Complete Universe Facegen Pack 2.0 (New)

[b10wick]

Hey Lansdowne, can I request a couple of Braves' prospect FG's whenever you get the time?

Hurston Waldrep
Drake Baldwin
Nacho Alvarez
Owen Murphy
Luis Guanipa

Thank you!

[AESP_pres]

Lans when you will have some free time could you try your magic on Gary Ross? I tried the best I could but my result isn't that good (image added), I'm sure you can do better with the multiple tools you use to do the FG.

TBH if he was a guy that played a year or so I'd live with that result but he played 10 years in the MLB...

[AESP_pres]

I won't add him to my pack because it only have the FGs I submit for the universal pack and Lans FG for him is fine but if you need a younger clean shaven Hal McRae this is one I did for my own database...

[LansdowneSt]

On the rainy night of May 19, the Hawaii Islanders and Salt Lake City Gulls of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League splashed through only five innings of the first game of a scheduled doubleheader in Salt Lake City. The results were lopsided and dramatic: Hawaii’s Gary Ross pitched a perfect game, while the Islanders sent 20 batters to the plate in a 15-run first inning – five more than Salt Lake City sent to the plate all game. Hawaii won the farcical contest, 19-0.

Ross went 16-8 with a 2.49 ERA for the Islanders, leading Pacific Coast League pitchers in wins.25 That earned him a return to the majors as well, but not with the Padres. On September 17 the Padres traded him to the Gulls’ parent club, the California Angels. Ross made one start with the 1975 Angels, on September 28. That game also involved an unusual no-hitter, but this time Ross was on the losing end as four Oakland A’s pitchers combined to no-hit the Angels. - SABR

I used the Padres card. Best I could do with him. The glasses show better than I hoped.

[LansdowneSt]

Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 55 | Splitter: 65 | Control: 45 | Overall 55

After two years of showing dominant stuff at Southern Miss, one as a reliever and one in the weekend rotation, Waldrep entered the transfer portal and moved to the University of Florida for his junior year. The Team USA alum served as the Gators’ Saturday starter and continued to show off an impressive power repertoire, with uneven results. He showed enough for the Braves to take him with their first-round pick, then watched him race up the organizational ladder, touching all four full-season stops and finishing at Triple-A.

There is no question about Waldrep’s stuff playing against good competition. He left college with a career 13.5 K/9 rate, then struck out 12.6 per nine during his pro debut last summer. His bread-and-butter is an absolutely unhittable splitter, an upper-80s pitch that generated a miss rate north of 60 percent both at Florida and at the upper levels of the Braves system. He doesn’t always command his fastball well, but it has plenty of velocity, up to 99 mph consistently. He also has a hard upper-80s slider that is plus at times and misses a lot of bats as well.

Waldrep has used an up-tempo delivery with some effort in the past, something he’ll have to keep working on so he can land his premium stuff in the zone more consistently. There’s a little reliever risk here, but if he can iron things out, his frontline starter stuff could play in a big-league rotation soon. Even if it doesn’t quite click, his stuff in shorter stints could be downright nasty in high-leverage bullpen situations. - mlb pipeline

[LansdowneSt]

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

A three-year starter at Missouri State, Baldwin used a strong performance in the Northwoods League the summer before his junior year to have a huge season in 2022, finishing with 19 homers and an OPS north of 1.000. That helped him land in the top 150 of MLB Pipeline’s Top 250 Draft prospects list and get taken in the third round of that summer’s Draft by the Braves. He’s on the rise again, this time on the Braves’ list, thanks to a solid first full season of pro ball, spent mostly with High-A Rome, but which also included bumps up to Double-A and then Triple-A, each of which he handled well.

Baldwin had shown a firm understanding of the strike zone and a willingness to see pitches in college, leaving with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. He’s continued that advanced approach so far as a pro, with a walk rate over 14 percent. That allowed him to do consistent damage, especially after making some adjustments with his mechanics at the plate with a 1.020 OPS from July 1 on. A left-handed hitter, he has plenty of raw pop to tap into, and he did so 16 times in 2023, with it showing up at the upper levels to his pull side.

With solid arm strength, Baldwin continues to work on improving his release and accuracy. He should have no problem sticking behind the plate with solid receiving skills and the ability to work well with a pitching staff. At the very least, he has a high floor as a backup catcher with pop, but if he can continue how he finished with the bat, he has the chance to be more than that. - mlb pipeline

[LansdowneSt]

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 45 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 50

In his one year at Riverside City College, a two-year school in California, Alvarez hit .370/.494/.582 and won a state championship, but largely flew under the radar. The Braves noticed him and took him in the fifth round, giving him an over-slot bonus of $497,500 to join the organization. He’s continued to hit and get on base since signing, with a .406 on-base percentage entering 2024, with a defensive shift on the left side of the infield making him even more intriguing.

