With almost two months gone of the Rookie Ball season it’s time to check up on Louisville’s 2035 top Amateur Draft prospects. The top six picks are all currently at Bowling Green who are currently 28-18 despite a shaky opening to the season. The teams defence needs work, as you would probably expect with a rookie league team, but they’ve all bought into the franchise ethos of running like fuck at all opportunities, rarely striking out and allowing the least home runs. The Corvettes have a +33 run differential after 46 games.
#1 (26th Overall) P Jose Antonio Rivera
17-yr-old RHP Jose has good movement on his pitches and his best pitch is a sinker but everything else is a work in progress. In his first eight starts he has posted a 3-1 record with a 3.48 ERA, he has given up four homers in just over 50 innings pitched with a 29/8 K/BB ratio. If he can make strides forward with his stuff he really can progress.
#2 (60th overall) LF Manny Nieves
18-yr-old Manny has real speed and a cannon for an arm but is fairly mediocre in all other aspects. Without a starting role at Bowling Green, manager Lightnin Hopkins is using him as a backup at Third and in Left field. In 13 games so far Manny is hitting .162/,295/.270 but three of his six hits have been for extra bases and he has also walked five times.
#2 (Supp Rd, 69th overall) P Chris Johnson
23-yr-old LHP Chris has a history already. Originally drafted 64th overall in the 2030 draft by Long Beach and bounced around franchises, being traded to Havana and then on to Calgary. He managed a Spike Nolan All Star appearance and a Rupert Horn Memorial All Star appearance but a month after that his world fell in when he suffered a torn UCL. Missing over a year he just managed a few starts in 2034 at Double-A before he was released. Going back to college he re-entered the draft in 2035 and Louisville took a flyer on him. With three fully developed pitches and good movement Chris has potential to go all the way if only he can sort his control out. In 99 pro games so far he has walked 196 batters and every pitch is an adventure at times. Starting 2035 in rookie ball if he can work it out he could well be on the express line back to the top levels of the farm. A herniated disc in his neck has cost him three weeks but in his four starts he is 1-0 with a 0.79 ERA and a 19/3 K/BB. Small sample size obviously but more of that could see him promoted up the ladder quickly.
#3 (105th overall) P Bob Bartlett
20-yr-old RHP Bob is a promising pick at 105. He has three promising pitches, reasonable movement on them and a bit of room to improve his overall stuff. The knock on him is that his control could be better but his opening eight starts have put him in the possible next cab on the promotion rank. He is 6-1 with a 1.58 ERA in those starts, striking out 48 while walking just 7. Much more dominant versus righty batters (29 FIP- & 18.00 K/BB) then leftys (98 FIP- & 2.40 K/BB)
#4 (135th overall) 2B Antonio Alures
20-yr-old Antonio was known as a hard-working leader at college and Louisville hopes he can bring that to the pros. If he can just develop his all-round game and sharpen that defence he could progress up the ladder. His stats are pleasing so far in his first pro year, 27 appearances, .269/.337/.473 with three homers and 10 walks compared to 11 strikeouts. Not the quickest, he is trying to improve his running on the bases and is 100% in three attempts so far.
#5 (165th overall) SS Richard Gilbert
22-yr-old Richard has the chance of developing into a good shortstop if he can expand his fielding range, his other defensive traits are spot on, but he just doesn’t have the range at the moment of a top class man at short. His speed is only middling, but he has the smarts on the bases. At the moment he is having to be content with a backup role at short to 24-yr-old minor league free agent Cristo Torres, but he has a .373 OBP and a .841 OPS in a small sample size together with two homers and nine RBI. If he continues this he will have a future somewhere in the organisation.