Tater Talk: 2041.15 – Boise Wraps Up Round Two Picks

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Tater Talk: 2041.15 – Boise Wraps Up Round Two Picks

Post by jleddy » Mon Jan 13, 2020 12:37 am

Image With two rounds completed in the Brewster Baseball Association 2041 First-Year Player Draft, the Boise Spuds made three second-round selections with the 6th (57th overall), 17th (68th overall) and 50th (101st overall) picks.

The first draftee was college starting pitcher Mitch Freemann of the Zenith Zephyrs. Freeman, a 6’4”, 205 pound right-hander from Quebec, has shown flashes of dominance during an up-and-down season with the Zephyrs. On the year, Freemann has struck out 42 batters in 30.2 innings, while allowing just 7 walks. “The kid’s got an electric arm, topping out at 101 miles per hour,” Boise’s national crosschecker Ace Tangerine told the Baseball News Network. “He has the potential to leave the ball up in the zone but he’s gotten lucky this year with allowing just a couple of long balls. It’s something we’ll work on with him once we get him into camp.”

With one of the better fastballs in the entire draft class, Freemann has been plagued with bad luck and a poor defense behind him, as his .422 BABIP suggests. Freemann has a solid slider and has been tinkering with a changeup during the season. “We think our coaching staff can help Mitch develop that third pitch,” Tangerine said. Scouts see Freemann as a potential back-of-the-rotation starter in the BBA, which some thinking he could his path to the majors is out of the bullpen.

The Spuds second pick of the round was also a college pitcher, Navy Midshipmen southpaw Elliott Stewart. After a freshman season in 2038 that saw Stewart go 5-2 with a 3.20 ERA and 1.05 WHP, Stewart pitched sparingly the last two seasons, focusing on his military commitments. From 2039 to 2040, Stewart only made 4 starts but put up incredible results along the way: 3-0, 0.76 ERA, 0.85 WHIP. This season the hard-throwing (96-98 MPH) lefty is 3-0 with a sub-2.00 ERA and miniscule 0.87 WHIP. “We’re thrilled that ‘Stewie’ fell to us,” said Tangerine. “He’s got a nice mix of stuff and command of the strike zone.”

Stewart relies on a hard forkball and cutter with a changeup some feel could become his best pitch. In his last start on May 1st in front of several BBA scouts, including members of the Boise scouting department, Stewart dominated the Amoco Torch lineup, going 7.1 innings and allowing just two hits and one run while striking out 11 batters and walking none. “We figured his stock would rise after that outing but we’re not complaining,” Tangerine said with a laugh.

With their final pick of the second round, Boise called the name of Craig Gregory, a collegiate shortstop from Jacksonville, Florida. Measuring at 6’2” and 180 pounds, Gregory stars for the Netflix Streamers and becomes the second middle infielder taken by the Spuds within the first two rounds of the 2041 Draft. Gregory broke out last year, slashing .249/.397/.519 en route to winning the 2040 Platinum Stick Award at shortstop as the best hitter in college at his position. Gregory’s struggled this season, slashing just .188/.285/.301, however Boise scouts are impressive with the 21-year-old’s advanced batting eye and athleticism. “CG has a great command of the strike zone, something that is tough to learn,” Tangerine said. “His ability to draw walks, along with his above-average speed and defense makes him an intriguing prospect for us. We’re looking forward to seeing how he transitions to wood bats this summer.”

Some scouts believe Gregory could eventually carve out a utility infield role in the majors and could thrive moving to second base, however Boise will keep Gregory at shortstop for as long has he’s able to handle the position as he moves through the minors.

Once the draft concludes, Boise will have approximately a month to sign all draftees to professional contracts.
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