Klawchat, 1/27/17.

The whole top 100 is now up; you can see the top 20 prospects here or go to this landing page with links to all parts of the prospect rankings package.

You can preorder my upcoming book, Smart Baseball, on amazon, or from other sites via the Harper-Collins page for the book. Also, please sign up for my more-or-less weekly email newsletter.

Klaw: It’s the highest in commodity grade, and you can get it today. Klawchat.

jay_B: Brendan Rodgers writeup mentions he struck out “just” 98 times in 110 games. Is that actually a good number or am I just misunderstanding that whole section?
Klaw: That’s actually a good number for a guy his age. Look at strikeout totals across the minors – they’re really high now, just as they are in the majors.

Carl Spackler: How close were guys like Clifton, De La Cruz, Almora and Candelario to your top 100? Would those guys all be in your 100-150ish range?
Klaw: None was terribly close, although I bet de la Cruz would have made it had he been healthy all season (or just lacked those concerns going forward).

Oden: Hi Keith– I was a little surprised that David Paulino wasn’t in your top 100. Future reliever for you, or something else keeping him out? Thanks!
Klaw: Future reliever. Like 90/10 odds. Delivery is out of control for me, can’t see starter command or ability to repeat it 100 times a game.

Phillip: Do you have a list of “next ten” that didn’t make the top 100? Or at least the guys who you remember having just missed the cut?
Klaw: That list of ten goes up tomorrow.

Mike: I did not see Reynaldo Lopez on your list. Is this because you think he is 100% a reliever or was he not eligible?
Klaw: Another one I think is absolutely a reliever. Can’t start with that delivery.

Danny: Are you shocked how bad this first week of know nothing politics went?
Klaw: Shocked, no. Dismayed, yes.

Alivio: Keith, looks like you let your ego get the best of you once again with that Yoan ranking. Seems he’s a shoe in as a top 5 prospect. Why so low on him?
Klaw: Yes, it’s all my ego, not a rational examination of each player’s strengths and weaknesses, which I then spelled out at length for everyone to see. It’s just me.

Aaron C.: As the father of a 12-year-old ball player, I was encouraged to see so many prospects of African-American descent in your top 100. In your view, is this indicative of any burgeoning reconciliation between black youth and baseball? Is the RBI program bearing fruit? Or, is it just small sample size snapshot? Thanks!
Klaw: Probably just an upturn in the cycle. I’ll feel better about it if and when we get more African-American players in the majors in regular roles that have often been closed off to them, like starting pitchers or catchers.

J.P.: Curious not to see Luke Weaver anywhere. Thoughts?
Klaw: Not even close. Two-pitch guy who lacks plane on the fastball.

Allan: Mike Soroka must have been close to being included on your top 100, right? What other Braves prospects warranted consideration?
Klaw: He’s the top Atlanta prospect who missed, but I’m not sure I’d say he was close either. Low slot guy with slight frame. Scouts were very mixed on him staying a starter; one scout I talked to who saw Rome’s whole rotation put Weigel over Soroka.

Ben: Chances of Bellinger moving to the OF permanently?
Klaw: What I’ve heard is that you’re trading a 7 glove at 1b for a 5 glove in the outfield. I don’t think the Dodgers would do that.

Mike Sixel: Would you have traded Dozier straight up for De Leon, from the Twins’ side? thanks!
Klaw: No. I don’t think that’s enough value given what Dozier has been the last two years.

Adam: Fernando Tatis Jr is someone a lot of people are including on Padres Top 10 lists, but to consider him a Top 50 prospect in all of baseball is pleasantly surprising. Is this ranking based on what he’s done, or what you expect him to do in 2017?
Klaw: It’s based in this case entirely on scouts’ feedback about him specifically and the list as a whole. I have yet to see him play.

Tom: You have mentioned teams trying to avoid sending prospects to extreme environments (Colorado Springs, Lancaster, High Desert, etc.) or ballparks (Savannah) that might adversely impact their development. What factors do teams consider when seeking player development contracts with minor league affiliates? Is there a reason some teams get stuck with affiliates that don’t really make sense for player development, geographic, or business reasons (thinking the Brewers in Colorado Springs or the Mets in Las Vegas)? I understand there are only a limited number of markets and minor league teams, but why aren’t teams more aggressive in seeking agreements with affiliates, or owning them outright (like the Braves)?
Klaw: Proximity to MLB club, quality of facilities, hitting environment, attendance are all factors. More clubs are buying affiliates to avoid the biennial shuffle.

Stevie: Hey Keith, thanks for all the great work. If you had to pick a Mets prospect to jump into the Top 100 next yr between Andres Gimenez, Wuilmer Becerra, Tomas Nido, Luis Carpio and Dez Lindsay…….who would you choose? Do you think any of them (or even more than one of them make that jump? Thanks again.
Klaw: I pick a sleeper for each team, which is exactly what you describe, in the org reports that will run next week. The 10 East teams run Monday, Central Tuesday, West Wednesday.

Johnny: No Tyler O’Neill, Keith? That’s just baffling to me, especially given his breakout year away from the CAL. Please explain!
Klaw: Breakout year? Interesting, given the mediocre contact rate. He’s also a bat-first guy who’s physically maxed out already and won’t provide value on defense. Now, to be clear, omitting a guy from the top 100 is not saying he sucks. I’m saying he’s not one of the top 100 prospects in baseball. There are more than 100 prospects in the minors right now, and always.

Danny: How close was Bradley zimmer to making the 100 cut? Thought he might eke in there after his strong afl. Thx!
Klaw: But he didn’t have a strong AFL. Lefties destroyed him there – 14 K in 30 PA.

Johnny: I assume Calhoun missed because of his defensive (lack of) prowess, but which position would suit him best?
Klaw: Batters’ box.

Jake: Did Anthony Banda get any consideration in such a desolate system such as AZ’s? (Cue “High Noon”)
Klaw: No – I wouldn’t force a guy on the list just because he’s the best guy in a bad system.

Grant: Come on, where is Tyler O’Neill? This is a GLARING omission!
Klaw: Oh, well, if it’s GLARING, I’d better get on that.

addoeh: Without giving anything away, I was surprised by your Tebow ranking. Thoughts?
Klaw: He’s ranked #666.

Ethan: Keith, I am curious your thoughts on Hunter Renfroe. With him not being in your Top 100, are you most concerned with strikeouts? Thanks for your work!
Klaw: Not just strikeouts but lack of offspeed recognition period.

Lenny: I was surprised not to see Gavin Cecchini crack the top 100. You’ve said in the past that he’s likely to stay at SS and while I know you don’t think his offensive profile is as good as the top shortstops, he had an expected year in AAA. What happened that caused you to drop him?
Klaw: He’s no longer likely to stay at shortstop. His throwing problems from 2015 got worse.

Travis: What fan base usually asks the most questions on a weekly bases?
Klaw: Right now it’s Atlanta, although there’s been a strange uptick in White Sox questions lately.

KLaw is out of his mind: A guy with makeup issues (and hasn’t pitched above High-A) is the top SP prospect over two SPs who can throw nearly as hard, have better secondary stuff – and both have seen the bigs. Well, I’m convinced. (sarcasm detector in the red)
Klaw: You lost me right there at “makeup issues.” You almost certainly know nothing about Kopech’s makeup except the secondhand stuff you’ve read. I would bet good money I know more about the subject, and obviously I’m comfortable ranking him where I did even knowing that information. And hey, feel free to omit the delivery questions I had on Reyes, since they don’t support your whining.

Craig: As a Brewers fan, I am really happy to see so many players in your top 100 at various positions (2 SPs, 2B, 3B, 2 OF) to go with Orlando Arcia. But is there anyone in the Brewers system who profiles as a future starter with good power (40 HR potential). For a team long known for sluggers, it seems odd that there isn’t a big power guy already in the minors.
Klaw: Brinson has 30 HR power, least. 40 HR power is pretty rare.

G: I know you’ve reviewed the board game “Tak” for Paste, but I was wondering if you’ve given any consideration to reading the Kingkiller Chronicle books. I’m halfway through the 2nd book at the moment, and really enjoying it, even though it falls into a lot of the traps of the fantasy genre.
Klaw: Nah, too long.

Luke: Hi Keith, love your work! The aspects of Boston/Cambridge that you miss the most/least are…?
Klaw: The cultural opportunities Boston offered.

Parrot: Assuming Zack Collins can’t stay behind the plate, how much of a gap exists between him and Matt Thaiss?
Klaw: Large. He’s got way more power. And I think he’s a better hitter than I credited him for being before the draft.

Fan of Tyler: Surprised to see Tyler O’Neill miss the list. What don’t you like about him?
Klaw: Wrong question. It’s not “like.” This is what I believe the player to be, or to lack.

Nolan LeMond: Touki Toussaint fell outside your Top 100, not terribly surprising. Do you see his future more as a wipe-out reliever than a starter at this point?
Klaw: I’d still develop him as a starter, but he has to repeat the delivery better to stay there. The reps of starting will help him even if he ends up in the bullpen.

Adam: What are your thoughts on relief pitchers in the Hall of Fame? The top four relievers per JAWS are Eck, Mariano, Hoyt Wilhelm and Goose. I would be inclined to draw the line right there. I am not in favor of Trevor Hoffman for the HOF, and I thought Bruce Sutter was a very bad selection a few years back. However, I am willing to give Rollie Fingers a pass on account of the mustache.
Klaw: I feel pretty much the same way, although Eck was a dubious choice too, sort of compounding the error of the MVP award he got.

Crumb: Any thoughts on the Dodgers Julian Leon? Or is he too far away to really project?
Klaw: He hasn’t hit in two years and can’t catch.

Van: You rated Nick Senzel extremely highly. Assuming he is still prospect eligible at this time next year, do you think there’s any chance that Taylor Trammell could be ranked higher than Senzel?
Klaw: Not really. But I think Trammell is a candidate to make a big jump this year.

Nick: One of my favorite things about the prospect list is seeing the balance between ceiling and proximity to the majors. Ever give any thought to extending it to still-young major leaguers? I.E. I would love to see how the added certainty of Addison Russell compares to the upside of Ahmed Rosario.
Klaw: No, because this is already more work than I can handle.

Jeff: Reading the reports for Yadier Alvarez & Kopech…they seem fairly similar yet one is in the mid 40s and the other in the top 10. Can you elaborate on why such a difference between these two specific players? Thanks as always for the work…this package is the whole reason I pay for insider.
Klaw: Big command difference between the two even right now. Alvarez could barely throw a strike a year ago. I don’t know if he ever gets past 40 command. Kopech I think will.

Paul: How far has Brady Aiken’s stock fallen for you?
Klaw: He was pitching with a 45 fastball last summer, so until he gets all his velocity back, he’s not a top 100 candidate.

Jeff: A lot of mentions of “too big to stay at SS”, even going back to Seager and Correa. Obviously a lot of guys will move off the position for various reasons, but at what point might we have to adjust the thinking in terms of size based on how athletes in all sports are getting bigger, faster, stronger than in prior generations?
Klaw: Correa’s defensive numbers are not good, so I think size still matters for shortstops. Perhaps Seager is an exception, although based on one year I don’t think I’d give up on the old maxim.

Denis: You once thought very highly of Jorge Soler; are you still a believer?
Klaw: Yes. Just gotta stay healthy.

Joshkvt: PEDs and assault of an elderly employee aside, it would be fair for a HOF voter to reject Manny for tanking an at-bat in an important game because he was pouting, right?
Klaw: Or for simply giving up on defense. There are fair reasons to omit him in favor of ten other candidates.

Henry: Keith, what are your thoughts on the Forsythe/De Leon trade?
Klaw: Liked it a little more for Tampa Bay. De Leon needs some tweaking but I think he’s a surefire back-end starter now.

Democ..libertari…idk: Everyone’s fine with a big government as long as their party is in charge. But once the opposition takes control they freak out because they know/realize how much power the President & company has. Sure, big governments in the right hands can do some good things, but it also makes it easier for what’s happening right now to happen. Am I wrong?
Klaw: That sounds reasonable to me. Although I feel like the Republican party pushed for smaller government for so long (something I could buy into, although as always the devil’s in the details) that it’s weird to see them now advocating lots of big government expenditures.

Nick: Have an opinion on Jose Albertos? Crazy young and small sample sized, but what’s the upside look like?
Klaw: Four innings is about as small a sample as you can get, but he’s in my Cubs top ten, so check that out on Tuesday. It’s legit stuff. Albertos’, I mean, not my Cubs top ten. Well, both, really. OK, next question.

Nick: Apparently the Cubs had the choice to send Jimenez or Torres to New York for Chapman. Think they blew it, or is it too early (and excessive knitpicking)? I’m aware of their rankings in your top 100.
Klaw: No. Either guy was going to be a big price to pay, and obviously I feel like both guys are going to end up stars. No matter who they gave up, you’d feel a little mixed right now about losing that kind of prospect even with the World Series win.

The Kid: Have you ever released a teams top 10 within the top 100 before? Braves almost snuck in there (I assume they will with the honorable mentions)
Klaw: No. I believe they did set the record with 9 guys on this year’s list, though. I don’t recall any team ever getting to 9 before.

Shaun: Jorge Mateo vs. Gleyber Torres: Who is the Yankees future SS, and does the other move to CF?
Klaw: Torres. Mateo has to show he can make good enough contact to play at any position right now. That’s two years of weak contact, and while he’s way faster than Torres, Torres has better hands and actions at short.

Randy: If Willie Calhoun could play average defense at 2nd would he have made your top 100?
Klaw: And if my aunt had balls, she’d be my uncle.

