Starting Staff:
As usual, Grade A pitchers grace the top of the Black Sox rotation, the last two years with a pair of such hurlers the Sox finished as “bridesmaids, never the bride" missing the post season as they could only muster a fourth place spot in the standings. This year they will try their luck with three Grade A’s, the Asian connection of Yu Darvish (A-Z 32 GS 205 IP) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (A-Z 32 GS 181 IP) will be joined by the # 3 pick of the draft, Taijuan Walker (A-No Z 30 GS 144 IP). A duo of (B-Z’s) follow the Grade A’s in Sixto Sanchez (19 GS 105 IP) and Triston McKenzie (16 GS 90 IP). Supplying some insurance is Daniel Castano (B-No Z 16 GS 80 IP). Also making the squad but probably in a mop-up role is Freddy Peralta (C-No Z 41 GP 3 GS 79 IP). Down on the farm is veteran Justin Verlander (B-Z 3 GS 16 IP), a tandem of D-Z’s, with the grizzled old arms of Madison Bumgarner and Charlie Morton and a pair of injured Grade D’s No Z in Danny Duffy and Alex Wood, although the latter has had a resurgence thus far in MLB. Chris Sale (No Card) and Brent Honeywell (Un-carded) round out the starting staff.
Division Rank: 2nd
Bullpen:
Grade A’s were not limited to just the rotation as a pair of A*-Z’s Raisel Iglesias (59 GP 62 IP) and Tony Watson (57 GP 49 IP) will supply the “fireman duties” with a bevy of support in Diego Castillo (A&C*-W 59 GP 59 IP), Evan Marshall (A*-No Z 62 GP 61 IP) and Andrew Miller (A*-No Z 43 GP 35 IP). They even have a non-Grade A in Ryan Pressly (Grade B*-No Z 62 GP 57 IP) to help out. In the minors is yet another A*-No Z in Tanner Rainey (54 GP 55 IP) and Wandy Peralta (B*-No Z 68 GP 74 IP).
Division Rank: 3rd
Catchers:
The backstop position will be time-shared between the big bat of Curt Casali (C 8 .866 OPS) and the lighter bat of Chance Sisco (C 7 .742 OPS). Neither receiver has 300 at bats.
Infield:
They passed on slugging first baseman Jared Walsh in the draft and will go with the aging but still productive Mitch Moreland (1B 5 .893 OPS) at the “cold corner", manning the key stone position will the slow footed and defensively challenged Wilmer Flores (2B 6 1B 3 .830 OPS) his elite double play partner will be Corey Seager (SS 8 .943 OPS) and the "hot corner" duties will fall to his brother Kyle Seager (3B 5 .788 OPS). The infield reserves are J.D. Davis (3B 3 OF 1 .760 OPS), Nicky Lopez (SS 8 2B 9 .552 OPS which is not a typo) and Luis Guillorme (2B 7 3B 4 .865 OPS) who will also perform some DH duties. They have no infielders in their minor league system.
Outfield:
Alex Dickerson (OF 2 .947), A.J.Pollock (OF 3 .880 OPS) and Kole Calhoun (OF 3 .864 OPS) make up a solid trio of “fly-chasers”. Backing them up when he isn't DH-ing is Jacoby Jones (OF 3 .849 OPS 262 AB) and Mark Canha (OF 2 .795 OPS), along with David Dahl (OF 2 .469 OPS, again not a typo) In the minors are Kyle Schwarber (OF 1 .701 OPS) and Pavin Smith (OF 2 1B 3 .746 OPS) along with the oft-injured and No Carded Mitch Haniger.
Line up Rank: 5th
Draft Analysis:
The experts were once again puzzled when Philly opted for taking pitching again early in the draft, selecting Taijuan Walker in the first and Triston McKenzie in the 2nd, they finally addressed their line up with Alex Dickerson in the 3rd. They had no 4th but went back to some “arms” in the 5th with Tony Watson and Daniel Castano in the 6th. With their other #6 they grabbed Curt Casali. Jacoby Jones arrived in the 7th and with no 8th, Freddy Peralta.was taken in the 9th. Luis Guillorme, a nice hitting card albeit a bunch of 24's was picked in the 10th. Joely Rodriguez in the 11th, who was later released due to a roster SNAFU, Tanner Rainey in the 12th and Wandy Peralta in the 13th added to their pitching depth. They passed in the 14th but took Danny Duffy in the 15th. Making their roster ZSABL legal in the 15+th saw Pavin Smith and Nicky Lopez added with the aforementioned Joely Rodriguez being dropped.
