Starting Staff:
Ian Kennedy (A-X), who rewarded the Philly skipper’s patience with a fine season, is the Ace. Steady Chris Carpenter (B-Z) is # 2 although always an injury concern. Jamie Garcia (B-Z), who has produced back-to-back successful years, is next with Josh Beckett (B-No Z) at the back end of the rotation. Veteran Roy Oswalt (C-Z) provides depth. Speaking of depth there are a slew of arms in the minors, (C-Z’s) Dustin Moseley and Philip Humber, (C-No Z’s) Wade Davis and Carlos Carrasco, (C-W) Brad Peacock and (D-No Z) Rich Harden, who was picked up after being cut loose by Rochester, all round out the carded farmhands. The un-carded hopefuls are Jarred Cosart, Casey Kelly and A.J. Cole.
Bullpen:
(A*-Z’s) Leroy Hawkins and Cory Wade, although light on innings, will be the closers. The setup tandem will be (A*-No Z) Glen Perkins and (A*-W) Brian Wilson. (B*-Z’s) Joel Peralta and Rafael Betancourt provide ample support, a different strategy employed by the “Sox” as they had no (B*’s) in the pen last season.
Catchers:
Nick Hundley C-7, limited by 281 at bats, is the better option with Geovany Soto C-7 the backup. Their patience with Hank Conger finally wore out as he was released on draft day. The “Sox” have no back stoppers in the minors.
Infield:
At first base, Mark Teixeira 1B-5, still displays the glove but his batting prowess seems to be on the decline. At the keystone spot, another offensive disappointment Chase Utley 2B-8 is the starter. He only has 398 at bats, so Nick Punto, with a better OPS, should spell him from time to time, although he only has 133 at bats. At the hot corner will be 3B-3 Aramis Ramirez, who had a fine season in his contract year. SS-8 Yunel Escobar will start at shortstop, although losing his 9 defensive rating will hurt. The DH and backup first basemen is Ryan Howard 1B-3. He is expected to miss the start of the season with an Achilles Heel injury. Punto besides backing up second base will also perform those duties at third and short. In the minors is Wilson Valdez, SS-9,2B-8,3B-3, he satisfies the ZSABL requirement of having a backup with 10 games played at each position. Philadelphia is still waiting for un-carded Carlos Truinfel to reach the Big Show.
Outfield:
Carlos Beltran OF-2 is the offensive stud of this group. Hunter Pence OF-2 was a big off-season acquisition and will patrol one of the other slots. Reed Johnson OF-2 and Logan Morrrison OF-1 will also see plenty of PT. Carlos Lee and Bryan LaHair are the reserves although the latter will probably be limited to pinch-hitting duties. Down on the farm they have un-carded Cuban native Yoenis Cespedes, who the Oakland A’s have high hopes for after dishing out an obscene contract. Delmon Young who finished strong but not enough to salvage an APBA card will be joined by draftee Andy Dirks who has showed some promise in spring training. Michael Taylor is the other returnee and the jury is still out on him whether or not he will fulfill the potential most scouts had for him.
Draft Analysis:
They picked up a pair of (A*-Z’s) closers in LaTroy Hawkins and Cory Wade in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, between the two of them they have enough IP to fulfill that role. (A*-No Z) Glen Perkins was added to be the setup man in the 4th. Cespedes in the 5th was a nice gamble. Brad Peacock was their 6th round selection and is promising. Andy Dirks in the 7th has showed some potential. Philip Humber, (C-Z), in the 8th, may be a late bloomer. Bryan LaHair, a 9th rounder, is a lock to be the Cubs 1B until Anthony Rizzo arrives. The 10th saw the Sox add Reed Johnson who made the team and Uti Wilson Valdez to satisfy ZSABL requirements for backups. Un-carded pitchers Jarred Cosart, 11th round, and A.J.Cole 15th round, were selected for potential. Dustin Mosely, a (C-Z), arrived in the 12th and provides starting pitching insurance. The 13th round saw Philly take a flyer on Rich Harden, cut loose by Rochester.
Synopsis:
Offensively lacking, albeit a weak hitting division, the “Sox” with good starting pitching and a decent bullpen will make a run at a playoff spot. They don’t hit the ball enough to take the pennant but should battle Sherwood and perhaps Rochester for one of the other two post-season berths. They are closer to 3rd in the East than they are to 2nd place.
