Starting Staff:
WOW. Jacob de Grom (A-Z 32 GS 204 IP), Jack Flaherty (A-Z 33 GS 196 IP), Mike Soroka (A-Z 29 GS 175 IP) and Frankie Montas (A-Z 16 GS 96 IP) That’s four A-Z starters. The 5th hurler in the rotation is Shane Bieber and he is ONLY a (B-Z 33 GS 214 IP). Although he will probably pitch out of the pen they have another option in Sean Manaea (A&B-Z 5 GS 30 IP) Dylan Bundy (C-No Z 30 GS 162 IP), obviously embarrassed by his pitching grade will pitch the garbage innings. In the minors are Kenta Maeda (C-No Z 26 GS 154 IP) and Justus Sheffield (D-No Z 7 GS 36 IP)
Division Rank: 1st
Bullpen:
Liam Hendriks (A&C*-Z 2 GS 86 IP) will do the bulk of the closing. Joe Smith (A&C*-Z 25 IP), Taylor Rogers (A*-Z 69 IP) and perhaps Manaea may also get some opportunities. Nick Wittgren (B*-Z 58 IP) will not see any high-leverage situations all year. Dylan Floro (C*-Z 47 IP) and Oliver Perez (C*-Z 41 IP) are there for mop up. On the farm are Sam Tuivailala (A*-No Z 2 GS 23 IP) and Ryan Buchter (B*-No Z 45 IP). Un-carded Casey Mize will join them.
Division Rank: 2nd
Catchers:
Yasmani Grandal C-8 .848 OPS will play nearly every day, his back up is Andrew Knizner C-7 .670. He only has 53 at bats. On the farm they have the number one pick in this year's free agent draft in Adley Rutschman, who seems to be on the fast track to the Show.
Infield:
The hot corner is ably filled by Nolan Arenado 3B-6 .982 OPS, joining him on the left side of the infield is Marcus Semien SS-9 .891 OPS coming off of a sensational year. Over at first base is Peter Alonso 1B-3 .941 OPS who the Sound complained ad nauseam that he did not get 44 a power number (although they probably had a legitimate beef). Playing second base is Keston Hiura 2B-6 ,938 OPS at least until the Memphis skipper gets tired of his shoddy defense work. Being pro-active the Sound went out and acquired Brian Dozier 2B-8 .770 OPS in case they are forced to remove Hiura from the field. His bat hoever is too potent to completely remove him from the lineup. Carlos Correa SS-9 .926 OPS but only 280 at bats will be the DH. Somebody has to pick up the other DH at bats, it could be Hiura or Trey Mancini 1B-4 OF-1 .899 OPS. The latter will no doubt see a lot of PT in the outfield despite his low fielding grade. Needing a back up third baseman they were forced to keep Colin Moran 3B-3 2B-6 .751 OPS on the active roster. The minor league roster includes Shed Long 2B-6 .787 OPS, Nathaniel Lowe 1B-3 .779. Nicky Lopez SS-8 2B-8 .601 OPS and Carter Kieboom SS-7 .481 OPS.
Outfield:
If there is a weak spot on the Sounds roster it is here in the outfield, Starling Marte OF-2 .845 OPS will start and if Mancini is indeed slated for pasture duties then the last post will be filled by either Victor Robles OF-3.745 OPS or Hunter Renfroe OF-3 .778 OPS. The minor league outfield crew reads like a top prospect list with Austin Riley OF-1 .750 OPS and three stud un-carded players in Dylan Carson, Jo Adell and Luis Robert.
Division Lineup Rank: 3rd
Draft Analysis:
The Sound had four first round picks. They added another A-Z in Montas, went for two un-carded players in Robert and Rutschman and then the closer Hendriks whom they coveted. They did not pick again until the 6th when they gambled again on youth in Carter Kieboom. Two 7th round picks got them Joe Smith and Andrew Knizner. Wittgren arrived in the 8th. The 9th netted them Casey Mize. The 10th Dylan Carson, They selected Long in the 11th. Lucas Sims in the 12th, who they released in the next round when they took Bundy. Their final pick in the 14th was Nicky Lopez.
