NL WEST
Seattle regained control of the West last season after one season of not winning it. It was their 12th division title in the past 16 seasons and gives them 6 of the last 7. The 88 wins was a step back from the 96 from their wild card season in season 23 and it's the second straight season in decline. Colorado Springs ended a 2 season run of making the post season with a disappointing 81 victories. That's after winning 102 the season before and winning this division. Things definitely did not break the Night Watchmen's way last season. Oklahoma City seen their win total decline as well, but only by 2 games as they dropped to 79 victories. It's much better than they were a few seasons ago, but this team just hasn't seemed to get over the hump. It's been a long time since they last made the post season way back in season 10 and that has to be the goal in these next couple of seasons. The Komodo Dragons also had a decline in wins as they dropped back 1 game from the previous season. It's nothing to be alarmed about as this team is in a rebuild. They should be making their way up the division ladder soon enough.
Seattle Strikers
Owner- ghutton9
Season 24 Record- 88-74(NL West Champ)
Last 5 seasons- 477-333
Believe it or not, this team is about to be headed into a rebuild. It is an aging team, but they have the players they plan on building around locked up. Most of the older players are signed short term and will be gone soon and should allow Seattle to kick start the rebuilding process.
Offensively this team was solid last season. They hit .261 with a .333 obp which were both above average. They hit 154 homers and scored 702 runs which were both below average. This team did excel on the bases though and stole 194 of them to pace the NL. They are built around players like Jo-jo Frandsen who hit 29 homers and drove 105 runs while scoring 96 to go with 37 steals and a .301 average and .382 obp. Benny Navaro is a 6 time silver slugger second baseman and he hit .276 with a .363 obp with 41 steals, 43 homers and 96 RBIand 141 runs. Outside of those 2, most of the players are just role players in this offense. They have plenty of speed on the team and some good contact, but the team lacks power. This is an average offense if not slightly below average.
The defense was above average last season. They finished with a .986 fielding pct and 55 + plays to go with 29 - plays. Good numbers, but not great. At this point it looks like the teams best option at shortstop is Erubiel Baez, but he's not a very good option. Benny Navarro is a really good glove at second base, but he lacks good range. J.J. Decker has good range for centerfield and he has a solid glove. If this team can't find a better shortstop then they are not going to be a very good defense this season.
The pitching was pretty good for the Strikers last season, but that's come to be expected in Seattle. They finished with a 3.65 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and .380 opponent slugging. The rotation is led by the old veteran Cyrus Torres. He proved last season that he still has some left in the tank by going 19-7 with a 2.58 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. Darren Banks is a solid number 2 and he went 15-10 with a 3.50 ERA and 1.12 WHIP last season. Willie Cairo will be hard pressed to follow up last seasons 16-4 record and 2.46 ERA with his 1.11 WHIP, but he's a solid mid rotation starter.George Eaton is still one of the better closers in the league and he saved 46 of 49 games last season with a 1.90 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. This is a solid pitching staff and still the strength of this franchise. They should be among the better staffs in the NL.
Colorado Springs Night Watchmen
Owner- toe64
Season 24 Record- 81-81
Last 5 Seasons- 408-402
After taking a step back last season, this team can't be happy. They didn't make any big free agent signings though. I do like the addition of gold glove shortstop Victor Ramsay. They also promoted an offensive threat at catcher in Sean Spence who's got really good power and has actually hit 43 homers in the majors back in season 21 before losing favor with the club and spending the past 2 seasons in the minors.
Offensively this team was above average last season. They hit .260 with a .333 obp and .428 slugging. They also hit 218 homers and scored 729 runs. The offense is going to be centered around reigning rookie of the year Keith Williamson who hit .280 with a .328 obp and 42 homers with 110 RBI and 93 runs last season. Juan Perez is the best all around hitter on the team as he hit .318 last season with a .406 obp. Pedro Reyes is another big bat in the lineup as he hit .277 with a .358 obp and 33 homers with 114 RBI and 89 runs. They are an offense built on good hitting and power. Colorado Springs should have one of the better offenses in the NL this season.
With a .981 fielding pct and 24 + plays with 39 - plays, this team suffered defensively last season. That may have been what brought them down. The addition of Ramsay gives them much needed help at shortstop. They could still use help in centerfield and the lack of range on this team will hurt. This is a better defense this season, but they are still below average.
Even with the fielding woes, this pitching staff finished in the upper half of the league with a 3.82 ERA and 1.32 WHIP and .394 slugging. At the top of the rotation is Orlando Nieves who went 10-13 with a 3.43 ERA and 1.25 WHIP last season. He's a solid top of the rotation starter but he's not an ideal ace. Caleb Einertson is a solid mid rotation starter and he went 13-9 with a 4.03 ERA and 1.28 WHIP last season. Each starter in this rotation is solid, but none are spectacular. The bullpen is the strength of this team. Dock King is still a really good pitcher and fits in the bullpen nicely. He pitched 41 games after being traded last season and had a 2.18 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP. Alberto Blasco can pitch and he saved 25 games in 26 tries last season with a 4.24 ERA. He also only allowed 3 of 20 inherited runners to score. This team has a really good bullpen and average starting pitching. That makes them an above average pitching team.
Oklahoma City Prairie Dogs
Owner- brentcnb
Season 24 Record- 79-83
Last 5 Seasons- 354-456
I would not say that this team is in rebuild mode because they've made some strides the past couple of seasons, but they are still building the team up. Unfortunately for them, they've lost more talent the past couple of seasons than they've brought in. They still have a young team though and they do have talent. This team is in need of something to get them to that next level.
Offensively this team ranked near the bottom of the league last season. They hit a .245, with a .318 obp and .379 slugging. They also hit 157 homers and scored 652 runs. They were fast though as they stole 130 bases. Carlos Zorrilla is the star of the offense as he hit .289 with a .386 obp and 30 homers to go with 91 RBI and 86 runs. Phil Gonzales had a nice season with a .263 average and .337 obp with 25 homers and 77 RBI. John Saitou and Christian Lee are a couple of nice hitters that will help the offense, but the team doesn't have much else after them. This offense has a little power, a few good hitters and some speed, but they lack a real threat and depth. This offense will likely finish in the bottom half of the league again this season.
Defensively the Prairie Dogs were pretty average last season. With a .983 fielding pct, 63 + plays and 37 - plays, they showed range, but were below average with the gloves. Cecil Pratt is an average shortstop that can handle the bat and that makes him valuable. John Saitou is a solid thirdbaseman. Carlos Zorrilla won't make many errors in centerfield, but he lacks the range for the position. I don't think this is a bad defense and should improve over last seasons numbers. This is an above average group.
The pitching staff finished in the upper half of the league last season. They had a 3.88 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and opponent .391 slugging. They also had 65 saves, which ranked second in the league. Miguel Rivera led the rotation, but he only started 20 games out of 45 appearances with an 8-6 record and 2.64 ERA to go with an outstanding 1.04 WHIP. This team uses it's starters differently from most teams though as Yovani Costilla led the team in innings pitched with just 177.2. In the bullpen, Brent Beam was among the best closers in the league last season as he saved 45 games, but that was in 54 tries. Juan Ramirez was really good out of the pen with 66.2 innings pitched and a 2.84 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. This is a really average pitching staff, if not below average, but the way they use their pitchers is obviously beneficial to the team.
Albuquerque Komodo Dragons
Owner- csudak
Season 24 Record- 68-94
Last 5 Seasons- 335-475
The Komodo Dragons didn't really improve last season, but they are a team that appears to be getting better. It's been 8 seasons since they made the playoffs and with 4 of the past 5 seasons finishing last in the division it may be time for them to start moving up. They didn't add anything in free agency, but they did promote Vicente Palmeiro, who should be able to add some pop to the lineup. They may have found a nice rule V draftee in Fausto Galarraga, who isn't going to be a star, but he is a contact hitter with a good eye. They also locked up young slugger Bert Heiserman long term.
Offensively this was one of the best teams in the NL last season. They hit .264 with a .322 obp and .407 slugging while hitting 180 homers, scoring 773 runs and stealing 145 bases. This is a well balanced team that can put up some runs on opponents. Pacing the offense is Nick Cooper who hit .305 with a .354 obp while hitting 19 homers, scoring 98 runs and stealing 27 bases. Bert Heiserman provides the power with 38 homers and 104 RBI while hitting .265 with a .326 obp and .520 slugging. Sam Sanders also had a big season with a .273 average, .319 obp, 32 homers, 103 RBI, and 99 runs. This is a solid offense that when put in a hitters park becomes really good.
