Starting Staff:
You cannot do better than having the NL Cy Young Award winner heading your rotation and that’s Jacob de Grom A&C-Z 217 IP, # 2 is Sean Manaea B-Z 161 IP. David Price 176 IP and Jack Flaherty 151 IP occupy the back end of the staff; both are B-No-Z’s. Masahiro Tanaka C-Z 156 IP is the Sound's 5th starter. The swingman is Shane Bieber C-Z 115 IP with Julio Teheran C-No-Z 176 IP pitching mop up. It is unusual in the ZSABL to carry two Grade C pitchers for this insignificant role. Down on the farm is B-Z Mike Soroka 26 IP and a tandem of C-No-Z’s in Kenta Maeda 125 IP and Ryan Borucki 98 IP.
Division Rank: 3rd
Bullpen:
The veteran lefty Oliver Perez A&B*-Z 32 IP will be asked at times to get more than just left-handed batters out. Kelvin Herrera A*-Z 44 IP is the other option as the closer. Matt Strahm B(A*)-No Z 61 IP and Kyle Crick A*-No Z 60 IP will pitch middle relief. Wander Suero B*-Z 48 IP has to be used in some high leverage situations with his control rating. Alex Claudio D(C*)-Z 68 IP is yet another mop up guy. The farm system has Ryan Buchter A*-No Z 39 IP, Sam Tuivailala B*-Z 37 IP and young Justus Sheffield D*-W 3 IP. There are some very light innings among this group hence the carrying of those three Grade C's to pick up the slack.
Division Rank: Undetermined
Catchers:
They traded long time Sound catcher Buster Posey in the Giancarlo Stanton deal and then traded for their new starting receiver Yasmani Grandal C-8 .815 OPS, his back up is Jorge Alfaro C-6 .731 who will be the main back stopper in Miami this year after his trade from the Philadelphia Phillies.
Infield:
The hot corner is ably filled by Nolan Arenado 3B-5 .935 OPS with Robinson Cano 2B-8 mustering up a fine offensive season at age 37 with an .845 OPS, although he only has 310 at bats, playing the keystone position. At first base coming off his first down year is Jose Abreu 1B-3 .798 OPS. At shortstop they shocked the Memphis faithful by sending Carlos Correa to the minors as they became weary of his many miscues in the field and installed Marcus Semien SS-9 .706 OPS as the everyday starter. The reserve is Daniel Robertson 2B-7 SS-7 3B-3 .797 OPS. In the minors is the aforementioned Correa SS-8 .728, Colin Moran 3B-3 .747, who started for the Pirates last season but will have to fight off the challenges from Jung Ho Kang and Ke'Bryan Hayes to keep his job. Trey Mancini 1B-3 .715 OPS and a host of promising un-carded players in Peter Alonso, Keston Hiura, Austin Riley and Nathaniel Lowe.
Outfield:
Newly acquired Giancarlo Stanton OF-2 .852 headlines this group with Starling Marte OF-3 .787, who always has a great APBA card and Marcell Ozuna OF-3 .758 OPS completing the starting trio. Former # 1 pick Hunter Renfroe OF-1 .805 OPS will be the DH. In reserve is Nick Williams OF-2 .749 OPS and in the minors are the 22 year old Victor Robles OF-2 .874 OPS, 59 at bats, poised to break out as most experts project and 20 year old un-carded Jo Adell who some baseball people predict could break camp with the LA Angels as their DH.
Division Lineup Rank: 5th
Draft Analysis:
When quizzed after the draft on how the Sound fared, the Memphis Manager responded,” We had an APBA Draft”. Assuming that means they just filled holes regardless of the age or pedigree of their selections they did manage to do that. They didn’t pick until the third round but they had two selections there. Daniel Robertson was their first choice and he fills all the back up requirements needed, especially since Correa was demoted. Kelvin Herrera was their other pick in the round, an A*-Z they desperately craved.
They had no 4th but three picks in the fifth netted them Kyle Crick another reliever, un-carded Peter Alonso who will make his MLB debut this season and the veteran Oliver Perez, an A&B*-Z but only 38 IP. In the 6th it was yet another reliever in Matt Strahm. Shane Bieber arrived in the 7th and he is rated highly by the Sound front office. Un-carded Nathaniel Lowe was chosen in the 8th, who is near the top on most prospect lists. Justus Sheffield was taken in the 9th with the jury still out on him as he moved from the NY Yankees to Seattle over the winter. Ryan Borucki who showed some promise last year came on board in the 10th. The 11th saw them grab Victor Carantini who was subsequently released when they went for Wander Suero in the 12th when they felt they needed more relief pitching depth.
Synopsis:
After four straight playoff appearances Memphis missed out in 2018 with a 4th place finish.
