Subscribers to the Athletic can see my top 100 prospects ranking, ranking of all 30 farm systems, and top 20 prospects for every organization. I also have a new game review, the tableau-building game Subastral, over at Paste.
Keith Law: That’s right, here’s where the talkin’ ends. Klawchat.
TomBruno23: Moreno, Castellini, Kendrick, Illitch are quite a Mt. Rushmore
Keith Law: Yep. Kendrick and his wife are among the biggest donors to right-wing dark-money groups, along with Charles Koch and the Uihleins (boycott U-Line, folks). And we know where Moreno’s loyalties lie. It’s some of the strongest anti-labor voices in the country.
Dave F: Hi Keith. Can you explain again your resistance to a salary cap if MLB also had a salary floor? With the lucrative regional tv deals of bigger markets, it seems like they are able to buy out their mistakes and take on salary for a playoff push. I would think a salary floor would still get the Union what they want with higher wages and also level the playing field for teams, similar to the other major sports.
Keith Law: The cap does more to limit player incomes than the floor does to help it – and a floor doesn’t guarantee higher wages, either. Teams could easily reach the floor with one or two bloated deals for veterans. You want to raise wages? Make the minimum salary $1.5 million. Then the floor is automatically $39 million.
Dr. Bob: Greetings, Keith. Moneyball’s Michael Lewis tried to paint the analytics revolution as replacing traditional scouting. You have opposed that position and credited the work of scouts. So, here’s my question: Have the methods employed by scouts changed? If so, can you speak as to how?
Keith Law: Absolutely. Lewis was wrong – what analytics has done is changed the way teams evaluate players, including by empowering scouts to look at players in new ways while also helping streamline the process of figuring out who best to go see and when. Most scouts I know talk comfortably in the language of the analytics era, discussing spin rates and extension as much as they talk about feel and pitchability.
JT: I abandoned hockey once upon a time after it lost a season to a strike. I can’t even remember: 2003-4 or 2004-05. I only watched out of habit, an easy thing to fall into in Canada, esp. when you grew up with 3 channels and 2 were hockey some nights.
Does MLB not have any sense that it might lose similar casual fans?
Keith Law: No. I said on a radio hit in Jacksonville this morning (the Drill was the show) that MLB might be banking on the fact that live sports is one of the most coveted places for advertisers now, since people stream so much more content than they watch live. That could be driving the false confidence.
Ken (Cleveland): I know your more player than owner (understandably so for a multitude of reasons). I’m curious, is there any specific position that you support the owners’ perspective of over the players?
Keith Law: In this current round, not that I’m aware of. They’re so focused on breaking the union that their policies seem aggressively geared to that end. Labor should earn its marginal revenue product. MLB doesn’t want to be subject to this general economic “law.”
Jim: Hey, Keith, hope you’re feeling better. In the absence of anything constructive coming out of MLB, re you going to continue your “Keith answers x questions about Team Y’s farm system” interviews, or are they an ad hoc exercise? Thanks as always.
Keith Law: I just did one for the Blue Jays today and will do one for the Angels in the next few days (Sam just sent the questions).
Kip: Thanks for all the great content over the last few weeks.
Keith Law: You’re welcome. Thank you all for reading and subscribing. Links to all the prospect content are up top.
Francisco: Hi Keith, Thanks for chatting. I would like to know your thoughts on Tommy White. Thanks !
Keith Law: Let’s see what happens in conference play. He wouldn’t be the first guy to go off against non-conference pitching and then come down to earth when the better pitching shows up.
JBisson: Hi, Keith. Thanks again for taking time out of your day to chat with us die-hards! I realize it might be difficult to narrow this down to one, but if you can, which player on your top 100 prospects lists do you believe has the widest range of potential outcomes?
Keith Law: I don’t think I could answer that off the cuff – I’d have to give it a lot of time and thought. Might be fodder for a future column or something.
Brutus Beefcake: Would you mind explaining why you didn’t vote for Billy Wagner for the HoF? I don’t mean to suggest you needed to or should have–he seems very borderline–just that in your HoF column I didn’t see his name come up, and I was curious.
Keith Law: Not even close. He pitched less than anyone in the Hall of Fame – I don’t think there’s a HoF pitcher under 1000 innings, and he barely cracked 900.
Tony: I don’t know if you’ve gotten into the latest Alt-J album at all, but I found parts of it quite good while other parts sounded like the band was parodying itself. This isn’t a question, I guess, but I’ll hang up and listen, regardless.
