Future Projection

Latest Episodes:

Episode 69: The State of NL West Farm Systems Dec 01, 2023

Show notes

Ben and Carlos talk about the rumored Jackson Chourio extension with the Brewers and talk through evaluating risk for prospects vs. risk for veteran players.

After that the two talk through Carlos’s updated 2024 draft rankings and discuss the state of a very muddled draft class. Which player would be the No. 1 pick if the draft were today? Is there any separation on the pitching side? Which players made the most notable jumps up the board? The two find themselves liking the depth of pitching on the high school side, but also acknowledge some of the pitfalls of this year’s class.

After that the conversation turns pro, and the two talk through each of the farm systems in the NL West. Is the top-heavy impact of the Padres better than a deep Dodgers system? Why is Carlos high on the Giants? And where do the Rockies and D-backs line up among this group?

They end the show with a solid listener question about players who have been better than expected as pros.

Kyle’s story on Padres prospects traded

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Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

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Episode 68: The State Of NL Central Farm Systems Nov 17, 2023

Show notes

Ben and Carlos chat about MLB awards season, despite the fact that most of the winners were unanimous and ultimately not too surprising. After that the two talk about the PPI picks that the D-Backs and Orioles will receive thanks to Corbin Carroll and Gunnar Henderson, and the pros and cons of all of the new rule changes in regards to the draft—and it seems like mostly pros outside of additional headaches that Carlos has to deal with.

The two briefly talk about the Braves-White Sox trade that put Aaron Bummer in Atlanta and sent a five-player package to Chicago, before touching on the 40-man roster deadline and talking a bit of Rule 5 draft. The two also examine some of the first round misses that the protection deadline highlighted, including Twins shortstop Keoni Cavaco, Twins first baseman Aaron Sabato and Royals lefthander Asa Lacy. What are the lessons to be drawn from those picks?

The bulk of the episode is spent analyzing the farm systems for the NL Central clubs. Just how good is the Brewers farm system? Which of these teams has surged forward over the second half of the season given their 2023 draft and prospect finishes? And which clubs or prospects do the two disagree on? All that and more.

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Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: futureprojection@baseballamerica.com

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

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Episode 67: What Makes A Good Manager? Nov 10, 2023

Show notes

Ben and Carlos talk about a number of the managerial moves in the big leagues in recent weeks, and then Ben talks about the traits and skills that he would want to have in a big league manager. It’s hard to quantify the value of big league managers with precision, but Ben breaks down the various hard and soft skills that he thinks might be important for the modern game.

The two talk about whether or not playing backgrounds are important or necessary for big league managers, the value of managerial experience, the value of being on the same page philosophically with your front office and whether or not you need different managers for teams at different competitive stages.

After that, the two talk about the Yankees and the various comments made recently by owner Hal Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman. Are the narratives surrounding the Yankees’ “disappointing” 2023 season accurate, and what’s the current state of the organization in a routinely competitive AL East division?

Next, the two move on to some free agency talk, think about how historic Shohei Ohtani is on the free agent market and work through some of the top available pitchers and hitters available. The two end by discussing national signing day for the 2024 high school class, talk through a few of the best classes of talent and then take a few listener questions that get into more scouting talk.

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Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: futureprojection@baseballamerica.com

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

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Episode 66: Scouting Speed Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

Ben and Carlos have a long conversation about speed on today’s episode. How they evaluate it, how much it matters, which players the tool is most important for and how to project it into the future. Rule changes in MLB mean steals are more common than ever, and Diamondbacks rookie Corbin Carroll was a great example of a young player with both elite speed and elite baserunning instincts.

Who could be the next Carroll? The two talk through a number of minor league candidates who are speed demons and could shortly find themselves atop the big league stolen base leaderboards. After that, they briefly touch on speedsters in the 2024 and 2025 draft classes and Ben gives a few dark horse candidates from the international ranks.

The episode closes with a large mailbag section from listeners, including hypothetical prospect-for-prospect trades, Twins prospect Kala’i Rosario’s offensive profile and some fun platoon split/bunt talk surrounding Cardinals outfielder Victor Scott.

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Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: futureprojection@baseballamerica.com

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 65: The State Of NL East Farm Systems Oct 27, 2023

Show notes

Ben and Carlos hop on the podcast and talk about the Marlins and Kim Ng splitting up—or more accurately Kim Ng deciding that she wanted no part in the Marlins hiring someone above her after one of the organization’s most successful seasons in recent memory.

The two talk about the state of the Marlins and whether or not the team has an optimistic future outlook, look at the state of the farm system and the team’s recent draft history and then attempt to line up the various states of the NL East—all of whom are now done for the year with the Phillies falling to the D-Backs in the NLCS.

Conversation about the teams’ various farm systems becomes a conversation about the relative strength of the top prospects in baseball at the moment, before the two move to World Series talk and then take a few listener questions. How much weight is placed on offense vs. defense when evaluating prospects? Which top 100 prospects do Ben and Carlos expect to be the high man on for 2024?

