Gary Tinstaap
June 1, 2057
Long Beach, CA
The Surfers held three picks in the first 100 selections of the 2057 BBA Amateur draft. Their first pick, at 20, 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 better than many in recent memory, with a number of potential impact players at the top, and plenty of potential contributors in the later rounds.
Round 1 / Pick 20
RP Mario Santos
B/T: R/R
Age: 20
Current: 7/6/8
Potential: 12/8/8
Slider: 7/10
Cutter: 7/10
Velocity: 96-98
Stam: 3
Hold: 4
Def: 4
With the 20th overall pick in the first round, the Surfers picked relief pitcher Mario Santos, a 19 year old right handed reliever out of Google College. The last time Long Beach went for a true two pitch reliever in the draft, it didn’t work out so well, but like I did then, I’ll remind you of the selection of Ernesto Delgado in the second round of the 2038 (2038!) draft. Delgado, also a right hander, had 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. Santos would need to improve his stamina to have a future as a starting pitcher, but even if he doesn’t gain that, he should have a long and successful career in the Long Beach Bullpen.
Scouts have raised concerns about his work ethic and clubhouse demeanor, but that shouldn’t be a problem for the Surfers. They’re consistently one of the best franchises at managing clubhouse chemistry, and have been known to find ways to motivate players to improve their work ethic. Santos is appropriately developed for his age, and should need no more than two or three years in the minors before making a contribution with the big league club.
OFP: 65 - 1st Division High Leverage RP
Likely: 50 - 1st Division MRP
BBA ETA: 2059
Round 2 / Pick 58
OF Fred Courtney
B/T: L/L
Age: 23
Current: 7/7/7/6/6
Potential: 7/7/7/6/6
IF/OF Range: 2/6
IF/OF Error: 2/5
IF/OF Arm: 5/7
TDP: 1
SPD: 5
STL: 3
BR: 3
With the 58th overall pick in the second round, the Surfers departed from their usual up-the-middle strategy and picked twenty three year old corner outfielder Fred Courtney, out of Best Buy College. Kuhn hits left handed and shows a solid positive split against opposite handed pitching. With his balanced approach at the plate, and middling defense he looks to primarily contribute as a fourth/platoon outfielder. Scouts note that he is confident and aggressive when necessary, and that is proved out in the numbers, with his 147 OPS+ mark in 297 career collegiate games.
With his development level after six college seasons, look for him to spend just a short time in the minors acclimating to professional baseball. We just saw 2056 draftee Fred Clover promoted as an injury replacement for Carlito Brigante, and wouldn’t be surprised to see Clover not far behind him as a platoon partner, especially if there is an injury to Cordell Vaughn or 40 year old Fernando Castillo.
OFP: 55 - 1st Division Platoon OF
Likely: 45 - 2nd Division OF
BBA ETA: 2057
Round 3 / Pick 94
1B Lúcio Guevara
B/T: S/R
Age: 21
Current: 4/5/3/4/6
Potential: 5/5/3/5/7
IF/OF Range: 9/1
IF/OF Error: 7/7
IF/OF Arm: 7/8
TDP: 7
SPD: 3
STL: 1
BR: 2
With the 94th overall pick (third round), the Surfers grabbed an up-the-middle type, selecting twenty one year old first baseman Lúcio Guevara, out of out of Best Buy College. Guevara is a switch hitter and shows a slight positive split against left handed pitching. He performed well in college (106 OPS+) but projects to be below average BBA hitter. On the field however, he has the potential to be an average shortstop with the ability to play anywhere in the infield. Scouts rave about his workout and studious approach to watching games, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some advancement of his skills working with the Long Beach coaching staff. Even with some improvement, it’s unlikely that he becomes a star, but it’s certainly possible that he spends significant time on the BBA roster as a utility infielder.
OFP: 55 - 1st Division Utility IF
Likely: 45 - 2nd Division SS
BBA ETA: 2059
