Who’s better down there? I know Matthews is more pedigreed as a prospect but Whitcomb had a really really good year last year, plus, like Dezenzo I didn’t think he looked entirely hopeless when he was up here (like say, Pedro Leon did as a for example).
Unfortunately nobody, he's started DH/RF/LF/1B 80% of the games, 1 at SS and 3 at 3B https://www.milb.com/player/shay-whitcomb-694376?stats=career-r-fielding-minors&year=2025 He's just not an IF
He play SS all last year? Must have done it pretty shittily if he can’t move over to 2B with that as our only opening in the IF for 3 years.
Shay Whitcomb has played a shitload of shortstop in the minor leagues. If they think he can’t play 2B in the big leagues, a much easier defensive position, he must have been awful as a short stop.
I wonder how long it will be before a team gets a gigantic competitive advantage by being the first to effectively use AI to analyze video of prospects to compare to video of MLB stars to figure out which ones have common traits and which adjustments are most key. I wonder if that’s already happening.
The Astros certainly have done something that identifies AAAA pitchers that are small tweaks from becoming solid MLB relievers. I would be very surprised if the nerd cave is not doing something like this with the A and AA players ... I am guessing with limited success. Since there are such huge development steps for both pitchers and hitters between all of the minor league steps, I just do not see how AI could make all of those projections successfully. For example, AI could say that pitcher X could add 7 mph to his fastball (low 90s to high 90s) and keep his control, he would be a good MLB pitcher. This is a hill many a minor league pitcher has died on.
I'll be surprised if they aren't doing that already. I know the Astros of before would've done it before others, not sure if the current Astros are doing such innovating...but I hope they are.
Like all computer systems, AI is only as good as the date that is fed into it. When it progresses beyond that, mankind is in trouble, LOL.
Another strong outing for a Fayetteville starter today as Bryce Mayer allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out 11 in 4 innings. Ramsey David and Jose Varela completed a 2-0 Woodpeckers win; David allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out four over four scoreless and Varela struck out two in a 1-2-3 9th in his season debut. Varela was born in Wichita Falls (there is no "Wichita, Texas" so I imagine they meant to put Wichita Falls) but was raised in Mexico. He's done extremely well in the complex leagues so a good showing in Fayetteville could put him on the radar. Drew Brutcher turned in another three-hit game, and he drove in both Fayetteville runs. Waner Luciano stole three bases.
Lance McCullers in a rehab start for Corpus: 5 IP, 3 H, BB, 7 K Pascanel Ferreras and Ryan Wrobleski both homered in the Hooks' 5-1 win over Frisco.
Next time Lance plays competitive baseball looks like it will be in the major league Too bad he can't hit and play CF
It seems like there is so much swing and miss in Houston’s farm system right now. Among hitters with 50+ pa, they have ONE player with a k rate <20% and wRC+ >100 (A ball C/UT Jancel Villarroel). I sanity checked that against the other teams in the division: A’s 6 Angels 2 Rangers 2 Mariners 3 So it looks like the pitchers are just way ahead of the hitters right now, either that or the Astros’ all-or-nothing approach of stacking power/speed guys who strikeout a lot is a nearly league wide phenomenon.
From Bob Nightengale’s column this morning: ≻ Considering that Baltimore Orioles assistant GM Sig Megdal used to be an engineer at NASA, is it any surprise that the Orioles’ analytics department is working with engineering researchers to create AI technology to modify how pitchers are scouted and developed. “We’re in the American League East with some very-large-market teams,’’ Mejdal told the Baltimore Sun, “and in order for us to succeed, we have to be very good at everything. To ignore a potential like this would be foolish.”
Brice Matthews and Shay Whitcomb have homered for Sugar Land today, both guys have been extremely good the last 2 weeks. Small signs of progress.
