Eric Karabell and Tristan H. Cockcroft spent last weekend in Arizona for the annual First Pitch Arizona, checking out prospects and talking fantasy baseball with their peers. Along the way, they kept a diary of some of the highlights of their adventure, some of which we will share with you now in our baseball version of "fantasy improv."
Friday, November 4
Eric: Baseball in November! Nah, not the World Series, though I'm loving that, it's First Pitch Arizona with our pals at Baseball HQ. Tristan, we haven't been out here since 2019. Definitely looking forward to watching the prospects play in the Arizona Fall League? What are you looking forward to? The food?
Tristan: Brent Hershey probably just put it best: "Renewing friendships" tops my list; socializing is a huge ingredient, and for you and I, it's been so long a gap between these due largely to the pandemic so it's good to exchange ideas and opinions once more with industry friends. Baseball-wise: am I silly for saying I like a good ol' fashioned Home Run Derby? I'm looking forward to that in large part because it hasn't been done/I have no idea what to expect. Hey, let's try some new stuff. The game needs some creativity. SOME (no ghost runners/Manfred Man, please!).
Eric: We're getting introduced to the players to watch now. Obviously, gotta see Yankees teenager Jasson Dominguez for Mesa. Potential star, though can't imagine we see him in majors in 2023. Feels like more hitters to watch than pitchers the next few days. Fine with me. I rarely invest in pitching prospects anymore.
Tristan: My missing Dominguez in his handful of season-wrapping games at Somerset was one of my 2022 regrets. I couldn't make the dates work. Glad I'll get to make up for it here. Carson Whisenhunt apparently pitches tonight, that's interesting, though he's not MLB-ready. Matt Mervis hit 36 homers across three MiLB levels, and deposited another here. I guess believe the hype? (I lean no, not totally, though he could see some time in Chicago considering the rebuild.)
Eric: There's a difference between an intriguing prospect and an intriguing fantasy prospect. Mervis has power. If he gets opportunity, I won't dismiss him as easily as prospect experts do. We have different goals. Haven't seen much from Dominguez or Padres IF Jackson Merrill so far. Dominguez struck out on three pitches without swinging in the first. Merrill is so intriguing. If he's ready next summer, Padres would find room. Hey, good news, Tristan: a Yankees prospect has two homers. It's Tyler (Mecole) Hardman! Your franchise is saved!
Tristan: Good game by Hardman, but his pro career K-rate is about equal to the amount of that cookie you're eating for dessert.
Eric: So we're now at the night game - it's not even 50 degrees! We were looking forward to seeing Giants lefty Whisenhunt, but he's out after 1 2/3 innings. Brewers OF prospect Je'Von Ward homered and that's it! Don't you find it difficult to evaluate pitchers here when they don't pitch for long? I'll stick to hitters!
Tristan: Yes, the limited outings do minimize our ability to scout - though single outings are really not the best way to get a full picture of a pitcher anyways. Nick Yorke had a nice game last night, could be a factor sometime in 2023.
Saturday, November 5
Tristan: EK's hitting panel begins! He's plenty prepared with his tiny napkin of copious notes.
Tristan: Four prospects in this "who ya got": Carroll, Gunnar, Jung, Pasquantino. Their NFBC ADPs are 61, 97, 91, 219. Many times it's about value. EK says he wats Gunnar, I don't really disagree for the prices. But at 219, isn't there a case to be made? Get this: Riley Greene's ADP is 201. Jarred Kelenic's is 230. The main thing that bothered me about Greene's 2022 were the speed scores, but that could be explained easily by the foot injury late in spring. Still, that means I need to see how he looks - especially on the base paths - in the spring first. Great note by Eric, "Kyle Wright had as many wins as the Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitchers did (21)."
Tristan and Eric went to the Home Run Derby on Saturday night, where the highlights included Deyvison De Los Santos (who Tristan calls "a fun prospect for an event like this with massive power but not much else to his game"), Robert Perez Jr. (son of the '90s outfielder, who had 21 HR through two rounds, though not a top prospect) and Heston Kjerstad (the 2020 No. 2 overall pick who didn't debut until this June due to recovery from myocarditis). Perez beat Kjerstad, 11-10 in the finals.
Eric: I believe right around the time Kjerstad was showing off his power - which many question - Yordan Alvarez was effectively ending the World Series. Proud of my Phillies but what a memorable ride!
Sunday, November 6
Tristan: We were off to a good start with a panel that includes Todd Zola. Todd's suspicion -- not projection-oriented here -- is that the balanced schedule will have an even greater impact on 2023 numbers than either the shift rule, larger bases, pitch clock or pickoff rules. I tend to agree with him, or, at least I think that's the most UNDERRATED/understated one.
Eric: The Fall Stars game is now under way and right around the time the Jets knocked off the Bills, Dominguez plated a few runs with a double. It's a beautiful day at the ballpark!
Tristan: Yes, what a day! Football and baseball! Joe Mixon had himself a day, Justin Fields set a record for rushing yards by a QB. And I even (finally!) made it to the Fall Stars Game (thank you iPhone, so I can stream NFL late games from the ballpark)! I missed the Dominguez two run double. Sigh. I did get to see him pop out. So, hurray? Now, Jordan Walker hits an opposite field ground rule double. "Lite Aaron Judge"? Aggressive, sure, but similarly big dude, big power, now playing OF.
Tristan: Fun times at the Fall Stars Game: despite a 7-3 lead for the home team, they decided to give the fans a bottom of the ninth. Bonus baseball! And now a National League pitcher comes in to face an NL batter. Anything goes! Tink Hence faces Walker -- his teammate -- who flies out deep to right to end the game. Tink got a chuckle out of the unexpected matchup.
Karabell: Yeah that was fun. Walker nearly homered again. Keerstad with a leaping catch at the fence to end a fun game -- and a very fun weekend.