2021-2022 Winter Ball - AFL, Instructional, Latin America

[andyb]

Puerto Rico started over the weekend. Did not see any Phillies in a glace at the stats. We had a couple of players on the prospect team last year (Jadiel Sanchez, Gabriel Cotto) though not sure if they are advanced enough to get playing time on one of the regular teams (5 this year and no prospect team so one team is off every day).

Jhailyn Ortiz continues to sit. Went 0-4 with a SF in his first game. Only 2 pinch hitting appearances in the last 2 weeks. That is the downside of the Dominican being a higher level league with teams that want to win. Marchan 3-9 with a HR and 4 walks down in Venezuela. Also saw Carlos Betancourt start a game for Zulia (3 IP, 1 R). He was one of those mid-bonus guys from a few years ago ($400-$500K range) that has kind of disappeared. Only 3 FCL innings last season.

[andyb]

Stott has cooled off a bit but O'Hoppe is en fuego.

Apparently this was a 97 mph fastball taken out to CF less than an hour ago:
https://twitter.com/MLBazFallLeague/status/1457801668448243718

[Austinfan]

And it's above the waist, that's some bat speed.

[Taudawg]

BR says O'Hoppe is 6'2" 185lbs. I suspect that was his draft weight. He appears to have filled out, in a physically fit way.

[bkox]

“To be honest with you, I just got sick and tired of striking out,” O’Hoppe said with a laugh after his 1-for-5 performance. “It came from that. I really tried to do something about it and [Phillies quality assurance coach and Javelinas coach] Mike Calitri, he’s helped me a lot with that, just working off the slider machine. You run through different drills and try to make it as game-like as you can because it’s hard to create reps outside of the game. The game is the best way to develop and adjust.”

O'Hoppe keeps improving during time in AFL

[Austinfan]

It's about time we hit on a long-shot draft pick.

[bkox]

Congratulations to @bryson_stott10 , @logan_ohoppe and @DamonJones55 on being named to the Arizona Fall League’s 2021 Fall Stars Game! pic.twitter.com/E0kXLq0nBE

— Philadelphia Phillies ( @Phillies ) November 10, 2021

[bkox]

HOW RARE IS THIS? Logan has homered this year in A, AA, AAA and the Arizona Fall League. Add a spring training homer for the Phillies. #phillies https://t.co/S0ktIH56ZB

— Larry Shenk ( @ShenkLarry ) November 9, 2021

[andyb]

Some winter league updates.
https://www.philliesbaseballfan.com/post/11-10-21-phillies-winter-league-update

Stott also hit his first HR after this was written a couple of days ago.

And now number 2 for Stott. 110 mph, 426 feet.
https://twitter.com/MLBazFallLeague/status/1459347897862922249

[bkox]

#Phillies Bryson Stott gets the scoring started in the Fall Stars game.

108.4 mph exit velocity on the RBI double

— William Boor ( @wboor ) November 14, 2021

[bkox]

Logan O’Hoppe just hit his third home run of the Arizona Fall League season … I can’t remember the Phillies having two players in one AFL season making the impressions O’Hope and Bryson Stott are this year

— Mitch Rupert ( @Mitch_Rupert ) November 17, 2021

[Squire]

O'Hoppe is currently 9th in OPS and Stott is 10th. This has really been excellent.

[Austinfan]

O'Hoppe is more exciting in that he's only 21.
If he's really an offensive force, catchers can learn to play corner OF and 1B, and if they have the hands, 3B.
So even with JT at catcher, he could be a major bench piece in a year or two.
While DH is always an option, anytime a good bat can field adequately, it frees the DH for an aging veteran who doesn't belong on the field.

With the 4-5 man benches in today's game, players who can fill in at multiple positions are invaluable.

[andyb]

Why do you keep wanting to move O'Hoppe off catcher? He is a catcher plain and simple. That is the only place his offense would be plus. Playing other positions should be the last thought on his or the Phillies' minds, especially with the DH coming.

[Austinfan]

If he's tearing up the AFL at 21, why are you putting a ceiling on his offense?

We'll see how he hits in AAA this year, but if he turns out to be a plus hitter, you don't bury him on the bench behind JT (whose bat doesn't match his salary at DH, only at catcher), but find ways of getting him in the lineup.

[andyb]

If he's tearing up the AFL at 21, why are you putting a ceiling on his offense?

Because he is a catcher and that is enough to worry about. Baseball players are not fantasy gaming bets. Developing a catcher is the only priority here. His offense is also NOT special for the other positions he would play (likely 1B).

[andyb]

Back to our regular programming. More updates here:
https://www.philliesbaseballfan.com/post/11-14-21-phillies-winter-league-update

Some news in Puerto Rico is that there is an RA12 prospect team again. Jadiel Sanchez (age 20) who had a pretty good season at FCL and Clearwater is 7-25 with a HR, 2B, BB, 3 Ks. He is an underrated OF prospect.

Carlos Betancourt also continues to pitch well in Venezuela. 9 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K. He got a $460K bonus in 2018 but has not pitched much because of the pandemic and likely injury (only 3 innings at FCL this year). Still only 20.

[Matt_Winkelman]

I stopped by because this is better at finding new links than paying attention to Twitter, but to the O'Hoppe off of catcher thing. His bat doesn't play elsewhere in a meaningful way. He had a good year this year and has taken enormous strides forward with his contact ability, but it wasn't an amazing year for a corner outfielder. If his bat does reach that level, the fact that he can catch (and catch well) makes him insanely valuable. If in a year and a half you have a JT problem, then maybe you start splitting time, but once again a 23 year old O'Hoppe forcing one of the best catchers in baseball off the position would be an insane jump. The absolute worst case scenario is you have one hell of a trade chip.

The kind of catchers you look to move off of the position are guys like Tyler Soderstrom who wrecked low-A at age 19, but isn't a good catcher and probably would take into his mid 20s to get to that point. You can move them off the position now and get them to the majors without having to wait for the glove to catch up. O'Hoppe isn't a gold glove savant behind the plate, but he could play passable catcher in the majors now, you aren't waiting for the glove to catch up.

[Austinfan]

Yeah, that's the problem, JT is going to be the starting catcher and play 120+ games a year at that spot.

So IF, and that depends on his AAA year, O'Hoppe turns out to be a solid hitter, you want to get his bat in the lineup.
They moved Coste around when he was the backup catcher.

We're not talking about playing full-time in LF, but maybe 20-30 games as a RH bat in a part-time platoon, or being able to sub in as a late inning PH/replacement.

This both provide more value on the bench, and allows them to get him more PA.

Of course, if he goes to Lehigh and puts up a .720 OPS at 22 years old, he'll repeat at 23 and remain a catcher only.

[andyb]

It just isn't any sort of priority to move O'Hoppe off catcher. He needs at least 1 more year in the minors, potentially two. Then if he is everything you think he is going to be you start moving JT off catcher where his defense will likely slip a bit. Anybody on the bench can play 1B for a game or two. Frankly JT doing that is more likely than O'Hoppe at any point. Just not sure what the obsession is to give him flexibility (other than the normal day to day occasional game. Heck Knapp played 2B for an inning I think).

Be happy that we seem to be developing a good catching prospect. That is plenty.