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#Post#: 524619--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2026
By: Deeg Date: February 28, 2026, 8:20 pm
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[quote author=davep link=topic=670.msg524615#msg524615
date=1772328364]
Kepley was quite impressive. He could have been a star 50 years
ago. I doubt that he will get a chance in today's game, but I
hope to see more of him.
[/quote]
Yes, clearly the Cubs spent a 2nd round pick on him because they
don’t intend to give him a chance.
#Post#: 524621--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2026
By: craig Date: February 28, 2026, 8:32 pm
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skimmed Brown and Assad's pitching innings. Brown had a couple
of 99's his first inning, then mostly cruised/relaxed with his
fastball at mostly 97's with a 98 mixed in. Averaged 95.6 last
year, obviously sometimes below average. .
Assad came in and was mostly 95's with his fastball, with some
94 and 93's as well. He was 92.2 and 91.5 the last couple of
years, was 93.1 in his better 2023 season.
#Post#: 524622--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2026
By: craig Date: February 28, 2026, 8:34 pm
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[quote author=JeffH link=topic=670.msg524614#msg524614
date=1772326164]
Craig, take a look at Kane Kepley's AB in the 9th. If he can do
that frequently, he's a regular, even off of CF.
[/quote]
Thanks for sending me to watch that one. Solid hit, and he was
really running hard for triple all the way. Will be really
interesting to see how he can hit this year.
Saw Rojas error a grounder, but also saw him make a good play
ranging hard to his left, and threw a strong-armed strike on
that one. He also made a nice running catch on a blooper to
left.
#Post#: 524625--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2026
By: davep Date: February 28, 2026, 10:45 pm
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[quote author=Deeg link=topic=670.msg524619#msg524619
date=1772331657]
Yes, clearly the Cubs spent a 2nd round pick on him because they
don’t intend to give him a chance.
[/quote]
It isn't that the Cubs won't give him a chance. It's that he
will face the same problems that all speedy, defensive oriented
contact hitters with little power currently face. The same
media and fans that currently scorn that kind of player will
give the same scorn to Kipley. I hope he succeeds, and he might
have a long and successful career. but he will never see the
multi-year, multi hundred milion contracts that are reserved to
those with power in the current game.
#Post#: 524626--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2026
By: Reb Date: March 1, 2026, 2:26 am
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[quote author=davep link=topic=670.msg524625#msg524625
date=1772340311]
It isn't that the Cubs won't give him a chance. It's that he
will face the same problems that all speedy, defensive oriented
contact hitters with little power currently face. The same
media and fans that currently scorn that kind of player will
give the same scorn to Kipley. I hope he succeeds, and he might
have a long and successful career. but he will never see the
multi-year, multi hundred milion contracts that are reserved to
those with power in the current game.
[/quote]
Well, think there’s a range of sorts somewhere between “scorn”
and “multi hundred million contracts” for Kepley.
Yeah, unlikely to make that kind of money but perhaps kinda like
Steven Kwan, a 4 WAR player who’s highly regarded by media and
fans while hitting about 10 homers per 700 PAs.
MLB Network had some kind of fans voting in 2025 that had Kwan
#1 among all MLB LFers, so fans like him.
#Post#: 524627--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2026
By: Reb Date: March 1, 2026, 3:05 am
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As Craig notes, Assad with lots of 95s today——and looks in
better shape than seen him before.
#Post#: 524629--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2026
By: davep Date: March 1, 2026, 9:30 am
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[quote author=Reb link=topic=670.msg524626#msg524626
date=1772353595]
Well, think there’s a range of sorts somewhere between “scorn”
and “multi hundred million contracts” for Kepley.
Yeah, unlikely to make that kind of money but perhaps kinda like
Steven Kwan, a 4 WAR player who’s highly regarded by media and
fans while hitting about 10 homers per 700 PAs.
MLB Network had some kind of fans voting in 2025 that had Kwan
#1 among all MLB LFers, so fans like him.
[/quote]
There certainly is a range. That is why I said he would
probably never be a "star" as he could have been considered
years ago.. A good example is Nick Madrigal, who was a decent
contact hitter with speed and excellent defense, but lacked the
power demanded by today's game.
#Post#: 524640--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2026
By: craig Date: March 1, 2026, 2:40 pm
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If you aren't the Dodgers, you won't have stars at every spot.
There is value in developing good players who aren't "stars".
Kantro doesn't demand power in every prospect. In the last two
drafts, he's spent 2nd-round pick and $1.4 on Kepley, and a
4th-round and $1.0 superslot ($400K above slot) for Southisene.
Kantro knows neither of those prospects will be HR hitters, but
he spent meaningful picks and cash on them. He may be wrong, of
course, and the success rate for $1.4 and $1.0 signees isn't
overwhelming. So who knows if either will end up being useful
big-league players. But it seems there is openness to the
potential value of non-power hitters.
Key will them being really good at what they do well. Will they
be strong enough to get a lot of hits and hit for good average,
even without any HR-hits? We shall see.
#Post#: 524646--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2026
By: Deeg Date: March 1, 2026, 7:00 pm
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3 HRs off Shota today. Doubt we'll see any glowing stories about
his velocity tomorrow (whatever it was).
Spring just doesn't mean all that much. Imanaga is one of the
biggest question marks on the team, but at least we have a
surfeit of BOTR-types to turn to if he really is the guy he was
in the second half last season. I suspect he'll be somewhere
in-between his good and awful self - I don't think he was
healthy after he came back, but the league was already adjusting
to him.
Brown is the wild card. Everyone has been writing him off as a
SP but his upside is still considerable. If the sinker turns out
to be a game-changer for him and he gets some mileage out of the
kick-change against lefties, he still has the potential to be a
#2-3 type starter.
#Post#: 524648--------------------------------------------------
Re: Today’s Game - 2026
By: JeffH Date: March 1, 2026, 7:05 pm
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Horton-Steele-Cabrera-Boyd-Brown would be the best rotation,
theoretically speaking.
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