My latest mock draft went up this morning for Insiders.

Keith Law: I can tell just by the climate, and I can tell just by the style. It’s Klawchat.

John : As a White Sox fan, I’m been more focused on the minor league prospects than the big league results. I’ve heard some info on “Super 2” status for Kopech and Eloy that says that Kopech’s Super 2 date is in June and Eloy’s is in July. Is this information accurate and why would the dates be different?
Keith Law: That’s some incredibly bad information. There is no specific “super two” date – it varies each year, and we don’t know the date for year N until after year N+2 – but it would be the same for all players who currently have 0 days of service. I also think it’s really dumb for fans to worry about this beyond wondering when a player would be called up; it’s not your money, and in the grand scheme, unless the player becomes a star, it’s not much money to the teams, either.

GS : Thoughts on Twins prospect Kirloff? He’s raking. Mid-season promotion or do you wait because it’s his first season back?
Keith Law: The argument for promoting him is that he’s 20, and not young for low-A (not old, either). You might want to challenge him with high-A competition before the summer is out.

John : Thanks for “Smart Baseball”, I think I learned more from that book than my previous 30 years of listening to announcers! Luis Gonzalez (White’s Sox’s 3rd round pick in 2017 out of New Mexico) has been having himself a nice season down in Kannopolis. But he’s a college guy repeating Low-A. Should I temper my enthusiasm or is he someone to keep an eye on?
Keith Law: He’s 22 and shouldn’t be in low-A. He’s a prospect, but his stats this year are kind of worthless for evaluating him.

Greg Bird is The Word: Considering Hicks is a FA after 2019, & Florial is a ???, if the Yanks signed Harper, could he handle CF mostly full-time? If he still has a Mantle fascination, they could give him # 77 & sell him on playing that position. And throw $400 million at him, of course…
Keith Law: I think he can handle CF, but my question would be whether that would increase the chances of him getting hurt (covering more ground, plus he still plays like his hair’s on fire).

Chris: Any opinion on what Ross Stripling is doing? It only ~50 innings, but it seems it would be hard to fake a 30% K against a 5.6% BB.
Keith Law: Stuff is unchanged, but he’s throwing a lot more strikes. I don’t think he’s close to this good, because the stuff isn’t any better and not going to miss that many more bats, but if he’s throwing strikes at this rate (and thus not walking guys) with the stuff he does have, he’s probably a 3rd-4th starter.

Candice Bergen: I’m guessing CBS is praying that no old videos of me in blackface praising Hitler surface.
Keith Law: And audiences everywhere are praying they do.

TJ: Would you even comment on what round Heimlich would be on talent alone or is it immeasurable given the other very serious issues?
Keith Law: I think he’s undraftable, and will voice my criticism of any team that chooses to draft and sign him. I do not give a single, solitary fuck how good a pitcher he might be.

addoeh: Is there anything funnier in baseball, or maybe sports, than watching members of the bullpen sprinting in like an eight year old chasing an ice cream truck because of an argument between the two teams? Bonus points for the bullpen catcher in full gear running in. It’s sillier than a goalie fight in hockey.
Keith Law: It just prolongs the agony of watching the ‘brawl’ (that often is less a brawl than a show of something or other). If you leave the bullpen during a fight, automatic five game suspension.

TJ: How come there aren’t public metrics on minor league WAR?
Keith Law: I don’t think those stats are terribly useful for minor leaguers; we want prospects to show certain skills, and care about their ages relative to their levels, but a minor leaguer who posts a high WAR or wOBA or wRC+ isn’t necessarily a good prospect. Chase Vallot posted wRC+ of 140 and 136 the last two years in low- and high-A, respectively, but wasn’t much of a prospect at all because his hit tool is so far below average. He’s now got a 76 wRC+ in high-A with a Tebowesque strikeout rate.

Adam: Who wins a foot race between Buxton and Acuna???
Keith Law: Buxton is the fastest player in the majors.

Krontz: What’s the better Shane Beiber comp . . . Josh Tomlin or Kyle Hendricks?
Keith Law: Bieber has much better stuff than Tomlin.

BE: As a Tigers fan, how concerned should I be about Avila passing on Mize?
Keith Law: The industry is still betting they take him.

Mark: Do you have any intel on guys the Padres are targeting for later rounds (yes I read your mock)? Did they acquire the extra pick with that CF in mind already in mind?
Keith Law: I think they acquired the extra pick with a lot of guys potentially in mind. You can’t guarantee someone will get to your second pick, but waving extra money around might help, and it means you can then take a better guy when your pick does arrive. It wouldn’t shock me if they took someone like Hankins who slips on signability + injury concerns.

Nick: Is there a stat that factors in level of competition faced? Example: Clevinger facing Houston in back-to-back starts vs. Ohtani’s start vs. the Yankees being skipped so he sees the Tigers?
Keith Law: I know BP has listed aggregate stats of batters faced (so you can see the triple-slash line of a pitcher’s opponents).

James: Hi Keith, thanks for these chats. I can only scout the statline here, but would you say that Jonathan Hernandez is arguably the best pitching prospect the Rangers have (with Cole ragans out right now anyways)?
Keith Law: Who’s his competition at the moment? Ragans is out, Matuella has a 9+ ERA, Speas can’t throw strikes, Cody is out, even Crouse is out.

scott: Hi, Keith. how do we explain what is going with guys like Charlie Morton? 34 yrs old and seems to be getting better. is it a new pitch? something the Astro’s coaches do better than other pitching coaches? thanks
Keith Law: Changed approach in that month he was in Philly, and the Astros kept it going. Stopped trying to sink the ball, went with more four-seamers up.

Mark: How does the process of trying to get a player to “slide” in the draft work? Does a team tell the player they will pay them x amount of $, and the player then tells other teams that’s the floor of what they’d take?
Keith Law: Exactly. Don’t take my guy because he won’t sign for less than $2 million. Sometimes it works, sometimes Anthopoulos says screw you, I’ll take who I want.

Andrew: Thanks for all the work Keith, including the latest mock. I know you have Winn at 2 to the SFG, but what would you do if you were Sabean / Evans? Take Stewart because he’s your best player available?
Keith Law: I’d make an offer somewhat below slot to Stewart and Liberatore (my #3) and see who takes it. You do want to be able to go over at pick 45 and grab someone else of first-round caliber.

Krontz: If MLB expands to 32 teams, what’s your favorite setup then? Eight divisions w/ four teams each where division champs make playoffs and no more Wild Cards?
Keith Law: Worse. That will give us another sub-500 division winner.

Derek: Adam Eaton is heading on a rehab assignment and scheduled to come back next week. What should the Nats do upon his return? It seems clear that Harper, Eaton, and Soto are the three best bats and should play most of the time. CF defense would be a problem, but the extra offense more than makes up for it, in my opinion. Who of those three would you stick in CF? I can make a case for and against each one.
Keith Law: Soto can handle CF.

barbeach: Keith: Love the chat and the other posts–and bought and loved your book. Thanks so much for all that! Dom Thompson Williams on NYY High A team is a dinger machine early on. (I know, SSS) But is he someone we should keep an eye on?
Keith Law: He’s 23 with a .263 OBP since his promotion and ~40% K rate, so that’s a no.

Dave: How would you handle a situation like Felix Hernandez in Seattle. Guy is a Mariners legend, and locked into another year at $27 million, but is clearly hurting the team when he pitches. With all that mileage on his arm, he’s not going to become elite again.
Keith Law: Do they have a better option for his rotation spot? I may be forgetting someone, but if they do, then they need to just replace him.

Brandon: Would Mize rank in your top 50 MILB after signing?
Keith Law: Yes, my #1 prospect in every draft class has been a top 50 prospect when I’ve done the list in July.

Pete: Austin Meadows, Gleyber Torres, even Ronald Guzman … all showing a lot more more HR pop in the bigs than they did in the minors. Has to be the baseball, right? Also, is Meadows a star if he stays healthy?
Keith Law: Definitely the baseball – now we know something’s different. But Meadows was just not very good in AAA, and it’s foolish to disregard that and assume his 50 AB in the majors are the truth.

Derek: If you were a fan of a team that decided they were going to draft Luke Heimlich, what would your reaction be? Even knowing that there’s a chance that he flames out in the minors and never gets called up, my gut reaction would be disappointment and I’d be praying that he never gets called up.
Keith Law: I’d call the office and cancel my season tickets or say I’m done spending money on the team.

Michael: Hi Keith- I am confused about why more hitters don’t try to beat the shift by bunting or going the other way. Especially in a high leverage, late inning situation when you need baserunners. What’s the deal here? “Hit ’em where the ain’t”, right?
Keith Law: I’m confused too and have no answer.

Kevin: What’s the ceiling/floor of Cole Winn?
Keith Law: Ceiling is #2 starter because of control/command of above-average but not elite stuff. Floor … well, he’s a HS pitcher, the floor is that he never sniffs the majors, unfortunately, but I’d bet he does more than that.

Kevin: Who do you expect to be some of the overslot draft picks in the second round?
Keith Law: If you compare my top 100 to my mocks, any HS kids I have in the top 40 or so who don’t go in the first round are obvious targets for over-slot deals. Siani comes to mind. Seigler, Thomas, Scott, Hankins, Rocker could all go over slot in the comp round or second. All good prospects with strong commitments to good schools.

Justin : Did you watch the Americans? If no, any plans to?
Keith Law: I’ve never seen it.

Andy: I think it’s finally time for you to admit to your burner accounts. You’re actually tweeting under the name CJ Nitkowski right?
Keith Law: I’ve been trolling Lebron and the rest of you for years as Skip Bayless.

Joe Don: No question, just thanks for doing these. Best chatter in baseball. I’ll hang up and listen.
Keith Law: Thanks!

Archie: You mentioned that Madrigal is likely a sure fire big leaguer. How long do you think he will take to get there?
Keith Law: Late 2019.
Keith Law: Remember he’s probably still regaining strength after the hand injury. Same for McCarthy at UVA.

Steve: Hi Keith, do you think Jason Martin is a starter in Pittsburgh? He’s never not hit.
Keith Law: Extra guy. Limited to LF, don’t see the power to profile there.

MuellerTime: Winker to the bench – dumb move, or dumbest move?
Keith Law: Dumb developmental move. Would have helped his own cause with better performance, but still, this kid is part of the future.

BE: Reports are that Christin Stewart is making strides on defense. Can he play LF in the majors?
Keith Law: I have always thought he could play a passable if below average LF.

Santos: I don’t understand the argument in favor of Rizzo’s slide, or breaking up a play on purpose in general. If a player ran into a first baseman on purpose on their way through the base, everyone would agree that’s a dirty play, so why do some people think it’s OK to do that same thing, but use your legs instead? How is it different? The competition in baseball is not about physically overpowering your opponent.
Keith Law: I said on Twitter even if it was legal it was not acceptable. I’m glad MLB ruled it illegal, but now they have to warn him and then suspend him if he does it again.

Andy: Do any teams voluntarily pay minor leaguers more? I’m just thinking that if there’s a late round high school kid, not a huge bonus, but you’ll get 10k per month in salary may convince him.
Keith Law: Only minor league free agents.

Ryan: Are there any similarities between Nola and Singer coming into the draft? Believe you had Nola rated higher with his command and movement on pitches. Phils haven’t had much success with high draft pick position players. Read Gilbert could be a possibility.
Keith Law: There’s some delivery similarities, but Nola is better across the board – more flexible, better command, better changeup. I like Gilbert a lot but he’s probably a reach at 3.

JR: Anything you think MLB could do to better promote the draft and make it a bigger media event (assuming they want too)? I realize there is only so much they can do given a lot of the players being drafted are high schoolers (and even the college guys aren’t on TV all the time like their NCAA basketball/football counterparts) that the casual fan knows nothing about.
Keith Law: Trades. Allow trades. It’s so simple and no one will push for it.

Russ: Tirso Ornelas is acquitting himself nicely at for age 18 in High-A. Is he a potential top 50 type prospect down the line?
Keith Law: I think so although as a RF he has a high offensive bar to clear. I believe in the swing.

Erwin: What do you think of Dennis Santana? SP long term?
Keith Law: I haven’t seen him since March 2017, and the only scouts I know who’ve seen him didn’t see him in Tulsa, but we all had him as a reliever coming out of last season. Two pitch guy with lower slot. He is, however, a converted SS and relatively new to pitching, so maybe he’s something very different this year. I’m hoping his debut comes soon and not on Monday night so I can see it.

JR: Who do you predict makes it the MLB first from this years draft?
Keith Law: I have to do a column on ‘superlatives’ and that will be one of them. Mize isn’t a bad bet, though.

TJ: Do you think there is ANYthing suspicious about the resurgence of all of these Astros pitchers at the same time?
Keith Law: No, Trevor, I don’t.

Russ: Cavan Biggio’s breakout reminds me of Kingery adding HR pop out of nowhere last year. Do you buy Biggio as a regular in the bigs?
Keith Law: Where does he play? Kingery is a 7 runner and 7 defender at second. Biggio is none of those things.

Aaron C.: I’m sure there are much better examples, but can you help me understand why teams draft/acquire players (ex. Casey Meisner when Oakland got him) and then immediately tweak/change what’s ostensibly been working?
Keith Law: Nope, I don’t get it. I understand changing what hasn’t been working, and that’s a great way to find hidden value.

JT: The rumour or speculation was spread on Twitter that Meadows is seeing the ball better in the better light MLB parks. That sounds, well, like BS. How do you think the Pirates accommodate their OF?
Keith Law: That is … baseball pseudoscience? I am fine giving Meadows an opportunity but still don’t think they should give up on Polanco.

addoeh: How long before the draft would potential draftees and teams start exchanging dollar figures?
Keith Law: That’s already sort of started with asks from players/advisers but the serious stuff starts Monday.

Gavin: I know you don’t follow other sports, but how many current NBA players could you name? More than 10?
Keith Law: Lebron. Curry. Durant. Kevin Love. Westbrook. Isaiah Thomas (that’s almost unfair, isn’t it?). Irving. um … that Kristaps guy on the Knicks, because wasn’t SAS horribly wrong about him and I keep seeing it on Twitter?
Keith Law: oh, Carmelo Anthony.
Keith Law: I think I’m tapped out there.

Max: Weird situation with Vasil and thanks for your article on him. Makes no sense for him to opt out. Wouldn’t the concern of future injury lead him to believe that if he can get life changing money with an overslot end of 1st round deal, it might be worth more than going to college now? Also, what is preventing a team from trying to do this? Should every team be calling him to see what he says on draft day, in case he changes his mind and will accept such a deal?
Keith Law: UVA had another player, Brandon Neeck, withdraw from the draft too. Maybe the coaching staff has something to do with this? And maybe MLB needs to step into this process.

Stan: If you drafted Tanner Dodson, would you send him out as a pitcher, a hitter, or let him do both and see what works best?
Keith Law: Sounds like pitcher is the belief. No reason not to let him hit a little this summer, since all college pitchers are on restricted schedules their first pro seasons anyway, and see what happens.

Tony: When will Forest Whitely be ready for the MLB?
Keith Law: Later this year. Just came off suspension and still hasn’t pitched in a game.

Dave: Hi Keith thanks for the chats, I look forward to them every week. Thanks too for Smart Baseball, really enjoying it. He’s getting 13.4k’s per 9, giving up 2.6 walks per nine and has an ERA of 2.76 in AAA, all improvements from 2017. He’s also scrapped his slider and introduced a cutter. At the risk of scouting the stat line and relying on a relatively SSS, is Jalen Beeks more than just a guy?
Keith Law: He had the cutter last year too. His results are great, but all scouts I’ve asked have him as a reliever.

Juan Soto: Am I exceeding your expectations?
Keith Law: It’s been ten games. There are no expectations for a sample that small.

Jim: Keith, thanks as always for the chats. According to the Transactions page on ESPN, Minnesota “Traded RHP Phil Hughes, cash and the 74th overall draft pick in 2018 to San Diego for C Janigson Villalobos”. How is that draft piece in there?
Keith Law: That draft pick is the only reason the trade happened. The Padres just got an extra $800K in pool money.

Pat: Hoe much does spin rate RPM matter? Ie a 95 mph fastball, but one has greater spin rate. Does it matter more on breaking pitches?
Keith Law: Very high or very low spin rate on a FB makes it more effective. Dead-average spin rate and average velocity is a hitter’s favorite kind of fastball.

Ray: Is your position on Heimlich and other offenders that you don’t want them to be in a job that has influence over others or just that they should never have a meaningful job? I’m speaking more from the standpoint of what to do with rehabbed offenders that aren’t high profile.
Keith Law: I cover baseball. My position is that no baseball team should employ someone who did what he admitted he did.
Keith Law: (It’s also worth mentioning that the idea that every offender can be “rehabbed” isn’t well supported by science. I think it comes more from theology – there’s certainly a strong strain in Christianity arguing for forgiveness and second chances, but there are some paraphilias that just can’t be fixed, and that should play into our views on how the justice system and society should handle people who’ve committed such crimes. But for me to go from there to say that such a person should never be employed anywhere would be beyond the scope of what I know on the topic.)

addoeh: I’ll guess your NHL player list. “Crosby, Ovechkin, and, umm…, is Jagr is playing?”
Keith Law: Bossy, Potvin, Goring, Tonelli, Bill Smith, Trottier, Gillies, Sutter, Chico Resch!

Thomas: Your prospect work is second to none, but I’m curious if there are any MLB guys you’ve enjoyed watching develop this year? Anyone who has been a pleasant surprise for you? You must at least be happy to see Jurickson Profar getting some ABs.
Keith Law: Yep. Soler, Mazara, Snell too.

Santos: Jim’s question was how can MN trade a pick if trading picks isn’t allowed?
Keith Law: Ah, I didn’t follow. Competitive balance picks are tradeable. No other picks can be traded.

Cletus: Ryan Mountcastle an MLB regular?
Keith Law: Yes. Not sure at what position.

Orville Overall: Hans Crouse was out? I thought he was slated to join Spokane when the Northwest League starts up.
Keith Law: Biceps something-or-other, I believe. Spokane doesn’t start for 3 weeks, so he may be back by then.

Ryan: What if Heimlich got a full pardon from Trump, like Dinesh D’Souza did? Then can he play ball? Seriously, D’Souza – WTF?!
Keith Law: D’Souza, who helped out closeted LGBT students at Dartmouth and loves to repeat the conspiracy theory bullshit that Soros was a Nazi collaborator (he wasn’t; he was 14 when WWII ended). Twitter needs to just kick him and his ilk off entirely.

Justin : How do you feel about the way baseball is discussed on general sports show on your network? On PTI for example there is a particularly disdainful attitude toward analytics/wins and RBI are still the measures of a player…
Keith Law: I don’t watch any of those shows, sorry. I don’t think I’m in their target audience.

Jonathan wants to know: Please provide a comp for Jonathan India, please? Thanks!
Keith Law: I don’t do player comps, sorry. I find them generally misleading. It’s part of why I don’t do player tool grades either – they became shortcuts that people tend to focus on to the detriment of the scouting reports as a whole.

Jason : I know you were high on him prior to the season, but has Adell answered the questions about his ability to make consistent contact? Where do you see his ceiling?
Keith Law: So far, yes. Could be a superstar with those tools and this (surprising) contact rate.

Tom: Can Spencer Torkelson be a GUY, or is he just a guy?
Keith Law: Just a guy.

Matt : How often do you go to games in the Cape Cod league? I’ll be out there in June and I am deciding if it’s worth a one of my few nights out there.
Keith Law: I love the Cape, but haven’t been the last two years for various reasons.

TJ: Triston Casas – playable at 1b for a bit or is he a near term DH?
Keith Law: Fine at 1b, not good there, but not Vogelbach.

curt: Thought on Drew Waters from the Braves? Top 100 come winter?
Keith Law: Top 100? The bar is really high for that. I don’t see him anywhere close.

Gene: Keith, love the chats. I’m a depressed O’s fan and an English Comp teacher. I’ve always enjoyed your book reviews and wondered if you had any good banned novel title recs that I might incorporate into one of my classes. My students already read Faulkner, Atwood, Chabon, Morrison, Toole, Vonnegut, Hemingway, etc.
Keith Law: Color Purple gets listed often as a banned/challenged title. A quick google search tells me Grapes of Wrath is often challenged – maybe for the final scene? (GTFOH, people.) One Hundred Years of Solitude is an amazing book often challenged. Are your students too young for Lolita? While very often banned, it’s not actually explicit – it’s disturbing AF, but that’s part of its power.

The Great Alonso “Bohm”?: Are you a believer in what Peter Alonso is doing in AA at age 23 and if Bohm were to slip to the Mets, would they take him knowing they already have Alonso (plus Smith who is trying to play OF)?
Keith Law: I am a believer in Alonso, and Bohm would be in their mix but perhaps not their top choice. I think I can come up with six names I believe they’d take over him (which includes guys like Mize or Bart, who go before them in any scenario).

Chris: Do scouts look hard at level of opposition in minors? Like if a top prospect is belting all of his home runs off non-prospects, does that lessen his value? Or too hard to quantify?
Keith Law: Yes, absolutely.

Scott B: As a Red Sox fan, now living in Delaware, I was able to catch Salem this weekend in Wilmington. I came away unimpressed with what I saw. Any prospects of note that maybe had a bad weekend?
Keith Law: That’s a bad team.

Tom C: I spent too much time thinking about Molly Knight’s question the other week about who is the most famous current MLB player. My immediate thought was Jeter, which, umm.. Anyway, I went with Aaron Judge based on 1) plays for NYY, 2) hits home runs, 3) has really cool name. Who would you say?
Keith Law: I think Harper or Altuve. Altuve’s surprisingly well known … I run into people who profess they’re not fans of baseball but know him or ask about “that short guy in Houston” or something like it.

RW: Can an NL team draft Seth Beer with hopes that maybe he fits in at 1B or, wishcast on him in LF?
Keith Law: They can do that. There is no rule against them doing so. There’s also nothing stopping me from laughing at them.

Chris: Have you heard anything from scouts about Richie Martin? Is this just some random SSS, or has he rediscovered his swing from The Cape?
Keith Law: Guy repeating the level, plays 34 games this year, with 82 last year of awful performance. I’m not saying this year isn’t different, but the evidence before us should discourage you.

Bobby Bradley’s 40-time: Are you a fan of Vonnegut?
Keith Law: Yes. I read every novel of his but the last one, I believe.

Jim: Hate to whale on the moribund equine, and can take this to the comments later, but the transaction notice doesn’t say “compensation pick” (as they usually do), and the 74th pick comes out to late second/early third round. That sounds like a regular draft pick, unless I’m missing something.
Keith Law: It is the last pick in the Competitive Balance Round B.

UGW: Let’s assume Harper and Machado both get 10 yr, 300 million dollar deals. Given that both will be entering age 26 seasons, will these deals be a net positive for the team in your opinion?
Keith Law: Yes. They may not fare well in the last few years of the deal (but they still might given how great those players are), but they’ll work out just fine.

mike sixel: Keith, do you drink Rye? If so, recommendations for mixing rye?
Keith Law: It makes a fine Rye Old-Fashioned. That’s about all I know about it.

JJ: Never been a huge fan of Vonnegut’s books, but his cameo in Rodney Dangerfield’s “Back to School” was spectacular.
Keith Law: Salvaged the entire movie for me.

Corey: speaking of the Boston farm system, other than Pawtucket as a solid true taxi squad but with few rising prospects , the system overall looks bad. obviously you want a strong farm but given how young + stacked with longer term players the MLB club is and will be for a few years, i shouldn’t feel that concerned right ?
Keith Law: Right. The system is down (yo), but two big reasons are all the promotions to the majors, and the trades that brought in Sale, Kimbrel, and, well, the ghost of Tyler Thornburg.

GIO: I know Swaggerty gets comped to Gardner by some, but Gardner was just a slap hitter when he first came up. I more see Kiermeier in the swing and the set up. What ‘ya think?
Keith Law: Right, Gardner came into power after he got to the majors (I think the ballpark helped, because he realized he could drop the bat head and almost golf balls out to right). Swaggerty is trying to hit like that now, and it’s meant more homers but a worse average and a higher strikeout rate.

Paul: Free case of Oreos if you answer my fantasy question. I bought low on Goldschmidt. Any optimism that he gets it back on track this year? Where do I send the Oreos?
Keith Law: Any optimism would be based on past performance; he’s not just been bad this year, but seems to be trending worse, as if something’s physically wrong with him (there is no public evidence of this, I’m just saying that’s how bad he’s been). I’m also wondering where you’re getting all these Oreos.

Chris: Isn’t the downside to teams trading draft picks, that we would see a lot of picks dealt to large market teams for salary relief (thinking about the Dbacks trade of Arroyo a few years ago..and that was before the Brain-trust arrived in Miami)?
Keith Law: Arroyo was traded with Toussaint to clear the salary, so that’s already happening even without trading trade picks. However, the argument that you broached is the one originally made in the 1980s to support banning trades of picks. The environment has flipped today where most low-payroll teams would much rather acquire picks than deal them, because draft picks remain the highest ROI way to add players to your system. It’s a screaming bargain when you hit on one, so I doubt any semi-competent GM is going to just deal away these picks on a regular basis.

Chris: What is stopping a team from telling Mize “listen we pick 20th, but we’ll blow our entire draft budget on you, and draft all senior signs besides you?
Keith Law: He wouldn’t fall that far. There’s only so much you can do, especially with a college junior, whose leverage is limited; he’s certainly not returning to school next year.
Keith Law: That’s all for this week’s chat. I will post yet another mock on Monday morning and then chat that afternoon to discuss the draft, which begins Monday evening. I’ll also be hosting the BBTN Podcast on Monday while Buster is traveling, so we’ll be talking mostly draft there as well. Thanks so much for reading and for all of your questions!

My ranking of the top 100 prospects for this year’s MLB draft is up for Insiders. Over at Vulture, my ranking of the 25 best mobile board game apps went up last week.

Keith Law: It’s just a change in me – something in my liberty. Klawchat.

Spencer: Corey Ray recent performance is reminding me of what made him so intriguing coming out of L’Ville. Obviously a SSS, but what do you think his ceiling as a prospect is nowadays?
Keith Law: Seems like an everyday player, but the chance of him being much more than that is very slim. I’m not sure who changed his setup at the plate, or why, but it cost him a year of development time, and he hasn’t totally regained what was lost.

Bill G: Hi Keith. Given the extreme shifting and the lack of offense, would you support a rule that forces teams to start infielders on the dirt? Seems like the “rover” in the OF is hurting offense more than stacking infielders on one side of the field. Thanks as always for doing these chats.
Keith Law: No, I don’t. One, I think hitters should be more comfortable dropping bunts or shortening up to push groundballs to vacated areas. Two, there’s some research (Russell Carleton has covered this) that the shifts are less effective than they first appear to be.

Jc Cuevas: Is there place in an outfield for a guy like Brandon Nimmo to start? Or is the dreaded SSS? Ty Keith
Keith Law: He should be playing every day vs RHP, and that was true on Opening Day. Of course, the Mets will probably sign Gorman Thomas instead.

David: How likely are the Phillies to maintain their current winning percentage over the course of the season? Also, your thoughts on Kingery’s play so far and what you would do with Crawford when he returns from the DL? Back to AAA or starting SS? Thanks.
Keith Law: They’re not going to win 60% of their games this season. Very few teams do that in any given year. Crawford should be the everyday SS.

Dan: Keith, what’s going on with Giolito? He’s shown flashes during his time with the Sox but getting concerned about his consistency. Anything to worry about long term or just a young pitcher finding his way?
Keith Law: He was great in March, and it seemed like when he left spring training he left all the gains he’d made mechanically back in Arizona. I don’t know if it was the cold, or some undisclosed physical issue (not an injury, but maybe soreness that led to a change), but he’s been totally out of whack all season. His velo is down and command is gone right now. I can’t see rolling him out there as a starter right now until they’ve reestablished his delivery.

addoeh: I see there are more high schools players in your top 10 big board than your mock drafts. Is the difference down to personal preference (maybe higher ceiling vs higher floor) or purely that college players may sign for lower figures? Or something else entirely?
Keith Law: Teams fear the risk of HS players. I get that, but I also think the safety of college players is somewhat overrated. Look at what Haseley and Pavin Smith are doing in high-A right now.

Harrisburg Hal: Do you listen to albums in order (tracks 1-X) or shuffle? I’ve been shuffling ever since i started to listen digitally. I feel like I’m in the minority when talking to others.
Keith Law: In order. I figure the artist intended that.

Todd Boss: What do you think of Tampa’s “opener” strategy? Do you think a team could really try to do an entire staff of relievers? Isn’t that kind of the logical end-game of today’s move towards high velocity short inning reliever focus?
Keith Law: I wonder if teams will respond to this by tweaking the tops of their lineups and eliminating any such advantage. I do like the experimentation, though. Tampa has been so short of starters anyway that they had to do something creative.

Jay C.: Keith, Given Austin Meadows’ impressive SSS performance, does he have a chance to stick w/ the Pirates when Marte returns? How would you project his overall ceiling now after a fairly lackluster minor league career…any changes from your initial assessment?
Keith Law: It’s 25 at bats. you might as well roll a couple of dice.

LexSteele: If you were running the Giants’ draft, assuming the Tigers take Mize #1, who would be your pick at 2?
Keith Law: That’s what my top 100 represents – my personal draft board, based on what I’ve seen (I think I’ve gotten more than 40 of those top 100 in person, the rest are from video + talking to scouts).

Andy: I fully agree that there is a problem with the justice system in this country. The justice system absolutely railroads people into pleading guilty in order to get them through, especially poorer minorities. There are many fundamental issues that should absolutely be debated and rectified. I just don’t think that a white guy who pleaded guilty to doing something untoward with a 6 year old relative is the hill I’m going to start that fight on.
Keith Law: I’m with you. The fact that he was even offered such a deal, with no jail time, is indicative of the privilege of his race & background.

eric: what would a good cardinals package for machado be? you think bader, knitzner, Hudson and helsley get it done?
Keith Law: That actually feels light at the top. It’s a lot of quantity, but I would assume baltimore would want a deal with a better headliner even if it means fewer players.

Andy: Can you imagine how badly the Padres would be doing without Eric Hosmer and his veteran leadership? I mean they would almost assuredly be in last place, competing with the Marlins and Reds at the bottom of the NL.
Keith Law: He actually hasn’t been that bad at the plate, at least – but it’s been irrelevant to them, and by the time they’re good, he probably won’t be.

Rick: Have you seen/ heard any updates on Haseley over the past month? Is this just a blip or has he possibly turned a corner after a rough first year?
Keith Law: I just got a report the other day from a scout who saw Clearwater and had nothing positive to say about the bats on the roster – not Haseley, not Moniak, not Gamboa.

Andy: In NBA and NFL draft circuits, there are a number of guys who rise in the draft based on they look in workouts. Their measurables are huge, but they don’t really impress much in game. Kelenic seems to be a baseball version. He looked good last summer, and now is looking good in basically workouts. Could this lead other players to basically work out for a year instead of playing in a less than rigorous high school baseball season that could expose actual flaws?
Keith Law: I don’t think it’ll ever be widespread, but for kids who play in weird environments – cold weather states, states without HS baseball or who only have it in the summer – it could make a ton of sense. However, such players lose out on the benefits of playing real games in a team environment, and scouts lose the opportunity to see how the players react to real game situations.

Rick: Just wanted to say I bought your book last week on Amazon and already finished. It was great. Thanks for writing it.
Keith Law: Thanks! I’m thrilled you liked it. It makes up for that alt right meanie who said he’d never read my “damn book” this morning.

Jo-Nathan: Any chance you move Vasil up on your board after his clean two innings?
Keith Law: Two whole innings? Wow.

Trixie: What is the funniest book you ever read?
Keith Law: Gosh, that’s a good question. Jasper Fforde’s books have really made me laugh out loud in a way that few other authors have. Wodehouse too.

Matt: Been watching Josh Stowers tear it up for Louisville this season. Top-200 kind of guy this year?
Keith Law: Top 200 yes. Interesting combination of a little pop, some speed, probably CF in the long term, doesn’t have the present hit tool of some of the other college CF in the class.

George R.: Fernando Tatis, Jr’s April: .177/.231/.333, BB 6%, K 33% May: .340/.427/.649 BB 10%, K 26% And he’s still 19 in AA. Can people chill out with the doom and gloom talk?
Keith Law: Yep. We do this every year. By the way, i saw Bloom from MLB is still killing the Padres’ system, including Tatis. I don’t get that at all.

Justin: Hi Keith, With HS/College pitchers throwing excessive amounts of pitches in games. What would be the reaction from MLB front offices if the kid decided he was done at a certain amount of pitches and took himself out of the game? ie looking toward his future instead of one game. Thanks and have a great weekend.
Keith Law: Teams would be thrilled. They know who’s been overused, and they often slide such players down slightly on their boards.

Matthew: You’ve previously stated that baseball is mainly just a job for you, and that your hobbies lie more in the other things you write about. If money were not an issue for you, which subjects would you continue to write about, among your many published interests (baseball, books, movies, board games, music, cooking, etc.)? Would you keep writing at all?
Keith Law: I’d definitely keep writing. If I won the lottery (which I don’t play, because lotteries are a tax on people who suck at math), I’d still keep up the blog.
Keith Law: I’m not sure I’d keep writing about baseball if it weren’t a job, because I would be afraid I’d no longer be good at it if I weren’t pursuing it full time.

Slidepiece: Just curious, have you ever participated in a fantasy baseball keeper league?
Keith Law: Not in more than 15 years.

Tim: Hey Keith did you get a chance to listen to the new Arctic Monkeys album yet? Very different sound for them.
Keith Law: The good news is that if you liked “No.1 Party Anthem,” the new album contains Party Anthems Nos. 2-12.

Larry: Would Gorman still be your pick for Atlanta?
Keith Law: Yes. Could also see Singer there. They loved Vasil before the injury; not sure they’d do that at 8 now.

Swag: Thoughts on Welington Castillo’s suspension and apology?
Keith Law: I couldn’t care less about the suspension. The apology was surprisingly straightforward. That’s as close as we’ve gotten to an actual admission.

Greg: Can you talk me into liking Nolan Gorman? Contact questions, no clear defensive spot. I just don’t know what makes him in consideration for top 10 teams?
Keith Law: He has the most power of anyone in the class.

Mac: Is Jonathan India in play for the White Sox at 4? If he can play 2B does he have a higher ceiling than Madrigal?
Keith Law: I think he’s probably on the outside for them but in consideration. By that I mean that he’s probably not in their top 4 (I think, it’s not like they showed it to me), so it’s very unlikely he ends up their pick.

Matt: If you were running the Jays when would you call up Vlad Jr.?
Keith Law: I liked Buster’s idea of calling him up to DH when they trade Donaldson. Right now, he should be in AAA, but they also should either make it clear to him he has to improve on defense to get a callup, or just move him to a position he can credibly play. He’s no better than a 40 defender at third right now and probably less.

WarBiscuit: Mize has seemed to struggled(for his standards) in 4 of his last 5 starts after yesterday and past his innings of 85(college+USA) already. Concerned? And could this caused him to slip slightly from 1?
Keith Law: Not concerned. He hasn’t really struggled either; the start vs Florida he was outpitched by Singer in the box score but looked much better to scouts.

Andrew: I’m terrified the Tigers are going to take a bat instead of Mize. Is this concern valid?
Keith Law: That they might do so? Yes. That it would be a mistake? That’s debatable. I would take Mize. I don’t have a pick or a budget.

Sal: Peterson, Kay, Dunn, Alonso…cause for cautious optimism for Mets fans? What kind of GUY is Alonso?
Keith Law: Yep, most of the healthy guys are faring well at the moment. I saw they put Dom Smith in LF in AAA, though, which is … interesting, and not in a good way.

Bret: Which Cardinal OF prospect are you buying long term as an every day player, if any…Bader, O’Neill or Mercado? I’m personally bias towards Mercado. Thanks.
Keith Law: Mercado has the most upside. Bader’s a regular. Still see some real swing and miss concerns with O’Neill. He’s also the worst defender of the 3.

Joe: When will Brendan Rogers be up?
Keith Law: Next year? I’m not sure there’s an impetus to get him up sooner.

Jordan: Nick Dunn from University of MD a first day guy, or return to school guy?
Keith Law: There’s an ocean in between those two options and he’s in it. Probably 6th-10th round.

Mike: Dennis Santana a major league starter? If so, more back-end or something more?
Keith Law: The performance this year would indicate starter and he has two pluses in the FB and breaking ball. What I do not buy is the sudden flip in his platoon split.

Bill: Love the chats, will finally be getting around to your book this summer. What are your thoughts on Shane Bieber’s ceiling?
Keith Law: Lack of huge stuff might mean a league average ceiling but the command is very real and should help him pitch well above what the radar gun might indicate.

Mark: Do teams emphasize certain pitches? The fangraphs Padres prospect list seemed to have the changeup as the best offspeed pitch, is that organization specific?
Keith Law: That’s been a Preller fetish going way back to Texas. He loved signing DR/VZ kids with arm strength and a changeup.

