prospects

Q&A with MadFriars.com, Part 1

Monday, March 3, 2008
by Geoff Young

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Denis Savage and John Conniff from MadFriars.com about their Padres prospect rankings for 2008. Sit back, relax, and enjoy! Ducksnorts: You mention the challenges inherent in comparing players at different stages of development. What are some of the strategies you use to meet those challenges? Denis Savage: I feel like Mia Wallace in "Pulp Fiction." Good question, Vincent Vega! There are a lot of factors that go into comparing, analyzing and ranking players. It is a combination of projection and stats -- but one thing John and I have learned through the years is nothing beats watching a player live. By going to the field four hours prior to the ...

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Posted in Minors | 65 Comments »

Top 10 Prospects for 2008

Tuesday, December 11, 2007
by Geoff Young

I've shied away from compiling top prospect lists in recent years because it's my belief that what they best measure are the list-maker's biases. (Okay, and maybe I'm still feeling a little sheepish about ranking Jake Gautreau ahead of Jason Bay once upon a time.) Other people like reading prospect lists, though, and I'm not prepared to be a curmudgeon without good cause, so what the hey. My general approach is to balance upside with proximity to the big leagues as best I can, then hope I get lucky. I've seen six of my picks play in person, including four of my top five. For those guys, my evaluations include their statistical record, second-hand reports I've read, ...

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Posted in 2008 Annual, Minors | 69 Comments »

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Winter Leagues Begin

Tuesday, October 9, 2007
by Geoff Young

Yeah, the Hawaii Winter League has been going for a while, but the Padres don't have any entrants there, so what do we care. The Arizona Fall League and Mexican Winter League both begin Tuesday. I think I've tracked down all the Padres playing there, but let me know if I've missed anyone... Arizona Fall League Peoria Saguaros Beyond Fukudome I try to deal in facts as much as possible, but Peter mentioned in the comments a rumor that cannot be ignored: Apparently the Padres are looking at Japan's Kosuke Fukudome as an option in the outfield for 2008. Jackson Broder at East Windup Chronicle ...

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Posted in Minors | 98 Comments »

Friday Links (5 Oct 07)

Friday, October 5, 2007
by Geoff Young

Busy, busy, busy... Scouting Jake Peavy (Baseball Analysts, via Jim Parish in the comments). Joe P. Sheehan dissects the repertoire of Jake Peavy. Brian Giles has surgery on knee (San Diego Union-Tribune, via Tom Waits in the comments). Brian Giles, who has been having trouble with his right knee since April, is expected to be ready for Opening Day 2008. Also, the possibility of Matt Antonelli leading off next year is mentioned. Overachievers, ey? (Friar Forecast). MB isn't impressed with Nick Canepa's latest. (Neither is ...

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Posted in Notes and Links | 110 Comments »

Friday Links (13 Oct 06)

Friday, October 13, 2006
by Geoff Young

The day job is completely kicking my butt right now, so just a few links for you today without much commentary. Over at Padres RunDown, Peter's posted the first few installments of his Top 25 Padres Minor League Players: 21-25, 16-20, 11-15, and 6-10. Eight years later, opportunity knocks for Hoffman (ESPN). Nice piece by Jayson Stark on everybody's favorite closer. ...

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Posted in Notes and Links | 38 Comments »

Off-Season Schedule

Thursday, October 13, 2005
by Geoff Young

I tried to be spontaneous once. Didn't work out as I'd planned. Bad jokes aside, here's the general idea for the off-season. I'll be posting at least three times a week for most of the winter (except right around Thanksgiving). Everything is subject to change but I'll try to stick to the below as much as possible: Oct. - Dec.: 2005 review. I'm still doing research and ironing out the exact format, but this is going to be pretty thorough. I plan to tackle one position a week starting next week. Nov. 4 - 6: AFL road trip. I'll be attending First Pitch Arizona this year. Some pretty big-name prospects out there this winter. Nov. 19 - 27: Break time. My wife and I ...

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Posted in Baseball | 11 Comments »

Two Roads Diverged: Jay Canizaro and Mike Cameron

Tuesday, November 26, 2002
by Geoff Young

I think if I were a Macintosh user, I'd be pretty offended by Apple's current ad campaign that has people who can't figure out how to use a computer giving testimony about why they switched to Macintosh. Maybe it's me, but I have a hard time getting excited about a product that tries to appeal to my inner idiot. Then again, Carl's Jr. is one of my favorite fast food places and their ads ask me to identify with slobs who chew with their mouths open and spill things all over themselves, so maybe there's method to the madness. Anyway. I always like looking at stats to try and evaluate young players. I also like poking holes in the theory that numbers are all that matter. They ...

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Posted in Sickels 1996 | No Comments »