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ayaghmour2 · 02-14-2023, 07:25 PM

LHP Bret Rogers (55th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 12th Overall (1944)
Alma Mater: Wenona Braves

After a year off in the service, our 1st Rounder from last year Bert Rogers will return to the system, likely returning to La Crosse where he left off. He'll be 19 on Opening Day, and the young Chicagoan will likely spent the rest of his season in the lowest level of our system. He struggled in his 10 start sample, going just 1-7 with a 5.26 ERA (66 ERA+) and 1.89 WHIP with more walks (33) then strikeouts (26). A three pitch southpaw, Rogers projects to be a mid-rotation arm, and he'll be throwing a bit harder (86-88) then he did when he left. His curveball will make even the best hitters miss, his slider is excellent, and his fastball is decent and improving. All three offerings have plenty of movement, and he does a great job keeping the ball on the ground. Rogers is a bit quiet, and he tends to keep to himself, but he works hard and has all the tools that you look for in a big league arm. It's going to be a slow climb up the system for Rogers, but with our wealth of pitching depth, we can wait for him to mature.

3B Pat Todd (79th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 43rd Overall (1945)
Alma Mater: University Red Devils

It's somewhat fitting that our third round pick would be our third member of the Class of 1945 to rank inside the league's top 100. 19 in December, Todd struggled less then most in La Crosse, hitting .240/.313/.325 (86 OPS+) in 275 PAs, and due to our thin lower minors depth, he even went 5-for-49 in 14 games up in San Jose. His defense at the hot corner was elite, generating a 13.5 zone rating with a 1.145 efficiency, leading him to be worth a hair under 3 WAR. I always knew he could be an outstanding third basemen, but with how much range he displayed manning third, perhaps he could handle short! We don't have a pressing need at short, with plenty of others in the lower minors that can handle short, but increasing versatility is a plus. He's also a really good hitter, despite how young he is, as he has a quick swing and great bat control that allows him to handle all levels of velocity. Off-speed stuff can still trip him up, but I'm sure he'll handle it well as he grows into himself. He's sort of a reserve Otto Christian, little power, high contact, elite defense (although Otto is still plus), and both have the skills to excel in the majors. Todd has a lot of risk, as he's got a lot of developing to do, but he looks to have been a nice addition to the roster in a round that until last year only produced regional guys.

RHP Joe Swank (142nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 107th Overall (1941)
Alma Mater: Rhodes Rams

After listing seven prospects in the first 80 slots, we had a huge gap to follow, with 63 prospects between Todd and Joe Swank. I'd argue Swank is on the underrated side, as the 22-year-old dominated the Century League, going 17-10 with a 2.74 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, 49 walks, and 128 strikeouts in nearly 250 innings for the Blues. He posted an elite K/BB (2.6) and FIP- (79) and was worth nearly 6 (5.9) WAR, somehow managing to top his dominant season at Mobile in '44 where he posted a 3.26 ERA (122 ERA+) with 109 strikeouts in 26 starts. A former 7th Round Pick back in 1941, Swank is one of the seemingly thousands of players eligible for the Rule-5 Draft, and while we have plenty of talented pitchers, there is no way I'm leaving Cleveland native unprotected. Very advanced for his age, he had a green arrow to Chicago all season, and he's probably already better then big league starters like Ben Watkins (12-11, 4.27, 59) or John Douglas (10-14, 1, 3.70, 51), and with a little more upside too. He won't front any rotation, but Swank excellent stuff, featuring a whif-inducing circle change and a nice curve and fastball. He doesn't throw all that hard, sitting in the high 80s with the occasional fastball at 90, but he keeps the ball on the ground and limits hard contact. He allowed just one homer in 215.2 innings last season, and while that jumped to 12 this year, it corresponds to a HR/9 below 0.5. OSA is fonder of Swank then Tom Weinstock, calling him a mid-rotation arm versus just a number five, and I think OSA is closer to his peak. Swank could probably give you more then what you're looking for in a five now, but I don't know how much higher his ceiling is then his floor. We have a crowded system, especially at the top for pitchers, so he may be with Oddo and Bybee in AA while they all deserve to be in Chicago. We get at least three seasons before Swank runs out of options, but he may be most useful for us as trade bait. I don't envision us needing any spot starters next season, with an expected six-man rotation and Rusty Petrick in the pen, but if injuries decide to devastate us, even our starters in the double digits of the pecking order like Swank can deliver quality innings.

