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ayaghmour2 · 09-15-2022, 09:43 PM

A little new before we get through the next round of prospects. The sim before today we sent former 2nd Rounder Pug Bryan to the Dynamos for an 8th Round pick. I once had very high hopes for Pug, who never quite followed his impressive rookie season. He struggled in 11 starts and relief outings the next season, and hasn't made a start since. He has looked pretty good out of the pen the last two seasons, but I had my nine pitchers more-or-less set in stone for the next season, and he was expendable. Or, at least I thought it would be set in stone, as now Johnnie will join Donnie overseas in the war effort. Our enlisted rotation (Papenfus, Brown, Jones, Jones, Goff) is not only better then our remaining rotation (White, Parker, Lyons, Petrick, Matson), but arguably better then any other full strength rotation. Our depth is going to be tested this coming season, and we may need Frank Crawford to make more starts then I would have anticipated.

LHP Ed Fisler (348th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Chicago (1943)
Drafted: 10th Round, 160th Overall (1939)
Alma Mater: Rocky Mount Patriots

Acquired with two picks in the most recent draft for Freddie Jones, Ed Fisler spent the rest of his season with Mobile, and finished it with a placement on the 40-man roster. The 22-year-old made 22 strong starts for the Commodores, going 10-10 with a 3.91 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 86 walks, and 88 strikeouts in 177.1 innings pitched. These were pretty solid numbers for the young lefty, and while the walks were a bit high, I love his strikeout totals. Fisler has very good stuff, featuring a mid 90s fastball that he can overpower hitters with. He doesn't always locate his slider and change, but they are reliable offerings that can help keep hitters off balance. I don't expect him to figure into our rotation picture next season, although with all the enlistments and the expected injuries, you never know who we'll need to rely on. He has a bit of developing left to go, but Tom thinks he could end up a decent back of the rotation arm.

RHP Jack Huston (360th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 77th Overall (1941)
Alma Mater: Bay State Bulldogs

He doesn't get much love in the prospect rankings, but Jack Huston put together one of the best minor league seasons I've seen in Figment. The former 5th Rounder won 25 of his 32 starts, working to a stellar 2.83 ERA with 92 walks, 148 strikeouts, and a 1.20 WHIP. Huston through an organizational high 273.2 innings, getting two more outs in 1943 then Joe Brown.

So how does Huston get so many outs?

Well, I wish I knew...

His stuff isn't great, and while he projects to end up with a decent fastball and curve along with a borderline elite slider, he's currently more of a borderline starter then someone you'd trust against FABL hitters every fifth day. As a sidearmer, lefties may end up giving him trouble, but his slider is next to impossible to hit, and it's very hard to elevate any of the pitches he throws. His control can elude him at time, which is why his WHIP is rather high, but since it's hard to string hits off of him, he can usually get out of trouble. Plus his stamina is nearly infinite, allowing him to rack up as many pitches as needed. He'll start next season in Milwaukee, but since he's not yet Rule-5 eligible, he doesn't need to occupy a 40 man spot. If he can keep things going, he's likely to be the first man up, as it's really hard to argue with the results he's been able to put up.

LHP Bob Hobbs (379th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 119th Overall (1939)
Alma Mater: Brookhaven Panthers

Now 22, Hobbs spent all of 1943 in the Marines Corp, costing him an important year of development. He struggled in 11 starts in Lincoln, going 3-3 with a 4.06 ERA (96 ERA+) and 1.54 WHIP. Hobbs had nice strikeout (6.0) numbers but dealt with a lot of walks (5.6), limiting his overall effectiveness. He's always had some control problems, but never to that extent. His age will work in his interest, as he won't be too old when he returns from the war efforst, but there are a lot more exciting prospects in front of him.

RHP King Price (391st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 135th Overall (1939)
Alma Mater: Bluegrass State Mustangs

1943 was supposed to be the year of King Price's debut, but like for many others, the war got in the way. In '42 the Bluegrass State alum made it up to Milwaukee after going 10-4 in 16 starts for the Commodores. Price's ERA rose from 3.78 to 3.90, but his WHIP dropped from 1.30 to 1.12. Now 26, Price is about as developed as he will be, and would likely be a better then worst case scenario starting pitcher. His change up is really good and he can pitch deep into games, but I can't see him claiming a rotation spot once he returns.

LHP Barney Gunnels (423rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 157th Overall (1943)
Alma Mater: Poughkeepsie Falcons

Our 10th Round Pick in the most recent draft, Barney Gunnels got a $2,500 signing bonus and managed to crack our top 500 list. He didn't have the best 9 starts in La Crosse, going 2-4 with a 6.75 ERA (77 ERA+), 1.86 WHIP, 36 walks, and 42 strikeouts in just under 50 innings pitched. He'll be 19 this February, and I do expect him to pitch much better next season. He's not a very hard thrower, sitting in the low-to-mid 80s, but his fastball, slider, and change are solid offerings. His change is the best pitch, getting a ton of downward drop on the pitch. His command should improve, as I can't see him ever walking more then 6 per 9 again. He's got decent upside and a lot of way to go, but I think the odds of him reaching his peak are rather low.

