Friday, March 28, 2008

NL North

Infield
Torrealba is average at best behind the plate, but he has an excellent bat and is one of the up-and-comers at catcher in Mordecai. Cashman will serve as his backup, but is no better defensively and will likely not see much playing time. Larkin will get his first chance to start at 1B, and if he can match his minor league totals, will be huge for the Zephyrs offense. Henderson has an excellent glove at 2B, and a huge bat to go with it. Klesko had a great OBP before arriving in Toledo last season and will try to find his stride again. Sterns is the #1 guy at 3B though, and hopes to finally reach his expectations. Bradley, Gagne and O’Brien are all natural shortstops and all merit playing time with their solid bats (although their defense ranges from below-average to excellent). Overall, the infield should contribute lots of offense to this potent lineup.
RATING: 8


Outfield
Sosa was a bit of a disappointment in LF last season, but should rebound. Vega will do a good job getting on base, but has no power and plays an average defense for a CF. Wagner will likely be the starting CF, and contributes nice power. He should be better in his second full season in the majors. Black doesn’t hit as many HRs as you’d like out of your normal RF, but he has a nice average and plays good “D”. This is an outfield with lots of upside.
RATING: 7

Starting Pitching
Stuart and Buckley are an awesome 1-2 punch at the top of Toledo’s rotation, and if Corino can rebound from a poor Season 7, gives the Zephyrs a trifecta of great pitching. Baker, Hartman and Scanlan will compete for the final 2 spots. All have the potential to be rocks in the rotation, but haven’t delivered yet. Still, this is an excellent rotation and will be tough to beat.
RATING: 8

Bullpen
Mitchell will join whoever does not make the starting rotation as the two long relievers in the bullpen. Mitchell is a Rule Ver making the jump after just 6 AA appearances. Olmedo and Parrish are excellent as short relievers, and Rodrigo put up great stats in a limited number of appearances last season. Coco rounds out the bullpen as a Rule V player, with only 6 AA innings under his belt. If the starters can get the ball to the short relievers, they’re in great shape. If the long relievers pitch too much, it will be tougher to keep those wins.
RATING: 7

Overall
Last season’s 10-win dropoff looks to be an aberration, as Toledo has both the offense AND defense to return to their 95-win form from the previous 3 seasons.



Infield
Anderson is a Rule V catcher who has a long way to reach his potential, but with some playing time, will be an on-base machine who calls a great game. Parker offers power behind the plate, and Purcell is the defensive specialist. Withers finally lived up to expectations at first base last season. Moreno, Swann, Velazquez and Yang are all natural second basemen who all offer respectable defense, while each brings something different (average, power, speed). They will fight each other for playing time, but expect them to also log time at DH and in RF. Spence is a great third baseman, with both power and average. Reboulet will be the starting SS, and can hit for decent average, even as his formerly superior defensive skills start to deteriorate. Boone will fill the role of utility player. There is lots of versatility in this infield.
RATING: 8

Outfield
There are only 2 true OFs on the team. Parra is a monster in left field. DiSarcina struggled as a rookie last season and will be looking to rebound. Without knowing who will be the regular right fielder, there are question marks in the OF once you get past Parra.
RATING: 6

Starting Pitching
Stark is the clear #1 guy of this staff, and Kotsay is the future stud. In between them are Kelly, Ransom, and Reed, all of whom will put up decent numbers without being dominant. If the offense flexes its muscle, the pitching staff should keep it close.
RATING: 7

Bullpen
Graves and James are both coming off great seasons, and these two long relievers should do an excellent job when called on to log some innings. Pujols is just a notch behind them and will be a strong contributor. Denham and Gonzalez have not quite lived up to expectations, but as the #4 and 5 long relievers, they are more than serviceable. Blanco has progressively struggled the last couple seasons, and Gonazalez will look to return to his awesome rookie season as short relievers in the ‘pen.
RATING: 7

Overall
The Capones have the bats to win the high-scoring games, and the pitching to win a lot of the others. Question marks in the outfield will likely be easily resolved, and the Capones should look forward to another 90 win season.



Infield
The Freaks won’t be able to count on a lot of HRs from their catchers this season, but Bush has a career .410 OBP and can play solid defense, and Escobar is likely the best pitch caller in Mordecai. First baseman Mora hits a very consistent .316 average and can be counted on for 25 HRs. Second baseman Hansen hit .271 with 24 HRs as a rookie last season, and should only improve on those numbers this season. Third basement Burkett is a career .261 hitter as a backup, but he will get his chance to start this season and should put up better numbers. Shortstop Richie Adams plays a great defense, and has the bat to go along with it. Counsell rounds out the infield, and while does not have much of a bat, he makes a great defensive replacement and will be a rock at any position late in the game. Defense should be solid, but lack of power will hurt. RATING: 5

Outfield
The Freaks outfield will have all kinds of speed in File and Posada on the corners. Stein and Ward are both coming off of disappointing seasons in CF, and will be battling each other for the starting spot. Canseco is coming off a season where he saw a big drop in offensive productivity and will need to rebound. Again, solid defense, but a lack of power. RATING: 4

Starting Pitching
Allen is the clear #1 starter on this team, while DeLeon, Weaver, and Oliva round out the top 4. All 4 of them put up very respectable WHIPs, but their poor win-loss records are indicative of the lack of offense on the team. Bates, Forbes, and Reese will battle for the final spot in the rotation, but none of them have pitched well in recent seasons, and Detroit may be in the market for a #5 starter.
RATING: 5

Bullpen
As stated above, Bates, Forbes, and Reese will battle for the final spot in the starting rotation. The other two will become long relievers. Neither will be dominant in that role. If the Freaks can take a lead into the late innings of a game, their bullpen should be able to seal the deal. Mercedes, Romero, Saturria, Valentin, and Thomas can all log a lot of quality innings and put up great stats.
RATING: 9

Overall
If the Freaks offense can keep them in close games, they should be able to win most of them thanks to a strong defense and bullpen. This team will be tough once the 7th inning rolls around. Unfortunately, there just doesn’t appear to be enough offense on this team to put them in that position. Expect about a 70 win season from the Freaks.




Infield
Jodie and Serrano have decent enough bats, but neither is good enough behind the plate to handle the young pitching staff taking the mound for St Louis. Molina has a big bat at 1B and should be a rock there for seasons to come. Fleming has nice power for a 2B, but his defense is sub-par. Sojo is the better defensive option at 2B, and has proven that he can put up good stats when given a chance to play. Hutton is a solid 3B who will be relied upon to anchor this infield. Barber is a young SS who will eventually be an excellent fielder with good pop in his bat. Clark is also a youngster with a good glove who should do a nice job getting on base. Sandberg is an erratic SS who seems to average either .230 or .300 every season (but nothing in between). The Pathfinders seem to have their infield headed back in the right direction, and should be play good defense while manufacturing some good runs.
RATING: 7

Outfield
Belitz is a good LF who gets on base well, but doesn’t hit as many HRs as most LFs. Terrero is an aging LF who works well as a pinch hitter, but at 38, probably needs to retire. Castro is the speedy CF, stealing 68 bases last season. Maloney is a young RF who should get on base a lot, but doesn’t have much power. Overall, this outfield will do a good job moving the baserunners, but there is a severe lack of power here.
RATING: 6

Starting Pitching
Starting pitching is a problem for St Louis. While the Pathfinders had some stamina problems last season, they don’t appear to be a problem anymore after drafting several Rule V players to round out the roster. Unfortunately, even though they have great control, they all have problems getting players out. Hard-luck Todd Kroon, who started last season 0-13 before winning his last start of the season, is the #1 guy. After that, some combination of Nunez, Harris, Osuna, Guerrero, Cervantes, Lee, Brosius, and Lambert will fill the rotation. This rotation will need a LOT of offensive help.
RATING: 2

Bullpen
The long relievers will consist of 4 of the 8 players above who do not make the rotation, along with Mark Miller (unless he makes the rotation, even though he doesn’t have the stamina to play there anymore). Lamb will likely be the setup man, leaving Santiago as the closer on the team. Unfortunately, the bullpen is not much stronger than the starting rotation.
RATING: 4

Overall
The Pathfinders are still recovering from years of neglect, but at least have the bats headed in the right direction. St Louis should score its share of runs if they can start some rallies. But with its pitching staff this season, they’re going to need a LOT of rallies. Unfortunately, the seasons of 20-win improvements over previous year are done, and they’ll be lucky to hit the 60 win mark this season.

