Copywritten is a perfectly cromulent word.

Is there a difference between 65 and High-6? Or are they the same, just different presentation?

How long will Logan Morrison be in XST? Until the end of the month?

"This is a whole other level of suck."

189/256/270 in Louisville. He had one day with more than two hits (4) and only two days with two hits. I have a feeling he would fit into "the bad" more often than anywhere else.

Dickie Thon or Tony Conigliaro. It's sad to wonder what could have been.

Somewhat off topic, but will a profile of Trevor Bauer go up, or did I miss it?

A man has the right to change his name to vatever he vants to change it to. And if a man vants to be called Muhammad Ali, godammit this is a free country, you should respect his vishes, and call the man Muhammad Ali!

Syndergaard is on the Mets. No take backsies!

Maybe my computer has too much #slack, but the link appears to be down.

Love the "The Angry" section.

Smoky Joe Wood shold make the honorable mention.

Gallo's power > Sano's power? Both 80 I assume.

The Riverdale approach? I think you mean the southern approach, because most of those people are from the south east.

I agree to an extent. I always thought a big part of a changing arm angle was to get the hitter to think and not react.

I would imagine it is, but is that Chris Gwynn, former LAD outfielder and brother of Tony?

This is great... I just wish it said "click to embiggen" instead of "click to enlarge." I don't know why, but I feel like that "word" would have been perfect there...

"I'm sorry I broke this window." - Pete Rose.

I'm also curious as to the hit tool on Gary Sheffield. He had an amazing amount of power and an amazingly unique swing, but he never struck out that much (max 83), and walked more than he struck out by more than 300. He had to be at least a 7.

I'm curious as to where Cecil Fielder would fall on the 20-80 scale. When he hit those balls onto the roof in old Tiger Stadium... just wow. Is that 7 power?

I'd prefer alphabetical, if only because it makes it easier to find what was said about a player if you're coming from the player's page.

My dad once told me it's how many games you have to win/lose to get to .500. I don't know if he's right, but a six-year old me thought it made sense.

100% agree about Andruw Jones. He should present for Maddux/Glavine/Smoltz.

is "Beckett-like mechanics" a good thing?

I'm curious as to how far back the "All time tool" goes. The stories I've heard about Clemente make me assume that this only goes back to the 80s. Is this correct? (Enjoyed the article a lot, too.)

Vinny Castilla hit 275/331/478 and had an 84 OPS+. That's amazing.

I agree with Stephani Bee - Vin Scully needs to broadcast some games (at least the finals!)

I used to love random factiods about the players on baseball cards, and apparently I still do. Great article.

There was a point in 1999 when (I think) Paul O'Neill was injured, when Jeter hit 3rd for a few weeks. It was presented as a "he's maturing into a #3 hitter"-type thing. If I recall correctly, he had a monster week, then went back to the #2 spot when O'Neill returned. I wonder what would have happened if he had a full season in the #3.

I remember Ordonez's throw like it was yesterday. I just remember thinking to myself, "there's no way he did that." Also, via the Up & In podcast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAoJoPgVG6M

I think it's also a look at who is doing the list. KG repeatedly said that he really liked Brown, while Jason was not.

Any thoughts as to where Hyun-Jin Ryu would fit on this list? I know on the Dodgers 10 you didn't put him on the list.

Any thoughts on Hanser Alberto? Just not good enough to make the cut?

You drove from San Diego to Cooperstown? #80want

I wonder what would have happened if he chose baseball over football, and joined some organization at age 18. Would he have been a pure tools guy? Would he have actualized? Such an amazing athlete.

I feel like as long as the PIrates don't re-sign Randall Simon, their fans will be happier.

Informative and entertaining. Bravo on coming up with "no. 24 Todd Self who is, in fact, himself".

FOT? Front Office Type?

Is CJ McElroy the son of CJ McElroy (the former pitcher)?

I think it's "pweeg".

Re: Onelki Garcia. Why is he assumed to be a reliever? Was he one in Cuba? Is there a chance he could become a starter? Thanks!

I would pay money to watch Miguel Cabrera in center field.

How can Eric Chavez be on this list? He got hurt once while not running into a wall. That's immediate expulsion from any grit-list.

