Ben and Carlos talk about the most disappointing teams in the big leagues this year, and then follow up on a 90th Percentile Podcast conversation from Geoff Pontes about how many games the 2023 Louisiana State team could win against the 2023 Oakland A’s. 

The two then move into a few notable prospect promotions that have happened recently, including Padres catcher Ethan Salas moving to Double-A as a 17-year-old, Rangers outfielder Evan Carter moving up to Triple-A and a number of 2023 draftee assignments: Cubs shortstop Matt Shaw, Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews, Pirates righthander Paul Skenes and Braves righthander Hurston Waldrep all going to Double-A. 

After that, the two talk about a number of 2023 draftees off to hot starts (Mariners SS Colt Emerson, Blue Jays OF Jace Bohrofen, Orioles OF Enrique Bradfield, Nationals 3B Yohandy Morales, etc.) and a few more who are starting their pro careers a bit cold (Reds SS Sammy Stafura, Red Sox SS Nazzan Zanetello, White Sox SS Jacob Gonzalez, Royals C Blake Mitchell & Cardinals OF Chase Davis).

Finally the two talk about BA’s recently released Cape Cod League and USA Collegiate National Team top prospects lists and dig into a few notable 2024 draft prospects.

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Ben and Carlos get back on the podcast train after a month of busy travel watching some of the top high school players in the country. First on the docket in today’s episode is the surprise announcement that the Angels are calling up 2023 first rounder Nolan Schanuel.

After that, the two start with a conversation about our midseason farm system rankings. How much separation is there at the top with the Orioles, Mariners and Dodgers? And which teams beyond that top trio stand out to us? How do we view top-heavy systems like the Padres and the Nationals compared to systems with less impact talent, but solid quality depth throughout?

Then they discuss how many teams have a “case” for a bottom of the barrel system, and also talk through a few teams who have been in “rebuild mode” for a few years, but who have considerably different farm systems right now.

After that, things turn towards amateur baseball and the two talk about their early impressions of the 2024 draft class, mention a few prospects who stood out and get unreasonably excited about the future potential of the latest in the Holliday line: 2025 lefthanded-hitting infielder Ethan Holliday. 

—

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Ben and Carlos review the 2023 draft and talk through some of their favorite picks and draft classes, as well as talk about surprising bonuses and look through a couple of over slot players drafted later who are names to keep in mind.

The two discuss the 2024 draft class and talk about how the class currently has a number of question marks, and then talk about a few prominent movers on the top 100 update—including where the top-ranked 2023 draftees slotted in. 

They end the podcast with a few listener questions—both on the draft and minor league prospects.

​​—

Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  

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Carlos and Ben have a deep draft preview, going pick by pick through the first round to cover the potential picks for all 30 teams. They walk through different scenarios, player/team connections for each club, the players who could potentially go earlier than expected on under-slot deals and the players who might end up sliding down the board. 

​​—

Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  

Follow us on Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

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Ben and Carlos chat briefly about Ben’s updated top 100 2024 prospect list, and then the two discuss the start of the summer showcase season. What are their preferred events? Which are the big events to know on the calendar?

After that, the two talk about Paul Skenes and his recent 124-pitch outing in the regionals for LSU. How many pitches is too many pitches for a college player with big-time draft aspirations in a few weeks and a long career ahead of him? The two try to get into a deeper conversation about this polarizing topic and attack it from multiple angles.

Then they discuss the newest top 100 update on the site, and how the rest of the BA staff outnumbered them. What’s the state of the talent in the top 100? Who are notable up/down movers on the list?

They get into all of that, and also take a few listener questions that include the strategy of lining up estimated timelines with draft picks, prospect eligibility and how long it takes to get a feel for players debuting in the complex leagues.

—

Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  

Follow us on Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

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Ben and Carlos talk through our most recent draft update, which was the release of the BA 500—always a fun milestone to reach on the draft calendar. The two talk through a few players of note on the list, including Arizona outfielder Chase Davis and a prominent pop-up player in Southern California, among others.

After that, the two talk about the value of team workouts. What sort of information are scouting departments trying to gather in this setting and how important are they when trying to properly evaluate a prospect?