NL East

Lineup
1B- Javier James- Free Agent signee from Colorado Springs, the 32 year old veteran still has gas left in the tank. He’s good for a 300avg, 400obp, 475 slg. Solid player.
C- Mo Roundtree- Free agent signee from Detriot. The 35 year old veteran catcher is one of the all time best at getting on base in the history of the world. Even at his age, he’s still a decent catcher and a very solid presence at the plate. He’s good for a 275 avg, 400obp, 450 Slg.
2B- Brad Cambridge- Solid young 2nd baseman, very good potential. Coming off 2 straight seasons over 300 avg and 30Hr’s. Doubled 40 times last seasons. Slugged over 500 the last 2 years.
RF- Torey Leonard- Acquired via trade from Louisville Lightning. The young 26 year old former 1st round pick has huge potential. He’s coming off a little bit of a down year, however 2 seasons ago he hit over 300 and had an OPS over 1,000. If Torey can duplicate that again, he could press the “Pierre” into the thick of the playoff hunt.
LF- Johnny Hermanson- The 35 year old veteran was acquired through free agency this off season. He is starting to run out of gas though. He’s still a solid little player, with an excellent eye and he’ll find a way to get on base at right around a 400 clip. However he saw his OPS drop over 100 points between season 6 and 7 and by the end of the season he will be on his last legs. But not a bad player.
SS- Trent Diaz- The powerful hitter was acquired via trade from (NL) Syracuse just recently. Diaz has historically hit 35 homers and 35 doubles every season for the most part. However Diaz saw his average dip to a limping .240 last season. And he struck out an unseen 140 times. Not too mention San Juan’s plan to move him back to SS is a huge question mark because of his defense. He committed over 50 errors in each of his 3 seasons in which he played at SS for the majority of the year. He is a real hitter though.
3B- Bruce Womack- Very average player. Hits for some power. Probably good for 30 homers and a .250avg. But will strikeout will over 100 times. Decent at best.
CF- Benny Samuel/Gary Badilla platoon- Benny Samuel is a decent player with a solid bat vs Left handers. On defense he can get to a good many balls, but has iffy glove.
Badilla isa GREAT defensive player who was traded from Louisville. He is a decent bat vs Righthanded pitching, however he hits with no power. Overall this is a solid platoon which compliments each other well.
RATING: 7


Starting Pitching
SP- Tony Cortes- yet another new addition for this remade team. He comes from the (AL) Florida squad in the roughhouse hitter friendly AL South. He is only 30 years old yet has amassed over 100 wins, almost 1000 strikeouts and a career ERA of 3.93. With the lineup he’ll have here and the swap of leagues, Cortes could finish in the top 5 for CY Young this season.
SP- Carl Widger- The 22 year old stud was probably rushed, due to seeing his ERA’s at 20 and 21 years old in the majors were a whooping 6.58 and 5.19. Last year however, he rebounded 13-10 with a 3.56 ERA. With caution I warn here, he still had a WHIP of 1.30 and he still walked 79 in over 200 innings while only recording 126 K’s. I think you’ll see him fall back down to the mid to upper 4’s in ERA this season.
SP- Humerto Marichal- The top pitching free agent signee on the market this year and yet again the new ownership of San Juan went out and made a splash. Marichal knows about playoff baseball since he is coming over from the great (AL) Colorado Springs squad that is always in the thick of October. The 32 year old pitcher still has a lot in his tank. Going back to starting here in San Juan will be an adjustment, however he should do fine. He is a warrior.
SP- Rafael Pescado- The 21 year old kid already has 2 years of big league experience. He may not reach his potential due to being rushed by previous ownership (appears they rushed everyone). But none the less, he is a decent pitcher. His first year he had a 3.98 ERA and 2nd got bombed to the tune of a 5.55 ERA, I’m counting on him being somewhere in between. Mid 4’s. type.
SP- Cam Torres- Cam comes into the mix in San Juan after spending the past several years in the (AL) Charlotte camp. Cam is a kid with great control and great velocity. However, like a lot of those types has yet to be able to put it all together. Cam has had his best season as a starter, however he has been hit hard there as well. My impression is Cam is a one pitch pitcher that should be in the pen. He’ll probably bounce around.
RATING: 6

Bullpen
Long Relief/Mopup- Andre Titan- The 30 year old is coming off a career year in which he started 10 games, pitching 166 innings and only allowing 139 hits , while walking 55 and striking out 126. However Titan appears to be in a battle for the 5th starter spot. I think Titan will eventually gain win the battle due to a career ERA of a sparkling 3.75 in over 800 career innings. He’s an above average pitcher.
LH SPECIALIST- Mel Sadler- A solid veteran bullpen arm. He’ had 2 straight years out of the pen with ERA’s under 3. Despite not throwing hard, Sadler has out smarted hitters by striking out 215 in 281 career innings. A good overall pitcher that’s solid vs Left and Right handed hitters due to having several quality pitches.
RH SPECIALIST- Gabe Carver- A hard throwing reliever. Once thought of as a possible future closer has yet to put it all together. He was tagged last season to the tune of 45 innings , 57 hits and an ERA of 6.90. As opponents slugged a whooping .544 against him! However he has had a couple of solid seasons previous to that and I think he’ll be an average reliever.
SETUP A- Sergi Scott- The fact that the current ownership lists Mr Scott as Setup…..A, makes me question if management was sober upon sending me there team preview(lol….just kidding). But really, this is a guy with good “ratings”. However in his career in the major leagues he’s pitched 143 innings and gave up 192 hits, allowed 29 homers, and only K’d 94 compared to walking 76. This all totals up to a 1.87 WHIP and a career ERA of 7.14! He had a decent stint toward the end of last year with (NL) Las Vegas after being released by (AL) Louisville. He does have solid ratings and maybe he can straighten it out, but I am a track record kind of guy and if I owned a home anywhere near the “Pierre’s” home park I would for sure have some good homer owners insurance to cover the broken windows I’d get from some of the Gofer balls Scott allows.
SETUP B- Bubba Lowry- Despite not having very good L/R ratings, this kid has gotten it done the last 2 years. In 79 innings last year he only allowed 85 hits, while walking 17 and striking out 58. Had a 1.29 WHIP and a 4.90 ERA. That ERA should come down to the high 3’s and I expect him to overtake Sergi Scott as the teams top setup man.
CLOSER- Preston Bollea- Solid pitcher with 79 careers saves. A career ERA of 3.62, he is one of the safer options in this bullpen.
RATING: 5.5

Overall

The new ownership has really been willing and dealing throughout the short time they’ve been in control. I do think they are headed in the right direction and could have a heck of a lineup if they get the proper breaks. They will have to score to make up for what I consider to be An average bullpen. 92 wins.






