2022 Bowman Baseball - Full Prospect Analysis

Bowman 2022 is out this week and my review is below. Over 89 names. Not a ton of pitchers. Overall the checklist is solid. If I passed on someone it usually means they have no power potential or I don't see room for more growth as they are too old. I love this product because there are a ton of projects and guys that have boom/bust potential. 

Aeverson Arteaga - San Francisco Giants SS - Young talent with a ton of upside. A lot to like here.

Ricardo Genoves - San Francisco Giants C - Pass. 

Anthony Rodriguez - San Francisco Giants 3B - The Giants are developing really good prospects these days.

Yan Contreras - Cincinnati Reds SS - Must be injured. No stats since 2019. 

Christian Roa - Cincinnati Reds P - Pass. 

Allan Cerda - Cincinnati Reds OF - Pass. 

Elly De LA Cruz - Cincinnati Reds SS - Nice prospect with boom or bust potential. Worth a small position.

Justice Thompson - Cincinnati Reds OF - Pass.

Matt McLain - Cincinnati Reds SS - 1st round draft pick with very solid numbers. I like the player.

Michel Triana - Cincinnati Reds 1B - Pass. 

Edgar Quero - Los Angeles Angels C - Pass.

Mason Albright - Los Angeles Angels - Pass.

Denzer Guzman - Los Angeles Angels SS - So young and will take time to develop. Worth holding.

Alejandro Hidalgo - Los Angeles Angels P - Nice arm but I will pass.

Darren Baker - Washington Nationals 2B - Pass.

Andry Lara - Washington Nationals P - Nice talent but I will pass. 

Roismar Quintana - Washington Nationals OF - Upside pick that is worth holding. 

Adam Macko - Seattle Mariners P - Pass. 

Jonatan Clase - Seattle Mariners OF - Very nice player with good numbers.

Juan Querecuto - Seattle Mariners SS - Pass. Not a ton of power. 

Alejandro Pie - Tampa Bay Rays 3B/SS - Very young needs to grow into power. Its possible. 

Taj Bradley - Tampa Bay Rays P - Pass. 

Curtis Mead - Tampa Bay Rays 3B - Stud with really good numbers. 

Carlos Aguiar - Minnesota Twins OF - Pass.

Bryan Acuña - Minnesota Twins OF - Ronald Acuna Jrs brother. Has not played. 

Ronny Henriquez - Texas Rangers P - Nice arm with low walk numbers. I dont see an ace though.

Dustin Harris - Texas Rangers 1B - Very nice numbers. I really like what I see here. 

Zion Bannister - Texas Rangers OF - Project that has not played much.

Brady Allen - Miami Marlins OF - Decent prospect. I will pass but he does have decent numbers.

Kahlil Watson - Miami Marlins SS -Stud.

Federico Polanco - Miami Marlins 2B - No power. Pass.

Oswaldo Cabrera - New York Yankees Utility - A little older but has a ton of talent. 

Randy Vasquez - New York Yankees P - Pass. 

Tyler Hardman - New York Yankees 1B/3B - Pass. 

Trey Sweeney - New York Yankees SS - Another good talent here. 

Jose Fermin - Cleveland Guardians 2B/SS - Pass.

Jhonkensy Noel - Cleveland Guardians 1B/3B - Very young. Strikes out a lot but there is still time to clean that up.

George Valera - Cleveland Guardians OF - Very solid prospect. I really like the talent here.

Brayan Bello - Boston Red Sox P - Nice arm. 

Eduardo Vaughan - Boston Red Sox OF - Another project. 

Marcelo Mayer - Boston Red Sox SS - Second Bowman auto.

Niko Kavadas - Boston Red Sox 1B - Pass.

Benyamin Bailey - Chicago White Sox OF - Pass. 

Lenyn Sosa - Chicago White Sox SS - Decent numbers. Maybe a small position. 

Colson Montgomery - Chicago White Sox SS - Nice prospect with room to grow. I would not be surprised if he breaks out later this year. 

Oscar Colas - Chicago White Sox OF - Pass. 

Branlyn Jaraba - Milwaukee Brewers 3B - Project with OK numbers. 