The fielding in Albuquerque last season was average to slightly above. They had a .984 fielding pct, but 74 + plays to go with 31 - plays were a good mix. With 17 of those + plays coming from first base it is a deceiving stat though. The team lacks a true shortstop, but gold glove rightfielder Kennie McCracken could play there if it wasn't for throwing accuracy issues. Nobody else has the range or glove that is ideal for the position though. Bronson Baptist played a lot in centerfield last season and he surely has the range for it, but his glove could be better. The depth and gloves at all other positions are really good and keep this from being a bad defensive team. With a true shortstop they could be among the leagues best, but for now they'll have to settle with being average.
Pitching was a weakness for this team. They finished at the bottom in ERA with a 4.94, and near the bottom in WHIP with a 1.47. Edgar Santana is a solid starter, but he's not an ace. He went 14-12 with a 4.27 ERA last season. Michael Quinones is a solid back of the rotation starter, but he'll be asked to be a front end guy. He went 10-16 with a 4.03 ERA last season. In the bullpen, Tommy Callaway got it done last season with 65 appearances and a 3.86 ERA. He only allowed 6 of 29 inherited runners to score as well. The pitching staff really isn't that good though. In this ballpark it's going to be tough to move up the ranks without a very good rotation and shutdown bullpen.
Predictions
Seattle has been the top team in this division for quite some time now. It's hard to pick against them for this reason alone. With an average offense and below average defense they could be in trouble though. The pitching staff is still really good though. While I can't see them challenging for the NL title, I could see them in the post season again. Colorado Springs had an off year last season. I can't see them finishing with that few wins again. They have a really good offense, and good overall pitching. The defense needs work, but they have enough strengths that they should finish in 90 win territory. They should be challenging for the division title and if not then at least a wild card. Oklahoma City still has some building to do. The offense needs help, the defense is good and the pitching isn't good. I think they are still close to an average team and will struggle to get into the post season. Albuquerque isn't quite there yet, but they have a good offense that fits the park well. They also have good defense, but the pitching staff is one of the worst in the league. When they get the pitching straightened out, then they'll be a tough team. Right now they aren't though.
1. Colorado Springs
2. Seattle
3. Albuquerque
4. Oklahoma City
Friday, October 4, 2013
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Season 25 Preview-NL South
NL South
Home of the reigning Pine Tar world champion Houston Roughnecks. This has been one of the toughest divisions in Pine Tar for quite a while now, and last season gave them 3 World Titles in the past 7 seasons and 4 World Series appearances from the South. Houston won the NL title for a second straight season, but this time they took home the World Championship with a sweep of Durham. With an average of 100 victories and 3 division titles over the past 3 seasons, they are going to be tough to knock from the top of this division. Louisville tied for second in the division, but the tie breaker gave them the #1 wild card spot. It gave them their 4th post season berth in the past 6 seasons and the 6th in franchise history. They are still looking for their second division title and first since season 1. Texas took some steps forward last season and took home the second wild card spot. It ended a 4 season run without a post season berth. Now they will try to end an 11 season run without winning the division title. Jacksonville finished last in the division with a .500 record. That's rough. It was the second time in 3 seasons that they missed the playoffs. This teams days of sitting atop the division appear to be over for now, but they proved that they are still a team to deal with.
Houston Roughnecks
owner- bagwellbuff
Season 24 record- 99-63(World Champ, NL South Champ)
Last 5 seasons- 473-337
Last season was huge for this franchise. It was their 5th World Series appearance and their 2nd title. With 99 wins this team paced the NL. Luckily for the fans in Houston, this ownership group isn't going to be satisfied with just one championship. They are shooting for a dynasty and have budgeted for it. That allowed them to make some signings to further improve the team with Raymond Simmons, and Rube Clark.
Offensively, Houston led the NL in runs scored with 198, was second in homers with 253, was above league average in steals with 122 and second in slugging with .442. That's all while hitting a .255 and having a .318 obp which were below the league average. They look pretty much the same this season. Ruben Pelaez is the top hitter on the team(.297 average, .379obp, 35 hr, 98 rbi). They re signed Barney Taft and brought back his .285 average, .365 obp and 28 homers. Carl Esposito is the man this offense revolves around(.274 average, .370 obp, 41 homers, 111 rbi, and 110 runs). The Roughnecks should once again have a top offense.
The Houston defense was stellar in season 24. They posted a .989 fielding pct, and 123 + plays to go with 12 - plays. They are led by gold glove shorstop Yusmeiro Julio and his 30 + plays. Paleaez is his double play partner at second and he's another great glove. At thirdbase is another gold glove in Julian Prieto. And in centerfield they feature another gold glover with Ugueth Gonzales. I'm going to call it like I see it and say that this team has a great defense. Likely the best in Pine Tar.
The pitching was also pretty good last season and now the additions of Simmons and Clark will add to that. With a team ERA of 3.73 and 1.28 WHIP, this franchise was above average. Alex Martis is a pretty good starter with his 13-6 record and 3.74 ERA, but his 168.2 innings aren't what you'd want from an ace. Diego Benitez went 13-4 with a 2.11 ERA, but he only posted 132.1 innings. The 2 new additions should help with that and really this team is deep enough to roll out a 6 man rotation and not be hurt by it. The feature bullpen arm is reigning Cy Young Juan Sierra who had 52 saves in 54 tries and posted a 1.40 ERA and .95 WHIP. Overall, this is a pretty strong pitching staff and could be among the top 5 in all of Pine Tar.
Louisville ARF ARF ARF ARF's
owner- Arfy
Season 24 record- 89-73
Last 5 seasons- 450-360
After ending their one season absence from the playoffs, the Arf's got back in with the #1 wild card last season. It has been a long time since they've won the division, but this team is surely in the upper class of the NL which has led to 4 post season appearances over the past 6 seasons. Unfortunately for them, they've been playing second fiddle to the division winner too often. Ownership has stated that they missed out on free agency but they've scrambled to make a few nice additions in Frank Buss, Allen Gruber, David Lind, and Enrique Morales. None are impact players, but each can help the team. With a budget set up to sign an impact player that they never got, this team has money to throw around if they need to add a piece or 2 during the season.
In season 24 the ARF's hit .262, with a .330 obp and a .385 slg. While they hit good, they didn't provide much power which led to them finish in the bottom half of the league in runs scored with 681. Gruber and Lind should help fix that problem. Adding them to Vic Rijo(.333 average, .402 obp, 35 homers, 101 RBI) and Jared Glynn(.268 average, .349 obp, 28 homers, 107 RBI) should add some extra run production. Omar Carrasco is the young star of the offense as he hit 34 homers, drove in 95 runs, stole 21 bases, while hitting a .290 with a .366 obp. This team has a good offense and I'd think they have to improve over last season. This is at the least a top 8 NL offense.
The defense was pretty solid last season as they finished with a .986 fielding pct and 69 + plays an 18 - plays. Those are above average numbers. They did lose their shortstop in the off season, but they have Alex Lyons, who should provide gold glove defense, but he doesn't hit very well. Victor Osoria is a slightly better hitter with a pretty good glove. Bernie Wolf is likely the best option at short, but his glove isn't as good as those two. That's not to say he can't play the position though. The team has quite a few good gloves around the diamond and should be as good as last season.
Their pitching was up among the best in the league last season. They finished with a 3.50 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and .378 opponent slugging. Each were pretty great numbers. The rotation is led by young star Geronimo Estrada, with his 14-7 record and 2.02 ERA and .99 WHIP in 240.1 innings. Those are Cy Young type numbers. Clay Vernon is a good top to mid rotation starter that's coming off of a season that seen him go 13-9 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. Ariel Mateo and Al Manto round out a pretty good rotation in Louisville. The bullpen was led by Ed Rhodes and his 85 games pitched, 21 saves, 2.92 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. J.J. Brinkley is another good arm for them in the pen and he pitched 51 games with a 2.38 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. This overall is a really good pitching staff and should finish near the top of the league again this season.
Texas GalvestonWave
owner- erichanville
Season 24 record- 89-73
Last 5 seasons- 418-391
It's truly amazing that this team made the playoffs last season. They went through an ownership change midway through the season and are now on their 4th owner in 4 seasons. Even through that, they've seen their win total increase in each of the past 3 seasons. That trend will be tough to continue, but the new owner has budgeted well to try. The biggest thing they did in the off season was signing extensions with P.T. Rosa and Felipe Ramos. Both are key pieces to the teams success. The also brought in Rheal Beck, Jesus Amezaga, and Felipe Lee through free agency. It sure looks like they are loading up for another post season run.
