Klawchat 9/20/18.

My annual look at players I was wrong about is now up for ESPN+ subscribers. (Please read the intro to that column before asking about it here.) I also reviewed the digital version of Scythe, available on Steam, for Ars Technica.

Keith Law: I can feel no sense of measure. Klawchat.

Nick: Are you at all worried about Machado’s career splits at Camden Yards and away? He’s been league-average outside of Baltimore.
Keith Law: No. Camden Yards is not a hitter’s park despite its reputation as such.

Nick: If you’re the Rangers, do you look to trade Profar or is he a guy that could be a part of the next good Rangers team?
Keith Law: I’d hate to give up on a guy who was my #1 overall prospect before the shoulder injury cost him two years, and who now seems to be getting back on track to at least above-average regular status (and I’m stubborn, I still expect more).

squeeze bunt: A lot of writers are saying Preller is going to do something big to acquire a starting pitcher. What kind of move can you see this taking shape as? Thor or something similar?
Keith Law: I don’t see why he’d do that with all the pitching coming – and some of it quite close to ready.

Chris: As Edwin Diaz continues to accumulate saves, the Mariners message boards are actively rooting for teams to score runs when the Mariners are ahead to bring the margin within three. I get not having anything else to look forward to as they’re not going to make the playoffs, but is there any better example of saves being so arbitrary and non-substantive and of a stat where game strategy might change just to fit a specific situation that may or may not occur? There’s even advocating for him to start the 7th to get a 3 inning save up 10-0.
Keith Law: Fuck the save stat.

Nick: Does Puig still have a star ceiling or is he settled in as a regular that fluctuates between average and above?
Keith Law: He has the tools to be a star but I don’t think it’s reasonable to speak of ceiling for a player whose listed age is 27 (he’ll play all of next year at 28) and hasn’t had a star-level performance in any of the last five seasons.

Dan the Mets Fan: I’m calling it now: Jeff McNeil headlining “Players I Was Wrong About” next year.
Keith Law: If McNeil posts a .360 BABIP in a full season next year, sure. At least you seem like you read the intro, though.

Dan the Mets Fan: Who would you pursue at C if you had no real solution there… Ramos or Grandal?
Keith Law: I’d prefer Ramos.

Kevin : Oriole OF Diaz- does he start next year as your opening day outfielder or does he stay on the farm and
Keith Law: If they want to play service time games, then he starts on the farm, but I’d just give him a regular job next year (and not re-sign Jones) and let him develop.

David: We’re just going to keep doing this stupid Tebow thing, aren’t we?
Keith Law: Yep, and we’re going to make it some weird referendum on America or Christianity or the flag, too.

John: Does major league baseball do anything about the Major disparity among payrolls. I love baseball but it just doesn’t seem fair. Are you amazed at the A’s and Rays have done so well ? It’s also about how much you spend on your scouting and not just payroll
Keith Law: “Fair” is an arbitrary concept, and probably not a great argument for trying to equalize payrolls – which, by the way, won’t do anything but shift money from players to the billionaire owners.

Washington nationals fan: If you were the GM of the Nats does Dave Martinez return as your manager for 2019 ?
Keith Law: Yes. I don’t think he’s any of the problem this year. That’s not saying I think he’s great, or clearly the long-term answer, but evaluating him on this year’s won/lost record would probably not yield meaningful information.

Stanley: Do you agree that the powers that be in D.C. should be pushing Keith Ellison for information about the accusations against him just as much as they are pushing Kavanaugh? The allegations against Ellison are very recent and specific, with photographs and police reports. The fact that someone so high in his party seems to be getting an Osuna-like free pass just proves the hypocrisy that is so prevalent among our national leaders.
Keith Law: I do. I’ve been surprised he’s skated on the accusations – and Democrats who were furious he didn’t get the DNC chair have to be relieved at this point.

Archie: This season will have the most games ever where a team used at least 7 pitchers. Do you see this as a good thing for the game?
Keith Law: I don’t, but I’m loath to make too many changes that might force some pitchers to work more than is safe for their arms. Reducing mid-inning pitching changes – that is, forcing managers to make more changes between innings – would help pace of play, although it probably would increase run-scoring.

BE: Are you able to turn your guitar volume to 11?
Keith Law: Of course. I bought a special amplifier for that very reason.

Meeee: I know you’d probably think it would be too self-congratulatory, but would you ever write a “Guys I got RIGHT (that nobody else did)” column? I’d find it interesting.
Keith Law: I wouldn’t for that reason. Readers are generally quite kind about pointing those out anyway.
Keith Law: Oh, also, how about that Jack Flaherty fella?

Rhys: Daz Cameron spanned 3 levels this year at age 21 – was this surprising to you? He seemed to struggle in AAA (although in only 57 ABs). Do you see him as anything more than a marginal MLB regular someday?
Keith Law: 57 AB is barely worth acknowledging, and I think he’s an above-average regular. I’m totally flummoxed at why you think he’s just a marginal regular.

Dr. Bob: The Cardinals’ Tyler O’Neil was considered the better OF prospect but Harrison Bader was more major league ready so he got the first call-up this year. Now he’s become the everyday center fielder. Safe to say no one else saw this coming either. Great defense and he is lightning quick. We’ll see what kind of hitter he becomes.
Keith Law: Did I rank O’Neill higher? I’ve always been skeptical of his swing and miss, his pull-heavy approach, and his lack of defensive value. Bader, of course, has gotten way better since they drafted him – I find the improvement in his speed, which is extremely rare especially among college draftees, totally fascinating.

The Ghost of Bobby Thigpen: It’s looking more and more like the Mets poor record won’t cost deGrom the Cy Young…but isn’t it marginally disappointing that he probably could have won the MVP if the Mets didn’t suck?
Keith Law: There’s such a strong bias in MVP voting against pitchers I don’t think he would have won it. I think it goes to Yelich or Baez at this point.

Joe: Keith, did you ever write up the Cutch trade? What kind of players are Avelino and DePaula?
Keith Law: I didn’t, and you can infer my answer from that.

Robert: Impressions on Jake Bauers . Does he have a starting position in 2019 ?
Keith Law: Still think he has a chance to be a regular, but the lack of power – and he’s even said the Rays’ attempts to improve his launch angle screwed him up as a hitter – is a major limiting factor given his lack of defensive value. Might be a bench guy or tweener for them in 2019.

Nick: Can one of the Phillies low-minors MIF take off next year (Gamboa, Guzman, Brito)?
Keith Law: I think Luis Garcia (the SS, not the P) is going to blow right past those guys. Not a big Gamboa believer; Brito has ability but he’s not strong enough to convert that to production yet.

Patrick: I want to ask about Ryan OHearn. 1.2 war in 38 games. SSS range so what’s real and what’s a mirage about him so far?
Keith Law: It’s not real pretty but he makes very hard contact. The major-league baseball is helping him – the guy never slugged .500 anywhere in full-season ball, and now he’s over .600 in the majors? – but I think he could be a second-division regular with some patience and power despite low batting averages.

Chris: Read today: “I just seem to see modern day players age way quicker than the less-muscular, less Strength and Conditioning coached, no Staff Nutritionist players of days gone by.”

This immediately got support from other commenters, but this struck me as inherently false…it’s purely anecdotal. Am I wrong here?
Keith Law: Yes, anecdotal, and certainly counterintuitive.

Chris: Where do you think Baez lands on the NL MVP list? Like everyone else, I loooove watching him play, but it seems strange to me that he could win with such a pedestrian OBP. Am I nitpicking here, or does this put him in the 2nd tier of NL candidates?
Keith Law: No, he’s clearly in the top group of maybe a half dozen guys, because he plays critical positions and plays them well. I could easily justify putting him ahead of some guys who are a half a win (by WAR) over him because of the value of his positional versatility.

jacos: Do you see Cubs moving Schwarber, Russel and or Almora in off season, especially if they sign Harper?
Keith Law: I have no inside information on this but I get the sense they’re about done with Russell. He’s superfluous anyway.

Zac: Michael Fulmer and Daniel Norris seems to always be battling injuries, who do you feel more confident moving forward?
Keith Law: Fulmer, just because Norris’ velocity hasn’t been there this year. Still holding out hope for both guys; Norris is so athletic and has such great baseball acumen that i feel like he’ll put it together if his body allows it.

Ryan: Is it time for the Cardinals to look to trade Carson Kelly in the offseason? Seems like Knizner is close to passing him on the depth chart, if he hasn’t already, and Kelly seems stuck at AAA with Molina under contract for two more season.
Keith Law: Yes – I think they should have done so already.

Alex: Do you think your phone number or social security number could be in sequential order in the number pi?
Keith Law: Funny question. There are sites that let you search within pi, and the answer is no for mine.

Grant: I see a lot of people predicting Adell could be up by next July. Would that be rushing him in your mind?
Keith Law: Yes but to be fair 1) he’s been so much better this year than I expected, now that he’s made a few small but substantial adjustments and 2) the uberathletes like him tend to move pretty quickly.

JR: Did you consider Nimmo for players you were wrong about? IIRC, the past few years you’ve projected him as a fourth/fifth OF – do you still view him as such, or can he be an everyday guy?
Keith Law: My criticism of him has always been that he doesn’t produce vs LHP, and that is still true. He was a top 100 guy at least once for me.

Drew: The Royals are a ways away from contending. Whit is good and not young…so they should probably trade him. With his cost controlled contract, what’s that worth? Top 100 prospect?
Keith Law: Yes, they should have done so in July. I would think he’d fetch two quality prospects of some sort.

WSox Fan: This rebuild is heading nowhere isn’t it?
Keith Law: That seems rather pessimistic.
Keith Law: Also, I don’t agree.

Baseball loves gross narratives: Lots of Rays catching the A’s for the WC2 spot. I’m trying to tell people to simmer down but they won’t listen. Please talk some sense into them for me, will you?
Keith Law: It’s unlikely, but not entirely impossible.

Guest: What is the most common “missed tool or added skill” when a player over performs their minor league scouting evaluations on the big league level?
Keith Law: Hit tool or fastball command.

Tysen: Do we need to blow up the current MLB/MiLB dynamic? It’s appalling how little those guys make in a season
Keith Law: Too late. The GOP Tax Scam law pretty much ended this discussion. I don’t understand how any minor league player or anyone who is close to one could vote for a Senator or Representative who voted for that bill – voted to take the player’s fundamental rights as a laborer away.

Bobwalktheplank: I what point do the Pirates just say maybe Josh Bell isn’t that good. His hitting numbers might be a tick above average but his defense and baserunning are not good. Is their still upside?
Keith Law: There is still upside – but I think it’s fair to ask why so many Pirates hitters who have raw power haven’t shown it, with Bell at/near the top of that list.

Matt, KY: Consider this Trade: Trout to the Braves for the following: Inciate, Touki, Riley, Wright, and Anderson. Who hangs up first, Angels or Braves?
Keith Law: I saw this, and it was so fucking stupid I ignored it and went on with my life.

Jamal: Do WAR totals change? As in, if I look at a player’s WAR after the 2016 season, would it be different now?
Keith Law: No, not in the way I think you’re asking.

HH: Is Tristan McKenzie still too far away to content for the #5 spot in next year’s rotation? Or do I just think he’s young because he’s SO skinny.
Keith Law: Given his workload this year I’d try not to do that to him next spring.

AC: Luke Voit, a blip, a useful future backup, a starter, something else?
Keith Law: Nice backup.

Michael: White Sox GM Hahn hinted at a big prospect-for-prospect deal this winter. Reds seem set at 3B/SS and ChiSox have lots of OF prospects. Who says no to Senzel for Madrigal and Luis Gonzalez?
Keith Law: Reds are set at SS? I wouldn’t say so.

Tired: Is there such a thing as “catching up on sleep”?
Keith Law: According to Matthew Walker & his book Why We Sleep, no, there isn’t.

Gus Johnson: Aside from Kershaw (who will probably resign with the Dodgers?), Patrick Corbin looks like the only high-impact FA pitcher. Would you give him a Yu Darvish-type contract (6 yr/126M)?
Keith Law: I would. I agree on Kershaw, and that Corbin is the best ‘real’ FA pitcher on the market.

Lilith: Do you think Senzel could play CF? How well?
Keith Law: I’d be very, very surprised.

Andrew: Phillies are carrying 40 on their active roster, which many are calling bad for baseball. I think the concerns about pitching changes and substitutions are overblown – I doubt the casual fan really cares about pitching changes, and it really only irks those who have to cover 162 games. What are your thoughts?
Keith Law: Carrying 40 isn’t the problem. Using 33 guys a game would be a problem.

Kevin: with arm issues always a big deal why do prospects continue to pitch through the end of summer and into the fall? If they are that good shouldn’t April – August be enough?
Keith Law: Most guys who pitch in the fall are doing so because either 1) they missed time earlier in the year due to injury or suspension, or 2) the parent club is trying to make a decision on whether to protect them from rule 5 or trying to stir up trade interest.

Kace: Are guys like Chapman, Merrifield and previously Bautista unicorns or can hard work and a change of approach fix a lot of so-so players?
Keith Law: We hear about the players who do all of this and get results; we don’t hear about the dozens more who try these things and don’t improve. It’s always worth trying, but if you’re a GM or a Director of Player Development, you have to understand many attempts will fail.

Sean: Is it best the Blue Jays just do a full-on rebuild or try to rebuild on the fly? I ask simply because the attendance has taken the largest dive this year from what I’ve read, not sure how much doing a full rebuild would hurt the fanbase.
Keith Law: I thought they should rebuild last winter – trade Donaldson, at least explore the markets for Stroman and Sanchez, etc. They could still do some of that although they may have missed their prime opportunity.

Robbie: The great AL ROY debate: Does Ohtani’s innings pitched and superior bat outweigh andujar’s full season of at bats?
Keith Law: Ohtani has outproduced Andujar and Gleyber. I don’t think this is really a debate.

JR: You’ve regularly been asked about Jeff McNeil over the past few weeks, and have always rightly cautioned this is SSS. Having said that, how does an organization evaluate his time at the big leagues to date? They clearly have an opening at 2B and he’s played well (in a short time frame). Do they pencil him in for the role next season, or do they still look to add a 2B in the offseason?
Keith Law: No harm in letting a player like that – already on the roster, making no money – fill that spot next year when you’re unlikely to contend. If they were a potential playoff team, my answer would differ. At that point you don’t want to bet on a tiny sample or a fluky performance.

Ryan: There have been a bunch of articles recently regarding fixes to the service time manipulation. What would be your fix to teams keeping down clearly ready prospects?
Keith Law: One fix I proposed a few years ago, when Kris Bryant was held back to delay free agency, was to give teams a sort of right of first refusal for players who reached FA with exactly six years of service – that is, a player who made an Opening Day roster and never went back down.

Lee_Keybum: On your next periscope chat, can you do it without a shirt?
Keith Law: I’m sorry, I believe you’re looking for Alex Jones, and he is currently banned from everywhere.

Guest: Does Frankie Montas have the secondary stuff to remain as a starter?
Keith Law: I do not think so.

Phil : I am reading your book and I was wondering about pitch framing as a learned skill. Do some organizations focus on teaching it or do they just try to identify the best and acquire them?
Keith Law: Several do try to teach it.

Alex: RE: Ellison v. Kavanaugh- I agree that Ellison’s actions appear to have been repugnant and should be disqualifying from a career in public life, but as a candidate for public office (Minnesota AG) the voters have an opportunity to make their own decision on his suitability for the position he seeks (and, yes, the DNC should turf him out). DC Republicans are doing everything in their power to confirm Kavanaugh before the midterms, and he isn’t even personally on the ballot anywhere.
Keith Law: Yes, that’s a separate question, and of course I think Kavanaugh should be rejected.

Chris: Thanks for your review of Florida. I had gotten up to Above and Below when I saw in your newsletter you were reading the book. I had to put it down for a while after A and B, but I did not know the last story sees the return of the character from the first.
Keith Law: I was surprised how much the stories affected me when Groff’s voice is somewhat distant from her own characters.

Moe Mentum: Odubel Herrera 2019 : Phillies starter, Phillies bench player, or new team? We’ve seen flashes of talent, but his 2018 performance doesn’t seem commensurate with his salary. And he might not fit the Kapler vision. Should (can?) Klentak do something? Is Roman Quinn being groomed to start in CF next season?
Keith Law: He’s making $5 million next year. If he literally shows up to Citizens Bank Park on time on game days, he’ll be worth more than that. And Quinn has zero history of staying healthy – I wouldn’t bet on him for any regular role.

Nat: Who is the one hitter and one pitcher you are most looking forward to seeing in the AFL?
Keith Law: Luis Robert and Nate Pearson.

Anthony: If Colorado misses the playoffs, should they buy, sell or hold this offseason?
Keith Law: Hold/buy. Unless they make the organizational decision to trade Arenado, which I’m not advocating or opposing here, there’s no point to a rebuild. Either you do it all the way, including him, or you do nothing.

Eric: Do you think the Jays really held Alford down for two weeks at the end of the AAA season for service time reasons? Any thoughts of what he might be for the Jays going forward?
Keith Law: They held Vlad down for service time reasons. Why would we be surprised that they’d do this to another player? Alford has above-average regular upside but 1) his power has never translated into games 2) he gets hurt a lot and 3) he’s failed to perform in two of the last three years. There’s plenty of reason to question his eventual role & upside, even though he has been a top 50 prospect in the past.

Anthony: With the slider instead of the changeup, could Taillon be a 1/2 starter or is he going to have too much trouble with LHH?
Keith Law: It’s rare but not impossible for a pitcher to use a pitch like his slider (which is hard like a cutter) to get opposite-side hitters out. I’m just generally a Taillon fan anyway so I am inclined to think he can do it.

John: If you would the Cardinals how would you approach this off-season? See what Carlos Martinez could fetch and sign a starter? Pursue the big bats? Clear up the 2B/3B logjam and sign a real SS?
Keith Law: I think they have plenty of starters; really I look at their core and see a potential playoff team for 2019, although with Carpenter turning 33 in November they need to plan for a lineup without his production in the near future.

JR: As a Mets fan, I know the smart play is to shop deGrom, Thor and/or Wheeler this offseason, but man, aren’t those the types of starters to build around? Sucks to be a small market team in a big market.
Keith Law: You shop them all and see what you get; I doubt the market will offer huge returns for all three.

Sean: I have heard you say that Vlad Jr could be the next Big Papi in terms of position and ability to consistently hit for average and power. How long of a leash would you give him at 3B if you were the Jays next year?
Keith Law: I’ve seen him twice this year and expect to see him again in the AFL, but at this point, I don’t see any chance that body or lack of range works at third. Just DH him and tell him to go hit .360 with 40 bombs.

Dr. Bob: From an article by Jonah Keri, it appears that the Blue Jays are about to go with a youth movement. Don’t you need a better overall farm system to do that? Or is having a few top prospects enough?
Keith Law: They seem to believe they have a better farm system than they actually do.

Matt: Blake Rutherford seemed to make some progress offensively this season, but finished with an OPS under .800. Do you think he hits for enough power to project as a starting corner OF?
Keith Law: No – there’s no impact there and a corner bat has to have that.

Alex: How would you rate Klentak at this point? Should Phillies fans be optimistic? Seems like he’s been pretty hit/miss on player evaluations.
Keith Law: Think he’s done well everywhere but with first-round picks – although Randolph predates him. They haven’t hit on any of their last three prior to Bohm.

Rising tides: Isn’t service time manipulation really a symptom of MLBPA throwing 1-3yr service time players under the bus creating a huge pay inequality at the MLB level?
Keith Law: The union has long focused on free agency and the trickle-down effect it has on arbitration, but the minimum salary has gone up by nearly 70% in the last few CBAs, so they haven’t ignored 0-3 guys – they just might have undersold them.

Steven: Are we seeing the days of the 4th and 5th starter going by the wayside? Honestly, it seems like a much better strategy to let your 2 or 3 best pitchers go as deep into games as they can, while breaking up the other 2 games among your pen.
Keith Law: Nothing in baseball is permanent, but if you’re asking whether more teams will do bullpen days in 2019-20, I’d say yes, definitely.

Anthony: If you’re Counsell, how do you manage a one game playoff without a true ace? Throw out your best starter and be aggressive about bringing in Hader/Jeffress for possible multiple inning appearances?
Keith Law: Yeah, you plan on using Hader for 9 outs and go from there. Hell, what about starting him, knowing he’s probably out by the 4th? Other than one likely out when he bats, is there a downside I’m not considering?

Jake: Adalberto Mondesi has played very well over the last 50 games, do you see an All-star upside for this guy or will his low OBP always limit what he can be? The tools are there!
Keith Law: Low OBP really limits his ceiling – but Rougned Odor isn’t a dissimilar player and suddenly found religion at the plate this year.

Bench: Angels Luis Rengifo seems to come out of nowhere. Is he in their top 5 next year? Top 20 in MLB as well?
Keith Law: Nice pickup in the Cron deal, but not in their top 5, and I assume top 20 was a typo.

Jake: Thoughts on MJ Melendez, and was he projected to his for this much power?
Keith Law: Still very TBD on the bat. Had power in HS – fairly sure I wrote that about him, and I saw him destroy a ball when I went to his school that March. Would really like to see him catch, as he was very athletic and agile back there but almost too high energy.

Chad: When will you be in Arizona for the Fall League? Who will you be watching? Which new restaurant will you try?
Keith Law: Second week, I watch everybody, and I have a list of new restaurants. I did get to Roland’s over Labor Day weekend and it was excellent.

Jim Nantz: Are their enough pitchers to fill out 2 additional teams, if there’s expansion, without seriously diluting the product?
Keith Law: Yes.

JR: Is there any evidence that all the steps teams are taking to protect pitchers arms is working? Seems like a bunch of pitchers still end up needing TJ surgery, despite all the steps teams take. As awful as this sounds, do you think teams will start to treat pitchers the way NFL does with running backs? Realize most will only have a few good/great years, bring them up to the majors faster and just throw them as much as they can in the 6 years of control they have and hope for the best and then let them go (or trade them in year 4/5 if on a non-contender)?
Keith Law: My understanding is that although we’ve cut excessive workloads, which is probably the reason catastrophic shoulder injuries are way down, pitchers throwing as hard as they can just about all the time is still a big factor in UCL tears, and that hasn’t changed.

Chris: Imagine if the Mets let Dom Smith play 1B all year? Maybe he would have gotten the required ABs for a young player to develop and grow like, say, Amed Rosario! Yeeeeeeeesh. Should Mets just pick one of Smith or Alonso moving fwd?
Keith Law: Yes, they should commit to one and shop the other. If that means giving up on Smith, knowing he could very well go somewhere else and perform, so be it. But this is not how you develop a young player.

Jordan: Where would you rank the Mets farm system going into next season? Mid-tier? Seems like almost all their top-20 guys had terrific seasons.
Keith Law: Above the median. Good chance they’ll be top ten. Most of their big names had great years, they landed a stud in Kelenic, their second-rounder Woods-Richardson looked better in pro ball than in the spring, and they had some pop-up guys like Newton establish themselves as prospects too. I get Mets fans on Twitter telling me how bad they think the farm is, but they’re totally wrong. They’ve drafted well, consistently, and hit on some international guys too.

John: is it just me, or do you think one of the biggest issues facing society today is how little people seem to grasp the concept of nuance? not even related to a single issue. people don’t understand how free speech works, and in the case of kavanaugh, they dont understand this isnt a criminal trial, but a high profile job application. is nuance just too difficult to grasp/teach?
Keith Law: I feel like in any argument there’s a reach for a quick answer – oh, don’t you believe in due process? what about freedom of speech, huh? – that sounds good even if it doesn’t apply to the situation. It’s about winning the debate, or just dunking on someone. I’m sure I fall prey to this too.

Joe: You (and a lot of others) weren’t high on Brandon Lowe going into this year. Has anything changed for him? What kind of future does he have?
Keith Law: I know scouts who NP’d him in 2016. I don’t love the swing – what I’ve seen on TV, which isn’t a great angle – and am curious to see whether he can still hit for power without striking out like crazy.

Ridley Kemp: I get most of my book recommendations from Austin’s robust book store scene (I’m very lucky in that regard), from Warren Ellis, and from, um…you. Where you get your recs from, or what typically makes you decide to select a particular book?
Keith Law: I scan a lot of best-of lists, I get recs all the time from friends and readers, and I like to prowl indie bookstores and see what catches my eye.

Jack: Brayan Rocchio – have you seen him? What are your thoughts
Keith Law: I haven’t yet but all the reports I have are glowing.

Ted: I realize you’re not a big college football fan, but do you have any thoughts on Nick Bofa’s injury?
Keith Law: Yeah, sounds like the damage to his ligma is serious.

Zac: In regards to minor league pay, who owns the minor league teams are most of them owned by the major league owner or are most of them owned by people not related to their parent club
Keith Law: Most are independently owned, and when they sell, their values keep increasing. That wouldn’t happen if these teams were actually losing money as some doofuses tried to tell me on the twitters yesterday.

Mike: Have you been surprised at how quickly Ronald Acuña Jr.’s power has come this year? He’s on a 42 home run pace over 162 games as a 20 year old.
Keith Law: The major league baseball is different than the minor league one – Meredith Wills now has two pieces up on The Athletic, one just went up this week, explaining why. Everyone is hitting for more power in the majors.

Felix: I’ve read your list. My girlfriend and I really enjoy playing Ticket to Ride. What’s your favorite 2 player board game? What should we try next?
Keith Law: Jaipur.

Russell : Do you think Everson Pereira will be ready to start 2019 in Low A ?
Keith Law: Possibly but he barely played this summer due to injuries.

Marco: in your answer about Puig, you referenced his “listed age”. Why the qualifier? Is there evidence he could be older than 27?
Keith Law: Cuban players’ ages are all a little dubious, because (as far as I’ve been told) we have little/no access to records from there. I’ve mentioned that on a few Cuban players before.

Tracy: I’m reading The Castle by Kafka. I’m halfway through but it’s so boring I’m ready to dump it and move on. Can I get your blessing?
Keith Law: Yes. Life is too short to read bad books.

Chris: May we have a short review of Florida…the state?
Keith Law: America’s armpit. No, look at it – it’s rather axillary in shape, right?

Tim: You really don’t think the Mets are at least a *potential* playoff team next year if they can run deGrom-Syndergaard-Wheeler-Matz out there as their front 4?
Keith Law: How many starts you think you’re getting from that quartet?

Chris: Do you think Max Kepler has more to offer or is he what he is at this point?
Keith Law: Still expecting more. Again, maybe I’m just stubborn.

Christopher: With Brandon Morrow out, I keep hearing radio and tv analysts lamenting the lack of “closer” in the Cubs rotation for the playoffs. “Closer” this, and “closer” that. Can’t the Cubs just plug their best-available pitcher in depending on the inning/situation, or am I simplifying this too much? I didn’t realize that “closer” was a separate roster spot or position on the field.
Keith Law: They can and they will, or at least they’ll try to, although I think Maddon’s bullpen management has been questionable.

JT: What’s David Bote’s future? And is it with the Cubs or elsewhere?
Keith Law: If they keep him as a UT he’d be outstanding, but he could probably be a second-division starter at 2b.

MJ: Thoughts on Billy McKinney going forward? He’s been impressive for the Jays since the trade.
Keith Law: Extra OF tops.

Chris Bianco : Why were so many troglodytes upset by Pizzeria Bianco topping your pizza list?
Keith Law: Mostly because they’d never tried it. My favorite troglodyte was the one who asked me, a NY native who regularly writes about going to games in Trenton and Lakewood, if I’d ever BEEN to New Jersey.
Keith Law: I wanted to say “yeah, that’s where we New Yorkers sent our garbage,” but that seemed a little mean.

Steve: Don Welke passed away – you talk to him much?
Keith Law: I didn’t see that till just now, but I did, and I always enjoyed listening to him. He was smart, funny, played the clown a little bit but I always thought he was trying to disarm people. He had something like 50 years in the game, and a wealth of knowledge and memories to share. What a terrible loss for all of us in the sport.
Keith Law: That’s all for this week’s chat – thank you so much for joining me, and for all of your questions, as always. I’ll be back next week to do this again; my next column will be my postseason award picks, and I think it’ll run on Thursday. Thanks again.