Boardwalk Empire-2035.5- Tallahassee Hitting Disappointments

[Joshua Biddle]

Tallahassee Gamblers - Disappointments at the Plate

During the Tallahassee Gamblers’ 18-10 campaign in the FPL, the following hitters in the Atlantic City organization slightly disappointed at the plate, at least relative to the overall strong offensive performance by the Gamblers:

Third baseman Nicholas Salazar - .257/.342/.436 with 15 runs scored, 6 doubles, 4 home runs, 17 RBIs, 1 stolen base in 1 attempt (1.000 success rate), and a 0.4 WAR in 101 at-bats. In 227 innings at third base, 3 errors (.955 fielding percentage), a 2.54 range factor, a -0.1 zone rating, and a .999 defensive efficiency.

Salazar, 21, was drafted with the 23rd pick in the 16th round (460th overall) of the 2031 BBA Amateur Draft by the Atlantic City Gamblers organization. Salazar spent the 2034 season with Class-AAA Brooklyn, where he finished the season hitting .241/.322/.466 with 34 runs scored, 9 doubles, 16 home runs, 43 RBIs, and a 0.3 WAR in 253 at-bats. In 551 1/3 innings at third base, Salazar recorded 11 errors (.940 fielding percentage), a 2.81 range factor, a -10.8 zone rating, and a .883 defensive efficiency; in 96 2/3 innings at second base, Salazar recorded 1 error (.977 fielding percentage), a 4.00 range factor, a +0.0 zone rating, and a 1.000 defensive efficiency; in 8 innings at first base, Salazar recorded 0 errors (1.000 fielding percentage), a 10.13 range factor, a 0.0 zone rating, and a .000 defensive efficiency. Scouts rate Salazar as having 5/6/6/6/5 contact/gap/power/eye/avoid K ratings / potential ratings; 4/8/9 speed/stealing/baserunning ratings; a 3 first base rating; a 4 second base rating; a 5 third base rating; and 5/8/9/6 infield range/infield error/infield arm/turn double play ratings. Salazar is expected to remain in Class-AAA, likely as the starting third baseman. He has good raw defensive skills as an infielder, though they haven’t translated into success on the field to date. This will keep Salazar from promotion to Atlantic City unless he can harness this talent and translate it to production. Third base appears to be the best match based on his skills; however, Salazar would most certainly need to produce more offensively, especially from a power perspective, to justify playing third base in a BBA lineup.

Shortstop Antonio Orantes - .200/.250/.267, 2 runs, 1 double, 1 RBI, and a -0.1 WAR in 15 at-bats. In 25 innings at second base, 1 error (.938 fielding percentage), 5.40 range factor, -0.3 zone rating, .938 defensive efficiency; in 13 innings at shortstop, 0 errors (1.000 fielding percentage), 5.54 range factor, -0.4 zone rating, and a .876 defensive efficiency.

Orantes, 19, was drafted with the 23rd pick in the 18th round of the 2031 BBA Amateur Draft by the Atlantic City Gamblers organization. Orantes spent the 2034 season with Rookie Class Albany and Class-Short Season A Bogota. For Rookie Class Albany, Orantes finished the season hitting .315/.383/.556 with 10 runs scored, 1 double, 4 home runs, 7 RBIs, and a 0.7 WAR in 54 at-bats. In 57 innings at shortstop, Orantes recorded 1 error (.971 fielding percentage), a 5.37 range factor, a +0.1 zone rating, and a 1.009 defensive efficiency; in 39 innings at second base, Orantes recorded 0 errors (1.000 fielding percentage), a 4.85 range factor, a +0.5 zone rating, and a 1.076 defensive efficiency; in 17 innings at catcher, Orantes recorded 0 errors (1.000 fielding percentage), a 7.41 range factor, a +0.7 zone rating, a 2.42 defensive efficiency, and a 5.29 catcher’s ERA. For Short Season A Bogota, Orantes finished the season hitting .257/.328/.361 with 25 runs scored, 9 doubles, 5 home runs, 18 RBIs, 1 stolen base in 3 attempts (.333 success rate), and a 0.2 WAR in 230 at-bats. In 533 2/3 innings at shortstop, Orantes recorded 4 errors (.985 fielding percentage), a 4.52 range factor, a +0.3 zone rating, and a 1.004 defensive efficiency. Scouts rate Orantes as having 5/5/3/5/6 contact/gap/power/eye/avoid K ratings / potential ratings; 2/2/1 speed/stealing/baserunning ratings; a 6 second base rating; a 4 shortstop rating; and 8/11/10/10 infield range/infield error/infield arm/turn double play ratings. Orantes by far had the worst spring of any position player on the roster, though it was in a small sample size in a reserve role. Orantes projects as a good defender across all infield positions, though a league average bat would be his ceiling at this point. If he can parlay his defensive skills into a above average defensive at multiple infield positions, there is potential he could have a long-term future within the Gamblers’ organization as a utility player.

Two other Tallahassee Gamblers players were disappointments… but in the sense of not getting more at-bats! With the starters playing so well, there wasn’t a surplus of at-bats available for reserves.

Right fielder Wilbur Green - .286/.412/.714, 4 runs scored, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs, and a 0.2 WAR in 14 at-bats.

Green, 21, was drafted with the 19th pick in the 5th round (150th overall) of the 2030 BBA Amateur Draft by the Atlantic City Gamblers organization. Green spent the 2034 season with Class-AAA Brooklyn, where he finished the season hitting .299/.397/.642 with 11 runs scored, 2 doubles, 7 home runs, 23 RBIs, and a 0.7 WAR in 67 at-bats. In 35 innings in right field, Green recorded 0 errors (1.000 fielding percentage), a 2.31 range factor, a -1.1 zone rating, and a .843 defensive efficiency. Scouts rate Green as having 5/6/9/5/4 contact/gap/power/eye/avoid K ratings / potential ratings; 1/7/10 speed/stealing/baserunning ratings; a 2 right field rating; and 3/6/8 outfield range/outfield error/outfield arm ratings. Green is known around the Brooklyn Bombers’ complex as having a relentless work ethic, though it hasn’t translated into better plate discipline (25.6% strikeout percentage). Green is likely to remain a minor league bat in the high minors as long as he is part of the Gamblers’ organization, unless he is able to increase his ceiling through either better play in the outfield and/or better plate discipline.

Left fielder Tony Harris - .261/.370/.391, 8 runs scored, 3 doubles, 1 home run, 8 RBIs, and a 0.3 WAR in 46 at-bats. In 108 innings in left field, 0 errors (1.000 fielding percentage), 1.92 range factor, +2.2 zone rating, 1.162 defensive efficiency; in 8 innings in right field, 0 errors (1.000 fielding percentage), 1.13 range factor, +0.1 zone rating, 1.085 defensive efficiency.

Harris, 22, was drafted with the 15th pick in the 5th round (142nd overall) of the 2032 BBA Amateur Draft by the Atlantic City Gamblers organization. Harris spent the 2034 season with Class-AA Trenton, where he finished the season hitting .268/.353/.470 with 81 runs scored, 20 doubles, 1 triple, 27 home runs, 73 RBIs, and a 2.9 WAR in 511 at-bats. In 1,185 innings in left field, Harris recorded 3 errors (.989 fielding percentage), 1 assist, a 1.96 range factor, a +8.0 zone rating, and a 1.052 defensive efficiency; in 11 innings in center field, Harris recorded 1 error (.667 fielding percentage), a 1.64 range factor, a -0.6 zone rating, and a .676 defensive efficiency; and in 8 innings in right field, Harris recorded 0 errors (1.000 fielding percentage), a 1.13 range factor, a 0.0 zone rating, and a .000 defensive efficiency. Scouts rate Harris as having 5/5/5/6/6 contact/gap/power/eye/avoid K ratings / potential ratings; 2/5/5 speed/stealing/baserunning ratings; an 8 left field rating; a 2 center field rating; a 5 right field rating; and 7/6/7 outfield range/outfield error/outfield arm ratings. Harris’s long-term prognosis is probably a career minor leaguer, though his production at Class-AA was solid last season both at the plate and in the field. With a crowded outfield projected on the Class-AAA Brooklyn roster to start next season, it’s expected that Harris will remain at Class-AA for another season.

It should be noted that of all Tallahassee Gamblers position players, only one player (Antonio Orantes) finished the FPL season with a negative WAR.

[RonCo]

Green is the most interesting here. IF he could play defense, that power would be more attractive.

[Joshua Biddle]

Green is the most interesting here. IF he could play defense, that power would be more attractive.

I agree. Didn't get many at-bats at AAA last season, though he produced in his limited role. May have to try to get him some semi-regular ABs (at least next season). Might be room at DH now that Vazquez got taken in the expansion draft by Wichita.