Mack's Apples - – Corey Oswalt, Noah Naylor, MLB Labor Issues, ‘Y’ in Cuban Names,

Good morning.

 Minor League Ball  3 prospects to know –

RHP Corey Oswalt - As for his pitch arsenal, Oswalt has a fastball that can reach up to 95 miles per hour along with a curveball, slider, and a changeup. While the strikeouts haven’t come in bunches, he does do a good job pitching to contact. Since May 25, he’s given up a total of three home runs (all solo).

There are certainly question marks with Oswalt. He was older for the Eastern League, now 24 after being a seventh-round draft pick back in 2012. He doesn’t possess swing-and-miss stuff, which makes him somewhat hittable, but he has shown an ability to keep walks low, never walking more than 2.68-per-nine in his career. Despite a bunch of contact, he has also limited damage by being an extreme ground ball pitcher.

2080 Baseball -

        

   Noah Naylor, C, St. Joan of Arc (Mississauga, Ont.)Ht/Wt: 6’0”/200            B/T: R/L           Age (as of 2018 MLB Draft): 18y, 3m

The younger brother of Padres’ prospect Josh Naylor, Noah flashes above-average raw power with the help of a strong lower half and quick hands. Though he has plenty of arm for the position, his receiving needs refinement to stay behind the plate professionally.

What you need to know about Major League Baseball's  labor issues  -

          

  What has been the most common fan reaction?

Some version of "Those greedy players! They already make too much money! 

I can't afford to take my family to a game as it is!"

So what? Isn't that all true?

No. Ticket prices are driven by supply and demand, not player salaries. The Dodgers, for instance, are cutting payroll with the intent of not paying a luxury tax this year. They could save $100 million in payroll and taxes compared to last year. They are not cutting ticket prices.

Here's why Cuban  baseball player names start with the letter Y –

           

   Consider that eight of the 28 players on Cuba's winter league champion Alazanes de Granma roster for the 2018 Serie del Caribe have given names that start with the letter Y, including Yoelkis Céspedes, the younger half-brother of New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Céspedes. There's also catcher Yulexis La Rosa; infielders Yurisbel Gracial, Yulián Milán and Yordan Manduley; and pitchers Yanier González, Yoannis Yera and Yoalkis Cruz. And there's even a surname with a Y belonging to infielder Jorge Antonio Yhonson.