2018 Futures game

[Squirrel]

Anywhere to see/find a box score?

[cmoss84]

https://www.mlb.com/news/usa-defeats-world-in-futures-game/c-286024578

[Squirrel]

Thanks. I looked on the mlb site and didn’t find anything.

 

Thorpe did not have a good outing there.

[markos]

I was at the game. Here are my observations:

 

(quick caveat: I understand that one shouldn't change opinions just based on a single viewing. So please don't hold me to these statements. This is just my raw, non-professional opinion of watching a couple of young prospects for the first time in an exhibition setting. And I am deliberately not holding back as well.)

 

Kirilloff: I've been a bit of a skeptic, but I'm going to start asking if there is room on the bandwagon. The bat is legit. He it two ropes - one against Thorpe - in his two at bats. The swing looks great, and the hits both sounded really good. Solid barrels on both. He even had to make a throw to 3rd on a guy tagging from 2nd. It was a decently deep hit, and while the throw was offline, it was strong enough that it would have been a close play had it been on line. I don't think the arm is going to be an asset, but it shouldn't be a huge liability. His range wasn't tested at all.

 

Thorpe: I'm sorry to say this, but he looked like a JAG. I know this is a completely unfair comparison, but relative to everyone else that was throwing 95+ all day (and Hunter Greene touched 103 - fastest pitch I've ever seen live), he kind of looked like Brian Duensing out there. I think he touched 94 once, but was more 92-93. He had trouble getting ahead of batters, and he didn't look like he had anything that he could consistently get swings-and-misses in the zone. 

 

Again, this was just a couple of looks during an exhibition game, so it means next to nothing. 

[AlwaysinModeration]

I was at the game. Here are my observations:

 

(quick caveat: I understand that one shouldn't change opinions just based on a single viewing. So please don't hold me to these statements. This is just my raw, non-professional opinion of watching a couple of young prospects for the first time in an exhibition setting. And I am deliberately not holding back as well.)

 

Kirilloff: I've been a bit of a skeptic, but I'm going to start asking if there is room on the bandwagon. The bat is legit. He it two ropes - one against Thorpe - in his two at bats. The swing looks great, and the hits both sounded really good. Solid barrels on both. He even had to make a throw to 3rd on a guy tagging from 2nd. It was a decently deep hit, and while the throw was offline, it was strong enough that it would have been a close play had it been on line. I don't think the arm is going to be an asset, but it shouldn't be a huge liability. His range wasn't tested at all.

 

Thorpe: I'm sorry to say this, but he looked like a JAG. I know this is a completely unfair comparison, but relative to everyone else that was throwing 95+ all day (and Hunter Greene touched 103 - fastest pitch I've ever seen live), he kind of looked like Brian Duensing out there. I think he touched 94 once, but was more 92-93. He had trouble getting ahead of batters, and he didn't look like he had anything that he could consistently get swings-and-misses in the zone.

 

Again, this was just a couple of looks during an exhibition game, so it means next to nothing.

markos, great write up. Where were you sitting? I was in section 135. It was great to see Kiriloff get the two line drive hits, and agree that throw looked strong, if offline.

 

The Hunter Green appearance was remarkable. And by remarkable, I mean that he hit 102 on almost every pitch, and it was a 102mph that was turned around for a homer. The Pitch was straight as an arrow, and if minors guys can get around on it, that’s likely trouble. He also looked max effort (as opposed to Brusdar who has an easy motion for his triple digits, from what I’ve seen), and it seemed pretty easy to tell when a fastball was coming, vs an offspeed pitch, it seemed like he wasn’t making as violent of a motion. To me, it looks like TJ waiting to happen....

 

I am liking the Royce Lewis (and Enlow combo pack) even more.

[markos]

 

markos, great write up. Where were you sitting? I was in section 135. It was great to see Kiriloff get the two line drive hits, and agree that throw looked strong, if offline.

