There’s a chance Whitcomb could be a really good player. His AAA numbers seem to project him to be better than Loperfido’s did, and like Loperfido, Whitcomb has speed and power and defensive value. Whitcomb might not be fantastic defensively in 1B or LF right now, but if he plays there consistently he will eventually be really good. I am very encouraged by what he showed in AAA, dramatically reducing his k rate while maintaining (even increasing) his power. His ability to provide at least backup-level defense all around the infield gives him a pretty high floor.
I was excited about Loperfido, then Leon, then Dezenzo, and now Whitcomb to all get their shots. So far the only one that looked totally lost is Leon. Dezenzo has cooled off with the bat and his 1B defense has been iffy, but I think he can contribute. Let's see about Whitcomb.
I actually think a 2023 Chas McCormick stat line might be a pretty good 85th percentile outcome for Whitcomb.
Whitcomb and Dezenzo deserve shots based on performance. Leon is just a sunk cost at this point although I guess he has some value in the field and as a pinch runner.
They won't admit it, but at this point it's pretty clear they are desperate for one of the prospects to step up. They just keep throwing them at the wall hoping one or 2 can stick right away. We have 4 offensive dead spots, and no guarantee that Tucker will be able to come back and fix one of them.
Leon does look lost but man what a small sample. He’s been trying to make the majors for like 31 years. He had some jitters. He can actually crush the ball, just needs a little time to adjust and get at least semi-comfortable
This is it. Espada and the Astros are in such a bad position. They can't afford the bottom of the lineup and all 3 OF spots to keep giving zero, or even negative production. But the jump from AAA to MLB is extreme and it's impossible to expect these guys to hit right away. It's not fair to them to sit more than 1/2 the time. They simply need 25 starts, 100 PAs in 5-6 weeks or else the season will end w/o knowing more about them than they know now. But gotta win.
I agree that that's the hope, but it's also just moreso the Dana Brown MO to aggressively promote and see what happens. He had to be deferential to Dusty's preference for veterans but that's no longer the case.
Yes. Jacob Melton is the highest rated prospect in the system. Kenedy Corona has had a rough year but is a high ceiling prospect. Jacob Amaya and Quincy Hamilton are nice depth prospects. Salazar, Kessinger, Cabbage, and Hummel are not prospects but are decent players. On the pitching staff, AJ Blubaugh, Ryan Gusto, Forrest Whitley, and Colton Gordon are all good prospects. I also like Logan VanWey as a sleeper RP prospect.
New call ups can easily start out really hot but then get figured out after a week or two. This is a 165 IQ plan by Dana to keep riding the wave of prospect grace periods before they get figured out, if he times them out correctly, they can make it until Tucker's return by riding the tiger.
