Starting Staff:
They only have two B-Z’s; last year they had five. Unbelievably in the entire Western Division, the Sound’s Jacob de Grom and Alex Cobb are the sole recipients of this coveted Grade/Control with at least 60 IP. Following these two will be Andrew Cashner B-No-Z, Kenta Maeda C-Z and Sean Manaea C-No-Z. This looks like it will just be the early season rotation. Jake Odorizzi C-No-Z will eat up the garbage innings. David Price B-No-Z 75 IP will be summoned from the minors at some point and Tyler Mahle B-No-Z 20 IP will probably bide his time in the bushes until the rosters expand. The trio of D-No-Z’s, Julio Teheran, Matt Harvey and Jack Flaherty will enjoy the view from the back of the Sound’s minor league bus. The un-carded hopefuls are Mike Soroka and Mitch Keller.
Division Rank: 2nd
Bullpen:
They had threatened pre-draft to just take relievers since their first pick was not until the 4th. They did not anticipate the run on quality “bullpenners” with innings that preceded their first selection. Luckily they snatched Sam Tuivailala A*-Z 42 IP, his low innings were not what the doctor ordered for the Sound but he will team up with Alex Claudio B(A*)-Z 83 IP for Memphis’s end game. Three A’s, all without the (Z), Wade Davis, Scott Alexander and Cory Gearrin and Ryan Buchter B*-No-Z fill out the rest of the relief corp. In the minors is Ross Stripling D(C*)-Z who will pitch 74 low leverage innings.
Division Rank: 3rd
Catchers:
Buster Posey C-8 1B-3 .851 OPS will once again be the man behind the plate; his back up is Jorge Alfaro C-6 .874 OPS 107 at bats.
Infield:
The left side of the infield is ably filled by Nolan Arenado 3B-6 .959 OPS at third base and at shortstop with Carlos Correa SS-8 .941 OPS. The other side of the infield has Jose Abreu 1B-3 .906 OPS and at the keystone sack, 36 year old Robinson Cano 2B-8 .791 OPS. Trey Mancini 1B-3 OF-1 .826 OPS will be the DH. The reserves are Marcus Semien SS-8 and Hernan Perez 2B-7 3B-3 OF-2. On the farm they took a flier on Colin Moran 1B-2, traded to the Pirates in the Gerrit Cole deal and oft injured Devon Travis 2B-8 who they need to get healthy as a possible replacement for the aging Cano. Un-carded futures are 3B Austin Riley who is expected to arrive in the majors next year although a late season cameo is not out of the question and 2B Keston Hiura, who some scouts say projects more as an outfielder.
Outfield:
Marcell Ozuna OF-3 had a tremendous year with a .924 OPS, after him it gets a little thin. Lorenzo Cain OF-3 .803 OPS will start at one of the outfield posts, the last spot can be filled by former # 1 pick Hunter Renfroe OF-1 .751 OPS or Starling Marte OF-3 .712. In the minors is another former # 1 pick in Jorge Soler OF-1 .503 and Nomar Mazara OF-2 .745 OPS. Un-carded Tyler O’Neil will join them.
Division Lineup Rank: 3rd
Draft Analysis:
They didn’t pick until the fourth round but they had two selections there and two more in the fifth. Bullpen was on their mind and even though the “pickins were slim” they added Sam Tuivailala and Scott Alexander in the 4th and Gearrin in the fifth. They deviated from their primary mission of adding relief help with their other 5th rounder by taking 1B-3B Colin Moran. That pick is panned by this scribe but that opinion will have to wait until the next issue of Baseball, Today and Tomorrow comes out to get the real scoop. Another bullpen piece in Ryan Buchter was added in the 6th. The next three picks were all young pitchers, Jack Flaherty, Tyler Mahle and Mike Soroka. The 10th saw them go to Ross Stripling, a 29 year old D(C*)-Z, obviously an inning eater type selection. The end of the Sound’s draft is too confusing to put into words but un-carded OF Taylor Trammell was Memphis property for an ephemeral amount of time, he was later claimed on waivers by Maine and as a supplemental pick the Sound took 2B-OF Keston Hiura.
Synopsis:
At first glance when you see that the Sound has won the last three Western Division pennants and them being the only team in the “holier than thou” with B-Z starters, along with the 3rd best bullpen and lineup, a playoff spot seems assured. On paper they are a close 2nd to the probable pre-season favorite Norfolk but they are vulnerable. No Z’s in the pen for the middle innings will be a detriment. Their outfield production after Ozuna is abysmal relative to the rest of the league with the power production of MLB in general. Right now I will call them as the 2nd best in the West but this the first team I looked at and I reserve judgment until I evaluate the rest of the division with the final call at the end of this analysis.
