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ayaghmour2 · 01-30-2024, 09:46 PM

LHP Mike Emerson (345th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 61st Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Jamesville Bullets

This was year three in La Crosse for Mike Emerson, and even with our pitching logjam, I'm hoping it's his last year. Emerson wasn't quite as sharp as last year, but the 20-year-old made 10 starts and held an average 4.57 ERA (103 ERA+). He didn't pitch many innings, averaging 6.3 innings a start, but he did manage to strike out 56 while walking just 24. That's back-to-back seasons with a K/BB above 2, a good sign that he's ready for more advanced hitters. He'll be 21 in May, and I'd like the former 4th Rounder to start a game above Class C before that. Problem is, we have a lot of young starting pitchers with better repertoires in his way. Right now his best and only pitch is a cutter, but and it still doesn't fool too many hitters. What he does do is keep the ball on the ground, and while not standout pitches, his three off-speed options move a lot of and are hard to track. If he mixes them well, he'll keep hitters guessing, but I'm worried he'll develop a tendency to nibble. He's got a lot of development ahead of him, but I'm afraid he might get lost in the mix.

2B Rupert Heinbaugh (362nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 107th Overall (1945)
Alma Mater: Weedsport Warriors

Rather shockingly, Rupert Heinbaugh has shot up the prospect ladder since I placed him on the 40-man roster. 23 in a few days, he's up all the way to 222nd after today's sim despite battling a pair of injuries this season. This held him to 67 AA and 16 AAA games, and his time in Mobile didn't go well. He hit just .258/.339/.350 (82 OPS+) in 85% of the plate appearances, finishing with 6 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homers, 6 steals, and 22 RBIs. Luckily, when his time with the Commodores ended, the season didn't, and he finished off the year at the league's highest level. Sure, small sample and all that, but it's hard to be mad about a .256/.396/.465 (124 OPS+) finish. One thing that stayed the same was his discipline, as after a 32-to-15 walk-to-strikeout ratio in Mobile, he upped it to 10-to-3 with 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 8 RBIs. I hoped he'd ride that momentum into the CWL, but he was absent from the roster. The Stallions have the middle infield covered, but I do think he would do better this year then Chicagoan and this year's Eagles second rounder Joe Edmonds. Instead, his next action he'll face is with the big league club in the spring, before an expected return to Milwaukee for the Century League season.

1B Charlie Everitt (364th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 14th Round, 212th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Cowpens State Fighting Green

While the first basemen not too far ahead of him didn't do much hitting, Charlie Everitt hit his way up to A ball. Last year's 14th Rounder, Everitt crushed C-O-W pitching, slashing .340/.465/.498 (153 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 4 triples, 6 homers, and 44 RBIs. He produced a 167 WRC+ in 316 trips to the plate with a superb 59-to-25 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He couldn't come close to that after promotion, as he had a higher K% (12.4) then BB% (10.4). Both moved in the wrong direction, but that didn't stop him from producing runs for the Legislators. He hit .331/.399/.465 (132 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, and 23 RBIs. The 22-year-old had one of the better seasons in our farm, and if Cal Rice wasn't in AA I think Everitt would be there. He seems to be close to big league ready, and he's attempting to make himself to be Red Bond's eventual replacement. Despite being an AI pick, he's actually a guy I wanted to take, as I think he's way better then the game gives him credit for. All he needs is some pop to be a top performer, as he has a great swing and should spend most of his baseball career with an average over .300.

LHP Mack Lyons (370th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Chiefs (1949)
Drafted: 7th Round, 100th Overall (1947)
Alma Mater: Big Bend Miners

Due to new trade rules, "Mack" Lyons was the return for a disgruntled Carlos Montes, as the pitcher I initially wanted couldn't be traded because he was drafted this year. And since he's a 7th Rounder from 1947, Lyons ended up being the lottery ticket prospect I acquired. If it wasn't for a *spoiler* trade this morning, Mack would be the newest prospect of the Cougars organization. Instead, he's not even the newest pitching prospect! But none of that matters, because of who his father is!

Dick Lyons was so committed to his job that he actually lost to the Montreal Saints at our old stadium before heading to the hospital to see his wife give birth. Unlike most children of ballplayers, Mack never had to move, as his dad spent the next sixteens season in a Cougar uniform, finishing his career with 237 FABL wins.

