Hi All!
My name is Leslie Bradford and I am here to bring a new and hopefully reoccurring segment to the PEBA. The segment will combined two of my favourite things: The PEBA and making lists!
I feel that I am an unbelievable list maker, people tell me that I can make lists with the best of them so I figured I would put that talent to good use...or at least some sort of use. The name of this segment will be called Leslie's lists - For as good as I am at making list I am terrible at coming up with names for things! The goal of these lists will be twofold ; to highlight some of the players in the PEBA and to get people debating my intelligence.
The first list will be (drum roll please) The top 5 pitchers under 25 in the IL! Hopefully soon to be followed up by (you guessed it) The top 5 pitchers under 25 in the SL. I can just feel everyone's excitement.
The criteria for this first list are 2 things - you have to be under 25 and currently pitching in the PEBA, specifically the IL. How do I come up with this list? I have an extremely complex formula that calculates talent and mashes it together with what they have done so far in the PEBA. So it won't be all based on stats or scout's assessments - it will be a combination. I have taken data from over 200 categories and plugged them all into my self designed program and it spits out rankings.
I thought I would start out with a nice easy category but I was sorely mistaken, there are 10 or 11 pitchers in the IL that could easily make this list. I thought I may upset 1 fan base, but it may end up being half of the IL that will be after me. I understand though, this is the burden I have to deal with having been born with the talent I have at making lists.
You can cut the tension with a knife, so without further delay (drum roll please), here you go!
At #5 it is Jose Hernandez of the London Underground. At 24 years old and 207 days he is not far from being off this list, but my complex system doesn't take this into account. Hernandez can hit 100MPH on the radar gun and he has a nasty assortment of 4 pitches all of which are extremely effective (Fastball, Change-up, Sinker, Splitter). Of these 4 pitches his change-up is probably the best. Over his career he is 27-14 with a 3.17 ERA and a respectable WHIP of 1.13. Pretty amazing for someone who was a scouting discovery!
At #4 we have James McCoy of the Arlington Bureaucrats. McCoy was drafted 31st overall in 2033 by San Juan. Unfortunately for San Juan they traded McCoy away for what turned out to be virtualyl nothing to Arlington. San Juan fans turn the channel every time McCoy highlights are on. McCoy even earned a first place vote in the Golden Arm vote last season...I wonder who cast that ballot?? McCoy is an extreme groundball pitcher who can hit the century mark on the radar gun. He has 2 pitchers - his slider and his change-up that rate among the best in the PEBA. McCoy, like has been hurt this season by playing in front of a really bad defense, who knows what his numbers would be like with some slick fielding behind him.
At #3 it is Ding-Bong Zhu from the Charleston Statesman. Zhu leads a stacked farm system in Charleston and other teams in the IL should be scared at the prospect of facing Zhu, Goto and Kun.
Zhu is only 22 years old and is 6-4 on the season with a 2.88 ERA, he can throw 100 MPH and has an elite fastball, slider and changeup. Goto was a 3nd overall pick in 2034 and has managed to remain at the top of the prospect board for the past 5 years. It would not surprise me at all if he turns out to be the best of this bunch.
At #2 it is Hen-to Tse of the Florida Farstriders. The rich get richer. I know many of you think how can this guy not be number one?? 72-15 with a 2.39 ERA at 24? That is mind boggling - a great career for many. The system had to take into account that he plays on a generational team with an unbelievable defence. Hot take: If I were choosing a team right now, I would take a few guys on this list before him. Don't tell anyone that!
Apart from his out of this world numbers, Tse can throw 100 MPH with pinpoint accuracy. Playing with this organization Tse could set some records in the future.
At #1 it is another case of the rich getting richer. Manny 'El Toro' Gracia has electric stuff, great control, can throw 100 MPH and he hasn't even hit 23 years old yet. All this from a scouting discovery! That scout deserves to have a job for the rest of his life. Gracia won the IL Wonderkid award last season by going 16-9 with a 2.48 ERA and he is on the same pace this year. Barring injury, I see multiple Golden Arm awards in this kids future. In 2035 he was the #87 prospect in the PEBA, in 2036 he was #13 and in 2037 he had moved to #3, so it isn't much of a surprise that he is at the top of the ranks again.
Honourable mention to Juan Rodriguez of the Claymores, Jose Martinez of the Maulers, Kirohira Goto of Florida and to Aaron Goater (and pretty much the entire staff) of Hartford.
All for now!