2047.04 - The Long Beach Independent - Post Deadline State of the Franchise-Hitting

[Lane]

LEAGUE AVERAGE-ISH?

Hitting

The Surfers are in the bottom third of all Frick League teams in offense, and, unsurprisingly there are few bright spots. However, one hitter to highlight is DH Mike O'Hanly. He's hitting .276/.331/.493 and has produced 1.5 WAR in 113 starts, mostly against right handed pitching. Fellow youngsters Mike Fowler and Josh Mesh have also been league average to slightly above league average hitters, and have provided good defense as well.

Veteran shortstop Francisco Otero is having a bit of a down year at the plate, but is doing well enough considering his position and defensive abilities. His partner up the middle, Cary Brackett has been a significant disappointment however. The switch hitter is fielding up to expectations, but is hitting just .220/.279/.331 (63 OPS+). At 26 years old he should be on the rise, and not in decline. With SS/2B prospect Steveland Morris reaching AAA this season, there's probably not much leash left for Brackett in Long Beach.

Morris, the 2046 first rounder is nearing BBA ready, but has significant work to do at the plate. He's striking out too much, though he's really putting on a show on the basepaths, with 46 steals in 84 starts. His 76% success rate is a bit lower than expected, but he's still the most exciting hitting prospect that Long Beach has seen in many years. Morris is just 20 years old and has plenty of time to work out the kinks in his game.

Also in AAA, 23 year old Suk-min Cho is showing signs of reaching his potential after stagnating in the Charlotte minor league system. That's no knock on the Cougars, some prospects just take more time to round out their development. The left handed batter displays immense raw power, but has yet to translate it in-game.

Further down in the system, we have 2B prospect Kwan-uk Chong, 20, who projects to be a balanced hitter and is already displaying great clubhouse management skills in A-ball. Chong was acquired in a trade with Montreal last season.

The offensive side of the team is not as promising as the pitching side, but there appears to be a solid core forming. With one or two big name free agent acquisitions, the offense could improve to be more middle of the pack than back third. This in combination with the pitching staff could be enough to propel the Surfers back into the playoffs in the next few seasons.