Fourth Installment

AL North


Chicago Knights- Last season Chicago finished tops in the North for the third time in six seasons, pushing their record to 85-77. Led by Stan Jackson, the under-appreciated SS who plays exactly 136 games each season, this organization has maintained a strong system while always staying in contention at the ML level. There are, however, no big time position players coming up, and so a B for depth and a B for impact.

Dwight Forbes AAA SP A- Four good seasons in AAA, his WHIP is higher than his ERA would suggest
Karl Simmons AAA Cl A- Weak second pitch, health issues, he will be just fine
Antonio Kim AA Cl B+ Has thrown 92 innings in 2.5 season, gb/fb rating is worrisome
Carlos Mesa AA LF B Hits righties well enough to be productive, but is lacking compared to other AL left fielders
Jack Dunn AAA SS B Could play 2B or CF with an OBP around .350



Minnesota St. Paul Sots- Always keeping a high payroll, Minnesota has budgeted just 1 million dollars for International Scouting. They have also traditionally skimped on High School scouting, but those college players that they have drafted have gotten to the Major League level very quickly. Contending for the North title again this season, Daggers may run low on prospects to trade if they need to snatch up any pieces. They merit a D+ for depth and a D for impact.

Bo Moore HiA SP A- He’s boasts four plus pitches, but lacks the stamina to start
Benny Alomar AAA Cl B Not as good against righties, may tend to give up HRs
Hal Lewis HiA LF B- His stats in AA/AAA will tell what kind of ML player he’ll be
Philip Breen AAA SS C+ He’s average in every way possible, and is an injury risk
Don Lewis AAA CF C Will keep the bench warm at the ML level, plus defender



Dover Gophers- In badhame7’s second season at the helm the team is not on pace to match last season’s 3rd place finish’s win total. Dover simply lacks the talent at the ML level to seriously contend at the top of the American League. A strong draft this season will have a huge influence on Dover’s future, as the system needs to add more impact players before they can be a major threat in Morgan’s future. The Gophers merit a B- for depth and a B- for impact.

Benito Valdivia LoA CF A Great defense in CF and has potential to hit .330 annually
Sid Ritz HiA SP A- L/R splits keep him from being an uppest echelon pitching prospect
Stretch Bush AAA SS B Slightly below average SS defense, slightly above average bat
Doyle Nathan LoA 2B B- He rules. Needs to move to COF, but may not hit well enough
Jeffrey Smith AAA 2B B- Hard to say where he fits in, should be an okay hitter



Milwaukee Gurus- If slow and steady wins the race then the Gurus have a very bright future ahead of themselves. douglasdao has invested more than 20 million into his prospect budget each of the past three seasons in an effort to land high end international talent. While that trend is due to level off, the core of the future is in place, and it is solid. The Gurus get an easy A for impact, with a B+ for depth.

Robinson Holliday HiA CF A Has trouble with lefties, but has great range and a nice bat
Mark Ramsay HiA DH A He posted a 1.523 OPS in 30 games in LoA, w/ a fantastic eye
Raul Vega AAA SP A Only deficiencies are stamina and velocity, no real out pitch
Brent McCallum AAA SP A- Righties can hit him, but he makes half of the future rotation w/ Vega
Artie Pearson AAA RP B+ A solid pitcher, but has an awkward stamina/durability combination