1 hour ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

They just take forever sometimes with development and they don't play all the time due to the nature of the position. Take shortstops.

Then what was the point of Getz hyping up Teel/Quero as some kind of niche or strategic advantage like they'd pretty much cornered the catching market?

Maybe it turned out to be a disadvantage in the end....if you're not hitting in at least 75-80% of games, hard to develop a rhythm.

Quero definitely doesn't profile elsewhere...at least for now.

Teel at least might be able to play everywhere but middle infield and CF.

Maybe part-time DH.

6 hours ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

On my tablet so I'm going to steal someone else's work and link it from rpubs.

https://api.rpubs.com/Carter42903/1356814

His results are actually slightly higher than mine at .21, but I don't restrict plate appearances to > 400. He's also using draft eligible season and I'm using a composite weighting the final year more than the prior and so on.

Thanks, that's helpful. I can replicate that. It's just a small sample (of players and college seasons) thing. Add more players and seasons in MLB and the BB% correlation goes way up. Also, BB% correlation goes up even if you keep the players and MLB seasons the same if you include the entire college career BB% (presumably because college seasons are so short so you're benefiting by getting a better measure of the amateur BB rate).

Georgia Tech and Georgia are both hosting NCAA tournament regionals, with the second-seeded Yellow Jackets opening against the University of Illinois Chicago (nice local touch!) and the Bulldogs taking on the Long Island Sharks. 

Each regional field features four teams, playing in a double-elimination format. All 16 regionals are scheduled to be conducted from Friday, May 29 to Monday, June 1.

Georgia Tech (48-9) will play noon Friday against Illinois-Chicago (27-27-1).

The Citadel (35-24) and Oklahoma (32-21) are also playing in the Atlanta Regional and will face off at 5 p.m. Friday.

Edited Monday at 08:43 PM5 days by caulfield12

On 5/23/2026 at 12:47 PM, Chisoxfn said:

And I should say I’m fine with Cholosky too. But those are the 2 I would choose from. Lackey has some serious swag to him. I think I would have him play CF though if I drafted him.

We’re in the same boat.

I’d like to see the Sox come out with a prep bat with their second pick but with the success of the team, I wonder if they’ll go after a college arm in rounds 2 or 3 to get someone they could potentially accelerate to the bigs.

Kiley mock. Sharing the top 5.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48899402/2026-mlb-mock-draft-20-kiley-mcdaniel-predicts-picks-white-sox-rays-twins-giants-pirates

1. Chicago White Sox

Roch Cholowsky (Age: 21.3), SS, UCLA

The margin for error for Cholowsky is dropping to where this might just be a 50/50 coin flip. There's a lot of industry buzz that Grady Emerson is preferred by some key White Sox evaluators, but everyone agrees that Cholowsky would win a coinflip because he's just an easier choice with his proximity to the majors, risk profile and hype -- even if his upside seems a bit lower than Emerson's.

Further, there seems to be a very clear top three (including Vahn Lackey), and all three of the teams picking at the top seem to feel that way. To project another player breaking into the top three requires one of those teams to (deep breath) feel really strongly about that player, not like what options they have, secure a 75% of slot deal (or close to it) with that player and have a plan (i.e. deals worked out for player(s) who will get to their next pick(s)) to spend those savings. I'd call that a 10% shot at best, so I won't be projecting it to happen.

Don't be surprised if: Emerson is the pick here. Seriously, White Sox fans, prepare yourselves mentally that this could happen and don't just assume it's the wrong pick because it's the less famous name. For what it's worth, a lot of scouts think the White Sox will end up taking Illinois prep SS Landon Thome at one of their next few picks. He was 51st in my most recent rankings, and yes, he's the son of Jim Thome, a current White Sox special assistant to the general manager.

2. Tampa Bay Rays

Grady Emerson (18.4), SS, Fort Worth Christian HS (TX)

In this scenario, given the logic laid out above, this would be Emerson or potentially Lackey on a slight bonus discount. I think the Rays lean Emerson in this situation since Lackey isn't incentivized to offer that much of a discount.

Don't be surprised if: There is some buzz of Jackson Flora on a larger cut (I think that's possible, but unlikely) as more immediate big league help, with the wild rumor of Kentucky SS Tyler Bell on a huge cut. The Rays drafted Bell out of high school, have been scouting him hard all spring and he is rising into the top half of the first round, but second overall seems too extreme to take seriously for this scenario.

3. Minnesota Twins

Vahn Lackey (21.0), C, Georgia Tech

Just like when they had the fifth pick in a five-player top tier in 2023, and landing Walker Jenkins, the Twins are fortunate again to pick third in a three-player top tier. Lackey is the most likely outcome here.

Don't be surprised if: Emerson is way more likely to land here than No. 4 if he lasts this long. If the Rays take Lackey or Flora, I don't think Minnesota passes on Emerson. For what it's worth, Texas A&M infielder Chris Hacopian is the wild rumor/big discount name being mentioned here, but I am not taking it seriously as an actual option yet.

4. San Francisco Giants

Jacob Lombard (18.8), SS, Gulliver Prep HS (FL)

2026 NCAA baseball tournament coverage

The field of 64 is set! Who will make a run to Omaha? Schedule and more »

The next grouping after the clear top three players is Lombard, Flora and Eric Booth Jr. It seems like all three will go within the next four picks, but the order is still uncertain. I think all three are options here, and yes, the Giants would love to get one of the players projected for the top three picks, but that seems unlikely. I think Lombard has a slight edge, but it's slight.

Don't be surprised if: Booth Jr. is the pick. President of baseball operations Buster Posey is heavily involved in this pick, and if he feels strongly about one of those three, he will make the call. He's much more likely to get that feeling about a hitter than a pitcher.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates

Jackson Flora (21.1), RHP, UC Santa Barbara

I think the Pirates are leaning toward Flora of this group as they would like to help the big league team soon all things being equal, and they just hit the jackpot on a hit-tool-question high school player in Konnor Griffin, so it might come up snake eyes if they try again.

Don't be surprised if: Lombard is the pick. I'm slowly coming around to seeing him the same way that some (but not all) teams do, which is as a more athletic, righty-hitting version of Ethan Holliday. You might remember people dunking on Holliday over the winter (well after I laid out the risks and upside then interviewed him about it, and last week contextualized his development path vs. Austin Riley's), but Holliday has a 1.068 OPS and 9 homers in his past 27 games.

Edited Friday at 05:08 PM1 day by DirtySox

2 minutes ago, DirtySox said:

I want him so bad. 🥵

Edited Friday at 05:05 PM2 days by DirtySox

Excuse my Vahn lust. I'll chill after this.

9 minutes ago, DirtySox said:

I want him so bad. 🥵

Such a better swing than Roch

I still prefer Emerson but Lackey is #2 for me at this point. Love the profile.

Roch blown away on three pitches in his first at bat. I just don’t get the hype

Getz and Phil Nevin at UCLA today

1 hour ago, fathom said:

Getz and Phil Nevin at UCLA today

Nobody in ATL?

Feel much better about Lackey's power translating with wooden bats.

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-draft-prospects-2026-ncaa-baseball-tournament/

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/scouting-vahn-lackey-an-outlier-athlete-excellent-defensive-catcher-coming-into-newfound-power/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiHma3Nv9-UAxVjCTQIHZA3HbUQFnoECAoQAg&usg=AOvVaw1Z9m7x5OWyGXAe8-3M8ucy

Edited Friday at 10:00 PM1 day by caulfield12

Roch with an awful game. Couldn’t pull 91-92 mph fastballs all game.

Fitting he was the last out too.

Also, fwiw, read somewhere that GT basically played twice as many good teams this year as UCLA. Should have been overall 1 seed.

40 minutes ago, fathom said:

Also, fwiw, read somewhere that GT basically played twice as many good teams this year as UCLA. Should have been overall 1 seed.

Ucla playing in the Big Ten. It's not even a power conference.

When I was in the MVC, the conference was better than the big ten.

It's been a beautiful thing to see so many join team lackey. Guy has been incredible this year, and his development in general has been even more impressive.

Best player in the draft.

40 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

It's been a beautiful thing to see so many join team lackey. Guy has been incredible this year, and his development in general has been even more impressive.

Best player in the draft.

Coach talk I’m sure, but GT coach said he’d be their best SS as well

9 hours ago, DirtySox said:

My guy.

1 hour ago, fathom said:

Coach talk I’m sure, but GT coach said he’d be their best SS as well

Seriously - I would draft him as a Centerfielder.

6 minutes ago, hi8is said:

Seriously - I would draft him as a Centerfielder.

That's how I see it;
And his numbers are as good as Roch's and he's in a better league. And he's improving.

Edited yesterday at 03:05 AM1 day by GreenSox

I'm over Roch, next up

3 hours ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

It's been a beautiful thing to see so many join team lackey. Guy has been incredible this year, and his development in general has been even more impressive.

Best player in the draft.

I am with you.