Future Projection
Episodes
Episode 83: Are Charlie Condon And Travis Bazzana Still Somehow Underrated?
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos hop on the show to talk about the top of the 2024 draft class and notable minor league prospect assignments. Before getting into the s...
Episode 82: MLB Predictions & Opening Day Thoughts
29 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Happy (day after) Opening Day!Ben and Carlos hop back on the podcast to talk about Opening Day of the big league season and some of the main storyline...
Episode 81: Should Wyatt Langford & Jackson Holliday Start In The Big Leagues?
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos chat about spring training standouts in big league camp, headlined by two players in the very elite tier of baseball prospects who have...
Episode 80: Chase Burns, Hagen Smith & Scouting Reliever Risk
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about the first two weeks of college baseball action including scorching offensive starts from Georgia’s Charlie Condon and Oreg...
Episode 79: Drafting 2024 Prospect Teams
16 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos are joined by Peter Flaherty in a special edition of the show, where the three look ahead to the 2024 amateur season by drafting teams ...
Episode 78: All-Americans, 2024 Draft Prospects & Ethan Holliday’s 1-1 Case
09 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Carlos and Ben banter about the announced Netflix documentary following the Red Sox and think about what their ideal baseball documentary looks like. ...
Episode 77: Breaking Down The New MLB Draft Rankings
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos hop on the show and talk through a few major league news items, including the Tigers extension of Colt Keith, the Twins-Mariners Jorge ...
Episode 76: Answering Your Prospect Questions
26 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about the week’s Hall of Fame results and debate the various cases for some of the players who were on this year’s ballot befo...
Episode 75: Breaking Down The 2024 Top 100 Prospects List
19 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos spend most of the episode getting into the weeds on our recently released 2024 Top 100 Prospects list. Before that conversation starts,...
Episode 74: Everything You Need To Know About The 2024 International Class
12 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode is spent entirely on international prospects, as we are just days away from January 15. In this episode, Carlos grills Ben on all th...
Episode 73: The State Of AL West Farm Systems
05 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos kick off the new year with the final installment of their division-by-division breakdown of farm systems, saving the worst (?) group of...
Episode 72: The State Of AL Central Farm Systems
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos celebrate the fact that the 2024 Prospect Handbook has been shipped by breaking down AL Central prospect talent. Without much happening...
Episode 71: The State Of AL East Farm Systems
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos discuss their caffeine of choice during the busy December prospect season, then react a bit to Shohei Ohtani’s historic contract with...
Episode 70: Analyzing The Draft Lottery + The Shohei Ohtani Narrative
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos break down the second annual draft lottery and the implications that come from the Guardians and Reds leaping up to secure the top two ...
Episode 69: The State of NL West Farm Systems
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about the rumored Jackson Chourio extension with the Brewers and talk through evaluating risk for prospects vs. risk for veteran p...
Episode 68: The State Of NL Central Farm Systems
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos chat about MLB awards season, despite the fact that most of the winners were unanimous and ultimately not too surprising. After that th...
Episode 67: What Makes A Good Manager?
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about a number of the managerial moves in the big leagues in recent weeks, and then Ben talks about the traits and skills that he ...
Episode 66: Scouting Speed
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos have a long conversation about speed on today’s episode. How they evaluate it, how much it matters, which players the tool is most im...
Episode 65: The State Of NL East Farm Systems
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos hop on the podcast and talk about the Marlins and Kim Ng splitting up—or more accurately Kim Ng deciding that she wanted no part in t...
Episode 64: MLB Postseason Drama & Winning 54%
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Badler and Carlos Collazo recap their trip to Jupiter and break down some of the most interesting players they saw. They also talk about the value...
Episode 63: Previewing The Postseason + Scouting Jupiter
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The postseason field is set and October baseball is here. Ben and Carlos talk about the field and think through which teams are well-positioned to adv...
Episode 62: Scouting The Arizona Fall League
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos dig into some of the more interesting prospects to know from the Arizona Fall League rosters, including a few well-known players with a...
Episode 61: Trouble In San Diego?
22 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carlos and Ben briefly talk about Corbin Carroll’s historic rookie season and the rare company that he has joined with his power/speed combination. ...
Episode 60: Down Performers We Are Still Buying
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about a few recent high-profile front office moves, led by the Red Sox decision to fire chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, as wel...
Episode 59: Next Up Names To Know For The Top 100
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about Jordan Lawlar’s big league promotion and what to expect from him, then look back at the 2021 draft class and debate who th...
Episode 58: Aggressive Promotions + Hot & Cold Draft Picks
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about the most disappointing teams in the big leagues this year, and then follow up on a 90th Percentile Podcast conversation from...
Episode 57: Midseason Farm System Rankings
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos get back on the podcast train after a month of busy travel watching some of the top high school players in the country. First on the do...
Episode 56: Favorite Picks & Classes From The 2023 Draft
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos review the 2023 draft and talk through some of their favorite picks and draft classes, as well as talk about surprising bonuses and loo...
Episode 55: MLB Draft Preview For All 30 Teams
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carlos and Ben have a deep draft preview, going pick by pick through the first round to cover the potential picks for all 30 teams. They walk through ...
Episode 54: The New Top 100
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos chat briefly about Ben’s updated top 100 2024 prospect list, and then the two discuss the start of the summer showcase season. What a...
Episode 53: Prospect Promotions & Draft Popups
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk through our most recent draft update, which was the release of the BA 500—always a fun milestone to reach on the draft calendar....
Episode 52: Players We Like More Than The Industry
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today Ben and Carlos talk about the potential benefits of replacing extended spring training with a full-season league in the minors, and then get int...
Episode 51: Is Jackson Holliday The Best Prospect In Baseball?
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about how impressive Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday has been since he was drafted and make the case for him as the No. 1 prosp...
Episode 50: Under-The-Radar International Prospects
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos open with some draft talk, where the two discuss the most recent Baseball America mock draft and talk about why they are still so high ...
Episode 49: Low-A Hitters Shining & Scuffling
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about Ben’s trip to the Dominican Republic and get into a few players who stood out, and Ben gives some insight on the difficult...
Episode 48: A Top 400 Draft Update
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carlos is joined by Peter Flaherty to discuss the current state of the 2023 draft class and our recently updated top 400 draft list. The two talk abo...
Episode 47: An Off The Charts Episode
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos chat about their varying levels of disdain for the phrases “have a catch,” “off the charts,” and new pitch classification trend...
Episode 46: Early Season Standouts
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about how impressive Padres catching prospect Ethan Salas has been, and the two try to contextualize how good he is compared to re...
Episode 45: The Area Scout Life, With Hudson Belinsky
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today Ben and Carlos have an interview with Hudson Belinsky. Belinsky led Baseball America’s draft coverage from 2015-2017 and then joined the Ari...
Episode 44: World Baseball Classic Lessons, Spring Prospect Buzz
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos give their final thoughts on the World Baseball Classic, including Ben’s victory lap on splitter usage and thoughts on how we talk ab...
Episode 43: Rebuilds, Extensions & Mock Drafts
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about the latest in the World Baseball Classic—the good, the bad and the ugly—before breaking down the contract extensions rec...
Episode 42: Prospects To Watch In The World Baseball Classic
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about the World Baseball Classic! Who are the favorites in the competition itself and then who are the most interesting prospects ...
Episode 41: Spring Training Standouts
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos chat about how the pitch clock has looked so far in spring training and then dive into our recently published farm system rankings. Jus...
Episode 40: Deep And Shallow Farm Systems
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos open the show by discussing the recent injuries to Guardians prospects Daniel Espino and Chase DeLauter before getting into the opening...
Episode 39: Low Level Sleepers
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos start the show by talking about a few of the new rule changes that were announced for the big leagues in 2023. Both generally agree on ...
Episode 38: Thoughts On The Scouting Scale, Drafting 2023 Prospect Teams & Listener Questions
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos briefly talk about the Guardians and Reds swapping outfield prospects and the Padres extending Yu Darvish, as well as the state of San ...
Episode 37: Outfield Prospects, All-Americans & Best Tools
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk through some of the best outfield prospects in baseball, starting briefly with James Wood (Nationals) and Jordan Walker (Cardinals...
Episode 36: Corner Prospects & Scouting The Owners
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about the baseball schedule and why exactly January feels so busy for the staff at BA despite no baseball taking place. This leads...
Episode 35: The Top 100 Show
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben talks about why his January 15th was much more chaotic this year compared to previous years and then he and Carlos get into the recently released ...
Episode 34: The State of Catching Prospects + An International Signing Day Preview
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the show, Ben and Carlos talk about catching prospects. With Orioles franchise catcher Adley Rutschman establishing himself in the majors, is...
Episode 33: We're Back!
06 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos are back on the podcast for the second season of the show! After a long hiatus, the two bring 2023 in with a bang, chatting about the m...
Episode 32: The Return Of Kumar Rocker
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about Baseball America’s recently updated draft rankings. There’s plenty of movement on the board, but perhaps the most notabl...
Episode 31: Picking In The First Round For Every Team
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about the improved pace of play in the minor leagues thanks to implementing a pitch clock and enforcing it. The two give their tho...
Episode 30: Red Hot Rookies & Fast Track Prospects
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about the first week or so of the professional season kicking off, including a scorching start for Guardians fifth round pick and ...
Episode 29: Spring Training Thoughts + A Few 2022 Predictions
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With spring training currently underway, Ben and Carlos talk about how valuable it is when it comes to evaluating players. We touch on a few players w...
Episode 28: Breaking Down Trades
17 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s episode, Ben and Carlos react to many of the moves that have been made around the big leagues over the past week including: Freddie Freem...
Episode 27: Immediate Thoughts On The Lockout Ending + Big League Bloodlines
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos are briefly joined by JJ to talk about MLB and the MLBPA agreeing to a new CBA after a lockout that lasted 99 days. The three give thei...
Episode 26: Takeaways From The First Week Of College Baseball
25 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There’s finally real, live baseball happening around the country. On this episode, Ben and Carlos talk about a lot of it, including 103 mph fastball...
Episode 25: The Best Tools In The 2022 Draft Class
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos discuss the best tools results from our survey with major league scouting departments. We wind up talking about just how impressive Geo...
Episode 24: Farm System Rankings
04 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos are joined by Geoff Pontes, who makes his debut appearance on the podcast! The majority of the show is spent breaking down our recently...
Episode 23: Hall Of Fame Hot Takes & An Injury Riddled 2022 College Pitching Class
28 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos bounce all over the baseball world in today’s episode, going from junior college kicking off, to the Hall of Fame results, to interna...
Episode 22: The Top Pitching Prospects In Baseball & Candidates For Top Pitcher In 2023
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a busy week! Ben and Carlos chat about the international free agent signing period over the weekend and what Jan. 15 itself is like from Ben’...
Episode 21: A Golden Era For Catchers & Prospects We Like More Post-Handbook
07 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The podcast returns! After a bit of a hibernation, Ben explains to you all why Future Projection has been dormant for much of the winter—don’t bla...
Episode 20: The Wonderful Wander Franco, Players To Watch In The AFL & LHP Depth In The 2022 Draft Class
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos banter about MLB’s announcement requiring teams to provide housing for “certain” minor league players, once again fight over the ...
Episode 19: The 2022 Draft Order, Jupiter Preview & Thoughts On The MLB Playoff Structure
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about Bobby Witt Jr. being named the BA Minor League Player of the Year and how there seem to be no obvious flaws in his game. Aft...
Episode 18: The Royals 2018 Draft Haul, Minor League Pay & Pitch Clocks + Extended Mailbag Episode
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about the college pitching heavy Royals 2018 draft class and how that group recently accomplished an impressive feat. The two then...
Episode 17: Showcase Pros/Cons, Projecting Who Sticks At Shortstop & Whether Age vs. Level Matters
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos dive into what they like and don’t like about various workouts in showcase environments before getting into some of the top players t...
Episode 16: Behind The Scenes Of The Top 100, Polarizing Prospects, The 20-80 Scale & Player Comps
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos are joined by Josh for a podcast primarily centered on the minor leagues and our upcoming top 100 update. The trio talks about the proc...
Episode 15: Why Analyzing The Draft Is Difficult, Early Thoughts On The 2022 Class & Farm System Rankings
01 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After spending a few weeks traveling around the country watching players in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 draft classes, Ben and Carlos are back on the mic!...
Episode 14: A 2021 Draft Preview & Roundtable
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos are joined by Alexis Brudnicki to talk all things 2021 draft with just a few days to go before the Pirates are on the clock. If you hav...
Episode 13: A Futures Game Preview & Draft Combine Review + Helium Prospects
30 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos return from a brief hiatus to talk about all sorts of prospect action. First, the two discuss some of the players they're most exci...
Episode 12: A Resurgence of Stolen Bases & The Impact of Prospect Hype
28 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos talk about the increased stolen base totals in the lower levels of the minors, and talk about whether or not rule changes incentivizing...
Episode 11: Minor League Prospects Off To Hot Starts & Comparing Top High School Righthanders
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time since the Future Projection Podcast has been around, Ben and Carlos are able to talk about actual minor league baseball. The two ta...
Episode 10: At Long Last... Minor League Opening Day
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos are joined by Josh and Kyle for a roundtable podcast in celebration of Minor League Opening Day. It's been quite a while since we&#...
Episode 9: The Pros & Cons Of Video Scouting, What Makes A Pop-Up Player & First Round Sleeper Candidates
23 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos spend a lot of time talking about the value of scouting players through video. Since the Covid season, more and more teams are using vi...
Episode 8: Early-Season Exploits Of Ronald Acuña Jr., Byron Buxton and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ronald Acuña Jr. makes a fool of the podcast by sitting at the top of the WAR leaderboard just weeks after Ben, Carlos and Josh chose to cut him inst...
Episode 7: The Magnificence of Shohei Ohtani, Two-Way Prospects in the Pipeline & Draft Ramifications for Jaden Hill
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos marvel at Shohei Ohtani’s early-season exploits on the mound and as a hitter, which leads to a conversation about the difficulties of...
Episode 6: 102 MPH High School Pitchers, Where To Sit When Scouting & How We Would Pick 1-10 In The 2021 Draft
31 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos are joined by JJ Cooper for the sixth episode of the Future Projection Podcast. The three talk about what they are excited about for Op...
Episode 5: Updated Draft Rankings, Short vs. Tall Hitters & Pitchers We Could Soon Be Talking About Like MacKenzie Gore
24 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On the fifth episode of the Future Projection Podcast, Ben and Carlos talk about the recently updated BA draft rankings and discuss how volatile this ...
Episode 4: When Scouts Disagree and Deciding Between Ronald Acuna Jr., Juan Soto & Fernando Tatis Jr.
17 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos are joined by their first-ever guest on the podcast—fellow BA staffer Josh Norris. The three talk about how teams handle contrasting ...
Episode 3: Bobby Witt Jr., 484 Foot Homers & The Top Shortstop Prospects In Baseball
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos spend most of the episode talking about shortstops—what scouts look for when evaluating the position, as well as some of the top youn...
Episode 2: What An International Draft Might Look Like + 2021 Draft Risers
03 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Carlos spend some time talking about Ben's recently released International Big Board for the 2021-22 international class, before diving in...
Episode 1: Elijah Green, Jasson Dominguez & Draft Standouts From College Baseball's Opening Weekend
24 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Baseball is back! On their debut episode, Ben Badler and Carlos Collazo talk about the challenges of scouting this spring, scouting philosophy when it...