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OT: Raise the Jolly Roger: Congrats to the Houston Cheaters on their win

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Priester was VERY good tonight. Should get a last week call up like Roansy last year. He'll start next year in AAA and then wager be up around the AS if things go well enough. Hopefully Burrows is 100% to start next spring as he and QP could be really big upgrades for the rotation.

 
ImporterExporter said:
Completely disagree. That is archaic thinking IMO. You put the best players near the top of the order. Cruz was one of the best players the moment he stepped into that clubhouse. Hitting Cruz at the top allows you to protect him well, even if it's Reynolds and then a bunch of meh's. His speed is elite.
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I thought I was thick enough with the sarcasm even in text.
 
I hope Priester pitches in the fall league -- he threw quite a few innings last year, and so should keep building up this year. Not totally insane that he could push it to 150 next year, and with Burrows hurt, he might end up getting the cameo start or two in a couple of weeks.
 
Cruz had a really rough patch for a while there, but he's been really playing well recently. His offense is obvious, but he was pretty bad defensively for a while there as well and has cleaned that up.
 
Let's not sleep on Contreras. What he's been doing, as a 22 year old. Not always pretty, velocity down a bit right now but he's battling, and beating playoff teams.

When you pair him w/Keller and Brubaker, that's a nice foundation to start the year. Then, hopefully by mid season you see the arrivals of Priester/Burrows. Also keep an eye on Luis Ortiz. Dude has been on a heater for the last 2 months and is in AAA now.

 
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Empoleon8771 said:
Cruz is hitting the shit out of the ball all of a sudden, really good to see.

I honestly don't understand why a change in the lineup can cause him to hit better, but I think he's making it painfully obvious that he should be hitting as the leadoff guy instead of around the 6 spot.
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It's a different hitting philosophy batting 1st, which he's been doing for years in the Minors.

So it's a comfort thing. And he seems to be more patient, while also being more aggressive batting 1st.

ImporterExporter said:
There is so much talent in the minors. It's absurd.

Even guys like Luis Ortiz fly under the radar. Kid throws 100, in AAA and at the very least has real late inning upside.
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Ortiz is one of the guys I was talking about when I came into the thread a couple years ago. Guys like him or one of the reasons I haven't been as worried about pitching as most.
 
ImporterExporter said:
Priester was VERY good tonight. Should get a last week call up like Roansy last year. He'll start next year in AAA and then wager be up around the AS if things go well enough. Hopefully Burrows is 100% to start next spring as he and QP could be really big upgrades for the rotation.

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Just watching these highlights and not the game, this looks like his second best slider night of the year. I saw a couple ++ pitches there at 86-87.
 
Tennessee favored by 6.5 over Pitt at home but Pitt is ranked higher
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Davis playing RF for Altoona today, who are up 2-0 after what else but an Endy Rodriguez AB to spark them with 2 outs. He works the count for a long 3-2 and then a walk, after which Davis singles up the middle and Nunez smashes a double to straightaway center in order to score both.

Him playing RF is an interesting development and I wonder if it might continue into the fall league. I don't really think that both he and Rodriguez playing other positions + catcher is a long-term thing that you'd want, but in some sense you have to make the best decision to get their bats onto the field, even if you end up in a scenario where neither is the 1A catcher (too early to make anything like that proclamation, obviously). Davis to RF and then fasttracked to MLB would be something I'm fine with. Rodriguez shouldn't be far behind him.
 
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Davis definitely has the arm to play RF, and it's not super difficult to play RF at PNC, but does he really have the OF range to work in RF?

It wouldn't be unheard of, Varsho went from C to CF, but it would be surprising if Davis could make the OF work.
 
I think he can probably do it - he's not super fast but is definitely fast enough to play RF. Haven't noticed anything about him on defense today, but he's having a rough day at the plate. Altoona is crushing Erie, unsurprisingly with Endy as the spark plug.
 
I think Castro is quietly showing to be a useful utility piece for next year. A .725 OPS from a switch hitter that plays all infield positions is a pretty solid utility guy IMO.
 
It's so profoundly annoying that the challenge rule just doesn't even end up mattering late in games. I get if it's the playoffs but the Cardinals used their challenge and the umpire made the call on the field. There shouldn't be anything to review.
 
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I realize that nothing matters but Crowe is just not a guy to be counted on.

Cool that Suwinski and Cruz had such good games tho.
 
Gonzales since coming back over 101 PA's:

.296/.436/.506/.942
16BB (15.8)
22Ks (21.8)

Malcom Nunez since comin over from STL in Q trade. 99 PA's.

.310/.384/.536/.920

He's got 22 homes runs on the year in AA as a 21 year old. Just a 20.3% K rate and walking at a clip of 13.1%. Those are really superb figures for a kid playing against mostly older players, sporting a power profile.

Endy Rodriguez since he jumped to AA. 118 PA's.

.354/.444/.707/1.147

8 homers and 11 doubles in just 26 games. 15 walks to 18 K's.

On the year he's, 314/403/583/986 across 486 PA's.

All 3 of those guys will be in AAA to start next year, possible summer upgrades.
 
ImporterExporter said:
Gonzales since coming back over 101 PA's:

.296/.436/.506/.942
16BB (15.8)
22Ks (21.8)

Malcom Nunez since comin over from STL in Q trade. 99 PA's.

.310/.384/.536/.920

He's got 22 homes runs on the year in AA as a 21 year old. Just a 20.3% K rate and walking at a clip of 13.1%. Those are really superb figures for a kid playing against mostly older players, sporting a power profile.

Endy Rodriguez since he jumped to AA. 118 PA's.

.354/.444/.707/1.147

8 homers and 11 doubles in just 26 games. 15 walks to 18 K's.

On the year he's, 314/403/583/986 across 486 PA's.

All 3 of those guys will be in AAA to start next year, possible summer upgrades.
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Kinda funny how most here are so far down on Pirates prospects, yet all you and I see is progress everywhere, and a bright future just around the corner.

I'm also recently mollified by our Major League development program. Keller, Contrares, Brubaker, Cruz, Castro, and Suwinski are all so intriguing, and all clearly progressing.

I feel it's easy to judge and make assumptions with the Bucs, but it's such a long long season in baseball, and how you finish is everything at this stage of a rebuild.

A lot of guys in a lot of different Leagues are finishing quite Strong. The future IS bright.
 
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Suwinski's homerun was just to our right. There I am in the yellow with my girlfriend hiding behind me. That was her first sporting event of any kind. She was terrified of the baseballs.

omAY5Ge.png


We were walking around when Cruz hit his. Looks like it would've been 3 rows in front of us.
 
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