Starting Staff:
Four (B-Z’s) make up the Machine’s starting quartet, they include C.C.Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Madison Bumgarner and Freddy Garcia, although the latter has just 146 IP. John Danks (C-Z) will pick up the extra starts there. In the minors are Brett Anderson (C-No Z) and Travis Wood (D-No Z). Sort of un-ZSABL like to go into a season with just 7 starting pitchers.
Bullpen:
Scott Downs (A&C*-Z) is the closer, steady Darren Oliver (A*-Z) sets him up with Brad Ziegler and Luis Ayala, both (A*-No Z’s) in support. (B*-Z) Wilton Lopez and (B*-No Z) Rafael Perez rounds out the pen. In the minors is (B*-Z) Bryan Shaw and in a new strategy employed by the Sherwood skipper, they decided to keep a pair of relievers in Joe Thatcher (C*-W) and Darren O’Day (D*-No Z), hoping for a rebound season instead of dumping any reliever less than a (B*) and drafting anew.
Catchers:
Russell Martin (C-7) is the starter. The Sherwood Manager fondly calls him “the best catcher in baseball”, he did actually have a decent season following several mediocre ones. Backing him up will be newly drafted A.J. Ellis (C-7). In the minors is un-carded Derek Norris, who seems to be on the cusp of a MLB career.
Infield:
Starting at first base, a position the Machine have always had an affinity for, which has been noted numerous times in the League Notes will probably be a combination of Derrek Lee (1B-5) and Ike Davis (1B-4) with Jesus Guzman (1B-3) thrown into the mix. Either Davis or Guzman will also do most of the Designated Hitting for Sherwood.
Down on the farm are a host of options in Daric Barton (1B-4), Adam Dunn (1B-2), V.Chris Carter (1B-2) and no-carded Nick Johnson, who according to sources will also lend a hand as a batting coach. The keystone combination will be Ian Kinsler (2B-8) and Troy Tulowitzki (SS-10), who not only bring defense to the club but OPS’s of over .800 and .900 respectively. Solid Evan Longoria (3B-5) will man the hot corner. John McDonald (SS-9 2B-8 3B-5) provides all the back up duties they need. In the bushes they have (3B-3) Matt Dominguez, as they will patiently wait to see if he will ever be able to hit Major League pitching and Logan Forsythe (2B-6 3B-4) who had an abysmal .568 OPS. Un-Carded, Tim Beckham, still only 22, will also bide his time in the minors.
Outfield:
No longer an All-World player but none-the-less an All-Star, Josh Hamilton, OF-3 is the headliner here with a solid Matt Joyce (OF-2) beside him. The third spot looks like OF-2 Alex Presley, just 215 at bats, and (OF-2) Shin-Soo Choo. Austin Jackson (OF-3) rounds out the fly chaser corps. On the farm squad is the enigmatic Jayson Howard (OF-2) and (OF-3) Ryan Sweeney. The experiment of “Manny being Manny” ended with the release of Manny Ramirez on draft day.
Draft Analysis:
Freddy Garcia (B-Z), selected in the 3rd Round was a nice pick up. A pair of 5th rounder picks in Alex Presley (OF-2) and (1B-3) Jesus Guzman add some credibility to the Sherwood Line up. Amazingly both were still there that late in the draft. The additions of Luis Ayala in the 6th and Bryan Shaw in the 7th added bullpen depth. A.J. Ellis in the 8th provides a backup receiver with a nice on base card but devoid of power.
Synopsis:
A very strong starting staff, 4 B-Z’s and an equally deep bullpen makes them a potential playoff team. Offensively they are no-where near last year’s team. Runs will be harder to come by, as the 3-run homers will not be a constant part of their attack. Still the East does not have any dynamo lineups so that is where their pitching will keep them close.
No individual manager has made it to the ZSABL title series three years in a row although the Mt.Pleasant-Baltimore franchise did it in 1985-1987 but that was under two different skippers, Mike McCauley and Jeff Hull. It is doubtful the Machine will duplicate that mark, although a playoff berth is within the realm of possibility.
Starting Staff:
Dan Hudson (B-Z) will be the ace with three (B-No Z’s) in Mat Latos, Tim Lincecum and Matt Garza next in line. Scott Baker (B-Z), but only 134 IP, anchors the back end of the rotation. Homer Bailey (C-Z) will rarely if ever start but will be the long man out of the pen. In the minors are (B-Z) Stephen Strasburg, 24 IP, Jarrod Parker (D-Z) and Edinson Volquez (D-W).