Synopsis:
All those A-Z pitchers sound like an un-beatable dynamic. This is the year however MLB set home runs records left and right. There are a host of players with double and even triple ones as well as a veritable sh_t load of 44-0 guys as well as some 55-0. An A-Z does not stop these numbers. Granted its better to have these A-Z’s instead of any other alternative but this staff would be much more formidable in any other year than 2019. With a strong bullpen and the 3rd best lineup in the West they are still a mortal lock for a post-season berth. Their only deficiencies may be Hiura at second base and possibly being another solid outfielder short, neither one of these perceived shortcomings would cost them a play-off spot.
The “Nep’s” rotation consists of Mike Clevinger (A-No Z 21 GS 125 IP) and three B-Z’s, Zack Greinke (33 GS 209 IP). Jose Berrios (32 GS 200 IP) and Jeff Samardzija (32 GS 181 IP). The fifth starter is Noah Syndergaard (C-Z 32 GS 198 IP). Blake Snell (C-No Z 23 GS 107 IP) will pitch in long relief. Down on the farm are Eduardo Rodriguez (C-No Z 34 GS 203 IP), Jameson Taillon (C-Z 7 GS 37 IP), Luis Severino (A&C No Z 3 GS 12 IP) and Brendan McKay (D-No Z 11 GS 49 IP). Misfortunes struck Syndergaard and Severino as each had to undergo Tommy John surgery.
Division Rank; 2nd
Bullpen:
Skipper Groff always said you need two A*-Z’s in the pen to be competitive and he accomplished that with Roberto Osuna (A*-Z 65 IP) and by taking advantage of the new ZSABL rules by drafting Aaron Civale (A-Z 10 GS 58 IP) who will expend his 58 innings all in relief. Aroldis Chapman (A*-No Z 57 IP) will lend some support as will three B*-Z’s in Hunter Wood (2 GS 45 IP), Yoan Lopez (61 IP) and Adam Kolarek (55 IP)
Division Rank: 4th
Catchers:
Last year Norfolk drafted four catchers. This year they added only one in Austin Romine C-8 .749 but he will merely back up the starting receiver Mitch Garver C-7 .995 OPS. In the minors there are two hold overs from last seasons crop of back stoppers in un-carded Joey Bart and Danny Jansen C-9 .638 OPS.
Infield:
First base was a glaring hole again this year in the Neptune infield, they filled it with Christian Walker 1B-4 .825 OPS, across the diamond will be Rafael Devers 3B-4 .916 OPS. who exploded on the scene, finally un-leashing the potential they envisioned when they acquired him from Las Vegas in 2018. Francisco Lindor SS-9 .853 OPS is at shortstop and Brandon Lowe 2B-8 .850 will be the predominant second baseman with Eduardo Escobar 3B-5 2B-7 .831 OPS giving him a respite at times because he only has 296 at bats.
Outfield:
A monster outfield led by Christian Yelich OF-3 1.100 OPS, Charles Blackmon OF-2 .940 OPS and Aaron Judge OF-3 .921 OPS are an imposing lot. Yordan Alvarez OF-1 1.067 OPS will be the designated hitter, In reserve they have Lourdes Gurriel OF-2 .868 OPS. In the minors is Austin Hays OF-2 .947 OPS.
Division Lineup Rank: 1st
Draft Analysis:
After they cleaned house last year by releasing 16 players they only handed 13 Neptunes their walking papers this time. In the 1st they took Samardzija, not a typical Norfolk selection\ but one they felt was needed. Civale was selected in the 2nd, taking advantage of the new rules. Walker filled the first base hole in the 3rd. They had no 4th but addressed the bullpen with Lopez in the 5th and Kolarek in the 6th. Romine arrived in the 7th as the Nep's continued to stock pile catchers. With two picks in the 8th they went un-carded in Vaughn and Mountcastle. Hunter Wood was chosen in the 9th. McKay came in the 10th. They went for more first base depth in the 11th in the form of Cooper. Another un-card was added in the 12th with Brujan. Their final pick in the 13th was Dubon.
