2025 Prospects Thread

[Seattle or Bust]

I think the Mariners and other teams would be smart to have more of an open mind towards developing athletes at 1B, as opposed to what most teams do which is to put guys there that can't play any other position, but have some potential with the bat. The result of that approach is that aside from Bryce Eldridge and Jac Caglianone, there are almost no high ceiling prospects at that position. And this filters through to the majors. Look at all the shitty, fringe players hanging on to major league careers at 1B.

And then if you're a team like the Mariners, and you need a 1B, you're in a position where you have to overpay for a player like Naylor, who is decent, but not someone that a team should invest scarce resources in.

Who in the org is close and can play 1B at an acceptable level? Laz, I suppose.

They could very well roll with Canzone in right platooning with Robles... and Raley at 1B next year.

[GL_Storm]

I think the Mariners and other teams would be smart to have more of an open mind towards developing athletes at 1B, as opposed to what most teams do which is to put guys there that can't play any other position, but have some potential with the bat. The result of that approach is that aside from Bryce Eldridge and Jac Caglianone, there are almost no high ceiling prospects at that position. And this filters through to the majors. Look at all the shitty, fringe players hanging on to major league careers at 1B.

And then if you're a team like the Mariners, and you need a 1B, you're in a position where you have to overpay for a player like Naylor, who is decent, but not someone that a team should invest scarce resources in.

Who in the org is close and can play 1B at an acceptable level? Laz, I suppose.

They could very well roll with Canzone in right platooning with Robles... and Raley at 1B next year.

Nobody really. Austin Shenton seems to have forgotten how to hit. Spencer Packard has been playing there and he can hit a little bit but will that translate to the majors? Probably not, or at least I wouldn't bet on it.

I don't think Laz has ever played 1B and I don't think he's really close anyway. It isn't at all clear that he'll hit in the majors. I could see him hitting .230 in the PCL next year with 50 or more homeruns and a K-Rate over 35%. That'll get him some major league time, but probably not a career.

Raley is probably the best in-house option. Maybe that's what he spends his offseason and spring training getting ready for? I think for Luke Raley, going into his age 31 season, getting comfortable and proficient at 1B would be a really smart career move.

[Seattle or Bust]

I think the Mariners and other teams would be smart to have more of an open mind towards developing athletes at 1B, as opposed to what most teams do which is to put guys there that can't play any other position, but have some potential with the bat. The result of that approach is that aside from Bryce Eldridge and Jac Caglianone, there are almost no high ceiling prospects at that position. And this filters through to the majors. Look at all the shitty, fringe players hanging on to major league careers at 1B.

And then if you're a team like the Mariners, and you need a 1B, you're in a position where you have to overpay for a player like Naylor, who is decent, but not someone that a team should invest scarce resources in.

Who in the org is close and can play 1B at an acceptable level? Laz, I suppose.

They could very well roll with Canzone in right platooning with Robles... and Raley at 1B next year.

Nobody really. Austin Shenton seems to have forgotten how to hit. Spencer Packard has been playing there and he can hit a little bit but will that translate to the majors? Probably not, or at least I wouldn't bet on it.

I don't think Laz has ever played 1B and I don't think he's really close anyway. It isn't at all clear that he'll hit in the majors. I could see him hitting .230 in the PCL next year with 50 or more homeruns and a K-Rate over 35%. That'll get him some major league time, but probably not a career.

Raley is probably the best in-house option. Maybe that's what he spends his offseason and spring training getting ready for? I think for Luke Raley, going into his age 31 season, getting comfortable and proficient at 1B would be a really smart career move.

Ok, but you said the M's would be smart to develop athletes and put them at 1B...

That doesn't really solve next year. I'm not sure who you have in mind.

[GL_Storm]

Who in the org is close and can play 1B at an acceptable level? Laz, I suppose.

They could very well roll with Canzone in right platooning with Robles... and Raley at 1B next year.

Nobody really. Austin Shenton seems to have forgotten how to hit. Spencer Packard has been playing there and he can hit a little bit but will that translate to the majors? Probably not, or at least I wouldn't bet on it.

I don't think Laz has ever played 1B and I don't think he's really close anyway. It isn't at all clear that he'll hit in the majors. I could see him hitting .230 in the PCL next year with 50 or more homeruns and a K-Rate over 35%. That'll get him some major league time, but probably not a career.

Raley is probably the best in-house option. Maybe that's what he spends his offseason and spring training getting ready for? I think for Luke Raley, going into his age 31 season, getting comfortable and proficient at 1B would be a really smart career move.

Ok, but you said the M's would be smart to develop athletes and put them at 1B...

That doesn't really solve next year. I'm not sure who you have in mind.

I mean more in general. Remember this is supposed to be the prospects thread. I'm not necessarily talking about next year. The lack of options at 1B is a systemic problem for the Mariners, but also for other teams across the sport, and the result is that there are a whole lot of fringy players at 1B in the majors. Look at the Blue Jays, who just traded for Ty France at the deadline. I'm sure they didn't give up much, but the point is that they had a need at that position and France was one of the only options, and he sucks.

My point is that maybe the Mariners and other teams should make some effort to develop actual players at that position, as opposed to what most teams do right now, which is to basically put their worst athletes there, the dregs of their systems.

Regarding next year, if they don't sign Naylor, then Raley is your best in-house option. They could also look at a trade for Vinnie Pasquantino with the Royals. He isn't great, but he isn't terrible either, and they have Jac Caglianone coming along so Vinnie could be available for a reasonable price. I like Ford for Eldridge too, but I think Eldridge is at least one year away.

[Donn Beach]

some opinions about the decline of the classic first basemen, It's body type, the improvement of pitching, the advent of the DH. And defense has become more important. I particularly buy into the defense angle. I know how OPS is admired here on the forum but in the minds of modern GMs defense is where its at these days. You aren't seeing teams just throwing some guy over there because they have a big bat, on the contrary its more likely going to be a smaller more athletic type that can play defense.

"I think a lot of it comes down to body type,'' said former major league manager Bobby Valentine. "The increase in velocity has negated the skills of the slower, thicker-body guys. And the taller guys, too, with the bigger strike zone, that makes you easier to attack. We are looking for smaller guys, shorter guys to play first base these days. The slider-speed bat guys, there aren't many places for them in the game today.''

"You look at first basemen from back in the day and they look like football players and basketball players,'' Tabler said. "Those guys are now staying in football and basketball, because it's like straight to the NFL and the NBA. They're not playing baseball anymore. That's why I think there aren't as many [first basemen] as there used to be. In football, you go to college for a couple of years, and you strike it rich when you are 20. Or, you go play football, and you get paid in college now. These guys just aren't playing baseball.''

Teixeira said, "Maybe teams see all these injuries and understand that players are going to move around during a season, so the bigger first basemen aren't as valuable to a team anymore. Maybe, early in their careers, players stop lifting all the time. Instead of getting bigger and stronger, they think they need to stay light and agile to be able to play multiple positions. The old way of thinking was to put the biggest, slowest guy at first base. He happens to rake, and he can hit all day long. Maybe we're not taking a young player and just throwing him out at first base. You're working with him more to develop all his skills.''

And the defensive structure of the game has also changed the look of the position.

"The position is not about power,'' said San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin. "It's about defense.''

"In today's game, it should be about defense at first base,'' Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.

"I think the genesis of this was when the young GMs came to value on-base percentage and the shifting of the defense,'' Tabler said. "If you have three defenders on the left side, you need a first baseman who plays basically like a second baseman. There's no way Luis Arraez or Michael Busch could have ever played first base in the 1980s. But they do now because when they were moved over to first base, teams were shifting, and you needed a first baseman who could cover all that ground on the right side. That's where this started. Teams started to value defense more than home runs. We'll find power somewhere else.''

its an interesting article
https://www.espn.ph/mlb/story/_/id/4410 ... m-kurkjian

[Donn Beach]

I have always seen Luis Arraez as a ridiculous first baseman but maybe he is more prototypical of the modern first baseman. I was going to joke that they are moving JP to first, maybe you do actually. Its more of an infield position now than simply a power position

[HawkandMariner88]

I have always seen Luis Arraez as a ridiculous first baseman but maybe he is more prototypical of the modern first baseman. I was going to joke that they are moving JP to first, maybe you do actually. Its more of an infield position now than simply a power position

Do you sign him or look at him as plan b if you can't re-sign Naylor

[Donn Beach]

I have always seen Luis Arraez as a ridiculous first baseman but maybe he is more prototypical of the modern first baseman. I was going to joke that they are moving JP to first, maybe you do actually. Its more of an infield position now than simply a power position

Do you sign him or look at him as plan b if you can't re-sign Naylor

I'm moving crawford over there

[HawkandMariner88]

I have always seen Luis Arraez as a ridiculous first baseman but maybe he is more prototypical of the modern first baseman. I was going to joke that they are moving JP to first, maybe you do actually. Its more of an infield position now than simply a power position

Do you sign him or look at him as plan b if you can't re-sign Naylor

I'm moving crawford over there

That or stick with Raley.

[Donn Beach]

Yeah, if Raley is available to play first he is probably a reasonable answer in Dipoto's mind. It could be more of a first base by committee than re-signing a player like Naylor