Future Projection

Latest Episodes:

Episode 19: The 2022 Draft Order, Jupiter Preview & Thoughts On The MLB Playoff Structure Oct 05, 2021

Show notes

Ben and Carlos talk about Bobby Witt Jr. being named the BA Minor League Player of the Year and how there seem to be no obvious flaws in his game. After that, the two discuss the 2022 draft order being set (at least for the time being) and talk a little bit about how Baltimore’s draft strategy in the past could line up with a 2022 draft class that looks strong on college bats, but lacks a clear 1-1 player at the moment. After that, the two talk about whether or not they like the current draft system and what changes might be better, and wonder if the new CBA will bring changes to the draft next year and in the future. Then the two talk about the upcoming Perfect Game WWBA World Championship—better known as Jupiter—which is one of the biggest amateur events of the year. Finally, the two discuss whether or not they like the current MLB playoff structure and the pros and cons that come with it.

Time Stamps

Opening banter (0:00:01)
Bobby Witt Jr. MiLB Player of the Year (0:01:50)
The 2022 draft order (0:09:57)
D-backs track record of top 3 picks (0:14:28)
Thoughts on the current draft structure (0:17:51)
Thoughts on how the draft will change in the CBA (0:28:33)
Jupiter! (0:30:48)
The MLB Playoff Structure (01:07:39)

Links:

Future Projection Pod On Apple (Please rate and review the show!)

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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Episode 18: The Royals 2018 Draft Haul, Minor League Pay & Pitch Clocks + Extended Mailbag Episode Sep 21, 2021

Show notes

Ben and Carlos talk about the college pitching heavy Royals 2018 draft class and how that group recently accomplished an impressive feat. The two then discuss the #FairBall protest over the weekend and talk a bit about the depressing state of minor league pay and whether or not pitch clocks are effective without being disruptive to the game. After that, the two talk about a recent story about Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman and his play at all costs mentality and how they might create issues before diving into an extended mailbag segment with plenty of listener questions.

Time Stamps:

-Opening banter (0:00:03)

-Royals 2018 draft class (0:07:36)

-How we pronounce stats like OPS+, wRC+, wOBA, etc. (0:19:50)

-#FairBall protest and MiLB pay (0:25:19)

-Thoughts on the pitch clock (0:35:43)

-Freddie Freeman’s always play mentality (0:42:18)

-Mailbag (0:49:49)

Links:

-Rany Jazayerli’s tweet on the Royals 2018 draft class

-Brittany Ghiroli on the MiLB #FairBall story

-Jayson Stark’s pitch clock story

-JJ Cooper’s pitch clock story

-Hannah Keyser’s Freddie Freeman story

-Josh Norris’s story on 30 prospects who improved their stock in 2021

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Episode 17: Showcase Pros/Cons, Projecting Who Sticks At Shortstop & Whether Age vs. Level Matters Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

Ben and Carlos dive into what they like and don’t like about various workouts in showcase environments before getting into some of the top players to know in the 2023 class. Outfielders like Max Clark and Walker Jenkins have impressed Ben for their hitting ability and toolsets, while lefthander Thomas White has long been a favorite and remains the top pitching prospect in the group. After that, the two discuss shortstop defense and what leads teams to projecting everyday shortstops, while also discussing the differences in training that players from Latin American receive vs. domestic infielders. Next, the two talk about how age vs. level matters for prospect evaluation and how older players shouldn’t always be overlooked. Finally, the two take listener questions, including: how we view 2022 infielder Cam Collier; how Tyler Soderstrom compares to Zac Veen and Robert Hassell from the 2020 class; which prospects who just missed the updated top 100 we are high on; and more.

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Episode 16: Behind The Scenes Of The Top 100, Polarizing Prospects, The 20-80 Scale & Player Comps Sep 08, 2021

Show notes

Ben and Carlos are joined by Josh for a podcast primarily centered on the minor leagues and our upcoming top 100 update. The trio talks about the process of updating the list before digging into plenty of player specific conversations. Josh explains why he—like Carlos—is infatuated with Bobby Witt Jr., the trio talks about the demographic strengths of the top 100 this year and digs into a few players who are polarizing among the BA staff or especially difficult to place on a list, including Padres lefthander MacKenzie Gore, Twins infielder/outfielder Austin Martin and Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez. After that, the group discusses some of the more impressive minor league seasons this year—say hello to Anthony Volpe, Yankees fans—before talking about the gradual shift in how the industry scouts the Triple-A level. After that, the group debates whether or not half grades are useful on the 20-80 scouting scale and whether or not they find player comps valuable or misleading. Finally, we take listener questions, including whether or not we're concerned about Giants shortstop Marco Luciano's performance this season and what an ETA could be for Athletics catcher Tyler Soderstrom, among others.

