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Kenny is the Editor-in-Chief at BP Bronx.
Kenny Ducey: Hey guys! Here to take your questions on this lovely Friday afternoon in New York City. Fire away.
JM (CT): What's your impression of, forecast for the Yank's James Kaprielian?
Kenny Ducey: Immense talent - his fastball recently hit 97 and his curve is really effective. Sure looks like a top pick. He just turned 22, and the Yankees drafted him as a kind of Mike Leake-type "help now" first-rounder, so I'd expect him maybe next year. He's killing it in the minors right now.
Dan (New Orleans): Who would you take in a HR-distance contest: Stanton or Joey Gallo?
Kenny Ducey: I haven't forgotten about Gallo, and do think he can become one of the longest hitters in baseball. But I'd be an idiot not to take Stanton here.
BC (Urbandale): Realistic win total for the Cubs assuming they stay reasonably healthy from here on out?
Kenny Ducey: Right now I think 93 is realistic. Some had Chicago at 100 before the season, which I don't necessarily think is out of reach, but 93 feels right.
Fred (NY): What do you make of Syndergaard/how would you numerically grade his pitches? We watching the next perennial CY young winner?
Kenny Ducey: I'm not ready to call him a perennial Cy Young winner, but I think we can almost make the assertion that he's the best of that incredible Mets cluster of young arms, which is quite the accomplishment. His fastball is a 10, and I'd say everything else is pretty well-rounded. His sinker is the pitch that is hit most (.269 BAA) and after that no one can touch his change, slider or curve. Maybe an 7 sinker, and 8 with the rest of his repertoire? I mean, he's legit. Way better than R.A. Dickey.
edwardarthur (Illinois): Evan Grant speculated recently that in the off-season the Rangers might "pursue a deal with the New York Yankees that would send Andrus there and create a spot for Profar". Does this seem plausible to you? My sense is the Yanks are pretty committed to Didi for the next few years.
Kenny Ducey: I don't think this is very plausible, no. New York is committed to defense, and Didi gives them an incredible glove at shortstop. They'll take his middle-of-the-road bat for the time being. With Castro at second, and Refsnyder waiting in Triple-A, I'm not sure where Andrus might fit. There's a chance they could slide him to third, but they'll need to move Headley.
Jake K-S (Virginia): You've recently expressed your extreme discontent with the wave breaking out at Yankee Stadium, especially at inopportune times. Could you describe why you hate the wave so much in detail, as I don't believe it has been documented before. With gratitude,
Jake
Kenny Ducey: Oh yeah, really hate the wave. The other night Johnny Barbato had to step off the mound when the wave made its way to home plate. You're lying if you say you don't think the wave affects players. It does, but they'll never say it. In the end, fans can do whatever they want so it's not for us to dictate, but if you're at a tie game in the eighth and decide you're bored enough to do the wave, why even go to the game? That's when I really have an issue with it.
person (place): should chili be considered soup
Kenny Ducey: I think so. I would actually like to hear arguments for it *not* being a soup. If you're going to say too much goes on it, or it's too much like a meal, look at french onion soup. That's incredibly filling and is topped with bread and melted cheese.
Dan (New Orleans): Any chance CF-prospect Lewis Brinson turns out to be a better ML'er than Buxton? Thinking Brinson offers the more complete package with his power-speed-defense combo.
Kenny Ducey: It's possible. They're both so incredibly fast and Brinson's power probably sets him apart. I don't want to put down Buxton too much, because he's 22 and just mired in a common early-season slump, but generally speaking I might like Brinson to be a more complete player.
Larry (flatiron): what neighborhoods do you go out to on the weekends
Kenny Ducey: Considering I work on the weekends, I stick in the financial district, where my office is.
Sam (NJ): Do you think the Yankees making the playoffs or Bryce Harper hitting 60 home runs this season is more likely
Kenny Ducey: If you said 55 I think I'd say Harper. Hear me out - this is a hot take - I don't think the Yankees are that bad. They're not contact-oriented, which causes dry spells like this one, but they'll have a two-week stretch soon where they do nothing but score runs. They're incredibly streaky. Good bullpen, sneakily OK rotation, streaky offense, They might make the playoffs the same way they did last season.
Brendan (Hoboken): At this point it seems pretty much guaranteed Bryce Harper is going to garner a mammoth contract when he hits free agency. Realistically, where do you think he could sign? How shocked would you be if he *didn't* sign with the Yankees? Or if he stayed with the Nationals?
Kenny Ducey: I would be pretty surprised if he doesn't sign with the Yankees, frankly. They'll open up their checkbook, they should have a spot open in the outfield alongside Jacoby Ellsbury (yep, he'll still be there) and Aaron Judge, and in the order right behind Ellsbury (still there!) and Judge. He might hit 40 dingers to right field alone.
I also think he fits the city of New York incredibly well. You need a guy with his attitude (sort of like Matt Harvey). He'll welcome the attention, and become a mega star. Don't see where else he would go other than New York if he decided to leave Washington.
Sally (Arkansas): Best walk-up music in the game today? What would your walk-up music be?
Kenny Ducey: This is a great question, Sally, thanks for asking it. This is going to be a strange pick, but I'll say Tommy La Stella. Was watching the Cubs the other day and he walked up to "December, 1963" by Frankie Valli. Tremendous.
As for my walk-up music, I'd probably go with a few. Calm Down by Busta Rhymes would be one, something by Run the Jewels, and then maybe Good Vibrations by marky mark and the funky bunch. Why not?
Woo (Brooklyn): Is a hot dog a sandwich?
Kenny Ducey: Absolutely not.
Sam (NJ): When I see people write/talk about Harper it seems like they say Philly and LAD are options w/ the Yankees. Would it really be so unrealistic that he goes to a different big market team with a lot of money?
Kenny Ducey: Not at all, the Dodgers are the new Yankees, and are always in play. Perhaps I should have included them, too, but it's a narrow race to me. He's going to go for a lot of money.
Mike (NYC): What did you think of Comedian John Oliver's antics during the yankees home opener?
Kenny Ducey: I thought it was pretty funny, and it was good to see the Yankees play along. Certainly made things more interesting than they already were.
Greg (DC): Who are some under the radar guys who could be big prospects for the Yankees next year?
Kenny Ducey: Ben Gamel kind of came out of nowhere last season, and could be a surprise prospect with some more production this year. Dustin Fowler is a guy that might help in 2017, though he's a bit higher in the prospect rankings. Maybe I'll go with Brady Lail or Cale Coshow if I have to dig down a bit.
Francisco (Jersey): Can Gary Sanchez you know catch? If not who is the yankees catcher of the future?
Kenny Ducey: I think he's absolutely the catcher of the future. He's still 23, and his bat is still good. He's improved from a catching standpoint, too.
Tommy (FL): Where in the world did Dante Bichette go?
Kenny Ducey: I'm not sure. Wasn't a bad pick, but it's looking like he's going to miss his ceiling by a good amount
Nick (FL): Jake Cave looked pretty miserable with the Reds, does he have a future with the Yankees?
Kenny Ducey: I've always been somewhat of a fan, but I'm not entirely sure.
Larry (Carolina): How good is the food at Yankee Stadium?
Kenny Ducey: I think it's the best of any venue in New York.
Kenny Ducey: All right, that was fun! Enjoy your weekend, and see you next time. You can always hit me up on Twitter @KennyDucey if you've got some burning questions left in you.
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