Bullpen:
Unlike last year when the Brooklyn manager had limited options in the pen, their 1st selection in the Free Agent draft this year was (A*-Z) Jim Johnson, his 91 IP will give them the flexibility to close out games that was sorely missing last season. Mariano Rivera (A*-Z) will back him up with (A&C*-W) Jose Valverde also available. (A*-No Z) Francisco Cordero will be down on the farm. A very short list of relievers so as previously mentioned, Homer Bailey will have to help out.
Catchers:
Rock solid, at least with the bat, Victor Martinez C-6 will wear the tools of ignorance, backed up by Josh Thole C-7. The defensive rating of 6 will hurt and to make it worse he will miss all of next season due to a torn ACL. In the bushes are Wilin Rosario C-6 and un-carded Will Myers and Yasmani Grandal.
Infield:
First base duties will be handled by Miguel Cabrera 1B-3 with Paul Goldschimdt 1B-3 in reserve along with veteran Jason Giambi 1B-2, both of them providing long ball threats off the bench or in the DH slot. Rickie Weeks 2B-6 and Adrian Beltre 3B-5 are the other starters along with SS-8 Derek Jeter. The utility guys are Sean Rodriguez 2B-8 SS-8 3B-4 1B-2 OF-1 and Alcides Escobar SS-9, both will see lots of playing time due to the defensive shortcomings of the starters. On the farm is 1B-3 Brett Wallace and Lonnie Chissenhall 3B-3 OF-1 along with Mat Gamel 3B-3 1B-2 OF-1, who is replacing Prince Fieder at first base in Milwaukee and has had a strong spring training. Un-carded hopefuls are Anthony Rendon, who might displace Ryan Zimmerman to first base in the near future for the Nationals, unless he makes the transformation to second base with some alacrity. Manny Machado joins him in the bushes. There were no prospects from Boise State selected by the Metropolitan skipper this year.
Outfield:
If there is a weak spot in Brooklyn it is here in the outfield, their best two fly chasers have limited at bats in Alejandro De Aza OF-2 and John Mayberry, Jr. OF-2 1B-2, Dexter Fower OF-2 will start with Andre Ethier OF-3 and Peter Bourjos OF-3 also in the mix. Bobby Abreau OF-1 shares the same affliction several of his teammates have. That is being defensively challenged. He will probably be limited to just a pinch-hitting role. In the minors are Jason Bay OF-2, whose star has apparently faded and Michael Brantley OF-2. Un-carded George Springer rounds out the roster.
Draft Analysis:
They semi-shocked the ZSABL by taking Jim Johnson in the 1st although the Mock Draft and all logic dictated it. In the 2nd they took Paul Goldschmidt, rumored to go earlier, his power is for real, time will tell if the rest of his game matures. Their other 2nd round pick was Jarrod Parker who looks about major league ready. In the 3rd they grabbed Alejandro De Aza, a very nice card and surprisingly still on the board at that juncture. In the 4th they proved they were “going for it” by selecting Jason Giambi with his 44-0. They had another 4th rounder and with Victor Martinez on the shelf next year they chose un-carded catcher Yasmani Grandal. No 5th round pick but in the 6th they took a flyer on Mat Gamel, a nice gamble based on his minor league numbers.
Synopsis:
Offensively the Metropolitans are probably the best in the East, as they have the parts to mix and match. The starting staff is made up of all (B’s) and the pen can finish out the close games. If there is a minor weak spot it might be depth in the pen. However, the most glaring weakness will be their porous defense although they have gloves on the bench. The outfielders don’t provide a lot of power but it might be adequate enough with the middle of the lineup having some “pop” and with the weapons off the bench. This is the 34th year for the franchise and they have yet to get their name engraved on the trophy. They are definitely a playoff team, possibly even a pennant winner. The post season is a dice-rolling contest and even with the strong (on paper at least) Western Division teams anything can happen once you get to the World Series.
Starting Staff:
The Rockers have a starting corp consisting of Jered Weaver (A-Z), followed by three (B-No Z’s) in Shaun Marcum, Yovani Gallardo and Derek Holland. They all have plenty of IP. Down on the farm there are (C-No Z’s) Miguel Pineda and Carlos Zambrano poised to do big things for the Yankees and Marlins respectively. Joining them are Brett Cecil (D-No Z) who had a great spring and Dallas Braden (C-No Z) returning from an injury plagued 2011 season. The un-cards are arguably two of the best of that variety in Japanese sensation Yu Darvish and Trevor Bauer.
Bullpen:
The pen is anchored by, Kyle Farnsworth (A*-Z), supported by an army of (A*-W’s). Mike MacDougal (A&C*-W) and a trio of (A*-W’s) in Chris Perez, Antonio Bastardo and Kenly Jansen form this group. A little better control comes from the back end of the relief corp in Jeremy Affeldt and Rich Thompson both (B*-No Z’s).
Catcher:
The backstopping has always been a problem for Rochester through the years. This season will be different, Matt Wieters C-9, is starting to fulfill the projections the experts had for him and he will be backed up by Salvador Perez C-7, a .300 hitter. He will miss the start of the regular season but the KC Royals locked him up for a five-year deal so they see the same promise as the Rockers do. Yorvit Torrealba C-8 will be in the minors.
Infield:
Albert Pujols 1B-4, lost his (5) and had, for him an off year but is still a formidable threat at first base. Emilio Bonifacio SS-8 OF-2 3B-3 2B-6 will see the bulk of his playing time at shortstop. Hanley Ramirez SS-8 had a disappointing season and will be asked to move to third base next year but he will play some at SS when Bonifacio moves to the outfield. Danny Espinosa 2B-8 will start at the keystone spot, with Mark Ellis 2B-9 1B-3, also available. Scott Sizemore 3B-3 2B-6, not your proto-typical third sacker will play most of the time at the hot corner. Placido Polanco 3B-5 2B-7 is in reserve. In the minors are 1B-3 OF-1 Mike Carp, who looks like he is getting a long look for real in Seattle, Pedro Alvarez 3B-3, who looks like he is getting a “short” look in Pittsburgh and Cliff Pennington SS-8. Un-Carded prospects include Jean Segura, Jon Singleton and Jurickson Profar, who may be near ready to enter the “Show”.
Outfield:
Three OF-3’s in Shane Victorino, Gerardo Parra and Adam Jones will probably be the starters. Corey Hart OF-2 will be mainly employed as the DH. In the minors is the hugely disappointing Carl Crawford OF-2, un-seasoned Mike Trout OF-2 and Rajai Davis OF-3, who the Rochester brass talked up as being an integral member of the 25 man roster, pre-draft.
Draft Analysis:
With four first rounder picks they made them count as they selected, the phenom Yu Darvish, Salvador Perez, Derek Holland and Emilio Bonifacio. Trevor Bauer, inexplicably lasted until the 2nd round where they tabbed him. They did not pick again until the 6th and took Mike Carp and Mike MacDougal. In the 7th they selected Jeremy Afffeldt and with their two 8th rounders they chose Gerardo Parra and Antonio Bastardo, both decent picks that late in the draft.
Synopsis:
This usually successful franchise looks like they have their work cut out for them to advance to the post season. They knew this and drafted accordingly. You cannot rule them out but with a lack-luster lineup and all the W’s in the pen it will be a difficult chore. Third place is still up for grabs in the East, I doubt it, but they could possibly sneak in there. The future bodes well for them however as Pujols, Ramirez and Crawford should all bounce back and their “kids” are very close to making it in MLB.
Starting Staff:
The ace of the staff, if that is what you want to call this collection of starters, is Jon Lester (B-W). Three (C-Z’s) follow him in the rotation in Jason Vargas, Ted Lilly and Brandon McCarthy. In the farm system they have three (C-No Z’s) in Tim Stauffer, Clay Buchholtz and Luke Hochevar. The “Horsemen” are hoping for big things from this trio next year. Joining them are Francisco Liriano (C-W), who seems to keep regressing and the crème de crème and the 2012 Number One Draft pick, Matt Moore D(C*)-No Z.
Bullpen:
This franchise usually built their pitching around the pen but not this year. The closer by default is (A*-No Z) Grant Balfour. Neftali Feliz (A*-W) will set him up. When they are in a situation “where there is no base to put them” they will have to give the ball to Matt Thornton (B*-Z). A pair of (B*-No Z’s) in Blake Wood and Chris Sale, along with
(C*-Z) Huston Street fill out the rest of the bullpen corp. In the minors is Rafael Soriano (C*-W)
Catchers:
C-7 Carlos Santana will see most of the time behind the plate with Ryan Hanigan C-8 backing him up.
