Starting Staff:
Three “A” starters, one with a (Z) and two B-Z’s and a B-W make up the Sound’s rotation. Ubaldo Jimenez the B-W will have to be carried to compensate for some limited inning hurlers like Alex Cobb (A-No Z 143 IP) and Gerrit Cole (B-Z 117 IP). Matt Harvey (A-Z 178 IP) and Julio Teheran (B-Z 185 IP) should be able to take their regular turn as will Anibal Sanchez (A-No Z 182 IP). A.J.Griffin C-Z will be carried on the active roster for mop up innings. Down on the farm are Marco Estrada C-Z, Jake Odorizzi (C-No Z), Jacob Turner (C-W) and Kyle Gibson (D-No Z). Jake Arrieta and Drew Pomeranz, a pair of (D-W’s), also grace the minor league system with their presence.
Bullpen:
They said they needed bullpen help heading into the draft and they got it. Mark Melancon and Darren O’Day are both A&C*-Z’s. Craig Breslow is another A&C*-No Z and he will be joined by Anthony Swarzak A*-Z. Vince Mazzaro and Burke Badenhop contribute B*-Z’s to provide ample depth. Swarzak, Melancon and Mazzaro were all added via the draft.
Catchers:
May be the best receiving combo in the ZSABL with Buster Posey C-8 1B-2 and Jonathan Lucroy C-8 1B-3. They also have youth on their side as Posey is just 27 while Lucroy is 28. The latter is probably their best option at DH but since they only carry two catchers that will not come to fruition.
Infield:
Robinson Cano 2B-8 SS-6 is the star of this group. His double-play partner is Asdrubal Cabrera SS-8 who is more than adequate. At first base Freddy Freeman 1B-4 is coming into his own as a Super-Star. Matt Carpenter 3B-4 2B-7 OF-1 1B-3 will be at the hot corner. His .873 OPS makes up for any lack of power normally associated with the position. The bench is a little thin but the starters will rarely need to be replaced. Marcus Semien 3B-3 2B-7 SS-7 will cover all the back up duties. In the bushes are Bret Lawrie 3B-4 2B-6 who has seemingly fallen out of favor with the Sound Management and SS-8 Adeiny Hechavarria who last year at this time was being touted as the next re-incarnation of Ozzie Smith. Four un-carded players make up the rest of the minor league infielders. 1B Jose Abreu, who looks like the most advanced of this group, Maikel Franco, Tommmy La Stella and Carlos Correa all have tremendous upside.
Outfield:
Yasiel Puig OF-2 has all the talent in the world but needs to be controlled in the emotion department by the Sound Manager. Domonic Brown OF-1 will be doing the DH honors. Flanking Puig will be Jay Bruce OF-3 and Starling Marte OF-3. On the bench is A.J.Pollock OF-3 who will pick up the slack of Puig’s limited at bats. Three youngsters with high ceilings will be in the minors, Marcell Ozuna, Oswaldo Arcia and Michael Choice who has really been ripping it in Spring training.
Draft Analysis:
They didn’t pick until the 2nd round, where they had two picks. Their first choice was Anthony Swarzak and then Mark Melancon as they addressed their bullpen, true to their word. They had two 3rd rounders and a fourth and they went all un-carded in the likes of Jose Abreu, Maikel Franco and Tommy La Stella with the latter ready to supplant Atlanta’s Dan Uggla should he falter early. In the 5th they took Oswaldo Arcia, They had no 6th but in the 7th they grabbed B*-Z Vin Mazzaro. A.J.Pollock arrived in the 8th and the 9th gave them Marcus Semien. Odorizzi in the 10th and Kyle Gibson in the 11th gives them some young pitching potential. Their final selection was OF Marcell Ozuna in the 12th.
Synopsis:
Accused of sitting on their hands offensively by the Commissioner during the draft, as Norfolk and Pensacola leap-frogged over their commanding lead in team-lineup OPS, they replied smugly, “They will run out of IP and AB, don’t worry, Memphis will be there in the end”. Perhaps they are correct, Memphis has assembled a fine team but I do see a dog-fight with Pensacola for top honors in the West. In the end the Sound will probably prevail but there are those “hatchet cards” of Pensacola, which could be a deciding factor. Memphis’s starting rotation and dynamite bullpen may be too much for any other club to over take them.
