tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post7478015632782501343..comments2023-10-20T06:12:38.934-07:00Comments on Redlegs Baseball: 2010 Top Prospect List: #20 Byron Wiley, ofLark11http://www.blogger.com/profile/06571198327064220683noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-16669942606874293012010-07-12T06:30:49.668-07:002010-07-12T06:30:49.668-07:00Anon,
Thanks for info on Byron. I was sad to see ...Anon,<br /><br />Thanks for info on Byron. I was sad to see him leave the organization and hope he has a better opportunity in Arizona. <br /><br />Best,<br />LarkLark11https://www.blogger.com/profile/06571198327064220683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-54533435609644930302010-07-05T13:16:31.951-07:002010-07-05T13:16:31.951-07:00Not only is Byron great on the field !! Hes a fant...Not only is Byron great on the field !! Hes a fantastic young man whos trust in God will take him FAR !! We miss you B, best of luck this year!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-43432914182968245542010-06-13T18:33:30.079-07:002010-06-13T18:33:30.079-07:00Anon,
Yeah, that is my understanding as well. Sen...Anon,<br /><br />Yeah, that is my understanding as well. Seniors just have less bargaining power. The option of returning to school for your senior year gives juniors more leverage. No option is as attractive if a college senior elects not to sign. <br /><br />Thanks for the comment!<br /><br />Best,<br />LarkLark11https://www.blogger.com/profile/06571198327064220683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-21200171850596463582010-06-13T16:36:02.429-07:002010-06-13T16:36:02.429-07:00they will draft you high but what you dont see beh...they will draft you high but what you dont see behind the scenes is the amount of money you will get. At most he wouldve gotten 100,000.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-33394604636871867212010-04-15T06:46:08.598-07:002010-04-15T06:46:08.598-07:00Anon,
I still contend that if Wiley returned to K...Anon,<br /><br />I still contend that if Wiley returned to K-State for his senior year and put up production in line with his freshman and sophomore seasons, then he would have been drafted much higher than the 22nd round. <br /><br />Draft position is driven largely by performance, tools, and skills. You're right in that he would have had no choice to sign, but that is actually an advantage for the team that drafts him and likely makes him a more desirable draft pick. <br /><br />Draft eligible seniors have less bargaining power and less leverage to use in negotiations. That's a benefit to the drafting organization, as they can likely sign the player for less than if he could return to college. <br /><br />A reason why Bryce Harper may ultimately sign for more than Stephen Strasburg is that Harper is so young that he has a lot of options and, thus, a lot of leverage. <br /><br />Thanks for the comment. <br /><br />Best,<br />LarkLark11https://www.blogger.com/profile/06571198327064220683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-15032198340055226362010-04-14T22:39:55.166-07:002010-04-14T22:39:55.166-07:00Wiley wasn't going to build his draft value if...Wiley wasn't going to build his draft value if he went back to college his senior year. Most seniors aren't drafted high because they have no other choice but to sign, and after that pathetic year he had...he would have had to tear it up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-68947238701030343662010-01-24T20:25:07.379-08:002010-01-24T20:25:07.379-08:00Mr. McWax,
Long time, no see. Good to hear from y...Mr. McWax,<br /><br />Long time, no see. Good to hear from you. <br /><br />As for Wiley, I'd love to see him in double-A...if he's ready. Maybe I'm overrating him, but I like Wiley a lot. His on-base skills are ridiculously good and I really do think he's got more power potential in his bat. <br /><br />Still, Double-A is a big step up, so he might be better off splitting the season between high-A and double-A. But, if he's ready for it, throw him out there and see what he can do. <br /><br />I haven't broken down the organizational depth chart either, but I don't think there's really anyone at double-A who should block his path. <br /><br />Anyway, it'll be interesting to see if he takes a step forward in 2010. I've got fairly high hopes, so hopefully he does. <br /><br />Thanks for the comment.<br /><br />Best,<br />LarkLark11https://www.blogger.com/profile/06571198327064220683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-3859063078254966942010-01-24T13:11:33.059-08:002010-01-24T13:11:33.059-08:00I'm really hoping to see Wiley skip High-A. H...I'm really hoping to see Wiley skip High-A. Hopefully, he comes out in shape and hitting well in spring training. The combination of his age and plate discipline make him a good candidate for that move. But it will also depend on the organizational depth chart - I haven't really went over it completely, but I think it looks promising.Matt McWaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12511586966223130575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-12663044693657983222010-01-06T22:11:37.381-08:002010-01-06T22:11:37.381-08:00Yeah, that's a good point. The point of the pa...Yeah, that's a good point. The point of the patient approach is to battle for a good pitch. Of course, if the first pitch is a grooved fastball, then you need to jump on it. Not doing so would cross the line from patient to too passive and put him behind in the count too often. Hopefully, he takes your Dad's advice in 2010 and starts depositing more of those inside pitches in the rightfield bleachers!<br /><br />Best,<br />LarkLark11https://www.blogger.com/profile/06571198327064220683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-44620277893320786632010-01-06T16:08:33.162-08:002010-01-06T16:08:33.162-08:00no problem. what i have tend to notice is that pi...no problem. what i have tend to notice is that pitchers know he will take the first pitch so they make sure they will get first pitch strike which is usually a fastball. then they will pitch him away or all offspeed after that but his hitting has increased alot and its starting to get where it doesnt matter what they throw. my dad taught us to hit away and when they come inside make em pay.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-81421100647138810662010-01-04T21:19:26.740-08:002010-01-04T21:19:26.740-08:00Anon,
Thanks for the update. It sounds like you ...Anon, <br /><br />Thanks for the update. It sounds like you have a lot of knowledge of the game and probably kick around hitting with your brother quite a bit. I wonder if his selectivity is a conscious decision or just the way he's always done things. Part me of thinks a hitter's approach at the plate is more of an in-born trait than a learned skill. Still, I do wonder what his approach is at the plate on a pitch-by-pitch basis. <br /><br />Does he go up there and look for his favorite pitch in his favorite location on the first pitch? Swing if he gets it and pass if he doesn't? Then, on pitch two use the same approach if it's 1-0, but get less selective if it's 0-1? Is it more of a feel approach or a thinking approach?<br /><br />Plate discipline is an interesting issue, to be sure. There IS something of a fine line between impressive patience and being too passive. A large part of what makes him such an intriguing prospect (in my book, anyway) is his ability to control the strike zone. I'm not sure I'd want to see him sacrifice very much of that simply to cut down on strikeouts. <br /><br />To a certain extent, strikeouts and walks go hand in hand. To state the obvious, you can't draw a walk without seeing at least 4 pitches and can't strikeout without seeing at least 3. So, each is largely the domain of the late count hitter. Given the value of getting on-base and drawing walks, I'm more than willing to take a few strikeouts to get them.<br /><br />In addition, there are quite a few obvious benefits to working counts. The stats tip heavily in favor of the hitter when he works the count in his favor and heavily against him when the pitcher gets ahead in the count. So, there are significant advantages to maximizing the number of times you hit in a hitter's count. <br /><br />If he can increase his power output by getting more aggressive, then it may well be worth it. That could well happen, as sometimes the first pitch is the best one you get. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to see him get more aggressive simply to cut down on the strikeouts. <br /><br />Anyway, he's definitely an intriguing hitter and I'm expecting him to take it up a notch in 2010. I'm a bit surprised that his 2010 level will be determined by his performance in spring training. I was expecting him to head to high-A with a quick promotion if he played well. Still, nice to see the Reds are open minded on the proper spot for him. <br /><br />Thanks for the comment!!! <br /><br />Best,<br />LarkLark11https://www.blogger.com/profile/06571198327064220683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-31574946597796152182010-01-03T19:15:17.200-08:002010-01-03T19:15:17.200-08:00and for where he starts it will depend on how he d...and for where he starts it will depend on how he does in spring trainingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-52244304622987506782010-01-03T17:03:11.286-08:002010-01-03T17:03:11.286-08:00thanks. and yea hes my brother he just went back u...thanks. and yea hes my brother he just went back up to kansas. but no the reds just wanted him to mainly work on his defense and lower his strikeout count. in my perspective i think he's too selective but its working for him but sometimes he needs to jump on the first pitchAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-17054539161352807292010-01-03T00:06:44.143-08:002010-01-03T00:06:44.143-08:00Anon,
By the way, have the Reds informed Byron of...Anon,<br /><br />By the way, have the Reds informed Byron of where he'll start out the 2010 season? High-A? Double-A?<br /><br />Also, has he told you what the Reds have asked him to work on? What aspects of his game do they want him to improve? Any specific changes to his swing mechanics, defensive play, or plate approach?<br /><br />Thanks in advance!<br /><br />Best,<br />LarkLark11https://www.blogger.com/profile/06571198327064220683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-71644280353864907502010-01-03T00:00:54.315-08:002010-01-03T00:00:54.315-08:00Hey Anon,
Are you Byron Wiley's brother? If s...Hey Anon,<br /><br />Are you Byron Wiley's brother? If so, wish him well for me. I'm expecting good things out of him in the future, as he's an intriguing offensive prospect with a nice skill set.<br /><br />As for K-State's schedule, you're right that they do face some top notch baseball programs (i.e. Nebraska, Texas, Witcha State, etc). I didn't intend to imply that they were facing cupcakes. Still, whether the quality of their opponents matches up to the schedules of Stanford, Cal State Fullerton, LSU, FSU, Miami, etc. etc. is somewhat arguable. <br /><br />Anyway, thanks for the comment. Best of luck to your brother. <br /><br />Best,<br />LarkLark11https://www.blogger.com/profile/06571198327064220683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-74694267979127422802010-01-02T18:51:01.180-08:002010-01-02T18:51:01.180-08:00and also his freshman year in highschool he faced ...and also his freshman year in highschool he faced the best, like john danks for the white sox's and went 3 for 4 against himAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-46485948820230093152010-01-02T17:46:29.789-08:002010-01-02T17:46:29.789-08:00my brother faced the best in college, even though ...my brother faced the best in college, even though k-state isnt a elite school they had a tough schedule. They're still in the big 12 and thats where most of the competition comes fromAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-22047704070892671992009-11-25T22:56:36.081-08:002009-11-25T22:56:36.081-08:00Pete,
At this point, it's a bit too early. Wi...Pete,<br /><br />At this point, it's a bit too early. Wiley still has some work to do before we can start slotting him in as a projected starter. He also needs to prove himself against more advanced competition. Until that happens, his trade value isn't very high. <br /><br />Still, I do think there are real reasons for optimism. First, his on-base skills look pretty ridiculous. Remarkably enough, as both a freshman and sophomore, his OBP was exactly .128 points higher than his batting average. If you can get your OBP up to .100 points higher than your batting average, then you have done something really impressive. Wiley's .128 is ridiculous. <br /><br />And, fortunately, he continued that trend in professional ball. For Billings in 2008, Wiley was at .099. For Dayton in 2009, he was up to .120. So, regardless of the level of competition, Wiley excels at getting on-base, which is the most important skill a hitter can have. <br /><br />In addition, I do like his hit tool. He has a nice, fundamentally sound swing. So, he's not going to get the bat knocked out of his hands, which is important because it's difficult to maintain a high OBP if pitchers aren't afraid to challenge you. If they can get away with grooving fastballs, then they won't throw pitches outside of the zone or borderline pitches on the corners. <br /><br />Still, at this point, it's guarded optimism. Wiley does need to demonstrate his skills against more advanced competition. As a college prospect, he should be holding his own against rookie league and low-A ball pitching. The real test will come against high-A and double-A pitching. If he passes those tests, then we can start thinking about his future role with the team. He's got a bit of work to do first. <br /><br />Thanks for the comment and the nice words. <br /><br />Best,<br />LarkLark11https://www.blogger.com/profile/06571198327064220683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-13916580986007395822009-11-25T18:11:37.971-08:002009-11-25T18:11:37.971-08:00Lark,
Thanks for the reply. I wasn't aware of...Lark,<br /><br />Thanks for the reply. I wasn't aware of that rule regarding draft eligibility. If he can continue to improve, and with a plethora of corner outfields (or potential corner outfielders) in our farm system, do you see Wiley as trade material? Or do you see a role for him in the Reds' organization in the future? Or...is it just way too early to make any such call?<br /><br />Thanks for the great write-ups.PeterNincompoopnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-83924918946380706442009-11-25T16:29:57.395-08:002009-11-25T16:29:57.395-08:00Hey Anon,
Ideally, I'd get a new post up ever...Hey Anon,<br /><br />Ideally, I'd get a new post up every other day, but more realistically it will be two to three a week. It just depends on what kind of time I have, as they do take quite a bit of time to write up. Unfortunately, the posts tend to go in spurts, but I'm trying to do a few each week. <br /><br />Thanks for the comment. <br /><br />Best,<br />LarkLark11https://www.blogger.com/profile/06571198327064220683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-42250477487448361962009-11-25T14:29:59.240-08:002009-11-25T14:29:59.240-08:00how often are you going to post a prospect report?...how often are you going to post a prospect report? once every few days or what. just curious.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-81163338391760628782009-11-25T12:52:36.184-08:002009-11-25T12:52:36.184-08:00Hey Pete,
It's an interesting question, to be...Hey Pete,<br /><br />It's an interesting question, to be sure. Under the MLB system, he couldn't have entered the draft after his sophomore season, so that wouldn't have been an option for him. You can enter the draft right after high school, but if you attend college then you are not draft eligible again until after your junior and senior years.<br /><br />If, instead of having a down junior year, he followed up his sophomore year with a junior year that rivaled his sophomore year in terms of performance level, then I'd say he'd be a legitimate option in the first 5-6 rounds. <br /><br />On the other hand, if he went back to K-State after his down junior year and proceeded to hit like he did as a sophomore during his senior year, then he would probably would have rebuilt his value enough to land in the top 10-12 rounds. <br /><br />Outside of the down year as a junior, the only other potential question that might have devalued his collegiate performance is the level of competition. K-State isn't an elite baseball school, so there may have been questions about the caliber of pitching he faced. Even so, that type of production is impressive irrespective of the level of competition. <br /><br />Anyway, he's an intriguing player who is certainly looking right now like a great value pick for the Reds. <br /><br />Thanks for the comment.<br /><br />Best,<br />LarkLark11https://www.blogger.com/profile/06571198327064220683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-59735715692272243242009-11-25T08:12:45.380-08:002009-11-25T08:12:45.380-08:00Lark,
In your opinion, what do you think his dra...Lark, <br /><br />In your opinion, what do you think his draft status would have been if he opted to enter the draft after his sophomore year? Or if he posted similar number his junior year?PeterNincompoopnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-1716696769640367612009-11-24T22:53:10.521-08:002009-11-24T22:53:10.521-08:00Smitty,
Personally, I'd say he's pretty i...Smitty,<br /><br />Personally, I'd say he's pretty interesting already. He's a good athlete who already understands how to translate his tools into baseball specific skills. In fact, he seems like he could be a nice, happy medium between guys like Danny Dorn, who are high on hitting skills, but low on athletic ability, and guys like Billy Hamilton, who are long on raw tools, but low on baseball specific skills.<br /><br />I'm not entirely sure how much more power he'll need to develop. To me, if you can hit for average, you need to pair it with on base skills or power. An empty batting average isn't worth much in my book. Still, Wiley already has the on base skills to go with a nice hit tool. Even so, power is usually the last tool to develop and his 3 homer game shows that he can drive the ball with authority, so there is still some power projection left in him.<br /><br />As for his positional value, obviously his prospect value would be higher if he could play a solid centerfield. However, his specific value to the organization isn't really impacted by having to play a corner spot, as that's where he would end up anyway. Realistically speaking, he wouldn't be able to beat out Drew Stubbs, Chris Dickerson, or Chris Heisey for the centerfield job anyway. So, regardless of his ability (or lack thereof) to play center, he would be destined for a corner spot. At this point, an inability to play center would hurt his trade value more than his unique value to the organization. <br /><br />Obviously, 2010 will be a key data point on Wiley, but I like what he's done in both his collegiate and professional career thus far.<br /><br />Best,<br />LarkLark11https://www.blogger.com/profile/06571198327064220683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347536209014288641.post-34654433841223924782009-11-24T13:55:36.171-08:002009-11-24T13:55:36.171-08:00could be an interesting prospect. really needs to ...could be an interesting prospect. really needs to be able to play center IMO, dont see him as corner outfielder and making it unless he starts hitting with alot more powersmittynoreply@blogger.com