Synopsis:
The second oldest team in the division especially with aging starters Darvish and Ryu, one would think the Black Sox have to go for their first championship this season, unfortunately they lack the fire power of some of their Eastern Division opponents but a well stocked pitching corps gives them a legitimate shot at third place and the playoffs, where we know once you get to the post season any thing can happen. They will be challenged by Amsterdam and Rochester and possibly Brooklyn but it seems like they have enough to outlast them.
Starting Staff:
A pair of B-ZZ’s in Kyle Hendricks (32 GS 221 IP) and Marco Gonzales, acquired in an off-season deal, (30 GS 188 IP) will anchor the staff. Some partial starters in Jose Urquidy (A-Z 14 GS 80 IP) and Michael Pineda (B-Z 14 GS 82 IP) will be the mainstays in the back of the rotation. Andrew Heaney (C-Z 32 GS 180 IP) will take a regular turn. Cody Ponce (B-No Z 8 GS 46 IP) will be used in the early part of the season until his innings are exhausted. In the minors and sure to be utilized in Skipper Tarantino’s methodical plug and play pitching system is Yonny Chirinos (A-No Z 8 GS 31 IP) and T.J.Zeuch (A&C No-Z 3 GS 31 IP). Johnny Cueto (D-No Z 32 GS 171 IP and Huascar Ynoa (D-W 14 GS 59 IP) are also on the farm and will see no action until the rosters expand and then only in an emergency.
Division Rank: 3rd
Bullpen:
Ryan Sherriff (A&B*-Z 27 IP) will be the main closer with Riley Smith (A&C*-Z 49 IP) and Jordan Romano (A&B*-No Z 40 IP) being the other options. Dylan Floro (A*-Z 66 IP) will also be in the mix. Two B*-Z’s in Jalen Beeks (52 IP) and Nick Wittgren, making his second tour with the Machine, (64 IP) provide some more depth.
In the minors are Justin Topa (A*-ZZ 21 IP), Oliver Perez (A*-Z 49 IP) and Anthony Bass (B*-Z 69 IP) all who will see action under Sherwood's master plan.
Division Rank: 2nd
Catchers:
Will D.Smith (C 7 .980 OPS) will do the bulk of the catching with Willson Contreras (C 8 .763) also seeing plenty of playing time. The Machine management showed enough confidence in this pair to deal Buster Posey to Memphis during the off-season.
Infield:
Comprising the left side of the Machine infield is Trevor Story (SS-9 .874 OPS) with 3B Eugenio Suarez (3B-4 .782 OPS) and Yandy Diaz (3B 3 .814 OPS) probably splitting time at the hot corner with Evan Longoria (3B 5 .722 OPS) coming in late for defense. Cavan Biggio, last year’s # 1 overall pick, will play second base (2B 8 3B 3 OF 1 .807 OPS) and Brandon Belt (1B 5 1.016 OPS) at first.
Rhys Hoskins will do DH honors (1B 3 .887 OPS). The infield reserves will be Ji Man Choi (1B 3 .741 OPS), who somehow survived being shopped around the league to stay in Sherwood for at least another year and Luis Urias (2B 7 3B 4 SS 7 .602 OPS) as well as the aforementioned Longoria. Down on the farm is Ryan McMahon (1B 3 2B 7 3B 3 .714 OPS), a much sought after commodity during the off -season but he did not make the opening day roster, non-carded Matt M Duffy who the Machine's management really likes but he can never stay on the field as he was beset with numerous injuries the last few years and Jonathan India, Sherwood's first foray into the un-carded world since 2018 when they selected Inf Luis Urias.
Outfield:
Bryce Harper (OF-2 .962 OPS) will of course play everyday flanked by Brandon Nimmo (OF 2 .888 OPS) and a tandem of Aaron Judge (OF 3 .890 OPS) and Aaron Hicks (OF 3 .793 OPS). The former only has 273 at bats. Mike Tauchman (OF 3 .647 OPS) will provide some depth. In the minors is Joey Gallo (OF 3 .679 OPS) and another reach into the proverbial “cookie jar" with Zac Veen.
