Vicente Lamb, Stars Reporter
September 22, 2055
Acquired: 2052 Draft, 18th Pick in Round 4 (136th overall)
Born: Newport Beach, California
.362/.446/.477, .923 OPS, 136 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
Signature Moment: Went 4 for 4 with a walk, a stolen base, and three runs scored on July 21, against the Kingston Legends
Guerra has been around for a while now, just completing up his age nineteen season, his fourth as a professional. He was an on-base machine for the Ringers, but extra base hits were few and far between. A pretty good fielder compared to his peers, he doesn't project as a big league center fielder. Team officials have made comments about moving him around to left field, and even second base next season in A ball. Standing at 6' 7”, Guerra has a power forward's frame that has so far resisted efforts to pack more meat on it. Coaches describe his metabolism as 'unreal', lamenting that no matter how much food they put in front of him, Guerra can't seem to gain any weight. Scouts are skeptical that he'll ever become a power hitter. The BBA scouting service gives him a future value of 35.
Acquired: Minor League Free Agent; June 19, 2054
Born: New London, Connecticut
6.19 ERA, 49 K, 25 BB, 56 HA, 1 HRA, 48.0 IP, 78 FIP-, 1.1 WAR
Signature Moment: Allowed 0 earned runs in a five and a third-inning start, struck out 7, walked 2, and allowed 5 hits, earning a game score of 63, against the Hermosillo Naranjeros on July 19th
Right-hander Eklund was originally drafted by Jacksonville in the 16th round of the 2054 draft, but was released before ever taking the field for that organization. Signed by the Stars largely as minor league filler two weeks later, Eklund was placed in Class A Short Season right out of high school, where he has turned in some innings, both as a starter and reliever. A .404 BABIP guaranteed a high ERA in 2055, but Eklund's underlying stats were solid, so he gets the nod here. This may be the high-water mark of his professional career. Eklund is not considered to be a pitching prospect. His command is not elite and likely won't ever be. The BBA scouting service gives him a 20 future value.
