Philosophy, Science, Theology, Ancient Secrets
California Crusader Minor League Batter Awards of 2040
- (AAA) Clash City Rockers; Tony Tucker -- Tucker was a model of consistency for the the 3rd place Rockers this past season. After receiving a promotion to AAA after 19 games in AA Compton, the speedy 23-year-old prospect slashed a line of .264/.351/.514 from the lead-off spot for Clash City. Tucker profiles as a fringe fourth outfielder in the BBA, but another solid season in AAA (or catastrophic injuries) will help his cause in getting that elusive cup of coffee for California. (Honorable mentions: OF Júlio Medina, .268/.338/.473 in 474 PA; and 1B Drew Hair, .302/.392/.601 in 308 PA)
- (AA) Compton Crush; Cheng-ho Ji -- The 23-year-old sweet swinging first-baseman out of Taiwan, who answers to the nickname, Chicken, had an historic season for AA Compton. Ji belted 52 home runs and drove in 128 runs on his way to a .330/.407/.711 slash-line, compiling a team-best 6.9 WAR. Most intriguing for California scouts and top brass is Ji's walks and strikeout numbers. Ji struck out only 26 times in 528 plate appearances while walking 43 times -- incredible figures for a power hitting first baseman. (Honorable mentions: 1B/3B César Feliciana, .340/.398/.592 in 523 PA; and UT Joe Lacy, .330/.363/.560 in 204 PA)
- (A) Hollywood Silver Stars; Joe Lacy -- Already receiving an honorable mention for a great second half of his season in AA, utility-man Joe Lacy earned his promotion to Compton by displaying great bat skills in Hollywood, slashing .319/.340/.590 in 354 PA. He hammered 19 home runs and drove in 67 for the Silver Stars, compiling 3.5 WAR. Lacy is one of the most exciting players within the Crusader organization as he continues to outplay his scout ratings at every level. According to Triple P's top unpaid intern, Wasim Jeffers Jr., Lacy is considered the darling of General Manager Shoeless. (Honorable mentions: OF Keith Schultz, .271/.315/.446 in 583 PA; and SS Thomas Kramer, .255/.290/.503 in 535 PA, including 27 HR)
- (SA) Philipsburg Saints; Hirokazu Uchida -- A 19-year-old native of Japan, Uchida ran away with the batter award for the division winning Saints this season, slashing .281/.364/.707. His 31 home runs led all short-season A batters throughout the entire BBA. (Honorable mention: 1B Cisco 'Vulture' López, .283/.390/.476 in 347 PA)
- (R) Berkeley Golden Bears; Rodrigo Valles -- Born from an intense love affair between the god, Zeus, and a Mayan princess, the catching prospect out of Costa Rica displayed his meteoric potential for the Golden Bears this season, slashing .245/.314/.530 in 223 PA. Valles, California's 20th round selection in the 2040 draft, led Berkeley in the following categories: HR (14); RBI (36); OBP (.314); Slugging (.530); OPS (.844); WAR (2.4); Total Bases (104); ISO (.285); OPS+ (146); WPA (1.42); and, WOBA (.339). (Honorable mention: 1B José López, .248/.289/.437 in 218 PA)
