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2017 Minor League Thread

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Wow the Yankees are loaded, 7 guys in the top 100.
 
In what world is Bobby Bradley not getting more looks?

Do insanely young power mashers just not matter?
 
DJTJ said:
In what world is Bobby Bradley not getting more looks?

Do insanely young power mashers just not matter?
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He made the top 100, that's a pretty big accomplishment. Going to be tough to get much higher as a 1B-only guy with some contact issues, who hasn't played above A+.
 
DJTJ said:
In what world is Bobby Bradley not getting more looks?

Do insanely young power mashers just not matter?
Click to expand...

In a world where he just struck out in 30% of his ABs last season, plays a defensive position that isn't valued all that much by prospect rankings, and has seen his OPS drop significantly at every level to this point.

Assuming he starts in Akron this year, if he posts a slash somewhere around .250/.370/.530 and drops his K% to around 22 or 23% while keeping his BBs and HRs at around the same rate, I think you'll see him start flying up rankings.

Still, he's in the top 100 in quite a few prospect ranking sources you can find, and that's pretty much all due to him being a "young power masher"
 
BimboColesHair said:
In a world where he just struck out in 30% of his ABs last season, plays a defensive position that isn't valued all that much by prospect rankings, and has seen his OPS drop significantly at every level to this point.

Assuming he starts in Akron this year, if he posts a slash somewhere around .250/.370/.530 and drops his K% to around 22 or 23% while keeping his BBs and HRs at around the same rate, I think you'll see him start flying up rankings.

Still, he's in the top 100 in quite a few prospect ranking sources you can find, and that's pretty much all due to him being a "young power masher"
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Essentially if he can cut down on strikeouts and hit for a little better average he would be higher on the list, but right now his ranking is about as high as one like him will ever get if he doesn't cut his issues down

I see him actually starting the season at A+ and finishing the season at AA since they will not rush him to the pros and we have EE for at least three seasons, so I expect September of 2019 for him to make his debut and 2020 for him to possibly be on the 25 man roster. That is a perfect time table for this team anyways since he will be able to step into place.

How is Bobby Bradley's actually defense at 1st? I have never gotten to watch him in the field. I am hoping he is half way decent at least since I am a bit tired of average/below average at 1st lol
 
BimboColesHair said:
From 09 to 14 he went on the 7 day DL once, and you're telling me he has only been healthy for 1 season?

Come on man...

15 and 16, yes he was hurt, I've already agreed with you on that. But blaming his inability to hit in the lower levels from 09-14 on injuries is laughable.

Gio has Gold Glove caliber defensive skills at 3B, but he will never be able to stick in a lineup because he is a huge negative offensively at a position that needs to produce offensively.

And like I said. His mechanics and swing path are flawed, and he still hasn't fixed them.

Go re-read our 2014 and 2015 minors threads/Indians season threads and see who was sticking up for Gio then more than most...but I expected him to fix his swing once he was shown it won't work at the MLB level.

Some guys can get by with long, loopy swings and high leg kicks in the minors, but most of them can't get away with it in the majors...Gio didn't get away with it, and he didn't fix it...that's a problem, and will be a problem until he fixes it.

And there are going to be some 40 man spots open soon enough...wouldn't be surprised if Diaz is given one of them...but he will be up in 2017, think that's a given...

Like I said...you want to keep talking about this, take it over to the minors threads...if not, lets stop talking about it.
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Also I am not sure what you mean he couldn't hit in 2014 since his OPS was over .800 and hit actually really well.

Do you have film from 2014 and the end of 2016 on Urshela from when he was actually hitting well? I want to see if his swing was the same as what he showed in 2015 in the pros or not. I know injuries are not everything but it is often times people will end up making changes they shouldn't have because of injuries. I know that personally that it happens whether they know they did it or not. I would like to see film to see if I can see something that he was doing different, because it is a bit strange the big swings in differences between the years.
 
sportscoach said:
Also I am not sure what you mean he couldn't hit in 2014 since his OPS was over .800 and hit actually really well.

