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ayaghmour2 · 05-09-2024, 10:22 PM

SS Joe Marshall (233rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Kings (1950)
Drafted: 6th Round, 92nd Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Pascagoula Bluejays

Acquired in February from Brooklyn for Bob Mundy and Willie Watson, Joe Marshall spent his first season as a Cougar almost entirely with our Class C affiliate. Unfortunately for us, it was just as bad as he was in Class B last year in the Kings system, as he hit just .219/.310/.343 (56 OPS+) in 155 trips to the plate. What's nice is it came with five homers, and 17 runs, walks, and RBIs. He didn't do too well in the field either, putting up below average marks at third and short, but at just 20 it is far too early to start worrying. And unlike John Kerr, he's not a first basemen only type, having played everywhere but pitcher, catcher, and right. Dixie thinks he can stick at short, but we'll continue to move him around as he looks to find his best position. What's most interesting, however, is that he may hit for some power, something rare from a shortstop. I'm not sure if its more 15 or 25 homers a season, but with someone this young it's way too early to guess. He has shown power early in his pro career, so he should never be just a light hitter. This will make his offensive development interesting to follow, as I'm hoping he'll get up to at least an 80 WRC+ next season.

RHP Wilson McKinney (236th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 23rd Overall (1949)
Alma Mater: Colonel White Cougars

I really hate the offensive environment in the UMVA. Runs are so easy and often to come by, that last year's 2nd Rounder Wilson McKinney allowed 43 runs in 41.2 innings pitched. That's what happens when you walk 41 guys and allow 11 of your 52 hits to find the seats. This is the same guy with a near 3 K/BB to go with his 4.28 ERA (110 ERA+) and 1.43 WHIP, while allowing 5 fewer homers in 13 more innings. Lucky for him, I'm just going to forget about this season, as you can't really get any good data out of the run scoring attributes. Besides, he just turned 20 in September, and one of the hardest workers we have. I really want to help boost his command, as OSA says his "explosive stuff has scouts dreaming" which is music to any farm director's ears. Like a lot of our top pitching prospects, McKinney has a deep five pitch mix, and when he's on he dominates. He throws a lot of cutters, currently sitting at 87-89, with four off-speed pitches to trick batters with. If he has a feel for them, he's been able to dominating, striking out 25.5% of the batters he faced. I truly can't imagine how high his ERA would have been if he hadn't been able to strike out so many guys, but if things normalize next season, expect McKinney to regain the form of his 1949 season.\

CF Clyde Skinner (247th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 11th Round, 164th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: San Bernadino Falcons

One of our many center field prospects, Clyde Skinner split his season between San Jose and La Crosse. It didn't go the normal way, as Skinner actually started in San Jose, but after hitting .163/.368/.186 (46 OPS+) in 57 trips to the plate, I had to send him down. It took a full month until the UMVA season started, but it didn't seem to impact his play. He hit a solid .260/.388/.473 (105 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 8 homers, and 32 RBIs in 52 games. His 112 WRC+ was boosted by his 27 walks, just seven shy of his hit total. That discipline will do him well, and right now it is his best tool. I was encouraged by the homers, as power would be a nice plus. He's not the greatest defender, probably shifting to right at some point, so hitting the ball out of the park would me a major plus. I don't see him hitting for a high average, so this one way to allow him to separate from the pack.

LHP Mack Lyons (299th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Chiefs (1949)
Drafted: 7th Round, 100th Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Big Bend Miners

Mack technically started the season in La Crosse, but before the UMVA season started, he got himself a promotion to San Jose. He proved that decision wise, going 8-3 in 13 starts with a pristine 1.79 ERA (246 ERA+) and 52 strikeouts. The only thing is that the underlying numbers aren't as inspiring, as while still above average, his 4.02 FIP (91 FIP-) is more then twice as high, he walked (60) more guys then he struck out, and his 1.51 WHIP was eighth among the nine pitchers who threw 75 or more innings pitched. A three pitch pitcher, Dixie is now more convinced of his future as a starter, as his sinker started hitting 91 in the summer. Unlike his short and crafty father, OSA calls him "a towering presence" while Dixie feels a little more timid, calling the potential second generation big leaguer "an intimidating presence on the mound." I'm really liking the sounds of that, considering aside from Pap we have guys standing 6'2'' or taller filling out the rest of the rotation. Mack would fit right in, but he's going to need to do more then just rely on his sinker, and learn to master his command just like his father once did. I don't think he's ever going to be good enough to crack my rotation, but there's just a part of me that really wants to pitch him, just to increase the Lyons' family win total. 63 would get them to 300, but even 16 would give them a share of the Cougar win lead.

C Ernie Frost (302nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 108th Overall (1946)
Alma Mater: New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy

Catchers can be ranked again! It's beautiful!

Ernie Frost had a great go of it in San Jose, hitting .315/.453/.399 (126 OPS+) with a 130 WRC+ and 89-to-45 walk-to-strikeout ratio. It came in 439 trips to the plate, leading to an elite 20.3 BB%. That, along with a lot of singles, made him very productive, as he was able to work around limited power. He had just 10 doubles, 2 triples, and 5 homers, so maintaining a high walk rate is crucial to his success at the plate. An okay defender, he's really going to need to hit, and five homers is not going to cut it. He'll need ten or more if he ever wants a chance of starting, and even then it would likely have to come with another organization. Lucky for us, it's still a weak position, and as of 11/27, he's the 13th ranked catching prospect. I'm not convinced on his viability of an every day guy, but one thing we've done well is develop catchers, and even a bench level guy can get hot for a few weeks and put up a nice season. He's not the most exciting prospect out there, but the bat is nice, and I may move him up into a time share with defensive specialist Johnny Hadley in Lincoln.

