OSA's Mock Draft
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, and CYL
by "Zoony" Zen
1 November 2316
2316 Mock Draft
Good morning, Commonwealth! This is Mackley "Zoony" Zen, guest writing this BNN Report for the annual mock draft. I am a correspondent for the OSA, providing baseball scouting services throughout the Commonwealth.
In today's feature, I will report on the Draft Combine, break down a few prospects in the 2316 Draft pool, and reveal OSA's two-round mock.
Draft Combine
There are 237 players participating in the second annual draft combine. Of these players, some are jostling for position, while some others are hoping to work themselves into the draft altogether. Some of the youth league players will elect to keep playing in college, but many more will either try their best to make it in the CBO now or move on to something else.
In the combine, there are eight players currently considered to have received additional attention from scouts both in the OSA and individual teams. Some of them are obvious, like the #1 overall prospect, 2B Cool Papa Cornwell of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Three of those seemingly increasing themselves are considered CBO-worthy but were not considered to be Top-2 (rounds) picks where scouts usually place the "can't miss" prospects. They are:
1B Plucky Epperson, Dartmouth - Potential: 61 - "Plucky" was a three-year starter with Dartmouth College. He is a rare 1B who does not hit for power. He can play anywhere in the IF, so may end up at 2B instead of 1B and hit at the top of the lineup for average and stolen bases purposes. Scouts love that he can put the bat on the ball but his low scouting rankings come from a big-framed body without the proper pop. Showing the ability to hit 10+ home runs could upgrade his value and 20+ would make him a top pick. Current mock position: 4th overall.
SS Wayne King, Roxbury College - Potential: 57 - King is a draft-eligible freshman because of the Roxbury College Tigers joining the CCBL in 2316. New teams' players have the right to declare before their junior season in college. Otherwise, a player must commit to three years with the possibility of a fourth year of eligibility. King is also good at hitting for average, as shown by his .374 average his freshman season. He also can move around the bases and shows good range at SS. Current mock position: 7th overall.
2B Johnboy Zikmund, Brown - Potential: 58 - Zikmund was a regular with the Brown Bears in Providence. He showed improvement each season, finsihing his junior season hitting .411/18/53 and second in the CCBL's Top Hitter Award voting behind Revere College's Biddy Juhan. Scouts think he can be a good all-around hitter who will handle the middle of the infield well on defense. He is speedy but does not steal, attempting only two with one succes in his college career. Zikmund's ceiling is not as high as many of the 80 potential players, but he has one of the highest floors and may be a straight-to-the-CBO player. Current mock position: 12th overall
Three Can't-Miss Prospects
This season's class seems to be a lot better at hitting than pitching. While it is expected that pitchers are valued more, the conservative estimation of three pitchers taken in the 1st Round is low. With that said, no pitchers in the 2316 pool are listed as "can't miss." There are some hitters who are. We are going to look at the Top Three (regardless of mock position) we see spending a lot of quality time in the CBO as a relevant player or even a star.
1. 2B Cool Papa Cornwell, Mass Maritime - While he is listed as a 2B since he is stronger at the position, Cornwell may be counted on to be the all-around star of a team, like Southie, at SS. Cornwell is expected to be a Day 1 Starter in the CBO and will probably slide into the leadoff role wherever he goes. Cornwell is 8th all-time in the CCBL in career average (.402). Scouts think he will be one of the top hitters in the CBO and could win multiple batting crowns. He will also be an all-around great player, leading to regular All-Star appearances. Current mock position: 1st.
