The reigning champs arrive at the Grill for a weekend set: ATL @ TEX 4/29-5/1

[saddles]

If we want to go back further Crawler was a Mitch hater and Bennie thought Kirkman should Ben launched to the moon
I thought they babied Marteen
The Profar snub over Face was a thorn in a few of us

It that is a lot of years

I think some are missing the point here. There have been lots of players some or most of is have been disappointed with or even wanted to see gone. Some want to lump everyone like that together.

This situation with Howard is completely different. How his outings wreck the bullpen is different than a guy striking out too much or another guy continuing to start as a position player because of his contract.

As far as how Odor's situation compares to Howard's situation, in particular, they are different and each can be big mistakes without making the other one less of a mistake.

Even if Howard wins a Cy Young next year, the way they are handling him this year is wrong.

 

[saddles]

Since we're bridging these topics, here's a hypothetical:

given what we know now about all the pieces involved in both trades, let's say that making the Gallo trade is contingent on making the Gibson trade. Have to make both or neither.

Do you make the trades? I do.

Are you assuming that somehow neither could be traded to any team without trading Gibson to the Phillies and Gallo to the Yankees? If you are assuming that--why?

What if we couldn't have made the Gallo trade without giving the Yankees the opportunity to force us to take him back at any point in 2022 for any player in our system of our choosing? Lol, at least, my hypothetical situations are related.

 

[Duane1952]

Come May first you have to send a pitcher down. And it comes down to Otto and Howard, who you keeping. For me no way am I sending Otto down.

 

[DT LUNA]

Come May first you have to send a pitcher down. And it comes down to Otto and Howard, who you keeping. For me no way am I sending Otto down.

That might answer something

 

[Duane1952]

I think some are missing the point here. There have been lots of players some or most of is have been disappointed with or even wanted to see gone. Some want to lump everyone like that together.

This situation with Howard is completely different. How his outings wreck the bullpen is different than a guy striking out too much or another guy continuing to start as a position player because of his contract.

As far as how Odor's situation compares to Howard's situation, in particular, they are different and each can be big mistakes without making the other one less of a mistake.

Even if Howard wins a Cy Young next year, the way they are handling him this year is wrong.

My deal with Odor is they didn’t send down when they could have. And then when he had service time he refused to go and they kept running him out there every game.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Are you assuming that somehow neither could be traded to any team without trading Gibson to the Phillies and Gallo to the Yankees? If you are assuming that--why?

What if we couldn't have made the Gallo trade without giving the Yankees the opportunity to force us to take him back at any point in 2022 for any player in our system of our choosing? Lol, at least, my hypothetical situations are related.

Because those are the trades that happened? Obviously the hypothetical was based on trades that actually happened and are being actively discussed at the moment. I'm not sure how "related" your hypothetical situations are, but at least mine are rooted in reality.

 

[saddles]

Because those are the trades that happened? Obviously the hypothetical was based on trades that actually happened and are being actively discussed at the moment. I'm not sure how "related" your hypothetical situations are, but at least mine are rooted in reality.

Reality? How could one trade be related to the other just because they happened in the same offseason?

Neither scenario is anything close to being realistic, but at least mine involved the same two teams involved in both situations and the same player as the principal party.

 

[Kelleyman]

Wash holding court

 

[saddles]

Extensive Look at 2022 MLB Draft Prospects

Today, I continue with another group of short writeups about one of the guys suspected to go early in the draft. Today's post is about Termarr Johnson a SS/2B from Mays HS in Georgia. Here is the information I found. I included a link at the end to an extensive article about him from the website of an Atlanta television station.

MLB draft prospects 2022: Ranking top 50 players in the class, with Termarr Johnson at No. 1

These are the names to know as college and high school baseball seasons get started

www.cbssports.com

Johnson is a special offensive prospect as well as the beneficiary of a hype blizzard. One veteran scout told CBS Sports that projecting Johnson's hit tool to become an 80 (that is, the highest grade and most important aspect of a player's game) was an easy decision. Other evaluators have dared to debate how Johnson stacks up to Wander Franco when he was 17 years old, and have offered Guardians third baseman José Ramírez as a best-case scenario comparison. (Best case indeed.) Some, if not all of that could prove to be overzealous by the time draft day arrives. Still, Johnson offers a lot to like, including a mature approach and a feel for the barrel that has earned him a reputation for being able to hit any pitch in any count to any field. He came into his strength late last season, and the natural loft on his swing bodes well for his future power production. The biggest downside to his game is his future defensive position, with second base serving as the safest bet. Johnson hasn't yet committed to a college; he won't need to if his desire is to begin his pro career later this year.



2022 MLB Mock Draft 1.0 | Just Baseball

The best pure hitter in the class, Termarr Johnson showcases a smooth left-handed swing with up-and-coming power. Johnson has a stocky build at 5-foot-8 194 lbs., profiling as a second baseman long term. Some evaluators label Johnson as the best pure hitter in years, with some giving his hit tool a rare 80 grade.

The Georgia product does everything at the plate well, including advanced knowledge of the strike zone. His swing is a low-effort operation, but the ball jumps off of the bat to all fields. Johnson’s defense is far from bad, and eventually landing at second or third base will be the most likely outcome.

Top Baseball Draft Prospects

The Official Site of Major League Baseball

www.mlb.com

Scouting grades: Hit: 70 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 60

Though he's a high schooler who projects as a second baseman, Johnson is a potential No. 1 overall choice because he might be the best pure prep hitter in decades. He has a track record of pummeling pitchers on the showcase circuit and some evaluators give his bat top-of-the-scale 80 grades. One scout gave him a double Hall of Famer comparison by calling him a combination of Wade Boggs' plate discipline and Vladimir Guerrero Sr.'s bat-to-ball skills.