Alex: Was recently reading the UZR section of Smart Baseball – with how much shifting there is now, is that stat essentially meaningless for assigning individual credit/blame because the historical data is so different?
Keith Law: I believe UZR still omits plays listed as having shifts, but you’d be better off asking Mitchel on Twitter (he’s very responsive) about how he’s handling such plays now.

Mac: Who’s the guy moving up draft boards that surprised you the most?
Keith Law: Schnell. Power is real, good athlete for sure. Not a CF, big arm bar at the plate. Curious whether his above-average speed lasts – his body type seems more likely to settle in as average speed as he gets bigger & stronger.

Dan: Chances that Schwarber wins the Gold Glove? His #s are looking pretty, pretty, pretty good.
Keith Law: Defensive numbers in ~50 games are really not meaningful.

Greg: Any concern about Kyle Wright this year? Numbers are extremely mediocre for a college arm who was in consideration at 1.1.
Keith Law: No they’re not. He’s in AA – most college players are in high-A less than 12 months out of the draft.

Dylan Bundy: Why do the Orioles trot me out for the 9th inning of a 9-3 game??
Keith Law: I have no idea. Letting him go 8 at just over 100 pitches seemed fine. I’m sure they had at least one reliever who could get three outs without giving up six runs. Given Bundy’s history of elbow and shoulder problems, plus the way he faded last year after a few weeks when he was very good and worked harder, they should be extremely cautious.

Joe: Your Kepler vs. lefties prediction looks good so far, but do you think his numbers vs righties will improve?
Keith Law: Yes.

Aaron C.: So…of all the players you’ve ever scouted — who actually became successful major leaguers — who had the worst swing as an amateur/minor leaguer?
Keith Law: Pedroia comes to mind. Max effort, kind of straight uphill.

Marc: Listened to the rest of the CHVRCHES album? Overall thoughts?
Keith Law: I’ve heard five songs and none are good.

addoeh: Are the people who defend Heimlich that say “I hope I’m not judged on the worst thing I ever did” subtlely admitting the worst thing they ever did approaches molesting a six year old? I hope not.
Keith Law: It’s amazing how people will tie themselves in knots to defend the kid with nary a thought for the victim.

Ed: Hi Keith. A few years ago I made your Guiness Stout Cupcakes and everyone agreed that they were some of the best we’ve ever had. Recently, when I asked my wife what kind of birthday cake she’d like me to make this year (we have a tradition of making each other’s cakes from scratch), she said the best, moistest chocolate cake possible. After thinking about it, it crossed my mind to use the guiness recipe, but for a traditional 2 layer cake instead of cupcakes. 2 Question for you – any reservations about doing this? And if you did it, what changes would you make to the temp, baking time, recipe, etc. Thank you so much!
Keith Law: Drop the temp 50 degrees. Line the cake pans with parchment circles and then butter them. I think everything else would be fine. Cupcakes really are just mini cakes; the recipes tend to work the same way.

Joe: Heard anything about David Fletcher? The numbers are outstanding
Keith Law: The numbers are in Salt Lake, a great hitters’ park. He had a .316 OBP and .339 SLG last year.

Nate: Will Dwight Smith Jr. hit enough to be a passable everyday OF?
Keith Law: I would bet against it.

Kevin: Good move in your opinion DFA’ing Hanley to make room for Pedroia? Probably means playing time for Moreland and Swihart.
Keith Law: If Swihart plays more, yes. Hanley might be done. After a hot start he fell back to earth with a thud.

Aaron: If kershaw were to opt out after this year what kind of contract would you be comfortable offering him?
Keith Law: That’s more a question about his medical outlook than performance. I’d be fine going $30 million a year if the doctors told me they expected him to stay healthy.

Rob: Based on early season results, which farm system seems to have taken the biggest step forward and which has taken the biggest step back?
Keith Law: I don’t like using early season results to draw broad conclusions.

Adam Trask: It’s not the ball, so can we now blame climate change for the increase in home runs?
Keith Law: It is the ball, right? But MLB says they don’t know why. The drag coefficient dropped. If it’s not the ball, then what is it?

Walker: Any new food recommendations for your trip to Durham?
Keith Law: Had great meals at M Kokko and Luna.

Dr. Bob: The Luke Heimlich story just gets worse. Last year he said he took “responsibility for my conduct as a teenager.” But earlier this month said that absolutely nothing happened and they took the plea deal for reasons. If nothing happened, there was nothing to apologize for a year ago. If something happened, then he’s lying now. An even bigger red flag to me.
Keith Law: Agreed. This all feels like a publicity campaign orchestrated by a lawyer. Another team reached out to me in the last hour to say he’s off their board, so that’s at least two (with Texas, per Gerry Fraley).

Billiam: What was your assessment of Ryan McMahon coming up? Seems like the Rockies have yo-yo’d him around and not given him a fair shot to succeed.
Keith Law: I think he’s an above-average regular, but they won’t play him every day or close to it.

Tony: I know all the SSS caveats still apply, but has something philosophically shifted in Nick Pivetta that has turned him into a throw-in in the Papelbon dump to an actual bona fide mid-rotation or better starter?
Keith Law: He’s not a mid-rotation or better starter given his trouble with LHB.

Joshua: Does H. Ramirez contract vest if he accumulates his at bats with another team?
Keith Law: If someone trades for him or claims him, yes. If he’s released and signs a new deal, no.

SL: Do you remain bullish on Dominic Smiths long term upside as you have in the past?
Keith Law: Yes. But he’s stagnating in AAA now.

Benny Agbayani: You were leading the Nimmo bandwagon for years before anyone else, so kudos for that, but it seems you are less enthused than others now. Do you see any hope for him against lefties? Even his approach seems off against them.
Keith Law: He might improve vs LHB if he faces them more, but the Mets don’t seem inclined to give him more reps. It’s not ideal. I think he can be a half a star – a guy who’s so good vs RHB that, with the right platoon partner, they get star-caliber production in total from one lineup spot but require two players.

Rob: Thoughts on the new At the Gates?
Keith Law: A little predictable and less melodic than the comeback record or Slaughter of the Soul.

Sammy: Have you seen/heard anything about a Jeff McNeil?
Keith Law: He’s 26 in AA.

Greg: Did Denaburg’s recent outing mean he’s likely to sign now?
Keith Law: I would say it means he’s healthy enough that someone will try to draft and sign him. That’s not saying he WILL sign. I don’t know what his bonus demands might be.

Robbie: Do you think at some point the negatives of keeping pujols playing will finally outweigh whatever negatives the angels feel benching him (PR, embarrassment, “disrespect”, money) this season? Or could they be determined to go down with him on the ship? I feel like Moreno is specifically tied to him rolling out there everyday.
Keith Law: With Pujols reaching 3000 and Ohtani making all the headlines, they could probably fade whatever backlash they receive, if any, from releasing the guy. He’s toast.

Aaron C.: Rumors on the west coast that the A’s may be relocating their AAA team to the new Las Vegas ballpark. Can *anything* be done to make a MiLB park less cartoonish regarding offensive numbers it produces?
Keith Law: First thing I’d do out there would be install a humidor. Vegas is dry as hell.

Jeff: Brandon Nimmo now has a career 128 wrc+ in over 400 PAs—this Guy for real?
Keith Law: wRC+ is a great stat, but it doesn’t know if you’ve played full-time or been platooned.

Don: Can Zack Collins be a league average player if he’s not behind the plate?
Keith Law: I don’t think so, but maybe he has enough power + patience to pull it off.

Matthew: A first round pick turns into an above average #4 starter. Is the pick a success because he is a regular contributor or a failure because of the low ceiling given the draft position?
Keith Law: That depends on where in the round he was picked. At pick 1, that’s a disappointment. At pick 20, that’s a win.
Keith Law: “Failure” is not a nice word for any player, but especially inapt for an above average #4 starter (so, like a league average starter).

Jo-Nathan: Are you planning to watch the new season of Arrested Development?
Keith Law: Probably. I haven’t read the NYT interview yet – I have it saved to read later today.

Eron: Folty taken a real step this year or expect him his numbers to start declining soon?
Keith Law: I’m buying it.

Bill: You had K. Hayes > Meadows preseason. I never saw an explanation. Care to elaborate ?
Keith Law: If you didn’t see an explanation, then you never read my Pirates farm report. Hayes is an elite defensive 3b. He’s still the better prospect.

Gore : If you can remember, how does Singer compare/contrast to Nola as a prospect out of college?
Keith Law: I remember very well. Nola had better fastball command and a better third pitch.

Pete: Profar seems to be coming on a little bit here. Do you think he could still be a star offensively? Or has his ceiling changed now?
Keith Law: After all that lost time I’m almost afraid to get excited about his little run of success.

Nick: So I understand that you dropped Alex Reyes in your prospect rankings due to the uncertainty around TJ recovery which makes sense. Now that he is healthy and completely dominat. Where would he rank among other starting pitching prospects? First ?
Keith Law: No, not first, not after multiple arm issues. He’s also dominating a level below where he’s pitched before.

Pete: Blake Snell looking like the real deal here as you predicted. Still a #2 in your eyes or potentially higher?
Keith Law: I’ll probably stick with that.

Jeff: What are your thoughts on Grant Lavigne? Where do you think he ends up going?
Keith Law: Day one. Maybe comp round, more likely second. I’ll continue filling in capsules on the remaining top 100 players without them over the next week.

Gest : Do you think the splitter is becoming more popular for American amateur pitchers?
Keith Law: I do not.

Lel: What does your mock schedule look like at this point? How many more until the 4th?
Keith Law: One next week, Weds or Thurs, and one on the morning of the draft itself.

Jon: So far a 6-man rotation has been working for the Angels. At this rate will Angels pitchers be less fatigued come September compared to other teams (i.e. Heaney, Skaggs)? Also Do you think other MLB teams take note and say “hey maybe this works” and implement it in their rotations maybe next year?
Keith Law: I think the experimentation – Angels, Rays – will continue across baseball. Teams are looking for better ways to get more from their pitchers while also limiting injuries/

Butts: Curious on your take on Griffin Roberts. Starter? Heard his change looked pretty okay yesterday.
Keith Law: His change was there in March too. It’s the delivery. There isn’t a starter in the majors who looks like that.

Mark: Did Mackenzie Gore ever have blister problems in HS? Does he project higher than a #3 starter?
Keith Law: He projects as a 1.

Mike: Brad Brach to the Nats for Y Antuna…. Who says no?
Keith Law: The Nats would laugh at that.

Estuve : What possible adjustment do you think there might be for pitchers to make to Meadows? He has looked great at the plate so far.
Keith Law: They could wait a minute.

John: I wrestle with at what point do we allow those who have served their time to fully reintegrate into society and what jobs do we allow them? Heimlich appears to be making it easy to deny rehabilitation given his reversal on responsibility. Where does one draw the line on acceptable jobs for them (and what does that say about the non-convicts who do those jobs) and how much rehabilitation it takes to migrate up the acceptable job scale. What’s the worst thing someone could have done and how much time served before they can professionally play baseball?
Keith Law: If you commit acts of violence, sexual or physical, against children, you don’t get to play pro baseball. It’s not really that difficult. There isn’t any rehabilitation for paraphiliacs.

Ed: I’m really curious about the 6’11 pitcher in the draft. Have we ever seen anyone who could produce such downplane? And what effect would you expect that produce?
Keith Law: We have – but nearly all of them ended up hurt and/or in relief.

Darryl: Due to medicals is T.Beck now a 3-4 round pick? Does Nico Hoerner have a chance to be an early round pick?
Keith Law: Hoerner goes day one. I’ve heard late first but I think somewhere in 31-45 more likely.
Keith Law: Beck … I don’t know what the medicals say. He’s a huge risk having missed a whole year with a back injury, but that’s about all I know.

John: Have you seen or heard anything about Jonathan Hernandez? Is he making a case for T100, or not until he shows it in AA?
Keith Law: You don’t get on to the top 100 because you had two great starts against the same (not that good) lineup.

Darryl: Does Senzel get the phone call before/after the ASB?
Keith Law: He’s out with vertigo. No timetable.

Boots Boots: Luis Alexander Basabe. Is he legit? Everything seems so much better this season so far.
Keith Law: He was also hurt for part of last year, IIRC.

Zac: Where would you rank Mize in the Tigers pitching prospects? I believe you have it as Perez, Burrows, Faedo, and Manning
Keith Law: He’s better than all of those guys. I really think he could pitch in a major league bullpen right now.

Jason: Chris Davis in the running for worst contract in MLB history? 4 more years at $23mil per and an OPS+ of 37 this year!
Keith Law: Ralph thought it was a good deal.

Adam: Is Sean Newcombs hot streak SSS? Not sure where his walk rate stands but the eye test says hes throwing way more first pitch strikes.
Keith Law: He’s really not throwing more strikes; he had one outlier start vs the Mets where he threw 70 out of 97 pitches for strikes, but the rest of the year he’s still down around 61%. Great stuff, below average control. Definitely someone you keep starting while he’s missing bats, but I think he’ll always leave you expecting more given how good the pitches are.

Bernard: Is there a current MLB comp for Eloy Jimenez?
Keith Law: Probably.

YABoySwaggyP: No chance that the White Sox dont take Madrigal if there at 4, right?
Keith Law: Absolutely a chance they don’t. Maybe a good chance they don’t.

Newt: Have you checked out Cobra Kai, the Karate Kid reboot with Macchio and Billy Zabka. Surprisingly, it’s really good.
Keith Law: I’m in the minority of folks my age, but I never loved Karate Kid and don’t share the nostalgia for it that my peers seem to.

j: Thoughts on Garrett Whitlock and/or Erik Swanson of the Yankees?
Keith Law: I was hoping to see Swanson’s next start for Trenton, but he’s in AAA now; I’m going to try to see him on SWB’s homestand after the draft (I can’t go tomorrow because it’s Date Night with my daughter). I
Keith Law: I’ve heard he’s changed a few things and I want to see it for myself.

Steve: Hey Keith, two years ago I bitches at you for saying the Phillies shouldn’t/wouldn’t take Groome number one overall. I will never doubt you again. Having said that, if you were in the Phillies organization, where would you like to see Sixto by the end of this year? With regards to stats and level in the minors.
Keith Law: Double-A is fine. I would love to see him stretch a little more out within games, but after he had some minor arm soreness in the spring they may not want to push him.

Jay: KC’s top prospects look good so far this year. Do you see any of Matias, Pratto, Lee, or Melendez as top 100 guys next year?
Keith Law: Lee would be today – he barely missed the cut. I’m not sure what you’re looking at when you say Pratto or Matias look good, though; both have OBPs in the .310s and Matias is still striking out at an untenable rate.

Mark: How close was Grant Little to making the top 100?
Keith Law: He wasn’t a consideration. (He’s a draft-eligible sophomore at Texas Tech, for folks who don’t know the name.)

Zac: Does a team draft Luke Heimlich?
Keith Law: Someone will.

Tom: Just saw Ashcroft perform last week – he was amazing. It’s too bad bands like the Verve can’t make it work.
Keith Law: Their one comeback album before they called it quits was good even without any standout singles.

Chimmy: Know anything about Trent Deveaux?
Keith Law: I do. As does everyone who read about him in my Angels org report in January.

Joe: Your insightful mock and earlier comments aside, would Kelenic be a reach at 2?
Keith Law: No, not IMO. Not my choice at 2 but not a reach. At 1, over Mize, yes.

YABoySwaggyP: Would Seth Beer be a good value pick for the White Sox at 46?
Keith Law: Yes, I’d be good with that, but I bet he’s gone by then.

Neil: I will use Vlad as an example here, but realise in his case this question may be flawed. But what do you do with a prospect that has a tool that is major league ready, but still needs to develop elsewhere. In the case of Vlad, are you hurting his development as a hitter by keeping him in AA where he is dominating, even though he still needs experience there for other parts of his game?
Keith Law: It depends on your long-term plan for the player – and you need to have one. If you think he can really learn that position, then you get him somewhere where he can work on it, with the best coach you have for that skill. If you think, as I do, that Vlad probably never plays 3b as a regular, then just call him up and make him a DH.

Alec: Why is it that most people ignore the existential threat that Donald Trump brings by being president? From talking to a lot of people, it is as if most of them have this built in idea in their brains that everything will turn out okay in the end. I think this stems from religion, but it is scary wherever it stems from.
Keith Law: I see, at best, a decade of trying to undo the damage done just in the last eighteen months. And it could be MUCH worse.

DaveAlden53: The Dodgers lead the NL West in run differential and are back to within 3.5 games of the lead. Is the ship righted or is it still leaking below the waterline from injuries?
Keith Law: Can’t it be both? I think it’s kind of both.

Jordan: Should I take the significantly K lower rate from Austin Beck as a sign of his progress?
Keith Law: It’s lower, and that’s good, since he seemed like a guy who might punch out like crazy with the jump to full-season ball.
Keith Law: BTW, Jordon Adell’s contact rate in his first month-plus in full-season ball has been amazing. No matter what else he did, I figured he’d swing and miss a lot more.

JaKob: Hey Keith, do teams track the amount of pitches thrown opposed to the number of actual innings they throw.. Seems like the # of innings could be skewed for a guy that labors through innings and throws say 100 pitches in a 5 inning game.. He would be getting more work than a guy that averages 80 pitches per inning (however, it’d appear they pitched the same amount if you just looked at IP)
Keith Law: Of course they do.

Pat D: Keith, I’ve said before I’m not on Twitter for any number of reasons. Lately when I’ve read your Twitter feed, I’ve been filled with notions of joining Twitter just to argue with people who comment on yours (all due respect, stick to baseball guy comes to mind). Please reassure me that such an action would be a very silly thing to do.
Keith Law: Twitter is essential to my job and my career as a whole. It is also a massive source of aggravation, especially since they still don’t take their own policies on harassment, abuse, or copyrights seriously at all.

Kevin: Where would Tirso Ornelas go in this draft? Love his swing
Keith Law: Back of the first.

PhilW: Keith – have you had a chance to see Chris Paddack pitch at Lake Elsinore? Seems to be fully recovered from TJ and putting up ridiculous K/BB ratios. Does he have a chance to move way up the prospect rankings or are there any factors limiting his ceiling?
Keith Law: I saw him throw a sim game in March and raved about him then.

Greg: I get that Gorman’s power is the reason he’s in the top 10. But that’s the only thing he does well, right? Is that really worthy of a top 10 pick?
Keith Law: He’s not a slug; he’s a decent athlete who could probably become a solid enough defender at third with work. You’re really underrating him.

Jordan: Does Virginia ruin good prospects?
Keith Law: Pitchers, yes.

Paul: Are you a believer in the Mets Peter Alonso, if so, why not shift him to LF like the Phillies have done with Hoskins and leave 1B to D. Smith who is the better fielder at 1B?
Keith Law: Have you ever laid eyes on Alonso? Smith is the better defender but that doesn’t mean you can just put Alonso wherever you want to.

Moe Mentum: If you’re a prospective college student who is undecided on a major, is an Ivy League school a good or bad place to “figure it out”?
Keith Law: I can only speak to Harvard, and it’s a terrible place for that. We had to declare at the end of our freshman year, and I certainly wasn’t ready at that point.

Brian: Being on below average team in a below average conference is killer for a prospect. Owen Miller of Illinois State had a fantastic year and he is nowhere to be found on any prospect lists. Similar to how Paul Dejong was overlooked.
Keith Law: Dejong wasn’t overlooked. He went in the 4th round. But yes, playing bad competition hurts your stock, and Miller hasn’t posted a good walk rate or shown any power in a really bad conference this year.

Roger: Since you are higher than the industry on Noah Naylor, what do you think his ceiling could be if everything clicks? Perhaps a Devers type?
Keith Law: Nothing at all like Devers. I think Naylor’s an above-average regular at third who hits for high average with some pop and value on the bases. Devers is a fucking monster.

Tom: What do you think of Spencer Torkelson? Can he be a guy?
Keith Law: Not really – not like the HR total would imply, at least.

Dan: Most likely to fall in the draft due to signability concerns?
Keith Law: Cecconi would have gone top 10-15 if he’d been healthy & was signable up there.

Rum Guy: Knowing you’re a rum guy, you recommend dark & stormy or what else?
Keith Law: That’s fine if you have a blended dark rum. Better rums are for sipping neat.

Cletus: How much of Giolito’s struggles are related to the Nats’ changing his mechanics, and how much is he just “not the guy the scouting report claimed 4 years ago” ?
Keith Law: He was that guy in March. If his velocity wasn’t back at that point, then your snark might have a kernel of truth to it.

UGW: Jakson Reetz finally becoming a *guy*? Still just 22.
Keith Law: I was a big fan out of the draft, but I saw him here two weeks ago and I don’t think so. It’s just 100 PA, and it’s really all walks – he’s working the count but the impact isn’t there.

Alec: Thoughts on Tomi Lauren incident?
Keith Law: She’s awful. I think throwing water on her just feeds her victim complex. And I don’t know what it accomplished.

PD: Where does Moniak rank in the all time #1 draft busts?
Keith Law: He’s 20. Let’s hold off on that, shall we?
Keith Law: OK, sorry I can’t get to more questions – there are hundreds unanswered in the queue – but I do have a few other things to do today and am hoping to take most of tomorrow off. Thank you as always for reading. Stay tuned for another mock next week, either Wednesday or Thursday (please don’t ask me Weds where it is, it’ll run whenever my editors want to run it), and one more on draft day. I’ll also tweet/post to FB when I add more notes to the top 100. Have a safe Memorial Day weekend!

So much new content today – for Insiders, my 2008 redraft column, and a piece with scouting notes on Yankees, Phillies, Nats, and Royals prospects. I also have review of the new Civilization board game up at Paste.

Keith Law: Here’s a chance to chat our way out of our constrictions. It’s Klawchat.

Joe: Keith, any ideas why Buck is starting Joseph over Sisco so often?
Keith Law: I really can’t explain any of the on-field decisions happening over there. Buck has certainly seemed disinclined to use young players the front office brings up.

Dave: Antuna’s K rate is way up in A ball (and stats way down). How concerning is this or SSS?
Keith Law: Yasel Antuna? He’s *18*. He’s younger than several top HS prospects in this year’s draft. I’m eyeballing it but I think he’s the 3rd youngest player in the Sally League, at an age when he should probably be cutting social studies for Senior Day.

Zach: Will Trevor Williams have a long term MLB career and if so, at what role. His stuff seems underwhelming but at the same time, his ERA/FIP going back a year is 3.52/3.86 and a low HR rate in over 30+ starts.
Keith Law: Back end starter thanks to his command.

Bob: I’ve seen reports that Faedo’s velocity is down and his Ks are pedestrian, but his overall performance has been good. Do you have any reports that suggest a lower than anticipated ceiling?
Keith Law: That’s pretty much what I’ve got too.

Andrew: Nice game from Morejon last night. Who has the highest ceiling out of these three? Morejon, Paddack, Quantrill
Keith Law: Morejon, but I think all three are at least mid-rotation starters if healthy (always an if … that’s two TJs and Morejon has had arm issues too).

Andrew: Thoughts on Tirso Ornelas so far this year? More than holding his own as an 18 yr old in the MWL.
Keith Law: One of my favorite swings in the minors. I’m all in.

Lloyd: Just wanted to revisit your on-point assessment of the Brewers’ sticking Corbin Burnes in Colorado Springs. The home/road splits are astonishingly cartoonish thus far. What’s the theoretical bigger picture here – have him face “better” hitters? Would you say based off the road numbers he’s more or less ready?
Keith Law: I’d rather see him in the major league bullpen. I haven’t even looked at his stats this year because I don’t see what I’m supposed to glean from the guy playing games in near zero G.

Phil: why wouldn’t the cardinals go for machado? I feel like they are in need of consolidating talent given their surplus of young outfielders and pitching depth in the minors…great candidate for a 3 for 1 trade no?
Keith Law: I made this argument on Bernie Miklasz’s radio show this morning. The only hesitation I might have is that a good Cards 3-1 or 4-1 offer would include Kelly or Knizner, and with Sisco there I don’t think the Orioles would favor a package headlined by another catcher.

Tom: Are the A’s in on Kelenic at all?
Keith Law: At all, yes. Gorman too. But I think those are less likely than the college guys.

Josh: Pretty much every preseason list had Heliot Ramos over Austin Beck. Has the first month changed either of their perceptions in any way?
Keith Law: No. Not only is it SSS, but they’re playing at the same level, and Beck is 10 months older than Ramos.

Jake: Do you think Walker Buehler is up for good? If (massive if) the whole Dodgers rotation is healthy, is Buehler someone who starts postseason games for them (basically one of their top 4 starters)?
Keith Law: Depends on what they plan for his workload but I doubt he goes back down for more than a reverse cup of coffee. Hard to see a scenario where he isn’t one of the ten best pitchers in the system. Do not see him starting games for them in October – if they make it – if everyone is healthy.

Tom: What would your plan with Buehler be? They obviously need him now with their injuries and place in the standings, but it’s a long year and he has never thrown more than 98 innings in a year.
Keith Law: Just to stay with Ferris here, the (last year’s IP + 30) threshold has been debunked, but there’s obviously some upper bound on what he can handle. I’d probably target a plan that gets him to 130-140 in the regular season, but with statcast data the Dodgers might get an early warning if he’s wearing down at all, and should be prepared to adjust on the fly. If he has to skip a start, or become a long reliever for a few weeks, then that has to be the priority over squeezing a few extra innings out of him.

Some guy @ 3 Rivers Art Festival: Is Kevin Newman and Clay Holmes, plus two other guys enough for the Pirates to pry Machado from the Os? If not, what do you think it will take? Yeah, I know no way NH does this.
Keith Law: It’s not close to enough, and why would the Pirates acquire Machado now in his walk year?

Hi Erix: Someone asked this of Jay Jaffe, and I’m curious to get your thoughts, Keith. Robinson Cano … no-brainer HOF?
Keith Law: Almost certainly a HoF on merit, but “no-brainer” implies that he’ll sail in on the first ballot and I really doubt that.

Albtead34: It looks like the Rangers have the makings of a good young core. What are your thoughts on Mazara and is Profar going to be part of that core?
Keith Law: Mazara was one of my breakout candidates for this year, so obviously I’m a believer and I think he’s a core player for them. I’m cautiously optimistic about Profar – since he began playing regularly he’s not hitting for enough average but he’s putting the ball in play and showing some power, while drawing walks at an adequate clip. I think there’s still a regular in there and I hope he gets regular playing time for the rest of the year.

Reds Fan (Concerned?): Good afternoon, how concerned are you with Senzel’s vertigo issues this year & last? Can medicine get him back to good health so he can enjoy his life and get back to what he does best?
Keith Law: I’m not qualified to answer that at all.

Matty: Ian Kinsler has been pretty terrible at the plate in Anaheim while David Fletcher has been raking in Salt Lake. What’s the likelihood that Fletcher gets his shot sooner than later?
Keith Law: Salt Lake is a tremendous hitter’s park, in a hitter’s division. Fletcher has played all of two games this year outside of one of the PCL bandboxes. He slugged .354 last year.

Moe Mentum: In college, what did you major in? Would you choose the same major if you could do it over again?
Keith Law: Economics & sociology (joint). Would major in applied math if I could do it again.

Grover: Obviously they won’t blow it up, but if the Dodgers are hovering around .500 at the break, would it make sense for them to move some of the pieces that probably aren’t part of the long term plans (Grandal, Puig, Ryu, Hill?)
Keith Law: Yes and I wouldn’t doubt that they would do so. I know they’ve dangled Puig before.

Adam: Do you think an old dog has learned a new trick? Any changes to Markakis swing or just hot at the moment?
Keith Law: Just hot.
Keith Law: “hot.”

Mark: Are Tatis Jr’s strikeouts worrisome?
Keith Law: We’re hitting a theme here. Tatis is 19 in double-A, and has been raking the last few weeks after a slow start. You have to consider a hitter’s age relative to his level. Without that variable, any ‘analysis’ is worthless.

Moe Mentum: Best song by Talking Heads?
Keith Law: “Burning Down the House” remains my favorite. Brilliant then, no less so now. “Psycho Killer” is great, of course, and I’ve always thought “Blind” gets short shrift because it was their final album and they broke up right after its release.

Alex: what is your go to rum to drink neat?
Keith Law: Can’t beat Zacapa.

Mark: When do you think teams start thinking about making significant trades?
Keith Law: After the draft.

James: Better rest of career, Harvey or Meseraco?
Keith Law: I liked the deal both ways – Mets needed a catcher, Mesoraco still has some pop, neither guy is really fully healthy and I’m not sure we could ever expect either to be so. If you told me to take one, it’d be Mesoraco, but I do not agree with folks who think Harvey is toast.

Adam D.: Any new whispers from the #sources on what the Giants may do at #2? Your article this morning got me fired up for what they could potentially do picking this high.
Keith Law: Same names with them. I don’t know if anyone will really know what the teams up top are doing till very close to the draft but I do feel like the top six picks will include five college guys, the names everyone is putting out there – Mize, Bart, Bohm, Madrigal.

Guest: Lourdes Gurriel seems to swing and miss and awful lot. Doesn’t walk much either. Fringe regular?
Keith Law: I saw him a few times last year and didn’t think he was a regular.

Dan: Read your post on Loaisiga today. Top 100 prospect in your next rankings?
Keith Law: I won’t do 100 again until January.

Grover: Thoughts/projections on DJ Peters?
Keith Law: Upside of a 55, but realistically he might struggle enough with contact in the majors to play as a below-average regular most seasons but who has some above-average years.

JG: Are you encouraged by Gonsalves’s start at AAA. Can he be a mid-rotation guy?
Keith Law: Think more back end than that. Lack of a breaking ball really limits him.

Greg: If you had to redo a mock, would you still have Gorman to Atlanta?
Keith Law: Next mock will run on Thursday, then another two weeks after that, then another on draft day.

Justin : How do you deal with close friends or family who are vocal Trump supporters?
Keith Law: I have no family members or close friends who are. I have ended any contact with distant friends who are. Actually, that’s not quite true – I think I have one close friend who is a Trump supporter, but he’s never said so, and he’s pretty clear about wanting to avoid discussing political or social issues with me, knowing where we disagree. I have no problem with that, but you did say “vocal” and he wouldn’t qualify. He’d probably call me a vocal anti-Trumper.

Bob W.: Keith, what is your opinion, if you’ve formulated one, about the desirability of shortening the MLB regular season to, say, 154 games? My kneejerk reaction is that I’m opposed to it, but I’m open to changing my mind about it. Thanks
Keith Law: Oppose, primarily because it forks the history of the game.

DH: If you knew they’d all end up as average fielding 1B, how would you rank the bats of Nolan Gorman, Noah Naylor, Triston Casas?
Keith Law: If you’re asking pure hit tool, Naylor, Casas, Gorman. If you’re talking total offensive upside, Gorman, Naylor, Casas. However, Noah Naylor is not a 1b. He’s an above-average runner with arm strength and is going to play a skill position.

Marissa : Should anything be taken from TJ Zeuch’s promotion to AA or was it expected that he would be promoted around now
Keith Law: Maybe a year later than expected?

Butts: Is Micker Adolfo for real? Can I get excited yet?
Keith Law: Yeah, I would. He may take a step back when he gets to Birmingham and faces AA pitching, but he has always had enormous tools. I think I said in last week’s chat that he could barely play baseball when he was signed. He’s come a long way, baby.

J.P.: Soto’s on his way to Harrisburg. That was fast. Do you see him making it to DC this season at this rate if there’s room?
Keith Law: I don’t think his approach is ready for that or close to it.

TJ: Is Chance Adams kind of cooked?
Keith Law: No, but I would love to see him move to the pen. I think his fastball will tick up and he could be a Jason Frasor type, maybe better.

Ron: Is D German a Major League starter?
Keith Law: I would bet no, maybe 70/30 against, but you have to try him out there, no?

Greg: Any chance of Connor Scott, Seigler or Denaburg ending up in Gainesville next year?
Keith Law: Denaburg has been hurt since I saw him (I think he was hurt that day – I have video of him stepping off the rubber and rolling his shoulders like he was stiff) and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him get to school. Potential top 10 guy for 2021.

Chimmy: Franmil Reyes – fluke?
Keith Law: Every game he has played this year has been in a PCL bandbox: 17 at El Paso, 8 at Las Vegas, 4 at Reno, and 4 at Albuquerque (where he went 11 for 17 with 4 homers).

Brandon: With Jay Groome essentially missing out on the first 2-3 years of his development, how much do you think that will set him back in the long run?
Keith Law: A lot. What a shame. He could come back with all his stuff, but he’ll essentially be 21 with the experience of a HS kid.

Grover: Would you have taken a chance on Harvey if he was completely unwilling to go to the minors and try and sort things out?
Keith Law: Yes.

Bertie Wooster: Did you get a chance to see Nomar Mazara as a prospect? Just a general questions on prospects – when you see a prospect and know he needs to develop in this area or that – do you then check back in after two or three years in the bigs- and see if they’ve made the adjustments?
Keith Law: Yes, saw him at 17 in the AZL. I’m not sure what the second question means … I always keep tabs on ex-prospects who haven’t panned out yet, because I need to think about why not, and if I should still project development for them.

John: Royce Lewis put up decent numbers in low A last year and is now putting up huge numbers. How soon should the Twins look to move him up?
Keith Law: It’s been 20 games. Yes, he’s putting up huge numbers, mostly contact/batting average, but I think it’s awfully early to be moving guys up unless they played half a season or more at that level last year. (FTR, I’m shocked Soto was moved up. He was very good when I saw him, but he didn’t scream “get him to AA” either.)

Paul: Any names connected to Atlanta’s second round pick?
Keith Law: I don’t even bother asking about second round picks or later. No team knows that today.

addoeh: And remember kids, Keith isn’t advocating cutting social studies class for Senior Day.
Keith Law: Yes I am.

TP: Any idea why Kelenic is playing for a travel team rather than a high school team?
Keith Law: I believe it exposes him to some better competition in that Iowa weekend league. I saw him, and that travel team he’s on is better than your typical cold-weather HS team.

Burt Reynolds: Is Sixto Sanchez hype more built around projection than present day skills? Obviously he is still young for his level but I have not seen any stats that stick out saying this kid is a #2 pitcher.
Keith Law: Kid was 96-101 at age 18 last year without much effort and good control, and struck out a man an inning in low-A before he was promoted. How many 18-year-olds can say all of that? Maybe one or two a year?

Marissa : Keith, thanks for the chat. Do you notice anything significant with Conforto’s early struggles or is it too early for Mets fans to panic?
Keith Law: I honestly don’t know to what extent we can point to his shoulder to explain it. I think it’s fair to wonder, but if that’s the case, then does that mean he won’t be right all year or until he takes more time off?

Ron: Who would any team give up the farm for Machado, when he’s there for the taking in 6 months?
Keith Law: If he can turn you from a borderline playoff team into a division winner, sure. If you’re way out of it, or already locked into a division title (likely, at least), then no.

Justin : David Price may have hurt himself playing video games? Big deal, little deal, no deal?
Keith Law: I’m pretty sure I saw that that is not a plausible explanation for this injury.

JR: Has anyone ever recommended “Everything I Never Told you” by Celeste Ng? I just finished and really enjoyed. Think you would like it too – and at just under 300 pages it’s a quick read.
Keith Law: I believe a reader recommended her other novel to me. Just haven’t gotten around to it. I’m currently reading Oscar & Lucinda, which won the Man Booker Prize; it’s good but kind of slow, as I think Carey was trying to write like the British masters of the mid-19th century and he did it too well.

J: I’m about 90% certain Vladdy Jr. will be up with the Jays at the ASB. When do you think Adames gets the call for the Rays?
Keith Law: If you said August 1st I’d say I was with you on Baby Vlad. Adames probably late June.

DH: Is Garrett Hampson good enough to crack the everyday lineup in Colorado?
Keith Law: Maybe … but man, I don’t know if he’s going to have enough power to be an everyday guy.

Kay: Any chance Bart makes it to the Mets?
Keith Law: Right now I would say 10% or less.

Scott: Have you seen Darick Hall? 28 HR last year at low A, already 10 at high A this year and walking more. I can only read the stat line, but the numbers remind me of Ryan Howard in that he’s pretty one-dimensional with a lot of power.
Keith Law: Yes. Older kid without any other tools. He’s nearly 23.

Steve: Do you think Bundy is hurt? Is he tradeable?
Keith Law: I don’t know if he’s hurt, but you don’t try to trade a guy like that after the worst start of his career. If you wanted to trade him three starts ago, sure, but now? Isn’t every other GM going to ask “why are you offering him today?”

Josh: Keith I an electoral question. I’m Liberal as they come, my state senator is a pro-Trump Republican. Problem is the only person running against him not only lacks charisma or political savvy, I have serious doubts about whether he is capable of the job other than being a rubber stamp to whatever the Democratic leadership tells him. We need to flip our State Senate back (this is NY) but I seriously question the candidate’s competence. Nobody else is running as of now, and it seems unlikely anyone else will. What to do?
Keith Law: What’s your other option? This is a problem inherent in our electoral system; other methods may produce better results but are more complex. My state Senator is a moderate Republican, and is competent and very nice (we had a long chat once about a law, which she ended up supporting, banning gay conversion therapy in Delaware), but because our state Senate is 11-10 D-R, we might be better off on some issues, like certain issues of science and the environment, with a less ‘competent’ Democrat. I may decide to vote that way, because it’s one or the other – I don’t get to shop for a better third option.

