OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

ayaghmour2 · 10-15-2023, 03:42 PM

SS Cecil Burr (154th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 71st Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Anacortes Seahawks

Another member of the 1948 class, Cecil Burr took a step back in his senior year at Anacortes, but the prospect people were still enticed with his skill, and he even entered a few mock drafts. The 18-year-old spent his time with us in La Crosse, spending most of his time at his natural shortstop position. He managed to hit above .300 in 160 PAs, but his .309/.335/.443 (85 OPS+) line was still significantly below average. He did post a more impressive 91 WRC+, and with decent defense (0.4, 1.017) he was still worth a bit above replacement level (0.3) in his first 46 games. A hard working infielder, he's fast and athletic, which should translate to at least average, if not better, defense up the middle. He's a bit of a light hitter, but he makes consistent contact and groundballs aren't bad for him. With his speed, any chopper on the grass could turn into a single, and he's a nice base stealer as well. He swiped 8 bags this year and his 3 triples were impressive as well. Not much power yet, but at 6'2'' there's chance the teen could still add muscle. His bat is still a work in progress, but there is a lot to like about his game so far. Both Dixie and OSA call him a "frontrunner for an audition as a shortstop," which is reasonable considering the combination of upside and risk. He's a bit less then a decade younger the Skipper, so there's a chance he could eventually surpass our superstar shortstop once he's fully developed.

CF Frank Reece (162nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 20th Overall (1946)
Alma Mater: Villisca Bluejays

The prospect pickers have soured on Frank Reece, who dropped out of the top 100 this season despite a pretty solid year. The now 21-year-old was back at San Jose, hitting .286/.388/.386 (101 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 3 triples, 8 homers, 51 RBIs, and 21 steals. He had a solid 113 WRC+ and 3.3 WAR with a few more walks (78) then strikeouts (72). He scored 90 runs in 572 trips to the plate, and spent 200+ inning at all three outfield spots. He looked amazing in right, posting a 4.3 arm rating with a 3.3 zone rating (1.026 eff) in 512.1 innings. With his speed, I'd love for him to stick in center, but we have so many great center fielders and it's hard to ignore how impressive his arm has looked. I do like his bat enough if he has to make the move to a corner, as he has a compact and clean swing that allows him to hit the ball hard to all fields. With his speed, any ball in the gap is at least a double, and in the wider parks he could make it to third or potentially all the way home. He has solid power potential too, as he's able to elevate mistakes and hit them a long way. Even with our outfield logjam, I want him in Lincoln to start the season, as I believe he could still be an above average big league outfielder. If not, the speed will always earn him a role, as a capable 4th outfielder who can pinch run is a nice addition to any bench.

RHP Zane Kelley (165th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Kings (1947)
Drafted: 7th Round, 102nd Overall (1944)
Alma Mater: Media Lions

Half of the Hank Barnett return, Zane Kelley shot up the prospect rankings, going from unranked to #165 overall. After a strong season with Mobile last year where he went 11-12 with a 3.97 ERA (106 ERA+) and 3.45 FIP (82 FIP-), the 22-year-old righty was in Milwaukee to start the season, and he led the Blues rotation all season. An awful September (0-3, 7.17, 8) tried to sabotage his season, but he still finished an impressive 13-8 with a 4.15 ERA (109 ERA+) and 1.49 WHIP. He made 24 starts, threw 188.2 innings, and walked (61) as many hitters as he struck out. I debated giving him a late season callup to get a start or two, but since we were still in the playoff hunt up until the final week of the season, he didn't get added onto the 40 until the offseason as he would have been Rule-5 eligible. A natural starter, Dixie Marsh think he would be the bet reliever in our system, so he'll be given a shot to earn a pen spot this spring. He's still working on finishing his arsenal, as right now he's really just a cutter-change pitcher. His sinker and fastball need some work, which could keep him out of a big league rotation. He does have the stamina to go deep, reaching 130 pitches multiple times this season. Kelley is likely best served returning to Milwaukee to pitch every sixth day, but he's one of our top options for depth, and could be a good rotation filler if someone misses a week or two.

