CheeseheadInQC

I often thought one of the best ways to lessen the flopping is to get officials to be willing to call more offensive fouls when the defensive player doesn’t end up sprawled out on the floor. Unless it has changed since they put the flopping rule in, it always seemed as if when the defense player made an effort to take a few steps back and steady themselves after contact it automatically became either a block or no call.

Honestly this feels like the type of move that, if it hadn’t come right after the Renfroe trade, would have spurred an update on 40-man openings and a couple posts being surprised they did this with an outfielder rather than a similar late bloomer type infielder. I’d be more positive about the move if his AAA/AA games split was 70/30 for AAA instead of the other way around. But basically I look at this similar to how I would if Tristen Lutz posted an .825 OPS in AAA this year. I don’t know if I necessarily agree with adding him to the 40-man, but I can understand the late-bloomer hopes involved in doing so.

But only three true ones … (Slowly retreats back to the minor league forum.)

But only three true ones … (Slowly retreats back to the minor league forum.)

OK, no shocking omissions. Singleton is a surprise, though.

OK, no shocking omissions. Singleton is a surprise, though.

Robinson is the big surprise. He was behind the other two, but I still would have put him at 90% to get protected. Devanney is the only position player I could see getting taken because he has position versatility and pop, even if he is a bit on the older side for a prospect.

Robinson is the big surprise. He was behind the other two, but I still would have put him at 90% to get protected. Devanney is the only position player I could see getting taken because he has position versatility and pop, even if he is a bit on the older side for a prospect.

It wasn't a Brewer. There were four main candidates that year, Listach, Eldred, Lofton and the Mariners' Dave Fleming. And looking at the stats, I forgot he had a second good season that might push him past Listach.

It wasn't a Brewer. There were four main candidates that year, Listach, Eldred, Lofton and the Mariners' Dave Fleming. And looking at the stats, I forgot he had a second good season that might push him past Listach.

He still probably had the second best career of the four Rookie of the Year candidates that season. Lofton was the only one for whom that wasn’t the no question about it pinnacle of their careers. Bonus points to anyone who remembers the fourth.

He still probably had the second best career of the four Rookie of the Year candidates that season. Lofton was the only one for whom that wasn’t the no question about it pinnacle of their careers. Bonus points to anyone who remembers the fourth.

Perhaps, and it happens on occasion, but unless he re-signed before this could happen, it seemed like an interested team could have reached out to his agent saying that they would give him a 40-man spot. Unless he preferred to stay in the organization, I guess.

Perhaps, and it happens on occasion, but unless he re-signed before this could happen, it seemed like an interested team could have reached out to his agent saying that they would give him a 40-man spot. Unless he preferred to stay in the organization, I guess.

Robinson is the right choice, but I would be very tempted to put Garabitos second. I don’t know how he matches up with the others prospect-wise, but I am not sure any reliever was more valuable to their pitching staff than he was down the stretch, giving the team long, quality outings after Carolina’s most consistent starters all got promoted to Wisconsin.

Robinson is the right choice, but I would be very tempted to put Garabitos second. I don’t know how he matches up with the others prospect-wise, but I am not sure any reliever was more valuable to their pitching staff than he was down the stretch, giving the team long, quality outings after Carolina’s most consistent starters all got promoted to Wisconsin.

Some of these had either advanced stats better than their ERA or limited innings because of injury or promotion, but I think Vallecillo, Patricio Aquino and Daniel Corniel are worthy of mention as well. I worry what his injury is, but Aquino was basically 2021 Alexander Cornielle.

Some of these had either advanced stats better than their ERA or limited innings because of injury or promotion, but I think Vallecillo, Patricio Aquino and Daniel Corniel are worthy of mention as well. I worry what his injury is, but Aquino was basically 2021 Alexander Cornielle.

There are a lot of worthy honorable mentions, but if you read hitter as position player, Gregory Barrios probably should be in the group right after those three. He didn’t hit for much power but got on base at a .360 clip and had one of the best fielding percentages of any middle infielder in the system as an 18-year-old.

There are a lot of worthy honorable mentions, but if you read hitter as position player, Gregory Barrios probably should be in the group right after those three. He didn’t hit for much power but got on base at a .360 clip and had one of the best fielding percentages of any middle infielder in the system as an 18-year-old.

Author's note: Because of ease of sorting for the various categories, I used Baseball Reference for team ages and Fangraphs for age season the individual players were in. Also, 2006 is used as a cutoff date for some of the items because that is how far back Fangraphs’ database goes. It is no secret that this year’s Carolina Mudcats squad has been young, filled with teens who came through the DSL pipeline — the kind of roster where, especially on offense, guys who can legally drink are the exception, not the rule. But did you know it might be historically young? The average Carolina batter is 19.8 years old, the youngest across all of low-A. The average Carolina pitcher is 21.0 years old, tied for the second youngest across low-A this year. When you combine those you have the youngest low-A team across all of baseball since at least 2010. The question is, is this the result of changes from within the organization or simply part of a trend in the aftermath of the contraction of a level of rookie ball and pushing back the date of the draft. The answer: Both The Brewers side Since 2006, a total of 10 guys in their 18-year-old seasons have played in low-A for the Brewers. Only two of those — Orlando Arcia and Mario Feliciano — came before 2021, and half have been this year alone. The biggest change, of course, has come from the Brewers’ Latin American signings, both in the quality of their play and the Brewers’ willingness to push them up the ladder. Between 2006 and 2019, I believe only five of the Brewers’ Latin American signings reached A-ball before their age-20 season, and only in the cases of Arcia and Pablo Abreu did it really feel deserved. The Brewers kind of had to move Gilbert Lara up eventually if only because of how much they paid him upon signing, and Milwaukee thought so much of Edgar Trejo and Luis Ramirez that both were released before the following season and never played in affiliate ball again. This year alone you have had Jackson Chourio, Jeferson Quero, Hendry Mendez, Luis Castillo, Jadher Areinamo, Eduardo Garcia, Hedbert Perez, Jheremy Vargas, Jesus Garcia, Yujanyer Herrera, Arielbi Gonzalez, Jeison Pena and Alexander Vallecillo. While the elimination of the one level of rookie ball might have sped their arrival up a bit, there is far more going on here than that. The summer 2019 and winter 2021 signing classes have been, simply put, the deepest in at least recent team history, pushing the average age down even as the number of high school players the team has drafted has declined. The league That’s not to say, of course, that they aren’t following a league-wide trend, at least on the hitting side. Between 2015 and 2019, the average age of a low-A hitter fluctuated between 21.4 and 21.6 years old. In 2022 it is 21.0. Similarly seven low-A teams have their hitters averaging 20.5 years old or younger in 2022, the same number as in the five years from 2015 and 2019 combined. Also, three of those came from one franchise: the 2017-19 Fort Wayne Tin Caps, a Padres affiliate during the time they were building their vaunted minor league system that has almost all been traded away. (Side note: the 2018 Tin Caps, which included current Brewers prospect Esteury Ruiz, is the only one since at least 2010 in which the hitters were younger than the Mudcats, checking in at 19.7 years old.) While there has been little if any perceptible leaguewide change in the ages as far as pitching goes, the hitting changes have been enough where the Down East Wood Ducks (Rangers) and Visalia Rawhide (Diamondbacks) rank just behind the Mudcats, with all three likely among the four youngest low-A teams since 2010. The future The question then becomes, is this sustainable for Milwaukee? In the short term, the answer appears to be yes. The longer term future, however, is hazier. To start with, not only do the Brewers have the youngest low-A team, but their their two ACL teams are part of what is basically a three-way tie with the Pirates’ FCL squad for the youngest complex league team. The following players who will be below the drinking age seem likely to spend some time with the Mudcats next season, not even considering the current DSL guys who could earn late-season promotions: 19: Castillo, Areinamo, Herrera, Luke Adams, Dylan O’Rae, Daniel Guilarte, Gregory Barrios, Miguel Briceno 20: Perez, Avina, Vargas, Vallecillo, Gonzalez, Garcia, Tayden Hall, Satchell Norman, Quinton Low, Patricio Aquino, Brailin Rodriguez, Jose Caballero Beyond that, it is going to depend on their continued ability to sign and develop players from Latin America. It is going to be difficult to top those two classes, and the most recent one seems, at first glance, to be a little on the weaker side compared to 2021 and 2019. Hopefully they can at least come close, however, because the more of those guys who are good enough to push their way up the pipeline early, the healthier it is for the system as a whole.

There is also a high likelihood that both Carlos Rodriguezes will be in Biloxi next year, so that won’t be confusing at all ?.

There is also a high likelihood that both Carlos Rodriguezes will be in Biloxi next year, so that won’t be confusing at all ?.

Maybe a little because I am guessing you had a few teams not protect borderline guys they might have in the past, gambling that it wouldn’t happen (not completely convinced Brewers didn’t use this strategy). I still think the bigger effect, though, is the COVID year delayed development for the guys eligible this year. That will lead to more guys eligible and perhaps more close calls. A couple of years ago the Brewers pretty much protected every healthy prospect in the triple-A phase. No way that can happen this year.

Maybe a little because I am guessing you had a few teams not protect borderline guys they might have in the past, gambling that it wouldn’t happen (not completely convinced Brewers didn’t use this strategy). I still think the bigger effect, though, is the COVID year delayed development for the guys eligible this year. That will lead to more guys eligible and perhaps more close calls. A couple of years ago the Brewers pretty much protected every healthy prospect in the triple-A phase. No way that can happen this year.