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ayaghmour2 · 02-16-2023, 07:19 PM

1B Cal Rice (214th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 158th Overall (1945)
Alma Mater: Farmington Tigers

A steal in the draft, all 16 FABL GMs passed on Cal Rice in the Winter portion of the draft, and then lasted nearly three rounds before Tom Weinstock decided to go with him. The now 18-year-old first basemen looks to be a gem that I missed, projecting to be an above average big leaguer. He has an exciting bat, featuring the potential to post above average contact and power potential. Another plus is his eye, as he should draw plenty of walks, and will end up being a hard batter to strike out. Rice also has the build of a slugger, 6'3'' 200 pounds of muscle from the left side of the plate. He hit just one homer with the Lions, but had one of the better batting lines from our draftees. He had a 95 WRC+ with 7 doubles, 3 triples, and 15 RBIs with 42 walks in 313 trips to the plate. His .243 average and .302 slugging are concerning, but next year he'll face more reasonable competition. We don't have many first base prospects, and I can't see adding one in the coming draft, so Rice will have the first base job locked up down in La Crosse. If one of George Sutterfield or Otto Christian don't hit, Rice could take the first base job once Ford and Walker retire. His bat is very exciting, but with limited versatility, Rice taking the Cuno Myer path is equally likely to him being an every day player.

LHP Dutch Yoak (222nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 19th Overall (1945)
Alma Mater: La Porte Renegades

After three seasons of perfection at La Porte, Dutch Yoak finally ran into struggles in his first year of affiliated ball. I didn't expect the skinny 6'4'' southpaw to rank very high on the prospect lists, but I was hoping Yoak would at least be on the right side of the top 200. He had reasonable success in his first pro season, going 4-7 with a 2.98 ERA (102 ERA+) and 1.35 WHIP. He struck out (53) more hitters then he walked (41) and surpassed the 100 inning mark (102.2) in 13 effective starts. A three pitch pitcher, Yoak does allow a lot of flyballs, which could lead to plenty of longballs. His stuff and control should make up for it, as he has a knack for the strike zone and a wicked curveball. For now he'll add in the additional meatball, but since his fastball can hit 90, he can get away with some mistakes. His pitches don't move all that much, but he has deception in his windup and mixes his pitches well. As he matures, I expect him to gain velocity and limit his mistake pitches, which could turn him into a very impressive big league starter. I wouldn't bet against his work ethic either, as Yoak wants to be the best player he can be. I'm a lot higher on the youngster then the scouts are, as spot starter seems like more of a floor then ceiling. Our coaches do well with young hurlers, and I think Yoak will follow in the footsteps of the many before him.

RF Tom Jovin (227th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 28th Overall (1944)
Alma Mater: Pocahontas Chiefs

Our 2nd Rounder last season, Tom Jovin spent his year in the Army, missing out on plenty of available at bats this season. 20 in May, Jovin had a rough debut season, and may have to return to San Jose where he was just 8-for-45 in 16 games. What works in his favor is that Jovin can handle all three outfield spots, with my best guess being he ends up in right. His best tool is his hit tool, and OSA goes as far to declare he can compete for batting titles. I think that's a stretch, but he puts the ball in play enough to hit comfortably over .300, as he makes consistent contact while staying in the zone. He'll draw his walks as well, as Jovin is an expert at working the count. He does come with plenty of risk, as he's very raw and underdeveloped, and our system is pretty crowded with outfielders. His age will help keep him around, but the missed season will cause an uphill battle for Jovin, as he looks to work his way into our future plans.

SS Jim Mako (229th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 59th Overall (1945)
Alma Mater: Erasmus Crusaders

Jim Mako didn't play baseball until he was a senior at Erasmus, so when we selected him in the 4th Round, it was before he even made an official plate appearance. The inexperience showed, as he hit .429/.504/.750 with 18 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homers, 17 steals, and 31 RBIs. The 18-year-old then spent most of his time after the draft in La Crosse, hitting just .223/.271/.324 (74 OPS+) in just under 200 PAs. A natural shortstop, "The Shark" spent most of his time out in right field, but made appearances at short, second, and center as well, while also spending a little time at third in high school. His versatility will benefit him, as I expect Mako to give most of the every day players an occasional day off. I'll give him some time in left, which he should pick up fine, and with his speed I think he can be at least average at all seven spots. His bat shows promise too, as he works the count well and projects to hit around .270. Mako is young, but has the tools to develop into an everyday player in the FABL. His versatility will allow him to crack a roster at least as a Tip Harrison type, but if a spot opens up for him, I think Mako will take hold of it for a few seasons.

