Ben and Carlos break open the listener mailbag and answer questions on a trio of young Cardinals shortstops, why Brady Harris might be slipping in the draft and how his risk and upside compares to Kevin Roberts Jr., whether or not Elian Pena has a chance to be a top 25 prospect and what changes we would make to the draft broadcast. 

—

Time Stamps:

• (1:20) Can you compare and contrast Yairo Padilla, Miguel Hernandez & Sebastian Dos Santos?
• (6:50) Why is Brady Harris slipping and how does his risk compare to Kevin Roberts Jr.?
• (13:10) Will Mets SS Elian Pena be a top 25 prospect this time next year?
• (16:15) What changes would you guys make to the draft presentation?

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a  question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Newsletter: Fringe Average

Baseball America Website

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos talk about the World Baseball Classic and the drama surrounding team USA. After that, they compare and contrast some of the top college outfielders in the 2026 draft class. Why is Ben so high on Virginia’s AJ Gracia? And why can Carlos not quit on LSU’s Derek Curiel? Those two, plus thoughts on Sawyer Strosnider and Drew Burress—plus a few comments on his Georgia Tech teammate Vahn Lackey skyrocketing with more power this spring. 

–

Time Stamps:

• (2:00) A valid Team USA critique and a non-valid critique
• (18:30) College outfield talk begins
• (21:00) AJ Gracia
• (25:00) Sawyer Strosnider
• (30:00) Derek Curiel
• (38:30) How would we line up the outfield group?
• (45:00) Thoughts on Georgia Tech’s Vahn Lackey

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Newsletter: Fringe Average

Baseball America Website

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos answer listener questions about how we know when to re-adjust expectations for prospects and the difference in value between center fielders and shortstops.

—

Time Stamps:

• (3:00) How do you know if a player is hitting a high percentile outcome vs. adjusting possible expectations?
• (8:00) Why it’s hard to deal with specific percentile projections
• (16:00) Why approach changes are incremental
• (18:00) Being skeptical of surface level results with no process changes
• (25:00) How much more do teams value shortstops vs. center fielders?

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a  question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Newsletter: Fringe Average

Baseball America Website

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos talk about a double first base bag dilemma that surfaced in college baseball, then get into some spring training prospect talk. Should Kevin McGonigle and JJ Wetherholt make opening day rosters? Is Orioles outfielder Vance Honeycutt starting to figure something out? They talk about other names like Payton Tolle and Connelly Early, Charlie Condon, Sam Antonacci, Justin Crawford, JR Ritchie and then get into some brief week three college baseball and draft talk. 

—

Time stamps:

• (0:30) A college double first base bag dilemma
• (10:00) Spring training talk
• (14:15) Does Kevin McGonigle make the opening day roster?
• (20:50) JJ Wetherholt and the Cardinals
• (25:40) The looming CBA negotiations
• (29:00) The merits of a college baseball system
• (31:30) Is Vance Honeycutt figuring it out?
• (36:15) Red Sox lefties Payton Tolle & Connelly Early
• (39:20) Charlie Condon
• (46:15) Sam Antonacci
• (51:50) Justin Crawford
• (55:55) JR Ritchie
• (59:00) Week three draft talk

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a  question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Newsletter: Fringe Average

Baseball America Website

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos open up the listener mailbag and take questions on a number of draft topics including: prep sleepers who could be first rounders; Ace Reese’s defensive profile; Konnor Griffin’s impact on scouting; who our favorite prospect in the class is after Roch Cholowsky and Grady Emerson; Derek Curiel’s lack of power; and whether or not teams care about the pick order when they are picking back-to-back.

—

Time Stamps:

• (0:50) Who are some sleeper prep names who could be first rounders?
• (8:20) What do you think about Ace Reese’s upside and defensive profile?
• (12:45) How did so many teams miss on Konnor Griffin and how does that change scouting for 2026?
• (20:30) Who is your current No. 3 prospect after Roch Cholowsky and Grady Emerson?
• (25:20) Where does Derek Curiel fit in the draft given his lack of power?
• (31:40) How do teams decide who to pick first when they have back-to-back picks?