Felix Valerio - Milwaukee Brewers 2B - Nice hitter with limited power.

Larry Ernesto - Milwaukee Brewers OF - Pass. 

Jackson Chourio - Milwaukee Brewers OF - Young but look at his 2021 stats. Impressive.

Hendry Mendez - Milwaukee Brewers OF - Decent prospect but I will have to pass. 

Creed Willems - Baltimore Orioles C - 19 and has not played at all. 

Luis Gonzalez - Baltimore Orioles OF - Another young project worth a hold.

Darell Hernaiz - Baltimore Orioles SS - Pass. 

Colton Cowser - Baltimore Orioles CF - Second Bowman auto.

Benny Montgomery - Colorado Rockies - Second Bowman auto.

Warming Bernabel - Colorado Rockies 3B - Love the numbers here even if its a project. Worth a long term hold. 

Gavin Conticello - Arizona Diamondbacks 3B - Need to see how he develops but I like what I read about him.

Ryan Bliss - Arizona Diamondbacks SS - Pass. 

Jordan Lawlar - Arizona Diamondbacks SS - Second Bowman auto. 

Brandon Valenzuela - San Diego Padres C - Pass. 

Euribiel Angeles - San Diego Padres 3B/SS - Now with Oakland but its a pass. 

Cristian Gonzalez - Houston Astros SS - Not enough pop for me.

Tyler Whitaker - Houston Astros OF - Pass. 

Dauri Lorenzo - Houston Astros 2B/SS - Pass. 

Luca Tresh - Kansas City Royals C - Pass.

Wilmin Candelario - Kansas City Royals SS - Pass.

Dayton Dooney - Kansas City Royals 2B - Pass. 

Martin Gimenez - Toronto Blue Jays SS - Young project but where is the power?

Damiano Palmegiani - Toronto Blue Jays 3B - Not a bad player. A little too old for my taste.

Elijah Cabell - St. Louis Cardinals OF - Pass.

Joshua Baez - St. Louis Cardinals OF - Very young but the power numbers show good signs. 

Yeison Santana - Chicago Cubs - Pass. 

Luis Verdugo - Chicago Cubs SS - Pass.

Pablo Aliendo - Chicago Cubs C - Pass. 

Ronnier Quintero - Chicago Cubs C - Pass. 

James Triantos - Chicago Cubs 2B- Very solid prospect.

Jordan Wicks - Chicago Cubs P - Pass. 

Jose Ramos - Los Angeles Dodgers OF - Another solid Dodger prospect. 

Eddys Leonard - Los Angeles Dodgers SS - See above. 

Henry Davis - Pittsburgh Pirates - Second Bowman auto.

Matt Fraizer - Pittsburgh Pirates OF -  Pass. 

Jack Suwinski - Pittsburgh Pirates OF - Pass. 

James Wood - San Diego Padres OF - 6'7 potential stud. I really like what I see here.

Victor Lizarraga - San Diego Padres P - Pass. 

Luke Waddell - Atlanta Braves SS - Pass. 

Max Muncy - Oakland Athletics SS - Strikeouts are high but I am a fan. 

Roberto Campos - Detroit Tigers OF - Love the talent here.

Robert Dominguez - New York Mets P - Pass. 

Yhoswar Garcia - Philadelphia Phillies OF - Pass. 

2022 Breakout Prospect Canidate - Evan Carter (Texas Rangers, OF)

The goal of Prospect for Cash is to bring value to the reader. Every year I always note prospects that I like and believe will shoot up the prospects list. I will name a few over the next few days. The first one I want to talk about is Evan Carter. Evan's rookie season was cut short by a back injury but he showed great discipline at the plate prior to the injury. Most in the industry thought it was a reach to take him in the first round of the 2020 draft but it seems the Texas Rangers knew something we didn't. Evan is back in camp and healthy and I think he will do big things this year. Keep in mind his autographs seems to be short printed but are affordable compared to other prospects. 

