Seattle Mariners 2022 Top 10 Prospects Chat

Image credit: (Photo by Zach Lucy/Four Seam Images)

Following today’s updated Mariners ranking, Kyle Glaser answered your questions below at 3 pm ET. 

 

 

Kyle Glaser: Hey everyone, hope you all had a good weekend. The Mariners have a loaded system with a lot of excellent young players, so this should be a fun chat. Let’s get started.

Evan (New York):

 Zach DeLoach had a strong start to the season in High-A and then struggled a bit upon his promotion to AA. How close was he to making the top 10? What do you expect his realistic time frame is to make it to the Mariners and in what role?

Kyle Glaser: DeLoach was very close to the Top 10 and was in it in some earlier iterations. He’s not far off at all. Barring injury, it’s fair to assume he’ll spend most of 2022 at AA/AAA and make his major league debut in 2023. He projects to be a solid regular who isn’t flashy but gets the job done. Seth Smith is a common comp for him – may not seem exciting, but Smith spent nearly a decade as a starting everyday outfielder, including on a few playoff teams, and was a solid player.

Mike (Puyallup, Washington):

 As a long-suffering Mariners fan, it’s extremely gratifying and exciting to see the top prospects discussed in such glowing terms. The remarks on player development, especially the pitchers, were especially interesting. Can you comment on what the Mariners are doing to develop prospects and how that compares to other teams?

Kyle Glaser: The Mariners were one of the first teams to stop playing instructional league games and use the time instead on skill development, which, for players who had already played 130+ games during the season, was beneficial. The Mariners “gas camp” in particular has been remarkably effective at significantly increasing pitcher velocities (watching Ljay Newsome and Reggie McClain go from 86-88 mph to 94 was impressive). They’ve also done a very nice job integrating traditional scouting with data, better than a lot of other teams.

Kyle Weatherly (Timmonsville, South Carolina):

 George Kirby’s ratings have gone through the roof. Is this due to his increased velocity & already excellent control or is there more to his ratings spike?

Kyle Glaser: Sorry for the delay. Had a call come in. Kirby’s entire arsenal has jumped. More power, more movement, more everything. And he’s done it without sacrificing his pinpoint control. He’s one of the few pitching prospects in the game who has a chance to be a true No. 1 starter.

Ken (Pittsburgh):

 You have Kyle Lewis listed as the CF for the Mariners in your 2025 lineup. I’m curious to ask if you believe he will stay in CF or need to move because of his knee injuries. On the prospect side, is there a OF prospect in the system who profiles better in CF? Thanks

Kyle Glaser: It’s uncertain whether Lewis can stay in center field given his repeated knee injuries, but he showed what he’s capable of out there in 2020 and I don’t think we should readily dismiss or forget that. Lewis, when healthy, is a better center fielder than any of the Mariners’ top prospects project to be. The ones who could be better are extremely far away in the DSL/ACL and have years to go before they could feasibly be considered major league options.

Brad (NJ):

 Emerson Hancock is a high variance spect. I feel like he is going to either be a good #2 SP or a bust. Is he someone you would sell while he still has good spect value, or hold to see if he can stay healthy and look more like the #2 SP vs a bullpen arm.

Kyle Glaser: A No. 2 is a little high for Hancock. His potential as a starter is more of a No. 3/4. The biggest thing with him is getting his shoulder right and staying healthy over the course of a season. That’s the first step. Whether he can do that will go a long way toward determining whether he ends up a starter or reliever.

Adam (Boston):

 How close was Cade Marlowe to top 10? What are your thoughts on him?

Kyle Glaser: Marlowe had a very loud season and he’s in the Top 30, but he wasn’t really in the Top 10 discussion. You should generally ignore numbers that college guys put up in Low-A, and we saw when he got to High-A, he has some real contact concerns. That said, he’s a good athlete with real tools, he’s an exceptionally hard worker and he’s very intelligent, so that may help him make the adjustments needed to keep rising, even though he’s older. He’s a prospect, but he has more questions than people realize just looking at his numbers without keeping them in context for his age and level.