Lineup
CF- Mickey Rauch- A career Dirt Dog, this speedster will swap positions this season from 2nd base to CF. While I do like his range and speed covering CF I question his glove and I think he’ll hurt the Dirt Dog defense at times. Mickey has a decent eye at the plate, however he hits with very little power. Last season Mickey hit .267 with 15 homers in over 500 AB’s, which would be solid if he hurt teams on the base paths. However despite being blazing fast, Rauch displays poor fundamentals on base paths and thrown out 61 times in 6 years in the majors compared to only 98 steals during that span. I think Rauch might hurt the dogs more than he helps them.
SS- Harry Goya- A 27 year old kid that’s spent a lot of time in the majors. After playing in CF most of his career he will make the swap to SS. He is a very questionable defender and by my estimations will make a ton of errors. On top being a bad defender, Goya is a very average hitter. Hitting somewhere between 275 with 15 homers the last 2 years. I think an upgrade is needed here.
LF- Chris Hoover- Hoover is a solid bat with good power here in the 3 spot. While he can at times struggle against Left-handed pitching, he can mash right-handers. Chris is only 27 years old and just topped 200 homers for his career. He displays good plate patience and has a career OBP of .376. The only real negative for Hoover is his glove, range and arm playing in left field. In 3,000 career innings in LF he only has a range factor of 1.44 and a 93.8% fielding percentage. His defense might hurt the team almost as much as his offense helps.
RF- Miguel Siqueiros- A real stud in the cleanup hole. Miguel is only 27 years old and has spent all of those years with the dirt dogs. Miguel is a career 292 hitter with 380 OBP and a .626 SLG. Those excellent numbers add up to a OPS over 1.000 for his career. Bashing 354 homers already in his young career, Siquerios could be destined for the Hall of Fame barring injury in the next 5 years. Pretty average defender.
1B- Sting Beckwith- Sting has spent the last 3 years with the Dirt Dogs after spending the 3 year prior to that with the (AL) Lightning. He has made a career of getting on base and that’s why he has always had a job. 2 years ago Sting raked out a .340 batting average with 39 homers and a 434 OBP. However this past year he dropped off to a 261 avg, 377 OBP and only 24 homers. I expect Sting to rebound as his career numbers say he’s good for 30 homers and a .400 or better OBP.
3B- Joaquin Blanco- Has hit over .300 with over 30 homers both seasons with the dogs since coming over from (AL) Florida. However, I think he is more of the type of player he showed in Florida which was 260ish with 20-25 homer type. Not a bad player, and a pretty solid defender at the hot corner.
C- Harry Furcal- The 27 year old is yet another player that’s been with the Dog’s for his entire career. You for sure know what your gonna get out of him, he is a solid bat that’s going to hit right around .300, he’s gonna hit 18-25 homers and hit doesn’t strike out. He’s very consistent and he gets it done as well on defense.
2B- Johnny O’brien- The career utility player has picked up a starter role going into the season. While he displays a solid glove with good range at 2nd I question if he’ll hit enough to remain here. Johnny has only 19 homers in over 800 career AB’s, he will hit somewhere around .280, however Johnny doesn’t walk very much. Overall probably just plugging a hole until someone else arrives.
NOTE- I think you could see AAA SS Quilvio Lopez come up and take over SS at some point this year. Despite not being much of a hitter he would be a huge upgrade over Goya in the field.
RATING: 6.5


Starting Pitching
1- Jimmy Owens- The 32 year old has been a very consistent pitcher during his career. He’s got a career 1.37 WHIP and 4.21 ERA. I think he’ll again be right around those numbers and finish with a win/loss record just over .500.
2- Kris Jones- The 32 year old joined the Dogs last season via the free agent market and he settled in fairly nicely. As he compiled a 12-8 record with a 4.65 ERA. Other than a couple of years in the AL South for Little Rock where he got pounded, he has been pretty solid. I predict just over .500 record for him, with a mid 4’s ERA.
3- Harold Towers- a former first round pick by the Dirt Dogs in season 1. Towers has been consistent…..however not the kind of consistent the dogs were looking for when they brought the flame thrower up to the bigs. Almost every season Towers has allowed more hits than innings pitched by about 20, he’s had a WHIP somewhere in the 1.50 range and an ERA up and around the 5.00 mark. Part of his undoing has been allowing 119 homers in just over 800 career innings. He’s a very iffy 3 starter in my estimation.
4- Vin Berra- Berra has been a decent pitcher throughout his career for the dirt dogs. He somehow manages to not give up many hits despite having pretty average stuff. He has allowed a career OBP of just .325 and has a career WHIP of 1.37. Both acceptable numbers in this hitting heavy world. And at 30 years old, he has some solid years left in him.
5- Einar Carreras- The 22 year old kid and former 1st round pick was brought to the majors at just 20 years old in season 6. It is questionable how he mentally handles the hammering he took in seasons 6 and 7 as he saw both year WHIPS over 1.50 and ERA’s over 6.00. He has 3 solid pitches, he just needs a little more seasoning. I think you’ll see him bring some of those numbers down this year. He’s still a couple of years away from being more than a 5 starter, but I think he’ll make it through this. Predict an ERA around 5-5.25 this year.
RATING: 7

Bullpen
Long Relief/Possible Starts-
Delino Merced- The 26 year old has a solid array of pitches, with 3 good pitches. However, he must harness his control. I think the young kid will be a go into the rotation at some point this year.
Jermaine Beltran- 24 year old was hit hard the last 2 years, not sure how much better he’ll do.
Damaso Valenzuela- Struggles with his control, but somehow manages to get people out. With only 1 above average pitch I don’t think he’ll be in the rotation but he may provide solid long relief help.
SETUP
Bernie Jenkins- After being released by (AL) Tampa A’s, Jenkins landed a home with the dogs. He has had an up and down career to this point. Limited stamina and only 1 pitch has caused his career to be up and down. Not sure what he will do, I’ll guess mid 4 ERA.
Kurt Watkins- Hard throwing 29 year old needs to strike out more people and miss a few more bats, or else he won’t get down from the 5 ERA area.
Jorel Greene- Another hard thrower, he had a little bit of a breakout season last year by allowing only 72 hits in 82 innings. While walking 34 and striking out 73. His career does not indicate that trend will continue, so I will take it is a 1 year jump. He’s more of a mid to high 4 ERA guy.
Ron Burrell- 24 year old groundball pitcher. He needs to make some improvement on his walk/K ratio to be more than an average pitcher. I think he’s a middle of the road pitcher now, at best.
CLOSER- Todd Lukasiewicz- The consistency he showed saving games last year was not the norm during his career. He has 36 saves in 53 opportunities during his career. He has bouts of control problems despite having excellent stuff. His inconsistency would be more acceptable in a setup role.
RATING: 4.5

Overall

This team has been to the playoffs a few times in this world, however I feel they may be taking a couple of steps back this season. A above average lineup and a solid rotation can’t make up for a make shift bullpen and horrible defense at SS and CF. I feel it may be a .500 or a little below year for this squad. But this management has gotten this team to high levels before, I’m sure they’ll do it again. 87 wins.




Lineup
CF- Joseph Yoshii- This 25 year old speedster should help the jackets in several areas. He is a tremendous defender….as the saying goes, “two-thirds of the world is covered by water….and the other third is covered by Joseph Yoshii.” But before you go thinking about Tori Hunter, the bat must be considered however. And while Joseph is decent with the stick he is not going to be confused with Dan Van Poppel anytime soon. A solid contact hitter with no power, he only has an average eye but he does possess a solid stick vs left hand pitching. Yoshii has blazing speed with excellent base running skills, he could be dangerous here. He has never been given a real shot at the big league level, but with his defense and speed combination he is finally getting the shot he deserves. Look for somewhere around 250-260, 8-10 homers, 30-40 steals and possibly a gold glove.
3B- Timothy Dorsey- Acquired via trade last season from the Helena franchise he is a solid veteran. Dorsey played out of position last season playing mostly SS, where his lack of range hurts him. This season it appears Dorsey will be back at the hot corner where he is a solid defender. At the plate he is a high contact hitter with a very good eye. He is a solid bat vs left hand and right hand pitching however he has limited homerun power. He has displayed solid gap to gap power during his career, like last season when he doubled 37 times. He is very capable of putting up a .300 avg, 400 obp and .475 slg type season. Rock solid is the word that comes to mind on Dorsey.
C- Glenn Valentine and Marty Fleming- The catcher position will feature a platoon situation between a veteran and a young kid. It would probably be in the jackets best interests to find a way for both to be on the field. In Valentine you have a player that was acquired via free agency last off season, he is probably better suited being a DH in the AL, however he must play somewhere. The man can hit. Glenn has a career average of .295, 236 homers and a 999 OPS. He is below average at best behind the plate, but he makes up for that with his stick. He is solid vs both LH and RH pitching. Marty Fleming is a 26 year old that came over in a trade with the Tucson Tools in season 5. He is easily the better defender between the two and while he doesn’t have Valentine’s power, he very well could be the better hitter for average of the two. He can also hit both RH and LH pitchers. He must learn to control his temper however, it is highly documented he has had several Milton Bradley-esque run ins in the minors with various players, fans and coaches. Should be interesting to see how the jackets handle this logjam of talent without the luxury of the DH.
1B- Alex Cogan- Free agent pickup who played for (AL) Little Rock last season. Cogan is a above average contact average power type of 1B. He is a very good hitter vs lefties, but he struggles with RH. Has a decent eye and is a terror on the base paths…..for his base coaches. He makes Sid Bream look like Rickey Henderson. Cogan is a 280 type hitter, 15-20 homers. But I see this as the spot the Valentine/Fleming loser lands at.
SS- Dale Dresden- The 22 year old former first round selection is being given the keys to the SS position this season. He has the potential(although he’s not there yet) to develop into a heck of a defensive SS. At the plate Dresden is a solid contact guy with limited power and average ratings vs LH and RH pitching. Dresden will need to hit with more pop or steal more bases to help the big league club. Despite having good speed, Dale only swiped 12 bases in AAA last year and he needs to lift that .711 OPS he posted last season.
2B- Ryan Moore- Moore is a solid glove guy who can play all the infield positions pretty well. The 28 year old is not much of a hitter however, while he is a decent average hitter vs LH and RH he displays limited power and strikes out way too much. He only has a career OPS of .753 in over 2300 career ML AB’s.Coming off a year in which he posted a .262 avg and just 13 homers Moore needs to step it up or he will be replaced. He would probably be better suited as a super utility guy off the bench anyway.
COF- Ed D’Amico- Rookie OF with limited power. He is a high contact guy and a solid bat vs LH. He does however possess the unwanted traits of being an awful bat vs RH and not walking very much. Ed has made his name on speed though as he has been referred to over the years as one of the minors fastest players.
COF- Richard Hines- the former Rule V selection by the Anaheim Aces was traded ton the jackets just a few days ago. He is a decent overall player with no real glaring weakness and no real real strong trait. However Hines will have to raise his OPS from last year which sat at a meager .725, which for a COF is a real lag on the offense.
RATING: 5


Starting Pitching
SP1- Luis James- The former season 5 international free agent signee should make a solid impact for the jackets this year. He will be in his rookie season but the kid was handled with gloves and should be fine. He has solid control, a decent LH rating, and the Right hander is tough on Righties, he has average velocity however he will get a good many punch outs due to the fact he possess a pitching repot ire of 4 good to above average pitches. His only weakness may be he needs to keep the ball on the ground more often. Last year in AAA he showed he was ready for the bigs by blowing away the competition to the tune of 134 hits allowed in 150 innings logged. While walking 42 and striking out 132, he held opponents to a .329 slugging and a 1.27 whip. This all equaled up to a 13-4 season with a 2.87 ERA. The 23 year old deserves to be on the short list for pre season rookie of the year hopefuls.
SP2 – Emil Mercedes- Yet another example of the jackets going to their international free agent well and striking some solid talent. Emil will be making his major league debut also. Mercedes possess much better raw stuff than James however he is not near as polished. Mercedes displays excellent control and throws as hard as anybody around. He tends to sometimes forget about movement however as his opponents average against can be a little high at times and he like James better do a better job of keeping the ball on the ground at big league level. The kid has enough pitches to make it as a major league starter however, he just needs to display some mental toughness. Coming off a AAA year in which he was hit around to the tune of 159 innings 173 hits, allowing 28 homers and a .460 slugging you can be sure some ML hitters will tee of. But Mercedes did post solid K/BB 155 to 31 and a good WHIP of 1.28. His year may be up and down but the future looks solid for this 22 year old right-hander.
SP3- Donnie White- 31 year old veteran has decent ratings throughout and very good velocity but he has never put it together. Him only having 1 above average pitch is what I view as holding him back and he may be better suited for the bullpen. Last season was no different than the rest of his career, good many walks, high number of homers allowed, and ERA over 5.00 and a WHIP over 1.50. Not much else to say.
SP4- Willie Moehler- 29 year old has logged a good many ML innings and with his tendency to be hit by RH hitters, lack of velocity and lack of a 2nd or 3rd pitch I’m surprised his career ERA is under 5.00. I think this is the year he heads north of that number.
SP5- Cy Newfield- 30 year old was acquired in a trade from (AL) Helena last season and proceeded to get bombed. While striking out just over 100 and walking over 90 he allowed a very large 1.68 WHIP. He fooled the league early in his career, however the last couple of seasons tale the tale, he is strikingly similar to Willie Moehler. Needs to find a 2nd and 3rd pitch and find it fast.
RATING: 5

Bullpen
Long Relief-
R.J. Ontiveros- 27 year old had an ERA over 6.00 last year, which falls in line with the rest of his career. Other than stamina he has no ratings desired of a big league pitcher. Expect the 6.00 ERA to continue this year.
Alex Ulrich- better than Ontiveros but not much better. He has below average L/R splits and no velocity. However he possess 2 quality pitches which should aid him in keeping his ERA somewhere in the area of 5.00.
Setup
Oscar Knotts- free agent signee from (AL) Helena, the 33 year old veteran looked washed up last season while getting blasted for an ERA over 7.00. However I think he is a solid, stable veteran. In 5 of 7 big league seasons he has held opponents to under a .352 OBP and 4 of 7 held them under or right at a .255 average against. At 33 he still has 1 or 2 good years left in him.
Jeffery Hartman- 25 year old youngster that was a 2nd round pick in season 3 by the franchise may have been pushed to the big club a touch early. And he’s paid for it with 2 years of ERA’s over 5.00. Despite having good potential, until he reaches it he may be in for a beating. Last year he was hit up for a WHIP of 1.59. He needs to try and weather the storm or his once promising career could be headed down hill.
John Maeda- The 28 year old was non tendered and released by his former club the Sacramento Razors when he came up for arbitration this past winter. The jackets scooped him up in free agency and added him to their pen. Despite not having the greatest ratings in the world Maeda possesses great control and a devasting 1st pitch. Over his ML career he has posted 249 innings, with 286 hits allowed. Walked 62 while striking out 181, leading to a 4.06 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. For just over a million he was a steal in free agency.
Closer-
Sal Monroe- The former 1st round pick by the club took it on the head in his 1st big league season last year. As he went 2-13 as the closer and blew 10 saves. He was blasted with a 2.11 WHIP and 7.26 ERA. His BB/K rate was a horrible 65/53. And after posting an ERA over 5.00 the year before that in AAA I do not see this kid closing long. Look for Maeda to overtake him very soon.
RATING: 4

Overall

This team will be a solid defensive club and has some bright young players to build around. However they lack pop at the plate, they will depend on 2 rookies at the top of the rotation and 3 below average veterans behind them. The jackets will have some issues at the back of their pen closing out games and all this means more losses for the jackets. However I really like some of the things I’m seeing for the future….it’s just that the future is not now. 71 wins.