Synopsis:
By far the top lineup in the West they will have no trouble scoring runs. Their rotation is a distant second to Memphis but they are still a solid corp. The pen is more than adequate especially with the deepness of the starting lineup giving them more leeway (Read: Larger leads to protect). It looks like a two-way battle for Western supremacy with Memphis. All those A-Z’s would seem to give the Sound the edge but in a year filled with offense the Neptune thunderous lineup could even things out.
Starting Staff:
If all the power in this year’s edition of APBA lessens the value difference of Grade A to Grade C pitchers, then the Scouts are in good shape. The staff consists mostly of C pitching. Matt Boyd (C-Z 32 GS 185 IP) and Miles Mikolas (C-Z 32 GS 184 IP) are the best on their opening day roster. Following that tandem are three C-No Z's in Sandy Alcantara (32 GS 197 IP), Merrill Kelly (32 GS 183 IP) and Martin Perez (29 GS 165 IP). In the minors are a couple more C-No Z's in J.A. Happ (30 GS 161 IP), Trent Thornton (29 GS 154 IP) and Steven Matz (30 GS 160 IP). Also stashed on their farm, awaiting the right opportunity is Gio Gonzalez (B-No Z 17 GS 87 IP), the only non-C starting pitcher on the squad.
Division Rank: 7th
Bullpen:
As usual the pen is the Scout’s pride and joy. They have three erstwhile closers in Emilio Pagan (A*-Z 70 IP), Brandon Kintzler (A*-Z 57 IP) and Casey Sadler (A-Z 1 GS 46 IP). There is a trio of B*-Z's with Yimi Garcia (62 IP), Sam Dyson (62 IP) and Brad Hand (57 IP). The farm system is also stacked with quality relief help in Will Smith (A*-No Z 65 IP), Justin Wilson (A*-No Z 39 IP) and Cody Stashak (B-ZZ 1 GS 25 IP). Joining them in the overkill of relief innings are Steve Cishek (B*-No Z 64 IP) and Kevin McCarthy (C*-No Z 60 IP). The 20 hurlers on Seattle’s roster total 2086 innings. The ZSABL record for the most innings by a team is Amsterdam's 1289 in 2014.
Division Rank: 3rd
Catchers:
They went into the draft needing a pair of back stoppers and procured two decent ones in Christian Vazquez C-9 .798 and Victor Caratini C-7 .794 OPS. The holdover from last year, Manny Pina C-8 .724 OPS is in the minors.
Infield:
Josh Donaldson 3B-5 .900 OPS is at the hot corner with Yuli Gurriel 1B-5 .884 across the way at first base. They traded for Elvis Andrus SS-7 .706 OPS to play short but have inserted Chris Taylor OF-2 SS-7 .795 OPS at times when he is not employed in the outfield. Second base options include Whit Merrifield 2B-8 OF-2 although he has been seeing more time in the pastures and Asdrubal Cabrera 2B-8 .783 OPS. Mitch Moreland 1B-5 .835 OPS will DH. Down on the farm are C.J.Cron 1B-4 .780 OPS, Ryon Healy 3B-3 .745 OPS and Yolmer Sanchez 2B-9 .639 OPS.
Outfield:
Nelson R. Cruz OF-1 1.031 OPS remains one of the Scouts chief power source either at one of the corner outfield posts or as the DH. Their # 1 draft pick Brian Reynolds OF-2 .880 will take a regular spot in the outfield as will Kole Calhoun OF-3 .792. This setup is not static however as both Merrifield and Taylor will see PT here as well as Jay Bruce OF-2 .784 and Teoscar Hernandez OF-1 .778 OPS. Kevin Pillar OF-3 .719 OPS adds even more uncertainty to who will play where as they try to take advantage of his defense. There are a lot of moving parts in the Scouts lineup selections. On the farm is Adam Duvall OF-2 .882 OPS.
Division Lineup Rank: 5th
Draft Analysis:
In the first round with the # 2 overall pick they selected Brian Reynolds They waffled between him and Samardzija before settling on the former. In the 2nd they got their starting catcher in Vazquez. They had no 5th but in the 3rd,4th and 6th the allure of adding more relievers was too much. So Kintzler, Sadler and Garcia became Scouts. Alcantara arrived in the 7th with Caratini another catcher that they needed in the 8th. The 9th and 10th were more relievers in Stashak and Wilson. The 11th and 12th bolstered their outfield corp with Bruce and Calhoun. A pair of C-No Z starters were selected in the 13th and 14th in Kelly and Perez. The 15th gave them Healy while their final pick in the 16th was Trent Thornton.
Synopsis:
They are still the oldest team in the division with a 31.03 average age. A top-notch bullpen, although they will not be able to utilize all of their innings, has been their forte the last couple of years. The lineup sits in the middle of the pack, which is enough to go toe to toe with their opponents but the lack of quality starting pitchers will be their demise. They might have been better served to forego the additions of so many relievers and add a few decent starters. An average rotation coupled with their power bullpen and adequate lineup might have given them enough to challenge for the last playoff spot in the West but alas it was not to be.
Starting Staff:
The Ace is Zach Davies (B-No Z 31 GS 160 IP). Three C-Z’s follow him in Masahiro Tanaka (C-Z 31 GS 182 IP), Anthony Desclafani (C-Z 31 GS 167 IP) and Michael Pineda (C-Z 26 GS 146 IP). Zac Gallen (B-No Z 15 GS 80) will be inserted into the rotation on certain occasions. Tommy Milone (C-Z 6 GS 112 IP) will see the bulk of his work out of the pen. In the minors is Dallas Keuchel (C-No Z 19 GS 113 IP) and Jaime Barria (D-No Z 13 GS 83 IP)
Division Rank: 4th
Bullpen:
Apparently they are going with the closer by committee route. Ranger Suarez (B*-Z 51 IP) and Jarlin Garcia (B*-Z 51 IP) are the best they have. Alex Colome (B*-No Z 61 IP) and Sam Gaviglio (C*-Z 96 IP) as well as the previously mentioned Milone offer the only other depth. Down on the farm are Stefan Crichton (B*-Z 30 IP), Emmanuel Clase (A-Z 1 GS 23 IP), Jose Leclerc (C-W 3 GS 69 IP), Seranthony Dominguez (C*-No Z 25 IP) and Andres Munoz (C*-No Z 23 IP). Joining them are un-carded Forrest Whitley and the studly Jesus Luzardo (A&C*-Z 12 IP)
Division Rank: 5th
Catchers:
None of the Mustang catchers have 300 at bats, Tom J. Murphy C-7 .859 OPS 260 at bats and Kurt Suzuki C-8 .810 OPS 280 at bats will have to split duties behind the dish. Francisco Mejia C-7 .754 OPS 226 at bats will be down on the farm.
Infield:
The exciting Fernando Tatis Jr. SS-8 .854 OPS will start at short. Because he has just 334 at bats, Jorge Polanco SS-8 .841 OPS was brought on board via the draft to help out. If one of them is used as the DH they both can be in the lineup at the same time. Josh Bell came into his own this past season 1B-3 .936 OPS and will be stationed at first base. Scott Kingery 3B-4 2B-7 SS-7 OF-2 .789 OPS was used all over the place but Billings looks like they will make him their permanent third baseman. Second base could be a time-share between Jonathan Villar 2B-7 .792 OPS and Donovan Solano 2B-8 .816 OPS. Edwin Encarnacion 1B-3 .875 OPS will do the DH honors. Todd Frazier could end up being the third baseman 3B-4 .772 OPS if they opt to move Kingery around the diamond. On the bench is Marwin Gonzalez 1B-4 3B-4 OF-2 .736 OPS. The minors include Eric Hosmer 1B-4 .735 OPS and the re-habbing Miguel Andujar 3B-3 .271 OPS. Un-carded Alec Bohm hopes to make his debut later this summer.
