2060.07 - The Long Beach Independent - State of the Farm - R Cayucos

[Lane]

TWO 2060 DRAFTEES OF NOTE

Gary Tinstaap

July 26, 2060
Cayucos, CA

All the way on the opposite side of the country from Key West lies the sleepy central coast town of Cayucos, CA. It is here that I spent the past week evaluating the prospects of the Long Beach rookie team, the Cayucos Surf.

A pair of outfielders drafted in 2060 headline the crop of prospects here on the California Coast. This season's first round selection Alejandro García is a 6'5" outfielder. Just 19 years old, the switch hitter is already an imposing figure when he walks into the batters box. Scouts already rate his in-game power as BBA average, with even more room to grow. He's got some work to do on his contact skills and discipline at the plate, but in combination with his excellent defense in the outfield corners, most scouts agree that he has a long future in the big leagues ahead of him. If he's able to show quick improvement in his contact skills, we could see him playing in Long Beach within a couple of years.

With Emilio Morales now signed to a long term deal, and fellow switch hitter Pedro Vargas on the verge of a breakout, the Surfers have the makings of a strong outfield for many years to come. And that's without mentioning the recently acquired Vicente López.

We move now to the other recent draftee, Lorcan Bryson. A seventh round pick, Bryson has impressed OSA scouts so far, and they have upgraded his power and eye potential ratings. The astute scouts within the Long Beach organization surely saw this coming. Bryson, just 17, is another imposing figure, standing 6'4". His defense is not as strong as Garcia's, but he does have more power potential. Scouts worry that he will struggle making contact and avoiding the strikeout, but if his power fully develops we can certainly see him contributing in the big leagues at some point. His swing from the left side already shows some positive splits against righties, which could bode well for a strong side platoon role in the future.

[BaseClogger]

Been following this series and you have some nice ‘specs.

[Lane]

the system is definitely better than it was a few years ago. i've been more intentional about making trades when contracts are ending.