Top Ten Protostars
Lets take a look at the top rated prospects in the Stars system as determined by BNN. We'll only do one or two an article because participation points *ahem* of time contraints.
LHP Carlos Silva - 21yrs old, #80 BBN, #1 Valencia
Silva is a former 1st round pick (2041. #25) who's enjoyed moderate success through a relatively quick climb through the minors. In his first 7 big league starts he is 2-2 with a 3.64 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. Statistically, his best professional season thus far, was last year when he started 13 games at AAA San Jose putting up a 5-2 record with 3.56ERA/1.28WHIP.
The 6'4" lefty sports 3 very good pitches with his 93-95mph fastball and slider both vying for his best pitch depending on the day. He keeps hitters honest with a plus changeup that would be the envy of most big league hurlers. Silva delivers from an over-the-top arm slot which combined with his height make his pitches seem to jump to the plate faster than what the radar-gun shows. His control can sometimes wander, but for the most part he has kept his walks in check. While not a particularly good fielder, he makes most of the routine plays without incident.
The foremost concern with "Headcase" has been his ability to stay on the field. His only notable arm injury was an elbow strain in 2043 that cost him a month of time. Doctors said he could play though it, but the club shut him down out of caution. 2044 saw his most serious injury to date as he was sidelined with a torn meniscus for 4 months. As he seems to be pitching well now, club officials are optimistic that there will be no long term effects, but note that he couldn't really run much slower anyway.
It is believed that the club will start Silva in the rotation next season with defined limits on pitches and possibly innings. Likely a #3 starter, Silva is young enough to have some hope of improving beyond his current projections. His scouting reports seem to be trending up despite the large amount of time missed this season. One would imagine the club would have Silva penciled into the rotation for the next few years. It will be interesting to watch his development, and whether the club elects to eventually swap the young picture for additional assets as he could prove very valuable to a contending team with salary constraints.
