1920 National League Rookies
Sheriff Blake, SP, Age 20, Pirates
Blake, and his two fellow rookie Pirates pitchers below, are all talented but will have a tough time cracking the best pitching staff in the game. I would say that Johnny Morrison has the best shot of making the rotation, while Blake and Whitey Glazner will battle for a spot in the bullpen. The Pirates still boast pitchers in the minor leagues that many other teams would have on their major league roster.
Whitey Glazner, SP, Age 24, Pirates
Johnny Morrison, SP, Age 24, Pirates
Pie Traynor, 3B, Age 21, Pirates
This is certainly an offseason to be a Pirates fan. Not only did the team significantly bolster their pitching staff, but they added Pie Traynor, a Hall of Famer who many consider to be the finest defensive third baseman of his day. Traynor should also be an above .300 hitter in MLHR and he may begin his career as the Pirates new leadoff hitter, something they needed desperately as they try to upgrade their offense.
Russ Wrightstone, 3B, Age 24, Phillies
No one needs an offensive upgrade any worse than the Phillies do. They added shortstop Dave Bancroft (.289, 80 R) in 1915 but have done little else to improve the worst offense in the majors. That's a shame too, because the Phillies have had a very good pitching staff for many years now and would be competitive with any kind of offense. Now comes Wrightstone, who will be a major upgrade at third base. It also helps that Wrightstone can play many positions and will be able to shift elsewhere if Philadelphia adds additional talent at the hot corner. Until then, Wrightstone will bat third, but he will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders in this weak lineup.
