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ayaghmour2 · 07-19-2024, 10:01 PM

The Pioneers went down almost without a whimper, as the Philadelphia Sailors won the WCS in five games. The offseason will start on Monday, where I might have some big news to announce. Who knows!

What I do know, is that this is the last part of our draft retrospective. Enjoy!

18th Round, 289th Overall: C Joe Rainbow
School: Somerville HS Generals
1937 (BAL): .251/.307/.334 (79 OPS+), 127 G, 511 PA, 19 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 46 RBI, 79 WRC+, 1.4 WAR
1946 (NYS): .283/.384/.401 (127 OPS+), 133 G, 495 PA, 20 2B, 10 HR, 67 RBI, SB, 127 WRC+, 4.5 WAR
1945 (POR): ..296/.376/.487 (132 OPS+), 137 G, 572 PA, 26 2B, 4 3B, 20 HR, 86 RBI, 133 WRC+, 3.9 WAR
Career (FABL/GWL): .318/.358/.433 (135 OPS+), 152 G, 657 PA, 26 2B, 3B, 14 HR, 72 RBI, 3 SB, 135 WRC+, 4.2 WAR
Career (BAL): .245/.299/.337 (75 OPS+), 406 G, 1,523 PA, 62 2B, 2 3B, 23 HR, 167 RBI, 2 SB, 71 WRC+, 2.6 WAR
Career (NYS): .252/.366/.368 (109 OPS+), 320 G, 1,116 PA, 32 2B, 3B, 25 HR, 130 RBI, SB, 110 WRC+, 7.6 WAR
Career (POR): ..296/.376/.487 (132 P[S+), 137 G, 572 PA, 26 2B, 4 3B, 20 HR, 86 RBI, 133 WRC+, 3.9 WAR

"He may not look like it, but he's actually a valuable prospect, at least to BNN. Somehow, he's ranked as the 61st best prospect in all of baseball and I'm not quite sure why. My scout likes him too, remarking his above average bat speed and good sense for the zone. He doesn't really have a position defensively, but supposedly his bat is enough to carry him to the big leagues. I don't have expectations for him, but I may have got a lucky steal with Rainbow."

That's what I committed to Joe Rainbow when I wrote about his selection almost four years to the date prior. He was sort of a prospect, sort of not, as despite hitting .143/.324/.250 (71 OPS+) with just one homer in 37 trips to the plate. It was barely a full season, and in his defense he hit .263/.337/.645 (172 OPS+) in 28 games last year. Perhaps we all let him slide further then he should have, as Rainbow was a common entrant in the first half of the top 100. By 1933, he was ranked 33rd and the bat and glove were starting to show why OSA liked him. A 19-year-old Rainbow hit .296/.349/.455 (122 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 12 homers, and 57 RBIs. We had a 27-year-old Mike Taylor, so there was no rush for us to bring Rainbow up to the majors, and he was in fact used for a different purpose.

Frustrated with our four, one-run postseason losses, I picked up 1932 Whitney Winner Lou Kelly in a big trade that followed the blockbuster Rabbit Day trade. Part of parting with Rainbow was committing to 1932 draftee Harry Mead, who still remains with the team at 37. Rainbow continued to rank among the top prospects in baseball, and went from A ball to AAA in his first season with the Cannons. His OPS+ and WRC+ actually increased at each level, as he was a decent hitter with improving defensive capabilities. As a 21-year-old in 1935, he opened the season in AAA as the 29th ranked prospect, moving up to 19 once the year was done. Rainbow started back in in Indianapolis, hitting .310/.347/.435 (95 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 8 homers, and 44 RBIs.

That production and prospect prestige got him a promotion to Baltimore, but he proved to be highly overmatched. Rainbow hit just .269/.322/.324 (74 OPS+) in 118 PAs, as there was very little impact from his swings. But he was young and the defense was good, so he stuck on the big league roster for '32. It began a four year stretch where he only played for the Cannons, and in five seasons in Baltimore the bat never got going. He hit just .245/.299/.337 (75 OPS+) and his 79 WRC+ in 511 PAs during the 1937 ended up being a FABL high.

In 1940, he was assigned to the AAA team, as Jack Flint started the first season in Cincinnati, but at 26 he still had some value. The Cannons used him to Charlie Griffith, two picks, and a longtime organizational arm who's still in AAA, sending Rainbow to the Big Apple. It was a nightmare first season for Rainbow, as he hit just .240/.316/.264 (63 OPS+) in limited time. To make matters worse, he was called into the Navy, and there was a chance that when he came back he'd never get another chance to play in the big leagues.

Lucky for him, the new starter Cliff Ray got old and 1945 starter Chick MacKnight didn't stand out, so the 32-year-old Rainbow returned to a starting role. He rewarded his club with his best season as a pro, slashing .283/.384/.401 (127 OPS+) in 495 trips to the plate. He was worth an impressive 4.5 wins above replacement, adding 20 doubles, 10 homers, and 67 RBIs. This was a big reason the Stars finished the season tied for the pennant, and he went 2-for-5 with a run and RBI as they beat some loser team in the tiebreaker game. Rainbow then started all seven World Championship Series games, finishing 6-for-25 with a double and a solo shot in the game two loss. Rainbow was back as they tried to repeat, appearing in 106 games and producing a league average 100 WRC+ at 33. He hit a career high 13 homers and 73 walks with his .205/.348/.343 (96 OPS+) batting line that looks more like a modern day player then a 40s catcher. The next season he was pushed to the bench, but hit an awesome .317/.429/.476 (150 OPS+) in 77 PAs as the backup catcher.

Rainbow survived the offseason, but not the start of the season, as the Stars went with Dan Atwood and Henry Brown for all their starts behind the plate. He was cut a week or so before Opening Day, which was plenty of time for him to sign with the Portland Green Sox in advance of the 1949 Great Western League season. Rainbow was an excellent addition for them, and he made a personal best 572 plate appearances and a .296/.376/.487 (132 OPS+) batting line that was better then his best season with the Stars. The 74 runs, 26 doubles, 20 homers, and 86 RBIs were all high's compared to his FABL seasons, and he drew 65 walks. He would have been back for the 1950 season, but when the GWL was disbanded, he was forcibly retired. He ended his career with 726 FABL games, and if not for the war he could have been a very solid starting catcher for the Stars after his rough team debut. It's hard to call his career a success, and based on prospect rankings he's almost a bust, but I think this is still a great value pick. It might have been dumb luck, but Rainbow was a competent catcher who started for a championship squad, and Lou Kelly was not the reason why the Cougars couldn't be come a dynasty in the early 1930s.

19th Round, 305th Overall: RHP Bill Deaton
School: College of San Diego Friars
1941 (A): 5-7, 6 SV, 48 G, 14 GS, 6.17 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 73 BB, 56 K, 73 ERA+, 0.5 WAR
1943 (B): 3-7, 15 G, 11 GS, 73.1 IP, 5.52 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 26 BB, 24 K, 87 ERA+, 1.0 WAR

Mainly a reliever his first two seasons at College of San Diego, Bill Deaton started all 4 of his appearances as a junior year, but since he was hit hard it's no shock he fell this far. Sticking around longer then I would have though, he pitched from 1932 to 1937 in our system, but he had just one stint of more then one inning where he had an above average ERA+. That came in 1935, when a 25-year-old Deaton had an elite 2.33 ERA (239 ERA+) and 1.14 WHIP in 19.1 innings for the Legislators. He did have some minor success starting, with some solid FIPs that he could never pitch to, but he was never one of the more interesting prospects. He was cut July 1937 and remained unsigned, retiring after the season was over.

21st Round, 337th Overall: LHP Al Conover
School: Golden Gate Grizzlies
1941 (A): 5-7, 6 SV, 48 G, 14 GS, 6.17 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 73 BB, 56 K, 73 ERA+, 0.5 WAR
1943 (B): 3-6, 3 SV, 33 G, 6 GS, 4.32 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 30 BB, 72 K, 103 ERA+, 0.6 WAR

A reliever with an ERA over 10 in college, I can't believe I let Al Conover stay in the organization, and can believe even less I gave him 3 starts in San Jose in 1932. His other 21 appearances came out of the pen, and between the two he was 3-5 with 2 saves, a 3.29 ERA (126 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 20 walks, and 62 strikeouts. He was always a good strikeout arm, that came in just 52 innings, but he barely pitched the next two seasons and was cut during the '34 season. When no one signed him the rest of the way he called it quits.

