[ayaghmour2]

I just had to do it! After drafting Jerry Smith, the Rick and Morty fan inside of me had to trade for Morty Smith to bring the family together. A 9th Round selection of the Dynamos last season, Morty is not nearly the player that Jerry is, but that's not stopping me! The now 19-year-old spent his first pro season in Class C Biloxi, making 13 starts and going 7-5. He had a decent 3.25 ERA (111 ERA+) and 1.30 WHIP with 32 walks and 84 strikeouts. Like plenty of other Cougars, Morty is a high stuff, low command pitcher. But unlike most of those, he's a finesse guy who tops out at 90. He has plenty of time to get comfortable in the 90s, something I'd love for him to do before he approaches the big leagues. After not ranking in the top 500, he just snuck in this week at 434, so while plenty is expected of Jerry, Morty does not have nearly as bright of a future. The cost was righty Bill Sweet, who was selected two rounds before Smith. Sweet pitched really well in Class C and B at 18, but like Smith, he's a very comparable lottery ticket. Plenty could happen in the next five or so years, but my guess is this trade will be on the low side for future impact.

But I needed my Morty!

LF Joe Read (#223 Overall)
Acquired: Via Rule-5 Draft (1946)
Drafted: 6th Round, 93rd Overall (1942)
AAA: .278/.344/.373 (97 OPS+), 433 PA, 27 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 32 RBI, SB
CWL: .308/.438/.513 (158 OPS+), 96 PA, 2 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 13 RBI

Very few CWL players are having a better January then Matanzas Buccaneers outfielder Joe Read. The second of our two Rule-5 Picks has had a power surge, slashing .324/.468/.595 (188 OPS+) with 3 homers, 8 RBIs, and 10 walks in 11 January games. Those three homers are one more then the two he hit in 433 AAA PAs, and he's now doubled that total with four in just under 100 PAs this winter. Is the power legit?

Unfortunately, the best answer I have is maybe...

Read has always been good at hitting the ball hard, aided by tremendous bat speed, but he's really starting to square up the ball. He did have 27 doubles this season and 37 between A and AA last year, as well as five homers at each level. The drop to two this season was a bit shocking, especially because he hit 5 homers in the notoriously anti-home run Dixie League in just 52 games. And while the Century League is far more homer friendly (his teammate and fringe Miners starter Vern Wilson hit 22!), the St. Paul stadium (Miners AAA affiliate) is much tougher on righties (.915) then AA Birmingham (1.100). This could have a larger effect on someone like Read who's homeruns are line drives, not towering blasts you'd expect from an Otto Christian type.

Another thing Read has done better is control the strike zone. He's always had a good eye, walking about as often as he strikes out, but he's taken that to the next level in Cuba. He's drawn 18 walks, good for an absurd 19% walk rate, while striking out in just 5 of his 96 plate appearances. This heightened command is huge for someone who makes solid contact, as if he can continue to avoid pitches out of the zone he could be a very good hitter. Granted, the competition in the CWL is a little unbalanced, and we'll never really get out of small sample territory, but it appears that the young outfielder has made legitimate strides as a hitter. Most 22-year-olds are far from a finished product, and Read is really showing that. It's still going to be tough for him to crack the Opening Day roster, but he keeps on impressing, and if I have to choose between Ray Struble and him, it will be very close. Surprisingly, Struble finished the season with a 152 WRC+, but when you only make 35 trips to the plate, homering in your last at bat will raise your slugging 115 points. And considering it kept our season alive (we were down two in the tenth and he tied it), it's going to be tough to cut bait.

3B Otto Christian (#50 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 13th Overall (1941)
AA: .277/.339/.400 (106 OPS+), 519 PA, 19 2B, 2 3B, 11 HR, 65 RBI
CWL: .282/.403/.556 (165 OPS+), 149 PA, 2B, 11 HR, 35 RBI

Okay, I lied...

There is a hitter hotter then Joe Read in January! And it's not even close!

But before jumping to the month as a whole, what about the last five games? The Walla Walla Walloper has hit a, dare I say, Jerry Smith-esque .524/.565/1.476 with 5 homers and 9 RBIs. If we focus on just the games on the 11th, 13th, and 15th, where all the homers came, Otto was 9-for-12 with a pair of walks. The 24-year-old has now posted a 323 WRC+ in 11 January games, hitting an inflated .447/.580/.1.000 with 7 homers, 18 RBIs, and 12 walks. His 11 homers are not only equal to this total with Mobile this season, but also best in the league, two ahead of the Wolves' John Fast. For the season, he's hitting .282/.403/.556 (165 OPS+) with 21 runs, 25 walks, and 35 RBIs, and the slugger has helped the Stallions improve to 18-17. They are now just a game out of first with two weeks left, but all four teams are within three games of the top spot.

With how great Otto's been hitting, it's making me really consider giving him the third base job out of camp and letting him run with it. Third base will likely be the focus of our Spring, as we have a ton of quality players all competing for the spot. Hank Barnett will have a tough time holding off youngsters like Otto and George Sutterfield, as well as offseason addition Jim Jenkins, who Clyde Meyer really seems to like (don't as me why). Even Billy Hunter could be in the conversation, although a utility role seems more likely for him. Christian's power gives the potential for such a high ceiling, and he can easily clear the 14 foot fences down the left and right field lines. Still, he's far from a finished product, and Dixie Marsh thinks even Ducky Jordan is still better now then Otto. With championship aspirations, it can be tough to rely on young players (I even tried trading Otto and Riley for a certain slugging third basemen), but his pure raw power gives him the ability to change a game with one swing. The more pitches he sees, the better he's going to get, and even if we still need to wait a few seasons before we see a 20 home run season, I think he's almost a lock to do that before he turns 30.

Sidenote: not sure when this happened, but I just noticed I'm now a Hall of Famer. Yay for me!