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a  question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Newsletter: Fringe Average

Baseball America Website

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos talk about a few pitchers who have them excited from early spring training outings, then get into one of the most exciting pitching prospects in the country, Oregon State righthander Dax Whitney. The two talk about whether or not he’s the best pitching prospect since Paul Skenes, and then kickstart a conversation about the top prospects from each of the next two draft classes, headlined by some players to know from our recently released 2028 high school rankings. 

—

Time Stamps:

• (0:00) Intro
• (4:00) Bishop Letson
• (12:30) Carlos Lagrange
• (19:10) Dax Whitney
• (31:00) Dax Whitney vs. Brendan Lawson
• (37:00) 2028 high school rankings
• (39:00) Why Striker Pence is No. 1
• (47:00) Other names to know at the top of the 2028 class

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Newsletter: Fringe Average

Baseball America Website

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos take listener questions on whether pitchers with deep arsenals and good command are overrated, about players who aren’t ranked top 100 who could jump into top-10 territory with a good season, and about whether or not recent Duke commit James Clark has a chance to make it to campus.

—

Time Stamps:

• (1:25) Do you think pitchers with deeper arsenals get undervalued?
• (11:30) Who is someone outside the top 100 who could be a top 10 prospect by the end of the season?
• (18:20) Will James Clark make it to campus at Duke or go straight to the pros?

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a  question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Newsletter: Fringe Average

Baseball America Website

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos talk about the challenges of scouting players in the early portions of a baseball season, and discuss the differences in evaluating hitters and pitchers in those time periods. The two talk about a number of standouts from Carlos’s week one Texas trip, including Grady Emerson, Lucas Franco, Cam Johnson and more. After that the two talk about Noah Franco’s two way status, why they disagree on two-way players and also use that to talk about the reclassification of Jared Grindlinger from 2027 to 2026. 

—

Time Stamps:

• (0:00) Intro
• (8:30) Grady Emerson 
• (20:00) Evaluating a high school hitter in the spring
• (28:00) Physical changes of young players
• (33:00) Watching a college hitter early in the season
• (37:00) Watching a college pitcher early in the year
• (49:30) Lucas Franco
• (55:00) Brendan Lawson
• (59:00) Noah Franco
• (1:11:15) Jared Grindlinger reclasses from 2027 to 2026

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a  question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Newsletter: Fringe Average

Baseball America Website

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben, Carlos and Jacob conduct the fourth annual amateur player draft. The name of the game is simple: select the most talented team you can among 2026 draft-eligible prospects. 

Each drafter has to fill out a roster as follows: one catcher, two corner infielders, two middle infielders, three outfielders, four pitchers and one utility spot. Each team needs to have at least six high school players and at least six college players. 

Who had the best draft? Let us know what you think. 

—

Time Stamps:

• (0:00) Intro
• (0:40) Draft explained
• (3:40) Draft begins
• (6:10) First pitcher selected
• (10:00) Jacob Lombard vs. Justin Lebron
• (11:50) First catcher off the board
• (18:00) Ben doubles down on outfielders
• (23:30) The first positional “debate”
• (29:35) Carlos continues to stack pitchers
• (32:40) Ben goes crazy for college players
• (42:05) Jacob gets an outfield bat he loves
• (58:00) Team-by-team draft summaries and takeaways

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Newsletter: Fringe Average

Baseball America Website

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos answer listener questions about how bat tracking technology and athletic testing metrics have changed high school scouting, how multi-sport athletes are valued and where some of the top 2027 draft prospects would slot into the 2026 class. 

—

Time Stamps:

• (0:30) How has technology like bat tracking and force plates changed high school scouting?
• (14:20) Do multi-sport athletes project better than baseball-only players?
• (23:05) Where would high-end 2027 draft prospects fit in the 2026 draft class?

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a  question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Newsletter: Fringe Average

Baseball America Website

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy