AL South

Tampa Bay A's (AL) the Benders View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Infield

Hillenbrand was the big free agent signing, a great arm and a great hitter, he can play just about everyday. Estrada also possesses a great bat and a good arm. Adams is a top notch hitter and adequate in the field. Sierra is very good in the field. While he s a solid hitter against righties, he can terrorize lefties. Torres is also an excellent fielder to back up Sierra. He can also hit righties very well, but is at a loss against lefties. Linebrink is an outstanding fielder at thridbase, or any where else for that matter and like everyone else is a very good hitter. Blalock is a good fielder and hitter, not outstanding, but a guy most teams would like to have. Sequignol backs up Blalock, he can hit a little and still field some, though his range and arm strength are fading and are now below average for a shortstop.

RATING: 8.5

Outfield and DH

Krause is a solid hitter with big time power, and he is still growing! Junge is a solid leftfielder who can really take it to lefties. Benitez has seen a fall off in power, but don’t be fooled, he still has power and can still hit with the best of them. Ryan is a prototypical centerfielder, very good in the field, can hit for average and some power, and has blazing speed. Woolf is a very good fielder in rightfield with a cannon for an arm. He is a solid hitter who strikes fear in righties.

RATING: 9

Starting Pitching

Benson is in a class by himself; he is outstading. Hennessey, Collier, Hines and Hernandez round out the rotation, each has good stuff; however only Benson and Hennessey can go deep into a game. Still, a solid rotation that gets even better when the playoffs come round.

RATING: 8

Bullpen

Webster can eat some innings and Reid is very good for transitioning to the set-up guys from the starters. Pierce and Stoops are solid arms in the bullpen. Malone and Bryant could close for most any other team in Mordecai. Torcata is has a great arm, we’ll have to see how he settles in as a closer.

RATING: 8.5

Overall

Hard to find many chinks in the armor here. Good fielding, great hitting and pitching. This is the team to beat in the American League, as is evidenced by their three consecutive trips to the world series. Forecast 112 wins.

Louisville Lightning (AL) heater1121 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Infield

Martin is absolutely excellent both at the plate and behind it. Young Cash is coming along nicely as his battery mate. Won is a good hitter and fielder at firstbase. He’s not stellar, but there is certainly nothing bad about him either. Secondbase is a two-headed monster. Alexander bounds the ball. His fielding is okay and his arm would let him play thirdbase too. Nielson is solid at the plate and very good in the field. He is young and will continue to get better still. Martin provides a ton of power at thirdbase, though his glove is suspect. Clayton also hits for power and is a very good fielder, but can’t hit for any average. Escuela was a big acquisition for Louisville this season. The young shortstop can hit and field and at 23 can be counted on for a long time to come.

RATING: 8

Outfield and DH

Lincoln is a platoon DH. He has good power and can hit lefties very well. Gragg, Rule V, would appear to be the other side of the DH platoon. Van Poppel is in leftfield. He has seen a decline in speed, but is still quick. However, no decline is to be found in his bat. He can still leadoff, but #2 is a good choice too. Root is a very good rightfielder. He his for both average and power and baserunners beware of his excellent arm. At this time, Louisville does not have a centerfielder. Look for one of the two secondbaseman to play out here.

RATING: 7.5

Starting Pitching

Morgan, Lee, and Samuel all have excellent stuff, though Lee’s control is shaky but not terrible. However, all three have low stamina and can’t go very deep into a game. Miranda seem to be a good #4, while spring training will provide the final member of the rotation. There is talent, but the bullpen is going to have a lot of work in its future.

RATING: 7

Bullpen

Alvarez and Redondo could stop a herd of wild elephants. Merrick and Stephenson are good long relievers who will get regular work. Montgomery and Kell are also quality relievers.

RATING: 8

Overall

Louisville has been going through a rebuilding process lately, including some big moves this spring. These will pay of as Louisville will return to the playoff hunt. However, it will be a wild card hunt, as Tampa Bay is just too far ahead. Forecast 96 wins.

Florida Eagles (AL) Oli35 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Infield

Guerrero is excellent behind the plate, but a little lacking at the plate. He’ll need a battery mate, could be Evans an excellent hitter who is a little lacking behind the plate. Fonda provides big power and a low average at first base. Bell, a Rule V pick up, is average at the plate and in the field. The same can be said about thirdmaseman Griffiths, while Vega has some serious power. Barker is a good glove at shortstop, but challenged at the plate. Mantalban, another Rule V, is an excellent field and is similarly challenged when holding a bat in his hands.

The Eagles have a number of highly talented players in the high minors, but are taking their time maturing the youngsters.

RATING: 5

Outfield and DH

The Eagles have been shopping Redmond, but with no takers at this point, he still provides a serious threat at the plate. Medrano is a youngster with a very good bat a solid fielding in leftfield. Standridge has been an all around threat throughout his career and still possesses most of his abilities to provide a another solid season. Wilfredo is a natural shortstop, so he can play just about any position. AT the plate he is challenged by lefties but holds his own against righties. Wilkinson is nearly the prototypical centerfielder. He can hit, has a very good glove, and blazing speed; however, he doesn’t draw as many walks as one might hope. Again, there is still more talent on the farm.

RATING: 6

Starting Pitching

Kerr is a rock and a workhorse. Gomes still possesses excellent stuff. McGrady has numerous quality pitches and excellent control. Easley is a solid at the end of the rotation. Brown can still pitch very well, but his stamina in the rotation might be a concern. The farm system is grooming numerous young pitchers and the veterans are on the trading block in Florida.

RATING: 7.5

Bullpen

Florida has an assortment of competent relievers. They are versatile and can pitch when needed whether the 5^th inning or the 9^th. The bullpen is a mix of players in their prime and veterans, but once again, there is still more talent bubbling up through the farm system.

RATING: 7

Overall

This franchise has taken on a massive face lift following last season’s incredible playoff run. The farm is loaded with young talent and management is patiently maturing that talent. In a couple of seasons this team will be back in the hunt and stronger than ever, for now they remain competitive, while continuing to trade off high quality veterans in their youth movement. Forecast 78 wins.

Little Rock Under New Management (AL) jbrehm View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Infield

Little Rock has a number of catchers in the minors, but none in the majors at this time. However, a couple could come up to the big show and be viable both at the plate as well as behind it. Hidalgo provides a good bat at firstbase with both power and average. Mora was a Rule V steal who plays well at the plate and in the field. Carrera is another Rule V pick up. He has power and may hit in the .270s, but his eye will cause him problems and his fielding is only fair. Little Rock currently does not have a shortstop in the majors, but AAA youngster Eusebio could be brought up. His youth may make him an adventure in the field and not as durable, but he can hold his own at the plate and he appears to be a player with a solid major league future ahead of him.

RATING: 5

Outfield and DH

White has some potential to hit for average with a little pop at DH. Griffin is a solid bat who can catch too, but will be out until the all-star break with an injury. Riggs is an absolute monster in leftfield and at 23 is still getting better. Burns has some speed and a good bat, a very good #2 hitter with a good arm in rightfield. Little Rock has no centerfielder at this time.

RATING: 6

Starting Pitching

O’Brien had a rough time last season, but it is not for a lack of talent. Wilfredo is a decent pitcher, but is out for the first quarter of the season. There will be a battle for the remaining spots with Burns and King already in the majors and some talents youngsters led by Washington.

RATING: 5

Bullpen

Conway is a show stopper and can close from the 8^th inning. The other spots are still up for grabs in Little Rock. Unlike other positions, there aren’t a bunch of youngsters vying for a spot on the major league roster. There is still work to be done out here.

RATING: 3

Overall

Little Rock is really a work in progress and it is progressing well. The team is young and growing, which bodes well for future seasons, but spells losses in the current season. There are still some spots the need filling, but Little Rock is on the road to recovery. Forecast 64 wins.