2. SS Door Doright, Nahant Marine Institute - Doright saw his productivity drop with the Aquas, but his potential still puts him at an elite level. Scouts think his ability to hit for average and power, as well as his solid defensive skills will lead to him being a worthy pick high in the draft. There are also some scouts that fear what they call the "yips" and that Doright could do wrong at bat by overthinking his approach. That could be a reason he seemed to struggle with pitch recognition in 2316, trying too hard to improve his game rather than improving upon his game. Current mock position: 5th
3. 1B Malik Goodneighbor, Needham Radstorm - The top-rated CYL player. Goodneighbor has a lot of raw potential, but he could see himself as the star of this class. Goodneighbor was a four-year starter for the Radstorm, he helped his team win the Youth Series in 2314. He has been highly consistent and has shown steady improvements that scouts think hold his ceiling above almost everyone else in the 2316 class. He hit .432/21/68 his senior season with his average and RBI numbers being career highs. Current mock position: 9th.
CBO Mock Draft
Cornwell is expected to be the #1 overall pick by the Southie Brews. Some other factors that could come into play:
* The youth movement. Any of the CYL studs like Goodneighbor, Brockton's CF Honey Badger Matthews, Roxbury College freshman King, or Barrington's SS Curtain Nadolna could jump up to #1.
* The need for pitching. There is no immediate discussion about changing the pitcher's mound, though we think there may have been an overcompensation based on statistical changes. With that stated, teams may prioritize pitching, which could even be the Brews. If that were to happen, Vim! College freshman SP Crawdad McCarthy would be considered a #1 pick. In the end, I expect to see McCarthy in the Top 5, though the mock has him at #17.
The next four in the mock are LF Ditcher Doyle Cobbler, LF McGrath Maguire, 1B Plucky Epperson, and SS Door Doright. We mentioned Epperson and Doright before, but not Cobbler and Maguire.
Cobbler, a New Haven University sophomore, is draft eligible due to the Chargers joining the CCBL in 2316. In his one season in the CCBL, Cobbler batted .304 with 13 home runs and 47 RBI. Scouts see him as the ultimate pitcher killer. He can be patient at the plate and fight off "bad" strikes, which leads to a lot of walks and poke hits. He can also take a "good" strike and drive it over any fence in any part of the field. Cobbler can play anywhere in the outfield but prefers the corners. He will probably play LF at the next level but will get some work at CF, too.
Maguire is a Coastal University junior who hit over .400 the past two seasons with the Clams. In 2316, he hit .410/20/55 and was voted as the top-hitting LF in the CCBL. At the next level, Maguire is expected to be a leadoff hitter who can be one of the top average hitters. He can hit some home runs, but will probably not see numbers like 20 again in that category. He can steal bases and cover a lot of ground in the outfield.
A few extra players I am personally keeping my eye on based on what I have seen in their amateur play and the scouting combine:
3B Axe Dillworth, JR, Yale - Dillworth has been showig that he is committed to being a professional baseball player, spending a lot of extra time working on his game. He showed that improvement in 2316 by hitting .417 with 11 homers and 42 RBI for the Bulldogs. His ceiling is not high, but I can see him being a mainstay in the CBO. Current mock position: 20th.
SP Ricky Rich Richer, JR, Bridgeport University - Richer has been consistently good in his three seasons with the Purple Knights. He won a career high 10 games in 2316 with a career low 3.28 ERA. Scouts see his curveball as CBO elite, but he needs to work more on keeping fastballs low in the zone. He does a good job of placing pitches and should hold up over the course of a season. Current mock position: 59th (3rd round).
C Clam Krasnicki, SR, Saugus Launchers - Krasnicki is the highest potential for catchers and expected to be the first catcher taken. He hit .400 his senior season and .391 for his career. He has been consistent from season to season, showing the ability to at least maintain his talent. Now he needs a boost. Scouts think he is a good bet to be a starter in the CBO with the ability to hit in the middle of the order in time. His strength on defense is his ability to keep the ball in play. He could use some work on his arm strength for throwing out runners at second.
BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, and CYL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
1 November 2316
CBO Awards
NCA Nuka-Hitter - When it came to hitting the baseball, Jacob Tarberry had few peers in the North Charles Association this year. The gifted third baseman for Malden tagged opposing pitchers for a .338 average and was voted the Nuka-Hitter Award for 2316. Included in his season stats were 167 hits, 34 doubles, 2 triples, 25 home runs, 87 runs scored and 100 RBIs.
