[ayaghmour2]

Before starting this, I should mention that the draft has started and we are 11 picks in. We started the day with the 5th and 10th picks, but after I watched the guys I really wanted go off the board, I sent the 5th Pick to the Dynamos for Brooklyn's first and second and their third. I then moved the 10th pick and my 4th Round pick for the 8th pick to take a guy I was considering at 5. I'll have a formal 1st Round writeup after I make my second pick, the 13th, which is up next. I also moved Mel Leonard to the Pioneers for George K. Brooks. The 19-year-old Brooks was a 7th Rounder last season and went 17-18 with a 3.98 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 122 walks, and 144 strikeouts in 284.2 innings pitched with the Class B Charlotte Bluebirds.

RHP Cy Sullivan (44th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 60th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Austin HS Senators

Two picks after Harry Mead I took the gamble on the 6'6'' righty Cy Sullivan. He was stuck with no shortstop his senior year, and actually started most of his teams games there. Sullivan struggled a little in Lincoln this season, but was excellent in 7 La Crosse starts and 14 San Jose starts. He was 5-1 with a 3.98 ERA (136 ERA+) with a 1.14 WHIP, 12 walks, and 21 strikeouts in 54.1 innings with the Lions. With the Cougars he was 5-6 with a 2.74 ERA (165 ERA+), 1.14 WHIP, 29 walks, and 39 strikeouts. I've loved watching Sullivan develop, as he now sits 87-89 with his fastball and his slider has really turned into a strong pitch. He does an excellent job keeping the ball on the ground and he effortlessly paints the corners. He's still young, just 21, but Sullivan should anchor our rotation for a long time.

CF Chink Stickels (45th Overall)
Acquired: Via Independent Draft (1935)
Drafted: 5th Round, 71st Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: George Fox Reds

Acquired from the Class A Denver Plainsman in the independent draft this year, Chink Stickels put together a strong 485 plate appearances with Mobile where he hit .285/.348/.490 (115 OPS+) with 7 homers, 12 steals, and 48 RBI's, he got a callup to AAA. He hit .339/.371/.542 (119 OPS+) in 62 trips to the plate, but it was a short trip. With the injury to Roy Moore I decided to give a shot to Stickels who was already on the 40-man roster. It did not go well, unfortunately, as he hit just .178/.208/.247 (17 OPS+) with 2 steals and 2 triples in 77 trips to the plate. I didn't expect too much, but obviously, I wanted better. Still, I'm a big fan of Stickels and he'll get to compete in camp next Spring for the wide open center field job. He looked really good in the field and has the potential to hit .330 in the big leagues. I love his potential and while I do think he may need a little more seasoning, Stickels is going to outwork anyone and will eventually secure a big league spot.

RHP Karl Wallace (58th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Boston (1934)
Drafted: 6th Round, 91st Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Milwaukee HS Maroons

In what could be one of the better trades we've made, I added Johnny Cox and Karl Wallace from the Boston Minutemen. Cox didn't stay long, I sent him to Chicago for Ray Ford, and he's turned into a nice add, but Wallace was the main target. I'm a big fan of the right who consistently sits in the mid 90s with a strong fastball and cutter. The 21-year-old has a nice four pitch arsenal and he controls all his pitches well. He really struggled last season in San Jose, but in his 12 starts this year he was much better. Wallace was 7-4 with a 2.98 ERA (152 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 17 walks, and 47 strikeouts before getting a midseason promotion to Lincoln. He handled his own in 12 starts there, going 5-4 with a 4.79 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 23 walks, and 34 strikeouts. I'm not sure yet if I'll start him in Mobile or Lincoln, but I know he won't finish back down here. I'm really excited for this kid's future and I think he's going to be a really important piece of our rotation.

CF Carlos Montes (60th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 12th Overall (1934)
Alma Mater: Citronelle

If you told me Montes would be in AAA at the end of the season when I selected him last year, I wouldn't have believed you. But somehow the 19-year-old's last 87 plate appearances were up in Milwaukee and he hit an insane .408/.488/.831 (215 OPS+) with 5 homers, 2 steals, and 27 RBI's. His worst performance came in Lincoln where he hit just .254/.361/.465 (97 OPS+) in 169 plate appearances with 10 steals, 7 homers, and 38 RBI's. He looked good in Mobile, finishing with a .342/.400/.470 (125 OPS+) line in 228 trips to the plate. My scout thinks Montes is the most developed center fielder in our organization and he's going to get a shot to try and earn the starting job up in Chicago. I'd prefer to start him out in AAA, but we don't have that many options right now. I'm hoping to add external options, but that's not because of Montes. This kid has huge upside, with excellent defensive ability, a great eye at the plate, and blazing speed on the bases and in the field. He's already gotten a boost in the prospect rankings since the original post, and I am really happy I got him last year. And much more happy then I am with who I got this year (although he is pretty good still).

SS Ducky Jordan (71st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 92nd Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Little Rock HS Pioneers

A 1930 National Champion at Little Rock HS, the "Hot Springs Hotshot" may not get the rep he deserves. He's a tiny switch hitting shortstop, but he works as hard as anybody and it's shown. My scout keeps waffling over if he's a shortstop or a center fielder, so I'll send Jordan back down to AA and let him play both. It was the only of the three levels he hit above average, slashing .311/.339/.453 (104 OPS+) with 5 steals and 13 RBI's in 115 trips to the plate. He's a really raw prospect, and I might have rushed him a little, but my scout thinks he's ready for the majors. He's got a lot of talent and the athletic ability to play anywhere on the field. I think the bat is going to develop and Jordan should be a dependable big league starter, I'm just not sure if that's going to be at short, or center, or maybe even third.