Do you have film from 2014 and the end of 2016 on Urshela from when he was actually hitting well? I want to see if his swing was the same as what he showed in 2015 in the pros or not. I know injuries are not everything but it is often times people will end up making changes they shouldn't have because of injuries. I know that personally that it happens whether they know they did it or not. I would like to see film to see if I can see something that he was doing different, because it is a bit strange the big swings in differences between the years.
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I was just giving the rough years where he was healthy, since you were trying to make it seem like the only time he has ever been healthy was 2014, just because it fits the point you were trying to make...

He hit well in 2014...but most guys who pan out in the MLB absolutely mash while they are RK, SSA, A, A+...the lower levels...Gio was pretty awful offensively in all of those stops, which is not a good sign.

And Gio's swing hasn't changed a lick since 2013. That's the first season he brought in the higher leg kick into his swing.

Here he is in 2012, when he was still a toe tapper:


Here he is in 2014 with the noticeable leg kick:


Here he is in 2015 in the MLB with the same swing:


Here he is in Spring Training 2016 with the same swing:


Here he is in July of 2016 with the same swing:


I recommend you play that last video as slow as possible, and focus on where his leg and bat are when his leg raise reaches its highest point.

Then I want you to think about how hard it is to get from that position to a normal hitting position while keeping everything in your swing mechanics sound and properly reacting to the pitch. You want to know why he's a streaky hitter? That's why...

The only hitter I know who can do that consistently in the MLB right now, from that extreme position, is Donaldson...and Gio is not Donaldson...

I was sad as hell when he came into the Spring with the same leg kick, same bat tilt, same long path to the ball after what he went through in his 1st taste of the MLB. I was hoping he'd tone it down a bit so he could catch up to fastballs better, which was his biggest struggle once he got to the MLB.

Curious to see if he comes into this Spring with the same leg kick...
 
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This is an important year for him really since he has got to prove he can hit with some consistency. He is a better batter with the leg kick than without it since he seems more comfortable swinging that way and his overall numbers are better since he switched to it, but it is a mechanic that can be difficult to repeat over and over. He does need to work on it, and if he can even become an average hitter with power, with his defense he could play on most teams in baseball, he just has to fine a better more consistent swing.
 
What are the thoughts on that?
 
MGMT said:
What are the thoughts on that?
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Depends on where they start him this year. Ended the season in Lynchburg as a 19 year old, but I think he should start the year in Lake County and finally repeat a level if they want him to "break out", numbers wise, kind of like what they did with Mejia last year having him repeat Lake County.

But most of his hype comes from his raw tools. Great range at SS, good arm, switch hitter with pop, fast...but he is just that, raw, and his numbers kind of support that, which hurts him as far as ranking prospects go.
 
BimboColesHair said:
Depends on where they start him this year. Ended the season in Lynchburg as a 19 year old, but I think he should start the year in Lake County and finally repeat a level if they want him to "break out", numbers wise, kind of like what they did with Mejia last year having him repeat Lake County.

But most of his hype comes from his raw tools. Great range at SS, good arm, switch hitter with pop, fast...but he is just that, raw, and his numbers kind of support that, which hurts him as far as ranking prospects go.
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They do not have to hurry him along with the fact they have a lot of middle infielders and in the majors, 2B, SS and 3rd are pretty much going to be handled for awhile. Best to take the time with the prospects and develop them well.

You think if Lindor ends up signing an extension that he will end up traded down the line if he jumps up in the ranks?
 
sportscoach said:
They do not have to hurry him along with the fact they have a lot of middle infielders and in the majors, 2B, SS and 3rd are pretty much going to be handled for awhile. Best to take the time with the prospects and develop them well.

You think if Lindor ends up signing an extension that he will end up traded down the line if he jumps up in the ranks?
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He needs to actually produce before we start worrying about him being blocked at the MLB level...

Not to mention he is easily 3rd in line, as far as SS prospects go in our farm (behind Gonzalez and Chang).
 
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