23rd Round, 369th Overall: SS Roy Ganz
School: Worcester HS Warriors
Career (B): .297/.356/.373, 131 G, 275 PA, 12 2B, 2 3B, HR, 31 RBI, 3 SB, 91 WRC+, 1.0 WAR
Career (C): .163/.215/.238, 119 G, 427 PA, 17 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 3 SB, 25 WRC+, -3.4 WAR

A switch hitter from Worcester, Roy Ganz didn't last long with us, cut three months after the draft and before playing for us. He spent a month unemployed, but caught on with the Pittsburgh Miners before the 1932 season began. Unfortunately for Ganz, he had a miserable season with their Class C affiliate, hitting a pitiful .163/.214/.238 (23 OPS+) that was even worse then his awful junior and senior years of high school where his WRC+ added to 78. Ganz had an impressive -3.4 WAR and 24 WRC+ that make pitchers jealous, as he couldn't do much of anything.

You would think that would be his end, but after one bench game with the Jackson Junipers the next season, he actually got a promotion. Again he didn't start, 22 games off the bench for their Class B team, and he had 28 games as a replacement in 1934. He got starts in '35 and '36 and even a promotion to A ball for 1937. The 23-year-old was decent enough after his awful season, but he finally met his match again. Ganz hit just .185/.262/.237 (33 OPS+) in 233 PAs, just 7 extra base hits, a 34 WRC+, and -0.9 WAR in 70 games. He survived the offseason, but was cut before Opening Day, retiring after being unsigned the rest of the year.

25th Round, 401st Overall: LF Don Coleman
School: Worcester HS Warriors
Career (B): .297/.356/.373, 131 G, 275 PA, 12 2B, 2 3B, HR, 31 RBI, 3 SB, 91 WRC+, 1.0 WAR
Career (C): .400/.400/.400, 5 G, 5 PA, 125 WRC+, 0.0 WAR

The last member of our class, Don Coleman was a lefty from Newark who's career accounts for five games in 1932 with the Lions. He was 2-for-5 with a run, but was cut that July. He waited over a year and a half before retiring, and with no calls coming in, he was done before 21.

FABL Totals
Big League Debuts: 7 of 22 (31.8%)
Parts of 5 Seasons: 5
Parts of 10 Seasons: 2
Parts of 15 Seasons: 2
500 Games: 3
1,000 Games: 2
1,500 Games: 2
2,000 Games: 1
500 PA Seasons: 16
1,000 Career PAs: 3
2,500 Career PAs: 3
5,000 Career PAs: 1
7,500 Career PAs: 1
2,000 Career Hits: 1
2,500 Career Hits: 1
15 HR Seasons: 2
20 HR Seasons: 1
50 Career HR: 2
100 Career HR: 1
150 Career HR: 1
15 Steal Seasons: 1
20 Steal Seasons: 1
30 Steal Seasons: 1
25 Start Seasons: 0
150 Career Starts: 0
100 Inning Seasons: 0
200 Inning Seasons: 0
500 Career Innings: 0
10 Win Seasons: 0
50 Career Wins: 0
4 WAR Seasons: 5
Total WAR: 70.9

GWL Totals
GWL Debuts: 3
Parts of 2 GWL Seasons: 1
Parts of 4 GWL Seasons: 1
500 Games: 0
500 PA Seasons: 1
750 Career PAs: 0
1,000 Career PAs: 0
15 HR Seasons: 1
20 HR Seasons: 1
15 Steal Seasons: 0
Total WAR: 5.2

FABL Accolades
Batting Titles: 7
All-Star Selections: 9
World Championships: 3

As I mentioned at the beginning, this was a top heavy class, as nearly all the FABL WAR came from the top two players. The fact that one of them, Leo Mitchell, can keep adding to these totals is quite impressive, and it may be three or hopefully five seasons before he calls it quits. Getting Mitchell alone would have been a huge win, as he's been our every day left fielder pretty much since the 1937 season, and it's hard to find a more consistently reliable hitter. Ed Reyes is a bonus, even if we didn't get to enjoy his accomplishments, and Joe Rainbow salvaged what was a really thin class. Including pitchers, just 16 players were worth more then 5 WAR in their careers, barely enough for a full round. Considering we selected three of them, this was a great class for us, as compared to what most people got just Mitchell alone is a strong return.

