Meet the New Wolves!

OK, folks, it's time to meet the new kids on the block.

Some of the top prospects in the game are heading up to the majors to join the Brooklyn Wolves this September. Never before has there been such excitement and anticipation about the future in Brooklyn. Let's take a look at some of the up-and-coming stars of the Wolves.

The first to arrive on the scene was Bill Olesen. Olesen was the team's #1 pick back in the 2006 draft. During the years that he spent in the minors, Olesen was one of the most asked-for prospects in trade talks with the Wolves, but owner Zev Steinhardt always held on to him. When the big league team needed another starter in late May, Olesen got the call. Since then, he's proven to be a great asset to the pitching staff, winning 11 games (against only three losses) and posting an ERA of 3.07 through mid-September. It looks like Bill is going to be a valuable member of the Wolves' pitching staff for years to come.

September 2 saw the arrival of the game's #1 prospect, Jeff Wardlaw, to the Show. Wardlaw was the #1 pick for the Wolves in the 2010 draft. He split the 2011 season between AA and AAA, hitting 31 homers, with an average around .310 and an OPS of about .970. The Wolves expect a lot of great things from him in the future and see him as their shortstop of the future.

Another exciting September call up is third baseman Bruce Parker. Parker was drafted in the 5th round of the 2007 draft by Hickory and acquired by Brooklyn in a trade early in the 2008 season. Since then, he has improved year after year in the minors. 2011 was a breakout year for Parker. After starting the season at AA, he was quickly called up to AAA in late May. Between the two teams, Parker has slugged 55 (yep, that's right -- 55 home runs) home runs in the minors this year. After a long string of unsuccessful third basemen, Brooklyn is hoping that it's long search for a third-sacker is finally at an end.

Joseph Bevers is another player that the Brooklyn fans are hoping to see more of in the future. A rule 5 acquisition in 2010, Joseph spent the entire season on Brooklyn's major league roster, hitting .277 in limited duty. He was sent back to AA for more seasoning at the start of the 2011 season, but quickly proved himself, hitting .287 with 20 home runs in half a season. Earning a promotion to Kensington (AAA), he did even better, batting .326 with 14 home runs, 44 RBI and a 1.060 OPS in 50 games. That earned him a September promotion to the big leagues. Bevers hopes to be on the Opening Day roster in 2012.

2B/1B James Banks is another hot prosepct that the Wolves are counting on for the future. Banks was a 3rd round pick by Danville back in 2007. He spent the next three years in A ball, learning the game. Banks was one of the central players in the deal that sent long time closer (and all time save leader) Samuel Alfano to Danville. Banks responded to the vote of confidence by beginning to hit the ball. He spent most of 2010 in AA Flatbush before coming up to Kensington at the end of the year. In 2011, he hit .277, with 19 home runs, 75 RBI and 18 stolen bases. When called up to Brooklyn in September, he hit .326, with two home runs (in the same game!) and three stolen bases. It's even possible that Banks may send Beau Manning (who is looking forward to watching his cousin in the Super Bowl this Sunday) back behind the plate.

Catcher Michael Woolsey is another exciting player that the Wolves think very highly of. Woolsey was originally drafted in the third round of the 2006 draft by New York. Four years and three trades later, he found himself in the Brooklyn Wolves' system. 2011 saw Michael hit .304 in AAA Kensington, while knocking 26 balls out of the park, driving in 94 runs and swiping 16 bases. Since being called up in September, he has pounded the ball, hitting .467 and stealing two bases.

Cornelius Bondy began his career as an outfielder back in 2008, when he was selected in the third round of the draft by Brooklyn. He rose steadily through the ranks, finally reaching Brooklyn in June. While he has spent most of the season sitting on the bench, he hopes to see more playing time in 2012.

Other players called up in September include Jerome Geise, Andrew Merriweather, and Willis Welliver who was a 38th round pick for the Wolves back in 2002. Welliver has been with the Wolves every September since the league's inception (except 2002 and 2011), hitting .389 over the course of his career.