Outfield:
Ryan Braun OF-2 .848 OPS and Eloy Jimenez OF-1 .828 OPS should see action every day although the latter could see that time as the designated hitter. Marcell Ozuna OF-2 .804 and Randall Grichuk OF-2 .737 will be part of whatever outfield alignment the Mustang employ. Tim Locastro, the fastest base runner in MLB OF-2 .697 OPS is in reserve. In the Minors is un-carded Jarred Kelenic.
Division Lineup Rank: 6th
Draft Analysis:
After getting a nice haul when they traded their # 1 pick to
Memphis which then ended up in Sherwood, they began the 2020 draft in the 2nd
round with the selection of Jorge Polanco. They made good use of their two
number 3 picks with Gallen and Bohm. A pair of fourth rounders netted them
Davies and Clase. No 5th but in the 6th they grabbed Suarez and then
Garcia in the 7th. Solano arrived in the 8th with Milone being
selected in the 9th. Locastro in the 10th and Crichton in the 11th came next.
Un-carded Kelenic was taken in the 12th and Gaviglio in the 13th.
Munoz in the 15th was their final pick.
Synopsis:
Indications pre-draft were that Billings and Seattle could possibly make a run at third place in the West but it appears that those hopes have fallen short. There are a lot of young guns on the Mustang in Tatis, Jimenez, Luzardo and Bohm among others so the future looks bright. No real closer looks like their biggest drawback. There are no areas in which they standout compared to the Big Three in the division. Fourth place looks like their destination.
Dustin May (B-Z 4 GS 35 IP) is their highest rated pitcher but at this juncture of the report he has already made his four starts and was optioned to the minors replaced by Joe Musgrove. Luis M.Castillo (B-No Z 32 GS 191 IP), Lucas Giolito (B-No Z 29 GS 177 IP) and Dakota Hudson (B-No Z 32 GS 175 IP) are the next best. Hudson is already 7-0 at this early point of the season. German Marquez (C-Z 28 GS 174 IP) and Joe Musgrove (C-Z 31 GS 170 P) form the rotation now. In the minors are Zach Eflin (C-Z 28 GS 163 IP) and Devin Smeltzer (C-Z 6 GS 49 IP)
Division Rank: 3rd
Bullpen:
Tyler Rogers (A&B*-Z 18 IP) will close for a while until he exhausts his light innings. Behind him is a trio of A*-Z’s. Hansel Robles (1 GS 73 IP), Josh Hader (76 IP), Shane Greene (63 IP). Lending some support is Sergio Romo (B*-Z 60 IP) and Sean Doolittle (C*-Z 60 IP). Down on the farm is Zach Littlell (A*-Z 37 IP) and Trevor May (B*-No Z 64 IP)
Division Rank: 1st
Catchers:
Gary Sanchez C-6 .841 OPS has hit home runs in bunches with skipper Smith’s zest for play motto of early and often. He has 20 with a series not recorded yet mostly due to USMC's 48 games played so far in this early part of the season. Yadier Molina is his back up C-9 .711 OPS. Un-carded Sam Huff is in the minors.
Infield:
Alex Bregman 3B-5 SS-9 1.015 OPS is at the hot corner. Carlos Santana 1B-3 .912 OPS is at first. Javier Baez SS-9 .847 is one half of the keystone combination with Jose Altuve 2B-8 .903 OPS.
They comprise one of the best infields in the ZSABL. The bench includes Cesar Hernandez 2B-8 .741 OPS and Adalberto Mondesi SS-9 .715 OPS. Danny Santna 1B-3 ,867 OPS will probably be the DH. In the minors are Nico Hoerner SS-7 .741 OPS, Tommy La Stella 2B-6 .832 OPS and Jurickson Profar 2B-7 .711. Joining them is the un-carded Marco Luciano.
Outfield:
They will have to plug and play in the outfield with some at bat issues. Max Kepler OF-3 .855 OPS can see action every day but Byron Buxton OF-3 271 at bats .827 OPS and Ian Happ OF-2 .897 OPS 140 at bats have to be watched closely. Eric Thames 1B-3 OF-1 .851 OPS can shuttle back and forth between the outfield and the DH spot. Andy Benintendi OF-3 .774 OPS and Jayson Heyward OF-3 ..772 OPS will get into a large number of games as defensive replacements and to save some at bats for the others. Down on the farm are Avisail Garcia OF-2 .796 OPS, Nomar Mazara OF-2 .787 OPS, Wil Myers OF-2 .739 OPS and Gregory Polanco OF-2 .726 OPS.