He received 26 first place votes out of a possible 28. Eden Babz of the Easy Town Assaultrons finished second in voting with 2 first place votes, while Floren Habern of the Malden Grognaks finished third.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Jacob Tarberry - Malden Grognaks - 26 - 382
Eden Babz - Easy Town Assaultrons - 2 - 261
Floren Habern - Malden Grognaks - 0 - 202
Jim Geiger - Cambridge Coursers - 0 - 193
Pro Jabonete - Cambridge Coursers - 0 - 149
Bubbler Mayhem - Cambridge Coursers - 0 - 147
Gavin Deux-Gas - The Slog Ghouls - 0 - 141
Jack of Diamonds Cordero - Malden Grognaks - 0 - 55
Diamond Ball - Fort Hagen Silver Shroud - 0 - 51
Red Jay Jones - Sunshine Tidings Chemists - 0 - 36
Packs Ton Kling - Lexington Synths - 0 - 14
Charles Towner - Sunshine Tidings Chemists - 0 - 6
Two Shoes Rivera - Concord Radstags - 0 - 5
Aaron Squire - Bunker Hill 75ers - 0 - 4
Zap Mast - The Slog Ghouls - 0 - 3
Brass Well - Nordhagen Beach Party Boys - 0 - 3
SCA Nuka-Hitter - Will Hell, the talented Quincy second baseman, certainly made his name known among South Charles Association hurlers this season. He hammered them for 150 hits, 30 doubles, 2 triples, 29 home runs, 84 RBIs and scored 77 times. That kind of output made him the choice for South Charles Association Nuka-Hitter Award for 2316.
He received 16 first place votes out of a possible 28. Phantom Vargas of the Vault 81 Dwellers finished second in voting with 12 first place votes, while Odd Todd Walker of the Oberland T-51s finished third.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Will Hell - Quincy Gunners - 16 - 332
Phantom Vargas - Vault 81 Dwellers - 12 - 310
Odd Todd Walker - Oberland T-51s - 0 - 206
Enigma Montgomery - Glowing Sea Radscorpions - 0 - 194
Alex Bragman - Diamond City Swatters - 0 - 163
Missile Crews - FHE Yao Guai - 0 - 131
Foo Fieterz - Oberland T-51s - 0 - 94
Pockets Wrench - Vault 81 Dwellers - 0 - 88
Stormin Normin MacDonald - Oberland T-51s - 0 - 70
Deez Phantom - Egret Ninjas - 0 - 52
Duff Fee - Quincy Gunners - 0 - 7
McMack Bingham - Atom Cats - 0 - 4
Aaron Wright - Vault 81 Dwellers - 0 - 1
NCA Vim! Pitcher - The Cambridge Coursers have a rising superstar or maybe even a budding Hall-of-Famer in the making. It's Scooter Yaghmour, this year's North Charles Association Vim! Pitcher Award selection. This blossoming hurler wowed fans, peers and sportswriters with a fabulous performance.
Yaghmour compiled a 21-4 record in 32 starts, tallied 187 strikeouts in 242 innings and recorded a 2.42 ERA. Other clubs managed only a .217 batting average against him.
He received 27 first place votes out of a possible 28. Paul Stains of the Salem Witch Hats finished second in voting with 1 first place vote, while Kevin Gauzeman of the Concord Radstags finished third.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Scooter Yaghmour - Cambridge Coursers - 27 - 193
Paul Stains - Salem Witch Hats - 1 - 96
Kevin Gauzeman - Concord Radstags - 0 - 94
Hry Caje - Malden Grognaks - 0 - 60
Jalep Temper - Bunker Hill 75ers - 0 - 31
Lonely Gale - Easy Town Assaultrons - 0 - 2
SCA Vim! Pitcher - Josh Brown had a spectacular year for Atom in 2316, putting up 16 wins for the Cats to walk away with the South Charles Association Vim! Pitcher Award trophy.
