Sunday Notes: Xavier Isaac Wants To Make Contact (But Not Soft Contact)

Xavier Isaac’s recreation is constructed round harm. No. 98 on our recently-released Prime 100, the 21-year-old, left-handed-hitting Tampa Bay Rays prospect has, based on our lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen, “among the most enjoyable energy in professional baseball.” Attending to it persistently will probably be his largest problem going ahead. As Longenhagen additionally wrote in his report, “By the tip of the season, [Isaac] had a sub-60% contact price, which isn’t viable on the large league stage… [but] if “he can get again to being an almost 70% contact hitter, he’s going to be a monster.”

Whereas Isaac’s 143 wRC+ between Excessive-A Bowling Inexperienced and Double-A Montgomery was spectacular, his 33.3% strikeout price was one other story. The built-to-bash first baseman is aware of that reducing down on his Ks will go a great distance towards his dwelling as much as his lofty potential. On the similar time, he’s cautious of straying too removed from his strengths.

“I’ve tuned up my energy, and now I have to get my contact up a bit bit extra,” Isaac advised me in the course of the Arizona Fall League season. “It’s like a tradeoff, form of. I’m going to strike out, however I’m additionally going to hit the ball a bit more durable. I’ve a variety of energy, so a few of it’s about going up there and taking a danger. I clearly don’t wish to strike out — I‘m attempting to place it in play — however I additionally don’t wish to be making gentle contact.”

That’s seldom an issue when he squares up a baseball. Not solely does his bat produce excessive exit velocities, he is aware of what it feels prefer to propel a pitch 450-plus ft. He doesn’t shy method from the power-hitter label. Requested if that’s what he’s, his response was, “For certain.”

That Isaac’s bombs usually go to the gaps, notably to right-center, is by design.

“I really feel like should you’re actually on time for a pitch try to be hitting it to heart subject,” Isaac defined. “If you happen to’re pulling a baseball, you’re early on the pitch. I’m nonetheless catching the ball out in entrance, I’m simply staying by means of the center of the sector. I don’t want to drag the baseball. I’m capable of get it out in heart, in order that’s what I’m trying to do.”

When it comes to the pitches he’s on the lookout for, Isaac is like most hitters in that he prefers heaters. Not that he’s seen as lots of them as he’d like.

“I’m attempting to get a fastball, however I don’t get them lots,” mentioned the 6-foot-4 slugger, who at 235 kilos within the AFL was roughly 30 kilos lighter than his heaviest-ever weigh. “I used to be the bottom in my group for fastball share this yr. I don’t know the precise quantity, but it surely was perhaps 32% or 33.”

Respect for his light-tower energy being the most important cause?

“Perhaps,” mentioned Isaac. “Form of that intimidation. No matter it’s, if I can work on hitting the slider higher, I can most likely get the fastball extra usually.”

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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS

Xavier Nady went 10 for 20 towards Ben Sheets.

Xavier Scruggs went 2 for two towards Seth Rosin.

Goody Rosen went 5 for six towards Xavier Rescigno.

Edgardo Alfonzo went 4 for five towards Xavier Hernandez.

Xavier Edwards is 4 for 4 towards Trevor Williams,

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Three weeks in the past, Sunday Notes included Bubba Chandler (No. 23 on our Prime 100) wanting again at memorable matchups he’s had towards Kyle Teel (No. 49). In the present day we’ll hear from the younger hurler on two different high-profile prospects he’s confronted within the minors, Marcelo Mayer (No. 57) and Roman Anthony (No. 2), in addition to on his personal exploits with the bat.

“I feel Marcelo has gotten a success off me,” the highest prospect within the Pittsburgh Pirates system advised me. “However for essentially the most half, his weaknesses play to my strengths. I’ve received him a pair occasions. Rome, I used to be really his first Excessive-A success. However that dude’s an excellent baseball participant. He’s going to be unbelievable within the large leagues. He needs to be in The Present this yr.”

I reminded Chandler that Mayer took him deep final season.

“Yeah, yeah. He did, ” acknowledged Chandler. “I couldn’t keep in mind if it was him, or this different lefty that they had of their lineup. However sure, Marcelo hit a homer off me. Again facet, down the left subject line. Yep. I keep in mind that.”

Chandler has cleared a couple of fences of his personal. Given a possibility as a two-way participant at the start of his skilled profession, he logged 161 plate appearances throughout the 2021-2022 season. That effort fizzled — he batted only a buck eighty 9 — however he did go deep 5 occasions. I reminded him of that as effectively.

“Yeah, I hit a few homers,” Chandler mentioned. “However I wasn’t an excellent hitter. The one occasions I received hits had been when pitchers made errors. I by no means out-talented anybody once I was on the plate. In the event that they executed, I wasn’t going to get a success, or most likely even put the ball in play. Each man that’s in Excessive-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, is 10 occasions a greater hitter than I used to be.”

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Christian Vázquez has made his title as a high quality defender, however the 34-year-old Minnesota Twins backstop has additionally taken some large swings over the course of his profession. Essentially the most memorable of them have come within the postseason with the Pink Sox. He shared his favorites once I caught as much as him previous to the Twins’ spring coaching opener yesterday afternoon.

“The homer towards New York in 2018 was a giant second,” mentioned Vázquez, referring to Boston’s ALDS-clinching 4-3 win at Yankee Stadium. “It was towards Zack Britton and I feel the rely was 3-1. He didn’t wish to stroll me. I used to be batting ninth, so he didn’t wish to put me on base for the highest of our lineup. He threw a variety of heavy sinkers, however this one was up within the zone and I hit it out to proper subject. I confronted him lots with Baltimore and New York, and that was my strategy towards him: hit it to right-center.

“The homer towards Tampa in 2021 was clearly large too,” Vázquez mentioned of his Thirteenth-inning walk-off at Fenway Park in that yr’s ALDS Recreation 2 versus the Rays. “I hit it off of Luis Patiño. First-pitch fastball. That one was superior.”

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A quiz:

Who holds the MLB document for many profession assists? (A touch: A center infielder, he had 2,605 hits and performed in two World Collection).

The reply will be discovered under.

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NEWS NOTES

The Kansas Metropolis Royals have prolonged basic supervisor J.J. Picollo by means of the 2030 season. The workforce additionally introduced that they’re exercising their 2026 contract choice for supervisor Matt Quatraro.

Scott Sauerbeck, a southpaw reliever who performed for 5 groups throughout the 1999-2006 seasons, died on February 18 at age 53. Drafted by the New York Mets out of Oxford, Ohio’s Miami College, and later acquired by Pittsburgh within the 1998 Rule 5 draft, Sauerbeck made 471 big-league appearances, 341 of them with the Pirates. His profession ledger contains 20 wins, 5 saves, and a 3.82 ERA.

Dave Van Gorder, a catcher whose profession spanned the 1982-1987 seasons, died on February 4 at age 67. Enjoying primarily along with his hometown Cincinnati Reds — he briefly donned the instruments of ignorance with the Baltimore Orioles — Van Gorder banged out 89 hits, together with three that left the yard. John Denny, Andy Hawkins, and Frank Viola had been the pitchers he took deep.

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The reply to the quiz is Rabbit Maranville, who had 8,967 assists whereas enjoying for 5 groups, primarily the Boston Braves, from 1912-1935. If you happen to guessed Ozzie Smith, he had the second-most assists (8,375), and a couple of,460 hits. The Wizard performed in three World Collection.

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Which of the Cleveland Guardians, Kansas Metropolis Royals, Minnesota Twins, or Detroit Tigers will win the AL Central? I requested that query in a Twitter ballot earlier this week, absolutely anticipating a four-way horse race. What I received as an alternative was one workforce’s polling akin to Secretariat within the 1973 Belmont Stakes. The Tigers gained by a large margin, getting 56.5% of the 925 votes solid. The Twins completed second with 26.5%, whereas the Guardians garnered 10.7%, and the Royals obtained 6.3%.

Bias could have influenced the outcomes — a good quantity of Detroit followers comply with me on the increasingly-troll-tarnished web site — besides, Al Kaline’s previous membership’s raking in additional votes than the opposite three groups mixed raised my eyebrows. Frankly, all 4 polling at precisely 25% would have been much less of a shock.

As for the Central Division’s fifth workforce, it’s honest to say that Chicago’s South Facet squad is the longest of lengthy pictures within the coming marketing campaign. Wealthy Strike could have gained Kentucky Derby at 80-1 a couple of brief years in the past, however the White Sox are too many strides behind their rivals to fairly compete for a title.

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Drew Gilbert has been described as a high-energy participant, and it’s a label he readily accepts. The 24-year-old New York Mets outfield prospect advised me in the course of the Arizona Fall League season that it’s merely a part of who he’s. Furthermore, he volunteered that it would really be his largest power.

He clearly has different strengths as effectively. Drafted twenty eighth general by the Houston Astros in 2022 out of the College of Tennessee, then dealt to the Mets together with Ryan Clifford in change for Justin Verlander on the August 2023 commerce deadline, Gilbert is sort of definitely big-league certain. Even so, he did encounter a velocity bump final yr. Hampered by a hamstring pressure, he had simply 269 plate appearances, the majority of them in Triple-A, and slashed a disappointing .205/.313/.371 with an 82 wRC+ and 10 house runs.

What does the St. Paul, Minnesota native take into account to be his largest power within the instruments division?

“I don’t know if I’ve a selected one,” mentioned Gilbert. “I might say that I’ve a power, or that I’ve a weak point, however I really feel such as you’re all the time bettering each of these. I might say that I suck at one thing proper now, however in three months I may very well be actually good at it. And should you give your self an excessive amount of credit score for one thing, you would possibly fall into complacency and produce other guys go you up. So, I don’t essentially take a look at issues as strengths or weaknesses. I simply wish to be actually good at all the pieces.”

Studies usually agree that he possesses neither calling-card strengths, nor severe weaknesses. In accordance with the 2025 Baseball America Prospect Handbook, “Gilbert’s greatest device is perhaps his well-roundedness.”

Confidence is among the many attributes he’ll take into his third full skilled season.

“I don’t prefer to scout myself — I identical to to go on the market and compete — however I do know that I’m going to be a big-leaguer,” Gilbert mentioned. “It’s only a matter of time.”

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A random obscure former participant(s) snapshot:

MLB historical past contains three gamers named Randy Johnson, one in every of whom is a widely known Corridor of Fame pitcher. The opposite two are relatively-unknown former place gamers. Randall Glenn Johnson performed in 204 video games for the Atlanta Braves from 1982-1984, logging 129 hits and an 86 wRC+. Randall Stuart Johnson performed in 12 video games for the Chicago White Sox in 1980, and in 89 for the Minnesota Twins in 1982, logging 62 hits and a 92 wRC+. The previous went deep six occasions, the latter 10 occasions.

Energy was Randall Stuart Johnson’s recreation, and for one month it seemed like he is perhaps a star within the making. In April, 1982, he went 24-for-61 with six house runs whereas serving because the Twins’ major DH. His success was fleeting. Randall Stuart did little of word for the remainder of that marketing campaign, and the next yr he was again within the minors, by no means to return to MLB. As for Randall Glenn, his profession was barely longer, and considerably steadier, however in the end nothing to write down house about. 4 a long time after they donned big-league uniforms, the “different” Randy Johnsons are largely forgotten.

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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE

Matt Mervis is eying a recent begin with the Miami Marlins. Christina De Nicola has the story at MLB.com.

MLB.com’s John Denton wrote about how Masyn Winn has his sights set on turning into the face of the St. Louis Cardinals franchise.

Tommy Lasorda fanned 25 batters and recorded the profitable hit when the Canadian-American League Schenectady Blue Jays beat the Amsterdam Rugmakers 4-3 on Could 31, 1948. Larry DeFillipo chronicled the competition for SABR’s BioProject.

The catalyst for the New York Yankees’ altering their 49-year-old facial hair coverage was possible when nearer Devin Williams spoke with proprietor Hal Steinbrenner and basic supervisor Brian Cashman final week. Chris Kershner and Brendan Kuty teamed as much as write about it for The Athletic (subscription required).

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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS

Wally Joyner had 2,060 hits, a .289 batting common, and a .440 slugging share. Bob Elliott had 2,061 hits, a .289 batting common, and a .440 slugging share. (If you happen to’re not conversant in Elliott, he made six All-Star groups and gained AL MVP honors in 1947 enjoying for the Boston Braves.)

The San Francisco Seals went 100-100 in 1950. The Oakland Oaks gained the Pacific Coast League pennant that yr with a document of 118-82.

Jason Johnson and Pedro Martinez completed their careers with 100 losses apiece. Johnson had 56 wins, Martinez 219 wins.

Pink Ruffing completed his profession with 273 wins. whereas Ted Lyons completed with 260 wins. The Corridor of Fame pitchers mixed for 100 at-bats towards every others and logged 32 hits with simply 10 strikeouts.

The Washington Nationals signed Carlos Baerga as a free agent on immediately’s date in 2005. The switch-hitting second baseman went on to play in 93 video games, and document 40 of his 1,583 profession hits, in what turned out to be his last MLB season.

The Detroit Tigers signed Tito Fuentes as a free agent on immediately’s date in 1977. The switch-hitting second baseman went on to slash .309/.348/.397, and document a career-high 190 hits, in his lone season as a Tiger. Fuentes has been a part of the San Francisco Giants’ Spanish-language broadcast sales space for the previous 20 years.

Gamers born on immediately’s date embody Mike Tresh, a catcher for the Chicago White Sox (and briefly the Cleveland Indians) who didn’t see motion at some other place in a profession that spanned the 1938-1949 seasons. The Hazleton, Pennsylvania native amassed 788 hits, solely two of which left the yard. His son, Tom Tresh, homered 153 occasions whereas enjoying for the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers from 1961-1969.

Additionally born on immediately’s date was Fred Kuhaulua, a left-handed pitcher from Waianae, Hawaii who appeared in three video games for the California Angels in 1977, and in 5 video games for the San Diego Padres in 1981. Kuhaulua’s lone choice got here within the final of his eight big-league outings, a 1-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers by which he tossed eight scoreless innings.