Minor League Games - August 26, 2025

[andyb]

The SS bar is higher than the CF bar. And we actually do not know if Nori is plus in CF either.

There is no way to spin that the bar is pretty high for someone with Nori's skillset to succeed. And he is almost 21 so he was 1.5 years older than most HS prospects making a good year in the lower minors less impressive for him than it would have been for a 19-year-old. He is having a perfectly fine first full season in the pros. It is really difficult though to figure out what it means since very few players with his type of profile succeed. Facts are facts.

[phillychuck]

The MLB OPS bar for all positions is sort of lower in the past 5 years or so, too. 800 OPS is now almost all-star level. The average OPS for CFs in MLB right now in 2025 is pretty low, actually lower than SS:

Catcher: .696
First Baseman: .742
Second Baseman: .687
Third Baseman: .710
Shortstop: .722
Left Fielder: .726
Center Fielder: .695
Right Fielder: .741

[andyb]

Sometimes the OPS by position does not line up clearly with the defensive value and difficulty at that position. Just guessing that the best athletes play SS and we are in an era where there are just more of those than average. Also defense is a bit less important today with fewer balls in play so there is more incentive to put offensive players at defensive position.

OF development across the sport has been a bit strange. We used to have a bunch of LF mashers (like Schwarber) and now we don't. DH has siphoned many of them away.

Of course at the moment Nori's problem may be hitting more than a 600 OPS like Rojas. At that level he is just not helping the team in a starting role.

[Austinfan]

Age matters more for physical maturity, experience matters for prospect "progress."
Nori is inexperienced for his age, but I don't think he's underdeveloped,
5'10 190 when drafted, probably end up 5'10 200, which is a stout body (compare to say Jimmy Rollins).
So the issue is more his swing than lack of strength.

The real issue with Nori is whether they can tweak his swing and approach to generate more power without losing contact rate or plate discipline.
But he walks far more than Rojas ever did at any level.