Keith Law: I’m just out on them at this point. I agree with you that they’ve descended into a sort of parody of their earlier selves. They’ve certainly become less ambitious musically and lyrically, and seem more geared towards the commercial than ever before. It’s a shame; An Awesome Wave remains one of the most interesting and inventive albums I’ve ever heard.
Evan: Favorite restaurants in New Orleans
Keith Law: god, it’s been so long since I was there. I’m sure the best destinations have turned over a ton since then. I think the last time through I went to Cochon and/or Cochon Butcher, which were great.
Adam D.: Any under-the-radar college prospects on the west coast we should know about? I follow San Diego State and Cal pretty closely, but wondering who else I should be keeping an eye on. Thanks!
Keith Law: I think it’s too early to say. I’ll have a draft ranking up next week, hoping midweek after I make a quick trip to GA.
Condor: Chris Russo has been, not surprisingly, pro-clubs and pro-Manfred. He works for MLB and golfs with Manfred. Plus, if you differ from him, he yells over you.
Keith Law: Look at the voices who support owners right now and see who might pay some of their bills. A lot of them have ties to MLB (via TV or radio), or to individual clubs. Not all, certainly, but many do.
Gil: In your time w the Blue Jays were there ever any specific moves based solely on saving the owner money?
Keith Law: I mean, we traded Raul Mondesi just to get rid of his contract. I don’t think that’s that bad or unusual, though.
Steve F: Point of order: 2004-05 in the NHL was a lockout not a strike, and the owners locked the players out again in 2013.
Keith Law: Important distinction. Thank you.
Dr. Bob: Thanks. Follow up, please. Did most scouts at the time (1) resist the new ways and fade away, (2) slowly get on board, (3) quickly adapt to the changes?
Keith Law: I would be reluctant to make generalizations like that. I couldn’t possibly know enough people to give a fair and accurate answer.
Dave: Could a whole bunch of problems or “problems” (pace of play, lack of baserunners, pitching to strikeouts) be solved by changing walks to 3 balls? I’m sure there would be initial growing pains but it seems like a quick way to increase offense without weird shit like moving the mound back.
Keith Law: Eek. No thank you.
David: Hi Keith, When evaluating prospects for the Top 100 list, do you consider a person’s character as much as it can be known? For example, I know you’ve been a critical of the Pirates’ Ji-hwan Bae (and rightfully so). Would you exclude someone from your list if they had a history like his? Thanks!
Keith Law: Bae was on my Pirates list a year ago, with the note about his assault on his girlfriend. He wasn’t on it this year because I just don’t think he’s that good a player – beyond any considerations about whether he should be employed by the team.
Zac: The Jackson Jobe pick is a huge risk as you’ve pointed out, but what is his ceiling in compared to the Tigers other pitching “prospects” (Mize, Skubal, Manning)?
Keith Law: As high a ceiling as any of those guys, with the higher risk of zero return as well.
Sage: Thoughts on recent Jack McDowell interview about current state of MLB?
Keith Law: Didn’t hear it. Not sure I need to?
Anthony: I know its REALLY early as neither are draft eligible this year but do you have any thoughts on Tennessee RHP Chase Dollander and UCLA RHP Thatcher Hurd?
Keith Law: I almost never spend time looking into players who aren’t eligible. The audience for that information is close to nonexistent and it doesn’t support my draft coverage.
Jace: Is there any scenario where we get away from the performative dip-shittery that we saw at the SOTU, on Twitter, talk shows, etc or is this just who we are now?
Keith Law: I think this is who we are now. Those people do that stuff because it works. If you want a behavior to stop, don’t reinforce it with attention.
Nick: I know the MiLB players are not part of the union, but will the lockout impact the minor league season?
Keith Law: It shouldn’t. About 14 players will be missing from every system, because they’re on the 40 man and thus are locked out, but everyone else can play. MLB teams will have to decide what to do – do they sign some extra indy ball types or other older FAs to fill AAA rosters, or promote players in the system and backfill in low A with guys who’d be in extended or some undrafted college seniors from 2021?
Mike: Why you gotta rank everything and make lists ? What put things in box?
Keith Law: Gotta give the people what they want!
Jace: Austin Eats beyond Franklin BBQ? Qui is closed
Keith Law: I have to look up one place, stand by…
Keith Law: Better Half! I always forget its name. Loved that place. Backspace pizza was solid. People rave about Interstellar BBQ; I haven’t been, and Texas Q is tough for me since i stopped eating cow about five years ago.