SS Buddy Jenkins (167th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 77th Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Whitman Panthers

It was a tough season for Buddy Jenkins, who due to the logjam of low minors middle infielders, had to spend all season in San Jose. 19 for most of the season, Buddy was overmatched at the plate, hitting just .283/.357/.365 (87 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 7 triples, 5 homers, 42 RBIs, and 11 steals. He did manage to draw 52 walks with 64 strikeouts in 515 PAs, so even if the balls in play weren't landing, he still worked the count well. Jenkins has excellent pitch recognition skills, and with his speed, a walk can be the perfect inning extender. His speed allows him to play all around the diamond, appearing at game at first, second, third, left, short, and right. He spent most of his time at short, and even though he didn't get innings in center, he's got experience there too. A prototypical utility guy, Jenkins has a very high floor as a Tip Harrison type. I do think the bat will eventually develop enough where he can play everyday, but his offensive ability is centered around his discipline. He doesn't put the ball in play much and even though he hit a few homers this year, power doesn't seem likely to be something he can keep up. A bounce back season would be huge for the former 5th Rounder, as he was not to happy about how his season went.

SS Archie Cunningham (168th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 116th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Carolina Poly Cardinals

On draft day, I thought Archie was the secondary Cunningham brother. Instead, he's now a top 200 prospect coming off an impressive first pro stint. Him and Dick made up the San Jose middle infield, where he provided above average offense (109 WRC+) and defense (1.7, 1.024) at short while stealing 14 bases in just 15 attempts. Speed is a huge part of A.C.'s game, as he hit an impressive 10 triples in 233 PAs. He hit a nice .276/.378/.408 (104 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a homer, and 21 RBIs. He drew 33 walks to just 26 strikeouts, worth a solid 1.7 WAR in 57 games. Now 22, the switch hitting shortstop is starting to establish himself as a legitimate prospect, combining excellent discipline and speed with a strong arm and plus range. He could be a quick riser, and him and Dick will move up the ladder together. He's a bit too arrogant, which could prevent him from being a popular guy in the clubhouse. Despite being 20th in our system, he's the 10th highest ranked shortstop prospect, and could end up being a reliable everyday player. I think the prospect people are a bit too nice to him, he looks like more of a bench bat then anything, but with a few solid seasons he could work his way into a big league lineup.

