BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, CYL, and CBA
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
18 October 2314
CBO Draft Preview
Last time, we took a look at the players most likely to make early CBO debuts. Now let's take a look at the younguns and which ones have the greatest outlook for a long CBO career. We have 11 players wer are sure will be wearing a CBO uniform within the next five years.
1. 1B Size Man Green, West Quincy - An actual versatile infielder, Green could step into any position on the infield, though scouts believe his most natural position to be 1B. The difference is that Green is not the power-hitting player that most people think of at the position. What he can do is hit, and scouts believe he could regularly hit .333 in the CBO. He can also swipe bases and has more range than the typical first baseman, giving him extra opportunities for putouts.
2. CF Chani Zendaya, CIT Academy - A pure outfielder, Zendaya may settle into a corner OF position later in his career, but for now he is a speedy outfielder with a lot of upside that could see him as the first CYL player called up from the 2314 class. A hard worker, Zendaya has good speed and a sweet swing that will help him get on base a lot. He could use a little more work on his patience at the plate, but mistakes get punished for doubles and triples.
3. 1B Sluggo Luge, Spectacle Island - The all-time CYL leader in home runs (127), nine more than the previous career leader, Tobias Hoffman now of Atom, Luge is the premier power hitter of the 2314 draft and should see his name called early in the 1st round. Luge is expected at his peak to regularly hit .325/40 as one of the top hitters with an effective, easy swing packed with muscle. He can also play either corner IF position well, but will probably slot in at 1B depending on his team's needs.
4. 1B Jam Armchase, Sudbury - The power-hitting lefty is most likely to play 1B, though he could play some corner OF. Not on the same level as Luge, Armchase also finished with over 100 career home runs (105 to rank him 9th all-time and 3rd of this class behind Luge and Nope Ankor). Scouts see his ceiling as a multiple all-star candidate.
5. 1B Andy Musicsheets, Concord - Musicsheets may be a 2B in the majors, but he is set to be slotted in at 1B at first as he needs to work some on his glove and being consistent. As a hitter, Musicsheets is a good all-around hitter, with power being his greatest asset. Scouts also believe he could be a player making multiple all-star appearances.
6. 3B Kevin Fawke, Lynn Pier - Fawke was a consistent hitter, finishing with a .329 career average, 77 home runs, and 170 RBI. Scouts like both his bat and defensive skills. While he is not going to be the top defender nor hitter, he is expected to be a contributor to his team.
7. 3B Merlin Hodges, Diamond City - We are not sure why Hodges is graded as a 3B when his probable position is SS, but there he is. A talented defender with a golden arm, Hodges would be successful at anything he chooses to do. He did see a huge drop in power output, from a career high 31 home runs in 2312 to just six in 2314. The season got shorter by 20 games, but about 20 home runs would have been better. That drop will probably drop Hodges in the draft, but he is still talented.
8. 1B Fuzz Copman, Castle - One of seven 1B on this list, Copman could get lost in the draft shuffle since his skills are not quite as impressive as some of the others featured here. What he does have is consistency in both his contact and power, making him the type of player who will gradually move through the different minor leagues and could see a 2319 (assumed) debut with his chosen team.
9. 1B Dodge Squallbender, Freeplat - Squallbender hit 31 home runs his freshman year and then never reached that number in total his final three seasons (6, 16, and 11). He was a backup in 2312 but started the last two seasons, still not finding his power swing enough. Scouts are concerned about how he misses a lot of bad pitches, but he can also punish bad pitches. If he hits his potential, he could consistently be a .300/30 hitter.
10. SP Paul Bird, Circle - As the only pitcher on this list, Bird could expect his name called relatively early in the draft, especially with how many teams need a pitcher. Bird has four pitches he consistently and effectively uses, but hi changeup and cutter are considered his best pitches. He is a strikeout specialist, something missing these days in the CBO, with 515 strikeouts in 391.0 innings pitched in his career. Thos 515 Ks are not quite as good as another Paul, Paul Stains now of Salem, but Bird is 23rd all-time on the strikeouts list and 11th all-time in K/9 (11.85).
11. 1B Nope Ankor, Beerthirty - As mentioned above, Ankor is another power hitter and is one of the CYL's all-time homers leader. He struggles with contact, though, which will probably drop him out of the 1st round at least. Ankor batted just .193 his junior season, making cuts question his future in baseball. That number rebounded to .292 his senior season, not an elite number but something to work with. Ankor is among the slowest on the base paths, and his defense is nothing to write home about. He will play 1B because he can hit and because he would be a detriment to any other spot on the field.
CYL Season and Career Records
We mentioned some of the records and all-time leaders. Here is the complete list of records.