He finished the season with a 16-10 mark, 126 strikeouts and a 2.25 ERA. In 32 starts Brown surrendered 180 hits and 61 walks in 228 innings on the mound.
He received 20 first place votes out of a possible 28. Alex Language of the Glowing Sea Radscorpions finished second in voting with 3 first place votes, while Macho Lopez of the Diamond City Swatters finished third with 1 first place vote.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Josh Brown - Atom Cats - 20 - 166
Alex Language - Glowing Sea Radscorpions - 3 - 90
Macho Lopez - Diamond City Swatters - 1 - 58
Sarthis Idren - Oberland T-51s - 1 - 43
Beachboy Nut - Diamond City Swatters - 0 - 39
K-9 Creep - Atom Cats - 3 - 37
Hot Lips Houlihan - Glowing Sea Radscorpions - 0 - 37
Heaven Fontenot - Diamond City Swatters - 0 - 5
College Luckyman - Quincy Gunners - 0 - 1
NCA Manager - Chris Blizard stepped before the microphone today and accepted his North Charles Association Manager of the Year award, thanking the whole Malden Grognaks organization for making the 2316 season such a success.
Blizard struggled to find the right words. "My father was a drill instructor in the military. He taught me that you have to work hard, set goals and accept responsibility for your actions. That's what the entire Malden organization did this year. My dedicated owner, coaching staff, hard-working and talented players and loyal front office all made this award possible. I thank them for it."
And what a year it was. Blizard sparked the Grognaks to a 86-44 record and a first in the North Charles Association Brotherhood League standings.
SCA Manager - Oberland manager Proper Lighthouse was selected as the 2316 South Charles Association Manager of the Year today.
He was somewhat of a dark horse next to some of the more flashy managers up for the award. Lighthouse, who prefers that everyone call him "Cap" or "Skip," tries to shy away from the limelight in a media-driven world.
"It's really unfair to the guys that busted their humps all year long to put all the focus on me now. They showed up early, put in extra time in the cage, worked on their fielding, consulted with our coaching staff and really made 2316 a highlight in my career."
In fairness to this year's Manager of the Year, Lighthouse certainly played an important part in the T-51s success as he guided them to a second place finish in the South Charles Association Railroad League and a 74-56 record.
NCA Red Rocket Rookie - League officials announced today that Zap Mast of the The Slog Ghouls has been selected the 2316 Red Rocket Rookie Award in the North Charles Association.
The talented third baseman finished his first year batting .327 with 11 home runs, 46 RBIs and 49 runs scored.
He received 26 first place votes out of a possible 28. Jag Jouan of the Nordhagen Beach Party Boys finished second in voting with 2 first place votes, while Zara Zapper of the Nahant Celtics finished third.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Zap Mast - The Slog Ghouls - 26 - 136
Jag Jouan - Nordhagen Beach Party Boys - 2 - 88
Zara Zapper - Nahant Celtics - 0 - 27
Halep Gutteridge - Easy Town Assaultrons - 0 - 1
SCA Red Rocket Rookie - The 2316 South Charles Association Red Rocket Rookie Award has gone to Righty Tato of the Vault 81 Dwellers.
In his debut season he hit .300, drove in 42 runs and scored 37 times, while playing in 88 games. The 23-year-old newcomer also had 10 doubles, 1 triple and 11 home runs.
He received 27 first place votes out of a possible 28. Jimmie Dimmick of the Southie Brews finished second in voting with 1 first place vote, while Wunmore Tomorrow of the Oberland T-51s finished third.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Righty Tato - Vault 81 Dwellers - 27 - 138
Jimmie Dimmick - Southie Brews - 1 - 47
Wunmore Tomorrow - Oberland T-51s - 0 - 21
Dropper Millieu - Diamond City Swatters - 0 - 19
Raze DeRuffo - FHE Yao Guai - 0 - 14
Joe Bureau - Egret Ninjas - 0 - 6
Squall Gunblade - Goodneighbor Hancocks - 0 - 6
Meribrand Docybuck - Spectacle Island Reapers - 0 - 1
NCA BosCom Positional Hitters - The winners of the North Charles Association BosCom Positional Hitter Award all had a "remarkably productive," year at the plate, according to the Commonwealth Baseball Organization commissioner.