Insert Witty Name Here: Keith, been reading you since time immemorial. You were always open with mental health and your struggles with it. Two parter: 1) How have you been doing? 2) Do you think the national conversation regarding mental health is doing a good job communicating and educating on causes and conditions of mental health?
Keith Law: Thank you for asking. I’m doing well, I think. I’m in therapy regularly, and I at least know what I need to work on, and what I need to do to take care of myself. I’m exercising again, as the weather allows, which will only get easier going forward (we belong to a gym, but I will take running outside over the treadmill any day now that I’ve gotten accustomed to it). Any conversation about mental health is a good conversation, but there’s still too little understanding and way too many opinions from people who don’t have the background or knowledge to insert themselves into that conversation.
Guest: Would there be a different attitude among the owners if the owners had to answer any specific labor issues to the media themselves instead of having the commissioner do it?
Keith Law: Probably. Also, we assume the owners are monolithic. I guarantee you there are at least two or three saying, “just strike a deal, we don’t care, we’re making plenty of money even if we take the players’ last offer!” But we don’t hear that – we hear one voice.
Romorr: I think it’s funny when Oriole fans harp on rankings. I looked at your list and came away thinking, I need to pay more attention to Joey Ortiz. Same with Gillaspie.
Keith Law: I think it’s funny too. When someone accuses a national writer of bias against a team, they’re telling on themselves, not the writer.
Deeeedeeee: What new films are you looking forward to this year?
Keith Law: I have to admit i don’t track what’s coming, unless I happen to catch a trailer. We’re still catching up on 2021 – we have four BP nominees left to see, and all five international nominees as well.
chauncey: thoughts on the lockout?
Keith Law: I mean, could you narrow it down a bit?
JT: I don’t only subscribe to the Athletic for you, but I definitely value having access to your writing a whole lot. Keep passing this along to your editors.
Keith Law: Thank you! I wouldn’t expect anyone to subscribe just for me, or if they did, they’d probably realize we have a lot of great writers.
Phil: Is it fair for Lia Thomas to compete in Ivy League women’s swimming?
Keith Law: Yes. She’s a woman.
Nick X: Have you ever listed to a musical artist who was on Top-40 radio?
Keith Law: Is top 40 radio still a thing? Anyway, yes, of course. I grew up listening to top 40 radio – literally, in the case of America’s Top 40.
TacoCharlton: hattie b’s or princes for Nashville hot chicken ?
Keith Law: I tried Hattie B’s for the first time last year and really liked it, but I also think my limitations in that department are pretty clear. I was not made to eat really spicy foods.
Keith Law: Like, I think chili particles show up in my sweat after I eat it.
addoeh: Still out on Top Chef? New season started last night.
Keith Law: Well, after they glossed over an alleged sexual harasser winning last season, I haven’t felt the call to return to watching. Are they hawking NFTs now too?
TacoCharlton: What are your go-to sides at bbq place ? Get pecan pie ?
Keith Law: Fried okra, if they have it.
Paul: Random question but are you loyal to a specific airline and hotel chain in order to increase your status/upgrades with a particular company? Or do your employers just book you on whatever flight they can.
Keith Law: I am, not for status purposes but to collect points for personal travel.
Anthony: I kind of struggle with believing in Chase DeLauter but given his ranking I seem to be in the minority. Does him not facing top competition on a regular basis make his evaluation tougher? When he actually did play a team with a solid amount of talent he did not do well.
Keith Law: Florida State’s two main lefties depantsed him – and word got around. He’s going to go in the first round, I think, but people are aware of the very issue you raise.
bobby: You’re need to lift heavy waits broseph.
Keith Law: This has to be a joke.
Frank Thomas the Tank Engine: I know you’ve discussed this elsewhere, but lost track between your chats, articles, and tweets: where do you stand on the three proposed rule changes for a pitch clock, larger bases, and no shifts?
Keith Law: Pitch clock is a double-edged sword – it may increase some pitcher injuries. Banning the shift is stupid. I have no opinion on the bases.
Matt: You may have addressed this before, but with Sal Perez under contract for 4 more years, could you see the Royals breaking MJ Melendez in in some sort of hybrid role where he’s the backup catcher and plays somewhere else in the field other days? I know these things tend to work themselves out, but Melendez is essentially knocking on the door at this point and Sal’s not going anywhere!
Keith Law: I did, in fact, address it right here in my Q&A with our own Alec Lewis.
mss: Your’re telling me you don’t eat Italian Sausage !?!!