Johnson's hand-eye coordination and swing decisions make him an elite contact hitter from the left side of the plate. He isn't fazed by mid-90s fastballs or quality breaking balls, using his quick, compact stroke to drive the ball to all fields. Though his listed 5-foot-10 height might be a bit generous, his ability to barrel balls along with his bat speed and strength could make him a 25-30 homer threat in the big leagues.

A shortstop in high school, Johnson will change positions as a pro because his quickness and arm are more average than plus. His hands work well in the field as well as at the plate and he profiles best at second base, where he should be at least a solid defender. He has yet to commit to a college but it's likely a moot point because he'll get drafted in the first few picks.



The Top 300 Players Available in the 2022 MLB Draft — Prospects Live

Despite his size, Johnson has some of the best bat speed in the entire class. He has a chance to be a really special hitter when all is said and done. He's a thunderous hitter with quick, explosive actions at the plate. It's comfortably plus raw power, and he's getting into it in-game already. Johnson covers the zone extremely well and uses the whole field, displaying big opposite-field juice when he lets the ball travel. He's already a muscled up, thick middle infielder, so his ultimate home on the dirt will likely be dictated by what direction his body goes as he works his way up the developmental ladder. Currently a shortstop, Johnson probably figures to end up at second base or third base long-term. This is an elite-level bat.



2022 MLB Draft: Top 30 Prospects - Baseball Prospect Journal

Johnson is one of the most talented prep hitters in recent memory. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound left-handed hitter has the best pure hitting ability in the class. He also has exceptional bat speed and uses his compact swing to drive the ball with authority. Johnson thrived against quality arms on the showcase circuit, showing plate discipline and an ability to hit quality-breaking pitches.

Defensively, Johnson plays shortstop in high school. Most scouts believe Johnson will move to second base. He currently has average athleticism and arm strength. Regardless of Johnson’s position, his hitting ability is his calling card at the pro level.



Keith Law: Druw Jones the top MLB Draft prospect; Temarr Johnson's elite hit tool

Georgia prep shortstop Termarr Johnson has earned raves for his ability to hit, with some scouts saying they think it’s a 70 hit tool, the highest they’ve seen on a high school hitter in over a decade. Johnson is just 5-foot-8 but extremely strong for his size, with elite hand speed that helps him overcome a slight hitch in the swing. He showed strong plate discipline for his age last summer and fall. He plays for Mays High School in Atlanta, and the caliber of pitching he’s faced this spring has made it harder for scouts to evaluate him — and his team has lost several games via the mercy rule, limiting his at-bats. I was fortunate to get four plate appearances from him in a 10-8 Mays victory on Monday that went the full 6 1/2 innings, and also got to see evidence of Johnson’s outstanding makeup.

The risk here is substantial: We were here not that long ago with another Georgia high school shortstop who had to move off the position, Cornelius Randolph, whose hit tool was supposed to be so good that the position question wouldn’t matter. Randolph was the No. 10 pick in 2015, taken by the Phillies, but after a strong pro debut in the Florida Complex League that summer, he never posted a full season batting average over .264 or an on-base percentage over .350, and he slugged .400 just once. I don’t think this is an ideal comparison, as Johnson has a much better swing than Randolph ever did, and Randolph was much worse defensively.

During the game, Johnson was constantly involved on the field, not just showing false hustle, but acting like an additional coach, giving tips to other hitters and offering direction even while he himself was on the bases. I’ve seen plenty of players offer the usual hackneyed phrases to encourage their teammates, but that’s not what Johnson was doing.

Top MLB prospect proudly representing southwest Atlanta

Mays High School senior Termarr Johnson is one of the top-ranked prospects in this year's MLB Draft and he comes from an unexpected place.

www.fox5atlanta.com

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Don't sweat the slow starts for these 7 hitters

6) Corey Seager, SS, Rangers
2022 stats: .243/.289/.300, 1 HR, 2 XBH
Seager is just missing the ball right now. He's hitting the ball in the air a lot (career-high 59% fly balls and line drives), but his hard contact is down a little (41% hard-hit rate), and he's not hitting the ball to the center of the field like he usually does (only 29% of the time, vs. 40% of the time from 2020-21). That makes it seem like Seager is just a little bit off in squaring the ball up. That should change. Over half of Seager's contact was hard contact from 2020-21 (52%), and his .308 expected batting average was third-best in the league behind Freddie Freeman and Juan Soto. His aggressive approach is still the same, and he's not even too far off his usual numbers (.297 xBA in '22). He's going to start getting better wood on the baseball more consistently, and you'll see the hitter Joe Maddon was willing to intentionally walk with the bases loaded.

 

[Kelleyman]

 

[Kelleyman]

Bennie thanks for that extensive look. He would work out given Semiens contract

 

[Kelleyman]

Have to think expectations after big contracts are a factor with Seager and Semien and
their less than spectacular starts

 

[Kelleyman]

 

[Kelleyman]

 

[True Rangers Fan]

They'll put him in once Howard is in. Psychological warfare.

 

[DT LUNA]

This game might get out of hand quick. Wonder if the ball will have trouble getting over the wall.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

This game might get out of hand quick. Wonder if the ball will have trouble getting over the wall.

Howard will be good for 2 HR given up, you can count on it

 

[saddles]

I am not sure if Owen White is done for the night. He has only thrown 60 pitches through 5 innings.

 

[saddles]

A former Rangers prospect leading off for the Braves.

Travis Demeritte