Michael (Raleigh):

 Zach DeLoach. Your initial scouting assessment said, “solid all-around tool set, but perhaps no plus tools.” This past season DeLoach had a significant falloff in performance once he reached AA. Did the lack of plus tools catch up to DeLoach once he faced more advanced pitching at AA? And what do you see as his long term prognosis. Many thanks for the chat.

Kyle Glaser: Solid all-around tool set with no plus tools is still the case for DeLoach. His Double-A performance wasn’t great, but you have to keep in mind Arkansas is a hitter’s graveyard and we’re still talking about a player who reached Double-A in his pro debut. It was good season, even with the falloff. It was just a guy adjusting to better competition, and there is a lot of confidence he’ll adjust and push his way to the majors by 2023. He projects to settle in as a solid, if unspectacular, left fielder who gets by on his elite pitch recognition skills and solid hitting ability from the left side.

Michael (Raleigh):

 Gabriel Gonzalez, Noelvi Marte, Julio Rodriguez all in the top 10. Given the lottery like nature of signing players so young, to what do you attribute the success of the Mariners on the international market? thanks.

Kyle Glaser: Keep in mind, for as promising as all three of these players are, we’re a long way off from determining if they are successes. What they do in the major leagues will determine that. Gonzalez and Marte have yet to play above the Class A levels and have a long way to go to get there.

Scott (El Paso):

 I noticed on your 2025 starting lineup that Evan White and Emerson Hancock weren’t listed! Please explain, thank you for the chat!

Kyle Glaser: Ty France is a better hitter than Evan White. It’s going to be on White to prove he deserves a spot in the lineup. Right now, it’s France’s job to lose, and I don’t think he’ll lose it. Hancock is squeezed out by how many other good pitchers the Mariners have. He’s good. The other guys are better.

Travis (Omak, Wa):

 Who is one guy outside the top ten who you could see making a big jump this year and why?

Kyle Glaser: Alberto Rodriguez, the outfielder the Mariners acquired from the Blue Jays in the Taijuan Walker trade in 2020. He got off to a slow start and had bad first month but hit .317/.403/.511 from June 1 on while earning a promotion to High-A. He has advanced strike zone recognition, hits the ball extremely hard for his age and he’s a solid defender with a strong, accurate arm in right field. He’s struggled staying in shape at times, but if he comes into camp in prime form, he could rise very quickly.

Travis (Omak, Wa):

 How concerned are you with the shoulder issues of Hancock? What are the odds he ends up in the bullpen?

Kyle Glaser: It’s very concerning any time a guy has multiple starts pushed back, goes on the IL multiple times and no one can quite figure out exactly what’s wrong. You have to stay healthy and hold up over 140+ innings to be a starter in the major leagues. It’s TBD whether he can do that.

Travis (Omak, Wa):

 Is Gabriel Gonzalez the next Mariners international signing to burst on the scene this year once he makes his stateside debut like Marte and Rodriguez? Could he enter the top 100 by years end?

Kyle Glaser: Gonzalez has a chance to be. He has big power with a real feel to hit and he’s athletic for as big as he is. The big question is whether he was just more physically developed than his peers in the DSL (a la Malcolm Nunez when he won the DSL triple crown a few years ago), so seeing how he performs stateside this year will be telling.

Jake (WA):

 I know he graduated out, but Cal Raleigh isn’t much older or that much more experienced than some of the prospects. He struggled quite a bit after a hit start in AAA. Do the Ms see him as their starting catcher going forward? What’s a realistic upside?

Kyle Glaser: Yes, Raleigh is the Mariners’ starting catcher moving forward. He has a chance to hit for a decent average with solid power and be an above-average to plus defender behind the plate. Overall a really solid, everyday catcher who may sneak into an All-Star Game or two in his best years.

Heath BP (AR):

 Exciting to see J ROD (75 grade) and Kirby (70 grade) with sky high potentials and both nearing 2022 MLB debuts. Do you have any current MLB comps to either player? I’ve seen Kirby potentially compared to Shane Bieber (elite command, plus stuff). What about Julio? Close to Ronald Acuna level? Elite hitter, plus plus power, above average speed, good corner D? Also do you believe Julio can handle CF full-time? Average to above average in CF versus plus in RF?

Kyle Glaser: Staying away from specific comps, Julio has a chance to be a top-five player in baseball at his peak and Kirby has a chance to be a true, front-of-the-rotation ace. As far as center field, J-Rod is athletic enough to stand there but you wouldn’t put him out there everyday. Aaron Judge is an excellent defender in right field who played 23 games in center for the Yankees this year – it’s more of a situation like that. He can do it when needed, but you wouldn’t say he’s an average defensive center fielder.

Warren (New London):

 Sam Carlson was able to throw 100 innings in his first game action since 2017. How did he look? Could he be a power arm in the bullpen soon? Could he still be a starter?

Kyle Glaser: It was good to see Carlson get back on the mound and, most importantly, stay on the mound. His stuff was just ok and his command wasn’t great, but that’s to be expected after not pitching for four years. Seeing how his stuff and command progresses in year two will give us a better sense of whether he projects to be a big leaguer. Don’t worry about starter or reliever yet, he needs to take some steps before we start worrying about big league role.

Patton (Berwyn, IL):

 Is Andres Munoz still considered a rookie? What sort of role do you imagine him playing in the Mariners bullpen in 2022? Thanks

Kyle Glaser: Munoz has exhausted his rookie eligibility. If he’s healthy, I see him playing a big role in the late innings for the Mariners in 2022 – but staying healthy is a giant question mark with him.

WIlliam (Colorado):

 Seattle seems to have deep stock of excellent young SP. I understand he graduated from rookie status, but how does Logan Gilbert rank against the others (Kirby, Hancock, etc)? Thanks for great work!

Kyle Glaser: Thanks. Gilbert would rank second behind Kirby. He’s a talented young pitcher with a chance to be a very good mid-rotation starter. Kirby has a chance to be an ace.

Jeffrey (MD):

 Comparing the Power and Hit tool, who has the higher ceiling between Julio Rodriguez and Spencer Torkelson?

Kyle Glaser: They’re both excellent. Rodriguez is the better pure hitter.

Ian (Seattle):

 Can you explain your reasoning in putting Brandon Williamson ahead of Emerson Hancock and Harry Ford?

Kyle Glaser: Sure. It was actually pretty straightforward. Williamson has a better overall arsenal than Hancock — Hancock throws harder but Williamson’s overall pitch mix and how it plays is better – and is significantly more likely to remain a starter. Williamson and Ford have the same upside – 55 grade players – and Williamson is much further along in his development and carries a lot less risk.

Ben (DC):

 What’s the word on Victor Labrada? Do scouts think he can be an everyday OF?

Kyle Glaser: Labrada is a high-energy sparkplug who can put the bat on the ball and really run. I got to see him when he debuted with Modesto and he’s a fun player, but he’s not an everyday guy. He’s a fourth outfielder if everything breaks right, which even the Mariners acknowledge.

Frederick (Boston):

 Back to back chats for you Kyle, thanks again! It says in Adam Macko’s Future blurb that teams have been asking about him a lot in trades. To me, this says teams think he has even more value or another level to obtain. Do you think this it true? What makes him such an interesting player for teams?

Kyle Glaser: You’re welcome Frederick. Yes, it is easy to see Macko taking another jump, which is why so many teams are interested in him. Considering his background and how quickly he’s added velocity, developed a filthy curveball and held his own against full-season professionals, it’s not hard to see him progressing even more as he gains more experience. The Mariners see it, other teams see it, and just watching him from the stands and on video, you can see it, albeit mostly in short flashes before he runs into a wall. With health and more experience, he might be able to break through that wall, and that’s worth taking a flier on.

