[ayaghmour2]

With today as an off day, I decided to update my draft database to include the 1939 class. There will be three rounds in January, and since this will happen before 1939 stats are created, I will eventually re-update this class' database again in May when the pool is filled and stats generated. And since I already had the pool up and everything, I decided to highlight a few more potential top picks in the upcoming draft.

CF Roy Carroll
School: Clayton
1938: .457/.585/1.000, 106 PA, 8 2B, 6 3B, 8 HR, 32 RBI, 31 SB
Career: 458/.577/.911, 246 PA, 19 2B, 11 3B, 15 HR, 64 RBI, 65 SB

Bet you thought that said Roy Carey, as I do tend to write about him. It's close, but Roy Carroll is actually a very exciting center field prospect from San Francisco. This is a huge plus for him, as no team has priority to California, so he could be a choice for one of the first two rounds this January. Ignoring the beautiful 1 for his OPS as a junior, Carroll did that as 15, as he just turned 16 while watching Tom Barrell and the Kings take a 1-0 lead in the World Series. There may be a little movement when it is all said and done, but right now Carroll has the most homers for a high schooler in this pool with 15 and even cracked the overall top 10 despite everyone higher then him with 98 to 155 games while Carroll played in fewer then 50. Unfortunately, there are concerns about his character and work ethic, but the numbers look really good to start. Marv thinks he may hit .290 in the big leagues, but it's really hard to project things for someone as young as him. That may cause him to fall a little, but a strong senior season could help him secure one of the top picks in the Summer draft. The power is legit, but questions are brought up about his defense. Carroll has shown solid discipline too, 35 walks to 12 strikeouts, but unless he works at it, the big leagues might just be a dream.

LHP Mal Bianco
School: Maryland State
1938: 9-5, 130 IP, 3.67 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 69 BB, 101 K
Career: 16-10, 328.2 IP, 3.58 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 116 BB, 172 K

Vic Carroll is probably the best college arm available, but I covered him a bit ago. Another interesting arm is Maryland State's southpaw Mal Bianco, Just four college arms have struck out more then 150 batters and Bianco ranks right behind Carroll. He also has a nice 3.58 ERA and 1.43 WHIP against the toughest competition out there. My scout isn't too fond of him, although when does he ever really likes young pitchers. After the season he added a mile on his fastball, but the sidearmer just sits in the mid 80s. His slider should be great and his splitter decent, but the fastball isn't going to be great until he throws harder. He does get a lot of movement on his pitches and won't allow many homers. He can roll up the double play when needed, and he does have some walk issues right now. He's got a lot of developing to go, but the Brooklyn boy has the potential to work his way into a big league rotation.

RHP Joe Marlow
School: Elkhorn
1938: 10-2, 118 IP, 1.75 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 37 BB, 156 K
Career: 25-4, 292.1 IP, 1.97 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 95 BB, 337 K

This will be year four for the Elkhorn native, and since Wisconsin is pretty close, we have priority their in the regional round of the draft. Marlow broke out as a junior, starting a career high 16 games with 118 innings pitched. He did set career highs in walks and strikeouts as well, but his BB/9 and K/9 were the best as well. If WAR is your think, he went from back-to-back 2.9 WAR seasons to a fine 5.4 this year. He'll be 18 in April, and Marlow has a nice high 80s fastball and sinker with the change up potentially turning into a big league pitch. His command isn't great yet, but that's really his one weakness tools wise. He's a little lazy, but with the right coaching, they can help him work out his issues and take advantage of his raw potential.

CF Gus Byrd
School: Plymouth
1938: .495/.526/.796, 119 PA, 17 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 14 SB
Career: .502/.551/.847, 241 PA, 34 2B, 9 3B, 6 HR, 64 RBI, 25 SB

He didn't quite follow up his .500 season, but junior Gus Byrd still hit a respectable .495/.526/.796. This will be a big year for Byrd, who really needs to put together a strong season to jump up draft boards. Unlike most of these prospects, he's a really hard worker and that should work wonders for him. An athletic lefty, he hasn't let shown much defensively. Power will be huge for him, as he has the tools to hit for a very high average, and if he can pair that with above average power it won't matter all that much how his defense is. Another native New Yorker, Byrd has the work ethic and natural talent to put together a solid big league career. He's no star, but there's nothing wrong with just plain old respectable.

1B Bob Johnston Jr.
School: Maryland State
1938: .340/.396/.583, 232 PA, 12 2B, 3B, 12 HR, 54 RBI, 38 SB
Career: .340/.396/.583, 232 PA, 12 2B, 3B, 12 HR, 54 RBI, 38 SB

A teammate of Bianco at Maryland State, I had to cover the slugging Canadian who's father played pro baseball. He only got one season, but no other player in this pool managed a 10 homer, 50 RBI, and 35 SB season while also hitting over .340. Yes, it sounds cherrypicked, but it's an extremely impressive feat for Montreal's finest. His dad was an outstanding pitcher for them, pitching 13 consecutive seasons with 30 or more starts and all but one saw 40 or more. He was a Saint from 1905-1918, before a 20 game season with the Eagles before retiring. The elder Johnston finished his career 267-271 with a 2.79 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 1,644 walks, and 2,298 strikeouts. He threw a total of 4,892 innings, made 50 appearances in 1909 and threw a whopping 425.1 innings in 1907. He also had a pair of seasons with 390 innings and he didn't allow a single homer in 1909, one of those 390 inning seasons. No Saint pitcher has ever won more games then him, or lost, for that matter. He also leads in WAR (76.7), games (588), starts (564), and complete games (387), His son won't quite reach those marks, but junior could end up a decent slugger at first. He's got a ton of pop with well above average contact potential. He has a knack for making hard contact, and he's an imposing 6'4'' 225 at the plate. I doubt the speed is real, but that could be a hint to his ability to play in the outfield. If he's a first basemen only, it limits his value, but even the ability to be passable in the corners could help him build a future. I'd love for him to be a Saint, following in his dad's footsteps and potentially replacing Vic Crawford as the first basemen of the future.

2B Billy Clark
School: Athens
1938: .523/.576/.881, 128 PA, 16 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 18 SB
Career: .502/.554/.836, 237 PA, 31 2B, 9 3B, 6 HR, 59 RBI, 29 SB

When your nickname is the "Real Deal", you are going to bring attention to you. A native of Huntington, West Virginia, he spent his college days in Ohio and was elite this season. He not only cracked the.500 mark, but hit a whopping .523 with a 1.457 OPS. 17 in March, Clark isn't much of a defender, but he has the time to work on his glove. He has some experience at first, and may end up there in the future, but I think he'll be able to stick at second. The bat will let him play anywhere, and he's got a quick bat that let's him make consistent contact. He's an athletic kid with good speed as well, and he made a huge jump with power with all but one of his homers coming this season. I'm excited to see what he'll turn into, but knowing who is at the keystone for us now, I think Clark may not be someone I'm looking at. A lot have good second basemen have been drafted recently, so perhaps Clark slips through the first three rounds and uses a strong senior season to elevate his status in the fourth round.

RHP Paul Donoho
School: Norristown
1938: 7-3, 98.2 IP, 1.64 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 42 BB, 139 K
Career: 21-9, 307 IP, 1.96 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 131 BB, 386 K

Older then most high school prospects, Brooklyn's Paul Donoho spent his high school years in Norristown, PA where he'll look to lead the staff for a fourth consecutive season. He'll actually turn 19 in February, and will look to build on the best season in his young career. He had a career low in ERA and WHIP with a career high in WAR, strikeouts, and K/9. The skinny 6'1'' righty just throws in the 85-87 range who has decent control of his pitches. His curve and slider should be decent pitches and his fastball will only improve as he adds velocity. He's a hard worker and smart player who works to further his development as often as he can. I'm a little worried that his upside will be limited by his age, but that could also make him a safer option. He could develop his pitches enough to change from "Strictly Bullpen" to "Starter" which could turn him into a steal for the summer draft.