Grover: How annoying is the hot take narratives criticizing the DOdgers and Yankees for pulling pitchers during no-hitters? No-hitters strike me as special, fun moments, but it’s not like you get an extra win for it.
Keith Law: And there’s no way Buehler was finishing that. You want to make the next Bud Smith?

mike: From “win now” standpoint Vlad Jr. may justify a call up to DH full time with Toronto, however when does a call up make sense developmentally? other consideration is service time/control matter…. When do you think Vlad Jr debuts in Toronto??
Keith Law: They already have the extra year of control. If they want to play the super two game, but lose a month of his production, well, I think that’s just dumb, but teams do it.
Keith Law: (I’m not 100% sure he’s ready, BTW, but if he’s not now, he will be.)

San Cristóbal D.R: Hey Keith big fan .. I used to love Andújar at first but his OBP is way too low.. I think he need to go back to AAA least for now when drury comeback
Keith Law: His OBP and walk rate are too low, but it’s also just a month.

Jor: How far up the Yankees’ prospect list can Jonathan Loaisiga jump if he keeps this up?
Keith Law: With Freicer hurt, Abreu just back from injury, and Adams struggling, Loaisiga might be their 2nd or 3rd best pitching prospect right now. (Medina is in extended, and he’s the ‘maybe’ in there, with Sheffield 1.)

Josh: Thoughts on Fernando Romero thus far? 2 plus pitches?
Keith Law: Yes two plus pitches.

AGirlHasNoName: Why wouldn’t the market for Machado be less than in the last off-season? The packages being discussed seem like an awful lot of value for five months of a guy that can leave afterwards.
Keith Law: The O’s absolutely should have dealt him in the offseason and I said so at the time. The buyer would have gotten a full season of production plus a draft pick.

Eminor3rd: Given that picks 2-6 or so look like they’ll have players of the same “tier,” is it valid, at all, to say that it makes sense to go with a college position player in order to reduce risk?
Keith Law: I’m a little lost on this one. I think those picks will all be college position players. However, I think there are a couple of HS players who might make sense up there – Carter Stewart in particular – but who, for various reasons, aren’t likely to go that high.

Mark: Do you think the balls in play thing is an issue? What’s the fix?
Keith Law: Yes. Raise the bottom of the strike zone (which they did a little last year).

Andy: Why do the Brewers have an AAA team in Colorado Springs. What is there to keep them from taking Beloit, which has a Single A team, and saying, in 2019, this franchise will be our AAA squad and put them in the PCL or IL.
Keith Law: Many minor league teams are independent entities with franchise agreements with their leagues. The owners of Colorado Springs are moving the team to San Antonio after the season, and that move takes the PCL franchise with it. (San Antonio is moving to … Amarillo? Somewhere else in Texas.)

Scott: I have always thought that San Diego should draft college bats early (unless there is an outlier like Gore) and sign FA pitchers. They do not seem to follow this thinking. What are your thoughts on how SD should build their roster?
Keith Law: I don’t think they should force it. If the right college bat isn’t there, don’t do it. And Preller wants upside – at 7 they’re not likely to get a college bat with upside.

JG: What were your thoughts on Altuve as a prospect and a young Major Leaguer? Any inkling he would turn into MVP material?
Keith Law: I thought he’d be a regular. I saw him all of once, at a Futures Game, before his callup, but thought his swing was good and he was very strong for his size. I had no clue he was going to become a plus runner and basestealer and never forecast this power.

Adam Trask: NYT’s Kepner says we should re-examine Ruben’s tenure in Philly, saying he left the club in good shape. What say Klaw?
Keith Law: No, he did not leave the club in good shape, not the major league team and not the farm system.

NYTT: Love how big you’ve been on Bryse Wilson since he hit Rome last year. What’re your thoughts on him? Is he a higher floor/lower ceiling type guy or does he have significant upside in him?
Keith Law: Higher ceiling. Think he could end up a #2.

Timmy: I saw The Florida Project recently. Not trying to ruin it for anybody, but what is your take on the last scene? Is it really make believe – like kids pretending to go “on a safari”?
Keith Law: It’s fantasy. There’s no way that could have been real within the context of the film. It also underscores the dichotomy between the setting of the last scene and the setting of the rest of the movie.

K.C.: Does Newcomb’s use of a change up make him a viable #2-3?
Keith Law: He’s always had a good changeup.

Grover: I know college pitch counts has been a crusade for you (and one I agree with), but how is it that some of the more egregious coaches can continue to get top pitching recruits despite this practice? I have to imagine most of these kids and their parents have dreams of making the major leagues, don’t they recognize that throwing 150 times in a college game is detrimental to that?
Keith Law: The coaches tell the parents they’re the experts and they know what they’re doing, and most parents don’t know any better. How Vasil’s father, an attorney, didn’t lose his mind over the coach burning him for a useless inning of relief two days before his start, or Deason’s parents aren’t seething that their kid went 140 pitches the other day for U of Arizona (#naptime), is beyond me.

Tim: Can you name 5 prospects that are better than Juan Soto?
Keith Law: Yes. Vlad, Eloy, Gore, Tatis, Mejia.

Dave: Does the regression in control for Freicer Perez change your outlook for him at all?
Keith Law: The fact that he’s hurt changes my outlook, at least for now. A bad month doesn’t change my outlook on players without some underlying, systemic explanation.

Yuri: You might have answered this in the past, but who are your go to old school metal bands? Only recently started listening to Judas Priest, Dio, Danzig – and have really been digging them all.
Keith Law: Maiden is kind of the king of that mountain for me, as well as Sabbath. Then it’s more about certain songs, often ones that have some nostalgia value.
Keith Law: For whatever it’s worth, Danzig is more hard rock to me than metal. They dressed like a metal band but their music was never very heavy.

deetee: Most anticipated boardgame of 2018?
Keith Law: Founders of Gloomhaven & Rising Sun come to mind. Some other lesser ones by designers I like (Mercado comes to mind).

Ryan: Can you try to explain what front offices are doing at this moment to prepare for the draft? I’m assuming the fact-finding phase never really ends but at some point they have to be switching into the decision making phase. The whole process is fascinating to me.
Keith Law: Lot of teams doing scout meetings – bring the whole staff to one place to review all the players over 2-3 days – this week or next, before the college conference tournaments.

JR: I’m getting old. The 2008 MLB draft is the first one I really followed and remember (probably thanks in part to your coverage). Seeing some of those names in the re-draft was just depressing. It’s really been 10 years already since those guys were drafted?
Keith Law: I had the same thought. It’s weird to me that I’m now redrafting drafts that happened after I left the Jays.

Evan: Going to Tokyo/Kyoto, any food recs? (not sure if youve been)
Keith Law: Never been, sorry. But I might be in Stockholm in the very near future, so I’m happy to take food or other recs from readers. I’ll have most of an afternoon and evening free before the event I’m going for.

Mike: What kind of reports have you gotten on Jesus Luzardo this season? Is he a top 100 guy for you at this point?
Keith Law: Nothing but positive since spring training. Stuff better, still has great control. He wasn’t far from the 100 this offseason, so with graduations/injuries, it’s fair to say I’d have him on.

Louie: What is a good first step for someone who thinks some kind of medication for anxiety/depression is necessary? Is it best to just be up front with a professional about it and what you think you need or will that seem like you are fishing for prescription?
Keith Law: Talk to your primary care doctor first. SSRIs, the main drugs of choice for treating depression or generalized anxiety disorder, are not drugs of abuse.

Rey: Keith, I’m loving your book. I’m just wondering why you focused on UZR and didn’t speak about DRS in the defense chapter? Is it later in the book?
Keith Law: I have always preferred UZR.

John: What did you think about Soto, Kieboom, and Agustin Monday? You mentioned that Soto ran a 70 to 1st — how does that gibe with the 40/45 speed I’ve seen elsewhere. Thanks!
Keith Law: I have a blog post up on those guys. I don’t know about the 40/45 speed. The stopwatch doesn’t lie – you can’t run like that to first with below-average speed.

Josh: Is it time to worry about Paul Goldschmidt? Under .210 average since 9/1 last year which is over 200 AB and has not had had a month below .230 since his rookie year… he is striking out at an alarming rate ( on pace for 200+) and if you take away his first week and a half of the season, he is not walking as much or taking as many pitches. His bat looks really slow against even just moderately good FB. Thoughts?
Keith Law: So a third of a season. I know I say this over and over, but we’re still talking about a fairly short period of time in the career of a hitter with a long, established track record of all-star performance.

Jimmy R: I have a week long family reunion next week in a big house. There’s 20 of us going, 3 are huge Trump supporters. My brother asked that politics not be brought up. But if we are spending a week together, I don’t see how it’s not; especially with all this crap happening on a daily basis. My plan is to be quiet and not bring it up but I’m wondering what I can do if there’s a huge breaking story that can’t be ignored. What you think?
Keith Law: I wouldn’t go. I’m not staying quiet – all that is necessary for the triumph of evil, and all that – so I’ll bow out.

Kevin Maas: I refuse contact with someone who disagrees with my politics. P.S. I’m so tolerant. -KLaw
Keith Law: Google the “paradox of tolerance.” You might learn something, popper.

Tim: I’m excited about Seranthony Dominguez simply because if his name. Can he pitch? Bullpen the final destination for him?
Keith Law: Legit two plus pitches with pretty good command. Bullpen guy.

Jamie: Seeing how the Astros won it all and have a great future, any regrets not taking that job?
Keith Law: Absolutely not.

QMan: Have you ever considered a full review of MLB stars with rankings? Basically an ageless top 25< 25 with tool grades?
Keith Law: Nope nope nope land of ten thousand nopes.

Scott: I know you said Soto’s approach needs some refinement, but do you think the Nats with this most recent promotion might be hoping that Soto will be ready at some point next year to take over in RF if Harper doesn’t sign? Or do organizations not take stuff like that into consideration?
Keith Law: I’m sure getting him to the majors in the next year, while they’re still good, is part of their thinking.

Nick: What is a realistic outcome for Justus Shefield? Above average MLB starter? More?
Keith Law: Above average major league starter, yes.

Matt: Have you heard any tracks from the new Arctic Monkeys’ album? Any reviews so far?
Keith Law: Tomorrow, right? I haven’t heard anything yet.

QMan: Why is there no grade for batting eye or feel for the zone? As OBP has become so important in the last 15 years why is there kontool associated with it?
Keith Law: There is. I think most teams have it as a box on the scouting report.

Turner Watts: I got some Himalayan salt skewers as a gift for teacher appreciation day. Have you ever used before?
Keith Law: No. I don’t much go for fancy salts – it’s still almost entirely sodium chloride, and few if any people can taste the difference – but salt skewers of any color sound interesting.

Andrew: When you’re scouting a player at a high school game, where do you usually prefer to sit to watch the player?
Keith Law: Behind the plate for a pitcher, then up the line to watch his delivery from the side. For a hitter, I stand to see his open side (see his hands, not his ass).

K.C.: What sort of potential does Bryce Wilson have, and why wasn’t he viewed more highly out of high school?
Keith Law: Bad delivery out of HS. Atlanta cleaned him right up. Answered on his potential above.

JR: Thoughts on sports betting? Do you think it should be legalized and regulated in every state? I live in Vegas and enjoy being able to place the occasional wager (and am fortunate that I have the means to do so).
Keith Law: Yes, it should be legalized, regulated, and taxed. It’s going to happen anyway; better to generate some state revenue from it, and also police potential malfeasance. I think weed should be legalized as well and handled the same way.

Soto Can Hit!: Were you saying you did not think Soto’s approach is ready for AA or MLB this year with regards to the earlier question you answered?
Keith Law: Is not ready for MLB right now.

Kevin: Have you had a chance to see Bichette play this year? Numbers look good still, but I don’t know much about the quality of the league to say anything. Still high on him?
Keith Law: Yes, and yes.

JR: Baseball ceases to exist tomorrow, but ESPN honors your contract and lets you choose which other sport to cover. What sport do you pick?
Keith Law: Lacrosse.

Anthony: Who do you view as being the most likely prospect from your offseason top 100 to come up next? With Mejia’s injury, Senzel’s vertigo, etc., is anyone closer than Adames (possibly) in late June?
Keith Law: Vlad could really come up at any point, although I’m not predicting it just yet. Or Robles, when he returns from the DL.

PD: A lot of the top Pirates draft picks from last year (Baz, Jennings, Uselton) aren’t currently playing in leagues (held back in extended?). Is this a sign of a more conservative organizational approach or does this raise concerns about their current ability?
Keith Law: All in extended. All three HS kids, very young, also probably managing the two pitchers’ innings.

Mike: Nathaniel Lowe has been tearing the cover off the ball in A+. What have you been hearing about him?
Keith Law: Nothing, since he’s an older 1b repeating the level.

Chris: I’ve always loved your redraft columns, do you think you’ll have time to add a 2007 one now that you’re not writing a book?
Keith Law: No, probably not. The editors last year wanted me to redraft 2012, not 2007, but I said it was too soon for that.

Justin : Which of the Pulitzer fiction novels that you read is most accessible for your average reader?
Keith Law: To Kill a Mockingbird or The Yearling.

Steve: how close is Brendan Rodgers to being MLB ready?
Keith Law: I think I’m seeing him Monday, so maybe ask me next chat!

Concerned: Recently got my daughter her first round of shots, and my family was concerned that we didn’t spread them out more. I don’t agree with them, but why are they wrong?
Keith Law: They are wrong because they don’t really understand anything about biology. The human immune system is exposed to thousands of potential pathogens every day, even those of infants or toddlers (who put everything in their mouths). The tiny number of weak or dead viruses in vaccines are a drop in the ocean to our bodies. And thank you for vaccinating, both for taking good care of your daughter and for helping maintain herd immunity for those who can’t be vaccinated.
Keith Law: That’s all for this week – thank you as always for reading. The 2008 draft busts piece will go up on Saturday rather than tomorrow, so please keep an eye out for that as well. As for the next chat, bear with me as I’m not sure yet when it will be. Enjoy your weekends!

My first mock draft for 2018 is now up for Insiders.

Keith Law: Money only pays the rent. Klawchat.

Tyler: I can only scout the stat line, but I’d guess with 9 BB in 11.1 innings that Josh Staumont still hasn’t figured it out? Career minor leaguer?
Keith Law: He’ll get major league opportunities, but the strike-throwing has always been the problem. The delivery is fine, the stuff is plus, the dude can’t throw it over the pointy white thing.

Chase: Do you think it’s a mistake for the Cardinals to have Jordan Hicks as a reliever before ever giving him a chance to start? Seems like they don’t mention him getting a chance like their other young arms that start in the BP.
Keith Law: On the contrary, I like breaking in starters as relievers. Earl Weaver pioneered this, and I’ve never seen any harm in it other than that teams sometimes shoot themselves in the foot by liking a guy so much in relief they forget to start him.

addoeh: How great would it be for Ichiro to retire after getting a couple of at bats when the Mariners play the A’s in Japan next year?
Keith Law: And an inning. There has to be one more inning on the mound before he goes.

BigPapaChuck: How far out are Kyle Wright and Ian Anderson for Atlanta? Could we see them this summer at all, or is 2019 more realistic?
Keith Law: Ian Anderson has a 5+ ERA through 5 starts in high-A. That’s just not a realistic question. Wright is closer and we have seen plenty of starters go from the SEC to the majors inside of 15 months.

Justin R: Who would say no to a 10-year, $300 million extension for Mookie Betts right now?
Keith Law: I don’t think either side would say no; Dombrowski hardly shies away from super-long extensions.

Ben: When is a middling team like the twins considered “done?” It’s probably different for a stacked underachieving team like the Dodgers, but for a team that needed to exceed expectations to make the playoffs and has struggled mightily, is there a certain point where they should look to sell?
Keith Law: In most cases, I’d say wait till Memorial Day before making any serious decisions like that. I would make an exception for the Orioles on Machado – they are not going anywhere this year, in that division, with that pitching staff, and there’s a clear need for Machado on at least one contender. Trading him now vs. June or July could really boost the return in a material way.

addoeh: On a 20-80 scale, how bad of a travel day was yesterday for you? Wake up in a hotel in one city two hours before the sun rises, fly to different part of the country, drive another two hours to see watch prospects, make the two return trip after the game, and a red eye back home.
Keith Law: So for folks who don’t know what my schedule was, I saw Jarred Kelenic in Kenosha, WI, on Wednesday evening (he was good); drove to Midway to stay that night; woke up at 5:10 am CDT to fly to Atlanta; landed an hour late due to weather; drove two hours to Ringgold, Georgia, to see Cole Wilcox (good) vs Kumar Rocker (not); drove back into Atlanta traffic, so probably spent three hours total on the way down, stopping for dinner (Recess at Krog Street Market, which was fantastic); then had my flight home delayed an hour because some part on the jetbridge shorted out and caught fire. I crawled into bed at 2 am ET. I don’t think this is unusual for scouts, so I’m not doing a “woe is me” thing here, but holy shit am I tired.

Dr. Bob: My kids are geeking out over May the Force Be with You day. Do you follow any sci-fi/fantasy stuff? Star Trek? Star Wars? X-Men? Avengers?
Keith Law: Not any more. Loved Star Wars as a kid. Anyway, Happy Cinco de Cuatro!

Larry: The Gorman-Atlanta connection is interesting. What’s your read on his swing and miss, plus chances he stays at third? Can he play corner OF if not?
Keith Law: Lot of swing and miss, but exacerbated this spring by what I think is a new, pull-conscious approach, when the dude should just worry about hitting. He’ll accidentally drop 30 bombs if he hits at all. Right field most likely, but even though he’s not good at third right now, I’d give him at least two years there. Austin Riley was a below-average defender when Atlanta drafted him, worked on it, got in shape, and now he’s at least a 55 defender there (from a 40), maybe even more.

Bret: If you were in Ross Atkins’ shoes, when does Vlad Guerrero Jr. get his first MLB call-up?
Keith Law: August.

Greg: Is Atlanta a legitimate contender for the division title or a wildcard spot?
Keith Law: Probably not, but I’m enjoying watching them anyway. It will be interesting to see if Anthopoulos trades away any prospect depth in July if they’re still in it. They do have some surplus on the pitching side, and guys who may not make their rotation would have value to other clubs.

Sean: What are your thoughts on Joe Gray, Jr? Is he a top 2 round guy?
Keith Law: That’s how I have him ranked.

PJ in JC: Jalen Beeks. A guy or a GUY?
Keith Law: Just a guy, I’m told. I have not seen him.

Jackstradamus: How good do you think Christian Villanueva actually is?
Keith Law: Everyday player, maybe? Not a .660+ SLG guy.

Brian: Before a couple of years ago I don’t remember any position players having Tommy John surgery. Now I can think of at least 4 (Knapp, Torres, Wieters and now Seager). Has something changed about how position players throw?
Keith Law: Craig Wilson, Todd Hundley, John Baker. I think Rocco Baldelli had it. Kyle Blanks. Shin-Soo Choo, but he pitched some as an amateur and threw hard. I think you don’t remember them because they don’t miss as much time.

Prospect Expansion Pack: Have you seen/ heard anything about Luis Robert or Juan Pablo Martinez this spring?
Keith Law: Neither has played.

Jack: Jeter Downs is playing second with Jose Israel Garcia at SS. If Downs moves to a higher level before Garcia, do you think he moves back to short?
Keith Law: Yes, if only for maintaining some flexibility.

Matthew: What is your take on the Braves calling up Bautista today? I think it’s a good move but Braves twitter is not so sure.
Keith Law: Eh. Worth seeing if there’s anything left.

JT: Do you find it exhausting to constantly have to swat at proliferating hate online? I found an old friend online this week, only to discover that he believes in climate denial, racial essentialism and Jordan Peterson. I’m tired.
Keith Law: Yes, but I feel an obligation. I have a sizable platform. I could just use it to promote myself, but I think I should try to use it to do some good in the world.

leprekhan: You mentioned Nolan Gorman as being connected to the Braves in your mock, are there any other names that they have been connected to? How strong of a possibility is Kumar Rocker at #8?
Keith Law: I don’t think there’s any chance they do Rocker there. He’s not good enough, and yesterday didn’t help his chances.

286: What is DL Hall’s ceiling for the Orioles?
Keith Law: Above-average or better big league starter.

Jack: Is Dennis Santana’s changeup a legit enough third pitch to make him a potential #3?
Keith Law: No. Not a starter’s delivery the last time I saw him, either.

Steve: Is Stanton’a slow start just SSS streakiness, or something mechanical?
Keith Law: Homeboy’s slow start is still a .336 wOBA, so it’s more than he has hit for a month the way he hit all of last year. I’m not concerned.

Chris: What’s the deal with Senzel getting pulled from the game yesterday. I really hope this isn’t the vertigo revisiting.
Keith Law: Dizziness, per C. Trent Rosecrans & Guildenstern, Attorneys at I Don’t Make the Lineup.

Travis: Reports are that Cole Wilcox was amazing last night. How high could he go? Have any teams emerged as likely landing spots?
Keith Law: I was there. He was very good; amazing might be pushing it. I had him in the new mock and believe he goes in the top 20 or so picks.

Garrett: Has Ohtani’s hot start at the dish changed your mind at all? He destroys the baseball almost every time he is up. Or is it still too few PA’s?
Keith Law: It’s 55 AB. And no, he doesn’t destroy the baseball almost every time he is up. Good grief.

Chris: I see Gore hasn’t pitched in full action since his first start. Any cause to worry about an injury?
Keith Law: Blister.

Ben G: Hey Keith,

Do you share Mike Rizzo’s belief that Juan Soto has a similar outlook as a prospect to Robles?
Keith Law: Similar upside, yes. Different player. I’ll see him Monday here in Wilmington along with Kieboom.

EricVA: Justus Sheffield to AAA. Can he help the Yankees this year or not until next year?
Keith Law: This year if needed. Wouldn’t object to a relief role to start for him.

Ron Shelton: I think the real-life Nuke LaLoosh has finally arrived and his name is Matt Manning.
Keith Law: Where are the Tigers fans who were extremely mad online when I didn’t rank Manning in my top 100?
Keith Law: FTR, I don’t think the book is closed on Manning, but he had serious control problems last year and didn’t show the same velocity he had in HS.

Todd: Who has a better major league career, Michael Gettys or Buddy Reed?
Keith Law: Neither.

286: Dylan Bundy has had two rough starts in a row. Is that a byproduct of the calcification in his shoulder? How long can he hold up?
Keith Law: No healthy pitcher has ever had two rough starts in a row. I’m so glad you brought this to our attention.

JT: Have you heard of the QAnon nonsense on Twitter and Facebook? Is there any way for those platforms to rid themselves of such obvious misinformation?
Keith Law: Those platforms just don’t do enough to rid themselves of trolls, bots, etc. There’s a Twitter account with a decent following whose profile quotes the Turner Diaries (a notorious anti-Semitic, racist trash novel revered by neo-Nazis). I reported it. They said “no violation.”

Marissa: Hi Keith. I am wondering how much you think Mets fans should buy into Alonso’s numbers and if you think he will/has passed Dom in terms of how highly the Mets look into him as the future 1B.
Keith Law: I answered this last week. I’m a believer.

Adam D.: With the full understanding that it’s way too early to be sure about anything, what level of confidence do you have that Singer is the pick for the Giants at #2? I am not enthusiastic about it, as you might have noticed.
Keith Law: I have heard them with four players; he and Bart are the two most likely, again, given what I’ve heard from #sources.
Keith Law: I share your lack of enthusiasm. I have never understood the fascination with Singer. There are guys with better stuff, and better deliveries, and better command in this draft.

Joe: What makes Lucchesi’s two pitch mix effective (where other starters can’t survive with just two) and do you think he can have long term success with just two pitches?
Keith Law: Hitters do not pick up pitches well at all from him. His release point is extremely consistent.

Jack: What were your grades on Nomar Mazara’s raw and game power as a prospect? The guy looks like he should be hitting 35 a year and he doesn’t hit any cheap bombs, but his overall approach doesn’t always get to the pop.
Keith Law: I don’t do grades any more – people would focus way too much on the numbers and not on the words, and I am not fucking interested in arguing if a player has 60 speed or 65 speed, sorry – but I always thought he’d be a 30-homer guy. He did have plus raw even when young.

Joe: You mocked Gorman to the Braves at 8. Do you think n he is the highest upside power hsbat in draft? And would you take him that high?
Keith Law: He has the most raw power in the draft, period. I would not take him there, because the hit tool really worries me, but that’s not to say this is a bad pick.

1904 MDB: Fernando Tatis JR. starting to catch fire, where does he end the year?
Keith Law: Probably triple-A.

Didier: Do you ever read comics or graphic novels? Any favorites?
Keith Law: No, not a fan.

Dave: Is Bobby Witt Jr someone who could end up being the next “super prospect”, like Harper or Griffey?
Keith Law: I don’t think so. Good prospect, but also just the name you know because of his bloodlines.

Mike: Assuming Josh can play third base, no way the Jays can call up Vlad and stick him at DH……right?
Keith Law: Why not? Vlad was rough at third the last game I saw him, and his bat is clearly going to be ready before his glove.

Roger: If I, a regular old fan, wanted to find out information about a minor leaguer I’m interested in, what’s the best way to find out if he’s a GUY or just a guy? Scouting the stat line is only so helpful.
Keith Law: I write about a few hundred guys every January in the prospect package and then write about more every week, here and on Insider posts.

Jack: I just gave up on Corey Ray. Am I dumb?
Keith Law: Too soon. Plus, you hurt his feelings.

Ryan: While totally aware that Albies can’t sustain this HR pace, is it safe to expect some legit power out of him going further without sacrificing average and OBP?
Keith Law: I guess it depends on “legit;” 20 homers/year? Sure. I’ll buy that.

Archie: I see a lot of Joe Panik in Madrigal, albeit from the other side of the plate and with more speed. Is that a fair comp?
Keith Law: I like Madrigal’s bat a lot more than I liked Panik’s at the same age.

Lilith: What would it realistically take to get MLB to place a 3rd team in the New York area? (either Brooklyn or Newark)
Keith Law: Revoking MLB’s antitrust exemption. I don’t expect that to happen in my lifetime.

Tyler: Hi Keith. Do you think Sonny Gray can get back to his A’s form?
Keith Law: Yes, but they’ll have to change his pitch mix and get him to try to work four-seamers up again.

Satya: How does Casey Mize compare to Kyle Wright as a draft prospect?
Keith Law: Mize is way better.
Keith Law: Wright had size. Mize has better stuff, better command/control.

Moltar: Thanks for chatting, Keith. Your info is always solid so I’m sure it’s motivated, but India to the Mets at 6 was very surprising. Most reports I saw on him had him more sandwich round than top 10. Was this more a function of Bart, Bohm and Madrigal being off the board in your mock? If the Mets are intent on a college bat, do they clearly prefer India to, say, Swaggerty?
Keith Law: Again, this is all based on what I’ve heard from sources in the industry. Nobody in the industry thinks India is a sandwich pick. Swaggerty is barely hitting above .300 in a bad conference where he’s faced almost no quality pitching. I like the profile – CF with some pop, good eye, plus speed – but he has to actually hit, and his swing has slipped a little bit this spring.

Pat D: I just heard Harold Reynolds on WFAN and he said, and I am quoting, “The more pitches you take, the less chance you’re going to walk.” Now, he was trying to say that young guys who are struggling have to prove they can hit because otherwise pitchers will eventually just throw strikes by them. But, much more importantly, COME ON, am I right?
Keith Law: You made several mistakes there, starting with listening to Harold Reynolds on WFAN.

Phillip : Is bringing up Jose Bautista before seeing what you really have in Camargo a mistake?
Keith Law: Camargo isn’t a long-term piece.

John: What’s Fernando Romero’s upside, Wed he was throwing hard and it looked like both the FB and the slider had decent movement.
Keith Law: Top 100 guy for me the last two years. I think mid-rotation starter.

PJ in JC: Follow up on Beeks: does his ability to miss bats suggest he could at least be a weapon in the bullpen?
Keith Law: Yes.

Edward: Tyler Mahle has been striking out hitters at a higher rate in the bigs than any stop before in his career. Has he found another gear or pitch? Or just another sample size situation?
Keith Law: Aren’t strikeouts higher in general in the majors?

Rendall: I’m glad that Facebook has made eliminating fake profiles and fake news part of their new marketing campaign. Meanwhile, my feed continues to be full of it…
Keith Law: Yep. All talk, no action.

Darren: YOu mentioned Jordan Hicks so I’m curious, what would you do with Hader if you were GM? Have him start when Knebel gets back and ramp up his innings to be able to go 6 in the playoffs? If they make it.
Keith Law: I have always had a hard time seeing Hader starting with that arm action. He may truly have more value in this role than he could in 170 innings starting.

Dave in Delaware: Hi, Keith! Are there any players (HS or college) worthy of scouting time or attention in Delaware this year? If so, have you seen them?
Keith Law: I saw one kid, UVA commit, nice player but should go to school. I won’t see the three at Cape Henlopen, just due to distance and that they’re not top 100 guys, but all are d1 commits (UNC, UVA, Liberty) and could be top 100 types in three years.

Jacob: How close is the talent gap between Jarred Kelenic and Connor Scott? Is the difference the lengthy track record that Kelenic possess?
Keith Law: I think Kelenic has shown a lot more at the plate, hitting and especially power.

Josh: What are your thoughts on Matt Klentak? It seems like he’s really struggled with his first two drafts
Keith Law: He doesn’t run the draft; that’s Johnny Almaraz, their scouting director. This is a bit like that tweet I responded to a week ago, where Frank Wren was trying to take credit for Ronald Acuña – no GM sees the $100K kid his international director signs in Venezuela. That’s absurd. I think the Phils’ rebuild is very much on track, and I think it’s fair to say the Phillies have struggled badly with their last few first round picks, even predating Klentak – Cornelius Randolph doesn’t appear like he’ll ever justify going 10th overall, and Moniak and Haseley have been an unnatural disaster in Clearwater (Moniak .218/.231/.257, Haseley .271/.284/.355, a combined 4 walks and 46 K for the two of them).

Gary: Team needs or drafting philosophies notwithstanding, would it be a bad choice to take Madrigal 2nd after Mize? Reading through your mock, it seems like he has the best chance to be a productive big leaguer from the rest of the pool.
Keith Law: I think that’s a high floor and very limited ceiling pick. If you do that, you had better save enough to go well over slot in the second round.

Dave: What position do you think Mountcastle ends up at for Baltimore?
Keith Law: Most likely left field, but I’d keep trying to work on the throwing motion and see if he can stay at third. Dude’s gonna hit, though.

RSO: Is it possible for pitchers to boost their spin rate as much as some of the Astros starters have since coming to Houston, or do you think there is something fishy going on as Trevor Bauer alluded to?
Keith Law: I didn’t like when Bauer appeared to be accusing the Astros without directly saying so. His longer comments – no character limits! – were excellent, though: It is true that adhering something like pine tar to the ball can raise its spin rate, and that it is technically prohibited but scarcely if ever enforced. My understanding is that there are players doing this stuff now, but I don’t know anything at all about team-wide efforts like he implied.

Jax : Has Norris reached the point when a conversion to the bullpen needs to be discussed? Poor guy cannot stay healthy.
Keith Law: Almost none of this has been related to his arm.

Nick: Jonathan India has put up some sexy numbers this season. I’m intrigued by him after you mocked him to the Mets at 6. Do you think that would be a solid pick at 6 and what type of player do you see him becoming?
Keith Law: Very solid pick. Everyday player. I’d send him out as a shortstop, knowing you could always restore him to third or slide him to second.

Jax : I don’t expect Basabe to continue to put up these massive numbers but do you think he’s doing so because he’s repeating High-A? Or because he’s fully healthy now? Or a bit of both?
Keith Law: Almost certainly both.

Matt: Patrick Corbin’s fastball was down 3 MPH last night from his season average. He and Lovullo brushed it off as nothing, but that’s concerning right? How often does a guy lose velocity like that so dramatically and bounce right back to where he was? I honestly don’t know if this is something that happens or if this is an imminent sign of injury.
Keith Law: It’s concerning because it’s happened before. Corbin looks like a #2 at times, but has he ever held that for a full season?

Joe : Hey Keith, love the chats. If you could choose to have the Chapman or Andrew Miller return that the Yanks got back which would you take moving forward?
Keith Law: I think at the time I said I preferred the Miller return. That’s probably still true, but less clear.

Jax : Eric Longenhagen said that Christian Arroyo could possibly have a Solarte type of role and play all over the diamond while hitting fairly well? Would you agree with that assessment?
Keith Law: I’m not sure he’s going to be as good defensively anywhere, but that seems more likely an outcome to me than everyday player at one spot.

Dan: Walker Buehler seemingly has a rotation spot that’s his to lose with the Ryu injury. How has Buehler looked so far this season? Where do you think they’ll cap his innings if he’s pitching well and the team is contending?
Keith Law: Didn’t they give a number before the season, as a rough target? I may be misremembering. Anyway, I would expect them to have him skip a start here or there because he’s never really had a full, healthy season.

Chaya: I know he’s young and it’s still early, but are you concerned at all about Heliot Ramos?
Keith Law: Not just young – he’s 18, younger than some guys in this draft class, and in full-season ball. I didn’t think the huge summer was indicative of stardom, but I also am not jumping off the Golden Gate now after a bad month. This is a big leap for a kid that young who was already a little raw at the plate.

Brett: What do you see as Yordan Alvarez’s ceiling? Does he have all-star upside?
Keith Law: Above-average regular.

Jax : Your Astros sleeper Arauz has more walks than Ks and is hitting for far more power than he ever has while being a teenager in full season ball. Trajectory is certainly pointing way up, no?
Keith Law: Yes it is … as long as he stays off the juice.

Gray: Still no Juan Soto questions? Has Cooperstown started working on his plaque yet? Kid rakes.
Keith Law: Answered a half hour ago. Scroll back.

nelson: What do you think about other sports’ draft coverage? For me, I find stuff like NFL draft coverage to be extremely dull, full of “woo”, and totally mindless. Enjoy your coverage bc it’s based on knowledge you glean from conversations and not just 40 times.
Keith Law: I can’t imagine covering a draft with 15 minutes between picks. I do love that they have trades – our draft would be so much better with that. The NBA’s draft is the best on TV, IMO, because it’s only a few minutes between picks, the players are all there (in their sartorial splendor), and there can still be trades.

RSO: If Gleyber Torres was still in the Cubs organization would Addison Russell or Javier Baez be in danger of losing their jobs?
Keith Law: Yes, Russell more so. He seems to have stalled at the plate.
Keith Law: I’m most concerned with how he isn’t making hard contact like he used to.

Luke (Statesboro, Ga.): Is this the year Jorge Soler figures it out?
Keith Law: It sure looks like he has. He lost a lot of time to injuries, and although I always rated him highly I don’t think I ever projected him to be an OBP monster.

Pat: Hypothetical- If something happened to Mize (injury, bad medicals, whatever), who do you think Detroit would go with at 1-1.
Keith Law: Entirely fair question. My guess is they would shop a deal to 3-4 players, probably including Stewart, Singer, Bart, maybe Liberatore. Most folks I asked for that mock just assumed they’d take Mize, so I’m a little light on other info there.

Sean: How has Cal Quantrill looked so far this season?
Keith Law: What I’ve heard has been good – lot of 92-95, still working on better strikes, has really had just one bat outing out of six.

Ryan: Thanks for chatting Keith. If you are placing the top draft prospects into tiered buckets, at what slots do they move from Tier I to Tier II, Tier II to Tier III, etc?
Keith Law: Mize is in his own tier. I’d reorder that last top 50, with Winn, Bart, and India sliding up and Rocker, Vasil, McClanahan sliding down, and I’d put a line between those groups.
Keith Law: No more word on Vasil’s injury; he may throw a pen this week. It was irresponsible to have him throw an unscheduled relief inning that Saturday, two days before a scheduled start. Scouts were there Monday for the start, not Saturday.

Jim: You were high on Bryse Wilson – think you ranked him Top 60ish in your Top 100 – he’s been great this year. Assuming still a SP prospect for you?
Keith Law: Yep, all signs pointing up.

Craig: Are you doing the usual prospect update in May? Is Yordan Alvarez going to be one of the big risers
Keith Law: 1b only limits his ceiling. My May updates are cursory and usually only include 25 names, with just brief updates on injuries/promotions; I doubt he’d jump that far.

John: How do you think the Nats will approach the draft?
Keith Law: Same as always. They’ll take well-known guys with big upsides. Maybe an injured pitcher who fell.
Keith Law: Hell, it’s worked for them in the past.

JR: Kentucky Derby – interested or hard pass? Personally, I’ve never understood the appeal of horse racing.
Keith Law: I’ll watch. I don’t bet, and I don’t follow the sport. It’s a fun two minutes, though.

Walker: What happened to Jordan Swaggerty?
Keith Law: One g. Blew out and never really made it back.
Keith Law: Threw 26 innings total after TJ, missing all of 2012 and 2014.

Jon: Could vaccine hoaxers actually be harming efforts to find a cause/cure for autism? With so many studies focused on disproving the link between the two, doesn’t that take away from funding and studies that could be used to find a cause/cure?
Keith Law: I think they’re harming societal acceptance of autistic people, who are still more often lumped in with people who have mental disabilities rather than being classed as neurodiverse, as many autistic advocates would like to be.

Nick: What is Trent Grisham at this point? Can he still be an everyday player or better?
Keith Law: He’s on the DL with an ankle sprain right now, so let’s give him some time back at AA.

Jack: Have you watched Matt Boyd at all this year? Thoughts? I vaguely remember you being a fan through his struggles past couple years
Keith Law: Not a fan at all – thought he’d be excessively homer-prone, and he was. This year looks like a stone fluke – his FIP is over 4 and that’s even with a lower than normal HR/9.

JR: Is it time for Lauren Mayberry to thank the other members of Chvrches for the memories and great times and head out on her own? The new record is blah. Feel like she’s peaked with them and it’s time for her to go solo.
Keith Law: I completely agree on this. She has untapped upside. This album is kind of embarrassingly bad – not just blah, but a big step down in lyrical and musical quality.

Ian: So, is Junot Diaz now canceled?
Keith Law: Apparently so.

Ted: I know it’s early but Micker Adolfo off to a great start. He isn’t typically discussed as a top WS prospect but is he making a leap?
Keith Law: I’ve talked him up in their org reports for at least two years – enormous physical tools, but could barely play the sport when he signed. (That’s not an exaggeration.) He might not be a solid big leaguer till he’s 25 but the upside is really huge.

Jeremy: At the same time that Alonso is killing it, has Dom Smith’s stock fallen?
Keith Law: No, but he’s also not helping anyone, himself included, back in triple-A.

Adam: As the young talent on the Padres collectively struggle at the major league level, how many more years does Andy Green get before his seat starts getting warm?
Keith Law: That roster doesn’t have much of that system’s young talent at all.

Joe: What are your thoughts on Sean Reid-Foley?
Keith Law: Saw him two weeks ago. 92-95, but hitters seemed to be on it. Slider was often plus, but it merged with his curveball at lower velocities. Didn’t see a changeup. Off one look, I’d say he needs some third pitch to start – something for lefties, and just to keep righties from sitting on the fastball.

Gil: We can live with a persistent high K rate for Moncada with these types of slugging and wRC+ numbers, right? He seems to be coming into his own.
Keith Law: He has a .414 BABIP. Sure, you could live with that, but has any hitter in history sustained it?

Andy: Re Ghost: They seem to be dropping more of the Satanic things, and just going with a kind of Medieval theme. Also, they are no longer putting as much on the anonymity as Tobias Forge has done interviews out of character about the “band.”
Keith Law: Which is so much better. This is good, fun, throwback metal. Let that speak for itself. The black-metal stuff is at best tired, at worst really offensive (given the church burnings and ties to anti-semitism/xenophobic movements).

Rick: Mets have fallen back to earth. Adrian Gonzalez is still getting at bats. Nimmo can’t get at bats. Is it Callaway or Alderson?
Keith Law: Alderson has the hammer on that.

Dave: Keith, starting see a lot of connections between the A’s and Swaggerty, including your mock draft. Is this more a case of the A’s liking Swaggerty in particular, or the A’s liking a college bat and Swaggerty seems the most likey to fall to #9?
Keith Law: Good college bat who was previously projected to go much higher. There’s a value play in that.

Dave: Keith, do you think Joey Bart can be a middle of the order bat in the majors?
Keith Law: Yes, but in the 4-5-6 sense, not a 2 hitter. High power, low average guy.

Don: Better lawyer, Lionel Hutz or Rudy Giuliani?
Keith Law: Rudy Giuliani is such a bad lawyer, he would have lost a false advertising suit against The Neverending Story.
Keith Law: That’s all for this week – got some life stuff to catch up on before the school day ends. Thank you all for your questions this week and for reading. I expect to be back next Thursday for another chat. Enjoy your weekends and #fyeahbaseball!

My latest Insider post looks at four potential first-round arms for this June’s draft.

Keith Law: Seeing their children caught up in the latest Klawchat.

Mike : Would the Padres have been better off starting Tatis Jr. in high A?
Keith Law: Is this an overreaction to a slow April? No.

J: Is Mitch White hurt? Was trying to locate where he is assigned and what he is doing…?
Keith Law: Yes, he’s in extended.

addoeh: Given your the book you were reading earlier in the week; whose solo career do you prefer, Peter Gabriel or Phil Collins?
Keith Law: I don’t know Gabriel’s work between leaving Genesis and So well enough to answer that.

Megatron: Hey Keith, thanks as always for these chats. My question is about the White Sox double play combo. How are Anderson and Moncada putting up such good numbers (in fWAR, wRC+, OPS, etc.) despite sky high strikeout rates?
Keith Law: Only Moncada’s K rate is sky high, and his .385 BABIP won’t last either. Anderson has a 22% K rate, and he already has more than half as many walks in 2018 as he did in all of 2017 or 2016.

Alex: Per Fangraphs, Javy Baez’s ’17 wRC+ was 98, so far in ’18 he’s at 186 (SSS I know as less than 100 PAs). What’s a realistic full season expectation?
Keith Law: His rate stats are skewed by the 4 IBB he’s received (and only 2 unintentional, which I assume happened because the pitcher sneezed mid-delivery). I think a well above-average wRC+ is reasonable, something in the 120s, driven by power and what appears to be a consistent .330ish BABIP ability.

Dante: What’s the most obscure place you’ve traveled to see a prospect?
Keith Law: Kendallville, Indiana, to see Jarrod Parker; or Baxley, Georgia, to see Byron Buxton. Baxley was 2:40 from Macon, which is itself nearly 2 hours from Atlanta.

Steve Dalkowski: Has Severino made any changes to his delivery (or to his body) that would make you think there’s less chance of a breakdown in the next couple of years than you originally thought?
Keith Law: He has bulked up a lot, but I don’t think we know if that reduces breakdown risk, so I’d say no. Hell, anyone throwing that hard that regularly is probably at a higher than average risk, since one of the few things we know contributes to injury is regularly pitching with high (for you) velocity.

Frank: seems like the Yankees signing machado this offseason to a massive deal wouldn’t make sense anymore given didi, andujar, and gleyber look like long term pieces in the infield. what do you think?
Keith Law: Machado is a clear upgrade over Andujar anyway, so even though I believe Andujar will be at least an average regular, trading him and signing Machado still makes the team better.

Sonny Gray: WTF is wrong with me?
Keith Law: I discussed that with Buster on the podcast today. It might be about pitching style, not injury or stuff.

Grant: Keith, I know you’ve read Hyperion, but have you ready any other Dan Simmons? I’m currently reading The Terror and really enjoying it so far.
Keith Law: No, just Hyperion.

Glen: Andujar has been phenomenal lately, but am I wrong to be concerned he might be Maikel Franco?
Keith Law: Much better approach than Franco at the same age.

Tom F: What’s your take on Adbert Alzolay? Future 3-4 starter potential or bullpen guy in the bigs eventually? Doesn’t seem to have a ton of strikeout stuff
Keith Law: Future 3-4 starter. Reliever in the majors this year.

Mike: Is the third-time-through-the-order penalty just a fancy name for looking at pitch count? Is there anything to suggest that facing the 19th hitter on 70 pitches is harder than facing the 18th hitter (after adjusting for hitter quality of course)?
Keith Law: Yes, the data indicate that both variables are contributing factors: Increasing pitch count and hitter familiarity.

Mike: I feel like most 21-year-olds who put up a .300/.340/.540 line in AAA with 13 HR/18 SB in a half season at a premium position would have gotten a lot more press than Adalberto Mondesi did, probably because he’d already been so bad in the majors and lost his rookie status. Do you think there’s any reason to think he’s just a quad-A player or does he still have a good shot at a career?
Keith Law: More than a 4A guy, but doing that in AAA after you’ve played two months in the majors (and seen MLB pitching) is less impressive or predictive than doing it when you’ve never been above AA.

Darren: Hi Keith,
I would love to hear you discuss Didi and his growth. We knew he had a stellar glove but I dont’ think anyone saw this coming. Following in the footsteps of Jeter was one thing, ridding himself of the defense first guy took work, but now he is looking like one of the best all around players in MLB. Impressive.
Keith Law: Remember when Kevin Towers (RIP) comped him to Jeter, and everyone, myself included, scoffed? Guess Kevin out-scouted us all. I thought Didi had a swing geared for power but nowhere near the strength for it. He’s gotten a lot stronger, and the ball itself has helped him (is it a coincidence that he never hit 10 homers in a season until 2016?). The part that seems even more out-of-nowhere, and that might also indicate that he really is a top ten player in the AL, is that he’s suddenly walking like crazy without any increase in K rate.

BRM: Have you looked at the GenCon event list and if so, what are you looking forward to?
Keith Law: I glanced at it, but haven’t signed up for anything yet because I am finalizing my panel schedule in the writers’ symposium too.

Alex: Are there any San Diego area HS players I should make a point to go see?
Keith Law: Not this year. Only three SoCal prep players on my top 50 – Turang, Winn, McClain.

Greta: Hello Keith. Ever read any Hubert Selby, Jr.? If not, I’d recommend starting with Last Exit to Brooklyn or Requiem for a Dream.
Keith Law: I haven’t, and knowing what little I know about those books, I don’t think I’d like either.

Drew: Do you think the NL East will remain this competitive all season, or do you expect the Nats will begin to dominate the division once Rendon, Eaton, and Murphy return?
Keith Law: I would still pick the Nats to win the division. Dominate is too strong, and it doesn’t really matter if they win by one game or ten.

Kevin S.: In the minors, Tyler Austin’s performance got him on the back end of a couple top-100 lists ahead of the 2013 season, at which point he started suffering some really unfortunate injuries. He made it to the bigs, but struggled in limited playing time. Now that he’s healthy and playing with Bird out, he’s really tearing the cover off the ball. Is this just SSS theater, or is he starting to fulfill that promise he flashed five years ago?
Keith Law: Always loved the swing, wrist injuries killed him, so I’m happy to see this production … but you can’t strike out 1/3 of the time and produce like this over the long haul. Something has to give either way.

Josue: You linked to an article that claimed a white supremacist was running for School Board in North Dakota, but the article failed to provide a shred of evidence. I acknowledge he could actually be a real white supremacist, but why didn’t you link to a better article, if so? It essentially just interviews a few people who say they “heard” he is one and another person says he’s on the SPLC’s website as a white supremacist. With all the blunders of the SPLC, such as labeling muslim activist Maajid Nawaz an Islamophobe, or Ayaan Hirsi Ali an “anti-muslim extremist”, why would any logical person take the word of this organization? Who needs evidence when anyone with a different opinion is a white supremacist though, right?
Keith Law: The evidence is that he ran a neo-Nazi party, helped run Stormfront for nearly a decade and was once the assistant to David Duke. You’re also making a specious claim about the SPLC – if they’re wrong on one or two subjective assessments, you want to throw out all their assessments? That says more about you than about the SPLC.
Keith Law: I guess we know he has your vote, though!

Kay: Justin Dunn has had a much better start to this season – still profile as a potential top end starter?
Keith Law: Yes.

Darren: Hello Keith,
I have been a fan of Ahmed Rosario and any discussion recently has people I chat with suggesting he is a better baseball player than fantasy without an impressive offensive upside. Little strike zone discipline or bad/aggressive approach, average hit tool. I know he is young for a lot of power to come, but what do you see his offensive upside being? What would be a reasonable expectation? Thanks for everything.
Keith Law: I think more than an average hit tool. He’s still young and has the same plus bat speed and physical projection he’s always had.

AJ: Why aren’t more teams willing to “buy” prospects, like Atlanta did taking Arroyo’s contract in order to get Toussaint? It seems that several rebuilding teams (ChiSox, Phillies) had the payroll room to absorb a bad contract in order to further bolster their farm systems. Thanks.
Keith Law: I think teams do this in larger transactions – moving money, taking a bad contract for a good one, taking your long contract for my three one-year deals – but deals like the Touki trade, which was “prospect + contract for org player,” look too much like the straight sale of a player and that would be discouraged by the league.

Rodney: Love your chats! I understand why you don’t like ranking players before they have time in pro ball. Has Griffin Canning played enough to give you a sense of where he ranks among Angels prospects?
Keith Law: I ranked him in January, but four starts/16 innings wouldn’t change that.

Tim: Is Peter Alonso the best 1B in the Mets org right now?
Keith Law: I still think Smith would be fine if the Mets would just play him, but Alonso would be a top 100 prospect now (given some graduations & new looks at him) and I think he’s an above-average regular at least.
Keith Law: Maybe Smith will show up on time if he thinks someone is right behind him…

Andy: Where do you think Gregory Polanco’s ceiling is after his first few seasons in the Majors? He’s frustratingly erratic in his on-field production.
Keith Law: Ceiling? Still All-Star. Dude walks, doesn’t strike out excessively, runs, has power, has bat speed … and has a .200 BABIP. I hate to just point to that one number, but good grief, you almost have to try to be that bad on balls in play.

Jo-Nathan: July 2nd guys have verbal agreements????? Do you think the MLB comes down any other teams for this practice?
Keith Law: No, they don’t care. You can only break the rules that they tell you it’s OK to break. Atlanta broke different rules.
Keith Law: The problem is this system incentivizes such rule-breaking. Don’t be surprised when smart people get creative and try end runs around your idiotic method of limiting payouts to Dominician teenagers.

JJ: Last year, the Cardinals had Carson Kelly on the bench behind Yadi Molina for the season, and he basically never played. This year, it’s Tyler O’Neill, basically doing the same thing. The writers at the St. Louis Post Dispatch insist that the youngsters gain a lot from sitting on the bench of the big league club. Wouldn’t they be better off playing every day in Memphis?
Keith Law: Yes. Or playing even semi-regularly in the majors. But that’s not the Matheny way.

Greg: Was watching Tyson Ross go for a 200 pitch no-hitter last week. When he hit 120 pitches, the announcers said “That matches his career high… set four days ago.” There needs to be a manager ejector seat, right?
Keith Law: They had it wrong. The near no-hitter was on 4/20 (whoa), and his previous outing was 107 pitches on the 13th.

Kay: Was reading about Gsellman taking a spot in the rotation – but he seems really dominant out of the bullpen, throwing harder and looking like he really embraced the new role. Where does he have the most value going forward?
Keith Law: I’d try him as a starter again.

Moncada: You said my .385 BABIP won’t last- which I agree with. But my batted ball stats and exit velocity do suggest that I am capable of sustaining an above average BABIP, right?
Keith Law: Yes, as would simply seeing the bat speed and hand strength. But that K rate is a huge limiting factor, and probably isn’t going down without major swing changes.

Adam D.: Any early buzz about who the Giants might take at #2? I would like to see an upside play like Stewart, but it seems like the general strength of the college players near the top, combined with their refusal to play the rebuilding game makes them likely to go that route. Thoughts?
Keith Law: The current buzz is that all or at least five of the top six picks will likely be college guys. I wouldn’t rule out Stewart – Dick Tidrow, whose opinion really matters in the Giants’ draft room, saw Stewart’s best outing – but I could see the picks going Mize (1), McClanahan, Bart, Bohm, Madrigal, India, or something similar to that. Bart could go anywhere from 2 to 9, Madrigal maybe 5-9, Bohm 3-6. Mize is atop just about everyone’s boards, even guys who don’t like the delivery.

Jo-Nathan: Luke Heimlich’s numbers are way down from a year ago; Think any team drafts or signs him? If yes is this something potential teammates will/can deal with (I couldn’t imagine being this guy’s teammate or worse roommate on the road)?
Keith Law: At this point, I don’t think so, and I certainly hope not.

Teoscar: I should be playing everyday over Grichuk correct?
Keith Law: I think so.

MittyShorph: Keith, I’ve seen see talk about certain college programs that hurt player’s futures with their abuse of pitchers, odd philosophies, etc. If you were advising a high school senior who could go anywhere and play what programs would you suggest?
Keith Law: I do think the tide is shifting, gradually, as we see programs like Florida and Vanderbilt win with good pitching yet without overusing pitchers in general. They’ve recruited better, and built deep staffs relative to most schools. The reign of the College Coaching Axis of Evil – Graham, Marquess, and the late Garrido – is also coming to an end. But we do still see stupid stuff like UConn blowing out Anthony Kay two years ago. And HS coaches have less accountability. Two days before Mike Vasil walked off the mound holding his elbow, he threw an unscheduled, 20-pitch relief inning. How does that benefit him? It’s not like there were scouts there to see him.

addoeh: Going to Kenosha to scout Kelenic anytime soon?
Keith Law: He plays on a travel team so he’s not necessarily in Kenosha but yes, I’ll go see him in the next 2-3 weeks.

Amy: If Betts and Harper were on the market at the same time, who would receive a bigger contract? Let’s assume both have years like they’re on track for now.
Keith Law: I think Harper. No knock on Betts, though. Both tremendous talents, but Harper has shown he can do even more when he’s healthy.

JJ: I’m assuming this is Jackie Bradley (Junior!)’s last year in Boston — great glove, but he’s a mediocre bat, and about to make the big bucks in arbitration. Who’s better suited for center field in 2019: Benintendi or Betts?
Keith Law: Both can play it. I would guess Betts.

Tommy: Taillon ever be consistent enough to be a true #2 starter?
Keith Law: Yes. Also, is consistency required to be a #2? I’ll take 22 great starts and 8 bad ones.

Tom: When will we be able to gauge the effect of the humidor in Arizona?
Keith Law: Better question for guys who really work directly with the data, but I’d guess two years?

MikeM: Has Jawuan Harris of Rutgers come up in any of your draft scouting? If so what round in the draft is he likely to go in?
Keith Law: He has not.

Matt : I’ve recently started playing Ticket to Ride. Is there enough variation in game play between the editions (Europe/Africa/etc) to warrant purchasing a new one beyond the NA version?
Keith Law: Europe adds three important rule changes (ferries, stations, and tunnels) without changing the core game. Beyond that, you either get significant rules changes (UK, France, Pennsylvania), or just weird boards (Nordics, Switzerland).
Keith Law: Holy crap Albies just homered again.
Keith Law: Albies had 22 homers in pro ball before this year and has 8 in four weeks.

Chris: Do you think Sheldon Neuse has the athleticism and arm to be a average defensive corner outfielder?
Keith Law: I would not move him off the infield. It would reduce his value too much.

Matt : Wife and I are headed to Houston for the 1st time. Any restaurant recommendations?
Keith Law: Been a few years for me. I liked Underbelly a lot. Oxheart shows up on a lot of best of the US lists, but you have to get a reservation well in advance.

Tommy: Chances Julio Urias ever becomes a relevant starting pitcher?
Keith Law: I don’t think any pitcher has come all the way back from that surgery. It’s usually a career-ender.

Kevin: Would Matz be better served as a long reliever? Stuff is there but not for long…
Keith Law: I’d like to see him in a swing role. Shoot for 120 or so innings a year. That role needs to come back, for every team, or we’re going to end up with nine-man bullpens.

Thomas: You mentioned in a recent draft blog that there just aren’t many players as small as Madrigal in the majors. Just curious – how does he compare to Nick Allen, who was thought as a first round talent but slipped due to concerns about his size? Do they have comparable skill sets?
Keith Law: Allen can play shortstop, and well, and I think he’s a better runner than Madrigal. Madrigal plays second, even now, but I know several directors & cross-checkers who think he has the best hit tool in this draft.

Mat Ji: Do you have a favorite quick weeknight dinner that you find yourself making often?
Keith Law: A few. There’s a pad thai recipe in Isa Does It!, a vegan cookbook, that I like to make because it comes together fast … but I usually add egg and/or chicken. I’ll eat tofu, but my daughter, who is an adventurous eater in general, doesn’t care for it.

Chris: How should the Cards handle Kelly and Knizner?
Keith Law: Knizner is another reason Kelly needs to play regularly – or be traded in a big package for someone else. Buster threw out the idea, which has a negative percent change of happening, that the Giants should deal Bumgarner. If that were to come true, the Cards should call and offer Kelly and one of their young SP prospects and at least one of their top OF prospects.
Keith Law: And that’s probably not enough but it would fit for both teams.

Adam: Buxton finished really strong last year yet started this year still in the 8 hole. When healthy will he be given teh chance to put that speed to work near the top of the lineup?
Keith Law: I assume 1) when he’s off the DL and 2) starts hitting well, he’ll move up. I doubt this is permanent.

Len: With Atlanta not having a 3rd round pick, how would that impact their approach to their first two picks, if at all?
Keith Law: Shaves some $ off their draft pool and makes it harder for them to target an over-slot guy in the third round anyway. I doubt it’ll be noticeable to the average Braves fan, but it might mean missing out on a prep arm they liked in that 3rd-4th round range.

Mike: I could be wrong but I don’t remember you writing up Franchy Cordero in the past as his recent promotion didn’t ring a bell. What do you think his future holds?
Keith Law: I’ve written him up a few times. Power and athleticism with a poor approach, especially breaking ball recognition. Maybe a great fourth OF type if the approach doesn’t improve. I’m glad he’s at least getting some AB now, though. El Paso wouldn’t prove much for him.

Steve K: Colton Welker the real deal?
Keith Law: I think he can hit some, but Lancaster is an insane hitter’s park and he’s been atrocious on the road this year, so I think the answer, if you’re looking just at his stat line, is no.
Keith Law: This is a Rockies problem – Asheville (low-A), Lancaster (high-A), and Albuquerque (AAA) are all great hitters’ parks. Tough to tell what’s real for hitters and which pitchers are developing despite their environments.

Sean: How much additional noise do you think the bad early season weather has added to the usual small sample size randomness?
Keith Law: I think it’s affected a lot of players, hitters and pitchers, majors and minors. I’ve talked to players and coaches who at least believe it has affected them or their charges. Hard to, say, throw a plus breaking ball if you’re struggling to feel your fingertips.

Matt: Hi Keith, anything you notice on film as a cause for Taillon’s recent struggles? Velocity and strike rate seem fine — is he living in the zone *too much*, possibly?
Keith Law: Three great outings, two bad ones. I don’t see that as any particular cause for concern.

Steve: Yawkey Way getting changed due to less than absolute evidence of racism by Tom Yawkey? Overreaction to a family that has donated 100s of millions to Boston charities?
Keith Law: The Red Sox were the last of the original clubs to integrate. That’s evidence enough, dude. Also, it’s a fucking street name.

Adam: Now that Chief Wahoo is gone, can we shift our attention back to the Braves and start asking questions about the appropriateness of the Padres nickname as well?
Keith Law: Chief Wahoo is not gone, and “asking questions” about the Padres is troll behavior.

Zac: Is Gleyber Torres a 30 homerun guy?
Keith Law: Isn’t everyone?
Keith Law: I think he’s a high-average guy but maybe 15-20 HR power. He can hit – swing, recognition, two-strike approach, it’s all there.

Charlie: Is #1 starter still Newcomb’s ceiling if he continues to throw in the low 90’s? He is walking less but does not have the overpowering fastball.
Keith Law: This tweet aged very poorly in the five minutes since you submitted it. And no, I don’t think Newcomb really has the command or even control for that. I don’t think I ever thought he had #1 ceiling, but could be remembering wrong.

Anthony: I saw Zach Lowther at Aberdeen last year and have been monitoring him at Delmarva. Is he a guy to keep an eye on or will the lack of velocity catch up with him at the higher levels?
Keith Law: Huge extension and spin on the fastball. Hitters don’t see it. Ceiling is limited but he is something.

Joe: Keith, you’ve done a good job of educating your readers about the pitfalls of putting too much stock in short sample sizes. At the same time, early knowledge of whether a player has lost or gained a step can provide strategic advantages. How do you strike the appropriate balance?
Keith Law: That’s what scouting, and now Statcast data, can provide, at least for teams.

Amy: Wait, you think Kelly to SF? And Buster to…1B? With Belt traded?
Keith Law: The Giants are heavy on Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart, which would imply a Posey position switch (I can’t believe they would ever trade him). That doesn’t seem to leave a place for Belt, does it?

Ryan Backster : Freddy Peralta. Still meh on him?
Keith Law: Meh is strong. Doesn’t have a big ceiling. Pitching *very* well in AAA, two good home starts in unfriendly Colorado Springs, which I like to see, at least.

Steve: Odds Vladdy Jr is up this year?
Keith Law: I may have said this before, but strongly believe he will debut in Toronto this year. I’d put money on that.

Jesus Sanchez: Am I the top prospect in the Rays system at the end of the year and am I the top OF prospect in baseball as well?
Keith Law: Maybe, and no.

Robbie: Keith how do you reconcile wanting to be right coinciding with certain players failing? I don’t think you would ever necessarily want players to fail, but you are where you are because you are good at evaluating players and I’m sure you want to be right more than not.
Keith Law: I don’t root against players. I may joke about it a little but I can’t do that. Any prospect, no matter who it is, is a kid pursuing his dream. What kind of evil SOB would root against that?

Mike B: Have you seen anything in Corey Ray’s start that makes you think he’s turning a corner this year? I’ve heard he finally had a healthy offseason which may lead to better results.
Keith Law: He’s 2 for his last 30 and has a .301 OBP on the year. Yes, SSS, but he hasn’t turned a corner.

Mac: Have Madrigal and Kelenic moved up draft boards simply by not playing? How much recency bias occurs at the top of the draft?
Keith Law: I’ve joked about that – the best thing to do this spring has been to not play. Kelenic is playing now, though; his standing may be a function of last summer/fall, though, since the pitching he’s seeing this spring is not good.
Keith Law: Acuna is getting all the hits, BTW.

Carlton: What was your initial projection for Degrom? Looking through your old ranks and don’t see him anywhere.
Keith Law: He made my Mets top 10 one year before he debuted. At some point after that he went from a four-seamer to whatever he calls it now, with more life/sink than it ever had befoer.
Keith Law: I never saw him before his debut, which I saw on TV while in Bristol.

parlay: Hunter Harvey ceiling?
Keith Law: If healthy, #1 starter. Has not stayed healthy, and I don’t love the cross-body delivery.
Keith Law: That was foul? (referring to Dansby)

Jax : Not just basing this on his hot start but Grandal getting a Russell Martin type of contract next winter seems likely, yes? Or do you think he would get even more?
Keith Law: I think less, as he’s not the kind of defensive catcher teams seem to favor right now.

Joey: How different is Lewis Brinson now compared to Michael A taylor back when he broke into MLB?
Keith Law: Brinson’s got more whip in his swing and I think both more raw power and a better chance to hit for a decent average.

Joe : Any new names connected with the Braves in the draft? Could Vasil with their second pick be a possibility after his injury?
Keith Law: That’s a situation where them losing the money associated with pick 3 might hurt them. It’ll be hard to go over in the second round. I also think vasil, even hurt, could go before that.

Ryan: What is Cavan Biggio’s ceiling? Can he be a big league regular?
Keith Law: Doubtful.

Justin R: Are no-hitters any real measure of skill? Or largely fluky?
Keith Law: Fluky. Super fun, but not meaningful.

Josh: Tyler Austin and Mac Williamson are two bats that have caught my eye lately. Do you feel they are legit and will be mainstay contributors for the next several years?
Keith Law: Likely no for both.

Michael: Given Josh Hader’s dominance as a reliever, should the Brewers even consider giving him a chance to start in the future?
Keith Law: I think this is the right role for him. He might be OK as a starter but not dominant like he has been/will be in relief.

Ben: Keith, have you played Dead of Winter,
Keith Law: I have not.

Ron: Gleyber is long term 2nd baseman in majors?
Keith Law: He can play shortstop. But they have Honus Wagner over there right now so second base seems fine.

Jon: Given the increase in strikeout rates in current baseball, do you still enjoy baseball as much as earlier in your life?
Keith Law: I consume baseball so differently now that it’s not a fair comparison. I do not think the high-K/high-HR environment is as aesthetically pleasing a product, though. Stolen bases are fun, dammit.

Ben: I’m fascinated by the scouting miss on Aaron Judge even as he got to the upper levels of the minors. Do you think this has changed anything in the scouting world? And what present grades would you put on Judge now?
Keith Law: Whose miss? He was in my top 40 for 3 straight years, I think.

Dd: If/when the Orioles decide to cash out, should Bundy be made available? if yes, would he bring much in return considering health concerns?
Keith Law: They should try it, but I expect him to fetch maybe 50 cents on the dollar because of health concerns, esp around the shoulder.

Nick: Excited that you’re coming to Politics and Prose in DC. Are there any pet peeves to avoid when meeting you and making a book signing request ?
Keith Law: As long as you respect the time of others in line, no, not at all. I’m happy to chat, sign, take a picture, answer your questions, or take your restaurant advice.

Brett: I remember you talking about Taijuan Walker’s delivery and how you were not a fan of his change in delivery to more upright. Any chance that led to TJ?
Keith Law: It’s possible but there was a long lag in between. Tyler Skaggs did the same, but he blew out within a year.

Adam: Dansby just got screwed because of a bad call followed by lack of camera angles
Keith Law: I legit don’t understand how that could have been foul.

Ben: Not a question, but if you haven’t been to Vedge in Philadelphia you should try it at some point. It’s too expensive, but by far best vegan food I’ve ever had. Really amazing cookery.
Keith Law: I haven’t been but would love to try it at some point.

Bud Smith: Fluky? How dare you undermine my no-hitter! Nerd.
Keith Law: Jose Jimenez on line two for you, Mr. Smith.

GIO: Dustin Pedroia was another super small college infielder that some thought was too small for pro ball. How does Madrigal compare to him coming out of college? Similar skill sets?
Keith Law: That’s a bit of revisionism. Pedroia was a shortstop who couldn’t stay there, and who swung uphill to an extent that very few big leaguers then or now do. His size didn’t help him. He was also a 40 runner, and that didn’t help him. Hell, he was balding at 21, which probably didn’t help him. I never saw him as an amateur, but I know our scouts in Toronto were lukewarm, and we had him more in the fourth round than second (where Boston took him). Madrigal is tiny – he’s listed at 5’7″ and around my weight, which, well, look at me and tell me if I look like a big leaguer – but he’s not that unconventional.
Keith Law: OK, that seems like a great question to wrap this up. Thanks as always for reading & for your questions. I am tentatively planning a mock draft for Thursday, since we’re only about five weeks out, and will try to chat around that even if I’m traveling. Enjoy your weekends and Acuña Matata!

My updated ranking of the top 50 prospects for this year’s draft is now up for Insiders.

Keith Law: All kinds of mind distortion. Klawchat.

NV: Hello Keith, where in your current top 100 prospect list would you slot Bohm & Madrigal? Thanks!
Keith Law: I really don’t like ranking guys until they’ve played somewhere in pro ball; before then, I tend to be very conservative with rankings, because we have no performance data and pro scouts haven’t seen them. I don’t think either guy would be a top 50 prospect in the pros right now. Madrigal suffers from a terrible lack of comparably-sized players in the majors.

chito: Who would be the better player 5 years from now…albies or swanson?
Keith Law: Probably Swanson, as the sure shortstop. Both are good. I haven’t heard from Atlanta fans who were killing Swanson last fall lately.

Brady: I know it’s been only 4 starts, but Jose Berrios has been absolutely filthy so far. Is it likely he’s taken the next step and will be the #1 type starter the Twins have been looking for since Johan left?
Keith Law: His stuff doesn’t seem to be any different; he’s had an extraordinary rate of generating popups, which can be a skill (but maybe not to that extreme), and of keeping flyballs in the park, which is sometimes a skill but rarely. So I think there’s some regression coming here.

Tony: Hey Keith, I’m someone who wishes they read more but truthfully barely reads. Currently, I’m thinking through how to best build it as a part of my routine. How many days and for roughly how long would you suggest in read per week? Thanks
Keith Law: I read every day, at least an hour. That is probably too extreme for most people, but I greatly enjoy reading and it works for me like meditation (keeping me focused and present). Find material you like, and see how long you can read without feeling distracted or like you want to run screaming into the street.

Kruker: Hey Keith…always appreciate your thoughts on prospects. Have you seen Blake Rutherford hit this year in person? Stats read well so far – 7 2Bs and a decent SLG. But he had issues last season making consistent hard contact. Can you project him as an MLBer or think of an MLB comp for him?
Keith Law: It’s ten games.

Brian J: Big 2, or SSS? BOS/HOU: 27 – 9. NYY/CLE/WAS/CHC/LA: 41-42
Keith Law: SSS.

Kruker: Is Teoscar’s surge just a fling? Also, what do you think of the name Teoscar for a baby
Keith Law: It’s 20 PA. But Teoscar was on my preseason breakout candidates list, so I was already optimistic about him producing more this year.

fhqwgads: Can someone from the A’s please get a clip of Homestar Runner saying: “Matt Olson… or Matt Chapman?”
Keith Law: That works shockingly well. #cerebellum’d

Saul: I know it’s a sss, but Reggie Lawson seems to be pitching well @Lake Elsinore- lower walk totals. Still an under the radar prospect for SD?
Keith Law: Never under the radar – he was a potential first rounder after his junior year & summer, and I wrote about a month ago about how good he looked in spring training.

Sam: Of the three current NL division leaders (Mets, Pirates, D-Backs), which do you think is most likely to win their division?
Keith Law: If you give me odds on four choices – Mets, Pirates, Dbacks, or none – I would still bet on ‘none.’ But I would bet at least one of those four teams makes the playoffs.

Ben: It’s only 4 starts, but when someone like Gerrit Cole switches teams and immediately becomes better than he ever has been, do we assume the new team knows something the old team didn’t? In your experience, do teams target players that they believe other teams aren’t using properly and/or they can quickly make better. I.e. a mechanical change
Keith Law: I think that’s exactly what happened here. It seems like the Astros told him, you’re not a groundball pitcher, stop throwing two-seamers, just attack with four-seamers up and sliders down. His flyball rate has soared, but so have a bunch of positive indicators, even without a real change in stuff quality.

Jim: How close were the W-S Dash to making your most stacked minor league team list? It would have helped to have Burger and Robert on the opening day roster, but if Rutherford and Basabe bounce back, and Adolfo continues to improve they might have 3 OFs who play in the majors.
Keith Law: Not close at all.

Ricardo: What was Price doing wrong as Reds manager?
Keith Law: He’s definitely the reason the pitching staff had a 5+ ERA and the offense has a sub-.300 OBP. It’s totally him.

addoeh: If the Marlins are going to claim they are a British Virgin Islands company to avoid paying the city of Miami money they are owed, shouldn’t they also play a few games there?
Keith Law: I’m volunteering to cover that series.
Keith Law: Also, I love that Marlins Man flew there and found their “office” is just one of those stores where you rent a mailbox.

PJ: The Reds are focused on developing players, not winning games. What players have developed on Price’s watch? Obviously not all on the mgr, but Hamilton, Peraza, Stephenson, Lorenzen, DeScalfani… nada. Iglesias as SP didn’t get a chance. As a Reds fan, I’m 100% ok with the firing. I think you should be too.
Keith Law: Iglesias couldn’t start. Who among those players you listed should have been much better? Stephenson, yes, but he started to run into trouble in AAA, before Price ever touched him. Lorenzen was never going to be a starter. Hamilton has always had trouble making decent contact – but he has become an elite CF under Price. (I’m not giving Price credit there, but it happened.) DeSclafani gave them 300 above-average innings before he got hurt. Winker only has about 60 big league games, but he’s done well on the whole. Suarez came over and turned into a great player. I am not seeing this track record of failed development that you are. And, again, there is nothing true today about Price’s tenure that was not also true on November 1st, when the Reds could have gone out there and hired the best available manager on the market.

Dante: Anthony Rizzo thinks there are too many games in the MLB season. There is no way the league lowers the number of games any time soon, right?
Keith Law: Games are money. If the union fights for a shorter schedule, MLB will insist on steering less money to players. That is not a tradeoff the union should make right now.

Dave: I know that you hold no illusions about the reality of climate change. I was just curious if you have looked into solar panels at your place of residence or an electric car and why/why not you have gone that route. Just interested in your perspective. Thanks.
Keith Law: I have driven a hybrid for years now. I have looked at solar panels, but the up front cash outlay has deterred me – among other things, I have a daughter who’s a few years from college.

Sally fan: The Delmarva Shorebirds have an incredibly strong rotation. But for the higher round college arms (and Bishop) what’s to be gained by keeping them at lo A? Shouldn’t a high round college arm be expected to start at Hi A?
Keith Law: Bishop didn’t pitch at all last spring in college, which is part of why he’s an Oriole today. Lowther could probably have started with Frederick, but the Keys have a couple of guys in their rotation now who are on that starter/reliever bubble and I assume the O’s were giving them that last shot before replacing them. I’d be surprised if the Shorebirds still have this rotation on June 1st.

PJ: Shane Bieber… 20 IP, 0 ER, 0 BB, 23 K’s. Are the scouting reports as strong as the results? If nothing else, I have to think he’s ready for AAA. Right?
Keith Law: Ready for AAA, yes. It’s not great stuff, it’s a lot of average, with ++ control.

Bored Lawyer, Esq. : At what point does a slow/bad start get concerning? If Lutz and Jhailyn Ortiz (for example) are still struggling to make contact in 25 games, is concern valid? 50 games?
Keith Law: Both play at 19 this year; Ortiz won’t turn 20 until November. So I’d say no number of games will concern me with those two. And it is fucking FREEZING in the northeast and upper midwest.

Andrew: Buddy Reed is in fuego. Which of these three prospects ends up contributing the most for the Padres? Buddy Reed, Franchy Cordero, or Michael Gettys?
Keith Law: Buddy Reed is a 23-year-old in high-A in a great hitters’ environment. Cordero is the only one of those three I’d call a prospect.

Frank: What’s STL going to do with all the outfield surplus? Feels like Bader and Oneil deserve an everyday job somewhere. What do you think?
Keith Law: There has to be a trade at some point. They’re going to have a need – rotation, I’d guess – and they have the parts to go get pretty much anyone.

Nate (in Seattle): Klaw, thanks for the mlb draft primer. Wondering what you take on Corey Ray’s start. Is it SSS or living up to previous promise?
Keith Law: I know he’s gone back to a small stride/tap to get his weight transferred again, so that’s a big positive; I thought that was the #1 difference from college when I saw him last year. Curiosity in his stats: In the first four games of the season, all vs montgomery, he punched out 10 times and went 4 for 18. Since then in ten games, he’s punched out just 5 times, and is hitting .410/.425/.667.

Rob: Kohl Stewart has put up K numbers in his first two starts that he hasn’t shown in pro ball yet. Being left available for the Rule 5 and being passed over by everyone light a fire, or some sort of adjustment?
Keith Law: Or he faced an atrocious Birmingham lineup and struck out 9 guys in 5 innings because they’re terrible.
Keith Law: I mean, here’s . Courtney Hawkins and Keon Barnum each had the golden sombrero.

Dante: I’ve heard Nick Madrigal is being considered by the Phillies. Does he remind you at all of Scott Kingery based on his tools? Any word on his makeup?
Keith Law: Madrigal is in the mix for a bunch of teams up top – I don’t think he’d get past the A’s – and the Phillies are sort of on everyone except Swaggerty (can’t do yet another CF, right?). Kingery is substantially stronger than Madrigal.

Chris: Would cutting Reyes and bringing up Cecchini or Guillorme be worse for their individual development? Or is there not much left to prove for those guys?
Keith Law: Cutting Reyes makes the team better AND opens a spot for someone younger. Guillorme would also give them an elite defender at short for when Rosario doesn’t play.

Kevin: Thanks for the rankings, Keith. Curious if you heard what the White Sox are thinking at 4? Best player, arm, bat? What would you do if you were in their position with the stable of young arms and outfielders they already have in the minors?
Keith Law: Other than a few random connections – A’s with Bart, Reds with Singer, Mariners with Xavier Edwards – there isn’t much out there because no one really knows what teams up top, including Detroit, are doing, and because players/advisers mostly haven’t put bonus expectations out there. I don’t believe the White Sox would take a prep arm at 4, though. My answer for what I would do for every team is best player available, always and forever, amen.

Bucs666: Mr. Law, how signable is Kumar Rocker. I know that he is committed to Vanderbilt, but I was hoping that the Pirates would have a shot at him. Thank you.
Keith Law: I believe he is signable where he’s going to be drafted.

Craig: Scouting question. Brent Suter has shown that he is at least a mediocre MLB pitcher and possibly more. He doesn’t throw hard and none of his pitches are amazing, he just mixes and matches pretty effectively. He was a college senior draftee and I am pretty sure that guys like him are a dime/dozen and most top out around AA. When scouting a guy like him in college, is there anything you can look for to see a future major leaguer or is it just pretty much luck?
Keith Law: I don’t think it’s all luck, but he’s a lefty throwing in the mid 80s with some deception and good control. Those guys are a dime a dozen, because they tend not to pitch very well in the majors (and I don’t think Suter is anything more than an up-and-down guy).

Jed: Has the quality of this year’s draft diminished in your mind after seeing most of the top guys fail to meet what was expected of them coming into the spring?
Keith Law: I think it is as deep as I thought in February, but the top ten is worse than I thought it would be.

Andy: I watched the Red Sox- Yankees fight. The commisioner should know that fighting on the field is a HUGE delay. If you want to speed up the game, suspend anyone who charges the mound 25 games. Managers who argue calls after replay? 10 game suspension. Those are pace of play things that I can get behind.
Keith Law: And the guys running in from the bullpen like the Kool-Aid guy? Come on. I agree – baseball fights are stupid, and when one happens at a game where I’m in the stands, that’s generally when I pull a book out of my bag, because I’ll probably get a chapter or so in before they’re done.

Garrett: Keith you mentioned in a write up at the end of Spring Training that Austin Riley might have a grade higher of power than you previously thought. Have you seen/heard anything else to change your opinion on his other tools? I know you have had questions about his bat speed in the past
Keith Law: Still do. I doubt the .500 BABIP is going to last. He has really done a great job with his body, though – if he’d looked like this in high school, he probably would have slipped into the first round as a two-way guy who showed more athleticism. (Not relevant now, but I wonder if he would have been a better prospect on the mound too with this physique.) He deserves a lot of credit for transforming his body like he has.

Joe: Keith, I saw the Tampa Yankees in Fort Myers last week. Two guys caught my eye, Jonathan Loaisiga and Isiah Gilliam. You have written about Loaisia before, but what kind of prospect is Gilliam?
Keith Law: Tools guy who never hit, not really even in HS. 36% K rate so far this year.

Joe: Keith, could Nick Decker out of New Jersey be a day one pick?
Keith Law: I expect that he will.

Marc: Is Kopech ready for the show or do they need to give him a couple more months to refine command?
Keith Law: I may have answered this two weeks ago – I think his stuff is ready, and he’ll miss a lot of bats, but walk more guys than you’d like, and that’s part of his development.

Kevin: How far from the big leagues is Casey Mize?
Keith Law: If healthy, and we assume he doesn’t pitch at all this summer, I’d say by the All-Star Break next year.

Scott: Mac Williamson changed his swing with the help of Justin Turner’s swing coach. He hit well in spring training and is on fire in AAA so far. Do you think he can be a solid regular in the majors?
Keith Law: I think a fringe regular – bat speed has never been very good, always a power over hit type, with some athleticism and the ability to play that difficult RF in San Francisco.

Lilith: Are teams drafting in the top 5 going to be more cautious about drafting Madrigal because of his injury?
Keith Law: Doesn’t sound like it. He may be moving up relative to other college bats because so many of them are underperforming while he’s out.

Matt: How excited should Phillies fans be about the foursome of Sixto/JoJo/Ranger/Adonis? Because the names alone are enough to make me dizzy.
Keith Law: I saw a bad Ranger start, although it was 40 degrees at first pitch. I’m hoping to see him again on Saturday vs New Hampshire. Anyway, yeah, that’s a good group. Kilome belongs in the same discussion.

Jacob: What kind of tools does Jarred Kelenic possess? I am trying to understand what kind of upside he could have and having difficulty.
Keith Law: So is everyone else, since he’s played something like two games outdoors so far. I don’t believe he has any 70 tools, but it’s a lot of above average – hit, field, throw, run – and the potential for above-average power.

Marc: Given the current prospect mix for the White Sox, what area would you target at #4?
Keith Law: Best. Player. Available.
Keith Law: You don’t draft based on what you have, unless you really, really want to be unemployed. You take the best guy out there and figure out the fit later.

Tommy: How long until we see Juan Soto somewhere other than Hagerstown? This guy rakes.
Keith Law: He only played about a month there last year. I’m assuming he’ll be out of there by their All-Star Break.

Aaron’s Greenies: Griffin Canning aggressively moved to AA which was expected, but a bit surprising to see Jose Suarez (at 20) moved to AA as well – anything more than a 4/5 for Suarez?
Keith Law: I think Suarez might be more like a mid-rotation guy.

Rick C: Do you think it’s reasonable for the Braves to hold Acuna down until he’s hitting a little better?
Keith Law: I do. He’s been swinging out of his ass lately.

NB: Were you involved with the ESPN 1-100 player rankings? Always a tough thing to nail, obviously, and perhaps it’s recency bias considering his torrid start, but Mookie Betts at 17 seems… low.
Keith Law: I was not.

Mike: If you had to guess, do you think Jordyn Adams will sign or will he end up at Carolina?
Keith Law: Carolina. My understanding from scouts is that he is committed to football. And there is no way I’m paying him seven figures to go get his brains scrambled every fall and spring.

JR: Vegas resident. Any local draft prospects worth checking out for this years draft?
Keith Law: Isbel at UNLV.

Kevin: Buy or sell: MLB isn’t serious about fixing length of game issues until they force hitters to keep one foot in the box between pitches.
Keith Law: Soft buy. That’s an issue, but not the main one (commercial breaks).

Wahoo: Keith, I have great respect for your opinions, even if I might not agree with every one (I am in outspoken agreement on the importance of vaccines!). I had a respectful chat-disagreement with Kiley M. a week ago as he made it clear thinks programs like UVA and Fullerton do their kids a disservice by the way they play/coach — suggesting that he isn’t sure why truly good prospects would even go to those programs. He also made reference to UVA pitching, something I know you have commented on as well. I am a big UVA guy, but I would like to think I can look at things objectively. I know there have been injuries and “questions” about mechanics. Fair share of small ball as well. However, is there truly evidence that warrants this kind of criticism? UVA has not only built a respectful program – they have sent their share of players to the MLB including high draft picks. Certainly some pitcher injuries, but where is this not happening?
Keith Law: The track record of their pitchers in pro ball is awful, and it’s because they force every pitcher to pitch with ‘their’ mechanics. For all their success and high picks, the most WAR any UVA pitcher draftee has accumulated in the majors is 8.1 … by Javier Lopez. Teams have spent a lot of money and high picks on UVA pitchers for naught, and we are way past calling it a coincidence or saying this happens at all programs (hint: it doesn’t).

Sriram: Here’s what I don’t get. The Reds are rebuilding. So you know they will lose a lot. It doesn’t make sense to grade Price on that. So then Price has non-winning metrics (player development progress, whatever). How do you get any read on THAT from 16 games?
Keith Law: You don’t. They didn’t. This was a “DO SOMETHING!!!!?!?!?!!” move.

Roger: Is Taylor Clarke close enough that Arizona should bring him up in place of Walker? Can Braden Shipley still be a viable starter?
Keith Law: I am not sure in which piece this was – impact prospects? – but I think I said Clarke was ready and would probably end up with 20 starts or so this year. Walker’s injury might be the opening. I don’t see how you can start Shipley unless he’s regained his lost velocity.

Andrew: I read a story about the A’s maybe moving to Portland. The story also said expansion could bring a team to Portland. Is expansion a good idea considering how many teams feel the need to tank in a desperate attempt to acquire talent? Or is the size of the league not a problem related to tanking?
Keith Law: I don’t think tanking is about # of teams, but about the current CBA. I do worry about getting enough pitchers to fill two more rosters since everyone insists on carrying umpteen relievers.

Brett: I thought for sure you were going to be Michael Cohen’s third client. Was sure of it.
Keith Law: I pulled his ear close to my lips and whispered, “Privilege.” So I’m good.

Joe : Any players being connected to the Braves yet in the draft?
Keith Law: I heard them with Vasil. Again, this is all very early, speculative stuff, and something random could happen and suddenly Carter Stewart is staring at them at pick 8 and they change their plan.

Draft guru: Top high school players who have a shot to be top 40 picks out of the North East for ’18 draft?
Keith Law: I just put up that draft top 50 today.

Gabriel: Is it too early for a mock draft?
Keith Law: Yes. It would be farcical.

Joe : Have you heard of the Braves hiring any international scouts after the basically fired their whole department this winter?
Keith Law: No, they can’t really sign anyone signifcant anyway, and Anthopoulos came in so late that restocking the department would have been difficult. I expect that will all happen later this summer.

JSC: Do you have any recommendations for sci-fi or high fantasy fiction series you have read?
Keith Law: The Magicians, by Lev Grossman. The NK Jemisin Broken Earth series is good, although I haven’t cracked The Stone Sky yet.

Jesse: Any rumors on who the mets might be on in the draft?
Keith Law: Today I would bet college bat.

Adam: Is there a chance that maybe, just maybe, the Padres are rushing Tatis Jr? His very slow start at AA seems to indicate that.
Keith Law: Or it’s April 19th.

Jacob: Joey Bart seems to be raking in terms of avg and power. Does his hit tool make the 50-55 grade and could his ability to call games combined with his tools mean he could be a fast riser through the minors?
Keith Law: I don’t think he has an average hit tool. He’s the best catching prospect in the class by a mile, though, so he’s going to go off the board pretty early, and I would guess he’s a two years to the majors guy.

Skip Donahue: Which of the pitchers down at Delmarva is most likely to help Baltimore the soonest – Baumann, Lowther, Dietz, Hall, Bishop, Hanifee?
Keith Law: Baumann might be the closest, but none of those guys is close.

Eric: Have you heard much about Jeren Kendall this year? Does he have an improved swing?
Keith Law: I’ve heard nothing good about him this year, and he’s struck out in 43% of his PA, so there you go.

Ryan: Which of the big Vanderbilt commits do you think have a decent (>30 percent) chance of coming to campus?
Keith Law: Austin Becker seems most likely. I don’t know what Hankins’ actual injury is at this point, but I could see him choosing Vandy over taking a fraction of the bonus he might have expected with a healthy spring.

Sriram: Obviously the Red Sox aren’t going to keep this pace up or this level of run prevention going. But it’s not unreasonable to think this version of Betts and Devers can’t hold up to some degree, no?
Keith Law: I agree. Also seemed like Bogaerts was making hard contact again now that his hand is healed.

Alex: just a heads up – Bottega Americano in your San Diego eating guide closed
Keith Law: That’s a shame. Looks like it just closed two months ago.

Ed: To an untrained amateur (me), Brendon Little appears to have similar tools to Jose Quintana. Where am I wrong, and how wrong am I? Thanks Keith!
Keith Law: I don’t see that at all.

Slick Rick Hahn: Thanks for the memories Courtney Hawkins. With his official release, what do you think of the Sox basically doing a 180 on draft strategy since drafting him, targeting colllege performers with good bat to ball and plate discipline? I know people liked Hawkins at the time, are they limiting themselves too much by avoiding toolsy high schoolers?
Keith Law: He is the best example I can think of in the last decade of a team screwing up a player’s development with a too-aggressive promotion. He was a raw HS hitter whom they sent to high-A in his first full pro year, at age 19. The disaster never ended.

Jacob: What is the issues going on with Nander De Sedas? Is he looking like a 2nd or 3rd rounder now?
Keith Law: Hasn’t hit. Second round perhaps on name value.

Todd: Brad Hand to the Indians for Shane Bieber, Nolan Jones and Wil Benson. Who says no?
Keith Law: Padres fan, eh?

Matty: What do you think a good season would look like for Braxton Garrett?
Keith Law: Get him healthy with his old velocity back. Don’t worry about results until next year.

JSC: Favorite Caribbean Island to vacation to?
Keith Law: My sample size is small, but Aruba couldn’t have been any nicer or easier.

Jacob: Jose Suarez looked fairly decent in his AA debut at age 20. Does his uptick in velo give him the tools to be a top 100 guy this year?
Keith Law: Uptick? Don’t think that’s the case. I saw him in March and was bullish on him thanks to the deception & plus changeup.

Matt: Which is closer to reality — Cora has changed team culture pushing all the right buttons OR Farrell was a drag on the clubhouse morale to the detriment of team performance(though they did win 93 games).
Keith Law: Or it’s 17 games and they’re largely healthy.

Paul: I believe you said you saw Brandon Nimmo as a 4th outfielder. Is his strong start (and strong finish last year) enough of a sample to indicate there might be something more there?
Keith Law: He has 27 PA this year, all but one against RHP. If he can’t hit lefties, which has been true in the past, he’s not a regular.

Brian: When was the last time we saw a rotation as good as the Astros this season?
Keith Law: The Nats have rolled Scherzer/Strasburg out there for several years, with assorted pretty good pitchers behind them.

Jeff: Does Heimlich get drafted this year? Seems like he’s not pitching as well now which may give teams an easy out.
Keith Law: I asked around about him, if scouts/execs thought someone would do it, and most people said “yes.” (not that THEY would take him, but that some team would.) I still think no – no one will want that PR backlash.

Nick: When will you be doing your first mock draft?
Keith Law: 3-4 weeks before the draft itself.

Gregg: Heyman floated the idea of a Conforto for Realmuto trade today. Does that make any sense? If not, what’s a realistic Realmuto-Mets trade look like? Thanks!
Keith Law: That would not make sense for the Mets.

Drew: I am curious as to why Hoskins didn’t really appear on any top 100 lists during his time in the minors. What did scouts miss with him?
Keith Law: First baseman who was held back in low-A his first year, and played in a very favorable HR park in AA. I liked him, thought he could be Goldschmidt Lite.

TK: Just want to say thanks for your weekly “Stick to Baseball” links. They’re always informative, and even clued me in to the Fireball Island Kickstarter. I played that with my brothers all the time as a kid and recently backed them. I can’t wait to play the new version with them.
Keith Law: I don’t remember that game at all, but I did play Stop Thief, one of Restoration Games’ earlier re-Issues, all the time.

Zac: Is the service time manipulation unfixable or will the owners use this as the ultimate bargaining chip to screw over the MLBPA is the next labor bargaining?
Keith Law: Whatever rules the CBA sets, teams will quickly find the best way to take advantage of them.

Gilbert: Greyson Jenista did not make you updated top 50. What do you see that is keeping him from making that list?
Keith Law: He’s not very good.

David: Does Peter Alonso overtake Dom Smith as the Mets future at 1B ? Or are they both trade bait for a catcher?
Keith Law: If I’m Smith, I’m showing up early every damn day, because Alonso is legit. He can really hit and he’s showing more power than he did as an underclassman.

Jason: Thanks for the chat. I’ve seen Kelenic mentioned as a possibility for the Tigers first overall. How bad would Mize’s medical have to be for the Tigers to turn in another direction?
Keith Law: A cold weather HS bat first overall, a kid who’ll play just a handful of games outside all spring … I can’t say it’s wrong, because maybe Kelenic is the next coming of Mike Trout, but whoa boy is that a risk I could not stomach.

JP: take on the Pitching Ninja .gif controversy? MLB has been overly protective of their media rights forever, but in their defense they built up a huge media business by being that way.
Keith Law: Would love to see them work more with people like Rob on GIFs, which I don’t think negatively impact the market for MLB’s product *or* damage the MLB brand in any way at all, while continuing to enforce their rights on longer videos of game action, which do.

Justin R: How do you find new, good books to read? Best seller lists tend to be a lot of airplane-read potboilers.
Keith Law: Lot of reader & friend recommendations, bookstore browsing, often asking (indie) bookstore employees what they’ve liked. Sometimes I just pick up a book because the cover speaks to me and the description sounds interesting.

Dave: Dont know if you caught the articke about Armor Field in Chicago, but when will MLB teams realize smaller stadiums may be the way to go?
Keith Law: That was in my Saturday links post. Great work by Dayn there. Smaller parks don’t bring in more revenue.

Archie: Is your ranking of Madrigal a reflection of his potential to be a solid big leaguer, or because so many of the other top guys have gone backward?
Keith Law: More the latter. He’s still a tiny college 2b who’ll probably never have power.

Chris: Did you like Soundgarden at all?
Keith Law: Loved them.

Daniel: Is Acu?a ready ? Was he ready in Spring Training ?
Keith Law: He was ready, but like I said above, he’s trying to hit everything 500 feet right now.

Jeff: Likelihood that Lucchesi has a better MLB career than Quantrill?
Keith Law: Not crazy. Might be 40%.

Peter: Worried at all about Marcus Stroman? I know SSS, but concern is always there for me with a guy with that small of a frame.
Keith Law: He’s short but he ain’t small.

Peter: Is Zack Godley for real?
Keith Law: That CB is a knockout. As long as he has that, he’s for real.
Keith Law: OK, that’s all for this week. Thanks for all of the questions, as always, and for reading. I’ll have a draft post up in the next few days on Cole Wilcox (who was excellent on Tuesday night) and Carter Stewart (whose stuff was down last night, although the CB is still ridiculous) and a few more day one names. Enjoy your weekends!

My piece on the most prospect-laden rosters in the minors is now up for Insiders.

Keith Law: Taking the fun out of everything … it’s Klawchat.

Brian (Buffalo): Have you been enjoying the Tupac/Biggie show on USA?
Keith Law: Very much so, although I fell behind with some recent travel. Hoping to catch up over the weekend/early next week.

Alex: really enjoyed Hillside Spot and Citizens Public House from your spring training guide. Thanks!
Keith Law: Two of my standbys.

David (NY): What do you think of your Athletic Subscription?
Keith Law: I don’t understand the question here. I have a subscription and have read a few pieces.

JR: I know the season is long and guys need days off, but should I be at all worried that Reyes is starting at SS in place of Rosario for the second time in six games? Is Mickey the new Terry?
Keith Law: Totally bizarre. This stuff bothers me way more than Nick Williams playing too shallow last night, which is what gets all the press (because it’s visible … not playing Rosario is an invisible error).

Peter: I know you’ve mentioned that Mackenzie Gore might be the best pitching prospect in baseball right now. Is he significantly better than guys like Whitley or Buehler? Or are we talking about razor thin margins?
Keith Law: He’s a lot better. Everything has ticked up for him, and his slider has gone from a barely used pitch to a potential swing and miss option.

Mark: Are you concerned at all about Kyle Tucker’s high IFFB rates?
Keith Law: No. That’s an awfully minute thing to worry about – especially since coding of balls in play in the minors still isn’t that reliable.

Peter: Who do you think is a more productive player offensively at their peak, Schoop or Kingery?
Keith Law: I love both guys but I’d nod to Kingery here.

Jr: Am I the only one that thinks Icarus was made by the CIA? So many coincidences for that thing to come together the way it did.
Keith Law: I really don’t engage in that kind of conspiracy-thinking.

Jason: Is the brewers rotation as bad as it has shown so far? Should they move Josh Hader to the rotation?
Keith Law: Hader’s not the answer. I’ve always thought he had a reliever profile due to the delivery & arm slot. They probably needed to address the rotation with external options but didn’t, even when the price fell on a guy like Lynn.

Foyle: Have you ever internally grappled with the moral legitimacy of eating meat? I don’t ask that to be glib or with an agenda, but instead have genuine curiosity for the thoughts of someone as contemplative as you.
Keith Law: No. We evolved to what we are now because we ate meat. I think the better argument than a vague moral one is an environmental one: The way we raise meat is terrible for the planet, and makes meat cheap enough that people consume more than they need nutritionally and waste more of it than is conscionable.
Keith Law: is that a word?

Adam: Is there anything to be excited about with Preston Tucker? Is he something now that hes healthy?
Keith Law: No.

Jr: I’ve heard people say Quantrill’s stock is down with his velocity. Do you agree with that assessment?
Keith Law: You’ve heard me say that.

Dustin: Have you heard anything recently about Indians’ Shane Beiber? Doesn’t look like he pitched at all this spring and can’t find any news online, seems a bit surprising.
Keith Law: He’s starting tonight for Akron, according to the Rubber Ducks’ official site.

WarBiscuit: With Taylor Ward moving to 3B, the Angels have picked two catchers in the first round to move off that position. Maybe they thought Ward would stick at C, but never understood the Thaiss pick if they would move him to 1B immediately, considering his power and defense questions.
Keith Law: They did think Ward would stick at catcher, although my understanding at the time was that the limited data available said he probably wouldn’t, and my own look at him said he probably wouldn’t either (had the arm, not the glove). Thaiss is a bit more confusing, yes; he never projected to the power for 1b.

Beth: Who’s your top HS pitcher right now?
Keith Law: I’m almost afraid to give you a name because they all seem to get hurt. It’s probably Carter Stewart at the moment over Grayson Rodriguez or Cole Winn (lower upside, way more polished). Ethan Hankins is back but I’m told he hasn’t been top-of-draft good since he returned. Liberatore has been fine, not up to 97 like he was in his first outing, but I think he’s still top 15 picks good. Matt Vasel’s season just started – he’s a cold weather name to watch.

Eric: What do you think Kopech will do this year once he gets called up?
Keith Law: Miss a lot of bats, walk maybe 10-12% of batters. Very high on him long term but don’t be shocked if he needs 40-50 starts in the majors before he becomes an above-average starter.

chuck: What do you make of the Almonte for Almonte trade? Seems odd KC would dump their Almonte for the 28 year old OF Almonte
Keith Law: I love Miguel Almonte as a swingman type – spot starter, longer relief outings, will show you three potentially above-average weapons, has had trouble with a starter’s workload.

Jesse B: Thoughts on Jahmai Jones moving to 2B. If it works, does this significantly increase his value?
Keith Law: It does, since he wasn’t staying in CF in that organization with Marsh right behind him.

Stephanie: Thoughts in Amed Rosario batting so low in the order? Think he gets a chance at 10hr/25sb this year?
Keith Law: This bothers me less; nothing really wrong with starting a young player lower in the lineup and moving him up as his performance warrants it. Those seem like reasonable milestones for him. He’s got more power than his brief stint last year would indicate.

Jeff: What should I be most excited about from Ohtani’s first week? So far I think it’s that even if he doesn’t make a lot of contact at least the power is there.
Keith Law: Power was definitely there, but he’s not going to get a lot of fastballs out over the plate like yesterday. I’m way more pleased to see his velocity so strong and command/control better than what I saw a month ago.

Adam: Thoughts on Folty’s new delivery?
Keith Law: I haven’t seen this yet.

Nelson: Keith, I hate your music taste, I dont play board games and I have no interest in High school baseball players. But your book recommendations are so amazingly on point its like youre talking directly to me. Thanks!
Keith Law: I’ll take it. I’m sure the number of people who follow my tastes in all areas and are prospect-crazy is pretty small.

Deke: My wife and I had twin sons just under six months ago. One of them goes for his third open-heart surgery in a week and a half. (Hopefully his last!) I just want to offer up an #fyeahbaseball for providing a much-needed distraction now that it’s back.
Keith Law: Deke: Sorry to hear that. I hope the surgery goes well.

Dave: I know you’ve always been one of the high guys on Jordan Hicks, do you think Cards try him in the rotation at all this year?
Keith Law: Probably, although I’m not sure he has the consistency in his delivery yet to help them in that role. Huge upside, kind of a ways off from it.

Bruce: Do you ever go to games in the NECBL (New England Collegiate Baseball League)?
Keith Law: Not in a long time. It’s way below the Cape.

Endy Chavez: Do you have MoviePass? Seems like something you’d be interested in
Keith Law: I do – I did, and it expired, and for some reason I had to sign up anew, but yes, I got my money’s worth (well, Chris Crawford’s money, since he bought me the first one).

Arin, d-town ca: What are the Rockies doing with McMahon? Why have him on their roster if he is only going to pitch hit and get 1 at bat a game?
Keith Law: You can add that to the list of things the Rockies are doing that I don’t understand, below giving a 32-year-old position player a six-year deal.

Beth: Is Casey Mize going 1?
Keith Law: I think he would, today, if his medicals are OK. There is a rumor running around that he’s got an elbow issue, but I don’t really see how anyone could know that since he hasn’t sent medicals to teams yet and the MLB top 200 MRI deal hasn’t happened yet, so if you see people talking about his elbow, bear in mind that it’s not really possible to source that, and it’s either pure speculation or someone trying to talk Mize down.

Jesse: You often say to ignore spring stats. Regarding Ohtani, is this a case of SSS for both the spring and now regular season, or was his poor spring a giant overreaction?
Keith Law: His stuff was down in the spring, and that’s not something we should just ignore … but it also was wrong to overreact like a lot of media members did (and some scouts, too, I think). I saw him pitch poorly, and still picked him for AL ROY. The long view isn’t that hard to take.

Josh in DC: Even though we’re only six games into the season, Alex Cora rotated through a lot of regulars so far. What’s your feeling about the merits of that style of managing?
Keith Law: I am fine with it, especially with the weather so cold in the northeast.

Harry Reins: The Orioles are putting Harvey on a 3 inning per start restriction in Bowie with an eye to bringing him onto the MLB club later in the year. Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea? What are the dangers of rushing a guy like that?
Keith Law: He’s 23, so while he’s barely pitched in pro ball, I can’t call this “rushing” a guy at that age who’s already on the 40 man. My concern would be if they bring him up and try to use him as a one-inning reliever, which means a lot of back-to-back work, which probably isn’t conducive to keeping him healthy.

PJ in JC: Arquimedes Gamboa. A guy or a GUY? You mentioned him in your Clearwater preview today but he wasn’t in your Phillies roundup.
Keith Law: Just a guy who’s notable for his big bonus. I saw him two weeks ago and he’d lost a lot of speed as he’s filled out.

Eric: Thoughts on Ohtani at the plate after a few games?
Keith Law: Same as before those few games. But it’s April 5th, so we are in Peak Overreaction Season.

Dave: Whatever happened to Karsten Whitson? bb ref just has a single season of milb in 2014.
Keith Law: Hurt. He might be the biggest “he should have taken the money” guy of the last decade. He ended up with about $2 million less as a result.

Jon: Hey Keith, my first time on the chat. Not sure if this is off-topic (or maybe you’ll already talked about this), but I’m curious as to your thoughts on Kapler and if you’re surprised at the fans’ reaction in Philly. Thanks!
Keith Law: I am going to break my own record for using the word “overreact” in some form. I think the knives are out for him because he’s smart, and because he’s doing different things. The one thing he’s done that I truly thought was a blunder was calling for a reliever who wasn’t warmed up.

Carl: It’s early, but as of now, in your opinion who has the highest ceiling for the Tigers to choose #1 overall?
Keith Law: Mize is clearly the best guy in the class. If it’s not him, for whatever reason, then the Tigers should probably identify 3-4 guys they rank at the top and see who’ll take the best deal so they can go over slot at their next pick (there are a lot of HS arms this year who’ll be perfect for that).

Jr: No thoughts for animal welfare with the eating meat question?
Keith Law: No.

Mark: Are you higher on Sheffield or Addams for the Yankees? Can either evolve into an ace in the future?
Keith Law: One was in my global top 20 this winter and one didn’t make my top 100 because I don’t see how he can start with his size and lack of FB plane.

Bruce: So the Reds are making Hunter Greene an SP only. Do you think this is the right call?
Keith Law: This isn’t news – I saw a reporter tweet it like this was breaking news, but this has been the case since he signed. He has, at best, a 40 future hit tool.

Nick: Not really a question. Just wanted to say that Dozier is a really good dude, and I hope that’s not lost in all this over a dumb comment.
Keith Law: I’m sure that’s the case – he could help matters by just saying, yeah, I spoke too soon, Sisco was fine, you play to win the game.

Ted Leon: If the whole paying players minimum wage was really a big deal to fans and media, then why is no one talking about it now? The fight is not lost. There are other ways to improve the lives of these guys.
Keith Law: There are indeed, but MLB has made it quite clear they will not do so unless forced to by law, by court, or by collective bargaining.

Greg P: How fast do you think the Jays will move Bichette up the ladder? A year at each level?
Keith Law: They haven’t done that yet – he played at two levels last year and I’d be shocked if he and Vlad were still in AA on August 1st.

Margot: Why can’t more players, top line pitchers especially, go straight from college to MLB? If you have dominant stuff why do you need a year in the minors?
Keith Law: Huge difference in caliber of competition between even the best college baseball (SEC/ACC) and the worst lineup in the majors.

Eric: Who has the better career: Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, or Luis Robert?
Keith Law: Eloy.

Mark: Is Justin Hooper someone that could have helium in the 2018 draft? I remember hearing a lot of hype around him in 2015 out of HS, but haven’t heard much about him leading into this year.
Keith Law: Had TJ, out for the year.

Benjamin: So mackenzie gore- potential 60 fb, cb, sl, ch, command??? That seems like ace potential yes??? I know aces are extremely rare but someone has to be??? Also is forrest whitley a 1 or 2?
Keith Law: I’ve never seen a teenaged lefty with what Gore has. (I saw all of one inning of Kershaw before he reached the majors.) It’s nuts.

Chad: You’ve mentioned Taylor Clarke as a potential contributor for the D-backs later this season. Would this be as a starter? Or in the bullpen? Also, I’m in a pizza club here in Phoenix (we try a new pizza restaurant 2 times a month) we love your recommendations!
Keith Law: Starter for me. Heard he had better stuff and command this spring from multiple scouts. You probably could give me better recs at this point!

Brandon: Braves are starting Max Fried at AA this year. Any idea why he’s not at least getting the starts in AAA over Wisler/Blair? Also, is he a rotation guy at this point?
Keith Law: I hate seeing Fried in AA – I think he’s among the top 5 starters in the system right now – but I believe this is a sort of final evaluation for guys like Wisler, Blair, Folty, Newcomb, Sims, after which the team will make some decisions on starter/reliever or even keep/trade (I think Wisler is out of options after this year).

Gretchen: Will I be able to watch Vlad Guerrero Jr this year on the Blue Jays before I move out of Toronto in September?
Keith Law: Might depend on when you move. I think he’ll get the call.

Mike P.: Schwarber’s new physique hasn’t seemed to improve his defense or baserunning; wouldn’t it behoove the Cubs to trade him for anything/BPA/etc. ?
Keith Law: They’ve probably missed his peak value but yes, I think trading him would be a good move, because they can’t maximize his value without the DH spot.

Hinkie: I know it’s early, but any word yet on what draft prospects the Phillies seem to be scouting the hardest/most frequent ?
Keith Law: It’s early. I’ve seen their guys at every game I’ve been to where there was a potential first-rounder on the field, including Mize, McClanahan, Singer/Kowar, etc. Gotta see them all.

Andres: Like me, did your heart skip a beat with the official announcement with the deets on the new Arctic Monkey’s album?
Keith Law: I missed this – May 11th!

Benny: Does Sheldon Neuse become a productive major leaguer?
Keith Law: Yes.

John: Seems to me Moncada has had a slow start for a #1 prospect. Is this just a learning curve or something more?
Keith Law: I think his swing is going to lead to a lot of swinging and missing – he loads deep with a bat-wrap and you can beat a guy like that inside. Still a lot of physical upside there, though.

Sara: What are your thoughts on the Blackmon deal? Any concern the fox committed to long to an aging outfielder without the option of making him a DH?
Keith Law: Mentioned above – I don’t get it, it’s counter to everything the industry has learned about how players age. Even if you don’t believe Coors is at all a factor in his career, it’s still a terrible gamble to think a player who’s an average defender in center now will still have this kind of value at age 35-37.

Justin R: Any plans on watching the Roseanne reboot?
Keith Law: Good lord no.

Levi: Any chance you make it to a yard goats game this season? It’ll be my first time tonight to see the NH kids
Keith Law: Probably this summer. I can see Vlad/Bo next week in Trenton.

Tristan: Do you see Scott Kingery displacing someone in the Phillies’ starting lineup this season, or getting his 450 ABs moving around all year?
Keith Law: From talking to them I think he’s going to move around most of the year, a lot of 2b and 3b, but that at some point there will be a spot for him – they’ll trade Cesar, or Franco will need to play less, or someone will get hurt.

Dr. Bob: Everyone needs to take a deep breath and repeat this: It’s just six games…it’s just six games…it’s just six games.
Keith Law: Every year. It has never changed in my 12 springs here.

Noah: Don’t know if you’re a Vaccines fan, but their new record is really good.
Keith Law: Last song by them I really liked was “Teenage Icon.”

JR: Started reading Clockers (per your recommendation). Feels like I’ve been moved back into the world of The Wire, and I love it.
Keith Law: Lush Life is even better. He creates such realistic intense worlds.

Trixie: Have you ever read a novel in one sitting?
Keith Law: Yep, on planes especially.

Jax : Were you surprised when Colorado re-signed CarGo & killed Tapia’s chance to start? Or did they get him back for cheap enough money for it to be worth it?
Keith Law: That’s also on the list. As well as three-year deals for relievers.

Justin R: How do you find so much time for reading, writing, cooking, etc? I’m trying to write a novel, but working 50 hours/week, family obligations, commuting makes it damn near impossible.
Keith Law: I probably don’t sleep enough, and I rarely do just one thing … if I’m cleaning up after cooking, I’m listening to a podcast or watching a show on the iPad. And I’m kind of writing in my head all the time.

Randy: In a previous chat you said that there’s a fair chance that Keibert Ruiz hit’s his way off catcher. What other position do you think he could play?
Keith Law: If he hits like I think he can hit, it wouldn’t matter.

Dane26: Does Akil Baddoo have the tools to be an above-average regular?
Keith Law: Absolutely.

Benjamin: Is a splitter like what casey mize and shohei throw more stressful on a pitchers arm??
Keith Law: This is a persistent belief without actual evidence to prove or disprove it. Mize throws a split-change, not a true splitter. Is that better, worse, irrelevant?

Aaron C.: Do you anticipate any pre-draft high school scouting trips to Southern California? Just curious as to any names out here to keep an eye on. Thanks!
Keith Law: No, I saw Turang and Winn last week and that’s it for SoCal preps this year. I’l be in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and the mid-Atlantic the rest of the way, plus the ACC tourney, and, weather permitting, Lexington, KY, tomorrow.

Randy: I know ST stats don’t matter, but R. Armententeros struck out 24 in 16 innings and was up to 94 w/ what looked like a plus change. #3 starter upside?
Keith Law: I don’t believe he hit 94 or that he’d pitch with anything like that as a starter, but I do think he is a starter, maybe league-average ceiling.

John: Hunter Greene is starting out in A, which sounds about right. It did make me curious about A vs. A+; what is the tangible difference between the levels and would it really matter to a prospect like Greene?
Keith Law: He’s still just 18, all year, working on slider consistency and fastball command right now, with changeup development probably a secondary consideration at the moment. I don’t think he can just blow low-A guys away with velocity, and if that’s right, then he’s in the right spot.

Alex: I know you love cooking. I do too, and I’m trying to get my son (6 yrs) interested. Were there any cookbooks you found helped you with your daughter?
Keith Law: No – it’s been much more productive to just have her work alongside me, even if she never did much but flip a tortilla or ‘knead’ some dough. Being there, being involved, was what got her interested.

Patrick: Keith, in taking the fun out of everything…have you ever scouted a player not originally on your radar, but raves from people you know in the industry led you to?
Keith Law: I go where scout friends tell me to go.

Larry: When you come to the Midwest to see Kelenic are you going to swing by champagne to see Spillane ? It looks like those massive tools are finally starting to translate.
Keith Law: I forgot Kelenic – he’s barely out of the gym but almost certainly on my list. Spillane no.

Troy: Does Paul DeYoung have what it takes to be a middle of the order bat in the big leagues?
Keith Law: No, but I do think he’ll stay for good this time.

Patrick: Anything you can say to make me feel good about Corbin Burnes being assigned to CO Springs for AAA?
Keith Law: I feel like that front office doesn’t see Colorado Springs the way I do, or, I think, many coaches/execs do – a deleterious environment for developing pitching prospects.

Tracy: I also take a lot of value out of your book reviews and novels rankings. I lean toward reading more non-fiction books (actually, a lot) so I appreciate your efforts and it’s really broadened my horizons. Thanks. Also, Scott Pruitt is an even bigger slimebag than I had previously given him credit for.
Keith Law: I still need to write up David Grann’s latest book, which was incredible (especially the audio version, where Will Patton read the middle section and really set the mood and tone).

Bobbo: thanks as always for the chats. i was always under the impression that if a young pitcher has TJ, he misses about a year of time and then resumes baseball activities. today i read that Thomas Szapucki is out for the whole year (added to the half-year last season). is this the new typical? how do you see his near future playing out?
Keith Law: Rehab protocol is anywhere from 12 to 16 months if there’s no setback.

Jax : I think Ketel Marte could hit .275/.345/.420 this year. You taking the over or under on that? Or is it about right?
Keith Law: Eyeballing it, sure, I’d buy that.

Davis: At what point does Goodwin’s bat outweigh Taylor’s glove?
Keith Law: Probably right about when Robles steamrolls them both.

BPS: Matt Vasel?? Do you mean Mike Vasil?
Keith Law: Yeah, I’m sorry it was so hard for you to figure that out.

Dave: Keith, no question, but loads of thanks for the great book, the entertainment your chats have given me over the years, your talking and advice on depression and anxiety that have helped me with my own issues, and your food recommendations that have made me a rock star in my group of friends (Nashville in particular!). If you are ever in Baltimore, I run a restaurant in little italy and would love to offer you a great meal sometime
Keith Law: I’ll take you up on that at some point. And I’m very glad to have been able to help with your mental health issues. The stigma we still see around these extremely common medical problems is a huge reason why so many people still don’t get treatment, or don’t get enough treatment.
Keith Law: Well, that, and the disastrous state of health insurance in this country.

Adam: Sad to see Lindgren with another TJ Surgery……that slider was unhittable
Keith Law: Yeah, I wonder if he’s just done. That would be a huge shame.

John: How did you choose a literary agent? Or if that’s unique to your circumstances, any advice for an average Joe to find/pick one?
Keith Law: My literary agent, Eric Lupfer, was with my talent agency at the time, although he has since left for a boutique.

Chris: Is Clayton Kershaw’s drop in velocity (a) concerning, (b) something on which to keep an eye out, or (c) Jesus Christ it’s been 2 starts so calm down?
Keith Law: I could just use (c) for half the questions this week.

Chris: I have a question re: cooking. Most of the recipes (I use America’s Test Kitchen books/recipes) worth a salt call for fresh herbs and spices. You go to the grocery store to buy them, and the package enough to make 50 8-course meals. How do you store them? I waste an entire container of fresh thyme for one stupid sprig.
Keith Law: If possible, growing some is the best answer, especially thyme (grows like mad, lasts well into the winter, comes back most years) or sage (even hardier, never use enough). Otherwise, think of more ways to utilize them – just because a recipe doesn’t call for thyme doesn’t mean you can’t use it – and store out of the clamshell or bag, wrapped in a paper towel, in the crisper drawer. Except basil, which you have to use within a few days.

Jax : I still can’t figure out why Detroit would rather have Fiers & Liriano in their rotation instead of Norris. Is this an effort to try to establish some trade value for Fiers or Liriano?
Keith Law: Maybe a reaction to Norris losing a little velo this spring? I’m flummoxed too.

Bob: Hi Keith. How do you feel about Long Island? I’m from there as well, and I’ve never been a fan.
Keith Law: It’s long, and definitely an island, so it has those two things going for it.

Hinkie: When will your updated top 30 for the draft be out? Also, could you give me an early top three picks mock … 1 Tigers ______, 2 Giants _______, 3 Phillies _______.
Keith Law: I’ll do a new ranking later this month. I won’t even pretend to know what 1-2-3 will be right now.

Margot: I get that the caliber of competition is different. My point is that if you have three 60+ pitches why can’t you go right to the MLB. What does one year do?
Keith Law: It’s about much more than pure stuff. Command, control, facing much better hitters 3x, working with a staff, calling your own games (most college coaches call games themselves, which, to me, is the second shittiest thing about college baseball after pitcher overuse).

Jon: Frankie Montas is almost out of options do you see him as a RP or does he still have SP potential
Keith Law: I have never believed he could start. Poor command, bad body, knee issues at a young age. Big velocity, but that was kind of the whole package.

Mike B: I’m definitely not asking about results from a small two-start sample size, but at least Bundy is missing some bats and his “stuff” looks decent. Is there reason to hope he can be a decent starter IF he stays healthy?
Keith Law: Statcast had a lot of 90-92 in his last start. Was he throwing harder early in the game?

Bill: Brien Taylor, another teenaged left with some good stuff. But I suppose you were not scouting then.
Keith Law: No, he’s about 18 months older than I am.

Pat: Is Kelenic an option for Detroit at 1-1? If you had 1-1, would you take best player or one of 3-4 guys that will sign for the least?
Keith Law: I know he’s among the guys they have on their short (long?) list, and they had him in for a workout in Lakeland. But I think he’s played exactly one game this spring, so I don’t know how anyone could decide he’s 1-1 at this point (and I know you’re not saying that). I would do what I said above – if Mize checks out, he’s the best player and you take him, and if not, you shop the deal.

Tim McSwigginsonville: do you de-bone your chicken thighs before sous-vid’ing?
Keith Law: No. Afterwards the meat separates from the bone much more easily.

Seath: Were you pleased to see the twins started Rooker at AA? You think he could contribute to the big club this year?
Keith Law: I was – shows they get the issue around his age and also believe his new-ish swing is going to work at the lower levels. Don’t waste his time; if he’s going to be good, it will happen very soon.

Freddy: Every time I see Fried, his FB is straight as an arrow and gets crushed. Data even shows it doesn’t move much at all. Is this not a concern?
Keith Law: It’s his third best pitch. Plus to 70 CB, plus CH.

Nick: Why is being patriotic and proud of our country considered hate speech now? Can’t we acknowledge we have a great country and acknowledge there is room for improvement at the same time?
Keith Law: You can claim we have a great country, but saying we should “acknowledge” it implies that it is true and beyond dispute.

Sean: How do you decide which book to read next? I assume you have a long list to pick from. What are some you have lined up your most excited to read?
Keith Law: Lincoln the Bardo, Improvement, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness are all in the queue.

Jim: Just admit you eat animals because you’re a selfish coward.
Keith Law: I eat animals because it pisses off assholes like you.

mike sixel: Looking for a funny book, that isn’t SUPER long. Recommendations?
Keith Law: Anything by Wodehouse. Or how about Hugh Laurie’s The Gun Seller?

JJG: Do you have a favorite podcasts list somewhere?
Keith Law: No, but I’ve mentioned The Hidden Brain, Grierson & Leitch, Cinephile, The Inquiry, and have just gotten into the ten-episode series The Assassination, also from the BBC about the death of Benazir Bhutto.

PD: Watched the new episode of Legion? I rewatched season 1 and it works a lot better the second time through.
Keith Law: On the DVR.

Dr. Bob: This is what SSS does to you. STL’s Carlos Martinez has occasional mental lapses on the mound. He looked lost at times in ST, then had a really rough first game. The BFIB ™ are up in arms. Last night, he pitches brilliantly. Some guys are just going to take you on a ride. Hold on.
Keith Law: It’s almost like spring training is just practice.

Sam: Think Carson Fulmer gets it together and sticks as a solid SP? Seems his stuff is excellent but fastball command isn’t always there
Keith Law: Very straight FB too. Reliever for me.

Leith Kaw: When people discuss Moncada, do they realize he was top 3 in 2B DRS last year in just a third of a season? That defense alone, plus his walk/power combo, makes him a great player even with the strikeouts.
Keith Law: UZR had him below average last year. I think you’re cherrypicking, or just ignoring that these defensive metrics aren’t that reliable (predictive) in such a small sample. And I personally do not think he’s a great defender.

Gary: We loved Monteverde in Chicago. Wife and daughter are in NYC and looking for a non-pizza restaurant recommendation from you in the city.
Keith Law: Gosh, I go to NYC and I usually just want pizza. Narcissa is fantastic, very vegetable-focused, one of my favorite restaurants to hit and skip meat altogether.

Corey: back to your comment about “3 year deals for relievers” Kimbrel is a FA after this year. if you’re Boston do you give him a deal for longer than 3 yrs, do you give him a deal at all ?
Keith Law: No reason not to give him a deal, is there? No way I go four years on any reliever, ever. The history of those contracts is bad.

Sam: So you go on a scouting trip and see a player who excites you that wasn’t on your list to watch. You check and see that no one else has picked up on him either…who do you tell?
Keith Law: The odds of this happening are almost nil. I’m not seeing obscure guys.

Russell: What would your plan be with Profar if you were the Rangers?
Keith Law: I just wish he could play every day.

Larry: Can Jonathan India work his way into the first round?
Keith Law: Into the back, maybe. I think there’s some serious overreaction (!) right now to a hot few weeks. He was terrible last year as a sophomore for a potential high pick a year later, and I don’t think he has a lot of upside.

Trav: I read that as “shellfish coward”
Keith Law: I’m more afraid of red meat anyway. (I’ve stopped eating beef and haven’t had lamb in years.)

Franklin: Have you tried the “Impossible Burger?”
Keith Law: No – one of those appeared in my local Whole Foods briefly but was gone before I got to try it. I would, though. I’ll try just about anything once.

Nick: So you think America is trash? That says a lot about you, Keith.
Keith Law: You are really, really good at crafting strawman arguments.

Bort: Where are you at on Alex Bohm? Can he stay at third?
Keith Law: Maybe – has the arm, not a bad athlete, just BIG. Love the swing, definitely think he’s a top 20 pick on merit, even before we get to the inflation college hitters get on draft day.

Rick: Are you getting nervous about being the low man on Ohtani?
Keith Law: For saying he could be an ace and AL ROY?

Adam: Has Nunez always been such a bad defender? Watching him struggle with basic plays so far this year is brutal
Keith Law: Eduardo? Yes.

Jarrod: Not sure if this is what David (NY) was getting at, but now I’m curious… What do you think of the Athletic as a source for sports journalism (relative to other websites in this arena)?
Keith Law: They have so many writers that I couldn’t generalize. I’ve read some great stuff there, I’ve read some not great stuff. They’ve hired some of the best writers I know, and a couple of guys I wouldn’t read if you paid ME to do it. With that many people on staff, how could it be otherwise?

PhillyJake: I know you’ve posted it in the path, but please remind me why you don’t eat red meat anymore?
Keith Law: I have an inborn error of metabolism that affects my body’s ability to process the essential amino acid leucine. I do still eat pork, but not much, and get more protein now from vegetable sources than I ever did before, although when I’ve tried to give up more animal sources in the past, I’ve run into a lot of blood-sugar problems (also related to the genetic condition).

Alan: Is Bohm a top 5 guy? Seems to have some helium.
Keith Law: He could go there, but I think that’s too rich.

Alan: Swaggerty seemed to cooled off since a hot start. Still a top guy? Any concerns?
Keith Law: Needs to start hitting again, but if he does, he goes top 5. True CF, 65 runner, few if any college bats in the middle of the field this year. That’s going to run Joey Bart up the board, maybe to the top ten, because he’s a catcher and there are so few college catchers in this draft.

PJ: Blake Swihart … Cora suggested he could be a Marwin-type for Bost., but that’s not realistic, is it?
Keith Law: Why not? I think he can hit and play a bunch of positions.

Dr. Bob: If I invite you for dinner, I can work around no red meat. If someone else has a nut allergy, no problem. My son and his girlfriend are vegetarians; lots of cheese dishes. A vegan? We’re just going to have coffee or tea ’cause I got nothing.
Keith Law: Vegan is tough. Losing dairy is a real obstacle, although I have eaten vegan meals with cashew-milk products replacing dairy that were actually good, not just passable.

Teeb: Thoughts on the Pompeys: Does Dalton ever become a guy and where’s Tristan getting picked?
Keith Law: Tristan somewhere in the 20-40 range. Dalton, ship might have sailed there.

Jim: **** you, Keith.
Keith Law: Aw, Jimbo’s mad. Came to my chat, called me a “selfish coward,” and is surprised I clapped back. Tough. You have every right to insult me, but that doesn’t mean I have to take it.

JR: After review, Conforto hit a 2R HR. Terry even more pissed.
Keith Law: You know who must be even happier that Terry the Terrible is gone? Plawecki. Terry told the media Plawecki couldn’t hit. Now he’s getting a chance to play and doesn’t have to worry that his manager thinks he sucks.

John: Somebody tell Jim when the Self Righteous Vegetarian chat is.
Keith Law: There are good arguments for vegetarianism, from the environment to physical health to concerns about how animals raised for mass-produced meat are treated. I’m happy to hear & discuss those. I think that humanity as a whole needs to cut its meat consumption – and that climate change & limited water resources will force us to do so at some point. Reducing consumption & waste, and perhaps enforcing tougher standards for meat production – not under this administration, unfortunately – those are reasonable goals.

Rich Campbell: Real time news: Trayce Thompson joining A’s in Anaheim. Is he a fourth OF? Or more?
Keith Law: Fourth OF. Can really defend, can crush a mistake.

Jack: Can you use frozen fish to make ceviche?
Keith Law: I’ve never made ceviche. I leave raw fish preparations to the professionals. They can source better than I can. (Also, I would not recommend using frozen fish.)

Mucho Maas: Thoughts on Reynaldo Lopez and his new velo/slider?
Keith Law: Lopez’s new velo? Dude was 95-100 in the minors.

Colin: Preston Tucker or Nick Markakis?
Keith Law: Ronald Acuna.
Keith Law: OK, went long this week since I may be traveling next Thursday. Thank you all – except you, Jim, you’re not very nice – for all of your questions and for reading. I’ll be out and about a lot this month so I hope to see many of you at minor league or amateur games – feel free to say hi, and I’ll be happy to sign any copies of Smart Baseball if you happen to have one with you.

Starting at 1 pm ET.

My latest board game review at Paste Magazine covers Sakura, a new game from Reiner Knizia with a high screw-your-opponents aspect to it. I also joined Joe Posnanski and Michael Schur on the Poscast this week to talk season preview and hot fruit but mostly hot fruit.

Keith Law: When expectations make no sense … Klawchat.

Aaron Gershoff: Thank you for not sticking to baseball – one dimensional people suck. How many execs ask you for your advice on players? Obviously you have contacts all over baseball, just wondering if it goes both ways.
Keith Law: I talk to execs & scouts often about players and we share opinions in both directions. Whether that counts as ‘advice’ is kind of up to you. I’d rather not be any more specific.

Jeremy: Can you help sort out the Braves SP stable of SP Folty, Newcomb, Wisler, Gohara, Sims, Allard, Soroka, Wright & Touki? Thanks Klaw!
Keith Law: I have a feeling the natural attrition of starters will sort it out before I do. I think Wright is the top guy in that list, with the highest probability of remaining a starter, and Sims or Wisler at the bottom. Gohara, Soroka, and Allard are all on that starter/reliever bubble.

Sean: Keith, at this point how high can you see Connor Scott rising in the draft? Is the top 10 possible, a la Austin Beck?
Keith Law: At this point, no. That’s not to say it can’t happen come June, but I haven’t heard anything like that on Scott. By this time last year Beck was already getting that sort of hype.

Max: Hi Keith. Why Willy Adames is so high ranked in prospect lists? Is it the sum of the parts? Because I can’t see a single tool that stands out.
Keith Law: Doesn’t have to have a standout tool to be an above-average regular. He’s also hit well for his age at every level, including AAA, and projects to play somewhere on the dirt.

Moe Mentum: Is there anything you *don’t* like about being an Ivy League graduate? Maybe things like loftier expectations, presumed snobbishness, or something else that a prospective student might not consider?
Keith Law: My academic experience there wasn’t great; classes are large, and you’re taught more by grad students than by professors, so while I can say, for example, I took a class from Martin Feldstein (one-time head of the CEA under Reagan), it’s not like I ever got with 100 meters of the guy. It’s also probably not an ideal environment for a student with untreated anxiety, which I was. Being a graduate, however, is mostly upside. I get the occasional asshat who thinks any time I mention my alma mater I’m bragging, but that’s the internet for you.

Patrick: Good afternoon Keith! Which spring training locale is better suited for you to scout, AZ or FLA?
Keith Law: Arizona all day every day. One hotel for the entire month. Florida for me is often a new hotel each night. And Arizona has better food, better weather, and better roads. This may flip when Arizona runs out of water in three to five years, though.

Sean: Keith, Have we reached a point where the only way we’ll see a HS RHP taken 1-1 is if that player agrees to discount his value significantly enough to mitigate his risk profile?
Keith Law: What you will need is a prep RHP who checks all the boxes but has little/no interest in college or a commitment to a strong program. The biggest obstacle for recent top prep right-handers has been perceived price tags.

Deke: Would you consider your minor league scouting of Eric Hosmer to be a hit or a miss? He is a bona fide major leaguer with legitimate skill, but this feels at least multiple steps below what you and others envisioned for him.
Keith Law: Probably neither; he’s had stretches where he’s played like everyone expected, and longer stretches where he hasn’t.

George: Torres to AAA isn’t completely unreasonable, right?
Keith Law: I thought all along this was the right move. I am less enamored with demoting Andujar in favor of major leaguers who are marginally better.

Camden: How would you describe MacKenzie Gore’s ceiling?
Keith Law: Number one starter.

EJ: Obviously the spring is a tiny sample size, but if you were the Angels would you start Ohtani in AAA or in the bigs?
Keith Law: Don’t care about spring stats, as you know. If he’s not able to figure out this delivery issue – I wrote he’s not repeating it and getting to his release point – before Opening Day, I might leave him in extended spring training to get some one-on-one work in controlled situations. I think sending him to Salt Lake is kind of a bad idea all around, other than that the Buzz’s ownership would be ecstatic.

ScottyD in Snowy Malvern, PA: The Blue Jays – Are they trying to contend in 2018 or just holding the fort until the new kids are ready in 2019 like Guerrero Jr., Bichette, Gurriel, Alford et al.?
Keith Law: I can’t see them contending this year; they’d need exceptional health across the board plus several breakout years. I think they’re holding the fort, as you say, for Vlad Jr. and Bichette. I don’t think Gurriel belongs in that last sentence, though.

WhiteSoxAndy: Will Michael Kopech be up this year or will he spend the entire year in the minors?
Keith Law: My guess is he debuts after the All-Star Break.

Seth: I’m happy that Alex Cobb got market value, considering all the players who had to take much less than they deserve. But what in the world are the Orioles doing? Did they have their heads in a ditch and miss the memo on “collusion”?
Keith Law: I liked the deal. As long as he’s healthy, that’s a contract with trade value. He’ll give them some innings they need – their rotation is bad, potentially awful – and there’s still some performance upside here. I don’t love them giving up a pick, but otherwise I think it’s fair value for a good pitcher who should get better.

Andrew: Outside of Acuna, which of the Braves’ prospects has impressed most in Spring Training?
Keith Law: I’ll be in Atlanta camp Sunday and/or Monday.

Mike: How will Anthopolous impact Atlanta’s draft tendencies, if at all? With Bridges still being there, will they still lean towards upside, high school players, or does Anthopolous have a different reputation?
Keith Law: That was Anthopoulos’ preference in Toronto – they aimed high, went for the best player available, took some calculated gambles. I don’t expect a huge shift; if there’s a change, it might be that they’re less likely to take someone like Kyle Muller, who was more stuff and size at age 18 than athleticism or potential upside in command/refinement.

Travis: What are your thoughts on Greyson Jenista?
Keith Law: Weather permitting I will see him in about ten days. I hear he and Bohm are potential end of the first round guys, maybe a little better as college bats always run up the board on draft day.

Greg: Any recent draft buzz inside the top 10? Guys moving up or down?
Keith Law: Too early for that.

Mr. Nerdstrom: If you had to guess, which of the 30 bench coaches in MLB is most likely to land a managing gig in the next couple of seasons?
Keith Law: I doubt I could name even 3 current bench coaches in the majors.

Greg: Thinking about Atlanta’s international limitations, is there anywhere they can shift that money that would make sense and still benefit the organization?
Keith Law: Only if there’s an unrestricted international free agent out there. I guess if Yusei Kikuchi is posted next winter, he’d be a candidate.

Slick Rick Hahn: Giolito looking promising, Fulmer… not so much. Who’s spring means more to you, Giolito’s improvement or Fulmer’s complete lack of command?
Keith Law: Giolito’s stuff improvement means more than his results. I’ve said since he was a sophomore that I don’t believe Fulmer can start. Nothing here has changed.

Preston: What are reasonable expectations for Tyler Chatwood this year? I don’t want the only expectation to be simply “better than Lackey,” but that’s where I am right now. And he’ll at least surpass that.
Keith Law: 150-160 innings of a 4ish ERA and 2 WAR. I know teams that lean heavily on Statcast info believe he has upside based on that, but I think he has other question marks, like control or lack of an effective change, that remain.

Dan: Do college coaches hide player birthdays from prospective teams (or at least not make them publicly available) for guys who are potential draft eligible sophs? Or is there too much coverage now for this info to be effectively hidden?
Keith Law: You can’t hide that info. Even if they tried, the players’ advisers would get it out there.

Boris: breakout players article coming soon?
Keith Law: I believe I answered that with the opening quote.

BRIAN: If you were the Yankee brass, would you consider moving Sanchez from behind the plate? No DH at bats are really available. His bat is probably the best on the team. His catching is “average” at best. Wouldnt the team be better off with him playing 150 games rather than 120 and being beaten up?
Keith Law: If they find a better option, yes, I would, for the reason you cite at the end – an extra 120 or so PA plus reduced injury risk. However, I’d like to see Greg Bird show he can play a remotely capable 1B before giving Sanchez the DH spot.

Alex: What’s the last thing you cooked sous vide?
Keith Law: Duck, I think. Been a few weeks since I busted that out with all my travel and dealing with this weather nonsense. I’ve pushed back three trips now due to weather – two snowstorms here, and one rainout in Georgia.

JP: If the Red Sox come to a roster crunch when Pedroia comes off the DL, would you rather trade/DFA: Leon, Swihart, Vasquez, or Holt? I’d vote Holt, if only because Sale supposedly likes having Leon catch for him.
Keith Law: Probably Holt. Nice bench player, will definitely be claimed if they just waive him, but now I’m punting on Swihart.

Mike: Sean Newcomb looking good this spring with limiting his walks/balls thrown. I can’t help but thinking he could break out this season. What should my realistic expectations be?
Keith Law: Realistic expectations would require ignoring his spring training stats and expecting his control to be where it was last year. (One anecdote in favor of my argument about ST stats: Newcomb’s best start of the spring, on 3/12, came against a Phillies lineup with Adam Rosales at 1b, Pedro Florimon in LF, and Jesmuel Valentin at 3b.)

Ben: Did you get to see Jesus Lazardo in AZ? Is it unreasonable to think that Lazardo could surpass AJ Puk as a prospect by the end of this season? Thanks.
Keith Law: I didn’t see him, but no, I don’t think that’s reasonable to think. Puk is the #2 LH prospect in baseball, and he’s been continuously improving since he signed.

Ryan: I’m a Mets fan who’s interested in seeing how Dom and Rosario develop. Putting aside the issues the team must have with the latter, what do you think fair projections are for both if they are given a chance to play regularly?
Keith Law: The team seems to have weird issues with both, but I would guess Rosario would hit .270-280 with low walk & strikeout rates and maybe 8-10 homers, adding value on defense; while Smith would be more .280/.340/.420 sort of range. I looked at ZiPS for Smith, and Dan has him .272/.324/.430 with 20 HR in 156 g. That seems very reasonable to me too.

HugoZ: To stop the service time games, how about making 90 days on the 25-man anytime during a season be the definition of a “year” of service time?
Keith Law: I believe if you do that you’ll see a lot of guys with 89 days of service each year. Wherever you set the bar, you will see teams respond to it in kind.

Jr: Do teams monitor what other teams are doing in player development?
Keith Law: Yes but player development is much more opaque than scouting (to other teams or to us).

Adam B: If Nick Senzel plays full time at SS or 2B how much does his value increase? Do you think he can handle playing SS?
Keith Law: I think he’ll be well below average at short and it might offset the entire positional gain.

Chris: Tyler Wade could be the Yankees opening day 2nd baseman! That was less of a question than a statement. He reminds me a lot of Brett Gardner, is that a fair comp?
Keith Law: I don’t see that. I like Wade, but he’s not similar to Gardner.

Zach: Keith: long-time reader, first time ask-er. Can Nick Senzel handle the switch to 2B defensively? I assume if so, then this raises his profile as his bat plays up there.
Keith Law: The positional adjustment for 2b isn’t much different, if at all, than that for 3b, I think, so while I believe he’ll be able to handle 2b, it probably doesn’t change his value right now.

Mike B: This may need too detailed an answer for a chat, but I had a question about the overall effect of “tanking.” While tanking may be the best option for a team that cant compete, can we reach the point where too many teams see tanking as the best option and it begins to turn off fans? The optimal course of action for a team, may hurt the league as a whole if too many teams see that as the best option. Do you think we are close to that point?
Keith Law: No, but I think we are reaching the point where the media have convinced a lot of fans that tanking is more prevalent in baseball than it actually is.

Johnny B. Savage: Griffin Canning was reportedly sitting 94-96 yesterday in a three inning stint. *IF* this is true, could be go from a 4/5 to a 3/4 in the future?
Keith Law: No, because I doubt he can hold that velocity as a starter and stay healthy, given what teams disliked about his medicals before the draft.

Jr: I think state funded elections (no outside contributions), and drawing districts with a bipartisan panel to represent districts fairly would fix most of the problems in this country – right or wrong?
Keith Law: Who funds those elections? (I mean, taxpayers do, but they won’t like it.) And who decides how much each candidate gets?

Adam B: Would you move Suarez back to SS and keep Senzel playing 3rd?
Keith Law: Yes, but that ship appears to have sailed.

Dan410: On a scale of 1 to Trump, how stupid is Liriano starting instead of Daniel Norris?
Keith Law: I’m OK with starting Norris in the bullpen for now, but he should end the year with 20+ starts.

Darrell: Is Jordan Hicks projected to be a starter?
Keith Law: He has the potential to be a very good starter. He could also never find enough command for that.

Chloe: What are your thoughts on the WBC? I love it but it seems like a number of participants had crummy years afterward. When else could it be played that might have less of a negative impact? A week off for the All-Star break and a quick tournament?
Keith Law: I would much prefer that All-Star Break WBC schedule to the current one, which is also too spread out. I do like the event for global marketing; the US audience doesn’t care, but they also don’t matter as much because baseball is already popular here.

Rob: What are your thoughts on FIREPOWER? I never would have guessed that a bunch of guys nearing 70 could put out a metal album that good from beginning to end.
Keith Law: Oh, God, no, I thought it was incredibly disappointing. After that lead single it’s just so tame.

ScottyD in Snowy Malvern, PA: Concerning Houston’s OF uberprospect Kyle Tucker – is a mid-2018 ETA too early?
Keith Law: No, I think on merit he’d probably make the club right now, so late June is about right.

John: Thanks for the chat Keith! Joey Lucchesi and Eric Lauer have both put up solid numbers this spring, do you see either progressing past a 4/5 starter ceiling, or are their numbers due to the level of competition faced in ST?
Keith Law: Probably both back-end starters, yes. Again, ST stats are not useful.

BRIAN: Thanks for the chats! They are the highlight of my week. Boring “salary” question. My understanding is the salary cap amount is the AAV of the total contract. So why wouldnt a team (Yankees/Dodgers/Sox) up against the cap sign a player (example of Moustakis earlier this off season) for 5 years – $32million – with $20m first season and 3 miliion in years 2-5… with an opt out after year one. The salary cap hit is only 6 million this year (with the rest put over to the following year following the inevitable opt out — and after a year of getting “under” the cap)? Is this not allowed??
Keith Law: No, I believe that is not allowed. And probably a good way to get fined, too.

DR: Matt Olson’s ratio of HR to doubles (24:2 in the bigs) has to normalize, right? Is he more or less a Chris/Khris Davis clone (guy that hits many homers, low average, with the occasional high contact season where he’s an all star)?
Keith Law: I don’t think that high contact season is in there. Has years where he’s an average regular, and years where he’s not. Chris Davis is a fair comp, but Olson is less athletic and won’t add value on defense.

Sally fan: Any minor league teams that you are looking forward to seeing this upcoming season? Based on presumed rosters, of course
Keith Law: I won’t look at that until camp breaks, sorry. No point in guessing now.

Marlon Bundo: Am I crazy for thinking Soroka can develop into 1/2? How do you account for maturity when evaluating a pitcher like him who is maximizing his stuff at an early age?
Keith Law: Crazy, no, but I disagree. If he’s that mature right now, then you’re saying he has less growth potential.

Mountain Man: Read an interview that the Nats are starting Kieboom and Soto back in Hagerstown to start the season. That seems a little conservative to me…they should be up in Potomac rather quickly, right?
Keith Law: Potomac’s field is kind of terrible. They skipped Harper over that level entirely because the outfield conditions were so poor.

Zach: What does Blake Rutherford have to do to get himself back on the prospect/top 100 radar? Is it as simple as….hit?
Keith Law: Not just hit, but have the ball actually go somewhere when he hits.

Sean: Mitch Haniger or Mex Kepler: who has the bigger year offensively?
Keith Law: One of them is in my breakouts column. I hope I picked the right one.

Ryan: What would you have done differently if you were Alderson this offseason? Not everything, but are there a couple of different avenues you would have explored/
Keith Law: Certainly would not have signed Gonzalez for anything. If they wanted another starter, they should have signed Lynn rather than Vargas, given what those two guys signed for.

Evan: Is a .360 OBP with 20 HR unattainable for Jeimer Candelario? Does putting him in the two hole make sense for Detroit?
Keith Law: I’m taking the under on that OBP.

Dan410: Do you think Flaherty was ready to break camp in the rotation? Or does he need some more seasoning in Triple-A?
Keith Law: I’m fine with the demotion, but also think he can be a fine fifth starter right now.

Chris: It looks like Marco Gonzales is finally getting back from TJ. What kind of starter do you think he can be for the Mariners?
Keith Law: The last I’d heard on him his stuff was still down this spring.

JK: You often point out that small sample sizes don’t change your perspective on a player. Some of the June draftees shot up the rankings with a small sample post signing (Adell, Hiura). What’s the difference?
Keith Law: There is no difference. The change in ranking has little to nothing to do with performances. After they sign, they’re seen by new sets of scouts and executives, and more information (e.g., Hiura didn’t need/have TJ) becomes available.

Brad: What do you think of Dipoto’s approach of dealing high-ceiling, younger minor league players for higher-floor, closer to MLB-ready players?
Keith Law: Wouldn’t be my personal approach.

The Bilmo: I always prefer to see the film before reading the book. I do’t have to compare the film to the production in my head. You?
Keith Law: Other way around. Book first. Book is nearly always better anyway.

Matt: Hey Keith. What are your thoughts on Keibert Ruiz what does he project for longterm?
Keith Law: If he stays at C, he’s a potential star. Fair chance he hits his way off the position or isn’t good enough back there to be a regular. I feel pretty confident he’s a regular somewhere.

Rhys: As of this moment, in what order would you rank Mize/McClanahan/Rollison/Singer?
Keith Law: Mize, McClanahan, Rolison, several other college starters, Singer.
Keith Law: The Singer thing confuses the hell out of me.

Thaddeus: I’ve heard you mention your favorite thing in the Anova is chicken thighs at 4-5 hours if I remember correctly. What do you use as the temp? And what do you do after? Hard sear in a cast iron or a grill or something else?
Keith Law: 165 for 5 hours, chill, hard sear in a carbon steel or cast iron skillet. If you chill them, the juices in the bag will congeal and you can easily peel that off to form the base for a sauce.

Guy: Any good solo game recommendations?
Keith Law: Friday. Onirim. Pretty much any coop game, like Pandemic. I’ve played Agricola’s solo mode on the app; I think all of Rosenberg’s games offer a solo option (and Fields of Arle is really a solo game), but the setup is a bit long for playing by yourself.

steve: Looks like the Sox are going to carry Swihart on the opening day roster, but not use him at catcher. He appears headed for utility role but has never played infield and limited time in OF. How do you see this working out?
Keith Law: I’m hoping he just gets regular ABs and hits again like he did before he was first called up.

Larry: I heard the Tigers are interviewing HS players to see if they will sign at 1-1 for a steep discount. Do you think that is a wise strategy for this draft?
Keith Law: They are exploring options, but hardly committed in any way to doing this. The Dbacks did the same, and even offered steep discounts to a few players (Garrett Whitley was one), but ended up taking one of the consensus top players.

Richard: Will we ever see pitchers like Greg Maddux return? The ones who relied on control, changing speeds. Instead of simply trying to blow away hitters and blowing out arms along the way.
Keith Law: They’re not gone. Kyle Hendricks is certainly in that mold – strike thrower who gets groundballs – as is Keuchel. Neither throws hard, both live on the bottom of the zone.

Chris: Can Nimmo play a league average defensive CF? Or is he just bad out there?
Keith Law: Average, maybe. I doubt more.

Avery: Is this year the year for Addison Russell? Or is becoming this is who he is? I know he’s only 24 but he has a career .312 OBP in the bigs….I would have more likely guessed that to be his BA.
Keith Law: Shoulder injury last year; not sure if that was all or part of his decline, or not at all, but I think you have to consider the possibility it restricted him.

Lark11: Given the organization’s historical difficulty in developing impact starting pitching, shouldn’t the Reds be overhauling how it scouts and develops pitchers? Do you view Hunter Greene as having increased injury/development risk because he was drafted by the Reds?
Keith Law: I do not, and I don’t think they’ve had chronic issues with scouting and developing pitchers in recent years.

Scherzer’s Blue Eye: O’s Fans: With Cobb, we have a good rotation now!
Reality is?
Keith Law: With Cobb, you have two good starters now.

Chris Mays: Do you have a take on Acuña being sent down? It seems to me that if there was truly nothing wrong with it, then AA could tell the truth about why he was sent down.
Keith Law: You can’t send down a player to manipulate service time. The player & union will file a grievance, they’ll win, and he’ll get the service time anyway. So you have to lie. They did the right thing for the team and the wrong thing for the sport. He’ll be back in mid-April.

wade: how old do you think pujols is?
Keith Law: I think he’s older than he claims to be. It would fit the last few years of his career, certainly.

Stephanie: Do you see Mateo becoming a 15HR/30 steals CF by 2019?
Keith Law: 15 HR might be high; 30 steals is almost certainly low.

Peeeeete: How would you predict the Cubs starters to finish in WAR? Q-Darvish-Lester-Hendricks-Chatwood?
Keith Law: Q, Yu, Hendricks, Lester, Chatwood.

Seany: Follow up on Ohtani- there was probably a behind closed doors agreement that he wouldn’t be sent to AAA & would DH. Let’s say he flops at hitting and they go back on their word and decide to abandon it… Does Ohtani have the option to return to NPB even though the Ham fighters were paid $20mm for him?
Keith Law: I suppose he could just walk away, but that’s not going to happen. My guess, entirely my own speculation, is that they’ll let him fail at DH and hope he realizes he needs to pitch full-time.

Dan410: Agree or disagree with the Rangers’ decision to keep Profar strictly in the infield? Thought it was weird since LF is the job that’s totally wide open. (I also like how Profar>Odor has not even been a discussion)
Keith Law: I hadn’t seen or heard that; I thought the plan was for him to be a bench player who gets ABs wherever. I love the kid but he has to produce now to earn regular playing time. If he has a solid April and looks like he did pre-injury or even right when he came back, they can always give him time in LF.

Andrew: Outside of Tatis, which of the Padres’ prospects has impressed most in Spring Training?
Keith Law: I had two lengthy posts on their prospects last week.

Poor Man Quisenberry: Have you seen Nander de Sedas from Montverde Academy HS. What are your thoughts on him?
Keith Law: True story: I was supposed to see him today, about five minutes from now. Instead I am in my kitchen watching snow come down at about an inch an hour, waiting to fire up the snowblower.

Matt S: Hey Keith what are your thoughts on Blaze Jordan and when do you as a scout start to turn your attention to him?
Keith Law: Christ. I had to look this up – he’s 15? A 2021 kid? Call me in two years.

RSO: Do you think acquiring Drury and Walker makes Andujar and Torres more expendable in a deal for say, Chris Archer, Michael Fulmer or another top flight starter?
Keith Law: That may be their plan, but I don’t think so, especially not for Torres.

SPG: You ever been to Venice, Rome, or Paris? Wife & I are going for the first time next month and are in dire need of restaurant recommendations.
Keith Law: I have, but nearly 20 years ago.

mike sixel: Nick Gordon….future second basemam? SS in MN this year, in about 4-6 weeks? SS in the future? Traded?
Keith Law: I believe he can play SS, but they seem to view him internally as a 2b.

Kevin S.: With all the talk about how pitiful minor league salaries are, could a team *choose* to pay them more than the current scale? A draftee or a IFA might be willing to take a smaller bonus if he knew he would be making $40,000/year instead of $8,000/year.
Keith Law: I don’t know if anything prohibits spending more on non-40 man salaries – we had some negotiating room with them back when I was with the Jays and did a few of those phone calls, boy, was that ever fun – but if you promised it before the draft to a player you’d violate the rules. Atlanta was accused of doing this with Drew Waters, allegedly offering him a car in exchange for taking less in his bonus. (The car, if it was ever promised, never materialized.)

RSO: RAB boldly predicted that Aaron Hicks could have a 7+WAR. Crazy or realistic?
Keith Law: That seems high but I’m also a longtime believer in his ability and a 5 WAR season seems entirely reasonable if he can just stay healthy.

Ryan: if nimmo can stay healthy, is he capable of putting up good numbers?
Keith Law: He can be very useful vs RHP.

Chris: Have you noticed any players getting draft helium yet this early in the season?
Keith Law: Grayson Rodriguez in Texas is a big name right now, mid-90s FB from a prep RHP. Noah Naylor was juuust outside my top 30 a month ago, but I think if the draft were today he’d go top 20. Gunnar Hoglund has cleaned up his delivery somewhat so he’s not so cross-body and he’s somewhere in day one at least. Still a lot of HS kids who haven’t started playing yet, though.

Chris: If (big if…) Hunter Harvey can stay healthy, what do you see as a logical outcome? Number 2 starter?
Keith Law: Yes, but he’s yet to have one calendar year in pro ball without an injury.

mike sixel: Would you consider giving up baseball if they succeed in getting Congress to pass a law allowing them to continue screwing over minor league players? What would ownership have to do to get you to stop watching, or decrease?
Keith Law: Giving up, no. I’ll just continue to advocate for players.

Brad: Is there any concern with sous vide and plastic safety (BPA/phthalates/etc.)?
Keith Law: No, because I’m not a chemophobe.

Aaron, Texas: KLAW, just started watching The Wire, and Season 2 was a slight drag. Was that the worst season?
Keith Law: I think S5 was the worst, as it felt very rushed.

Tom from Newark, DE: Keith, will the Blue Rocks have anyone that’ll make it worth me making the 10 minute drive up I-95 to see?
Keith Law: I assume Khalil Lee will be here, at least, although I don’t know that for sure. He’d be worth it – arguably their #1 prospect. Viloria should get here at some point too.

Dave: Do the Yankees seem to be a little overhyped coming into the season? Not that they won’t be good, but aside from Bird is there any regular you’d take even-money being better than last year, health issues excepted?
Keith Law: I talked about this with Joe and Mike on the Poscast that went up today – you can paint a realistic scenario that has them worse than last year, without stretching your logic at all. The rotation seems very volatile to me, in health and performance, and I believe Mike pointed out that nobody important got hurt last year.

MJ: What kind of line do you think Colin Moran could put up this year? Do you believe the swing changes he made in the minors last year will allow him to hit 25-30 HRs in the majors?
Keith Law: I think he’s a 20 HR guy with a regular baseball. With this juiced ball, everyone’s a 30 HR guy.

Josh: Hi Keith, Curious if you ever talk to players you’re scouting, majors or otherwise, when you go on your scouting trips…or if you’d even be allowed. Thanks!
Keith Law: I am allowed but prefer to talk to them afterwards if need be. They don’t really even need to know I’m there. Having 40 or 50 scouts there is pressure enough.

Andrew: I’m probably going to get killed for this by you and your fellow readers but weed isn’t harmless. Weed is what triggered my friend’s manic episode (already had been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder)and why I can’t never know what it’s like to smoke it as I also have bipolar disorder.
Keith Law: Marijuana can trigger short-term psychosis in some people … but it’s still harmless for the majority of folks.

Luis Castillo: Based on Fangraphs pitch values, it seems like I found a third pitch in my slider, no?
Keith Law: No.

Larry: What is the difference between Ohtani and Acuna? Both players could theoretically be held down for extra service time. Shouldn’t Acuna be ticked about the manipulation for his clock and the assumption that Ohtani will not face the same issue?
Keith Law: The Angels are trying to win this year and Ohtani would, in theory, be part of that.

Kak: Is Sheldon neuse the real deal for the As?
Keith Law: I think he’s a very good player, not a shortstop at all, maybe a great 2b/3b/lf type, chance for a regular. Good feel to hit, very good instincts, makes up for limited tools.

Jimmy : Astros farm system top 5?
Keith Law: No. I ranked systems back in January and they were 13th.

Chris: How nuts are the Os for paying (above?) full freight on Cobb on March 20th?
Keith Law: I do not believe they paid at or above full freight.

Kak: What are your thoughts on piscotty this season?
Keith Law: I’m rooting for him. I do think last year was an outlier and that he’ll hit for more average this year; the park switch hurts his power, but I believe everything else will improve.

Chuck: If you’re the A’s, do you bring up Puk in April or May?
Keith Law: I’d rather have him in the big leagues on April 20th than in the PCL.

Corey: tanking isn’t as prevalent as the media makes it seem but how many teams in your estimation are pursuing a tank or tank-adjacent strategy this season ?
Keith Law: Are the Padres tanking if they signed Hosmer to that silly deal? The Phillies with Arrieta? The Marlins, yes, for sure. I don’t think the Rays are tanking, per se, but if you want to argue they’re tank-adjacent I’ll concede the point. The Tigers are way out. The A’s, probably. That’s 4-6 teams. It’s not 10.

James: Draft – could you see MLB go to a draft lottery to try to lessen the advantage of all out tanking?
Keith Law: I could see that, but I don’t believe it’ll solve the issue. Paying minor leaguers and 0-2 players more would do so.

TK: My wife and I are about to strat playing SeaFall with some friends. I can’t remember: did you ever do a full review of it?
Keith Law: I did not. Really liked the concept, but didn’t finish the full play, and I know there was concern that whoever got the lead early would end up winning.

Slick Rick Hahn: Anything new on Lou Rob? I know you were the “low guy” on him when the Sox signed him, just wondering if your opinion has changed at all. Obviously, being hurt now can’t help.
Keith Law: I was supposed to see him two days after he got hurt. I’ll go see him when he’s in Kannapolis or wherever they start him.

Jonathan: Is Shane McClanahan the current favorite for top pick in this year’s draft?
Keith Law: No. I don’t think there’s a favorite, certainly nobody with more than a 40% chance. Mize probably has the best odds of anyone, but that still doesn’t make him the favorite, IMO.

Sean: If Potomac’s field is so bad, why play there?
Keith Law: They’ve been trying to get a new stadium in NoVA for a few years.

Andrew T: If you were GM of Marlins would you have handled situation differently?
Keith Law: That was an ownership call – dump salary, take less in return.

mets homer: realistic expectations on Marcos Molina? Was a top tier prospect before TJ…. still a rotation piece in the future?
Keith Law: Was not a top tier prospect before, and is probably a reliever.

Jared: As a Brewer fan, I love what Stearns has done so far. I also like the Cain and Yelich acquisitions. With that said, doesn’t it seem that the Brewers’ roster is poorly constructed this year?
Keith Law: I think they need another starter from outside the org.

JR: Did you ever get around to watching Man in High Castle on Amazon? I recently read and really enjoyed the book and tried to give the show a go. I made it one episode. Snooze fest. Was bummed because I thought a show expanding on that world had so much potential.
Keith Law: Same. One episode, never went back. Great look and setting, but whoa boy, was that slow.

John: Klaw: any thoughts on this guy Jordan Peterson? Several of my buddies are into him now, but I’ve read he’s big with the alt-right so I’m hesitant to even spend any time listening to him.
Keith Law: Yeah, he’s trash, and probably dangerous.

mike sixel: 7 wonders app is great, and the AI are strong.
Keith Law: Agreed. Just bought the Leaders in-app expansion yesterday.

Matt: Did you hear what’s going in PA? The GOP is so pissed the SC won’t allow gerrymandering so they are going to impeach 4 of the 5 liberal judges.
Keith Law: Yep. I’m not a PA resident, but I would be beyond furious to see this. The legislators gerrymandered the heck out of the state to gain control, and now are claiming that the justices are the ones subverting the will of the voters.

Paul at the Library: Is Winker still likely to overperform Nimmo this year, even with Nimmo seemingly having a job and the Reds currently flirting with a four man outfield?
Keith Law: On a rate basis, yes.

Kyle : Rodon – his career over?
Keith Law: That’s rather dramatic.

Ken: Saw you liked Frank Turner. Big fan myself. Favorite song?
Keith Law: Recovery.

Ray: Spent a few days in Tempe last weekend. Do you ever eat ballpark food out there? There’s a Some Burros tent in the outfield with great carne asada tacos. Best ballpark food I’ve had in awhile, not that ballpark food is that good in general.
Keith Law: I avoid ballpark food whenever possible.

Rob: Do you have a mystery novel to recommend
Keith Law: I’m a fan of Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, & Rex Stout.

Danny from Boston: Bigger upside Kyle Tucker or Willie Calhoun?
Keith Law: Really? Tucker.

JJ: Is Tommy Pham a one-hit wonder, or a late bloomer?
Keith Law: Late bloomer. Had to get healthy and get a solution for his eye condition.

Jack: I get why you wouldn’t scout Blaze Jordan now, but is it valuable for MLB teams to start tracking kids who are freshmen and sophomores?
Keith Law: I don’t think so. I think it’s a waste of resources.

Daniel: Hosmer told fangraphs he’s looked into launch angle and worked JD Martinez’ offseason hitting coach. Assuming he makes the conscious effort, does joining the fly ball revolution give Hosmer a better chance of repeating his 4 WAR season going forward?
Keith Law: Sure. But a lot of players have tried this without getting better results, and I don’t think anyone has figured out which players can pull it off and which ones can’t. FWIW, Hosmer did show plus power as an amateur.

Buck: Don’t you think the Angels sent an army of investigators to the DR to try and uncover any evidence that Pujols is older than he claims? I’d be doing everything possible to claim his albatross contract was based on a lie and get it cancelled in court.
Keith Law: No, I don’t think they did that, nor would they likely be able to do so since they had no problem accepting his age – which was also accepted by the US government when he became a citizen in 2007 – when they signed the deal.

RSO: Re the weed comment: basically any substance can be harmful to people with certain conditions. Water can be harmful to someone who is hyponatremic.
Keith Law: Exactly. Weed is not like cocaine or meth. Marijuana should be decriminalized.

Jake: DO NOT CONGRATULATE
Keith Law: every time I saw that yesterday I kept thinking “DONNA MARTIN GRADUATES” and realized 2/3 of my readers wouldn’t get the joke.
Keith Law: That’s all for this week and there will not be a chat next week due to travel (unless there is another nor’easter … no thanks, i’ve had enough already). Thank you as always for reading and for all of your questions. Check out my book Smart Baseball, now out in paperback with a new afterword for 2018!

New board game review at Paste of the light, fast-moving card game Smile; and new Insider post looking at who the top rookies might be for 2018.

Keith Law: So numb, can’t even react. Klawchat.

What’s in a name?: Did you know there was never a major league baseball player with the first name of Tyler before 1993? Now there have been about 40. The Yanks set a new record with 4 Tylers last year. There were no Brandons before 2000; now there have been about 50. The 2012 A’s had FIVE.
Keith Law: I believe in 2013 we had four players in the first round or so named Hunter. We gave our daughter a name that had never appeared on any of those top 100 baby names list to avoid something like this (plus we loved the name we gave her anyway).

Joseph: I looked forward to these every week. I heard reports that Vlad Guerrero Jr is THICC right now (not in a bad way). But it seems more likely he moves from 3B to 1B. What percentages of likelihood would you put on it?
Keith Law: I’m not certain you have to move him to 1b; he’s a big boy, but not unathletic, and maybe he could stand in an outfield corner. Probably 40/60 on him staying at third.

Jo-Nathan: Knowing how you feel about Tim Tebow, what were your thoughts on Michael Jordan as a ‘prospect’ in 94?
Keith Law: I was 20 and busy finishing my senior thesis. I really had no idea at the time whether it was plausible or a publicity stunt or something to do with gambling.

addoeh: Who signs first; Jake Arrieta or Kirk Cousins?
Keith Law: Did Arrieta solicit suggestions on social media?

One Klawwi Boi: You mentioned in chat weeks ago that Jo Adell has the highest ceiling of anyone in the 2018 draft. If he has a productive year, does he vault into top 20 consideration going into 2019? Potentially higher? Is his ceiling a 65 FV?
Keith Law: I don’t love putting specific numbers like that ‘future value’ on players this young & far away. I think he has superstar upside, but also huge risk … early last spring I had scouts telling me they were questioning whether he could hit at all, talking about him on the mound, and then he hurt his arm but started making more/better contact. I do think his full-season debut will tell us a lot more about how advanced a hitter he is – whether he’s a Trout/Vlad Jr type who already has a good enough approach to race up the minors or will be more a level-by-level guy or is something even less than that (which I doubt, but it’s possible).

Hello: My friend wants me to ask you: “Is Rafael Devers going to be Baby Miggy?”
Keith Law: I wouldn’t put that on any prospect.

Romo: If you were in a front office, would you have removed Seth Romero from your draft board?
Keith Law: I would have, given what we know about his behavior, his medicals, and his delivery. It is a legit plus-plus changeup, though, and above-average velocity, from the left side. I understand why he went where he did, but there are risks I’ll stomach and some I won’t.

Eric: I don’t expect you to know the Vegas win totals off the top of your head, but are there any teams projected for the bottom half of baseball that you could see surprising people this year if a couple dominoes fall the right way?
Keith Law: I’ll look at that later this month. Right now I’ve been more focused on draft stuff.

Faria: Does Faria have a future as a starter? If so, what’s his ceiling, #4?
Keith Law: Yes. League-average sort of upside.

Garrett: It’ll be at least 2020 before Walker Buehler pitches 200 innings, right?
Keith Law: I’ll put 50/50 odds on him never pitching 200 innings in a season.
Keith Law: And that’s not a criticism; I think he’s potentially elite, but unlikely to handle what is now a top-end workload.

Joseph: I’m making Pastrami for St Paddy’s day and I’ve never done it before (though I’ve smoked brisket half a dozen times). Was wondering if you had any advice for me and wish me luck!
Keith Law: I have never made brisket in any form, sorry. Even when I did eat beef, the time required & the quantity produced made it a poor investment.

Mike: What’s the deal with Dayton Moore about dragging the Royals into his uber-conservative social stances? First the Royals teamed with an anti-abortion group as a marketing partner (and declined to let Planned Parenthood participate in a similar marketing program), and now the Royals are hosting anti-porn workshops for their players. Moore can believe whatever he wants and support whatever social cause he feels best represents his views. But to drag the Royals into it from an official (i.e., team-sanctioned) POV….Huh???
Keith Law: I had the same thought last night. He is absolutely entitled to his personal views and to conduct himself in a manner consistent with them. This anti-porn thing is a bad joke, though; the individual and societal effects of pornography have been researched for decades, and no link has been found between pornography viewing or availability and things like sexual assault rates. (Porn may actually reduce such rates, although I think the relationship is weak.) You don’t like porn? Absolutely fine. But what the Royals are doing here and with their anti-abortion partners is bringing religion into a secular work place, and I would hope a Royals player would exercise his rights and fight back.

Jay: Would you give Andujar the starting job at third?
Keith Law: Yes, although I think they’ll give it to Drury now and aim to have Andujar up by midyear.

Jay: Kannapolis or Winston-Salem – where would you start Robert out?
Keith Law: I hope to see him this weekend, at which point I may have a different answer, but my gut right now is Kannapolis. Easy to move him up if he overwhelms the league; hard to demote a guy this high-profile.

TJ: Do you think that Moustakas is just netter off waiting until June once the comp pick goes? He doesn’t seem to have a lot to gain by signing a short term deal
Keith Law: Yes.

Andrew: Keith – Thanks for the time, always enjoy the chats. Quick question with a little broader scope – do have any thoughts or heard anything on the grapevine to explain the Yankees improvement in player development over the last ~5 years?
Keith Law: They’ve shifted their draft philosophy somewhat, especially with higher picks; they’ve changed how they develop pitchers, including working with weighted balls, which has led to a lot of guys gaining velocity; and they’ve been more focused on getting and retaining prospects in trades.

Rodney: Hi Keith, thanks for doing these chats! The biggest knock against Matt Thaiss seems to be the lack of power he’s shown. Do his 2 home runs in 22 spring training PA signal anything, or is typical spring training stats noise?
Keith Law: Everything in spring training stats is noise. It’s even worse in Arizona because the entire league tends to favor home run production.

Nick: Andrew Vaughn is off to a great start. How does his bat compare to the 1B-only bats in the 2018 class like Beer and Baker?
Keith Law: Beer isn’t 1B only. I don’t think Vaughn or Baker is a first rounder.

Dingus McGee: I hear a lot about spring training stats don’t mean much, if anything, but what do teams/scouts/those in the know look at during March games?
Keith Law: You can still look at players to see, from the seats or in Trackman data, if something tangible has changed. A new delivery, a reduced spin rate, a different launch angle, a new pitch, more velocity … those are real changes that can impact this season’s performance, but the tiny samples and inconsistent competition of spring training makes those stats useless.

JJ: Ohtani’s a virtual lock to be chosen the AL ROY, but who’s going to win it in the NL?
Keith Law: He’s a lock? What if he only makes 20 starts? Or gets hurt? You can’t just gift anyone the award right now. I looked at the top impact rookies for this year in a short piece today for Insiders.

Buckner 86: Does Jose Berrios take another step forward this year? Can he be a top 20 SP? Thanks
Keith Law: Step forward, yes. Top 20 SP, no.

Matt: Was Odorizzi really worth nothing? Put up 5 WAR from ’15-’16. Hard to believe some SP-thirsty team couldn’t do better than Palacios?
Keith Law: I believe i mentioned in a previous chat that his back issues are a major concern.

Jaime: Isn’t it hypocritical of the alphabet news networks to demonize firearms when people who sit on their board also sit on the board of defense contractors, who are responsible for far worse across the globe?
Keith Law: That is the tu quoque fallacy.

Devon: The fiancee bought me a cool boardgame for Valentine’s Day called Hive. I searched for it on your site and it looks like you haven’t reviewed it. Have you not played it before or did it not make your top 100?
Keith Law: Haven’t played it.

CD: In regards to the top unsigned FA, do you think they lack any offers, or they just lack offers they like like and find acceptable?
Keith Law: My understanding is that they’re getting few offers and the ones they’re getting are way below expectations. At some point, though, don’t you just say, I’ll take the best one-year deal anyone will offer, and go from there?

BE: With the cost benefit of young players being so high, wouldn’t it make sense to better prepare them with better nutrition and instruction before they reach the majors?
Keith Law: Yes, but because that product isn’t visible now, more teams spend that money on the major-league roster.

Archie: Who do you see handling 1B for the Astros until Gurriel comes back?
Keith Law: Probably AJ Reed. Don’t think it’s a big deal for them, not something that will require trading for help.

Joey: Only 14 SP’s pitched 200 innings last year, while 32 did it in 2013. The days of 200 innings are slowly going away as pitching becomes more “specialized”.
Keith Law: I completely agree.

JR: I know it’s just spring training, but the reports on Matt Harvey have been positive so far. While the glory days of ’13 and ’15 are not coming back, is there any hope he can slightly above league average (or a tad better) this year?
Keith Law: I think it’s about health more than anything else with him … I don’t think it’s mental, or makeup related. He was worked extremely hard at UNC, and the Mets had to use him more than I think they would have liked back in 2015. I believe this is the outcome of those two factors.

Dante: Put on your Matt Klentak hat for a moment. Do you make the dive into possible contention in 2018 and sign Arrieta/Cobb/Lynn, or use this season to see if the plethora of in-house options will pan out?
Keith Law: I’d sign Cobb, but wouldn’t give up the draft pick and bonus pool money attached to it for either of the other two.

Brady: Finished Hyperion last week and I can see your issue with the non-ending, but I think I was less critical of it knowing there was a direct sequel out there that probably continues on with the pilgrims’ story. You seem to have liked the first book as much as I did, and I can’t wait to start The Fall of Hyperion. Did you ever continue on with the series?
Keith Law: Not yet. Eventually. I have just 4 Hugo winners left, and two of them are probably dreadful, so now I’m branching out to read other stuff by authors I like.

B: Would you consider Mitch Keller a candidate to be called up after the super 2 deadline, or is he more of a September cup of coffee kind of guy?
Keith Law: I think September. Hasn’t pitched in AAA yet, needs work on the changeup.

and “Peggy”: I know your philosophy is take BPA, but IMO DET needs to take a position player 1.1. If that is an overdraft, couldn’t they then go over slot in round 2? Is that at all a valid strategy? Thanks!
Keith Law: I don’t like that – if the best player is clearly a pitcher, you take the pitcher. Taking someone you believe is definitively not the best player available is a good way to get fired three years later when the guy you passed on turns out to be … the best player who was available.

Jon: Could Kingery be a Zobrist Utility guy or is he pretty much just a 2B? Thanks.
Keith Law: Could be 2b/cf. Highly doubt he’s a shortstop even on a part-time basis.

Harold: We are going to see a 6 man rotation as well as a 4 man rotation with a bullpen game in the 5th slot. Which would you prefer if you were constructing a team?
Keith Law: Probably the latter, but I’m a fan of experimentation in general.

xxx(yyy): any recs for party games that are better than Cards Against Humanity and work in situations where people may be consuming adult beverages?
Keith Law: One Night Ultimate Werewolf and other games of that ilk (Werewords combines it with a word-guessing game; Crossfire switches up the role assignments but plays out very similarly) are perfect for that.

James: With how strong the rest of AL west, at what point should the Rangers just decide it’s time to rebuild?
Keith Law: What would rebuilding entail for them? I’m not sure how much they really have that they would be willing to trade; Hamels, probably, if he’s healthy, and Andrus if we assume he’s going to opt out, but that’s probably it. They have a decent young offensive core in the majors, including a few players who should still have some growth ahead of them. But I don’t see a teardown here, unless you’re arguing they should trade guys like Mazara or Gallo now to try to get even younger and acquire some pitching (which I wouldn’t recommend).

What’s in a name?: I’ve often seen ARod, Josh Hamilton, & Griffey Jr. mentioned as the three most-talented #1 picks ever. Do you agree, & who was the most-talented amateur pitcher you ever saw?
Keith Law: Those three were all before my tenure in baseball, so I’m just relying on others’ opinions; the same community tells me Brien Taylor was one of the most talented amateur pitchers ever. The best amateur pitchers I’ve personally seen are Stephen Strasburg, Gerrit Cole, and Brady Aiken.

Eric: Keith,

What kind of year can we expect from Andy Yerzy? Any worry of him being outshined by Daulton Varsho?
Keith Law: If Yerzy’s power surge was real, he’s a very valuable prospect because it looks like he’ll stay at catcher too. Not many true receivers with 20-HR potential out there. I don’t understand the second question … do players suffer for feeling “outshined?” I know Mark Arm isn’t a fan of that.

xxx(yyy): any faith in Rougie Odor turning things around and being closer to an average hitter in 2018-2019?
Keith Law: I’m quite bearish.

Zac: Who has the higher ceiling between Alex Faedo and Brady Singer
Keith Law: Faedo. I have a hard time seeing Singer as a 180 inning starter

Chris: What’s the best future alignment for Oakland’s infield? 2B Barreto, SS Mateo, UTIL Neuse work for you?
Keith Law: Neuse everyday 3b? I know they have Chapman, but I wouldn’t just stick Neuse in a part-time role when he might be capable of more.

Kenny: It seems like some teams may be kind of slightly be starting to put an emphasis on their hitters making more contact, even at the expense of a little power. Do you think the game has gotten a little too homer/strikeout heavy and that a team may be able to gain an advantage by putting the ball in play more than their opponents?
Keith Law: The payoff from adding power has exceeded the cost of reduced contact. Improved defensive positioning might be the main reason or at least a reason for the latter part of that. I don’t like the homer/strikeout heavy environment, but it is probably a rational strategy for most teams.

Ron: German ceiling?
Keith Law: Die Höchstgrenze.
Keith Law: (Seriously, I don’t know who you’re asking about.)

B: Would you consider Max Fried somewhat of a breakout guy this year? He was over his head in the majors, but I like his stuff.
Keith Law: I didn’t think he was over his head at all. He’s on the list today.

Levi: Tyler Glasnow with another erratic outing yesterday. I know it is just Spring training, but is there still any hope for him to be a reliable starter?
Keith Law: If you believe in the axiom about taller pitchers needing more time to get their coordination together for consistent deliveries, then yes, there is still hope. But the odds are declining.

Jackson: Fernando Tatis is looking good in all aspects of the game this spring. Is the best course of action to have he and Luis Urias play in AAA all year together and come up next year?
Keith Law: That’s the worst course of action because it moves someone off shortstop right now.

Paul: Can Joey Gallo become a .250+ hitter? Seems like everyone assumes that he’s a Mendoza-line guy, but he’s only 24, has gotten better each year, and doesn’t have a L/R split. I just keep thinking he’ll be a monster.
Keith Law: I wouldn’t rule that out at all. Gallo has made a ton of progress already at reducing his swings and misses in the zone and at laying off stuff out of the zone. When he was first drafted, the swing worked, but he’d swing too often and mistime a lot … but he’d get away with it because he’d hit a mistake into the next county. He’s actually cut down substantially since then.

Dan M. : You’ve said that Strahm should be in SD’s opening day rotation but do you think he will be?
Keith Law: It doesn’t seem like it right now, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he got 15-18 starts this year. It’s not like he’s behind the Nats’ front four.

Jack: I’m a nerd so I looked back at MLB drafts from 20-30 years ago and it’s shocking how many 1st rounders never made it. What do you think has happened in scouting to lead to more draft success in the last 5-10 years.
Keith Law: We’ve gone from ignoring a lot of stats to at least some teams paying attention to publicly available stats to using proprietary data and internal R&D efforts to evaluate players. Bobby Witt was the 3rd pick in the 1985 draft despite walking 78 guys in 96 innings his junior year at Oklahoma. That would never happen today. (He was in the majors less than a year later and walked 143 guys in 157.2 innings his rookie year. What the hell did they expect?)

Dougie Fresh: What do you expect from Rhys Hopkins?
Keith Law: I expect him to have a great season, probably All-Star caliber, that feels like a disappointment after the two months he had to end 2017. I would bet on under 40 homers rather than over. Still think he’ll be a 4-5 WAR guy, just not MVP worthy.

BD in DC: Are Lamonte Wade, and Brandon Lowe MLB regulars?
Keith Law: Neither.

Joey Joe Joe: Were you surprised by Brian Goodwin putting up a > .800 OPS last season?
Keith Law: Nothing should really be a surprise in 278 PA.

Zachary: Twins starting shortstop in 2021 is Jorge Polanco? Nick Gordon? Royce Lewis? Wander Javier? Yunior Severino? Or someone else?
Keith Law: I believe if you asked them, they’d say Lewis. I still have real doubts about him staying on the dirt; he has a LONG way to go, based on what I saw (and area scouts also saw) last spring.

Trea: J.D. Davis have a future in Houston? If he got a chance to play elsewhere, how good of a bat could he be?
Keith Law: Fringe regular for someone. Maybe ideally a platoon guy.

What’s in a name?: Yes, it’s spring training, but Billy McKinney has 4 HR. Considering his late-season power surge in 2017, if this is truly another half-grade or so in the power department, does he go back to being a fairly good prospect?
Keith Law: It’s spring training. I don’t even look at those stats.

Dan: I know we should ignore Spring Training stats, but in his last start Vince Velasquez was throwing almost exclusively 4-seamers in what seemed like an effort to concentrate on locating the pitch. If he has success doing so the rest of the spring, is that the kind of thing he can build on in the season?
Keith Law: That’s different from spring training stats and definitely something i’d pay attention to … although in VV’s case, I have always been more concerned about the fringy breaking ball than fastball command. Yes, it’s something he can build on, and it makes him better, but it doesn’t address his main pitching flaw, or the fact that he has yet to stay healthy for a full season.

Nick: Going to PHX next weekend to watch some baseball. Staying in the Encanto village area. Any good restaurant recs?
Keith Law: Search this site for all my recs, but you’re right by Pizzeria Bianco, Matt’s Big Breakfast, Forno 301, Giant Coffee, Tacos Chiwas, and, when it opens, Roland’s Market.

What’s in a name?: I think Ron meant Domingo German.
Keith Law: Solid reliever IMO. Outside chance to start, well below 50%.

Mick: Is there a non traditional baseball country out there ready to bust out w/ at least a few prospects in the next few years?
Keith Law: I’d bet on Brazil churning a few more kids out now that Pardinho has gotten paid and Gohara is in the majors. I know Uganda has become a youth baseball success story lately, and I’ve heard they may even produce some good JC or small college prospects in the short term. I will forever wonder why the Philippines hasn’t produced players; I know they had a long fallow period where the sport withered there, but it has a history in that country going back to when we took it from Spain in 1898.

Brett: I’ve heard rumors that your lawyers offered Stormy Daniels 3-months of free Insider and a Cinnamon Roll Recipe in exchange for silence of your 2012 affair. Those rumors true?
Keith Law: I never signed anything and I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Matt: Why do professional athletes get injured so much? Isn’t staying in shape the general idea? It seems odd we hear about guys pulling a hamstring running to first base.
Keith Law: You can’t be serious. How often in your life do you have to run like athletes run, going from a dead stop to full speed as quickly as possible, or throw like they throw?
Keith Law: (if you throw like I throoooow, then you’re hurt like every day…)

Prospect Expansion Pack: Who would you prefer – Jesus Luzardo or Luis Medina? Debate with a friend about ceiling and age.
Keith Law: Luzardo would have been close to the top 100 had I continued ranking guys, and would have been over Medina.

addoeh: Can Ian Happ be passable in a corner outfield spot?
Keith Law: I’d bet on more than passable. Maybe a soft average.

Stomper: Most Oakland fans seem pretty convinced Chapman and Olson are going to be all-star caliber players going forward. I’d like them to be….but maybe pump the brakes on half-season debuts a bit, right?
Keith Law: I doubt either is an All-Star caliber player. Solid regulars, maybe, more so Chapman (70 glove, 80 arm) than Olson (not those things).

Dan M. : Assuming Bobby Bradley doesn’t struggle in Triple-A, would it be wiser for Cleveland to bring him up? Or do you think Alonso is competent enough?
Keith Law: I wouldn’t project Bradley to outproduce Alonso this year.

Brad: Hey Keith. What do you think is the ceiling for Dane Dunning? Solid #3 if everything goes right or a above average 4?
Keith Law: The difference between a solid 3 and an above average 4 is probably just in the nomenclature. I do think you have the right idea, though; he’s not an ace, not someone who’ll likely be a top 50 starter in baseball, but should be a very solid league-average guy for a while.

Seth Romero: Apparently all I did was a few curfew violations. In college it was the weed picture and a teammate fight. I’m not actually a *bad* guy am I? What else have you heard?
Keith Law: There’s more that isn’t public. Remember he was suspended by U of H, reinstated, and lasted just a few weeks before slugging a teammate, after which he was kicked off the team permanently.

Manny: Which potential 1st rounder in June do you see as having the highest floor and which do you see getting to the majors the quickest?
Keith Law: I’m just getting started seeing players but with what I’ve heard so far I think Rolison might be the high-floor college starter everyone loves, and either Swaggerty or Conine the high-floor college bat.

B: Were you a fan of Chris Taylor when he was in the Mariners system? I remember there being a lot of questions about him staying on the dirt, but he looks great in CF.
Keith Law: He was fine at shortstop, but had no real power at all, just a high-contact guy who looked like he could play a few positions. Thought he was a big leaguer but not a regular.

Brett: Do you think Buxton continues his progression in 2018 and has a better year than 2017?
Keith Law: Maybe a small improvement, but even a repeat of 2017 would be great, given where he seemed to be last April or in mid-2016.

Tom: Do the effects of a juiced ball work for the pitcher as well in terms of increased velocity?
Keith Law: If the issue is the COR, then that would only matter on contact, not just from the act of throwing the ball.

Steve: I’m a Boomer with “big ears” & Always listen to KLaw music playlists. Even the AAA format terrestrial radio in NYC, WFUV, doesn’t play these artists/ tracks. How do I too listen to this roster of artists?
Keith Law: If you’re asking where I find these artists, I don’t have an answer to that. I look in lots of places.

PJ: Blake Snell not eligible for today’s article, but can we expect him on your Breakout list? You still see a future #2?
Keith Law: Breakouts list is next week.

Jim: You tweeted wrong link to the chat I believe
Keith Law: Yeah, whatever. If you haven’t figured out where the chats are after two years on this site, I can’t help you, man.

Kay: Trying to make more use of my sous vide setup – I know you mentioned duck breasts. Any other favorites?
Keith Law: Chicken thighs. Pork chops. I hear it’s great for steak, and I would assume brisket and short rib too, although I don’t eat those things. I have tried it for sausages, but when I went to brown them they overcooked.

Matty: Any chance D Bundy hit’s his previous ace ceiling, or has he simply been worked too hard to get his stuff back?
Keith Law: Worked too hard, still has damage in the shoulder, and Buck is determined to squeeze every last drop of blood from him (and Hunter Harvey, 53 pitches in 2 innings the other day, WTF).

Jake: Should SF start the season with a Blanco/Jackson platoon, or should they put Duggar’s superior glove in CF and see on the fly how he will be able to handle MLB pitching?
Keith Law: I’d play Duggar. If he’s healthy, it’s probably time – he’s either ready now or he’s probably never going to be a regular.

mickey: hey, keith – always enjoy your work. just curious: do your employers mandate that you have to have a social media presence?
Keith Law: I don’t think they do. I was on Facebook and Twitter long before this became a conversation, though.

Nathan: Hey Keith, love your work. Why couldn’t the Pirates get Bueller signed out of high school? Demands to high? I remember him being pretty highly rated and it seems like he would’ve been someone they would have gone after.
Keith Law: They made a good run at him, but there are two things to bear in mind. One is that he was very slight back then, and everyone was concerned about his durability. The other is that he didn’t throw this hard until after TJ. Even as a sophomore on the Cape, he was 92-95. He wasn’t throwing that hard in HS. And if you can find anyone who projected him back at age 18 to be bumping 100 at age 23, I’d love to hear from him.

PJ: Are you bullish on Jorge Alfaro? I know he made your top 100, but just curious if you think there’s still the big bat potential that people saw a few years ago.
Keith Law: Huge power. If he ever gets to a .300 OBP, it’ll be a victory. But 20+ homers with that arm and even average receiving would make him a regular. I know the new staff in Philly has been happy with his progress receiving this spring.

Ted: Which of top ChiSox pitching prospects will be in 2020 rotation? Any likely to be #1 or #2 on that staff? Or is that more likely someone already up like Giolito or Lopez.
Keith Law: Kopech is the mostly likely #1 in that system.

Ed: Could Nolan Gorman end up the best player in this draft? I am hoping he falls to Padres at 7 but doubt he’ll make it there
Keith Law: He could, yes. List of guys who could be that is probably still 8-10 deep, though. I’ll see him next week, but Liberatore is on spring break and I won’t see him till later this month.

Joe: What were your impressions of Pentecost before the draft and do you think he can still catch?
Keith Law: Didn’t see power, questioned his durability (he didn’t catch every day in college), had some swing questions too. I’ve all but given up on him.

Mitch: I didn’t see Kingery on your MLB impact list. Do you think he won’t get a shot this year or something else?
Keith Law: They still have Cesar Hernandez.

Jason: Is Corey Ray gonna make it in the majors? Why has his stock sunk so much after one bad year?
Keith Law: Poor performance that may have been related to the lack of any kind of stride or trigger last year. He’s definitely gone backwards since he was drafted. Also had the meniscus tear that cost him his first offseason and some of spring training but I don’t know if that was really a factor.

Lawrence: I am all for equality in all walks of life. Is it sexist (as some students at Portland State would assert) to comment that men are genetically inclined to be taller and larger framed than women?
Keith Law: I don’t get the Portland State reference, but if you’re talking averages, then that’s just a fact. If this is about, say, whether a woman could play pro baseball, there are certainly women tall enough and strong enough to do so, if they were allowed to play it from a young enougha ge.

addoeh: How many people won’t read the editor’s note in your most recent article?
Keith Law: No one reads those notes. I didn’t even see it until you mentioned it. I had to cut that article short because we had no power in the house for three days and I was worried we’d lose it again yesterday (we didn’t, although we got 8″ of snow).

Larry: What kind of feedback have you received on Brice Turang? Is he swinging the bat better than he did in the fall?
Keith Law: I haven’t heard that.

Brian: Does Arrieta to the Padres make sense? He’s gotta be dropping his asking price. 4/$80mil?
Keith Law: Hosmer to the Padres didn’t make sense. Signing a 32-year-old starter makes even less.

UK Nick: The Reds are kidding themselves with this Senzel at short business, right? I get that they can’t add another zero bat like Peraza if they play Hamilton in CF, but this is likely to do more ha harm than good to their best asset, right?
Keith Law: I don’t really get it; Suarez is a shortstop by trade. Move him there.

Dave: You still a Joe Rizzo guy, or no?
Keith Law: Was I ever?

JP: Are you posting standings/awards predictions before the season?
Keith Law: I do this every year.

Stan: Do you see Turang or de Sedas being the better pro SS?
Keith Law: I think de Sedas. Should see both this month.

JP: Have you ever filled out a March Madness bracket?
Keith Law: When I was with the Jays I did, but I wouldn’t say I knew anything or put any thought into it. Going to a college that isn’t big in athletics (I missed our hockey championship by two years) really affects your interest level in such things, I think.

Tim: I’m sure I’ve read that you don’t play fantasy baseball is that a dislike of it or is it a free time issue?
Keith Law: I do not play it. Some is dislike, some is incompatibility with the job, and some is that I won’t spend free time on anything that is too close to ‘work’ for me. I have lots of great hobbies that have nothing to do with baseball. I intend to keep it that way, for my own sanity.

Bob: If you eat yogurt and granola for lunch, what do you eat for breakfast?
Keith Law: Cereal, usually. It’s one of the only packaged foods I eat.

Billy Bob: Is Judge gonna get screwed by FA? Unless my math is wrong, the Yankees control him til he’s 32. Let’s say he averages 40 HR’s til then. That means he’ll have 300ish HR’s. What team is gonna want to offer him a huge deal knowing he’s 6’7″ and likely to decline rather quickly once he’s past his prime?
Keith Law: Possibly, but I wouldn’t be shocked if the Yanks locked him up to a long-term deal that kept him there through his age-34 season or so. I think he’ll be a FA after his age-31 season, which is problematic but would likely still be early enough to get him something in the 3-4 year range … at least, before this year’s market crash.

Nats fan 2018: Do you think Victor Robles sees valuable playing time in the Nats OF this season? What do they do with Taylor then?
Keith Law: Robles is going to be better than Taylor, and maybe he already is. Plus you’re assuming Eaton is healthy – he hasn’t been in a game yet, I think.

Tom C: Would Arrieta to LAA make any sense? Um, maybe not 4 years though?
Keith Law: It would make some sense, although I would say the Angels signing any starter – Cobb comes to mind – would make sense.
Keith Law: That’s all for this week … thank you all, as always, for showing up, for reading, for submitting questions, and for buying Smart Baseball, which comes out in paperback on Tuesday (March 13th). I do not know when the next chat will be, but I will be at Twitter HQ on Tuesday to do a live Q&A around the paperback’s release. Thanks again and happy baseball!

Chris Crawford and I recorded a one-off show discussing this year’s Academy Awards, going through a dozen or so categories with who we think should win and who we think will win. Check it out if you’re at all movie-inclined.

Keith Law: Now I’ve lost the plot … Klawchat.

Pj: Syndergaard really has no comparables. In your opinion, what are the odds that he can stay healthy with his current arsenal (93 mph slider!) for 200 ip?
Keith Law: Lack of comparables is the real issue. He hasn’t had a serious arm injury so far, and he actually doesn’t seem to throw with that much effort given his velocity. 200 IP may not be the right milestone given usage patterns, but he’s gone 179.2 and 183 already; I see no reason he can’t do that regularly.

Frank: Who do you think wins the 4th outfield job in STL? Oneill, Bader, Garcia, or free agent yet to be signed?
Keith Law: Bader, I’d guess. Not sure signing an OF makes any sense at all for them.

Todd Boss: Fun question: I don’t believe we’ve yet had a player from the 2016 draft debut in the majors. Who is your pick for the first one to debut at this point?
Keith Law: Austin Hays debuted last year. I think he was the first … but of guys who haven’t debuted so far, I’d guess Puk or Senzel for the next one.

Damian: Hi Keith. Realistically eta for an everyday middle infield of Tatis Jr and Urias? Also, over/under average 3 WAR for Hosmer in his first 5 years?
Keith Law: Under for Hosmer. Tatis may still move off SS; I’ve called that an even money proposition, which I think is more optimistic than the industry consensus (which is that he’s going to get so big he’ll move to 3b or RF). I think Urias debuts this August or so. Tatis more likely 2019.

Perplexed: Need your help…I love reading a writer’s baseball analysis, but every chat he gets off topic and his heart bleeds all over my screen and I end up having to replace it. Your advice?
Keith Law: Seems like this is your own fault. You should make better decisions.

Florida Project for Best Pic: How do we get the Braves to flip-flop Albies and Gohara’s diets?
Keith Law: Ironically, they’re both pretty big drinkers. That would be my bigger concern.

Dan: Your fellow coffee connoisseur and baseball junkie, Andy Baggarly, wrote a great article on Chris Stratton’s curveball and the amazing spin rate he generates on it. Not sure if it really means it’s a great pitch or not, but regardless, do you see Chris Stratton pitching like a solid 4/5? Is there enough stuff, control, command in that arm?
Keith Law: I’ll check that piece out. He had a tremendous slider in college at Miss St, but his arm speed dropped off after he signed and hasn’t really come back. A 5, sure, a 4, maaaaaybe.

Jake Burger: Does this adversely affect my ability to stick at third?
Keith Law: TBD. Either you’ll have no loss in mobility at all, in which case you’re still a work in progress, or you’ll lose some mobility and then you’ll have to go to first. I don’t think there’s an in between here. But we won’t know anything till you’re back. (Get well soon.)

Jay: Over/under 10 pitchers on your top 100 list to succumb to TJ this year? One and counting.
Keith Law: Under. I’ll go with 7.5 as my o/u line.

Jay: Thoughts on the whole Acuna wearing his cap sideways thing?
Keith Law: MLB needs to stop asking Latin players to act less Latin. This is fucking stupid – show up on time, play hard, I don’t care if you wear your pants backwards like Kris Kross.

The Sloth: Upside for Alex Speas if he can ever locate?
Keith Law: It’s #1 stuff and athleticism but I don’t think there’s even a 5% chance of this.

Perry O. Dontist: You’ve traditionally given little value to relievers as prospects. I understand your thinking on that point, but as the relief role seems to be evolving, if a club tried to develop an ‘Andrew Miller type’ reliever (and he had success) would you think more highly of him as a prospect than you ordinarily would any minor league reliever?
Keith Law: Yes, if said pitcher showed he could handle the greater workload in fewer games (50 G 100 IP, not 65 G 70 IP).

G Dubya: What are your thoughts on the Twins signing Logan Morrison instead of another starting pitcher?
Keith Law: Solid value for them, gives them OBP they could use. Not sure it’s “instead” given the cost.

Dunkin’ Donuts: What is the chance Braves OF prospect Drew Waters becomes a star player?
Keith Law: Very low.

Perry O. Dontist: Thoughts on Mike Jeffcoat’s email?
Keith Law: For readers who missed it, the Texas Wesleyan coach emailed a potential recruit from Colorado and said he doesn’t take HS players from that state because too many of them test positive for weed – pro tip, stop testing for weed, it’s irrelevant to baseball and mostly harmless – and then made a crack about blaming “liberal” politicians. (Drug decriminalization isn’t liberal so much as libertarian; it has the conservative angle of decreasing government resources spent chasing, prosecuting, and imprisoning weed offenders, while also generating revenues from a new sin tax.) The school has already said it was inappropriate and they seem to be taking corrective actions. That said, if any coach is dumb enough to say he’s ignoring an entire state – not Alaska – then it’ll show in the standings, won’t it?

dave: I asked about this last week. What’s the opposition to requiring a pitcher to face two batters to improve pace of play?
Keith Law: Basically kills off specialist relievers. And with most players showing modest platoon splits, you might end up with so many unfavorable matchups for the team in the field that the gains are cancelled out by more men on base. (That’s speculation.) I’d prefer cutting time between pitching changes myself.

Lyle: Given how empty the cupboard is, if the Mariners don’t manage to pull off a playoff berth this year as the Cano-Cruz-Felix era winds down, how long will it realistically be before they can come up with a playoff berth in the future? 5 years? 7? 10? 50?
Keith Law: I think Houston has shown what you can do in 5 years if you tear it all down to the studs.

CB: What person who should already have been shown the door will cost the Angels more wins this year: Mike Scioscia or Albert Pujols?
Keith Law: Pujols.

Andy: How much of a mental Rolodex do you have of players? If I ask something about Ben Rortvedt or Austin Gomber (to pick two random nowhere near top 100 guys) do you know exactly about them, or do you have to go to a spreadsheet to find your notes on them?
Keith Law: I know those guys offhand, but I don’t know every player you might throw at me; I could probably answer you on a few hundred guys in the minors, then right now maybe 40-50 guys in this year’s draft class. I don’t use a spreadsheet, though. Too hard to read quickly.

Andy: When you read to your daughter with voices do you just resort to the accents/characterizations from the movie? I have a hard time remembering the voice for a character if it’s different than the movie accent.
Keith Law: Yep. My Snape wasn’t very good but I was very proud of my Dumbledore and my Dobby.

Archie: What do you think of Mike Krukow’s idea to shorten between inning breaks and recoup the advertising money lost by putting small ad patches on the player uniforms?
Keith Law: I’m really OK with that. I’m fine with ads on the screen between pitches or at bats too. I would think advertisers would prefer that because viewers aren’t walking away or distracted.

Erwin: What do you think of Nander de Sedas? Top 10 pick, stay at short?
Keith Law: Maybe top 10 pick, definitely first round, stays at short.

Ramon Neopolitano III: Hey Keith- lately, I’ve seen tons of media and fans act as if Manny Machado to the Yankees is a done deal already. While I do think they’re probably the favorites to sign him, why do we have articles (USA Today) implying it’s a foregone conclusion? Aren’t the White Sox and Phillies expected to go hard after him, too?
Keith Law: You can pretty well ignore anything that calls a free agent signing with a certain team a foregone conclusion eight months before they can even file. That’s clickbait.

KOK: Have you cooked anything interesting Sous Vide recently?
Keith Law: Have made duck a few times that way – so much easier to get a duck breast perfectly medium-rare sous vide.

Karl: Is there any sort of service you’re aware of that allows someone to test/rent board games without buying? I’m intrigued by some that you talk about but am wary of putting down a lot of money for them without knowing if I’d like them.
Keith Law: A lot of cities have board game cafes where you can go play stuff for a small fee or for the cost of food & drink. Also, conventions like Gen Con or PAX Unplugged charge admission but then there’s lots of open gaming.

Kevin: Any more insight on what substance Whitley was using? How much effect would this suspension have on his Top 100 ranking if you were to rank again?
Keith Law: Zero effect.

JJ: I know you’re not really a football guy, but I thought you’d enjoy this quote from new Raiders’ coach Jon Gruden, on using the team’s analytics department: “I’m trying to throw the game back to 1998. I’m not going to rely on modern technology. I will certainly have some people that are professional that can help me from that regard. But I still think doing things the old fashioned way is a good way.”
Keith Law: Good for him. I never liked the Raiders anyway.

Josh: Just spent a week in Scottsdale and your food guide was indispensable. How much does Whitley’s suspension hurt his development?
Keith Law: I don’t think it hurts much at all, because he wasn’t going to throw 160 innings or pitch six full months anyway. Maybe he loses four or five starts he would have otherwise made.

Grant: Alice in Chains or Pearl Jam?
Keith Law: Peak AiC. But the current incarnation is not good.

Nolan W: How much do you buy into framing metrics in their current form, specifically how the data is being translated to runs/WAR? In my judgment, the raw data captured by these metrics is generally in very close alignment with what the eye test tells us in terms of identifying good receivers vs bad ones. At the same time, it’s a little jarring to see Baseball Prospectus slap a 6 WAR on Tyler Flowers largely on the strength of superb framing stats.
Keith Law: Teams seem to think this is at least directionally correct. I do wonder if a player whose framing was worth, say, 3 WAR in one year is also likely to come back down towards the average pretty hard the next year. We don’t have a ton of framing data but there seems to be a lot of year to year volatility in it, implying that while it is a skill, there’s also some randomness involved too.

Derek: The two most coveted position players in baseball are a SS that can hit and a C that can hit (we seem to have a number of the former these days but not as many of the latter). What was the scouting report on Bryce Harper as an amateur C? Could he have been a 40 defender there? Assuming his bat would have developed the same way (maybe an implausible assumption), that’s probably more valuable than what he is in RF. Did the Nats make a mistake moving him off C?
Keith Law: Could have been a 50-60 defender back there. At least a 70 arm in practice, 80 arm strength. Hell of an athlete, of course. Liked doing it too. But you’d lose 30 games a year guaranteed, and if he’s had injury trouble in the outfield, it probably would have been worse at C.

Greg: What’s your take on the slow free agent market? Just a function of circumstances or are the owners up to no good? I admit to being a bit suspicious but I obviously have nothing concrete with which to back that up.
Keith Law: I don’t think it’s collusion. I think it was a weak market, overstuffed with players without homes – 1b/dh/lf types, mostly LHB – combined with a general philosophy against long-term contracts for hitters in their 30s or pitchers at all.

The Sloth: How big of an upside does Basabe (Luis Alexander of Chicago) possess? Is 20/20 a possible best case scenario?
Keith Law: Sure. I think he could be an above average regular if healthy.

Keith Kristol: You’ll be on the frontlines for the inevitable U.S. intervention in Syria, right? You definitely should be considering you’ve been peddling disgusting regime change propoganda. Remember the gas attack the “moderate” rebels were responsible for in 2013? Maybe you should consider that when these obviously false reports about Assad “gassing his own people” come out. Or you could actually find news sources outside of Netflix documentaries, Teen Vogue, and WaPo. Seriously, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Keith Law: You seem unwell. Or unhinged. By the way, from Amnesty International, on Syria buying materials to manufacture chemical weapons from North Korea: “But to help the Syrian government – which has repeatedly used chemical weapons against civilians – replenish its supplies would be a particularly egregious betrayal of humanity.” Or look at the state’s sieges of its own cities/regions like Ghouta, Raqqa, Aleppo. Hundreds of dissidents forcibly ‘disappeared.’ Assad’s longtime support of Hezbollah and other terrorist movements. I’m not sure who you think you’re defending here … or what you think I’ve even supported, other than writing about the two excellent documentaries on the crisis, Last Men in Aleppo (Oscar nominated) and City of Ghosts.

Bret: There’s been a lot of talk in Toronto about the Blue Jays using Danny Jansen as the backup to Russell Martin for much of this season — maybe not out of the gate, but perhaps from the middle of the season onwards. What kind of impact would that have on Jansen’s development?
Keith Law: Might help him if he gets to work more with the major league coaching and pitching staff. I think he can hit, and he’s not that young. But he needs a lot of work on receiving & working with pitchers.

JR: The best news in spring training is no news right? You don’t want to see your favorite team/players in any reports – just routine, injury free spring training.
Keith Law: Yep. I ignore most ST news, but injuries are tangible and at this time of year often really bad.

Jake: New college baseball fan here. Going to the University of MN baseball tournament this weekend. AZ, WA, and UCLA are the other teams participating. Any players from those teams worth paying close attention to?
Keith Law: Joe Demers at UW is a prospect. Arizona and UCLA are as bad as I can remember them being. And ASU is worse. (You didn’t ask, I just had to point that out.)
Keith Law: The best college baseball prospect in the state of Arizona isn’t at Arizona or ASU (Wong at Grand Canyon). How wrong does that sound?

BJinIndiana: First–finally bought Smart Baseball and loved it. I dislike dust jackets though, so I was very pleasantly surprised to see the green/brown colors underneath.
Keith Law: I wish I could take credit. Glad you liked it, though!

Tommy: Between Garver and Haase, who has more ability to stick and hit with some pop?
Keith Law: Haase I think has more everyday potential than Garver. Both big league backups at least.

That Guy in Detroit: Keith, thanks for the chat. Do you think there’s any way that Kelenic moves up enough for the Tigers to consider him 1-1?
Keith Law: I’d be truly shocked.

Sadie: Dbacks should blow it up after this year , correct ? Especially if Goldy walks
Keith Law: They have a $14.5 million option on him for 2019, which they will exercise. Very much worth exploring a trade for him and Greinke after this season, though. They could get a tremendous return, and clear some money to add elsewhere, without blowing the entire team up – they have some solid young pieces with a few years of control left. If they extend Goldschmidt, though, they might still trade Greinke to get rid of the contract but keep everything else intact.

Josh: Likelihood of the following outcomes for Lincecum (assuming he’s a RP only): 1) totally ineffective, washes out quickly 2) sticks around but isn’t very good, 3) adds some value as a middle reliever, 4) excels and becomes a closer/relief ace
Keith Law: I think 2 is most likely.

silvpak: given austin barnes’ elbow twinge this spring, utley’s advanced age, kelbert ruiz and will smith on the horizon, and forsythe coming to the end of his deal, what’s the likelihood LAD will, as the season progresses, start getting barnes more 2b experience? i have visions of craig biggio dancing in my head.
Keith Law: He has over 1400 innings at 2b in pro ball, so I don’t think he needs experience there. I do think they’ll turn to him if they have a need in-season at 2b or 3b.

Sally Fan: Would you send Juan Soto back to Hagerstown for the start of 2018, given his relatively short season there (he’d still be young for the league) or send him to Potomac?
Keith Law: I’d probably bump him up to Potomac. Hagerstown isn’t a great stadium or town anyway.

Nic: Chatting on Purim-I like this. Do you think the yankees are still the number 2 farm system after the drury trade?
Keith Law: It’s Purim? I had no clue. I should have made hamantashen. Yes, I do. They gave up two fairly minor prospects.

Fastball Velocity: How do I disappear from specific players? For example, Kolby Allard. Why has his velocity decreased so much in just one calendar year? You’ve mentioned his frame, but are there any other reasons?
Keith Law: Guys wear down, get hurt, lose muscle over the long season. Allard may just not have the stamina to be a good 180-inning starter. I love his upside if he shows this was just a one-year blip, though.

Tommy Pacu: Moncada recently: 0-3 on 7 pitches with two strikeouts. Is his swing and miss a big concern for Sox fans?
Keith Law: It is a big concern, yes.

Vince: Keith, who are some guys you’ll be watching in the Carolina League this year that weren’t there last year?
Keith Law: Ask me when we have rosters in April. I don’t really even think about that stuff until spring training ends.

Sadie: Do you like sausage or bacon more ? Hasbrown or home fries ?
Keith Law: Bacon. Hashbrowns. But I like all of these.

Tom: Keith, if they wanted to, could the Orioles even give away Davis or Trumbo, or do both have negative value?
Keith Law: Doubt you could give away Davis’s contract. Trumbo’s maybe but for no return.

Scouting: How hard is it to learn how to scout players? I’d like to dabble in it a little bit for fun, and I’d like to know where to start. Thanks!
Keith Law: I don’t think you can dabble in this, sorry. So much of scouting is about building up a mental database of players over the course of years of doing it. It’s why I don’t read or refer to many blogs that try to do scouting reports; you can’t just buy a radar gun and go to a game and know how to scout.

Scott from FLA. Cubs fan: National League West and Central loaded, and Mets get to play Marlins Braves and Phillies A LOT. Huge advantage—- Disparity for Wild Card??
Keith Law: Yes, but first the Mets have to be good (healthy) enough to take advantage of this.

Matt: So Russia has a video of nukes headed towards Florida and Trump refuses to acknowledge sanctions let alone a possible nuclear attack. At what point does the GOP come to terms that our president is a danger to America?
Keith Law: The BBC podcast The Inquiry looked at the 2017 cyberattack on Ukraine that eventually affected over 60 countries, and the indirect evidence that Russia was behind it. It shut down hospitals and other critical systems here in the US. You’d think we’d do something about that, since it cost American businesses real money. (It’s their most recent episode, and that podcast in general is one of my favorites. One topic, 23-24 minutes, with four experts discussing it in turn.)

Charlie: I honestly think you should give this season of Top Chef a try. There has been some fantastic cooking recently and it’s the funniest group of chefs in a long time. I can’t defend the Logan Paul choice as a guest judge early on, but you mentioned you heard nachos was a winning dish. It was actually the losing dish in an admittedly weak tailgate challenge.
Keith Law: I’m not going back to start it now. Season’s starting, and plenty of other good stuff to watch. Unsolved episode one was fantastic.

David (VZLA): You’re Cashman…. Andujar or Drury to start the season?
Keith Law: Andujar starts, Drury on the roster of course.

John: Whats do you think is the bigger hold up for good middle of the rotation options line Lynn and Cobb, dollars or years?
Keith Law: Lynn has a pick attached, right? I think that’s a killer for guys left out there. Years probably a secondary factor.

Larry: Thoughts on unions? I agree whole heartedly with their purpose, but I also think they can be too powerful. I have a friend that missed 3 weeks of work without calling in, got “fired,” and he says he can’t be fired because he’s in the union. Sure enough two days later he got his job back. That’s pretty frustrating from my point of view and I hate that they have that much power. But the general purpose is great.
Keith Law: Unions also tend to raise costs to the end consumers, too. But if you had no unions, the balance would tip heavily in favor of capital (ownership). And they already have the money to beat you in court.

Craig: Who do you think wins the 3rd SD OF Job? Let the lottery ticket Franchy go for it and see if the tools translate?
Keith Law: Would love to see that.

John: After signing Morrison it looks like Vargas is on his way out in MN. Does he have any trade value?
Keith Law: Don’t think so. Up and down guy at best.

Tony: Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe you’ve commented that the Pirates player development system hasn’t had success in changing swing angles to increase power. I read comments from the Pirates that they hoped with an adjustment to Bryan Reynolds’ swing angle his power would begin to play and he’d fulfill his potential. Question: do you think such a project is generally feasible and, in this specific instance, how high is Reynolds ceiling if he is able to make this adjustment?
Keith Law: I think it’s feasible for guys who already have some feel to hit and some natural power. I would love to get a time machine and try this with Ryan Sweeney, the best 5 o’clock power hitter I ever saw (who couldn’t do it in games, obviously).

Greyson: Have you heard any buzz on Tyler Kolek? Is he back near 100 or are those days over?
Keith Law: Check his stats from last year. If he’s 100, it’s to the backstop now.

Stu: The Reds are trying Senzel at SS… chance he sticks?
Keith Law: I think nearly zero.

Brian: A national reporter quoted a scout today saying that JP Crawford isn’t a good defender. How can any scout possibly think that?
Keith Law: No clue. Some scouts don’t like the way he plays – I’ve heard that on Brendan Rodgers too – and that may be coloring that one guy’s opinion on JPC. I think Crawford might be a 70 defender if he works at it.

Jack: Thoughts on Jose Israel Garcia? I’m falling in love with the tools from what I’m reading, but it’s so hard to find any video on the guy.
Keith Law: Everything i have on him is in the ‘just missed’ column. I’ve never seen the guy – almost no one has outside of a few teams who scouted him last June.

JM: Album yet to be released that you are most anticipating?
Keith Law: Courtney Barnett, Frank Turner, Speedy Ortiz.

Tye: Why are you so low on Gonsalves? Is his ceiling more of a 4/5? Will he be better than replacement level?
Keith Law: How am I low on him? He’s a lefty with no average breaking ball and fringe-average velocity. I don’t think he’s more than a 4.

Sean: I had a discussion with a co-worker about pitching injuries. My co-worker tried to make the case that the pitchers of old were more durable than today’s pitchers because of innings/pitch limits imposed today. I know this a preposterous claim, but I want to find a better way to illustrate to him that this not the case than just stating that reserve clause age pitchers were less incentivized to report injuries than today’s pitchers. Do you have area I can look to for greater knowledge on the issue?
Keith Law: They also didn’t throw anywhere near as hard as today’s pitchers. I think the average fastball velocity has been creeping up steadily for about 20 years now.

Chris : Knowing how much you love Chvrches but how you’re not a fan of Matt Berninger’s voice, how torn were you on whether to like the new Chvrches single featuring him?
Keith Law: I wasn’t torn at all. It’s terrible. So is “Get Out.”

Brian: I want to follow up on a question I asked last week: while most saw Mickey Moniak as a below dollar sign in a weak draft. But almost every draft analyst seemed to agree w/the Phillies that he had a good hit tool. That seems to have been exposed an incorrect., So what I’m wondering is how a consensus like that develops that’s incorrect? Is it something about what scouts saw or is it related to projecting how a guy will hit better pitching?
Keith Law: Scouts saw him hit well against good pitching as an amateur. I don’t know that I’d say it’s “incorrect;” you’d have to give him another year before going that far. I’d say that his hit tool isn’t as advanced today (present tool) as we thought. He might still hit.

Adam Doctolero: I find the research that has been done regarding the juiced baseballs to be fascinating and pretty damning for MLB, but I have a hard time reconciling that with their obsession with shorter games. Is MLB really dumb enough to not recognize that more offense leads to longer games, or are they just trying to have their hot fruit and eat it too?
Keith Law: Probably the latter. They’d love three-hour games with lots of homers. I guess you could do that with a giant strike zone?

Noah: Nats’ Jefry Rodroguez a prospect for you?
Keith Law: Saw him right before the suspension. A prospect, not an elite one.

Tom: So why are we fighting about ideas to stop school shootings? Lets do a bunch of stuff, stricter gun laws, armed security guards at schools, stronger security measures in schools, why is it always just one idea against another instead of a compromise where we put pieces of everyones thoughts together?
Keith Law: I can say for myself that a lot of the proposals for “stronger security measures” are going to be very expensive and produce very little benefit. (Some such measures, like metal detectors, just create new soft targets because they slow entry and crowds build up outside the building.) I want safer schools; I don’t want our governments spending a billion or so dollars on measures that won’t work.

Oscar: Debating getting a French Press or Pour Over for my office? Where do you fall? Any particular models you recommend?
Keith Law: Pour-over takes more time, but makes better coffee. I have a Hario, which was maybe $24.

Andy: Ken Griffey Jr also used to disrespect the game, by wearing his hat backwards.
Keith Law: Yes he did. So disrespectful.

Jim Nantz: Lincecum as a closer intrigues me if he’s actually throwing 90-93 as reports have suggested. Think he’s got anything left?
Keith Law: Unlikely, not impossible. Let’s see how hard he’s throwing when he throws three times in four games.

Scott: Please help me settle an argument with a friend. Does momentum exist in baseball? I cite the Sela and Simonoff study, but he showed me that Bill James believes it is possible it exists. What is your view?
Keith Law: It does not exist. Someone believing a thing is possible does not make it possible. (And your friend used a classic appeal to authority. “Keith Law believes it does not exist” isn’t a good argument either. Instead, tell him to show you evidence that this invisible, important thing is actually real.)

Craig: Where will Rodgers End up for the Rockies? Is he good enough to push Story out or is the more realistic thing to do is to move to second and move DJ?
Keith Law: I think the odds of Rodgers going to 2b or 3b are increasing.

Sandy Kazmir: How soon do you think we’ll see teams turning away from strikeout-prone hitters?
Keith Law: I believe some teams are already hunting for those guys – not just in the majors, but in the draft too.

Mike: Re: Acuna. I don’t think anyone can say they didn’t love watching the DR and PR play in the WBC last year. Watching Baez, Lindor, and Correa was so much fun every game.
Keith Law: If you didn’t love watching those dudes, you probably should go watch golf.

Rick Giolito: Keith, I went to all SS pans from Anodized but I’m having trouble keeping food from sticking. Help!
Keith Law: Stainless steel? I would guess you need to use more fat when cooking. Anodized is truly nonstick. Stainless steel is not nonstick – it’s great for searing or browning foods where you intend to use the brown bits left on the pan (fond) by deglazing.

Smith: What do you expect from Brent Rooker this season? What level should he begin at, how soon do you think he will be in Minneapolis?
Keith Law: Start in high-A, and bump him to double-A if he rakes there again. Older guy so get him moving. So far, very good with him.

Matt: Schilling is a Parkland truther. WTF happened to him? Was he always that crazy?
Keith Law: No. I wouldn’t have been able to work with him if he were a hoaxer – I remember him specifically saying in the green room that he thought Alex Jones’ Sandy Hook hoaxerism was reprehensible. Now … I wasn’t going to let this shit affect my Hall ballot, but I think he just obliterated my principles.

Andy: Andrew Miller was also the top college pitching prospect and a top 10 draft pick, who failed at starting. So what teams need to do to develop the next “Andrew Miller type” is to have starting pitchers who have big stuff but may lack the control or enough pitches to last 6 innings.
Keith Law: Or the durability to go 180-200. This is something I’ve said about McCullers, and Fulmer, and Severino (who more than held up last year).

Scherzer’s Blue Eye: The cooked hat things kills me. It has nothing to do with the player’s national origin. It’s like a crooked painting hanging on the wall. I have the overwhelming urge to run onto the field and straighten Strop’s or Rodney’s hat.
Keith Law: OK but that’s your OCD, no? (I’m a little bit the same way myself.)

Steve: A healthy Blake Swihart that can catch ~50 games, play 2B and some OF would be a wildly valuable guy if he’s average defensively, right? Chances he puts up a 2 win year?
Keith Law: Yep. I’m a big Swihart fan. If he’s healthy, and throwing fine, then I’ll bet on him going over 2 WAR.

Greg: Random question, have you tried an escape room? If so thoughts?
Keith Law: Only in board game form.

Kris: When reporters say IFAs are “linked” to a team does that almost guarantee that the player will sign with the linked team?
Keith Law: Yes. They have an oral agreement in place. This is illegal and happens all the time.

ScottyG: I know they shouldn’t, but WILL the Rays trade Archer this spring? If so, do the Cardinals have what it takes to make this happen? Archer/Martinez/Reyes has a nice ring to it….
Keith Law: At this point, I wouldn’t drop my price if I were the Rays. Try again in July.

Tommy Pacu: Hey – Alaskan here! Jeez, no love for the biggest state? Curious as to your thoughts on competition level of Alaska summer league. Lots of big names cycled through in the past but you never mention the league… is it relevant prospect wise these days?
Keith Law: Not any more, sadly. Would love to go scout there, though!

That Guy in Detroit: Keith, got any new metal to recommend?
Keith Law: The new Tribulation album is incredible.

ML: You think Tatis, Guerrero, or Bichette could make his MLB debut this season?
Keith Law: I’d bet on no for each of them.

Tom: Does Ryan Vilade have the talent to be a top 100 prospect someday? Thanks.
Keith Law: Yes.

Jamal: Another way to test out board games is to check out your local library as they are increasingly available to rent.
Keith Law: That I have not seen, although my local branch does host a game night every month.

Todd Boss: Texas Wesleyan went ahead and fired that coach: http://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/22615612/texas-wesleyan-…
Keith Law: And there you go. I had a feeling they might, but I don’t know that this was truly a firing offense. It’s not comparable to saying you wouldn’t recruit a Muslim or black or gay player.

Dave: You seem to think pretty highly of Luis Medina given his “sleeper” status. Do you think he’ll have starter control/command as he matures?
Keith Law: I do. Hoping to see him this year at some point.

Humor me: In high school, I ran a 3.99 as a lefty from home to first. On the 20-80 scale, what is grade is that for speed?
Keith Law: About a 70.

ML: You a Denilson Lamet believer? #2 potential?
Keith Law: No. LHB killed him last year.

Tim : Do you think Tim Beckham has finally figured it out? Big league regular?
Keith Law: Great for two weeks after the trade, then back to normal.

MSS: Healthy lunches to eat in the office that aren’t salad?
Keith Law: I eat yogurt with granola and fruit for lunch almost every day.

Steve: I know your lukewarm on Sixto, but if he were to continue his path to potential of being an “ace” as some other scouts have claimed, what would you want to see from him this year?
Keith Law: I am not lukewarm on him. That’s just ridiculous – look where I ranked the kid.

Sandy Kazmir: Are you of the opinion that it is more likely that a good contact batter can add power than a good power hitter can add contact or is it too much of an individual thing to generalize like this?
Keith Law: You’re probably right that it’s too individual, but I’ll play along and pick the former over the latter.

Kwame : Is there a data driven way to determine how much managers help or hurt a team? Is this something teams do in some way? I think we all know managing a bullpen, not bunting etc helps but is there a way to rank managers?
Keith Law: I would bet teams track some of that stuff in ways we don’t/can’t.

Jesse: What are your thoughts on the legacy game format in general? As much as I love the concept, I’m still put off by the idea that I can’t replay the game through once it’s done. Plus I would think it tanks resale value.
Keith Law: Charterstone has a recharge pack you can buy to start over on the second side, and then you can continue to play it more without the story part. That’s part of its brilliance.

Todd Boss: Keith Kristol’s “question” reminds me of the quote from the Howard Stern movie, when the program director (when told that people who hated Stern listened longer than his fans), said, “If they hate him … why do they listen?”

If they hate you keith … why are they asking you questions and reading your content?
Keith Law: I will never, ever understand that.

Scherzer’s Blue Eye: Just a tip, here are three things you aren’t changing very many people’s minds on: politics, religion, sexual orientation. Just a tip from your friendly Blue Eye.
Keith Law: You’ll notice I don’t discuss religion … pretty much ever.

Dan: Any Southeast PA prospects to go watch? Sianni, Helverson, Guilbe, Kelchner?
Keith Law: Siani for me – he’s probably the only one I’ll go see.

Craig: Ohtani is a bust! Look at his spring training stats. Only kidding but did you see or learn anything from watching him pitch that you didnt know?
Keith Law: I didn’t watch. I’ll go see him when I’m there – watching two tune-up innings from the CF camera isn’t going to show me anything.

Anon: My doctor has talked to me about taking Lexapro for general anxiety. While I’d appreciate the relief, I’m worried about how much of my identity would be affected. I’ve dealt with anxiety all my life and worry that who I am as a person might change. From your experience did you feel like you “changed” when you started medication?
Keith Law: I did change, but only for the better. Hit me up offline if you have more questions – I took it for five years.

JJ: Did you make a “Best Picture” pick for this year, or do I have to listen to the podcast you mentioned at the top of the chat?
Keith Law: You can listen to that or wait for a post here on Sunday.

Scherzer’s Blue Eye: For the people crying about divisions–Central has Pirates and Reds; $100 says Phillies and Braves are better than both.
Keith Law: Probably true, although I wouldn’t sleep on the Reds’ pitching. Their bullpen could be tremendous.

Jeremy: When are you headed to Phoenix or Florida this year?
Keith Law: Phoenix first, but possibly detouring to Florida for a day to see a HS player, then Florida the 21-27 (I’m boxed in on both ends for that trip).

Paul: Do you think any of the remaining top free agents misses a significant amount of games from being unsigned?
Keith Law: It’s inevitable, I think.

Jack: Do you ever encounter really talented players that just don’t give a shit? I coach high school soccer and have a kid who could play professionally but he’d rather party. It’s so aggravating to see someone waste their potential.
Keith Law: Yep. Donavan Tate comes to mind.

Dr. Bob: Could changing the launch angle of a hitter without natural power just turn bloop hits into fly outs? Launch angle is not the answer by itself, is it?
Keith Law: No, it’s not. You’d better hit the ball hard first, and then work on launch angle.
Keith Law: OK, gotta run, sorry I’m missing so many more of your questions but I ran over to try to get to more. I’ll be at Auburn tomorrow night, weather permitting on both ends of the trip, so if you’re there feel free to say hi. Thank you as always for reading and chatting!