Taylor V. (Seattle, WA):

 What are the feelings and reviews like on Taylor Dollard after last season? Thanks!

Kyle Glaser: Dollard is interesting. His stuff is pretty vanilla (and thus he gets hit), but the way he moves in his delivery and his overall athleticism have some teams thinking there is more stuff in there that can be unlocked. With his natural ability to locate and the way he moves, the teams that believe that have asked about him a lot in trades.

Chris (Fort Myers, FL):

 Thank you for the great write ups. Julio bio reads like the top prospect in baseball, is he at the level of a vladdy or Franco upside from the plate?

Kyle Glaser: Not quite. Franco and Vladdy are better pure hitters, but J-Rod is pretty special himself.

Bill B (Glen Allen, VA):

 Thanks for taking our questions. Emerson hancock and cal Raleigh.. highly rated coming into the season. Will this pitching and catching combo suit up in Seattle in 2022 or 2023? Seems like hancock is in danger of losing a SP on this group of Mariners! Thanks

Kyle Glaser: It’s very possible you seem them both in Seattle together by 2023. Raleigh is the Mariners starting catcher moving forward and Hancock can get there if he stays healthy. Even if he’s a hard-throwing reliever, that can help the Mariners win, which is ultimately the point of all this.

Gary (Surrey BC):

 Hey Kyle, I can’t recall ever seeing a 70 grade fastball, with two other plus pitches along with 80 grade control. I see George Kirby as not just a potential Mariner ace but possibly one of the top arms in the league. You? Would love to hear your thoughts on Lazaro Montes too. Really like everything I see on him, very good looking, quite path to the ball Thanks

Kyle Glaser: Kirby has a chance to be a true No. 1 starter. Those guys are rare. He has to stay healthy and show he can maintain his improved stuff over longer outings and bigger workloads, which is no small thing, but the combination of stuff and control is there for him to be a true ace.

Ken (Lakewood CA):

 Hello Kyle. Again – I particularly like your chats. Thank you for your time. I find a lot of these prospects very interesting. What is your gut telling you about Brash – SP or RP? I see you listed him as a SP in your projected line up exercise. How confident are you that is his future?

Kyle Glaser: Thanks Ken. That’s the big question about Brash, but the fact he maintains his stuff throughout his starts and the fact his stuff and control actually got better as the season went on last year helps lend confidence to him being a starter, even with his delivery maybe not being the smoothest in the world. As long as he stays healthy – and there is some shoulder stuff there to be wary of, so there’s no guarantee – I think he can start.

Ken (Lakewood CA):

 Wondering if Marte would be a #1 prospect in some other organizations? If he builds on last year, does he end up a multi-year All Star at the least?

Kyle Glaser: Marte would be, yes. A multi-year All-Star is never the “least” possible outcome, but given his talent, if he builds on the good things he showed last year – and shores up the less good things, namely an inconsistent approach/AB quality and sloppy defense – he can rise to the level of an All-Star player, yes.

Kyle Seager (The Couch):

 Do J-Rod/Kirby give the M’s the best hitter/pitcher combo in the minors? How about J-Rod/Marte as the best 1-2 punch of bats? Or J-Rod/Kirby/Marte as the best trio?

Kyle Glaser: J-Rod/Kirby vs. Adley Rutschman/Grayson Rodriguez is a really, really interesting debate. I might lean Adley/G-Rod, but I don’t say that with any supreme degree of confidence. All of these guys are really, really good. The best 1-2 punch of bats is Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson with the Tigers, no one else is particularly close. As for top trios, J-Rod/Kirby/Marte probably is the winner.

Ken (Lakewood CA):

 Were you tempted at all to list Ford as the projected line up starting catcher, even though he’s just a year out of HS? How much did Raleigh’s stock fall after last year coming up and not doing well at the plate? (I realize it was just 139 AB but a .180 BA and the walks to K ratio went very south.) How are Raleigh’s defensive skills rated? Do they still have faith in Raleigh becoming their long term starting catcher?

Kyle Glaser: No to your first question. Raleigh’s receiving is excellent, he throws well, and his game-calling draws raves. He’s a big guy and he’s going to have to keep his body in check, but the skills are all there to be a well above-average defensive catcher. As for his offense, he’s always had a bit of an aggressive, ambush approach and that got exposed in the majors. That said, the underlying abilities to hit and hit for power are there and the list of guys who struggled in their first 40-50 games in the majors and went on to great success is a long one. (see: Trout, Mike and Judge, Aaron). He has to make some adjustments, but no one is particularly worried. He’s their starting catcher long-term.

Ken (Lakewood CA):

 Evan White is just 26. I believe he was a 1st round draft pick? And he signed a multi-year major league contract. That showed a lot of faith in him by the Mariner organization. Where does he and all that faith stand now?

Kyle Glaser: White is going to have to improve his approach and show he can hit. Ty France has supplanted him. It’s on White to show he deserves to be part of the Mariners plans moving forward.

Kyle Seager (The Couch):

 What do you forecast for Taylor Trammell at this point? Maybe a decent showing in early ’22 and Trader Jerry immediately cashes in? Maybe he settles in as the best 4th OF in the game? Quad-A guy?

Kyle Glaser: Trammell just hasn’t made the adjustments necessary to hit enough. He’s a fourth outfielder, maybe even more of an up-down guy, at this point. He only just turned 24 and we see guys not figure things out until 26/27 all the time so you don’t want to completely bury him, but the bat just doesn’t project to play every day.

Ken (Lakewood CA):

 Abraham Toro is just 25/26. No longer a prospect, but you do have him listed in the projected line up at 2B. Is this an indication the Mariners feel they have something in him? Or is it just a lack of prospects for that one position?

Kyle Glaser: Toro can hit and that’s where he fits best in the future lineup with what else the Mariners have in the organization. Simple as that.

JC (Philadelphia):

 Hey Kyle, checking in on one of the Mariners’ top international signings from last period. Starlin Aguilar had a solid (not crazy) debut in the DSL. Will he still be in the early teens when the full 30 is released? Thanks!

Kyle Glaser: Aguilar will be in the teens, yes, but more the late teens. He has a nice lefthanded swing and does a decent job of putting the bat on the ball, but he presently makes a lot of soft contact. His conditioning and defense are also question marks. Getting stronger/in better shape and squaring more balls up are his main goals for 2022.

Ryan (Washington):

 I know there is a lot of excitement at the top of this list, but is there enough beyond those big names at the top for the farm system to help sustain an extended period of major league success?

Kyle Glaser: That’s TBD. There are certainly some candidates in the lower levels that are interesting like Gabriel Gonzalez, Connor Phillips, Milkar Perez, Edwin Arroyo, Alberto Gonzalez, Michael Morales, etc. but they’re very far away and not all of them are going to make it, obviously. It’s more looking at what they have in the majors, combined with the top of this system, should set them up for sustained success. Backfilling the system with strong drafts and international signings will be the next step, and a challenge all contending teams face.

Jeff (Idaho):

 Thanks for the chat! Does J-Rod still need more time in AAA? If MLB resolves some of the service time manipulation concerns, any chance we see him on Opening Day or is he more of a mid-season call-up/early 2023 guy? He’s an exciting talent, for sure!

Kyle Glaser: He would benefit from some time in Triple-A. Seeing pitchers who can execute and hit their spots more consistently will only serve him better both in the short-term and long-term. Plus, as we saw last year, the gap between the majors and minors has widened so much I don’t think anyone yet to play above Double-A should be considered major league ready on Opening Day.

Mike (Everett):

 How many players in the Mariners top 10 can we expect to be in the top 100?

Kyle Glaser: The top four are locks. It’s possible we see six.

Tim (Proctorville, Ohio):

 Who is a sleeper prospect you like? Might Jose Caballero be one because of his intriguing bat?

Kyle Glaser: Caballero’s bat isn’t really that intriguing. It’s a light bat. He can play multiple positions and maybe he gets a cup of coffee, but we’re not looking at an impact player here. Keep an eye on Dayeison Arias. He might end up helping the Mariners someday more than a lot of other guys ranked ahead of him with what he brings out of the bullpen.

Kyle Seager (The Couch):

 From one Kyle to another – how concerned should we be about Emerson Hancock?

Kyle Glaser: I mean, recurring shoulder injuries a pitcher just can’t seem to shake are always concerning. The health of Hancock’s shoulder is going to be one of the biggest things to watch in the Mariners system in 2022.

Tim (Proctorville, Ohio):

 Any word on Joey Gerber’s progression from injuries? Is he still considered a potential bullpen piece?

Kyle Glaser: Gerber had back issues at the alternate site. He was making some progress but “nowhere close to pitching” in one official’s words as of midseason. Back injuries are always tricky, so we just have to kind of wait and see. If he’s healthy he could be a bullpen piece, but that’s a big if.

Joel (Washington):

 How close were Milkar Perez and adalberto Rodriguez? I have seen that Perez has had EV has high as 115 as a 20 year. Should we expect him to tap into his power this year?

Kyle Glaser: Both are in the teens. Perez is a favorite of the Mariners player development staff and could be a riser. As for his power potential, it’s somewhat divisive. He has above-average raw power, but his setup and approach don’t allow him to get to it in games. You can make tweaks, but you don’t want to mess with him too much and lose what makes him so good in the first place – his advanced plate discipline and strike-zone recognition. It’s a balance and one the Mariners will try and strike with him in 2022.

Matt (Tacoma):

 The Ford selection gave me a brief Alex Jackson flashback. And they passed on Watson. What is Ford’s best strength? What weakness could hold him back?

Kyle Glaser: Alex Jackson struggled to hit an inside fastball since high school and had serious makeup issues. Ford doesn’t have those. His athleticism is his best attribute, but an underrated attribute is his ability to drive the ball wherever he wants at will. Those less bullish on him cite a lack of physical projection and have some concerns about where his body is going to go as he ages. That would be what holds him back, if his body goes in the wrong direction.

Tim (Proctorville, Ohio):

 Does Jack Larsen make the big leagues this season? He’s done nothing but hit and combines solid power and average.

Kyle Glaser: It’s possible if he performs and injuries hit.

Chamaco (Mexico):

 George Kirby was out with shoulder tenderness for a month. How concerning is this for his future? Was Seattle being overly or justifiably cautious? Also, Kirby has an 80 grade on his control. What MLB pitchers have 80 control? How would you grade his command?

Kyle Glaser: The Mariners say they were just being cautious, both with Kirby and a lot of other pitchers who missed time last year. A lot of teams took the cautious route with pitcher health and workloads coming off the missed season, so it’s not like they were an outlier to be skeptical of. It’s something to keep an eye on, but it’s not a giant red flag. What Jacob deGrom did last year (1.1 BB/9) was 80-grade control. Shane Bieber has 80-grade control. You can argue John Means has it, too.

Roger (Cleveland):

 Two of the Mariners’ mid-to-late round college outfielders from the 2021 MLB Draft–Corey Rosier (Rd 12) and Colin Davis (Rd 7)–each put up eye-opening numbers alongside BB/K rates near one. Is this just the usual (old) Cal League offensive inflation, or did either/both of these guys put themselves on the prospect map with what they showed in their pro debuts?

Kyle Glaser: Rosier more than Davis. Keep in mind you really shouldn’t put much stock in college guys’ performance in Low-A. That said, what Rosier showed tools-wise in addition to his numbers generated some buzz, and thus made him someone other teams were interested in acquiring.

Jeffrey (MD):

 From a hit and power perspective, who had a higher ceiling/floor Julio Rodriguez or Spencer Torkelson?

Kyle Glaser: It’s not a ceiling/floor debate. Rodriguez is the better pure hitter, and thus the better player. Both are excellent.

Henry (Tacoma):

 The statline for Connor Phillips seemed to largely mirror his scouting report before the season: big stuff, but difficulty with command/control. But his last three starts–15 IP, 5 H, 4 BB, 29 K (including one start at high-A)–may at least offer a *glimmer* of hope about future growth. What are the reports on Phillips and specifically his future command?

Kyle Glaser: Phillips’ command is extremely inconsistent. You can see him good (as I did early in the season at Rancho Cucamonga) and you can see him bad every bit as easily. The hope is he’ll throw enough strikes consistently enough to be a good reliever out of the bullpen. You still have to throw strikes out of the ‘pen (nothing is worse than a reliever that comes in and walks guys) so he has work to do, but he’s shown flashes of throwing enough strikes and he has plenty of stuff.

Micah (Sacramento, CA):

 If Brash can even develop league average control – potential SP 1?

Kyle Glaser: No. 1 starters don’t have average control. They have plus control and can consistently give you 7+ innings a start. Brash has excellent stuff, but that level of control and durability would require an enormous jump.

JayCat (Long Island):

 What are the odds that Noelvi ends up in the unicorn zone and becomes a truly elite shortstop at the major league level? He looks the part, even if he has a long way to go. What’s a realistic time frame to see him in Seattle?

Kyle Glaser: Elite shortstop isn’t really in the cards for Marte. He’s a bigger guy who has issues with his footwork, arm slot and throwing from different angles. You’re hoping he gets to be an average shortstop in time. As for a realistic timeframe, best-case scenario is he debuts in 2023 and becomes a regular by 2024. He’s very talented, but he’s also played exactly eight games above Low-A and has a lot of refinement ahead.

Mike S (Scarsdale):

 Thanks for the chat! Curious on your take on Juan Then. Given the struggles last year, do you think his realistic role for the Mariners is in the bullpen? Is he still in the Mariners top 30 given the strength of the system?

Kyle Glaser: Then is still in the Mariners 30. And yes, his realistic best-case scenario is he ends up in a major league bullpen.

Karl of Delaware (Georgetown, Delaware):

 Julio Rodriquez looks like the real deal – predict, if in the years to come he will: be an MVP? hit for the triple crown? be in the Hall of Fame?

Kyle Glaser: I think it’s very, very possible Julio Rodriguez wins an MVP award at some point. I would not pick him or anyone else to win a Triple Crown. As for Hall of Fame, that’s going to depend a lot on things no one can predict – namely health.

Mark (Seattle, WA):

 Best trio, hmmm…I might take Baker/Clapton/Bruce, but nice to know our guys are that highly rated! Anyway, have you seen Bryce Miller pitch? Does he look like someone who could advance quickly as a reliever? Thanks!

Kyle Glaser: Lol. Good call. Bryce Miller is someone who could move quickly as a reliever, yes. His fastball-slider combo and “blow-it-by-guys” mentality will work very well in the ‘pen.

Ben (Indiana):

 N.Marte. What type of prospect are we talking about? What sort of risk are we talking with him? Peak comparison vs floor comparison?

Kyle Glaser: We’re talking about a potential power-hitting shortstop who changes games with his bat. There is a decent chance he moves to third base, but even if he does he should hit enough to be an All-Star. His risk, like that of all young hitters, is that he doesn’t make adjustments as he moves to higher levels or his body goes the wrong way or he gets out of his game and tries to be something he’s not. That all said, he’s extremely talented and I wouldn’t consider his risk any higher than any other young hitter.

Ben (CA):

 Thanks for chatting! I’m a little surprised to see a 75 on Julio Rodruiguez when Ruschman and Witt jr are 70s. What gives him the leg up? Is his bat that special?

Kyle Glaser: I didn’t do the Royals or Orioles lists, so I can’t speak to the reporting that went into the grades on Rutschman and Witt. My discussions with evaluators and front office officials throughout baseball consistently had J-Rod just shy of the top of the scale grade (80), with no one going lower than a 70. My looks justified that grade as well.

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