ball5podcast/Aggie Baseball Off-Season Update

Scott breaks down the latest Texas A&M baseball offseason developments, including the Aggies selected in the MLB Draft, Clayton Freshcorn’s decision to return, the key additions from the transfer portal, and the biggest roster questions heading into fall practice.

He also discusses Nico Partida’s opportunity with USA Baseball, what summer baseball means for player development, and how the Aggies may replace the production, leadership and pitching innings lost from last season...Enjoy

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Hey everybody, thanks for joining the Ball of Five Podcast. I'm your host, Scott Livingstone, and yes, we are back. And yes, recharged. So ready to go. The draft is over. The portals got a couple stragglers hanging around trying to figure out where to go. And uh let's just kind of update a little bit and just recap some stuff. So let's first take a look at kind of you know what you might say is the state of college baseball, right? I mean, now the landscape has changed completely. I mean, college baseball rosters, I mean, right, they they change just from one offseason to the next. It's just constant change. And I mean, it's tough for coaches, right? Because they have to balance the major league baseball draft, the portal, incoming freshmen, returning players, who's coming, who's going, the NIL and roster limits at the same time. So, I mean, it it's it's tough to kind of navigate all that, if you will. And I mean, it's it's no longer, you know, you can't recruit the high school players and wait and develop them for two or three years, which you know me, I love to backfill that roster with freshmen to just keep stocking the uh pile up there, right? So unfortunately, teams, I mean, it's money driven now, it must be rebuilt immediately, the roster, and and while also maintaining long-term roster development. So, I mean, AM enters the offseason, right? Replacing, needing to replace major, major offensive production. And they had a lot of defensive experience too, lost a lot of people, some innings on the mound. Um, yeah, you know, there was some innings there that got a little uh away from us a little bit, but yeah, I mean, but the main question right now is, you know, are we just replacing players or are we just building a roster competing for a championship? And I think it has to be a little bit of both, actually. So let's take a quick look at what we lost in the in the Major League Baseball draft. Chris Kopian, first round. Uh, Washington Nationals, well deserved. Uh, he was a hot prospect from the beginning. Caden Sorrell, second round to the Cubs. Gavin Gorhovac, third round to the Angels, which I don't understand. I think he's first round material, along with Caden. Uh Shane Sedeo, fourth round to the Mets. Bear Harrison, fifth round to the Yankees. That's pretty cool. Weston Moss, 11th round to the Nationals. And Jake Dewar, man, glad to see that professional hitter get a shot with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 18th round. Now, we obviously fresh corn, everybody was kind of weighted with, you know, anticipation to see what would happen to Fresh. And he was drafted in the 19th round. I think the Cardinals kind of took a flyer on him, you know, like let's see if we can get him and this and that. But you know what? He decided to return to AM instead and uh forego that professional career right now. So, I mean, that's a huge development for the AM uh pitching staff, bullpen, closer, starter, kind of, you know, answers a few questions, whichever which whichever question you want answered, closer or you know, is he that is he a starter, right? So that's up to the coaches and they'll figure it out. I mean, like I said, about you know, replacing production, Sorrell, Grahovac, I mean, home run and RBI product production from those guys was enormous, as you know. A copian brought the maturity of mature at bats, uh, on base ability, and you know, he had defensive versatility, although he got hurt and banged up, but man, the guy's a grinder, and you know, I know there was a lot of respect for him in that clubhouse. One thing I get a little concerned about is you know, Bear behind the plate. I mean, I feel like it's a major opening now. And I think with Savoy coming in, we'll talk about that a little bit. Um, coming from Clemson, I think he may fill that void, but you know, we got some freshmen on the roster, some Juco transfers. So they got to kind of figure out this roster and figure out where uh everybody's gonna fit in. Sadeo and Moss, whether you liked how they went throughout the season or not, I mean, they still have good arms. They put up, you know, some decent numbers sometimes and and and did innings for us, right? I mean, Sedeo would strike out 10. Moss would strike out 10, you know, and yeah, they gave up some home runs and stuff, but I mean it's baseball. I mean, the other teams are good too. They're they're getting NIL money as well. So I think