Mack will be lucky to win a single game, as he's not nearly the pitcher his father once were. And that's not an insult. Well -- completely... But aside from being lefties, that's about all they share. Legally named Richard Lyons Jr., Mack is seven inches taller then his dad and has a fastball and sinker that can hit 90. He has a change too, but unlike the hard stuff, it isn't any good. That's why he doesn't project as a starter, but with his baseball pedigree and work ethic, I'm willing to roll the dice. He can blow guys away, evidenced by an 11.9 K% in 189 innings (103 Ks), but considering it comes with a higher BB% (12.7, 110). Control was never the issue for his dad, making it ironic that it's his biggest issue. Dick never once had a BB% above the 8.8 he posted in 9.1 innings before I was even in charge of the Cougars and he was fresh out of college. And the only time above 7.5 was in 5 starts with the 1927 Blues before he never went back to the minors. Mack has been in double digits since his promotion from Class C his draft year. I think I'll give him a chance to start, but if he adds speed and his change doesn't get any better, I might just let him throw fastballs in the late innings and try to win games. Wouldn't it be fun if Dick gets 200 wins and Mack gets 200 saves?

I like the sound of that!

3B Lou Jackson (378th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 93rd Overall (1949)
Alma Mater: College of San Diego Friars

A natural center fielder, Lou Jackson spent most of his season at third, although he got a few starts at center and a few more innings late in games. I love his speed, so center could be his best spot, but we have plenty of outfielders and not many infielders. Jackson has held his own at third, and he hit an elite .353/.411/.572 (157 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 12 triples, and 43 RBIs. Sure, he hit just one homer in his first 215 plate appearances in our system, and that's not the ideal look for a third basemen. But if he's hitting like this, we'll find somewhere to play him. This year's 6th Rounder, Jackson made appearances at every position but catcher and pitcher for San Jose, and when you add in the fact that he's a switch hitter it's hard to find boxes he doesn't check off. The position he plays will be determined by who's around him, but I think his best value may be in center. The speed is really impressive, and I think he's ahead of most center fielders from his class with the bat. That should continue as he moves up the system, and an outside organization may want to give him a chance to be their future center fielder.

