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ayaghmour2 · 12-31-2021, 02:18 PM

We finished the draft last night, so before the weekly report, we'll get reports on the five newest Cougars!

8th Round, 113th Overall: RHP Roscoe Brown
School: Covington
Commit School: Edgemoor
1940: 5-1, 90 IP, 1.24 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 24 BB, 126 K
Career: 18-4, 2 SV, 280.1 IP, 1.70 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 74 BB, 355 K

We broke the long line of college draftees with a prep arm from Kentucky Roscoe Brown. He was Tom Weinstock's top available projected starter left in the pool, and a four year player at Covington. He did mix his time between the rotation and pen, 33 starts and 28 relief outings, and a little like Duke Bybee, wasn't great his first two years before really buckling down as a junior and senior. He had matching 1.24 ERAs and 0.89 WHIPs before setting career bests in innings, strikeouts, WAR (3.9), and K/9 (14.2) as a senior. It is a little concerning he didn't start all his games, but there is still a lot to like about the skinny right that OSA thinks could end up as a spot starter. He has three good pitches, with his fastball and sinker sitting comfortably in the 91-93 range, and his curveball has good bite on it. He should be able to strike out his share of batters, but after a nice 1.7 BB/9 as a freshman, he's been over 2.0 each year since. Walks may develop into an issue, but if he's striking out way more batters then he's giving free passes to, we will be able to live with it. This kid has a lot of upside, but if he's not able to pitch deep into games, we may have to turn him into a short inning reliever.

8th Round, 124th Overall: C Lew Lord
School: North Carolina Atlantic
1940: .273/.366/.424, 235 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 37 RBI, SB
Career (HS): .419/.503/.671, 361 PA, 49 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 76 RBI, 20 SB
Career (COL): .275/.366/.444, 692 PA, 35 2B, 3 3B, 20 HR, 118 RBI, 10 SB

I alluded to a second drafted catcher in the Del Branch post, and that catcher was Lew Lord. A 19th Round selection by the Dynamos three seasons ago, Lord left Elmer to attend North Carolina Atlantic, where his power really blossomed. Lord hit 8 homers as a freshman and then 6 in the following two seasons, finishing his college career with 20 longballs. The most recent mock listed Lord as a 3rd Rounder, but also seems to really like my draft class. We now have three first rounders, with Hunt 8th, Rich 10th, and James 13th. Then in the 2nd it shows Rosko, Branch, Collins, and Haynes (as well as our next pick) with Don Lee and Cy Howard joining Lord in the 3rd. We have no one in the 4th, but Harry Stewart made his mock debut in the 5th! Sure, the mock means next to nothing, especially with how frequently it changes, but in a stats only environment, any little tidbit of information can help you make decisions. Back to Lord, scouts are a little unsure if he can handle a full workload, but they like his eye and think he can work the count well. Contact may be a bit of an issue, but I do think the 6'2'', 200 pound unit will be able to hit for power. He's got a catcher and first base rating, so a little built in versatility, but that may be a sign that first is his final resting point. Him and Del Branch will split time in La Crosse to start the season, but I may give Lord some time at first as I expect Branch to get a slight majority behind the plate. I think he's more of a bench bat, but OSA thinks "with enough injuries, he can force his way into a lineup." You don't have to tell me about enough injuries...

8th Round, 125th Overall: CF Leo Davis
School: Indiana A&M
1940: .259/.302/.337, 260 PA, 8 2B, 4 3B, HR, 40 RBI, 39 SB
Career: .259/.302/.337, 260 PA, 8 2B, 4 3B, HR, 40 RBI, 39 SB

I don't believe what the mock believes, but if you believe those mock draft guys, you'd think Leo Davis is a 2nd Round talent. The last of what seems like our 800th center fielder in this draft class, Leo Davis just started one season at the prestigious Indiana A&M. Not sure why he didn't start the last two seasons, no Indiana A&M player was selected last season, but the Glasgow kid was alright in his lone season with the Reapers. He showed great speed, 4 triples and 39 steals, but hit just one homer and had an OPS of just .640. A bit of a groundball hitter, his real talent comes in the field, where he's an above average center fielder as his speed translates to great range on the grass. He may end up an average contact hitter, but he doesn't get enough lift on his quality hits. His elite speed will allow him to beat out a ton of groundballs, but it's hard to make a career on that. I'm thinking he's got everything you want in a 4th outfielder, but if you're stuck starting him with any sort of regularity, you may be better suited scouring the waiver wire for a vet.