They have decent starting pitching but a below average lineup and a bullpen with very light innings which may doom them to repeat that performance. Their five un-carded players are all top-notch and some will arrive to help them next season. You can’t rule out a playoff berth if they "milk" their relief pitchers innings and get some timely hitting but not even Pete Rose would venture a wager on that happening.
The “Nep’s” rotation consists of the AL Cy Young winner, Blake Snell A&C 181 IP but No-Z. Two B-Z’s, Luis Severino and Jameson Taillon, both with 191 IP are #2 & # 3. Mike Clevinger B-No Z 200 IP and C-Z 160 IP Andrew Suarez make up the rest of the starting staff. Down on the farm they have Pablo Lopez C-Z 59 IP, Jose Berrios C-No Z 192 IP, Reynaldo Lopez C-No-Z 189 IP and Jacob Faria D-No Z 65 IP.
Division Rank; 2nd
Bullpen:
Skipper Groff always said you need two A*-Z’s in the pen to be competitive but he failed to accomplish that with the 2019 edition of the Neptunes. Roberto Osuna A*-ZZ 38 IP is their man to close out games but his low inning total has to be a concern. Felipe Vazquez or Rivero or whatever name he chooses to go by come the season opener is an A*-No Z 70 IP and he will get a lot of save opportunities. Aroldis Chapman A*-W is also in the pen but it is doubtful you will see him in the 9th inning unless Norfolk has a commanding lead. They will have to turn to one of their three B*-Z’s, Adam Cimber 70 IP, Matt Grace 56 IP or Shawn Kelley 49 IP to hopefully pick up some saves to conserve Osuna’s innings and to bail out Felipe ? when he gets into trouble since he is sans a “Z". Robert Gsellman C*-Z 80 IP pitches the garbage innings. In the minors is Jesse Biddle B*-No Z 64 IP.
Division Rank: Undetermined
Catchers:
Gary Sanchez C-6 .697 OPS is no longer a “rock” behind the plate and was optioned out. The Neptunes then drafted four new back stoppers to fill that void. On the major league side they have Elias Diaz C-7 .792 OPS with Mitch Garver C-6 .749 OPS to split the duties behind the plate. On the farm they have Dan Jansen C-6 .779 OPS who was on most of the ZSABL managers wish list and un-carded Joey Bart who seems to be on a fast pace to reach the "Show".
Infield:
Jesus Aguilar lasted fairly long in the draft and with a hole at first base they grabbed him with his 1B-4 .890 OPS. Steadily improving Rougned Odor 2B-9 .751 OPS forms the double play combo with Francisco Lindor SS-9 .871 OPS with his all-around elite skill-set. Third base was another draftee in Eduardo Escobar 3B-5 .824 OPS who will offer some stability at the hot corner. On the bench is Ryan Zimmerman 1B-4 .824 and Maikel Franco 3B-3 .780 OPS. Hernan Perez 2B-8 OF-2 SS-8 3B-4 .676 OPS gives them some flexibility. The minor league infielders are blessed with youth and talent, Brandon Lowe 2B-6 .774 OPS, Rafael Devers 3B-3 .731 OPS, Amed Rosario SS-7 .676 OPS and un-carded Nolan Gorman, who all offer hope for the future.
Outfield:
A monster outfield led by Christian Yelich OF-3 1.000 OPS and Aaron Judge OF-3 .919 OPS with Andy Benintendi OF-3 .830 OPS, who they refused to part with despite numerous trade offers, might be the best in the ZSABL. Charles Blackmon OF-2 .860 OPS will DH only because he lacks the OF-3 of the others. The previously mentioned Hernan Perez supplies the outfield depth if needed. In the bushes are Ben Gamel OF-2 .728 OPS and un-carded Yordon Alvarez and Austin Hays.
Division Lineup Rank: 1st
Draft Analysis:
They cleaned house by releasing many long time Neptunes like Brandon Crawford, Joe Panik, Aaron Sanchez, Taijuan Walker, Dan Otero, Jake Lamb and Hunter Strickland setting up a new wave of personalities, 16 to be exact, that will be embraced by the Neptune Fan Club, headed by Don “Coach of the Year" Kuhns”. Last year their hands never dipped into the “cookie jar” but this season they wasted little time by announcing their 1st pick as un-carded catcher Joey Bart. With two picks in the 2nd they cemented the third base position with Eduardo Escobar and then selected C Dan Jansen much earlier than most rival managers expected. Jesus Aguilar surprisingly lasted until the 3rd round and thats where he became a Neptune. Adam Cimber in the 4th and Matt Grace in the 5th gave them some bullpen depth. Their 3rd of four new receivers came next with the pick of Elias Diaz. Andrew Suarez in the 7th and Hernan Perez in the 8th were the next off the board. Un-carded Alvarez was chosen in the 9th followed by Shawn Kelley in the 10th and then back to the “cookie jar” in the 11th with Nolan Gorman. Brandon Lowe in the 12th and Jesse Biddle in the 13th were their next picks. Their fourth catcher of the draft Mitch Garver arrived in the 14th before their final selection Pablo Lopez in the 15th.
