Natsume Kondo
Where did he come from?
Natsume Kondo was drafted by the Talons in the first round of the 2041 draft, as the 38th overall pick. A prototypical left fielder with average defense and no speed, The Talons didn't really have any plans for Kondo, as he was drafted under the "best bat available" philosophy. He was in the majors by 2043, recording an .835 OPS in 50 games.
How did he do this season?
After a great 2043 season split between AAA and the majors, Natsume's 2044 campaign was nothing special. Mainly batting 5th in the order, Kondo hit 25 homers, but only drove in 58 runs due to Guzman clearing the bases in front of him. His year was typically inconsistent for someone in his first full season, with monthly OPS readings of .803, .917, .730, .647, .902, and .579. Still, 1.5 WAR is a good number to build on, and a ZR of +2.3 means that the Talons can count on him to play left field full time for years to come.
What's going to happen to him?
Kondo is still in his pre arb phase, and 500K is a great deal for a player who is poised to get better next season.
Grade: C+