Division Lineup Rank: 2nd
Draft Analysis:
They grabbed Dakota Hudson in the 1st round, their two 2nd rounders filled some bullpen needs in Robles and Greene. Dustin May arrived in the 3rd. Littell came on board in the 4th and Hoerner in the 5th. Danny Santana was a pleasant surprise in the 6th after he was projected to go in the first round. Some depth came with La Stella in the 7th and then in the 8th they took Romo. Un-carded Luciano was selected in the 9th with Smeltzer being chosen in the 10th. More bullpen came in the 11th and 12th with Rogers and Trevor May. Sam Huff in the 13th and their final pick was a rescue of Wil Myers off of the discarded trash heap.
Synopsis:
With all the accolades being heaped on Norfolk for their hitting prowess and Memphis for their tremendous starting staff one tends to overlook the Mystic Cowboys. USMC’s lineup is slightly better than Memphis and their bullpen might be the best in the division. They trail the big boys, the Neptunes and the Sound, in the starting pitching department but opportunistic dice rolls compensate for a lot of shortcomings. Do they have enough to capture the Western pennant, probably not but they should be able to stay in the race for most of the season.
For two straight years the Hurricanes have salvaged successful seasons by going with Grade C pitchers. They will have to do it again this year. Marco Gonzales (C-Z 34 GS 203 IP) will take the ball every fourth day. Jose Quintana (C-Z 31 GS 171 IP) is the # 2 starter. Adam Plutko (C-Z 20 GS 109 IP) is next. After that is gets a little murky, Julio Teheran (C-No Z 33 GS 175 IP) and Robbie Ray (C-No Z 33 GS 174 IP) will have to take regular turns on the hill. Tyler Alexander (C-Z 9 GS 54 IP) will make some spot starts. David Price (C-No Z 222 GS 197 IP) will contribute the garbage innings. The farm has Erick Fedde (C-No Z 12 GS 78 IP), Andrew Kittredge (C-Z 7 GS 59 IP) and Garrett Richards (D-W 3 GS 9 IP).
Division Rank: 6th
Bullpen:
They did not draft a traditional reliever. Every hurler on the roster made at least one start. Tyler Glasnow (A&C-Z 12 GS 61 IP) will be the closer. A trio of B-No Z’s in Archie Bradley (1 GS 72 IP) Josh Taylor (1 GS 47 IP) and Sean Newcomb (4 GS 68 IP) will try to bridge the gap to Glasnow. The aforementioned Price and Alexander attempt to help where they can.
Division Rank: 7th
Catchers:
They are pretty well set behind the plate with Robinson Chirinos C-7 .790, who had slightly over 300 at bats each of the last two seasons but with his 14’s and 42’s and batting ninth the at bats were never an issue. Backing him up is Travis D’Arnaud C-8 .745 OPS with Austin Hedges C-9 .563 OPS in the minors.
Infield:
Matt Olson 1B-5 .896 OPS, a two-time Gold Glove winner will be at first. Ozzie Albies 2B-9 .852 OPS will be at second base. Trea Turner SS-8 .850 OPS is the short stop. Gio Urshela 3B-4 .889 will man the the third base position for the most part. The reserves are Jose Iglesias SS-9 .725, carried on the roster because Turner defense went down to an 8 and Dominic Smith 1B-3 .880 OPS to caddy for Olson’s 483 at bats. Their # 1 pick Luis Arraez 2B-7 3B-3 OF-1 .838 OPS, a second baseman by trade will start one game a series at third and a few times a series in right field. The designated hitter will be Nick Castellanos OF-1 .862 OPS. In the bushes are Daniel Murphy 1B-3 ,780 OPS, Dansby Swanson SS-8 .747 OPS, Maikel Franco 3B-4 .706 OPS, he is expected to claim the third base gig in KC this year, Johan Camargo OF-2 3B-3 SS-9 .663 OPS, who had a lost injury riddled campaign this past year and Jose Peraza 2B-7 SS-7 .631 OPS, trying to earn a utility spot on the Red Sox. Un-carded Ke’Bryan Hayes, a 3-time Gold Glove winner in the minors hopes to get his chance.
Outfield:
Ronald Acuna Jr. OF-3 .883 OPS, with an over-inflated APBA card is one starter, Ramon Laureano OF-3 .861 OPS is another but his 434 at bats have to be checked. The third outfield post will be a revolving door with, as stated above, Arraez playing a couple of times a series, Franmil Reyes OF-1 .822 OPS probably playing once a series and “The Punisher” Aristides Aquino OF-2 .892 playing in another. Eddie Rosario OF-3 .800 OPS will see action in nearly every contest as a defensive sub in right and to save some Laureano at bats. In the minors is Justin Upton OF-2 .725 OPS and Tyler O’Neill OF-1 .722 OPS. There are also a couple of Atlanta Brave farm-hands in un-carded Cristian Pache and Drew Waters that are drawing a minor league salary.
Division Lineup Rank: 4th
Draft Analysis:
No one believed they wanted Luis Arraez in the first round, mostly because they already had Albies at second base but they loved his minor league credentials and planned to play him at third base. That was until the Hurricanes next pick, which was in the 3rd, here they took Urshela making Arraez an outfielder despite his OF-1. The “Canes” next pick was in the 5th and here they could not resist the triple ones of the “Punisher” Aristides Aquino. They didn’t pick again until the 7th and that was Plutko as they tried to make some semblance of a rotation. Alexander arrived in the 8th and Dom Smith in the 9th. A pair of 10th rounders netted then D’Arnaud and Kittredge. The 11th and 12th were un-carded Atlanta Brave outfielders, Pache and Waters. The final pick was Josh Taylor in the 13th.
Synopsis:
Hartford over achieved the last two seasons. They were successful because no body could hit their Grade C pitching. It is highly unlikely to continue for a third year. With no bullpen to speak of unless they can get to the 9th inning with Glasnow there are not enough quality arms in Hartford to hold off the explosive bats of the ZSABL The Hurricanes can hold their own offensively but the low grade pitching will give it right back.
Starting Staff:
Sonny Gray (B-No Z 31 GS 175 IP) is the sole 76er starting hurler rated above a Grade C. They do have a pair of C-Z’s to follow him in Rick Porcello (32 GS 174 IP) and Domingo German (24 GS 143 IP). The latter is currently suspended on a charge of domestic abuse. They are then forced to go with Aaron Nola (C-No Z 34 GS 202 IP) and Kyle Gibson, last year’s World Series hero, (C-No Z 29 GS 160 IP). Ryan Yarbrough (C-Z 14 GS 142 IP) could make some spot starts but he has been working out of the pen in the early going. Down on the farm are a tandem of C-No Z’s in Jon Lester (31 GS 172 IP) and Cole Hamels (27 GS 142 IP) along with the non-factor Grade (D-No Z’s) efforts of Vincent Velasquez (23 GS 117 IP) and Elieser Hernandez (15 GS 82 IP)
Division Rank: 5th
Bullpen:
Raafel Montero (A*-Z 29 IP) is the default closer but his 29 innings won’t stretch far. Jose Alvarez (B-Z 1 GS 59 IP) and Mark Melancon (B*-Z 67 IP) are the next options. A duo of B*-No Z’s in Tom Kahnle (61 IP) and Hector Neris (68 IP) will try to put out some fires. In the farm system is David Hale (B*-Z 38 IP) and Austin Brice (B*-No Z 45 IP). Phillie prospect Spencer Howard, un-carded, will join them.
Division Rank: 6th
Catchers:
Martin Maldonado C-9 .671 OPS will split time with Tyler Flowers C-8 .732. In the minors is Sean Murphy C-6 .899 OPS with only 53 at bats and the recuperating Salvador Perez who is non-carded as he recovers after Tommy John surgery.