For excelling offensively, the 2316 winners are:
Pitcher
Alex Mazique (Fort Hagen Silver Shroud)
.234/.338/.344, 64 AB, 1 HR, 92 wRC+, 0.4 WAR
Catcher
Red Jay Jones (Sunshine Tidings Chemists)
.318/.349/.527, 412 AB, 21 HR, 139 wRC+, 4.8 WAR
First Baseman
Charles Towner (Sunshine Tidings Chemists)
.363/.412/.626, 289 AB, 19 HR, 199 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
Second Baseman
Jack of Diamonds Cordero (Malden Grognaks)
.316/.375/.473, 446 AB, 12 HR, 151 wRC+, 5.7 WAR
Third Baseman
Jacob Tarberry (Malden Grognaks)
.338/.395/.567, 494 AB, 25 HR, 3 SB, 188 wRC+, 8.6 WAR
Shortstop
Gavin Deux-Gas (The Slog Ghouls)
.309/.380/.471, 459 AB, 15 HR, 31 SB, 148 wRC+, 7.1 WAR
Left Fielder
Bubbler Mayhem (Cambridge Coursers)
.330/.384/.572, 430 AB, 22 HR, 5 SB, 169 wRC+, 5.3 WAR
Center Fielder
Eden Babz (Easy Town Assaultrons)
.342/.415/.511, 407 AB, 9 HR, 78 SB, 167 wRC+, 8.0 WAR
Right Fielder
Jim Geiger (Cambridge Coursers)
.321/.412/.476, 471 AB, 10 HR, 49 SB, 156 wRC+, 6.5 WAR
SCA BosCom Positional Hitters - The 2316 South Charles Association BosCom Positional Hitter Award winners were announced today. These players had standout offensive seasons that were better than their peers at their respective positions.
The winners are:
Pitcher
Sluggo Pyne (FHE Yao Guai)
.262/.262/.286, 42 AB, 38 wRC+, -0.5 WAR
Catcher
Phantom Vargas (Vault 81 Dwellers)
.306/.378/.555, 389 AB, 21 HR, 12 SB, 169 wRC+, 7.0 WAR
First Baseman
Dexion Evicus (Oberland T-51s)
.295/.343/.487, 485 AB, 20 HR, 7 SB, 142 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
Second Baseman
Will Hell (Quincy Gunners)
.320/.400/.578, 469 AB, 29 HR, 174 wRC+, 6.8 WAR
Third Baseman
Donovan Mackey (Spectacle Island Reapers)
.316/.385/.479, 332 AB, 11 HR, 3 SB, 146 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
Shortstop
Stormin Normin MacDonald (Oberland T-51s)
.314/.410/.474, 437 AB, 11 HR, 22 SB, 159 wRC+, 5.0 WAR
Left Fielder
Foo Fieterz (Oberland T-51s)
.300/.385/.529, 444 AB, 22 HR, 17 SB, 166 wRC+, 4.5 WAR
Center Fielder
Missile Crews (FHE Yao Guai)
.317/.385/.453, 461 AB, 7 HR, 59 SB, 144 wRC+, 7.0 WAR
Right Fielder
Deez Phantom (Egret Ninjas)
.362/.410/.520, 442 AB, 13 HR, 176 wRC+, 4.6 WAR
NCA Fallon's Reliever - His manager and teammates call Hunter Kim a true bullpen ace.
The North Charles Association calls him the winner of the Fallon's Reliever Award for 2316.
The Lexington Synths relief specialist out of Norton, Massachusetts, won the award with 32 saves in 61 relief appearances, 68 strikeouts in 73 innings and 31 walks.
He compiled a record of 4 wins and 3 losses and had a 1.36 ERA.
He received 28 first place votes, as a unanimous winner. Tut Cadillac of the Easy Town Assaultrons finished second in voting, while Cleveland Heep of the Bunker Hill 75ers finished third.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Hunter Kim - Lexington Synths - 28 - 140
Tut Cadillac - Easy Town Assaultrons - 0 - 50
Cleveland Heep - Bunker Hill 75ers - 0 - 35
Rump Pellstilt - Malden Grognaks - 0 - 27
SCA Fallon's Reliever - Professor Harriel was dominant and cool under pressure this year, and his standout performance has earned the Quincy Gunners closer recognition as the 2316 South Charles Association Fallon's Reliever Award.
"I was just doing my job, and my job is to get people out," said the 29-year-old out of Indianapolis, Indiana.
The award winner made 65 relief appearances this year and had 29 saves. He fanned 54 batters in 80.2 innings, with 17 walks. He pitched to a record of 4 wins and 5 losses to go with his 1.12 ERA.
He received 28 first place votes, as a unanimous winner. Swampy Tamragouri of the University Point Deathclaws finished second in voting, while Wunmore Tomorrow of the Oberland T-51s finished third.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Professor Harriel - Quincy Gunners - 28 - 140
Swampy Tamragouri - University Point Deathclaws - 0 - 66
Wunmore Tomorrow - Oberland T-51s - 0 - 41
Neeshagh Raggett - Roxbury Rad Sox - 0 - 5
NCA Corvega Top Defender - What does it take to win a Corvega Top Defender Award? It's a combination of good hands, knowing how to play the hitters, all-out hustle and a willingness to sacrifice your body to make a play. Good speed and a good arm never hurt either, but not always required. This year's all-defense team in the North Charles Association consists of:
Pitcher
Mister Burns (Nordhagen Beach Party Boys)
Catcher
Clownie Blammo (Cambridge Coursers)
First Baseman
Jimmy-James Sessoms (Cambridge Coursers)
Second Baseman
Breha Queen (Cambridge Coursers)
Third Baseman
Tommy Whitetiger (Lexington Synths)
Shortstop
Peter Pan Calvillo (Sunshine Tidings Chemists)
Left Fielder
Grandson Quarles (Nahant Celtics)
Center Fielder
Jurgen Windcaller (Malden Grognaks)
Right Fielder
Slammin' Sammy Holloway (Nordhagen Beach Party Boys)
SCA Corvega Top Defender - The highlight reels were full of plays from these Commonwealth Baseball Organization standouts this year. The South Charles Association Corvega Top Defender Award for 2316 has been awarded to the following players:
Pitcher
Exxie Summerset (Vault 81 Dwellers)
Catcher
Phantom Vargas (Vault 81 Dwellers)
First Baseman
Duncan MacCready (FHE Yao Guai)
Second Baseman
Odd Todd Walker (Oberland T-51s)
Third Baseman
Tre' Morgueman (Jamaica Plain Red Rockets)
Shortstop
Poncho Picasso (Glowing Sea Radscorpions)
Left Fielder
Ken Debate (Jamaica Plain Red Rockets)
Center Fielder
Adrian Worthmuch (Roxbury Rad Sox)
Right Fielder
Pockets Wrench (Vault 81 Dwellers)
CBO Noteworthy News
October 27 - University Point and Bunker Hill announced some roster changes today as the Deathclaws acquired 25-year old RHP Skip McIntosh, 21-year old minor league LHP Powt Topher, 23-year old minor league RHP Gauge Jump, and a 3rd round draft pick from the 75ers in exchange for 38-year old RHP Digger Vadim. Representatives from both teams say they are pleased with the deal.
Vadim has rolled up a 220-144 career record and he boasts a lifetime ERA of 3.75.