Many of our authors make a habit of speaking to scouts and other talent evaluators in order to bring you the best baseball information available. Not all of the tidbits gleaned from those conversations make it into our articles, but we don't want them to go to waste. Instead, we'll be collecting them in a regular feature called "What Scouts Are Saying," which will be open to participation from the entire BP staff and include quotes about minor leaguers and major leaguers alike.
Major Leagues
Red Sox OF Quintin Berry: “Don't be surprised if he ends up on the division series roster when rotations are shorter. He's just a live wire, extremely quick, and has deceptively long strides. His speed in a pinch-hit role wreaks havoc on the pitcher, the catcher, even defensive shifts. He's got the bat control to execute situationally, and he's a solid defender in the outfield if needed. He's the type of Swiss Army sparkplug that swings huge games.”
Padres RHP Andrew Cashner: "This guy is really coming fast with his ascent to the top of a rotation. His delivery is under control and he is repeating extremely well. He is one of the best athletes on the mound in the league and has really turned the corner with his pitch making. It looks like he has added a two-seam FB to his already dominant velocity and that could be a difference maker. I saw him pitch as well as he ever has this week and he is quickly becoming a legit ace."
Braves 1B Freddie Freeman: "I personally believe he is criminally underrated. His athleticism and body control set him apart from other first basemen. He's incredibly mobile for his size and an excellent defender, which I think is overlooked at first base. He chokes up on the bat but still generates power because he's got such a short simple swing with some muscle behind it. He's consistent as they come, and he's getting better. "
Brewers RHP Johnny Hellweg: "He fights his height in his delivery, but when everything is on time it is quality. He drops and drives but still gets good boring action on his fastball. His curveball can knee-buckle lefties and righties and can get misses when its in the dirt, he's just not ahead in the count enough right now. His inconsistent command stems from his delivery, and bigger pitchers can take a lot longer to gain full control of their mechanics."
Braves RHP Julio Teheran: "Teheran is tough to fall in love with unless you catch him on the right day. I’ve seen him for a few years now and one day I will see him dominate and the next time I see him have no idea where the strike zone is. He has weapons and can attack hitters but I’m still not convinced how reliable he is from start to start."
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I was not pleased by the O's trade of Arrieta and Strop for Feldman. I thought the O's were giving up too much.
Arrieta still has the potential for the light to come on and be a solid starting pitcher.
The Braves have always done a good job of harnessing control for their SP prospects, to the point that it should probably be expected by now. Their only starter this season with a BB% above league average is Alex Wood (by 0.5%), and he's still striking out enough batters to make up for it.
To be more fair, he had 3 BB in 3 of his 23 prior starts (and never more than 3).
Sure seems like he's a bit tuckered out is all. He's been sort of amazingly consistent with the BBs this year, actually. That scout hasn't been paying attention.
I love me some Burch Smith.
You know what would make it better? For every player featured, have at least two quotes from different sources. Maybe they'd say the same thing, maybe they'd contradict each other, but it would give a more complete and fair depiction of What Scouts Are Saying.