The seasonal SPN Preview is upon us! This season we used a new formula that produced some... interesting results. Keep in mind that formula doesn't take into account current record.
American League
North: St. Louis Redbirds (97-65)
Redbirds fans may still be reeling from their shocking defeat at the hands of the Camels during last season's playoffs. While the gap has closed somewhat, the Redbirds are still clearly the class of the AL North. The pitching rotation isn't nearly as deep as it has been in past seasons. The loss of Sanchez two seasons ago, and Maybin this season both hurt. What was a staff that had dominant arms four pitchers deep, is now only two... Leonard and Hauser. The lack of depth in the starting pitching is the biggest hole in the roster. The bullpen, while solid, could also benefit from another solid arm. In the field, this squad is set. Campos, Lee, Salmon, Maradona... all budding stars under 30 years old. It might even have an abundance of riches. I wouldn't be surprised if, at some point this season, one of the good position players is moved to shore up the pitching depth.
East: Norfolk Whiskey Jacks (98-64)
The Jacks look to be in position to make the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season. The question is: 'Will they finally break through.' This team has established a trend of really playing like a league power during the regular season, only to flame out in the playoffs. The time is now for Norfolk as well. The usual suspects are still there: Martin (35), Whitehill (35), Wilkerson (34) and Almanza (35) has now also returned to where he played most of his career after three seasons and a WS in Scottsdale. All of those key players are still very good, but they won't be for too much longer at their age. While they may have overpaid for him, the signing of Ted Erdos gives the Jacks the best starting rotation they've had since Matos and Leonard had Norfolk across their jerseys. While Garrido, Erdos and Shelley aren't what you'd called Ace pitchers, they are all very good #2's and a solid trio to anchor the top of the rotation.
South: Houston Buushwackerz (91-71)
Last season's surprise #1 seed in the AL looks very good once again. No major signings, as the team continues to build from within. Last season's team is largely intact, with Tony Morlan now in the ML for a full season. The starting pitching is solid, though it does drop off after Owen and Moore. Adding a #2/#3 type starting pitcher is the move that would improve this team most. The Buushwackerz are loaded in the field and have an excellent bullpen. Especially at the back end with Fernandez and Meyers shortening games and giving the starters confidence. A slow start could mean trouble for this team though, and our numbers put this division as a very tight one between Houston, Charlotte and New Orleans.
West: Scottsdale Camels (82-80)
The reigning ML Champs once again have the privilege of playing in the weakest division in the AL. They should emerge from the scrap heap once again (though watch out for Anaheim). The model hasn't changed much in the desert. Get older, veteran player who feel rejuvenated playing at the Dave... and then see what happens. Roster turnover is inevitable on an older team, and that was the case here. Key players from last season, Donovan and Almanza both moved on. The big offseason acquisition was future HoFer, and former Camel arch-nemesis, Cristobal Roque. He should really enjoy hitting with a 'Day-Glo' orange jersey on. Jacob O'Day was signed to anchor the defense at short stop, and provide a serviceable bat. Veteran Al Smith will start in the OF, and add another professional bat. The pitching, after the now-legendary Gary Scott, is not very intimidating, but is serviceable. In almost any other division, the Camels would likely not make the playoffs. But if they do, surely they won't be able to make very much noise...
Wild Card: Philadelphia Stomp (93-69)
Twelve of the last fourteen seasons, Philadelphia has been in the playoffs, while playing in one of the toughest divisions in the league. You just can't count these guys out, especially as the pitching staff is always loaded with excellent arms from the franchise's vaunted International Pitching Academy. This season won't be much different. The re-singing of franchise cornerstone, Quilvio Lee, gives this team the best all-round pitching staff in the AL, and maybe the league. It will be key though, for the young Venezuelan, Andres Hernandez, to take a big step forward in his development. The highly touted pitcher has be largely disappointing in his first two ML seasons, and the Stomp will be counting on him to have a breakout season. If he does, this rotation is four deep with excellent pitchers, with fellow International Academy alums young Japanese Kobayashi and the veteran Jimmie Pulido. The bullpen should be solid around the back end too, with the veteran starter-turned-reliever Tony Espinosa, who has really thrived in that role the last few seasons, and is capable of giving the Stomp 100+ innings out of the pen. Rookie fireballer Rickey Newman is one of the RoY front runners, and has dominant stuff and capable of eating bit innings out of the pen, probably 80-90 if utilized correctly. The position players are a good mix of young (Arroyo and Hague) and veterans (Jamison, Johnstone and Broome) but there are some holes that could be improved upon during the season. If the Stomp make an in-season move expect it to be at one of the corner positions: 1B, LF or RF.
