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Brendan Gawlowski Prospects Chat: 9/22/26
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Brendan Gawlowski
2:00
Hello everybody
2:01
Housekeeping notes: I don't think I'll be able to chat next week, at least not at the usual time, because I'll be in AZ watching instructs.
2:02
I'm hoping I'll have a couple pieces up by then. In particular, I'm working on something with a rough working title of 'How to scout in the age of the model' that I'm excited about
I may also have a "wait, what?" or "because you asked"
For now, let's get to it
darrenasu
2:02
Where does Bryce Eldridge fit among the rookie of the year candidates this year? Who would you take ahead of him if you could draft from all rookies that debuted this year?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:03
He's not going to win the award, nor do I think he should.
But I don't think there's a bat I'd rather have going forward from this class
2:04
I'd still rather have McGonigle, maybe Clark, Weatherholt and McLean too, I'd need to think about it. But Eldridge is up there.
wallyworld2199
2:04
What do you think of Max Williams being a breakout candidate in the AFL?  Strike out rate stayed pretty low throughout the season, pretty good power numbers while also overcoming some injuries during the year.
Brendan Gawlowski
2:04
Excited to see him, he's on the list of guys I specifically want to check in on.
millvillemeltdown
2:05
i am remembering rikuu nishida's brief stint in the majors and how fun he was to watch. do you ever see guys who you think are non-prospects, but you are personally rooting for them to get a shot? any notable examples?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:07
There are a couple. Channy Ortiz had 80 instincts, he was always in the right spot or doing something interesting and useful; he just couldn't hit. Jorge Marcheco looked like he was 130 pounds soaking wet and couldn't break 88 but on the right day guys couldn't hit his fastball, that was fun too. Braiden Ward hitting grounders into right and legging out a double. There are more.
anthonydw
2:08
In the Cubs prospect write up you had Moisés Ballesteros ranked #1 in their system and wrote that "'high confidence, bat-only' position player prospects exist at the top of the 50 Future Value tier," which is where you placed Mo-Baller. The obvious question: what happened? Not a critique of your ranking, which was eminently reasonable. And we all get that rookies struggle. But leaving aside the defense, Ballesteros has just been flat bad with the bat.
Brendan Gawlowski
2:08
Bad approach, lot of chase leading to swing and miss and bad contact.
2:09
It was a risk, thought he'd tame it/have enough hit tool to make it work. Still might, story isn't over there yet.
ajake57
2:09
The year is 1663. You start a war with the objective of becoming an anecdote in 363 years. The year is 2026. The anecdote arrives as planned. You ascend to Valhalla in abundant glory.
Brendan Gawlowski
2:10
Raimondo Montecuccoli will rise again
apeloton
2:10
River Ryan, pretty good pitching prospect???
Brendan Gawlowski
2:11
So happy for him, between the TJ and just getting stuck in OKC this must have been a really frustrating couple years.
But he looked awesome last night. The change in particular looked great, if that's what he's got going forward, it's at least plus.
Charles Bengal Tiger
2:11
What are the odds of Jo Jo Parker staying at SS?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:11
Lower than 50/50 but not 0
CC AFC
2:12
Have you observed a significant difference between baseball IQ and general intelligence?  Like, have you met players who are thick as a brick but have great baseball awareness or are super smart but completely clueless about situations on the field?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:12
All quadrants have data points here
war2d2
2:12
Brendan! I want to make it out to AFL one of these days. What are your recommendations for timing? I already go to spring training every year, I’m assuming they use the same facilities?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:13
They do, there are six teams and their home stadiums are all big league spring training sites. I don't know that it matters when you go, maybe lean early before some of the high profile pitchers hit their innings counts? You could also justify going right at the end just for the weather alone. Not an expensive time of year to go to PHX regardless.
dirtypuer
2:14
Early 2027 ROY predictions?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:14
Let's do Walker Jenkins for the AL and Jose De Paula for the NL.
triplesandtea
2:14
Hi Brendan!
Brendan Gawlowski
2:14
Hi triplesandtea
willt
2:15
Were you ever a big Brooks Lee guy? Average production with bad expected stats has to give a very discouraging outlook for a high pick, right?
Brendan Gawlowski
2:15
Didn't really see him, but even if he's a 45 or 50 that's a good outcome for that disaster of a first round.
triplesandtea
2:16
Benge overall about what you would've expected after one year? Honestly he's better overall than I would've guessed, even with the April ugliness
Brendan Gawlowski
2:17
Yes, slow start not too surprising given how quickly he rushed through the minors, and then think you saw a good player on both sides, if not quite a star
Maybe there's a little more power to unlock, it's possible. Regardless, that's just about what I wrote in the T100
kingkash7788
2:18
How much has Nimmala rose
Brendan Gawlowski
2:18
Ticking along nicely, has gotten stronger and that's helping make a long swing work
Still hit tool/3B risk, but productive year for him
jsdspud
2:19
Hi Brendan,
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