How Draft Strategy Could Change With Shifting Player Development Timelines

JJ joins the draft podcast with Carlos to talk about his overall thoughts on the 2026 draft class and talk about a number of macro-level strategic topics, including how faster minor league progressions could shift draft strategy and why it’s so valuable to get to the majors as a young player. The two talk about Roch Cholowsky’s early season and why college shortstops so rarely produce stars, and Carlos tries to see who JJ would prefer on the board after top tier shortstops like Cholowsky and Grady Emerson are gone.

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Time Stamps:

• (1:30) JJ’s overall thoughts on the class
• (3:50) College shortstops don’t normally become stars
• (6:15) What are Roch’s flaws?
• (10:20) Why depth is overrated in the draft
• (23:00) How shifting ETAs impact draft strategy
• (38:00) Who would JJ take No. 3?
• (55:00) That value of getting to the majors young

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