For this week’s podcast, I have a trio of interviews from the Diamond in Richmond (excuse the standard stadium noisiness!), all involving pitchers whose baseball paths have involved twists and turns. First, I spoke with Reggie Crawford, the Giants’ top pick in the 2022 draft, who has just recently joined the Richmond pitching staff as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery. Crawford is, for the first time in his career, developing as a pitcher only, after being a two-way...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rogermunter.substack.com Everything about Reggie Crawford is immense. He’s a huge guy, with huge stuff and enormous talent. But he’s also a person with real star-wattage in his personality. He’s thoughtful, articulate, and incisive in the way he views his pursuit of greatness. And there’s no better way to bring that aspect of Crawford across than with another “In the Dugout” vi…

On this week’s pod, I have one of the hardest working folks in the baseball business, Mike Ferrin, who has lent his voice to broadcasts, podcasts, radio shows, and much more over his more than two decades. Mike and I talk about how player development has and hasn’t changed over his time in the game, revisit some Giants’ prospects and coaches of old, and assess where the organization currently sits among its peers. Mike absolutely loves the game of baseball in all of its myriad forms, and you...

[NOTE: Apologies for the false start on this post. An alert reader pointed out that I didn’t quite get the start of the video in the right place!] Ok, I’m going to try something different this time! Since Kerry always posts his Kerry Crowley Show (including all of our KROG collaborations) to his You Tube channel, and since Substack supports both video and audio programming, I’m going to join the modern world and provide the latest KROG in both video and podcast format so you can enjoy our...

MLB’s great prospect writer Jim Callis joins me once again to talk about the state of the Giants’ farm system, including prospects, post-prospects, and the recent draft — where we discover that we have something unknown in common! Jim also gets into some fascinating potential future plans for the Spring Breakout showcase! You can (and should!) follow Jim on twitter at jimcallisMLB to keep up with all of his great work on prospects and the upcoming draft. And, of course, you can follow me on...

It’s a Flying Squirrels Opening Day edition of the podcast as I sit down with new Squirrels Carson Ragsdale and Hunter Bishop to talk about their development journeys that have been beset with health obstacles. They talk about keeping their spirits up and working through often painful rehabs and looking forward to a full, healthy season. I also get a team preview of the 2024 edition of the Squirrels from returning manager Dennis Pelfrey. The season is upon us! Which means it’s a great time to...

To welcome in the start of the 2024 minor league season, I’m joined by fellow Giants’ prospect maven Wrenzie Regodon to preview all four Giants’ minor league affiliate teams, making our best guesses at what the rosters will look like. It’s a super-stuffed edition of the pod as we go level by level, talking about the most compelling parts of every roster and picking out a few sleeper candidates on top of the big names. (Quick Note to avoid confusion: you’ll note in the podcast that some of...

With the 2024 minor league season beginning tomorrow, I wanted to talk a little minor league life with the voice of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, Trey Wilson. We talk “good guys,” clubhouse culture, long days, and the joys of watching homegrown waves of talent ascend to the top. You can follow Trey on Twitter (where you’ll see a lot of great photos from press boxes as well as tons of Squirrels highlights and facts) at treywilson757. And, of course, you can follow me on twitter at rog61, or...

Kerry Crowley and I talk about the late roster changes that brought a fantastic off-season all together and get excited for the coming season! We also talk a little about my time at Papago Park and the youth wave on the rise throughout the system and a lot about Marco Luciano and Nick Ahmed. You can follow Kerry on Twitter at KO_Crowley and watch all episodes of The Kerry Crowley Show on You Tube. And, of course, you can follow me on Twitter at rog61 or to get all of my work, simply become a...

J.P. Ricciardi, former GM of the Toronto Blue Jays and long time front office executive who has worked with the Yankees, A’s, Mets, and Giants has retired after more than four decades in the game. He graciously joins the pod to talk about his life int he game, people he’s known and worked with, and the changes he’s seen in the game he loves. We also talk about his new podcast, The Brushback with JP, which you should definitely check out. You can always keep up with new episodes by following...

SF Chronicle’s great beat writer Susan Slusser joins me from Arizona to talk about a fascinating Giants camp. Susan discusses the importance of Bob Melvin’s presence, the clear need for more starting pitching, the shortstop situation and much, much more. You can, and SHOULD, follow Susan on Twitter @susanslusser to keep up with her daily coverage of the team. (Also, follow her new colleage on the Giants beat @ShaynaRubin). And you can follow me @rog61 or become a There R Giants’ subscriber to...

NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic drops by the pod to talk early buzz from the Giants’ spring camp. We talk about people sleeping on Kyle Harrison, all the young arms in camp, the chances that the Giants capture a generation of Korean baseball fans, and we get into a surprising amount of Tyler Fitzgerald love! You can keep up with all of Alex’ reports from camp (after a short “Dad-cation”) by following on Twitter @PavlovicNBCS. You can also follow me @rog61 or become a There R Giants’...

