A Look Back at Trendie First Rounders

[Trendsetters]

By Peter Barroquere for the Times Picayune

June 6th, 2039

(NEW ORLEANS, LA)




Like fans of the Cleveland Browns of the NFL or Sacramento Kings of the NBA, we are at what New Orleans fans look forward to all year. Draft Day. The present season is already a shambles. The rotation stinks. The defense calls a welder when they break a glove and nobody can draw a walk. 2039 lurched into “Wait til next year territory” somewhere in mid-February. Yet, its draft day. The time when Trendies can look forward to the drafting and signing of prospects that will, if history is any judge, disappoint.

New Orleans has not had a great history in the draft. Let’s take a look at the former first round picks of the IL’s favorite punching bag.

2038 #3 Overall, Gabriel Santos, CF – The jury is still out on Santos. He hit for good power in Short-A ball last year and starts the season in Single-A, jumping to Ensenada while still only 18. He has put up decent numbers early on, 269, .379 OBP and 7 HR. He has also stolen 25 bases in the first 42 games, He is on pace to have another solid year and if his progress keeps up he should arrive sometime in 2041 or 2042. Currently he is the #64 prospect in the league

2037 #5 Overall, Li Zhu Ho, SP – Ho had a rough start to last year at Ensenada and was eventually sent down to Short A Anchorage to regain some confidence. The results were encouraging as he put up an ERA+ of 118 through his first nine starts. If he can maintain or improve his potential he could lead the Trendsetters staff in the future. He may take longer than Santos so it should be at least 2041 before he makes the leap. Currently he is the #84 prospect.

2036 #4 Overall, Nathan Gallard, SP – Gallard has taken his lumps at the big league level, but has shown enough to become the ace of the New Orleans staff. “Pitchy McPitch Face” (His actual nickname) was a mainstay in the rotation last year and produced a 7-10 record with a 4.05 ERA and a 102 ERA+. He also threw a ton of innings, 193.1 IP to be exact. I’m not sure if that workload contributed to the rotator cuff inflammation that has knocked him out for three months, but there are still high hopes for the 24 year old right hander.

2035 #6 Overall, Jeffery Owen, RP – Owen spent only two years in the minors before making the leap to New Orleans in 2037 and the results have been mixed. He still has a devastating cutter and projects to be a solid bullpen piece, but it wont be for the Trendsetters. Owen was traded to Hartford in the off-season for a 2nd and 3rd rounder.

2034 #3 Overall, Karst Kornick, SP – Kornick has never really lived up to his 1st round status. He has seen a large drop-off in numbers once he got to Triple-A and is currently in the rotation only because of a lack of ACTUAL starting pitchers. His numbers so far this year bear this out, 2-4, 6.05 ERA in seven starts and nine homers in 41.2 IP. He will likely hang on to a role, but that role will diminish as the staff hopefully improves.

2033 - #12 Overall, Lou Long, RP – Long has been an important underachiever. He has taken on almost any role given him. Worked hard to rehab from multiple injuries, including a torn UCL that cost him the 2036 season and then a tear in the SAME UCL that cost him most of 2037. He doesn’t put up great numbers and more the one team doctor has been let go because of a lack of a pre-draft diagnosis of multiple injuries, but Long currently serves as the closer for NO and is holding down the job for now.

2033 - #24 Overall, Steve Doss, OF/DH. Doss was the best hitter on a hitting incompetent team in 2037, but a slow start in 2038 and his lack of a position saw him demoted to AAA. He is doing well there, probably his best year since 2036, but there is a lot of doubt that he can be more than a 4-A guy.

2032 - #86 Overall, Brian Watkins, OF – New Orleans did not have a first or second round pick in 2032 and outside of a less than stellar season in 2037, has not gotten close to a call up,

2031 - #15 Overall – Sylvester Mills, RP – Mills spent a number of years putting up solid numbers at AAA but never got the callup to New Orleans mainly because he was a one pitch pitcher and even a reliever needs two pitches. He currently labors for the Kure Arsenal of the WIL.

2030 - #71 Overall, Pablo Martinez, 1B – New Orleans had no 1st or second round picks in 2030 and Mar6tinez was scooped up in the 3rd round. A decent hitter, Martinez has been held back by a plethora of first baseman DH types in the organization and the fact that he has a horrible glove. He is tearing it up in AAA this year at a .332 clip so maybe he gets a shot?

2029 - #13 Overall, Ryu Kunda, P – Kunda never really panned out. He has had a couple of shots in the big leagues, but his current home in Toyohira, coming out of the pen for Toyama’s AA affiliate is all you need to know.