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ayaghmour2 · 01-25-2024, 07:44 PM

CF Frank Reece (150th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 20th Overall (1946)
Alma Mater: Villisca Bluejays

A former top 100 prospect and 2nd Round Pick, Frank Reece slipped a bit in the rankings last season, but has still managed to stay in the 100-200 range. That's fair enough, but what makes Reece more valuable is that he's a good defensive outfielder who can still hit some. He split his season between Lincoln and Mobile, posting zone ratings of 6.9 (1.054 EFF) and 8.2 (1.049) out in center. Recently turned 22, the speedy Reece swiped 29 bases, and in Lincoln it was at an eighty plus percent clip. The craziest part, however, was not only did he have a matching 118 WRC+ at both levels, he had an equal 107 OPS+. You'd think that would mean pretty similar lines, but aside from near identical averages (.306 and .304), he decided to be patient in Lincoln (.373 OBP, .397) before deciding t o slug with the Commodores (.354, 433). I'll take that to mean that he's a balanced hitter.

With potential Joe Austin level speed, Reece will be a big leaguer whether he can hit or not. The thing is, he's going to hit, as he does a great job putting the ball in play. He may hit a few too many flyballs, but Reece is the type of guy to make the most out of his contact. I was shocked he didn't triple with Mobile, but he finished the season with 23 doubles, 3 triples, and 10 home runs. I'm wondering how many of his 132 singles were of the infield variety, as any ball on the dirt puts pressure on the infield. He'll wreck havoc when he's on the base, and if he's drawing walks he adds another factor to make an impact. It's only 55 games, but AA tends to be a hard ceiling for under developed prospects, and Reece showed no signs of concern. He'll be penciled in as the Commodores leadoff hitter while patrolling center, something he'll do until Jerry Smith receives his promotion. It's the unfair reality for Reece, who will always be playing second fiddle to the team's top prospect. In reality, he's a well valued prospect, who is the superior defender and in our park a top center fielder is huge. Our park is one of the smaller ones, and the better our center fielder is the more we can focus on offense in the corners. Even if it's just late in game's covering for pinch hitters or guys he pinch ran for, this is the guy young want on the grass when the game is on the line.

3B Amos Peterson (154th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 26th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Union City Golden Tornadoes

The hardest part about being a young hitter in Class C is that you only get about 60 games to showcase yourself, and you tend to face guys who have played far more baseball then you. "A-Train" only played two years of varsity baseball, so even though he hit .514/.588/.883, it was just 42 games. He was our first pick last season, taken 26th Overall as our 1st was traded to acquire Sal Pestilli, but posted disappointing production at the plate. The then 18-year-old hit just .196/.274/.339 (55 OPS+), with 3 homers and 7 doubles in 124 trips to the plate. He made two more this year, but hit a similar .226/.274/.348 (52 OPS+) in the return. The extra base hit distribution was slightly different, this time 6 doubles, a triple, and 2 homers, but the Tennessee native did manage to swipe two bags. It may feel like a lost year for Peterson, but I'm hoping the versatile switch hitter takes it as a push to improve. I expect him to continue to get a majority of the time at third base, but if we draft a high upside infielder, he may be the guy to move. Since he can play multiple positions, a utility role allows another player to get regular time, with Amos able to play first, second, left, and right as well. 1950 will be a prove it year Peterson, as a third poor showing in La Crosse could put a damper on his prospect prowess.

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

Elbow inflammation interrupted Buddy Jenkins' season for almost a month, but he still managed to be worth 2.3 WAR in 105 games for the Cougars. The talented shortstop hit a respectable .299/.359/.385 (96 OPS+) with 15 steals, 33 walks, and 60 runs scored. He didn't do much in the extra base department, just 6 doubles, 6 triples, and 4 homers, but he drove in 42 runs and had a nice 6.8 zone rating and 1.047 efficiency at short. That will more then make up for the low power numbers, as he does everything you want your starting shortstop to do. The key for him his consistency, as if he can handle his business at short, all he has to do is give good, reliable at bats. Understand he's not going to be the big producer, but with his speed he can do a great job setting the table. He's still young, not 21 until May, so I think he's best served at least starting the season in San Jose. I'd love for him to finish the year in Lincoln, but with shortstop taken care of, he can work his way up at whatever pace best suits him.

