Episode 96: The Best International Teams & Changes Coming For College Recruiting

Ben and Carlos wrap up their final series of organization overviews following the 2024 season with the American League West.The two open the show with a conversation about the process behind Baseball America’s annual Prospect Handbook—which you can purchase here as a last-minute Christmas gift for yourself or a loved one!—and then get into the organization rundowns.The two fawn over Seattle’s crop of young, up-the-middle hitting talent in one of the deepest and strongest systems they’ve covered yet, then get into an interesting discussion about who’s No. 2 in the system: the Rangers or the A’s? After some prospect gushing about Nick Kurtz, Kumar Rocker and Sebastian Walcott, things take a turn for the worse in regards to the Angels and Astros, who seem to be battling it out for the dubious honor of No. 30 org ranking.—Time Stamps(0:30) Prospect Handbook process(7:00) AL West overview(8:30) Mariners(33:00) A’s(47:00) Rangers(1:08:00) Angels(1:18:00) AstrosDo you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  Ben's Twitter: @BenBadlerCarlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazoBaseball America WebsiteSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/future-projection-a-baseball-america-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos talk about the Garrett Crochet trade and break down AL Central farm systems on today’s episode. Ben lays out his case for why the Red Sox nailed this move while acknowledging a strong return going in the other direction for the White Sox. That turns into a larger conversation about the strength of the White Sox farm system, and the two generally have positive things to say about the American League Central farms as a whole—with one notable exception. At the end of the show the two take listener questions including: How much does Cam Cannarella’s shoulder impact his draft stock? What do we think about the draft lottery hurting the worst teams? What do we think about the Willy Adames signing and the draft capital given up to do it? Will Roki Sasaki have a deal done before January 15? —Time Stamps(4:00) Garret Crochet trade(10:00) White Sox return(19:00) AL Central teams(20:30) White Sox(34:30) Guardians(52:00) Tigers(1:12:00) Twins(1:30:10) Royals(1:39:00) Listener QuestionsDo you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  Ben's Twitter: @BenBadlerCarlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazoBaseball America WebsiteSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/future-projection-a-baseball-america-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos talk briefly about the “Golden At-Bat” idea that has been floating around baseball circles, before dismissing it and moving into baseball topics you might actually care about—this week the AL East Organization Overviews. The two talk about how strong the Red Sox farm system currently is thanks to an excellent core of hitters in the upper levels of the minors, then get into the tough-to-separate depth of the Rays. After that, the two talk about Baltimore’s still-solid, but diminishing farm and then wonder whether the Yankees or the Blue Jays are the weakest of the division. After the team-by-team overviews the two take a few listener questions, including one on Red Sox infielder Yoeilin Cespedes and the degree to which we pay attention to body language when scouting.—Time Stamps(1:30) Golden At-Bat Thoughts(8:30) Red Sox(31:00) Rays(51:30) Orioles(1:05:00) Yankees & Blue Jays(1:30:30) Listener MailbagDo you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  Ben's Twitter: @BenBadlerCarlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazoBaseball America WebsiteSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/future-projection-a-baseball-america-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos talk through Ben’s recently released international bonus board for the 2025 signing class. Ben talks through his process this year and the specific challenges that persist when ranking international prospects and the two talk more about how Roki Sasaki can and will shake things up when he signs.After that they discuss the top-ranked prospect in the 2026 draft class, Grady Emerson flipping his college commitment from TCU to Texas. Does it even matter if he’s not likely to get to campus? What does this say about Texas? And how does Emerson compare to the top high school players in the 2025 draft class and some of the best high school players in recent years?The two talk briefly about the Dodgers signing Blake Snell, then open up a bigger-than-average listener mailbag that hits on: the Astros signing older international players; whether or not Brewers outfielder Jose Anderson should get lumped in with players like Jesus Made; the value of international competition when scouting players; the Braves internal shortstop options; and more.—Time Stamps(1:30) Ben’s International Bonus Board(11:50) The large Roki Sasaki caveat(18:30) The diminished Cuban talent pool(21:30) Grady Emerson(35:00) Emerson vs. other top high school players(42:00) Blake Snell’s deal with the Dodgers(48:00) Astros and older international signings(54:00) Why is Brewers OF Jose Anderson not lumped in with Jesus Made?(57:00) How do we value international competition?(1:05:00) Do the Braves have any internal SS candidates?(1:09:00) Where will IFA players rank in their team’s top 30s?Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  Ben's Twitter: @BenBadlerCarlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazoBaseball America WebsiteSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/future-projection-a-baseball-america-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos talk about Jac Caglianone’s return to the mound in the 2025 season and how they view him as a two-way player moving forward, as well as why people should stop referencing Shohei Ohtani as a comp for him—or any other player. After that the two continue their organizational overview series with the National League West, starting with a pair of strong farm systems with the Dodgers and Rockies, and then with a trio of more questionable groups with the Padres, D-Backs and Giants. The two open up the listener mailbag at the end of the show with question that include: sleeper bats in the 2025 draft class, international signing tax implications, potential issues with international players coming to the states and how the nitty gritty of international signings happens. —Time Stamps(0:01) Opening Banter(5:00) Jac Caglianone(14:00) NL West Overviews(14:30) Dodgers(17:30) Dalton Rushing(22:00) Zyhir Hope(28:00) Eduardo Quintero(30:00) Kellon Lindsey(32:00) Rockies(34:00) Chase Dollander(36:00) Charlie Condon(41:20) Adael Amador(43:00) Zac Veen & Robert Calaz(47:30) Padres(49:00) Don’t jump ship on Ethan Salas(52:00) Ethan Salas vs. Leo De Vries(55:00) Deeper Padres names(1:02:00) D-backs(1:05:30) Slade Caldwell(1:08:00) Adrian Del Castillo(1:12:00) Druw Jones(1:15:15) Giants(1:18:00) Dakota Jordan(1:21:00) Solid international moves for San Francisco(1:23:00) Carson Whisenhunt(1:25:00) Listener MailbagDo you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  Ben's Twitter: @BenBadlerCarlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazoBaseball America WebsiteSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/future-projection-a-baseball-america-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos talk about all things Roki Sasaki for the first ~30 minutes of today’s episode. How would we line up the pitching trio of Roki, Paul Skenes and Yoshinobu Yamamoto? What do we think about Sasaki’s pitch mix? He’s the best pitching prospect since… who? And how is Sasaki going to create chaos for the 2025 international signing class? After that the two continue their organization overviews with the NL Central. —Time Stamps(0:00) Opening Banter(1:50) Roki Sasaki convo begins(4:30) Sasaki vs. Paul Skenes and Yoshinobu Yamamoto(6:30) Sasaki’s arsenal(13:00) A pitching-heavy top 100 list(16:00) When will Sasaki sign?(23:00) What happens to the international players of the team Roki signs with?(28:30) Where do we want Sasaki to sign?(30:30) NL Central Org Overviews(33:30) Cubs(46:00) Reds(1:06:00) Brewers(1:24:00) Pirates vs. Cardinals Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  Ben's Twitter: @BenBadlerCarlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazoBaseball America WebsiteSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/future-projection-a-baseball-america-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos talk about the Cesar Altagracia age fraud story and Ben gives more information about the state of the international mark as well as details of MLB’s expanded investigations into players falsifying ages.After that, the two start their organization overview series, beginning with the National League East. With updated top 10s now live at Baseball America for each team in the division, Ben and Carlos talk through each team and try to get a feel for the state of the farm. At the end of the show the two take listener questions with topics that include a power-armed 2026 college name to know, whether or not Billy Carlson will be a top-five pick next year and a question about 2024 Latin American signees with the best usable in-game power.—Time Stamps(0:00) Opening banter(5:00) Cesar Altagracia story (link Ben’s in the show notes)(10:00) Is an international draft the answer?(19:00) NL East Org Overviews(21:00) Nationals(39:00) Phillies(57:00) Mets(1:12:00) Marlins(1:28:30) Braves(1:41:00) Listener QuestionsDo you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  Ben's Twitter: @BenBadlerCarlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazoBaseball America WebsiteSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/future-projection-a-baseball-america-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos give their thoughts on the conclusion of the 2024 World Series. The two talk about Gerrit Cole’s pitching efforts throughout the postseason, the disappointing efforts from superstars Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, talk through early sleeper teams for the 2025 season and wonder about the coming Juan Soto sweepstakes.The two then talk through the future for the Dodgers and Yankees after this matchup, and touch on a few impressive prospects like Dalton Rushing and Zyhir Hope and also about young established big leaguers like Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells. After that the two pivot to the 2025 high school recruiting class and a few big moves on that beat, including flipped commitments from Billy Carlson and Kayson Cunningham and dig into Ben’s piece looking into the rate at which elite high school players make it to campus.—Time Stamps(0:00) World Series thoughts(7:00) Gerrit Cole(11:00) Shohei Ohtani & Aaron Judge(19:00) Early sleeper teams for 2025(21:00) Juan Soto sweepstakes(30:00) Dalton Rushing(35:00) Zyhir Hope(45:00) The Yankees outlook(52:30) Billy Carlson & HS recruits(57:00) How often do HS players get to college campuses?Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  Ben's Twitter: @BenBadlerCarlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazoBaseball America WebsiteSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/future-projection-a-baseball-america-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos record a milestone episode of the Future Projection podcast and reminisce on the origins of the show that started back in 2021. The two then move into World Series mode and talk through a highly-anticipated and star-laden Dodgers-Yankees matchup. The two talk about Giancarlo Stanton’s consistent great performance in the postseason and then contrast the results that Juan Soto and Aaron Judge have had to this point in their postseason careers. Which would you rather face in crunch time? Then the talk turns to pitching and whether or not starters or relievers will wind up being more impactful in this series before the two debate whether or not the Dodgers are a dynasty. How do the Dodgers from 2013 to now compare to the Braves team that won 14-straight divisions in the 90s and 2000s but managed just one championship? After that the conversation turns to Andrew Painter’s re-emergence in the Arizona Fall League and talk about his prospect status at the moment, briefly discuss Noble Meyer’s control struggles in 2024 and then get into a surprisingly thorough conversation about MLB’s new experiment in the league: a checked-swing challenge system.—Time Stamps(1:00) The origins of Future Projection(10:30) The start of World Series talk(16:00) Giancarlo Stanton in the playoffs(18:00) Juan Soto’s consistency in the postseason(24:00) Aaron Judge vs. Juan Soto as postseason hitters(28:00) The pitching of this World Series matchup(33:00) 90s Braves vs. this Dodgers “dynasty”?(40:00) What exactly counts as being a dynasty?(43:00) Shohei Ohtani’s multi-million dollar 50-50 ball(45:00) Andrew Painter in the AFL(50:00) Noble Meyer’s control struggles in 2024(57:00) The new checked-swing challenge system—Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  Ben's Twitter: @BenBadlerCarlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazoBaseball America WebsiteSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/future-projection-a-baseball-america-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos hop on the show to talk about the four teams standing this postseason and think through the scouting and player development lessons that can be learned from them. The two talk about Cleveland’s ability to identify and develop domestic pitchers which helped lead to one of the best bullpens in the game, how the Dodgers’ investments on and off the field have led to sustained success, examine a strong up-the-middle position player core that the Yankees have developed and then use the Mets as an example of why you need to be patient with international prospects.Other topics include postseason pitching strategy, Austin Wells’ going from catching question mark to defensive standout, the tremendous offense from Mark Vientos, and a listener question about international prospects who Ben expects big things from in 2025.—Time Stamps(2:30) Where are the starters?(6:00) Financials of the final four teams(10:30) The Guardians(25:10) Cleveland’s still-strong farm(27:00) The Dodgers(33:00) LA’s reputation for player development(39:00) The Yankees(42:00) Austin Wells’ defensive transformation—or misevaluation?(53:00) The Mets(54:00) Being patient with international prospects(1:02:20) David Stearns' impact(1:07:30) An international listener question—Do you have a question you want us to answer? Email us: [email protected]  Ben's Twitter: @BenBadlerCarlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazoBaseball America WebsiteSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/future-projection-a-baseball-america-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy