[ayaghmour2]

With the College season getting underway on March 21st (current in-game date March 15th), here's a quick preview of some of the college guys. I'll list them in three categories, potential top picks, bounce back candidates, and intriguing freshman. For the bounce back candidates I'll try to focus mostly on draft eligible guys.

Potential Top Picks

SP Joe Hancock (Henry Hudson Explorers): After two Henry Hudson arms (Curly Jones and George Gilliard) went in the first round, Joe Hancock has a chance to join his former teammates. GM's may potentially shy away from him after Curly Jones shocked the baseball world and retired shortly after becoming the #1 overall pick, but Hancock has immense potential and he's arguably the best arm available this offsesaon. Last season was huge for the righty, finishing 7-2 with a 2.19 ERA (228 ERA+), 0.80 WHIP, and 109 strikeouts in 90.1 innings pitched as the #3 starter in the Explorers rotation. Henry Hudson will be looking to three-peat, and having him sit atop the rotation will help. He's a tall groundballer who throws a mid 80s fastball, outstanding change up, and hard breaking slider. He has pinpoint control and can paint the corners with ease. He saw his velocity tick up a bit in January, and the harder it gets the more devastating his change will be. I really hope we don't pick high enough to be able to select him, but he's my way to early #1 overall pick projection.

SP Cal Knight (Pierpont Purple): He's young for his class, turning 20 in just a few days, but the southpaw Cal Knight probably had the best 1932 season. He finished 7-1 with a 1.63 ERA (295 ERA+), 0.81 WHIP, and 101 strikeouts in 99.2 innings pitched. He's a groundball pitcher with a five pitch arsenal, and he showed great strides in the offseason. Since the college season ended, he saw his velocity go from 84-86 to 86-88. He doesn't have the dominant pitches that Hancock has, but all five pitches are above average and his splitter is really good. He's working on perfecting his control and he's posted respectable BB/9 numbers. The only problem with Knight is he was not that good as a freshman. Finishing just 5-7 with a 3.20 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.04 WHIP, and 87 strikeouts in 112 innings pitched, some scouts are a little skeptical of his breakout. I'm really high on him, and I think he has one of the highest upside of any college arm in recent memory. His offseason improvements paired with his excellent work ethic give me great hope for his 1933 season. Add the fact that he's a 6'5'' checks all the boxes you want with a pitcher, he reminds me of a lefty version of what Tommy Wilcox was before becoming a Cougar.

SP Brad Daniels (St. Blaine Fighting Saints): Okay, maybe Brad Daniels had the best 1932 season. The Illinois native (Yay!) was 9-1 with a miniscule 1.15 ERA (462 EAR+), 0.90 WHIP, and 80 strikeouts in 86 innings pitched for St. Blaine. Daniels features an impressive four pitch repertoire with a nasty downward moving change that drops out at the last second. He throws from a deceptive 3/4 armslot and sits comfortable in the mid 80s with his fastball. He also did a much better job of preventing the long ball last year, just 2 (0.2 per 9) all season. Daniels is very far developed for his age, but I'm not sure he has the upside of Hancock and Knight. He's got top of the rotation potential, but I feel like he'll never be the best pitcher of his time. He's more Max Wilder then Rabbit Day (Baltimore's Ace and two time Allen award winner), but a Max Wilder is still extremely valuable.

SS Johnnie Sundberg (Coastal California Dolphins): This class really lacks a top hitter, but I'd hedge my bets on Sundberg being the first position player selected. Since he plays a premium position and owns a respectable .335/.412/.562 (148 OPS+) batting line, there's not many players I'd rank ahead of him. He also hit 18 homers, stole 7 bases, and drove in 71 runs in his 457 plate appearances the past two seasons with the Dolphins. He projects to be an above average defender and should be able to hit over .310 in the majors. He's got nice speed too, but his power is likely average at best. He kind of reminds me of Russ Combs, but for his sake, I hope he can stay healthy unlike Combs. He also bares similarity to our first rounder this year Billy Hunter, but I think Sundberg has higher upside.

3B Phil McKenna (Coastal California Dolphins): A teammate of Sundberg, the Dolphins easily boast the best left side of the infield in all of college baseball. He really broke out last season, slashing .344/.434/.682 (174 OPS+) with 16 homers and 62 RBI's after a rather uninspiring freshman season. He also vastly improved his defense, increasing his zone rating and efficiency from -9.5 and .811 to -1.8 and .975. Obviously, those numbers aren't very good, but the more he plays at the hot corner the better he'll get. He has the potential to become average to above average defensively, but with his bat it doesn't matter if he ever reaches that. He makes consistent contact, lays off all the bad pitches, and can drive the ball along way. Third base is a rather weak position in the FABL, with John Lawson, John Kincaid, and Frank Vance (Detroit) really the only top tier players. The Chiefs also have Joe Masters and Brooklyn and Montreal are trying second basemen Jake Shadoan and Hank Barnett at the hot corner, but a lot of teams could use a bat like McKenna. Out of need, McKenna could see himself as the first bat taken off the board, even though Sundberg is probably the better prospect.

