Baseball Prospectus - Chat with Jeffrey Paternostro

Chat: Jeffrey Paternostro

Welcome to Baseball Prospectus' Monday March 16, 2020 12:00 PM ET chat session with Jeffrey Paternostro.

Jeffrey Paternostro is the Lead Prospect Writer for Baseball Prospectus.

Jeffrey Paternostro: I guess we will find stuff to talk about

Bring Back Trevor Strunk (Online): Assuming the draft even happens, what do you think the impact on the cancellation of the college (and presumably the high school) season will be? Will we see significant risk aversion and a surfeit of college players drafted?

Jeffrey Paternostro: This is an unknown unknown in a lot of ways but I suspect you will see a bumper crop of summer wood bat leagues with higher end college prospects as de facto draft showcases. Could see something like an MLB combine for preps as well

Chocolate Rain (Some stay dry): Do you like Sam Hilliard's chances of being a big "thing" this year/next year? Aside from the Rockies handling a young player like the Rockies are wont to do, what do you see as the potential hurdles?

Jeffrey Paternostro: Platoon and strikeout issues. Swing can get pretty stiff and I wonder what it looks like after he goes around the league another time. He's always been sneaky athletic though. Still think he's more of a fringe regular than above-average once you account for the run environment, but he's been better than I expected so far.

Scott (Portland): My dynasty league opened FAAB over the weekend. We're all so bored.

Jeffrey Paternostro: We are in the midst of a slow draft for the TINO dynasty league and were at one point worried we might not finish by Opening Day. Taking our time now, speaking of which I am on the clock for that.

Craig (Chicago): Is 2020 the year for Lewis Brinson? Do you still hold out hope?

Jeffrey Paternostro: I don't really. But let's run it back with Monte Harrison and see what happens,

Tim (Maryland): My state just closed bars, restaurants, gyms, everything. I can't go on like this. I also got two declined trades in my dynasty league today and both owners said they don't intend to make any moves until this is resolved. We are in the end of days.

Jeffrey Paternostro: I have enough stock to make a Negroni a day for two weeks by my math, after that I might have a problem.

Craig (Chicago): Did you see anything in Chi Chi Gonzalez as a prospect, to make you think that he could be a solid back end starter this upcoming season? Last 5 outings from 2019 a potential look into the future (27 IP, 5 G, 4 GS, 1.65 ERA, 8.6 K/9)?

Jeffrey Paternostro: He was always more of a "safe" number four type with a tick of upside past that, but he's never been healthy nor good for any extended period of time in the majors. He's also 28 and uh not in an ideal org.

Ryan (Miami): Who's your favorite non top 100 prospect to really pop this year and be filled with helium?

Jeffrey Paternostro: Liover Peguero, Erick Pena, Orelvis Martinez

Ferns (Pennsylvania): I tanked multiple years in one of my dynasty leagues with my plan (which I creatively call "The Process") being to finally compete in 2020. And now the 2020 season isn't going to happen. Does this make my process a failure? Or was it already a failure to begin with simply because I didn't try to win for half a decade to begin with?

Jeffrey Paternostro: There will eventually be baseball again, but yes I usually default to trying to compete as often as possible.

Jordan (South Dakota): I am considering proposing to the owners in the dynasty league that I run that we just simulate the 2020 season using OOTP, and pick up in 2021 as best we can based on those simulated results. Seems fine.

Jeffrey Paternostro: MLB The Show Franchise mode league is my suggestion

Craig (Chicago): Of the following hitters, how would you rank their 2020 MLB impact: Ke'Bryan Hayes, Jazz Chisholm, Alec Bohm, Daulton Varsho, Monte Harrison, Jesus Sanchez?

Jeffrey Paternostro: I am curious to see how service time stuff plays out in a shortened season because that's gonna play into this, but assuming somewhat normal service resumed: Bohm, Hays, Harrison, Sanchez, Chisholm, Varsho.

Jeffrey Paternostro: Social Distancing chats will continue next week.