A right-handed hitter, Alvarez has very impressive bat-to-ball skills, striking out in just 17.4 percent of his plate appearances at age 20 in High-A in 2023. He has an advanced approach and draws plenty of walks (13.2 percent last year), giving him the chance to be a very good hitter with quick hands at the plate. He is capable of making hard contact, but he hits the ball on the ground too frequently, especially to his pull side. How he adjusts to better pitching and learns to drive the ball will determine his ultimate offensive profile.

A third baseman at Riverside, the Braves liked how Alvarez’s feet and hands worked, so even though he’s not a runner and has a thicker lower half, they wanted to see how he looked at shortstop. It’s turned out that he’s looked very good, even being mentioned as one of the best defenders in the Minors by executives from other teams. If he can stay there long-term, that increases his value and puts a little less pressure on him to become a run-producer, and there’s definitely an up arrow next to his name.

I'll get to the other two later. Amazin' still working with the pics I got to get something I'm happy with. You can post the next one while I work Mutz. On the other historical minor guys, still on the list.

[CBLCardinals]

A few in need of FG’s

- Jonatan Clase, SEA
- Michael Arroyo, SEA
- Yoniel Curet, TB
- Jalen Battles, TB
- Alejandro Pie, TB
- Gionti Turner, TB

[LansdowneSt]

Originally Posted by CBLCardinals

A few in need of FG’s

- Jonatan Clase, SEA
- Michael Arroyo, SEA
- Yoniel Curet, TB
- Jalen Battles, TB
- Alejandro Pie, TB
- Gionti Turner, TB

Caught me just before I crashed for the evening. I'll have to check the other names and add them to the list, but I just did Clase.

[Amazin69]

Tommy Mutz (on the previous page), please?

[LansdowneSt]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

Tommy Mutz (on the previous page), please?

Left you a note mixed in another guy above. I found some postcards on ebay of his face that I'm going use to try tonight to get a better result. In the meantime, as I mentioned above, feel free to give me the next upstart in your league making a play at the bigs.

EDIT: Best I could do with Mutz...

[LansdowneSt]

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

What stood out most when the Mariners were scouting Arroyo was that he’d played against more and better competition internationally than anybody in the 2022 class, which led the club to sign him for $1.375 million. Part of why he flew under the radar was perhaps related to growing up in Colombia, where there’s less exposure than the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

The right-handed-hitting shortstop then went out and had what one scout called a “bulletproof” debut in the Dominican Summer League, where he slashed .314/.457/.484 in 199 plate appearances. The numbers wowed, but it was also the super advanced approach that stood out, putting Arroyo well above his years and peers. He has a more of a hit-over-power approach. All of his hit tools are very repeatable, too, leading to comparisons to Howie Kendrick based on his body type and swing. Some in the organization believe that Arroyo is the right-handed-hitting version of Cole Young.

Defensively, he’s probably going to slide off shortstop, but the club will give him another year or two to prove himself there. Ranked No. 41 in the ‘22 international class, Arroyo’s bat sells as above-average to plus, and they’ll see where his glove falls from there. - mlb pipeline

[LansdowneSt]

Transaction: Tampa Bay Rays send RHP Chih-Wei Hu to the Cleveland Indians for INF/OF Gionti Turner (from prospectslive.com)

Gionti Turner was the Indians 27th round selection in the 2018 draft. It’s unusual for 27th round picks to get a six figure bonus, but that’s exactly what Turner received when he signed for $125,000. Turner’s most attractive skills are his plus speed and athleticism, and the Indians took advantage of that by playing him at second base, shortstop and centerfield in the AZL.

Offensively, Turner is aggressive when he’s in the box and on the bases. Despite his wiry frame he hits the ball hard and collected 13 extra base hits in only 46 games. The swing is noisy with some flair and it reminds me a bit of former White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez.

Both teams got what they were looking for in this one-for-one swap, with the Indians continuing to acquire high-minors prospects while the Rays add another interesting lottery ticket to their organization.

As requested.

[LansdowneSt]

The Tampa Bay Rays have added their third shortstop of the draft, Jalen Battles from the University of Arkansas.

Battles is touted as one of the best defenders in all of college baseball, but lacks strong offensive tools, projecting a below average hit tool and power rating. However, he is extremely athletic, so there is potential for him to increase his abilities at the plate.

Although MLB Pipeline didn’t have Battles among their top 250 draft prospects, they seem to be higher on him than Baseball America (who ranked him 361st), as they raved about his defensive abilities:

One of the best defensive shortstops in college baseball, Battles has solid range and well above-average arm strength. While he’s a below-average hitter with power to match, he did post the best numbers of his college career this spring, batting .289/.364/.480 with 10 homers in 66 games while helping Arkansas reach the College World Series. He’s an average runner.

