The San Fernando Bears recalled their top prospect last week, SP Alexander Swanson. Swanson was most recently named the #29 prospect in the Brewster. He was the ace of the 2053 Brooks Fighting Pheasants pitching staff that won its league. Swanson made his debut on July 14th against Seattle.
In that divisional matchup against Seattle, Swanson pitched 7 innings in only 93 pitches. He allowed 10 H (including a Shane Wilkinson HR), 1 BB, and only 3 Ks.
Alexander Swanson was the second 1st round draft pick I ever made (not counting comp). He was the 7th pick overall pick in 2052 and scouted POT ratings of 8-8-8 coming out of college. He reached AA in his second professional season, pitching to a 1.32 ERA. The most interesting thing about his scouting profile is that he throws six pitches: five of them a 7 with a 9 fastball.
The inability to put hitters away is what concerns me the most about Swanson. His ratings go 8-9-8 and Stuff is king in the BBA. In his two AAA starts after returning from the IL, Swanson combined to throw 16 innings with only 4 Ks. It wasn't actually an issue over the long haul in 2053 when he had 180 Ks in 203 innings or before the injury this season.
Hopefully Swanson can come on strong as he builds back strength. A spot in the rotation is his as long as he remains competitive. My Bears aren't in the playoff hunt and Swanson is ready for the challenge. Long-term, I hope his stuff takes a small step forward and he is an inning eating #2/#3.