Synopsis:
By far the top lineup in the West they will have no trouble scoring runs. Arguably with the 2nd best rotation and fielding one at every position the playoffs look like a sure thing. The bullpen however will hold them back from capturing the “holier than thou" pennant. Just 38 innings of A*-ZZ seems inadequate over a long 138 game season unless their vaunted offense makes the closer position a moot point. As they say "close but no cigar" gives them 2nd place in the West.
Starting Staff:
They are armed with four B starters for the first time in recent memory. Miles Mikolas B-Z 201 IP, 2nd pick of the draft, is the Ace. Following him are three B-No-Z's in Jhoulys Chacin 193 IP, J.A.Happ 178 IP and Derek Holland 171 IP. The 5th starter is Wade Leblanc C-Z 162 IP. The minor league team is loaded with five C-No Z’s in Tyler Anderson 176 IP, Gio Gonzalez 171 IP, Matt Boyd 170 IP, Steven Matz 154 IP and Dan Straily 122 IP.
Division Rank: 4th
Bullpen:
As usual the pen is the Scout’s pride and joy. Sam Dyson 70 IP and Will Smith 53 IP are both A*-Z's. Setting them up is the duo of Brad Hand 72 IP and Steve Cishek 70 IP, who are both A*-No Z's. More depth lies with B*-Z 72 IP Kevin McCarthy and C(B*)-Z Caleb Ferguson 49 IP. In the minors is the usual Scout stock pile of relievers in Steve Wright B(A*) No Z 54 IP, Brad Brach B*-No-Z 63 IP and Jacob Barnes B*-No Z 49 IP and just for “shit and giggles” a pair of C*-No Z's in Mychal Givens 77 IP and Emilio Pagan C*-No Z 62 IP giving Seattle a total of 2,390 innings for their entire staff which is 1,101 more innings than the 1,289 Rocky Mountain had in 2014 when they established the ZSABL record for a year.
Division Rank: Undetermined
Catchers:
The backstops on the Scouts roster are Evan Gattis C-6 .736 OPS and Nick Hundley C-7 .706 OPS. In the minors is Manny Pina C-8 .702 OPS.
Infield:
C.J.Cron 1B-3 .816 and Whit Merrifield 2B-9 of-2 .806 OPS start on the right side. The left side is a mix of +/- with Yolmer Sanchez 3B-5 .678 OPS if they want the “leather” advantage or Yuli Gurriel 3B-3 1B-4 if they want more hitting prowess. Gurriel could also slide over to first in the late innings replacing Cron with Sanchez coming in to play third. The shortstop is fielding 3 Asdrubal Cabrera SS-7 3B-4 .774 OPS. Dee Gordon 2B-8 OF-2 .637 OPS is the reserve. Josh Donaldson 3B-4 .801 with only 187 at bats is in the minors along with Mitch Moreland 1B-5 .758 OPS and Josh Harrison 2B-8 .656 OPS.
Outfield:
Nelson R. Cruz OF-1 .850 OPS remains one of the Scouts chief power source either in one of the corner outfield posts or as the DH, probably more of the latter. Chris Taylor OF-2 SS-7 will play everyday either in the pastures or by spelling Cabrera at shortstop. Teoscar Hernandez OF-2 .771 OPS, Gerardo Parra OF-3 .714 and Kevin Pillar OF-3 .708 OPS will vie for playing time at the last outfield post although Jacoby Jones OF-2 .630 OPS saw a lot of action so far early this season. In the minors is Adam Duvall OF-3 .639 who survived the “Woodsman" axe blade a fate that Curtis Granderson, Steven Souza and Mikie Mahtook could not avoid.
Division Lineup Rank: 7th
Draft Analysis:
In the first round with the # 2 overall pick they selected Miles Mikolas. They might have been better served by adding Max Muncy to their line up, which is ranked last in the West, but Mikolas is a solid choice. They added another B starter in the 2nd with Derek Holland. The craving for more A*-Z relief was too much to overcome in the 3rd so they selected Will Smith. C.J.Cron with his double ones was a nice pick in the 4th. The 5th saw them go the pen once again with Kevin McCarthy. The 6th was another good choice with Teoscar Hernandez. Kevin Pillar was a little questionable selection in the 7th with Caleb Ferguson arriving in the 8th. The 9th gave them Yolmer Sanchez 3B-5 if he picks up his offense things could work out. Jacoby Jones was their 10th round choice. Picks 11 thru 15 were all pitchers, 11th rounder Wade Leblanc C-Z 162 IP was a steal this late, 12th rounder Tyler Anderson may work out, 13th round pick was Jacob Barnes, the 14th round gave them Matt Boyd and a sleeper pick with their final selection was Steven Matz.
Synopsis:
They are still the oldest team in the league with a 31.03 average age, a drop from last years 31.65. Their bullpen is stellar as usual and with four B's in the rotation they may not have to call on the pen as early as years past. A woeful offense will drag them down to the nether regions of the West. After Cruz, Merrifield and Cron with Donalson in the minors there is no one else to fear in the batting order. Of course that does not preclude Seattle from continuing their fortuitous rolling for some of the lesser bats in the lineup. As has been stated “ad nauseum” never underestimate the power of the PBR can.
Starting Staff:
The Ace is of course Clayton Kershaw (A-Z), that has been the opening line for this section for the past seven years but he has been traded away to Las Vegas. That sobriquet now belongs to Mike Fiers B-Z 172 IP who doesn’t instill the same kind of confidence, as did Kershaw. Kyle Freeland B-No Z 202 IP is the # 2 with Jaime Barria B-No Z 129 IP as the # 3. Filling out the back end of the rotation are Rick Porcello C-Z 191 IP and Tanner Roark C-Z 180 IP. Riding in the front of the team's minor league bus are Dallas Keuchel 205 IP and Zack Godley 178 IP, both C-No Z’s. In the back of the bus sits Anthony Desclafani D-Z 115 IP and Luiz Gohara D -No Z 20 IP. Seated somewhere is the middle are uber-prospects Forest Whitley and Jesus Luzardo, both un-carded with the injured no card of Andrew Moore perhaps doing the driving.
Division Rank: 6th
Bullpen:
The closer in the Mustang pen is Jared Hughes A&C*-Z 79 IP. The setup men are Jose Leclerc A&C*-No Z 58 IP and Jesse Chavez A*-Z 95 IP.
Joakim Soria B*-Z 61 IP and Alex Colome B*-No Z 68 IP give them some depth. In the minors is Seranthony Dominguez B*-No Z 58 IP.
Division Rank: Undetermined
Catchers:
Just like last season Kurt Suzuki C-8 .776 OPS and Matt Wieters C-8 .704 OPS share the workload behind the plate. A new addition to the back stopping corps is Willians Astudillo C-6 .887 OPS, his 93 at bats are sure to become a fan favorite.
In the minors, for his fourth year, is Tom J.Murphy C-6 .637 OPS trying to shed his AAAA tag (a player who excels at AAA but not the majors) and Francisco Mejia C-6 .633 OPS who hopes for a full opportunity to win the starting gig with the Padres.
Infield:
Miguel Andujar despite his 3B-3 will be the starter at third base with his .855 OPS. The versatile Jurickson Profar 2B-7 SS-7 1B-3 3B-3 will probably open as the club’s starting second baseman.
With another option being the equally versatile Marwin Gonzalez 2B-8 SS-8 1B-4 OF-2 .733 OPS who maybe inserted into a different position every day but probably more at shortstop. Jonathan Villar 2B-7 SS-7 .709 OPS will also figure in the mix. At first base is Josh Bell 1B-3 .768 with Edwin Encarnacion 1B-3 .810 OPS limited to DH duties. Jedd Gyorko 2B-7 3B-4 is on the bench.
Down on the farm is Brandon Drury 3B-3 .516 OPS, Scott Kingery 3B-3 SS-7 .605 OPS and the eagerly awaited debut of un-carded Fernando Tatis, Jr.
Outfield:
Khris Davis has been listed first in this section for the last five years but no more as he too was dealt away over the winter. The crème de la crème now drops off to Randall Grichuk OF-2 .803 OPS, he along with a fading Ryan Braun OF-3 .782 OPS, Odubel Herrera OF-2 .730 OPS and Ender Inciarte OF-3 .705 OPS will alternately fill in the outfield slots. Charley Culberson OF-2 SS-7 3B-4 .792 OPS is also in the mix. In the minors is Dustin Fowler OF-2 .610 and un-carded Eloy Jimenez who the Chicago White Sox can not keep down in the bushes any longer.
Division Lineup Rank: 6th
Draft Analysis:
They went for pitching in the first with their two picks and came away with Mike Fiers and Jesse Chavez. Jurickson Profar was a nice selection in the 2nd. Two 3rd rounders netted them Jose Leclerc and possibly the # 1 un-carded pitching prospect in baseball with Jesus Luzardo. Jaime Barria in the 4th, a Grade B starter that late was a good choice. They had no 5th but in the 6th they got an inning eater in Rick Porcello. Willians Astudillo arrived in the 7th with much fanfare from the "peanut gallery". Their Philadelphia Phillie allegiance came through in the 8th with Seranthony Dominguez, although he did show some promise. Charley Culberson in the 9th arrives as a valuable utility man. Their final pick to bolster the starting staff was Tanner Roark.
Synopsis:
In a full rebuild after trading Kershaw and Khris Davis they will struggle until the arrival of Whitley, Luzardo, Tatis Jr and Eloy Jimenez comes to fruition. Miguel Andujar is now the face of the franchise. With a lineup devoid of much power and a starting nine with an OPS average of .787 it's going to be a chore to score some runs. They surprised two years ago and this cast of characters is minus Kershaw and Khris Davis so it looks like a long season for the Montanians. The crop of youngsters on the fringe of MLB readiness does give them some hope.
After nearly running out of innings last season because of carrying five un-carded players, they jettisoned that strategy and went with only players with CARDS. Zack Greinke B-Z 208 IP heads the staff, Gerrit Cole B-No Z 200 IP slots in at # 2. Trevor Williams B-No Z 171 IP, German Marquez C-Z 196 IP and Zach Eflin C-Z 128 IP round out the rotation. In the minors they hope that Alex Reyes A&B-No Z 4 IP has finally rid himself of the injury bug, joining him are a pair of C-Z’s in Daniel Mengden 116 IP and Joe Musgrove 115 IP. Luis M.Castillo C-No Z will also bide his time in the bushes.
Division Rank: 5th
Bullpen:
There are a lot of different routes to take with this bullpen. Jeremy Jeffress A&B*-No-Z 77 IP is the highest rated pitcher but without control he might not get all the save opportunities. Richard Bleier A&C*-ZZ is perfect for that role but he only has 33 IP. Richard Rodriguez A*-Z 69 IP and Dylan Floro A*-Z 64 IP will get their chances at closing contests. Josh Hader A*-No Z 81 IP will pitch middle relief. The first call for help from the minors will be Sean Doolittle A&C*-Z 45 IP, following him will be David Hernandez A*-Z 64 IP. There is even more resources on the farm in Yoshihisa Hirano A*-No Z 66 IP who when summoned, it will be in a more politically correct manner. Also in the system is B*-Z 66 IP Edgar Santana.
Division Rank: Undetermined
Catchers:
Salvador Perez C-9 .713 OPS will do the bulk of the catching with Mike Zunino C-9 .669 OPS as his backup.
Infield:
The double play combination stands out in this group. Alex Bregman SS-8 3B-5 .926 OPS and Javier Baez 2B-9 2B-4 SS-9 .881 OPS lead the way. Scooter Gennett 2B-7 .847 OPS gives them some flexibility unless he DH's because if he plays the field then Baez would shift to shortstop and Bregman to third base.
Todd Frazier 3B-4 .693 has seen a lot of early action at third base because Manager Smith thinks he has been over-carded. Wil Myers 3B-3 OF-2 .763 OPS could also work his way into the lineup at the hot corner freeing up Gennett for DH duties. Niko Goodrum is the utility guy 1B-2 2B-7 3B-3 SS-6 .747 OPS. Carlos Santana 1B-3 .766 is the weak link in this collection of infielders.
They are also carrying on the major league roster Yoan Moncada 2B-6 .714 OPS and Tim Anderson SS-8 .687 OPS. In the minors are Eric Hosmer 1B-5 .720 OPS, Ron Guzman 1B-3 .722 OPS and Kyle Seager 3B-4 .673 OPS.
Outfield:
Brandon Nimmo OF-2 .886 with a tremendous on base card is their best fly chaser. Gregory Polanco OF-2 .839 OPS and Stephen Piscotty OF-2 .821 are the other starters. Ian Happ OF-2 3B-3 .761 OPS is one reserve as is the aforementioned Wil Myers. Their minor league pasture dwellers feature Nomar Mazara OF-2 .753, Max Kepler OF-3 .727, Avisail Garcia OF-1 .719 OPS and the enigmatic Byron Buxton OF-3 .383 OPS who always seems like he is on the verge of breaking out until he falls into a pattern of regression.
Division Lineup Rank: 2nd
Draft Analysis:
They grabbed Nimmo with their first round pick and then with their two second rounders they took Richard Rodriguez and Dylan Floro. They stayed with bullpen choices in the 3rd with a re-draft of Jeremy Jeffress. Two fourth round selections netted them Niko Goodrum whom this Office is not a fan of and another reliever in Edgar Santana. In the 5th they called out for Yoshihisa Hirano but by another pet name that is shared by beer delivery guys and truck drivers and the “leftists” in the room went nuts. They ended the day with two picks in the 6th and there they got Zach Eflin and Ron Guzman. The excitement of the draft usually proves too much for Manager Smith and he routinely had to remedy any mistakes post draft but without any un-carded players to worry about his roster came out right on the button.