MLB Lockout and Its Impact on Prospects

It's not breaking news that the MLB is in a lockout but with no spring training games on the horizon it's now time to wonder how a delayed start to the season will impact card prices. For me, I worry about the older prospects missing at bats and time being in the majors. Some of the top prospects could make the Major League roster out of camp. The clock is ticking away. At this point it might be a good idea to focus on younger prospects and projects. Let's hope both sides come to an agreement soon. 

Closer Than You Think: Sal Frelick vs Garrett Mitchell

One thing I wanted to bring up after the release of 2021 Bowman Draft is the comparison between two prospects. Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick. Garrett Mitchell cards were very hot after 2020 Bowman Draft release and still are holding steady selling for $100 for a base auto. At this moment I believe that Sal Frelick is the better prospect. Both are great athletes with a number of tools. My main issue currently with Garrett Mitchell is he has a ton of raw power but in order for this to show in games a swing overhaul must occur. I think at this time that is a risky thing to bet on. I'm not saying it cannot happen but its easier said than done. Expect to see Sal Frelick's cards surpass Garrett Mitchell's cards. This could create a buying opportunity for Garret's cards as prospectors move forward to the next hot prospect in the system. 

2021 Bowman Draft Baseball - Full Prospect Analysis

Hello Readers. A new year of prospecting is here and 2021 Bowman Draft has arrived to get us started. My comments on the checklist are below. Unfortunately Topps released the product without the checklist so that caused a delay in the review. One thing I noticed is that MLB teams are really taking a lot of college players in the earlier rounds. If you think these players will develop quickly I could see why you would purchase. In regards to the pitchers in this product I just cant recommend you purchase guys if they have not played or if they are priced high. Too much risk. Some arms I will wait to see what they can do as I like the talent. For others I passed especially if they seem to be relivers or 4/5 starters. If I missed any games please let me know and thanks again for reading. 

Aaron Zavala - Texas Rangers OF - Not a bad debut. Only 75 PA's but has some talent for a college bat. 

Mitch Bratt - Texas Rangers P - Only pitched 6 innings. I need to see more.

Brendan Beck - New York Yankees P -  College arm that still has yet to debut. It's a wait and see for me.

Andrew Abbott - Cincinnati Reds P - Not a bad talent. Limited innings pitched but I like him. I wouldn't break the bank though.

Jay Allen - Cincinnati Reds OF - Very solid even though the sample is limited. Very athletic high risk high reward type guy. Worth a shot. 

Jose Torres - Cincinnati Reds  SS - Another solid college bat with a great debut. 

Matheu Nelson - Cincinnati Reds C - Catching prospect that is decent. A little older but has a good eye. Catchers just take so much time to develop though. 

Ruben Ibarra - Cincinnati Reds 1B - Decent first basemen. Its a pass for me though. 

Russell Smith - Milwaukee Brewers P - Pitcher from TCU that did have Tommy John in 2019. I would pass because he may not be a starter. 

Alex Binelas - Milwaukee Brewers OF - NOTE - He's now on the Red Sox and I love the talent. Keeping him here because of the team break angle.

Sal Frelick - Milwaukee Brewers OF - I really like this guy. Plays hard and has some power and speed. Exciting athlete. 

Tyler Black - Milwaukee Brewers 2B - Most likely will be a multiple position player. Take a small position if you like him.

Steven Hajjar - Minnesota Twins P - Has not made his pro debut yet. Wait and see.

Chase Petty - Minnesota Twins P - 1st round arm with some good talent. Wait and see for me but if you like the scouting report I understand not waiting. 

Cade Povich - Minnesota Twins P - Another arm that I am passing on. 

Christian Encarnacion-Strand - Minnesota Twins 3B - A little older for my taste but I do like the numbers. 

Tanner Bibee - Cleveland Indians P - Has not played yet. Wait and see.  

Tommy Mace - Cleveland Indians P - See above.

Doug Nikhazy - Cleveland Indians P - See above. 

Gavin Williams - Cleveland Indians P - See above. 

Ryan Webb - Cleveland Indians - See above. 

Adrian Del Castillo - Arizona Diamondbacks C - Another older catcher. Pass. 

Jordan Lawlar - Arizona Diamondbacks SS - 6th overall pick who I think will be a stud. 

