I've always felt that major league debuts are a topic rich with excitement and intrigue which is why I did a league feature series during the 2060 season summarizing BBA debuts every month. That excitement has dulled some in the seasons since due to the young skewing nature of our league at the current moment when it feels like most of the best players on each team debuted in the 2060s, but I still want to call attention to the San Fernando Bears who've made their BBA debut in 2064 or are set to debut in the next sim.
The most impactful debut has surely been the appearance of Harrison Dundon on the scene. The team's everyday left fielder and #27 overall BBA prospect on Opening Day, Dundon has made his presence felt by slashing .341/.378/.576 with five home runs this April. "Law & Order" was a first round pick by the Bears in 2061. The Bears' skipper is slowly moving him up in the batting order and giving him some playing time against left-handed pitchers in right field, sharing the role with Tommy Harrison.
John Lazar is the latest in a string of SFB rule 5 draft success stories. The 22 year-old power hitter is slashing .333/.410/.574 with four home runs as the team's designated hitter against right-handed pitching. Like Dundon, Lazar is contributing significantly to the currently top scoring offense in the Frick League.
Despite already being traded twice in his young career, 'Black Jack' Chappel is one of the league's best pitching prospects, having been ranked #38 overall most recently by the OSA. Chappel's been on a tight pitch count in 2064 as he recovers from last year's shoulder inflammation, so he debuted out of the San Fernando bullpen. In four games and over 6.1 innings 'Black Jack' has yet to yield an earned run. He's currently back in AAA stretching out as a starting pitcher. We expect to see him back in the majors soon.
Enrique Perez has something to say about being the team's best pitching prospect after an outstanding offseason dev lab program that pushed him up to the #36 overall prospect in the game. Despite the glowing scouting reports, Perez has struggled again this year in AAA thanks in part due to a ballooned BABIP that's resulted in a 7.03 ERA. I'd like to promote him under better circumstances, but the underlying metrics and ratings indicate he can succeed in the BBA so he'll debut next sim and, well, we have the worst team ERA in the Frick.
Finally! After waiving Zhuo-cheng Sa to clear a rotation role for Perez, a 40-man roster spot opened up for Jose Mendoza. Mendoza is in his third year in AAA and the 22 year-old's .367/.430/.578 triple-slash indicates he's more than ready for the show. He'll replace the struggling Kit Markoulides in a platoon role against left-handed pitching. Despite solid looking offensive potential, Mendoza has never made a BBA top 100 prospect list.