Meanwhile, Baseball America had this to say about the Rays draftee:

He has an above-average arm and above-average range. His glove should make him an excellent senior sign, although his bat will limit how high he will go. He can turn on a fastball with his fringe-average power, but he’s generally been an easy mark for pitchers who induce him to chase sliders, and especially changeups, away. He pulls off those pitches too often, although his average hand-eye coordination keeps him from being a massive liability as a bottom-of-the-order bat. - USA Today July 2022

[LansdowneSt]

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 55 | Overall: 50

Murphy was a two-way standout during his high school days in Illinois and could have perhaps gone on to both pitch and hit at Notre Dame. He took a step forward on the mound as a high school senior and while he could have been a Day 2 pick as a third baseman, he was deemed a first-round talent as a pitcher by the Braves, who took him No. 20 overall and signed him for a below-slot $2.56 million. He had a solid first full season, earning a promotion to High-A for three starts at the end of the year.

While he’s just over six-foot, Murphy has plenty of strength and a potential four-pitch mix to work with. His velocity has backed up a little bit, more around 91 mph, but it plays up because of high spin and riding action. Not all evaluators love his ability to spin the ball, but the slider has gotten better, a mid-80s pitch with cutter action and he has a slower mid-70s curve as well. He has some feel for a fading changeup, but it’s behind the other offerings.

Murphy doesn’t offer much projection and is a bit maxed out physically, but his athleticism on the mound helps him repeat his delivery and should allow him to be in and around the zone. Just 20 for the 2024 season, some velocity rebound would help his ceiling, but even without it, he could fit into the middle or back of a big-league rotation.

If he ever has a media shot where he isn't smiling, I'll redo him but this should give you something for now, b10wick.

[LansdowneSt]

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 65 | Arm: 45 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Since the Braves got out of the penalty box for international signing violations, they have not hesitated to go after high-end talent who commanded large bonuses. In 2021, that was Ambioris Tavarez. In 2022, Diego Benitez and Douglas Glod got seven-figure deals. When the 2023 signing period opened in January, the Braves targeted Guanipa, who was in the middle of MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 international prospects list and signed him for $2.5 million. He showed off his considerable tools, and his rawness, during his Dominican Summer League debut after signing.

Guanipa plays bigger than his listed height of 5-foot-11. The Venezuelan outfielder has impressive bat speed and the ball can jump off his bat. He doesn’t get cheated at the plate and there’s plenty of raw power for him to continue to tap into as he matures, with the ability to drive the ball to all fields, though while he draws walks he will have to learn to refine his approach.

A plus runner who has good defensive instincts, Guanipa should continue to be a threat on the basepaths after swiping 20 bags in the DSL a year ago while being able to stick in center field for a long time. The Braves are excited to see what he can do stateside for the first time.

Another with limited pics. Used this one but without the smile.

[LansdowneSt]

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 40 | Overall: 45

Signed for $150,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2019, Curet has quickly risen up the Rays’ ranks since making his stateside debut in '22. His professional debut was pushed back due to the pandemic, then he pitched well enough to get on the radar in the Dominican Summer League in 2021. He more clearly established himself in ’22, striking out 58 in 42 innings, then earned Tampa Bay’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award last year by striking out 144 with a 2.94 ERA in 104 innings between Single-A and High-A.

Curet became one of the most promising arms in the Rays’ system and earned a spot on their 40-man roster -- a rare choice for someone so far from Tropicana Field -- with a pitch mix built around power. More specifically, a power fastball. Curet has an electric heater, which sits in the mid-90s but touches 97-98 mph with life up in the zone that generates a ton of swing-and-miss. His slider can be effective as a change of pace off his fastball as it darts gloveside. His changeup isn’t much to be reckoned with at this point.

The question is whether Curet will throw enough strikes for any of that to matter. He’s built like a starter, isn’t a max-effort pitcher and handled a decent chunk of innings in his first full season. But he walked 16.9 percent of his batters faced, meaning half the hitters who stepped into the box against him either walked or struck out. More patient, experienced hitters might capitalize on that wildness out of the zone. The worst-case scenario, at this point, seems to be that Curet taps into his future-closer floor and attempts to overpower hitters with fastballs and sliders in shorter bursts. - mlb pipeline

[LansdowneSt]

According to industry sources, the Rays agreed to a $1.4 million deal with shortstop Alejandro Pie, ranked No. 22 on MLB.com's Top 30 International Prospects list. Pie is big, athletic and loaded with talent.

At the plate, Pie displays above-average bat speed and projects to have above-average raw power in the future. He has shown smooth defensive actions and strong arm. He's a also solid runner -- consistently clocked in the 6.6-6.7-second range in the 60-yard run. - mlb.com (from 2018)

[CBLCardinals]

Thank you for the requested FG’s!!

[b10wick]

Thank you Lansdowne!!