This team had a very average offense last season. They batted .255, with a .326 obp, .403 slg and 195 homers while scoring 677 runs. The only number far from league average was the runs scored, which were 29 runs below average. The loss of Rico Tatis does not help these numbers. They still have Alexander Williamson(.288 average, .358 obp, 36 homers, 77 RBI and 109 runs), and Alan Wilson(.287 average, .380 obp, 26 homers, 82 RBI, and 81 runs) to drive this offense though. The addition of Beck will at least ease the loss of Tatis a little. The offense isn't very deep though and they won't hit for a high average as a team. They do have some good power and guys that will draw some walks. Right now this team appears to be a little below average though.
The defense for this team was pretty good last season. They had a .986 fielding pct to go with 66 + plays and 19 - plays. They did lack a good shortstop though, which makes those numbers very surprising. Alejandro Flores could handle the full time job if asked, but he isn't much of a hitter. George Hocking is the returning shortstop and he won't hurt the team in the field, but he's not the ideal fielder though he is a better hitter than Flores. Birdie McNamara could play a really good centerfield for this team. Eddie Burns played a great centerfield last season though, but he could play shortstop or second base. Overall this team does have the gloves to be among the better defensive teams in the league, but the drop off on offense may be too much for them.
The pitching was right near the top of the NL last season. They had a 3.63 ERA, .380 opponent slugging and 1.26 WHIP. While the rotation isn't great, they do have a good group of pitchers. Charles Hayashi is a solid ace and he went 14-3 with a 2.41 ERA last season. Karim Ontiveros (12-11, 3.44) makes for a really good number 2. Felipe Ramos went 9-7 with a 3.30 ERA last season. Harry Guerrero and Billy Lloyd are really nice back of the rotation starters. The addition of Amezaga brings in a really good bullpen arm with his 286 career saves and 3.24 ERA. I expect Esteban Avila to bounce back from his disappointing last season. All around this is a pretty good pitching staff that should finish near the top of the league again.
Jackson Juggernauts
owner- bobbyj7
Season 24 record- 81-81
Last 5 seasons- 448-362
The days of this team ruling the division appear to be over, but that doesn't mean that this team should be taken lightly. They still finished at .500 last season and are only 1 season removed from a post season berth. They appear to be lowering payroll while raising the scouting budgets which usually means rebuild time. They did however add 2 solid free agents this off season in Phil North and Miguel Mesa.
The Juggernauts offense was below average last season as they hit .252, with a .314 obp and .386 slg to go with 172 homers and 672 runs. Second year man Vic Romero may be the most lethal hitter the team has as he hit 16 homers and batted a .278 in only 255 at bats last season. Scott Harvey at age 32 is still a pretty good hitter as well as he hit 30 homers and a .271 average last season. The additions of Mesa and North will help them out as well. This team has some solid hitting and decent power to go with it. I could see them moving up offensively this season, but they don't rank among the best in the league.
Defensively this team was above average last season with a .985 fielding pct and 75 + plays to go with 26 - plays. They are led by one time gold glove shortstop Adam McCorley, who has the abilities to win another gold glove with great range and arm strength. Scott Harvey is a really good centerfielder with good range and glove as he's pulled in 3 gold gloves out there. They are solid at other positions, but this team will take a step back defensive after the loss of Alex Colome in the off season.
The pitching was below average last season. They had a 4.06 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP. The loss of ace Rube Clark is going to hurt this team. Dusty Lindsey still makes for a good ace though and he went 13-8 with a 3.39 ERA and 1.24 WHIP last season. Bobby Ray Ingram is still a good top of the rotation starter after going 14-12 with a 3.81 ERA last season. After those 2 the team has a bunch of average to below average pitchers. Nobody in the bullpen really stands out to me. This pitching staff appears that it will sink lower this season even with the 2 aces at the top of the rotation.
Predictions
This is an extremely tough division. All 4 teams are usually really competitive and they've turned this into the best division in Pine Tar. At the top is Houston and they seem to have a stranglehold on the rest of the teams. They are the reigning world champs and the off season seen them improve. I think that makes them the favorite to win this division, if not another World title. Louisville just can't seem to get over the hump and take this division. They have a well rounded team that could put them right next to Houston atop the NL. They should at least make it interesting in this division. Texas has the pitching and defense to succeed and in any other division would look pretty good to win it. Not around here though. The offense just isn't up to par with the top teams and will likely hold them back from contending for the division title. I wouldn't be surprised to see them take a wild card spot though. Jackson has good hitting and good defense, but the overall pitching staff is going to be too tough to over come. It may be time that they go into full rebuild mode and start looking to the future.
1. Houston
2. Louisville
3. Texas
4. Jackson
Home of the reigning Pine Tar world champion Houston Roughnecks. This has been one of the toughest divisions in Pine Tar for quite a while now, and last season gave them 3 World Titles in the past 7 seasons and 4 World Series appearances from the South. Houston won the NL title for a second straight season, but this time they took home the World Championship with a sweep of Durham. With an average of 100 victories and 3 division titles over the past 3 seasons, they are going to be tough to knock from the top of this division. Louisville tied for second in the division, but the tie breaker gave them the #1 wild card spot. It gave them their 4th post season berth in the past 6 seasons and the 6th in franchise history. They are still looking for their second division title and first since season 1. Texas took some steps forward last season and took home the second wild card spot. It ended a 4 season run without a post season berth. Now they will try to end an 11 season run without winning the division title. Jacksonville finished last in the division with a .500 record. That's rough. It was the second time in 3 seasons that they missed the playoffs. This teams days of sitting atop the division appear to be over for now, but they proved that they are still a team to deal with.
Houston Roughnecks
owner- bagwellbuff
Season 24 record- 99-63(World Champ, NL South Champ)
Last 5 seasons- 473-337
Last season was huge for this franchise. It was their 5th World Series appearance and their 2nd title. With 99 wins this team paced the NL. Luckily for the fans in Houston, this ownership group isn't going to be satisfied with just one championship. They are shooting for a dynasty and have budgeted for it. That allowed them to make some signings to further improve the team with Raymond Simmons, and Rube Clark.
Offensively, Houston led the NL in runs scored with 198, was second in homers with 253, was above league average in steals with 122 and second in slugging with .442. That's all while hitting a .255 and having a .318 obp which were below the league average. They look pretty much the same this season. Ruben Pelaez is the top hitter on the team(.297 average, .379obp, 35 hr, 98 rbi). They re signed Barney Taft and brought back his .285 average, .365 obp and 28 homers. Carl Esposito is the man this offense revolves around(.274 average, .370 obp, 41 homers, 111 rbi, and 110 runs). The Roughnecks should once again have a top offense.
The Houston defense was stellar in season 24. They posted a .989 fielding pct, and 123 + plays to go with 12 - plays. They are led by gold glove shorstop Yusmeiro Julio and his 30 + plays. Paleaez is his double play partner at second and he's another great glove. At thirdbase is another gold glove in Julian Prieto. And in centerfield they feature another gold glover with Ugueth Gonzales. I'm going to call it like I see it and say that this team has a great defense. Likely the best in Pine Tar.
The pitching was also pretty good last season and now the additions of Simmons and Clark will add to that. With a team ERA of 3.73 and 1.28 WHIP, this franchise was above average. Alex Martis is a pretty good starter with his 13-6 record and 3.74 ERA, but his 168.2 innings aren't what you'd want from an ace. Diego Benitez went 13-4 with a 2.11 ERA, but he only posted 132.1 innings. The 2 new additions should help with that and really this team is deep enough to roll out a 6 man rotation and not be hurt by it. The feature bullpen arm is reigning Cy Young Juan Sierra who had 52 saves in 54 tries and posted a 1.40 ERA and .95 WHIP. Overall, this is a pretty strong pitching staff and could be among the top 5 in all of Pine Tar.
Louisville ARF ARF ARF ARF's
owner- Arfy
Season 24 record- 89-73
Last 5 seasons- 450-360
After ending their one season absence from the playoffs, the Arf's got back in with the #1 wild card last season. It has been a long time since they've won the division, but this team is surely in the upper class of the NL which has led to 4 post season appearances over the past 6 seasons. Unfortunately for them, they've been playing second fiddle to the division winner too often. Ownership has stated that they missed out on free agency but they've scrambled to make a few nice additions in Frank Buss, Allen Gruber, David Lind, and Enrique Morales. None are impact players, but each can help the team. With a budget set up to sign an impact player that they never got, this team has money to throw around if they need to add a piece or 2 during the season.
In season 24 the ARF's hit .262, with a .330 obp and a .385 slg. While they hit good, they didn't provide much power which led to them finish in the bottom half of the league in runs scored with 681. Gruber and Lind should help fix that problem. Adding them to Vic Rijo(.333 average, .402 obp, 35 homers, 101 RBI) and Jared Glynn(.268 average, .349 obp, 28 homers, 107 RBI) should add some extra run production. Omar Carrasco is the young star of the offense as he hit 34 homers, drove in 95 runs, stole 21 bases, while hitting a .290 with a .366 obp. This team has a good offense and I'd think they have to improve over last season. This is at the least a top 8 NL offense.