07-19-2024, 10:01 PM	#1485
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	A Look Back at the 1931 Draft: Part 4 The Pioneers went down almost without a whimper, as the Philadelphia Sailors won the WCS in five games. The offseason will start on Monday, where I might have some big news to announce. Who knows! What I do know, is that this is the last part of our draft retrospective. Enjoy! 18th Round, 289th Overall: C Joe Rainbow School: Somerville HS Generals 1937 (BAL): .251/.307/.334 (79 OPS+), 127 G, 511 PA, 19 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 46 RBI, 79 WRC+, 1.4 WAR 1946 (NYS): .283/.384/.401 (127 OPS+), 133 G, 495 PA, 20 2B, 10 HR, 67 RBI, SB, 127 WRC+, 4.5 WAR 1945 (POR): ..296/.376/.487 (132 OPS+), 137 G, 572 PA, 26 2B, 4 3B, 20 HR, 86 RBI, 133 WRC+, 3.9 WAR Career (FABL/GWL): .318/.358/.433 (135 OPS+), 152 G, 657 PA, 26 2B, 3B, 14 HR, 72 RBI, 3 SB, 135 WRC+, 4.2 WAR Career (BAL): .245/.299/.337 (75 OPS+), 406 G, 1,523 PA, 62 2B, 2 3B, 23 HR, 167 RBI, 2 SB, 71 WRC+, 2.6 WAR Career (NYS): .252/.366/.368 (109 OPS+), 320 G, 1,116 PA, 32 2B, 3B, 25 HR, 130 RBI, SB, 110 WRC+, 7.6 WAR Career (POR): ..296/.376/.487 (132 P[S+), 137 G, 572 PA, 26 2B, 4 3B, 20 HR, 86 RBI, 133 WRC+, 3.9 WAR "He may not look like it, but he's actually a valuable prospect, at least to BNN. Somehow, he's ranked as the 61st best prospect in all of baseball and I'm not quite sure why. My scout likes him too, remarking his above average bat speed and good sense for the zone. He doesn't really have a position defensively, but supposedly his bat is enough to carry him to the big leagues. I don't have expectations for him, but I may have got a lucky steal with Rainbow." That's what I committed to Joe Rainbow when I wrote about his selection almost four years to the date prior. He was sort of a prospect, sort of not, as despite hitting .143/.324/.250 (71 OPS+) with just one homer in 37 trips to the plate. It was barely a full season, and in his defense he hit .263/.337/.645 (172 OPS+) in 28 games last year. Perhaps we all let him slide further then he should have, as Rainbow was a common entrant in the first half of the top 100. By 1933, he was ranked 33rd and the bat and glove were starting to show why OSA liked him. A 19-year-old Rainbow hit .296/.349/.455 (122 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 12 homers, and 57 RBIs. We had a 27-year-old Mike Taylor, so there was no rush for us to bring Rainbow up to the majors, and he was in fact used for a different purpose. Frustrated with our four, one-run postseason losses, I picked up 1932 Whitney Winner Lou Kelly in a big trade that followed the blockbuster Rabbit Day trade. Part of parting with Rainbow was committing to 1932 draftee Harry Mead, who still remains with the team at 37. Rainbow continued to rank among the top prospects in baseball, and went from A ball to AAA in his first season with the Cannons. His OPS+ and WRC+ actually increased at each level, as he was a decent hitter with improving defensive capabilities. As a 21-year-old in 1935, he opened the season in AAA as the 29th ranked prospect, moving up to 19 once the year was done. Rainbow started back in in Indianapolis, hitting .310/.347/.435 (95 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 8 homers, and 44 RBIs. That production and prospect prestige got him a promotion to Baltimore, but he proved to be highly overmatched. Rainbow hit just .269/.322/.324 (74 OPS+) in 118 PAs, as there was very little impact from his swings. But he was young and the defense was good, so he stuck on the big league roster for '32. It began a four year stretch where he only played for the Cannons, and in five seasons in Baltimore the bat never got going. He hit just .245/.299/.337 (75 OPS+) and his 79 WRC+ in 511 PAs during the 1937 ended up being a FABL high. In 1940, he was assigned to the AAA team, as Jack Flint started the first season in Cincinnati, but at 26 he still had some value. The Cannons used him to Charlie Griffith, two picks, and a longtime organizational arm who's still in AAA, sending Rainbow to the Big Apple. It was a nightmare first season for Rainbow, as he hit just .240/.316/.264 (63 OPS+) in limited time. To make matters worse, he was called into the Navy, and there was a chance that when he came back he'd never get another chance to play in the big leagues. Lucky for him, the new starter Cliff Ray got old and 1945 starter Chick MacKnight didn't stand out, so the 32-year-old Rainbow returned to a starting role. He rewarded his club with his best season as a pro, slashing .283/.384/.401 (127 OPS+) in 495 trips to the plate. He was worth an impressive 4.5 wins above replacement, adding 20 doubles, 10 homers, and 67 RBIs. This was a big reason the Stars finished the season tied for the pennant, and he went 2-for-5 with a run and RBI as they beat some loser team in the tiebreaker game. Rainbow then started all seven World Championship Series games, finishing 6-for-25 with a double and a solo shot in the game two loss. Rainbow was back as they tried to repeat, appearing in 106 games and producing a league average 100 WRC+ at 33. He hit a career high 13 homers and 73 walks with his .205/.348/.343 (96 OPS+) batting line that looks more like a modern day player then a 40s catcher. The next season he was pushed to the bench, but hit an awesome .317/.429/.476 (150 OPS+) in 77 PAs as the backup catcher. Rainbow survived the offseason, but not the start of the season, as the Stars went with Dan Atwood and Henry Brown for all their starts behind the plate. He was cut a week or so before Opening Day, which was plenty of time for him to sign with the Portland Green Sox in advance of the 1949 Great Western League season. Rainbow was an excellent addition for them, and he made a personal best 572 plate appearances and a .296/.376/.487 (132 OPS+) batting line that was better then his best season with the Stars. The 74 runs, 26 doubles, 20 homers, and 86 RBIs were all high's compared to his FABL seasons, and he drew 65 walks. He would have been back for the 1950 season, but when the GWL was disbanded, he was forcibly retired. He ended his career with 726 FABL games, and if not for the war he could have been a very solid starting catcher for the Stars after his rough team debut. It's hard to call his career a success, and based on prospect rankings he's almost a bust, but I think this is still a great value pick. It might have been dumb luck, but Rainbow was a competent catcher who started for a championship squad, and Lou Kelly was not the reason why the Cougars couldn't be come a dynasty in the early 1930s. 19th Round, 305th Overall: RHP Bill Deaton School: College of San Diego Friars 1941 (A): 5-7, 6 SV, 48 G, 14 GS, 6.17 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 73 BB, 56 K, 73 ERA+, 0.5 WAR 1943 (B): 3-7, 15 G, 11 GS, 73.1 IP, 5.52 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 26 BB, 24 K, 87 ERA+, 1.0 WAR Mainly a reliever his first two seasons at College of San Diego, Bill Deaton started all 4 of his appearances as a junior year, but since he was hit hard it's no shock he fell this far. Sticking around longer then I would have though, he pitched from 1932 to 1937 in our system, but he had just one stint of more then one inning where he had an above average ERA+. That came in 1935, when a 25-year-old Deaton had an elite 2.33 ERA (239 ERA+) and 1.14 WHIP in 19.1 innings for the Legislators. He did have some minor success starting, with some solid FIPs that he could never pitch to, but he was never one of the more interesting prospects. He was cut July 1937 and remained unsigned, retiring after the season was over. 21st Round, 337th Overall: LHP Al Conover School: Golden Gate Grizzlies 1941 (A): 5-7, 6 SV, 48 G, 14 GS, 6.17 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 73 BB, 56 K, 73 ERA+, 0.5 WAR 1943 (B): 3-6, 3 SV, 33 G, 6 GS, 4.32 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 30 BB, 72 K, 103 ERA+, 0.6 WAR A reliever with an ERA over 10 in college, I can't believe I let Al Conover stay in the organization, and can believe even less I gave him 3 starts in San Jose in 1932. His other 21 appearances came out of the pen, and between the two he was 3-5 with 2 saves, a 3.29 ERA (126 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, 20 walks, and 62 strikeouts. He was always a good strikeout arm, that came in just 52 innings, but he barely pitched the next two seasons and was cut during the '34 season. When no one signed him the rest of the way he called it quits. 23rd Round, 369th Overall: SS Roy Ganz School: Worcester HS Warriors Career (B): .297/.356/.373, 131 G, 275 PA, 12 2B, 2 3B, HR, 31 RBI, 3 SB, 91 WRC+, 1.0 WAR Career (C): .163/.215/.238, 119 G, 427 PA, 17 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 3 SB, 25 WRC+, -3.4 WAR A switch hitter from Worcester, Roy Ganz didn't last long with us, cut three months after the draft and before playing for us. He spent a month unemployed, but caught on with the Pittsburgh Miners before the 1932 season began. Unfortunately for Ganz, he had a miserable season with their Class C affiliate, hitting a pitiful .163/.214/.238 (23 OPS+) that was even worse then his awful junior and senior years of high school where his WRC+ added to 78. Ganz had an impressive -3.4 WAR and 24 WRC+ that make pitchers jealous, as he couldn't do much of anything. You would think that would be his end, but after one bench game with the Jackson Junipers the next season, he actually got a promotion. Again he didn't start, 22 games off the bench for their Class B team, and he had 28 games as a replacement in 1934. He got starts in '35 and '36 and even a promotion to A ball for 1937. The 23-year-old was decent enough after his awful season, but he finally met his match again. Ganz hit just .185/.262/.237 (33 OPS+) in 233 PAs, just 7 extra base hits, a 34 WRC+, and -0.9 WAR in 70 games. He survived the offseason, but was cut before Opening Day, retiring after being unsigned the rest of the year. 25th Round, 401st Overall: LF Don Coleman School: Worcester HS Warriors Career (B): .297/.356/.373, 131 G, 275 PA, 12 2B, 2 3B, HR, 31 RBI, 3 SB, 91 WRC+, 1.0 WAR Career (C): .400/.400/.400, 5 G, 5 PA, 125 WRC+, 0.0 WAR The last member of our class, Don Coleman was a lefty from Newark who's career accounts for five games in 1932 with the Lions. He was 2-for-5 with a run, but was cut that July. He waited over a year and a half before retiring, and with no calls coming in, he was done before 21. FABL Totals Big League Debuts: 7 of 22 (31.8%) Parts of 5 Seasons: 5 Parts of 10 Seasons: 2 Parts of 15 Seasons: 2 500 Games: 3 1,000 Games: 2 1,500 Games: 2 2,000 Games: 1 500 PA Seasons: 16 1,000 Career PAs: 3 2,500 Career PAs: 3 5,000 Career PAs: 1 7,500 Career PAs: 1 2,000 Career Hits: 1 2,500 Career Hits: 1 15 HR Seasons: 2 20 HR Seasons: 1 50 Career HR: 2 100 Career HR: 1 150 Career HR: 1 15 Steal Seasons: 1 20 Steal Seasons: 1 30 Steal Seasons: 1 25 Start Seasons: 0 150 Career Starts: 0 100 Inning Seasons: 0 200 Inning Seasons: 0 500 Career Innings: 0 10 Win Seasons: 0 50 Career Wins: 0 4 WAR Seasons: 5 Total WAR: 70.9 GWL Totals GWL Debuts: 3 Parts of 2 GWL Seasons: 1 Parts of 4 GWL Seasons: 1 500 Games: 0 500 PA Seasons: 1 750 Career PAs: 0 1,000 Career PAs: 0 15 HR Seasons: 1 20 HR Seasons: 1 15 Steal Seasons: 0 Total WAR: 5.2 FABL Accolades Batting Titles: 7 All-Star Selections: 9 World Championships: 3 As I mentioned at the beginning, this was a top heavy class, as nearly all the FABL WAR came from the top two players. The fact that one of them, Leo Mitchell, can keep adding to these totals is quite impressive, and it may be three or hopefully five seasons before he calls it quits. Getting Mitchell alone would have been a huge win, as he's been our every day left fielder pretty much since the 1937 season, and it's hard to find a more consistently reliable hitter. Ed Reyes is a bonus, even if we didn't get to enjoy his accomplishments, and Joe Rainbow salvaged what was a really thin class. Including pitchers, just 16 players were worth more then 5 WAR in their careers, barely enough for a full round. Considering we selected three of them, this was a great class for us, as compared to what most people got just Mitchell alone is a strong return.