My top-20 might just EAT your top-20

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Originally Posted by Shane Wahl

Good god. I don't understand the tone and animosity for daring to list Colabello as a prospect. Regardless of age, he is fresh into professional baseball and can be labelled a prospect if one wants to do so. I have done it. Now, I probably wouldn't do it for 2014, but hopefully that is merely because he is with the Twins. The tone here is just weird. It's perfectly legitimate to consider even a 29-year-old a prospect if he is new to professional ball and can GET BETTER as the result of professional baseball experience. It isn't like we are talking about someone clinging to professional baseball's minor leagues for ten years.

And Colabello should be on the 25-man roster, damn it. Why on earth not?

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The thing is, he's not new to pro ball. He's been toiling in indy leagues for the better part of a decade. Generally there's a reason why that happens to a player. The reason age factors into players being labelled as "prospects" is that they have not yet reached the years where players generally "peak", leaving room for improvement both in tools and their physical frame. Colabello is firmly in the midst of the typical "peak" years already, and only projects as a no-glove 1B or possibly corner OF. That's not exactly a basket of tools just waiting to explode on the scene, particularly now that he's probably bordering on his decline years.

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Originally Posted by FrodaddyG

The reason age factors into players being labelled as "prospects" is that they have not yet reached the years where players generally "peak", leaving room for improvement both in tools and their physical frame.

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Your opinion is that "age factors into players being labelled as "prospects"." Thank you for your opinion. But, I politely disagree with your opinion on this subject. Why? See my comments about production above in this thread.

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Originally Posted by FrodaddyG

Where does Roy Hobbs rank on current prospect lists?

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Right up there with the "Salliest" villain of all-time, The Monarch. (whose girlfriend is a dude that cheats on him with nerds) hahahah

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Originally Posted by mnfanforlife

Your opinion is that "age factors into players being labelled as "prospects"." Thank you for your opinion. But, I politely disagree with your opinion on this subject. Why? See my comments about production above in this thread.

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And it's also the opinion of virtually EVERY prospect evaluator that does it for a living. I wonder why that is?

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Originally Posted by FrodaddyG

And it's also the opinion of virtually EVERY prospect evaluator that does it for a living. I wonder why that is?

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You're going to have to reference some sort of concrete evidence about that claim you just made...I can speak for myself, but I will never speak for EVERY prospect evaluator....as you have.

I am employed by an NCAA baseball program. (go ahead and check it out) Part of my job is to evaluate baseball talent, and determine if it is capable of performing at the NCAA Division II level. I am not saying I am a professional baseball scout, but I have extensive experience when it comes to evaluating baseball talent potential.

I do not need to be told that a person's age determines how much more he may or may not develop tools, skills, etc. I ALREADY KNOW THIS.
Either you are not capable of understanding that a player can still produce at a high level past the age of 29, or you are simply discriminating against any productive player that is over your unstated "age limit" for being labelled a baseball prospect...

If you choose to respond. Please do so in a respectful way, and DO NOT lump every prospect evaluator's practices into your personal opinion. Its irresponsibly incorrect, and totally unfair to the people that do it for a living.

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Originally Posted by mnfanforlife

You're going to have to reference some sort of concrete evidence about that claim you just made...I can speak for myself, but I will never speak for EVERY prospect evaluator....as you have.

I am employed by an NCAA baseball program. (go ahead and check it out) Part of my job is to evaluate baseball talent, and determine if it is capable of performing at the NCAA Division II level. I am not saying I am a professional baseball scout, but I have extensive experience when it comes to evaluating baseball talent potential.

I do not need to be told that a person's age determines how much more he may or may not develop tools, skills, etc. I ALREADY KNOW THIS.
Either you are not capable of understanding that a player can still produce at a high level past the age of 29, or you are simply discriminating against any productive player that is over your unstated "age limit" for being labelled a baseball prospect...

If you choose to respond. Please do so in a respectful way, and DO NOT lump every prospect evaluator's practices into your personal opinion. Its irresponsibly incorrect, and totally unfair to the people that do it for a living.

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Please, go find me one reputable prospect guy who will have Colabello on their top 10 list, or explain to me what conspiracy they have cooked up to not consider him a top prospect. Projecting what 17-year olds could do at a D-II school is significantly different from projecting how minor leaguers will fare against the highest level of competition. It's hit or miss either way, but the professional guys are playing a much higher stakes version of the game, so there's probably a good reason that their evaluation practices remain largely universal.

Are you out scouring for 25-year olds complaining at a local bar that they "just never got a chance" for your next big college player, or do you generally stick to the high school ranks? Colabello is the guy at the bar, whereas young guys at the low-to-midlevels of the minors are the high schoolers.

Which program? Also evaluating if a guy has enough talent to play in Division II is quite different then evaluating if a guy is a top prospect for a major league organization.

I currently play in a baseball league that is littered with former DII and low end Division 1 players. The minute a former 6.00 ERA guy AA or even Single A prospect comes into the league they absolutely dominate. (Think 55k's in 24 innings). The talent levels are so greatly disparged its like claiming being a middle school football coach to an NFL one personally.

By the sounds of it, I'm a prospect!!!

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Originally Posted by twinsnorth49

By the sounds of it, I'm a prospect!!!

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What "sounds" are you listening to?

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Originally Posted by mnfanforlife

What "sounds" are you listening to?

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Well, it's never too late for a guy to have an impact, right?

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Originally Posted by mnfanforlife

... is there an age limit to being a baseball prospect?

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The average peak for a position player is 27. Anyone above that age in the minors I would consider organizational depth and nothing more. Colabello took an interesting route, but at his age he is what he's going to be. Now, what he is right now could possibly be useful in a limited role at the major league level, but that just makes him a somewhat intersting non-prospect.

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Originally Posted by gil4

The average peak for a position player is 27. Anyone above that age in the minors I would consider organizational depth and nothing more. Colabello took an interesting route, but at his age he is what he's going to be. Now, what he is right now could possibly be useful in a limited role at the major league level, but that just makes him a somewhat intersting non-prospect.

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Thank you for your opinion.