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ayaghmour2 · 04-28-2023, 09:45 PM

2B Bob Schmelz (220th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Detroit (1945)
Drafted: 1st Round, 11th Overall (1942)
Alma Mater: Dravosburg Flyers

The last remaining piece of the Art White trade, Bob Schmelz is remarkably the first, and only, member of our share of the top 500 that was not originally drafted by the Cougars. A former 1st Round selection of the Dynamos, Schmelz only played 31 games in their organization, as he was drafted into the Army his first offseason in their system. He hit very well, posting well above average numbers in 99 games with the Legislators and 40 more with the Commodores. He slashed .293/.406/.376 (123 OPS+) in A ball and a similar .307/.381/.405 (120 OPS+) in AA. Between the levels, he produced over a 130 WRC+ with 29 doubles, 6 triples, a homer, 6 steals, and 69 RBIs while boasting an impressive 69-to-54 walk-to-strikeout ratio. I'd like to see more power from Schmelz, as he's not much of a defender, but he has a strong hit tool and doesn't chase too often. He could work his way into a starting role, but we'll need to see more from the bat. He's either going to have to hit well above .300 or add strength for double digit home runs, otherwise his defense won't be put up with. At just 21, he's far from a finished product, but he's eligible for the Rule-5 Draft, and I may have to protect him.

RHP Jim Williams (225th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 123rd Overall (1945)
Alma Mater: Chicopee Pacers

1946 was Jim Williams' first full season, and despite a minor hamstring injury, he was extremely productive. 12 of his 14 starts were with the Legislators, where he went 2-1 with a 1.95 ERA (219 ERA+) and 1.08 WHIP with 44 strikeouts and just 17 walks. His 2.6 K/BB was extremely impressive, as he showed a noticeable improvement in his command. Last season he walked 3.9 batters per nine and he cut a full batter (2.8) out of that this season. Williams also made two starts with San Jose, going 11.1 innings with 3 hits, 6 walks, and a strikeout. The lapse in command here was similar to last season. Dixie Marsh thinks he'll figure the command out, and OSA even thinks he can be a back-end starter, and I think part of it is due to his build. He's a towering 6'4'' righty with a 91 mph sinker, and the work ethic you want all your talented youngsters to display. He's got to work on the off-speed stuff, but the sinker generates plenty of whiffs, and when it doesn't, batters tend to beat it into the ground. Recently 20, Williams may return to La Crosse for one more go, as our rotations are pretty full.

LF Clyde Parker (230th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 103rd Overall (1945)
Alma Mater: Liberty Bluejays

It wasn't an ideal season for Clyde Parker, who dropped almost 100 points in the prospect rankings. He spent almost equal time in La Crosse and San Jose, but neither stint impressed all that much. He hit .278/.325/.481 (109 OPS+) with the Lions, which was good enough for a 118 WRC+, but it wasn't much of an improvement on his .218/.285/.403 (111 OPS+) in a lesser run environment last year. He also saw drops in San Jose, going from .225/.262/.441 (104 OPS+) to .278/.316/.389 (94 OPS+). Now 20, I expected more from Parker, who has a really strong hit tool, and seemed to be an advanced hitter for his age. In 256 PAs, he accumulated 22 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, and 32 RBIs, which while not bad, isn't much to write home about. The former 7th Rounder isn't the greatest defender, so he'll have to up the offensive production to keep playing every day. He's not on a short lease yet, but he'll need to get off to a nice start in his third season in Class B. I'm hoping a year from now I'll be writing about his strong finish in A ball, as 1947 is shaping out to be a make or break year for the lefty.

RHP Babe Stinson (232nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 64th Overall (1942)
Alma Mater: Louisville Coyotes

After going 4-3 with a 3.99 ERA (104 ERA+) and 1.57 in 11 starts for the Legislators, Babe Stinson improved pretty much every metric in 18 starts this season. Stinson went 5-3 with a lower 2.93 ERA (123 ERA+) and 1.29 WHIP, while upping his K/9 from 3.1 to 4.4 and his K/BB from 0.8 to 1.0. This got him a late season promotion to Mobile, but the former 4th Rounder hit a speed bump. He made six starts, going just 2-4 with a 4.93 ERA (70 ERA+) and 1.86 WHIP, while walking (28) far more hitters then he struck out (16). Stinson only turned 22 in August, so it's not like he should have dominated AA hitters already, and he'll have something to build on for next season. A five pitch pitcher, Stinson throws a mid 80s cutter he controls well, with a great change leading the way. His forkball and splitter are big league quality pitches as well, but his circle change needs some work. This is where I wish I could tell him that one change is enough, and that he should drop the circle change, but alas he will occasionally use it. His stuff is good now, but if he can start throwing harder, I can see it becoming a plus tool. Another guy who is Rule-5 eligible, Stinson isn't close to being big league ready, and to be anything more then a spot starter he'll need to have a strong season next year.

LHP Dutch Yoak (236th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 19th Overall (1945)
Alma Mater: La Porte Renegades

Our second of back-to-back picks in the 2nd last year, Dutch Yoak's prospect ranking is more then twice Carl Clark's, as he snuck into the top 100 while Yoak was left out of the top 200. I think he's a better pitcher then that would suggest, but he didn't have the greatest first full season. He made 7 starts for the Legislators and 6 for San Jose, and while the FIPs (4.90, 114 and 4.73, 118) were similar, the ERAs (3.30, 129 and 7.51, 54) couldn't have been further apart. Class B hitters were able to get a lot more hits then the lower level ones, as his 1.80 WHIP in 38.1 innings was very high. Part of that was the 20 walks, but 49 hitters successfully reached via the base hit. In La Crosse, he allowed just 35 in 46.1 innings. The defenses may have had some effect, as Yoak has turned into a flyballer. He didn't allow many homers, but he's giving up too much hard contact. Of course, he's just 19, and I don't think the 6'4'' lefty is going to top out at 89 on his fastball his entire career. His stuff has always been good, and it will only continue to improve, but his command struggles have been surprising. He seemed to have that handled in high school, but against tougher competition things haven't gone as well. If things break right, Yoak could be a very good big league starter, but his floor is still very low, and he has plenty of risk attached to him.

04-28-2023, 09:45 PM	#1081
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,094	Top Prospects: 21-25 2B Bob Schmelz (220th Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Detroit (1945) Drafted: 1st Round, 11th Overall (1942) Alma Mater: Dravosburg Flyers The last remaining piece of the Art White trade, Bob Schmelz is remarkably the first, and only, member of our share of the top 500 that was not originally drafted by the Cougars. A former 1st Round selection of the Dynamos, Schmelz only played 31 games in their organization, as he was drafted into the Army his first offseason in their system. He hit very well, posting well above average numbers in 99 games with the Legislators and 40 more with the Commodores. He slashed .293/.406/.376 (123 OPS+) in A ball and a similar .307/.381/.405 (120 OPS+) in AA. Between the levels, he produced over a 130 WRC+ with 29 doubles, 6 triples, a homer, 6 steals, and 69 RBIs while boasting an impressive 69-to-54 walk-to-strikeout ratio. I'd like to see more power from Schmelz, as he's not much of a defender, but he has a strong hit tool and doesn't chase too often. He could work his way into a starting role, but we'll need to see more from the bat. He's either going to have to hit well above .300 or add strength for double digit home runs, otherwise his defense won't be put up with. At just 21, he's far from a finished product, but he's eligible for the Rule-5 Draft, and I may have to protect him. RHP Jim Williams (225th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 123rd Overall (1945) Alma Mater: Chicopee Pacers 1946 was Jim Williams' first full season, and despite a minor hamstring injury, he was extremely productive. 12 of his 14 starts were with the Legislators, where he went 2-1 with a 1.95 ERA (219 ERA+) and 1.08 WHIP with 44 strikeouts and just 17 walks. His 2.6 K/BB was extremely impressive, as he showed a noticeable improvement in his command. Last season he walked 3.9 batters per nine and he cut a full batter (2.8) out of that this season. Williams also made two starts with San Jose, going 11.1 innings with 3 hits, 6 walks, and a strikeout. The lapse in command here was similar to last season. Dixie Marsh thinks he'll figure the command out, and OSA even thinks he can be a back-end starter, and I think part of it is due to his build. He's a towering 6'4'' righty with a 91 mph sinker, and the work ethic you want all your talented youngsters to display. He's got to work on the off-speed stuff, but the sinker generates plenty of whiffs, and when it doesn't, batters tend to beat it into the ground. Recently 20, Williams may return to La Crosse for one more go, as our rotations are pretty full. LF Clyde Parker (230th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 103rd Overall (1945) Alma Mater: Liberty Bluejays It wasn't an ideal season for Clyde Parker, who dropped almost 100 points in the prospect rankings. He spent almost equal time in La Crosse and San Jose, but neither stint impressed all that much. He hit .278/.325/.481 (109 OPS+) with the Lions, which was good enough for a 118 WRC+, but it wasn't much of an improvement on his .218/.285/.403 (111 OPS+) in a lesser run environment last year. He also saw drops in San Jose, going from .225/.262/.441 (104 OPS+) to .278/.316/.389 (94 OPS+). Now 20, I expected more from Parker, who has a really strong hit tool, and seemed to be an advanced hitter for his age. In 256 PAs, he accumulated 22 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, and 32 RBIs, which while not bad, isn't much to write home about. The former 7th Rounder isn't the greatest defender, so he'll have to up the offensive production to keep playing every day. He's not on a short lease yet, but he'll need to get off to a nice start in his third season in Class B. I'm hoping a year from now I'll be writing about his strong finish in A ball, as 1947 is shaping out to be a make or break year for the lefty. RHP Babe Stinson (232nd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 64th Overall (1942) Alma Mater: Louisville Coyotes After going 4-3 with a 3.99 ERA (104 ERA+) and 1.57 in 11 starts for the Legislators, Babe Stinson improved pretty much every metric in 18 starts this season. Stinson went 5-3 with a lower 2.93 ERA (123 ERA+) and 1.29 WHIP, while upping his K/9 from 3.1 to 4.4 and his K/BB from 0.8 to 1.0. This got him a late season promotion to Mobile, but the former 4th Rounder hit a speed bump. He made six starts, going just 2-4 with a 4.93 ERA (70 ERA+) and 1.86 WHIP, while walking (28) far more hitters then he struck out (16). Stinson only turned 22 in August, so it's not like he should have dominated AA hitters already, and he'll have something to build on for next season. A five pitch pitcher, Stinson throws a mid 80s cutter he controls well, with a great change leading the way. His forkball and splitter are big league quality pitches as well, but his circle change needs some work. This is where I wish I could tell him that one change is enough, and that he should drop the circle change, but alas he will occasionally use it. His stuff is good now, but if he can start throwing harder, I can see it becoming a plus tool. Another guy who is Rule-5 eligible, Stinson isn't close to being big league ready, and to be anything more then a spot starter he'll need to have a strong season next year. LHP Dutch Yoak (236th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 19th Overall (1945) Alma Mater: La Porte Renegades Our second of back-to-back picks in the 2nd last year, Dutch Yoak's prospect ranking is more then twice Carl Clark's, as he snuck into the top 100 while Yoak was left out of the top 200. I think he's a better pitcher then that would suggest, but he didn't have the greatest first full season. He made 7 starts for the Legislators and 6 for San Jose, and while the FIPs (4.90, 114 and 4.73, 118) were similar, the ERAs (3.30, 129 and 7.51, 54) couldn't have been further apart. Class B hitters were able to get a lot more hits then the lower level ones, as his 1.80 WHIP in 38.1 innings was very high. Part of that was the 20 walks, but 49 hitters successfully reached via the base hit. In La Crosse, he allowed just 35 in 46.1 innings. The defenses may have had some effect, as Yoak has turned into a flyballer. He didn't allow many homers, but he's giving up too much hard contact. Of course, he's just 19, and I don't think the 6'4'' lefty is going to top out at 89 on his fastball his entire career. His stuff has always been good, and it will only continue to improve, but his command struggles have been surprising. He seemed to have that handled in high school, but against tougher competition things haven't gone as well. If things break right, Yoak could be a very good big league starter, but his floor is still very low, and he has plenty of risk attached to him.