Season 21 NL East Preview

Philadelphia Moneymakers

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.277	2		Fielding %	.288	2		ERA	4.25	9
Home Runs	184	11		Double Plays	394	9		Opp. Avg.	.266	9
Ops.	.764	3		+ Plays	36	12		Strike Outs	1184	2
Runs	759	9		- Plays	31	8		Saves	47	5
Steals	121	5		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.425	6		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 Record: 84-78 (NL East Champs)
Last 5 Seasons: 413-397

Season 20 was a rough year for the Philadelphia Moneymakers. Philly took a step back by only winning 84 games but they did claim the NL East title. Offensively, this is one of the top teams in the NL. The signing of Phil North is a great move. North brings a career average of .269 which isn't bad considering he's an above average fielder. Philly's pitching was descent last season, ranking toward the middle of the league.The big signing of  Matty Andujar will provide this team with the ace they've been needing. The Moneymakers have an outstanding defense even though statistically they were about average. Carmen Delahanty , Scott Watson, and Nate Carter, to name a few, are outstanding fielders and will continue to put up gaudy numbers defensively. Overall Philadelphia is a well rounded team and improved this offseason. I think this club has what it takes to win the tough NL East for the second straight year. If Philly can repeat as NL East champs, it will be the first back-to-back titles in franchise history.


Washington D.C Justices

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.271	4		Fielding %	.985	7		ERA	4.33	10
Home Runs	191	8		Double Plays	402	6		Opp. Avg.	.271	12
Ops.	.773	2		+ Plays	74	3		Strike Outs	1048	14
Runs	773	2		- Plays	44	12		Saves	45	7
Steals	30	15		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.432	2		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 Record: 80-82
Last 5 Seasons: 381-429

Formerly the Kansas City Kardinals, this team had a good year in season 20. This offseason KC was taken over by Pine Tar Vet, vector21. Vector moved the team to the Nations Capital where they can start fresh. Washington has been on the rise for several seasons now. This was one of the hottest teams in the league last season but struggled after the All-Star break and finished in third place. The Justices had the offense last year, posting great numbers in team average, homers, Ops, runs and slugging. The promotion of Sherman Becker will add some power to an already potent lineup. Pitching may have been the down fall of this club. The rotation was solid at best. Management addressed this by signing former Scottsdale Scorpion, Raymond Simmons. The combo of Simmons and Bobby McCarthy will be a force if this team makes the playoffs. Washington has a solid defense but they had 44 minus plays which will lose this team some games in the future. Washington is a very good team and will compete with Philly for the NL East crown.  

Jacksonville Juice

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.260	11		Fielding %	.984	9		ERA	4.10	7
Home Runs	238	1		Double Plays	337	15		Opp. Avg.	.264	8
Ops.	.759	5		+ Plays	37	11		Strike Outs	1124	6
Runs	772	8		- Plays	34	10		Saves	42	11
Steals	101	7		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.430	3		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 Record: 74-88
Last 5 Seasons: 456-354

The Jacksonville Juice had a very disappointing campaign in season 20 finishing with only 74 wins. This is only the second time in team history they finished with a record low of 74 wins. It's difficult to diagnose a problem with this team since they are a constant powerhouse in the NL. Offensively this is a strong team with  a bunch of good hitters. Andre Fleming is still crushing the ball and is a lefties worst nightmare. Allen Gruber provides some tremendous power out of the clean-up spot. Gruber had 41 home runs in season 20 setting a new career high. Jacksonville could improve the pitching. Finishing last season with a team ERA of 4.10 is solid but it wont get a team to the top of the NL's best division. Gerardo Morales was good last year but has yet to really develop into the ace Jacksonville needs. Bryant Clayton has been a major underachiever since becoming a member of the Juice back in season 19. Defense was a problem last year finishing toward the middle of the league in most categories. Management addressed this by signing Curtis Revere in the offseason.  Jacksonville is a team full of talent. Greygoose123 is a great owner who will have this team turned around in season 21.


Cincinnati Firestorm

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.271	5		Fielding %	.985	6		ERA	4.73	12
Home Runs	202	7		Double Plays	360	13		Opp. Avg.	.266	11
Ops.	.760	4		+ Plays	37	10		Strike Outs	1067	9
Runs	774	7		- Plays	25	6		Saves	59	2
Steals	54	14		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.423	7		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 Record: 82-80
Last 5 Seasons: 411-399

Cincinnati had a good season last year and looks to be heading in the right direction. This team has slowly been progressing for the last couple seasons and might finally become a contender in the NL. Rick Marshall and Freddy Cuddyer both had good seasons and should continue to be productive in season 21. Offense is not a problem for the Firestorm but a little more speed wouldn't hurt. This team has a great defense lead by Alex Alomar and Alfredo Rivera who are outstanding fielders. Rivera should be a Gold Glove candidate, he's that good. The downfall of this club was the pitching staff. Bud Donnels is a nice pick-up but i cant see him helping this rotation enough to make a difference. Cincy does have a great bullpen though. Wesley Landrum and Tom Milton are both solid arms for the late innings and will help win a lot of 1-run games. Season 21 will be interesting for Cincinnati. This team doesn't seem to have enough pitching to win 80+ games but somehow they always do.