The defense was pretty solid last season as they finished with a .986 fielding pct and 69 + plays an 18 - plays. Those are above average numbers. They did lose their shortstop in the off season, but they have Alex Lyons, who should provide gold glove defense, but he doesn't hit very well. Victor Osoria is a slightly better hitter with a pretty good glove. Bernie Wolf is likely the best option at short, but his glove isn't as good as those two. That's not to say he can't play the position though. The team has quite a few good gloves around the diamond and should be as good as last season.
Their pitching was up among the best in the league last season. They finished with a 3.50 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and .378 opponent slugging. Each were pretty great numbers. The rotation is led by young star Geronimo Estrada, with his 14-7 record and 2.02 ERA and .99 WHIP in 240.1 innings. Those are Cy Young type numbers. Clay Vernon is a good top to mid rotation starter that's coming off of a season that seen him go 13-9 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. Ariel Mateo and Al Manto round out a pretty good rotation in Louisville. The bullpen was led by Ed Rhodes and his 85 games pitched, 21 saves, 2.92 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. J.J. Brinkley is another good arm for them in the pen and he pitched 51 games with a 2.38 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. This overall is a really good pitching staff and should finish near the top of the league again this season.
Texas GalvestonWave
owner- erichanville
Season 24 record- 89-73
Last 5 seasons- 418-391
It's truly amazing that this team made the playoffs last season. They went through an ownership change midway through the season and are now on their 4th owner in 4 seasons. Even through that, they've seen their win total increase in each of the past 3 seasons. That trend will be tough to continue, but the new owner has budgeted well to try. The biggest thing they did in the off season was signing extensions with P.T. Rosa and Felipe Ramos. Both are key pieces to the teams success. The also brought in Rheal Beck, Jesus Amezaga, and Felipe Lee through free agency. It sure looks like they are loading up for another post season run.
This team had a very average offense last season. They batted .255, with a .326 obp, .403 slg and 195 homers while scoring 677 runs. The only number far from league average was the runs scored, which were 29 runs below average. The loss of Rico Tatis does not help these numbers. They still have Alexander Williamson(.288 average, .358 obp, 36 homers, 77 RBI and 109 runs), and Alan Wilson(.287 average, .380 obp, 26 homers, 82 RBI, and 81 runs) to drive this offense though. The addition of Beck will at least ease the loss of Tatis a little. The offense isn't very deep though and they won't hit for a high average as a team. They do have some good power and guys that will draw some walks. Right now this team appears to be a little below average though.
The defense for this team was pretty good last season. They had a .986 fielding pct to go with 66 + plays and 19 - plays. They did lack a good shortstop though, which makes those numbers very surprising. Alejandro Flores could handle the full time job if asked, but he isn't much of a hitter. George Hocking is the returning shortstop and he won't hurt the team in the field, but he's not the ideal fielder though he is a better hitter than Flores. Birdie McNamara could play a really good centerfield for this team. Eddie Burns played a great centerfield last season though, but he could play shortstop or second base. Overall this team does have the gloves to be among the better defensive teams in the league, but the drop off on offense may be too much for them.
The pitching was right near the top of the NL last season. They had a 3.63 ERA, .380 opponent slugging and 1.26 WHIP. While the rotation isn't great, they do have a good group of pitchers. Charles Hayashi is a solid ace and he went 14-3 with a 2.41 ERA last season. Karim Ontiveros (12-11, 3.44) makes for a really good number 2. Felipe Ramos went 9-7 with a 3.30 ERA last season. Harry Guerrero and Billy Lloyd are really nice back of the rotation starters. The addition of Amezaga brings in a really good bullpen arm with his 286 career saves and 3.24 ERA. I expect Esteban Avila to bounce back from his disappointing last season. All around this is a pretty good pitching staff that should finish near the top of the league again.
Jackson Juggernauts
owner- bobbyj7
Season 24 record- 81-81
Last 5 seasons- 448-362
The days of this team ruling the division appear to be over, but that doesn't mean that this team should be taken lightly. They still finished at .500 last season and are only 1 season removed from a post season berth. They appear to be lowering payroll while raising the scouting budgets which usually means rebuild time. They did however add 2 solid free agents this off season in Phil North and Miguel Mesa.
The Juggernauts offense was below average last season as they hit .252, with a .314 obp and .386 slg to go with 172 homers and 672 runs. Second year man Vic Romero may be the most lethal hitter the team has as he hit 16 homers and batted a .278 in only 255 at bats last season. Scott Harvey at age 32 is still a pretty good hitter as well as he hit 30 homers and a .271 average last season. The additions of Mesa and North will help them out as well. This team has some solid hitting and decent power to go with it. I could see them moving up offensively this season, but they don't rank among the best in the league.
Defensively this team was above average last season with a .985 fielding pct and 75 + plays to go with 26 - plays. They are led by one time gold glove shortstop Adam McCorley, who has the abilities to win another gold glove with great range and arm strength. Scott Harvey is a really good centerfielder with good range and glove as he's pulled in 3 gold gloves out there. They are solid at other positions, but this team will take a step back defensive after the loss of Alex Colome in the off season.
The pitching was below average last season. They had a 4.06 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP. The loss of ace Rube Clark is going to hurt this team. Dusty Lindsey still makes for a good ace though and he went 13-8 with a 3.39 ERA and 1.24 WHIP last season. Bobby Ray Ingram is still a good top of the rotation starter after going 14-12 with a 3.81 ERA last season. After those 2 the team has a bunch of average to below average pitchers. Nobody in the bullpen really stands out to me. This pitching staff appears that it will sink lower this season even with the 2 aces at the top of the rotation.
Predictions
This is an extremely tough division. All 4 teams are usually really competitive and they've turned this into the best division in Pine Tar. At the top is Houston and they seem to have a stranglehold on the rest of the teams. They are the reigning world champs and the off season seen them improve. I think that makes them the favorite to win this division, if not another World title. Louisville just can't seem to get over the hump and take this division. They have a well rounded team that could put them right next to Houston atop the NL. They should at least make it interesting in this division. Texas has the pitching and defense to succeed and in any other division would look pretty good to win it. Not around here though. The offense just isn't up to par with the top teams and will likely hold them back from contending for the division title. I wouldn't be surprised to see them take a wild card spot though. Jackson has good hitting and good defense, but the overall pitching staff is going to be too tough to over come. It may be time that they go into full rebuild mode and start looking to the future.
1. Houston
2. Louisville
3. Texas
4. Jackson
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Season 25 Preview-NL East
NL East
In season 24, Jacksonville worked their way back to the top of this division. It was the 16th time that they've won the division crown and 17th post season trip. After a couple of down seasons that seen them win 82 games and 70 games, the team jumped up to 92 victories last season and led second place Cincinnati by 11 games. The Firestorm finished the season at .500 and missed out on the playoffs. They improved their win total by 6 games, but in season 23 they won the division title with 75 victories. Philadelphia finished third and seen their win total drop for a third straight season. Since winning the division title back in season 20, this team has missed the playoffs. The 67 victories they had last season were a worst in franchise history. Wichita got a new owner last season and they were clearly a rebuilding team. They have finished 4th in the division in 7 of the past 8 seasons. The 57 wins for them were an all time franchise low.
Jacksonville Juice
Owner- greygoose123
Season 24 record- 92-70(NL East Champ)
Last 5 seasons- 408-402
Jacksonville found themselves back on top of the division once again last season. This is a team that is in win now mode. They have the budget set up to afford what they need to contend. While they have some good youth on the team, most of the better talent has crossed age 30. This team will need to replace those guys soon, but they should be able to help the team win now.
This team struggled a bit offensively last season. They batted a .257, with an obp of .327 and slugging pct of .411. Those were both better than the league average though. They also hit 184 homers and stole 140 bases while scoring 777 runs. While some numbers look like they struggled, the runs show otherwise. They were 3rd in the league in the stat that matters most. This team has 2 table setters with Ramiro Contreras and Rich Pierce, who both stole over 40 bases and batted over .280 with 100 + runs. Young slugger, Hipolito Arredondo was the beneficiary of that as he drove home 129 runs to go with his 37 homers. Chris Young may be this teams best overall hitter though as he came over from Nashville last season and went on to hit .325 in 87 games for the Juice. This offense isn't great, but they do have some really good talent that helps put them in the upper half of the league.
Defensively this team is just not very good. They had a .980 fielding pct and 45 + plays to go with 79 - plays last season. Those just aren't good numbers. Chris Young is the shortstop, but he lacks even decent range and arm strength to go with the position. This team doesn't look to have many options either. Jacksonville will likely finish near the bottom defensively again this season.
They did get some solid pitching last season. They ended with a 3.85 ERA and an opponent .256 average. Rick Owens led the staff with a 17-9 record and 2.91 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP. The rest of the rotation is pretty solid, but Owens is a step above the rest of them. The bullpen also will feature some pretty solid arms and are led by 37 year old vet Omar Gabriel. In 61 games last season, he had a 4.36 ERA and WHIP of 1.21. Sherman Stevens is the closer and he saved 38 games in 44 tries with a 3.00 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. Andres Jacquez came over mid season and he pitched in 30 games with a 2.83 ERA and only allowed 1 of 13 inherited runners to score. This should be a pretty good pitching staff. The rotation after Owens isn't great, but the bullpen has enough help to bail them out.
Cincinnati Firestorm
Owner- jbburner
Season 24 record- 81-81
Last 5 seasons- 394-416
With an 89.6 million dollar payroll, the Firestorm look like they want to win now. The team has been really close to being an average team for the past 8 seasons and actually finished at .500 last season. I really like the signing of Lee Coveleski this off season. That should be a boost for them. The promotion of reliever Manuel Rodriguez is going to help as well.
The team was pretty average offensively last season. They hit .259 with a .322 obp, .416 slugging pct, 215 homers, and 756 runs. The offense was led by Fergie Hill who hit 50 homers, drove in 125 runs and batted a .288 with a .350 obp. Andres Andujar had a pretty good season as well with 31 homers, 99 rbi, .279 average and .348 obp. Rafael Unamuno hit 29 homers, with 76 RBI, and a .254 average and .337 obp. That was a down season for him and I expect him to rebound this season. The Firestorm have a solid offense, but I think they are just average and that's thanks to a hitters park.
Defensively, this team isn't very good. Stewart Lee is the teams best option at shortstop, but he's been a backup for them. While they have some solid gloves, the lack of a shortstop or centerfielder has a domino effect and forces players to play positions that are tougher than what they are suited for. This team will finish near the bottom again this season.
The pitching staff was near the bottom of the league last season. The addition of Coveleski brings much needed help to the top of the rotation. After him though, Timo Pan is just solid, but he'll eat up innings with 3 straight 200 + seasons. He went 11-10 last season with a 3.63 ERA. Paxton Weiland is solid and he went 5-2 with a 3.50 ERA after coming over from Salem last season. The bullpen is below average but I like Mitchell Hayes as he pitched in 58 games with a 4.86 ERA, but he only allowed 4 of his 38 inherited runners to score last season. The Firestorm pitching should be better this season, but they aren't very much better. This is still a below average squad.
Philadelphia Moneymakers
Owner- Phillies26
Season 24 record- 67-95
Last 5 seasons- 389-421
This team has been heading down for the past 3 seasons after reaching 87 wins back in season 21. They look like a team that has budgeted to win now though. I do like the additions in the off season and Raul Santiago and Fausto Gandarilla should help them. I would think the team would need more than that to make a difference over last season. If things go south this season then it may be time to go into rebuild mode.
Offense was a real weakness for this team last season. A .239 average and .299 obp are not very good. Their 568 runs were worst in the league as well. Gandarilla will add some much need hitting to this team. At 29 years old, he's a career .313 hitter with a .393 obp. Those numbers should give this team a boost for sure. Angel Martinez is a good contact hitter and he should improve over last seasons .250 average and .322 obp, both which were well below his career averages. Mariano Gonzales is a player that could do better than his 23 homers and .263 average and .321 obp. This offense should make it's way out of the basement of the NL this season, but they don't look like they'll even be an average offense still.
Defensively this team was slightly below average last season. They had a .983 fielding pct and 41 + plays and 39 - plays. Glenn Cole is the shorstop and he's got the range to get it done. Omar Cano plays a decent centerfield, but his range holds him back. Teddy McKnight is the secondbaseman and he is pretty solid as well. This defense looks pretty much the same as last season and that isn't a bad thing. They are at least close to average.
Pitching is where this team has a solid strength. With a 3.91 ERA and .255 opponent average this team was slightly above average. They did have 3.53 walks per 9 last season which was .52 worse than the league average. If they could get that down then they'd be dangerous. The rotation is led by Napoleon Hallman and he finished 6-13 with a 3.74 ERA and 1.24 WHIP last season. He's a much better pitcher than that and should bounce back. Matty Andujar went 11-12 with a 3.39 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. Glenn Hafner led the staff as he was 10-7 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Those are 3 good starters at the top of this rotation. Coming out of the bullpen is David Ortiz, and he saved 47 games in 51 tries with a 1.71 ERA and .95 WHIP. He's one of the best in the league. The addition of Santiago brings in a good setup man to go with him. This is an above average pitching staff and could lead this team back into the division race.
Wichita DwArf'y Mojados
Owner- jibe
Season 24 record- 57-105
Last 5 seasons- 349-461
Wichita is a team that is rebuilding and they have been for quite some time. Hopefully with a solid owner this team can start to get things turned around. They are still budgeted to rebuild this season and have the cash on hand to make a couple of nice IFA additions. The Mojados do have a really young team and should get better as these guys progress.
The Mojados were one of the worst offensive teams in the league last season. They hit .243 with a .300 obp and 151 homers to go with 584 runs. It was a dismal season for the bats. The offensive star was Monte Randolph as he hit .280 with a .333 obp and 25 homers with 66 RBI. Andrew Adams is a player that I'd expect more out of this season. He hit .261 with a .313 obp, 21 homers and 61 RBI last season. The offense still doesn't look very good this season. A few players should bounce back from bad seasons, but that won't be enough to bring this team up much.
The defense was pretty bad last season. They had a .980 fielding pct to go with 27 + plays and 119 - plays. The minus plays were made worse with Randolph playing firstbase, as he had 35 of them. The addition of Fritz Dydalewicz at least adds a really good glove to the team. He lacks range for shortstop, but he won't make many errors. Hank Jacquez is a solid centerfielder, but he lacks the range for that spot. This defense should be better than last season, but they are a below average defense.
The pitching was also among the worst in the league last season. They finished with a 4.73 ERA and 1.49 WHIP. The addition of Randy Sanders gives them a solid starter in the rotation. That's about it though. He's more suited for the back of the rotation and none of the other starters are really that. The bullpen is better than that though. Benito Pizzaro is a good young reliever and he had a 3.94 ERA in 50 games last season. Geraldo Molina should have been better than the 5.18 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 44 games. I could see him improving. This team is a ways off from having a good pitching staff. They will likely finish at the bottom this season.
Predictions
Jacksonville has been the team to beat in this division for a long time. Every time it looks like another team may step up, the Juice then turn around and come right back to the top. They have the most well rounded team in this division this season and I see no reason they shouldn't take the top spot for a 17th time. Cincinnati has been an average team for a while now and they look the part again this season. The offense has some stars, but the defense and pitching really hold them back. I could see this team winning 85 games or 75 games. They fall somewhere in that range. Philadelphia has the defense and pitching to be a solid team, but the offense is an area that needs to step up. I like the additions and think the offense will improve, but not enough to make them a contender. I do think they can improve from last season and should be close to a .500 team. Wichita is a team in rebuild mode and will continue that this season. I'd imagine they aren't too far off though and should be making improvements over the next few seasons.
1. Jacksonville
2. Philadelphia
3. Cincinnati
4. Wichita
In season 24, Jacksonville worked their way back to the top of this division. It was the 16th time that they've won the division crown and 17th post season trip. After a couple of down seasons that seen them win 82 games and 70 games, the team jumped up to 92 victories last season and led second place Cincinnati by 11 games. The Firestorm finished the season at .500 and missed out on the playoffs. They improved their win total by 6 games, but in season 23 they won the division title with 75 victories. Philadelphia finished third and seen their win total drop for a third straight season. Since winning the division title back in season 20, this team has missed the playoffs. The 67 victories they had last season were a worst in franchise history. Wichita got a new owner last season and they were clearly a rebuilding team. They have finished 4th in the division in 7 of the past 8 seasons. The 57 wins for them were an all time franchise low.
Jacksonville Juice
Owner- greygoose123
Season 24 record- 92-70(NL East Champ)
Last 5 seasons- 408-402
Jacksonville found themselves back on top of the division once again last season. This is a team that is in win now mode. They have the budget set up to afford what they need to contend. While they have some good youth on the team, most of the better talent has crossed age 30. This team will need to replace those guys soon, but they should be able to help the team win now.
This team struggled a bit offensively last season. They batted a .257, with an obp of .327 and slugging pct of .411. Those were both better than the league average though. They also hit 184 homers and stole 140 bases while scoring 777 runs. While some numbers look like they struggled, the runs show otherwise. They were 3rd in the league in the stat that matters most. This team has 2 table setters with Ramiro Contreras and Rich Pierce, who both stole over 40 bases and batted over .280 with 100 + runs. Young slugger, Hipolito Arredondo was the beneficiary of that as he drove home 129 runs to go with his 37 homers. Chris Young may be this teams best overall hitter though as he came over from Nashville last season and went on to hit .325 in 87 games for the Juice. This offense isn't great, but they do have some really good talent that helps put them in the upper half of the league.
Defensively this team is just not very good. They had a .980 fielding pct and 45 + plays to go with 79 - plays last season. Those just aren't good numbers. Chris Young is the shortstop, but he lacks even decent range and arm strength to go with the position. This team doesn't look to have many options either. Jacksonville will likely finish near the bottom defensively again this season.
They did get some solid pitching last season. They ended with a 3.85 ERA and an opponent .256 average. Rick Owens led the staff with a 17-9 record and 2.91 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP. The rest of the rotation is pretty solid, but Owens is a step above the rest of them. The bullpen also will feature some pretty solid arms and are led by 37 year old vet Omar Gabriel. In 61 games last season, he had a 4.36 ERA and WHIP of 1.21. Sherman Stevens is the closer and he saved 38 games in 44 tries with a 3.00 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. Andres Jacquez came over mid season and he pitched in 30 games with a 2.83 ERA and only allowed 1 of 13 inherited runners to score. This should be a pretty good pitching staff. The rotation after Owens isn't great, but the bullpen has enough help to bail them out.
Cincinnati Firestorm
Owner- jbburner
Season 24 record- 81-81
Last 5 seasons- 394-416
With an 89.6 million dollar payroll, the Firestorm look like they want to win now. The team has been really close to being an average team for the past 8 seasons and actually finished at .500 last season. I really like the signing of Lee Coveleski this off season. That should be a boost for them. The promotion of reliever Manuel Rodriguez is going to help as well.
The team was pretty average offensively last season. They hit .259 with a .322 obp, .416 slugging pct, 215 homers, and 756 runs. The offense was led by Fergie Hill who hit 50 homers, drove in 125 runs and batted a .288 with a .350 obp. Andres Andujar had a pretty good season as well with 31 homers, 99 rbi, .279 average and .348 obp. Rafael Unamuno hit 29 homers, with 76 RBI, and a .254 average and .337 obp. That was a down season for him and I expect him to rebound this season. The Firestorm have a solid offense, but I think they are just average and that's thanks to a hitters park.
Defensively, this team isn't very good. Stewart Lee is the teams best option at shortstop, but he's been a backup for them. While they have some solid gloves, the lack of a shortstop or centerfielder has a domino effect and forces players to play positions that are tougher than what they are suited for. This team will finish near the bottom again this season.
The pitching staff was near the bottom of the league last season. The addition of Coveleski brings much needed help to the top of the rotation. After him though, Timo Pan is just solid, but he'll eat up innings with 3 straight 200 + seasons. He went 11-10 last season with a 3.63 ERA. Paxton Weiland is solid and he went 5-2 with a 3.50 ERA after coming over from Salem last season. The bullpen is below average but I like Mitchell Hayes as he pitched in 58 games with a 4.86 ERA, but he only allowed 4 of his 38 inherited runners to score last season. The Firestorm pitching should be better this season, but they aren't very much better. This is still a below average squad.
Philadelphia Moneymakers
Owner- Phillies26
Season 24 record- 67-95
Last 5 seasons- 389-421
This team has been heading down for the past 3 seasons after reaching 87 wins back in season 21. They look like a team that has budgeted to win now though. I do like the additions in the off season and Raul Santiago and Fausto Gandarilla should help them. I would think the team would need more than that to make a difference over last season. If things go south this season then it may be time to go into rebuild mode.
Offense was a real weakness for this team last season. A .239 average and .299 obp are not very good. Their 568 runs were worst in the league as well. Gandarilla will add some much need hitting to this team. At 29 years old, he's a career .313 hitter with a .393 obp. Those numbers should give this team a boost for sure. Angel Martinez is a good contact hitter and he should improve over last seasons .250 average and .322 obp, both which were well below his career averages. Mariano Gonzales is a player that could do better than his 23 homers and .263 average and .321 obp. This offense should make it's way out of the basement of the NL this season, but they don't look like they'll even be an average offense still.
Defensively this team was slightly below average last season. They had a .983 fielding pct and 41 + plays and 39 - plays. Glenn Cole is the shorstop and he's got the range to get it done. Omar Cano plays a decent centerfield, but his range holds him back. Teddy McKnight is the secondbaseman and he is pretty solid as well. This defense looks pretty much the same as last season and that isn't a bad thing. They are at least close to average.
Pitching is where this team has a solid strength. With a 3.91 ERA and .255 opponent average this team was slightly above average. They did have 3.53 walks per 9 last season which was .52 worse than the league average. If they could get that down then they'd be dangerous. The rotation is led by Napoleon Hallman and he finished 6-13 with a 3.74 ERA and 1.24 WHIP last season. He's a much better pitcher than that and should bounce back. Matty Andujar went 11-12 with a 3.39 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. Glenn Hafner led the staff as he was 10-7 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Those are 3 good starters at the top of this rotation. Coming out of the bullpen is David Ortiz, and he saved 47 games in 51 tries with a 1.71 ERA and .95 WHIP. He's one of the best in the league. The addition of Santiago brings in a good setup man to go with him. This is an above average pitching staff and could lead this team back into the division race.
Wichita DwArf'y Mojados
Owner- jibe
Season 24 record- 57-105
Last 5 seasons- 349-461
Wichita is a team that is rebuilding and they have been for quite some time. Hopefully with a solid owner this team can start to get things turned around. They are still budgeted to rebuild this season and have the cash on hand to make a couple of nice IFA additions. The Mojados do have a really young team and should get better as these guys progress.
The Mojados were one of the worst offensive teams in the league last season. They hit .243 with a .300 obp and 151 homers to go with 584 runs. It was a dismal season for the bats. The offensive star was Monte Randolph as he hit .280 with a .333 obp and 25 homers with 66 RBI. Andrew Adams is a player that I'd expect more out of this season. He hit .261 with a .313 obp, 21 homers and 61 RBI last season. The offense still doesn't look very good this season. A few players should bounce back from bad seasons, but that won't be enough to bring this team up much.
The defense was pretty bad last season. They had a .980 fielding pct to go with 27 + plays and 119 - plays. The minus plays were made worse with Randolph playing firstbase, as he had 35 of them. The addition of Fritz Dydalewicz at least adds a really good glove to the team. He lacks range for shortstop, but he won't make many errors. Hank Jacquez is a solid centerfielder, but he lacks the range for that spot. This defense should be better than last season, but they are a below average defense.
The pitching was also among the worst in the league last season. They finished with a 4.73 ERA and 1.49 WHIP. The addition of Randy Sanders gives them a solid starter in the rotation. That's about it though. He's more suited for the back of the rotation and none of the other starters are really that. The bullpen is better than that though. Benito Pizzaro is a good young reliever and he had a 3.94 ERA in 50 games last season. Geraldo Molina should have been better than the 5.18 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 44 games. I could see him improving. This team is a ways off from having a good pitching staff. They will likely finish at the bottom this season.
Predictions
Jacksonville has been the team to beat in this division for a long time. Every time it looks like another team may step up, the Juice then turn around and come right back to the top. They have the most well rounded team in this division this season and I see no reason they shouldn't take the top spot for a 17th time. Cincinnati has been an average team for a while now and they look the part again this season. The offense has some stars, but the defense and pitching really hold them back. I could see this team winning 85 games or 75 games. They fall somewhere in that range. Philadelphia has the defense and pitching to be a solid team, but the offense is an area that needs to step up. I like the additions and think the offense will improve, but not enough to make them a contender. I do think they can improve from last season and should be close to a .500 team. Wichita is a team in rebuild mode and will continue that this season. I'd imagine they aren't too far off though and should be making improvements over the next few seasons.
1. Jacksonville
2. Philadelphia
3. Cincinnati
4. Wichita
Monday, September 30, 2013
Season 25 Preview-NL North
NL North
In season 24 the Fargo Wood Chippers ended an 8 season playoff drought by winning the division for the 15th time. They advanced to the LCS and lost to Houston 4 games to 2. With 94 wins they finished with the second best record in the NL and appear to be the team to beat in this division once again. Iowa City took another step back last season to make it 3 straight seasons that their win totals have gone south. It was also the teams first time being left out of the post season since season 19. With 86 victories they don't appear to be a team that is too far from still being a contender. Montreal took some steps forward last season as they improved their win total for a second consecutive season. They finished third but they were only 2 games behind Iowa City with 84 wins. Madison continued to rebuild and they'll head into their third season under the current ownership with a budget set up to add some young building blocks.
Fargo Wood Chippers
Owner- Starbuckdc(Pine Tar Hall of Fame)
Season 24 record- 94-68(NL North Champ)
Last 5 seasons- 386-424
Fargo has one of the youngest rosters in Pine Tar heading into the season. With 21 players under the age of 30, they are set up to contend for quite some time. In the off season they locked up a couple of those star youngster with contract extensions, Zip Sullivan, and Tony Caballero.
In season 24 as a team the hit .265 with a .330 obp. They had 254 homers with 143 steals and scored 797 runs. They had a really good mix of power and speed. This team is loaded with power though. The key players in this offense are Sullivan, Caballero, Houston Graves and J.A. Stanley. This is going to be a tough offense to stop. They should have a top 5 offense in the league.
Defensively this team was pretty solid last season. They had 65 + plays and 21 - plays. That is a pretty good ratio. The .985 fielding % wasn't bad, but I expect it to be higher this season. They feature some good gloves at each of the key defensive positions. Chun-Lim Li is a good shortstop and I think he can improve upon last season. Sullivan has a great glove for second base. Raymond Franco is a pretty good centerfielder as well. This is a pretty good defense.
The team finished with a 3.94 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 1062 strike outs last season. Those are solid numbers, but if this team has a weakness, it's the pitching. Aurelio Ozuna, is a pretty good starter, but the talent falls off after him. The closer is Rickie Metcalfe and I do think he's a really good reliever to have as evidenced by his 44 saves in 48 tries last season. Davie Diaz is the teams best reliever though. He finished last season with a 2.93 ERA in 73.2 innings. This pitching staff has a few nice pieces, but they look like an average staff at best.
Iowa City Hawkeyes
Owner- tk21775
Season 24 record- 86-76
Last 5 seasons- 465-345
Iowa City is a team that I feel like under performed last season. This team has some really good players, and are built around a great pitching staff. I just think this team is too talented to miss out on the post season and ownership will be trying to make sure that doesn't happen again.
Offensively this team will always struggle to be among the best. They play in a tough offensive park and the franchise has put much more emphasis on pitching. They hit .246 with a .307 obp last season and hit 186 homers. Disappointing is that they stole just 97 bases and were caught 60 times. That isn't a very good ratio and cost the team some runs. The offensive star is Joakim Valbuena, who hit 33 homers and drove home 110 runs last season. Jose Alfonzo put up good power numbers (27 homers, 99 rbi), but he doesn't get on base enough. Octavio Armas is the only player on the team that can really get on base with his .377 obp. For a team that plays in a pitchers park, they should really have more players that can draw a walk, but they don't and they suffer for it on offense. I put them near the bottom of the league offensively.
The defense is good though. They made a smart move by paying Bert Biggio and bringing him back in the off season. He is a great shortstop and I'm shocked that he has not won a gold glove. He really makes this defense go, because they only have average players at all of the other spots. The key for them is that they don't have any real weakness at the other spots either. This is an average defense overall though.
The pitching is the strength and they are among the better teams in Pine Tar. Sticky Farquhar had an off season last season, but he's still one of the best. Patsy Ainsworth, was an all star last season and he finished with a 17-7 record and 2.86 ERA. Dan Siebert is getting older, but he still has something left in the tank and he showed it last season with a 3.17 ERA in 20 starts. The relievers are the real strength for them though. Leading the way is Brendan Taylor, who pitched 139.1 innings and had a 1.09 WHIP and 2.52 ERA. He also had a 15-10 record with 20 saves in 28 tries. Dennis Coleman is pretty good as well and he had 114.2 inning pitched with a .97 WHIP and 3.06 ERA. Rondell Kirwan and Victor Waner are pretty good extra pieces for them and those guys would be top relievers on some other teams. This is a really good staff that is led by the bullpen.
Montreal Leaf Blowers
Owner- optistrat
Season 24 record- 84-78
Last 5 seasons- 362-448
Montreal is another young team in this division that looks to be on their way up the ranks. This is a team that set up their budget to make some moves in free agency, but weren't able to get anything done. With plenty of cap space and a solid system, this team could make some moves to improve themselves during the season.
This is an offense built around power and some guys that can hit for a decent average. With 235 homers and a .262 average and .315 obp, the team could use a bit of improvement. They have some speed, but with 106 steals and 68 caught stealing, I wouldn't call it a strength. This offense is centered around a rising young star in Alex Suzuki. He hit 51 homers and batted a .285 with 124 RBI and 112 runs last season. Ian Langston had a pretty nice season as well with 39 homers and 109 RBI to go with a .270 average. Those are 2 rising young stars that mix well with veterans Rickey Masterson and Nate Carter. This is a pretty good offense overall and should finish in the upper half of the league.
Montreal had a pretty good defense last season with a .986 fielding % and 72 + plays and only 18 - plays. Jim Marte is the shorstop and he has really good range and a great arm, but his glove just isn't up to par. Nate Carter played a great thirdbase last season and he's one of the best when put their. Alex Suzuki is a really good thirdbaseman or right fielder and can do either one seamlessly. Overall this defense is solid, but I just don't think they rank among the best.
The pitching staff is led by an aging but still reliable Bret O'Leary. He went 12-5 with a 3.30 ERA last season and reached 200 career victories. Benny Villano is a youngster that should improve upon his 12-11 record and 3.48 ERA this season. The bullpen features Tom Leonard and he had 25 saves in 27 tries last season to go with a 1.67 ERA. Mike Clinton is a pretty good setup man as he pitched 91.2 innings and had a 3.93 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. The pitching staff is solid and they have some really good key players. I think this should be an above average staff.
Madison Melons
Owner- reggie988
Season 24 record- 72-90
Last 5 seasons- 381-429
Madison is a team in rebuild mode, but they did finish with a record that showed improvement last season. Heading into a third season with this owner will hopefully give them some stability and allow them to continue to move back toward the top of the division. I do think they made 3 promotions in the off season that should have an immediate impact for the club. F.P. Gentry, Eugene Harvey, and Marty Pall will all make debuts this season and should all be players that could make a difference.
Offensively this team still has a dynamic player in Raymond Petrov. He hits for power(34 homers) and steals bases(38 SB). His .299 average and .377 obp to go with 123 runs scored make him a dangerous player. Benito Rodriguez should bounce back from a tough season, but he's another really good weapon for this team. Add the 3 rookies to these guys and this offense is going to be tough. Madison has a really good offense and should rank in the upper half of the league this season.
The fielding was solid last season. They had 60 + plays and just 26 - plays to go with a .983 fielding %. Petrov was the shortstop and he didn't help those numbers. He's better suited for third, right field or second. That is pretty much this whole team though. I just don't think this is a very good fielding team.
Pitching is the weakness that will hold this team back. The rotation is really weak and I think it will hold them back. They added Bill Crabtree, but he's a back of the rotation type guy. The bullpen is pretty solid though. I like Mitch Mota, who finished with a 2.31 ERA in 46.2 innings last season. I think Marco Russell should be better than what he has. Ricardo Johnson is a really good setup man and finished with a 1.09 WHIP and 3.49 ERA last season. If this team had a better rotation then this bullpen could put the staff into the upper half of the league, but the rotation really will drag them down.
Predictions
It's easy to pick Fargo, the team on top last season. They have the best offense in the division, a solid defense and enough pitching to get them back to the top again. They may not be good enough to win the NL title this season, but they should be able to make a run at it. Iowa City's offense is just not very good. I think it holds them back too much and I attribute them missing the post season to this. The defense is only average, but this team has a pitching staff that could carry them. This season will come down to how far that staff can take them. They could easily finish below 500 or near the top of the division. Montreal is a team on the rise and the others better not sleep on them. They have the offensive weapons to make some noise in the division. The have some solid pitching also and could really make a run. This team is on the cusp of ending a 10 season playoff drought. Madison is a team that is rebuilding, but they aren't a team that will go quietly. They have some real talent offensively. That could help them sneak above .500 this season. The fielding and starting pitching will likely keep them from that though.
1. Fargo Wood Chippers
2. Montreal Leaf Blowers
3. Iowa City Hawkeyes
4. Madison Melons
In season 24 the Fargo Wood Chippers ended an 8 season playoff drought by winning the division for the 15th time. They advanced to the LCS and lost to Houston 4 games to 2. With 94 wins they finished with the second best record in the NL and appear to be the team to beat in this division once again. Iowa City took another step back last season to make it 3 straight seasons that their win totals have gone south. It was also the teams first time being left out of the post season since season 19. With 86 victories they don't appear to be a team that is too far from still being a contender. Montreal took some steps forward last season as they improved their win total for a second consecutive season. They finished third but they were only 2 games behind Iowa City with 84 wins. Madison continued to rebuild and they'll head into their third season under the current ownership with a budget set up to add some young building blocks.
Fargo Wood Chippers
Owner- Starbuckdc(Pine Tar Hall of Fame)
Season 24 record- 94-68(NL North Champ)
Last 5 seasons- 386-424
Fargo has one of the youngest rosters in Pine Tar heading into the season. With 21 players under the age of 30, they are set up to contend for quite some time. In the off season they locked up a couple of those star youngster with contract extensions, Zip Sullivan, and Tony Caballero.
In season 24 as a team the hit .265 with a .330 obp. They had 254 homers with 143 steals and scored 797 runs. They had a really good mix of power and speed. This team is loaded with power though. The key players in this offense are Sullivan, Caballero, Houston Graves and J.A. Stanley. This is going to be a tough offense to stop. They should have a top 5 offense in the league.
Defensively this team was pretty solid last season. They had 65 + plays and 21 - plays. That is a pretty good ratio. The .985 fielding % wasn't bad, but I expect it to be higher this season. They feature some good gloves at each of the key defensive positions. Chun-Lim Li is a good shortstop and I think he can improve upon last season. Sullivan has a great glove for second base. Raymond Franco is a pretty good centerfielder as well. This is a pretty good defense.
The team finished with a 3.94 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 1062 strike outs last season. Those are solid numbers, but if this team has a weakness, it's the pitching. Aurelio Ozuna, is a pretty good starter, but the talent falls off after him. The closer is Rickie Metcalfe and I do think he's a really good reliever to have as evidenced by his 44 saves in 48 tries last season. Davie Diaz is the teams best reliever though. He finished last season with a 2.93 ERA in 73.2 innings. This pitching staff has a few nice pieces, but they look like an average staff at best.
Iowa City Hawkeyes
Owner- tk21775
Season 24 record- 86-76
Last 5 seasons- 465-345
Iowa City is a team that I feel like under performed last season. This team has some really good players, and are built around a great pitching staff. I just think this team is too talented to miss out on the post season and ownership will be trying to make sure that doesn't happen again.
Offensively this team will always struggle to be among the best. They play in a tough offensive park and the franchise has put much more emphasis on pitching. They hit .246 with a .307 obp last season and hit 186 homers. Disappointing is that they stole just 97 bases and were caught 60 times. That isn't a very good ratio and cost the team some runs. The offensive star is Joakim Valbuena, who hit 33 homers and drove home 110 runs last season. Jose Alfonzo put up good power numbers (27 homers, 99 rbi), but he doesn't get on base enough. Octavio Armas is the only player on the team that can really get on base with his .377 obp. For a team that plays in a pitchers park, they should really have more players that can draw a walk, but they don't and they suffer for it on offense. I put them near the bottom of the league offensively.
The defense is good though. They made a smart move by paying Bert Biggio and bringing him back in the off season. He is a great shortstop and I'm shocked that he has not won a gold glove. He really makes this defense go, because they only have average players at all of the other spots. The key for them is that they don't have any real weakness at the other spots either. This is an average defense overall though.
The pitching is the strength and they are among the better teams in Pine Tar. Sticky Farquhar had an off season last season, but he's still one of the best. Patsy Ainsworth, was an all star last season and he finished with a 17-7 record and 2.86 ERA. Dan Siebert is getting older, but he still has something left in the tank and he showed it last season with a 3.17 ERA in 20 starts. The relievers are the real strength for them though. Leading the way is Brendan Taylor, who pitched 139.1 innings and had a 1.09 WHIP and 2.52 ERA. He also had a 15-10 record with 20 saves in 28 tries. Dennis Coleman is pretty good as well and he had 114.2 inning pitched with a .97 WHIP and 3.06 ERA. Rondell Kirwan and Victor Waner are pretty good extra pieces for them and those guys would be top relievers on some other teams. This is a really good staff that is led by the bullpen.
Montreal Leaf Blowers
Owner- optistrat
Season 24 record- 84-78
Last 5 seasons- 362-448
Montreal is another young team in this division that looks to be on their way up the ranks. This is a team that set up their budget to make some moves in free agency, but weren't able to get anything done. With plenty of cap space and a solid system, this team could make some moves to improve themselves during the season.
This is an offense built around power and some guys that can hit for a decent average. With 235 homers and a .262 average and .315 obp, the team could use a bit of improvement. They have some speed, but with 106 steals and 68 caught stealing, I wouldn't call it a strength. This offense is centered around a rising young star in Alex Suzuki. He hit 51 homers and batted a .285 with 124 RBI and 112 runs last season. Ian Langston had a pretty nice season as well with 39 homers and 109 RBI to go with a .270 average. Those are 2 rising young stars that mix well with veterans Rickey Masterson and Nate Carter. This is a pretty good offense overall and should finish in the upper half of the league.
Montreal had a pretty good defense last season with a .986 fielding % and 72 + plays and only 18 - plays. Jim Marte is the shorstop and he has really good range and a great arm, but his glove just isn't up to par. Nate Carter played a great thirdbase last season and he's one of the best when put their. Alex Suzuki is a really good thirdbaseman or right fielder and can do either one seamlessly. Overall this defense is solid, but I just don't think they rank among the best.
The pitching staff is led by an aging but still reliable Bret O'Leary. He went 12-5 with a 3.30 ERA last season and reached 200 career victories. Benny Villano is a youngster that should improve upon his 12-11 record and 3.48 ERA this season. The bullpen features Tom Leonard and he had 25 saves in 27 tries last season to go with a 1.67 ERA. Mike Clinton is a pretty good setup man as he pitched 91.2 innings and had a 3.93 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. The pitching staff is solid and they have some really good key players. I think this should be an above average staff.
Madison Melons
Owner- reggie988
Season 24 record- 72-90
Last 5 seasons- 381-429
Madison is a team in rebuild mode, but they did finish with a record that showed improvement last season. Heading into a third season with this owner will hopefully give them some stability and allow them to continue to move back toward the top of the division. I do think they made 3 promotions in the off season that should have an immediate impact for the club. F.P. Gentry, Eugene Harvey, and Marty Pall will all make debuts this season and should all be players that could make a difference.
Offensively this team still has a dynamic player in Raymond Petrov. He hits for power(34 homers) and steals bases(38 SB). His .299 average and .377 obp to go with 123 runs scored make him a dangerous player. Benito Rodriguez should bounce back from a tough season, but he's another really good weapon for this team. Add the 3 rookies to these guys and this offense is going to be tough. Madison has a really good offense and should rank in the upper half of the league this season.
The fielding was solid last season. They had 60 + plays and just 26 - plays to go with a .983 fielding %. Petrov was the shortstop and he didn't help those numbers. He's better suited for third, right field or second. That is pretty much this whole team though. I just don't think this is a very good fielding team.
Pitching is the weakness that will hold this team back. The rotation is really weak and I think it will hold them back. They added Bill Crabtree, but he's a back of the rotation type guy. The bullpen is pretty solid though. I like Mitch Mota, who finished with a 2.31 ERA in 46.2 innings last season. I think Marco Russell should be better than what he has. Ricardo Johnson is a really good setup man and finished with a 1.09 WHIP and 3.49 ERA last season. If this team had a better rotation then this bullpen could put the staff into the upper half of the league, but the rotation really will drag them down.
Predictions
It's easy to pick Fargo, the team on top last season. They have the best offense in the division, a solid defense and enough pitching to get them back to the top again. They may not be good enough to win the NL title this season, but they should be able to make a run at it. Iowa City's offense is just not very good. I think it holds them back too much and I attribute them missing the post season to this. The defense is only average, but this team has a pitching staff that could carry them. This season will come down to how far that staff can take them. They could easily finish below 500 or near the top of the division. Montreal is a team on the rise and the others better not sleep on them. They have the offensive weapons to make some noise in the division. The have some solid pitching also and could really make a run. This team is on the cusp of ending a 10 season playoff drought. Madison is a team that is rebuilding, but they aren't a team that will go quietly. They have some real talent offensively. That could help them sneak above .500 this season. The fielding and starting pitching will likely keep them from that though.
1. Fargo Wood Chippers
2. Montreal Leaf Blowers
3. Iowa City Hawkeyes
4. Madison Melons
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