Trail Droppings 2038-5 2039 Rookie Crop is Ripe

[indiansfan]

2039 Rookie Crop is Ripe

While the Pioneers didn’t have any rookies this year, they have several players coming up in 2039 that could compete for the Gillstrom Award. Let’s look at the team’s top rookies, starting with the pitchers.

SP - Mike Bragg - We’ll start with Bragg since he got a taste of the BBA with 6 late season starts. At 25 years old, he is definitely a late bloomer and wasn’t considered a serious prospect until a couple of seasons ago. Ranked as the 40th best prospect in the league, Bragg posted a combined 17-7 record this year between AAA St. Paul and Calgary and won the GL Mitch Cain Award as the top pitcher in the RHML. With 4 solid pitches, a 97 mph fastball, a nasty curve and a solid sinker and changeup, Bragg looks to be solid BBA material. He also has tremendous stamina which should be a boost to the team’s bullpen. Bragg projects to be the team’s #4 or #5 starter in 2039

SP - Carlos Granados - This is the guy that the team was looking at all along as their big SP rookie in 2039. The 22nd best prospect in the BBA and 11th best pitching prospect was expected to be ready to move into the rotation next year. However, a torn rotator cuff derailed those plans. Granados is a control pitcher that still throws hard, but his recovery from this injury will be a long one. In 26 starts at AA Duluth he was 14-4, 3.34 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. With those numbers and a good spring, he could have skipped AAA and started the season in Calgary. Now with his development halted and having to rehab from a serious injury he most likely will spend 2039 in AAA pushing back his debut by a year. At 21, there is no reason to rush him.

SP/MR - Clinton Womack - At 25, Womack has been lingering at AAA for 4 seasons. He will be in the BBA this year with Calgary or maybe with another club. Last year he was 12-3, 2.88 ERA, 1.11 WHIP in St. Paul, where he has started 84 games over the past 4 seasons. While he still has some development to finish, a good spring could put him in Calgary’s bullpen next year.

SP/MR - Ari Lehman - In his second season at AAA, the 21 year old struggled at times but looks ready for the BBA. Like Womack he could end up in the Calgary bullpen, although another team may want to look at him as a starter. Given his age, another year at AAA wouldn’t hurt, but I would be surprised if one of these two isn’t pitching middle relief for the Pioneers next season.

CL-Manuel Garza - This one is a longshot as Garza hasn’t pitched above A ball. However, the lefty is dominating and Calgary is interested in adding some left handed pitchers to the squad. He throws a 101 mph fastball that is fully developed. His slider still needs some work, but is almost major league ready. The concern is his control. In practice he has been all over the place, but come game time his control has been better. He averaged 11.9 K’s per 9 innings and only 2.1 walks. The team is giving him a big role in the Florida League this fall that could propel him all the way North to Calgary.

Which of these guys will get the most Gillstrom votes? They will definitely be in the running.

1B - Liann-wei Mao - “The Chairman” will make his debut in 2039, at least as the lefty half of a platoon in Calgary. The team still has to work out how the playing time is going to shake out, but they are so high on this guy that they might be moving the fences for him. The 21 yr old was discovered 3 years ago by Calgary scout Bernardo Perez (now the hitting coach at Chestermere) when he was in Japan on an exchange program. The team thinks he could be a 50/50 guy, meaning 50 doubles and 50 homers. He has hit better at every minor league level than the one before. This guy is going to be a superstar.

OF - Jose Figueroa - At just barely 20, the conservative approach would be to give him another year in the minors. A lefty like Mao who can hit for average, power and the gap, Figueroa will most likely put a HOFer out of a job. Mario Soriano signed a meager $3 million extension, because he doesn’t retire after the season he will come back as the #4 outfielder. Figueroa will likely go the LF with Karyabwite moving to CF. The catch with Figueroa is that he will need to platoon which could be the opportunity that Rafael Solis has been waiting for. If Soriano stays, then he could get those bats as well.

OF - Werner McConnell, Jr. - Okay what are we going to do with this guy? He really projects as a DH. He could play RF, but it would be ugly. The problem is the team is set with Lafitte and Medina at those positions. Where does he play? How can you not find a spot for him? He won the RHML GL Steve Garvey, Jr. Award as the top hitter. He crushes right handed pitching and can still hit it out against lefties. He has 50 HR potential and he is ready to make a big splash in Calgary. Mao, McConnell, Medina, Lafitte, Rios, wow. But there isn’t room for all of them. So does the team trade a potential Gillstrom guy, or does the team move the veteran LaFitte. I guess it will depend on who calls and what they offer for one of these guys. Such problems.

[RonCo]

Maybe I've been misreading you, but I've felt that the Calgary's plan the past year or two was "be kind of good enough to let something happen, and wait for the kids." The kids are now arriving. This is going to be fun to watch.

[indiansfan]

That was the plan. I thought I was good enough to make a wild card, but if not just wait for these guys to mature. The only problem is a couple developed quicker than expected so now I have a surplus!