Jack C.: The big issue on Twitter today is the debate on whether or not people should write for free. For example, Daren Rovell and Matthew Berry argue that you should write for free for companies to make connections, gain exposure, etc. Everyone has to start somewhere and that is how they did it. On the other hand, people are arguing that you should never write for free and that you are being taken advantage of when it comes to your hard work. I guess this relates to many things – but in relation to working in baseball (bb ops department) or writing about baseball, what is your stance on this issue? I worked in a non-baseball ops internship role in baseball for minimum wage and have been writing about baseball for a few years now with zero pay.
Klaw: I never work for free. Even now, when I can afford it, I wouldn’t write for anyone else for free. Now it’s part principle, part ensuring both parties have some skin in the game. I also truly wish – not that it’s happening in the next four years – that the federal government would call free internships what they are, an illegal circumvention of minimum wage laws.

Chris Garosi: Not really a question, but a suggestion for a book tour should one come to fruition. If you come to DC, Politics & Prose would be a great choice and then an “after party” at Comet Ping Pong which is just around the corner.
Klaw: Hell, I’d go visit CPP just to show my support for them after what the tin-foil hat Nazi crowd has done this year.

Joe: Is is too early to say the Phillies made a mistake taking Moniak first overall since Rutherford is ranked higher and cost about half as much? I could understand not taking Groome if they didn’t want a pitcher, but Rutherford plays the same position.
Klaw: It’s too early and I didn’t rank them THAT far apart.

RiverCity: This seems intuitive, but do team with major local prospects actually see them more than teams further afield? Like the Reds and Jordon Adell in Louisville or players from the University of Louisville for instance?
Klaw: I think that’s much true of someone like Josh Hader, who was a local kid for the Orioles but was not on the national radar, than someone like Adell, whom even I’ve seen 2-3 times already and I don’t live anywhere near there.

Dennis: Christian Arroyo fell from #65 all the way out of the top 100. I had been hoping he would take over 3rd base for the big league club at some point this season. What do you see happening with him long term?
Klaw: First of all, there is no “fell.” I said in the methodology piece that I do this list from scratch each year, so where a player ranked before has zero impact on where he ranked this year. This isn’t the Billboard Hot 100 and I am not Casey Kasem. As for Arroyo, he got exposed a bit by better pitching in double-A, and I don’t think he has the power for third base in the long run (or the arm?).

Richard: I’m assuming there is not much separating the top 4 shortstops for you but who among them do you think has the highest ceiling and who has the highest floor? Lowest ceiling and floor?
Klaw: I’m the most sure about Swanson, and I think Rosario has the best chance to be a superstar from that quartet.

Jason: Has a team executive ever bribed you to put one of their prospects on the top 100 or higher on the list than they deserved to be?
Klaw: No. But everyone pushes their guys – that’s normal.

Dennis: What would it take to get you out to Hawaii this year for a book signing?
Klaw: Not much convincing.

David: I get that Bobby Bradley has some holes in his game. But how much value do you put on the age vs. level metric? Led high-A in homers at 20? Seems like a good profile to have. Devers is another example, where a lot of his talent is still hypothetical.
Klaw: Age vs level is useful, but hardly definitive. Bradley is a below avg 1B with huge swing and miss.

Patrick: Keith, you got it from here. Question on reading to/with your daughter–do you do different voices for different characters in the books? Or just read them more or less straight?
Klaw: Different voices. The Harry Potter series was a real challenge.

Ty: How high could Acuna have ranked with a full season of his production?
Klaw: Not that much higher unless he’d moved up a level and performed against better pitching.

ssimo02: Klaw, I was going to print this question out and send to you in a box… Anyway, what’s your take on writing for free (for a profit-making enterprise) as an advancement strategy? Were you paid from Day 1 at BP? Thanks as always.
Klaw: I owned a piece of BP. That’s a different story.

Dave: I know you’re not an economist, but any thoughts on this idea? What if the government forgave all student loan debt? I know I’d have a lot more money to spend every month, but I’m not sure if this would have much of an impact on the economy overall.
Klaw: I’ve thought about that too. I think it’s a huge economic stimulus, albeit one that doesn’t directly help the lowest economic classes. But what’s the process – the government then pays the banks that hold all this debt? The feds don’t actually own the loans.

JP: the readers at River Ave Blues (great Yankees blog), think the reason you dropped Moncada is simply because he’s no longer a Red Sox #Meow
Klaw: That is a great blog, and that is a really fucking stupid thing for them to say.

Tracy: For all the books you read year in and year out, do you keep any sort of catalog that keeps track of what you read?
Klaw: I have a spreadsheet with everything i’ve read (and dates) for the last nine years.