Starting Staff:
The “Nep’s” rotation avoided the (Z) like the plague. Justin Verlander 206 IP, Taijuan Walker 157 IP, Mike Clevinger 122 IP and Jacob Faria 87 are all B’s sans the valuable letter “Z”. They will be forced to use Jose Berrios and Blake Snell, both C’s No-Z’s to fill out the rotation. Pitchers of that ilk were rarely employed by Neptune teams of the past. In the minors another pair of those C-No-Z’s in Dylan Bundy and Max Fried along with a C-W Aaron Sanchez offer no solace. Three D-No-Z’s do give some hope for the future, in rebound candidates Johnny Cueto and Jameson Taillon while they await for Reynaldo Lopez to manifest his potential.
Division Rank; 4th
Bullpen:
Skipper Groff always said you need two A*-Z’s in the pen to be competitive. The Neptunes have three, led by Felipe Rivero A&C*-Z with Dan Otero A*-ZZ and Tommy Kahnle A*-Z. Hunter Strickland A*-No-Z, Roberto Osuna and Brian Duensing, both B*-Z’s, are extremely important to the “Nep’s” since the starting staff is devoid of control. Aroldis Chapman B*-No-Z is in the minors.
Division Rank: 1st
Catchers:
Gary Sanchez C-7 .876 OPS 471 at bats is a “rock” behind the plate; Travis D’Arnaud C-8 .735 OPS is his back up with Jonathan Lucroy C-8 .716 OPS in the minors as he hopes to return to relevance.
Infield:
After releasing Ryan Zimmerman 1B-3 last year they realized the “error of their ways” and re-drafted him with his .930 OPS and will install him as their everyday DH. Mark Reynolds 1B-4 .839 OPS will be the first baseman, light hitting, compared to the rest of the Neptune lineup, Joe Panik 2B-8 .768 OPS is the second baseman, rising star Francisco Lindor SS-9 .842 OPS will be his DP partner. Third base poses a problem on the defensive side since the trade of Manny Machado. Jake Lamb 3B-3 .844 OPS can hit but a fielding three 3rd sacker is a liability, they hope to shore up the position in the future with one of the returns they got in the Machado trade, in Rafael Devers 3B-3 .819 OPS. Ronald Torreyes 3B-4 2B-8 SS-8 will enter games early and often to keep opponents from exploiting the third base area of the playing field. Down on the farm are Brandon Crawford SS-9 and Rougned Odor 2B-7, two candidates for comeback seasons. Joining them are Amed Rosario SS-8 and Dominic Smith 1B-3, who both struggled in their rookie years. The latter’s future has become somewhat clouded with the Met’s signing veteran 1B Adrian Gonzalez but maybe it will push him to a higher level.
Outfield:
Aaron Judge OF-3 1.048 had a monster year with Charles Blackmon OF-2 1.000 OPS just a tad under whatever constitutes a “monster year”. The third outfield post, Christian Yelich OF-2 .807 OPS, is no slouch except by comparison to the other two. The only reserve is Andy Benintendi OF-2 .776 OPS. On the farm are Ben Gamel OF-2, Manuel Margot OF-3 and Austin Hays OF-1 with the Neptune franchise expecting improvement from all three.
Division Lineup Rank: 1st
Draft Analysis:
They had no picks in the first but had two in the 2nd so they tabbed Mike Clevinger, the B starters were quickly being depleted so he was an obvious choice, and Tommy Kahnle, a A*-Z who looked mighty impressive last season. In the 3rd they selected another B starter in Jacob Faria only 87 IP as that genre of APBA cards neared the “finito” line. The 4th saw them go for OF Austin Hays, a little too early for my liking but the Orioles want to give him every chance to be regular this year. Surprisingly in the 5th, 1B Ryan Zimmerman, who received no love from the other ZSABL managers, was still on the board and Norfolk welcomed him back home. In the 6th a valuable asset, a left-handed B*-Z, in Brian Duensing, became a Neptune. Ronald Torreyes arrived in the 7th and his GLOVE will be an important part of Norfolk’s pennant drive with their defensively challenged third basemen. In the 8th they reached into the Atlanta Braves pipeline of young pitching talent and took Max Fried. Their final pick was Ben Gamel. Surprisingly their hand never dipped into the “cookie jar” the entire draft.
Synopsis:
The top lineup in the league and the best bullpen is only handicapped by their starting rotation. No team in the West will run away and hide with the division title. There are weaknesses on every club. All in all; the Neptunes look like the “best in the West”. The strong pen should compensate for the dearth of Z’s in the rotation. The lineup will produce runs, like every other team in the ZSABL, the main strategy for everybody with all the power guys in the league will be to limit the base runners, make them solo shots as opposed to 3-run dingers. To avoid any unnecessary trips to Chiques Rock, the Nep’s skipper will have to go to the pen early if their starters start walking guys and be confident that their offense will outscore what ever damage their starters allow. I would also recommend having Ronald Torreyes warmed up and ready to enter a contest as early as the 5th inning if the score dictates it with the defensive challenges of the Neptune thirdbasemen.
