Josh Norris Top MLB Prospects Chat (5/29/19)

Image credit: Gavin Lux (Photo by John Williamson)

Josh Norris: Sorry for the very late start. JJ and I were reporting a piece that you should see sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Billy Chapel (Detroit): 

Kansas City drafted a bunch of arms last draft and Kris Bubic was not talked about near as much as Singer, Lynch and Kowar. With his success so far this season, where would he rank in the four now? Debate for top 10 starting lhp?

Josh Norris: The problem with Bubic’s success is that all came at low Class A. You can only pitch where you’re assigned, obviously, but a guy with a Stanford pedigree should run roughshod through the South Atlantic League, which is exactly what he did. The big test comes now, with high Class A Wilmington.

Danny Cochrane (Virden): 

Who are the prospects that you’ve become most intrigued in that you knew very little about at the start of the season?

Josh Norris: Without question the answer is Joe Ryan, the righthander whom the Rays selected in the seventh round out of Cal State Stanislaus. He is second in all the minor leagues in K/9 with 13.94 and his swinging-strike percentage is 13th in the minors at 16.4 percent. He’s got one of those special fastballs that miss bats quite a bit and is someone I knew nothing about entering the year.

Decabaria (Ontario): 

What is a realistic expectation of Josh Green? When I hear Brandon Webb comparisons, i get excited…well, except for the injury history, of course.

Josh Norris: Unfortunately, Green is already on the IL, so the comparisons are starting to line up in bad ways. Scouts see him as a back-end type of starter.

Jayhawk (Kansas): 

Any thoughts on Jordyn Adams’s slow start?

Josh Norris: He’s super raw and this was to be expected. The Angels bet on the tools and will be patient with them as he develops them into skills.

Zak (Boston): 

How aggressive will the Brewers be with Drew Rasmussen? Is he a candidate to be called up later in the season to pitch out of the bullpen?

Josh Norris: I can’t answer the first question, but if he keeps showing the stuff he has all year long, then he definitely could be a candidate to come up and blow gas out of the pen.

Drew (Rochester Ny): 

Any Update on Jo Adell and his progress? Is the prospect shine a little off because of his injury history? Thanks for any Adell info or insights.

Josh Norris: Adell is back and is playing at high Class A Inland Empire. As expected, he is doing well.

Peter (Florida): 

Deivi Garcia had his best AA start – usual big S/O but without the overly high walks. How do you see him in the future…Severino? Chapman? Or multi inning like Green? And is he still 5’10”? Hmmmm…another Ron Guidry? Thanks!

Josh Norris: Here’s the thing with Deivi Garcia: Scouts do not see him nearly as highly as he’s being hyped. They like him, but not as a No. 1 or No. 2 type of starter. Rather, they see his ceiling as more of a No. 3 type of role with No. 4-5 possible. In particular, the concern is that his fastball isn’t the most lively that you can find, and he’ll need to be very fine with it to succeed. The numbers are clearly insane, but scouts aren’t as aggressive on their evaluations as those numbers might suggest.

John (NYC): 

Any Yankees not on the list that received consideration for Too 100?

Josh Norris: No, sir.

Josh (IL): 

Hello, Any insight on where in the draft you think Brent Headrick gets taken?

Josh Norris: Somewhere late on the second day or on the third day.

Don (Orland Park, IL.): 

By the end of the baseball season you think Louis Roberts could be in your top 25 minor league players ?

Josh Norris: I could see that. We will have quite a few graduations, (Vlad, Senzel, Eloy, Tatis, Hiura, Riley and probably others), although those guys will be replaced soon by drafted players once they sign, but Robert’s year has been loud for sure (though I’m still amazed that I managed to see him strike out 8 times in two days.)

Sean (Toronto): 

Where does Nate Pearson rate among RH starting pitchers prospects?

Josh Norris: Very highly. He’s being used sparingly this year (averaging roughly three innings per start) after a season limited by injuries, but the stuff is undeniably excellent. I am a huge fan of Mr. Pearson personally.

