I’m stoked to see Heliot Ramos thriving and hope it continues. It sure seemed like he’d become an afterthought given how few MLB chances he got last season and the lack of offseason coverage he received from the prospect community. So, how has Ramos suddenly become so potent at the plate? And why didn’t anyone see this coming?
Tagging on to Scott's question, I've been wondering if the Giants have a "hole" in their evaluation criteria, such that they perhaps overvalue certain things leading to, for example, Meckler's quick rise, and undervalue other tools/attributes, leading to certain prospects languishing, Ramos being a prime example. Of course, Ramos could have just made a big step up (prospect development is not linear--some smart guy said that a time or two) so now was his time. But given how he had dominated Triple A before with no corresponding "love" from the big team, i really think that without the injuries, he would have been up and down a few times this year then in the same "no options left", try and trade then finally DFA him boat that Bart landed in.
And to Scott's point about the prospect community not being high on Ramos, it seems like other teams could have made a good offer and the Giants would have jumped on it--so a hole there, too? I know this is all speculation, but with your ties to scouts and management with the Giants and other orgs, just wondering if you might have some thoughts and insights?
I've definitely noticed Christian Koss's batting hot streak (hoping it continues!) and was quite surprised to see you call him "the best defensive shortstop in the entire organization right now" in your Minor Lines a couple days ago. I know we're working with a small sample size -- but assuming his defense is the real deal and knowing the tenuous situation that is the Giants' current shortstop depth chart, do you see Koss carving out a role in the major leagues in 2025 or later? How would you grade him on the 20-80 scale (if that's something you're willing to do)?
Hi Rog! Last week's mailbag was one of the densest and most interesting ones to my sensibilities! That said, I'm ready to lower the bar by tossing in a question for this round. I've only been a subscriber and following along for the last two seasons and in that time I've loved your frequent dispatches from Richmond and Scottsdale, as well as trips out to San Jose and Eugene, and a couple of trips up the seaboard to see some MLB debuts! Do you ever dream about making a pilgrimage to the Felipe Alou Baseball Academy in Boca Chica DR and taking in some DSL games? From reading your reports I understand that the baseball there is raw (bat on the shoulder for a .300 OBP, etc) but just curious if you have an itch to put that "DR" flag on your traveling suitcase any time in the future or not. Thanks as always for the great reads!
OK- one more: How many fans or even teammates of the 2005 Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are aware that these days Mark Minicozzi is writing Pablo Sandoval's name in the third spot for the 2024 Staten Island FerryHawks most nights?
69 games at 2B for Minicozzi and 70 games at 3B for Sandoval on that Volcanoes squad nearly 20 years ago (Romo went 7-1) and now Minicozzi is managing Pablo on Staten Island. Amazing. Pablo looks to be playing plenty of 3B and even tossed an inning out of the pen (0.00 ERA, of course). Sandoval is the first World Series MVP to play in the Atlantic League.
It sounds like the White Sox are motivated to see what they can get for Luis Robert Jr. He isn't really a Farhan model player with the lack of strike zone discipline but he seems like one of the more realistic opportunities to land a potential superstar caliber player. The Giants have not had the prospect firepower to pull off this type of trade in the past and I'm still not sure they do but maybe Robert's injury history makes it more doable. What type of package do you think the Giants could put together that would give them a realistic shot and is it worth it in your mind?
And would the Giants be interested in attaching Andrew Vaughn to the deal, if for no other reason than to help Bob Melvin with the Cal/Stanford disparity on the roster?
I was surprised by Marco Luciano's low statcast bat speed numbers in his limited time with the Giants. Any rumblings that there is a physical issue that is restricting his swing and maybe explains the data and lack of home run power this year? Maybe the back injury?
Hi Roger, Vaun Brown has nearly doubled his K rate this year. Have you noticed anything that may be causing this whether it’s physical, hitting instruction changes or maybe even eyesight problems although I would assume that would have been check. He did have 200 AB’s at Richmond last year so this seems really odd. Get those hitting instructors there that that helped Eldredge.