CF Clyde Skinner (156th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 11th Round, 164th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: San Bernadino Falcons

I'm not sure how much longer I can keep calling him a center fielder, as he's been quite awful (-3.5, .885 this season) their, but most teenagers aren't finished products. Despite not turning 20 until November, he spent his season in San Jose, as last year's 11th Rounder hit an adjusted league average .304/.343/.418 (100 OPS+) in 169 trips to the plate. That's not too bad, and paired with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 28 RBIs it was a pretty decent season. Despite that, towards the end of the season the staff thought he belonged in La Crosse, and he may not be guaranteed everyday time to start next season. He's on the younger side, so it's not too big of a deal now, but there's a lot of good outfielders in our system and most of them can play center field. If he can't, he'll be passed over for the guys that can, so I'm hoping he can make progress there defensively next season. Bob Allie is there in San Jose now, but Skinner could take a few starts there from him while getting time in the corners too.

SS Cecil Burr (157th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 71st Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Anacortes Seahawks

Amos Peterson wasn't the only Lion to really struggle at the plate this season. Cecil Burr was right there with him, hitting just .242/.312/.315 (54 OPS+) -- a far cry from the .309/.335/.443 (96 OPS+) he posted in 18 more PAs the year before. 20 in January, our 5th Rounder last season isn't ever going to be a force at the plate, but far more is expected then this. I'd love for him to bulk up, as at 6'2'' he's just 175, and he's not hitting the ball with much authority. He has just four homers as a professional, and doesn't project to hit many homers in the future. That is without radical changes, something a mind wandered like Burr may not be up to. That's not always the case, as baseball has a funny way of working, but I see two paths to the majors for Burr. He either bulks up and starts hitting extra bases or really hones in on his defensive skills. Otherwise I don't see him being anything more then an average player, and average players don't play shortstop for the Cougars.

01-25-2024, 07:44 PM	#1308
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Top Prospects: 16-20 CF Frank Reece (150th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 20th Overall (1946) Alma Mater: Villisca Bluejays A former top 100 prospect and 2nd Round Pick, Frank Reece slipped a bit in the rankings last season, but has still managed to stay in the 100-200 range. That's fair enough, but what makes Reece more valuable is that he's a good defensive outfielder who can still hit some. He split his season between Lincoln and Mobile, posting zone ratings of 6.9 (1.054 EFF) and 8.2 (1.049) out in center. Recently turned 22, the speedy Reece swiped 29 bases, and in Lincoln it was at an eighty plus percent clip. The craziest part, however, was not only did he have a matching 118 WRC+ at both levels, he had an equal 107 OPS+. You'd think that would mean pretty similar lines, but aside from near identical averages (.306 and .304), he decided to be patient in Lincoln (.373 OBP, .397) before deciding t o slug with the Commodores (.354, 433). I'll take that to mean that he's a balanced hitter. With potential Joe Austin level speed, Reece will be a big leaguer whether he can hit or not. The thing is, he's going to hit, as he does a great job putting the ball in play. He may hit a few too many flyballs, but Reece is the type of guy to make the most out of his contact. I was shocked he didn't triple with Mobile, but he finished the season with 23 doubles, 3 triples, and 10 home runs. I'm wondering how many of his 132 singles were of the infield variety, as any ball on the dirt puts pressure on the infield. He'll wreck havoc when he's on the base, and if he's drawing walks he adds another factor to make an impact. It's only 55 games, but AA tends to be a hard ceiling for under developed prospects, and Reece showed no signs of concern. He'll be penciled in as the Commodores leadoff hitter while patrolling center, something he'll do until Jerry Smith receives his promotion. It's the unfair reality for Reece, who will always be playing second fiddle to the team's top prospect. In reality, he's a well valued prospect, who is the superior defender and in our park a top center fielder is huge. Our park is one of the smaller ones, and the better our center fielder is the more we can focus on offense in the corners. Even if it's just late in game's covering for pinch hitters or guys he pinch ran for, this is the guy young want on the grass when the game is on the line. 3B Amos Peterson (154th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 26th Overall (1948) Alma Mater: Union City Golden Tornadoes The hardest part about being a young hitter in Class C is that you only get about 60 games to showcase yourself, and you tend to face guys who have played far more baseball then you. "A-Train" only played two years of varsity baseball, so even though he hit .514/.588/.883, it was just 42 games. He was our first pick last season, taken 26th Overall as our 1st was traded to acquire Sal Pestilli, but posted disappointing production at the plate. The then 18-year-old hit just .196/.274/.339 (55 OPS+), with 3 homers and 7 doubles in 124 trips to the plate. He made two more this year, but hit a similar .226/.274/.348 (52 OPS+) in the return. The extra base hit distribution was slightly different, this time 6 doubles, a triple, and 2 homers, but the Tennessee native did manage to swipe two bags. It may feel like a lost year for Peterson, but I'm hoping the versatile switch hitter takes it as a push to improve. I expect him to continue to get a majority of the time at third base, but if we draft a high upside infielder, he may be the guy to move. Since he can play multiple positions, a utility role allows another player to get regular time, with Amos able to play first, second, left, and right as well. 1950 will be a prove it year Peterson, as a third poor showing in La Crosse could put a damper on his prospect prowess. SS Buddy Jenkins (167th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 77th Overall (1947) Alma Mater: Whitman Panthers Elbow inflammation interrupted Buddy Jenkins' season for almost a month, but he still managed to be worth 2.3 WAR in 105 games for the Cougars. The talented shortstop hit a respectable .299/.359/.385 (96 OPS+) with 15 steals, 33 walks, and 60 runs scored. He didn't do much in the extra base department, just 6 doubles, 6 triples, and 4 homers, but he drove in 42 runs and had a nice 6.8 zone rating and 1.047 efficiency at short. That will more then make up for the low power numbers, as he does everything you want your starting shortstop to do. The key for him his consistency, as if he can handle his business at short, all he has to do is give good, reliable at bats. Understand he's not going to be the big producer, but with his speed he can do a great job setting the table. He's still young, not 21 until May, so I think he's best served at least starting the season in San Jose. I'd love for him to finish the year in Lincoln, but with shortstop taken care of, he can work his way up at whatever pace best suits him. CF Clyde Skinner (156th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 11th Round, 164th Overall (1948) Alma Mater: San Bernadino Falcons I'm not sure how much longer I can keep calling him a center fielder, as he's been quite awful (-3.5, .885 this season) their, but most teenagers aren't finished products. Despite not turning 20 until November, he spent his season in San Jose, as last year's 11th Rounder hit an adjusted league average .304/.343/.418 (100 OPS+) in 169 trips to the plate. That's not too bad, and paired with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 28 RBIs it was a pretty decent season. Despite that, towards the end of the season the staff thought he belonged in La Crosse, and he may not be guaranteed everyday time to start next season. He's on the younger side, so it's not too big of a deal now, but there's a lot of good outfielders in our system and most of them can play center field. If he can't, he'll be passed over for the guys that can, so I'm hoping he can make progress there defensively next season. Bob Allie is there in San Jose now, but Skinner could take a few starts there from him while getting time in the corners too. SS Cecil Burr (157th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 71st Overall (1948) Alma Mater: Anacortes Seahawks Amos Peterson wasn't the only Lion to really struggle at the plate this season. Cecil Burr was right there with him, hitting just .242/.312/.315 (54 OPS+) -- a far cry from the .309/.335/.443 (96 OPS+) he posted in 18 more PAs the year before. 20 in January, our 5th Rounder last season isn't ever going to be a force at the plate, but far more is expected then this. I'd love for him to bulk up, as at 6'2'' he's just 175, and he's not hitting the ball with much authority. He has just four homers as a professional, and doesn't project to hit many homers in the future. That is without radical changes, something a mind wandered like Burr may not be up to. That's not always the case, as baseball has a funny way of working, but I see two paths to the majors for Burr. He either bulks up and starts hitting extra bases or really hones in on his defensive skills. Otherwise I don't see him being anything more then an average player, and average players don't play shortstop for the Cougars.