Starting Staff:
Five “B” starters but only one with a “Z” make up the Black Sox rotation. Bartolo Colon has the control followed by A.J.Burnett (like the Sphinx, he resurfaces again), Ryan Dempster (ditto), Jose Quintana and Jason Hammel. Ian Kennedy (C-Z) will be carried for mop up duties. There is some depth in the minors with Wily Peralta (A-W, 29 IP) and Jaime Garcia (C-Z). Two (D-No Z’s), hoping to rebound in Tommy Hanson and Josh Beckett along with the injured Casey Kelly will ply their trade in the bushes this summer. They will be waiting for un-carded Hyun-Jin Ryu, Jarred Cosart and A.J.Cole to get personified on paper stock next year. Brad Peacock and Michael Pineda who did not appear on the MLB scene this year, round out the starters.
Bullpen:
Glen Perkins (A*-Z) will be the closer, followed by three (A*-No Z’s) in Alfredo Simon, Matt Albers and George Kontos (A player of Greek heritage who somehow escaped the clutches of San Diego). Wade Davis provides 70 IP of (A*-W) and Rafael Betancourt (B*-Z) fills out the pen
Catchers:
Picked up some offense with A.J. Pierzynski (C-8), he will be backed up by Geovany Soto (C-7), who with a .613 OPS, will see little playing time.
Infield:
Adam Laroche and Mark Teixeira, both (1B-5) will be deployed at either first base or DH, it makes no difference where they are inserted. A declining Chase Utley (2B-7), 301 at bats, will be the key-stoner. A still solid Aramis Ramirez (3B-4) will man the hot corner. Yunel Escobar (SS-9) will probably start at shortstop with Willie Bloomquist (SS-8,3B-4,2B-6,OF-1) providing a little more offensive up-side but not as flashy with the leather. In the minors are Ryan Howard (1B-3), hoping to fully recover from his Achilles tendon injury and Freddy Galvis (2B-8,SS-8).
Outfield:
Very solid fly-chasing corp, all (OF-2’s) with Ryan Ludwick, Yoenis Cespedes, Andy Dirks and Carlos Beltran with the first three seeing most of the PT. Hunter Pence (OF-2) provides some depth. In the bushes are Logan Morrison and Delmon Young, both (OF-1’s) along with un-carded David Dahl.
Draft Analysis:
Somehow they went from one C-Z starter and a < 20 IP C-Z to five Grade B’s in the draft, a yeoman effort. They also added a lot of offense with Laroche, Pierzynski and Ludwick. Their three first rounder picks netted them B starters Burnett, Dempster and Colon. They added two more B starters in the second with Quintana and Hammel. The “Sox” had no 3rd rounder but in the 4th , Laroche was still available, their skipper was seen holding his card next to Ludwicks before deciding on the former. Albers was also selected in the 4th. Two 5th round picks saw the addition of Pierzynski, a little surprising he was still there but with the emphasis on pitching, offense had to take a back seat and then they went for Peralta. Simon was added in the 6th and in the 7th, Ludwick, who they anguished over earlier in the draft, was still around, so he became a Black Sox selection. Bloomquist was chosen in the 8th. The 9th and 10th saw the Sox go un-carded by grabbing Ryu and then Dahl. In the 11th they took a chance on Pineda, cut loose by Rochester earlier. The 12th saw Kontos join the Philly team much to the chagrin of San Diego and they concluded their picks with Galvis in the 13th. Overall my favorite drafting endeavor by a ZSABL franchise.
Synopsis:
Offensively, Philly, according to my methodology, trails only Brooklyn. Five B starters, one with a Z should be enough although a little light on IP at the back end of the rotation. They have an (A*-Z) closer in Perkins but Betancourt, a (B) is the only other (Z). It may cost them a few tight contests but not a big concern. Utley’s low at bats and production from the shortstop position are the main weaknesses. They have enough to gain a post-season berth, a pennant would be a surprise but not beyond the realm of possibility.
Starting Staff:
Three rock solid 200 IP B-Z’s in Hiroki Kuroda, Madison Bumgarner and C.C.Sabathia form the nucleus of the starting staff. The # 4 will come from a collection of Erasmo Ramirez (59 IP), Ben Sheets (49 IP) and David Huff (29 IP), all (B-Z’s). Erasmo and Sheets will start the season in the minors. They will be aided by (C-No Z), Zach McAllister. The injured Johan Santana (D-No Z) and John Danks, (D-W), will try to regain their health in the minors. A non-injured Jake Arrieta (D-No Z) will join them since his pitching grade warrants nothing else.
Bullpen:
The Machine will have to rely on their pen after their Big 3 in the rotation and they have a stud in Wilton Lopez (A*-ZZ), Darren Oliver (A&C*-No Z) sets him up. Another tandem of (A*-Z’s) in Luis Ayala and Kyle Waldrop will be in support although the latter has just 21 IP. Dale Thayer (B*-Z) fills out the more than respectable bullpen. James Russell (B*-Z) will get the first call from down on the farm with Sean Doolittle (B*-KZ) right behind him.
Catchers:
Russell Martin (C-8), called by his skipper as the “best player in baseball” is the starter even though Alex Avila (C-8) provides a little more pop. Derek Norris (C-7) continues to develop in the Machine’s system.
Infield:
Three fourths of the Infield are all-world caliber in 1B-5 Joey Votto, 3B-4 Evan Longoria and SS-8 Troy Tulowitzski. Unfortunately, the trio, were hit by the injury bug last season, with only Votto amassing over 300 at bats. So supplementing their limitations will be Alexei Ramirez SS-9, Ike Davis 1B-4 and John McDonald (SS-9 2B-8 3B-5). Neil Walker 2B-8 will be the only infielder to play every day. On the farm is Matt Dominguez (3B-4), Justin Smoak (1B-4), Daric Barton (1B-4), yes the “Nottingham Boy’s” love their first basemen. Cord Phelps (2B-6 3B-3 SS-6) will be the only other cardboard in the minors. Un-carded Grant Green and Timothy Beckham, who they have seemed to wait on forever, will join him.
Outfield:
If the infield has some star-like qualities, the outfield is not far behind, they are led by All-World Josh Hamilton, Austin Jackson and the rising star Jayson Heyward, they are all OF-3’s. The DH spot will be is manned by two other fly chasers in Jonny Gomes and Carlos Quentin, both OF-1’s, but you do not need a glove to “rake”. On the farm are the enigmatic Cameron Maybin (OF-2) and Nate Schierholtz (OF-3).
Draft Analysis:
They did not pick until the 3rd round, after unsuccessfully naming Grade B pitchers, all of whom were already off the board, they settled on Ramirez. They selected Russell with their other # 3. Their next selection was in the 5th and they addressed some offensive needs with Gomes. Bullpen depth came in the 6th with Doolittle and in the 7th with Thayer. With their other 7th pick they chose retired Ben Sheets. Cord Phelps arrived in the 8th. The 9th saw them take a gamble on Santana, jettisoned by Pensacola. In the 10th they went back to the Piranha’s discard pile and chose Schierholtz. David Huff was picked in the 11th and K.Waldrop in the 12th. Their final selection in the 13th was Zach McAllister.
Synopsis:
Hitting the ball is the name of the game. Sherwood is almost even with Philly offensively. Three B-Z’s go pretty far in this league. Lopez, a double ZZ in the pen is huge. The pen is well stocked to deal with the lack of a bona-fide fourth starting pitcher. Their biggest problem will be the micro-managing of player usage for their infielders. Their skipper said he is up to the task and is even looking forward to it. They should be post-season bound in what most of the Eastern Division managers call a wild-open race.
Starting Staff:
Mat Latos is the ace followed by Jarrod Parker and the heralded Stephen Strasburg. They are all (B-No Z’s) ranked by IP. Homer Bailey (C-Z) holds down the fourth spot with Matt Garza (C-No Z) as the spot starter. Edinson Volquez (C-W) is the best of the rest on the farm with little help to be counted on from the pair of (D-W’s) in Tim Lincecum and Tyler Skaggs. Nor is any expected from D-Z Dan Hudson as well. There is no card for Scott Baker as he rehabs while un-carded Zack Wheeler and Jose Fernandez will hopefully mature.
Bullpen:
Mariano Rivera (A&C*-Z), with only 16 IP on his card will be used judiciously. (A&C*-No Z), Aroldis Chapman and the tandem of Sean Burnett and Jim Johnson both (A*-Z) will see the bulk of the closer opportunities. Nate Jones has 71 IP of (A*-W) to add to the mix. Tony Cingrani with 5 IP of (A&C*-No Z) will be in the minors.
Catchers:
Both of the “Met’s” receivers can hit with Wilin Rosario (C-6) and Yasmani Grandal (C-7). They both have OPS’s over .840 so their defensive shortcomings can be overlooked. Victor Martinez, without a card, survived Brooklyn’s roster cuts and will try to regain his stroke in the minors. Also in the bushes is un-carded Will Myers.
Infield:
The corner positions are more than ably filled with Paul Goldschmidt (1B-4) and Adrian Beltre (3B-5). Miguel Cabrera will be the DH although he was generously awarded a 3B-4 rating. (There will be no retraction, Dave), Derek Jeter SS-8 is still employed at shortstop while Rickey Weeks (2B-6) will be his double-play partner. The bench has Brett Wallace 1B-3 3B-3, Alcides Escobar SS-8 and Sean Rodriguez 2B-7 SS-8 3B-3. It is a better than average collection. The minor league infield looks even better. Un-carded Anthony Rendon, who IMHO looks like he can’t miss as a prospect, leads the parade with Manny Machado (3B-4) right behind him. Lonnie Chisenhall (3B-3) and 1B-OF Kyle Blanks (1B-3 OF-1) who hopefully, will make a triumphant return to the borough of Brooklyn.
Outfield:
If there is a weak spot in Brooklyn it is here in the outfield, Dexter Fowler (OF-2), Andre Ethier OF-3 and Alejandro de Aza (OF-2) will be the starters. The duo of (OF-3’s), in Michael Brantley and Peter Bourjos, are the reserves. Un-carded George Springer will bide his time.
Draft Analysis:
They selected Aroldis Chapman (A&C*-No Z) with their 1st round pick and no one could argue that (Except Memphis in their Draft Analysis). With their 2nd they took Burnett. The 3rd round saw them go to their usual “Method of Operation” of the past as they selected un-carded P Jose Fernandez. In the 4th they took Skaggs, a tad early in my opinion and in the 5th they went back to an un-card in Wheeler, a nice choice. With their 6th pick they hope to resurrect the career of former Metropolitan 1B Kyle Blanks, a power hitter with a history of maladies. The 7th saw them take Odorizzi who they later released before the draft was over. In the 8th Nate Jones was added and in their final pick in the 10th they selected Cingrani. Budget restraints kept the Brooklyn scouting system from taking a good look at any of the star players from Boise State or South West Louisiana University.
Synopsis:
Offensively the Metropolitans are probably the best in the East but not by a lot. Three B starters without a “Z” and a C-Z do not make a formidable rotation. The bullpen however is very strong. They are probably “on the fence” for playoff aspirations. The middle of the batting order is very dangerous but the lack of control by the starters has to be a concern. They will win their share of ball games but their final spot in the standings will be determined by the performance or lack of by their division rivals.
Starting Staff:
The Rockers have an ace in Jered Weaver (A-No Z), 188 IP. Ross Detwhiler, Chad Billingsley and Eric Stults will follow him. They are all (B-No Z’s), they are also all light on IP with 164,149 and 99 respectively. Their 5th starter, Yovani Gallardo, who has the IP with 204, but he is saddled with a (C-No Z) grade. There is not any help down on the farm as Shaun Marcum and Nathan Eovaldi, a Rochester Manager favorite, are both also rated (C-No Z’s). Joining them in the bushes is Yu Darvish (C-W), Derek Holland (D-No Z) and Trevor Bauer (D-W). You did see the trend here? All the pitchers either have (No-Z or a (W). Also on the farm is Kyle Crick, who is un-carded, so any of his control issues have not been established yet.
Bullpen:
Finding the plate is also a problem here in the bullpen as the Rockers have four (A*-No Z’s) in Bobby Parnell, Kenley Jansen, Jeremy Affeldt and Jose Mijares. The lone control artist is Jon Rauch (B*-Z). Chris Perez (B*-No Z) rounds out the relief corp.
Catcher:
Salvador Perez C-7 has the pop but is limited with 289 at bats. Matt Wieters C-9 will not embarrass himself. This tandem is more than adequate for the season. Young Tommy Joseph, un-carded, is down on the farm.
Infield:
Post draft talk by the Rocker management said it might be time to move former All-World Albert Pujols 1B-5 while he still has top value. A deal never materialized so “El Hombre” will play first base this year in Rochester. Danny Espinosa (2B-8 SS-8) will be at the keystone position. Lingering doubts about his arm injury will continue to surface during the season. Jordan Pacheco (3B-3 1B-2 C-5), a solid hitter, will man the hot corner unless his versatility is needed elsewhere. Another possibility at third is Hanley Ramirez (3B-3 SS-7) although he will probably see more PT at short. Josh Rutledge (SS-8) is the best option at SS but he only has 277 at bats. Pedro Ciriaco (3B-3 2B-7 SS-8) is a nice utility player. Mark Ellis 2B-9 rounds out the infielders. The farm is pretty well stacked with 3B Mike Olt (3B-3 1B-2 OF-1), Jurickson Profar (2B-7 SS-8) and un-carded 1B Jon Singleton being the elite of the bunch. Providing some depth is Cliff Pennington (SS-9 2B-8) and Emilio Bonifacio (OF-2 2B-6).
Outfield:
The outfield has a real stud in Mike Trout (OF-3), he will be flanked by Adam Jones (OF-3), a stud in his own right and Gerardo Parra, another (OF-3) or Shane Victorino, yet another OF-3. Carl Crawford (OF-1) will only see DH duty, sharing time with one of the extra infielders like Pacheco or Ramirez. In their farm system is Raja Davis, only an (OF-2). Top prospect Oscar Taveras expects to arrive soon and Jackie Bradley,Jr is making a name for himself in the Bosox camp, both of these phenoms are un-carded.
Draft Analysis:
With two 1st round lottery picks they happily gobbled up OF Taveras and P Detwhiler, both of whom were on their short-list. They did not pick again until the 4th and then they chose Rutledge, another one of their targeted players. In the 5th they took Stults, mostly out of need. In the 6th and 7th they addressed the bullpen with Parnell and then Mijares.
They had two in the 8th round and went un-carded with Joseph and Bradley, very nice selections. Ciriaco was still around in the 9th so he became a Rocker, another solid pick.
The 10th saw them add their only pitcher on the entire staff with a “Z” in Jon Rauch. Kyle Crick was an un-carded gamble in the 11th and they ended up with Eovaldi in the 12th, a “fav” of the Rocker manager.
Synopsis:
Since play result (14) is on every manager’s mind when they draft or make out a line up it is hard to look at a team with only one “Z” on the roster as a playoff contender. But this is the ZSABL East, and most of the managers are in agreement that it is a race that is wide open. Another concern for the Rochester play off hopes is a dearth of innings for the starters and an overall lack of punch besides Trout and Pujols. Stringing hits together to scratch across runs will have to be the Rocker strategy. I don’t think they can over come the control issues. Runs will be hard enough to come by without relinquishing them right back with free passes. My Manager of the Year vote will go here if they earn a berth in the post season. Fourth place is my best prediction.
Starting Staff:
Chris Sale (B-Z) is the leader of this piece meal staff. Chris Tillman (A-No-Z), 86 IP is next. Joe Kelly (B-No Z), 107 IP, Ted Lilly (B-No Z), 48 IP, Blake Beavan (C-Z) and Clay Buchholtz (C-No Z) round out this motley crew. Hishasi Iwakuma (B-No Z), 125 IP and ancient Andy Pettitte (A-No Z), 75 IP are in the minors awaiting the call and they will be beckoned soon with all the low IP of the aforementioned lot. Joining them in the bushes is Matt Moore (C-W), Mike Leake (D-Z) and Jon Lester (D-No Z).
Bullpen:
As is the norm seemingly in the East there is only one “Z” in the pen. The closer will probably be Huston Street (A&C*-No Z), with a trio of (A*-No Z’s) supporting him in
Tom Wilhelmsen, Rafael Soriano and Charlie Furbush. Matt “Thunder” Thornton, a Crazy Horse “Fav”, has the only coveted control rating as a (B*-Z). Alexi Ogando (C(B*)-No-Z) and Bryan Shaw (B*-No Z) fill out the rest of the pen.
Catchers:
John Jaso (C-7) with his 294 at bats will see most of the work with Carlos Santana (C-7 1B-2 OF-1) spelling him frequently. It is a very competent tandem.
Infield:
Chase Headley (3B-5) a rising star patrols the hot corner, while across the diamond injury prone Justin Morneau (1B-4) trys to regain his all-star form. Martin Prado (2B-7 3B-4 SS-7 OF-2 1B-3) backs up every infield spot but will start at second base. Starlin Castro (SS-8) will be the shortstop. Adam Dunn (1B-2 OF-1) does the DH honors. Jemile Weeks (2B-6) is the only other infielder on the active roster. In the minors are Chris Parmelee (1B-3 OF-1), Jean Segura (SS-7), acquired during the draft from Rochester for Mike Olt, and a pair of un-cards in Jedd Gyorko and Nolan Arenado.
Outfield:
David Murphy, Bryce Harper and Seth Smith all (OF-2’s) will probably see the bulk of the PT with Denard Span (OF-3) rotating in. Down on the farm is Jason Kubel (OF-1), inexplicably optioned out when he has arguably the 3rd best hitting card on the team. A pair of premier defenders in Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner, both (OF-3’s) join him as they attempt to get healthy for the next campaign. Another OF-3 in Franklin Gutierrez will toil in the obscurity of the bushes along with un-carded speedster Billy Hamilton and budding prospect Bubba Starling. Overall, without Kubel on the roster, it is just an average lot.
Draft Analysis:
They took Tillman in the 1st with a Lottery Pick, kind of high at the time but the way the draft played out it might have been the correct move. Their next pick was in the 3rd and with the starting pitchers flying like crazy they selected Iwakuma. The “Horse Men” had three more 3rd round picks and they made them count with Gyorko, who apparently won the starting 2B gig in San Diego, Kelly, one of the last B starters left and the veteran Pettitte, who with Tillman, were the only A starters in the draft, albeit with limited IP. A duo of 4th round picks netted them Wilhelmsen and Olt, who they later traded to Rochester for Segura. They had no 5th but with their 6th they went for Hamilton, the speed merchant, acclaimed by everyone as a solid choice. In the 7th they added the soft tossing Blake Beavan and in the 8th, Charlie Furbush came on board.
Synopsis:
Offensively I have them rated right in the middle. They look a little short of C-Z or better pitching so depending where they have to pitch their inferior grades will reflect in their W-L record. No big boppers other than Dunn so they will have to manufacture runs. The pen without Z’s will struggle to hold lead unless “Thunder Thornton” can rise to the occasion. I do not concur that the East is a race that is wide open but I have been wrong before. The Crazy Horse does not have permission to print play off tickets as of this moment.
Starting Staff:
They have a starting staff in Maine consisting of two (B-Z’s) in Wade Miley and Scott Diamond, a pair of (B-No Z’s) in Gio Gonzalez and Matt Harrison. Jeff Samardzija (C-No-Z) will pitch mop up duties. Jeff Nieman (B-No Z), 38 IP is in the minors and will be brought up for the stretch run. Joining him in the farm system is a host of young hurlers in Vance Worley (C-No Z), Danny Duffy (C-W), Bud Norris and Chris Volstad, both (D-No-Z’s) and Jhoulys Chacin (D-W).
Bullpen:
The pen as is the custom apparently now in the East will go into battle with only one (Z). Ryan Cook and Jared Burton, both (A&C*’s) will close, in support will be Ron Belisario and Javy Guerra, both (A*’s). Bret Myers, the designated (B*-Z) will come in to curb the bleeding when the walks start accumulating. In the minors are a plethora of arms, all of course without control, in Scott Elbert (A*), Aaron Crowe and Scott Downs, both (B*’s) and Jordan Walden (B*-W).
Catchers:
Like last year, at bats is an issue for the Maui back stoppers. Jason Castro (C-8), Erik Kratz (C-7) and Wilson Ramos (C-7) will somehow get into the lineup and between the three will have enough to make it through the season. If not Devin Mesoraco (C-8) is down on the farm.
Infield:
They paid a King’s Ransom for Bryan Lahair (1B-3 OF-1) so even with him heading to Japan they might as well let him play this season. Their other options at first are Corey Hart (OF-2 1B-3) but he will be needed in the outfield or Todd Frazier (3B-3 1B-3 OF-1) but he is needed at third base. Howie Kendrick (2B-7) is for sure the starter at the keystone bag. Jed Lowrie (SS-8) will team up with him for the double play tandem. As previously mentioned Frazier will start at third base. Defenders of the faith include Zach Cozart (SS-9) and Placido Polanco (3B-5). Eduardo Escobar will provide more depth with his (2B-7 3B-3 SS-7). Will Middlebrooks (3B-3) will probably handle DH duties on a limited basis with his 267 at bats. Lowrie is another possibility at the DH slot with Cozart playing SS. In the system are un-carded Miguel Sano, who they will not part with because Norfolk inquired about him so he must have potential and Hak-Ju Lee.
Outfield:
Matt Kemp (OF-3) head-lines this cast of characters. As previously stated Corey Hart is needed here. Shin-Soo Choo (OF-3) will be the other starter. Their only relief will be Will Venable (OF-2). In the minors is Travis Snider (OF-2), one would think the Maui management is growing tired of waiting for him to fulfill his potential.
Draft Analysis:
Two Lottery picks got them two B-Z starters in Miley and Diamond. In the 2nd they chose Cook, a little early for a reliever without a “Z”. In the 3rd they took Burton, again a little early for a hurler without a “Z”. In the 4th they selected Belisario, is there a pattern here, another reliever without control. With their other 4th round pick they came to the table looking for a Phillie and came away with Kratz. They did not pick again until the 7th and they took former Crazy Horse OF Venable. Their final pick in the 8th was Myers,, their only “Z” in the pen.
Synopsis:
It is all well and good that they predicted that they would not lose 100 games again this season. They are correct, they will not. The starting staff is deep and the bullpen is adequate even without any control to speak of. The problem as I perceive it will be run production. Even though this will be a much-improved Maine ball club they do not have post season play written on them. Are they getting closer, yes? Trading has been detrimental to their progress IMHO. Kemp is the only batter to fear in their line up and he can be pitched around. Frazier and Hart can do some damage but overall there are too many holes. It takes time to build a team that will contend each and every year. They are getting closer but NO CIGAR this year.
Starting Staff:
David Price (A-No Z), Felix Hernandez (B-Z) and a pair of (B-No Z’s) in Zach Greinke and Max Scherzer make up a very decent rotation. Josh Collmenter (C-Z) is in the minors along with Jerome Williams, another (C-Z) and the blossoming Julio Teheran (D-Z). They must have high hopes for this ensemble because just seven starters is a little light for a ZSABL franchise.
Bullpen:
They got their closer in Craig Kimbrell (A&B*-Z) and it gets no better than that. Cesar Ramos A(A&C*-No Z) sets him up. They could opt to use his 30 IP in a starting role. Grant Balfour and Jonathan Broxton both (A*-No Z’s) along with Greg Holland (A*-W) fill out the pen with Tom Gorzellany C(B*)-No Z picking up what innings are left. In the minors are Heath Bell (D*-No Z) and John Axford (D*-W).
Catchers:
A.J.Ellis (C-8) will do the bulk of the catching with Chris Iannetta (C-8) backing him up. Martin Maldonado (C-7) is down on the farm. They are still waiting for un-carded Travis D’Arnaud to arrive and he may now that he is a member of the NY Mets.
Infield:
Ian Kinsler 2B-7 will start for sure with Kyle Seager 3B-3 2B-7, probably guarding the hot corner. Elvis Andrus SS-9 will be the short stop. Now it gets a little tricky, Todd Helton 1B-5 has only 240 at bats and is on the wrong side of a distinguished career, Garret Jones 1B-3 OF-1 is the logical replacement. Chris Carter 1B-2 has the best OPS of all the Bulldog infielders but he is needed at the DH spot, plus he is limited with 218 at bats. Darwin Barney 2B-9 SS-7 will be used strictly for defense. Jayson Nix is an all-around handy man with a (F) 2B-7 3B-4 SS-8 OF-1. In the minors are 1B-3 Kendry Morales, who some feel should have made the squad, Yonder Alonzo 1B-3, Logan Forsythe 2B-7 3B-4 SS-7 and Alberto Callaspo 3B-4. If that doesn’t make them deep enough in the infield, they also have Dee Gordon SS-7, Jose Iglesias SS-8 and Maicer Izturis 2B-7 3B-3 SS-8 to throw in the mix should calamity arrive.
Outfield:
Andrew McCutchen OF-3 is the star of this group. Norichika Aoki OF-2, who has an awesome on base card, will be another starter. The 3rd spot will go to Justin Upton OF-3.
Garret Jones 1B-3 OF-1 will be best employed at 1B when Carter DH’s and at the latter spot when Helton starts at first. The back ups are Jon Jay OF-3 and Chris Heisey OF-2.
Un-carded Christian Yellich is in the minors. A real top-flight group of fly chasers.
Draft Analysis:
They did not have many draft picks, instead relying on trades to fill their needs. Their first pick was in the 2nd and they tabbed Aoki, an on-base card and well worth the slot he was chosen in. Their next pick wasn’t until the 6th and there they selected Broxton, another reliever to add to their stable, the 7th saw them go for Barney, the 2B-9 was too hard to resist. In the 8th, Gorzellany was their choice and in the 9th, Jerome Williams became a Bulldog. With their other 9th round selection they took Cesar Ramos. In the 10th, Catcher Martin Maldonado and Jayson Nix were added. A fairly non-descript draft other than Aoki but they did not have a lot of leeway given their dearth of picks.
Synopsis:
A solid starting staff and a more than competent bullpen will make them an instant contender in the “wide open” Eastern Division race. They will be offensively challenged however. McCutchen cannot carry the club by himself. Carter’s limited at bats will take away what little thunder they have in their starting nine. Of course if Aoki gets on and McCutchen drives him in, perhaps with their pitching they can win a lot of close ball games. Its not that the lineup is terrible it is just average and relative to others in the division, average doesn’t cut it. Where will they finish? Pick a number between 2nd and 5th.
A “wide open race” as most managers in the division claim it will be is not in my “Crystal Ball”. For Pennant consideration, I will eliminate Rochester and Maine. Play Offs are another story. Perhaps I place too much emphasis on “Z’s” but Sherwood with three B-Z Starters and plenty of them in the pen as well as a stud in Wilton Lopez with his “ZZ” are my favorite to capture their fourth consecutive flag in the East. Offensively they might not be as good as Brooklyn or Philadelphia but they are close enough and with the control exhibited by the Machine’s hurlers they will be able to protect leads. For the runner up spot the edge goes to the Black Sox, who with a cunning draft by their G.M., turned around a decimated pitching staff and an inept lineup into a contender. Third place and the last post season berth gets a little tricky. Brooklyn has enough firepower in their lineup to get there; the question is how well their pitching holds up. They are light on IP for their starting staff but with Johnson, Burnett and an occasional “Mariano”, all A*-Z’s, it might be enough.
Their biggest challenge may come from Las Vegas, if Adam Dunn can hit enough 3-Run homers, they may overcome the demotion of Jason Kubel and give the Metropolitans a run for their money. The lack of a bona-fide closer for the Crazy Horse prohibits me from giving them permission to print Play Off tickets. Amsterdam will be the other challenger for the 3rd play off slot. Their pitching may hold their opponents in check but producing enough runs will pose an obstacle they may not be able to overcome.
Rochester has a nice young and up-coming club. Offensively they do not match up with the top dogs in the division. The lack of any control, except for Rauch in the pen will make it extremely difficult to finish any higher than 4th place.
Maine is the “wild card”, they have a starting rotation and enough “A’s” in the pen, but the lack of a “Z” closer will hinder them. A non-explosive offense like the best the Maui’s can put on the field needs a lot of “out-side” column rolls to be productive. Pencil in Sherwood and Philly for the two top spots in the East. I give the edge to Brooklyn for the final post-season berth with a moderate challenge from Las Vegas and Amsterdam. Maine needs all the breaks the APBA god’s can muster but hot dice can do the trick. Rochester would surprise me if they are still in contention late in the season but the future bodes well for them.
Disclaimer:
This journalistic endeavor is just an opinion. Please, if you disagree with it, post your own predictions. I do take a lot of time analyzing the rosters etc. If you must comment, make it to the entire league, sort of like a Letter to the Editor. In the past I have been wrong and sometimes right on the money just like the Weathermen.