By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor

I can't imagine anyone reading this would disagree with the opinion that there are few things in the world better than October baseball. The playoffs have been incredibly dramatic and are the main cause of my current lack of sleep.

One of my favorite aspects about my job is simply being at games amongst scouts and having conversations with them. It can be about anything—draft philosophy, pitching mechanics, player stories, etc. I heard one story via a former co-worker last year that I shared on Twitter the other night. Before the draft, teams will hold workouts and area scouts can invite players. The workouts will have top prospects there to give the brass one last look before it's time to make a decision, but it's also a chance to bring in gut-feel guys. I heard about one area scout that brought in a player and received some good ribbing from his colleagues. The player was a catcher, but no one was giving him a chance to stay behind the plate. He was labeled with a bad body, weighing more than 240 pounds, and would be limited to first base. To add extra ammo for the skeptics, the player was from a Division II school. But the area scout stood his ground, saying that he liked his swing and chances to hit in pro ball. Another team ultimately selected the player and he shot through the minors on his way to hitting a go-ahead home run against the Dodgers in the National League Division Series. It was the Cardinals' Matt Adams.

Now, how about we get to a question?

Do you see C/RHP Nick Dalesandro (Joliet Catholic Academy, IL) and LHP Kyle Ostrowski (Lincoln-Way North HS, IL attending Purdue next year?
Two of the top 2015 prospects in Illinois, Dalesandro and Ostrowski should be watched closely next spring, but the draft is still eight months away. A lot can still happen before June and we're still several months away from signability really becoming a serious conversation. I would counter with a question of my own, one that can be asked of any player every year. How are these two going to progress between now and the end of the spring season?