Dave: Trump holds the nuclear codes. I think that’s what scares me most of all right now.
Klaw: Yes but his teeny tiny fingers won’t be able to push the button. (I have tiny hands too, so I would know.)

Rob: In regards to your tweet about not being interested in seeing “a Mel Gibson movie.” Is this solely because of his actions that landed him in so much trouble? If so, are there other artists — Polanski, Kazan, Michael Jackson — whose actions put up similar red flags? In this era, where it’s impossible to separate artist from the art they produce, what does this say about how we can suspend our disbelief and appreciate a work of art?
Klaw: I won’t see a Woody Allen movie or a Roman Polanski movie either.

Joseph: I understand your ranking of Yoan Moncada; but for those that see at 70 FV prospect ranked elsewhere, how do you explain the massive drop? Is his swing and miss issues that pronounced? Does he not still project to be a 70 FV to you?
Klaw: I simply don’t see a 70 Future Value as a likely enough outcome.

PHM: Better bat now and in the future: Bregman or Benintendi? Thanks!
Klaw: Bat alone, Bregman.

Mike: Is Juan soto any good?
Klaw: Yes, quite.

Peet: What does it mean to get on top of a fastball? Thanks
Klaw: Think about pitchers’ release points; the higher it is, the more your hand is on top of the ball at release and can drive the pitch down (with “angle”) towards the bottom fo the zone. A lower slot merely makes that more difficult, but not impossible.

Tyler S: Glad to see Tapia get some respect with a Top 60 rating. Who was the top Rockies prospect that missed your list? Any consideration for German Marquez or Ryan Castellani? Marquez advanced quickly to the majors with three consecutive seasons of a consistent ERA around 3.30 and many think Castellani is poised for a break out
Klaw: They have someone on the just missed list tomorrow.

Thomas: Is there a group of people who love telling other people what they’re allowed to do/feel more so than straight white men?
Klaw: You’re not allowed to feel that way, Thomas.

JP: was it a coincidence that Guerrero Jr and Tatis Jr were ranked back-to-back?
Klaw: Yes. I didn’t realize I did that.

Matt: Is this your least favorite chat of the year? How much hate can one person endure?
Klaw: Nah, there’s always a mid- to late-April chat or two where the “YOU WERE WRONG” people show up armed with 13 games of data. Some of the questions now are great, and a few are the whole “I read something on some blog and you don’t agree so you’re wrong!” thing.

JP: Jorge Mateo dropped significantly, how much was due to performance vs suspension?
Klaw: I’ll just add that the suspension had zero impact on where I ranked him this year. It was over something trivial.

Mikey: Any opinions on Bo Bichette’s potential upside?
Klaw: I’m a big fan of the bat, and he could be a top 100 guy next year if he settles at a position (2b for me) and hits like I expect him to.

JP: Is Javier Guerra a glove-only type SS prospect at this point?
Klaw: There’s more potential there than you’d think from the stat line.

Adam: Thoughts on Alex Jackson going back behind the plate again? How did he project there before he moved to the OF?
Klaw: He needs to be there to restore his chance of having value, and I thought in HS that he could catch. He has the arm and his body is right. That’s a position that requires hard work, though, and I think that’s his challenge now.

Tom: 2016 was certainly a disappointing year for the Phillies’ prospects but do you still think the future is bright soon for the system to produce some big league value other than Crawford? What kind of potential does ths system have tget back in the Top 10 with just bounce back/breakout years from some guys even with the graduation of Crawford?
Klaw: Yes. It’s not a bad system by any means and I think it will end up producing a lot of big leaguers, but a lot of their main guys seemed to lose something off the right tails of their distributions of potential outcomes.

Donald J: Zips has Mazara having a 1 win season. As he ascended through the minors, I saw you state a few times that he “could” be a superstar. Is that still his ceiling? How far away is he from achieving that?
Klaw: I would bet the over on that.

Nils: Hi Keith, thanks for the top 100 list. From what you have seen and heard of Moncada, does he have the potential to become more than average defensively at 2B?
Klaw: No. I liked him better at 3B, where the explosiveness plays up and his trouble getting down on balls is less of an issue.

Kevin: Do you know if they’re putting up an index of all 100 prospects like in years past? It’s a quick resource for finding GUYS instead of hunting through the different sections.
Klaw: I am going to ask about that.

Joseph: How close or far off this list is Tom Murphy? He looked solid in September, and seems to have a solid bat, is his defense what holds him back?
Klaw: Defense and dead-pull approach. Was not a consideration.

Philip: how do you usually make your eggs?
Klaw: Love a poached egg or a soft-scrambled one.