Division Lineup Rank: 2nd
Draft Analysis:
Prior to drafting Cavan Biggio with the # 1 overall last year they had not had a first round pick since 2015 when they selected OF Drew Stubbs. The 2021 draft returned to that “modus operandi" as they did not have a pick until the 4th round where they selected P Riley Smith. They surprised the “peanut gallery" in the 5th with the addition of un-carded Jonathan India, a top prospect who has not done much so far in the “Big Show” a very un-Sherwood like gamble. Their next selection was in the 8th where they got P Jalen Beeks. Another pitcher arrived in the 9th with T.J. Zeuch and then loaded with three picks in the 10th they added the arms of Huascar Ynoa, Ryan Sherriff and Cody Ponce. Justin Popa became a “Machinist" in the 11th they then took a break in the 12th before venturing back into the un-carded realm in the 13th with Zac Veen. The 14th saw them jump on Yandy Diaz when Rochester jettisoned him off their roster and then in the 15th they took Jordan Romano an A&B* No Z with 40 innings who was still on the board.
Synopsis:
They are off to their typical hot start but the East is a real tough division with perhaps six teams being viable post-season contenders. They could not contain their glee when the MLB 3-batter minimum rule for pitchers was not adopted by the ZSABL. This will enable them to continue their “piece meal" strategy of deploying their low inning hurlers in specific situations. The lineup, 2nd best in the division to Las Vegas, should produce runs, albeit last year's squad shattered the strikeout mark with 1,522 K's which was 234 more than the old record of Seattle’s 1,288 set in 2017 but to be fair Norfolk also surpassed that with 1,297 last season. They look like a solid 2nd place team to the stacked Crazy Horse club but "Lady Luck" never smiles on Las Vegas's Billy Bell so it remains to be seen.
Starting Staff:
Dinelson Lamet (A-No-Z 32 GS 186 IP) and Max Fried (A-No-Z 30 GS 151 IP) are the number # 1 and # 2 with Carlos Carrasco (B-No Z 32 GS 184 IP), Rich Hill (B-No Z 22 GS 104 IP) and Walker Buehler (B-No Z 22 GS 99 IP) rounding out the rotation. Obviously the base on balls will be an issue as NONE of the five have a (Z). Their fill in starter Mike Fiers does have the control letter (C-Z 30 GS 159 IP) however. Patrick Corbin (D-Z 30 GS 177 IP) somehow made the roster even with all the un-drafted pitchers rated C+ still available, but Skipper Turner, the 2017 World Champ has been known to employ some unconventional tactics before. In their minor league system they have Seth Lugo (D-Z 19 GS 99 IP), Carlos Rodon (D-No Z 5 GS 21 IP) and Nate Pearson (D-W 11 GS 49 IP). Marcus Stroman who opted out due to Covid and A.J.Puk, out all year due to an injury were not carded.
Division Rank: 5th
Bullpen:
Richard Bleier (A*-Z 57 GP 45 IP) will probably get the nod as the closer because he is the only one in the bullpen with a (Z). There are a few higher graded choices in Jacob Webb (A&B*-No Z 22 GP 27 IP), Tanner Scott (A&B*-No Z 68 GP 56 IP), Aaron Bummer (A&B*-W 24 GP 25 IP) and Grant Dayton (A*-No Z 49 GP 74 IP) but these four without control in this age of baseball’s "three true outcomes", strikeouts, walks or home runs would have a hard time putting a “match out in a swimming pool" let alone a ninth inning rally. Kenley Jansen (B*-No Z 73 GP 66 IP) fills out the active roster’s reliever corp. In the minors is Dan Hudson (D*-W 57 GP 56 IP)
Division Rank: 7th
Catchers:
J.T.Realmuto C 8 1B 2 .840 OPS is still one of the best in MLB. Backing him up is Reese McGuire C-7 .219 OPS. In the minors is LA Dodger farmhand Keibert Ruiz (C 6 .875 OPS with just 22 at bats) and un-carded Francisco Alvarez who the Metropolitans are very high on.
Infield:
Anthony Rendon 3B-5 .915 OPS will start at third, relegating Matt Chapman (3B 5 .811 OPS) to a reserve role. Paul Goldschmidt (1B 5 .883 OPS) will be the man at the “cold corner”. Ketel Marte (2B 9 .732 OPS) and Nick Ahmed (SS 9 .729) will be the keystone partners with top-notch gloves but little “stick” value. Luke Voit (1B 3 .948 OPS) will handle the DH chores. On the bench are Gleyber Torres (SS 7 .724 OPS) and Brendan Rodgers (2B 6 .248 OPS). Evan White (1B 5 .598 OPS) is down on the farm.