Predictions 
The NL East is a tough division to pick a winner for since only ten games separated the last place team and the first place team. Philadelphia has a great team and will be tough to beat. Washington had a successful season last year and will be in the mix for the NL East title. I dont think Cincinnati has the pitching staff to win this division or a wildcard spot. If they can bolster their rotation via trade this year, they will be a dangerous team. Jacksonville looks like the best team in this division. I don't think Greygoose123 will have two bad seasons in a row with this team.

1. Jacksonville Juice
2. Philadelphia Moneymakers
3. Washington D.C. Justices
4. Cincinnati Firestorm

Season 21 AL North Preview

Dover Dinklebergs

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.280	5		Fielding %	.984	5		ERA	4.51	5
Home Runs	256	3		Double Plays	434	6		Opp. Avg.	.263	5
Ops.	.817	3		+ Plays	64	6		Strike Outs	1173	1
Runs	925	2		- Plays	33	5		Saves	51	3
Steals	45	14		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.461	3		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 Record- 101-61(AL North Champ)
Last 5 seasons- 448-362

Dover will be trying to repeat as division champs again this season. After making the World Series in season 19 the team didn't even get to the ALCS last season. Offensively they are one of the top teams in the AL and are led by young sluggers Armando Mota, and John Pong. Tino House was a nice late season 20 addition for this team and he should provide some good offensive numbers as well. The defense is also among the best in the league as they are led by gold glove shortstop David Prieto. This team could possibly field the best defense in the league. The pitching ranked among the best in the AL last season, but I don't think I'd put them there this season. Valerio Duran was a nice signing, but I think they could use some more help here. Dover looks like they are going to be a real tough team this season and should be challenging for another AL crown if things go well for them.


Scranton Associates

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.281	2		Fielding %	.985	4		ERA	4.19	4
Home Runs	250	5		Double Plays	399	9		Opp. Avg.	.265	6
Ops.	.818	2		+ Plays	48	10		Strike Outs	1059	6
Runs	860	6		- Plays	53	16		Saves	55	2
Steals	20	16		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.466	2		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 Record- 100-62(Wild Card)
Last 5 Seasons- 501-309

Last season Scranton took home the #1 wild card spot, but ended up with the third best record in the AL. It was quite a battle for the top spot in this division between them and Dover, but Scranton faded down the stretch and settled for playing in the first round. They went out and made a big off season signing by adding multiple time Cy Young winner Jeremi Rice. They also signed Miguel James as they somewhat revamped the rotation this off season. Add them to Doc King and Cyrus Torres and this franchise continues its tradition of pitching excellence. Omar Gabriel has been one of the top closers in the league now for the past 9 seasons and I expect he'll be doing the same this season. The offense was near the top of the league last season and they still look pretty tough. Craig Adkinson, Peter Cheng, and youngster Don Aoki anchor down this lineup. Defensively the team is a bit below average this season. At shortstop Yorvit Ortiz is one of the best there is, but he doesn't have a lot of help around the diamond. Scranton looks ready to make another run for the top spot in this division and it should be an interesting race again this season.


Augusta Shadows

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.267	9		Fielding %	.982	10		ERA	5.23	14
Home Runs	143	15		Double Plays	424	8		Opp. Avg.	.286	14
Ops.	.725	13		+ Plays	39	15		Strike Outs	1002	13
Runs	742	14		- Plays	40	8		Saves	36	14
Steals	121	9		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.393	14		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 Record- 67-95
Last 5 Seasons- 411-399

After having the same owner for 17 seasons this team went through some changes with new ownership last season. Now they have another new owner in place this season. Looking at the team, the previous couple ownership groups didn't leave much to work with and this team is in full rebuild mode. Offensively this team ranked in the bottom half of the league last season. Outside of Howard Atkins, and Red Smith, this team is lacking any real offensive threats. I'd be surprised to see them rank higher than the bottom 5 of the league offensively this season. The defense was middle of the league last season, but they appear to be a strength for the team. Fritz Dydalewicz holds down shortstop very well and could challenge for a gold glove. Harold Iannetta has a pretty good glove as well and should make a good backup/ defensive replacement at any position. The pitching staff ranked near the bottom of the league last season and are likely to struggle again this season. Harry Guerrero is a respectable pitcher, but he's no staff ace. This will be a tough season for the franchise, but things do look a little better down the road. Last season the franchise had 6 picks in the opening and supplemental round and took all pitchers. Add the fact that they have pick #7 this season and the franchise has a decent foundation for the future if they can hit a good prospect.


New York Damage Controllers

Offense			1	Defense			1	Pitching
Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank		Category	Stat	Rank
Average	.250	15		Fielding %	.982	13		ERA	4.94	12
Home Runs	105	16		Double Plays	431	7		Opp. Avg.	.271	9
Ops.	.666	16		+ Plays	49	10		Strike Outs	979	14
Runs	684	16		- Plays	44	10		Saves	39	12
Steals	260	1		1	1	1		1	1	1
Slugging	.347	16		1	1	1		1	1	1

Season 20 Record- 64-98
Last 5 Seasons- 355-455

New York has been in a rebuilding situation the past few seasons, but are looking to move forward a bit this season. They made a pretty nice free agent signing with Storm Mahoney, and even got good deals for Clay Flores and Glenn Hafner. The signing of Mahoney should help out an offense that ranked at the bottom of the league last season. He brings some really good power and speed to a team that needed some power, but adds to the speed the team already has. Gregory Singleton made his rookie debut last season and should continue to improve offensively. The offense still isn't very good, but they are better. The defense ranked in the bottom half of the league last season, and I don't expect much of a change. Miguel Manzanillo is the shortstop, but his range has fallen off the past couple seasons and he's no longer suited for the position. They don't really have a centerfielder either. The defense is just not very good. The pitching staff was also a bottom half of the league staff last season. They look a little better, but I'm not sure they can break the bottom half. I think the team will struggle again this season, but they are moving in the right direction.


Predictions
I'm thinking that Dover and Scranton are going to battle for this division all season long. It should be one of the better division title races in Pine Tar that could come all the way down to the last day. Both teams have what it takes to win north of 100 games and both could challenge for the AL championship. Right now I'll pick Dover to repeat and Scranton to take a wild card spot. New York should take a step or two forward this season, but I don't think they can end up with a winning record. Augusta is a team in need of direction and hopefully the new owner can give them some. They are a team in full rebuild mode and right now is probably a good time for that because there aren't many teams that are.

1. Dover
2. Scranton
3. New York
4. Augusta

Season 20 3Q Power Ranking

Top Ten Power Ranking
Notes	City	Rank	Previous Rank	Notes
	Durham	1	1	Best record by 8 games. This team might score 1000 runs this season.
	Jackson	2	4	Well-rounded team that has been on a tear since the All-Star break.
	Nashville	3	7	After a slow start Nashville has been finding ways to win and will be a tough out in the playoffs.
	Seattle	4	N/A	The pitching staff has been dominating, maybe the best in Pine Tar. Rucker is running away with the Cy Young.
	Scranton	5	3	Scranton continues to win games but is struggling in 1-run games. Might be looking to upgrade the bullpen heading into the playoffs
	Trenton	6	6	Still one of the best teams in Pine Tar. This team needs to finish strong to become a 1 seed.
	Texas	7	2	31-11 in 1-run games. I can't remember a team ever doing that. It's going to be tough to jump Jackson though.
	Dover	8	5	This will be the team to watch in the playoffs. Dover has been flying under the radar all season but they are the reigning AL Champs.
	Charlotte	9	9	Charlotte has been underachieving all season. Looking for a wild card spot.
	Kansas City	10	10	Kansas City has slowed down since the break but still should win the NL East.

Season 20 All-Star Break Power Ranking

All Star Break- Top Ten Power Ranking
Notes	City	Rank	Previous Rank	Notes
	Durham	1	1	Best record in Pine Tar by 6 games. Outstanding Offense. Solid Pitching.
	Texas	2	8	Best Record in NL. Well rounded team, 25-8 in 1-run games.
	Scranton	3	3	Very good team. Could be 1st but 1-5 in extra inning games and 12-11 in 1-run games hurts.
	Jackson	4	2	Strong team with the best offense in the NL. Four game series with Texas after the break.
	Dover	5	N/A	Struggled in the first half but has momentum going into the break with wins over Pittsburgh and Nashville.
	Trenton	6	N/A	Loads of talent who underachieved so far. Fairly Easy remaining schedule.
	Nashville	7	4	Great team but killed by injuries. Still can make some noise in the playoffs.
	Tampa Bay	8	N/A	Struggled in close games, still in contention.
	Charlotte	9	6	In the best division in Pine Tar. Expected Pct. of .588. Needs a big second half.
	Kansas City	10	5	KC is a legitimate contender. They continue to get it done.