Keith Law: I do if it’s pork, which it should be.
stixx23: Do you think we will see a woman play in the major leagues in our lifetime (say, next 30-40 years)?
Keith Law: I’d give you about even money odds on that. She’ll face discrimination at every possible step, though.
Paul: Given everything going on – would it make sense for Biden to come out today and announce another massive infrastructure/energy bill? One that in the short term, yes increases the amount of drilling for fossil fuels, but longer term projects of nuclear plants in WV, wind farms in the midwest and solar farms in the southwest? Surely if there is ever a chance for us to break free from our dependence on autocratic petrostates this would be our last best chance?
Keith Law: Agreed. It could even force some Big Oil advocates in Congress to take a stand on the issue – would they turn down a short-term investment in our petroleum industry to score a political point?
Dave: Any sense of how teams are planning to handle April for prospects on the cusp of the bigs, but not on the 40-man? Thinking of Greene and Tork with the Tigers specifically, but I think Julio Rodriguez fits that bill too. Start them at AAA? Keep them around for big league camp?
Keith Law: There is no big league camp, right? So they’ll go play in AAA. Not the perfect outcome but a good enough one.
TomBruno23: We have discussed him before in the chat, especially in regards to graduating HS early and enrolling at Vandy…what is going on with Christian Little pitching in middle relief this season?
Keith Law: Is he just another kid who enrolled in college early only to end up worse off? Nate Savino looked like he’d be one of those guys, but he’s had two good starts in non-conference play for UVA.
Mike: Have you read any of Erik Larson’s books? They seem up your alley. Also just finished A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles that had a very “Confederacy of Dunces” vibe.
Keith Law: I have not; I read part of Devil in the White City and his emphasis on the lurid aspects of the HH Holmes half of the story really turned me off. I have zero interest in that.
TomBruno23: What can I, as a schmuck living in St. Louis County, Missouri, do to help the Ukrainians? Donate to organizations and, if so, which ones?
Keith Law: I gave to World Central Kitchen, Jose Andres’ nonprofit.
Omead: Will Jeren Kendall ever figure it out?
Keith Law: I highly doubt it.
JT: There’s no hope left for the GOP now. How does America play out over the next decade? How far from democracy will your country descend?
Keith Law: I don’t think there’s a bottom. We are headed towards a theocracy, in a country that is becoming more secular all the time.
Tim: One of the players’ main grievances is that some teams are not trying hard enough to compete. In that vein, aren’t deadline trades problematic? How is it good for competition when bad teams send good players to good teams for the last two months of the season, leading to greater competitive disparity? Max Scherzer hates “tanking,” but he was happy to abandon the listing Nats for the already loaded Dodgers. It seems hypocritical.
Keith Law: I don’t see this parallel at all, sorry.
Guest: Is this the hardest year to rank prospects given how atypical the development path has been for so many in the last two years? e.g. Ed Howard might suck or might just have a huge learning curve due to time off
Keith Law: Last winter was harder, with almost no new information available on players. At least this past cycle, we could discuss 2021 performance and scouting reports, with the caveat that the lost 2020 season affected different players in different ways. I would counsel all fans to be more open-minded on players who struggled in 2021 than they might have in previous years.
Aaron G: Please, won’t you think of the owners? You’re such a shill for the players, some of whom might even play in the majors for a few years at minimum salary!
Keith Law: There’s a weird group of Twitter accounts who love to run around calling anyone who advocates for the players’ positions a “Boras shill” or something similar. It seems artificial – like someone spoonfed them that phrase.
Nels: Am i wrong to be a little annoyed at some of the reporting that went on in Florida last week? There was a lot of over-dramatization of people walking across parking lots and at the end of the day the reporting was filtered through PR anyways. Not sure I saw the point of a lot of it.
Keith Law: It ended up much ado about nothing but I assume there was value in having people on the ground there in case the two sides had struck a deal.
Anthony: I know injuries to pitchers definitely vary player to player but given how some college teams really overwork their pitchers, is it fair to be wary of said teams in terms of projecting their starters for overuse? (UCLA comes to mind as relatively recent starters like James Kaprielian and Griffin Canning have definitely struggled with health)
Keith Law: I know teams consider this. There were several Rice pitchers who were drafted later than they might have been from other schools because the whole industry knew that, under Graham, Rice pitchers got hurt a ton.
