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ayaghmour2 · 12-23-2019, 04:16 PM

The game re-adjusted the top prospects list and the only real change was Earl Johnson dropping to 21 and Mickey Williams being moved up to 20. I'll start with him:

SP Mickey Williams
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 67th Overall (1926)
Alma Mater: Costal California Dolphins.
Despite a rough sophomore season, Williams rebounded to go 6-1 with a 2.36 ERA (187 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, and 106 strikeouts in just under 100 innings pitched so we took a chance on the lefty. He has a "decent fastball" and is a "real worm killer" who bumped his velocity up in the 90s. He started his pro career in San Jose, and was brilliant, going 11-7 with a 2.82 ERA (157 ERA+) with a 1.13 WHIP and 229 strikeouts. The next season he got three quick starts with Lincoln before moving up quickly to AA Mobile. He looked to be ready, going 13-7 with a 3.60 ERA (16 ERA+) with a 1.48 WHIP, although the walks jumped and the strikeouts fell. He'll return to AA to start this season, and will likely finish the season with Milwaukee, if not Chicago.

SP Milt Nelson
Acquired: Via Trade with Brooklyn (1928)
Drafted: 12th Round, 195th Overall by Detroit (1922) and 4th Round, 54th Overall by Brooklyn (1925)
Alma Mater: Louisville HS Titans and Bayou State Cougars
When I traded Buzz Ham to the Kings for Milt Nelson and an 8th Round Pick, I had no idea Hamm would turn into the pitcher he did. He started well in the pen for us in 25 innings, working to a 2.16 ERA and I made the poor decision to move him instead of Vince DaCosta. I had no idea he would end up winning the ERA crown. My scout was never a fan of him (unlike Nelson) and still isn't, so I'm hoping Hamm was a one hit wonder and that Nelson's "electric stuff" and three good pitches turns into a solid rotation starter that I never thought Hamm would be. Nelson had a weird start to his career, getting drafted by the Dynamos and spending a season plus with them before being released and enrolling in Bayou State. He had a great "junior" year, going 4-2 with a 2.58 ERA (169 ERA+) with a 0.89 WHIP and 89 strikeouts in 69.2 innings before the Kings grabbed him in the 4th Round. Once coming over midseason, Nelson started 19 games with Lincoln, going 8-6 with a 3.67 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, and 67 strikeouts. He's a little old for a prospect, almost 25, but Dick Lyons, are current ace, debuted at 26. Nelson will start the season at AA, but is likely to work his way up all the way to a September callup if he progresses well.

RF Ray Ross
Acquired: Via Minor League Free Agent (1928)
Drafted: 10th Round, 162nd Overall by Baltimore (1924)
Alma Mater: St. Pancras Lions
He really got a chance with Baltimore after being drafted, and they released him after 2 games. He eventually caught on with the New Orleans Showbaots, but was released once they lost independent status and became the AA affiliate of the Keystones. In three seasons with New Orleans, the now 26-year-old hit .268/.357/.390 (109 OPS+) with 24 homers, 42 steals, and 132 RBIs in 1,267 at bats with an impressive +20.2 ZR out in right. He'll start the season starting for AA Mobile, but Ross is very low in the pecking order. He's more filler then prospect, but he may open some eyes back in affiliated ball.

SP Fred Carter
Acquired: Via Minor League Free Agent (1926)
Drafted: 12th Round, 188th Overall by Montreal (1922) and 12th Round, 189th Overall by Cleveland (1924)
Alma Mater: Tulsa HS Tomcats, Rainier College Majestics, and the Frankford State Owls
He was drafted twice, almost at the exact same position, and was just released right after. He then transfered to Frankford State and went undrafted. He bounced a round (a lot) starting in 1926, when he was signed and released by the San Diego Conquistadors 7 times in 8 days and then 3 more times before the Showboats decided to released him 7 times in 8 days. It gets better! From May 22nd to July 26th, the Conquistadors and Showboats signed and released him EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Finally, I saved him on the 28th, and he's been with us every sense. He didn't really do much for us until last year, where he went 9-10 with 10 saves, a 3.12 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts in 141.1 innings split between the rotation and the pen. For now, he's set to start the season in the rotation in AA Mobile and I think I found my new favorite player, as my goal is for Fred Carter to make the Cougars staff (eventually) and never be released again. I'm hoping Carter becomes the best lefty of all time and dominates the FABL where his story will live on forever!