Starting Staff:
Not a very impressive cast of characters. Gio Gonzalez 201 IP and J.A.Happ 145 IP both (B-No-Z’s) headline the rotation. Following that duo will be Dan Straily, Jason Vargas and Jhoulys Chacin, all C-No-Z’s. In the minors the best they have is Wei-Yin Chen, C-Z 33 IP and Jaime Garcia C-No-Z. Also in the bushes and hoping to get lucky with some resurgence are veterans Steve Wright D-Z, Martin Perez D-No-Z and Doug Fister D-No-Z.
Division Rank: 6th
Bullpen:
As usual the pen is the Scout’s pride and joy. Steve Cishek A&C*-No-Z is the highest rated reliever but Tommy Hunter and Brad Hand (both A*-Z’s) will probably handle the closer duties with their control letter. There is some added depth in A*-No-Z’s Mychal Givens and Zach McAllister. In the minors a tandem of B*-Z’s in Emilio Pagan and Bryan Shaw along with Brad Brach, B*-No-Z will no doubt make an appearance in Seattle at some point. Additional arms in the bushes are Blaine Boyer C*-Z and Sam Dyson D*-No-Z.
Division Rank: 2nd
Catchers:
A quartet of backstops fills the Scouts roster. Evan Gattis C-6 .767 OPS has the best bat. Nick Hundley C-7 will be in reserve. In the minors are Manny Pina C-7 .751 OPS and Cameron Rupp C-7 .716 OPS.
Infield:
Josh Donaldson 3B-4 .944 OPS will man the hot corner. Yuli Gurriel 1B-3 .817 OPS will be across the diamond at first base. Asdrubal Cabrera SS-8 2B-8 3B-4 .785 OPS will be the shortstop. They have a host of second basemen to choose from for his DP partner, the favorites being Josh Harrison 2B-9 3B-4 .771 OPS, Dee Gordon 2B-8 .716 OPS and Whit Merrifield 2B-8 OF-1, although he is projected to see playing time in the outfield and at DH. Outfielder Chris Taylor OF-2 2B-6 SS-7 could also see some emergency duty at the keystone sack but he will primarily be in the pastures. The back up at first base will be Mitch Moreland 1B-5. The minors have only Kendry Morales 1B-2 and Alccides Escobar SS-9 as infielders.
Outfield:
Nelson R. Cruz OF-1 .924 OPS will either be in the one of the corner outfield posts or the DH. Scout favorites Curtis Granderson OF-2 .775 OPS and Adam Duvall OF-3 .782 OPS somehow always work their way into the starting lineup ahead of more productive players like Steven Souza OF-2 .810 OPS and the aforementioned Chris Taylor OF-2 .850 OPS. Gerardo Parra OF-3 .793 OPS is the reserve. In the minors is Mikie Mahtook OF-2 .787 OPS. The plethora of relievers the Scouts always draft limit the number of positional players they have in the farm system.
Division Lineup Rank: 5th
Draft Analysis:
With their # 1 pick they chose Gio Gonzalez and he immediately became the club’s ace. Chris Taylor was a nice grab in the 2nd with his .850 OPS. Tommy Hunter arrived in the third and you can never have enough A*-Z’s in the Seattle bullpen. Steven Souza in the fourth continued the Scouts excellent drafting strategy. A little hiccup in the 5th,when
they opted for C-No-Z Jhoulys Chacin. In the 6th, Yuli Gurriel was a nice addition. In the 7th, a B*-Z in Emilio Pagan, became a Scout. Another C-No-Z was added in the 8th with Jason Vargas. The 9th gave them their starting catcher in Evan Gattis. Jaime Garcia in the 10th was worth a risk that late. Manny Pina in the 11th gives them some more receiving depth and their final selection was Mikie Mahtook.
Synopsis:
They are still the oldest team in the league with a 31.65 average age slightly above Rochester who is surprisingly 2nd at 30.25. Their bullpen is stellar as usual, 2nd best in the West, but the rotation is always full of question marks. Their use of C-No-Z starters and then call to the pen as soon as possible has not delivered the desired results. Line up wise they are rated the 5th best but ratings don’t apply to the Scouts as we know them to be the most fortuitous “roller’s” in the ZSABL. One can never underestimate the power of the PBR can. Their bromance of players like Granderson and Duvall over Souza and Chris Taylor is puzzling to say the least. I would throw the proverbial blanket over the Scouts, Hartford and Billings for the 4th spot in the West.
Starting Staff:
The Ace is of course Clayton Kershaw (A-Z), Zack Godley and Dallas Kuechel, (B-No Z’s) follow him with C-No-Z’s Kyle Freeland and Jordan Montgomery rounding out the rotation. Erasmo Ramirez, C-Z 131 IP, is in the minors, a questionable omission from the big league roster. Four more young arms will join him in Andrew Moore, Luiz Gohara, Jharel Cotton and Francis Martes. Anthony Desclafani is un-carded due to an injury.