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Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: futureprojection@baseballamerica.com

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 64: MLB Postseason Drama & Winning 54% Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

Ben Badler and Carlos Collazo recap their trip to Jupiter and break down some of the most interesting players they saw. They also talk about the value of scouting an event like Jupiter, which has so much going on at once.

After that, the two pivot to big league talk and discuss the postseason. The two give their thoughts on the many blowout series we have had so far, lament the brutal start from Clayton Kershaw and talk about the randomness of the playoffs in general, and especially the current 12-team format. After that, the two talk about Braves-Phillies, which has been the most interesting division series so far, and give their thoughts on the Bryce Harper/Orlando Arcia drama.

Finally, the two discuss Mariners president Jerry Dipoto’s comments about winning 54% of the time and the merits of trying to build a sustainable team vs. setting the bar too low.

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Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: futureprojection@baseballamerica.com

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 63: Previewing The Postseason + Scouting Jupiter Oct 03, 2023

Show notes

The postseason field is set and October baseball is here. Ben and Carlos talk about the field and think through which teams are well-positioned to advance to the World Series as much as possible given the randomness of playoff baseball. The two talk about styles of play, which teams have the toughest and easiest paths, and then try and figure out which playoff teams are best positioned for success in the next five years.

After that the two discuss the careers of four big league legends: Miguel Cabrera, Adam Wainwright, Joey Votto and Zack Greinke.

Next the two move into the amateur baseball space and look at the state of the 2025 high school draft class, thanks to Ben’s recently updated top 100 list. Ethan Holliday continues to top the list, but there are plenty of shortstops to get excited about and a few standout arms as well.

Finally the two talk about their upcoming trip to Jupiter for Perfect Game’s WWBA World Championship. Who are the teams and players to know? Are more high school players taking the fall off? Does that even matter? And do you really need to bring an umbrella to the field? All that and more.

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Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: futureprojection@baseballamerica.com

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 62: Scouting The Arizona Fall League Sep 29, 2023

Show notes

Ben and Carlos dig into some of the more interesting prospects to know from the Arizona Fall League rosters, including a few well-known players with a chance to make up for lost time, and a few lesser known names who could jump on the scene. Players include Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter, Tigers righthander Jackson Jobe and Blue Jays lefthander Ricky Tiedemann, among others.

After that, the two talk about more big league call-ups, led by Phillies righthander Orion Kerkering, who went from an inconsistent starter and reliever at South Florida to one of the most exciting relievers in baseball in just over a year’s time. They touch on Junior Caminero’s promotion, and briefly look ahead to the top tier of prospects for the 2024 season, before talking about Evan Carter’s power surge in the big leagues, and also touch on Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, lefthander Jordan Wicks, Reds infielder Noelvi Marte and Dodgers righthander Kyle Hurt.

After that, the two talk about baseball’s youth movement. The 2023 rookie hitting class is historic, and at the minor league level players are being pushed quicker than ever before. Why is that? Is it a good thing? And what are the pros and cons between development pro ball vs. college anyway?

Finally, the two take a listener email that gets at some of these same questions.

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Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: futureprojection@baseballamerica.com

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 61: Trouble In San Diego? Sep 22, 2023

Show notes

Carlos and Ben briefly talk about Corbin Carroll’s historic rookie season and the rare company that he has joined with his power/speed combination. Then, they look at the NL MVP race that is heating up between Ronald Acuña Jr. and Mookie Betts and try and figure out who, if either, has the edge.

That leads to a conversation about stolen base and base running value in the game today before diving into some season-ending team retrospectives.

The two focus in particular on the Padres and try to dig into a few of the explanations for why the team underperformed so massively. Was it the front office and AJ Preller? Was it the chemistry of the clubhouse? Was it bad luck and randomness? Or was it something else entirely?

After that the two talk through each of the teams hovering around .500 or below this season and gauge whether or not the near future for those clubs is something to get excited about or something to be concerned with.

And while the Reds are above .500, are the recent struggles for Elly De La Cruz a red flag for his future, or should we still be optimistic about his long-term success?

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Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: futureprojection@baseballamerica.com

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 60: Down Performers We Are Still Buying Sep 15, 2023

Show notes

Ben and Carlos talk about a few recent high-profile front office moves, led by the Red Sox decision to fire chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, as well as the Mets hiring of David Stearns and an extension for Mike Rizzo with the Nationals. The two talk about Bloom’s tenure with Boston and try to assess the job he did with the organization, before looking ahead to how the Mets could look with Stearns in charge in New York.

After that, the two talk about the seasons that Japanese players Kodai Senga and Masataka Yoshida have had—do they exceed, meet or underwhelm our expectations?

The two touch on George Kirby’s polarizing post-game comments and briefly talk about the big league promotions of Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad before reviewing the 2023 season of Marcelo Mayer in light of his injury news.

Finally, the two talk through a few standouts in the lower levels of the minors and also pick out a few players with down statistical years who they are still in on as prospects before getting into a couple Top 100 focused listener questions.

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Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: futureprojection@baseballamerica.com

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.