CF Erv Frith
Acquired: Via Minor League Free Agent (1925)
Alma Mater: Asheville HS Eagles
Undrafted out of Asheville HS, Erv Firth was one of the guys I signed to fill up Class B San Jose in their first year. A decent defender, last season was his first with any sort of playing time, as he hit .266/.322/.354 (84 OPS+) with 7 steals and 36 RBI's in 296 plate appearances. It wasn't a great showing, and he's likely not going to play much this season as well. I don't see much in him, and I'm surprised he's ranked in our top 30, especially over last years 3rd Overall Pick Harry Humphrey and this year's 2nd Overall Pick Mike Murphy. Both guys are ready for AAA (Humprey will start in AA, Murphy A since he was just drafted) and have much better numbers.

RF Ralph Collier
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 116th Overall (1925)
Alma Mater: Philadelphia HS Patriots
I think that at this point OSA is just picking random guys and I'm not sure what he brings to the table. In the past three seasons, he's barley had more then 100 at bats. There's not much to say on him, but my scout thinks he will be a .350 hitter and good defender, but one of his stats, even in HS, really support that.

CF Tom Thomas
Acquired: Via Minor League Free Agent (1925)
Alma Mater: Reading HS Reds
He took the Erv Firth route to the team as well, signing as a minor league filler guy for San Jose. He actually got playing time his first season in the minors, hitting .220/.298/.281 (75 OPS+) with a homer and 36 RBI's in just over 400 plate appearances. Since then, he's only tallied 68 at bats and still finds himself in San Jose. He's a solid defender at least, but there's not much here either.

SP Art Black
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 67th Overall (1927)
Alma Mater: Berkeley Bears
Selected with the exact same pick as Mickey Williams the year after Williams, him and a 9th Round Pick Dean Astle made up a formidable 1-2 punch with the Berkeley Bears as they dominated their division, finishing in first place with a 29-11 record. Black is a two pitch pitcher, but the pundits think that he can still start games because those pitches are so good. We pitched him out of the pen last season and he went 7-1 with 16 saves and 39 strikeouts in 83.1 innings with San Jose and Lincoln. "Burger" will be back in Lincoln and get his chance to show he deserves a spot in the rotation. He throws a hard cutter in the 91-93 range, and at just 19, he can continue to get that velocity up (it started at 83-85). If he adds a third pitch, maybe Black can push his way into the crowded future rotation picture.

CF Joe Davis
Acquired: Via Rule-5 Draft from Cleveland (1928)
Drafted: 11th Round, 173rd Overall (1922)
Alma Mater: Lynn HS Legends
I had the first pick of the Rule-5 Draft, and I guess shocked many by going with a hitter not a pitcher. I absolutely love the 24-year-old Davis who's strong spring saw him hit .417/.481/.625. An excellent defender in center, Davis will start to get more looks in the corners as well to get him into more games during the season. He split time last season in the Foresters organization with both AA and AAA. With Toledo (AA) he hit .309/.373/.493 (147 OPS+) and with Cincinnati (AAA) he hit .300/.376/.466 (124 OPS+) and combined for 9 homers, 14 steals, and 78 RBI's in 703 plate appearances. He looks ready for the majors and I think he's a lot better then OSA gives him credit for. Like Smith, he's almost a lock for keeping his roster spot all season.

SP Gus Cain
Acquired: Via Minor League Free Agent
Drafted: 10th Round, 159th Overall by Boston (1922) and 10th Round, 155th Overall by Toronto (1924)
Alma Mater: New Orleans HS Cavaliers, St. Patrick's Shamrocks, and George Fox Reds
Gus Cain may not have gotten the Fred Carter treatment, but both Boston and Toronto released him right after drafting him. He then went undrafted and signed with New York before they released him before pitching a game. He caught on in Chicago and has looked good in limited playing time. Last season with Mobile, he went 8-4 with a 2.65 ERA (165 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, and 48 strikeouts in 98.1 innings in 11 starts and 5 relief appearances. I didn't think I needed to protect him in the Rule-5 Draft, but the Saints saw enough in him to give him a shot to win the job in Spring. After getting shelled for 4 runs off 6 hits and 2 walks in 3 innings against the Sailors, Cain was sent back to us where he'd return to Mobile to start the season. The lefty is an Illinois native (why I signed him in the first place) and the lefty generates his share of grounders. He's a sidewinder as well and I likely won't make the mistake of leaving him unprotected prior to the next Rule-5 Draft, assuming he doesn't fall apart.

That the end of our top prospect list! There's a lot of guys I don't agree with (especially at the end), but we still have a little time before gameplay. Not sure how many posts I'll make, but I definitely want to do a little draft recap of at least the 1928 Class. Even though we are almost guaranteed to finish in the cellar I'm super excited for this season and can't wait to see the progress all the young guys show!