Starting Staff:
In a rarity, like the passing of Haley’s Comet, there are no Grade A pitchers in the Norfolk rotation. There are four B’s, only two with Z’s. Adam Wainwright and Jordan Zimmermann are the Z’s with Shelby Miller and Justin Verlander without the control letter. Rick Porcello C-Z may have to make some starts to compensate for Miller’s 173 IP. In the minors are Taijuan Walker (B-No Z 15 IP), Jake Peavy (C-Z) with Lance Lynn and Matt Cain, both (C-No Z’s). Jeremy Hellickson D-No Z rounds out the staff.
Bullpen:
While the bullpen is strong it lacks the “dominating force” of years gone by. Luke Gregorson and Sergio Romo, are both (A*-Z’s), and they are supported by Jason Grilli and Trevor Rosenthal, both (A*-No Z’s). Latroy Hawkins B*-Z provides the depth. Jake McGee C*-No Z is in the minors along with un-carded Mark Appel and Jameson Taillon
Catchers:
Yadier Molina was traded away during the off season and they learned that Joe Mauer was being moved to first base so they needed two catchers in the draft, at least one for sure to back up Mauer for this year. They had ranked Yan Gomes and Josmil Pinto as their top two targets, hoping to get one of them. The draft gods were kind enough to give them both. So they open the season with all three on the roster. Joe Mauer C-9 1B-4 has 445 at bats and will start with Yan Gomes C-8 spelling him while Josmil Pinto C-6 will do some pinch-hitting.
Infield:
Long time 1B-DH Prince Fielder was unceremoniously demoted to the minors and Eric Hosmer 1B-5 installed at first base with newly drafted Adam Lind 1B-3 taking over the DH duties. The rest of the infield starters remain the same, Ryan Zimmerman 3B-4 at third base, and a double-play tandem of Dustin Pedroia 2B-9 and Jose Reyes SS-8. Jordy Mercer, SS-8 2B-7 3B-3 1B-2, will back up everywhere. In the minors besides Fielder are Pablo Sandoval 3B-3, Donovan Solano 2B-8, Kolten Wong 2B-7 and un-carded SS Francisco Lindor.
Outfield:
When they can stay on the field without injuries/suspensions, this trio is one of the ZSABL’s best. Carlos Gonzalez OF-3 391 AB, Ryan Braun OF-3 225 AB and Giancarlo Stanton OF-2 425 AB, as you see by their at bat totals they cannot do that. In their stead will be the likes of Charles Blackmon OF-2, Desmond Jennings OF-3 and Avisail Garcia OF-2. Not exactly imposing the same fear factor of the first trio. In the minors is Aaron Hicks OF-2 and heralded prospect Byron Buxton.
Draft Anaylsis:
They did not shock the APBA world with their 1st round pick this year as they got exactly what everybody knew they taking and that was Catcher Yan Gomes. They had another 1st rounder and grabbed # 1 prospect Byron Buxton. In the 2nd, this desk was more than mildly surprised with the announcement of Avisail Garcia. He is definitely a talent but the 2nd round seemed pretty high. The 3rd round netted them Mercer and with Jose Reyes’s injury history he was a good hedge bet. Two 4th round picks, gave them Pinto, surprisingly still on the board as well as Adam Lind, a nice card that would start for most teams in the league. They had no 5th but Blackmon was selected in the 6th with Hawkins arriving in the 7th. Grilli was their 8th round choice and then their final pick was Mark Appel, a great pick in the 9th round.
Synopsis:
It does seem a little odd that this section does not start with, “Probably the best team in the ZSABL”, as it has for the past few years but that is the case. A rotation that is far from the standards we are used to seeing in Norfolk and a bullpen although very good not as stacked as the “Glory Days of Old”, coupled with an off year by Pedroia and the lack of at bats for their key outfielders could mean a rare vacation during the playoffs for the “sea gods”. Don’t get me wrong this is still a very good ball club and I resisted the urge to throw the “proverbial blanket” over the top three of the West. I think Pensy and Memphis are superior ball clubs to the Norfolk Nine and San Diego could present a valid challenge for the last playoff spot. There will be a lot more late night trips to the Chique’s Rock Area than last year.
