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RHP Bob Allen (7th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 10th Overall (1946)
Alma Mater: Sonora Wildcats

Another year, another top ranking for Bob Allen, who remains the highest ranked pitching prospect in all of baseball. The 10th Pick of the 1946 draft, Allen spent his entire season in Class B San Jose with the Cougars, as despite his lofty ceiling he is still a young and inexperienced prospect. The 21-year-old held his own in 22 starts, going 9-6 with a 4.28 ERA (100 ERA+) and 1.65 WHIP. Allen's 4.06 FIP (94 FIP-) was a few points lower, and in 149.1 innings pitched he struck out 87 and walked 73. A four pitch pitcher, Allen tops out at 89 with his fastball, but his pitching profile is excellent for Cougars Park. He gets plenty of movement on all his pitches, and he does a tremendous job keeping the ball in the park. He allowed just 3 homers (0.2 HR/9) this season and he doesn't leave pitches hanging and hittable. There's a lot of development ahead of him, but everything I've seen so far suggests ace. His slider is a wipeout pitch that could help him rack up seven plus strikeouts a game, and while not top pitches, he does locate his curve and change well. He has walked a decent amount of hitters so far, but he's expected to get that up to at least average. Paired with elite movement and stuff that's all he needs, but I think it could end up better then that. As good as our staff is now, there's no pitcher around with more upside then Allen, and there's a chance he'll win a few of those awards his last name shares.

CF Jerry Smith (12th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 5th Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Jackson Generals

Once again ranked second in our system and twelfth overall once again, Jerry Smith had an excellent 1949 season, splitting it almost equally between San Jose (67) and Lincoln (66). He started with the Cougars, where he hit .298/.346/.400 (93 OPS+) in 131 games the season prior. This time around he looked much better, batting an above average .305/.376/.439 (114 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 7 triples, 2 homers, 35 RBIs, 12 steals, and 51 runs. He drew 28 walks and was worth 2.5 WAR due to impressive center field defense (3.7, 1.038). Surprisingly, the then 20-year-old was even better offensively after the promotion, as Smith quickly won Player of the Week and finished his Heartland League season with a .305/.392/.469 (131 OPS+) triple slash. He was worth two tenth of a win less and he swiped just two bags, but he walked (10.0 to 12.7) at a higher rate while hitting two more doubles and homers. The hardworking outfielder has always profiled as a legit five-tool player and potential star, and his stint in Lincoln was the first time he truly showcased that. Steals aside, Smith showed everything you want in a middle-of-the-order hitter, offering power, contact, and discipline with excellent speed on the bases. If he can also provide plus defense in center, he'll be among the best players in the game, potentially reaching Sal Pestilli level of excellence. He's got a few more seasons to go, and he may even return to Lincoln to start next year, but once he enters our lineup, I don't think he's going to give up the spot. He should go to plenty of All-Star and games and might even win a Whitney, something no Cougar has done since John Lawson in 1940. I'd love to get one before Smith is up, but I can see him being the next Cougar to earn that level of hardware.

LHP Ron Berry (36th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 112th Overall (1944)
Alma Mater: Elm Springs Knights

Few pitchers had as tremendous a season as Ron Berry did, so it's no surprise that OSA has him as the 2nd best southpaw and 6th best pitcher on their prospect list. He truly excelled in his first taste of Century League action, going 12-3 with a 2.62 ERA (155 ERA+) and 1.20 WHIP in his 24 starts. He struck out 116 and walked just 44 in 158 innings. A potential top of the rotation arm, Berry ranked top five in the Century League in ERA (2nd), ERA+ (2nd), wins (2nd), WAR (3rd, 3.8), K/BB (4th, 2.1), K/9 (4th, 6.6), WHIP (2nd), and quality starts (t-3rd, 18). Doing all of this at 23 makes it even more impressive, and even though he never got the call, he more then deserved a big league debut. A talented four pitch pitcher, OSA is calling him a #2 and Dixie thinks he'll "end up near the top of any major league rotation." There's no reason to think the former 7th Rounder hasn't turned himself into that, as he's thoroughly impressed in a two-year run that spans 48 starts. As good as he is, we have so many options in our rotation, and I'm worried he's going to be stuck back in Milwaukee next year. Zane Kelley is lightly penciled in as the Cougars sixth starter, and we may not even need one of those next year. I'd love to trade from our pitching surplus, and Berry seems like the obvious choice. I'd love to see him succeed in the Fed, but if he sticks around he's excellent injury insurance should one of our arms go down.

C Garland Phelps (38th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 21st Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Sheffield Fightin' Irish

We have an impressive collection of prospects, so there are plenty of players I'm excited for, but the one with the most excitement may be Garland Phelps. A brilliant backstop, Phelps is a 20-year-old from Pennsylvania who has a certain demeanor to him that projects knowledge well beyond his age. He uses his intelligence to his advantage on and off the field, and as a catcher all his tools are even more valuable. Probably the weakest position in the league, there's just four catchers in the top 200 prospects, and most teams don't have a George Cleaves or Pete Casstevens that they can plug in everyday. Catcher isn't an immediate need for us now, as Eddie Howard is ready to open 1950 as the every day catcher after finishing the season strong. Phelps is going to be even better and I really think he could at one point be the best catcher in the league. Projecting well at and behind the plate, Dixie Gaines thinks he can "flourish in the majors" and I think he's on the money. He may end up striking out more then you want, but just like Leo Mitchell, he'll hit for a high average and reward you with home runs.

The difference is the walks, as while Mitchell did manage to walk in a career high 9.9% of his plate appearances, that could be average at best for Phelps. He's not walking enough now, but given his age and level of competition, that's not to much of an issue. I'm conflicted on what to do with our young catcher, as "Einstein" has already spent two full seasons in Lincoln. It may be time to challenge him, even if he struggles at first, as his desire to improve may keep him focused. Plus, he showed plenty of promise this season, producing a 111 WRC+ in 131 games. You can live with the 95 strikeouts if he's producing runs, and since his best tool may be managing the staff, even average offense is a huge boost. He's still getting used to the extra time needed to manage multiple different types of pitchers. He even threw out a personal high 56.1% of attempted base stealers, and command of the run game would be an added bonus. As high as the ceiling is, there's a long road ahead of him. If he reaches his potential, he could be one of the franchises best catchers.

2B Biff Tiner (40th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 13th Overall (1949)
Alma Mater: Elkin Elks

Aside from the obvious headliners of the class, I really wanted to end up with Tom Perkins (10th Pick, current 26th ranked prospect), and with three lottery balls I thought that was a lock. Somehow, all three managed to be selected last, leaving us with the last pick of the first round. For a while I thought I was going to end up with Perkins, who kept falling, but we did manage a decent pick with Biff Tiner.

Only one 1949 draftee taken after Tiner ranks above him on the prospect rankings, and he was extremely effective in his professional debut. The second basemen appeared in 54 games, hitting .367/.429/.516 (131 OPS+) with 4 homers, 10 steals, and 22 RBIs. Tiner drew 18 walks, scored 42 times, and added 10 doubles and 3 triples in 211 trips to the plate. Another hard worker, Tiner signed his bonus a week before his 18th birthday and was projected as "an elite big league second basemen" by OSA. That's lofty praise for the 4-year Elkin Elk, who twice hit over .500 in high school. .367 is almost more impressive, and he led all Lions with more then 150 PAs in batting average. He's not a batting title guy, but Tiner should be a consistent .300 hitter, almost like Ray Ford in his prime. I hope the defense becomes better then Ford's, as he had to shift to first, but at least at 6'2'' Biff would make as a better first basemen. I want him at second, and we'll continue to give him rep at the keystones to improve his familiarity with the position. With his pure speed, I'm hoping the range is at least average, and with his bat that's good enough. The extra base hits can be like a healthy Billy Hunter, who's injuries sapped his pure speed. If we can keep Tiner healthy, he's the second basemen of the future, but George Sutterfield will definitely look to hold him off as long as he can.