10-15-2023, 03:42 PM	#1234
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,012	Top Prospects: 16-20 SS Cecil Burr (154th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 71st Overall (1948) Alma Mater: Anacortes Seahawks Another member of the 1948 class, Cecil Burr took a step back in his senior year at Anacortes, but the prospect people were still enticed with his skill, and he even entered a few mock drafts. The 18-year-old spent his time with us in La Crosse, spending most of his time at his natural shortstop position. He managed to hit above .300 in 160 PAs, but his .309/.335/.443 (85 OPS+) line was still significantly below average. He did post a more impressive 91 WRC+, and with decent defense (0.4, 1.017) he was still worth a bit above replacement level (0.3) in his first 46 games. A hard working infielder, he's fast and athletic, which should translate to at least average, if not better, defense up the middle. He's a bit of a light hitter, but he makes consistent contact and groundballs aren't bad for him. With his speed, any chopper on the grass could turn into a single, and he's a nice base stealer as well. He swiped 8 bags this year and his 3 triples were impressive as well. Not much power yet, but at 6'2'' there's chance the teen could still add muscle. His bat is still a work in progress, but there is a lot to like about his game so far. Both Dixie and OSA call him a "frontrunner for an audition as a shortstop," which is reasonable considering the combination of upside and risk. He's a bit less then a decade younger the Skipper, so there's a chance he could eventually surpass our superstar shortstop once he's fully developed. CF Frank Reece (162nd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 20th Overall (1946) Alma Mater: Villisca Bluejays The prospect pickers have soured on Frank Reece, who dropped out of the top 100 this season despite a pretty solid year. The now 21-year-old was back at San Jose, hitting .286/.388/.386 (101 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 3 triples, 8 homers, 51 RBIs, and 21 steals. He had a solid 113 WRC+ and 3.3 WAR with a few more walks (78) then strikeouts (72). He scored 90 runs in 572 trips to the plate, and spent 200+ inning at all three outfield spots. He looked amazing in right, posting a 4.3 arm rating with a 3.3 zone rating (1.026 eff) in 512.1 innings. With his speed, I'd love for him to stick in center, but we have so many great center fielders and it's hard to ignore how impressive his arm has looked. I do like his bat enough if he has to make the move to a corner, as he has a compact and clean swing that allows him to hit the ball hard to all fields. With his speed, any ball in the gap is at least a double, and in the wider parks he could make it to third or potentially all the way home. He has solid power potential too, as he's able to elevate mistakes and hit them a long way. Even with our outfield logjam, I want him in Lincoln to start the season, as I believe he could still be an above average big league outfielder. If not, the speed will always earn him a role, as a capable 4th outfielder who can pinch run is a nice addition to any bench. RHP Zane Kelley (165th Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Kings (1947) Drafted: 7th Round, 102nd Overall (1944) Alma Mater: Media Lions Half of the Hank Barnett return, Zane Kelley shot up the prospect rankings, going from unranked to #165 overall. After a strong season with Mobile last year where he went 11-12 with a 3.97 ERA (106 ERA+) and 3.45 FIP (82 FIP-), the 22-year-old righty was in Milwaukee to start the season, and he led the Blues rotation all season. An awful September (0-3, 7.17, 8) tried to sabotage his season, but he still finished an impressive 13-8 with a 4.15 ERA (109 ERA+) and 1.49 WHIP. He made 24 starts, threw 188.2 innings, and walked (61) as many hitters as he struck out. I debated giving him a late season callup to get a start or two, but since we were still in the playoff hunt up until the final week of the season, he didn't get added onto the 40 until the offseason as he would have been Rule-5 eligible. A natural starter, Dixie Marsh think he would be the bet reliever in our system, so he'll be given a shot to earn a pen spot this spring. He's still working on finishing his arsenal, as right now he's really just a cutter-change pitcher. His sinker and fastball need some work, which could keep him out of a big league rotation. He does have the stamina to go deep, reaching 130 pitches multiple times this season. Kelley is likely best served returning to Milwaukee to pitch every sixth day, but he's one of our top options for depth, and could be a good rotation filler if someone misses a week or two. SS Buddy Jenkins (167th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 77th Overall (1947) Alma Mater: Whitman Panthers It was a tough season for Buddy Jenkins, who due to the logjam of low minors middle infielders, had to spend all season in San Jose. 19 for most of the season, Buddy was overmatched at the plate, hitting just .283/.357/.365 (87 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 7 triples, 5 homers, 42 RBIs, and 11 steals. He did manage to draw 52 walks with 64 strikeouts in 515 PAs, so even if the balls in play weren't landing, he still worked the count well. Jenkins has excellent pitch recognition skills, and with his speed, a walk can be the perfect inning extender. His speed allows him to play all around the diamond, appearing at game at first, second, third, left, short, and right. He spent most of his time at short, and even though he didn't get innings in center, he's got experience there too. A prototypical utility guy, Jenkins has a very high floor as a Tip Harrison type. I do think the bat will eventually develop enough where he can play everyday, but his offensive ability is centered around his discipline. He doesn't put the ball in play much and even though he hit a few homers this year, power doesn't seem likely to be something he can keep up. A bounce back season would be huge for the former 5th Rounder, as he was not to happy about how his season went. SS Archie Cunningham (168th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 116th Overall (1948) Alma Mater: Carolina Poly Cardinals On draft day, I thought Archie was the secondary Cunningham brother. Instead, he's now a top 200 prospect coming off an impressive first pro stint. Him and Dick made up the San Jose middle infield, where he provided above average offense (109 WRC+) and defense (1.7, 1.024) at short while stealing 14 bases in just 15 attempts. Speed is a huge part of A.C.'s game, as he hit an impressive 10 triples in 233 PAs. He hit a nice .276/.378/.408 (104 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a homer, and 21 RBIs. He drew 33 walks to just 26 strikeouts, worth a solid 1.7 WAR in 57 games. Now 22, the switch hitting shortstop is starting to establish himself as a legitimate prospect, combining excellent discipline and speed with a strong arm and plus range. He could be a quick riser, and him and Dick will move up the ladder together. He's a bit too arrogant, which could prevent him from being a popular guy in the clubhouse. Despite being 20th in our system, he's the 10th highest ranked shortstop prospect, and could end up being a reliable everyday player. I think the prospect people are a bit too nice to him, he looks like more of a bench bat then anything, but with a few solid seasons he could work his way into a big league lineup.