Bounce Back Candidates

SP Dick Higgins (Dickson Maroons): It feels almost silly calling someone who had a 3.27 ERA (157 ERA+) and 1.19 WHIP a bounce back candidate, but it was definitely a down year for the Maroons ace. The righty was also 1-5 with 94 strikeouts in 77 innings pitched. His walks went down and his strikeouts went up, but hitters were able to consistently put the ball in play against him and his WHIP and ERA both spiked. As a freshman, Higgins was elite, 6-4 with a 1.65 ERA (252 ERA+), 1.05 WHIP, and 96 strikeouts in 103.1 innings pitched. "Pistol" is very similar to Hancock, with a mid 80s fastball and outstanding change up, but he features a power slider instead of a movement oriented one (think Jacob deGrom just not 90 MPH). That's not to say he doesn't get good movement on it, as it's extremely hard for righties to hit, but he focuses more on pounding the zone while Hancock prefers to place his pitches. Right now I think he's a late first, early second pick, but a strong junior year can put him in contention for the top pick. Based on talent alone, he's probably the second best draft eligible college arm, but a rough season could see him fall out of the first couple rounds.

SP Charlie Phillips (Boulder State Grizzlies): Here's a guy filled with talent who just hasn't done much in college. In 30 starts he's 13-12 with a 4.02 ERA (128 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, and 185 strikeouts across 210.1 innings pitched. The righty has a dominant knuckle curve with a mid to high 80s fastball and a decent splitter, curve, and change comprising a really strong five pitch arsenal. He has had issues when his control escapes him and he saw his home run rate jump from 0.2 to 1.0 last year as he left too many pitches over the heart of the plate. He's got all the tools needed to succeed, but there has to be results. Right now, he's a middle round pick, but he's got top of the rotation potential if he can put everything together.

SS Buck Stanton (George Fox Reds): He's one of those guys that you expect to break out, but just never does. A Danville, Illinois native, Stanton has hit just .277/.334/.374 (88 OPS+) with 5 homers, 23 steals, and 22 RBI's in 100 games with the Reds. He is an outstanding defender, so even if the bat doesn't develop, there is still value there, but he's got excellent tools. He's extremely athletic with plus speed and range and he's got a really solid eye at the plate. He's a bit of a light hitter and he saw his walks and strikeouts go in the wrong direction last year. There's talent here, but the 19-year-old is really raw and may be a late bloomer at the plate.

Intriguing Freshman

SP Hank Beckman (Whitney College Engineers): Located just a few miles away from the North Side Grounds, the Engineers have possibly the best freshman recruit in the game. The 17-year-old Beckman features a five four arsenal with a really good forkball. He's an excellent control pitchers who hits spots with ease and he excels at fooling hitters. He doesn't throw hard, but he's got a lot of time to grow and add speed. He'll never be a power pitcher, but even moving up to the 86-88 range will be enough for his natural talent. He doesn't have any HS numbers as he joined in February (I like to think of these guys as players who didn't go to top level baseball high schools), but he's definitely someone to watch.

LF Larry Ryder (George Fox Reds): Like Beckman, Ryder was a February addition with no HS stats. His tools look really good, with elite hit tools and solid power. He won't be a 25+ home run hitter, but I can see him surpassing double digits easily. He can challenge for batting titles and will almost never swing at pitches outside the zone. There are questions about his defensive ability, but he should be able to handle left and he has experience at first and right.

CF Leo Costello (Central Ohio Aviators): Taken in the 12th Round by Washington out of St. Louis HS, Costello instead decided to attend Central Ohio. He once looked like a top pick after hitting .336/.433/.725 (245 OPS+) with 14 homers, 17 steals, and 35 RBI's as a junior, but a rough senior season cause him to fall down draft boards. He hit just .258/.398/.371 (107 OPS+) with 3 homers, 7 RBI's, and 12 steals. Regardless, his .286/.394/.522 (162 OPS+) career numbers are very impressive and his speed and defensive abilities still remained strong when the bat disappeared. He seems poised for a bounce back year with his new team, and he'll have a chance to work his way back up draft boards. He's got a lot of raw talent and I think his floor might be Cy Bryant. He'll be an interesting youngster to watch, and I'd be surprised if he isn't taken higher when he's eligible again in 1935.

C Elmer Field (St. Patrick's Shamrocks): Our 20th Round selection, I decided to let the switch hitter attend St. Patrick's. He hit just .305/.332/.385 (88 OPS+) with 18 RBI's as a senior, but scouts seem to rave about his talent. He actually spent most of his high school innings at first, but he's expected to be a catcher with the Shamrocks. He's got above average contact ability from both sides of the plate, but will never hit for any sort of power. Like Costello, I'd be surprised if he isn't taken earlier when he's eligible again.

1B Jim Estelle (North Carolina Tech Techsters): I'm assuming he was an impossible signee, as I can't imagine why no one would take a chance on a guy who hit .365/.410/.544 (159 OPS+) in high school with 10 homers and 52 RBI's in two seasons. The lefty 1B/LF has never been much of a defender, but he always hits for a high average and will surprise you with a home run every so often if you give him a good pitch to hit. He's very disciplined and rarely swings and misses, just 13 strikeouts total.