There's a great portion in The Mick where Mantle has an argument with Yankees' management because he's making less than Yogi, despite having a better year (I think it was his triple crown-winning 1956 year). It's amazing how getting rid of the reserve clause helped, but making contract terms public has probably had a greater impact.

This was awesome. Thanks.

Braun's late start is similar to Bonds' late start because they both went to college. Bonds basically came up a season earlier and was about 8 months younger when he was drafted. Also, neither have been suspended for PED use.

With regards to Biddle's changeup, what does "can turn it over" mean?

This is a great article. I wonder what percentage of players who played at least five years (as in appeared in at least one game in five separate years) were on a team with a "steroid user" (Mitchell Report or suspension). I bet it would be close to, if not actually, 100%.

I think we should just blame Elbridge Gerry.

Do you think Wheeler will come up sooner than what would be normal because the Mets want to keep him away from the launching pad in Las Vegas?

Great info. When the record says "League games only", what does that mean? Do they play local teams, or are there bardnstorming games? Not trying to be mean, just uninformed and curious.

Any thoughts on Brandon Jacobs? Seemed to take a step backwards in high A.

So mean about the Mets. :( You could do a what if for if another team (the A's) drafted Trout. Imagine an OF with him, Reddick, and Cespedes. Or maybe they don't sign Cespedes...

Looks great. A lot of detail, though I will miss the triviality of the emphemera. I'm excited to see what you all produce, which I'm sure will be great.

Makes sense, thanks!

If Arcia is the Twins' future RF, where does Sano go? Stick at 3B? 1B? Not trying to be snarky, serious question.

I would have voted for Cespedes solely due to that awesome youtube video. A true 80 video.

I looked quickly and thought his name was Sean Ochocinco, which would be awesome.

No love for Derek Jeter's contract?

I think this was a great subject about which to poll the industry. Thanks for the insight!

Andy Pettitte would tip his cap.

As bad as Normar's routine was, David Ortiz and Ryan Howard both spit on their batting gloves between each pitch. If anyone can come up with a reason for doing this other than to get their spit on the first/third base coach's hand if they hit a home run or because they hate the bat boy, I would love to hear a reason for this.

You can't discuss Stryker Trahan without talking about how he destroyed a base runner this year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCBk8TDHzUA

I've always found it fascinating (and impressive) how willing Jason is to openly admit his errors. It makes me believe his predictions more because he clearly tries to figure out why he got it wrong and how he can avoid such errors in the future.

It seems to say that the shift works.

I imagine this is better than when the Mets had Beltran, Endy Chavez, and [third OF] out there. Unreal.

"It's a throwaway phrase that adds no value." Very little of what Kay has ever said adds value, but at least he's not John Sterling.

Great article. Do you think at bats against other prospects with plus stuff are more valuable in terms of evaluating hitters (as they may have more predictive value)?

The pitcher, not the OF. Though he would go the opposite way, I guess.

I would imagine Chris Young is an outlier.

I'd want to know how fast Mickey Mantle really was home to first, because the stories written are just goofy.

Shake Shack takes like 40 minutes plus walk, which is actually LESS than the line at the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park...

I wonder how his pitch speed will track during his second (and subsequent) starts. Was he so pumped that he tired himself out? Will he better hold speed? I think you should do a write-up of every Casey Kelly start and track how he did in far too much detail, then release the report monthly. It would be interesting to see how a rookie pitcher deals with ups & downs.

Calling Flores an "INF" - is that because he's currently a 3B but probably won't stay there?

Great article! Thanks!

If I could give a + to this entire article I would.

I did not see this when I posted but I agree 100%

Shane Spencer!

It's tough compared to the FSL...

Is it just me or does it look like he takes a small lead? Is the cutout at first base smaller than in the majors? Either way, holy crap.

I feel like the MMMBop thing could have been his ephemera in the Orioles' top 11.

I really, really like the "Bring Me the Head..." series. Always interesting and informative. Thanks!

Because they're getting below league average production right now. If a -2 for 40 games becomes a 0, then the team improves.

Luis Heredia in August 2014.

Any thoughts on Austin Wood?

This made my morning. "Great punctuation! Be safe with all that punctuation, son." Bravo, Sam, bravo!

I think the Twins' management disagrees with this article which, in fact, explains why the Twins pitching staff is the Twins pitching staff.