12-23-2019, 04:16 PM	#11
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Top Prospects: 21-30 The game re-adjusted the top prospects list and the only real change was Earl Johnson dropping to 21 and Mickey Williams being moved up to 20. I'll start with him: SP Mickey Williams Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 67th Overall (1926) Alma Mater: Costal California Dolphins. Despite a rough sophomore season, Williams rebounded to go 6-1 with a 2.36 ERA (187 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, and 106 strikeouts in just under 100 innings pitched so we took a chance on the lefty. He has a "decent fastball" and is a "real worm killer" who bumped his velocity up in the 90s. He started his pro career in San Jose, and was brilliant, going 11-7 with a 2.82 ERA (157 ERA+) with a 1.13 WHIP and 229 strikeouts. The next season he got three quick starts with Lincoln before moving up quickly to AA Mobile. He looked to be ready, going 13-7 with a 3.60 ERA (16 ERA+) with a 1.48 WHIP, although the walks jumped and the strikeouts fell. He'll return to AA to start this season, and will likely finish the season with Milwaukee, if not Chicago. SP Milt Nelson Acquired: Via Trade with Brooklyn (1928) Drafted: 12th Round, 195th Overall by Detroit (1922) and 4th Round, 54th Overall by Brooklyn (1925) Alma Mater: Louisville HS Titans and Bayou State Cougars When I traded Buzz Ham to the Kings for Milt Nelson and an 8th Round Pick, I had no idea Hamm would turn into the pitcher he did. He started well in the pen for us in 25 innings, working to a 2.16 ERA and I made the poor decision to move him instead of Vince DaCosta. I had no idea he would end up winning the ERA crown. My scout was never a fan of him (unlike Nelson) and still isn't, so I'm hoping Hamm was a one hit wonder and that Nelson's "electric stuff" and three good pitches turns into a solid rotation starter that I never thought Hamm would be. Nelson had a weird start to his career, getting drafted by the Dynamos and spending a season plus with them before being released and enrolling in Bayou State. He had a great "junior" year, going 4-2 with a 2.58 ERA (169 ERA+) with a 0.89 WHIP and 89 strikeouts in 69.2 innings before the Kings grabbed him in the 4th Round. Once coming over midseason, Nelson started 19 games with Lincoln, going 8-6 with a 3.67 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, and 67 strikeouts. He's a little old for a prospect, almost 25, but Dick Lyons, are current ace, debuted at 26. Nelson will start the season at AA, but is likely to work his way up all the way to a September callup if he progresses well. RF Ray Ross Acquired: Via Minor League Free Agent (1928) Drafted: 10th Round, 162nd Overall by Baltimore (1924) Alma Mater: St. Pancras Lions He really got a chance with Baltimore after being drafted, and they released him after 2 games. He eventually caught on with the New Orleans Showbaots, but was released once they lost independent status and became the AA affiliate of the Keystones. In three seasons with New Orleans, the now 26-year-old hit .268/.357/.390 (109 OPS+) with 24 homers, 42 steals, and 132 RBIs in 1,267 at bats with an impressive +20.2 ZR out in right. He'll start the season starting for AA Mobile, but Ross is very low in the pecking order. He's more filler then prospect, but he may open some eyes back in affiliated ball. SP Fred Carter Acquired: Via Minor League Free Agent (1926) Drafted: 12th Round, 188th Overall by Montreal (1922) and 12th Round, 189th Overall by Cleveland (1924) Alma Mater: Tulsa HS Tomcats, Rainier College Majestics, and the Frankford State Owls He was drafted twice, almost at the exact same position, and was just released right after. He then transfered to Frankford State and went undrafted. He bounced a round (a lot) starting in 1926, when he was signed and released by the San Diego Conquistadors 7 times in 8 days and then 3 more times before the Showboats decided to released him 7 times in 8 days. It gets better! From May 22nd to July 26th, the Conquistadors and Showboats signed and released him EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Finally, I saved him on the 28th, and he's been with us every sense. He didn't really do much for us until last year, where he went 9-10 with 10 saves, a 3.12 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts in 141.1 innings split between the rotation and the pen. For now, he's set to start the season in the rotation in AA Mobile and I think I found my new favorite player, as my goal is for Fred Carter to make the Cougars staff (eventually) and never be released again. I'm hoping Carter becomes the best lefty of all time and dominates the FABL where his story will live on forever! CF Erv Frith Acquired: Via Minor League Free Agent (1925) Alma Mater: Asheville HS Eagles Undrafted out of Asheville HS, Erv Firth was one of the guys I signed to fill up Class B San Jose in their first year. A decent