Wild Card: Charlotte Dukies (89-73)
After decades of futility, the Dukies have emerged as a consistent playoff squad in a tough top of the AL, making the playoffs in 5 of the last 6 seasons. The franchise has done it by really focusing on building a complete team, with very few holes, but also very few superstars. It has really worked well for them. In the field, especially now with the acquisition of 2B Ralph Thompson from Scottsdale (apparently the managment in the desert though he was too 'young' for their locker room...), has a very capable starter at every spot. The standouts include the aforementioned Thompson, as well as All Star and Gold Glove CF Chad Brown (who is the face of the franchise), 3B Duffy Helling, and the veteran OF Darwin Crawford. On the mound, the starting rotation is 2nd only to Philly when it comes to depth. Huang, Valent and Donald are an excellent trio at the top while veteran Alfredo Tejada and the ageless, 40-year old, likely future HoFer (and still going strong) Harold Paquette round out the rotation. In case of injury, they have Benny Bonilla in the pen as a long man, though he is still capable of providing solid innings as a starter if needed. The bullpen is very good and this squad might be the most well rounded, complete rosters in the AL. I'd be very surprised if the Dukies made any kind of major move, unless there is some kind of key injury.
In the Hunt: Kansas City Krazies (88-74)
Although we have them on the outside looking in, this is a playoff caliber squad. It just so happens that the current layout of the AL means two good teams are going to get left out in the cold. This is another one of those AL teams that had been struggling in the shadows of the Phillys and Baltimores and St. Louis' of the world that finally came into their own over the last few seasons. They have made the playoffs 3 of the last 4. The team superstar is, arguably, the best position player in the league, RF Junior Chang. Chang, Cone and Pimentel will provide most of the offense for this squad. The other position players are solid role players, who fill a need on the team. Other than RF, 1B and DH... any of the other positions are a candidate for a mid-season upgrade if the opportunity arises, though none is a weak spot either. The pitching is very good, with a rotation that runs three deep with Henry, Kim and Wilson. The back of the rotation, like the position players, could use an upgrade if the front office gets the chance on a favorable deal, but its not a necessity. Maybe the biggest room for improvement is in the pen. There are a number of middle-of-the-road type relievers, but noobdy really stands out.
In the Hunt: New Orleans Jazz (86-76)
As usual, the Jazz were very active in the offseason. And, as usual, they will be right in the mix of the playoff hunt again this season. Though they have missed the playoffs in the two seasons since their WS win, they have had a solid team both seasons, and right in the thick of the AL. While the Jazz lack a true Ace, the pitching rotation is 4 deep with Martin, Franco, Koloff and Bowker. Its one of the deepest rotations the team has ever had. In case of injury or somebody simply faltering, the bullpen possesses three players capable of stepping into the rotation if needed. The back end of the bullpen is pretty good, but it wouldn't be a bad idea if the Jazz were to find a really good arm in the form of a short reliever and took one of the long men off the roster. In the field, the Jazz are pretty much solid all around. They can put together one of the deepest lineups in the AL. The Jazz, as they tend to do, had the steal of the offseason signing Justin Kingland to fill in one of the few holes the team had. The only area that you may see an upgrade is at catcher. Jo-jo Hardy is one of the games premier defensive backstops, but simply can't hit. With the rest of the lineup though, Hardy hitting 9th isn't that much of a problem with the defense and pitch calling that he provides.
In the Hunt: Anaheim Pepper Pickers (81-81)
The AL West is pretty much a two horse race to win this down division. It should go down to the wire too. The trading of fan favorite Cristobal Roque was a very unpopular move with the fans. They may riot if he proves the key to winning the division. This franchise has fallen far from its glory days in Seasons 9-17. Since their 9 straight playoff appearances, and an AL Pennant, Anaheim has only made the playoffs twice in seven seasons and was eliminated early both times. The pitching rotation is suspect, and has alot of question marks. The bullpen, with the addition of Ken Wall from St. Louis, should be solid though and capable of holding a lead, if the starters can get it to them. In the field, the big signing was, of course, Sherman Campbell who was given a monster $110M contract. Its a good thing too. Without him, the lineup would be sorely lacking. Burnett and Dodd are solid around Campbell, but nobody else in the order will give a pitcher pause. Other than the 3B, 1B and CF spots, the other positions are all ripe for an upgrade. Despite some shortcomings in the roster, the Pepper Pickers should be a competitive team that will be contending for a weak division right down to the wire.
ALCS: St. Louis Redbirds defeat Norfolk Whiskey Jacks
National League
North: Montreal Rockets (91-71)
Last season, Montreal broke a streak of 9 straight seasons with a losing record. Will this season mark the end of 13 straight seasons without a playoff berth? This franchise has slowly built up a very complete team, with only a couple of holes. Graffanino is quietly one of the best hitters in the NL, though chances are most casual fans of the game don't know who he is. Castro, Bailey, Burke and Alonzo have all been playing together, with Graffanino, for a number of seasons. They have grown into a nice core to build around, and they are all in their primes. This team could make an upgrade in RF or C, but it'd have to be a very big upgrade to make it worth the move. The pitching isn't quite as solid as the position players, but still good enough. Masayo is clearly the team's best starter, but really better suited as a #2 pitcher on a playoff contenter. The rest of the starters are solid, but nobody really jumps out at you. If the Rockets were to acquire a #1 or #2 type starter, this team could be very dangerous. The bullpen is very good, and has a number or arms that are capable of closing games if needed.
