Vicente Lamb, Stars Reporter
October 9, 2056
VALENCIA – The Stars continue to misspell the name of the town in which their rookie ball team is located (Russellville, Arkansas). The Rockets' success in 2055 (a winning record!) is looking more like a fluke than an indication of any newfound commitment to winning baseball in the minor leagues. The 20-44 Rockets were bad. Really bad. There weren't really any outstanding players on the squad, but here are two of the better ones.
Acquired: 2056, 23rd Pick in Round 1
Born: Sydney, Australia
.327/.376/.544, .920 OPS, 149 wRC+, 1.4 WAR
Signature Moment: Went 3 for 5 with a double and a home run on July 25, against the Denison Monarchs
The Stars tried Sang out in short-season a-ball as soon as the ink was dry on his contract with the team (which contract netted Sang a $3.37M signing bonus). That did not work out. Sang had a .406 OPS after 70 plate appearances in 29 games. He had a much easier time in rookie ball, though that's not really where you want to see a player who was drafted out of college. Sang had a pretty high ceiling, for whatever OSA scouting ratings are worth, with a 55 future value. Getting the notoriously 'not super motivated' Sang to that ceiling may be a chore. Word from Arkansas is that Sang isn't all that great of a teammate, but he is still a teenager, so there is some reason to hope that there is still room for maturation.
Acquired: 2055 Draft, 20th Pick in Round 9 (287th overall)
Born: Oceanside, California
4.61 ERA, 43 K, 14 BB, 57 HA, 3 HRA, 54.2 IP, 76 FIP-, 1.4 WAR
Signature Moment: Allowed zero earned runs in a five-inning start, striking out 7, walking one, and allowing 1 hit, earning a game score of 71, against the Gaylord Sting Rays on July 30th
Right-handed starter prospect Rodríguez turned 18 this season, his second as a professional. He features an unimpressive 88 mph fastball, a plus changeup, and a cutter. He did a solid job of keeping the ball in the park (so maybe the movement isn't as bad as it looks?), though his strikeout rate hasn't really budged since his senior year in high school. As things stand now, Rodríguez does not look like a true prospect, with a future value of 30, though he has seen some modest improvement in scouting projections. We'll keep an eye on him going into 2056.