3/12/25 : Today in Spring Training

Eleventh day for minor league Spring Training Camp. Major leaguers had a scheduled day off.

Minor League Spring Trainjng Camp at Carpenter Complex :

Fielding and Regular BP :

I was only able to attend practice today for a short while but noted that Dante Nori, Carter Mathison, Marcus Lee Sang and Aidan Miller had strong BP rounds.  Dante continues to drive the ball with authority, Aidan hit everything hard today, the kid can rake.

Side Bullpens : 7 pitchers

Kyler Carmack, Jake Eddington, Brad Pacheco, Josh Hejka, Casey Steward, Alex McFarlane and Gunner Mayer

Live Bullpens : 3 pitchers

Konnor Ash, Brayden Tucker and Gabriel Barbosa

Live BP Notes :  Jordan Viars had a couple good rips, hard line drives. I spoke to him last week, seems very focused and determined to showcase his abilities this season - Jordan is just 21 years old yet this will be his fifth season in the organization.  Sometimes folks forget how it takes a bit for development to take import, especially for fellas who begin their pro careers at such a young age.

Other Notes - Scouts View :

From my perspective there’s been a noticeable absence of rival team’s scouts in attendance this spring at the minor league level - word is that many teams significantly scaled back or eliminated their pro scouting staffs. It seems there is either a high or full reliance on video/data and analytics instead with information primarily collected when the regular season games begin. From my perspective that’s a huge mistake as on site scouting picks up nuances that can’t be tabulated or seen on video or with data alone. I think it’s misguided to discount the importance of actually being there.

I wrote an article on this subject last summer after getting feedback from people in the baseball Industry, not just scouts but rather from those in various roles. I posed the question of how important in person scouting was as compared to video and data review to folks from six different organizations. Included in my survey were baseball operations leadership, scouting directors, scouts and player development personnel. I’ll repeat their responses below :

“It is very dependent on who is scouting and the philosophies of each organization.  If you have a great evaluator of talent, I like when they see a player in person.  However, there are other people who feel statistical information and video is as effective or more. Ideally there is a combination of all the information.”

“All are obviously important. I think a lot of people in the industry believed that data review and video scouting could be sufficient, however, the 2020 Draft changed many people’s minds and they realized the ongoing importance of in person scouting.  As for me, if I had to pick just one it would be in person scouting.  Hope all is well!”

“If the choice is scouting versus video, I would think scouting. But really, the answer is that we are always going to try to use as many information sources as possible. Hope to see you around soon!”

“The more information you have the better the evaluation will be. So I believe the combination is the best answer.”

“You pose an interesting question, one that is a constant debate in the baseball circles. I definitely think both are important. As video and data quality continue to improve, particularly at the professional levels, we've been able to gather more and more insights. Most teams see it similarly. But there is still a role for in-person scouting. Ultimately I think blending the two perspectives makes for a really sound evaluation process.”

“I feel having a scout in the seats as well as all the analytical and video data is extremely important in making decisions. Hope all is well.”

“Hi Steve, Hope all is well!  I think that context is important in answering your question. The answer would vary based on level of competition, comfort level, background information, history on the player, make-up, etc.. A combination of both would probably be ideal for me in "evaluating" a player.  Always appreciate and enjoy your work!”

“Steve, I feel when making a decision that both are important. I will always be a proponent of in-person looks over video looks. I just feel that you can see more in-person and can get a better feel for how the player’s tools and pitches play within the speed of the game. For example, we noted that when we had to scout off TV that some breaking balls looked much better than they would have in person.  It was tough to get a good feel for the finish and type of power they had. The same was true of fastballs and how some have that late life which is easier to see in-person from behind the plate. Also, when watching a player, as you know, there is a lot you can see that happens in between pitches that the video does not capture. With all that said, I do think referring to video to get a more technical look at a hitter's swing mechanics or a pitcher's delivery can be useful, especially once you have seen the player live. As for the data, being able to marry that to the players evaluation can really help paint the picture on a player. Hope you are well.”

“Hey Steve, honestly, I like a mixture of both, and I get a ton of visual information from both. In person, you get the feel of the game, the body language and reactions of players, and you get to see guys when they are on base, how they run, how good their reads are off the bat when on defense, how well do they get out of the box, etc. You get to see how a pitcher gets through innings, how the chemistry is with the catcher, if he has a habit of laboring through innings or not, how coachable he is, players are in the dugout, etc.  The video part allows you to stop, pause, rewind, slo-mo and you get a full read of a guy without all of the dead time in between pitches. You see so much in both instances but if I had to pick, I would pick being in person and using my true natural feel / past experiences and applying it to what I am seeing.”

“The biggest thing for me is having boots on the ground - video and reading stats don’t tell you about a player’s on the field character or makeup like how they handle failure and success along with finding out off the field makeup and character. As you know that’s the hardest thing to quantify. Clubhouse chemistry is something you cannot measure and it truly does make or break a big league team on their present or future success - video and stats can’t measure that.  I also feel though that all aspects need to be part of the solution.”

“Steve - It’s a question each organization has likely asked itself.  Some organizations have moved almost totally to data and video with just a few scouts in the field to render an evaluation, others choose to use a more blended approach and yet others prefer scouts at the lower levels and let the data and video be the judge at AAA and the major league level. I have always felt like the more information you have the better evaluation you should be able to make. Hopefully the scouts eye will work ahead of any data, good or bad, to help the club make the best decision.”

Just sayin - baseball is played by people, data/video is certainly important to assist in the evaluation process but any organization that becomes solely reliant on just that aspect is in my mind doomed to fail. That’s coming from a fella who spent the later third of his corporate career as part of leadership in developing and installing an automated global ERP system for Pfizer. We automated the routine but never discounted the people element, instead re-educated personnel to utilize the efficiency of automation in their roles. As one of my colleagues pointed out “Steve, there are no miracles, it’s only data .”  Baseball would be wise to realize that fact in regards to player evaluation - just sayin.

3/11/25 : Two Minor league games at Dunedin vs Blue Jays - 1 PM

Results from yesterday’s first minor league game action.

Game One : Phillies 2 Blue Jays 2

Each team had seven hits - right fielder Carter Mathison was 2 for 2 (single & triple) with a walk. Aidan Miller, Keaton Anthony, Bryson Ware, Marcus Lee Sang and Kodey Shojinaga each singled.  Ware and Lee Sang had RBIs - Lee Sang stole a base.

Others who played in the game included Justin Crawford, Cade Fergus, Devin Saltiban, Brady Day, Hendry Mendez, Andrick Nava, and Dylan Campbell.

On the pitching side Enrique Segura and Cody Stashak each went two innings while five other pitchers went an inning apiece.

RH Enrique Segura - 2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 1 K - 46 pitches - 26 strikes - FB 93-96 mph

RH Cody Stashak - 2 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K’s - 38 pitches - 26 strikes - FB 89-91 mph

RH Max Lazar - 1 perfect IP - 3 K’s - 13 pitches - 10 strikes - FB 93-96 mph

RH Ethan Chenault - 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 K’s - 16 pitches - 11 strikes - FB 92-96 mph

RH Daniel Harper - 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K’s - 28 pitches - 17 strikes - FB 95-97 mph

RH Andrew Baker - 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K - 20 pitches - 10 strikes - FB 95-96 mph

RH Luis Avila - 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K - 25 pitches - 15 strikes - FB 96-99 mph

I was told by a very reliable source that Andrew Baker in particular threw the ball extremely well, strong breaking pitches, composure and got after it.

Game Two : Blue Jays 11 Phillies 2

The Phillies had six hits - Alirio Ferrebus had two hits (single & double).  Troy Schrefflerand Zach Arnold each doubled.  Dante Nori singled and walked, impressed folks with hard contact.  Eduardo Tait singled.

Others who played in the game included Griffin Burkholder, Elio Prado, Aroon Escobar, Luis Caicuto, Carson DeMartini, Leandro Pineda, TJayy Walton, Eduardo Lopez and Trent Farquhar.

On the pitching side five hurlers threw :

RH Danyony Pulido - 2 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 K’s - 23 pitches - 13 strikes - FB 90-94 mph

LH Juan Amarante - 2 IP, 5 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 2 K’s - 43 pitches - 23 strikes - FB 90-92 mph

RH Ryan Degges - 2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 1 K - 47 pitches - 25 strikes - FB 92-96 mph

RH Ryan Dromboski - 2 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 K’s - 45 pitches - 27 strikes - FB 90-94 mph

RH Augusto Calderon - 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K - 11 pitches - 7 strikes - FB 93-95 mph

Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️

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