesome. Him knocking out Dempsey... retro 1991ish?
Lenny Dykstra just joined Twitter. God bless America.
Also I just realized I forgot to get his book. That is next on the list.
And I promptly followed.
I cannot, for the life of me, be able to purchase and read that. I'm going to assume at least 75% of it is made up. But when you're done with it I'll gladly borrow it.
Who knew my childhood idol was a complete scumbag?
His cover photo is awesome. Him knocking out Dempsey... retro 1991ish?
The movie needs to happen!
I believe that was when Dempsey was bitching to the ump about the strike zone. Dykstra turned around during his at-bat to tell Dempsey to "look at the fucking scoreboard, asshole" because he was hitting like .340 and due to this he'd know the strike zone better than Dempsey. Which was then followed by Dempsey's mistake of getting in The Dude's face. Man, what a meathead.
Baseball's gotta outnumber meatheads than all other sports combined. True or false - are not all white baseball players voting for Trump? It's not not true right? I'd say especially the 99.999999% of them from Missouri.
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8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
All while we have to watch Hamels dominate for another team. I'd take that trade back in a heartbeat.
Feels like all Philly teams have terrible luck with these top draft picks. Iverson and mcnabb were really the last ones that were no brainers (and a lot of people didn't like the mcnabb pick). Patrick Kane would have been but the stupid lottery screwed us. Whenever one of our teams have a top pick it never seems like the inevitable superstar is there to pick.
Regarding the Hamels trade:
http://www.csnphilly.com/blog/700-level/keith-law-says-cole-hamels-trade-could-be-phillies-herschel-walker-moment
"It's the Phillies' Herschel Walker moment," Law said. "Yes, I'm showing my age, but I believe that. When the Dallas Cowboys dealt Walker to the Minnesota Vikings, it set up their next winning team with an amazing array of assets. This deal did that for the Phillies."
"Alfaro is hitter, regardless of if he plays catcher or the outfield," Law said. "Williams has a chance to be very dynamic. I'm convinced that Jake Thompson is a major-league starter, likely a very solid No. 3. Those players all could be part of the next winning Phillies team or shipped off in trades to acquire players that will get the Phillies there by the end of this decade."
Keith Law
2/16/2016
I understand that most analysts like the phils system more than I do. Other than Crawford, I like the guys they have at their lower levels more than the guys in the upper levels. Randolph sounds like he will be a beast.
Like I've said here before, the Phils system isn't as good as the Nationals or Braves. And the Mets have way more talent than the Phils when you consider their young MLB talent -- and Dom Smith may be better than any of the phils prospects.
Best thing the Phils have going for them is that they don't have much money tied up to players on their 40 man roster. That and the anchor playing 1B will be gone in a few months. Talent-wise I think their system is vastly overrated. The sum is greater than the parts.
As for the hamels trade, failing to get a superstar was my complaint at the time of the trade. Fact that Mazara (the guy they should have gotten) looks like a superstar only confirms my stance.
Nick Williams has walked 92 times and struck out 417 times in 4+ minor league seasons (4 walks and 20 k's this year). Not quite ryan howard bad, but color me skeptical that this approach works at the MLB level.
Alfaro has walked 96 times and k'd 499 times. Yikes.
Crawford on the other hand - 184 walks, 182 k's. He's gonna be a monster.
I'm more inclined to side with the vast majority opinion on what the Phils have done. Fingers crossed but I think the future looks bright.
Tom O.
"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
-The Writer
I hope I'm wrong. Not all guys with bad approaches fail to become solid players (jimmy rollins for example). That path is the exception rather than the norm though.
Also, can we just start calling Mark Appel - Luke Hocheaver II? Pretty safe at this point.
See I like the quantity over quality argument. Instead of putting all your eggs in one prospect's basket, you hedge your bet with multiple guys. There are no guarantees that any prospect, even top 5 guys (cough Dom Brown cough cough) will make it. Why not give your team a few more chances? Multiple assets is a good thing.
And Appel has pitched well so far. I like how they're keeping him in double A and kind of easing him into the system.
Edit---plus Eickoff. Haha. I keep forgetting he was in the Hamels trade. I figured anything you got from him was a bonus. He's looking like a mid rotation guy at this point.
Hocheaver, I mean Appel got shelled in his last start. His WHIP is 1.50. He's gone six innings in only one of his starts. Not sure how that's good. Move him to the pen already, he's not a starter . Also he's not in AA
And Dom Brown was once a lock to be a stud too. I just like the fact that they have multiple lottery tickets.
Its always iffy when talking about prospects. remember when a good portion of people didn't want to give up Kyle Drabek in a Roy Halladay trade? It's very difficult to project who is going to be a star in the majors outside of a few can't miss guys. I man Pat Burrell was the #2 pick. good major leaguer but not a stud by any stretch.
Right now you have to like what you see out of Nola, Vasquez, Eichoff, Franco, and Herrera on the MLB roster and hopefully Crawford by the latest the beginning of next season.
this thread is definitely a case where being in the minority is a good thing
Matt Winkelman Retweeted
Daren Willman @darenw 5h5 hours ago
Most HRs by @MiLB system:
#Rangers 104
#Phillies 92
#Royals 91
#Indians 91
#Dodgers 86
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#Angels fewest 46
At least there is no doubt which team Juggler and I cheer for. aren't you an Orioles fan now? i mean you were a Phils fan when they were winning, then a few years ago it was the O's when they were in the playoffs, so who is it now? Are you a fan of someone else now? Cubs maybe? Nats, Mets? or do we have to wait until the playoffs before you decide again?
Even better than expected: Jose Altuve, Nolan Arenado, Aaron Nola, Anthony Rizzo
3:43 PM ET
David Schoenfield
Evaluating baseball prospects sometimes seems like a preposterous idea: Take a teenage kid, project him four or five years into the future and predict whether he'll develop the ability to hit breaking balls or whether he'll add velocity to his fastball (or lose velocity). Then factor in all the intangibles: Will he deal with failure? Will he stay healthy? Does he have that desire to get better and work at his game?
It's remarkable that the evaluators do as well as they do. Sometimes they're right in predicting a guy as a future big leaguer, but underestimate on his ultimate upside. Here are a few stars who turned out better than expected.
Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies
Peak prospect rating: No. 39 Baseball America, No. 60 Baseball Prospectus, No. 57 Keith Law
Quote: "Nola's hallmark is his stellar command, which stems from good athletic ability and freakish flexibility. His fastball checks in at 93-95 mph and gets excellent life from a mid-three-quarters arm slot. He backs up the fastball with a slider and changeup, which each have the potential to be plus in the future." -- 2015 Baseball America Prospect Handbook
Nola was the seventh overall pick in the 2014 draft out of LSU, so it's not as if he has come out of nowhere. But he was described as a guy with a higher floor than ceiling -- a good bet to make the majors but more likely to settle in as No. 3 starter than an ace. It always seemed a little odd that the Phillies would take a pitcher without major upside that high in the draft. Well, maybe the Phillies knew something because Nola is currently pitching like an ace: 3.13 ERA, 46 IP, 31 H, 8 BB, 49 SO, 3 HR. His knockout pitch is a curveball that might be the best in the game right now. What's interesting is that his pitch was always described as a slider, not a curve. Whatever it is, it has been almost impossible to hit: Batters are hitting just .074 against it (they hit .191 last year). Note as well from that piece I linked to that Nola has moved from the middle of the rubber to the first-base side.
Nola's average fastball velocity is actually just 90.0 mph, so less than than the ranges described as an amateur. But note what Keith Law wrote last year: "Nola has grade-70 command of his 91-94 mph fastball, with very good life on the pitch, locating it where he wants to either side of the plate and showing little fear when working with it." It's the big velocity that gets pitcher a high ranking on the prospect lists, but if you have grade-70 command and movement, that's a road to success as well.
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly
Also I just realized I forgot to get his book. That is next on the list.
I cannot, for the life of me, be able to purchase and read that. I'm going to assume at least 75% of it is made up. But when you're done with it I'll gladly borrow it.
Who knew my childhood idol was a complete scumbag?
The movie needs to happen!
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
Baseball's gotta outnumber meatheads than all other sports combined. True or false - are not all white baseball players voting for Trump? It's not not true right? I'd say especially the 99.999999% of them from Missouri.