Division Rank: 3rd
Bullpen:
There is no real shut down closer in the Mustang relief corp. The best option is A*-No-Z Sam Freeman. There are a pair of B*-Z’s in Brandon Workman and Alex Colome.
Joakim Soria B*-No-Z and Seung-Hwan Oh, C-ZZ, who has been called on frequently here in the early going, fill out the pen. In the minors is Jared Hughes, a B*-No-Z. There is not much depth here.
Division Rank: 7th
Catchers:
Matt Wieters C-8 .632 OPS has been getting most of the starts but Kurt Suzuki .887 276 at bats should see an up tick in playing time as the season progresses. In the minors are Tom J.Murphy C-6 trying to shed his AAAA tag (a player who excels at AAA but not the majors) and Francisco Mejia C-6 with the latter being given opportunities in spring training to expand his versatility by working out at 1B and 3B.
Infield:
Marwin Gonzalez SS-8 OF-2 1B-3 2B-7 3B-3 .907 OPS had a banner year and qualified at every position but behind the plate will be the starting shortstop but at this early juncture of the season he leads the league in errors. Josh Bell 1B-4 .800 OPS will be at first base. Jedd Gyorko 3B-5 .813 OPS will be at the hot corner with Pat Valaika 3B-3 SS-7 .817 OPS in reserve. Brandon Drury 2B-8 .764 OPS will see most of the action at second base but Tommy La Stella 2B-7 3B-4 .861 OPS provides some insurance. On the bench is Ryon Healy 3B-3 1B-3 .754 OPS and Yangervis Solarte 2B-8 SS-7 3B-3 .731 OPS. Edwin Encarnacion 1B-3 will be the DH with his .881 OPS. The farm system has Jonathan Villar 2B-7 and two un-carded studs in Fernando Tatis Jr. and Scott Kingery waiting their chance.
Outfield:
Khris Davis OF-2 .864 OPS fresh off his MVP season of last year as well as his league leading 44 round trippers is entrenched at one of the outfield posts. Michael A.Taylor OF-3 .806 OPS who rode the bench much of the early going this season has seen his name inserted into the lineup more each series, Odubel Herrera OF-3 .778 OPS and Ender Inciarte OF-3 .759 OPS will also compete with Taylor for the other two spots. Randall Grichuk OF-2 and Dustin Fowler OF-2, who was injured in his only appearance of the year and never got up to bat, are in the bushes along with un-carded Eloy Jimenez.
Division Lineup Rank: 6th
Draft Analysis:
They went for pitching in the first and came away with Zack Godley, who was highly regarded by Billing’s fellow APBA players. In the 2nd they got prized un-carded shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. The 3rd saw them grab another highly touted pitching prospect in Jordan Montgomery, who should crack the NY Yankee rotation this year. In the 4th they went back to the un-cards and selected Phillie second baseman Scott Kingery, who has been worked out all over the infield in spring training, to increase his chances of making the big league club. In the 5th they took Luiz Gohara, who is penciled in for a slot in the Braves rotation although he has been slowed by a groin injury. IMHO it was a little early to take him but maybe that opinion is because Hartford had hoped to get him later in the draft. Sam Freeman became the default closer for the Mustang with his selection in the 6th. Brandon Workman arrived in the 7th, and he will be a valuable bullpen piece. In the 8th they re-drafted Kyle Freeland who they cut last year, a theme we have seen repeated on numerous occasions in this year’s draft. In the 9th they took a flier on OF Dustin Fowler. The 10th saw them add some pop to their bench with 44-0 Pat Valaika. In the 11th they went for Andrew Moore. They passed in the 12th and got back in the draft in the 13th with the selection of Tommy La Stella another nice bench addition.
Synopsis:
As stated earlier every team in the West has vulnerabilities. Billings does not have a bona fide closer, an A*-No-Z in Sam Freeman is the best they got. Their rotation is good enough but without a relief corp, so instrumental in today’s game, success will be hard to come by. Their lineup has some holes, most notably at second base and one of the outfield spots. The bench may provide some spark to squeak out a couple more wins but the bullpen will be their downfall. They have some exciting upcoming young talent in Tatis,Jr, Eloy Jimenez and Scott Kingery but they are at least a year away. Last year I called them a “sleeper” candidate and they exceeded my expectations by making the post season, albeit a sub .500 record. Having lumped them in with Seattle and Hartford for a 4th place spot in the West earlier, thereby missing the playoffs, upon further review I will risk being wrong again by putting them in 6th place.
