BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, CYL, and CBA
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
13 October 2313
CBO Draft Preview
This week, we will begin taking a deep dive into a few players, looking at what will make them successful on their way to the Show. The college ranks have begun to take hold over the youth league, meaning that there are more 1st-round players that are CBO-ready than there once were. The college ranks have become the true battleground for developing players with there still being some heavily-talented youth league players. First, let's look at the Top 5, according to the OSA.
1. 2B Finnan Hunt, Stonehill College - Hunt is projected as a 2B, where he played the most for the Skyhawks, though he could basically play anywhere in the infield. Hunt is not a thinking man, so he needs time to adjust. Luckily, he is blessed with a lot of natural talent, which will have him skipping the minors for one of the bottom-of-the-barrel teams. His ability to recognize pitches and then take advantage of them is considered generational. Some scouts see Hunt as the next Barker Cocoa in his ability to drive up OBP and OPS statistics. Easy Town should not pass up on the opportunity to attain Hunt.
2. 1B Sheedy Smith, Plymouth University - Smith is not as talented as Hunt, but don't tell him that. The mouthy 1B is a good contact hitter that has enough power to turn some of those hits into home runs. He will not be an elite power hitter, but he could still be a steady middle-of-the-lineup star and could see himself on a CBO roster in 2314.
3. 1B Keen Sugiura, Boston College - Sugiura, sometimes called "Sugar," has shown the potential to be a big-time power hitter. He also has the glove to be an everyday 1B for the team that takes him. Scouts think that Sugiura is a shoe-in cleanup hitter who will learn to be patient in time, making him dangerous for opposing pitchers.
4. 3B Donovan Mackey, Northeastern University - Mackey is a potentials guys who is still CBO-ready and may see himself jump to #2 in the draft. Mackey is among one of the better spray hitters to come into the draft, meaning that defenses cannot shift on him. Scouts like his ability to wait for his pitch, and, if his power follows, Mackey could win a few batting awards. He will be decent on defense. He can play multiple positions but will probably slot into 3B.
5. RF Marco Reader, Commonwealth University - Reader is a corner OF with a tremendous arm, causing runners to hesitate trying to advance a base. While his hitting has yet to catch up with his defense, Reader was a .354 hitter for the Terriers in his three seasons there. Scouts believe that Reader will be a successful contact hitter, but still project him to develop power in time. That may stunt his ability to play in the CBO immediately, but we expect him to get a callup by 2315.
Youth Spotlights
1. RF Jimmie Dimmick, Needham Radstorm - Considered the best youth league player, Dimmick could get his name called in the Top 10. Scouts see Dimmick eventually turning into a high-caliber power hitter. He still needs to work on making better contact, which will mean he spends a lot of time in the minors. However, once he starts popping off home runs, he will move up the organizational ranks soon.
2. 1B Twin Molinere, Diamond City Newsboys - Molinere may be the most naturally talented power hitter in the draft, showing the potential to fully develop into a beast of a man. He will punish a fastball in the strikezone but needs time to develop his ability to handle off-speed pitches where almost all his strikeouts come from. He got much better his senior season, racking up just 42 strikeouts in 180 at bats. Still, at the next level, he will get a steady diet of off-speed pitches until he learns to punish them, too.
3. 1B Ahmed Culinary, Bridgewater Baristas - The 16-year-old (will be 17 later this week) shows a good combination potential in contact and power. He will need time to better develop his contact, and, like Molinere, his best pitch is a fastball. Culinary is a decent defensive 1B, but he could potentially play in other positions with development in the minors.
Pitchers to Watch
We mentioned that pitchers are not highly rated, but we do expect more than one team to consider a pitcher in the first 50 picks. Here are three starters who could see their name called in the 1st Round.
1. Vault Boy Barnette, Bridgewater Baristas - Another Baristas player potentially taken in the 1st Round, Barnette is OSA's top-ranked starter. Barnette has four decent pitches that will each need to be developed at the CBO level to be a starter in the CBO, but there is potential, especially with a changeup that could do damage on two-strike counts. Scouts see his potential ceiling as being a #2 starter with a more likely outcome being a 3rd or 4th starter in the rotation.
2. Ripper Kawolski, Sudbury Celebs - A kid I root for a little more than others, especially since he came out of my belly, Kawolski has a four-pitch arsenal with his cutter and four-seamer already considered to be CBO-level. He will need time to develop some other skills, especially control, but scouts believe his ceiling is as a staff ace, like his father.
3. Lucedes Windwhip, Coventry Quads - The Quads hurler recovered from an injury in 2312 to have a decent season in 2313. Winswhip has three pitches, though his changeup and fastball are further along than his sinker. He will need to develop all three and maybe add a pitch to be a starter in the CBO. Scouts see his ceiling as a #3 but think he is capable of becoming a decent starter in the majors.
Closer to Watch
Crash Cox, Westerly Education Academy Owls - Now that the Owls have joined the CCBL, Cox could declare officially for the 2313 Draft. WEA participated in an independent college league, so there are no official stats. What OSA scouts saw of Cox was a devastating slider-sinker combination that fooled other hitters when he came on. In his lone "blown save," Cox inherited a runner on 3B with a one-run lead and gave up an immediate sacrifice fly. Scouts love his control and movement in his pitches, expecting Cox to develop into a CBO closer as his ceiling.
Initial Mock Draft
CBA Premier Season Preview
The 2313-2314 CBA season tips off this week when the Southie Jammers visit the Boston Bugles on October 17 in Boston Garden. We are not sure how this first season will shake up under young and motivated basketball pioneer Flash Buzzworthy running the show. BNN (which will count as the Basketball News Network in addition to the Baseball News Network) will give monthly reports on the CBA and has added the league to the tagline: "News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, CYL, and CBA." Our next update will be on November 1 for the monthly report in a rather light October schedule. Still, we will catch up on results, stats, and outstanding players when we do.
Based on predictions for the opening season, here are the teams' order of finish:
Northern Commonwealth Conference
1. Cambridge Tigers
2. Medford Irish
3. Salem Shadows
4. Con-Lex Bolts
Southern Commonwealth Conference
1. Boston Bugles
2. Quincy Ironclads
3. Southie Jammers
4. Airport Aviators
Teams' Starting Lineups - Overall/Potential Ratings
Cambridge Tigers
C - Anyway Bradley 98/98
PG - Jeryl Newman 89/89
SG - Plastic Man Wright 41/62
SF - Tutu Jaxon 57/57
PF - Kareem Rieck 78/88
Medford Irish
C - Jarian JaNian 81/91
PG - Junji Christie 91/91
SG - Grant keely 68/84
SF - Sympath Walker 61/80
PF - Miracle Lucius 58/58
Salem Shadows
C - Licker Sam Arnold 58/58
PG - J.B. Letterhead 89/89
SG - Cedric Guy 78/78
SF - Jamal Pleick 83/94
PF - Stephen Moreland 55/55
Con-Lex Bolts
C - Looter Arsonist 83/83
PG - Beau Charity 55/55
SG - Naturally Nate Patterson 41/41
SF - Maximum Effort Alt 73/73
PF - Mekeli Keyes 88/88
Boston Bugles
C - Tre Davis 97/97
PG - Beau Chatman 88/93
SG - Jumper Nielsen 55/55
SF - Release Progin 87/87
PF - Aaron Faulconer 48/48
Quincy Ironclads
C - Brainy Blake 95/95
PG - Reggie Pacer 87/95
SG - Darnell Fowler 66/82
SF - Rudy Pebbles 71/83
PF - Radwater Holmes 44/57
Southie Jammers
C - Rhese Johnson 93/93
PG - Vee Tsankov 56/62
SG - Sanyika Thames 73/83
SF - Cappy Hamilton 83/83
PF - Isaac Tibbetts 91/91
Airport Aviators
C - D.A. Forte 68/68
PG - Knox Jones 88/88
SG - Kareem Skyhookm 73/85
SF - Fickle Fitzpatrick 56/56
PF - B.B. Whiteman 94/94