Jacob Steinmetz - Arizona Diamondbacks P - Not a big sample here. Wait and see. 

Austin Love - St. Louis Cardinals P - Older arm with limited numbers. Pass for me. 

Ryan Holgate - St. Louis Cardinals OF - College bat with decent numbers. The strikeouts are a concern. 

Michael McGreevy - St. Louis Cardinals P - Its a wait and see for me. 

Zane Mills - St. Louis Cardinals P - Another wait and see. 

Branden Boissiere - Washington Nationals OF - Decent numbers but its a pass for me. 

T.J. White - Washington Nationals OF - Not a bad debut by a fifth round pick. Will be interesting to follow him.

Andrew Painter - Philadelphia Phillies P - 1st round arm. Wait and see. 

Ethan Wilson - Philadelphia Phillies OF - Decent numbers but too old for my taste. 

Jordan Viars - Philadelphia Phillies OF - Younger talent that I do like. Youth is on his side.

Micah Ottenbreit - Philadelphia Phillies P - 4th round pitching talent that is a wait and see. 

Ben Casparius - Los Angeles Dodgers P - 5th round pitching talent. Pass for me because of age. 

Maddux Bruns - Los Angeles Dodgers P - 1st round talent that is another wait and see. 

Anthony Solometo - Pittsburgh Pirates P - Has not played. Wait and see.

Bubba Chandler - Pittsburgh Pirates SS/RHP - I really like Bubba. 

Henry Davis - Pittsburgh Pirates C - Stud. I would be surprised if he stays at catcher.

Lonnie White Jr. - Pittsburgh Pirates OF - Two sport athlete that I hope Pit can develop. I do like the talent here as well.

Sean Burke - Chicago White Sox P - Pass.  

Wes Kath - Chicago White Sox 3B - Strikeouts were high but he is young. I just wonder if Chicago can develop him properly. Worth a shot though. 

Cody Morissette - Miami Marlins SS - A little older but can hit. He will hit a ton of doubles. 

Joe Mack - Miami Marlins C - Catching prospect that I will pass on. 

Jordan McCants - Miami Marlins SS - Speed player who is an athlete. I like the upside. 

Tanner Allen - Miami Marlins OF - Too old for my taste. 

Cooper Kinney - Tampa Bay Rays 2B - I like the player wont be a superstar but has some good tools. Small position if you are interested. 

Carson Williams - Tampa Bay Rays SS - Not a bad player. I would focus on the power. Would make sense to buy now if you think he can tap into it. 

Kyle Manzardo - Tampa Bay Rays 1B - Has some tools but its a pass for me. 

Ryan Spikes - Tampa Bay Rays SS - Another athlete with some pop. I like him.

Ky Bush - Los Angeles Angels P - Pass. 

Landon Marceaux - Los Angeles Angels - Pass. 

Luke Murphy - Los Angeles Angels P - Pass. 

Sam Bachman - Los Angeles Angels P - Pass. 

Carter Jensen - Kansas City Royals C - A catching prospect that can hit. Another guy that I hope moves to another position.

Eric Cerantola - Kansas City Royals P - Pass. 

Frank Mozzicato - Kansas City Royals P - Has not played yet. Wait and see. 

Shane Panzini - Kansas City Royals P - Has not played yet. Wait and see. 

Benny Montgomery - Colorado Rockies OF - High upside. Potential stud. 

Hunter Goodman - Colorado Rockies C - Older catcher. Its a pass. 

Jaden Hill - Colorado Rockies P - Dropped because of injury history. Its a wait and see for me. 

Joe Rock - Colorado Rockies - Pass. Great name. 

McCade Brown - Colorado Rockies P - Pass. 

Spencer Schwellenbach - Atlanta Braves P - Pass. Has not played but that was not a factor in my statement.

Ryan Cusick - Atlanta Braves P - Pass. 

Colton Cowser - Baltimore Orioles OF - Solid debut from a college prospect. I would not mind a small position. 

Connor Norby - Baltimore Orioles OF - Norby is kind of similar to Cowser. Same comments apply. 