An A-Z and a B-Z at he top of rotation sounds good in theory but Garrett Richards A-Z 28 IP and Daniel Mengden B-Z 43 IP coupled with USMC’s penchant for playing early and often has already exhausted those pitching limits. Richards went 3-3 somehow with a 7.39 ERA and Mengden was 2-5 with a 5.18 ERA, although he still has 3 innings left for a start later in the year. Luis M. Castillo was summoned to be the ace of the Cowboys staff with his B-No-Z rating replacing Richards but he only has 89 IP. That leaves Gerrit Cole C-Z 203 IP as the mainstay of the staff. German Marquez C-No-Z and Trevor Williams C-No-Z who was recalled to replace Mengden fill out the rotation. Kendall Graveman, another C-No-Z, has been utilized strictly in a relief role thus far this year. In the minors is promising Luke Weaver C-Z 60 IP. Joe Musgrove D-Z 109 IP, re-acquired after being released during all the roster SNAFU’s at this years draft will begin the year in the minors but his 100+ innings will be desperately needed before the completion of the season. Alex Reyes, who is un-carded due to injury and Shohei Ohtani, the un-carded import from Japan complete the roster.
Division Rank: 7th
Bullpen:
Richard Bleier A&C*-Z is the closer, Josh Hader A&C*-No-Z will be the set up man. Andrew Steckenrider A*-No-Z will also be used in high leverage innings. Cody Allen B*-No-Z and Miguel Castro C(B*)-No-Z will be the first one’s in if the starter gets chased. On the farm is Carl Edwards,Jr. B*-W and the aforementioned Musgrove, both of whom will be activated when the pitchers on the current roster use up their inning allotment.
Division Rank: 6th
Catchers:
Salvador Perez C-9 .792 OPS will do the bulk of the catching only because his back up, Chris Iannetta C-8 .865 OPS only has 272 at bats. Un-carded Keibert Ruiz is in the minors
Infield:
Carlos Santana 1B-4 .818 OPS will be the leadoff man and hold down first base. In the early going he leads the ZSABL in walks. Jonathan Schoop 2B-8 .841 OPS had a breakout season and will start at the keystone position. Alex Bregman 3B-4 .827 OPS will be the third baseman. Shortstop could be a revolving door with Javier Baez SS-9 2B-8 .796 OPS, Andreton Simmons SS-9 .752 OPS and Orlando Arcia SS-9, .731 OPS, acquired on the eve of the draft from Hartford. On the bench in a reserve role is Todd Frazier 3B-4 .772 OPS. Rhys Hoskins, their # 1 pick, 1B-3 OF-1, 1.013 OPS will DH with his 170 at bats, probably sharing the spot with Kyle Schwarber OF-1 ,782 OPS. Down on the farm is Tim Beckham SS-8 2B-7 .782 OPS and un-carded shortstop prospect Bo Bichette.
Outfield:
Lawrence McCutchen OF-2 .849 OPS is one starter for sure. The Cowboys love Byron Buxton OF-3 .728 OPS so he will also get a starting nod. Kole Calhoun OF-3, .725 OPS, will man for the most part the third outfield post. Alternate alignments could see Max Kepler OF-3 .737 OPS or Hoskins DH partner, Kyle Schwarber or even Hoskins himself taking up a fielding position in the pastures. The farm system boasts Victor Robles OF-2 .766 OPS, Jackie Bradley,Jr. OF-3 .726 OPS, Gregory Polanco OF-2 .695 OPS who had a down year and a pair of un-carded hopefuls in Luis Robert and Jo Adell.
Division Lineup Rank: 7th
Draft Analysis:
The excitement of the draft usually proves too much for Manager Smith and this year was no exception, as he exited the draft without enough pitching innings to get through the season. It was remedied by permitting him to reclaim his last cut Joe Musgrove (D-Z) whose 100 IP are enough to keep the “Boy’s” flush throughout year. He had to release somebody and he chose to cut Tim Anderson, that set off a maelstrom of waiver activity with more releases and claims too much to report here unless you enjoy reading a volume such as Tolstoy’s War and Peace which has 1,225 pages. Enough of the post draft drama lets look at USMC’s selections. With their Lottery pick they chose Rhys Hoskins, no arguments here with his triple ones and six walks, the only down fall is that he will be lumbering in the outfield for the Phillies next year since they acquired Carlos Santana to play first base. In the 2nd they went un-carded and grabbed SS Bo Bichette, a highly touted prospect. Luis M. Castillo a B-No-Z 89 IP was taken in the 3rd. Mengden B-Z 43 IP arrived in the 4th. Chris Iannetta, limited at bats but a “studly” hitting card was a nice pick in the 5th. Another good pick followed him in the 6th with Luke Weaver a C-Z 60 IP. Some bullpen help came in the 7th with Andrew Steckenrider. German Marquez who slides right into their rotation was taken in the 8th. Un-carded Luis Robert was their 9th round pick and more relief help with Miguel Castro and Carl Edwards,Jr. were chosen in the 10th and 11th. Trevor Williams C-No-Z came in the 12th before they went un-carded in the 13th and 14th with Keibert Ruiz and Jo Adell. Joe Musgrove arrived courtesy of a supplemental pick during the roster debacle described above.