Aaron (Houston): Klaw, I think it’s amazing the amount of content (baseball, cooking, board games, music, politics, etc.) you supply, plus reading so much and providing good family time. How do you do it? Also, what kind of power potential can we see from Rafael Devers. Will the defense ever come around, or is he destined for 1st base? Thanks!!!
Klaw: I think there’s 30 HR power in there given time. He got big this winter, so I wonder if he’s just going to grow off third base – his defense there right now is actually pretty good, but man he is huge.

Matt: Just to dive a little further into Reynaldo Lopez, if you don’t mind. Two years ago, when he had very little experience and, presumably, the same delivery, he ranked 75th on your list. Two years later, after a breakout season in which he dominated the minors as a starter and looked at least passable in the Majors (8.59 K/9), why has he only fallen in your eyes?
Klaw: He hasn’t “fallen,” and that’s your entire problem here. He doesn’t have the delivery to start, ergo, he’s not on the list. He even had a big split between starting and relief work in the majors (small samples for both, though).

Philip: Do you think Mason Thompson could be a top 100 guy in a year
Klaw: I do. He’s pretty exciting. Showed up post-draft with a changeup no one, including the Padres, seemed to know he had. (He threw one inning his whole senior year due to TJ.)

Fred: Were you hesitant to put Gsellman in your top 50 given his improvements seem to have only been a few at the end of the season? I thought your scouting report of him sounded very safe.
Klaw: I think he is very safe, so that’s good. But no one thinks he has the kind of upside he’d need to be top 50.

Garrett: Didn’t expect to see him on the list given the questions on his contact, but do you think Travis Demeritte coudl eventually profile at 3B for ATL? I know you aren’t to high on Riley and I am just trying to get a glimpse of a potential future.
Klaw: Demeritte’s a 2B and might be a 70 defender there. He’s got range and quick actions there that i never saw from him at short.

Denis: Do you ever get tired of explaining to Trump supporters that a tariff on Mexican goods would simply raise the cost on American consumers and in turn, Americans would be the one’s paying for the wall? I think most people (Trump supporters) think we lose jobs to Mexico and China when the #1 job killer is technology and automation.
Klaw: Given the abysmal state of economics education in this country, I’m not surprised by any of the reaction. It’s also worth pointing out that once upon a time, the GOP was the party of lower taxes and free trade (and that was a period when I would regularly vote Republican). I miss those days. I felt like I had an actual choice.

Eduardo: As a phd student in history, I’m curious about your approach to writing. Do you sit down and type it all? Handwrite first? Handwrite notes and then type? Staring at a blank screen is panic inducing so I hand write everything first. Of course, this also handicaps my output in terms of volume. Just curious!
Klaw: I never hand write. I sit down, I type, I get up to take a leak, I type some more.

Miller: You’re obviously 1,000 times more plugged in than we are (no sarcasm, honestly), so is it fair to say you’re more down on Tyler O’Neill than other analysts are, or like most fans of teams/players, have we M’s fans been overvaluing him?
Klaw: I think if you’re just looking at his age and the stat line, you’d like him more than if you saw him and went through a process like I do to get more info on him. Part of the benefit of being young for one’s league is that the player is expected to mature physically but is already showing the approach or other skills that will make future successes even stronger. If the player’s already maxed out physically at 21 – seriously, O’Neill is jacked up like a bodybuilder – then you lose out on the projection.

Jason: Can Kyle Zimmer bounce back and be a top-100 prospect again?
Klaw: That poor guy has to stay healthy. The latest was surgery to repair thoracic outlet syndrome. Check back in March.

Dobis: What are your thoughts on Cornelius Randolph in Philly?
Klaw: Can hit, questionable in left, not sure if it’ll be more than average power. Had some injury troubles last year that probably obscured his skills.

Dobis: What do you think of the upside for Nolan Jones in Cleveland? Was he really a first round talent?
Klaw: I think he was a first-round talent, but he was a little overmatched in the AZL.

Jim: Keith, regarding the De Leon-Forsythe trade, I’ve read some claims that you dissed De Leon’s MLB stint, focusing on his low swing-and-miss rate (over 300 pitches). Given your long-held stance on SSS, I find their charge curious. Are you being trolled?
Klaw: Two things. One, the original capsule on De Leon was messed up (on my end, not my editors). It had his number of swings and misses on changeups (9) as if that were his total number (32, I believe – all from baseballsavant). Two, no, that wasn’t the basis for his ranking, but something that I felt supported the point that his high K rate from triple-A and double-A might not carry over to the majors. He has no breaking ball, and his fastball is just average and a little true. He’s aggressive, he throws strikes, he’s an awesome kid, and the changeup is a solid 55 for me. I like him, but if you just look at the minor league stats you might see an ace, and he’s not that.

