[ayaghmour2]

SP Art Black (87th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 67th Overall (1927)
Alma Mater: Berkeley Bears
Last Year Rank: 28th

Checking in right below Clyde Hinzman is SP Art Black who had a meteoric rise in the Cougars farm system during the 1929 season. Part of the jump can be explained by the graduations and players traded out of the organization, but the 20-year-old was excellent in his first season as a starting pitcher. Despite starting in high school, Black pitched primarily out of the bullpen in 1928 because he threw just two pitches. Even with that, my scout felt he could start in the FABL and I decided to give him a shot. It paid off huge, as in his 30 starts for Lincoln, "Burger" was 13-9 with a 3.29 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts in 187 innings pitched. He boosted his cutter velocity up to 92-94 during the offseason and there are rumors of him trying to work in either a slider or fastball to give himself a third offering. And despite being younger then nearly everyone in his level last season, Black is likely to see AA batting once the minor league season comes along. The only thing standing in his way, however, is a numbers game that may keep him with the Legislators for the start of the 1930 season.

SS Slim Bloom (99th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 13th Round, 219th Overall (1923)
Alma Mater: New York HS Eagles
Last Year Rank: 12th

Our last prospect rated in the top 100, Slim Bloom made his big league debut last September after a less then ideal showing with Milwaukee in AAA. He hit .274/.350/.347 (82 OPS+) with 2 homers, 12 steals, and 54 RBI's in 486 plate appearances. He's a dependable defender, as he managed a +7.5 ZR as his career total is approaching +20. He actually hit better in the majors, batting .324/.333/.471 (101 OPS+), albeit in a much smaller sample size of 37 plate appearances. He's a smooth defender with great speed, but Bloom is likely without a starting spot in the FABL. With Clyde Hinzman set to start at short for the Blues this season, Bloom will have to try to win a spot on the big league roster or end up learning a new position like second base. He has the upside to start in the big leagues, but a low floor of a dependable utility player.

RF Vince York (116th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 25th Overall (1924)
Alma Mater: Wichita HS Jayhwaks
Last Year Rank: 13th

Unless he's absolutely pitiful in the spring, Vince York is set to be the every day right fielder for the Cougars come April. It currently shapes up as a four man outfield rotation between York, John Dibblee, Bob McCarty, and George Jordan. The switch-hitting York is just a season removed from hitting .407 with AA Mobile, and of course, he regressed a little last season. He spent most of his time in Milwaukee and hit .311/.359/.451 (110 OPS+) with 10 homers and 75 RBI's in just over 500 total plate appearances before being called up in September. He looked really good, hitting .429/.440/.490 (135 OPS+) with 3 doubles and 5 RBI's in 50 trips to the plate. He's a pure hitter projected to hit .360 and challenge for batting titles while offering double digit power from both sides of the plate. Defense is his one weakness, but we think he can be hidden in right. Even if he isn't able to provide much in the field, he should more then make up for it at the plate.

SP Heinie Bretz (129th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 51st Overall (1926)
Alma Mater: Wilkes-Barre HS Warriors
Last Year Rank: 4th

It was a tough fall for Heinie Bretz who took a tumble from 4th to 9th in our prospect rankings where most players trended upwards. A sprained elbow did cost him a little over a month, but he looked really good with A Lincoln. He was 10-5 with a 3.01 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts in 104.2 innings pitched before earning the call to Mobile. He was shelled in his 4 starts there, but the 21-year-old was playing against significantly tougher competition. The righty saw his velocity jump from 85-87 to 89-91 in the offseason, and the groundballer will likely see both an increase in strikeouts and decrease in hits. He does a good job of limiting walks and home runs and should be a dependable rotation option as he continues to develop.

SP Lou Gaffin (144th Overall)
Acquired: Via Minor League Free Agency (1925)
Drafted: 15th Round, 230th Overall by the Philadelphia Keystones (1922) and 14th Round, 224th Overall by the Boston Minutemen (1923). Released both times
Alma Mater: Pittsburgh HS Pipers and Holyoke HS Oaks
Last Year Rank: 15th

It was a rough season for the now 25-year-old Gaffin who looked to build on a really great 1928 season. He made just 10 starts for the Blues before an arthritic elbow cut his season short. In those 10 starts he struggled, going 2-4 with a 5.87 ERA (71 ERA+), 1.81 WHIP, and 30 strikeouts in 69 innings. He would have likely been given a shot in the Cougars rotation last season if he wasn't hurt, however, he now seems like an outside shot to make the team. He's got average control and decent stuff, but he also hasn't pitched since early July. We still have hopes that he can start, but for now those starts will be in Milwaukee, not Chicago.