Vicente Lamb, Stars Reporter
August 26, 2057
VALENCIA – The Rockets managed a fourth place finish in 2057, with a 26-42 record. The winning team of 2055 remains a brief disruption of a long narrative of losing at the Rookie League level. In the main, Rockets hitting was not good, ranking 14th of 16 teams in many statistical categories. The performance of the pitching staff, happily, was fairly steady, aided by competent play in the field.
Acquired: 2057 Rookie Draft, 14th Pick in Round 15 (472nd Overall)
Born: Carolina, Puerto Rico
.307/.395/.518, .923 OPS, 146 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
Signature Moment: Hit two home runs in a game on July 13, against the Bartlett Jazz.
It is perhaps a testament to the depth of the 2057 draft that a player taken in the 15th round performed at such a high level, and that this doesn't really come as much of a surprise. Teenager Rubio was electric at the plate, cannily active on the base paths, and even made a positive contribution in the field. Rubio is still a fringe prospect, with a future value of 40. He doesn't look to have the potential at the plate for a corner outfielder, or defensive potential for a center fielder. He would need to make strides in one area or the other (or both, if you want to be optimistic), in order to reach the BBA.
Acquired: 2057 Rookie Draft, 14th Pick in Round 19 (600th overall)
Born: Jamao el Norte, Dominican Republic
3.07 ERA, 47 K, 19 BB, 46 HA, 3 HRA, 58.2 IP, 77 FIP-, 1.4 WAR
Signature Moment: Allowed zero earned runs in 5.2 IP, striking out 8, walking 2, and allowing 1 hit, earning a game score of 73, against the Lexington Sycamores on July 9.
Right-handed starter prospect Gutiérrez turned in an unimpeachable season with the Rockets. Another product of the 2057 draft, he displayed remarkable poise on the mound for a sixteen year old, and instructors describe him as a dream to coach. A flyball pitcher with a worrying hard hit rate, Gutiérrez will have no future in the BBA unless he can find a way to induce softer contact. Scouts reckon his future value at 30, and there has seen some modest improvement in scouting projections.