09-15-2022, 09:43 PM	#901
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,031	Top Prospects: 31-35 A little new before we get through the next round of prospects. The sim before today we sent former 2nd Rounder Pug Bryan to the Dynamos for an 8th Round pick. I once had very high hopes for Pug, who never quite followed his impressive rookie season. He struggled in 11 starts and relief outings the next season, and hasn't made a start since. He has looked pretty good out of the pen the last two seasons, but I had my nine pitchers more-or-less set in stone for the next season, and he was expendable. Or, at least I thought it would be set in stone, as now Johnnie will join Donnie overseas in the war effort. Our enlisted rotation (Papenfus, Brown, Jones, Jones, Goff) is not only better then our remaining rotation (White, Parker, Lyons, Petrick, Matson), but arguably better then any other full strength rotation. Our depth is going to be tested this coming season, and we may need Frank Crawford to make more starts then I would have anticipated. LHP Ed Fisler (348th Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Chicago (1943) Drafted: 10th Round, 160th Overall (1939) Alma Mater: Rocky Mount Patriots Acquired with two picks in the most recent draft for Freddie Jones, Ed Fisler spent the rest of his season with Mobile, and finished it with a placement on the 40-man roster. The 22-year-old made 22 strong starts for the Commodores, going 10-10 with a 3.91 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 86 walks, and 88 strikeouts in 177.1 innings pitched. These were pretty solid numbers for the young lefty, and while the walks were a bit high, I love his strikeout totals. Fisler has very good stuff, featuring a mid 90s fastball that he can overpower hitters with. He doesn't always locate his slider and change, but they are reliable offerings that can help keep hitters off balance. I don't expect him to figure into our rotation picture next season, although with all the enlistments and the expected injuries, you never know who we'll need to rely on. He has a bit of developing left to go, but Tom thinks he could end up a decent back of the rotation arm. RHP Jack Huston (360th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 5th Round, 77th Overall (1941) Alma Mater: Bay State Bulldogs He doesn't get much love in the prospect rankings, but Jack Huston put together one of the best minor league seasons I've seen in Figment. The former 5th Rounder won 25 of his 32 starts, working to a stellar 2.83 ERA with 92 walks, 148 strikeouts, and a 1.20 WHIP. Huston through an organizational high 273.2 innings, getting two more outs in 1943 then Joe Brown. So how does Huston get so many outs? Well, I wish I knew... His stuff isn't great, and while he projects to end up with a decent fastball and curve along with a borderline elite slider, he's currently more of a borderline starter then someone you'd trust against FABL hitters every fifth day. As a sidearmer, lefties may end up giving him trouble, but his slider is next to impossible to hit, and it's very hard to elevate any of the pitches he throws. His control can elude him at time, which is why his WHIP is rather high, but since it's hard to string hits off of him, he can usually get out of trouble. Plus his stamina is nearly infinite, allowing him to rack up as many pitches as needed. He'll start next season in Milwaukee, but since he's not yet Rule-5 eligible, he doesn't need to occupy a 40 man spot. If he can keep things going, he's likely to be the first man up, as it's really hard to argue with the results he's been able to put up. LHP Bob Hobbs (379th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 8th Round, 119th Overall (1939) Alma Mater: Brookhaven Panthers Now 22, Hobbs spent all of 1943 in the Marines Corp, costing him an important year of development. He struggled in 11 starts in Lincoln, going 3-3 with a 4.06 ERA (96 ERA+) and 1.54 WHIP. Hobbs had nice strikeout (6.0) numbers but dealt with a lot of walks (5.6), limiting his overall effectiveness. He's always had some control problems, but never to that extent. His age will work in his interest, as he won't be too old when he returns from the war efforst, but there are a lot more exciting prospects in front of him. RHP King Price (391st Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 135th Overall (1939) Alma Mater: Bluegrass State Mustangs 1943 was supposed to be the year of King Price's debut, but like for many others, the war got in the way. In '42 the Bluegrass State alum made it up to Milwaukee after going 10-4 in 16 starts for the Commodores. Price's ERA rose from 3.78 to 3.90, but his WHIP dropped from 1.30 to 1.12. Now 26, Price is about as developed as he will be, and would likely be a better then worst case scenario starting pitcher. His change up is really good and he can pitch deep into games, but I can't see him claiming a rotation spot once he returns. LHP Barney Gunnels (423rd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 157th Overall (1943) Alma Mater: Poughkeepsie Falcons Our 10th Round Pick in the most recent draft, Barney Gunnels got a $2,500 signing bonus and managed to crack our top 500 list. He didn't have the best 9 starts in La Crosse, going 2-4 with a 6.75 ERA (77 ERA+), 1.86 WHIP, 36 walks, and 42 strikeouts in just under 50 innings pitched. He'll be 19 this February, and I do expect him to pitch much better next season. He's not a very hard thrower, sitting in the low-to-mid 80s, but his fastball, slider, and change are solid offerings. His change is the best pitch, getting a ton of downward drop on the pitch. His command should improve, as I can't see him ever walking more then 6 per 9 again. He's got decent upside and a lot of way to go, but I think the odds of him reaching his peak are rather low.