Scouting Looks: Enyel De Los Santos vs. Mike Shawaryn

September 1, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 6 Comments

With the minor league season winding down here in the waning weeks of the summer. I headed out to Pawtucket, RI on Wednesday in order to get some first hand looks at a pair of pitchers with the potential to be called-up when rosters expand in the coming days. The first was Phillies AAA ace Enyel De Los Santos, the right-hander with the mid-90’s fastball was the Phillies return for Freddy Galvis this winter, and has been very solid during his time in the Phillies organization. He debuted in the majors earlier this summer, making two starts in mid-July, before heading back to Lehigh Valley. He was back up for a relief appearance earlier this month, but has spent the majority of his season in the International League. The other arm was the Red Sox Mike Shawaryn, another arm I’ve discussed a little in my articles and on the podcast over the last few months. This was my second look at Shawaryn this season, and first in AAA. Both the Phillies and Red Sox are in the playoff push, and each of these arms could fill a variety of roles this season, and going forward. Let’s discuss what I witnessed.

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Prospect Podcast: Promotions, Scouting Looks At Eloy Jimenez, And Others

by: Geoff

All the leagues are in full swing and the Razzball Prospect Podcast has updates on all the happenings in minor league baseball this week. With a ton of promotions by the Braves, Dodgers, and Red Sox, as well as an interesting trio of shortstops from June’s draft moving up, we touch on them all. Plus scouting looks on Eloy Jimenez, Gabriel Arias, Luis Patino, and more. We jump into our five by five highlighting ten players on our radar. Names like the Dodgers Miguel Vargas, the Reds Jonathan India, the Red Sox Bobby Dalbec, and slew of others. As always head over to Rotowear.com and use our promo-code SAGNOF to get 20% off Rotowear ‘s amazing shirts!

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Prospect Podcast: Mocking The 2018 MLB Draft, Dynasty Style!

June 2, 2018 | Prospect Podcast, Razzball Podcast | 34 Comments

by: Geoff

First we baked the cake, then we made the frosting. Today we put the whole thing together, for your consumption. What the hell am I talking about? It’s First Year Player Draft day for Monday’s 2018 MLB Draft. As has become annual tradition on the show, Lance and I release, debate and discuss the first edition of our 2018 First Year Player Draft rankings. We of course start the show with some of the top minor league news like Forrest Whitley’s return, and Shane Bieber’s promotion. We then jump into our 5×5, where Lance and I each choose 5 minor leaguers to discuss. Around minute 50 we start the ranks, making it as deep as 15-20 players. If that’s not enough coverage for you, Lance, myself, as well as others will be doing a live draft reaction show on Monday night. Make sure to check Twitter for that. And as always big shouts to our sponsor Rotowear! You can order the 1.01 Dad shirt I spoke about on the show by heading over to RotoWear.com and entering promo code “SAGNOF” for 20% off the highest quality t-shirts in the fantasy sports game. It’s the latest edition of the Razzball Fantasy Baseball Prospect Podcast:

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Prospect Podcast: 2018 Boston Red Sox Top Prospects

December 23, 2017 | Prospect Podcast, Razzball Podcast | 10 Comments

by: Geoff

No matter how bad the Red Sox farm system is it will always have a place in this Prospector’s Heart. Despite his best efforts, David Dombrowski has not stripped the joy out of Red Sox prospects just yet, and to celebrate this I’ve brought along not only my brother from another Lance Brozdowski, but also “boots on the ground, eyes at the park” prospector John Calvagno of @SallyNotes on twitter, and NotesfromtheSally.com. Before John, Lance, and I dig in on the Sawx. I wax poetic about my days as a young man running amok at McCoy Staduim. We then dive into the big names (Michael Chavis, Jay Groome, Bryan Mata, Tanner Houck) and then move onto the plethora of future middle relievers, and utility bats. It’s a labor of love, but we managed to give you an hour and a half of Red Sox Prospects takes.