Will Bednar - San Francisco Giants P  - 1st round draft pick that will be high priced. I will pass.

Matt Mikulski - San Francisco Giants P - Pass.

Mason Black - San Francisco Giants P - Pass.

Kevin Kopps - San Diego Padres P - Pass.

Max Ferguson - San Diego Padres 2B - Seems to have a good eye at the plate. Worth a small position.

Robert Gasser - San Diego Padres P - Pass. 

Harry Ford - Seattle Mariners C - Stud that I hope does not stay at catcher. 

Michael Morales - Seattle Mariners P - Pass.

Bryce Miller - Seattle Mariners P - Pass.

Izaac Pacheco - Detroit Tigers SS - Nice talent. I cant wait to see how he develops. 

Jackson Jobe - Detroit Tigers P - Stud but remember that all arms are high risk. 

Christian Scott - New York Mets P - Pass for me. 

Calvin Ziegler - New York Mets P - Pass for me. 

Drew Gray - Chicago Cubs  P - Pass for me. 

Marcelo Mayer - Boston Red Sox SS - STUD 

Tyler McDonough - Boston Red Sox 2B - Older but check out the numbers. The extra base hits are looking good. 

Gunnar Hoglund - Toronto Blue Jays P - Had Tommy John surgery recently. Pass for me as people know where I stand with pitchers in general. 

Why I Invested In Nolan Gorman (St. Louis Cardinals, 2B/3B)

Over the past few years I have been watching Nolan Gorman closely. The main reason I stayed away is because I was waiting for an adjustment in his swing that would cut down on the strikeouts. This season that has occurred. You may think my change is a reaction to the AAA numbers but its not. AAA's talent level this year is not where it was pre realignment and covid issues have cut into the talent pool. Nolan's AA numbers is where the real data is. Even though his Batting Average on Balls In Play (BABIP) was high, I was more impressed that he cut down the strikeouts to around 25%. In addition, his prices did not spike as much as I thought they would until the last few weeks. 

Nolan Gorman will participate in the 2021 Arizona Fall League and when the 2022 season starts he will be 22 years old. If he keeps it up we should see him in the majors next year. I trust the St. Louis Cardinals and how they develop their prospects. My investment is a bet that his success will continue and I could not pass up the prices I saw compared to other top prospects. 

2021 Bowman Chrome Baseball - Full Prospect Analysis

Hello Readers. 2021 Bowman Chrome is now out and overall they have produced a solid checklist. Although there are a ton of names I think there is some value here. I organized the names by teams for break purposes. I just cannot recommend any pitchers this year. The upside is just not there in my opinion. A lot of these players are young so you might want to wait for more plate appearances before purchasing. Most of the hitters I passed on were too old for my liking or had no power potential. 

Rays, Padres, Cubs, Brewers are my favorite teams for breaks. 

Carlos Colmenarez - SS (Rays) - A top international signing w power and speed. Stud.

Tanner Murray - SS/3B (Rays) - Pass. 

Pedro Martinez - SS/2B/3B (Rays) - Pass.

Kevin Made - SS (Cubs) – Needs to walk more but hits a ton of doubles. More of a watch but I get it if you buy in now.

Ethan Hearn - C (Cubs) – Pass. 

Koen Moreno - RHP (Cubs) - Pass.

Cristian Hernandez - SS (Cubs) – Another stud. Will be highly sought after.

Christopher Morel - 3B/OF (Cubs) – High K rate but I love the power. I am willing to take a chance. 

Rafael Morel - SS (Cubs) – A player that I will watch. 

Yohendrick Pinango - OF (Cubs) - Pass. No pop.

Pedro Leon - SS/OF (Astros) – A little older for my taste but the talent is legit.

J.C. Correa - SS/3B (Astros) - Nice player but 22 and that may be too old for some people unless you are flipping.

Reginald Preciado - 3B/SS (Padres) – On the Cubs. Solid player. Good talent.

Victor Acosta - SS (Padres) - Decent prospect with room to improve. Has a little pop.

Eguy Rosario - 2B/SS/3B (Padres) – Awesome talent with a ton of tools.

Jordy Barley - SS (Padres) – On the Nationals but a watch. 

