NFBC Message Boards

Dan, I know you are a shy, reserved guy who would never think about going public with an opinion, but (without giving up any strategy) what minor league baseball player would you like to see play today if you could?

Boy, you sure have me pegged, Wayne!
I've been trying to break from my shell.
Seek help wherever I can, but so far, to no avail.

Until this year, that answer was so easy....Corey Seager.
I have never seen a better minor league player than Seager.
Always better than his competition and usually younger.
I know I am cutting my own throat in drafts for next year, but I believe that Seager has a chance to be as good or better than Mike Trout's numbers when all is said and done.
(Trout lovers, it's just an opinion, settle down! )

I do not have the same exuberance for any one kid in the minors now.
There is a kid that I feel will be a darned good Major Leaguer, once promoted.
Tyler Glasnow is a stud, who I feel will push Gerritt Cole aside within two years and be Pittsburgh's number one Starter for a long time.
He already gets enough hype, so he doesn't need any more from me.

Two other kids I'm keeping an eye on are Lewis Brinson, OF, with the Rangers and David Dahl, OF, with the Rockies.
Dahl has a bit of an overbearing father, much like Colby Rasmus father.
Its been a drawback in his progression through the minors.
But his talent is unquestionable.
It was Heavenly watching a rookie league game with Seager and Dahl.
That also should tell you about their progression rates since.
Although Dahl has also had some injury tough luck.

Brinson is a dream of a kid. He has all the tools (longer on speed over power), but the most impressive thing about him is his head and work ethic.
He is only hitting .222 at AAA as we speak.
I don't know why. (I prefer 'I don't know' to a sabrs 'he's hitting too many fly balls!')
Still, I have a feeling that he will force his way into the Rangers outfield next year, as Mazara did this year.

Thanks Dan...good read. I saw Dansby Swanson play a couple of weeks ago and came away with a mixed impression. In the field, he muffed a slow roller up the middle (home town scorer gave the batter a hit), but otherwise had no play to give me an impression as to range/arm. Not quite the "wow" factor I saw with Andrelton, but I admit it was only one game.

At the plate, the kid pitching from the other side (Anthony Banda, not on their 40-man roster) was pretty good (Doug Drabek was the pitching coach). Dansby never looked like he owned the plate, but rather seemed to take was was given him (he ended up hitting one pitch the other way which ended up plating two). Finished the day two for seven with the two RBI's and one strikeout (the game went sixteen innings, but my wife had had enough long before then). No walks. In short, he seemed to get the job done.

Last year, I was within ear shot of a batting coach's meeting with offensive players.
I expected to hear the same hogwash that sabrs and announcers crow about in 'working' an at bat.
I didn't.
The batting coach was Lee Stevens who has many years of good pro experience and I hope what he was talking about was being adhered to by the young bunch.
He said that every hitter is different. And as all you fellas rise up through more difficult leagues, you will find that there are less and less 'mistake' pitches.
He said if there is one common denominator among all hitters, it's that they should always be ready to hit the mistakes.
There are already more pitches that hitters cannot hit.
A mistake is a gift that should not be squandered.

He said that different Managers and coaches will render different philosophies when moving up the minor league chain.
But to remember this- You will never be treated harshly, no matter the philosophy, for hitting a ball hard.
No matter the count, no matter what the philosophy of those teaching you, mistake pitches are your lifeblood and your future.

It made a lot of sense and it put aside the walk is good/bad stuff.
I thought it was great instruction and advice for kids who had just signed professional contracts.