Boardwalk Empire - 2037.5 - Class-S A Bogota 2036 Recap

[Joshua Biddle]

Bogota Finish 34-39, No Playoffs

The Bogota Scholars finished the 2036 season a disappointing 34-39, 3rd place of 5 teams in the SL1 South America Division, 14.5 games back of division winner Caracas Sting. The season marks their fourth consecutive season without a playoff appearance, the eighth such instance in their past nine seasons.

The Scholars’ offense was downright putrid, making it a bit surprising the Scholars were only five games below .500. The Scholars ranked 14th of 15 in SL1 in batting average (.227), 12th in on-base percentage (.315), 13th in slugging percentage (.378), 13th in OPS (.693), 14th in runs scored (281), 11th in hits (558), 11th in extra-base hits (220), 14th in home runs (69), 7th in walks (285), 15th in strikeouts (524), and 11th in stolen bases (18). The best position player per WAR was 22-year old first baseman / outfielder Ahamatu Boit, who signed a minor league contract with the Gamblers’ organization in June, finished the season hitting .255/.427/.468 with 40 runs scored, 12 doubles, 1 triple, 11 home runs, 29 RBIs, 4 stolen bases in 5 attempts (.800 success rate), and a 2.4 WAR in 220 at-bats. Boit played 389 1/3 innings at first base with no errors, a +1.9 zone rating, and a 1.064 defensive efficiency, also playing 140 innings in left field with no errors, a -1.3 zone rating, and a .957 defensive efficiency. His performance at the Class Short Season A level was a significant jump from his past two years at the same level with different organizations, recording a 0.7 WAR each season. Boit will likely get promoted to Class-A Long Island next season to see if he can continue to progress. 22-year old right fielder José Guerra (.302/.366/.512, 9 HR, 39 RBI, 1.6 WAR in 215 AB), 19-year old John Noble (.288/.361/.500, 6 HR, 38 RBI, 1.5 WAR in 212 AB), and 23-year old infielder/outfielder Felipe Gallegos (.286/.412/.464, 2 HR, 7 RBI in 56 AB) all were solid contributors at the plate for the Scholars. Guerra is probably best suited as a first baseman or right fielder, and improved in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage in his first season above Rookie Class. Noble, a 2036 3rd round pick (96th overall pick), also looks to be best suited in right field, and has the potential to develop into an effective bat. It’s expected he’ll make the jump to Class-A Long Island next season, possibly to team up with fellow outfielders David Flores and Raúl Castrejón (if they aren’t promoted). There were plenty of disappointments at the plate, with fifteen total hitters registered 30+ at-bats while hitting sub-.230. Regulars that meet these criteria include 28-year old Tom Butler (.228/.318/.333, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 0.4 WAR in 114 AB), 23-year old first baseman / third baseman / right fielder Pedro Cortéz (.228/.322/.429, 8 HR, 24 RBI, 0.6 WAR in 184 AB), 18-year old catcher Jesús García (.216/.273/.333, 1 HR, 7 RBI, -0.1 WAR in 102 AB), 22-year old infielder / outfielder Nolan Robinson (.204/.286/.427, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 0.8 WAR in 157 AB), and designated hitter / first baseman José Mena (.198/.255/.350, 8 HR, 27 RBI, -0.9 WAR in 217 AB). Each player remains with the organization at this time, though it’s likely they will be first on the chopping block once the 2037 BBA Amateur Draft occurs.

The Scholars’ pitching results were strong, finishing the season ranked 4th of 15 teams in SL1 in ERA (3.64), 3rd in starters’ ERA (3.56), 5th in bullpen ERA (3.82), 4th in runs allowed (282), tied for 2nd in hits allowed (531), 1st in opponents’ average (.219), 1st in BABIP (.241), tied for 6th in home runs allowed (83), tied for 4th in walks (229), 3rd in strikeouts (498), and 1st in defensive efficiency (.749). 21-year old left-hander Catur Layar (6-5, 3.00 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 3.21 FIP, 71 K, 2.2 WAR in 87 IP / 13 starts), 21-year old right-hander Jesús Prado (5-3, 3.33 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 3.22 FIP, 46 K, 2.0 WAR in 78 1/3 IP / 11 starts), 22-year old right-hander Cedric Cunningham (4-4, 3.33 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 4.25 FIP, 35 K, 0.9 WAR in 75 2/3 IP / 12 starts), and 23-year old right-hander Manuel García (3-4, 3.52 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 3.06 FIP, 95 K, 2.2 WAR in 79 1/3 IP / 13 starts) were anchors of the Scholars’ rotation. Layar, the team captain, has limited movement and control which hampers any projection of him making the Gamblers’ roster, but he parlayed a decent cutter, forkball, and excellent curveball into his second consecutive solid season for Bogota. Prado, a 2035 first round pick for Atlantic City in a weak draft class, produced in a positive manner despite reports that the quality of his pitches, movement, and control have diminished since being drafted. The Gamblers have a solid history of first round picks since BBBS Enterprises took ownership of the team, but Prado could very well be the first busted in the non-supplemental first round. Cunningham is another guy with limited movement and control, but has three solid pitches which have led to early success, and he’ll probably continue to start either with Bogota or Long Island in 2037. García is prone to home runs and walks, but has great stuff, and two superb pitches. After starting the season with Rookie Class Albany prior to promotion, the most excitement surrounded 2036 first round draft pick 19-year old southpaw Emílio López (4-5, 3.80 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 4.67 FIP, 21 K in 66 1/3 IP / 10 starts). The Gamblers’ organization perceives López as having ace potential if he develops as expected, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him ranked in the Top 100 prospects when released for the 2037 season. Right-handed pitcher Jung-jun Pak (3-1, 3.10 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 3.08 FIP, 30 K in 29 IP / 18 appearances / 2 starts) and 22-year old Ricardo Méndez (0-1, 3.12 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 1.94 FIP, 17 K in 17 1/3 / 9 appearances) both excelled out of the bullpen.