Washington D.C.
Washington D.C. Nationals (NL)
wmw4ua
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Lineup
C- Endy Ross- The 32 year old Endy has been the face of the franchise for quite sometime. He is to the Nationals what Jason Kendall was to the Pirates. Endy has spent his entire career with the Nats, and has endured a lot of losing. A solid player overall Endy is a lock to hit .300, he homer somewhere around 20 times. Where Endy will hurt the team is his defense, he is an average pitch caller and a below average thrower.
3B- Damian Dong- A 28 year old that will only be in his 3rd full season in the bigs. This kid is a solid hitter, although he struggles some vs lefties. He’ll hit .280ish with 20 homers or so. Problem is he K’s too much and his defense is a huge problem. He is a decent player overall though.
SS- Norberto Lima- This 32 year old veteran is a solid glove guy. In the last few years he has seen his range and glove start to decline, however he is still a rock solid defender. The bat is a different animal. Lima, is a decent hitter vs Right handed pitching however he provides little vs lefties and is a punch less hitter as far as power goes. On top of that Lima walks about as much as Jeff Francouer….when you bat 500 times and you draw between 20-25 walks….you have issues. Lima is a decent player, however a player like Lima better have big bats around him to cover up his lack of O.
2B- Victor Ordonez- This rookie is being brought up to provide a little pop. While he can hit it fairly well against lefties he will struggle vs RH pitching. He does have some pop, however he is just average with his plate discipline. Victor is a slightly below average defender at 2B.
1B- Andrew Martin- This Rule V theft was the first pick in that draft. Coming over from the Kansas City organization, despite limited time at AAA he is more than ready for the big league level. He will eventually(very quickly hopefully) be plugged in at 2B, as he displays a decent glove, but above average range. At the plate Martin has never displayed the pop that some scouts project for him, however he is a solid 280-300 hitter that draws walks on a regular basis. A solid guy to start the foundation of this franchise with.
LF- A.J. Wunsch- This veteran was brought in through free agency and will be given his first starting gig in 2 years. He is a very good defender in left. However, he is a below average hitter. Displaying limited power and too many swings and misses. My feeling is he is just a veteran presence in the clubhouse and is just keeping the seat warm.
CF- Herm Matheson- This young speedster came over in a deal from the Louisville Lightning. He has some tools, displaying good range in CF and speed on the base paths. However he is an awful hitter vs RH pitching, not sure if he can play everyday. He has shown some ability to hit ML Left hand pitching, however he needs to display better plate patience even against that side. Not a bad player if kept in a platoon situation.
RF- Neil Clark- The former #2 overall pick in the draft from season 4 is this franchises cornerstone. While Clark was rushed a little bit, only playing 2 seasons in the minors, he has displayed some of the great talent that had scouts drooling over him years ago. Clark’s biggest problem is consistency so far in his career, he walks a decent amount, however he has struck out more than he needs too. Also, he has hit over 30 homers both years in the bigs, but he has more power than that and I expect him to reach the 50 plateau soon. His .260 BA will go up some, but probably still looking at a .275 type hitter. Neil is also a threat too steal, swiping around 20 bases each in his first 2 ML seasons. If given the green light more often he could turn into a 40/40 threat. He’ll have to be to help the rest of the lineup out. A good player….on a bad team.
RATING: 4.0

Starting Pitching
SP1- Ivan Easley- For a 31 year old with a career ERA over 5.00 to be the #1 spells trouble. While Easley is a useful innings eater(think Steve Trachsel), he is far from a #1. He displays decent control, however he lacks velocity and struggles punching hitters out. He would be served better as a 4 or 5 starter on a contender, so look for Washington’s new management to try and move him soon.
SP2- Samuel Mitchell- The 37 year old hurler spent the last 2 seasons with (AL) Rochester. However he feels he still has gas in the tank. Despite diminishing skills I have too agree with him. He is a solid pitcher that keeps the ball on the ground and displays 4 solid pitches.
SP3- Paul Edwards- The 29 year old has bounced back and forth between AAA and the Majors for a few years now. He has struggled with his control at times however he can over power hitters at times. He displays 3 solid pitches and has a career ML ERA of only 4.06 in over 300 ML innings. I think he will have ups and downs and end up with an ERA in the mid 4’s.
SP4- Kevin Adams- Another homegrown prospect, this kid has a career ML ERA over 5.00. And its easy too see why. While he has excellent stamina, he lacks the movement or velocity to keep hitters off the base paths and as a starter that is compounded by the fact that he only has one above average pitch. I think he’s just eating innings until the new management can pump some new talent into the big league club.
SP5- Paul Ennis- this young left handed was the surprise of the year for the franchise last season. He pitched 171 innings and only allowed 152 hits, while walking 69, striking out 104 and posting a 3.94 ERA. I do think after reviewing his career stats however, this success might be short lived. This kid fights and battles and won’t get hammered due to decent control and a few average to above average pitches, however this junk baller could be caught barehanded and eventually that will cause him to give up a few bombs. I do think he is serviceable though.
RATING: 3.0

Bullpen
Long Relief
Bruce Durbin- This former all world prospect has been bitten by the Injury bug over and over in his career. He was traded to D.C. from the Louisville Lightning and the change of address and change of league for that matter could improve his chances. He will never reach the level most predicted early in his career, but he might work his way into the rotation here. Bruce displays solid control and pretty solid movement; he needs to stay healthy to move into the rotation.
Setup B-
Larry Hayes- The 30 year old setup man comes via free agency from the Florida Eagles. He doesn’t look like much, stuff wise that is. However, he displays excellent movement on 2 pitches which makes him tough too hit even though he doesn’t throw hard. I expect him to have a career year for Washington, has put up ERA’s around 4.00 in the AL, he might be somewhere around 3.50 with his new team.
Setup A-
Milton Rhodes- Crafty veteran was a free agent signee as he spent last season with the (AL) Louisville Lightning. Rhodes has driven many managers to drink in his day, as he has had dominant years followed up by years where he got pounded all over the park. He is coming off the latter, so look for the veteran to have a solid year and be moved to a contender before the trade deadline.
Matt Faulkner- Also acquired through free agency by the new management. The 36 year old has been the model of consistency throughout his career, displaying a 3.58 ERA in almost 1000 innings. He can go multiple innings, has good control and 3 solid pitches which is uncommon out of the pen. For only 1.6 million he was a steal and some contender will come calling here for sure before it is all said and done.
Closer-
Carmine Dean- a free agent signee as well, the 37 year old veteran is a shadow of his former self as far as stuff goes. But he was able to put together a solid season last year in Sacremento, going 49 innings, allowing 43 hits, while only walking 11 and punching out 47. This earned him a solid 3.44 ERA. He was excited about getting back in the closers role after winning fireman of the year for the Louisville Lightning in season 4. However this is not season 4, I see Carmine as a solid setup man being thrust into the closer role out of need. Could also be moved later on.
RATING: 5.5

Overall

This team has done some wheeling and dealing under the new management. However this will be a long road. The Pen is solid, but the starters may not be able to get them the ball until the outcome has been decided. Martin and Clark are solid pieces to build around and they have several spare parts that should pick up a few mid grade prospects toward the trade deadline. 55 wins.


NL South

Lineup
C: Star backstop David Joseph is a terrific hitter posting three consecutive .300/30/100 seasons. The younger brother of Mordecai superstar Rogers Joseph has also been lauded for pitch calling and defense as well.
1B: Lineup mainstay Donovan Forbes is another phenomenal hitter for the War Eagles. Forbes has a career .317 average and has never hit less than 26 home runs or driven in less than 106 runs in a season. He’s backed up by youngster Orlando Rivera an all or nothing type of power hitter.
2B: One of the brightest stars in the league shines at second base for Texas. Guillermo Montero has unbelievable power for a 2nd baseman and his numbers early on in his career suggest he could become one of the all time greats in Mordecai.
3B: Third baseman Mike Carson adds even more power to an already powerful lineup as well as a solid glove at the hot corner. The 6-6 Carson is a terror at the plate against right-handed pitching.
SS: 24 year old B.C. Ugueto is a very good hitter and an adequate defender with some room to grow. Ugueto’s numbers have only gotten better as he’s gained experience in his short time in the big leagues.
OF: Management favorite Victor Aparicio at the ripe old age of 21 will man left field for Texas. Aparicio is a terrific young hitter who put up solid numbers in his rookie season and looks to be a developing terror for NL south pitchers. Right field is a place near and dear to the heart of Texas fans. Matthew Ritz has been there since day one for the organization and his numbers have him nothing short of a legend. 320 home runs and 1002 RBI to match a career .321 batting average and you can see why. Center Field should be a position to watch this year with the signing of Ron Munoz to complement Al Remlinger. Both players are solid at the plate and in the field.

RATING: 9

Starting Pitching

The rotation is very strong as Richard Kim, Vin Gandarilla and Victor Machado have all proven themselves as consistent all-star type pitchers.
Richard Kim is an opposing figure on the mound. His 18-4, 2.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP last year exemplify why. Kim’s 3.44 career ERA and 114-38 career record illustrate all the more why he is one of Mordecai’s greatest pitchers.
Vin Gandarilla will enter season 8 with exactly 100 career wins, he’ll also enter with a 3.86 career ERA and an ability to eat up innings and dominate hitters. Gandarilla has compiled over 1400 innings pitched and is approaching 1000 strikeouts.
Victor Machado, at 24, has established himself as one of the bright young stars in Mordecai. Machado showed his development last year by pitching 4 complete games and going more than 200 innings for the second consecutive season.
Ruben Calvo does not have the boatload of talent that his rotation mates do but he gets the job done nonetheless. He is coming off his best season going 14-6 with a terrific 3.57 ERA and 1.27 WHIP.
Rounding out the rotation is rookie Ernie Andrews. The towering 6-7 Andrews possesses average control but his height allows him to dominate opposing right handers. He is also looking to develop a strikeout pitch but in limited time last year he posted a 3.32 ERA and looks to fit in to a strong rotation.

RATING: 8

Bullpen

It will be interesting to see where Clint McIntosh fits in to jimromes plans, whether that be the bullpen or as a spot starter. Otherwise there’s plenty of talent here, just like everywhere else on the War Eagles squad.
There may not be a set, proven closer but players like Oscar Ramirez, Willie Torres and Brad Benoit could all do the job if needed. Good youngsters Nick Kirkland, P.T. Costilla and Jeremy Keeler are also solid contributors to the pen. Much maligned, much traveled Clint McIntosh has been signed and it will be very interesting to see his role.

RATING: 8

Overall

One of Mordecai’s most storied and respected franchises is that of the Texas War Eagles. Having reached the playoffs every year and winning the division 6 of 7 years as well as bringing home the World Series trophy in seasons 4 and 5 has GM jimrome and the War Eagles a much feared team every year. 103 wins.


Lineup
C: Robert Powell is an above average defensive catcher as well as a good hitter with good power. Powell is backed by Josh Haynes, a solid backup but not the type of player that the Jalapenos would want to start more than 50 games.
1B: David Gonzalez is a very good, well rounded hitter at first base for Monterrey. With four consecutive .300+ seasons and 340 RBI in 450 games shows that Gonzalez knows how to produce.
2B: Edgar Mendoza has his share of shortcomings defensively but getting 170 home runs over four seasons from a second baseman is not easy to come by. Mendoza, at 29 still has many good years ahead of him.
3B: Jerry Evans is a very strong defensive third baseman as well as a terrific hitter. The youngster has a bevy of good young hitters behind him, some of whom will also vie for corner outfield spots.
SS: Monterrey will play two primarily at the shortstop position. Multi-talented Randall Latham and Raymond Arnold are both sound defensively as well as at the plate. Doug Long could also fill in if needed here and provide a good bat, but he will also back up the outfield and fill in in the infield.
OF: Center fielder Davey Baker is one of the megastars of Mordecai. Baker is superb defensively with terrific range and tremendous power at the plate. Baker is the driving force in the Monterrey lineup, never finishing a season with less than 100 RBI while putting up 1.000+ OPS in three of the last four seasons. He’s also proven in the past that he can be a threat on the basepaths if needed. Baker’s got some help in the lineup from outfield mate Walter Lee, signed away from Kansas City two years ago. Lee is a fantastic all around hitter who helps a very good lineup. The final outfield spot appears to be up for grabs with the possibility of rookie Esteban Johnson taking over after several good seasons in the minors.

RATING: 8

Starting Pitching

The rotation is anchored by the 18 million dollar man, Rafael Martin and features some nice talent. This area of the team, like it is for many teams, will be exceedingly key to the team’s success.
Rafael Martin has a 10 million dollar bonus and a ton of talent but has had a pair of average seasons since a terrific debut year in season 5. Martin is especially tough against good lefties but can be vulnerable to right handed hitters. He also has fabulous control and the ability to punch out most hitters.
One of two Bip’s on the staff Bip Rhodes is the rock of the rotation, a great pitcher in his own right. With a career 4.80 ERA and a tremendous ability to strikeout hitters and a delivery that allows him to beat both left and right handed hitters Rhodes is a tough man to face for any team.
Ajax Beckett, the younger brother of Mordecai legend Matthew Beckett, gives Monterrey a superb 1-2-3 starter combo. Beckett has made a seamless transition to the majors after a good minor league career, posting ERA’s of 3.90, 4.16 and 4.38. The crafty Beckett has managed to be a terrific strikeout pitcher despite not having a true strikeout pitch and has also demonstrated excellent control.
Rueben Uribe is a decent number four starter with great control and a good curveball. His fastball however is miserable and he is not very deceptive as both left and right handed hitters have success against him.
Willie Rios is a boom or bust number five. Rios struggles mightily with his control but has an incredible arsenal of pitches at his control. With five above average pitches, Rios continually keeps hitters on their toes.

RATING: 8

Bullpen

Last year’s closer Ariel Ordonez gets a new setup guy with the signing of former Detroit setup man Ricky Beimel to help a bullpen that features two good long relievers.
Closer Ariel Ordonez had a terrific season 7 converting 32 of 37 saves and really making his mark on the Jalapenos wild card season. Ordonez could be pushed by newly signed Ricky Beimel if he does not continue his dominance.
Beimel gives the Jalapenos a needed setup man and a guy who can close if Ordonez falters. Ross Stein is also a very good setup man, making the back of the Monterrey Bullpen a nightmare. Andruw Lee and Butch Blume are two good long relievers in case the starters don’t show up.

RATING: 7.5

Overall
The Jalapenos under GM cocodingle are coming off their first ever post season birth and franchise best 88-74 record. The Jalapenos are still a young team and they benefited from some tough seasons in the early stages of the world to stock the talent they have today. 95 wins.


Lineup
C: Manning the Austin back stop for the 8th consecutive season is Nicholas Howard. Howard is an adequate defensive catcher, but is a terrific at the dish as a .307 lifetime hitter. Howard’s best season came in season 1 as he hasn’t driven in 100 runs since. Backup Izzy Donovan is a pretty good hitter in his own right, hitting over .300 in 3 of his last 4 seasons.
1B: Greg Banks is all about consistency. Since coming up in Season 5, the Death Dealer first baseman has been a very good hitter despite not having overwhelming power for the position. The switch-hitter had his best season last year, hitting .337 with 28 home runs and driving in 134, all career highs.
2B: Alvin Winchester has been one of the driving forces behind the Austin franchise. His unique blend of power, speed and the ability to hit for average makes him one of the best all around players in Mordecai. Despite his defensive shortcomings Winchester has put up decent fielding numbers at second base last year and looks to start there again this year.
3B: Damaso Seneca received his call to the majors in season 4 and hit .316 with 9 home runs in only 64 games. Since then however, his numbers have not surpassed those and in season 8, he looks to be Austin’s weakest link. Sencea also struggles defensively, sporting only a 2.19 range factor for third baseman
SS: Fernando Molina is known more for his defense than his offense but the diminutive shortstop doesn’t embarrass himself at the plate as a career .287 hitter.
OF: Superstar Desi Beltran needs no introduction with over 1000 career RBI, 300 home runs and just short of 200 stolen bases. Newly signed Tony Castillo will patrol center field for Austin this year after coming over from Las Vegas with a World Series ring. Castillo is excellent defensively and also very speedy on the basepaths. Damian Person is the right fielder and is solid if unspectacular.

RATING: 5.5

Starting Pitching

The Austin rotation is a good one although they are very old, with three of the top four starters 34 or older and none under 31.
Gregory Jeter is one of the better pitchers in the league posting a career 4.45 ERA and over 200 starts. He’s also just short of 1000 career strikeouts and he’s eclipsed 200 innings in 6 of 7 seasons (well 199.2 in season 2 counts as 200 in my book).
One of the highest paid pitchers in the league Ed Flanagan could also be considered one of the most wildly overpaid. Flanagan has a losing career percentage and has been extremely up and down his entire career. He does have the ability to dominate whenever he takes the mound though, something not very many pitchers in the league can say.
Ivan Mantalban on the other side of the coin has put up consecutive sub 4.00 ERA’s since joining Austin and helps make the rotation formidable.
Del Espinoza has lost his ability to go deep into games as he’s gotten older but he’s still a tough guy to face every fifth day. Espinoza has a career 3.73 ERA and proven track record.
Jaime Ramirez is the youngest starter at the age of 27 and is coming off a tough 5-15 season. Ramirez has the tools to dominate left handed hitters but struggles against opposing righties and has yet to develop an out pitch, making him the number 5 starter in the rotation.

RATING: 7

Bullpen

The bullpen is anchored by closer Oleg Washburn who is a good one. His save numbers have gone down recently but his ERA has stayed low giving Austin a much needed stalwart at the end of the bullpen.
Setup men Tony Pena and Jimmy Fernandez are both adequate but have struggled in the recent past. Pena has the ability to dominate lefties if he corral his stuff and Fernandez has a great sinker which helps him keep the ball in the ballpark. The rest of the bullpen looks to be decided in the spring.
RATING: 6.5

Overall
The Death Dealers of Austin head into season 8 after back to back losing seasons for the first time under GM nosferatu. A team and a GM not afraid to give money to proven players, Austin has the highest budgeted player payroll in the league. 79 wins.

Richmond
Richmond MC Dixie Whistlers (NL)
jsturgis5866
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Lineup
C: “The Animal” Wolf Jackson is a definite presence behind the plate. An adequate defender as well as a good hitter at the dish, Jackson is a tough out.
1B: Powerful Byung-Hyun Ramirez is a monster at the plate. While hitting 61 homers last year and driving in 134, Ramirez did only manage to hit .243. In the Slim McDowell mold, Ramirez is an all-or-nothing type but is good enough to warrant an everyday spot in just about any lineup.
2B: Very young second baseman Edgar Mangual is an exciting talent. Without a true hole in his approach at the plate he also projects to be a very good defensive second baseman.
3B: Hector McGuire was acquired in a trade with the Colorado Springs Micheladas. A superior defender at third he is also a good hitter with 30 homer potential. McGuire should be a big boost to the Richmond lineup.
SS: Hope springs eternal in Richmond with the follow up to a great rookie season for Don Martin. A first round pick in season 4, Martin has all the tools, and as he develops he will become trouble for opponents across the league.
OF: Center fielder Luis Maduro is an intriguing player. As a superior defensive center fielder he also possesses awesome power but he does lack the ability to hit well against righties. The corner outfield spots give two players with very different skill sets. Geraldo Espinoza is an incredible speedster on the basepaths with 396 stolen bases. Clarence Merloni on the other hand is a big time power hitter looking to build on the 36 he hit last year.

RATING: 5

Starting Pitching

The rotation is strong point for Richmond and the addition of Rob Conine last year and Emil Morales this year was a big help in moving in the right direction.
Julio Delgado is a very good starter who has continually put up good numbers for Richmond. There’s not a whole lot wrong with his game, good control, splits and the ability to go deep into games and get strikeouts when needed.
Lonnie Maranville was a definite surprise for Richmond and a very good one. With a 4.28 ERA career, Maranville is a building block at 25 years old for this team. He might not have a true out pitch but he makes up for with good control and deception.
Emil Morales comes over from rival Texas and is an intriguing pitcher. With good control and some power pitches, he has the ability to be a very good starter. He does tend to struggle with left handed hitters though and is vulnerable.
Rob Conine, one of the better Mordecai Rule V picks, is poised to build on a good season 7. His ability to keep his ERA under 5 will be determined by his control. Shaky at times, when he gets it together he can be very tough.
Number 5 starter Bubba Spencer is a pitcher with good splits and great control but doesn’t have any pitches that scare opposing hitters. He’s trying to fit into a developing rotation and his success this year may be key.

RATING:5

Bullpen

The bullpen is not the most talented but has proven itself to do an adequate job.
Rudy Hinch is the closer and he posted a solid 3.83 ERA despite blowing 7 of 33 save opportunities. His setup men are good led by Greg Christianson and Andre Fick. The rest of the bullpen can be vulnerable but they also have enough talent to hold leads. The pitching staff as a hole seems to be good but not great and has a number of players that have put together good seasons in the past despite not having obvious talent.

RATING: 5

Overall

Richmond is a team in transition. There is talent but the ability to complete in the near future is hindered by the great competition within their division. 75 wins.