East: Washington Generals (92-70)
This team is good, and the other three teams in the division aren't. Only Cleveland has any real chance of challenging Washington, as both Pittsburgh and Chicago are really poor teams. Last season was a big one for this franchise. It finally broke out of 14 consecutive seasons of dwelling in the basement of the NL East (including 10 last place finishes!). Fourteen consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs, and having mostly losing records. Not only did the Generals make the playoffs, but they were the NL's top seed. They may have had a case of the 'Just-Happy-To-Be-Theres' though, as they were quickly dispatched by Richmond in a three game sweep. The lineup is built around superstar-in-waiting Julian Arencibia and reigning MVP Vernon Roberts. Filling in around them are a combination of young players and established veterans that will give the Generals one of the deepest lineups in the NL, and one of its highest scoring offenses. The pitching rotation is very similar in quality and makeup to that of Montreal. Riggan is clearly the best pitcher, but is really better suited to be a #2 on a playoff team. The rest of the starters are capable, but not spectacular. This is the biggest place where Washington can upgrade, is getting a #1/#2 pitcher to pair up with Riggan. The bullpen though, spearheaded by Stokes, is very, very good and should be a pillar for this team going forward.
South: Richmond Rebellion (95-67)
Richmond has always found a way to tweak the roster and stay at the top of the NL. They have been into the playoffs in ten of the last twelve seasons. This season should find them back into the dance, and they hope building on last seasons NLCS appearance. In the field, the Rebellion boast a number of very good players, headlined by superstar 2B Luis Delgado. Edinson Hernandez, Freddie Lorraine and Juilo Borbon are all very good players in their own right, and take turns playing Robin to Delgado's Batman. If the Rebellion decide to make an upgrade in the field, they would likely do it at one of the corner infield spots, 1B or 3B. The starting rotation boasts a solid 1-2 punch of Sasaki and O'Brien with a few solid veteran/journeymen type starters rounding out the rotation. Like many squads, the addition of a #1/#2 type starter would really take this squad to the next level. The bullpen, also like many of the top NL teams, is good, but does lack another top notch arm after Scooter Simmons.
West: Los Angeles White Sox (84-78)
In the early days, Los Angeles owned the West, winning eight consecutive division titles at once point. That was a long time ago. Since that time, it has been ten seasons since this team was back into the playoffs, and in only two of those seasons did they have a winning record. It looks like things may be heading up in Chavez Ravine. The combination of a wide open division, and the farm system finally bearing some fruit with some solid young players leaves this team in a good position. Vega, Taylor, Stein and Whitman are a nice group of young players to build around. If the Sox make an upgrade, expect it at C, LF or RF. The area of need for this team though, is really in the starting rotation. There just ins't a starting pitcher on the roster that can legitimately be called anything better than a #4 or #5. The back of the bullpen, anchored by studly Flash Benjamin is solid, thought there are too many long relievers on the roster and not quite enough shut down short relievers.
Wild Card: Atlanta Soda Poppers (92-70)
The NL South is going to be very tough this year, and could very likely send three teams to the playoffs. Though the Poppers haven't had too much playoff success, only making it as far as the LCS once in franchise history, they have quietly turned themselves into what you'd call a perennial playoff team. They have now made the playoffs in five of the last six seasons.They have been doing it by Wild Card as they haven't quite seemed to be able to eclipse both Richmond and Little Rock in the same season. The Poppers lack a true superstar position player, with Luis DeLeon, Max Bernadina and Mateo Mercedes headlining a group of solid, but otherwise non-descript players. Atlanta could use a big bat to put in the lineup. Therman Olerud is a legit #1, and might be the most under-rated starting pitcher in the NL. The other starters are nothing special and the acquisition of a sidekick for Olerud would be a big move. Moving Piersall or Belliard into the rotation might be an upgrade as well. The NL seems to be full of stacked bullpens, and Atlanta is no exception. Pence, Arcia and Otanez are all lockdown arms (especially Pence and Arcia) and give Atlanta confidence when games inevitably get decided in the bullpen.
Wild Card: Little Rock Mockingbirds (90-72)
The Mockingbirds are only one season removed from back-to-back NL Pennants. Going into Season 24 with an improved roster, they were considered the runaway favorite to win the National League. They didn't. They had a very disappointing season, and an early playoff exit. They were active this offseason in response.
