BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, and CYL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
17 October 2317
Draft Preview 2
Last week, we looked at the OSA Mock Draft and compared where we think the Top Ten players will go based on team needs and OSA fit. This week, we will look at the next 10 players based on potential ratings, not the OSA Mock Draft.
Here are the next 10 players with no adherence to draft expectations, just pure scouting potential ratings (80):
11. 3B Music Man Hughes, WCSU
Hughes is a draft-eligible sophomore after his school, Western Connecticut State, joined the CCBL in 2317. In his one season in the CCBL, Hughes hit .368/24/58, showing good balance between contact and power. He is a raw prospect right now, though, and will need to adjust to even more pitch types in the CBO. Scouts see him starting in A or AA for this team and then working his way up as his pitch recognition improves. He should also be a solid 3B at any level.
12. 1B Heady Stepniewski, New Haven Sailors
Stepniewski appears to be one of the power leaders in the 2317 draft and will be expected to fulfill that role in the CBO. He projects at 1B but may get work at 2B in the minors for a power-dependent team looking for options. Stepniewski hit .377/26/58 his senior season, and hit 82 homers over his four years with the Sailors.
13. SP Fog Slater, Portland Trappers
Slater may have been projected to go #1 overall to County Crossing had he not torn a ligament in his throwing arm in the 2317 CYL season. Before that, he was 5-2 with a 0.83 ERA in nine starts. In 65.1 innings, he allowed six earned runs and 30 hits, while walking eight and striking out 94. While his elbow injury will keep him from throwing for the next three months, if his recovery goes well, he would project to start in AA or AAA with a chance for a callup later in the season.
14. SP D'Jasper Probincrux II, Harwich Fishheads
Probincrux really helped his draft status during his senior season with the Fishheads, recording a 10-1 record with a 1.52 ERA in 15 starts. While not blessed with a blazing fastball, Probincrux has shown the ability to keep his pitches moving and using a deadly inside-out routine to keep hitters off balance. Scouts think that he could be the 4th starter on the right team but could also be placed as high as AAA while he tries to develop more.
15. 1B Pond LeHockey, Hester Mechanists
A born leader, according to coaches and scouts, LeHockey is expected to contribute to his team at whichever level he joins. Scouts think that may be AA as he looks to grow more into his 6'4" frame. LeHockey upped his home run number to 21 his senior season with the Mechanists, up from 13 the season before. Scouts think he will bat over .300 and hit around 20 homers a season while being a decent defensive 1B.
16. C Flavi Muja, Holy Cross
Muja is the power hitter of the catchers and the second best defensively behind Sevenfold Abrams. With Holy Cross, the junior hit .349/28/80, 4th in the CCBL in both homers and RBI. Scouts think that he will be an extra-base hit machine in the CBO. They project him to start at the AA level.
17. 2B Kolar Raven, Plum Island Candymen
The CYL star has been getting more and more powerful, hitting a career-best 23 in 2317 with the Candymen. While not the best defensive players, expect Raven in the middle of a lineup in his career. Scouts put him at the A/AA level to begin. If a team wants improved defense, he might see himself in A or even the Rookie League, though that is rare for players chosen in the top three rounds.
18.1B Pekka Rhubarb, Salem Werewolves
The switch-hitting Rhubarb is an interesting prospect. He has power, though he will never be considered cleanup hitter worthy. What he does have is great bat control, and the CBO should see him eventually popping much better than a .310 average while he will probably hit around 15 homers per season. Scouts love his glove and can see him earning a few Corvega Top Defender awards at 1B. He could also play middl infield in a pinch, though his long, lanky build better suits him on the corner.
19. SP Brandon Sparrow, Commonwealth U
You would think Sparrow would be higher after going 26-2 with a sub 2.00 ERA over the past two seasons. He is here because scouts love the fastball, a killer pitch at up to 99 MPH, but his movement and placement could both use a lot of work before he is ready to be a CBO starter. If a team takes him, Sparrow could find himself starting in AA or AAA or even be as high as a RP on the CBO squad in his first season. Base on his results in his two years as a starter after converting from a closer his freshman season, Sparrow is an interesting prospect that we are sure to see taken somewhere in the 1st round.
20. 1B Kully Puistiola, Braintree Schoolboys
Scouts see a lot of potential in Puisiola, though it is doubtful if he will be anywhere ready for the CBO for at least a couple of seasons. That could see Puistiola pushed out of the 1st round. It could also be a mistake to pass on him. Scouts see him as a great all-around hitter who will be serviceable at 1B. The lefty is already CBO-ready when it comes to fighting off junk pitches, but he needs a lot of work on building up patience and driving the right pitches at the right times.
Not on list: C Daniel Bowler, Lewiston Raiders; C Rad Malina, Hampton Tailors; SP Alex Moon, Cape Cod