Starting Staff:
(B-Z’s) Doug Fister and John Lackey head the Scouts rotation. Following them will be (B-No Z) Jorge De La Rosa and then Jeff Locke and Justin Masterson, both (B-W’s). It is rare that there are no Grade C starters in the Scouts starting pitching corp. Down on the farm are another pair of (B-W’s) in Francisco Liriano and Hector Santiago. Joining them is a duo of (C-Z’s) in Bronson Arroyo and Wei-Yin Chen and finally D-No Z Joe Saunders. The Scouts have 23 pitchers on their roster.
Bullpen:
Luke Hochevar (A&C*-Z) headlines this cast of characters. He is out for next year due to TJ surgery but gives Seattle 76 IP this year. Steve Cishek, Aaron Loup and Casey Janssen, all (A*-Z’s) will set him up. The first two sacrificial lambs in Seattle’s revolving door of relievers will be J.J. Putz (A*-W) and Alfredo Simon (B*-No Z). When their innings are used up they will dip down to the minors for any of the following horde; Jesse Crain (A&B*-No-Z), Francisco Rodriguez (A*-Z), Ryan Webb and Matt Lindstrom, both (B*-No Z’s), Casey Fien (C*-Z), Kelvin Herrera (C*-No-Z) or Brad Lincoln (C*-W).
Catchers:
Ryan Doumit C-6 OF-1 appears to have won the starting gig; Brayan Pena C-7 will back him up. Jose Lobaton C-7, the best OPS of the three will start the year in the minors.
Infield:
Josh Donaldson 3B-4, coming off a career year will be at third base while likewise across the diamond at first base the same can be said for 1B-3 3B-3 Chris Johnson. Marcus Scutaro 2B-7 will start at the keystone sack with his power-starved card. The shortstop will be Alexei Ramirez SS-8 although newly drafted Pedro Florimon SS-9, a Scout favorite, will spell him frequently. Perhaps the real Seattle favorite is Utility man Kelly Johnson 2B-7 3B-3 OF-1 1B-3 SS-6, who they talked up all winter, there is no “room at the Inn” for him on a regular basis but he will be rotated in whenever possible. In the minors will be a solitary infielder in Gordon Beckham 2B-7 SS-6.
Outfield:
Michael Cuddyer 1B-3 OF-2, coming off a batting title, will be one starter. Nelson R.Cruz OF-2 will be another while OF-2 Alfonso Soriano will occupy the final slot unless he DH’s which would then put Nate McLouth OF-3 and Angel “In the Outfield” Pagan OF-2 in the mix. OF-3 Michael Saunders also made the team but his PT should be limited. In the minors is Michael Bourn OF-3.
Draft Anaylsis:
They took what was expected of them in the first round with the selection of John Lackey, They then stunned the APBA world with their 2nd round pick of Soriano, who most experts though would last until the mid-rounds. They turned their roster over with 15 new draftees. In the 3rd they chose Hochevar, the 4th netted them Masterson and then went for De La Rosa in the 5th. Francisco Rodriguez arrived in the 6th and with their two 7th rounds picks they went for Jeff Locke and Brayan Pena. In the 8th, they grabbed Jose Lobaton, the 9th saw them take Nate McLouth. In the 10th they got Florimon. In the 11th, there was still more B-W’s left on the board so they chose Liriano and yet another B-W in the 12th with Hector Santiago. Ryan Webb was taken in the 13th and their final pick in the14th was Alfredo Simon.
Synopsis:
A rotation of B-Z, B-Z, B, B-W, B-W make things real tough, although their bullpen is undeniably awesome. Their lineup is not as good as last years when they finished 2nd best in the West and 4th best overall in offense. It remains to be seen if they can get more mileage out of their B-W starting pitchers as opposed to their C-No Z pitchers of a year ago. The addition of a second B-Z this season is a big improvement but the decline of their lineup production will negate that. 23 pitchers, WOW, they have about 1,000 more innings than is necessary to complete a ZSABL schedule, but as Mike Showalter once said, “You can never have enough arms”. Scoring runs will be the biggest problem in Seattle this year and even though the Scout Skipper is known to be one of the “best rollers’ in the league, it looks like they are destined for the nether regions of the Western Division.
Starting Staff:
Clayton Kershaw (A&C-Z) will be followed by (A-Z) Bartolo Colon. Next in line will be (B-Z’s) Kyle Lohse and Andy Pettitte. The # 5 starter will be Tyler Chatwood (B-No-Z). Down on the farm are A-Z Brandon Cumpton with 30 IP, Ricky Nolasco and Kevin Correia, both (C-Z’s). Joining them are C-No-Z’s, Jerome Williams and Jason Vargas. Danny Haren D-Z rounds out the starting staff.