defender, last season was his first with any sort of playing time, as he hit .266/.322/.354 (84 OPS+) with 7 steals and 36 RBI's in 296 plate appearances. It wasn't a great showing, and he's likely not going to play much this season as well. I don't see much in him, and I'm surprised he's ranked in our top 30, especially over last years 3rd Overall Pick Harry Humphrey and this year's 2nd Overall Pick Mike Murphy. Both guys are ready for AAA (Humprey will start in AA, Murphy A since he was just drafted) and have much better numbers. RF Ralph Collier Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 116th Overall (1925) Alma Mater: Philadelphia HS Patriots I think that at this point OSA is just picking random guys and I'm not sure what he brings to the table. In the past three seasons, he's barley had more then 100 at bats. There's not much to say on him, but my scout thinks he will be a .350 hitter and good defender, but one of his stats, even in HS, really support that. CF Tom Thomas Acquired: Via Minor League Free Agent (1925) Alma Mater: Reading HS Reds He took the Erv Firth route to the team as well, signing as a minor league filler guy for San Jose. He actually got playing time his first season in the minors, hitting .220/.298/.281 (75 OPS+) with a homer and 36 RBI's in just over 400 plate appearances. Since then, he's only tallied 68 at bats and still finds himself in San Jose. He's a solid defender at least, but there's not much here either. SP Art Black Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 67th Overall (1927) Alma Mater: Berkeley Bears Selected with the exact same pick as Mickey Williams the year after Williams, him and a 9th Round Pick Dean Astle made up a formidable 1-2 punch with the Berkeley Bears as they dominated their division, finishing in first place with a 29-11 record. Black is a two pitch pitcher, but the pundits think that he can still start games because those pitches are so good. We pitched him out of the pen last season and he went 7-1 with 16 saves and 39 strikeouts in 83.1 innings with San Jose and Lincoln. "Burger" will be back in Lincoln and get his chance to show he deserves a spot in the rotation. He throws a hard cutter in the 91-93 range, and at just 19, he can continue to get that velocity up (it started at 83-85). If he adds a third pitch, maybe Black can push his way into the crowded future rotation picture. CF Joe Davis Acquired: Via Rule-5 Draft from Cleveland (1928) Drafted: 11th Round, 173rd Overall (1922) Alma Mater: Lynn HS Legends I had the first pick of the Rule-5 Draft, and I guess shocked many by going with a hitter not a pitcher. I absolutely love the 24-year-old Davis who's strong spring saw him hit .417/.481/.625. An excellent defender in center, Davis will start to get more looks in the corners as well to get him into more games during the season. He split time last season in the Foresters organization with both AA and AAA. With Toledo (AA) he hit .309/.373/.493 (147 OPS+) and with Cincinnati (AAA) he hit .300/.376/.466 (124 OPS+) and combined for 9 homers, 14 steals, and 78 RBI's in 703 plate appearances. He looks ready for the majors and I think he's a lot better then OSA gives him credit for. Like Smith, he's almost a lock for keeping his roster spot all season. SP Gus Cain Acquired: Via Minor League Free Agent Drafted: 10th Round, 159th Overall by Boston (1922) and 10th Round, 155th Overall by Toronto (1924) Alma Mater: New Orleans HS Cavaliers, St. Patrick's Shamrocks, and George Fox Reds Gus Cain may not have gotten the Fred Carter treatment, but both Boston and Toronto released him right after drafting him. He then went undrafted and signed with New York before they released him before pitching a game. He caught on in Chicago and has looked good in limited playing time. Last season with Mobile, he went 8-4 with a 2.65 ERA (165 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, and 48 strikeouts in 98.1 innings in 11 starts and 5 relief appearances. I didn't think I needed to protect him in the Rule-5 Draft, but the Saints saw enough in him to give him a shot to win the job in Spring. After getting shelled for 4 runs off 6 hits and 2 walks in 3 innings against the Sailors, Cain was sent back to us where he'd return to Mobile to start the season. The lefty is an Illinois native (why I signed him in the first place) and the lefty generates his share of grounders. He's a sidewinder as well and I likely won't make the mistake of leaving him unprotected prior to the next Rule-5 Draft, assuming he doesn't fall apart. That the end of our top prospect list! There's a lot of guys I don't agree with (especially at the end), but we still have a little time before gameplay. Not sure how many posts I'll make, but I definitely want to do a little draft recap of at least the 1928 Class. Even though we are almost guaranteed to finish in the cellar I'm super excited for this season and can't wait to see the progress all the young guys show!