RHP Charlie Kelsey (150th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 140th Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Lancaster Buckskins

The real surprise of last year's prospect rankings, Charlie Kelsey certainly lived up to the hype in 1945. The 23-year-old spent most of the season in the pen, but he did start 12 of his 57 appearances, and regardless of whether he started or finished the game, he was truly brilliant. Kelsey went 12-10 and saved 22 games in 171.2 innings of work. He had a superb 2.31 ERA (156 ERA+) with 56 walks, 84 strikeouts, and a 1.21 WHIP for the Blues, and maintained the current role of "Starter" all through the season. With a lot of upper minors rotation depth this season, Kelsey didn't quite get the chance he deserved, but the former 9th Rounder has officially solidified himself as a starting pitcher now. It's tough for a three pitch guy to succeed with just one offspeed pitch, but Kelsey has an excellent change, and his hard stuff works well together. His best pitch is his high 80s fastball, which he uses to attack hitters up in the zone, and it moves well enough that it's a tough pitch to square up. His sinker then commands the bottom of the zone, catering to his extreme groundball tendencies and keeping his catcher busy behind the plate. His stuff is his strongest asset, but his movement and control are both average, and he showed no trouble going deep into games. I'm not sure if he has what it takes to be a starter in our rotation, and that's plenty okay, but Kelsey's floor is an elite back-of-the-pen arm and his ceiling his a mid-rotation starter. He seems like a dependable guy who won't hurt you when he starts, but someone you're comfortable upgrading on if you want to make a splash. Next season will likely be his first as a full time starter, but since our pen isn't quite nailed down, he'll get a shot to claim the vacated stopper role.

RF Jimmy Hairston (161st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 61st Overall (1943)
Alma Mater: Bowman Mohawks

Our 4th Round selection back in 1943, Hairston spent two seasons in the minors before enlisting in the Army for the 1945 season, and he'll start next year as a 21-year-old. We have a lot of outfield depth, so Hairston may be in San Jose or La Crosse, but wherever he starts, he'll be playing regularly. A corner outfielder from South Carolina, Hairston hit an impressive .266/.342/.413 (123 OPS+) with the Lions last year, and he projects to be a very good big league hitter. Power is probably his worst tool, and it should still be average, as he's a very disciplined hitter who puts the ball in play consistently. Close pitches will give him some trouble, as he knows better the some umps on which pitches are strikes, so he may need to learn a quality two strike swing. His defense isn't anything to write home about, but he should be at worst a Leo Mitchell type fielder, and his bat more then makes up for it. He does carry some risk, as he's very raw and not one to stay around for extra work, but sometimes talent wins through. He's no All-Star, but he could profile similar to Rich Langton, just trading away the speed for more homers. We might have to take it a bit slower with him, but with guys like Mitchell, Don Lee, Fred Vargas, and Billy Hunter all competing for reps in the corner outfield, and Johnny Peters not too far behind them, Hairston will have all the time he needs to develop into a productive big league regular.

02-14-2023, 07:25 PM	#1017
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Top Prospects: 6-10 LHP Bret Rogers (55th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 12th Overall (1944) Alma Mater: Wenona Braves After a year off in the service, our 1st Rounder from last year Bert Rogers will return to the system, likely returning to La Crosse where he left off. He'll be 19 on Opening Day, and the young Chicagoan will likely spent the rest of his season in the lowest level of our system. He struggled in his 10 start sample, going just 1-7 with a 5.26 ERA (66 ERA+) and 1.89 WHIP with more walks (33) then strikeouts (26). A three pitch southpaw, Rogers projects to be a mid-rotation arm, and he'll be throwing a bit harder (86-88) then he did when he left. His curveball will make even the best hitters miss, his slider is excellent, and his fastball is decent and improving. All three offerings have plenty of movement, and he does a great job keeping the ball on the ground. Rogers is a bit quiet, and he tends to keep to himself, but he works hard and has all the tools that you look for in a big league arm. It's going to be a slow climb up the system for Rogers, but with our wealth of pitching depth, we can wait for him to mature. 3B Pat Todd (79th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 43rd Overall (1945) Alma Mater: University Red Devils It's somewhat fitting that our third round pick would be our third member of the Class of 1945 to rank inside the league's top 100. 19 in December, Todd struggled less then most in La Crosse, hitting .240/.313/.325 (86 OPS+) in 275 PAs, and due to our thin lower minors depth, he even went 5-for-49 in 14 games up in San Jose. His defense at the hot corner was elite, generating a 13.5 zone rating with a 1.145 efficiency, leading him to be worth a hair under 3 WAR. I always knew he could be an outstanding third basemen, but with how much range he displayed manning third, perhaps he could handle short! We don't have a pressing need at short, with plenty of others in the lower minors that can handle short, but increasing versatility is a plus. He's also a really good hitter, despite how young he is, as he has a quick swing and great bat control that allows him to handle all levels of velocity. Off-speed stuff can still trip him up, but I'm sure he'll handle it well as he grows into himself. He's sort of a reserve Otto Christian, little power, high contact, elite defense (although Otto is still plus), and both have the skills to excel in the majors. Todd has a lot of risk, as he's got a lot of developing to do, but he looks to have been a nice addition to the roster in a round that until last year only produced regional guys. RHP Joe Swank (142nd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 107th Overall (1941) Alma Mater: Rhodes Rams After listing seven prospects in the first 80 slots, we had a huge gap to follow, with 63 prospects between Todd and Joe Swank. I'd argue Swank is on the underrated side, as the 22-year-old dominated the Century League, going 17-10 with a 2.74 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, 49 walks, and 128 strikeouts in nearly 250 innings for the Blues. He posted an elite K/BB (2.6) and FIP- (79) and was worth nearly 6 (5.9) WAR, somehow managing to top his dominant season at Mobile in '44 where he posted a 3.26 ERA (122 ERA+) with 109 strikeouts in 26 starts. A former 7th Round Pick back in 1941, Swank is one of the seemingly thousands of players eligible for the Rule-5 Draft, and while we have plenty of talented pitchers, there is no way I'm leaving Cleveland native unprotected. Very advanced for his age, he had a green arrow to Chicago all season, and he's probably already better then big league starters like Ben Watkins (12-11, 4.27, 59) or John Douglas (10-14, 1, 3.70, 51), and with a little more upside too. He won't front any rotation, but Swank excellent stuff, featuring a whif-inducing circle change and a nice curve and fastball. He doesn't throw all that hard, sitting in the high 80s with the occasional fastball at 90, but he keeps the ball on the ground and limits hard contact. He allowed just one homer in 215.2 innings last season, and while that jumped to 12 this year, it corresponds to a HR/9 below 0.5. OSA is fonder of Swank then Tom Weinstock, calling him a mid-rotation arm versus just a number five, and I think OSA is closer to his peak. Swank could probably give you more then what you're looking for in a five now, but I don't know how much higher his ceiling is then his floor. We have a crowded system, especially at the top for pitchers, so he may be with Oddo and Bybee in AA while they all deserve to be in Chicago. We get at least three seasons before Swank runs out of options, but he may be most useful for us as trade bait. I don't envision us needing any spot starters next season, with an expected six-man rotation and Rusty Petrick in the pen, but if injuries decide to devastate us, even our starters in the double digits of the pecking order like Swank can deliver quality innings. RHP Charlie Kelsey (150th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 140th Overall (1940) Alma Mater: Lancaster Buckskins The real surprise of last year's prospect rankings, Charlie Kelsey certainly lived up to the hype in 1945. The 23-year-old spent most of the season in the pen, but he did start 12 of his 57 appearances, and regardless of whether he started or finished the game, he was truly brilliant. Kelsey went 12-10 and saved 22 games in 171.2 innings of work. He had a superb 2.31 ERA (156 ERA+) with 56 walks, 84 strikeouts, and a 1.21 WHIP for the Blues, and maintained the current role of "Starter" all through the season. With a lot of upper minors rotation depth this season, Kelsey didn't quite get the chance he deserved, but the former 9th Rounder has officially solidified himself as a starting pitcher now. It's tough for a three pitch guy to succeed with just one offspeed pitch, but Kelsey has an excellent change, and his hard stuff works well together. His best pitch is his high 80s fastball, which he uses to attack hitters up in the zone, and it moves well enough that it's a tough pitch to square up. His sinker then commands the bottom of the zone, catering to his extreme groundball tendencies and keeping his catcher busy behind the plate. His stuff is his strongest asset, but his movement and control are both average, and he showed no trouble going deep into games. I'm not sure if he has what it takes to be a starter in our rotation, and that's plenty okay, but Kelsey's floor is an elite back-of-the-pen arm and his ceiling his a mid-rotation starter. He seems like a dependable guy who won't hurt you when he starts, but someone you're comfortable upgrading on if you want to make a splash. Next season will likely be his first as a full time starter, but since our pen isn't quite nailed down, he'll get a shot to claim the vacated stopper role. RF Jimmy Hairston (161st Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 61st Overall (1943) Alma Mater: Bowman Mohawks Our 4th Round selection back in 1943, Hairston spent two seasons in the minors before enlisting in the Army for the 1945 season, and he'll start next year as a 21-year-old. We have a lot of outfield depth, so Hairston may be in San Jose or La Crosse, but wherever he starts, he'll be playing regularly. A corner outfielder from South Carolina, Hairston hit an impressive .266/.342/.413 (123 OPS+) with the Lions last year, and he projects to be a very good big league hitter. Power is probably his worst tool, and it should still be average, as he's a very disciplined hitter who puts the ball in play consistently. Close pitches will give him some trouble, as he knows better the some umps on which pitches are strikes, so he may need to learn a quality two strike swing. His defense isn't anything to write home about, but he should be at worst a Leo Mitchell type fielder, and his bat more then makes up for it. He does carry some risk, as he's very raw and not one to stay around for extra work, but sometimes talent wins through. He's no All-Star, but he could profile similar to Rich Langton, just trading away the speed for more homers. We might have to take it a bit slower with him, but with guys like Mitchell, Don Lee, Fred Vargas, and Billy Hunter all competing for reps in the corner outfield, and Johnny Peters not too far behind them, Hairston will have all the time he needs to develop into a productive big league regular.