Hi Roger - just want your perspective on the following - How do the Giants find a quality shortstop (grade 50 or 55) for the next year or two...Lets assume Luci is not the answer at shortstop. It seems like Wisely, Schmidt and Fitzgerald are not the answer. Looking at your rankings it would appear that the best future SS's are at San Jose or below. Is this a correct assessment? So it seems the Giants will have to look outside the org if they want to have a SS at the level. (Ha-Seong Kim in free agency perhaps?) Hope this isn't a dumb question - lol Thanks much!
Not a prospect question, but would be interested in your thoughts or insights. Some stadiums in the past have been gigantic (the Polo Grounds were 483’ to center!). Do you know why this ever changed? Chicks may dig the long ball, but triples are the most exciting play in sports! If MLB wants to highlight athletic play, is this an option? Maybe the Giants need to lean into their recent lack of homegrown power hitters, and instead make opposing 420’ drives into routine fly balls at Oracle. And I’d take a Ramos-Lee-Matos outfield combo patrolling the grass for the next 7 years over most other teams. Would that improve the game, or give the Giants a competitive advantage, at the cost of losing some of the left and center field bleachers? And that would certainly lessen the influence of constantly tracking launch angles and exit velocity— which is another perk, at least in my eyes. That’s my commissioner for a day proposal. What do you think? (Please don’t include this question in your mailbag if you want to just shake your head and disregard this question altogether).
Hey Rog, was wondering whatwith the importance of advancing 'Casper The Friendly Runner' from 2nd to 3rd in the10th in extra innings, are the minors developing the lost craft of bunting?
I guess it doesn't matter too much what level Bishop plays at, but do you think they keep him in Sac? More importantly, how is he looking in CF?
I’m stoked to see Heliot Ramos thriving and hope it continues. It sure seemed like he’d become an afterthought given how few MLB chances he got last season and the lack of offseason coverage he received from the prospect community. So, how has Ramos suddenly become so potent at the plate? And why didn’t anyone see this coming?
Tagging on to Scott's question, I've been wondering if the Giants have a "hole" in their evaluation criteria, such that they perhaps overvalue certain things leading to, for example, Meckler's quick rise, and undervalue other tools/attributes, leading to certain prospects languishing, Ramos being a prime example. Of course, Ramos could have just made a big step up (prospect development is not linear--some smart guy said that a time or two) so now was his time. But given how he had dominated Triple A before with no corresponding "love" from the big team, i really think that without the injuries, he would have been up and down a few times this year then in the same "no options left", try and trade then finally DFA him boat that Bart landed in.
And to Scott's point about the prospect community not being high on Ramos, it seems like other teams could have made a good offer and the Giants would have jumped on it--so a hole there, too? I know this is all speculation, but with your ties to scouts and management with the Giants and other orgs, just wondering if you might have some thoughts and insights?
Both of these are excellent questions and points.
Which prospect has surprised you the most so far this season?
Do you know if the Giants plan to keep 2 DSL teams on the long run or if we’re still likely cutting to 1 soon?
Good to see a bunch of players come back from injury lately .. who are you most exited to see develop this summer?
I've definitely noticed Christian Koss's batting hot streak (hoping it continues!) and was quite surprised to see you call him "the best defensive shortstop in the entire organization right now" in your Minor Lines a couple days ago. I know we're working with a small sample size -- but assuming his defense is the real deal and knowing the tenuous situation that is the Giants' current shortstop depth chart, do you see Koss carving out a role in the major leagues in 2025 or later? How would you grade him on the 20-80 scale (if that's something you're willing to do)?