Kerry and I talk Brandon Crawford’s departure to St. Louis and Nick Ahmed’s arrival and how the two are joined. We also catch up to the Jorge Soler signing. And we continue to be fascinated by the burden the Giants seem to content to place on their young pitching. We also get into communications strategies and public messaging in today’s KROG podcast. Watch all of the episodes of the Kerry Crowley show on Kerry’s You Tube channel. And you can follow all of my work by becoming a There R...

The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee joins me to talk about the Giants’ incredible pitching experiment, the “two timelines” theory of Giants’ roster construction, and exactly how much is on the line in the coming year. You can (and should!) read all of Grant’s great work at The Athletic, and follow him on Twitter for the jokes and record collection talk @GrantBrisbee. You can follow me on Twitter @Rog61, or on Notes here on Substack, or become a There R Giants’ subscriber to get all of my work...

While mired in the desolation of another heart-breaking 49ers loss, Kerry and I try to figure out what exactly the Giants approach to the coming season really is. We talked about why signing Jorge Soler (done!) and more still makes sense while overall pitching-focused rebuild provides long-range strategy. Follow Kerry and Roger on Twitter at KO_Crowley and at Rog61. And don’t forget to watch Kerry’s solo pods as well, on You Tube at Kerry Crowley Show. To get all of Roger’s work, just become...

This week I’m joined by Lance Brozdowski, Player Development Analyst for the Marquee Sports Network — which is pretty much the coolest job title in all of baseball as far as I’m concerned. Lance also has a fantastic You Tube channel on which he does deep dives into the prospect world, using the type of data-driven development lens that all modern front offices are using. I particularly want to highlight two videos that Lance posted earlier this winter that we’ll be referring to a lot in this...

Kerry and Roger get back together to talk about the risky nature of the Giants’ current roster which includes plenty of upside but little certainty. How will it come together? Follow Kerry and Roger on Twitter at KO_Crowley and at Rog61. And don’t forget to watch Kerry’s solo pods as well, on You Tube at Kerry Crowley Show. To get all of Roger’s work, just become a There R Giants’ subscriber. There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider...

This week I’m joined by one of the best sources for Giants’ international baseball news, and a long-time essential Giants’ twitter follow known as GPT, or Giants Prospects. We talk about the history of Giants’ scouting and development in the international realm, the importance of Marco Luciano’s success, the most recent international class, and a tease for next year. It’s always great to get to talk with Avi and dig into the international scene. You can (and should!) follow GPT on twitter...

Baseball Prospectus’ prospect writer Eli Walsh drops by the pod to discuss this year’s BPro Giants rankings, and take a look back at the progress of last year’s group as well. We talk a lot of Marco Luciano and Kyle Harrison (and Casey Schmitt!) and get into the young bats, the pitching depth, and a few sleepers Eli likes. Follow Eli on twitter @walsh_eli to find all of his prospect work. And follow me on Twitter @rog61 or just become a There R Giants’ subscriber. There R Giants is a...

Kerry Crowley and I team up for yet another KROG podcast, diving into this long, slow winter of cold stove action. We talk about where the line falls between “bold action” and “silly money,” and wonder if the Giants’ new strategy is actually a return to the “soft rebuild?” And we try to find the perfect players additions that will allow the team to both develop and compete in 2024. Watch all episodes of the Kerry Crowley Podcast on his You Tube channel, youtube.com/@KerryCrowleyShow or follow...

Once again this year, it’s my privilege to get to chat with Giants’ Senior International Scouting Director, Joe Salermo, to discuss the team’s latest class of incoming international free agents. January 15th opens the year’s signing period (it closes on December 15th), and the Giants introduced 20 new talents to the system. Joe talks about the team’s history with top signings Yoendry Sanchez and Jhonny Level, and points out a few of the real sleepers he thinks the Giants got this year....

One of the top pitching prospects from a suddenly pitching-rich system, Mason Black joins me this week to talk about his approach to the offseason, his search for the perfect slider shape, and how he’s working towards what he hopes will be his major league debut in the not too distant future (and so do I!). There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Intro/Outro: “Back in Black” by AC/DC Get...

Kerry Crowley is back for another KROG podcast as we take a look at the Giants’ options for the offseason, talk about the current shape of the pitching staff and middle infield, and discuss the concept of prospects being “blocked” by major league moves. As always, you should check out all of Kerry’s You Tube podcasts at KerryCrowleyShow. And check out all of my work by becoming a There R Giants’ subscriber. There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support...

I’m totally geeked up about today’s podcast. Robert Orr wrote what, in my opinion, was the best piece of baseball analysis last year quantifying what he called the SEAGER approach to hitting (after Corey Seager, who is the preeminent examplar of this approach). We talked about what led him to discover the SEAGER approach and possible implications that this nuance on swing decision metrics could have for individual players and organizational Player Development philosophies going forward. We...