Are we almost there yet?
Why do we have to wait all the way until Thursday for games to begin?
Not that I have any illusions about the Wolverines’ chances — more about that later this week, maybe, if I can find time and nerve — but I’m still eager to see if Dan Vogelbach is going to carry the Wolverines to a shocking, upset third place finish.
This waiting is excruciating. It’s worse than having kids! When my daughter was born almost 38 years ago…. just a sec, I gotta sit down,,.
Even that long ago they let the dad into the birthing room. I was too busy to fret. Not as busy as her mom, of course, I’m not trying to take over that narrative. But I had something to DO. Now all I can do is pace around, chain smoking. Figuratively.
Wanna see what I’ve been smoking this evening?
MLB’s Biggest Impact Prospect for Each MLB Team in 2018
Once again they slight the EFL. But this time I can understand why. There was only supposed to be ONE big prospect per team.
But what if they’d included the EFL teams? Well, they probably could have handled some of us fine, the ones who have a clear Biggest Impact Prospect: Cottage (Franchy Cordero), Haviland (Hunter Dozier — a Royal! How shocking!), and Kaline (Jesse Winker).
But what about the EFL franchises that have TWO Biggest Impact Prospects? Like:
D.C.: Anthony Alford, Ryan McMahon
Peshastin: Willie Calhoun, Victor Robles
Brookland: Christian Arroyo, Francisco Mejia
Actually, the White Sox posed precisely this problem for the MLB. They finessed it by calling Michael Kopech the Biggest Impact Prospect for 2018, but the text acknowledges that Eloy Jimenez might be even bigger, although he is likely to be a little bit later.
Speaking of Eloy Jimenez: you might be wondering to yourself “Doesn’t he belong to one of our EFL franchises?” Why, yes, yes he does — to the only one which has THREE of MLB’s Biggest Impact Prospects:
Old Detroit: Lewis Brinson, Walker Buehler, Dan Vogelbach
“Wait,” you are probably saying, “That’s three. Where’s Eloy Jimenez?”
Well, I didn’t think it would be comely of me to list him as a FOURTH Biggest Impact Prospect, since he wasn’t, technically, on the MLB list. So don’t you worry your pretty head about any old Eloy Jimenez’s coming up and rampaging through the EFL. It won’t happen. Probably. At least not until after Michael Kopech makes an appearance.
…
But I forget myself. This still leaves four of our franchises without any Biggest Impact Prospects! Perhaps I, having three (or maybe four) coats, should share my extras with my brothers who have none. But I don’t have enough spares to go around. So, to be fairer, why don’t I just identify Biggest Impact Prospects already present on the rosters of Canberra, Flint Hill, Pittsburgh, and… shoot, who am I forgetting?
Canberra: Rhys Hoskins apparently got too many AB’s last year to qualify for this exercise, or he’d stand awfully tall among these potential giants. Just-acquired Justus Sheffield hasn’t gotten above AA, but if he jumps to the majors this summer, ZIPs expects him to contribute a win above replacement for every 124 innings he works.
Flint Hill: Fangraphs sees Banda as providing 0.6 WAR in his first 50 innings in the Tornados’ rotation. ZIPs thinks he’ll contribute 1.7 WAR in 150 innings. That would be a nice boost for a team vying for the EFL title, as the Tornados are expected to do.
Pittsburgh: First baseman Dominic Smith OPSed .905 in Las Vegas last year as a 22-year old. ZIPs thinks he’d contribute 1.7 WAR as a brand-new rookie if he gets the chance. The Mets cluttered up his path to playing time with the aging Adrian Gonzalez. But if there’s anyone in the EFL who can clear that mess away, it’s that modern day Branch Rickey running the Alleghenys.
Portland: There are some terrifyingly good players on the Rosebud roster, but they’re mostly in their primes, not rank rookies. Will Garrett Cooper have a Big Impact, with his anticipated .714 OPS stuck behind Justin Bour? Will Mike Marjama, Mike Zunino’s understudy in Seattle, carry the Rosebuds with his Zunino-like batting prowess, minus the power? How about Taylor Williams? The relief pitcher, not Trevor Williams, the starting pitcher for the Drive. Will Mike Tauchman…
Who is Mike Tauchman?
I doubt many Rosebud fans are paying any attention to these prospects, invisible in the glare from all the stars in the Portland player firmament. But odds are one of them will have a Big Impact this year.