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Eric Longenhagen Prospects Chat
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Eric A Longenhagen
12:04
Hello hello, hope everyone had a good week and is enjoying Spring ball (I know I am). I'm here to talk prospects, as always, and whatever else you so desire.
12:05
There are questions in the chat that can be answered via other parts of the site, and I want folks to know I'll be point that stuff out not to be a dick but to help you understand how to better use FanGraphs and its many tools (prospect writer included). Thanks as always for stopping by. Lemme plug some stuff and then get to your questions...
First, the Braves list went live this morning.
Second, I went to see Roki on Tuesday
12:07
A link to high speed can be found in the description of that video, go look at his splitter, it's nutty.
Okay...
Tony Plush
12:07
Any more encouraging signs from Gavin Cross? Still holding out hope he can be a contributor ...
Eric A Longenhagen
12:08
70% contact rate at AA last year, we're talking like 35 hit with 50 power. Not great, but not to be dismisse entirely at this juncture. You hope he's still a corner platoon guy.
Eric
12:08
Which prospects do you think have the best chance to pop up in the Top 100 for the Braves next year?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:08
Probably Cam Cam, maybe Braun or Fuentes if one of their currently mediocre pitches improves
12:09
Owen Murphy if he comes back and is throwing hard in the AFL or Instructs
bk
12:09
Is Alan Roden good?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:09
Yes, full scouting report is over on The Board.
Biff
12:09
thoughts on Tyson Lewis and Alfredo duno
Eric A Longenhagen
12:10
Duno has a full scouting report on the Top 100, which you can find here: 2025 Top 100 Prospects | FanGraphs Baseball
He's a freak, I love him.
Lewis I thought was a good pick where they got him. His pre-draft report: Lewis is a hard-swinging left-handed-hitting shortstop from Nebraska. He has plus bat speed from the left side, which requires big time effort to generate. Lewis looks fluid and easy during BP, but tends to get messier in games. Limited exposure on the showcase circuit creates variance in evaluating his hit tool. He has a classically projectable baseball frame, with broad shoulders and a tapered waist. Lewis looked stronger during the spring of 2024 than he did the summer before, and he blew up the athletic testing at the Combine, where he tied for the second-fastest 60-yard dash time. His hands, actions, and arm seemed fine at shortstop in a limited look, and the speed to play center field is there if the requirements of pro infield play are asking too much. High school hitters like this tend to go in the first comp round.
David
12:10
Which Spring breakout game are you most interested to attend? Also any prospects standing out so far this Spring? not so much from results but approach / make up changes that are noticeable.
Eric A Longenhagen
12:13
IDK if I have a favorite one to go to, I'm gonna go to as many as I can. Whatever opportunities I have to double up are my favorite. SEA/CLE and MIL/CIN are nice efficient ways to work on systems I still need to write up
12:14
Second question: Jackson Jobe's curveball looks good. Sasaki's slider is slightly different than in NPB but we didn't see enough of it to know how it'll play. Aidan Smith looks like he was in the weight room.
Fan(of Eric)graphs
12:14
Eric I hope you have been doing well personally and have been balancing the work load and looking for the good in public comments and not just the negative nancies.
Eric A Longenhagen
12:15
Thanks, I'm okay. I'm not a comment section person, people can say what they want, good and bad.
RAH
12:15
Do you think it's realistic for the Rangers to be throwing Marc Church and/or Emiliano Teodo into high leverage relief roles... let's say by the end of May 2025?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:16
I do, it'd be aggressive to move Teodo that quickly, though. Makes a little more sense to know where you stand competitively before that sort of thing. Church is pure RP, though. Nasty three-pitch mix in the AFL.
Fan(of Eric)graphs
12:16
Thanks for suggesting Future Value by Kiley and you a few weeks back as it does answer a lot of questions I had. How much would you say the scouting landscape has changed since with things like minors contractions and more tech/data?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:18
More in-office evaluators than boots on the ground scouts... ROI on player dev means more teams have shifted resources there... less in-person DI college scouting and more JUCO/D-II/NAIA and HS looks until the end of the year... more high speed video and visual AI integration to map biomechanics...more two-year DSL guys due to contraction
It moves quick
Quincy
12:18
any names on the backfields popping up this spring?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:19
Cameron Sullivan, Jacob Wright. Minor league ST starts next week, there is some backfield activity right now but we really get rolling March 11th
Fan(of Eric)graphs
12:19
What can lead to a 50 hit tool, but with 60 for both Pitch Sel and Bat Ctrl for someone like Wetherholt or 55 hit tool for Bazzana?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:19
Human Er(ic)ror on the part of ours truly
Matt
12:20
Has his start to the college season changed your evaluation of Jace LaViolette?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:20
Not yet, 12 games, give 'em a sec
Seeking Solutions
12:20
Termarr seems to have dropped off the face of the earth, at least as a top prospect. What do you think he needs to do to get back there, and in your opinion, can he?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:20
He's still a prospect, just not a to 100 one. I really wish he were better at defense.
Guest
12:20
Given how long prospects can take to develop and how quickly staffs can turn over, what is a good indicator that the development staff of a rebuilding club is on the right or wrong track?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:21
Are late-round college pitchers popping out of nowhere?
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