Baseball America's Top 20 GCL Prospects

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by New Fever

Yep, they talked about Yorman like he was a 19 year first round draft pick that was a disappointment in the GCL. I was suprised they didn't talk about his age at all. I remember reading about previous bonus baby and Baseball America always mentioned age.

One thing to note is that these rankings don't always reflect a prospects value. These lists are based on managers in the league's opinion for the most part, and while you assume managers can identify talent, they aren't the scouts... they are the teachers. Many times in the past guys ranked behind others in these lists will be ranked ahead of them in both the team lists and the Top 100 lists. I would pay more attention to what is said about these players than the order that they are ranked.

[lollipopcurve]

One thing to note is that these rankings don't always reflect a prospects value. These lists are based on managers in the league's opinion for the most part, and while you assume managers can identify talent, they aren't the scouts... they are the teachers. Many times in the past guys ranked behind others in these lists will be ranked ahead of them in both the team lists and the Top 100 lists. I would pay more attention to what is said about these players than the order that they are ranked.

I doubt BA uses much more than the evaluations they had on these players before the season started. I know the writeup on Yorman is nothing more than a knockoff of what they have been saying about him since before he signed with the Reds. The prospect game has evolved enough that I doubt they can really trust a manager not to inflate his organization's prospects -- because, after all, that would be to the organization's benefit.

[redsof72]

Good comments, lollipopcurve. The GCL is almost impossible to do rankings. A lot of the input for the rankings comes from managers on opposing teams, and the league plays such an unbalanaced schedule that only a few managers really see each player. Some of the managers don't really respond much to Baseball America's calls and faxes. In that league, it is just a reporter taking what he has on file about the players and putting a list together.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by lollipopcurve

I doubt BA uses much more than the evaluations they had on these players before the season started. I know the writeup on Yorman is nothing more than a knockoff of what they have been saying about him since before he signed with the Reds. The prospect game has evolved enough that I doubt they can really trust a manager not to inflate his organization's prospects -- because, after all, that would be to the organization's benefit.

From what I recall, they don't get the managers opinion on their own players, just opposing ones.

[lollipopcurve]

From what I recall, they don't get the managers opinion on their own players, just opposing one

About half the quotes (and there aren't many) in the scouting reports are from the players' own managers. Redsof72's point re: the GCL schedule is key here -- the managers in this league have seen less than half of the league's players.

I put a lot of salt on these rookie league lists -- they're recycled BA cardboard.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by lollipopcurve

About half the quotes (and there aren't many) in the scouting reports are from the players' own managers. Redsof72's point re: the GCL schedule is key here -- the managers in this league have seen less than half of the league's players.

I put a lot of salt on these rookie league lists -- they're recycled BA cardboard.

Yeah, but I believe the list is made before they contact the managers about their own players.

[lollipopcurve]

Yeah, but I believe the list is made before they contact the managers about their own players.

Whatever. I really doubt the list is based on interviews with league managers -- as has been pointed out, managers see less than half of the teams in the league. it's BA being BA.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by lollipopcurve

Whatever. I really doubt the list is based on interviews with league managers -- as has been pointed out, managers see less than half of the teams in the league. it's BA being BA.

Sure, but when you talk to multiple managers you get an idea of who the players are and then can press for information on those guys. I don't know what you mean with the 'BA being BA' comment.

[lollipopcurve]

I don't know what you mean with the 'BA being BA' comment.

I think they're beholden to rankings they've done in the past, and I think they rely heavily on the scouting writeups they already have on players -- much more so than on evaluations drawn from the players' play in that season -- mind you, this pertains most to the rookie leagues, for which their scouting writeups are relatively fresh.