BA on Howard:
...when he's on, he dominates. He flashes a mid-90s fastball he can locate to all four quadrants of the strike zone and he carries that velocity deep in games. He sat 94-96 mph in the final inning of his no-hitter. His 86-87 mph power slider gives him a plus secondary, while his changeup and curveball both are average at times.
On Will Stewart:
...an 89-93 mph fastball and a plus changeup. Stewart is well-built, strong and athletic and he fills the strike zone with plus control.
Stewart is able to work his fastball both arm-side and glove-side, and he's comfortable throwing his changeup to lefties as well as righthanded hitters. His low-80s slider has made strides. Right now one out of every five or so will be an average pitch. If he can up that ratio, he has the makings of a No. 4 starter.
On J. Ortiz:
...disappointed with a less-advanced approach than expected. He still has outstanding raw power, but he had a very pull-heavy approach this year that left him vulnerable to pitchers with a plan. There were also concerns from scouts that his athleticism is going away. Ortiz has always been a big guy, but he's always been quite nimble for his size. Scouts this year said he showed signs he's slowing down.
BA Chat tidbits:
Sixto:
I honestly believe (and this is just me [Josh Naylor] talking) that if he had been healthy and the Phillies hadn't cratered down the stretch, Sixto would have been in Philly this year, at the very least in a bullpen role. There were at least two scouts who I spoke with who said he was the best pitcher they saw all year, at any level. He's that good.
Medina:
There's a little more variance in how evaluators see him, however. The highest I got on him was a mid-rotation starter with two above-average offspeed pitches.
Pujols:
Power has always been his calling card, and this year he added some more plate discipline and a willingness to work deeper counts. He's certainly raised his prospect stock quite a bit.