Finally, please make sure to support our sponsor by heading over to RotoWear.com and entering promo code “SAGNOF” for 20% off the highest quality t-shirts in the fantasy sports game. It’s the latest edition of the Razzball Fantasy Baseball Prospect Podcast:

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2019 Boston Red Sox Minor League Preview

November 19, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 16 Comments

by: Geoff

What’s the difference between a doughnut and a Dave Dombrowski Farm system? The doughnut usually leaves some crumbs behind! Wocka Wocka! In grand double D fashion, the long-necked one, emptied the farm to upgrade the major league squad. Some moves worked (Chris Sale & Craig Kimbrel) others have fallen flat(I.E. Travis Shaw+ for Tyler Thornburg). Regardless, the Red Sox minor leagues have acted as Dombrowski’s personal check book, in the early part of his tenure. For the past ten years Boston has had one of the strongest farm systems in the game, producing talent like Pedroia, Lester, Ellsbury, Buchholz, Bogaerts, Bradley, Betts, Benintendi, and recently Rafael Devers. The team now faces the challenge of restocking the once proud farm, following three years of trades, and a lost international period, due to a penalty received for rule violations. The last two drafts have been solid, but unspectacular, and have taken the Red Sox in a different direction. The focus has been heavily on pitching, giving the Sox depth in an area where they’re typically weak. Six of the following Top Ten is comprised of pitchers, and four of the six were drafted over the past two years. It likely would have been an even split between pitchers and positional players if not for the unfortunate, and tragic passing of July 2nd gem, Danny Flores. The shocking loss certainly leaves an already thin system further exposed. Will it be completely emptied to land Giancarlo Stanton? Or will the Sox stand pat this offseason, add in the June draft, and look to be players at next year’s trade deadline? One thing is for sure, with Dombrowski at the controls, someone’s getting traded in this beeyatch.

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Minor League Update: Pick Of the Braves

May 7, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 57 Comments

by: Geoff

At the quarterly Prospector meetings many topics are broached. Favorite sweatpants style, least favorite fellow Prospector, gold tooth picks, but far and away the most popular discussion amongst my peers, “Who’s your favorite Atlanta Braves Pitching Prospect?”. If you know anything about the Braves farm system, then you know there’s so many names to choose from. Think about it, there’s Anderson, there’s Soroka, there’s Fried, and Gohara, the list goes on and on. However, I Prospect Versace, find myself enamored with the best and brightest of them all, Kolby Allard. As a 19 year old in AA he’s setting the Southern League ablaze with a 1.36 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP, and a 7.64 K/9 to a 1.91 Bb/9. The lefty was taken by the Braves 14th overall way back in the 2015 draft, and has really taken off since early injury woes. He’s made quick work of the lower levels of the minors, never sporting an ERA higher than 4 during his 90+ pro innings leading up to 2017. The stuff has never been an issue for Allard as he throws a plus fastball in the low to mid 90’s, a plus curveball (seen below), and an improving change. His control and command are advanced for a 19 year old, and with AA looking like just another notch in his belt, it wouldn’t surprise me if we see Allard in Atlanta come next year. On the most recent episode of the prospect podcast, we discuss whether or not Allard is the highest upside starter in the minors, and it’s truly possible. The only thing holding the young lefty back is a checkered injury history, with a previous back surgery. While he’s more than likely owned even in the shallowest of dynasty formats, he’s a must add on the off change he’s not. A worthy trade target for rebuilding clubs too. Here’s your minor league update for May 7th.

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2017 Minor League Preview: Boston Red Sox

November 9, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 89 Comments

by: Geoff

Ralph, on the Red Sox? This is sure to be the most homer post ever, or most homah post eva round my way. Now that I’ve gotten my obligatory Boston accent joke out of the way, and played into all your stereotypes. Which aren’t really stereotypes, as much as they’re totally spot on truth bombs….(but don’t tell the others I said that). Moving on, if I may. Let’s get into the ~~gloating~~ glowing review of the Top Boston Red Sox Prospects for Fantasy Baseball. (SEO hi-5) This is a system that’s churned out a host of fantasy stars in recent years. Just in the last three seasons alone, players like Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackie Bradley Jr. have matriculated. With another crop of players on the come up, names like Moncada, Benintendi, and Devers have become synonymous with top prospect status. The exciting part about covering the Boston system, is the prospects are deep and diverse in terms of skills sets. It helps that outside a few high end arms in Kopech and Groome, it’s mostly hitting prospects. Personal bias aside, it’s a good system and one with several players worth your attention.

**Updated December 6th 2016 Post-Sale Trade**

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