Outfield:
The starting outfield trio are George Springer OF-3 .899 OPS, Jackie Bradley Jr. OF-3 .814 OPS and Michael Brantley OF-3 .840 OPS. In reserve are Sam Hilliard (OF 2 .710 OPS) and Adam C.Eaton (OF 2 .669), last year’s home run champ Jorge Soler (OF 1 .769 OPS) will begin the campaign in the minors. Joining him in the “bushes” are phenoms Jasson Dominguez and Julio Rodriguez both of who are un-carded.
Division Lineup Rank: 6th
Draft Analysis:
They swapped a lot of picks in this years draft to stockpile a crap load for next season. Their first pick wasn’t until the 4th and there they took Mike Fiers, in the 5th they went un-carded in Francisco Alvarez and then three relievers in rounds 6,7 and 8 with the addition of Richard Bleier, Grant Dayton and Tanner Scott. The Brooklyn manager, always quotable, noted the number of un-carded players, numerous relievers and hatchet cards and said, “we will look back at this draft in a few years and say, who in the hell were those guys”.
Synopsis:
No “Z’s” in the rotation will be their Achilles Heel in a very strong division. They could pose a threat as a play off team but more than likely will fall short. This squad could probably compete in the West but the East has five solid teams that metrics favor more then the Metropolitans. Their cache of picks next year bode well for a successful 2022.
Starting Staff:
As usual the Rochester manager has mapped out all 138 of their starts for this season. Tanner Houck (A&B-W 8 GS 46 IP), Tyler Clippard (A-Z 5 GS 70 IP) and Kyle Cody (A&C-W 14 GS 61 IP) will be used early in the season. Brent Suter (B-Z 11 GS 86 IP) will also get plugged into a spot early on. Gerrit Cole (B-Z 32 GS 197 IP), David Peterson (B-No Z 24 GS 134 IP), John Means (C-Z 27 GS 118 IP) and Nathan Eovaldi (C-Z 24 GS 130 IP) will eventually form the nucleus of the rotation. Steve Brault (B-W 27 GS 115 IP) might get some spot starts but will work primarily out of the pen. Stephen Strasburg (D-Z 5 GS 14 IP) will be down on the farm.
Division Rank: 6th
Bullpen:
There are a lot of options here, with Chris Martin (A&B*-Z 49 IP) being the odds on choice to close out games. Jesse Hahn (A&B* No Z 47 IP), Yusmeiro Petit (A&C*-Z 59 IP) and Eric Yardley (A&C*-No Z 63 IP) lend some support; Chad Green (B*-Z 69 IP) is another capable reliever. In the minors, Pierce Johnson (A*-No-Z 54 IP), who somehow was mistakenly dubbed Pierre Johnson either by Rocker management or the draft moderator, will be joined by Geovanny Gallegos (B*-Z 41 IP). It’s a very deep and talented bullpen.
Division Rank: 4th
Catcher:
Behind the dish, James McCann (C-8 .896 OPS) will platoon with Tucker Barnhart (C-9 .679 OPS), neither backstop had 300 at bats. In the minors, listed as a catcher, is current rookie sensation Yermin Mercedes (C 5 .000 OPS).
Infield:
D.J.Lemahieu (1B-4 2B 8 3B 3 1.011 OPS) is at first base, Manny Machado (3B 5 .950 OPS) is at the hot corner with surprise draftee Robinson Cano (2B 7 .896 OPS) at the keystone bag. Brandon Crawford (SS 8 .791 OPS), another draftee, will be the shortstop. Bobby Dalbec (1B 3 .959 OPS), yet another draftee, will back up at first base and share the designated hitter spot with Darin Ruf (1B 3 OF 1 .887 OPS), yes another draftee. The infield reserves are Aledmys Diaz (2B 8 .737 OPS) and Andres Gimenez (SS 8 2B 7 3B 3 .731 OPS), another newcomer to the infield corps. Down on the farm are Paul DeJong (SS 9 .671 OPS), Kris Bryant (3B 3 OF 1 .644 OPS), Brad Miller (3B 3 .808 OPS) and Starlin Castro (2B 7 .752 OPS).