I think the real differentiating factor is Lindor is a clear shortstop, whereas Segura is good enough at shortstop to allow his bat to play.

I don't think you should ever have to buy a beer on a thrown ball.

Maybe he'll be like Alex Rios, but without the "being horrible" seasons, and the "pretty good" seasons will be MVP.

If I could Ben's response, I would.

Loria doesn't seem to mix with any manager...

Well, you don't want to upset Drew Stubbs.

They probably don't think it's a pitch that will work in the major leagues, so he's scrapping it now to work on the other pitches. True story: Andy Pettitte threw a knuckleball as an out pitch while in the minors. The Yankees had him scrap it (because it wasn't very good) and it does not seem to have hurt his career TOO much.

The note "triggered slow" is probably the cause for "struggled to hit inside velocity", correct?

What do you mean by "no realistic upside?" Does that mean that he has an incredibly high upside but he's so raw you cannot give a realistic read on what it may be? Thanks!

Mike Trout is so good At everything in baseball Shows much #want not #slack

I saw a video of Hamilton when he was in his 2nd season in Rookie ball and he had a lot of movement getting ready to swing. He seems to have quieted down a lot. Do you think that accounts for some of his improvement (fewer Ks, etc.), or just maturity and skill improvement? (Or is the decrease in pre-swing movement a part of the improve maturity/skills?)

When would he normally have to be added to the 40-man (to avoid the rule 5)? After this season or after next season?

For Flores, what do you mean by "not a great athlete, but physical"? Does it mean he's not a great athlete, but he does a good job of using his physical attributes to play baseball? Thanks for the great read!

Yeah, he's been around for so long he played in the 19th century! Or maybe he's 21 and they don't need to rush a SS, 2B, or a CF right now.

I feel smarter now. Thanks!

What do you mean by "relaxed his swing?" (sorry, just unsure of the lingo)

I like how Jim Tracy said that this helped Hammel, who was dealt for Guthrie. Hilarious.

Two thoughts: (1) It's amazing the career he had by being basically league average, amazingly durable, and a great athlete. (2) Everything is better than the musical Cats.

Yes, it's his son.

Has the "name that Molina" torch been passed, but with third-generation baseball players?

I feel like this is a product of the Dodgers thinking Hamilton will cost significantly more than this - or Colletti is going all Andruw Jones on us again.

Either way, bonus points for using pedantry.

What are you talking about? The White Sox have a great system due to the fact that they consistently go overslot in the draft. Wait.

Piazza is 56.1 (per B-R), but the first round had Andy Benes (#1, 28.5), Robin Ventura (#10, 52.3), Tino Martinez (#14, 25.1), Charles Nagy (#17, 22.5), Alex Fernandez (#24, 26.5), and Brian Jordan (supplemental 1, #30, 30.8). Pretty solid first round of a draft, and it also shows how good Robin Ventura was (or, well, how good his defense was).

I pray that the Phillies keep all of the players and then sign them to huge contracts. I would enjoy watching that.

Boston wouldn't do it - they're going to rebuild. I see no reason they would deal for a pitcher who is going to go wherever offers him the most money after the season.

I think we agree then. Yay baseball!

I agree with you but I find it offensive that an umpire would expand their strike zone because a player showed them up. They are supposed to be impartial and, if this is the case the umpire should be immediately fired. Of course, after calling a pitch that was a foot outside a strike, a pitch that was borderline is right down the middle in comparison. Either way, good job Jose Molina.

I feel like Nick Adenhart was near this list.

I liked the article. I think that Scout is a waste as of this point, but over time it will improve through use, much like Pitch F/X and the overall Gameday application. At least I hope it does because, as of now, it's weak sauce.

Taylor got arrested recently for dealing drugs. That's even more sad.

Great article - absolutely worth my 11 cents today!

How has Lindor looked on defense? Is it close to his current offensive output?

Avisail Garcia has only walked three times. Is this indicative of his approach (impatient) or is he connecting with hittable pitches? Or both?

Maybe Jeff Francouer has finally learned plate discipline. Ok, maybe not.

Thanks for the response!

You needed more proof? The way he jumps while turning and throwing. No one could make that play without jumping like that.

I wonder how that matches up with pulled homers v all homers. Are fewer players pulling homers? That would be interested to match up with the increase in TTO.

Huge fan of this - great addition and great work!

Jamie Moyer's pitchability > Mike Leake's pitchability. Moyer doesn't even hit 80!

It's sort of amazing that BJ Surhoff was pretty good and was still nowhere even close to the best player in his draft class.

Howard tore is Achilles tendon, not his ACL.

Is Roger Kieschnick related to Brooks? Both from TX, plus it's gotta be a unique name. Thanks for all the updates KG!

Meant to respond to the Cano comment, above. Dangit.

It doesn't matter if they want to do it, they will either do it or he'll leave.

How big is the chance in Skaggs becoming a #1? As in a 1% chance, or more like the 15% "if it all comes together" chance?

Ohhh right. Thanks for the response.

Johan Santana pitch?

It sounds like teams will be spending more money on current players and less on amateurs. Good article, thanks.

I feel like a study of this would be interesting if you excluded first or first/second round talent. Stars seem to be more random but who produces good players from other spots.

How could anyone not love your work?

He wrote the note to Mr. Park. I'm not really sure who that is, maybe Chan Ho?

Fascinating article. Thanks!

The Phillies have nowhere near the revenue stream as the Yankees have. Plus the Yankees core in the 00s was nowhere as old as the Phillies current core. Utley has a degenerative condition and is clearly on a steep downward slope. Howard's contract is a behemoth, he's on a downward slope, and who knows how well he'll come back from a freak injury. They overpaid for Rollins due to his popularity and the complete dearth of SS on the market. Hamels and Victorino are free agents after the season who will want (and get) raises, possibly from the Phillies. Also, the Yankees brought up a few prospects during the late 00s. Some guys named Cano and Gardner. The comparison fails on its face and Phillies fans will go back to not coming to the ball park, like the season they were almost out drawn by the 76ers.

I agree.

"We all make mistakes, and some of us make a habit of making mistakes." Amazing. So good.

Interesting article - looking forward to more of this type of information.

Great article and thanks for responding in the comments.

Do you think Donovan Tate will ever reach his draft level? He developed slowly, was suspended, and now seems very uncertain.

I misread the piece and thought you said that Perez was the lefty of the future and not Kershaw, which led to my question. Thanks for the response and keep up the great work.

Isn't Matt Moore the best left handed pitcher of the future? Great article, but when does the title get passed? When the player becomes a MLB regular?

Never exceeding slot, being unethical in latin america then ignoring latin america.

I find the most amazing part of the Ellis story against the reds the fact that the umps let it happen. Now he'd be tossed after batter #3, if not sooner.

Any thoughts about a guy like Tim Beckham? Or still too early to classify him as a bubble?

Control is throwing strikes; command is throwing a strike where you want.

Clemente was an amazing person.

Great article.

Great article, thanks. This is the type of article that makes me happy I have BP subscription (even if it's a non-pay article - I'm happy I support BP).

A burrito would be amazing. A bunch of places have nachos, which is a start.

I feel like the lack of the supersave is because managers today have figured out that pitching a reliever for three innings is a terrible idea. Unless it's Joe Torre who never figured that out (Sorry Broxton!)

Is that really meathook? Yessss

http://www.onlinemovieshut.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/moneyball-poster.jpg The main difference is that VORP in inches here, as opposed to the metric system. I crack myself up.

I've seen some terrible defacing of his posters. Not creative and pointlessly vulgar. At least be creative, no?

And put him where?

The Gooden movie needs to be made. Maybe an ESPN 30 for 30?

I wonder what would happen if the arbitrary 40 was moved to 35. Wagner has 7 seasons, etc.

Lasorda's just angry he can't ruin the arms of pitchers any more by making them throw 150 pitches and 260 IP per season.

I'd eliminate the ankle protector things batters wear. Has a ball EVER hit off one of them?

Winner's curse

"I’m hydrating and reclining in a relaxed state. Oh, baseball." Truer words have never been spoken.

Just wow.

I don't know if it would be better for the Mets to resign him or let him leave via FA, get the draft picks, and deal with a middle infield of Tejada and Turner.

My guess is they want Hak-Ju Lee to play at AAA and they really have nothing else at SS. (But I think you're right - they just kept Jennings in AAA...)

What's the ceiling on a guy like Realmuto?

Probably giving up walks for power.

If this was true, his slugging would be higher in the minors too...

Cool, thanks. Fun event too, hope your knee feels better.

Jason - do you you think Profar's ability to "play up" (as you said at the Citi Field thing) will carry as he goes up in level?

Did you read the article about him in Sports Illustrated?

~30 games there this year.

Great Article. Thanks Mike!

Bert Blyleven made the hall with the same type of career. Ks = HRs.

So do players just want money for their highest status (draft pick, pre-season ranking, mid-season ranking)?

So he's human?

The guy made a million dollars.

Pete Rose and Buddy Harrelson? No one?

Thoughts on Miguel Sano or is he a RF?

"When combined with McCourt's continued skimping on signing bonuses for draft picks and international players, the team's minor league system has fallen to the lower-middle of the pack in the organizational rankings." Zach Lee?

Poor Phil Humber... genius idea.

It will take you about an hour from Penn Station to get to the Cyclones game (N,Q,F,D will get you there). Staten Island is a whole other world...

Joe Morgan was overrated if you dislike great defenders who also hit like corner OF.

Lawrie is a bad second baseman (and not much of a third baseman, either).

Didi Gregorios - up there with Odor.

Thanks Kevin & wonk.

Is there any reason Kelly only went 5 IP? 48 pitches seems light. Just a short start to not go over an inning limit?

What about a guy like Pedro Feliciano, who pitched in a lot of games (64,78,86,88,92) but not that many innings (never more than 64)? Is the lefty specialist a weird thing?

No.

Does Hamilton look any different, is it just luck, or is he starting to figure out Low A pitching?

Olerud was an amazing 1B. I remember him saving throw after throw in 1999 for the Mets.

Izzy says he wants to stay.

To build on RA Wagman - when a ball flies, your eyes are able to figure out where the ball will be at a certain point due to numerous times you've seen a ball fly at a similar trajectory and speed. It's why curveballs appear to drop - it's their standard trajectory but you're used to balls being flat and not dropping. A ball appears to rise if the spin on it causes it not to drop as much as you think it should. It's all about ball rotation, which causes wind resistance and pressure differences.

No Greg Maddux comps? Is anyone the next Old Hoss Radbourn?

Dodger Stadium is lie Shea Stadium would be if (a) it didn't have to go through winter and (b) they didn't knock it down. Oh and the fans were entirely disinterested in the game and interested in annoying baseball fans with beach balls.

0.

10 games 3B, 6 games SS.

I would listen to that though the dulcet tones would not be so dulcet.

Sadly enough I'm not sure he's a prospect anymore though he's somehow still only 25

Short season started about a week ago and is low A, rookie is the level below. The NY Penn League is SSA

Also thanks.

I guess they're not giving up on him at short yet...

Is Sano playing 3B or SS for Elizabethton? (Or a combination of the two?)

Do you think Donovan Tate will get moved back up soon?

What would a scout look for when watching the game?

What do you look for in a guy's first professional start (Heredia/Cardona)? It seems like the pitching lines are all over the place - is it just how he reacts to batters and situations?

Where would he go if he was eligible for the draft (somehow as a 15-year old)? If he's a seven-figure guy, he has to be at least the beginning of the second round, right?

Approximate. Usually it means the camera doesn't show exactly when the player touches home plate (e.g., it shows his waist up).

Last year Mike Leake started the year in the rotation...

Last year Moore took longer to figure out A ball than he seems to have taken to start dominating AA. Do the Rays keep their course and keep him in AA all year or does he force the issue and go up to AAA in July?

If the move gets forced (Beckham starts struggling a bit, Lee gets very hot), who do you think would stick at SS? Lee seems to get better defensive ratings, but Beckham was the #1 overall pick...

I know there's no rush, but any clue what the Rays will do about promoting Lee with Beckham doing well in AA? Will one be shifted to 2B?

How do you determine how a catcher will improve defensively? Is it all throwing arm (present/future), athleticism, and work ethic?

This post embiggens me.

Cleto's command looked terrible when pitching a few weeks ago for the cardinals but his fastball looked like it had some great movement.

Has Billy Hamilton made any adjustments or was he just in an incredible slump? (Or is he just playing above his true level right now?)