Hi Rog! Last week's mailbag was one of the densest and most interesting ones to my sensibilities! That said, I'm ready to lower the bar by tossing in a question for this round. I've only been a subscriber and following along for the last two seasons and in that time I've loved your frequent dispatches from Richmond and Scottsdale, as well as trips out to San Jose and Eugene, and a couple of trips up the seaboard to see some MLB debuts! Do you ever dream about making a pilgrimage to the Felipe Alou Baseball Academy in Boca Chica DR and taking in some DSL games? From reading your reports I understand that the baseball there is raw (bat on the shoulder for a .300 OBP, etc) but just curious if you have an itch to put that "DR" flag on your traveling suitcase any time in the future or not. Thanks as always for the great reads!
OK- one more: How many fans or even teammates of the 2005 Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are aware that these days Mark Minicozzi is writing Pablo Sandoval's name in the third spot for the 2024 Staten Island FerryHawks most nights?
69 games at 2B for Minicozzi and 70 games at 3B for Sandoval on that Volcanoes squad nearly 20 years ago (Romo went 7-1) and now Minicozzi is managing Pablo on Staten Island. Amazing. Pablo looks to be playing plenty of 3B and even tossed an inning out of the pen (0.00 ERA, of course). Sandoval is the first World Series MVP to play in the Atlantic League.
It sounds like the White Sox are motivated to see what they can get for Luis Robert Jr. He isn't really a Farhan model player with the lack of strike zone discipline but he seems like one of the more realistic opportunities to land a potential superstar caliber player. The Giants have not had the prospect firepower to pull off this type of trade in the past and I'm still not sure they do but maybe Robert's injury history makes it more doable. What type of package do you think the Giants could put together that would give them a realistic shot and is it worth it in your mind?
And would the Giants be interested in attaching Andrew Vaughn to the deal, if for no other reason than to help Bob Melvin with the Cal/Stanford disparity on the roster?
I was surprised by Marco Luciano's low statcast bat speed numbers in his limited time with the Giants. Any rumblings that there is a physical issue that is restricting his swing and maybe explains the data and lack of home run power this year? Maybe the back injury?
Hi Roger, Vaun Brown has nearly doubled his K rate this year. Have you noticed anything that may be causing this whether it’s physical, hitting instruction changes or maybe even eyesight problems although I would assume that would have been check. He did have 200 AB’s at Richmond last year so this seems really odd. Get those hitting instructors there that that helped Eldredge.
Hi Roger - just want your perspective on the following - How do the Giants find a quality shortstop (grade 50 or 55) for the next year or two...Lets assume Luci is not the answer at shortstop. It seems like Wisely, Schmidt and Fitzgerald are not the answer. Looking at your rankings it would appear that the best future SS's are at San Jose or below. Is this a correct assessment? So it seems the Giants will have to look outside the org if they want to have a SS at the level. (Ha-Seong Kim in free agency perhaps?) Hope this isn't a dumb question - lol Thanks much!
Are there any ex Giants prospects who have been traded/released/rule 5 having a good minor league season? All my exes live in Texas (Bruce Bochy)
Not a prospect question, but would be interested in your thoughts or insights. Some stadiums in the past have been gigantic (the Polo Grounds were 483’ to center!). Do you know why this ever changed? Chicks may dig the long ball, but triples are the most exciting play in sports! If MLB wants to highlight athletic play, is this an option? Maybe the Giants need to lean into their recent lack of homegrown power hitters, and instead make opposing 420’ drives into routine fly balls at Oracle. And I’d take a Ramos-Lee-Matos outfield combo patrolling the grass for the next 7 years over most other teams. Would that improve the game, or give the Giants a competitive advantage, at the cost of losing some of the left and center field bleachers? And that would certainly lessen the influence of constantly tracking launch angles and exit velocity— which is another perk, at least in my eyes. That’s my commissioner for a day proposal. What do you think? (Please don’t include this question in your mailbag if you want to just shake your head and disregard this question altogether).
Hey Rog, was wondering whatwith the importance of advancing 'Casper The Friendly Runner' from 2nd to 3rd in the10th in extra innings, are the minors developing the lost craft of bunting?