2057.14 Lessman says Nine's Silver Springs Hopes Eternal (The Heroes)

[Trebro]

Editor's note: Our amazing, award-winning farm reporter, Nes Lessman, wrote some amazing work about the Yellow Springs Nine 2056 minor league seasons, the first in which the organization under GM Rob McMonigal reached that achievement. Unfortunately, they got lost in our offices until recently and are presented here for our readers to see just how good Lessman is at evaluating talent.

Was it only a few years ago that I was making jokes about this team being a bloody mess? Well, those days are long gone, at least for now.

The Heroes:

Starters:

I was tempted to just say "all of them" because here's a fun stat – With the exception of a emergency start by Roy Hall, no one who started for the Tarpons had a FIP- of higher than 94. That's a big reason why this team made the playoffs for the first time since 2050. But I'll pick out a few.

SP Ignacio Garcia. 24. A 7th round pick in 2053 with a middling record, Garcia was given a chance to start in 2056 despite low marks from scouts and he excelled, 11-9 in 26 starts with a WAR of 3.4, ERA of 3.94, and FIP- of 89. His metrics make me skeptical that he can make it all the way to Yellow Springs (1.34 WHIP, k/9 of just 5.4) and he's never had this level of success before. But hey, beating the odds makes him a hero in my book. He'll be with Santa Cruz in 2057.

SP Erik Johnson. 24. Johnson just won't give up. BBA national scouts despise him. I remember one even going so far as to say "Why is this guy even still in the pros?" But the fact is, Johnson is defying the odds. He was selected in 2053 one round ahead of Garcia, and just keeps pitching well. This was arguably his best year yet, going 10-6 in 22 starts with a WAR of 2.8 and FIP- of 89. But like Garcia the magic is likely to be running out of tricks. His 1.39 WHIP is concerning, though his K numbers are better (6.9/9) and his ERA was crisper at 3.68. He also has to go to AA in 2057 and we'll see if he's a storybook sensation of if the scouts are wrong and another solid season is ahead of him. I'm totally rooting for the kid to make it as far as he can. He works his tail off.

Relievers:

No one stood out to me here. The team's strength was in their starters, who went deep into games.

Position Players:

This is going to take awhile folks:

OF Edgar Barron. 22. The 2055 first round pick (3rd overall) raised a few eyebrows when he was selected over other candidates, but he's shined so far, building on a great 2055 with a spectacular 2056. He won the Sixto Mazzolo Batter Award for the Charley Pegler League with an eye-popping 7.4 WAR. He had an OPS of .952, including 23 homers while playing all across the outfield, with center being his best position, making him a key piece of McMonigal's planned future. He does this all with almost no emotion, too. Whether he strikes out (which is rare) or hits a homer, whether he makes an error (only 7 all year) or a highlight reel catch, Barron's temperament remains the same. I understand other teams keep their scout eyes on him and rightfully so. He'll move up a level to AA in 2057, and while a regression is almost certain, he's a star in the making.

OF uentin Bronson. 22. Bronson was given a chance to start full-time in 2056 after being shunted aside in 2055 with Cat Island. He didn't disappoint. The 2054 4th round pick hit .361, which was no surprise given his averages the past few years, with an OPS of .900 and a WAR of 4.4. In most circumstances he's the star of the OF show, but, well, Barron. Bronson lacks HR power, but he's a doubles machine (47 last year) which helped him score 91 times and knock in 74 others. His bat plays but the defense needs some work. Might stick in A-ball to work on that, but depending on how the org shakes down, I could also easily see him joining Barron in Santa Cruz.

IF Felix Abernathy. 23. 2054's first round selection has shown McMonigal's faith in him was well-founded, with another solid year bouncing around the ballpark to the tune of a 4.2 WAR, meshing well with his 4.4 WAR in rookie ball and 3.2 WAR in Short A. Abernathy showed some signs of slowing down a bit with the bat, hitting just .268 versus .327 the prior year, which is something to watch as time goes on. However, he still hit 21 home runs and his OBP was almost 100 points higher than his average, showing his eyes are still sharp. As an infielder, it's his defense that matters most and he had his best zone rating ever at 3.9 in 68 games playing shortstop. Felix played well at second 1.5 ZR in 56 games and was passable at third, his worst infield position, at -.7. McMonigal kept him out of the outfield this year, and that's likely the path going forward as Abernathy, provided he can remain healthy, is groomed to take on the shortstop position in Yellow Springs sometime around 2058.

IF Tomas Gonzales. 23. Like Bronson, Gonzales would get more press if he wasn't Abernathy's less-heralded peer. The 19th (not a typo) round pick in 2054 is not seen as very smart, but he's exceeding all expectations at every level, playing alongside Abernathy and splitting second and shortstop duties, with third a likely addition as time progresses. Gonzales beefed up to 3.9 WAR with the Tarpons, batting .295 with a respectable .778 OPS. He's a sleeper candidate for sure, and moving to Santa Cruz will either make or break him. But having never (allegedly) played second before 2056, Tomas had a zone rating of over 5 in 40 games there, with, get this, ZERO errors. He almost certainly can get to the BBA with a glove of that caliber, perhaps only as a reserve, but with the potential for more.