BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, and CYL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
17 March 2319
Spring Training Report
We were told not to get too excited about the expanded Spring Training introduced this season. So, we will update now and then after Spring Training is over to see what the stats and performances showed in teams whittling their CBO rosters down to 25 and making more necessary cuts on their rosters.
What we will do is take a few looks at young players making their mark. This week, we want to start this with a player whose CYL younger brother is mentioned in the CYL preview below, Quincy's 1B Annakin Hayjen. Hayjen played in 67 games with the Granites last season, starting 43. The 2317 9th round pick and son of Aesed Hayjen, Annakin hit .201 with 6 home runs and 24 RBI in those games. With the NEBL's Fall Rivers before that, Hayjen hit .224 with 8 home runs and 22 RBI. So far in Spring Training, Hayjen is hitting .583/.643/1.250, putting him among the top hitters so far.
CYL Predictions
The 2319 Commonwealth Youth League season is here! Last season, the top-seeded team in the South Region, the Coventry Quads, defeated the #9 seed from the North Region, the Lexington Minuteboys. It was the first Youth Series appearance for each team.
Based on PAM's predictions, the Augusta Moose of the NR Longfellow Division and the New Bedford Whales of the SR Mayhew Division should be the top two teams in 2319.
The Moose would be making their playoffs debut as the #1 overall seed. Players to watch on the Augusta team include senior SS Kess Kutha (.362/36/138 career stats), senior 1B Crunchy Salsman (.328/35/124), senior RF Kermit Hughes (.304/31/104), and a triple threat of freshmen in pitchers Hammer Boston and Anth McKinnies and 2B Kamari Wells.
The Whales are looking to win the Mayhew Division for the third-straight season and make the playoffs for the fourth straight year. Despite regular season success, they have only as gone as far as the Regional Quarterfinals (final 16 teams in the CYL) in that time. Standouts include former CBO player Gavin Eviritts son, senior SP Zap Everitts (15-11, 4.58) who has made significant progress from his freshman season, junior SP Darby Walsh (2-6, 4.68, 9 SV), C Goliath Baldwin (.298/30/92), and a bevy of talented freshmen, including top scouted in C Ack Westheim (son of CBO legend Racky Westheim), CF Chubba Horton, 2B Chig Necto, and 2B Huey McGraw.
The overall outlook for the top players in each region are mostly made up of upperclassmen, but a few youngsters have a shot.
In the NR, the top hitter (Slugger Supreme Award) pick is Boston Harbor's sophomore SS Ambush McMahon. McMahon hit .302 with 8 homers and 30 RBI last season, but PAM predicts him to up that batting average to .455 in 2319. Other candidates include sophomore CF Merlin McCloud, Derry Farmers; junior LF Bear Bather, Gloucester Dog Trainers; senior SS Wild Card Fitzgerald, Covenant Dandy Boys; and senior CF Amazon Forest, Castle Freedom. Worm Sanders, drafted in the 3rd round as the 80th overall pick by The Slog, of North Charles Bank won the past two seasons.
The NR's top pitcher pick (Mound Ace Award) is somewhat problematic. Apparently, PAM did not get the memo that the pick, talented SP Wand Engill of Castle, will miss at least the first month of the two-month season. Therefore, let's pick PAM's #2, Plum Island's freshman SP Killian Alchemist. Other contenders include: junior SP Daniel Grullon, Hester Mechanists; junior SP Donnie Clockwork, Nahant Couriers; freshman SP Josh Rahn, Danvers Perception; and freshman McKinnies of Augusta. Rhubarb Coombs. drafted 6th overall by University Point, of Gloucester won last season to go along with his 2315 Mound Ace Award.
In the SR, senior LF Dimmy Schiopu of the Naushon Island Radsharks is the pick to be the top hitter. Other contenders include senior RF Ryder Bussey, Sandwich Screamers; senior 1B Bliss Fusion, Wellfleet Tarberries; senior RF Grass Ash, Old Lyme Lake Monsters; freshman 2B Googie Telesford, New London Poppers; and sone of legend Aesed Hayjen, senior RF Aesop Hayjen, Dennis Menaces. Another Dimmy, Dimmy Suciu, drafted by Diamond City in the 3rd round as the 82d-overall pick, of Coventry was the 2318 Slugger Supreme Award winner.
The top pitching candidate in the SR is sophomore SP Chopsticks Shaw of the Radsharks in what would be a double award for the school. Contenders include: senior SP Bryce Yaag, Truro Hatchlings; freshman SP Kieron Taguchi, Forest Park Brahmiluffs; sophomore SP Slippery Scannell McRattigan, Chicopee Galaxy'; senior SP Edgy Ronan Rice; and the Whales' Everitts. Hadley Falls' Ernie Maxload, drafted in the 4th round, 88th overall by Sunshine Tidings, was the 2318 Mound Ace Award winner.