With a roster still in flux heading into the 2058 season, the Portland Lumberjacks front office opted this spring to invite as many of its young prospects as possible to spring training. Even though the Lumberjacks projections aren't good for the 2058 season, the fact the team has the 4th ranked farm system has still kept the interest among many fans. And when fans heard that #4 ranked prospect Mynorli Gaajlimitz would be playing in spring games, fans were ecstatic.
"I can't wait to get my first look at Mynorli" one young fan screamed at spring training.
"There's a lot of hype around this kid" stated another older fan, "I know he might be a few years off but I like the fact I can get my first glance of him here in camp since we couldn't make the trip to the Caribbean to see him this past season."
Despite just being 17 years old, Gaajlimitz has much of the league abuzz about his hitting prowess, especially after setting a record in short-A ball last season. The young Gaajlimitz struggled in his first week of camp, recording just one hit in 9 at-bats while drawing a pair of walks.
"He's not making the big league team out of camp" commented team assistant general manager Kate Fiscus. "But he's mature for a 17 year old. We felt that after the season he had last year and the way we've evaluated him, he could use the experience up here with the big league guys. And as you can see, the fans want to see him. So it's a win-win for everyone. Mynorli gets some experience and fans get their first real view of the young prospect."
Gaajlimitz wasn't the only young spring invitee. 19 year old Greg Squires is also getting a taste of the big league lifestyle this spring. Unlike Gaajlimitz, Squires has made it to Double-A already, posting a 3.7 WAR last season and is actually a candidate to make the big league club this season as an outfielder. He tallied 7 hits in his last 10 spring games.
"We're going to see how the rest of spring plays out with Greg" added Fiscus. "We like what we see in him. He's a versatile outfielder who can play all 3 positions. His bat still needs some seasoning but we'll see how the rest of the month pans out. I wouldn't be surprised to see Squires on the opening day roster or at least on the big league squad sometime this season. At worst, he'll be with Quincy (Triple-A) to start the season."
Murali Patachli is another top prospect that has seen some big league time this spring. At 23, he's older than Squires and Gaajlimitz but needs a lot of seasoning to make the big league roster. The front office hopes a few more weeks with the big league coaching staff could possibly elevate Patachli enough this spring to where he'll be a AA/AAA guy this season and ready for Portland in 2059 at the latest.
