Boardwalk Empire - 2046.9 - Fields, Hamilton to Atlantic City in 2047?

[Joshua Biddle]

Curt Fields, Bill Hamilton Ticketed for Atlantic City in 2047?

The Atlantic City Gamblers have two of their top ten prospects coming off of very good 2046 seasons for Class-AAA Brooklyn, which begs the question as to whether one, both, or neither may make Atlantic City's opening day roster in 2047.

Curt Fields, 22, is currently ranked as Atlantic City's #3 overall prospect, Atlantic City's #2 pitching prospect, the #35 ranked BBA prospect, and #15 ranked BBA pitching prospect. Fields was drafted by the Gamblers with the 12th pick of the 1st round of the 2043 BBA Amateur Draft and has had success at nearly every level. His most successful season was this past season with Class-AAA Brooklyn, where he finished the season 11-7 with a 2.44 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, a 3.07 FIP, a .643 quality start percentage, a .203 opponents' average, a .575 opponents' OPS, 134 strikeouts, and a 3.8 WAR in 173 1/3 innings pitched (28 starts). His 2046 performance with Class-AAA Brooklyn earned a selection to the 2046 Rupert Horn Memorial League All-Star Game, and a 3rd place finish in the voting for the 2046 RHML (AAA) GL Mitch Cain Hurler Award. It seems all but guaranteed that Fields would get a spring invite, and presumably, a good showing would secure a spot in the Gamblers' rotation for 2047.

Bill Hamilton, 22, is currently ranked as Atlantic City's #7 overall prospect and #6 pitching prospect. Hamilton was drafted by Atlantic City with the 12th pick in the 2nd round (51st overall) in the 2045 BBA Amateur Draft, and has already reached and pitched successfully in Class-AAA through his second professional season. He started his career for Class-Short Season A Bogota and started three games (1-1, 4.86 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 3.89 FIP), before earning a promotion to Class-A Long Island, where he finished the 2044 season 5-3 with a 3.24 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 3.39 FIP, .545 quality start percentage, a .239 opponents' average, a .659 opponents' OPS, 69 strikeouts, and a 2.0 WAR in 66 2/3 innings pitched (11 starts). Hamilton was promoted to Class-AA Trenton to start the 2046 season, starting 13 games (5-3, 2.85 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 3.06 FIP) before a promotion to Class-AAA Brooklyn, where he finished the 2046 season 5-5 with a 2.80 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, a 2.91 FIP, a .625 quality start percentage, a .241 opponents' average, a .660 opponents' OPS, 82 strikeouts, and a 2.4 WAR in 99 2/3 innings pitched (16 starts).

There are never any guarantees, but for a team that has historically struggled putting together a strong rotation, Fields and Hamilton may have the talent to help buck that trend.