Cameron (Seattle, WA): 

Hey Josh, is there any reason to be concerned about Forrest Whitley? Obviously the tools are there, but having a rough year statistically and seems to get worked up emotionally if he struggles early. Thanks!

Josh Norris: Multiple scouts have come back this year unimpressed with his attitude and demeanor on the mound. That said, he just hit the IL with a shoulder ding and is headed to rehab at the team’s complex in Florida.

Adam (Boston): 

I know we are a long way off, but how many “sure fire” top 100 prospects do you see in this years draft right away?

Josh Norris: Adley Rutschman, Bobby Witt, Andrew Vaughn, CJ Abrams, JJ Bleday and Riley Greene come to mind.

Mike (LA): 

What do you think about the increased power Luis Urias is showing? Is it more a product of the ball being used in Triple-A or is there really some growth there with his power tool? And how much of it would you expect him to keep once he reaches the majors again?

Josh Norris: I think a great, great deal of it has to do with baseballs being used in Triple-A.

Desperate Rangers Fan (In a pit of misery): 

How panicked should I be that Cole Winn can’t throw strikes?

Josh Norris: It’s not what you want, but I wouldn’t be super concerned after three appearances unless they were all true disasters.

Shauncore (Overland Park): 

Josh, my man! You’re such an all-around great guy. I have to ask why Dayton Moore still has a job when any spreadsheet and calculator could do it better than him? I’m very excited to add Bobby Witt to the organization to be the 392nd ranked prospect in baseball. I’d rather eat at Applebee’s than believe in this team.

Josh Norris: I do not understand the implications here. We believe Bobby Witt is a fantastic prospect, so I don’t quite get the hate here. There’s a very good chance that Witt will instantly become the Royals’ No. 1 prospect the moment he signs with them.

CardsFan (Cali): 

What are your thoughts on Ivan Herrera? His age and success with the bat has me excited about him. Cards seem to the place for catching prospects. Carlson – Rodriguez – Herrera.

Josh Norris: I think you mean Knizner instead of Carlson, but in any case Herrera has gotten positive reviews from scouts this year. He seems like a solid big leaguer if not necessarily a star.

Josh Norris: Be right back, peeps

Julio Rodriguez (IL): 

Crystal Ball time: Do you see me In the top 10 prospects in all of baseball in the future?

Josh Norris: In the near future, no, but if you told me he was Top 25 by the end of the year after he returns to the field, I wouldn’t be surprised.

Brennen (Grand Rapids, MI): 

Adley Rutschman seems to be getting most of the hype this draft, similar to what it seemed like Joey Bart got last year. How would you compare the two going forward, especially offensively? Would you rather have one over the other?

Josh Norris: I love Joey Bart but I’d rather have Adley Rutschman. He’s got the potential to be something really, really special.

Jerry (San Diego): 

i noticed MCKenzie Gore is has been notoriously absent from the Hot Sheet. what does he need to do to get some notice?

Josh Norris: The thing about Hot Sheet is that it’s really just a snapshot of what’s happened in that past seven days. So while Gore’s season and future are both awesome, sometimes his start or starts that week get overshadowed by dudes who strike out a bunch of guys or hit a bunch of home runs or something.

Adam (Mass.): 

In your opinion, is the 2019 draft class or 2018 draft class better? 2019 seems more top heavy.

Josh Norris: Our draft people say 2019.

DH (PA): 

If he keeps this up, when do you suppose the Rays bring up McKay? Any chance he’s up before June 2020?

Josh Norris: I’d think he comes up well before that if everything goes right. I wouldn’t be surprised if you saw him this year.

Matthew (Toronto): 

Not related to the Top 100, but what are your thoughts on Alejandro Kirk lately? He’s clearly hitting the ball well, but how do you feel about his chances to remain a catcher?

Josh Norris: I believe he has a very good chance to be a catcher who contributes on both sides of the ball. He is one of my personal favorite prospects in the minors.

Josh Norris: Okay, peeps, it’s been fun. Until next time.