one of the key components, though, is that I mean, they lost some leadership, right? Sorrell kind of that quiet leader, a copian, that grinder, doer, the experienced guy, you know, probably a voice of reason. But Grahovac, I mean, he came in and just I think he was the biggest leader, most vocal. And, you know, to replace him, that's gonna be tough. And, you know, bringing these guys in that haven't faced SEC competition, you got to think about it. We had guys coming back this year or this past year that they've already played in the SEC. And, you know, I know people probably get tired of hearing about SEC, SEC. Well, let me tell you something, it is the best baseball conference. So, I mean, you can't replace every drafted player one for one. Can't take one guy and get Grahovac's production, one guy get Sorel, one guy get Akopian. You just can't do that. And I think what the coaches have done is they've put this roster together with a whole lot of competition in mind, especially that bullpen. They got a lot of arms coming in, and they're just gonna have to filter through it and see. And as far as the position players, I feel like it's this, it's the same thing. You know, in that lineup, they might have, you know, a little bit more, better lineup depth as far as uh, you know, base running, situational hitting, improved on base percentage, and and you know, some at bats that aren't built on, you know, kind of the Earl Weaver back in the day. I know I'm dating myself, but you guys know that already. And the he won the three-run home run. That's what he waited for. And I feel like we've kind of been built like that since the Montgomery Laveulette days is you know, don't worry, we'll get the home runs. So I think this lineup is gonna be a little bit more bunt, run, uh, hit and run, situational hitting, like I said. And I think that's kind of the roster that I'm seeing, but they still will have some bump. They got some guys coming in that can hit and can hit for power. So I think it's gonna be a uh a really good mix. Now, the positive side of the draft, if you can say there is one, we got like seven guys leaving for professional baseball. I mean, you can't say that AM is not developing Major League Baseball talent, right? I think that helps for future recruiting and portal efforts. Transfers can go, hey man, I'm gonna go there, I'm gonna see. And you got one of the best hitting coaches as your head coach in my and Coach Michael Early. And then you got Enright pitching. He's you know, he he comes over with a lot of you know accolades and a lot of people believing in him. So we'll see how all that goes. And I think it's gonna be really, really good. So I, you know, I think going back to the portal and offensive construction, maybe of the lineup, if you will, I think they targeted experienced college players rather than relying entirely on freshmen, but they will sprinkle those freshmen in. I mean, look at Kellner and Wilson and Nico Partida. The class that they brought in, I mean, includes infielders, outfielders, catchers, utility players, and several pitchers. And many of those guys have already played Division I, so that's big. But I think this staff, you know, they appear to value some versatility and competition, which I know they're gonna love that. Everybody loves seeing competition rather than just promising starting jobs. And on that note, let's take a look at some of the offensive additions, defensive additions, and some of the pitching guys. And I apologize, guys, fix me, you know, reach out to me if I pronounce your name wrong. You guys got some crazy letters in those names, and I may not get to all of them. And I know there's freshmen and all those guys coming in, but you know, right now, adding Jack Bell, infielder from TCU, coming back to AM. He's here as a freshman. Lane Arroyos, first baseman outfielder from Western Kentucky. He's got a lot of power, hit a lot of doubles. Nate Savoy, kind of, I think, our cream of the crop of that portal group. He's a catcher and an outfielder out of Clemson. Alec Blair, kind of a development project, but I think he's got a chance to be a good one. He's outfielder from Oklahoma, who obviously was involved in the uh College World Series and won a national championship. Uh Tyler Minick from UConn, he's a utility player, plays a little bit everywhere, he's got some pop, had an injury, think he's recovering from that. And uh, we probably won't see him until the spring. Dylan Slagle, outfielder from DBU. So that's gonna be kind of Pennington's territory. So he probably knows a little bit about him. And, you know, like I said, you can't with these guys, you can't replace Sorrell and Grahovac, you know, two 20-plus home run hitters um without injuries. They might hit 30, guys. The offense, I mean, I think it's gonna be more balanced from top to bottom. Bell and Royos, I mean, at the big time on-base production, kind of like a copian. He's a guy that knows the strike zone, right? Savoy, you know, helps with the Bear Harrison situation. Catcher's gone. Got Troy Claunch now on the staff, and I think he did a great job with Barrett. I think he'll do the same with Savoy. And he, you know, he he gives you some offensive flexibility as far as you know, I saw him hit first, second, third in the lineup for Clemson, and so he's got a lot of power. So we'll see. Blair and Slagle. I mean, it's gonna be competition, like I said, and it's gonna be some stuff in the outfield going on. Minnick, he gives the coaching staff several kind of options, lineup options, defensive options. So, you know, and the thing you have to look at when you look at these transfer guys is does the production translate, right? And again, talking about the SEC, but sorry, SEC is the best. You know, their statistics statistics from another conference, do they automatically transfer to the SEC? I mean, you're gonna see crazy premium velocity out of out of the bullpen from starters. I mean, from one through nine, the the you know, the first inning to the ninth inning, it's gonna be tough. You're gonna have guys with high-level breaking balls. And, you know, how are you doing on the road? Can you handle the pressure of the weekend? And you know, can we produce offensively against deep bullpins? And I think that's gonna be important to see if we can do that. So, I mean, the numbers get your attention from what these guys have done. I'm not gonna throw all these numbers out at you, but I think we can see, you know, the talent will travel. Will the numbers? You don't know, right? So I think we got a chance, possible identity to be guys reaching the base, you know, making longer innings, maybe a little more balance in the lineup, put pressure on the defenses with which I love because I hated pressure when I was out at third. Um, and just a deeper lineup with maybe no holes. So when you start looking at the offensive, I think it's gonna be more balanced, more spread out, and uh, and a lot more options and give the coaches some more you know strategies to kind of pull off there on the offensive side. Pitching, I I mean it's not really a rebuild, but having fresh corn now, again, proven closer. He knows SEC, he knows a late inning, you know, he he he knows the the coaching staff and he knows what they expect of him, and he's been there, he's done it. Now, is he a starter or is he a reliever? Like I said, they got to kind of figure that out. But we need some starters, and we got Aiden Sims. We all know he's gonna be a good one. You know, extend those innings into get us six, seven innings, right? Get us 80, 90 pitches consistently. And it's middle relievers. I mean, you they got to kind of figure out what their divine roles are. And speaking of the pitching guys, Wade Cooper from Texas State, I think he's got a chance to be a good one. Johnny Njuanez, you can correct me, Johnny, from Wichita State, Caleb Kimball from Houston, Logan Prisco from South Carolina, Trent Collier from OU, Jarrett Williams from Lamar, and I know we've added some that I haven't been up to date up to date on right now. And like I said, there's some freshmen out there that are pretty good. So I think you know, having these guys that have come in from college, I mean, they're gonna have more experienced innings, right? It's a there's a larger group of potential starters to choose from. Lots of left-handed options, plus we got the guys that came back, you know, the guys that are back from last year. And it just gives us gives the staff uh, you know, better flexibility, I guess, for matchups, depth in the bullpen, and just competition for a more kind of meaningful role, you know what I mean? So I I think that's kind of what they're building. And we're gonna sit here and go, oh, who are starters? Well, we kind of assume that A Sims is gonna be one and Freshcorn may be another. We don't know. But you know, we just want guys that you know can make adjustments. What where can we pivot? What happens when there's a rain delay? Goes extra innings. Is there a good matchup for left-handers? And you know, some portal pitchers may have starting experience but fit better in the bullpen. Others may have to expand their starting roles. I mean, coaches they'll evaluate once they get into camp, you know, that command, do these people let's get third pitch development. I really think we need, which was what Freshcorn did, right-handed pitchers that can get lefties out. You know, we they rieties can get rieties, they bring lefties for lefties, get those matchups, but you really, if you have a good solid right-hander, I mean, I saw it all over the SEC last year, that can get out left-handed hitters because there's a lot of left-handed hitting heavy lineups in the SEC. So I think a staff that has, you know, they got plenty of good arms, they just have to kind of clearly define their roles. And I think this fall will be the turning, you know, turning point to figure out that talent and organize a pitching staff. And let's let's touch base on a little bit about the guys that are returning and you know, kind of their player development. I mean, when I look at probably the next, you know, Grahovac, you know, the vocal guy out there, I lean on Nico Partida. I mean, he returns after an outstanding freshman season. He had an injury, but still great season. And I think he's one of the most important returning position players, along with Kellner and Wilson and some of the bullpen guys. I mean, those guys are gonna be very important to you know, the leadership in that clubhouse and on the field. And it can be challenging to be a sophomore, trust me, I know. I mean, opposing teams now have a full season of video and scouting on you. They had stuff as you came into the season, but they're kind of like, ah, not sure, but now they've seen it and they've got all the video on you. So with Nico, I mean, he's gonna have to be able to adjust. They're gonna adjust to him, he's gonna have to adjust. It's just it's a constant cat and mouse game, guys, because you know, he's gonna get fastballs in different locations. They're gonna look at things that they thought that he couldn't hit or had trouble with, and he's gonna see more of that. Um, you know, they're gonna pitch around him more, is what I believe. And, you know, they worked around Jorian as well. I mean, my man's gonna get a bunch of change ups until he figures out a little game plan to think about the other way and then work on a shorter stroke inside. But I think, you know, Nico played for the team USA this summer, and I think that brings a lot of experience with it. I mean, I play with the USA team, you play with a bunch of different players from around the country from different programs, and you get to observe how top players from other programs, you know, prepare and compete. I think that's huge. And not only that, the experience against other elite players. I mean, that's that's huge. And I think internationally, you know, the they present different styles of baseball, different environments, different pressures. So kind of getting the hole, kind of going full circle, getting a little bit of everything, that's huge. And so I think he returns with he's a confident player already, and there ain't nothing wrong with that. But I think he returns with greater confidence and a better understanding of high-level preparation, which doesn't mean he didn't, but I think just being around other really good players, and just like he had a couple guys, you know, he had guys at the on the AM team as well. But when you start seeing guys from other programs, okay, ah, I kind of like what they're doing, or you hear this and that, and you just kind of pick up on things. Don't doesn't mean you copy them by any means, but I just think it's important to be around that that different kind of you know talent and environment around other players. So it works both ways because then he can step up and be a leader with players that are just as good or better than him, but he's on the same level. You're on team USA, man. You're you're on the same level. So I mean, I think it's huge, huge, huge experience for him. Um, you know, and so look, you know, when I look at the portal players bringing experience, the returning guys, I think really they're the ones that establish the program's culture. And it's probably been established years ago, but I think the returning players, you know, you get like I said, Freshcorn, Boston, Nico, Sims, Jorian, and I know I'm probably missing somebody, but I mean, those are gonna have to be the voices. I know you got older guys coming in, guys that have played D1, guys that have vars, you know, you know, big time experience, but you got to show, you know, hey, this is the AM way, this is how we do it in practice, and be a steady voice in those difficult stretches. You know, players who help newcomers, you know, understand the expectations of what this uh program expects from them, and they can become clubhouse leaders, right? So I think it's important um, you know, to prove that you can adjust to a league, you know, that you haven't been in, but you're gonna need help. And freshmen, you know, you got to bring them along and just kind of just keep teaching, keep teaching. So the next person just picks it up and runs with it. And that creates a great clubhouse culture, and that's what coaches want. So touching base on some of the guys that are playing in the you know, summer baseball, and uh, you know, about the time that you might hear this, they're probably back at school already. But you know, there is a purpose to summerball. Uh, I know you can go to these great locations and great weather, great fans, and these towns look forward to it, but you know, uh the way I look at it at this point, stats don't really matter for summerball because it's just different. Summer baseball is about it's not about producing you know big time statistics and you know, look what I did, and I'm gonna do this back when I play in the SEC. It's just I think different players have a different development idea, or gosh, you can even say like game plan or assignment, something like that. I mean, some guys may be working on you know improving against breaking balls, gaining good at bats, learning a new position, improving two-strike hitting, becoming better base runners. I mean, that could be their focus, and they could be working on things at the plate. Pitchers could be adding a third pitch, improving a changeup. I mean, there's a lot of things that could, you know, you can work on during the summer. Now, you don't get a lot of reps, obviously, because usually, you know, you don't play as many games, but I can remember going to spring training with Detroit, and we went over on a minor league field to play to play some of the to play the Houston Astros. Uh, I think it was their AAA team or double-A team, and Kenny Lofton was there. Was it Kenny Lofton? Or was it Cleveland, whichever team he was with? And they were all working on drag bunning and base running and speeding during that game. They weren't really playing a game, they were just working on things. And I'm telling you, I played third base, hated every minute of it because I had to play for the punt every time. And it was like, you know, you got all these speed demons all over the bases, and I'm like, oh my gosh, this is crazy. But that's what we did in spring training, that's what they did in spring training. They just worked on things, and you know, that's that's what that is, and so it it was it's funny. Quick story is I faced Nolan Ryan in spring training, and when I was with the Tigers, Port Charlotte, I think they were located in. I hit a double and a single off of him, and man, I was feeling pretty good. And then, you know, I came in, and one of the players told me, you know, he's just working on stuff, right? He's not throwing as hard as he usually does. He's not throwing his you know, dirty breaking ball or working a change up in. He's just getting his arm in shape. He's just throwing fastball, fastball, fastball, mixing in a couple off-speed pitches, and that and and you know, so it's like it's like you know, exaggerated BP, right? Because he's throwing hard enough, but harder than in BP. And I was like, okay, yeah, all right, I understand. Well, I ended up facing Nolan, I think, seven times in the big leagues, and I'm 0 for seven. So I just have to keep reminding people I got two hits off of in spring training. That's what I'm gonna say, but no, so anyway, they just work on stuff, and that's case in point. So you know you might have a Guy that's trying to adjust to a bullpen, right? Getting used to like getting up quick and warming, warming up and being used late in the game. Build innings. Somebody may be returning from an injury. So that's when I look at numbers. I mean, especially like a hitter. If he's batting 220, he may be working on you know better contact, driving the ball the other way, doing just stuff like that. So in Cape Cod, I don't know which ones of our guys are might be in the cape, but I think they use wood bats and you know, you're you're you players that they may be trying to earn playing time against great competition. So the more elite competition that they can go against is the is better. So, you know, and you gotta have like a workload management if you're pitchers, you know, not not every pitcher needs more innings, you know. A guy that throws in the spring, like I said, a lot in the spring, may not throw during the summer, they may not even go. Like Boston got hit in the eye, man. The guy's out there playing late, you know, later on, and he doesn't need to go. I mean, he's got a heel, right? So there's different things about summer baseball, and it can expose weaknesses uh that you had during the season. You just hope to improve upon them when you return for the next season. So moving forward, if I had to look at a couple questions moving into the fall, I think you know, one of them would be how do we replace that lost power? I mean, you had Sorrell and Grahovac. I mean, those major production holes, proven major production holes in the SEC. And, you know, you may you got to replace some of that power, but I don't think you're gonna be one for one. If we are, great, that's awesome. But you know, you still gotta have those hitters that can, you know, in the lineup that can change the game in one swing. I mean, how many times does Sorrell come to plate or Grohovac come to the plate that we're thinking, oh yeah, here you go. We may we got a really good chance to see a home run, right? You don't see that all the way through every lineup. So, you know, where's that gonna come from, right? Um, who's gonna emerge as the pitching, you know, who's the starters? Who's the closer? And I think, you know, the the staff, they're gonna want pitchers that throw strikes, right? And don't hit people. And who can work deep enough in the count as a starter to take pressure off the bullpen, right? So we're not having to go the bullpen all the time. So we're gonna have to figure out who the starters are, right? Um can the transfers, the hitters, even the freshmen, we got some really, really good freshmen coming in, from what I understand. Looking forward to seeing them and excited to see them just keep building the program. You know, I love freshmen coming in, but you know, can they produce against SEC pitching? You know, everything may look good uh, you know, pre-conference, but as soon as you get the conference, man, you know, it gets a lot tougher. So, you know, the the portal statistics, they're encouraging. The the feedback that you get about the freshmen, very encouraging. So it'll just be a big test, you know, playing on a grind of playing so many games that you may not be used to playing that many games against that type of competition, right? It's kind of like pitcher going through nine hitters. Where's the you know the easy spot where I can kind of chill out a little bit but still compete? Um, who's gonna take control of the catching position? Replacing Bear, I think, is just so important. Uh you can replace the offensive numbers, but maybe not. Who are you gonna do that? Is it gonna be both? Is it gonna be Savoy? But are we wanting Savoy to replace Sorrell? Or we want Arroyos to you know take over for Grahovac. What where's that gonna come from? So it could be just a whole different look, right? And the catcher, I mean, they I think Bear had amazing relationships with his uh pitchers, and I think that was huge. And he was handling staff like I mean, he was really, really good. And I think you know, he was a big cog in that engine that you know kept us going. So the last thing I look at is, you know, with so many guys coming in, so many guys leaving, can the roster become a team quickly? You know, can it can you know the returners, the transfers, the you know, the newcomers coming in, everybody's gonna be competing, right? For limited roles. Let's what's what's the deal? How's that all gonna fall? And I think that's up to the coach and staff, but I think it's also up to the young guys' leadership. Like I said, partita, Wilson, Kelner, you know, freshcorn coming back. He can take care of the bullpen and those starters, whatever he needs to do. But I think you know, chemistry and role acceptance. Because if you're not used to being a a uh middle reliever, and now you are, you know, got to make sure everybody's you know on the same page as far as what we're getting for. So there's a lot of talent in there, and I I think it's gonna, it's the coaching staff can kind of figure out where to put all the pieces. So if I was to do like a closing assessment, if you will, I mean they didn't the coaching staff didn't just sit back after losing you know seven drafted players to Major League Baseball. I mean, they they s they s attacked the roster through the portal. I mean, you know, they they went for it and they added experience, uh versatility, pitching depth, multiple left-handed arms. You got fresh corn coming back. That's huge. And yeah, the offense is gonna look different without Sorel, Grahovac, Ukopian. Um, but it could be deeper, could be more balanced, you know, um more base hits, more doubles, and just more dependent on maybe uh collect collective production, maybe we'll go that route. I mean, the talent appears to be there, and I think the remaining challenge is just creating defined roles and building chemistry and determining which guys can perform consistently against SEC competition. So, I mean, you know, they they recruited a talented roster. Now the coaching staff has to kind of turn that roster into a team, right? And that's part of the clubhouse too culture. But the biggest questions I don't they won't be answered by the names on the paper, right? They're gonna be answered by who's throwing strikes, who's getting outs, who they think can handle the pressure, who accepts their role and runs with it, and who becomes the next group of Aggie leaders, you know, the the leaders of Aggie baseball. So I think it's it's it's been a pretty good pull on the portal. Really good freshmen that came in. Yes, we lost a lot of punch, but I think you know, they're gonna things are gonna kind of get figured out in the fall. And I think with the coaching staff that that we have there at Bluebell Park is more than capable, and I think they're gonna put it together and figure it out. I have very, very high confidence in them uh getting it done. And I'm looking forward to seeing how everything falls. All right, folks, that's it. I appreciate you listening. I know it was a little long, but I had a lot to cover. And uh just be sure to go to the Ball Five Clubhouse YouTube channel. I will cover my scouting report of the guys coming in. Some of those are already out, so you can go uh get a little bit more detail on those guys that are coming to campus, or they may be on campus already. They probably are. But uh yeah, thanks again, and uh let's keep this train rolling. All right, thanks again. Until next time.