Is Tim Beckham doing anything differently this year in comparison to last, is it just progression, or are his tools finally "actualizing" into skills?

What if the pitcher was talking to him during the at bat and telling him how terrible he was and how he would never hit him? Harper may be a jerk (and probably is), but he just did the equivalent of putting one in the pitcher's ear hole - a massive bomb.

Oh look another college pitcher for the Mets.

Is Hamilton doing anything different, is he a streaky hitter, or is this just a regression to the norm (as hitting 200/200/200 can't be his norm)?

Charles Barkley was the "Round Mound of Rebound," so it's a take on that.

Mike Carp... you must be off after the email password snafu

You can right click on the links and download the podcast onto your computer.

He gets two outs, then one guy reaches on an error and the flood gates open. One error can lead to infinity unearned runs. So either the minors or pre-1970s baseball.

He didn't have the ball and was in the path of the runner - I don't see the big deal; they're professionals, not children.

Has there ever been a player whose makeup is so bad he was basically kicked out of major league baseball or never given a chance?

Piazza was actually a pretty good catcher in terms of ability to prevent PB and make nice plays. He just a weak throwing arm, but he called the game himself and pitchers seemed to like throwing to him. He wasn't a great catcher early in his career (probably a product of being a 1B until he was drafted), but he made himself into a good catcher when he was on the Mets.

Approximate times - it's when the camera doesn't show the player touching home plate, so he approximates the moment.

Dodgers fans became Mets fans...

Thanks for the reply. I just remember watching Rickey Henderson erase the back line so he could stand behind it during the second at bat.

I wonder what would happen if the umpires actually enforced the batter's box...

It all comes down to the fact that the idea of using your best reliever ONLY in the 9th inning is an incredibly stupid idea and should be banished.

Linebrink probably has a major league contract and they can't send him down if he does. Gearrin still has options, meaning they can send him down without exposing him to waivers.

If Beckham keeps this up (or something close to it), does he return to the top 100?

Yeah, but he was incredible defensively. His ability to throw guys out from shallow LF and get to balls on the left side of second base was worth the price of admission. If only he could hit .275.

I always felt the smaller nets at Citi Field were odd, as Shea had much bigger nets. I don't see the big deal with the nets - extend them.

But would they trade him or would they put him on the block like the Diamondbacks put his brother on the block?

Would ketchup be a 50-grade condiment? I feel like caramelized onions would be plus or, if done properly, plus-plus.

Any status update on Donovan Tate?

Mike Pelfrey?

The Mets had Shawn Green and then Sean Green.

He's up there with Cal Hubbard - he's in the football HOF as a player and the Baseball HOF as an umpire.

Have there been any non-prospect bat-only guys who have come up as a result of torching pitching in the minors and been successful? Would the Royals be worse off with Kila in AAA and Robinson in the majors?

I'd love to see Hosmer crush one off him.

Do you keep track of all times in an excel file somewhere and, if so, would it be possible to see it?

How quickly could you see Ranaudo get moved up? Would he go to A+ or AA? Do you think he could finish the year in AAA?

Any clue as to where the 1999 Mets finished? Did their complete lack of an OF (and Rey Ordonez stubborn refusal to hit) kill them?

What about this great Mets comeback against Curt Schilling? http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN199905230.shtml

I feel like the only statistically close game would be Dock Ellis' 1974 game against the Reds when he tried to hit them all, though I feel like Wimmers wasn't trying to do this. http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT197405010.shtml

Were these quotes from one interview or a collection of interviews?

People act like Reyes' best is yet to come - He's still hacking and hitting too many weak fly balls. I don't think he'll be better than he was in 2006.

Gooden pitched 191 innings in A at age 18 then was in the majors(after a brief stop in AAA for the playoffs) in 1984. If Banuelos pitched 130 IP in A/AA last year, I wonder if he would be their #4 starter. Any thoughts KG?

Why do some of the names have asterisks?

That email was easily 80 grade.

If anything, he should go iambic pentameter.

The Mets make me sad When they say "no overslot" F-Mart to DL?

Do you think Daniel Murphy has a prayer in making the Mets as a utility guy and/or as the starting 2B?

Is there any way you could get it for android phones?

Davis' power is real. It's not Jason's refrigerator grade but it's legit.