G: Was pleasantly surprised by your Josh Bell ranking. Do you think with the weight he’s lost this offseason he could play a passable right field were a McCutchen trade to happen?
Klaw: I would just leave the guy at first and let him work on the position. I never thought he had the arm for RF – I figured he’d end up in left.

Jake the Snake: Was Jake Bauers left off the list because he can’t hit a homerun out of coors field? If he add power this year could he make the mid season top 100 or is that like saying if my aunt had balls, she would be my uncle?
Klaw: I just don’t see big upside for a guy with no projection and, as you said, limited power. We don’t see many 1b with good OBPs but fringy power, so it’s hard to look at him and say he’s more than a regular, but he might be an exception there.

Ben: Are you going to take a trip down to Vanderbilt soon? A couple friends of mine are big fans and would love to buy you a beer if you’re seeing Kendall and Wright.
Klaw: I fully intend to come to Vanderbilt this year to see those guys and be in Nashville because Nashville is awesome. Just don’t pass any hate bills before I get there.

Daniel: Hi Keith, Great work as always. I appreciate all the work. How close was Luis Urias to the top 100? I understand the lack of power, but Ive read some scouting reports where they mention some pop in that little frame .
Klaw: Not close. Not even the first or second Padre off the list.

Jake: I know you’ve questioned Austin Rileys bat speed in the past, but did his second half numbers change your mind at all on him?
Klaw: Not in the least.

John: Can’t Brandon Nimmo get some back of the list love? 159WRC+. How many guys are doing that?
Klaw: Doesn’t hit lefties, has to play a corner, and that stat you cited is an extreme outlier from his partial season in Las Vegas.

Tom(2): How frustrating does it get each year when the following scenario happens repeatedly: You: Research player by talking to scouts, execs, and actually SEEING the player in person, give detailed explanation of player ranking. Fan: Scans another writer’s list, sees player ranked high, satisfies own confirmation bias, claims you know nothing because player isn’t ranked high enough.
Klaw: Well, it’s part of the job, I guess – plus the rise in the cult of the amateur, where anyone who can buy a video camera thinks he’s a scout. (I’m not a scout, BTW, but I talk to a lot of them.)

Dobis: Does Donnie Dewees have potential to ever make the top 100?
Klaw: Not in my opinion.

Alex: As has also been pointed out on twitter, hiring only those who have worked unpaid internships basically guarantees you will only hire affluent people who can afford to work for free.
Klaw: And I’d bet your talent pool would be rather homogenous at that point.

Matt: I’m curious to get your take on Nats’ OF prospect Juan Soto, who is getting a lot of buzz around these parts. Is he a guy who could jump way up the list with an impressive full season debut this year?
Klaw: He’s #2 in the Nats’ top ten.

Eric: You’re consistently the “high” prospect guy on Dom Smith. What do you think his career looks like? Peak seasons? Thanks for the chats as always!
Klaw: High averages and OBPs, 20+ homers, good defense, and too many GIDP.

Adam: Does Christian Arroyo profile best as a second baseman?
Klaw: I’d like him a lot more over there.

Lark11: Awful news about Matt Imhoff. Do you have any anecdotes or final thoughts on what he might have become on the mound?
Klaw: He was a bit of a longshot because he was such a soft tosser, but that is as bad a break as you can imagine. For folks who don’t remember, he was doing some routine stretch-band work when the metal piece to which he’d attached his band came off the wall and damaged his eye so much doctors had to remove it. I really hope he just has a good quality of life going forward. That’s beyond baseball.

Tom(2): Glad the Angels finally got someone in the Top 100 again, but realistically, how far away from the ML roster is Jones? 2-3 years?
Klaw: More like 3-4 years.

Joe: Any opinions on Dante Bichette Jr’s potential upside?
Klaw: The Yankees guy? Org player. No upside. If you meant Bo with Toronto, I discussed him earlier in the chat.

BD: Have you ever rated a 17 year old as high as you have Maitan at 59?
Klaw: Yes. Sano was around #50 at one point, and I had Villalona way too high on a list one year before we knew (or I knew) he would swing at everything and was going to kill somebody.

Kay: Would (have?) you ever do a list based on position? The Top 100 is always crowded with SS-CF types (reasonably so) but it would be neat to see where prospects stacked up against their positional compatriots
Klaw: We do this every year after all the lists run. I don’t know exactly when that’s running this year, but it’ll be soon.

Tom: Sorry my question about the philosophy behind Watchmen and how it relates to humanity wasn’t good enough to deserve an answer.
Klaw: It was way too long, and I have over 500 unanswered questions in the queue (although 100 are Eric submitting that Dom Smith question – please don’t do that again, Eric).