The Hunter Green appearance was remarkable. And by remarkable, I mean that he hit 102 on almost every pitch, and it was a 102mph that was turned around for a homer. The Pitch was straight as an arrow, and if minors guys can get around on it, that’s likely trouble. He also looked max effort (as opposed to Brusdar who has an easy motion for his triple digits, from what I’ve seen), and it seemed pretty easy to tell when a fastball was coming, vs an offspeed pitch, it seemed like he wasn’t making as violent of a motion. To me, it looks like TJ waiting to happen....

I am liking the Royce Lewis (and Enlow combo pack) even more.

I was sitting up in section 309.

 

Yeah, the Hunter Green appearance was pretty phenomenal. I think a lot of it was just the sequence of events. If I remember correctly, he relieved Justus Sheffield mid-inning. Sheffield is a good prospect, but he is a little on the smaller side and, if I recall correctly, was working in the low-to-mid-90s with his fastball. So he leaves, and Greene comes in, and Greene just looked so much bigger. (According to their bios, Greene is at least 4 inches taller) Torii Hunter was the manager for the USA team, and he looked small next to Greene as he gave him the ball. And then he starts his warmup tosses, and he just looks so much bigger and faster. He's like that 12-year-old on a Little League team who looks like he's in high school relative to his teammates. The batter steps in, and the first fastball comes in at 101, or 102, I can't remember exactly. Then he hits 102 for a bunch of pitches in a row. Then 103. I've never been so impressed by the physicality and raw performance than I was watching Greene, though I'm certain that a fair amount of that was due to the player contrast.

 

Of course, this is no guarantee that he will be amazing, or even that good. He definitely was hit-able.

 

Also, I tentatively disagree that his motion was high effort. His entire windup and delivery is fast - one of the faster deliveries I've seen - but I think this gives the impression that he has a high effort delivery. I thought his arm action was relatively smooth, in that it kept pace with his delivery. Off course, you had a much better viewpoint than I did, and I was trying to keep my 3-year-old entertained throughout the entire game. But overall, I thought he looked very athletic and smooth, which matches his pre-draft scouting reports.

[GP830]

 

I was sitting up in section 309.

 

Yeah, the Hunter Green appearance was pretty phenomenal. I think a lot of it was just the sequence of events. If I remember correctly, he relieved Justus Sheffield mid-inning. Sheffield is a good prospect, but he is a little on the smaller side and, if I recall correctly, was working in the low-to-mid-90s with his fastball. So he leaves, and Greene comes in, and Greene just looked so much bigger. (According to their bios, Greene is at least 4 inches taller) Torii Hunter was the manager for the USA team, and he looked small next to Greene as he gave him the ball. And then he starts his warmup tosses, and he just looks so much bigger and faster. He's like that 12-year-old on a Little League team who looks like he's in high school relative to his teammates. The batter steps in, and the first fastball comes in at 101, or 102, I can't remember exactly. Then he hits 102 for a bunch of pitches in a row. Then 103. I've never been so impressed by the physicality and raw performance than I was watching Greene, though I'm certain that a fair amount of that was due to the player contrast.

 

Of course, this is no guarantee that he will be amazing, or even that good. He definitely was hit-able.

 

Also, I tentatively disagree that his motion was high effort. His entire windup and delivery is fast - one of the faster deliveries I've seen - but I think this gives the impression that he has a high effort delivery. I thought his arm action was relatively smooth, in that it kept pace with his delivery. Off course, you had a much better viewpoint than I did, and I was trying to keep my 3-year-old entertained throughout the entire game. But overall, I thought he looked very athletic and smooth, which matches his pre-draft scouting reports.

I just watched the video of his performance and was struck by the speed of delivery. It's noticeable how seemingly spastic he is from glove to release. As has been noted by many people before me, a rushing or pressured pitcher will sometimes invert the W, so to speak, and raise the elbow of the throwing arm or the plain of their throwing shoulder, which causes undue stress on the UCL. I didn't detect this with Greene at all, but he was moving so quickly it was hard to see. Relatively low leg kick as well.

 

My sense is the quick delivery is part of his attempt at deception, but it doesn't offer much if that 102 mph is coming in straight as an arrow...