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Outfield:
All-World Outfielder Mike Trout OF-3 .993 OPS will be penciled in everyday. The rest of the cast of fly chasers is a little suspect; Cody Bellinger (OF 3 1B 5 .788 OPS) will see lots of playing time while Bret Gardner (OF 3 .746 OPS 351 at bats) and Yairo Munoz (OF 2 .844 OPS 122 at bats) will scramble for the other AB’s. Darin Ruf (OF 1 1B 3 .887 OPS 235 at bats) when he is not in a platoon with Dalbec as the designated hitter, might see some time in the pastures. The minors are loaded with quality outfielders that all had sub-par years. Corey Dickerson (OF 2 .713 OPS), Austin Meadows (OF 2 .667 OPS), Jordan Luplow (OF 2 .663 OPS) and Brian Reynolds (OF 3 .632 OPS).
Division Lineup Rank: 3rd
Draft Analysis:
They had no pick in the first but in the 2nd they grabbed David Peterson, the only Grade B left with substantial innings, in the 3rd they added another starter in C-Z Nathan Eovaldi. Dalbec was a nice “get” in the 4th and rookie sensation Yermin Mercedes became a Rocker in the 5th. Cano was a mildly surprising 6th round selection and in the 7th Brandon Crawford became their starting shortstop. The dreaded “W” did not deter them in the next two rounds as they selected Kyle Cody and Tanner Houck, Darin Ruf was a useful addition in the 10th and back to the “W’s” in the 11th with Steve Brault although he is a Grade B with a host of innings. Jesse Hahn arrived in the 12th and in the 13th Andres Gimenez was still on the board. They passed in the 14th and in the 15th their final pick was Pierce Johnson who somehow was announced as “Pierre Johnson”.
Synopsis:
At first glance I discounted the World Champions chances of repeating as very slim to none but upon further review; I believe with some micro managing of their part time pitching parts and with their line up being 3rd best in the East despite a weak outfield group other than Trout, they could challenge for the final playoff berth in the division although Philadelphia and Amsterdam pose significant road blocks. They are off to a decent start deploying the strategy of using up their “W’s” early and saving their better pitchers for later in the season.
Starting Staff:
Sitting at the top of the rotation are Kenta Maeda (A-Z 30 GS 180 IP) and Clayton Kershaw (A-Z 27 GS 157 IP). Kwang Hyun Kim, a first round pick, (A&C-Z 105 IP) joins them along with Merrill Kelley (A-Z 14 GS 85 IP), although he was inexplicably sent to the minors in their second series and the solid Brandon Woodruff (B-Z 35 GS 199 IP) who has recovered from his misfortune of last season.
Max Scherzer (C- No Z 32 GS 182 IP) will provide mop up duty. In the minors is Adbert Alzolay (B-W 11 GS 58 IP), the injured Corey Kluber (A&B-W 3 GS 3 IP) and Kendall Graveman (D-No Z 5 GS 50 IP)
Division Rank: 1st
Bullpen:
Liam Hendriks (A&C*-ZZ 68 IP), Tyler Duffey (A&C*-Z 65 IP) and Zach Britton (A&C*-No Z 51 IP) will be the high leverage “go to guys”; Ably supported by a pair of (A*-Z's) in Brad Hand (59 IP) and Jake McGee (55 IP). This very deep pen also has a pair of (B-Z’s) who can also start a game if need be in Daniel Norris (3 GS 75 IP) and Jonathan Loaisiga (8 GS 62 IP). In the minors is un-carded Mackenzie Gore.
Division Rank: 1st
Catchers:
Looking for back stop help the entire off season, they jettisoned last year’s catchers Roberto Perez and Dustin Garneau and then traded for Martin Maldonado (C-9 .728 OPS) from San Diego although he will start the campaign in the minors and then drafted a trio of receivers in Andrew Knapp (C 7 .849 OPS), Austin Barnes (C 8 .667 OPS) and Mike Zunino (C 8 .598 OPS) with the latter also starting the year in the bushes.
Infield:
Freddie Freeman (1B-5 1.102 OPS), Xander Bogaerts SS-8 .866 OPS, Justin Turner 3B-4 .860 OPS are a solid lot, it drops off some at second base with Joey Wendle (2B 8 SS 8 3B 4 .777 OPS). The reserves are Jon Berti (2B 8 3B 4 OF 2 .738 OPS) and Travis Shaw (3B 5 1B 3 .717 OPS). In the minor league system is Garrett Hampson (2B 7 SS 7 OF 2 .670 OPS) and a triad of heralded un-carded players in Spencer Torkelson, C.J.Abrams and Bobby Witt Jr.
Outfield:
Juan Soto (OF-2 1.185 OPS) leads the way with this group, flanking him is Jesse Winker (OF 2 .932 OPS) and Dylan Moore (OF 2 2B 6 .855 OPS). Adam Duvall provides some depth with his (OF 3 .833 OPS). A declining Charles Blackmon (OF 3 .833 OPS) will be on the bench. Nelson R.Cruz (OF 1 .992 OPS) will be the designated hitter. In the minors is J.D.Martinez who had a down year (OF 1 .680 OPS), Kevin Kiermaier (OF 3 .683 OPS) and Tommy Pham (OF 2 .624 OPS) all hoping for better results in 2021.
Division Lineup Rank: 1st
Draft Analysis:
They had a Lottery pick and chose P Kwang Hyun Kim, In the 2nd they grabbed Jonathan Loaisiga. They had no # 3 but had two picks in the 4th, here they added Dylan Moore and Jake McGee. The 5th saw them go un-carded in Torkelson. Their next selection was not until the 8th where they had a pair of picks in Adbert Alzolay and Mike Zunino. The 9th gave them highly regarded un-carded C.J.Abrams. In the 10th and 11th their catching depth was addressed with Andrew Knapp and Austin Barnes. Their final pick in the 12th they took a gamble on Kendall Graveman.
Synopsis:
Metrics rate the Crazy Horse # 1 in starting pitching, bullpen and their line up. This has to make them the prohibitive favorite to claim the Eastern Division crown. The caveat is that Las Vegas has NEVER won a playoff series, going 0-5. Sherwood looks like the only challenge to Las Vegas, hoisting the Eastern flag. Their four un-carded players, although they are never a sure thing, bode well for the future.
Starting Staff:
The Rojos in their inaugural season got the second best pitcher with the initials C.B. in the draft with Chris Bassitt (A-Z 30 GS 170 IP). Following him in the rotation is a trio of Grade B-No Z’s in Christian Javier (27 GS 147 IP), Sandy Alcantara (19 GS 113 IP) and J.A.Happ (24 GS 133 IP). Their only other starters are Brady Singer (C-No Z 32 GS 174 IP) and Martin Perez (C-No Z 32 GS 167 IP). In the minors is un-carded Nick Lodolo. The lack of “Z’s” other than Bassitt will be a burden.
Division Rank: 7th
Bullpen:
A tandem of A&B*-No Z’s in Darren O’Day (44 IP) and Yimi Garcia (41 IP) will garner all the save opportunities. They will be supported by a pair of A&C*-No Z’s in Jeremy Jeffress (63 IP) and Codi Heuer (64 IP). Another duo of A*-No Z’s in Mike Mayers (81 IP) and Paul Fry (59 IP) will bridge the gap to the closers, the common denominator of these six hurlers are that NONE of them have any control. Situations where the sacks are loaded and they can’t afford a base on balls; the sole option will be Cody Stashak (B*-Z 41 IP). The minor league roster lists only Justin Wilson (B*-No Z 41 IP) among the relief corp.
Division Rank: 6th
Catchers:
Christian Vazquez (C 9 .801 OPS) and Kevin Plawecki (C 8 .857 OPS) are the back-stoppers with the latter being employed part-time as the DH in the early going. Both of them have an OPS north of .800 making them an above average lot. In the minors is Jacob Nottingham (C 6 .736 OPS).
Infield:
Jake Cronenworth (2B 8 SS 7 1B 3 .831 OPS) will start at the keystone bag after he survived the first round in the draft allowing the Rojo’s to grab him in the 2nd. Willy Adames (SS 9 .913 OPS) will be his double play partner. Jeimer Candelario (3B 4 1B 3 .872 OPS) will man the cold corner with Hanser Alberto (3B 4 .699 across the diamond at third base. The reserves are Isiah Kiner-Falefa (3B 5 SS 7 .699 OPS), Anderson Tejeda (SS 8 2B 7 .726 OPS) and Willi Castro (SS 7 3B 3 .932 OPS) who will also see most of his duty as the DH. C.J.Cron (1B 2 .894 OPS) is the back up first baseman and part time DH. In the minors is Yolmer Sanchez (3B 3 - 1.164 OPS) but only 43 at bats, Orlando Arcia (SS 8 .733 OPS), Adam Frazier (2B 8 OF 2 .661 OPS), Yuli Gurriel (1B 5 .659 OPS), Michael Chavis (3B 3 OF 1 2B 6 .636 OPS) and Jazz Chisholm (2B 7 SS 7 .563 OPS) who has shown flashes of brilliance so far this season in MLB. Un-Carded Tyler Freeman will join them.
Outfield:
Acquired via the trade route, Trent Grisham (OF 3 .808 OPS) will be the leadoff hitter and occupy one of the outfield slots. Robbie Grossman (OF 2 .826 OPS) with his on base card will be another starter. Manuel Margot (OF 3 .679 OPS) will play most of the time in the other spot with Leody Taveras (OF 2 .703 OPS) spelling him at times. Nick Solak (OF 2 2B 7 .680 OPS) is also on the bench but he has seen most of his time serving as a pinch runner. Down on the farm is Sam Haggerty (OF 2 .715 OPS) and Nick Senzel (OF 2 .604 OPS)
Division Lineup Rank: 7th
Draft Analysis:
Armed with a boat-load of picks they chose Bassitt with the # 2 overall and later added Javier with their other first rounder. The 2nd round produced four promising young stars in Jake Cronenworth, Willi Castro, Jazz Chisenholm and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Three third round selections gave them established batsman in Candelario, Plawecki and Grossman. In the 4th, 5th and 6th rounds they got some pitching depth in Heuer, Singer and Mayers. Margot arrived in the 7th and with no 8th they picked P Paul Fry in the 9th. Leody Taveras came in the 10th and more pitching help was taken in the 11th and 12th with Jeffress and O’Day. Un-Carded Freeman was selected in the 13th, Nottingham in the 14th and Anderson Tejeda in the 15th along with un-carded Lodolo and OF Sam Haggerty.
Synopsis:
First year manager Niles Lane has some work cut out for him. The Rojo's are the youngest team in the highly competitive Eastern Division. Although an APBA veteran, learning the ZSABL rules and nuances may require a learning curve. They have demonstrated a penchant for using the Hit and Run, rather successfully in the early going but it does sap some power from the cards and with today’s MLB reliance on the "three true outcomes" any thing that hinders instant gratification run production is a detriment. Depending on how well Queen City does versus the three "weak sisters’ in the West will determine if they can avoid the cellar.
Starting Staff:
The first three in the rotation are top notch in Trevor Bauer (A&C-Z 30 GS 197 IP), Zach Plesac (A-ZZ 22 GS 149 IP) and Zach Wheeler (B-Z 30 GS 192 IP). There is some drop off in their # 4 Julio Urias (B-No Z 27 GS 149 IP) with Drew Smyly (B-No Z 14 GS 71 IP) and Thomas Eshelman (C-Z 11 GS 94 IP) rounding out the starting staff. In the minors is a pair of C-No Z’s in Lance McCullers (30 GS 149 IP) and Mike Lorenzen (5 GS 91 IP). Alex Young (19 GS 125 IP) and Jonathan Gray (22 GS 105 IP), both D-No Z’s, will join them. Un-Carded hopefuls Michael Kopech and Hunter Greene bide their time waiting for an opportunity.
Division Rank: 4th
Bullpen:
Nick Anderson (A&B*-Z 44 IP) is the co-closer with Greg Holland (A&C*-Z 76 IP). Devin Williams (A&B* 73 IP), Bryan Garcia (A&C*-No Z 59 IP), Aaron Loup (A*-Z 68 IP) and Amir Garrett (A*-No Z 49 IP) provide some depth. Down on the farm is Pedro Baez B*-No Z 46 IP).
Division Rank: 5th
Catchers:
Austin Nola (C 8 .825 OPS) and Max Stassi (C 8 .885 OPS) will handle the “tools of ignorance”. Alejandro Kirk (C 6 .903 OPS) and Omar Narvaez (C 7 .563 OPS) await the call in the minors.