Alex: Do you agree that the problem with Trump is not so much his policies but rather the man delivering the message? Another person trying to implement the same policies would not have the same amount of resistance as he does.
Klaw: Oh, some of his policies would get resistance, like ACA repeal or making federal park land essentially worth zero dollars.

Kevin: Is Adam Walker just AAA filler at this point? I see that he was a top 20 prospect for the O’s on MLB.com’s final 2016 update
Klaw: He can’t hit and has no position. I don’t see ranking him anywhere.

Dave: Could Marcos Molina stay healthy/have value if shifted to the bullpen?
Klaw: I think that’s where he ends up, but why not start him this year and see how it goes? Lets the Mets manage his innings more easily anyway.

KS: No Verdugo or O’neill??
Klaw: Verdugo is on the list.

Philip: Did Greg Allen get some consideration or no? Seems like he could have a Inciarte type career
Klaw: No. Nice player, maybe a good fourth OF, has to bump up at least a grade on defense to be what you’re describing.

Keith: What kind upside does Joe Rizzo have? Any chance he surges up the rankings with a big year?
Klaw: I don’t see the upside there for this. Short, squat guy with hit tool but no projection and unclear position.

Pat D: Just to be fair to RAB, it’s the commenters, a lot of whom I can tell you from first-hand experience are blithering idiots, making those Moncada comments, not Mike or any of the actual people working at the site.
Klaw: I know that – the folks who run RAB are good people and have been very, very supportive of my work for a long time.

Bob: The Braves had 9 prospects in your list this year. Impressive. Have you had years when a team placed no one in the top 100?
Klaw: The Royals and Dbacks had none this year. The Angels missed last year. The Brewers missed in either 2013 or 2014.

Jack C.: Is it worth spending 50K+ on an MBA nowadays? I just graduated with my undergrad and managed to score a pretty decent paying job. I still hope to break into baseball ops one day. Thoughts?
Klaw: No. In most fields, the MBA doesn’t pay off. If you have a promotion or raised promised to you if you get an MBA, or are in one of the few fields that truly values the MBA, that’s different. For baseball, though, no.

Ridley Kemp: My wife just got hired at a board game bar. Do we live in marvelous times or what?
Klaw: That’s a good job. I might do that for free.

MikeM: Does your projection of Mateo change if the Yankees move him to CF? His speed has the potential to make him a plus defender there.
Klaw: His speed gave him the potential for plus defense at shortstop but it’s not happening.

Mark: Your Moncada ranking is interesting as I figured he would be a shoe in for the #1 spot just based off of all the hype I’ve read about him and him being Minor League Player of the Year. Granted ranking him 17 isn’t anything to sneeze at but from the write up it sounds like you’re very concerned with his swing and miss. Obviously there have been former #1 prospects that were busts (like Delmon Young) how would you rank Moncada’s bust potential?
Klaw: Minor League Player of the Year doesn’t affect my opinion of a player – it’s just a vote. I think the swing itself leads to swing and miss and a major hole that he’s going to struggle to close.

Jack C.: If Lucas Erceg puts on another 10-15 pounds of muscle, could he be a legitimate 30 HR guy? Obviously, some other things have to break his way, but I like his upside.
Klaw: The swing isn’t built for that.

J.J.: Keith, you’re put in charge of Top Chef next season and can do whatever you want. What would you do? What city would you film out of?
Klaw: Nashville deserves it.

Joseph: What do you think about Brandon Marsh? I know he didn’t play, and was injured, but reports going into the draft sounded very encouraging
Klaw: Yep, that’s about right – encouraging, but we need to see him face pro pitching. The injury was a stress fracture in his lower back that isn’t supposed to cause any long-term problems.

HugoZ: Say, isn’t citing a “Nobel Prize winning” economist to support your point just an appeal to authority?
Klaw: No, because I didn’t cite his prize as the reason his argument was valid. His argument was valid because it matched mine!

Jeff: What are your thoughts on Conor Jones, Cards rookie? Any consideration for this list or 100-150 ranking?
Klaw: No consideration. Needs to get the Virginia out of his delivery.

Nelson: Thinking of Mike Soroka’s justified exclusion from you too 100 would a young Tom Glavine make it at a similar stage in his career? If so, why?
Klaw: Glavine probably wouldn’t make it, because I’ve never projected a pitcher to get a strike zone six inches wider than everyone else’s.

Klaw: That’s all for this week – thank you as always for the questions and for reading all that content this week. Just missed column runs tomorrow, org reports next week, and other stuff, with another chat likely next Friday. Have a good weekend, everyone.