Synopsis:
It should be a battle in the West. USMC and Hartford have similar offenses with the Cowboys having a slight edge in starting pitching and a big edge in the pen. The lineups differ in that Union Station has a more “keep the line moving" approach whereas Hartford uses their traditional weapon the long ball and have a host of situational cards to employ in crucial situations. This analysis does not imply that the division is out of reach for these two clubs but realistically it looks like a battle for 3rd place with Memphis hovering near by.
Hartford limped home the last three series of the 2018 season due to the fact they were pitching C -No Z's and eventually ran out of innings for even them. This year they rectified those shortcomings. At the top of the rotation is Garret Richards B-No Z 76 IP followed by an army of C-Z’s all with substantial innings. Kevin Gausman 184 IP, Jake Junis 177 IP, Jose Urena 174 IP and Marco Gonzales 167 IP. Nathan Eovaldi is yet another C-Z with 111 IP but he is expected to pitch out of the pen. Down on the farm the first call will be to Dereck Rodriguez B-No Z 118 IP, joining him is Josh James A-No Z 23 IP, slowed by injuries in spring training for real but should be a factor for the "Canes" in the last section of the schedule. Other hopefuls are Robbie Ray C-W who still hasn't figured it out yet, Tyler Glasnow C-No Z who looks like he has turned the corner and Sean Newcomb who is on the bubble of being a quality starter in the majors or go the other way.
Division Rank: 7th
Bullpen:
They are banking on their starters going deep in games because the pen is very light on innings. The closer is Josh D.Fields A*-Z 41 IP, last year they got by with their closer having just 44 IP so they are hoping to duplicate that effort. Dellin Betances is the set up man A*-No Z 67 IP, Archie Bradley B*-Z 72 IP is next up with the long man being Hector Velazquez C(B*)-No Z 85 IP and the aforementioned Eovaldi with his 111 IP. There is some help in the minors albeit not very many innings in Brandon Morrow A&C*-No Z 31 IP and Darren O’Day B*-Z 20 IP
Division Rank: Undetermined
Catchers:
They are pretty well set behind the plate with Robinson Chirinos C-7 .757 but he has two 42’s and Austin Hedges C-9 .711 OPS, a serviceable duo batting 9th in the order.
Infield:
Mix and Match will be the order of the day for Hartford as they try to construe their lineup on a rotating basis. In the infield only Trea Turner SS-9 .760 OPS and Ozzie Albies 2B-8 .757 will play every day. At third base with Justin Turner 3B-5 .924 OPS but only 365 at bats and late draft day acquisition Johan Camargo 3B-4 SS-8 .806 OPS, they will have to split the duties. First base will be a revolving door with Tyler White 1B-3 .838 OPS, Daniel Murphy 1B-3 .790 OPS and Matt Olson 1B-5 .788 OPS who will see action every game either as a late inning defensive replacement or to save at bats for Murphy and White. The farm system is loaded with infielders, Jason Kipnis 2B-7 OF-1 .704 OPS, Jose Peraza SS-7 .742 OPS, Dansby Swanson SS-9 .699 OPS, Brian Dozier 2B-8 .696 OPS, Evan Longoria 3B-4 .694 OPS, Aramis Garcia 1B-2 C-7 .800 OPS and un-carded Ke'Bryan Hayes.
Outfield:
Ronald Acuna Jr. OF-2 .917 OPS, Eddie Rosario OF-3 .803 OPS and Justin Upton OF-3 .808 are the primary starters. Ramon Laureano OF-3 .832 is the main back up along with Jose A.Bautista OF-2 .727 OPS with his versatility 3B-3 1B-2 2B-5 and his on-base card. Franmil Reyes OF-1 .838 will only see action as the DH, a spot that will be filled by a different player every day from the likes of Murphy, White and Camargo.
Division Lineup Rank: 3rd
Draft Analysis:
They had no 1st rounder, in the second they had set their sights on Luke Voit but he went the pick right ahead of them, they also contemplated Ramon Laureano or Eduardo Escobar there but in the end they decided to go for pitching and grabbed Dereck Rodriguez. In the 3rd they got Laureano and immediately spurned offers for him since he was highly rated by other organizations. Tyler White arrived in the 4th and Nathan Eovaldi in the 5th, both players were on Hartford’s wish list. In the 6th they wanted a C-Z and with Porcello gone and the realization that Leblanc was “old” they went with Marco Gonzales who after reading up on him they are happy with the selection. In the 7th there were still players they coveted so they traded a pick next year to Brooklyn for consecutive selections and with them they got Franmil Reyes and Josh James. They had no 8th so in the 9th they went un-carded in Ke’Bryan Hayes. Two 10th round picks netted them Kyle Wright and Hector Velazquez. They passed in the 11th and then in the 12th they decided to improve on their 3rd catcher when they took Aramis Garcia. Philly then offered Camargo for a draft pick next year, which Hartford gladly agreed to, but it forced them to release somebody and that casualty was P Kyle Wright.
Synopsis:
Hartford over achieved last season, setting a franchise best home run record. They also tied their all-time season victory total. They don’t have the firepower this year that sparked the 2018 Hurricane edition. Their lineup is still the 3rd best in the division although the metrics used for that are so close that Hartford, San Diego and USMC are virtually dead even behind Norfolk in that category. They do have a lot of situational hitting cards such as Murphy's 55-7, Reyes double ones and Bautista's 6 14's and two 22’s. Since these guys don’t start every day one or more of them will be available in late game substitutions dictated by the boards. Their starting pitching is much improved over last year’s squad although the bullpen is weaker. You can’t be humble all the time so cockiness gives them the nod for third place in the West.
Starting Staff:
At the top of the rotation is A-Z 221 IP Max Scherzer and Aaron Nola A-Z 212 IP. It looks like they will pitch every 4th day in a staggered rotation employed by the San Diego skipper.
The # 3 is Framber Valdez A-W 37 IP followed by Kyle Gibson B-No Z 197 IP and then Jon Lester B-No Z 182 IP. Ryan Yarbrough C-Z 147 IP is the mop up guy and one would assume he would take Valdez’s spot in the rotation when Valdez’s 37 innings are used up. In the minors is a pair of C-No Z’s in Cole Hamels 191 IP and Tyler Skaggs 125 IP. Vincent Velasquez D-No Z 147 IP and Drew Pomeranz D-W 74 IP are both persona non grata in the 76er clubhouse.
Division Rank: 1st
Bullpen:
Ryan Brasier A&C*-Z 34 IP will be line for some save opportunities; one thing we know is that he will not be among the leaders in games pitched per usual San Diego relievers of the past with his paltry 34 IP. Getting the bulk of the saves will be Seung-hwan Oh A*-Z 68 IP. The A*-No Z tandem of Jose Alvarez 63 IP and Pedro Strop 60 IP will pitch in middle relief while Jonathan Holder C(B*)-Z 66 IP is probably the “Sixer’s” designated leader in Appearances, a category they have led the league in 17 of the past 19 years, that streak was only interrupted by Chan Ho Park, Rocky Mountain 2009 and R.A.Dickey, Hartford in 2016. Down on the farm is Chasen Bradford B*-Z 54 IP and Adam Warren B*-No Z 52 IP.
Division Rank: Undetermined
Catchers:
Yadier Molina C-8 .750 OPS is the starting back stopper with Isiah Kiner-Falefa C-6 3B-4 2B-6 .682 OPS as his back up.
C-8 .710 Welington Castillo will toil in the minors.
Infield:
The right side of the infield is held down by 2B-8 .837 OPS Jose Altuve and Joey Votto 1B-5 .837 OPS. Mike Moustakas 3B-5 .774 OPS is at third base, his Greek heritage only a part of him being installed as a regular at the hot corner, his 3B-5 and the trading away of Miguel Andujar also factored into it. Didi Gregorius SS-8 .829 OPS is at shortstop with Adalberto “Raul A.” Mondesi SS-8 2B-7 .804 OPS being one reserve and also coming off the bench will be Wilmer Difo 2B-8 3B-4 <SS 9. The minor leagues have Jake Bauers 1B-3 OF-1 .700 OPS, Ian Kinsler 2B-9 .681 OPS, Elvis Andrus SS-8 .675 OPS and Chris Davis 1B-4 .539 OPS who some how remains on the 40 man roster. As Richie Ashburn used to say to Harry Kalas, “Hard to believe, Harry”.
Outfield:
David Peralta OF-2 .868 OPS and Tommy Pham OF-2 .830 are 2/3
of the fly chaser corps. The third spot will be Nick Markakis OF-3 .806 OPS,
another Greek, who is rumored to make a delicious moussaka
entrée with baklava for dessert. The outfield reserves are Roman Quinn
OF-3 .729 OPS and Carlos Gonzalez OF-2 .796. Khris Davis OF-1 .874 OPS is the
Designated Hitter.
In the farm system are Brian
W.Anderson OF-2 3B-3 .757 OPS, Josh Reddick OF-3 .718 and Bradley Zimmer OF-3
.611 OPS. The stalled career of un-carded Mickey Moniak survived the roster
cuts.
Division Line Up Rank: 4th
Draft Analysis:
With their 1st round selection they took Kyle Gibson to bolster their rotation. In the 2nd they grabbed the “all or nothing” card of Adalberto Mondesi. They had no 3rd but in the 4th Ryan Brasier A&C*-Z came on board, The relief corps was addressed in the 5th and 6th rounds with Jose Alvarez and Jonathan Holder. Two 7th rounders gave them Ryan Yarbrough and Chasen Bradford.
Roman Quinn in the 8th as the “Sixer’s” can never have enough Phillies. Brian W.Anderson in the 9th may be a nice sleeper pick. Framber Valdez was also a good choice in the 10th. Isiah Kiner-Falefa was their 11th round selection with Bradley Zimmer in the 12th. Their final pick was Jake Bauers, his name was bandied about quite frequently pre-draft but nobody else would “pull the trigger”.
Synopsis:
Two A-Z’s at the top of the rotation with 200+ IP are going to be tough to beat. Their lineup listed as 5th best in the West is actually on a par with USMC and Hartford as the methodology used to derive that rating only separates that trio by a few decimal points. Their sage use of a bullpen over the years compensates for any perceived shortcomings in that area. Scherzer and Nola are the difference maker. The # 3 & # 4 slots in the rotation are without “Z’s” so that may tax the bullpen. All in all they are a solid club and with Manager Doran at the helm with his six Championships they usually make the right moves.
The bullpens in the West were all over the place, good grades-light innings, multiple A’s-No-Z’s etc. so that is why the Division Rank for the pens are listed as “Undetermined” in this analysis.
Without that added metric this Office is going to use the old-fashioned “eye ball” test to predict the final outcome of the 2019 ZSABL season.
1st Place: San Diego This a tough call but they have the pedigree with past success and they also have two A-Z’s in their rotation. They will have to continue their expertise at managing a bullpen.
A runaway for the pennant is not in the cards. Norfolk is a legitimate challenger. A playoff spot is probably not even assured with Hartford and USMC poised to make a run.
2nd Place: Norfolk By far the best hitting team in the league but the ability to nail down victories without a bona fide closer looms large. They are more of a postseason lock than even the favorite 76er’s because Hartford and USMC don’t have enough horses to over take them. They will chase San Diego and possibly even capture the pennant but perhaps too much credence is given to San Diego’s game knowledge and past record of excellence and of course there are those two A-Z’s.
3rd Place: Hartford Their success depends on how far they can “milk” their B-No Z and C-Z starters. A weak bullpen magnifies these deficiencies. A solid lineup with a lot of interchangeable parts and their newfound ability to “roll" discovered in last years surprising finish and an un-Hartford like Fielding One at almost every position bodes well. Their first challenge will be to hold off USMC just to make the playoffs before they can think of anything bigger.
4th Place: Union Station 2nd best line up in the West and a very stacked bullpen makes them a viable contender. The question is how far will their starting rotation take them. Depth is another issue especially in the outfield. There is some light at bats guys there like Nimmo and Polanco without a suitable replacement. These four teams will battle for the three postseason berths in the West with maybe Memphis hovering around.
5th Memphis: Scoring runs are going to be a problem. After de Grom and Manaea the starters are a little suspect. Arenado is the only real "thumper" in the line up. The pen seems to lack defined roles. The “young 'uns" are on the way but offer no help for this season. They won't "hover around" in contention for long. These short concise sentences are what describe the Memphis Sound this year.
6th Place: Seattle You have to throw out all the playbooks and statistical charts when facing the Scouts. They are also armed with four B starters and of course their vaunted deep and over-abundant bullpen. The object of baseball is still to score more runs than your opposition and Seattle's lineup is devoid of that ability. Sure a couple of taps on the PBR can will result in some uttering of "gone” as the Scout skipper is apt to do. Chances are they will be solo homers and opponents can bounce back from that. As with their manager the team has that “veteran presence" being the oldest club in the league ad infinitum. They may stay ahead of Billings but barely.
7th Place: Billings First of all lets look at the bright spots, Fernando Tatis Jr, Eloy Jimenez, Forest Whitley, Jesus Luzardo. They are all extremely talented and they all DO NOT have APBA cards. The only standout on offense for the Mustang is Miguel Andujar, his defensive liabilities not withstanding. An average starting staff and an average but not deep pen cannot overcome a stagnant lineup. They may escape the confines of the Western Division basement by passing Seattle but even that is doubtful.
The final prediction:
1-San Diego
2-Norfolk
3-Hartford
4-Union Station
5-Memphis
6-Seattle
7-Billings
Disclaimer: