OnlyBucs

Those selected to this point:



#1- Austin Meadows 21, OF, Indy

#2- Tyler Glasnow, 23, SP, Indy

#3- Josh Bell 24 1b/OF, Bucs



Josh Bell wins 3rd in a runaway, 76% of the vote. Turnout is very low, any idea how we can ramp up the voting? Added Elias Diaz to this poll.

Went with Keller based on upside and the position he plays.

Also went with Mitch Keller based on what I've read. Not seen him play. Pittsburgh does seem to be geared toward pitching, so his position was important also.



It could be people are waiting for Osuna to join the list . . . Okay, just a thought.

2724223E3927303F6566570 wrote: Those selected to this point:



#1- Austin Meadows 21, OF, Indy

#2- Tyler Glasnow, 23, SP, Indy

#3- Josh Bell 24 1b/OF, Bucs



Josh Bell wins 3rd in a runaway, 76% of the vote. Turnout is very low, any idea how we can ramp up the voting? Added Elias Diaz to this poll.


I think we're seeing the impact of a system that is quite depleted compared to the past 10 years or so. After Miller we're looking at players that are not terribly exciting (other than maybe Hayes).



Over the past few years there was a lot of excitement and genuine hope based on the expectation that the cavalry was about to show up and push the Pirates to a WS. Now, there is no cavalry. A few very good prospects, but not the kind of system to create the interest that existed for a number of previous years.

7F786E66687F38344D6A606C6461236E62600D0 wrote: Those selected to this point:



#1- Austin Meadows 21, OF, Indy

#2- Tyler Glasnow, 23, SP, Indy

#3- Josh Bell 24 1b/OF, Bucs



Josh Bell wins 3rd in a runaway, 76% of the vote. Turnout is very low, any idea how we can ramp up the voting? Added Elias Diaz to this poll.


[highlight]I think we're seeing the impact of a system that is quite depleted compared to the past 10 years or so.   After Miller we're looking at players that are not terribly exciting (other than maybe Hayes).



Over the past few years there was a lot of excitement and  genuine hope based on the expectation that the cavalry was about to show up and push the Pirates to a WS.  Now, there is no cavalry.  A few very good prospects, but not the kind of system to create the interest that existed for a number of previous years.   [/highlight]




Agree VaPirate. That comes from not having a draft pick in the top 5 for 4 years in a row and also for the limit placed on how much the team can spend on international FAs. That part the Bucs screwed up themselves with the signing of Heredia who has turned out as a total bust. But those are the chances you take with kids like him.

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2016/12/ ... s-for-2017



I think they have some interesting guys beyond Keller. I do agree that they've had a little trouble adding impact prospects since the Cole/Bell/Glasnow draft.



On the MinorLeagueBall list. I think their top 13 is strong, and in the "rest of pile", I think Hinsz or Escobar could break out, and there's also upside in those 2016 prep arms (Ogle and Kranick)



I am interested to see how their last three first round picks perform this year. Mostly Tucker and Craig, Tucker was a gamble when they took him, but I think that's the kind of pick they should be making in the bottom half of the first round. They'll be able to add a strong prospect this year in the first round, but more importantly, with the new International Rules, they should be much more active in that market this year.



There is a marked absence of international prospects in the system, and I would bet that corresponds with the broken system that the MLB instituted a few years ago. But now that it's fixed, I think you'll see the Pirates competing for top guys at times.

6A6D7B737D6A2D21587F75797174367B7775180 wrote: Those selected to this point:



#1- Austin Meadows 21, OF, Indy

#2- Tyler Glasnow, 23, SP, Indy

#3- Josh Bell 24 1b/OF, Bucs



Josh Bell wins 3rd in a runaway, 76% of the vote. Turnout is very low, any idea how we can ramp up the voting? Added Elias Diaz to this poll.


I think we're seeing the impact of a system that is quite depleted compared to the past 10 years or so.   After Miller we're looking at players that are not terribly exciting (other than maybe Hayes).



Over the past few years there was a lot of excitement and  genuine hope based on the expectation that the cavalry was about to show up and push the Pirates to a WS.  Now, there is no cavalry.  A few very good prospects, but not the kind of system to create the interest that existed for a number of previous years.   






I think Newman will be a .300 hitter that can steal 20 bases. You also have a few high ceiling pitchers I think. Maybe not quite that barren after Hayes ?

2522343C3225626E17303A363E3B7934383A570 wrote: Those selected to this point:



#1- Austin Meadows 21, OF, Indy

#2- Tyler Glasnow, 23, SP, Indy

#3- Josh Bell 24 1b/OF, Bucs



Josh Bell wins 3rd in a runaway, 76% of the vote. Turnout is very low, any idea how we can ramp up the voting? Added Elias Diaz to this poll.


I think we're seeing the impact of a system that is quite depleted compared to the past 10 years or so.   After Miller we're looking at players that are not terribly exciting (other than maybe Hayes).



Over the past few years there was a lot of excitement and  genuine hope based on the expectation that the cavalry was about to show up and push the Pirates to a WS.  Now, there is no cavalry.  A few very good prospects, but not the kind of system to create the interest that existed for a number of previous years.   






I strongly disagree with this statement. I think they have a few very solid impact prospects at the top end along with some breakout candidates down the list a little bit. I also think there is as much depth, particularly major league ready depth, as they've had in the past ten years.



Interest in this poll has been waning since I started doing it five years ago I think it was. The system probably peaked sometime since then, but I also think its still better than when the poll was at its most popular. I attribute most of that decline to a functional major league club. Prospects aren't as interesting because outside of the rotation and 1B, there aren't a lot of holes to plug them into now or in the next couple of years. Fans also seem to prefer veterans in those roles and trading prospects to acquire those players. IMO, the attitude towards the system has changed. The quality is still high.

3116071407535B5B5A53620 wrote: Those selected to this point:



#1- Austin Meadows 21, OF, Indy

#2- Tyler Glasnow, 23, SP, Indy

#3- Josh Bell 24 1b/OF, Bucs



Josh Bell wins 3rd in a runaway, 76% of the vote. Turnout is very low, any idea how we can ramp up the voting? Added Elias Diaz to this poll.


I think we're seeing the impact of a system that is quite depleted compared to the past 10 years or so.   After Miller we're looking at players that are not terribly exciting (other than maybe Hayes).



Over the past few years there was a lot of excitement and  genuine hope based on the expectation that the cavalry was about to show up and push the Pirates to a WS.  Now, there is no cavalry.  A few very good prospects, but not the kind of system to create the interest that existed for a number of previous years.   






I strongly disagree with this statement. I think they have a few very solid impact prospects at the top end along with some breakout candidates down the list a little bit. I also think there is as much depth, particularly major league ready depth, as they've had in the past ten years.



Interest in this poll has been waning since I started doing it five years ago I think it was. The system probably peaked sometime since then, but I also think its still better than when the poll was at its most popular. I attribute most of that decline to a functional major league club. Prospects aren't as interesting because outside of the rotation and 1B, there aren't a lot of holes to plug them into now or in the next couple of years. Fans also seem to prefer veterans in those roles and trading prospects to acquire those players. IMO, the attitude towards the system has changed. The quality is still high. 


I think that is the key. There are some interesting players down the list, but they do need to break out this year.



As to the interest in the poll, I would guess the number of readers of this board is down significantly. And when we did the poll several years ago, there were no Buc pay sites that followed prospects full time providing analysis and their own list. I think that has softened interest as you can get opinion at their sites instead of here.



Last year the OBN poll followed other prospect sites almost to a fault. Opinions about players were mostly supported by what other prospect sites were saying. The only real exception was Frazier, which the prospect guys had in the mid- to late-20's and after some spirited debate we placed at #15. Given his appearance and contributions it seems OBN got that one right. I, for one, hardly take the pay sites lists as biblical. And I think that has been the point of our poll, to go out on a limb once and awhile. To argue about what we see and maybe feel from the stats prospects are putting up. Or even for some of us, what we have seen with our own eyes.



We've got some interesting guys. I stand ready this year to start arguing that Jin-de Jhang should get much greater consideration than the prospect guys are giving him. Pretty sure I'll start doing that just outside the Top 10. And there are other prospect that people like for one reason or another. This remains my favorite thing about OBN and I think as we go through the players, many will change their minds about the depth of our system. It's pretty easy to get through 10 every year ... then the fun begins.

6542534053070F0F0E07360 wrote: Those selected to this point:



#1- Austin Meadows 21, OF, Indy

#2- Tyler Glasnow, 23, SP, Indy

#3- Josh Bell 24 1b/OF, Bucs



Josh Bell wins 3rd in a runaway, 76% of the vote. Turnout is very low, any idea how we can ramp up the voting? Added Elias Diaz to this poll.


I think we're seeing the impact of a system that is quite depleted compared to the past 10 years or so.   After Miller we're looking at players that are not terribly exciting (other than maybe Hayes).



Over the past few years there was a lot of excitement and  genuine hope based on the expectation that the cavalry was about to show up and push the Pirates to a WS.  Now, there is no cavalry.  A few very good prospects, but not the kind of system to create the interest that existed for a number of previous years.   






I strongly disagree with this statement. I think they have a few very solid impact prospects at the top end along with some breakout candidates down the list a little bit. I also think there is as much depth, particularly major league ready depth, as they've had in the past ten years.



Interest in this poll has been waning since I started doing it five years ago I think it was. The system probably peaked sometime since then, but I also think its still better than when the poll was at its most popular. I attribute most of that decline to a functional major league club. Prospects aren't as interesting because outside of the rotation and 1B, there aren't a lot of holes to plug them into now or in the next couple of years. Fans also seem to prefer veterans in those roles and trading prospects to acquire those players. IMO, the attitude towards the system has changed. The quality is still high. 


Do you disagree with my comment about the system being depleted compared compared to recent years or do you disagree with my comment about few interesting players past Hayes? Or both?



I know you follow the farm and I'd love to be wrong. Do you think the system is comparable to recent years?



Also, I miss the reports on prospects that use to be posted here regularly. I invite the posters that follow the farm fairly closely to post more often on prospects.