[ayaghmour2]

6th Round, 96th Overall: RHP Foster Smith
School: Henderson
Commit School: Coastal State
1942: 8-1, 90 IP, 1.40 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 22 BB, 102 K
Career: 23-3, 262.1 IP, 1.17 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 56 BB, 331 K

Did I take him purely on his nickname? Of course not! But did it make a difference? You betcha! "The Thin Man" is both an excellent pitcher and exciting prospect. His senior year was actually the worst of his three years, but an impressive season none the less. Smith's ERA, WHIP, HR/9 (0.2), BB/9 (2.2), K/9 (10.2), and WAR (3.9) were all career worse while he walked more batters (22) with less strikeouts (102), but this year was still better then a decent amount of some draftees best seasons or career marks. Last year was Smith's best, where he was a perfect 8-0 with a 0.87 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 13 walks, and 115 strikeouts in 12 outstanding starts. What helps Smith is his sinker, an outstanding pitch that can generate a ton of groundballs. That and his fastball sit in just the mid 80s, and his success will be determined on his change. Right now it's not a good enough pitch for him to start, but if he can throw it consistently for strikes, his prospect status will rise. As a tall and skinny arm, he has chance to add strength and velocity. If he keeps the ball in the zone, Smith could develop into a reliable starter, but at 17, he's got a lot of developing before he can get there. Out of the Park also was a little clever for him, noting how he "Fosters solidarity in any setting."

7th Round, 97th Overall: CF Ducky Cole
School: Long Beach
Commit School: Detroit City College
1942: .482/.520/.723, 126 PA, 16 2B, 4 3B, HR, 29 RBI, 20 SB
Career: .497/.549/.785, 499 PA, 66 2B, 19 3B, 7 HR, 126 RBI, 63 SB

I swear I'm not drafting based on names! Yes, his name is Ducky, but look at those stats! He rakes! It's impressive to hit .500 on any level, and Ducky has done it twice; 1939 and 1941, and hit just under .500 in just under 500 plate appearances. Cole burst on to the scene as a freshman, slashing an elite .515/.562/.874 with 18 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, 13 steals, and 34 RBIs. It appeared the California native would be a first round selection, but he never matched the extra base total and didn't even rank on the Mock Draft. I'm not worried, and I think we may have gotten a bargain here with the first pick of the 7th Round, a pick we acquired along with a 10th and 11th from the Eagles as we helped restock their farm system a bit when they were running low on players last year. Cole could make it all worth it, as he projects to have a Leo Mitchell like contact tool, just without all the strikeouts. His walks dropped a bit as a senior, the only season he was in single digits, but he struck out (19) far less then he walked (49). The power was come and go, and I don't think that's something that will change. Tom and OSA don't say anything about his defense, which likely means it's not good, but he does have experience in all three outfield spots. My best guess would be he ends up in left, but I'll give him time at all three spots. An extremely hard worker, Ducky has a lot going on for him, and I think we'll be able to get the most of what could be an extremely talented hitter.

7th Round, 110th Overall: C Homer Guthrie
School: Maryland State
1942: .269/.380/.384, 263 PA, 10 2B, 5 HR, 44 RBI, 2 SB
Career: .274/.385/.367, 811 PA, 28 2B, 3B, 11 HR, 121 RBI, 8 SB

A teammate of our first 4th Rounder Dick Hamilton, Guthrie caught while Hamilton was at short in a talented Beaver lineup. It's hard to say which season was his best, as it felt like each year he did something best. As as freshman he hit for his best average and got on base most frequently, where as a junior he hit for more power instead. Then his sophomore year was almost the exact midpoint of the two, giving him a very consistent college career. I didn't necessarily need another catcher for the system, but Guthrie is an exciting prospect and I felt like he was the best bat available. He has the defensive capabilities to stick behind the plate, He is a very disciplined hitter who will get his way to first with frequency, but he does have some issues with his swing, which could compress his average. If he can learn to hit the ball with more consistency and velocity, he could be a force at the plate, as he's a tall and muscular 6'3'', 200 with some pop. With Eddie Howard in San Jose, I might try to send Guthrie up to Lincoln to start, but with Howard hitting .a respectable .301/.348/.417 (122 OPS+), Howard may take that spot instead. Guthrie doesn't have nearly the upside of him or Solly, but Guthrie could be a very good bench bat or injury replacement if a need came up.

7th Round, 122nd Overall: RHP Harry MacRae
School: Topeka State
1942: 9-5, 132 IP, 3.20 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 36 BB, 105 K
Career: 25-14, 369.2 IP, 3.36 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 140 BB, 274 K

Our last of three seventh rounders, the first two from Washington and New York, Harry MacRae could be our best or worst pick of the draft. A three year starter at Topeka State, MacRae made 56 starts in three seasons against talented college hitters like Deveaux, Neal, Hamilton, and Guthrie. His numbers look great and Tom Weinstock loves him, but he doesn't really pass the eye test. It's not because of talent or size, but the Wichita native has just two pitches. They're great pitches, a hard 89-91 mph fastball and a dangerous curve. Of course, without a third pitch, it'll be very hard to start him, but it's hard to ignore both his talent and and improvement. He's added five miles on his fastball in college, and he was best as a junior. He lowered his BB/9 each season, and while he did have his best ERA (3.10) and K/9 (7.9) as a freshman, his WHIP, strikeouts, wins, starts (20),innings, and WAR (3.4) were all career bests this year. MacRae has developed outstanding command and reliable stuff, and he does a great job keeping the ball on the ground. I really hope he can be a starter, but he has all the tools to be a dominant late inning arm. He's cool under pressure and can miss bats with consistency, plus he has the stamina to pitch multiple innings if needed. Relievers don't have much value in the game now, so I'm going to push him to start until he tells me he can't. I passed up on Harry Sharp because he didn't have three pitches at draft time, but he now has three and is projected as a borderline starter instead of just bullpen. We'll hope for more of the same here, but chances are he'll be more Joe Ferrara then Harry Parker.