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Episode 15: Why Analyzing The Draft Is Difficult, Early Thoughts On The 2022 Class & Farm System Rankings Sep 01, 2021

Show notes

After spending a few weeks traveling around the country watching players in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 draft classes, Ben and Carlos are back on the mic! The two have an overdue conversation about the 2021 draft results, talk through some of their favorite picks (Khalil Watson, Brady House, Marcelo Mayer) and classes before talking about the Kumar Rocker/Mets situation. After Ben proposes some tweaks to the draft process, the two talk about why the draft is difficult or impossible to evaluate and analyze in the immediate aftermath, which leads to a conversation about the Red Sox’ 2020 selection of Nick Yorke—who is on a tear in pro ball. After that, the two talk about the impressive high school pitching in the 2022 draft class, discuss the merits of Termarr Johnson and Elijah Green as the top players in the class and then pivot to the minor leagues. Which player would they take among a top three of Adley Rutschman, Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt Jr.? They don’t agree on which, though it’s close. That leads to a conversation about the top farm systems in the game and which orgs you should keep an eye on to take a big step forward, before the two get into listener questions.

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Episode 14: A 2021 Draft Preview & Roundtable Jul 08, 2021

Show notes

Ben and Carlos are joined by Alexis Brudnicki to talk all things 2021 draft with just a few days to go before the Pirates are on the clock. If you haven't yet gotten started prepping for this year's draft, this is the show for you. After giving an overview of our thoughts on this year's class as a whole and the draft process in a unique year, all three give their 20-80 grades on each demographic of the class. The trio talk about players at the top of the draft in all four main categories—college pitching, college hitting, high school pitching, high school hitting—and then pivot to what the first round might be shaping up like. After that, the three talk about which player they would take No. 1 in a class that doesn't have a clear top prospect and discuss the ETAs of the top college players in the class, RHPs Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker. Then the group moves further down the draft board to talk through a few sleepers, talk about team tendencies and draft strategy and then dive into a loaded listener mailbag.

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Episode 13: A Futures Game Preview & Draft Combine Review + Helium Prospects Jun 30, 2021

Show notes

Ben and Carlos return from a brief hiatus to talk about all sorts of prospect action. First, the two discuss some of the players they're most excited to see on the recently announced Futures Game rosters, including Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez, Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman and Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez—among others. After that, Ben and Carlos break down the inaugural MLB draft combine, highlight a few players who stood out and talk through what the event is now and what it should be in the future. Finally, they discuss prospects with helium: from potential first-round draft picks like Indiana high school shortstop Colson Montgomery and East Carolina second baseman Connor Norby, to players on the pro side, like Indians infielder Angel Martinez and Marlins righthander Eury Perez.

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Episode 12: A Resurgence of Stolen Bases & The Impact of Prospect Hype May 28, 2021

Show notes

Ben and Carlos talk about the increased stolen base totals in the lower levels of the minors, and talk about whether or not rule changes incentivizing the steal would be good for the game. After that the two talk about "prospect hype" and how the notoriety of players can affect the way we think about them—whether we realize it or not. Among those prospects with no shortage of hype, they explain what's going on right now with Jasson Dominguez and discuss the draft stock of Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker. This episode is full of interesting listener questions, including whether or not Todd Helton belongs in the Hall of Fame, what the two think about 2022 high school shortstop Termarr Johnson, how Pirates righthander Roansy Contreras has excited us so far this season, how throwing ability is evaluated and more.

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Episode 11: Minor League Prospects Off To Hot Starts & Comparing Top High School Righthanders May 20, 2021

Show notes

For the first time since the Future Projection Podcast has been around, Ben and Carlos are able to talk about actual minor league baseball. The two talk about a number of prospects who have gotten off to strong starts this season, including Wander Franco, Julio Rodriguez, Vidal Brujan, CJ Abrams, Alek Thomas and many others. Prior to that conversation, the two discuss why Oklahoma high school righthander Jackson Jobe is the top prep pitcher in the class and see how he stacks up with recent top-of-the-class high school righthanders like Mick Abel and Quinn Priester. The two wrap up the podcast in typical fashion, by taking listener questions including one about Mariners prospect George Kirby's newfound velocity—and how that changes his profile moving forward.

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Episode 10: At Long Last... Minor League Opening Day May 04, 2021

Show notes

Ben and Carlos are joined by Josh and Kyle for a roundtable podcast in celebration of Minor League Opening Day. It's been quite a while since we've had minor league baseball in any capacity, but the group talks about everything they are excited for with the season finally starting. Before that conversation gets rolling, the group talks about a few catchers on our updated BA Draft 400 list, one trending up and another trending in the opposite direction. That leads to a conversation about scouting backstops, and how the profile for catchers will change when robot umps are a fixture in the big leagues. Who stands to benefit? Who will lose value? After that the group marvels about the performance of Jacob deGrom, they discuss his Hall of Fame candidacy and talk about the merits of athleticism and two-way backgrounds for pitcher success. After that, we get into the meat of the podcast and talk through players and teams we are looking forward to watching in the minors, how the new structure will change how we evaluate players and how teams handle their development. As always, we wrap up with listener questions.

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