Atlanta Braves Podcast episode 14: a chat with Kiley McDaniel

How do you learn scouting?  How do you go from ‘no experience in baseball’ to be working for the Atlanta Braves?  We have a treat for you this week on the podcast.

The MLB draft is going to change this year – we still don’t know exactly what form that will take, but we’re already wondering here about how well the Atlanta Braves are going to be set up to get the kinds of players they need to help replenish the farm system.

To the end, we had a chance to talk with someone intimately familiar with the process of identifying prospects:  scouting them, grading them, projecting them – heck, he has now quite literally written the book on the subject.

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, formerly of the Yankees, Orioles, Pirates, Braves, Fangraphs – and a fellow UCF alum – sat down with us in between lawn grooming sessions to talk about all these subjects at some length.

Still, we couldn’t cover it all – and that’s why he and co-author Eric Longenhagen decided to put down in words the process of evaluating players and their thoughts about how teams do what they do in the process of managing and developing the players they get.

The book is called Future Value.  The sub-title is ‘The Battle for Baseball’s Soul and How Teams Will Find the Next Superstar’.  It’s set to be released… well, essentially immediately.

But let me tell you:  if there’s anything in there like the things he told us in this podcast (and it’s 384 pages), then it’s well worth your time to check it out… and here’s a little help in doing so:

Kindle, e-book, and PDF formats will be coming in waves over the next several weeks:  check the publisher’s website (link above), Amazon, or your favorite book outlet for details.

Oh – the podcast:  almost forgot…

The direct download link is available here if you prefer to listen in that manner.  This is also available via iTunes, Spreaker, and a variety of other podcast outlets.

We hope you enjoy this – it was definitely a fun one to put together, particularly since this chat was a nice change from all the doom and gloom we’ve all been enduring lately.  A big thanks to ESPN and to Kiley for letting us join his virtual book tour in this way.

So y’all stay safe out there – and thanks for giving a listen!