[ayaghmour2]

CF Elias Canady (201st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 126th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Portland HS

There was a time I thought Elias Canady was going to be a superstar and first round pick. Instead, he ended up an 8th Round pick and I don't see think about him being a superstar anymore. It took Canady two and a half seasons in La Crosse before his first promotion, and he did okay with San Jose. He hit .256/.350/.363 (90 OPS+) with 4 homers, 2 steals, and 37 RBI's in 311 trips to the plate. He's still young, just 21, and has great plate discipline and a decent contact tool. The big draw is the glove, however, with Canady compiling a +41.8 zone rating in his first three pro seasons. The glove makes him a favorite of mine, so expect him to at least end up a fourth outfielder.

3B Phil McKenna (204th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 76th Overall (1934)
Alma Mater: Coastal Carolina

A 5th Round pick last year, McKenna was also someone I once expected to be an early pick. He played at three levels this season, topping out at AA Mobile. The best of the approximately even three stays was in Lincoln, batting .352/.469/.610 (157 OPS+) with 10 homers and 31 RBI's in 195 trips to the plate. The longest stay was his last, in Mobile, where he hit .312/.402/.428 (116 OPS+) with 4 homers and 21 RBI's in 251 trips to the plate. The cool thing was the walk increase at each level, from 21 to 29 to 33. He also didn't pass 10 strikeouts at any level, the closest call actually in San Jose where he did it nine times. He hasn't looked good defensively, so the bat has to be well above average. Not sure if he'll ever hit for much power, but he's a smart hitter and should find a way on base.

1B Cuno Myer (238th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 22nd Round, 351st Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Norfolk HS

I'm not the biggest fan of the switch hitter Myer, but part of that is because he's nothing compared to Leo Mitchell. Myer spent his first two seasons in La Crosse, but then started 140 games in San Jose this year. He hit just .289/.326/.404 (93 OPS+) with 7 homers and 86 RBI's. Myer cannot play defense, somehow managing a -19.4 zone rating and .858 efficiency this season. That means he'll have to hit like he did last season with his impressive 130 OPS+ in 323 plate appearances in La Crosse. Unfortunately for him, he can only play first, so he might see his playing time drop back down again.

RHP Bill Scott (240th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 111th Overall (1933)
Alma Mater: Holyoke HS

It's been a little tough to find innings for Scott, but the 20-year-old looked really good in La Crosse this year. He was 8-4 with a 3.89 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.68 WHIP, 34 walks, and 43 strikeouts in 74 innings pitched. He was an excellent pitcher in high school and so far in the minors, so perhaps I need to be finding more ways to get him time. I have a lot of arms I really like, so I'm expecting a lot of rotation, but I don't think Scott will be pitching in the pen much anymore. He's increased his fastball to 91-93 and his curve and slider are already big league quality pitches. He's got great raw stuff and my scout actually thinks he'll be a back of the rotation starter. I guess I was sort of right about Scott, and after adding ten pounds he's already jumped up our system ladder:

CF Orlin Yates (242nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with the Gothams (1934)
Drafted: 9th Round, 131st Overall (1933)
Alma Mater: Travis College

Rounding out our top 30 is the third pieces of the Tom Taylor trade, 24-year-old Orlin Yates. Yates is a brilliant defender, with a +17.0 zone rating and 1.112 efficiency this year out in center. He struggled with the AA affiliate of the Gothams organization, but in our system with Mobile he hit .321/.389/.397 (105 OPS+) with 2 steals and 15 RBI's in 177 trips to the plate. My scout thinks he's ready for the big leagues, but I'm not ready for Yates to skip AAA. He'll probably start the season there or in Mobile next year, but expect Yates to fight for a spot in camp too. I love the glove and my scout likes his hit tool, so even if there are a lot of guys ahead of him, I'm rooting for Yates. I don't think he'll ever hit that much in the big leagues, but potentially he can develop into a Cy Bryant type player. Just minus the chastising.