9th Round, 140th Overall: RHP Charlie Kelsey
School: Lancaster
Commit School: Bardney
1940: 8-2, 98 IP, 1.47 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 24 BB, 130 K
Career: 26-5, 307.2 IP, 1.55 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 71 BB, 348 K

The reason I qualified "projected starter" in Roscoe Brown's report is because Charlie Kelsey was technically Weinstock's highest rated pitcher still available. Unlike Brown, Kelsey started all 41 games he appeared in at his three seasons with Lancaster, but the skinny right from PA is expected by both scouts to end up just as a reliever. Sure, that's also what they said about Harry Sharp, a regional draftee last season who is 3-8 with a 3.30 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 50 walks, and 65 strikeouts in 15 starts with the Pioneers this season, but they might be right about Kelsey. I think it's worth the risk with a 9th Rounder, especially because he was really good last season as a junior. Kelsey went 10-1 with a 1.45 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 23 walks, and 119 strikeouts in 112 effective innings. His stuff isn't that great, with just his mid 80s sinker expected to be a reliable offering. He does roll up a ton of grounders with it, but unless he works more on his fastball and change, I don't think he'll be able to fool hitters for more then just a couple innings. What Kelsey does have that most relievers don't, however, is the ability to put the ball in play. Kelsey hit .465/.507/.813 with 23 doubles, 12 triples, 6 homers, 56 RBIs, and 93 steals as he played both corner outfield spots when he wasn't starting games for the Buckskins. He was a doubles machine this season, hitting 13 in 23 games, the same amount as #1 overall pick Dick Blazek. Interesting enough, the only Cougar draftee with more doubles was fellow pitcher Mel Haynes, who's 17 was less then only Don Burton, Ray Pearce, and first rounder Joe Rutherford. Kelsey does a great job hitting to all fields, and his speed will put pressure on the defense. He's a very useful piece in late game situations, as he can pinch hit for the pitcher and then hop on the mound to finish off a game. We've had some luck in the 9th in the past, including top pitchers Ben Turner and Dean Astle, as well as more recently with decent arms Jim Miller, Art Saunders, John Johnson, and King Price. What do all these guys have in common? They're all pitchers! Interesting enough, including Kelsey, 9 of the last 11 9th Rounders have been pitchers, and I promise that was not on purpose. The other two were catchers, Steve Mountain (who is pretty good himself) and Diego Bernal, who both play with the Commodores.

10th Round, 156th Overall: SS Nick Bryan
School: Fenger
Commit School: Northern Mississippi
1940: .400/.465/.600, 104 PA, 12 2B, 2 HR, 24 RBI, SB
Career: .427/.495/.645, 438 PA, 53 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 96 RBI, 16 SB

Finishing off our large, 16-man human draft class, is a guy who might as well be considered a Chicagoan. Born in Milwaukee and turning 18 tomorrow, "Wacky" moved to Chicago when he was young and attended Fenger where he started all four seasons. He was pretty terrible, I won't lie, but he was a doubles machine, 53 in his four seasons, but he never cracked .440 while hitting just .400 this season. He does have a good eye, with an OBP of .495 or higher in each of his first three seasons, and he managed double digit walks all four years. Still, there is nothing too exciting about his bat, and the glovework is what brought me to Bryan. He's a strong shortstop who can also fill in at second, third, left, and center, so I imagine first and right wouldn't be much of a problem. Bryan is just a filler player now, but he's an athletic 6'2'' teen who has a lot of growing left to go. He's not the most focused, but a good clubhouse should keep him on the right track, and he could exceed the very minimal expectations given to him.

12-31-2021, 02:18 PM	#696
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1940 Draft: Round 8-10 We finished the draft last night, so before the weekly report, we'll get reports on the five newest Cougars! 8th Round, 113th Overall: RHP Roscoe Brown School: Covington Commit School: Edgemoor 1940: 5-1, 90 IP, 1.24 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 24 BB, 126 K Career: 18-4, 2 SV, 280.1 IP, 1.70 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 74 BB, 355 K We broke the long line of college draftees with a prep arm from Kentucky Roscoe Brown. He was Tom Weinstock's top available projected starter left in the pool, and a four year player at Covington. He did mix his time between the rotation and pen, 33 starts and 28 relief outings, and a little like Duke Bybee, wasn't great his first two years before really buckling down as a junior and senior. He had matching 1.24 ERAs and 0.89 WHIPs before setting career bests in innings, strikeouts, WAR (3.9), and K/9 (14.2) as a senior. It is a little concerning he didn't start all his games, but there is still a lot to like about the skinny right that OSA thinks could end up as a spot starter. He has three good pitches, with his fastball and sinker sitting comfortably in the 91-93 range, and his curveball has good bite on it. He should be able to strike out his share of batters, but after a nice 1.7 BB/9 as a freshman, he's been over 2.0 each year since. Walks may develop into an issue, but if he's striking out way more batters then he's giving free passes to, we will be able to live with it. This kid has a lot of upside, but if he's not able to pitch deep into games, we may have to turn him into a short inning reliever. 8th Round, 124th Overall: C Lew Lord School: North Carolina Atlantic 1940: .273/.366/.424, 235 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 37 RBI, SB Career (HS): .419/.503/.671, 361 PA, 49 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 76 RBI, 20 SB Career (COL): .275/.366/.444, 692 PA, 35 2B, 3 3B, 20 HR, 118 RBI, 10 SB I alluded to a second drafted catcher in the Del Branch post, and that catcher was Lew Lord. A 19th Round selection by the Dynamos three seasons ago, Lord left Elmer to attend North Carolina Atlantic, where his power really blossomed. Lord hit 8 homers as a freshman and then 6 in the following two seasons, finishing his college career with 20 longballs. The most recent mock listed Lord as a 3rd Rounder, but also seems to really like my draft class. We now have three first rounders, with Hunt 8th, Rich 10th, and James 13th. Then in the 2nd it shows Rosko, Branch, Collins, and Haynes (as well as our next pick) with Don Lee and Cy Howard joining Lord in the 3rd. We have no one in the 4th, but Harry Stewart made his mock debut in the 5th! Sure, the mock means next to nothing, especially with how frequently it changes, but in a stats only environment, any little tidbit of information can help you make decisions. Back to Lord, scouts are a little unsure if he can handle a full workload, but they like his eye and think he can work the count well. Contact may be a bit of an issue, but I do think the 6'2'', 200 pound unit will be able to hit for power. He's got a catcher and first base rating, so a little built in versatility, but that may be a sign that first is his final resting point. Him and Del Branch will split time in La Crosse to start the season, but I may give Lord some time at first as I expect Branch to get a slight majority behind the plate. I think he's more of a bench bat, but OSA thinks "with enough injuries, he can force his way into a lineup." You don't have to tell me about enough injuries... 8th Round, 125th Overall: CF Leo Davis School: Indiana A&M 1940: .259/.302/.337, 260 PA, 8 2B, 4 3B, HR, 40 RBI, 39 SB Career: .259/.302/.337, 260 PA, 8 2B, 4 3B, HR, 40 RBI, 39 SB I don't believe what the mock believes, but if you believe those mock draft guys, you'd think Leo Davis is a 2nd Round talent. The last of what seems like our 800th center fielder in this draft class, Leo Davis just started one season at the prestigious Indiana A&M. Not sure why he didn't start the last two seasons, no Indiana A&M player was selected last season, but the Glasgow kid was alright in his lone season with the Reapers. He showed great speed, 4 triples and 39 steals, but hit just one homer and had an OPS of just .640. A bit of a groundball hitter, his real talent comes in the field, where he's an above average center fielder as his speed translates to great range on the grass. He may end up an average contact hitter, but he doesn't get enough lift on his quality hits. His elite speed will allow him to beat out a ton of groundballs, but it's hard to make a career on that. I'm thinking he's got everything you want in a 4th outfielder, but if you're stuck starting him with any sort of regularity, you may be better suited scouring the waiver wire for a vet. 9th Round, 140th Overall: RHP Charlie Kelsey School: Lancaster Commit School: Bardney 1940: 8-2, 98 IP, 1.47 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 24 BB, 130 K Career: 26-5, 307.2 IP, 1.55 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 71 BB, 348 K The reason I qualified "projected starter" in Roscoe Brown's report is because Charlie Kelsey was technically Weinstock's highest rated pitcher still available. Unlike Brown, Kelsey started all 41 games he appeared in at his three seasons with Lancaster, but the skinny right from PA is expected by both scouts to end up just as a reliever. Sure, that's also what they said about Harry Sharp, a regional draftee last season who is 3-8 with a 3.30 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, 50 walks, and 65 strikeouts in 15 starts with the Pioneers this season, but they might be right about Kelsey. I think it's worth the risk with a 9th Rounder, especially because he was really good last season as a junior. Kelsey went 10-1 with a 1.45 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 23 walks, and 119 strikeouts in 112 effective innings. His stuff isn't that great, with just his mid 80s sinker expected to be a reliable offering. He does roll up a ton of grounders with it, but unless he works more on his fastball and change, I don't think he'll be able to fool hitters for more then just a couple innings. What Kelsey does have that most relievers don't, however, is the ability to put the ball in play. Kelsey hit .465/.507/.813 with 23 doubles, 12 triples, 6 homers, 56 RBIs, and 93 steals as he played both corner outfield spots when he wasn't starting games for the Buckskins. He was a doubles machine this season, hitting 13 in 23 games, the same amount as #1 overall pick Dick Blazek. Interesting enough, the only Cougar draftee with more doubles was fellow pitcher Mel Haynes, who's 17 was less then only Don Burton, Ray Pearce, and first rounder Joe Rutherford. Kelsey does a great job hitting to all fields, and his speed will put pressure on the defense. He's a very useful piece in late game situations, as he can pinch hit for the pitcher and then hop on the mound to finish off a game. We've had some luck in the 9th in the past, including top pitchers Ben Turner and Dean Astle, as well as more recently with decent arms Jim Miller, Art Saunders, John Johnson, and King Price. What do all these guys have in common? They're all pitchers! Interesting enough, including Kelsey, 9 of the last 11 9th Rounders have been pitchers, and I promise that was not on purpose. The other two were catchers, Steve Mountain (who is pretty good himself) and Diego Bernal, who both play with the Commodores. 10th Round, 156th Overall: SS Nick Bryan School: Fenger Commit School: Northern Mississippi 1940: .400/.465/.600, 104 PA, 12 2B, 2 HR, 24 RBI, SB Career: .427/.495/.645, 438 PA, 53 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 96 RBI, 16 SB Finishing off our large, 16-man human draft class, is a guy who might as well be considered a Chicagoan. Born in Milwaukee and turning 18 tomorrow, "Wacky" moved to Chicago when he was young and attended Fenger where he started all four seasons. He was pretty terrible, I won't lie, but he was a doubles machine, 53 in his four seasons, but he never cracked .440 while hitting just .400 this season. He does have a good eye, with an OBP of .495 or higher in each of his first three seasons, and he managed double digit walks all four years. Still, there is nothing too exciting about his bat, and the glovework is what brought me to Bryan. He's a strong shortstop who can also fill in at second, third, left, and center, so I imagine first and right wouldn't be much of a problem. Bryan is just a filler player now, but he's an athletic 6'2'' teen who has a lot of growing left to go. He's not the most focused, but a good clubhouse should keep him on the right track, and he could exceed the very minimal expectations given to him.