Infield:
A time-share will be employed at third base with Josh Donaldson (3B 4 .842) and Phillip Evans (3B 3 .931), although the latter only has 105 at bats. Bo Bichette (SS-8 .840 OPS) will be at short with probably David Fletcher (2B 8 SS 8 3B 4 .801 OPS) at second base. Anthony Rizzo who had a sub-par year (1B 5 .756 OPS) will be at the cold corner. Nick Madrigal (2B 7 .745 OPS) is on the bench with versatile Tommy Edman (3B 4 OF 2 SS 7 2B 7 .685 OPS) along with J.P.Crawford (SS 9 .674 OPS). The minor league system has Vladimir Guerrero Jr, (1B 3 .791 OPS), Jesus Aguilar (1B 3 .809 OPS) and Enrique Hernandez (2B 8 OF 2 .680 OPS).
Outfield:
First round selection Randy Arozarena (OF 2 1.023 OPS) will see the judicious use of his 173 at bats, mostly as the DH. Another legacy to go along with Bichette and Vlad Jr. is Mike Yastrzemski OF-2 .968 OPS who is their best everyday fly chaser. A solid Teoscar Hernandez (OF 2 .919 OPS) will also see everyday duty. Plugging in the third outfield slot along with possibly Arozarena will be Clint Frazier (OF 2 .905 OPS) and Ian Happ (OF 2 .866 OPS) although one of them will have to fill the DH role. Shohei Ohtani (.657 OPS) will see very little action either at the dish or on the mound with his D-W 1.2 IP.
Division Lineup Rank: 4th
Draft Analysis:
Arozarena in the first was a bit of a surprise, being they were the # 1 seed in the Lottery they had their sights set on Bassitt but the Lottery Mistress took care of that when the Bulldogs drew the 7th pick. They had no second round selection but had two third rounders and here they took Holland and Loup. Another reliever in Devin Williams arrived in the 4th. More bullpen help in Garcia came in the 5th with Stassi selected in the 6th. The 7th and 8th saw them address the rotation with Smyly and Eshelman, the latter one of the few C-Z’s available in this year's draft. A trio of picks in the 9th produced Garrett, Aguilar and McCullers Jr. A hatchet card in Phillip Evans came in the 10th with Kirk being their last draftee in the 12th after passing in the 11th.
Synopsis:
It looks like a real horse race for the 3rd spot in the East with Amsterdam, Philadelphia and Rochester are all fairly evenly matched. Their line up on the right side with Rizzo and Fletcher is a little weak. Four of their five outfielders all have OPS of .900+ and their 5th Ian Happ is at .866 so the DH spot will be a legitimate threat. The back end of the rotation is bolstered by a strong relief corp although the “Z's" are not a strong point.
1st Place: Las Vegas is the Crème de la Crème of the division. They have it all starting pitching, bullpen and a lineup. Catching is their only weak spot besides how the APBA gods rarely smile on them. On paper they look like a lock for the division but we have seen this scenario play out before for the Crazy Horse. Perhaps their first ever series playoff victory is in the cards.
2nd Place: Sherwood, with a pitching staff blessed with a plethora of “Z’s” and the 2nd best lineup in the East they are a solid choice of making the post season. Do they have enough to over take Las Vegas ? It depends on if you believe in karma where the Crazy Horse is involved and if you do it doesn’t bode well for Las Vegas.
3rd Place: Philadelphia is a tough choice for the last playoff berth in the division. They will battle with Amsterdam all year for a chance to advance to the championship. I can even see them tied at the end of the regular season forcing a one game playoff.
4th Place: Amsterdam: With only three teams advancing to the post season it’s a challenging position for the Bulldogs, the relative overall weakness of the teams in the West will allow the B-Dogs, Philly and possibly Rochester all attain records of 15+ over .500 creating another plea for playoffs based on overall standings and not division placement but that discussion is for another time.
5th Place: Rochester in a normal year might have had enough with this squad to make a play off run. However this is not a normal year they cannot match the firepower of the offensive dynamos in the division. Maybe with some extreme luck in deploying their pitching match-ups and they have done well with that technique so far this season they can make a run. They will hang close but will just miss.
6th Place: Brooklyn seems to be just lacking in all areas of play. They do have a lot of draft picks next year to reshape the squad.
7th Place: Queen City has an obvious lack of
control among their hurlers, only two of their 15 pitchers have a “Z”. They are
the youngest team in the East so the future looks bright. A lack of offensive
fire- power cannot be compensated for by an over reliance on the Hit and Run.
Final Prediction
1-Las Vegas
2-Sherwood
3-Philadelphia
4-Amsterdam
5-Rochester
6-Brooklyn
7-Queen City
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.
