Gary Tinstaap
June 1, 2055
Long Beach, CA
The Surfers held the 16th and 52nd overall picks in the 2055 BBA Amateur draft. This is the lowest in the first round that the Surfers have drafted in a number of years. The draft pool this season is regarded as light on top-tier talent, but deep in potential role players.
Round 1 / Pick 16
1B Bill Kuhn
B/T: R/R
Age: 17
Current: 3/4/6/5/3
Potential: 6/4/9/9/6
IF/OF Range: 4/4
IF/OF Error: 4/4
IF/OF Arm: 7/7
TDP: 3
SPD: 4
STL: 2
BR: 1
With the 16th overall pick in the first round, the Surfers departed from their usual up-the-middle strategy and picked seventeen year old first baseman Bill Kuhn, out of Vanguard High School. Kuhn hits right handed and shows a slight negative split against same handed pitching. With his power heavy approach at the plate, and middling defense he looks to primarily contribute through his home run prowess. On the field, he has the potential to be an average first baseman, with an outside shot at a corner outfield spot with some improvement in range and sure handedness. Scouts note that he handles pressure well, and that is proved out in the numbers, with his 131 OPS+ mark in 29 career HS playoff games. The Surfers have Keith Kerfoot locked up at 1B potentially until 2059, and Kuhn could be an acceptable replacement if necessary around that time.
OFP: 55 - 1st Division C
Likely: 45 - 2nd Division 1B
BBA ETA: 2059
Round 2 / Pick 52
RP Warren Dawson
B/T: L/L
Age: 18
Current: 5/6/5
Potential: 8/9/7
Fastball: 7/9
Changeup: 4/7
Velocity: 94-96
Hold: 10
Def: 4
With the 52nd overall pick in the first round, the Surfers picked relief pitcher Warren Dawson, a 19 year old left handed reliever out of Australia College. It’s been a while since Long Beach went for a true two pitch reliever in the draft, and this author can’t help but recall the selection of Ernesto Delgado in the second round of the 2038 (2038!) draft. Coincidentally (or not?), Delgado, a right hander, had identical 8/9/7 potential ratings according to the scouts. He’s currently with the Chicago Black Sox, but logged 12 seasons with the Surfers, logging 26 WAR, highlighted by a 4.3 WAR season in 2048 where he made 34 starts, and pitched 199 innings with a 2.85 ERA. Savvy readers with excellent memories will recall that Delgado was drafted as a reliever and converted to being a starting pitcher while working in the Long Beach minor league system. Could we see the same with Dawson?
OFP: 65 - 1st Division SP
Likely: 50 - 1st Division MRP
BBA ETA: 2058
