Kashie Natt is one of my favorite under-the-radar prospects in this draft for the Pelicans.
-Louisiana Native
- Elite defensively
- Athletic
- Averaged 8.2 rebounds per game at 6'3
- Won Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year
The Pelicans only have the 58th pick, but Natt feels like the exact type of player Jamahl Mosley would love to have. If he's there late or goes undrafted, he's a name I'd be interested in.
Could help replace some of what Herb Jones brings if he were ever moved.
The Death of Baseball IQ
The game is over and we need to talk about why we took an L and why half of you are going to go home open your phones and completely miss the point.
We have an absolute epidemic in amateur baseball right now.
Players who are chasing metrics but losing ballgames. You’ve been trained to believe that if your exit velocity is up, your launch angle is perfect, and your radar gun numbers look good on a screen. You’re an elite prospect.
Let me tell you the truth. You are training for a spreadsheet while the team is trying to win a game on the dirt.
Data builds a great engine but tools don't mean a thing if you have zero Baseball IQ.
The 3 Lefts Metrics Audit
The Situational Deficit: In the cage a 95 mph exit velo is a perfect rep. In a live game with a runner on second, zero outs, and a tie score in the 6th. The definition of success changes. If you take a massive, heavy-pull hero swing to juice your personal data profile and roll over into a weak groundout. You failed. You chose to chase a metric instead of executing the backside approach the scoreboard demanded.
The Invisible Play Deficit: You can’t put a radar gun on a perfectly executed cutoff throw. There is no viral metric for an outfielder running 60 feet just to back up first base or an infielder communicating who has the bag on a steal before the pitch is thrown. Because those high IQ defensive plays don't generate a flashy stat line for social media. You treat them like afterthoughts. That is exactly why we give up runs.
The Scout Card Reality: You’re on the bus right now refreshing apps looking at a padded batting average. Let’s be real high level college recruiters and pro scouts don't care about your digital box score or what a local app says you're batting. They see right through it. They are watching how you handle a 95-mph fastball inside, your pitch recognition on a 3-2 slider, and your in game instincts. The screen might lie to protect your feelings but the radar gun and the scout's notebook won't.
Data can build the engine but it cannot steer the car. The college game moves way too fast for slow thinkers. If your energy, your hustle, and your focus change depending on your personal metrics instead of the team's record. You aren't a competitor.
You're just a data collector wearing our jersey.
Turn off the screens. Learn the game. Own the standard.
#3LeftsBaseball #CoachBigMike
Controlled aggression and purpose behind every swing.
Don’t just push the ball around the field. But don’t swing max effort trying to hit pull-side home runs every round of BP either.
MLB hitters are the strongest and most physical players in the game. They could launch balls out all day if they wanted to. Yet the great ones understand that batting practice is about building a swing that performs in games.
Watch hitters like Miguel Cabrera. Sure, they hit some out, but they aren’t constantly hooking and top-spinning balls to the pull side. They’re hunting backspin and driving the baseball with authority.
Controlled aggression and driving the ball to the opposite-field gap helps hitters stay on fastballs to all fields, avoid pulling off, and buy time to adjust to off-speed pitches and breaking balls.
Many amateur hitters struggle with both because they train their swing to look good in BP, not perform in games. They become one-dimensional.
Be a mature hitter. Train for game performance, not batting practice applause.
Yesterday I wrapped up my college baseball career as well as my playing career. I was reflecting on some things that I wish I knew coming into college or somethings that I would tell younger players interested in playing college baseball. So here they are in no particular order⬇️
Boston, we will miss you.
Gracias for making us part of you. #RedSoxNation, you are the ❤️ of that team, keep believing, you really care and that’s what pushes everyone in the @RedSox to give it all day in and day out.
With respect and love
AC