[ayaghmour2]

RHP Pug Bryan (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Ever since he was a freshman in the feeder leagues, my view on Pug Bryan was quite simple: he's going to be an ace. The mock draft disagreed, my scout disagreed, and the eventual prospect rankings disagreed, but that didn't stop me from taking Pug in the 2nd Round of the 1934 draft. He then dominated in 6 starts with San Jose, dominated in 14 starts with Lincoln, and then dominated in 4 starts with Mobile. Against my better judgement, I started the recently turned 23-year-old in Milwaukee. He's made three starts with the Blues, and while not dominant, Bryan has an impressive 2.79 ERA (155 ERA+) and 1.24 WHIP in 19.1 innings so far. He did have a lot of unearned runs in his last start, but when your a groundball pitcher and your shortstop makes two errors it's bound to happen. That's Bryan's biggest appeal, he's an extreme groundballer with a really nice high 80s sinker. He throws a fastball, slider, forkball, and change up as well, all four big league quality. His command, especially of the changeup, is excellent and helps contribute to his impressive strikeout numbers. He's really polished up his command this season, just 4 walks so far. Last year in his 14 Lincoln starts he had a 3.7 BB/9. My scout has turned around a bit on Bryan, now calling him a "fifth starter" but he recently dropped from top 150 to 252 in the top prospect rankings. That doesn't change how good of a pitcher Bryan is, and if he keeps pitching like he is he will be starting games in Chicago soon. Both him and Wayne Robinson are waiting for someone on the big league roster to misstep (or likely the next Tommy Wilcox injury) so they can claim a more permanent spot.

CF Carlos Montes (AAA Milwaukee Blues): I really wanted him to win the opening day spot, but he had a tough spring. He's hitting a strong .292/.397/.538 (145 OPS+) with a homer, 4 steals, and 11 RBI's in 79 plate appearances to start the season. Unfortunately for him, Roy Moore has excelled in the lineup so the 20-year-old Montes will likely be down in Milwaukee for a majority of the season. He's one of the more highly rated prospects, 6th in our system and 52 in the league, and my scout raves about Montes potential. According to Marv, "with his talents the light of Montes's star could be blinding." Montes is one of the fastest players in the league and it translates to excellent center field defense as well. He also has a great feel for the zone, walking more then he's struck out so far in our system. He showed a power boost last season in Milwaukee, 5 homers in 19 games, but I can't see him every hitting that many homers at the big league level. Still, Montes is cemented as the center fielder of the future and extremely developed for someone who only has 117 minor league games under his belt.

3B Phil McKenna (AA Mobile Commodores): It may be just 17 games, but last year's 5th Rounder is hitting .400/.429/.523 (159 OPS+) with 9 RBI's, 4 walks, and just one strikeout over 70 trips to the plate. McKenna has spent his season at first base with Hank Stratton at third, and he's looked okay there. Defense has been a weakness for McKenna, but I still think he can handle third base. He does a good job working the count, makes consistent contact, and when he gets a hang of one, can really put a drive into it. He's not a superstar by any means, but he could be a reliable big league asset.

RHP Charlie Wheeler (A Lincoln Legislators): Our second of two first round picks in the most recent draft, Wheeler was the first pitcher I've selected in the first round since I took Tom Barrell #1 overall in 1929. No one will confuse Wheeler for Barrell, but he's off to a nice three start start up in Lincoln. He's 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA (159 ERA+), 1.14 WHIP, 4 walks, and 8 strikeouts in 22 innings. It's an excellent start from the Rainer College alum who's five pitch repertoire features an excellent mid 80s sinker. He has command of the other four pitches, but none of the other offerings are at the level of the sinker yet. Still, with just three pro starts to his name he doesn't have to have three polished big league pitches. Interesting enough, Lincoln is the only level where all of my starters don't have a red arrow and he's outperforming fellow top prospects like Stumpy Beaman, Harry Parker, and Karl Wallace. Wheeler projects to fit comfortably in the middle of a big league rotation, and it's only a matter of time before he cracks the top 100.

C Harry Mead (A Lincoln Legislators): In hindsight, I should have went with Bill Van Ness at 5, but with how good Harry Mead has looked I didn't want to clog up the catching depth chart. Mead has had a slow climb up our system, but is off to a red hot start. The lefty thrower is hitting .358/.485/.415 (153 OPS+) with 13 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 9 RBI's. He hasn't hit many extra base hits, just three doubles to his credit so far, but his plate discipline has been fantastic. Mead has really improved all facets of his game since being selected back in 1932, and the next tool he's polished is his hit tool. My scout now thinks he has the potential to hit .330. He's gone from a glove with a good eye to a really well rounded catcher. Add a little power into the mix, and we may not have to watch Mike Taylor continue to underperform for much longer.

CF John Johnson (B San Jose Cougars): Our third round selection in the '35 draft, Johnson skipped past La Crosse and started in San Jose. Perhaps it should have been Lincoln, as he's slashing .410/.455/.557 (159 OPS+) with 2 homers, 3 steals, and 11 RBI's in the early going. He's also looked alright in the field, with a decent +1.4 zone rating and 1.012 efficiency in center. He's a lefty swinger with a strong glove and excellent speed who seems to have decent power as well. He hit 6 homers in both his college seasons and could hit 20 this season in the minors if he maintains his current pace. He's as hardworking as it gets, and I think Johnson is going to grow past his potentials and develop into an everyday center fielder.

RHP Grover Donohue (C La Crosse Lions): There were rumors the Brooklyn Kings were looking at Donohue in the second round, but they went with a Brooklyn born pitcher so I grabbed Donohue with the last pick in the 2nd Round. He hasn't gotten much love in the prospect rankings, but he's looked strong in his first three outings. He's 1-1 with a 2.74 ERA (171 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 8 walks, and 10 strikeouts in 23 innings pitched. The walks are a little concerning, but I already know that the key to his success will be how well he learns to command his pitches. He throws five pitches; a fastball, curve, slider, change, and split, and he has enough stuff to go the distance in an FABL game. I'm not too sure why Donahue ranks outside the top 500 (OSA even had him as a #2 starter in their scouting report last season), but I'd imagine he'll eventually find himself in our top 30.

CF Oscar Panduro (C La Crosse Lions): He can pretty much play anywhere, but the Chicago kid has spent his season in left field so far. He's looked good in the field, but what's more impressive is his .391/.442/.543 (145 OPS+) batting line. He's homered, stole two bases, and added seven RBI's as well. Drafted out of Bluegrass State, the 10th Round selection is an excellent athlete with a solid hit tool, but right now he profiles more of a utility player then a starter. It helps that he can play first, second, short, left, center, and right (I'd imagine third too), but if you want to start you have to do more then just defend, run, and hit a little. Panduro will have to add some pop or improve his eye if he wants to be irreplaceable on a roster, but he seems like a lock to be a useful bench player four to five seasons down the road.