NL West

Las Vegas
Las Vegas Debauchery (NL)
jamesutd
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Lineup
3B- Brian Morris
LF- Brian Lee
2B- Angel Melendez
1B- Pete Shaw
RF- Vin Mendez
SS- Kent Morris
CF- Hector Montanez
C- Derek Bieser/Matthew Wright
Very good defensive unit. Has some stolen base threats that are also smart base runners. Lacks some pop in my opinion. Brian Lee is an On base machine that doesn’t strike out. Angel Melendez is very good at everything, excellent player. Pete Shaw walks a ton, his career has been erratic however in the power numbers. Vin Mendez may have hit over his head last season a little bit. SS Kent Morris hurts team some with sagging OBP but he more than makes up for it with his excellent glove and range in the field. C- Derek Bieser is a hitter that may end up in the 4 or 5 spot. He has pop as also a good backstop. Really like this kid, he could be the major power threat in this order when its all said and done. Wright provides solid defense but at the cost of a Paul Bako type bat. Lineup’s defense is a real strong suit and one of the reasons they have a chance at repeating this season.
RATING: 7.0

Starting Pitching
SP1- Philip Bacsik
SP2- Grover Sauerbeck
SP3- John Bieser
SP4- Kenny Brown
SP5- Jack Ojeda
Easy to see why the won the title last year. Phillip Basick…..nuff said. Sauerbeck and Bieser would be a lot of teams #1 starter. Brown is a solid veteran. Ojeda is a rookie who is decent. Bieser and Brown benefited by getting out of the AL which is a huge issue for a pitchers confidence due to the league having the DH and resembling softball. In a 3 out of 5 series you won’t beat Basick, Sauerbeck and Bieser. They also benefit from the great defense Vegas puts behind them.
RATING: 7.0

Bullpen
Setup-
Damion Gordon
Harvey Thurman
Leo Serrano
Miller Gold
Bartola Silva
Josh Nicholson
Sven Hammonds
Closer-
Christian Cheung
The bullpen for sure has holes. Not really a lot of bad arms, but just a bunch of decent arms. I think Miller Gold could end up sliding into the 5th spot in the rotation; mostly the 8th innings will be a grab bag between Serrano, Thurman, Silva and Hammonds. With Thurman having a slight edge over the others. I think last seasons 5th starter Christian Cheung will strive in the closers role because he has good velocity and a solid first pitch. If you are going to beat Vegas you better beat them in that 7th/8th inning area between the starters and the closers. This may be their kryptonite. However that is a very small window we’re talking about. So good luck too all at trying to expose it.
RATING: 5.5

Overall

Excellent team, lineup doesn’t have great power but they are so good defensively combined with their excellent starting pitching that it won’t matter much if they hit the ball over the fence or not. They’re 1, 2, 3 starters are pretty rough. Look for Vegas to try and make a move for a top setup man at some point, if they do that…they really wouldn’t have a weakness. Forecast 105 wins.




Vancouver
Vancouver Harbormasters (NL)
mbooker
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Lineup
James Lee
Lorenzo Sanchez
Rex Person
Buddy Flaherty
Robert Foster
Tim Griffith
Jerome Forbes
Jack Rothschild
Murray Ramsay
You can see the Harbormasters live and die with their defense. They can pick it that’s for sure. Quite possibly the best or one of the best defensive teams in the league. The lineup as far as hitting goes is not real good though. Basically a punch less group with Flaherty being the only real power threat, he walks a good bit too. Ramsay is a great defensive catcher….but he makes Paul Bako look like Babe Ruth. Griffith is a guy I really like, solid glove, high average type 3B.
RATING: 4.5

Starting Pitching
SP1- Domingo Armas
SP2- Brad Lowe
SP3- Odalis Pelaez
SP4- John Eldred
SP5- Danny Buckley
Armas is a solid pitcher in the 1 spot. Lowe dominated the NL after coming over last year, however I do not think he can duplicate that, I do think he’ll be a solid 4.00 ERA type guy. But he won’t Johan Santana-it for an entire season. Pelaez is a question marks, while Buckley is just average however he is consistent. Eldred may end up as the 3 starter.
RATING: 6.0

Bullpen
Long Relief-
Glenn Brooks
Ralph Kydd
Magglio Canseco
Setup men-
Jim Lewis
Cliff Bradshaw
Shigetoshi Chen
Closer-
Enrique Unamuno
I’m not sold on the Long Relief. I do think Kydd will eventually be used some in a setup role type. I like Chen as a bridge to the harbormasters solid closer UnamunoRATING 5.0


Overall

Good defensive team that can give a lot of people trouble when Armas or Lowe is pitching and they can get a lead to Unamuno. However I don’t think this team will score enough to help their 3-5 spots in the rotation out. Last season was a dream year in which they pushed the Vegas machine to the brink. I think this year they wake up from that dream with a little slobber on their face. All in all still a solid team however. Forecast 82 wins





Lineup
Sparky Mcenroe
Phillip Truman
Gerald Donatello
Ted Vaughn(power….doesn’t walk or double)
Will Houston-
Andres Telemaco
Fleming/Carpenter platoon at C
Phil Miller
Lineup has a couple of bright spots but way too many holes. Truman is not a good defensive CF, while one of the only power threats Ted Vaughn does not walk or double at all. Will Houston is a decent player but paid like a good player. The Fleming/Carpenter duo behind the plate is paid quite well…..but they do compliment each other great, so the backstop is a bright spot.
RATING: 4

Starting Pitching
SP1- Henry McClellan
SP2- Terry Franco
SP3- Henry Bailey
SP4- Paul Messmer
SP5- ?
McClellan is very good but he starts season on DL. Franco is a solid pitcher as well. Bailey is overpaid and probably not a 3 for a good team. Messmer can be gotten away with and the 5th spot is up for grabs. Appears D.T. King has the inside trace….however I’d probably rather have B.B. King myself.
RATING: 4.5

Bullpen

Alomar, Chen, Garcia headline this pen. The grade would be much high for the pen if not for a couple of other pitchers who probably don’t belong in the bigs. But these 3 are for sure likeable.
RATING: 4.5

Overall

I really like this teams 1 and 2 starters and they have some nice things going in the pen. However the balance on their roster between good players and bad players is huge. If they can get some average players to replace some of the junk at the bottom of the roster this team would make a move. As is they may get to a point and try too trade some of the really good pieces for some young talent. The Big 2 of McCellan and Franco could bring a fortune. We shall see. Forecast 65 wins.





Lineup
3B- Luther Hamlin
CF- Darin Jennings
RF- Phillip Maroth
LF- Al Gil
1B- Steve Thronton
SS- Gary Price
C- Anderson/Hernandez platoon
2B- Kurt Bichette
Most of the lineup has the look of a mens softball team. They can hit it. However if they plan on outscoring people they should do something about the dead weight bats behind the plate and at 2B. Overpaid veteran Gary Price at short doesn’t hit much either. However, guys like ROY-C Hamlin and studs Maroth and Gil give this lineup some serious juice. 1-5 can get it done….6-9 could be pretty easy to mow through. Lineup needs better balance.
RATING: 5.5

Starting Pitching
SP1- Charlie Gordon
SP2- Wesley Hernandez
SP3- Julio Lee
SP4- Jeremy Zentmeyer
SP5- Kirk Newman
This area will be a major problem. Rookie fireballer Jeremy Zentmeyer will be a bright spot and is quite possibly their best pitcher. Gordon and Newman can be decent and keep them in games although Newman is highly overpaid. Lee is easily the weaklink and Hernandez is not much better, Hernandez could quite possibly be the most overpaid pitcher in the league. Anaheim should build around Zentmeyer and gear the rest of their efforts towards fixing this rotation or else it won’t matter how good their 1-5 hitters do, they’ll just be outscored.
RATING: 3.0

Bullpen
Setup-
Vince Reagan
Ralph Knorr
David Chen
Cameron Mann
Reagan is a solid, underpaid veteran who is a nice little piece in the pen. Knorr is tough on lefties but gives up tons of homers and has been consistently bad in the ERA category throughout his carrer. Chen is a decent young pitcher. Mann has several .450slg allowed seasons….nothing more needs to be said(except that he makes 3.5 mil.)
Closer-
Bernie Mercado- young cheap saves guy is a solid piece in the pen also.
A couple of decent arms, a couple of guys that have struggled. Pretty much a grab bag kind of situation.
RATING: 4.0

Overall

I really like some of the players Anaheim has obtained. They should be able to build around these guys. It’s still a couple of seasons away from contending however, just too much dead weight and bad contracts on the roster. But if the rotation and 1 or 2 lineup spots could get shored up this team could make some noise in the next 2 years. Forecast 62 wins