Infield:
1B-5 Casey Kotchman will start at first base since Justin Morneau 1B-5 is relegated to the minor league roster due to his inability to shake his post-concussion problems. Backing up Kotchman will be 1B-4 Gaby Sanchez, who will serve mostly in the DH capacity. Dustin Ackley 2B-7, but only 333 at bats will see most of the PT at second base. Spelling him on occasions will be 2B-6 Jemile Weeks. Budding Super Star SS-8 Starlin Castro and 3B-4 Chase Headley anchor the left side of the infield. Alberto Callaspo 3B-4 is one reserve while 2B-8 SS-8 3B-4 Robert Andino will handle the other utility duties. There is a lot of depth in the minors, besides Morneau there is veteran Scott Rolen 3B-4, Martin Prado 3B-3 OF-2 and Jed Lowrie 3B-3 SS-7. Highly touted 3B Nolan Arenado is un-carded.
Outfield:
Justin Upton OF-3 provides it all power, speed and defense in one spot with OF-2 Seth Smith, very solid in another but it tails off drastically from there. The Vegas skipper can choose from Kosuke Fukodome OF-2, Colby Rasmus OF-2 and Denard Span OF-3 to complete the outfield threesome. In the minors is OF-1 Jason Kubel, who could conceivably out hit any of the aforementioned trio but his defense made him unplayable according to the Las Vegas upper management. Franklin Gutierrez OF-3 could conceivably out-field any of the aforementioned trio for the last outfield post but his bat, a .534 OPS, makes him also unplayable according to the Las Vegas upper management.
On the un-carded scene on the farm, all of baseball awaits the debut of Bryce Harper and to a little lesser degree, Bubba Starling.
Draft Analysis:
They had the # 1 pick and said immediately they wanted Matt Moore and true to their word, chose him with the first pick of the 2012 ZSABL draft. Their other 1st round selection was no slouch either as they grabbed Jemile Weeks, much to the chagrin of the Norfolk Neptunes. In the 2nd they added Albero Callapso and Brandon McCarthy, who was highly ranked by most ZSABL scouts. They didn’t pick again until the 4th,, ,when they chose Kotchman. Un-carded was in vogue in the 5th with the addition of Bubba Starling and in the 6th with Nolan Arenado as both prospects became “Horsemen”. They had another 6th rounder and took Luke Hochevar from the seemingly upstart KC Royals.
Robert Andino, a quality defender at several positions, and the heir apparent to Brian Roberts second base job in Baltimore was a nice pick. Their final selection in the 8th round was P Blake Wood.
Synopsis:
A terrible starting rotation, no A*-Z closer and probably the second worse lineup in the division will no doubt eradicate the Horsemen’s skipper’s dreams off a .500 season. On the plus side, a host of young talented offensive players could arrive as early as next year. Other than Matt Moore and maybe McCarthy or Lester the same cannot be said of their pitching staff. It looks like a long year in the state of Nevada. Last place is looming large, no small feat with the re-building Maine Maui’s in the same division.
Starting Staff:
After inexplicably trading away a top shelf staff in Josh Johnson, Wandy Rodriguez and Ervin Santana last year they re-assembled the basis of a quality starting corp in short order. Led by Gio Gonzalez (A-W), followed by (B-No Z’s) Matt Harrison and Vance Worley and Jhoulys Chacin (B-W) in the 4th spot, the Maui’s appear to be set. Add to that quartet (C-Z’s) Jeff Nieman, Jon Niese and Mike Leake along with (C-No Z) Bud Norris and you have all kinds of potential for next season. All of the previously mentioned (C’s) will pitch in relief this year with an occasional start thrown in now and then. On the farm there are even more “potential arms” for next year in (B-Z) Tyson Ross, J.A. Happ (D-W), Kyle Drabek (D-W), Chris Volstad (C-Z) and Danny Duffy (D-W). On the un-carded side there is yet more potential for next season with Martin Perez and Adonis Cardona.
Bullpen:
The “Achilles Heel” of the 2012 Maine Maui’s is the bullpen. A pair of (A*-W’s), in Jeff Samardzija and Aaron Crowe along with (B*-Z) David Pauley are the only viable options for the Maine Manager when he makes the call to the pen. Granted, all the (C-Z) starters they are carrying will give them relief innings but in clutch late game situations the choices are rather limited.
Catchers:
Wilson Ramos C-7 is the starter and if avoids another kidnapping episode he should be in line for a fine season. Highly coveted by several other ZSABL clubs, C-6 Devin Mesoraco will back him up. In the minors is injury prone Jason Castro who has to prove himself, if he can stay healthy.
Infield:
Adam Lind, 1B-3, is one starter with Neil Walker 2B-7 another. Stephen Drew SS-8 and Brent Morel 3B-4 round out the infield. A fairly non-descript group at the moment. Ramon D. Santiago provides the back up versatility with a SS-8 2B-8 3B-4. Justin Smoak will be the backup first baseman and DH. The Maui’s will wait on “Smokey” to see if he lives up to his hype. Down on the farm is 1st round pick Zach Cozart SS-8, who should be the Reds starting shortstop this year and has always hit the ball with authority. Joining him is SS-7 Eduardo Escobar and Brandon Wood 1B-3 3B-4 SS-7 2B-6, who the Maine brain trust truly believe that his 5 year career mark of 700 at bats and a .186 batting average is merely a fluke. He did have a decent spring and he is at the magic age of 27 when athlete’s supposedly mature so just maybe his “light bulb” will come on.
Un-carded hopefuls in the bushes are Miguel Sano and Will Middlebrooks who will inherit the third base gig in Fenway sooner rather than later.
Outfield:
Mark Trumbo 1B-3 OF-1 has to be pressed into service in the outfield due to a lack of depth. Jose Tabata OF-2 and promising Josh Reddick OF-2 will also see plenty of action. Cameron Maybin OF-2 and the injury plagued Chris Coghlan OF-2 round out the fly chasers although Yonder Alonzo qualifies here with his OF-1 and 88 at bats. In the minors is Lorenzo Cain OF-2 coming off a fine year in the PCL and penciled in as the centerfielder for the Royals this year. Travis Snider OF-2, who has just been sent down by Toronto,
will join him.
Draft Analysis:
In the first round they had three picks and used them very effectively in adding Zach Cosart, Vance Worley and Matt Harrison. In the 2nd they landed Mesoraco, who was projected to go higher. They had no 3rd rounder but in the 4th they chose David Pauley, a highly questionable pick by both the Draft-Guru Ed Kachnoskie and this writer, they had another in the 4th and took Tyson Ross. Jeff Samardzija was added in the 5th and it looks like he will make the Chicago Cub rotation. Middlebrooks was a nice pick in the 6th as he will be the starter for the Red Sox fairly soon. A pair of KC pitchers came in the 7th in Aaron Crowe and Danny Duffy. The latter was brilliant in his spring training debut but has struggled since but still looks like he will be in the KC starting corp.
Synopsis:
Rebuilding is the theme in Maine. Of course that was the theme last year also. They seem to be taking in the advice that you don’t trade established players for highly touted prospects. They have six first round picks next year and if their squad is close to contention they can either pick if the draft is rich or use them as bargaining chips to make the playoffs. They are getting closer to respectability. This year however they have a woeful offensive attack and no closer to shut down the opposition in late game scenarios. They will battle Las Vegas for the basement in the East.
Starting Staff:
Johnny Cueto and Josh Johnson both (A-No Z’s) headline the rotation. Johnson is hampered by only having 60 IP. Next in line are three (B-No Z’s) in David Price, Felix Hernandez and Justin Masterson. In the minors is another (B-No Z) Aaron Harang, (C-No Z) Clayton Richard and (D-W) Brian Matusz. The Xtreme Manager is on record saying he should have at least “Three A starters next season”.
Bullpen:
Greg Holland (A&C*-No Z) will handle the closing duties with Craig Kimbrell (A&C*-W) also available. John Axford (A*-No Z) is next. A pair of (B*-Z’s) will handle the middle innings and any late situations where control is an issue, they are Matt Belisle and Hisanori Takahashi. Mark Melancon (B*-No Z) has mop up duties. Down in the bushes is Joaquin Benoit (B*-No Z).
Catchers:
Ryan Doumit C-7, only 218 at bats will start the bulk of games with Carlos Ruiz C-9 relieving him early in contests. In the minors with a card of double one’s is Henry Blanco and his 100 at bats. They are also waiting for un-carded Travis D’Arnaud to arrive.