Free agent slugging 1B Karim Oliva was inked to a team friendly 3-year, $18M contract. The biggest acquisition though was the reigning AL MVP, 2B Dustan Bailey, who hit an incredible 73 home runs last season. He won't duplicate that feat away from the very hitter friendly Estadio Monterrey, but you can pencil him in for at least 40 bombs. The rest of the positional players are solid as well, with the exception of CF where there is a hole. The CF spot is one of the few places where the Mockingbirds could upgrade. The pitching staff led by Castillo, Sanchez and Belliard is the deepest in the NL (despite essentially trading away an entire pitching staff to land Bailey). Petit could easily move from the bullpen to the rotation to fill in if needed. While the bullpen is solid (especially Wang), its not quite as good as a number of other NL clubs. Though with their starting rotation, they will be leaning on the pen alot less than most of the other NL clubs.
In the Hunt: New York Mets (88-74)
Another team that has a long established pattern or struggling to get into the playoffs, might find Season 25 to be the one. Twelve straight seasons the Mets have missed the playoffs, had a losing record and haven't finished higher than 3rd. Vic Bennett, though sometimes lacking defensively in CF, is the now long established face of the franchise, and a star player. This season, he has some talent around him. Mangual is solid at 1B and 2B Mike Glavine could be the RoY. Most of the other spots around the diamond though, could be upgraded. The pitcher rotation is headed by Jae Xaio, who has #1 type potential, but so far hasn't quite lived up to his billing. He will need a breakout season for the Mets to make the playoffs. The rest of the pitching rotation is pretty suspect though, especially Escobar and Newson who are borderline ML pitchers at best. The bullpen though, could turn into one of the tops in the NL with Craig, Jansen and Shaw acting as a formidable three-headed monster at the back of the pen. They really can turn games into 6 inning affairs if the starters can keep the Mets in games.
In the Hunt: Iowa City Badgers (86-76)
So close. Oh so close. The Badgers were as close as you can get to a WS title last year before succumbing to the Cinderella Camels. The team returns largely intact, and why not. The pitching rotation is strong, 3-deep. They still have the best pitcher in the NL not named Pepe. The bullpen, while probably not the most dominant at the back end, is likely the deepest in the NL. In the field, the big offseason signing was CF Juan De La Rosa. The teams lacks a superstar position player, but does have a number of solid players... including De La Rosa, Meacham, Chen, Quioxote, and Wilkins. The areas where this team could improve are 3B, where there isn't really a ML level starter available or possibly at C. This squad has the potential to make the playoffs again for the 7th consecutive season, and with Matos in the playoffs, anything can happen.
In the Hunt: Cleveland Lake Shores (85-77)
The Lake Shores have been mired in mediocrity the last few seasons, making the playoffs only twice in seven seasons. They haven't been a bad squad in that period, just never quite good enough to regularly break into the playoffs. They might be in that same boat again this season in what should be a very tight NL. This season may also be Matt Wolf's retirement tour. The 38-year old is still a solid hitter, but he can no longer play C every day. Without a DH, he will now be a pinch hitter extraordinaire and bench player. He is likely headed to the HoF and Lake Shore fans will surely give him the send off he deserves. None of the position players are real standouts, but basically league average starters at their positions. Upgrades could really be made at every position, though none are sorely needed either. The Lake Shore made one big FA signing, and that was SS Esteban Lind. He is probably the best position player on the roster right now. Kelton and Lohse form a very respectable top of the rotation, and the other three starters are capable of keeping the Lake Shores in games at the very minimum. The bullpen is a bit of an unknown quantity. There are a couple of pitcher with potential in the pen, but nobody who has really established himself as a lock down relief pitcher.
In the Hunt: San Diego Wiley Coyotes (82-80)
Not surprisingly, Pepe Sosa resigned in San Diego. Also, not surprisingly, he got the max $110M deal. This team is one of the more perplexing teams in the NL. With basically the same key players, this team won 107 games two seasons ago, and seemed destined for a WS. They were upset in a tight NLDS by Atlanta but were poised for another magical season. Then, they shocked the league by laying a huge egg last year to the tune of 73 wins and missing the playoffs. Which team is this really? The contender or the pretender? This season will tell the tale. Victor Moreno and Felipe Sanchez are capable starters to follow the immortal Pepe. The bullpen could use one more arm, though Dave Kennedy is an excellent centerpiece for a bullpen. In the field, the Coyotes have a number of stars including Beech, Henry, Springer and Fischer. Hensley and Glover, while not stars are capable players. The area where an upgrade could be had is 1B, and maybe C if the right player was found. I think this squad is one of the most interesting/intriguing teams to watch.
NLCS: Montreal Rockets defeat Richmond Rebellion
World Series: St. Louis Redbirds defeat Montreal Rockets
