C-Notes 2041.10 - When the Cougar Calls

[GoldenOne]

When the Cougar calls, excitement builds. For the young guys, there is just nothing like it! This September, four young-uns, two pitchers and two batters, are getting the call to see if they can handle the Cougar(s)! Getting the call are:

Pitchers:
-- SP Keijo 'Coach' Reini Reini is Charlotte's top pitching prospect and almost immediately is seen as the Ace of the staff. The 24 yo Hungarian has elite stuff, average control but does not have much movement. However, his three pitch repertoire is outstanding. While his fastball is above average, his curveball and changeup are off the charts and almost fully developed. In his 29 starts at AAA Richmond, Reini is 18-7 with a 3.88 ERA and a WHIP of 1.07 to go along with his 257 Ks and only 70 walks in just 201 innings. Charlotte is hoping Reini can show the fans what it will be like to see him every five days next season.

-- SP Guillermo Sánchez The 20 yo Salvadorian came to the Cougars (along with Ángel Romero) in the June 2040 trade that sent Pepe Jaramillo to Rockville. Sanchez has had a meteoric rise to Charlotte, spending the 2040 season in Rookie/Short A ball before jumping to AAA this season. His 18-4 record, 27 starts, with AAA Richmond, along with an ERA of 2.87, WHIP of 1.05 made the big league club take notice. While his stuff is not going to blow people away, his control and movement, coupled with his above-average curveball, changeup, and sinker will play nicely with the stellar defensive infield that resides in Charlotte.

Batters:
-- RF Sebastian 'Nino' Fradesso The 20 yo Fradesso, part of the haul from Edmonton in the Amos Swallows trade, still has developing to do but will most likely find his way onto the big league club next season for his bat and above average defense. In his 501 ABs in AAA this season, Fradesso is hitting .301/.365/.457 - numbers that have to excite the Cougar brass.

-- SS Quinn 'Short Stuff' Richardson There wasn't much of a doubt Richardson would make the quick trip from Richmond to Charlotte this September. The AA All-Star game MVP's call up to AAA after that game was an easy decision. In almost the same amount of time in AAA as AA (69 game to 66 games), Richardson's average and OBP may have dropped 13 and 22 points, but he found his power stroke, increasing his slugging percentage from .553 to .619 (hitting 10 more HRs than he had in AA.) Add to that his well above-average defensive abilities and its obvious why Charlotte only bought him a one-way ticket.