Bullpen:
The closer will be chosen from a pair of (A*-Z’s). Either Tommy Hunter or Brad Ziegler. Grant Balfour (A*-W) gives them some help along with Jason Frasor (A*-No-Z) and Josh Collmenter (B*-No-Z). On the farm are Bobby Parnell (A*-Z) and Adam Ottavino (A*-No-Z).
Catchers:
Dioner Navarro C-7 and John Jaso C-6 will split the duties behind the plate. The former has a nice “hatchet card”. In the minors are Carlos Ruiz C-8 and A.J.Ellis C-9.
Infield:
Edwin Encarnacion 1B-3 3B-3 will start at first and across the diamond David Wright 3B-5 will guard the hot corner. They both have an OPS of .904. Aaron Hill 2B-8, but only 327 at bats will patrol the keystone bag. SS-9 Evereth Cabrera will be his DP partner and he is limited to 381 at bats. Ben Zobrist 2B-9 SS-8 OF-3 will see plenty of action at both 2B and SS. Kendrys Morales should be the full-time DH but we have to wait to see how the Pensy skipper arranges his lineup. The reserves are Justin Morneau 1B-5 and Chris Valaika SS-7 1B-2 2B-7 3B-3. In the minors are SS-8 Didi Gregorius and Eric Sogard 2B-8 SS-7
Outfield:
Their fondness for “hatchet cards” was never more evident as they drafted both Ryan Raburn OF-2 2B-6 243 AB and Khris Calhoun OF-1 136 AB, perhaps they will employ them at DH or even in the outfield as a “two-headed monster” platoon. Regardless of where they put them, OF-2 Colby Rasmus is entrenched as one starter in the Fish’s pasture.
Shane Victorino OF-3 will probably be another starter with Ben Revere OF-3 in the mix somewhere. Zobrist is another option for the outfield when he is not filling in for Cabrera and Hill. In the minors are OF-2 Scott Van Slyke, not a bad card but a bunch of 24’s. Joining him is a pair of OF-2’s in Justin Ruggliano and Norichika Aoki.
Draft Anaylsis:
They had three 2nd round picks with the first they grabbed Hunter to be their closer and then with the next two they went for hatchet-men Davis and Raburn. In the 3rd they continued with the hatchets as they went for Navarro. In the 4th they added SS Gregorius, a much too high a pick, for a minor leaguer. B starter Chatwood was selected in the 5th. A pair of 6th rounders netted them Sogard and Ottavino. Van Slyke was their choice in the 7th. They had no 8th but in the 9th they got Brandon Cumpton. Jason Frasor arrived in the 10th and in the 11th, their final pick was Inf Valaika.
Synopsis:
Originally I thought Pensacola made considerable inroads into cutting into Memphis lead as the perceived pre-season favorite. Upon further review, I must, reluctantly of course, agree with the Sound’s Manager assessment that they will run out of IP/AB. They still have plenty in the tank to make the post season but I now think they will fall short of over taking Memphis for the Western Division crown. Some wasted draft picks on Gregorius, Valaika and Sogard could have been better served with providing some depth in the pen or outfield. The limited at bats for Hill and Cabrera and even David Wright make Zobrist a key to the Pensy attack.
Innings will be the main problem for the Cowboys rotation. (C-Z) Dillon Gee will take a regular turn with (B-No-Z’s) Ivan Nova 139, Chris Archer 128 and Martin Perez 124 IP following him, the # 5 starter will be (A-Z) Brett Oberholtzer. When they deplete these innings the call will go to the next wave of hurlers, they include Tanner Roark (A-Z 53 IP), Alex Ogando (B-No-Z 104 IP) and Danny Salazar (B-No-Z 52 IP)
Bullpen:
David Robertson (A&C*-No-Z), will have to close. He will have support in Craig Stammen and Tyler Clippard, both (A*-No-Z’s). When they get into trouble with base runners the call will go to their pair of (B*-Z’s), Jerry Blevins and Sean Doolittle. In the bushes are Alex Torres (A&C*-No-Z) and Bret Cecil (A*-No-Z). Un-carded Dylan Bundy and Japanese phenom, Masahiro Tanaka, will join them.