01-30-2024, 09:46 PM	#1312
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,042	Top Prospects: 36-40 LHP Mike Emerson (345th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 61st Overall (1947) Alma Mater: Jamesville Bullets This was year three in La Crosse for Mike Emerson, and even with our pitching logjam, I'm hoping it's his last year. Emerson wasn't quite as sharp as last year, but the 20-year-old made 10 starts and held an average 4.57 ERA (103 ERA+). He didn't pitch many innings, averaging 6.3 innings a start, but he did manage to strike out 56 while walking just 24. That's back-to-back seasons with a K/BB above 2, a good sign that he's ready for more advanced hitters. He'll be 21 in May, and I'd like the former 4th Rounder to start a game above Class C before that. Problem is, we have a lot of young starting pitchers with better repertoires in his way. Right now his best and only pitch is a cutter, but and it still doesn't fool too many hitters. What he does do is keep the ball on the ground, and while not standout pitches, his three off-speed options move a lot of and are hard to track. If he mixes them well, he'll keep hitters guessing, but I'm worried he'll develop a tendency to nibble. He's got a lot of development ahead of him, but I'm afraid he might get lost in the mix. 2B Rupert Heinbaugh (362nd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 107th Overall (1945) Alma Mater: Weedsport Warriors Rather shockingly, Rupert Heinbaugh has shot up the prospect ladder since I placed him on the 40-man roster. 23 in a few days, he's up all the way to 222nd after today's sim despite battling a pair of injuries this season. This held him to 67 AA and 16 AAA games, and his time in Mobile didn't go well. He hit just .258/.339/.350 (82 OPS+) in 85% of the plate appearances, finishing with 6 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homers, 6 steals, and 22 RBIs. Luckily, when his time with the Commodores ended, the season didn't, and he finished off the year at the league's highest level. Sure, small sample and all that, but it's hard to be mad about a .256/.396/.465 (124 OPS+) finish. One thing that stayed the same was his discipline, as after a 32-to-15 walk-to-strikeout ratio in Mobile, he upped it to 10-to-3 with 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 8 RBIs. I hoped he'd ride that momentum into the CWL, but he was absent from the roster. The Stallions have the middle infield covered, but I do think he would do better this year then Chicagoan and this year's Eagles second rounder Joe Edmonds. Instead, his next action he'll face is with the big league club in the spring, before an expected return to Milwaukee for the Century League season. 1B Charlie Everitt (364th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 14th Round, 212th Overall (1948) Alma Mater: Cowpens State Fighting Green While the first basemen not too far ahead of him didn't do much hitting, Charlie Everitt hit his way up to A ball. Last year's 14th Rounder, Everitt crushed C-O-W pitching, slashing .340/.465/.498 (153 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 4 triples, 6 homers, and 44 RBIs. He produced a 167 WRC+ in 316 trips to the plate with a superb 59-to-25 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He couldn't come close to that after promotion, as he had a higher K% (12.4) then BB% (10.4). Both moved in the wrong direction, but that didn't stop him from producing runs for the Legislators. He hit .331/.399/.465 (132 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, and 23 RBIs. The 22-year-old had one of the better seasons in our farm, and if Cal Rice wasn't in AA I think Everitt would be there. He seems to be close to big league ready, and he's attempting to make himself to be Red Bond's eventual replacement. Despite being an AI pick, he's actually a guy I wanted to take, as I think he's way better then the game gives him credit for. All he needs is some pop to be a top performer, as he has a great swing and should spend most of his baseball career with an average over .300. LHP Mack Lyons (370th Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Chiefs (1949) Drafted: 7th Round, 100th Overall (1947) Alma Mater: Big Bend Miners Due to new trade rules, "Mack" Lyons was the return for a disgruntled Carlos Montes, as the pitcher I initially wanted couldn't be traded because he was drafted this year. And since he's a 7th Rounder from 1947, Lyons ended up being the lottery ticket prospect I acquired. If it wasn't for a spoiler trade this morning, Mack would be the newest prospect of the Cougars organization. Instead, he's not even the newest pitching prospect! But none of that matters, because of who his father is! Dick Lyons was so committed to his job that he actually lost to the Montreal Saints at our old stadium before heading to the hospital to see his wife give birth. Unlike most children of ballplayers, Mack never had to move, as his dad spent the next sixteens season in a Cougar uniform, finishing his career with 237 FABL wins. Mack will be lucky to win a single game, as he's not nearly the pitcher his father once were. And that's not an insult. Well -- completely... But aside from being lefties, that's about all they share. Legally named Richard Lyons Jr., Mack is seven inches taller then his dad and has a fastball and sinker that can hit 90. He has a change too, but unlike the hard stuff, it isn't any good. That's why he doesn't project as a starter, but with his baseball pedigree and work ethic, I'm willing to roll the dice. He can blow guys away, evidenced by an 11.9 K% in 189 innings (103 Ks), but considering it comes with a higher BB% (12.7, 110). Control was never the issue for his dad, making it ironic that it's his biggest issue. Dick never once had a BB% above the 8.8 he posted in 9.1 innings before I was even in charge of the Cougars and he was fresh out of college. And the only time above 7.5 was in 5 starts with the 1927 Blues before he never went back to the minors. Mack has been in double digits since his promotion from Class C his draft year. I think I'll give him a chance to start, but if he adds speed and his change doesn't get any better, I might just let him throw fastballs in the late innings and try to win games. Wouldn't it be fun if Dick gets 200 wins and Mack gets 200 saves? I like the sound of that! 3B Lou Jackson (378th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 93rd Overall (1949) Alma Mater: College of San Diego Friars A natural center fielder, Lou Jackson spent most of his season at third, although he got a few starts at center and a few more innings late in games. I love his speed, so center could be his best spot, but we have plenty of outfielders and not many infielders. Jackson has held his own at third, and he hit an elite .353/.411/.572 (157 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 12 triples, and 43 RBIs. Sure, he hit just one homer in his first 215 plate appearances in our system, and that's not the ideal look for a third basemen. But if he's hitting like this, we'll find somewhere to play him. This year's 6th Rounder, Jackson made appearances at every position but catcher and pitcher for San Jose, and when you add in the fact that he's a switch hitter it's hard to find boxes he doesn't check off. The position he plays will be determined by who's around him, but I think his best value may be in center. The speed is really impressive, and I think he's ahead of most center fielders from his class with the bat. That should continue as he moves up the system, and an outside organization may want to give him a chance to be their future center fielder.