Infield:
Its mix and match and plug and play strategy for the Xtreme line up. Michael Young 2B-7 1B-2 3B-3 SS-7 will play somewhere, probably second base on a semi-regular basis.
Matt Downs 2B-7 3B-3 1B-3 SS-6 OF-1 will also be all over the place, including DH, although he only has 199 at bats. David Freese 3B-3 and Carlos Pena 1B-5 will start the majority of games at their respective positions. The SS was going to be Maicer Izturis SS-8 2B-8 3B-4. It looked like it was his job until after finishing the 1st series of the year the X-Men sent down Jim Thome 3B-2 to the minors and recalled SS-8 Alexei Ramirez. Jason Donald 2B-8 SS-7 3B-4 provides an excellent on base card as well as back up capabilities for all the infield positions. In the farm system they have Kelly Johnson 2B-7, Jose Iglesias SS-8, who has to arrive in Fenway soon and Ian Stewart 3B-3. Un-carded Grant Green remains high on their radar and they took a gamble on Kendry Morales, released by USMC who has no card this year but if healthy could be a real sleeper pick up.
Outfield:
Jacoby Ellsbury OF-3 is the star of this group. Brent Lillibridge OF-3 2B-7 1B-3 will do some DH-ing and pinch-hitting but will mostly be employed as a defender late in games. Mike Morse OF-1 1B-3 has to play some place whether it is the outfield, DH or spelling Pena at first base. Andrew McCutchen OF-2 will play one of the OF slots every day. The same goes for Carlos Quentin OF-1, DH, pinch-hitting or an occasional foray into the outfield pastures. In the minors is J.D. Martinez OF-2, Marlon Byrd OF-2 and un-carded Christian Yelich.
Draft Analysis:
Surprised everyone by forsaking an A*-Z closer and taking Matt Downs, apparently enamored by his 44-0. They had no 2nd but in the 3rd they addressed their closer concerns with Greg Holland, (A&C*-No Z), since all the (A*-Z’s) were off the board. With their other 3rd round pick they added Lillibridge with his double 1’s. The 4th round saw them select (B-No Z) Aaron Harang, surprisingly still available. In the 5th, un-carded Christian Yelich, a top prospect was chosen. J.D. Martinez was their 6th round choice and it looks like he may start in Houston. Henry Blanco in the 7th was taken because of Doumit’s limited at bats. The had a pair of 8th round picks, Jason Donald a good defender and an on-base guy was one pick and the other was Brian Matusz another USMC cut. Mark Melancon was added in the 9th. Omar Vizquel was initially chosen in the 10th but was subsequently released in the next round when Kendry Morales became available.
Synopsis:
Discounting the pieces of the puzzle in their mix and match offensive philosophy, overall they probably have the 2nd best lineup in the East. The starting rotation all has decent grades but the lack of Z’s will hurt. That is even more evident in the pen where there is no (A*-Z). Situational insertion of all their offensive weapons will produce enough runs to make the playoffs backed up by their starting staff. The pen will cost them some games but not enough to keep them from the post season. I don’t think they have enough to fly the pennant over the Rockies.
Brooklyn and Rocky Mountain are the crème de crème of the division. They should go down to the wire for the Eastern Flag I would give the slight edge to the Metropolitans with their deep starting rotation and everyday lineup but the Xtreme have a very deep staff also but it is devoid of control and their lineup can match the Brooklyn-ites with the proper substitutions. It may be close but I give the nod to the “Met’s”. The final playoff berth is another story. Sherwood has history behind them, they know how to make the playoffs. They are very evenly matched with Philadelphia, both offensively and in the pen. The wild card might be Ian Kennedy of the Black Sox, even without the “Z”, his “A” may produce just enough wins to edge out the “Nottingham” boys. Does this mean I discount Rochester, No it does not. They have to overcome the burden of all the “W’s they have in the pen. Offensively they may be hard pressed for runs and then they have to hold the lead, a definite challenge with their lack of control. I see them staying close but fading in the stretch. The battle for the basement between Maine and Las Vegas also should go down to the wire but with a very mediocre starting staff I see the Maui’s finishing ahead of the “Crazy Ones”.
Disclaimer:
This journalistic endeavor is just an opinion. Please, if you disagree with it, post your own predictions. I do take a lot of time analyzing the rosters etc. If you must comment, make it to the entire league, sort of like a Letter to the Editor. In the past I have been wrong and sometimes right on the money just like the Weathermen.