Seems more like young Stanton to me Not the greatest swing but a lean, strong body with square hips that can push it through
This is my closest cousin's husband's oldest brother, whole family grew up in the Chesapeake. There's some serious Navy in their family, like Miramar and stuff: He drives the ships (he may have retired as an Admiral, not sure), little brother flies the planes (then was a test pilot for Lockheed), then said "**** that" and now flies intercontinental flights for American. Stupidly fun to talk to. https://www.navsource.org/archives/09/59/pdf/5903n.pdf
I so want him to start on day 1 and F that service time BS so we "control" him in a few years, I dont care about that, put the best team on the field!!!!!
Very Cool..................I am just so amazed how fighter jets take off and land on such a small surface, it just blows my mind how they do that
I'm pretty agnostic regarding how a player provides value. I'm fine with playing defense first guys. That said, if the Astros are confident in the bat, they will make room on the MLB team for him even if they have to take some lumps while he learns a position. I just take ST with a grain of salt other than to see if a guy has pop or a pitcher has some nasty stuff.
I don't disagree with this, but still have my "up the middle" vs corner biases. I am more likely to accept a lesser bat ( Pena, Meyers) up the middle than at a corner. If a great defensive player has a weakish bat and isn't a fit up the middle or not needed up the middle then it hurts the team to put him at a corner. This can be mitigated some by having great hitting guys up the middle (Springer, Altuve, Correa allowing Reddick to start in 2019). But a team has to score as well as catch the ball and a great defender simply doesn't help the team as much if he doesn't touch the ball very often. But as a general rule, I agree that defense first players do not get the respect they deserve and are needed on a team.
This. He is capable of playing 3rd and 1st base and is solid at both from what I have heard. However, I think that he is likely to be in right field if he really takes off in AAA. Brown seems really confident in his bat, and that is really what we need.
He definitely has pop. However what actually happens in games is just a small portion of the staff's evaluation process. They watch these guys practice every day and give them things they want to see. With Smith and Matthews, I want to see pop and their ability to layoff sliders and other breaking balls that are off the plate. Actually I would like to see that with Chas, Meyers, and Pena also. LOL
If you can REALLY hit - they find a place for you. The old manager of the Red Sox jokingly said that they asked the commissioner's office to approve a folding chair in the outfield for Jim Rice to sit while waiting for his turn to hit.
Nook, do you have an idea how the Astros would rank their prospects? I assume Smith is obviously the top because he has potential stud written all over him. But after that, who are they most optimistic about? Matthews, Melton?
The short answer is sort of - but also no? I haven't seen a sheet or had anyone read off a list to me - and any internal list would also vary from person to person with in the organization. When I get to talk to someone that I am friends with or friendly with I don't really ask those types of questions. It is more listening and then maybe a follow up question. What I know is that Dana Brown talks openly and a lot about prospects to other people in the Astros - more so than even Goldy did with the Astros. Brown has made it clear he is really high on Smith, Matthews, Ullola, Pecko. I have also heard Chase Jaworsky as someone that they think has a good chance to be a long term middle infield starter ---- several hispanic pitchers I have never seen are guys that they are high on as well. I have not heard a lot about Melton in probably 6 or more months other than the Astros would not include him in a deal at the deadline last year for some of the bigger name guys rumored to be available.
This is the first time I've heard about Pecko. I honestly take it for granted that the Astros will have and develop good pitchers. Their body of work is a decade at this point. I expect some pitcher to just show up and deliver every season. Ullola has all the tools to be a stud. I will see how he develops this season.
Cam Smith has played 5 games in AA ... 32 games in minor leagues total ... 24 games at third, 8 games at DH. By all means, the Astros should make Smith the RF starter, when they break camp.
Nobody expects him to contribute this season, but when is the last time we have been this excited about one of our fielding prospects? Heck, when is the last time with had a position player in the top 100? Was Yanier even a top a 100 prospect before he got called up? If Matthews and Smith get called up at the end of the season when rosters expand so they can get a taste of what the MLB is like, I will be super stoked. For this season, I'm praying on Chas, Dezenzo, or Whitcomb to show up.