Synopsis:
It should be a long year in Union Station. Innings problems will plague them all season. Their focus on un-carded players, which they supposedly swore off of several years ago because they were worried about the league surviving considering the “advanced” age of the Western Division members, apparently clouds their draft strategy. Most of these UC’s they select, excluding Shohei Ohtani their 5th un-carded player who was acquired via the trade route, are several years away. If somehow they survive the “axe” the next few seasons and their expected talent comes to fruition and they become relevant to the ZSABL there will be no shortage of suitors lining up at USMC’s door to deal for them. And away they will go.
They had to rebuild almost an entire starting pitching rotation, which was the same predicament they had last year. The holdovers are Robby Ray B-No-Z and Zach Davies C-Z
R.A.Dickey C-No-Z, 190 IP had to be kept as insurance until they could secure another C-No-Z pitcher in the draft. They were able to land Jacob Junis C-Z 98 IP and Alex Meyer B-W 67 IP, who will miss all of the 2018 season with arm surgery but his 67 innings were desperately needed. Jose Urena C-No-Z 170 IP was drafted so they could jettison Dickey, who retired. So B-No-Z, C-Z, B-W (67 IP), C-No-Z and a C-Z (98 IP) make up their opening day rotation. In the minors is Felix Hernandez C-No-Z, formerly known as King Felix but he no longer carries that regal sobriquet, as he has been a C-No-Z the last two years. He will replace Meyer when his 67 IP are up. Also down on the farm is Sean Newcomb C-W who will replace Junis when his 98 IP are used, as the rotation goes from bad to worse. There is no other help on the way as the farm only has Jeff Samardzija D-Z, who may get some garbage time when rosters expand, Miguel Gonzalez D-No-Z and Tyler Glasnow, D-W, who the Hurricanes will give one more year to see if he can produce. Un-carded Kolby Allard, one of the Braves pipeline of supposedly young pitching studs, hopes to get late year audition in the Show.
Division Rank: 5th
Bullpen:
They needed an A*-Z and with them going fast they had to settle for Brandon Morrow 44 IP. I know Norfolk says you need two A*-Z’s to compete but the best the “Canes” have is Dellin Betances and A* but saddled with the dreaded “W”. A pair of B*-Z’s in George Kontos and Josh D. Fields, although neither one is a lefty, another Hartford blunder, will see plenty of action. Jose A.Ramirez B*-No-Z fills out the relief corp. In the minors are A.J.Schugel A*-No-Z and two B*-No-Z’s in Sergio Romo and Matt Bush.
Division Rank: 5th
Catchers:
They are pretty well set behind the plate Robinson Chirinos C-8 .866 but he only has 263 at bats will alternate with Tyler Flowers C-8 .823 OPS, who lost his slow speed rating. Long time Hurricane Brian McCann was dealt to Rochester for some draft picks and the “Cane’s” like to carry three catchers so when USMC released Austin Hedges C-9 they quickly scooped him up. For what its worth he is on a HR hitting tear this spring.
Infield:
Daniel Murphy 2B-7 .928 OPS will be the DH. Brian Dozier 2B-9 .853 and Ozzie Albies 2B-8 .810 give them depth at second but the latter will just do some pinch-hitting and pinch-running duties. Justin Turner 3B-4 .945 will be at the hot corner and across the diamond at first base is Justin Bour 1B-4 .902 OPS. Trea Turner SS-8 .789 OPS will be at shortstop. Perhaps the most important player on Hartford’s roster is Eduardo Nunez SS-7 3B-3 2B-7 OF-1 with his versatility. Both the Turner’s on the left side of the infield have light at bats so he will be needed there and since they only are carrying four regular outfielders, two with limited at bats, he will need to be employed there also. His .801 OPS makes it easier to insert him in the lineup. On the bench is Lucas Duda 1B-3 .818 OPS, who has to caddy for Bour with his 377 at bats and Matt Olson 1B-2 OF-1, 1.003 OPS with his three ones and a “5”, 189 at bats. The Hurricanes can assemble a lineup with five consecutive players with double ones and will do so against Grade A pitching. In the minors are Dansby Swanson SS-7 who endured the Sophomore Jinx and Jose Peraza 2B-8 SS-8 who will have to show management that he is more than a utility player to stick around next year
Outfield:
Aaron Altherr OF-2 .856 OPS, a former “Cane”, was drafted again but he only has 372 at bats. He will be one starter. Eddie Rosario OF-3 .836 OPS is another and here in the early going he is tied atop the ZSABL leader board in HR’s with last year home run champ, Khris Davis, they each have 10. Jay Bruce OF-2 .832 completes the outfield alignment. Jake Marisnick OF-3 .815 OPS is the reserve. In the minors is Lewis Brinson OF-2 hopefully the starting centerfielder for the Florida Marlins and Jose A.Bautista who they kept thinking he would sign with a team before our draft but that was not the case. He does have a 3B rating so he may earn his keep if there is an injury. And of course the Hurricane’s Pride and Joy un-carded Ronald Acuna, their # 1 draft pick.
Division Rank: 2nd
Draft Analysis:
They had a 1st rounder, the 2nd overall pick, for the first time since 2002 when they took P Brian Lawrence in the Lottery. Their heart was set on Atlanta Brave’s un-carded OF Ronald Acuna, but they were leery of Amsterdam who had the # 1 overall. Their back up plan if the Bulldogs selected Acuna was P Archie Bradley, when they announced Parker Bridwell with their choice, the Ronald Acuna era in Hartford began. In the 2nd round, the Hurricanes needed outfield help and decided to forego pitching and go after offense so they re-drafted Aaron Altherr who was their # 5 pick in 2016, then he was traded to USMC in 2017 and eventually released. In the third round they were shocked to find Matt Olson still on the board. The 4th saw them realize in order to win a few games you need a bona-fide closer so they grabbed Brandon Morrow, another former Hurricane, who only has 44 IP but he is an A*-Z. The 5th and 6th rounds saw them address their rotation with Jake Junis and Alex Meyer, the latter being a desperation pick because he will not pitch in 2018 due to arm woes. In the 7th with two picks they got a B*-Z in Josh D.Fields and Jake Marisnick OF-3 with double ones and an “11” with 230 at bats. Jose A. Ramirez B*-No-Z and Jose Urena, who they are really high on, were selected with their pair of 8th rounders. A.J.Schugel A*-No-Z 32 IP was still available in the 9th, one of the last A* relievers left. Sean Newcomb C-W, who they liked, was taken in the 10th but they did not expect to have to insert him in their rotation later in the year since they acquired no other SP’s. In the 11th they took Eduardo Escobar solely because he had a C-5 rating and the Canes wanted a 3rd catcher. In the 12th they went un-carded in Kolby Allard and then when USMC released Austin Hedges, Hartford pounced on him and released Escobar since they now had a real 3rd catcher.
Synopsis:
Their good start non-withstanding, at least on paper; metrics shows Hartford as possibly the 4th best in the West. They can score runs but the rotation will only get worse as the season progresses. Seattle with their bullpen is on a par with them. The three teams they are trying to chase down, Norfolk, Memphis and San Diego all have their own weaknesses. Maybe one will falter. Hartford only has one player on their active roster with an OPS of <.800 and that is Trea Turner but he has 4 zero’s, 11,10 and 2 walks so he is no slouch. They also can place five batters with double ones, (including Olson who has triple ones), in the lineup at the same time. They are a little deeper in the pen than last year, granted they are only B*-No-Z’s, but wouldn’t most ZSABL managers want to start a B-No-Z over a C-No-Z. So the plan is to go with the C’s until the 6th inning, earlier if they are reduced, replace them with a B*-No-Z and with the regular Hurricane lineup deployed that would leave three guys on the bench with double ones to strike comeback thunder in the late innings. Sounds like a plan.
Starting Staff:
At the top of the rotation is A-Z 201 IP Max Scherzer. He pitches every 4th day in a staggered rotation employed by the San Diego skipper. Three B-No-Z’s in Ervin Santana, Aaron Nola and Drew Pomeranz gives the 76er’s the only club in the West to have four B or better starters. Nate Karns C-Z 45 IP has been spot starting early on to save some innings for the “core four”. In the minors are Paul Blackburn B-Z 59 IP and the trio of Cole Hamels, Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Triggs who are all C-No-Z’s. Joining them is Vincent Velasquez D-No-Z.
Division Rank: 1st
Bullpen:
Anthony Swarzak and Adam Warren are both A*-Z’s. Nick Goody A*-No-Z is in support. Trevor Hildenberger B*-ZZ, Nick Vincent and Joe Smith, both B*-Z’s, are additional depth so other than Nick Goody control is not an issue like it is for other teams in the league. They are keeping a 12th pitcher on the roster in Dave Phelps, a B*, and like Goody he lacks the “Z”. On the farm they have Brad Boxberger B*-Z and Pedro Strop B*-No-Z.
Division Rank: 4th
Catchers:
C-8 .813 Welington Castillo is the starter. Yan Gomes C-8 .708, taken off the scrap heap on draft day is the back up. Andrew Knapp C-6 .736 OPS and Stephen Vogt C-7 will toil in the minors.
Infield:
The right side of the infield is covered by 2B-8 .957 OPS Jose Altuve and Eric Hosmer 1B-5 .882 OPS. Part of the Greek connection at third base is Mike Moustakas 3B-4 .835 OPS. Didi Gregorius SS-8 .796 will be at shortstop. Nick Castellanos 3B-3 .811 OPS, another player with Greek heritage, will be the DH. Wilmer Difo SS-9 2B-7 3B-4 will be the only reserve on the bench since he covers all the back up needs. In the minor league system they have Chris Davis 1B-4 .732 OPS, rookie 2B-7 Carlos Asuaje and 3B-3 Miguel Andujar who is having a great spring training for the NY Yankees.
Outfield:
Their # 1 pick OF-3 .931 Tommy Pham will be one starter he will be flanked by Josh Riddick OF-3 .847 and Carlos Gomez OF-3 .802 OPS. David Peralta OF-2 .796 OPS and Carlos Gonzalez OF-2 .762, drafted after he was cut loose by Norfolk will be on the bench. Nick Markakis OF-2 .738 OPS, yes another Greek, who as appeared in at least 100 games for San Diego every year since 2007 except 2014 will be in the minors along with Sean Rodriguez OF-2 2B-7. Un-carded Mickey Moniak will wait for the call although he has been taken off the top 100-prospect list.
Draft Analysis:
With their Lottery pick they took the much sought after OF Tommy Pham. They bolstered their bullpen in the 2nd and 3rd with Anthony Swarzak and Adam Warren. The 4th round saw them add B-Z 59 IP Paul Blackburn. Trevor Hildenberger B-ZZ arrived in the 5th before they went back to add more bullpen depth in the 6th and 7th with Nick Goody and Joe Smith. Wilmer Difo was selected in the 8th and he satisfies all the back up requirements. In the 9th they grabbed Miguel Andujar and if spring training is any indication of his talent, he was a steal this late. Norfolk, who has a recent history of releasing players too early, severed ties with long time Neptune OF Carlos Gonzalez, which the 76er’s quickly gobbled up in the 10th round. In the 11th they added Brad Boxberger and in the 12th they took a chance on Tyler Skaggs. The 13th got them 2B Carlos Asuaje, they went back to the scrap heat in the 14th and took C Yan Gomes, cut loose last year by Amsterdam. In the 15th they added Nate Karns a C-Z with 45 IP, a great pick up this late in the draft. On waivers they claimed P Andrew Triggs during the post draft roster confusion.
Synopsis:
As the only team in the West with four B or better starters they have to be considered a playoff threat. Their bullpen is solid and most have the letter (Z). The bench is fairly weak but all the regulars have enough at bats to cover for that. They are also a little short in the power department compared to the rest of the division. They are second to only Seattle in the West in average age with their veteran ball club. They are off to a sluggish start but there is plenty of season left. There isn’t enough here to garner a pennant but the play offs are certainly a reachable goal. The middle of the road teams in the West like Seattle, Hartford and Billings could challenge them for that last post-season berth.
The West hasn’t quite reached parity yet but it is getting close. USMC is probably the only team that can be ruled out for the post season. No final standings result would surprise me here, except a Mystic Cowboy post-season appearance. Norfolk’s lack of Z’s in the rotation has to be troubling. They do have the best lineup in the division plus the # 1 rated bullpen so that may be enough to overcome the lack of control within the starting staff. That weakness in itself will prevent them from running away with the Western flag.
Memphis on paper looks like a good bet for the playoffs. Two B-Z’s at the top of the rotation dwarfs anything their competitors can counter with. A (B-No-Z) as a # 3 starter is adequate enough and they can probably piece together a 4th starter when needed from their minor league roster. They knew going into the draft they needed relief help but due to the high demand from the rest of the league they were only able to add one A*-Z to go with the one they already had. No control from their middle bullpenners will be a detrimental factor. With the 3rd best lineup I don’t see them “crashing and burning” but with the perceived weakness in the pen they will be vulnerable.
San Diego with their four B or better starters and a (Z) rich bullpen, although they are mostly Grade B’s, except for their two closers should stay in contention all year. Their lineup will not blow by the opposition but is good enough being the 4th best in the West. They should see the “Promised Land” but they will be challenged.
Hartford has the 2nd best lineup and power galore. No less than five Hurricanes have been blessed with double ones. The bug-a-boo is the suspect rotation; which will only get worse as the season goes on and the innings from their better pitchers are used up. The pen although not strong may be adequate enough if the starters can give them some innings.
They will score some runs but the rotation is problematic. They did get off to a nice start but it is a long season.
Seattle as usual has a deep bullpen. An informal poll among the league members voted the Scouts as the best dice roller in the ZSABL. Their affinity for Grade C pitchers with no Z but lots of innings will hamper their post-season aspirations. Their lineup construction also bears some scrutiny as some better carded players sit so that some of the Scouts favorites can see more playing time. As I said earlier no result would surprise me; and Seattle with uncanny rolling, Pabst cans and unorthodox lineups could make a splash.
Billings has their work cut out for them with no end of the game bullpen. In fact their entire corp of relievers are suspect. Last year I overlooked them as a bona-fide play off participant and even though I see them as a weaker ball club this year, I won’t dismiss them entirely but it will be an uphill battle.
Union Station and their roster is in a constant flux with their trading habits. They are destined for the basement. Rolling for Rhys Hoskins will be the only thing they will enjoy this season. With all their pitching depleted by the last section of the schedule they should be “easy pickins” for their opponents.
E.N. The standings right now in the West look like they are inverted. Everything will even out eventually.
The final prediction:
1-Norfolk
2-Memphis
3-San Diego
4-Hartford
5-Seattle
6-Billings
7-Union Station
Disclaimer: