Prospect Hot Sheet Chat (5/3/22)

Image credit: Pete Crow-Armstrong (Larry Kave, Myrtle Beach Pelicans)

Kyle Glaser answered questions regarding today’s Hot Sheet from 2-3 p.m. ET.

You can view the questions and answers below.

Kyle Glaser: Hey everyone, hope you had a good weekend. I just got back from a swing through the Carolinas and seeing a lot of good prospects, especially the Cardinals’ group in Memphis when they played at Durham and the young Cubs group at Myrtle Beach. Let’s start chatting.

Jason (Alabama):

 Are you surprised on how well the newly drafted AA pitchers for the Angels in RC are performing especially Silseth and Kerry? Also, how close are they (Bush, Silseth, Bachman, Kerry) to getting “the call”?

Kyle Glaser: Impressed is more the right word than surprised. Brett Kerry and Chase Silseth both got excellent reviews in their pro debuts last year (check out last year’s Angels draft report card) so it’s good to see them continuing to thrive, while Bush is a good starting pitching prospect who keeps trending up. As for timelines, they’re all certainly in striking distance of the majors, but 2023 is a more realistic timeline for the group as a whole. The Angels have some good arms in Triple-A like Davis Daniel and Ryan Smith who are in line to get the call first. A lot, of course, will depend on injuries and how many reinforcements the Angels need over the course of the season.

Elliot (Youngstown OH):

 When the Guardians needed another outfielder, they bypassed Gonzalez the slugger for Palacios the slasher. Other than Jose Ramirez [and Reyes if starts hitting] Cleveland is going against the grain with a singles-doubles-walks offense. Can that work in the modern era? I’d think that would be a way to avoid streaks but by contrast the Guardians dont’ have any one-game winning or losing streaks this spring. What gives?

Kyle Glaser: The Guardians have the sixth-highest slugging percentage in the majors. And that’s with Franmil Reyes yet to get going. They’re not hurting for power. They’re top six in both batting average and slugging percentage – they’re good at both making contact and hitting for power right now, which is a recipe for success in any era.

Michael (Raleigh):

 I understand only so many can make the hot sheet list, but thoughts on Zack Gelof who has been consistently good at AA Midland? Thanks.

Kyle Glaser: Gelof has been impressive pretty much from the moment he debuted last year. You want to see him improve his strikeout to walk mark (29 K-3 BB in 93 PA) and he needs to improve against breaking balls, but his long track record of hitting, ability to turn around a fastball and plus raw power bodes well for him to eventually become a good everyday player in the A’s lineup.

Steve (NJ):

 No love for Ricky Tiedemann? He was perfect in his appearance this week.

Kyle Glaser: That’s just an oversight on my part. Tiedemann deserves to be on there.

Mossy (Mansfield , Ohio):

 When will we see the likes of Cristian Hernandez? Were you surprised at all he didn’t get an “A” Ball assignment like Pedro Pineda or a few other of the international class.? And on Pineda was that aggressive and how do you think he’s handled it at such a young age?

Kyle Glaser: Hernandez is going to begin in the ACL this year, so we’ll see him in the summer. I’m not surprised at all – the Cubs did the right thing not sending him out to Low-A to begin the year. The A’s were overly aggressive with the Pineda assignment and it hasn’t been good – he’s hitting .197 with a 45% strikeout rate. It’s the same mistake the A’s made with Robert Puason last year, and one they’re unfortunately repeating again.

Ricky Tiedemann (Dunedin):

 Surprise I am not on the Hot List, I haven’t allowed a hit in two starts and have 33 Ks in 20 IPs. How good am I and could I be in the top 100 by years end?

Kyle Glaser: Tiedemann is really good. His longtime comp has been Sean Manaea, who has been a No. 3-4 caliber starter over the course of his career with some years where he exceeds that. That’s Tiedemann’s potential. He’s a good one.

Molly (New Jersey):

 Is Adael Amador’s power for real and if so where does that put his ceiling at now? His this the start of a huge breakout year for him?

Kyle Glaser: I haven’t had a chance to see Amador in person yet so I’ll hold off making a definitive judgement until I do. I do think it’s worth noting that five of his six home runs have come at Fresno and Stockton, two ballparks where the ball flies and home runs pile up in a hurry. That said, he’s a good hitter and he’s clearly impacting the ball, which is a really good place to start. I look forward to getting an in-person look at him soon.

Frederick (Boston):

 Hi Kyle, thanks again for the chat! I was wondering if Jeremy De La Rosa’s early success was coming from any specific improvements in his tools/game or if it’s a matter of a hot start/repeating a level?

Kyle Glaser: The biggest thing for De La Rosa is he’s healthy again. Scouts watching him in spring training noted he was moving around a lot better and he looked a lot more like his best self now that he’s healthy. That has carried over into the season so far and is good to see.

Joe (Baltimore):

 Is Coby Mayo the real deal or did he just have a hot week?

Kyle Glaser: There is a lot of belief he’s the real deal. Scouts highlighted him at spring training this year and fellow BA staffer Geoff Pontes is all-in based on what he’s seen from Mayo so far. He’s a good prospect.

Phil (Florida):

 I know neither Hassell or Veen made the hot list, but both seem to be heading in opposite directions in 2022 (veen slowly heating up, although little pop). too small of a sample size or is hassell the better prospect?

Kyle Glaser: Veen is hitting .286 with a .419 OBP, I would hardly call that going in the wrong direction. That’s a plenty good start. As for who is better, they were neck and neck in the Cal League last year and a lot of it was just going to come down to who made the right adjustments and improvements. So far the edge goes to Hassell, but let’s let the season play out first. In any case, they’re both really, really good prospects who will figure prominently in our Top 100 update tomorrow.

Matt (Co):

 With Tovar, Amador, Veen, Montgomery and a top 10ish pick in this years draft is the Rockies farm system trending up in your opinion?

Kyle Glaser: I mentioned on a few of our podcasts I thought the Rockies system was underrated and ranked too low in our Organization Talent Rankings. Watching their group at Fresno last year, they were every bit as good as the Giants group at San Jose, the Giants guys were just more famous. The Rockies system is still are short on pitchers, but there is a really good position player group to work with. Don’t forget to include Drew Romo, who is hitting .342 in High-A while looking like a future perennial Gold Glove winner at catcher.

Ken (Lakewood CA):

 Hi Kyle. Love your chats. Thanks. When I last checked, Aranda was hitting over .300 in AAA. Brujan has been a top prospect for the Rays. Mead is doing well. Just how good is Aranda, who seems close playing at AAA? Where do these infield prospects fit in? You’ll probably say that maybe a trade or things just have a way of working out. But where do these 3 play at the MLB level if nobody gets injured? Rays are stacked with talent. Must be discouraging to be a prospect in the TB organization? Yes?

Kyle Glaser: Hey Ken, thanks for that. Aranda can flat out hit, period. His defensive home is a question, but guys who can hit like he can will find their way into an everyday lineup somewhere. Keep in mind Brandon Lowe is about to get more expensive starting in 2023 – which means the Rays will likely trade him this offseason – and Yandy Diaz will be arbitration-eligible after this season, which history tells us means the Rays will likely trade him, too. Aranda at 2B, Mead bouncing between 3B/1B and Brujan playing a super-utility role in Tampa is a very realistic scenario in the coming years. It’s not discouraging to be a prospect in the Rays organization at all – you know you won’t be blocked by anyone on a long-term deal because the Rays trade guys as soon as they get expensive. If anything, it’s exciting to be a prospect in the Rays org.

Mike (New York):

 Are you worried at all about Eury Perez first couple starts? I know he’s young for the level and the strikeouts are still there, but is this more an adjustment period or showing us he’s not as good as expected?

Kyle Glaser: No. He’s 19 years old pitching in Double-A. Remember that High-A to Double-A is the largest jump in the minors and often requires a considerable adjustment period. Even if he struggles for another month, I wouldn’t worry about it. He’s good.

Randy (St. Louis):

 How good is Jordan Walker?

Kyle Glaser: Really, really good. For Walker to do what he’s doing at Double-A after playing barely half a season at the Class A levels, he’s just a special hitter.

Tyler S (Framingham, Mass):

 How long do you see Ezequiel Tovar in AA for as he continues to mash and did so during spring? Since he’s already on the 40 man, could we see him in the major leagues in 2022? Leads the Eastern League in hits and is 4 years younger than the average player!

Kyle Glaser: It’s looking more and more like Tovar will get a bump to Triple-A at some point this year. The majors in 2022 might be a stretch, but if Jose Iglesias starts to struggle and Tovar continues to hit at Triple-A, it’s not impossible.

Dungeon Master (Lake Webster):

 Corbin Carroll heading for #1 overall prospect?

Kyle Glaser: Carroll is solidifying projections of future stardom in a big way this year. There are a lot of talented players in the minors right now so it’ll be a tight race for No. 1, but I’m not going to sit here and say it can’t happen.

Turk Wendell (The Bullpen):

 are you encouraged CJ Abrams has a low K rate, concerned he has a low hard hit rate, or just no conclusions to be made from his first month in MLB?

Kyle Glaser: The low K rate is good to see. The low hard-hit rate isn’t surprising because Abrams is not ready to be in the majors from a physical standpoint. I wouldn’t draw any conclusions from a player being in the big leagues before he’s ready.

Brad (MT):

 Michael McGreevy is having a good start. What goes into a promotion decision to have him face more advanced competition? Do you think he’ll get that opportunity soon or have you heard specific things he’s developing at Hi-A?

Kyle Glaser: Promotion decisions for starting pitchers are determined by how many pitches he’s consistently throwing for strikes and the quality of them. Double-A is really the first level where you start to see guys having three pitches they can throw for strikes. The Class A levels is one or two – when they get the third, that’s when they head to Double-A. As soon as McGreevy shows that, he’ll be up.

Jan Janssen (Wisconsin):

 Anything specific go wrong for Grayson Rodriguez the last 2 starts or just a random bump? When do you see him in the majors, June? July?

Kyle Glaser: Rodriguez’s velocity is down a little bit, but I wouldn’t worry about it. He’s still doing just fine on the whole. The Orioles need to stretch him out and start having him throw more than 5 innings at a time before he’s ready for the majors. As good as he is, they’re doing him a disservice if they don’t stretch him out and start letting him throw 90, 95 pitches in a game and learn how to pitch deep into outings. Whenever they start doing that, and how he responds, will determine when he’s ready for the majors.

John (New York):

 Are you surprised to see Anthony Volpe struggling? He jumped really high on this year’s rankings. Was that a bit overaggressive, or just an adjustment period for Volpe?

Kyle Glaser: Not really. As mentioned earlier, the jump from High-A to Double-A is the largest jump in the minor leagues. Seeing guys struggle their first month after making that leap is not a surprise and should not be cause for concern, for Volpe or anyone else.

Brett (Twin Cities):

 Who would you rather have- Andrew Painter or Eury Perez? They seem like the minors next 2 big (both literally and figuratively) things at SP. I’d go Painter because of the advanced control and command that could lead to a shockingly early MLB ETA when paired with stuff as good as you’ll see from a just turned 19-year old HS draftee. He seems like someone who pitches in the bigs by 20 while Eury still has a substantial amount of refinement and work to go before getting there. Thanx!

Kyle Glaser: I haven’t seen enough of either to form my own opinion yet. Right now the industry leans Eury Perez, but Andrew Painter is certainly making an incredible impression so far in his pro career.

Nate (Indiana):

 Hey, I love seeing Pete Crow-Armstrong on the hot list…do you think he gets bumped soon or is that rushing things a bit? Also, it seemed he worked on re-creating his swing a bit to generate more power, how has that looked thus far?

Kyle Glaser: I think there is a chance PCA gets promoted by mid-May with the quality of his at-bats, his consistent contact and gorgeous defense in center field. It’s still a lot of ground ball contact, but the combination of his adjustments and strength gains have him hitting the ball harder and flashing the ability to drive balls in the air more. He’s still developing and there are more strength gains to be made, but the foundation is there to project 15 home runs now as opposed to 10 like before.

Corey (Nova Scotia):

 What is going on with Reginald Preciado? He looked strong in the DSL last year, but that 57% strikeout rate so far this year is bothersome.

Kyle Glaser: Preciado was always a very aggressive hitter who expanded the strike zone too much, even when he was going well. That got exploited very quickly at Low-A. He has a lot of adjustments to make, and it won’t be easy with his long levers and lanky build.

Billy (New York):

 Is it time to panic on Jasson Dominguez?

Kyle Glaser: It’s been rough. How physically developed Dominguez was already at 16 was a warning sign that he might be the type of player who peaked early. Let’s see what adjustments he makes over the next month, but it hasn’t been promising early.

Kyle Glaser: All right everyone, that will do it for today. Thanks for coming out, and have a great rest of your week.