2053.13 FARM REPORT for April 2053: Santa Cruz Spartans

GM: Rob McMonigal

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2053.13 FARM REPORT for April 2053: Santa Cruz Spartans

Post by Trebro » Sat Dec 17, 2022 2:02 pm

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The Farm Report for April 2053: Santa Cruz Spartans
by Nes Lessman, Yellow Springs Journal


As noted in the AAA report, GM McMonigal wants these teams to win. Well, it's not working out that way so far. There's not much here in the lower minors, as you'll soon see. The bigger issue the Spartans have is their manager Jin-oong An, whose relationships with the players remains average but he's extraordinarily reclusive. I don't normally report on rumors, but I just can't escape the feeling that he's got something to hide. He's too straight laced, too clean cut. I never see him curse or spit or even grab his crotch. It's just unnerving. I've got my sources out there trying to find out whether there's more to this story or if he's just, well, bland.

ImageSanta Cruz Spartans, 13-19, 4th place, 7 games back

Offensively, this team is offensive, being at or near the bottom of the the Walter Cox League in almost all statistics save home runs, where they are inexplicably 4th with 35. That's led by RF John Carson, one of the oldest players on the team at 26 (McMonigal actually has internal policies regarding age limits in the minors and instituted them immediately, so the upcoming league change should not impact on the Nine as significantly as it may others.). He has 6 home runs, which is half his prior career best, and is batting an eye-popping .357, which is nearly 100 points over his career best. A sign of late maturity or just a reflection of the competition he's facing? It's hard to say. The big issue is that he's a butcher in the field (career zone rating in right is -13.7 and he's already -7.8 for the season) and doesn't have the ability to play anywhere else that he's demonstrated at this late date.

It doesn't get better inside the dirt. First baseman Jim Donaldson also has 6 dingers so far, but he's also 26 and is hitting an anemic .186. He shouldn't even be starting, let alone thought of as a prospect. He's a 3rd round soon to be flame out who hopefully is planning the next stage of his life path. C Pat Hester has some hope for the future, as he's hitting a decent .270 after .273 last year and with a good enough eye to take his OBP up another .100 points from there. He's seen as a born leader and while his catching skills still need work, the 2047 5th round pick should be in Indianapolis before the season is over, possibly as soon as the draft picks start filtering in. He's the best hope the Spartans have of a current offensive player getting to the Nine's roster.

Pitching on the Spartans is a mixed bag. The easy favorite here is SP Dave O'Reilly, who was selected in the Rule 5 Draft but returned, much to GM McMonigal's relief. A 10th round pick in 2049, O'Reilly is clearly ready to take on AAA batters at the first opportunity, with a AA whip in the 1.20 range, k/9 of over 10 and walk rate of about 2 or so per nine innings. There's no way McMonigal leaves him exposed again in the off-season, so there's even a chance that O'Reilly gets a cup of coffee. SP Paul Cherry probably will transition to the bullpen at some point but is holding his own at AA, mostly due to the logjam of bubble players at the AAA club. This is his third year in a Spartans uniform, and he's what you see on the tin: about a 1.30 WHIP, 3.5 to 4.0 ERA and a k/9 that's typically around 8, though it's down so far this year to 4.5.

Lastly, closer Mike Young is one to keep an eye on, with the 9th round choice in 2048 really starting to put it together. His walks per nine in 2052 was 7.1 and this year it's an average 3.4, though his k/9 dipped a bit from 9.9 to 7.4. Still his trajectory looks good and really shows there are many good players to be had in the middle rounds of the draft, with some skills and luck. The flier pick to watch here is 22 year old Jin-Haeng Kim, who while nothing spectacular, is said to be very intelligent. His numbers are significantly better in 2053, with his WHIP at 1.02 from 1.46 and walks down a full free pass per nine from last year to this one so far.

The Bottom Line: As with Indianapolis, Santa Cruz has virtually nothing to offer among batters and a few pitchers who may be able to aid the team, allowing McMonigal to prioritize fielders in free agency. They also have a weirdo for a manager, if you ask me.
Rob McMonigal
Yellow Springs Nine Sep 2052 - ????

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Re: 2053.13 FARM REPORT for April 2053: Santa Cruz Spartans

Post by Jwalk100 » Sat Dec 17, 2022 2:24 pm

I agree with your assessment of Cherry. He will be a good reliever that keeps the ball in the park.
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Re: 2053.13 FARM REPORT for April 2053: Santa Cruz Spartans

Post by tylertoo » Sat Dec 17, 2022 6:01 pm

Farm reports are great. I need to do these. In large part because my ML team is so horrible.
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