Jagger Haynes - LHP (Padres) - Pass.

Adam Kerner - C/OF (Padres) – Pass.

Liover Peguero - SS (Pirates) – Good pop and hit tool.

Shalin Polanco - OF (Pirates) – Wait and see. Very young. 

Po-Yu Chen - RHP (Pirates) – Pass.

Santiago Florez - RHP (Pirates) - Pass.

Alexander Mojica - 3B/1B/DH (Pirates) - High number of strikeouts but I love the power.

Jose Butto - RHP (Mets) – Pass.

Anthony Walters - 2B/SS (Mets) – Pass. Too old.

Luis Rodriguez - OF (Dodgers) - I like the player but the strikeout numbers need to improve. 

Wilman Diaz - SS (Dodgers) – Ton of potential here but I need to see more.

Carson Taylor - C (Dodgers) - Pass. 

Cristian Santana - SS (Tigers) – Solid player. Bat is nice. 

Jeferson Quero - C (Brewers) – Catcher with some pop. Might take time but he can hit.

Eduardo Garcia - SS (Brewers) – Pass. Too many strikeouts.

Jesus Parra - 3B/2B (Brewers) – Low amount of plate appearances so I am watching. 

Pablo Abreu - OF (Brewers) - Watch has not played yet. 

Carlos Rodriguez - OF (Brewers) – Pass.

Eduarqui Fernandez - OF (Brewers) - Pass. Strikeouts over 30%. 

Luis Medina - OF (Brewers) – Very young with upside. Watch.

Misael Urbina - OF (Twins) - Need to see more. 

Emmanuel Rodriguez - OF (Twins) - Ton of upside but a wait and see. 

Gilberto Celestino - OF (Twins) – Pass.

Malfrin Sosa - OF (Twins) - Watch. Not enough plate appearances. 

Gabriel Maciel - OF (Twins) - Pass. No pop. 

Pedro Pineda - OF (Athletics) – Not a ton of plate appearances so its a watch for me. 

Jordan Diaz - 3B/1B (Athletics) - 21 years old but all he needs to do is walk more. I am in. Short window to show me something or I move on because of the age.

Michael Guldberg - OF (Athletics) - Pass. Too old.

Ezequiel Tovar - SS (Rockies) – Low strikeout rates but its a pass for me.

Helcris Olivares - LHP (Rockies) - Pass.

Julio Carreras - SS/3B (Rockies) - Pass.

Arol Vera - SS (Angels) – No home runs but the extra base hits show promise. Its a bet that he can tap into the power. Angels are know to overhaul swings. 

Trent Deveaux - SS (Angels) – Pass. No pop.

Jose Bonilla - SS/3B (Angels) – Pass for me for now but will monitor.

George Feliz - OF (Mariners) - Solid prospect. 

Milkar Perez - 3B (Mariners) – Hit over power but a lot to like here.

Tyler Keenan - 3B/1B (Mariners) - Pass. K Rate over 30%.

Juan Then - RHP (Mariners) – Pass.

Taylor Dollard - RHP (Mariners) - Pass.

Starlin Aguilar - 1B/3B (Mariners) – Need to see more. Very young.

Matt Scheffler - C (Mariners) – Pass. 

Sean Roby - 3B (Giants) – Pass. Too old. 

Rayner Santana - C (Giants) – Pass. 

Gregory Santos - RHP (Giants) - Pass.

Rikelvin de Castro - SS (Blue Jays) – Ton of upside if he gets going look out.

Nick Frasso - RHP (Blue Jays) - Pass.

Yiddi Cappe - SS (Marlins) – Love the talent and hope he continues to develop.

J.D. Orr - OF (Marlins) – Pass. No pop. 

Kyle Hurt - RHP (Marlins) - Pass.

Miguel Bleis - OF (Red Sox) – Wait and see. Very young.

Chih-Jung Liu - RHP (Red Sox) – Pass.

Aldo Ramirez - RHP (Red Sox) - Pass.

Josh Winckowski - RHP (Red Sox) - Pass.

Malvin Valdez - OF (Reds) – Watch. Has not play yet. 

