When your major league team has a season as dismal as the Storm's was this past year, it's natural for fans to look at the minor leagues and imagine that the next crop of talented youngsters is on its way to help lift the franchise out of its years-long hole. It might not be that simple for the Storm, but now's not the time for pessimism. Instead, let's take a look at some of the Storm's top amateur performers and daydream about their appearances in the bigs.
There's no question that Seattle's minor league system is largely devoid of hitting prospects. That is something that Seattle knows it will need to fix, and to fix soon. Seattle has historically chosen to draft what it thought was the best player available in recent drafts. While that's an approach that makes sense, it has led to a run of starting pitchers being drafted. As we've discussed elsewhere, that strategy's success is still an open question, but what can't be questioned is that Seattle's offense needs to improve.
One potential cause for optimism is Clyde Hughes, who was Seattle's second round pick this year. At only 17 years old, he impressed Seattle's management enough to bypass rookie league Ogden, and he was assigned to full-season ball. He more than held his own in his first taste of professional baseball as he had a wRC+ of 118. Most scouts think that Hughes's future is exclusively as a DH, but that remains to be seen. For now, Seattle is just happy to have a young player who seems to have the ability to become an above-average hitter.
On the mound, Carl Martin had a very good year out of AAA Pasco's bullpen, as he struck out 67 hitters in 52 innings and had a FIP of 3.27. Don't be surprised to see him play a major role in Seattle's bullpen next year.
Finally, second overall pick Samuel Nebraska made his professional debut and more than held his own in AAA Pasco this year. Although he gave up a few more home runs than he did in college, Seattle's scouts are confident that he'll settle in nicely to the rotation for Seattle in the near future, perhaps as soon as the 2053 season.
Chasing The Storm 2052-6 Minor League Recap
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Chasing The Storm 2052-6 Minor League Recap
General Manager
Seattle Storm: 2011-Present
1737-1391 through 2029
Frick League, Pacific Division Winner (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2024)
Frick League Champion (2013)
Seattle Storm: 2011-Present
1737-1391 through 2029
Frick League, Pacific Division Winner (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2024)
Frick League Champion (2013)
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