RHP Tommy Seymour (236th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 13th Overall (1943)
Alma Mater: Olathe Pioneers

Like Yoak, Tommy Seymour is a guy I'm much higher on then OSA and Tom Weinstock, but after a nightmare season and a half, I was not surprised to see Seymour drop out of the top 200. Taken 13th Overall last season, Seymour was pushed up to San Jose despite a 5.99 ERA (68 ERA+) in 32 C ball starts. The then 19-year-old impressed, going 4-8 with a 3.29 ERA (106 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP with 41 walks and 69 strikeouts. He made 16 starts and threw 104 innings, before getting a promotion to Lincoln. That, as expected, did not work out well, as Seymour went 1-7 in 10 starts. His 7.93 ERA (53 ERA+) and 2.25 WHIP left plenty to be desired, and he walked 45 hitters in 59 innings. With the troops returning, Seymour won't have to deal with A ball to start the season, with the 20-year-old penciled into the Cougars rotation in Class B. I wouldn't, however, be surprised with Seymour finishing the year in Lincoln, as I expect him to improve on his numbers with San Jose this season. I'm also hoping to see a velocity bump for him this offseason, as his fastball sits in the 84-86 range. The harder he throws, the better his change will be, and the pitch already projects to be dominant. His splitter should be pretty solid too, but his current fastball isn't good enough to make the off-speed effective. Despite that, the change and curve move well enough to miss bats, but when he can't locate his fastball, hitters can sit on those pitches. Seymour has plenty of risk, and could quite conceivably flame out before cracking the big leagues, but I have a sneaking suspicion that he'll be one of our more highly touted prospects once he's closer to the majors.

02-16-2023, 07:19 PM	#1019
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Top Prospects: 16-20 1B Cal Rice (214th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 158th Overall (1945) Alma Mater: Farmington Tigers A steal in the draft, all 16 FABL GMs passed on Cal Rice in the Winter portion of the draft, and then lasted nearly three rounds before Tom Weinstock decided to go with him. The now 18-year-old first basemen looks to be a gem that I missed, projecting to be an above average big leaguer. He has an exciting bat, featuring the potential to post above average contact and power potential. Another plus is his eye, as he should draw plenty of walks, and will end up being a hard batter to strike out. Rice also has the build of a slugger, 6'3'' 200 pounds of muscle from the left side of the plate. He hit just one homer with the Lions, but had one of the better batting lines from our draftees. He had a 95 WRC+ with 7 doubles, 3 triples, and 15 RBIs with 42 walks in 313 trips to the plate. His .243 average and .302 slugging are concerning, but next year he'll face more reasonable competition. We don't have many first base prospects, and I can't see adding one in the coming draft, so Rice will have the first base job locked up down in La Crosse. If one of George Sutterfield or Otto Christian don't hit, Rice could take the first base job once Ford and Walker retire. His bat is very exciting, but with limited versatility, Rice taking the Cuno Myer path is equally likely to him being an every day player. LHP Dutch Yoak (222nd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 19th Overall (1945) Alma Mater: La Porte Renegades After three seasons of perfection at La Porte, Dutch Yoak finally ran into struggles in his first year of affiliated ball. I didn't expect the skinny 6'4'' southpaw to rank very high on the prospect lists, but I was hoping Yoak would at least be on the right side of the top 200. He had reasonable success in his first pro season, going 4-7 with a 2.98 ERA (102 ERA+) and 1.35 WHIP. He struck out (53) more hitters then he walked (41) and surpassed the 100 inning mark (102.2) in 13 effective starts. A three pitch pitcher, Yoak does allow a lot of flyballs, which could lead to plenty of longballs. His stuff and control should make up for it, as he has a knack for the strike zone and a wicked curveball. For now he'll add in the additional meatball, but since his fastball can hit 90, he can get away with some mistakes. His pitches don't move all that much, but he has deception in his windup and mixes his pitches well. As he matures, I expect him to gain velocity and limit his mistake pitches, which could turn him into a very impressive big league starter. I wouldn't bet against his work ethic either, as Yoak wants to be the best player he can be. I'm a lot higher on the youngster then the scouts are, as spot starter seems like more of a floor then ceiling. Our coaches do well with young hurlers, and I think Yoak will follow in the footsteps of the many before him. RF Tom Jovin (227th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 28th Overall (1944) Alma Mater: Pocahontas Chiefs Our 2nd Rounder last season, Tom Jovin spent his year in the Army, missing out on plenty of available at bats this season. 20 in May, Jovin had a rough debut season, and may have to return to San Jose where he was just 8-for-45 in 16 games. What works in his favor is that Jovin can handle all three outfield spots, with my best guess being he ends up in right. His best tool is his hit tool, and OSA goes as far to declare he can compete for batting titles. I think that's a stretch, but he puts the ball in play enough to hit comfortably over .300, as he makes consistent contact while staying in the zone. He'll draw his walks as well, as Jovin is an expert at working the count. He does come with plenty of risk, as he's very raw and underdeveloped, and our system is pretty crowded with outfielders. His age will help keep him around, but the missed season will cause an uphill battle for Jovin, as he looks to work his way into our future plans. SS Jim Mako (229th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 59th Overall (1945) Alma Mater: Erasmus Crusaders Jim Mako didn't play baseball until he was a senior at Erasmus, so when we selected him in the 4th Round, it was before he even made an official plate appearance. The inexperience showed, as he hit .429/.504/.750 with 18 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homers, 17 steals, and 31 RBIs. The 18-year-old then spent most of his time after the draft in La Crosse, hitting just .223/.271/.324 (74 OPS+) in just under 200 PAs. A natural shortstop, "The Shark" spent most of his time out in right field, but made appearances at short, second, and center as well, while also spending a little time at third in high school. His versatility will benefit him, as I expect Mako to give most of the every day players an occasional day off. I'll give him some time in left, which he should pick up fine, and with his speed I think he can be at least average at all seven spots. His bat shows promise too, as he works the count well and projects to hit around .270. Mako is young, but has the tools to develop into an everyday player in the FABL. His versatility will allow him to crack a roster at least as a Tip Harrison type, but if a spot opens up for him, I think Mako will take hold of it for a few seasons. RHP Tommy Seymour (236th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 13th Overall (1943) Alma Mater: Olathe Pioneers Like Yoak, Tommy Seymour is a guy I'm much higher on then OSA and Tom Weinstock, but after a nightmare season and a half, I was not surprised to see Seymour drop out of the top 200. Taken 13th Overall last season, Seymour was pushed up to San Jose despite a 5.99 ERA (68 ERA+) in 32 C ball starts. The then 19-year-old impressed, going 4-8 with a 3.29 ERA (106 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP with 41 walks and 69 strikeouts. He made 16 starts and threw 104 innings, before getting a promotion to Lincoln. That, as expected, did not work out well, as Seymour went 1-7 in 10 starts. His 7.93 ERA (53 ERA+) and 2.25 WHIP left plenty to be desired, and he walked 45 hitters in 59 innings. With the troops returning, Seymour won't have to deal with A ball to start the season, with the 20-year-old penciled into the Cougars rotation in Class B. I wouldn't, however, be surprised with Seymour finishing the year in Lincoln, as I expect him to improve on his numbers with San Jose this season. I'm also hoping to see a velocity bump for him this offseason, as his fastball sits in the 84-86 range. The harder he throws, the better his change will be, and the pitch already projects to be dominant. His splitter should be pretty solid too, but his current fastball isn't good enough to make the off-speed effective. Despite that, the change and curve move well enough to miss bats, but when he can't locate his fastball, hitters can sit on those pitches. Seymour has plenty of risk, and could quite conceivably flame out before cracking the big leagues, but I have a sneaking suspicion that he'll be one of our more highly touted prospects once he's closer to the majors.