18 Comments

It might be just a hot stretch for Gorski and I've only seen a handful of his at bats lately but he doesn't seem to be flying open as much. Still not a pretty swing but the power is there.

Good podcast, in my opinion they need to take one of the consensus top 8 college players if one falls. If they are gone and they want a player from college, Yesavage, Tibbs, Cam (has the higher ceiling but lower floor in my opinion) with an outside gamble of Honeycutt (if he takes a discount). If they're good with a prep Griffin or Rainier (flip a coin lol).

CompA pick and round 2, my preference would be college bats in this area for both unless the right pitcher is there. One of the picks would be Blake Burke unless they got Kurtz or Cags with pick 9 (I would probably still take him even if the got one of the others lol). The other pick would be an outfielder with upside like Sirota, Thomas, or someone that maybe falls. In rounds 3 and 4 I'd try and grab high ceiling guys pitcher or hitter. Round 5 on kinda like last year, pitchers with flaws but great stuff. Wouldn't mind grabbing a power bat like Jared Jones either or a senior or 2 to bank on an over slot for latter.

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That Portland lineup, sheesh.

What's the state of the Altoona rotation these days? Solo only went an inning last time out, Bubba on the shelf for an extended period?

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Ashcraft and Sullivan pitching well. Harrington is back, and Drake Fellows threw five innings in his first start.

Last 4 starts, Ash has thrown 20.1 innings with two earned runs allowed. 27 K's and 5 BB's. Last 2 starts, Sullivan has thrown 13 innings, no runs allowed, with 7 K's and 3 walks.

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Is Solo now exclusively a pen arm?

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Nah, I think they're just trying to get him right. They have enough stretched out arms in Double-A and down that they can afford to slow play some of the younger kids like Solo (and Bubba for that matter).

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Probably working shorter outings to find his control and command. He's been off the plate a lot and then in the middle of it when he's been behind in the count.

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Harrington, that's right! Thanks dude.

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Ashcraft and pray for rain.

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Crash Davis can get you a rainout anytime you want one 😁

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Very impressive OPS numbers/ranks by all 4 full season MiLB Affiliates 3 of 20 in OPS at AAA, 1st of 12 in OPS in AA, 1st of 12 in OPS in A+, and 3rd of 10 in OPS in A. Must be lots of hitters in the system? And almost the complete opposite regarding ERA/ranks - 1st of 20 in ERA in AAA, 9th of 12 in ERA at AA, 11th of 12 in ERA at A+, and 7th of 10 in ERA at A. Appears that the Pirates lack pitching?

The gamble by Boston of taking Roman Anthony in the Comp round after Round 2 (No. 79) and paying him a Top 30 Bonus ($2.5 mil) is paying off. Lots of negativity about swing and miss with him prior to the draft, but he is at AA and doing very well. A look at who the Pirates drafted just prior to Anthony was Hunter Barco in the second round (No. 44), paid $1.5 mil, ~$500K underslot due to TJ, with the savings used to sign Michael Kennedy in the 4th Round for $1.0 mil which was $500K above slot.

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Wait, that took me a second, but the ERA and OPS ranks listed are for their opponents this week. Here's where the Pirates affiliates currently sit

Indy

ERA: 17th/20

OPS: 6th/20

Altoona

ERA: 11th/12

OPS: 11th/12

Greensboro

ERA: 7th/12

OPS: 2nd/12

Bradenton

ERA: 4th/10

OPS: 9th/10

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FCL Bucs

ERA: 4th/15

OPS: 1st (by a lot)/15

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And probably after today:

OPS: Somehow even better than 1st

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Their hitters are really tearing the place up. Probably helps that they play a lot of their games against the O's and Braves, both of which seem to have terrible pitching. Rookie ball is . . . rookie ball.

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I just wanna know how hard the Blanco granny was hit

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Also like to know how hard Malone was throwing.

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