Luis Mieses - OF (White Sox) – 21 years of age. Love the numbers and hope his rise is fast.

Bryan Ramos - 2B/3B (White Sox) - Love the prospect and the numbers produced so far. 

Gabriel Rodriguez - 3B (Indians) – Pass. High number of strikeouts with no pop.

Jose Baez - 3B/SS/2B (Indians) - Watch. Has not played. 

Tyler Gentry - OF (Royals) – Pass. Too old for me. 

Kale Emhoff - C (Royals) - Pass.

Tucker Bradley - OF (Royals) - Pass. Too old.

Osleivis Basabe - SS (Rangers) – On the Rays now. Pass. No pop. 

David Garcia - C (Rangers) – Pass.

Elijah Dunham - 1B/OF (Yankees) - Pass. Too old. 

Alexander Vizcaino - RHP (Yankees) - Pass.

Baron Radcliff - 1B (Phillies) - Too old and too many strikeouts.

Angel Rondon - RHP (Cardinals) - Pass.

Malcom Nunez - 1B/3B (Cardinals) – Love the prospect and I trust the Cardinals to develop him.

Armando Cruz - SS (Nationals) - Pass. No pop.

Viandel Pena - SS (Nationals) – Pass. No pop.

Justin Martinez - RHP (Diamondbacks) - Pass.

Franyel Baez - OF (Diamondbacks) - Watch. Has not played yet.

My Thoughts on the Fanatics Sports Card Takeover

In one of the biggest deals in sports card history, Fanatics has reached an agreement with the MLB, NFL, and NBA player's associations to distribute all their cards starting around 2025. Its an interesting deal to say the least. I watch a ton of CNBC and always noticed that Fanatics was raising a ton of money every funding round. No one saw something like this coming but maybe we should have. Cards have exploded in sales and when big time money sees an opportunity to get a piece of the pie they move in. I want to take this post to follow the money and suggest why this happened and what will happen next. 

Why Do I Think This Happened? 

Since the pandemic started modern cards have been selling for millions of dollars (Giannis, Luka, Lebron). The players who signed these cards were not paid much up front in comparison to what the card sold for. Imagine being a prospect and signing for Bowman Draft for a few thousand bucks and your card sells for millions a decade later if not sooner. Not sure if I would be happy about that. I think the players want their cut on the front end. The big part that no one seems to mention is that each league will have an equity stake in the company. That is why this is happening. It all came down to getting more money. 

Predictions 

1. Fanatics will file to go Public very soon. Might not be a bad buy as they hold the license to the three most popular sports in the US. (Not Investment Advice) 

2. Fanatics will buy Topps and Panini. Right now I would say they would be better off buying Topps and creating their own brands for NFL and NBA cards.

3. Distribution will forever change. Everything will go through Fanatics. They run the show. Group breakers may run into issues. 

4. I could see a scenario where auto's of certain players never make it into a hobby box. A high profile player's auto would automatically go to auction.

5. Fanatics teams up with PSA for grading. I could also see a team up with Goldin Auctions. Look out for more vertical integration like this. A one stop shop for all things cards. Fanatics does not want you going anywhere else to do business. Buying, selling and grading will all be done on their site or one of their partners.  

A Few Notes on Justin Foscue ( Texas Rangers, 3B)

When the 2020 draft wrapped up last year no on liked the Texas Rangers draft. It seems those people are wrong (Including me to a degree). Justin Foscue is on fire right now hitting a home run in eight games straight. I have to say he is now on everyone's radar. Those who bought early are loving what they are seeing. Overall the lesson is don't worry about what the experts say. Make your own choices. If you like a player go for it and buy a few autos. 

MLB Prospect Statistical Analysis (Stats Don't Lie) Pitching Report

In my previous stats report, I discussed some of the standout hitters that got my attention. For this report lets show some pitchers a little love. Expect more stat breakdowns moving forward as the season heats up. The report was ran July 1. 

I wanted to show the pitchers that have a high K/9 rate with a low walk rate. There are some other good arms playing right now but their walk rates are high. Max Meyer is included because of his high ground ball rate.