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I've attended minor league (and college) games for a long time. Never that many per year, usually only a half-dozen or so each of minors and college. But I've seen quite a few prospects that made it to MLB. I'm not a scout or anything close to but I thought it would be interesting to give what my impressions were of some of these players when I saw them.
Tim Anderson - The concern w him was always how well his aggressive hitting approach would play at higher levels. He's always struck out a lot but I still listed him fairly high on my prospect list in deference to scouts. The only time I saw him was at the Cal-Carolina AS game in 2014. He played the entire game and had I think 4 PAs. I think he struck out 3 times and the other time I think he got a HBP. I could be wrong but I dont think ever he made contact the entire game, not even a foul tip. I thought that if this is the way he performs against better pitching, he'll never make it. Well, his plate discipline stats still look terrible (15/109 BB/K in 2019!) but he is the 2019 MLB batting champion at .335 w above-avg HRs and SBs. How wrong I was, and this is why I generally defer to scouting reports. Some guys just develop a knack for putting the bat on the ball despite lots of swing and miss and Anderson seems to have become 1 of those guys.
Victor Robles - I saw him in a doubleheader in low-A. I dont remember the exact stats but he raked in both games. Hit at least 1 HR and stole a couple bags I think among many hits. I saw him fly around the bases on a 3B. I asked a scout next to me if he had seen anyone faster in the minors and said he was one of the fastest players he'd ever seen. He's battled injuries throughout his young career, altho he was healthy this year. He hasnt become a star yet but still could be.
Juan Soto - He was an up-and-coming prospect when I saw him in Low-A. He didnt do anything noteworthy (I think he was 1-4). Then he got hurt and didnt play the rest of the year. The next year, he started back at Low-A but blazed thru the minors to make MLB by the end of the year. He then became a star at age 20! If I had had to pick a star between Robles and Soto as a prospect, I would have picked Robles w/o thinking twice.
Trent Grisham - He had a different last name when I saw him in Hi-A - I forget what it was. At the time, he was on a Milwaukee affiliate that was loaded w prospects (Monte Harrison, Isan Diaz, Lucas Erceg, Jake Gatewood) and he was struggling on the year (I think I had him on my list at the time). All of the Brewer prospects had good games but the one that impressed me the most was Grisham. I think he hit 2 HRs, had a SB and went something like 4-5. In addition, he made a great play on a base hit to RF, getting to it quickly and throwing behind the runner to nail him getting back to first. He also made an impressive baserunning play. On a tailor-made DP ball, he went into 2B standing instead of sliding and kept the SS from making the throw to 1B to complete the DP that would have ended the inning. His team went on to score another run in the inning. It just was impressive to see a young player have the presence of mind to make a play like that. He just looked like a born ballplayer, looking great in all phases of the game. But he continued to struggle, hitting only .223 for the year. He really didnt break out until this year, getting called up to MLB this year and doing a fairly decent job, notwithstanding his boner in the wild card game.
Trey Mancini - I saw him play 2-3 times at AA. He was at 1B. Usually, when a player already is playing 1B in the minors, it means he doesnt fit defensively anywhere else, but I thought he looked athletic enough to play at least LF. Well, he is playing LF in MLB but probably he'll end up at 1B. I thought that if things worked out for him, he could be a hi-BA, low-power 1Bman that might be a 2nd division regular. I never had any idea he'd hit anywhere near the # of HRs he's hitting in MLB (35 in 2019), altho the juiced ball probably has something to do w this.
Andrew McCutchen - When I saw him the first time in AA, he looked puny. He was already rated an elite prospect but I wondered what scouts saw in him because he wasnt making anything but weak contact. Later that year, I saw him in the AFL and he was hitting solid line drives, driving the ball up the gaps. I thought "Now I see what the scouts saw". This is why I wouldnt succeed as a scout. Of course, he went on to be a perennial AS and win an MVP.
Brandon Snyder - Remember him? He made the back end of a couple top prospect lists. I saw him several times, usually as a DH but whenever he played the field, he was one of the worst fielders I've ever seen. Yet the scouts at the time were saying that he was good enough at 1B that they thought he could handle 3B. I have no idea why they thought this. I mean he wasnt just bad, he was horrendous. On a day where there was no wind to speak of, I saw him stagger around under a pop-up which fell in. Another time, I saw him stand like a statue at 1B w his glove down and the ball went right under his glove (didnt look like a flat-hop). Each time he looked like he had never played the field before. I thought that he was a born DH but didnt hit well enough to be a DH in MLB. It turns out that this was one of the few times I was right and the scouts were wrong. He's had a couple cups of coffee in MLB. Snyder, who I hear is a good guy personally, is still trying to play pro ball. Maybe coach material?
Billy Hamilton - I only saw him once, at AAA. I think he went 1-4 but he could really fly around the bases. I thought sure he'd have several 100+ SB seasons in MLB. He's never even had 60. He's a great defensive OFer but he's never learned to hit well enough and has gotten worse instead of better. Wrong again!
Trea Turner - I saw him a couple times in college. He didnt do much noteworthy except hit a solo HR (his only hit in I think 8 PAs). He was supposed to have blazing speed, but I heard a scout say that his time from home to 1B was 4.2 secs, which is not blazing (a 60 on the scouting scale, or "merely" plus). Of course, he's become a perennial AS in MLB and is among the leaders yearly in SBs, including leading the league in 2018. You never would have known it looking at the 2 games I saw (unless you were a scout!).
Bryce Harper - I saw his very 1st road game as a pro. Didnt do much, I think a single in 4 ABs. Maybe not worth nearly $330 mil but still a very productive player and has an MVP.
Manny Machado - I saw him several times at different levels. From the 1st time I saw him at SS-A, he looked like a born player, a take-charge kind of guy on the field. He looked cocky even back then as an 18-y/o and, like Harper, appears to be a bit too cocky as a MLBer. And, like Harper, not worth the money but still a very productive player.
Eric Hosmer - I saw him at AA. Like Machado, he had a commanding on-field presence. And, despite his scouting report that said his speed was a tick below average, he looked to have slightly above-avg speed, and in MLB he's had a good # of SBs yearly, altho he didnt have any this year.
Billy Butler - I saw him in the Cal-Carolina AS game in 2005. He didnt look like an athlete at all. He looked more like the Pillsbury dough boy. He had some good years early but really fell off a cliff in what should have been the middle of his career.
Kevin Gausman - I saw him at least once. He had good velo, about 98 mph, but had trouble putting hitters away, would end up walking hitters and then giving up the big hit. He's been a very disappointing pitcher. One of his problems supposedly has been developing effective secondaries.
Mitch Keller - I saw him pitch in the Eastern League playoffs. He looked marvelous. Was sitting around 96 mph and touched 98-99. He only allowed 3 baserunners (all basehits, I think) and all were erased from the basepaths. He pitched a CG shutout w around 9-10 Ks and faced the minimum 27, the only time I've ever seen that in person. I'm surprised he's struggled so in MLB so far (7.13 ERA and 1.83 WHIP).
Kyle Tucker - I saw him at Hi-A. His swing looked really awkward against the lefty starter he faced (he's a LHer) but I think he had a HR later against a righty reliever. In limited MLB ABs, he's hit better against LHers (.296) than RHers (.250). He had a great year in the minors this year and is one of the top prospects in baseball.
So, those are some of the MLBers I saw as prospects. It's good and fun to have live looks at players but if you're not a scout it's best not to put too much stock in your impressions of a player's ability. It's also good not to put too much stock in what you see in just a game or 2. Usually, I'll go w a scouting report over my own live look.
Tim Anderson - The concern w him was always how well his aggressive hitting approach would play at higher levels. He's always struck out a lot but I still listed him fairly high on my prospect list in deference to scouts. The only time I saw him was at the Cal-Carolina AS game in 2014. He played the entire game and had I think 4 PAs. I think he struck out 3 times and the other time I think he got a HBP. I could be wrong but I dont think ever he made contact the entire game, not even a foul tip. I thought that if this is the way he performs against better pitching, he'll never make it. Well, his plate discipline stats still look terrible (15/109 BB/K in 2019!) but he is the 2019 MLB batting champion at .335 w above-avg HRs and SBs. How wrong I was, and this is why I generally defer to scouting reports. Some guys just develop a knack for putting the bat on the ball despite lots of swing and miss and Anderson seems to have become 1 of those guys.
Victor Robles - I saw him in a doubleheader in low-A. I dont remember the exact stats but he raked in both games. Hit at least 1 HR and stole a couple bags I think among many hits. I saw him fly around the bases on a 3B. I asked a scout next to me if he had seen anyone faster in the minors and said he was one of the fastest players he'd ever seen. He's battled injuries throughout his young career, altho he was healthy this year. He hasnt become a star yet but still could be.
Juan Soto - He was an up-and-coming prospect when I saw him in Low-A. He didnt do anything noteworthy (I think he was 1-4). Then he got hurt and didnt play the rest of the year. The next year, he started back at Low-A but blazed thru the minors to make MLB by the end of the year. He then became a star at age 20! If I had had to pick a star between Robles and Soto as a prospect, I would have picked Robles w/o thinking twice.
Trent Grisham - He had a different last name when I saw him in Hi-A - I forget what it was. At the time, he was on a Milwaukee affiliate that was loaded w prospects (Monte Harrison, Isan Diaz, Lucas Erceg, Jake Gatewood) and he was struggling on the year (I think I had him on my list at the time). All of the Brewer prospects had good games but the one that impressed me the most was Grisham. I think he hit 2 HRs, had a SB and went something like 4-5. In addition, he made a great play on a base hit to RF, getting to it quickly and throwing behind the runner to nail him getting back to first. He also made an impressive baserunning play. On a tailor-made DP ball, he went into 2B standing instead of sliding and kept the SS from making the throw to 1B to complete the DP that would have ended the inning. His team went on to score another run in the inning. It just was impressive to see a young player have the presence of mind to make a play like that. He just looked like a born ballplayer, looking great in all phases of the game. But he continued to struggle, hitting only .223 for the year. He really didnt break out until this year, getting called up to MLB this year and doing a fairly decent job, notwithstanding his boner in the wild card game.
Trey Mancini - I saw him play 2-3 times at AA. He was at 1B. Usually, when a player already is playing 1B in the minors, it means he doesnt fit defensively anywhere else, but I thought he looked athletic enough to play at least LF. Well, he is playing LF in MLB but probably he'll end up at 1B. I thought that if things worked out for him, he could be a hi-BA, low-power 1Bman that might be a 2nd division regular. I never had any idea he'd hit anywhere near the # of HRs he's hitting in MLB (35 in 2019), altho the juiced ball probably has something to do w this.
Andrew McCutchen - When I saw him the first time in AA, he looked puny. He was already rated an elite prospect but I wondered what scouts saw in him because he wasnt making anything but weak contact. Later that year, I saw him in the AFL and he was hitting solid line drives, driving the ball up the gaps. I thought "Now I see what the scouts saw". This is why I wouldnt succeed as a scout. Of course, he went on to be a perennial AS and win an MVP.
Brandon Snyder - Remember him? He made the back end of a couple top prospect lists. I saw him several times, usually as a DH but whenever he played the field, he was one of the worst fielders I've ever seen. Yet the scouts at the time were saying that he was good enough at 1B that they thought he could handle 3B. I have no idea why they thought this. I mean he wasnt just bad, he was horrendous. On a day where there was no wind to speak of, I saw him stagger around under a pop-up which fell in. Another time, I saw him stand like a statue at 1B w his glove down and the ball went right under his glove (didnt look like a flat-hop). Each time he looked like he had never played the field before. I thought that he was a born DH but didnt hit well enough to be a DH in MLB. It turns out that this was one of the few times I was right and the scouts were wrong. He's had a couple cups of coffee in MLB. Snyder, who I hear is a good guy personally, is still trying to play pro ball. Maybe coach material?
Billy Hamilton - I only saw him once, at AAA. I think he went 1-4 but he could really fly around the bases. I thought sure he'd have several 100+ SB seasons in MLB. He's never even had 60. He's a great defensive OFer but he's never learned to hit well enough and has gotten worse instead of better. Wrong again!
Trea Turner - I saw him a couple times in college. He didnt do much noteworthy except hit a solo HR (his only hit in I think 8 PAs). He was supposed to have blazing speed, but I heard a scout say that his time from home to 1B was 4.2 secs, which is not blazing (a 60 on the scouting scale, or "merely" plus). Of course, he's become a perennial AS in MLB and is among the leaders yearly in SBs, including leading the league in 2018. You never would have known it looking at the 2 games I saw (unless you were a scout!).
Bryce Harper - I saw his very 1st road game as a pro. Didnt do much, I think a single in 4 ABs. Maybe not worth nearly $330 mil but still a very productive player and has an MVP.
Manny Machado - I saw him several times at different levels. From the 1st time I saw him at SS-A, he looked like a born player, a take-charge kind of guy on the field. He looked cocky even back then as an 18-y/o and, like Harper, appears to be a bit too cocky as a MLBer. And, like Harper, not worth the money but still a very productive player.
Eric Hosmer - I saw him at AA. Like Machado, he had a commanding on-field presence. And, despite his scouting report that said his speed was a tick below average, he looked to have slightly above-avg speed, and in MLB he's had a good # of SBs yearly, altho he didnt have any this year.
Billy Butler - I saw him in the Cal-Carolina AS game in 2005. He didnt look like an athlete at all. He looked more like the Pillsbury dough boy. He had some good years early but really fell off a cliff in what should have been the middle of his career.
Kevin Gausman - I saw him at least once. He had good velo, about 98 mph, but had trouble putting hitters away, would end up walking hitters and then giving up the big hit. He's been a very disappointing pitcher. One of his problems supposedly has been developing effective secondaries.
Mitch Keller - I saw him pitch in the Eastern League playoffs. He looked marvelous. Was sitting around 96 mph and touched 98-99. He only allowed 3 baserunners (all basehits, I think) and all were erased from the basepaths. He pitched a CG shutout w around 9-10 Ks and faced the minimum 27, the only time I've ever seen that in person. I'm surprised he's struggled so in MLB so far (7.13 ERA and 1.83 WHIP).
Kyle Tucker - I saw him at Hi-A. His swing looked really awkward against the lefty starter he faced (he's a LHer) but I think he had a HR later against a righty reliever. In limited MLB ABs, he's hit better against LHers (.296) than RHers (.250). He had a great year in the minors this year and is one of the top prospects in baseball.
So, those are some of the MLBers I saw as prospects. It's good and fun to have live looks at players but if you're not a scout it's best not to put too much stock in your impressions of a player's ability. It's also good not to put too much stock in what you see in just a game or 2. Usually, I'll go w a scouting report over my own live look.
- Wonderboy
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