Nick X: My buddy Joe F. once got schooled by you on Twitter in a Pete Rose debate. We were roasting him about it recently and he claims he won because MLB promotes gambling now. We already made fun of that point but would you care to roast him one last time? We’d truly appreciate it
Keith Law: I’m pretty sure MLB doesn’t promote its own players gambling. That’s kind of the key difference, no?
Jasper: Ever had overnight oats ?
Keith Law: I just can’t get into them. I have tried it, but despite the fact that I like almost anything with oats in it (okay, perhaps not haggis), I find oatmeal pretty boring. It needs way more salt than most people put in it – it’s a grain, like rice, not a ‘cereal’ like Lucky Charms.
TomBruno23: My lovely state of MO is considering a bill that will finally legalize sports gambling but only in casinos and inside pro sports stadiums. Cannot make this shit up.
Keith Law: Sure. Follow the money and see who funded those legislators.
John: You’ve often referred in passing to your belief that a drafted HS player should go ahead and sign, rather than going to college. I apologize if you’ve done this and I missed it, but can you elaborate? I suspect part of your opinion is based on MLB’s scholarship for players after they stop playing. But considering that scholarship is taxable income (still valuable, but effectively not a full scholarship), is there a certain level in the later rounds of the draft where the player should consider going to college instead?
Keith Law: It’s a generalization, but yes, the scholarship plan is a big part of it, as is the need to capitalize right now in case your value as a player is peaking. The blanket assumption that all players will be better at 21 than they were at 18 is not accurate. Guys get hurt. Guys plateau, or regress. Guys get out of shape. They flunk out of school, or get in trouble. Sometimes you peak at 18. I’m not a Bruce Springsteen fan but isn’t that the whole point of that insipid song?
Sage: Any interest in coming to Chicago’s pizza fest?
https://chicagopizzafestival.com/
Keith Law: Are they serving actual pizza, or just the thing they call “pizza” in chicago?
Daniel: Does Will Smith or Diego Cartaya have the versatility to play a different position? Seems that will have to come up soon
Keith Law: Cross that bridge when you get there – which I think is at least two years away.
TomBruno23: What are your thoughts, if any (I guess some if you post this Q) about Jeter leaving the Marlins?
Keith Law: I really don’t know what the cause was, which leaves me feeling like there’s little I can say of value here. I did point out that Jeter brought Gary Denbo and some other people over from the Yankees, and I don’t know if their job status was tied to him at all.
Dr. Bob: It seems to me that the guys who might really benefit from the lockout are guys who were probably going to be called up this year but aren’t yet on the 40-man roster. They’ll get a normal ST and then play in AAA to show how they’re advancing. Then when play starts, they’ll be ready.
Keith Law: Quite possible, and then maybe they get a full year of service out of the shortened season?
Matt: Honest question, not intended to be confrontational. Is there any political issue that you lean right (or even moderate) on? You seem to take a very left, progressive position on every issue I’ve seen discussed.
Keith Law: I don’t think that’s accurate at all; I take pro-science, evidence-based positions. I believe in the separation of church and state, as the Establishment Clause of our Constitution guarantees. I believe that tax policies should be guided by evidence on what is likely to do the most economic good, and that using the tax code to guide behaviors is, at least, not always good policy, and often amounts to paternalism. (A tobacco tax to fund health care may make economic sense; a tobacco tax to deter people from smoking may not, and do I really care if you smoke yourself to death as long as I’m not trying to eat over here?) I think your inaccurate impression is a framing problem: When the “right” is this far from the center, rational, evidence-based ideas may seem “left.”
David: For the reader who asked about New Orleans food, I can vouch for Cochon. I still remember the ribs, pickled watermelon and iced tea that I got there.
Keith Law: Glad to hear they’re still going.
Mike P: Isn’t it sad that we consider things like acknowledging the threat of climate change, making it easier rather than harder for people to vote and allowing women to control their own reproductive rights to be “liberal” or “progressive,” and not mainstream?
Keith Law: Or accepting what scientists have known for a half a century, that gender and biological sex are not binary? Or that vaccines are safe and effective, which is backed by a hundred years of evidence?
Brian: We’ve officially hit the point where Tucker Carlson is demanding to see the LSAT’s of the first ever African-American female Supreme Court nominee (which even potting aside the obvious and not subtle racism is stupid for about 10000 different reasons) because he can’t possibly believe a black woman would be smart. But hey teaching CRT is still clearly the biggest issue in this country (eye roll)
Keith Law: I think 90% of the CRT “debate” was astroturfed bullshit designed to rally the right’s base, but there’s 10% “we don’t want to teach kids how bad our history is” so they don’t realize how racist that Carlson thing was.
stixx23: Following up on my Q about the first female player. Any thoughts on a more likely position? Reliever seems the easiest path (don’t have to hit usually and could be a specialist – lefty, knuckler, etc.) especially since it would take an exceptional talent to overcome the “horror” of a “girl” replacing a position player on the roster.
Keith Law: Pitcher. Not sure whether the role matters necessarily and they’d never have to it. Why couldn’t a woman develop the arm strength to throw 90-92 and get high spin rates on a breaking ball?
Insert Witty Name Here: no question I just find this funny: this guy at work agrees with every single principle that Bernie says, but still claims he’s a conservative.
Keith Law: That is funny.
Nick: Do you enjoy Brandywine coffee from Wilmington? They have it at my local shop in Detroit, and I find it to be quite delicious..
Keith Law: They sell it in Detroit? Crazy. We can walk to one of their shops (Brew Ha-ha) and I think as local coffee shops go they’re solid. I do prefer the coffee from Re-Animator in Philly, as my nearby options go, though.
Paul: To respond to the earlier question about leaning right – eliminating tariffs (lower manufacturing costs) and having looser immigration policies (lower labor costs) have, from my understanding, been at least right wing from an economic perspective. (I may be wrong that those are two positions of yours, but I thought I read a previous chat where you were in support of eliminating tariffs.) With today’s republican party though – who the f- knows.
Keith Law: Agreed. I’ve always advocated for open immigration. Most economists will tell you tariffs are bad. I’d certainly oppose federal or state wage/price controls. I don’t agree with the idea of government ownership of industry, which is, you know, what actual socialism is. (Ask anyone who throws that word around as a pejorative to define it. Fun will ensue.)
Mike P: Knowing how strongly you feel about climate change and fossil fuels’ unmistakeable contribution to it, I’m surprised that you are OK with even a short-term nod to that industry on more investment. Don’t mean to be rude or antagonistic, just a bit confused.
Keith Law: I’m a pragmatist. And if we do nothing, and then the GOP takes over again in 2024, the long-term damage to the planet may be irreversible. If passing an energy bill like that now creates some positive change, while also decreasing the changes of a right-wing autocracy coming, so much the better.
Jay’s friend: Does Jay Allen have 30/30 .300/.400 CF potential? Possible top 20 end of year? What could stop him from reaching his ceiling?
Keith Law: I’ll send you to my Reds top 20 for the answer to that. What could stop him = what could stop 95% of HS position player prospects: We have to see how he hits decent pro pitching.
Greg: If Jeter had played a different position (more adequately than SS I mean), would he have been a surefire Hall of Famer?
Keith Law: If he’d been an average defender at third base for 20 years? Probably.
Keith Law: Might actually improve his statistical case, at least.
Insert Witty Name Here: Any thoughts on the possibility that analytics are the root cause of the current labor strife? I know owners always repressed salaries, but once the really smart people got into the FO, the shift of player salaries for really skewed. So basically this is all your fault? /s
Keith Law: I don’t buy that argument at all. The owners were always going to find a way to win more while paying players less. Analytics were just another tool. If it wasn’t that, it would have been something else.
Clay, Rutherford: What can MLB do differently to expand the game to Europe and develop more quality players? A handful of their teenagers get signed every year, though most are released before they even graduate from the complex leagues. I know Mike Piazza manages the Italian National Team; more involvement from MLB veterans seems like a good place to start.
Keith Law: I joked on Twitter a week ago that MLB players who are locked out should go play overseas to stay ready while also growing the game. Imagine if Xander Bogaerts and Didi Gregorius went to play in the Honkbal Hoofdklasse for a month – crowds would swell, it’d be front-page news, and even though everyone would know they were leaving in a few weeks, it would help expose the sport more in that country. (Gregorius was born there, and Bogaerts is a Dutch citizen as an Aruba native.) There are smaller leagues all over the world, some of which only play in the MLB offseason, but many of which play now. Send a few to Italy, a few to Germany, a few to Czechia, a few to China, and so on. It’d be a bit of a goodwill tour. I know the counterarguments – if a player gets hurt, then what happens – but from a top-down perspective, I think it would do so much good for the sport.
Keith Law: That’s all for today. Thank you all again for reading. I’ll have my first MLB draft content for 2022 up next week – I hope a top 30 ranking plus some notes on Jones and Johnson, if the weather is more favorable this time around. In the meantime, you can see all of my pro prospect rankings content here, on this handy index page. Stay safe everyone.