05-09-2024, 10:22 PM	#1411
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Top Prospects: 21-25 SS Joe Marshall (233rd Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Kings (1950) Drafted: 6th Round, 92nd Overall (1948) Alma Mater: Pascagoula Bluejays Acquired in February from Brooklyn for Bob Mundy and Willie Watson, Joe Marshall spent his first season as a Cougar almost entirely with our Class C affiliate. Unfortunately for us, it was just as bad as he was in Class B last year in the Kings system, as he hit just .219/.310/.343 (56 OPS+) in 155 trips to the plate. What's nice is it came with five homers, and 17 runs, walks, and RBIs. He didn't do too well in the field either, putting up below average marks at third and short, but at just 20 it is far too early to start worrying. And unlike John Kerr, he's not a first basemen only type, having played everywhere but pitcher, catcher, and right. Dixie thinks he can stick at short, but we'll continue to move him around as he looks to find his best position. What's most interesting, however, is that he may hit for some power, something rare from a shortstop. I'm not sure if its more 15 or 25 homers a season, but with someone this young it's way too early to guess. He has shown power early in his pro career, so he should never be just a light hitter. This will make his offensive development interesting to follow, as I'm hoping he'll get up to at least an 80 WRC+ next season. RHP Wilson McKinney (236th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 23rd Overall (1949) Alma Mater: Colonel White Cougars I really hate the offensive environment in the UMVA. Runs are so easy and often to come by, that last year's 2nd Rounder Wilson McKinney allowed 43 runs in 41.2 innings pitched. That's what happens when you walk 41 guys and allow 11 of your 52 hits to find the seats. This is the same guy with a near 3 K/BB to go with his 4.28 ERA (110 ERA+) and 1.43 WHIP, while allowing 5 fewer homers in 13 more innings. Lucky for him, I'm just going to forget about this season, as you can't really get any good data out of the run scoring attributes. Besides, he just turned 20 in September, and one of the hardest workers we have. I really want to help boost his command, as OSA says his "explosive stuff has scouts dreaming" which is music to any farm director's ears. Like a lot of our top pitching prospects, McKinney has a deep five pitch mix, and when he's on he dominates. He throws a lot of cutters, currently sitting at 87-89, with four off-speed pitches to trick batters with. If he has a feel for them, he's been able to dominating, striking out 25.5% of the batters he faced. I truly can't imagine how high his ERA would have been if he hadn't been able to strike out so many guys, but if things normalize next season, expect McKinney to regain the form of his 1949 season.\ CF Clyde Skinner (247th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 11th Round, 164th Overall (1948) Alma Mater: San Bernadino Falcons One of our many center field prospects, Clyde Skinner split his season between San Jose and La Crosse. It didn't go the normal way, as Skinner actually started in San Jose, but after hitting .163/.368/.186 (46 OPS+) in 57 trips to the plate, I had to send him down. It took a full month until the UMVA season started, but it didn't seem to impact his play. He hit a solid .260/.388/.473 (105 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 8 homers, and 32 RBIs in 52 games. His 112 WRC+ was boosted by his 27 walks, just seven shy of his hit total. That discipline will do him well, and right now it is his best tool. I was encouraged by the homers, as power would be a nice plus. He's not the greatest defender, probably shifting to right at some point, so hitting the ball out of the park would me a major plus. I don't see him hitting for a high average, so this one way to allow him to separate from the pack. LHP Mack Lyons (299th Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Chiefs (1949) Drafted: 7th Round, 100th Overall (1947) Alma Mater: Big Bend Miners Mack technically started the season in La Crosse, but before the UMVA season started, he got himself a promotion to San Jose. He proved that decision wise, going 8-3 in 13 starts with a pristine 1.79 ERA (246 ERA+) and 52 strikeouts. The only thing is that the underlying numbers aren't as inspiring, as while still above average, his 4.02 FIP (91 FIP-) is more then twice as high, he walked (60) more guys then he struck out, and his 1.51 WHIP was eighth among the nine pitchers who threw 75 or more innings pitched. A three pitch pitcher, Dixie is now more convinced of his future as a starter, as his sinker started hitting 91 in the summer. Unlike his short and crafty father, OSA calls him "a towering presence" while Dixie feels a little more timid, calling the potential second generation big leaguer "an intimidating presence on the mound." I'm really liking the sounds of that, considering aside from Pap we have guys standing 6'2'' or taller filling out the rest of the rotation. Mack would fit right in, but he's going to need to do more then just rely on his sinker, and learn to master his command just like his father once did. I don't think he's ever going to be good enough to crack my rotation, but there's just a part of me that really wants to pitch him, just to increase the Lyons' family win total. 63 would get them to 300, but even 16 would give them a share of the Cougar win lead. C Ernie Frost (302nd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 108th Overall (1946) Alma Mater: New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy Catchers can be ranked again! It's beautiful! Ernie Frost had a great go of it in San Jose, hitting .315/.453/.399 (126 OPS+) with a 130 WRC+ and 89-to-45 walk-to-strikeout ratio. It came in 439 trips to the plate, leading to an elite 20.3 BB%. That, along with a lot of singles, made him very productive, as he was able to work around limited power. He had just 10 doubles, 2 triples, and 5 homers, so maintaining a high walk rate is crucial to his success at the plate. An okay defender, he's really going to need to hit, and five homers is not going to cut it. He'll need ten or more if he ever wants a chance of starting, and even then it would likely have to come with another organization. Lucky for us, it's still a weak position, and as of 11/27, he's the 13th ranked catching prospect. I'm not convinced on his viability of an every day guy, but one thing we've done well is develop catchers, and even a bench level guy can get hot for a few weeks and put up a nice season. He's not the most exciting prospect out there, but the bat is nice, and I may move him up into a time share with defensive specialist Johnny Hadley in Lincoln.