It's top prospect time! The offseason continues to roll on, but before reviewing the cream of the crop, there are a few transactional moves to account for first. I claimed a player off waivers that I was always a huge fan of, George Dawson, who will turn 38 in April. Previously one of the top defensive shortstops, those days are behind him, and he's got a chance to start at third against lefties. If he doesn't crack the lineup, he could replace George Sutterfield on the bench, and as a team leader in the clubhouse, he can provide value even if he's not playing regularly. He didn't play much in 1948, but he posted a 93 WRC+ in 103 PAs, hitting .278/.343/.358 (88 OPS+). The longtime Forester has appeared in 1,737 FABL games, hitting .297/.345/.379 (102 OPS+) with 235 doubles, 67 triples, 58 homers, 187 steals, and 640 RBIs. Combine that with stellar shortstop defense, and he has accumulated 53.5 WAR since debuting in 1933.
With Dawson being added to the 40, it became full, and with some guys still needing to be protected in the Rule-5 draft, it was time to trim the edges a little. The first two casualties were Steve Mountain and Leon Blackrdidge, which made room for Ron Berry and Mike Bordes. Berry is our 7th ranked prospect, so he'll get covered in the next post, but since Bordes isn't on the list, he's worth a quick blurb. Bordes, 23 in November, was a former 11th Round selection of the Eagles
who came over in the Billy Riley trade. He had an excellent season in Mobile, slashing .310/.407/.465 (123 OPS+) with 26 double, 4 triples, 12 homers, and 77 RBIs. He was one walk (79) away from walking twice as often as he struck out (40), and he was worth almost 4 WAR (3.8). He's not the greatest defender, but he caught 53.2% base stealers. The -2.8 frame rating is pretty poor, but hopefully he can fix that up as I like when my catchers have high catcher ability, so Bordes may have to look for another position. For now, he'll catch regularly in the minors, and once he's out of options he'll have a chance to take the backup catcher role from an aged Harry Mead.
RHP Bob Allen (11th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 10th Overall (1946)
Alma Mater: Sonora Wildcats
OOTP 24 doesn't like pitchers as much as OOTP 23, so even though Bob Allen is outside of the top 10, he's the second highest ranked pitcher. The 20-year-old spent all season in San Jose, and he held his own in 24 starts. He finished 10-11 with a 4.38 ERA (101 ERA+) and 1.68 WHIP, striking out 78 while walking 92. It's a bit concerning to see him walk more hitters then he struck out, but his 10.8 K% is still solid. His control now isn't great, but he's expected to be able to throw all four of his pitches for strikes. An extreme groundballer, Allen relies on an solid defense to make up for his free passes. He locates his mid-80s fastball well, and it's his best pitch. His slider, curve, and change are still works in progress, but the slider in particular is good at getting whiffs from same-side hitters. His pitches get plenty of movement, the fastball included, and his stuff is off the charts. He's still very raw and has a long development path ahead of him, but he's got all the tools to front a rotation. Dixie thinks he'll be better then Duke Bybee, which is a lofty prediction, but there is still some worry that he won't reach his potential. I'll take my time with him, and with all the talent he's shown, it's hard to believe that he won't spend a decade starting games for an FABL team.
CF Jerry Smith (12th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 5th Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Jackson Generals
Ranked right after Allen is center fielder Jerry Smith, who also spent the entirety of his season in San Jose. Despite not turning 20 until the season was almost over, Smith more then held his own at the plate, hitting a respectable .298/.346/.400 (93 OPS+) in just over 500 trips to the plate. He maintained his 6.3 BB% from the previous season and dropped his K% from 19.8 to 16.6, demonstrating that he's starting to grow as a hitter. The hard working former 1st Rounder is whiffing less often, but he's also not elevating the ball as much. After 5 homers in 51 games last year, he hit just 3 all season, adding in 20 doubles, 9 triples, 14 steals, and 61 RBIs. Speed is a big part of his game, but what makes him really exciting is how good the bat will be. He has legit 20/20 potential and could quite possibly put in a 30/30 season, all while being able to bat comfortably above .300. Dixie thinks he could hit around .330, as he hits the ball hard and far. He's improving his defense as well, and while he's not quite above average (0.5, .988) yet, he's looked good in limited time. He has an excellent arm, posting a 2.4 ARM rating in 704.2 innings out in center, and while his speed would suggest excellent range in center, it's nice knowing that he'd be one of the best defensive right fielders if we have to move him off. As good as Sal Pestilli is, Smith should be even better, and I can't remember the last time we had a position player prospect with this much talent that plays a premium position. I'm undecided on if he starts 1949 in San Jose or La Crosse, but like with Allen, he'll have a slow climb up the ladder as his position is covered on the big league squad. If he reaches his potential, it's not a stretch to say he'd be the best center fielder in the game, as he's a legit five tool player who does everything well.
C Garland Phelps (33rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 21st Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Sheffield Fightin' Irish
It was the first real test for Garland Phelps this year, as last year's 2nd Rounder spent all season in Lincoln despite not turning 19 until August. The catcher of the future put together a very nice season, slashing .309/.367/.373 (97 OPS+) with a 102 WRC+ in 129 games. "Einstein" is both brilliant and hardworking, which makes me very excited for his future, but he did take a few noticeable step backs this season. The most notable being the drop in power, as after 9 doubles, 6 triples, and 5 homers in 57 games last year, he had just 12, 5, and 2. Phelps isn't this otherworldly slugger who's going to launch 20 homers a season, but what he does excel at is hitting for extra bases. He has a nice smooth swing that allows him to drive the ball to the gaps when he makes solid contact, but he's hitting a few too many groundballs. If he was fast, that would be okay, but as a catcher he's not going to be beating out many close plays. Still, he has excellent plate discipline, which will allow him to draw plenty of walks and maintain both a high average and OBP. He's improving behind the plate as well, posting a slightly above average (0.5) framing rating in 1,085.2 innings behind the plate. He calls a great game and his pitchers are confident trusting him, as his baseball IQ is off the charts. Catchers carry a ton of risk, but he's got all the tools to excel in the big leagues, and while Jimmy Hawkins is a higher ranked prospect, I find it hard to believe that Phelps is not the most talented catching prospect in the game right now.
CF Johnny Peters (42nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 3rd Overall (1945)
Alma Mater: Liberty College Bells
The first of our prospects to debut this season, former 3rd Pick Johnny Peters put together another 600 PA season in Milwaukee, slashing .320/.415/.462 (122 OPS+) with 26 double, 5 triples, 13 homers, and 63 RBIs with a personal best 136 WRC+. He did strike out a lot, an even 100 times, but his 80 walks and 12.8 BB% are well above average. Another issue was his base stealing, as he was caught 17 times while being successful just 7 times. After the Blues' season ended, he got two weeks in Chicago, and went 5-for-20 with a double and solo homer. He both walked and struck out six times, starting all eight games out in left. Even with the addition of Chubby Hall, Johnny Peters could win an Opening Day roster spot. 25 on Opening Day, this is probably the last year of him being a prospect, even if he doesn't graduate as expected. He's a very exciting outfielder, with a quick bat and excellent patience. He'll make even the best pitchers work, as once he cuts down on the whiffs, he'll be very hard to get out. He has the power to go deep at any time, and he' always a threat on the bases. Even if he has to move to a corner, the bat should be good enough to earn regular playing time, but the Lawrenceburg native has a few things to work on before getting regular playing time at the highest level.
LHP Dixie Gaines (44th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 55th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Capital University Catamounts
Our first four prospects were the exact same this year as last year. The first change from last year was Dixie Gaines replacing Ron Berry as our #5 prospect. The first member of our most recent draft class on the top prospect list, he's looking like one of the best value picks so far. Not only is he our fifth ranked prospect, but he's the fifth player I selected in the Winter. A five pitch pitcher, I was rather fond of Gaines on draft day, as he was one of the few good looking pitchers from the pool. He had an excellent offseason, polishing up his five pitch arsenal. It looks like it could even fool big league hitters, and if we weren't so deep on the mound, he would have got fast tracked to Chicago. OSA thinks he'll be ready to go in 1950, but I'd be surprised if he has much of a role on our staff before the '52 season.
The lefty had a great first taste of professional ball, going 6-4 with a 3.00 ERA (148 ERA+) and 1.43 WHIP in 12 starts. He struck out 55 and walked 46 in 81 innings pitched, and even though his 3.92 FIP (88 FIP-) FIP is much higher then his ERA, it was still above average. The most important part of Gaines' season was that he didn't allow a single home run. The extreme groundballer doesn't throw very hard, but his sinker is tough to elevate and with a solid middle infield behind him he could be an excellent big league pitcher. He'll strike guys out too, as it's hard to it on any one of his pitches, and his change up has devastating downward movement. The splitter can get whiffs to and he locates his fastball well, but his curve still needs some work. For a guy with excellent movement, it's interesting that his curve isn't very effective, so perhaps it could develop into a fifth plus pitch. I haven't yet decided where he'll begin 1949, but I'm excited to see what is in store for his second act. I'm not as sold on him as the prospect people, but I do expect him to be a reliable mid-rotation starter.