Next, the two discuss a few prominent prospect promotions, including: Braves righthander AJ Smith-Shawver, Padres catcher Ethan Salas, Nationals outfielder James Wood, Red Sox shortstop Marcelo Mayer and Rays infielder Junior Caminero. After that, the two discuss a few notable pitching prospects including Dodgers righthander Emmet Sheehan and Brewers righthander Jacob Misiorowski.

The two end the show with listener questions, which includes a comparison of Elly De La Cruz and Oneil Cruz, more 2023 draft topics—such as if the Pirates go a bit off the board at No. 1—and how Ben and Carlos were both inspired to pursue baseball writing as a career.

—

Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  

Follow us on Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

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Today Ben and Carlos talk about the potential benefits of replacing extended spring training with a full-season league in the minors, and then get into a conversation about the pros and cons of scouting history and getting fresh-eyed looks on players from others.

The two talk about players they have different history or personal experiences with and also dive into a couple prospects who they either like a lot personally, or think should get a bit more attention. Players include Mariners first baseman Tyler Locklear, D-Backs second baseman Ryan Bliss, Rockies outfielder Yanquiel Fernandez, Braves shortstop Ignacio Alvarez and White Sox righthander Jonathan Cannon.

The two also revisit the No. 1 prospect conversation and talk about upside and risk with Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz and Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday.

The two also talk about the draft, touch on a few players they like further down boards and also talk about recent draftees who are old for the level but still putting up impressive performances.

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Do you  have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  

Follow us on Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

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Ben and Carlos talk about how impressive Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday has been since he was drafted and make the case for him as the No. 1 prospect in baseball. The 19-year-old shortstop has an extremely well-rounded game with few, if any, holes to speak of—who else is in the conversation and competing with him right now?

After that, the two discuss a few other players who were taken with the first few picks of the 2022 draft, including Rangers righthander Kumar Rocker, D-Backs outfielder Druw Jones and Pirates second baseman Termarr Johnson. What’s the level of concern with all three players, and is there any underlying data to give us confidence moving forward? Is it simply too soon to get skeptical of the high school hitters? How quickly do we change our opinions on recent draftees based on pro data and how quickly should we change our minds?

After that, the two talk about the 2023 draft rankings update process and dive into a few players who are especially difficult to place—most notably Tennessee righthander Chase Dollander. Where does he fit with the top tier of pitching prospects and how do we compare and contrast the performance and consistency of Wake Forest righthander Rhett Lowder with the elite pure stuff of Florida righty Hurston Waldrep, in addition to the more risky but exciting prep profiles of Noble Meyer and Thomas White.

Finally the two talk about how impressive Braves righthander AJ Smith-Shawver has been this season and get into a few listener questions.

—

Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  

Follow us on Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

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Ben and Carlos open with some draft talk, where the two discuss the most recent Baseball America mock draft and talk about why they are still so high on the depth of the 2023 draft class.

After that, the two break down a few notable movers on the most recent update to the top 100 prospect list—headlined by Rangers outfielder Evan Carter, who was a surprise draft pick at the time and is now looking like a savvy scouting move. Ben and Carlos both pick a few movers they are either higher or lower on than the staff before getting into Ben’s exhaustive international coverage.

Ben provides insight into a number of players to know, but particularly digs into a few pitchers in the Yankees and Rays systems, and hitters with the Marlins and D-Backs.

—

Do you  have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  

Follow us on Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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Ben and Carlos talk about Ben’s trip to the Dominican Republic and get into a few players who stood out, and Ben gives some insight on the difficulty of contextualizing the current IFA class to previous ones at this point in the calendar.

The two talk about Kyle Glaser’s story on the ‘Enhanced Grip’ baseball that is being tested in the Double-A Southern League, and try and think through the ramifications it has for player development and player evaluation. 

After that, the two dive into a ton of interesting teenage hitters in the low levels of the minors. That includes standouts like Ryan Clifford (Astros), Brady House (Nationals) and Leonardo Bernal (Cardinals) to name a few, as well as players off to slower starts, like Elijah Green (Nationals) Miguel Bleis (Red Sox) and Tucker Toman (Blue Jays).

The two end with a listener mailbag that includes questions on: divisive prospects in the 2023 draft class; Cubs outfielder Owen Caissie’s odd line and what to do about it; what Ben would change about the IFA process if he could, which leads into a discussion of college baseball’s new recruiting rules and how that could impact players.

—

Do you  have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  

Follow us on Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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