Catchers:
They made no secret of their desire to draft Evan Gattis C-6 OF-1 1B-2 and they took him in the 2nd round, he will be paired up with Wilson Ramos C-7, they both have a similar OPS in the .770’s. In the minors are Alex Avila C-8 and Mike Zunino C-7 making a very deep catching corp.
Infield:
Adrian Beltre 3B-4 starts at the hot corner while across the diamond Brandon Belt 1B-4 will hold down first base. Pedro Alvarez 3B-3 will be the DH. Ian Kinsler 2B-8 will be the second sacker. Erick Aybar SS-8 will be his DP partner. On the bench in reserve are 2B-8 Brandon Phillips, 2B-3 1B-4 2B-6 Mark Reynolds and SS-8 Brandon Crawford. In the minors is Xander Bogaerts SS-8 3B-4 and un-carded power hitting Joey Gallo and Cub prospect Javier Baez who should be with the big club shortly.
Outfield:
Veterans Carlos Beltran OF-2 and Torii Hunter OF-2 headline this group. The 3rd spot should be some kind of platoon with Alexis Rios OF-2 and Christian Yelich OF-2. The reserve will be Curtis Granderson OF-3. In the minors are OF-3 Josh Reddick, OF-1 Nick Castellanos, who will be playing 3B in Detroit this year and un-carded Gregory Polanco, the Pittsburgh Super-Prospect.
Draft Anaylsis:
They could not resist the tantalizing allure of Japanese sensation Masahiro Tanaka and took him with their first pick. They had three 2nd round picks and nabbed Gattis like they promised along with A-Z Oberholtzer and uber-prospect Polanco. In the 3rd they took Tanner Roark. The 4th saw the return of Martin Perez to the Cowboy’s roster. In the 5th they selected Danny Salazar and in the 6th they chose P Brett Cecil. The 7th got them Alex Torres; in the 8th they added long-ball hitting Joey Gallo. The 9th saw them take Espinosa, cut loose by Rochester. Dillon Gee arrived in the 10th and in the 11th they released Espinosa and took Brandon Crawford let go by Norfolk to fulfill the requirement to have a back up with 10 games played at shortstop.
Synopsis:
Innings, Innings, Innings is the big deficiency in the Cowboy pitching staff. They probably have enough to get through the season as long as they plug and play with all their spare parts. No A*-Z closer will cost them a few contests. Offensively I have them and Seattle at the bottom rung of the Western Division. Their bench offers no help. What they do have is potential. Gallo, Polanco, Baez and Tanaka have unlimited ceilings. Castellanos looks good at 3B in Detroit. While the future bodes well they have to play this season and the prospects look bleak. Last place is in the cards.
A five man rotation will be employed by the Hurricanes. They are all B’s. Mike Minor and Kris Medlen are B-Z’s at the top of the staff with C.J.Wilson, Miguel Gonzalez and Zach McAllister, all (B-No-Z’s) following them. C-Z Randall Delgado will operate as the mop up guy. In the minors are grizzled veterans R.A.Dickey and Tim Hudson, both (C-No-Z’s). Joining them will be the puzzling Brandon Morrow (D-No-Z) and a pair of un-carded Atlanta Brave hopefuls in J.R.Graham and Lucas Sims.
Bullpen:
The closer is Jean Machi (A*-Z), he will be aided in key situations by Eric O’Flaherty (A*-Z), but just 18 IP. Next in line is Cody Allen (A*-No-Z) and Junichi Tazawa (B*-Z). Alex Wood C(B*)-No Z will pitch some garbage innings as the “Cane’s” await his arrival in the Atlanta rotation. There are no relievers in the minors, a blunder by the front office.
Catchers:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia C-6 and Brian McCann C-8 will share the position. In the minors is Tyler Flowers C-8, as Hartford refuses to give up on his power potential as well as C Christian Bethancourt C-5, who one day will be the starter in Atlanta.
Infield:
Long time 1B Adrian Gonzalez was moved during the off-season and Mike Napoli 1B-4 was brought in to replace him. Ian Desmond SS-8 will handle the shortstop position with Andrelton Simmons SS-10 getting some starts as well as all the late inning defensive duties. Martin Prado is the key to the Hartford line-up, he can start at 3B-4 2B-7 OF-2. When he plays second, Juan Uribe 3B-5 will start at the hot corner, when he plays third base, Brian Dozier 2B-9 will be the second sacker. When he plays the outfield, both Uribe and Dozier will be on the field. 1B-2 David “Big Papi” Ortiz is the DH, Tommy Medica 1B-3 will be the first pinch-hitter off the bench. In the minors are “Cane” favorite Matt Davidson 3B-3, Daniel Murphy 2B-6 1B-2, Dan Uggla 2B-6, for one more year, and Tyler Pastornicky 2B-6 SS-7 OF-1. Joining them are more Hartford blunders in 1B-2 3B-3 Juan Francisco and SS-8 2B-6 3B-3 Eduardo Nunez both of whom were released by their MLB affiliates on the eve of the start of the 2014 season.
Outfield:
The only thing wrong with the Hartford outfield are their ages and their slightly light at bats. OF-3 Jayson Werth with 462 at bats is one starter, Jose A.Bautista OF-2 452 at bats is another. The much-hated OF-3 Coco Crisp 513 at bats is the other. Kole Calhoun OF-1 195 at bats, an on-base machine in the minors is one reserve. The aforementioned Prado will have to see plenty of time out there also. In the minors are OF-2 Adam Eaton, tearing it up for the Chisox in the spring and OF-1 Michael Morse, hoping to rebound with the SF Giants.
Draft Anaylsis:
They had no first round pick and had their their heart set on Daniel Nava in the 2nd round but San Diego way laid those plans by grabbing him in the first round. They re-grouped and with their second round selection they took Brian Dozier 2B-9. They had Kole Calhoun tabbed for their 2nd pick and they got their man in the 3rd round. With A*-Z’s growing scarce, they chose Jean Machi in the 4th. The 5th went exactly as planned as they tabbed Alex Wood and Matt Davidson. In the 6th they coveted Luis Avilan but he went to Maine so they selected Cody Allen. The 7th was a bonus as Juan Uribe 3B-5 was still on the board and he joined Hartford for the 2nd time in his career. The 8th saw them take un-carded Lucas Sims although they preferred Noah Syndergaard but San Diego beat them to the punch again. They had no 9th but in the 10th they were elated with 1B Tommy Medica still being available.
Synopsis:
With two playoff slots seemingly locked up by Memphis and Pensacola the rest of the Western Division will be playing for the final berth. On paper Hartford has a decent team but everything is relative. Compared to Norfolk and San Diego they trail them both offensively and in the bullpen. The pen looks short a reliever and the OF depth looks a tad light. They can match up rotation wise with Norfolk so perhaps they can over take them for fourth place. Too many factors have to fall into place to make a playoff run. I don’t see that happening. Pulling the right strings make miracles happen but I see Hartford coming in 5th with a slight chance of fourth.
Starting Staff:
Cliff Lee (B-Z), Cole Hamels (B-Z) and Ervin Santana (B-Z) are a solid front three. # 4 is Jamie Shields (B-No-Z). They all have 200+ IP. Tommy Milone C-Z will provide some garbage innings. On the farm is James Paxton (A&C-Z 24 IP), Garret Richards (C-No-Z), a pair of (D-Z’s), in Kyle Kendrick and Kevin Gausman, and finally Carlos Martinez (D-No-Z). Un-Carded Noah Syndergaard will join them.
Bullpen:
The closer will be Koji Uehara (A&B*-Z). Neal Cotts (A&B*-No-Z) and Joe Nathan (A&C*-No-Z) provide other options. Seth Maness and Nick Vincent, both (A*-Z’s) make them even deeper. Robbie Ross (B*-Z) rounds out the pen as the only non-A in the group.
Catchers:
This is the weakest spot in the 76er’s lineup. They will start C-8 Welington Castillo, at .746, the lowest OPS in the “Sixer” lineup, although he can get on base. Backing him up is the veteran Greek connection George Kottaras C-8. Miguel Montero C-7 provides depth in the minors.
Infield:
All-World Chris Davis 1B-4 starts at first with Jhonny Peralta SS-8 at Shortstop. Omar Infante 2B-7, performed DH duties in the opening series, with Jose Altuve 2B-8 playing the keystone sack, look for Infante to play the field at times with someone else taking over the DH spot. Chase Headley 3B-4, had a real “down” season but he is still a better option then 76er favorite, Mike “Moose” Moustakas 3B-4. The “Moose” will begin the year in the minors. J.J.Hardy SS-9 will get his fair share of PT. Based on the first series of the season; it is hard to get a gauge on the San Diego’s Skipper intentions. Down on the farm besides Moustakas are Nick Swisher 1B-4 OF-1, Mitch Moreland 1B-4, Cody Asche 3B-4 and long time Philadelphia Phillie Shortstop, Jimmy Rollins, trying to resurrect his career in San Diego. There is an un-carded player here on the roster and it is probably better for Pensy Manager Scott Fisher to pronounce it for the rest of the league. His name is ERISBEL ARRUEBARRUENA.
Outfield:
Brandon Moss OF-2 1B-3 is one starter with Marlon Byrd OF-2 another and Carlos Gomez OF-3 the final piece of the 76er fly-chasers. Daniel Nava OF-2, will be the primary DH, but he will rotated into the lineup with Hatchet Carded Jeff Baker OF-2 1B-3 3B-3 at times, Leonys Martin OF-3 makes the squad for defensive purposes. In the minors is Matt Joyce OF-2 and long time 76er starter Nick Markakis OF-3.
Draft Anaylsis:
Their first pick in the 1st round was OF-2 Daniel Nava, much to the chagrin of Hartford. They had no 2nd but went for another OF in Marlon Byrd, in the 3rd, again right ahead of Hartford. The 4th saw them address the pen with a pair of A*-Z’s in Maness and Vincent. They stayed with pitching in the 5th as they had two more selections and went for Paxton and Cotts. In the 6th, again armed with a tandem of picks, they could not resist Jeff Baker and with the other they grabbed Carlos Martinez. Their “booth connections” took over in the 7th with the addition of Philly 3B Cody Asche. In the 8th,obviously copying off of Hartford’s draft list, which they left carelessly near the San Diego skipper, they took un-carded P Noah Syndergaard. Despite claims to the contrary. In the 9th, they giddily took a flyer on SS Jimmy Rollins, cut loose by USMC. The 10th saw them grab the aforementioned ARRUEBARREUNA. Their final pick in the 11th was P Kevin Gausman.
Synopsis:
I originally thought the 76er would be a threat for the Western Division playoffs. Revising that thinking as I do more evaluations. They still may contend for a spot but the lineup now as I look at it seems “Top Heavy”. The infield after Chris Davis looks vulnerable, The Outfield is solid however. Maybe with the Plug and Play, the different parts can get things rolling. The pen is fine and three B-Z’s are better than average in the West. I would thing the lineup could be prone to some “stalls” especially after Davis. Never the less, I still think they can stay in contention most of the season.
Memphis if they can avoid complacency, hard to do Ed, I know, looks like the “Top Dog” in the West. Managing their pitchers innings looks like their biggest chore. The daily line up can remain the same except for Puig’s light at bats. Pensacola provides the biggest challenge with Kershaw and Colon at the top of their rotation. Judicious use of the “Hatchet Cards” can add a few more victories. Aaron Hill, Evereth Cabrera and to some extent David Wright presents some at bat issues. I see the “Fish” coming in second but not really making a run as a contender. Perhaps finishing five games off the pace. Third place now looks like a “dog-fight”.
The Neptunes, much maligned in the early parts of this essay, have a legitimate shot at third place. Sure they are not as strong as years past, but the Neptune Manager has seven BRIB’s in his resume and four MOY’s so he must be doing things right.
San Diego looks to be the other possible playoff participant. Chris Davis can carry the club, the pen is strong and three B-Z’s with 200+ IP are rock solid for a post-season push.
If they can get some timely hitting from the rest of their infielders not named Davis they should make some noise.
Hartford looks a little closer than earlier predicted but lack of bullpen innings and light outfield at bats will drag them down. Perhaps the liberal use of the “heavy lumber” could shake up the offense.
Seattle, 23 pitchers non-with standing, cannot muster enough of an attack to play with the big boys. The Scouts are known for their opportunistic ability to roll the right numbers but the dreaded (W’s) in the rotation will give any offense production right back.
Union Station just doesn’t have enough quality innings available from their starting staff, coupled with the fact they only have one outfielder with an OPS of over .800. Tanaka, Baez, Gallo and Polanco do bode well for the future.
So in summarizing, I have Memphis taking the Western Flag by 5 games over Pensacola, Norfolk on a late charge will move up to take 3rd place. San Diego just misses by two games with Hartford trailing the 76er’s by 7 games. Seattle will end up 6th, five games ahead of last place Union Station.
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