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CF Aart MacDonald (100th Overall)
Acquired: Via Minor League Draft (1937)

Officially the first FABL player from Aruba, Aart MacDonald put up impressive numbers in his first season of affiliated ball and he notched his first FABL home run in Cleveland off Lyman Weigel to leadoff an eventual 11-3 loss. MacDonald is one of the most unique players in the league, and not just because of his Nationality, but he's a low average slugger with a ton of speed. In Mobile he hit .242/.330/.472 (144 OPS+) in 89 games before hitting .205/.321/.371 (108 OPS+) in 42 games in Milwaukee. Combined between those two stops he had 21 doubles, 19 triples, 14 homers, 39 steals, and 51 RBI's. The lefty swinger makes the most of his hits, and he walks (55) about as much as he strikes out (56) and he plays exceptionally well in the outfield. Generally a center fielder, I started giving him reps in left and right as well since Tulsa just really used him in center. He's one of the more developed prospects in the system and Marv thinks he should be our fourth outfielder (5th if you count Mitchell, but he's more of a ninth man) come next Spring. I love the glove, his speed always gives him another base, and he's set to own a high OPS. He'll never hit for a high average, and may have a .220 season like Ollie Page, but MacDonald would probably still do it with a nice OBP and slugging. He's also on the older size, 26 in April, so his age will definitely work towards his favor on securing a roster spot. I can see him going 20-15-15 in Chicago and maybe even a 30 steal season or two if he gets everyday playing time.

SS Ducky Jordan (104th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 92nd Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Little Rock HS Pioneers

The "Hot Springs Hotshot" had a really rough season, and it ended with a sore elbow and setback that ended his cup of coffee early. Jordan was just 1-for-9, but he walked twice and drove in a pair of runs. It was much better then his Mobile line, just .204/.271/.272 (67 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 3 triples, 10 steals, and 19 RBI's in 265 trips to the plate. He actually did better in Milwaukee, hitting .192/.302/.352 (97 OPS+ because of the 8 homers. This stint was a similar size, 250 PA's, and Ducky doubled six times, tripled twice, stole nine bases, and drove in 28. I gave him time at second, third, and short, and he put up plus measures at each position. He hasn't hit this low since his debut season in La Crosse where he hit just .235/.276/.365 (71 OPS+). I'm not worried about Jordan, it should be a minor setback, but worst case he's just a switch hitting utility man who can provide good defense at second, third, and short. I still view him as our future second basemen, but he does have a lot of competition.

1B Bobby Mills (117th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 90th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: San Antonio HS Warriors

His name came up a lot in trade talks, but as usual, I wasn't able to find him a home. He fills a similar role as Johnny Waters would, but at 23, I still want him getting regular at bats. He hit a tremendous .329/.399/.548 (184 OPS+) in 288 AAA plate appearances, so he definitely is big league ready with the bat, but I still haven't found a good defensive position for him. First is fine, but he hasn't really looked so good there and the outfield is as crowded as ever. "Nutball" even looked good in his big league debut, 5-for-15 with a homer, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs. He projects to be a .330 hitter with excellent plate discipline and his power has started to develop. It will help, as he doesn't have the speed to triple so the homers can really help. He'll be 24 in February, and while I don't think he'll start the season in the big leagues, he's a good enough hitter to warrant an FABL spot.

RHP Del Burns (119th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Detroit (1937)
Drafted: 1st Round, 3rd Overall (1934)
Alma Mater: Houston Coyotes

Picked up in the Juan Pomales deal, I've always been fascinated by the skinny 6'2'' righty who the Dynamos selected 3rd Overall back in 1934. He had tremendous high school numbers, but he was considered to be an unexpected selection that many felt was too early. He'll be 22 next April, and Burns has upped the velocity a lot, now throwing his fastball and cutter consistently in the mid 90s. He gets a lot of swings and misses on his forkball and it works as a nice compliment to the cut. He does a good job keeping the ball on the ground and Marv believes he'll fill the back of a rotation in a year or two. He gets plenty of movement on all five of his pitches and they combined to make a big league ready arsenal. He does need to polish the command a bit, 4.4 BB/9 with Detroit's AA affiliate
and 3.3 with ours, but he did seem to really struggle with us. He finished 7-7, but with a 4.08 ERA (78 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 39 walks, and 51 strikeouts.

RHP Art Saunders (127th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 133rd Overall (1935)
Alma Mater: Manning Bulldogs

He said it was impossible, but then I threw $20,000 at him and he decided his mind would be persuaded. He's spent most of that on medical bills already, seven injuries already that caused him to make just 9 starts last year and 18 this year. He hasn't won many, 5-10, but he has a respectable 3.81 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 46 walks, and 65 strikeouts. It was a total of 132.1 innings pitched, but to be fair, he did leave seven of those starts early. But, he now added a sinker to his repertoire and sits in the low 90s. He keeps the ball on the ground well and his curve is considered his "money pitch" if you ask Mr. Branson. He's a smart kid, but the injuries could end up standing in his way. He'll be 21 next June, and with limited innings under his belt, I might start him in La Crosse again, but my hope is that he'll move up to San Jose once the new draft class comes in.