Infield:
The left side is covered by Yoan Moncada 3B-4 .915 OPS and Tim Anderson SS-8 .865 OPS. The right side of the diamond has the declining Joey Votto 1B-5 .768 OPS and Mike Moustakas 2B-7 .845 OPS, who has seemingly adapted to his switch from third to second base. Jose Abreu 1B-3 .833 OPS will do most of the DH chores. Kolten Wong 2B-9 .784 OPS and Miguel Rojas SS-9 .710 OPS will handle the reserve duties. In the minors are Didi Gregorius SS-88 .717 OPS and the hotshot rookie Gavin Lux 2B-7 .705 OPS.
Outfield:
Hunter Dozier OF-2 3B-3 .870 OPS, Brian W. Anderson OF-2
3B-4 .810 OPS and David Peralta OF-3 .804 OPS will be the usual alignment but
long time Greek favorite Nick Markakis OF-2 .776 OPS has seen his fair share of
action early in the year. Roman Quinn OF-3 ,668 OPS appears in nearly every
game as a pinch-runner, pinch-hitter or as a defensive replacement. Kyle Tucker
OF-2 .856 OPS but just 67 at bats will pinch hit occasionally. Down on the farm
are Adam Haseley OF-2 .720 OPS, Khris Davis OF-1 .680 OPS and the un-carded
Mickey Moniak.
Division Line Up Rank: 7th
Draft Analysis:
With their 1st round selection they took Hunter Dozier to add some oomph to the lineup. Prized rookie Gavin Lux was taken in the 2nd. Catcher Murphy was chosen in the 3rd. Two members of the rotation arrived in the 4th and 5th in Porcello and German. Rounds 6 through 10 were all relievers, Melancon, Montero, Neris, Kahnle and Hale. Un-carded Howard was taken in the 11th. Rojas in the 12th with Brice in the 13th. Flowers was still on the board in the 14th so he became a 76er and in the 15th it was Elieser Hernandez. In their final pick in the 16th they went back to the Phillie organization and took Haseley.
Synopsis:
It doesn’t bode well in an offensive year like 2019 that you have the 14th worse lineup in a 14 team league. That’s what San Diego has with their .824 average OPS. Quite the Fall from Grace for the Champs who have won the title the last two years. A closer with just 29 innings and only one B in the rotation is a recipe for a last place finish. If this prescient prediction comes to fruition it will be the first time the Sixer’s have finished in the basement since 1992.
1st Place: Norfolk: Perhaps I have given too much credence to offense but the their line up is filthy. This a tough call but despite Memphis’s stalwart pitching you can still not stop the extra base hits. A runaway for the pennant is not in the cards. The Sound will battle them all the way to the end.
2nd Place: Memphis: Its hard to justify not picking a team with so many A-Z starters as the presumptive favorite to capture the Western flag but this is not a normal year with all the power. If the Neptunes falter at all the Sound will quickly jump past them.
3rd Place: Union Station: The top two teams should not get complacent because the Cowboys are a solid lot. If hitting will supplant everything else in the APBA world then USMC has a shot at the pennant. They probably have enough to assure themselves of a post-season berth.
4th Place: Billings: They fall short in all areas compared to the top three in the West. Their youth movement will give them great returns in the future, maybe as early as next year. The post season is out of reach however.
5th Hartford: It would be too much to ask if the rest of the West would not batter the grade C pitching of the Hurricanes for the third straight year. They can hit but their opponents will hit back harder. A slow start by Billings might let Hartford slip into 4th place but no higher.
6th Place: Seattle The well-stocked bullpen can only carry you so far as the Scouts have learned over the years. Their lineup and their manager’s opportunistic dice rolling pulls them nearly even with Billings and Hartford but the starting pitchers will be their downfall.
7th Place: San Diego: Picking them for last place is almost sacrilegious. Offense is going to win you games this season and the 76er’s lineup is lacking. No closer and only one “B” among the starters nullify any managerial advantage they may have used in the past.
The final prediction:
1-Norfolk
2-Memphis
3-Union Station
4-Billings
5-Hartford
6-Seattle
7-San Diego
Disclaimer: