I wanted to provide an update regarding an owner situation that the competition committee has come to a decision on. Unfortunately cnsmuck will not get to the 70 win level that was required of him due to being on probation after eclipsing 200 losses over two seasons. That being said, cn kept up a steady stream of communication about how he was trying to improve his team over the past three seasons, unfortunately he fell short. The competition committee felt he did his best and cn let us know how much he enjoyed NCAA World and if there was ever an opportunity to come back, he'd like to be considered. Shortly thereafter, Oakland's current owner, jlipp993 let me know he wouldn't be returning. After consulting with the committee, we decided to offer cnsmuck that team. We believe this is a fair deal all around. CN doesn't get to "take advantage" of several losing seasons in a row with high draft picks, etc and NCAA doesn't lose a good, quality owner who has been with this world since the beginning. Le me be clear, each member of the committee researched the moved cn has made over the last few seasons and none of believe cn came anywhere close to "tanking." However, rules are rules, and we weren't prepared to make an exception or anything like that, nor did cn has for one. We have a great owner, tbone66, who will be taking over the Iowa City franchise.
Please send me a trade chat if you have any questions and/or concerns. Thanks for your time!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Season 11 - AL Power Rankings (All Star Break)
AL Power Rankings to represent the NL in the World Series.
-Rankings are based on expected win pct (run differential), standings, and stats.
-Some owners submitted recaps of their teams, I will point that out when applicable.
Please, please, pleaseeeeeee don’t take this seriously. This is purely for fun and is just to make this blog better. This is strictly for entertainment value and to promote discussion and debate.
Contenders
1. Philadelphia Owls – jeanpaul: For the fourth season in a row, the Owls should win their division title. Second in the AL right now, they are first in HR, second in RBIs, Runs and third in batting average. On the mound, they are first in WHIP and second in ERA. After losing to Fargo last season, they hope that the addition of Otis Damon and Daisuke Suzuki will give them what they missed last season in the playoff. Key players to watch: Haywood Bryant and Domingo Servet.
2. Salem Beavers - jarazix: The season is going as planned. Currently leading the division with the AL's best record, most runs scored, 2nd in ERA. Jack Nicholas continues to develop with last years acquisition Wes Cyr alread at 104 RBI. He and Bill Morton may compete for the MVP.
On the pitching end Al Vadez is 15-2 and should compete for the Cy Young, 3 other pitchers have 7+ wins as well.
If injuries hit Chip Leonard is primed to take his spot in the big leagues.
The team will finish likely in the top 2 in scoring and record. We'll see how the playoffs go.
3. Fargo Bison - Certainly won't go out on the limb of calling the Bison a pretender like I did last season. The defending champs are leading the AL North and look poised to do some damage in the playoffs, but doesn't look like they'll achieve a bye.
4. Anaheim Trojans - Anaheim/Salem is like Charlotte/Syracuse. One team could have a fantastic season and still be stuck in the opening round of the playoffs. This team is very well rounded.
Pretenders
5. Minnesota Golden Gophers - Might be able to go on a run to win the title, but the smart money is on winning a wild card spot. Probably still a season or two away from doing a ton of damage unless they go on a "Fargo" esqe run.
6. Little Rock Razorbacks - The AL South doesn't have a team with an expected win pct above .470, but someone has to win the division.
7. Jackson Rebels - The Rebels have been bolstered by their success in one run games which has them playing well over their heads. Will battle the Razorbacks for the division title, but neither team will go far in the playoffs.
8. Cincinnati Bearcats - Treading water in the tough AL North. They have some nice prospects making debuts this season or shortly over the horizon. The future is bright in Cincy and will continue to make the AL North a tough division.
9. New York Red Storm - Almost put them in the "Is it next season" yet category, but they have been extremely unlucky this season. There is an outside chance of going on a serious streak and making a run at a wild card spot.
Is it next season yet?
10. Seattle Huskies - The Seattle Mariners have been a work in progress with four key veterans departing and nine newcomers taking their places. Two of the prospects added in the Miguel Barcello deal are already paying dividends. 23-year-old Carlos Soriano has forged a 13-4 record at the All-Star break with a 2.99ERA and 1.21WHIP. 23-year-old Angel Trevino has become the primary set-up man with a 2-0 W-L, 3.86ERA and 1.31WHIP. Tyson Seaver (2B) obtained in the Eric Haynes trade takes over at 2B and prized rookie Kevin Xiao fills Haynes' spot at 3B. C Hooks Cheney continues to impress in his second full season with .296/.362/.584 with 29 HR at the break, while Rule 5 SP Deion Moreno and veteran FA SP Al Cortes have been pleasant surprises. Hovering around the .500 mark most of the season, the Mariners find themselves having a realistic shot at the playoffs if they can keep improving as the season progresses. This would be a first for the franchise after ten seasons of mediocrity.
11. Oakland Golden Bears - All 4 teams in the AL West have expected winning pcts above .500 which is unusual. Management in Oakland didn't expect much this season so this team seems to be playing above expectations.
12. Portland Ducks – sirius07 - Honestly, I thought that the Ducks would be better this season, but it seems that something is missing in the team to make it works. If the season would end now, it would be their first 4th place in the AL North division.
We still have time to move up since the division is not very strong, but it will be hard. To be in the series, the Ducks need to finish 1st because there is better team in the wild card race.
13. New Orleans Bayou Bengals - The negative here is another rebuilding season in New Orleans, but the positive is it doesn't look like it will take much to take the AL South next season.
14. Charleston Cougars - Surprised no one has made a run at Jared Strickland as he could definitely help a contender while helping the Cougars along in their rebuilding efforts.
15. Nashville Commodores - Spending a ton of cash in Free Agency hasn't seemed to make the magic happen in Nashville. Owner meteu is a savvy veteran so could he have a trick or two up his sleeve?
16. Chicago Blue Demons - Rebuilding project continues.
-Rankings are based on expected win pct (run differential), standings, and stats.
-Some owners submitted recaps of their teams, I will point that out when applicable.
Please, please, pleaseeeeeee don’t take this seriously. This is purely for fun and is just to make this blog better. This is strictly for entertainment value and to promote discussion and debate.
Contenders
1. Philadelphia Owls – jeanpaul: For the fourth season in a row, the Owls should win their division title. Second in the AL right now, they are first in HR, second in RBIs, Runs and third in batting average. On the mound, they are first in WHIP and second in ERA. After losing to Fargo last season, they hope that the addition of Otis Damon and Daisuke Suzuki will give them what they missed last season in the playoff. Key players to watch: Haywood Bryant and Domingo Servet.
2. Salem Beavers - jarazix: The season is going as planned. Currently leading the division with the AL's best record, most runs scored, 2nd in ERA. Jack Nicholas continues to develop with last years acquisition Wes Cyr alread at 104 RBI. He and Bill Morton may compete for the MVP.
On the pitching end Al Vadez is 15-2 and should compete for the Cy Young, 3 other pitchers have 7+ wins as well.
If injuries hit Chip Leonard is primed to take his spot in the big leagues.
The team will finish likely in the top 2 in scoring and record. We'll see how the playoffs go.
3. Fargo Bison - Certainly won't go out on the limb of calling the Bison a pretender like I did last season. The defending champs are leading the AL North and look poised to do some damage in the playoffs, but doesn't look like they'll achieve a bye.
4. Anaheim Trojans - Anaheim/Salem is like Charlotte/Syracuse. One team could have a fantastic season and still be stuck in the opening round of the playoffs. This team is very well rounded.
Pretenders
5. Minnesota Golden Gophers - Might be able to go on a run to win the title, but the smart money is on winning a wild card spot. Probably still a season or two away from doing a ton of damage unless they go on a "Fargo" esqe run.
6. Little Rock Razorbacks - The AL South doesn't have a team with an expected win pct above .470, but someone has to win the division.
7. Jackson Rebels - The Rebels have been bolstered by their success in one run games which has them playing well over their heads. Will battle the Razorbacks for the division title, but neither team will go far in the playoffs.
8. Cincinnati Bearcats - Treading water in the tough AL North. They have some nice prospects making debuts this season or shortly over the horizon. The future is bright in Cincy and will continue to make the AL North a tough division.
9. New York Red Storm - Almost put them in the "Is it next season" yet category, but they have been extremely unlucky this season. There is an outside chance of going on a serious streak and making a run at a wild card spot.
Is it next season yet?
10. Seattle Huskies - The Seattle Mariners have been a work in progress with four key veterans departing and nine newcomers taking their places. Two of the prospects added in the Miguel Barcello deal are already paying dividends. 23-year-old Carlos Soriano has forged a 13-4 record at the All-Star break with a 2.99ERA and 1.21WHIP. 23-year-old Angel Trevino has become the primary set-up man with a 2-0 W-L, 3.86ERA and 1.31WHIP. Tyson Seaver (2B) obtained in the Eric Haynes trade takes over at 2B and prized rookie Kevin Xiao fills Haynes' spot at 3B. C Hooks Cheney continues to impress in his second full season with .296/.362/.584 with 29 HR at the break, while Rule 5 SP Deion Moreno and veteran FA SP Al Cortes have been pleasant surprises. Hovering around the .500 mark most of the season, the Mariners find themselves having a realistic shot at the playoffs if they can keep improving as the season progresses. This would be a first for the franchise after ten seasons of mediocrity.
11. Oakland Golden Bears - All 4 teams in the AL West have expected winning pcts above .500 which is unusual. Management in Oakland didn't expect much this season so this team seems to be playing above expectations.
12. Portland Ducks – sirius07 - Honestly, I thought that the Ducks would be better this season, but it seems that something is missing in the team to make it works. If the season would end now, it would be their first 4th place in the AL North division.
We still have time to move up since the division is not very strong, but it will be hard. To be in the series, the Ducks need to finish 1st because there is better team in the wild card race.
13. New Orleans Bayou Bengals - The negative here is another rebuilding season in New Orleans, but the positive is it doesn't look like it will take much to take the AL South next season.
14. Charleston Cougars - Surprised no one has made a run at Jared Strickland as he could definitely help a contender while helping the Cougars along in their rebuilding efforts.
15. Nashville Commodores - Spending a ton of cash in Free Agency hasn't seemed to make the magic happen in Nashville. Owner meteu is a savvy veteran so could he have a trick or two up his sleeve?
16. Chicago Blue Demons - Rebuilding project continues.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Season 11 - NL Power Rankings (All Star Break)
NL Power Rankings to represent the NL in the World Series.
-Rankings are based on expected win pct (run differential), standings, and stats.
-Some owners submitted recaps of their teams, I will post the owners name before the blurb to show that they are the author.
Please, please, pleaseeeeeee don’t take this seriously. This is purely for fun and is just to make this blog better. This is strictly for entertainment value and to promote discussion and debate.
Contenders – small number of contenders in the NL as there is a huge clump of mediocracy.
1. Charlotte Tar Heels – Leading the NL in record, winning pct, and expected winning pct while leading the league in pitching, second in fielding, and top 5 in hitting makes them the team to beat so far. However, the Orange are breathing down their neck in the NL East. Unfortunately for both teams, it looks like they have sizeable leads in the standing dept, but one will get stuck without a playoff bye for the second season in a row which is huge.
2. Syracuse Orange – Evil Doers: The Syracuse Orange are obviously a contender. We have the fourth best record with a very strong chance to make the playoffs for the seventh straight season. Winning their fifth straight NL East title may be a different story as we continue to trail the tough Charlotte Tar Heels.
Season 11 is actually going about as planned. Michael Seay continues to bash. Free agent pitcher has been as good as expected with a 10-4 3.49 at the break.
Two rookies are platooning at the top of the order, Raymond Nixon and Gustavo Savillia. Both were number one picks. They’ve been doing a fine job. Nixon has the edge with a nice .392 ob%.
Staying healthy and getting some breaks in the playoffs are what matters now.
3. Arizona Sun Devils – Welcome back to the Sun Devils who had a disappointing Season 10. I was tempted to place them in the pretender pile, just because Charlotte and Syracuse are in a class of their own, however they are leading for the second playoff bye which would be a tremendous boost to their chances. They also boast a top 5 pitching staff and lineup, but their fielding could use a boost.
Pretenders
4. Richmond Spiders – cmthieme: My performance has been in-line with expectations as I thought we had a fighting chance at the division, though I hope to pick up the pace in the 2nd half. The pitching has been acceptable and has likely been helped quite a bit by good defense. The offense has been good but inconsistent, with Enrique Sojo carrying quite a load for the team. The addition of Andrea Nelson via trade should really help bolster the offense, as should a healthy Graham Wilson, who has had 2 stints with injuries thus far, neither of which the team has played very well during.
I don't expect any more major moves as I used my main bullet in the minors to acquire Nelson. I like my chances to win the division, but I'll need to stay healthy and hope no one else in the division gets hot.
5. Kansas City Wildcats – llcc: My starting pitching has been very weak the first half of the season. I hope to win my division but my starting pitchers have got to pitch better in the second half .
6. Detroit Wolverines – tk21775: 1st half of the season has pretty much gone just like last season went. The Detroit Wolverines find themselves at the top of the NL North by six games but only one game above .500. Our pitching is outstanding once again, keeping us in most games but our offense is letting us down. Management went back to the trade block this week and continued talks that were haulted at the beginning of the season, this time making a deal to bring Erik Haynes to the team. We gave up three nice prospects to get him, although held onto Arrojo. We're hoping that by putting Haynes in the lineup along with Arrojo and the season that Wiggins and Carter are having will jump start the offensive production we have been lacking. Sanford will be off the DL in 24 days and he should give us some need power as well. The Wolverines young pitching should keep us contending for the next several seasons, now it's just up to the offense to see how far the team can go.
7. Texas Mustangs – Still has a great shot at the division, but doubtful they could make a ton of noise in the playoffs. Could use an upgrade on the pitching staff to help get them over the hump.
8. Louisville Cardinals – Treading water in the really tough NL East. Possibly could make some moves to go after a wild card or could just as easily be a seller to re-tool for next season.
9. Columbus Buckeyes – weena: So far, this has been a season of woulda, shoulda, coulda but sometimes did for the Buckeyes. We are currently in 2nd place in the NL North with a 38-49 record. We are 5 GB and 6 GA of 3rd place. On the negative side, we are tied for the league lead in 1-run losses with 18 and are 1-7 in extra inning games. A major reason for this is our bullpen's 14 blown saves.
Our pitching staff is 22 hits below average in Hits Allowed but above average in SLG. This means that the hits we do allow are more of the extra base variety. It is not too surprising then that we are above average in HR Allowed unfortunately in a home park that is near balanced. On the hitting side, we are slightly above average in OBP but near the bottom of the league in HR and 2B. We get 'em on but we can't get 'em in.
Management and coaches have discussed ways to correct some of the weaknesses in this team. Some options include trades and/or promotions/demotions in the pitching staff, adjusting aggressiveness levels in certain hitting/base running areas, and lineup changes to find the optimum spots for our hitters. Another issue that was discussed is the fact that this team is playing at a .437 pace but their Expected Percentage is .483. Hopefully, that means that we are due for some breaks and things will start to fall our way a little more.
The Bottom Line is this team should be able to hold on to 2nd place but is an unlikely candidate for a .500 season or a playoff spot.
10. Helena Grizzlies – drichar: The Grizzlies spent most of the first half surprising the NL West by contending for a top spot in the division. The team jumped off to a quick 26-23 start. Since then, the Grizzlies have fallen back going just 13-23 since their hot start. Most of the team's early success can be attributed to their rookies and free agents. Helena was lucky to bag 1 year deals with free agents SS Hamish Reynolds (.312/.406/.510) and CF Lawrence Turner (.309/.342/.546). They are leading the offense along with Rookie standout Gill Grace. Grace, a former 7th round draft pick, is near the top of the NL batting leader board with his .326 average. Free agents and rookies are the story on the mound for the Griz as well. Free Agent veteran Pete Young has been the best arm in the bullpen (3.83 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) while Rookie Victor Valdes has 19 saves. Finally rookie Jose Mendoza has the fans in Helena the most giddy about his future. The hard-throwing 23 year old is off to a 4-3 start with a 3.14 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. The Grizzlies are probably at least a season or two away from being a division contender.
Is it next season yet?
11. Huntington Thundering Herd – hurricane384: Despite turning over the roster by more than 50%, the Thundering Herd has endured a very disappointing season. The offense has put up some solid numbers but is struggling reaching base and has been let down by the bullpen and, to an extent, the starting pitching.
12. Buffalo Bulls
13. Dover Fightin’ Blue Hens: Nearing the all-star break it became clear that Dover could not contend, even in a weak division. 2 of the Rule 5 pitchers suffered injuries requiring extended stays on the 60 day DL. Management made the decision to trade a couple of veterans, Otis Damon and Charlie Spencer, to stock up on younger prospects. LF Max Peterson and SP Tom Hawkins will get a chance to show their stuff in the majors right away. LF Davy Walker and prized catching prosepct Clarence Christensen will work on their game in the minors and should play a part in about 2 seasons. Dover will continue to examine young talent in the 2nd half while trying to reach a goal of 65 wins.
14. Memphis Tigers – mh17: At the midpoint of the season, the Tigers had hoped to be a tick better than what they have shown thus far this season. The offense hasn’t produced like it did last season, but the questionable bullpen, unable to hold many leads, has once again been Memphis’s biggest downfall. The fantasy of Esteban Cedeno providing anything in the closer role has turned into a nightmare.
Memphis stands 11 games back at the break. With some luck and a couple good stretches they could find themselves back in the thick of things. But unless something is done about the inept bullpen, specifically in the later innings of games, the rest of the season could prove long and frustrating.
15. Boise Bronces – abesmem: well, it looks like we're pretenders again, disappointingly. Two big reason for our failures - Aside from Craig martin, no one is hitting up to expectations. Secondly, Hod Farrel has been quite poor in the closer role. The starting pitching has been OK, so if the bats heat up our goal is to play at or better than .500 in the second half
16. Iowa City Hawkeyes – Just had a great draft and also made some trades to win now to get over the 70 win mark. Everyone is rooting for them to do so, but either way, they are looking to next season.
-Rankings are based on expected win pct (run differential), standings, and stats.
-Some owners submitted recaps of their teams, I will post the owners name before the blurb to show that they are the author.
Please, please, pleaseeeeeee don’t take this seriously. This is purely for fun and is just to make this blog better. This is strictly for entertainment value and to promote discussion and debate.
Contenders – small number of contenders in the NL as there is a huge clump of mediocracy.
1. Charlotte Tar Heels – Leading the NL in record, winning pct, and expected winning pct while leading the league in pitching, second in fielding, and top 5 in hitting makes them the team to beat so far. However, the Orange are breathing down their neck in the NL East. Unfortunately for both teams, it looks like they have sizeable leads in the standing dept, but one will get stuck without a playoff bye for the second season in a row which is huge.
2. Syracuse Orange – Evil Doers: The Syracuse Orange are obviously a contender. We have the fourth best record with a very strong chance to make the playoffs for the seventh straight season. Winning their fifth straight NL East title may be a different story as we continue to trail the tough Charlotte Tar Heels.
Season 11 is actually going about as planned. Michael Seay continues to bash. Free agent pitcher has been as good as expected with a 10-4 3.49 at the break.
Two rookies are platooning at the top of the order, Raymond Nixon and Gustavo Savillia. Both were number one picks. They’ve been doing a fine job. Nixon has the edge with a nice .392 ob%.
Staying healthy and getting some breaks in the playoffs are what matters now.
3. Arizona Sun Devils – Welcome back to the Sun Devils who had a disappointing Season 10. I was tempted to place them in the pretender pile, just because Charlotte and Syracuse are in a class of their own, however they are leading for the second playoff bye which would be a tremendous boost to their chances. They also boast a top 5 pitching staff and lineup, but their fielding could use a boost.
Pretenders
4. Richmond Spiders – cmthieme: My performance has been in-line with expectations as I thought we had a fighting chance at the division, though I hope to pick up the pace in the 2nd half. The pitching has been acceptable and has likely been helped quite a bit by good defense. The offense has been good but inconsistent, with Enrique Sojo carrying quite a load for the team. The addition of Andrea Nelson via trade should really help bolster the offense, as should a healthy Graham Wilson, who has had 2 stints with injuries thus far, neither of which the team has played very well during.
I don't expect any more major moves as I used my main bullet in the minors to acquire Nelson. I like my chances to win the division, but I'll need to stay healthy and hope no one else in the division gets hot.
5. Kansas City Wildcats – llcc: My starting pitching has been very weak the first half of the season. I hope to win my division but my starting pitchers have got to pitch better in the second half .
6. Detroit Wolverines – tk21775: 1st half of the season has pretty much gone just like last season went. The Detroit Wolverines find themselves at the top of the NL North by six games but only one game above .500. Our pitching is outstanding once again, keeping us in most games but our offense is letting us down. Management went back to the trade block this week and continued talks that were haulted at the beginning of the season, this time making a deal to bring Erik Haynes to the team. We gave up three nice prospects to get him, although held onto Arrojo. We're hoping that by putting Haynes in the lineup along with Arrojo and the season that Wiggins and Carter are having will jump start the offensive production we have been lacking. Sanford will be off the DL in 24 days and he should give us some need power as well. The Wolverines young pitching should keep us contending for the next several seasons, now it's just up to the offense to see how far the team can go.
7. Texas Mustangs – Still has a great shot at the division, but doubtful they could make a ton of noise in the playoffs. Could use an upgrade on the pitching staff to help get them over the hump.
8. Louisville Cardinals – Treading water in the really tough NL East. Possibly could make some moves to go after a wild card or could just as easily be a seller to re-tool for next season.
9. Columbus Buckeyes – weena: So far, this has been a season of woulda, shoulda, coulda but sometimes did for the Buckeyes. We are currently in 2nd place in the NL North with a 38-49 record. We are 5 GB and 6 GA of 3rd place. On the negative side, we are tied for the league lead in 1-run losses with 18 and are 1-7 in extra inning games. A major reason for this is our bullpen's 14 blown saves.
Our pitching staff is 22 hits below average in Hits Allowed but above average in SLG. This means that the hits we do allow are more of the extra base variety. It is not too surprising then that we are above average in HR Allowed unfortunately in a home park that is near balanced. On the hitting side, we are slightly above average in OBP but near the bottom of the league in HR and 2B. We get 'em on but we can't get 'em in.
Management and coaches have discussed ways to correct some of the weaknesses in this team. Some options include trades and/or promotions/demotions in the pitching staff, adjusting aggressiveness levels in certain hitting/base running areas, and lineup changes to find the optimum spots for our hitters. Another issue that was discussed is the fact that this team is playing at a .437 pace but their Expected Percentage is .483. Hopefully, that means that we are due for some breaks and things will start to fall our way a little more.
The Bottom Line is this team should be able to hold on to 2nd place but is an unlikely candidate for a .500 season or a playoff spot.
10. Helena Grizzlies – drichar: The Grizzlies spent most of the first half surprising the NL West by contending for a top spot in the division. The team jumped off to a quick 26-23 start. Since then, the Grizzlies have fallen back going just 13-23 since their hot start. Most of the team's early success can be attributed to their rookies and free agents. Helena was lucky to bag 1 year deals with free agents SS Hamish Reynolds (.312/.406/.510) and CF Lawrence Turner (.309/.342/.546). They are leading the offense along with Rookie standout Gill Grace. Grace, a former 7th round draft pick, is near the top of the NL batting leader board with his .326 average. Free agents and rookies are the story on the mound for the Griz as well. Free Agent veteran Pete Young has been the best arm in the bullpen (3.83 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) while Rookie Victor Valdes has 19 saves. Finally rookie Jose Mendoza has the fans in Helena the most giddy about his future. The hard-throwing 23 year old is off to a 4-3 start with a 3.14 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. The Grizzlies are probably at least a season or two away from being a division contender.
Is it next season yet?
11. Huntington Thundering Herd – hurricane384: Despite turning over the roster by more than 50%, the Thundering Herd has endured a very disappointing season. The offense has put up some solid numbers but is struggling reaching base and has been let down by the bullpen and, to an extent, the starting pitching.
12. Buffalo Bulls
13. Dover Fightin’ Blue Hens: Nearing the all-star break it became clear that Dover could not contend, even in a weak division. 2 of the Rule 5 pitchers suffered injuries requiring extended stays on the 60 day DL. Management made the decision to trade a couple of veterans, Otis Damon and Charlie Spencer, to stock up on younger prospects. LF Max Peterson and SP Tom Hawkins will get a chance to show their stuff in the majors right away. LF Davy Walker and prized catching prosepct Clarence Christensen will work on their game in the minors and should play a part in about 2 seasons. Dover will continue to examine young talent in the 2nd half while trying to reach a goal of 65 wins.
14. Memphis Tigers – mh17: At the midpoint of the season, the Tigers had hoped to be a tick better than what they have shown thus far this season. The offense hasn’t produced like it did last season, but the questionable bullpen, unable to hold many leads, has once again been Memphis’s biggest downfall. The fantasy of Esteban Cedeno providing anything in the closer role has turned into a nightmare.
Memphis stands 11 games back at the break. With some luck and a couple good stretches they could find themselves back in the thick of things. But unless something is done about the inept bullpen, specifically in the later innings of games, the rest of the season could prove long and frustrating.
15. Boise Bronces – abesmem: well, it looks like we're pretenders again, disappointingly. Two big reason for our failures - Aside from Craig martin, no one is hitting up to expectations. Secondly, Hod Farrel has been quite poor in the closer role. The starting pitching has been OK, so if the bats heat up our goal is to play at or better than .500 in the second half
16. Iowa City Hawkeyes – Just had a great draft and also made some trades to win now to get over the 70 win mark. Everyone is rooting for them to do so, but either way, they are looking to next season.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Season 11 - NL West Prospect Report
All 4 owners submitted their prospect reports, thanks guys! As always, all player names are "clickable" to their player card.
Arizona Sun Devils
1. Saul Garrido - acquired via trade in season 10 Saul is an exciting player with good balance. Look for him in the majors in season 13 or so.
2. Rafael Guerrero - A strong find by my scouts in the DO, This southpaw has a blazing fastball sure to be striking out hitters at the ML level by season 13.
3. Was Achilles Harper but has since been traded to Seattle.
4. Jose Samuel - Another prospect from the DO. Signed in season 8. I don't need to tell you that lpa2a has had great success with overseas talent. But I should tell you that he just doesn't fit with the organizations plan. He's on the block and available so who knows when he'll hit the majors.
5. Was Howie Hawkins but has since been traded to Seattle.
Helena Grizzlies
1. Jose Mendoza - Mendoza was the Grizzlies first in the season 9 draft. Jose is a hard thrower that can neutralize both lefties and righties. He has 4 good pitches and could have an accelerated path to the show if the major league club needs some help to avoid the loss limit this season.
2. Devon Browning - Browning is a pure power hitter. He is soft vs. left handing pitcher and his is far from being a plus Right fielder, but Browning has 40 HR potential and that hides a lot of weaknesses.
3. Dorian Griffin - Griffin is considered by most within the organization as a major bust. He was the sixth overall pick of the season 8 draft and was deemed the centerfielder of the future. As it turns out, the scouting projections might have failed ownership. Griffin does not have the skills to play CF and his bat has not developed like they hoped it would. He may end up being a solid ML player, as he does have tremendous speed, but he will never be the savior that franchise hoped he would be.
4. Alfredo Guzman - Guzman is a former supplemental pick who has developed into a nice prospect. He has a plus arm in RF and is a heady base runner. He won't strike fear into the hearts of any ML pitchers, but expect him to have a shot at making the ML team out of spring training next season.
5. Mel Boyer - The talent level falls off after the top 4. And Boyer gets the nod over a group of AAAA guys that could fit in this spot. Boyer has developed nicely in his first year in the organization and could end up being a capable 3B. At this point I would say he has an outside change at making a contribution at the ML level in 2-3 seasons.
Boise Broncos
1. Elvis Fox - really ready now, but will be up no later than next spring. Just working on pitch selection right now
2. Terry Powell
3. Bill Crosby - just drafted and is in HiA.
4. Kenneth Wall - great curveball-control pitcher at AAA. He should be in the rotation next year.
5. Juan Rosado - solid lefty bat at AAA. He has a bit of a pitch selection problem that may never resolve itself, but his numbers have been consistently good. Hopefully he’ll contribute at the ML level next year.
Kansas City Wildcats
1. Ian Joseph - #1 pick season 9.He looks to be a great fielder will steal a few bases hit for a little power but will strikeout a lot and have a low avg.Could make majors by season 13.
2. Damaso Mota - #1 pick season 8.Having a great year in AAA I think he will be a OK #5 starter or work out of the bullpen his 1& 2 pitches are not great. Major league debut season 11 or 12.
3. Sammy Santiago - He should hit in the 270 range with 15 to 20 homers and steal a few bases. Major league debut season 13.
4. Louie Martinez - Pretty good pitcher with great control and #2 pitch but low stamina. Should be a good spot starter and work out of the bullpen. Major league debut season 13 or 14.
5. Emmett Brow - #1 pick season 7. Nice power but will hit for low AVG. Major league debut season 12.
Arizona Sun Devils
1. Saul Garrido - acquired via trade in season 10 Saul is an exciting player with good balance. Look for him in the majors in season 13 or so.
2. Rafael Guerrero - A strong find by my scouts in the DO, This southpaw has a blazing fastball sure to be striking out hitters at the ML level by season 13.
3. Was Achilles Harper but has since been traded to Seattle.
4. Jose Samuel - Another prospect from the DO. Signed in season 8. I don't need to tell you that lpa2a has had great success with overseas talent. But I should tell you that he just doesn't fit with the organizations plan. He's on the block and available so who knows when he'll hit the majors.
5. Was Howie Hawkins but has since been traded to Seattle.
Helena Grizzlies
1. Jose Mendoza - Mendoza was the Grizzlies first in the season 9 draft. Jose is a hard thrower that can neutralize both lefties and righties. He has 4 good pitches and could have an accelerated path to the show if the major league club needs some help to avoid the loss limit this season.
2. Devon Browning - Browning is a pure power hitter. He is soft vs. left handing pitcher and his is far from being a plus Right fielder, but Browning has 40 HR potential and that hides a lot of weaknesses.
3. Dorian Griffin - Griffin is considered by most within the organization as a major bust. He was the sixth overall pick of the season 8 draft and was deemed the centerfielder of the future. As it turns out, the scouting projections might have failed ownership. Griffin does not have the skills to play CF and his bat has not developed like they hoped it would. He may end up being a solid ML player, as he does have tremendous speed, but he will never be the savior that franchise hoped he would be.
4. Alfredo Guzman - Guzman is a former supplemental pick who has developed into a nice prospect. He has a plus arm in RF and is a heady base runner. He won't strike fear into the hearts of any ML pitchers, but expect him to have a shot at making the ML team out of spring training next season.
5. Mel Boyer - The talent level falls off after the top 4. And Boyer gets the nod over a group of AAAA guys that could fit in this spot. Boyer has developed nicely in his first year in the organization and could end up being a capable 3B. At this point I would say he has an outside change at making a contribution at the ML level in 2-3 seasons.
Boise Broncos
1. Elvis Fox - really ready now, but will be up no later than next spring. Just working on pitch selection right now
2. Terry Powell
3. Bill Crosby - just drafted and is in HiA.
4. Kenneth Wall - great curveball-control pitcher at AAA. He should be in the rotation next year.
5. Juan Rosado - solid lefty bat at AAA. He has a bit of a pitch selection problem that may never resolve itself, but his numbers have been consistently good. Hopefully he’ll contribute at the ML level next year.
Kansas City Wildcats
1. Ian Joseph - #1 pick season 9.He looks to be a great fielder will steal a few bases hit for a little power but will strikeout a lot and have a low avg.Could make majors by season 13.
2. Damaso Mota - #1 pick season 8.Having a great year in AAA I think he will be a OK #5 starter or work out of the bullpen his 1& 2 pitches are not great. Major league debut season 11 or 12.
3. Sammy Santiago - He should hit in the 270 range with 15 to 20 homers and steal a few bases. Major league debut season 13.
4. Louie Martinez - Pretty good pitcher with great control and #2 pitch but low stamina. Should be a good spot starter and work out of the bullpen. Major league debut season 13 or 14.
5. Emmett Brow - #1 pick season 7. Nice power but will hit for low AVG. Major league debut season 12.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Season 11 - Amateur Draft - First Round Review
These evaluations are based off of my 14 million in Advanced Scouting so there is clearly some error. This is done for fun so please don't take it personally. As always, the names are "clickable" to their player profile.
1. Nashville - Trent Keefe - Unfortunately just got hit with a debilitating injury that will keep him out for this season and a good part of season 12. Luckily he is young and has a good shot to rebound, but he lost 7 OVR points and won't be able to gain any back until a full season from now. Unbelievable split and two plus pitch projections will make him a great pitcher if he can rebound. Questionable STA/DUR ratio is a concern.
2. Chicago - Brent Bukvich - Shutdown closer who should be ready sooner than later. There always seems to be a debate on if it makes sense to use such a high pick on a guy that will only pitch 100 - 120 Innings or so, but the Blue Demons got themselves a guy that can closer down the last two innings of a game and its hard to pass that up.
3. Iowa City - David Rodriguez - Love this pick. Can easily be a #1 starter. Great control, splits, and pitches, what is not to like? Also will be ready sooner than later as he is already 22. Downside is he probably won't hit those projections, but hopefully will come close.
4. Richmond - Eddie Padden - I think cm will keep Padden at SS even though he only projects to be average defensively there. He has a solid bat that it can make sense to deal with some errors. On the flip side, he could be a gold glover at 3B.
5. Helena - Efrain Nakano - Nice pick and I bet the Grizzlies were ecstatic to see Nakano available here as he projects to a top of the rotation type pitcher. An argument could be made that since he is only 20, he is the top pitcher taken so far.
6. Memphis (type D from Season 10) - Carter Stern - Currently pitching in rookie ball where he should dominate as he is probably ready for a spot a couple leagues higher. His righty split projection is a bit of a concern, but the rest of his ratings should make up for it and be a solid starter for a long time. Sooner than later as well.
7. Columbus - Carlos Encarnacion - Health is a concern, but another nice SP selection. This draft seems to have been pretty deep in SP prospects as we'll see them pop up throughout the first round. The Buckeyes are hoping he'll be ready sooner than later as he is coming out of a full stint in college.
8. Cincinnati - Joaquin Bautista - Should be a good to very good reliever once he matures. Awesome control and a dominating Sinker will have to make up for above average splits.
9. Boise - Bill Crosby - Could be a gold glove CFer eventually. Also has the ratings to be a prototypical leadoff guy. Should steal a bunch of bases.
10. Minnesota - Darrell Alexander - Really nice value here to round out the top ten. Great control, splits, and three above average pitches are a nice find ten picks deep in the draft.
11. Seattle - Ronnie Magee - Holding out right now
12. Charleston - Fred Keppel - Should be a solid pitcher for a long time with his nice splits and pitches including a powerful fastball. He should be able to rack up a lot of innings with his STA/DUR combo.
13. New Orleans - Tomas Lucano - Definitely won't be/should not be a CFer in the bigs, but he could be an average fielding second baseman and with that bat, it could be worth it. Worst case, Lucano has a great bat to play a corner outfield position. Should hit for good average and OBP with pop.
14. Charleston (type D from Season 10) - Aurelio Navarro - After going with a SP two picks earlier, the Cougars decide to shore up their bullpen by selecting Navarro. He should be able to pitch a good amount of innings out of the bullpen and really help close out games.
15. Jackson - Charles Dickerson - Holding out right now
16. Memphis - Vladimir Quinones - Quinones doesn't get me too terribly excited due to his sub par glove. He is probably a corner outfielder and only have an average to slightly above average bat.
17. Dover - Joaquin Aceves - Not sure what to think about this pick either. He has a fantastic contact rating, but that is teamed with average power, righty split, and eye. Pretty interested to see how he develops.
18. Detroit - Keith Reese - Would be a really nice pick if his glove was a few points higher. Another interesting decision will have to be made with Reese. Do you deal with his below average fielding at SS to get his ok bat or do you move him to 3B or 2B?
19. Buffalo - Bill Johnson - I really like this selection which is a shame since the Bulls play in the NL East. Johnson projects to have very solid splits and average to above average pitches with good control which should translate into a productive pitcher one day.
20. Arizona - Thomas Obermueller - Love this selection as the Sun Devils get a very nice reliever as we enter the lbottom third of the draft. Could have gone higher and I wouldn't have been surprised.
21. Oakland - Chili Milton - I wish his batting eye was higher, but other owners have had success with below average batting eyes. His splits could make up for it rather nicely.
22. Louisville - Dustin Lefebvre - Another solid SP prospect goes off the board. The only question mark is sometimes SP's that only use three pitches can struggle from time to time, but there are plenty of examples of it working.
23. New York - Elmer Hodges - He should hit for a great batting average with his contact/splits combo. Unfortunately is a bit of a liability in the field and will have to play 1B/LF/DH, but that is one of the reasons he lasted this long.
24. Texas - Giomar Franco - Would be more excited about this pick if his control was higher as sometimes that can prove to be troublesome, but once you get this low in the first round, you have to start rolling the dice.
25. Kansas City - Tomas Ramirez - With his glove rating, almost certainly won't be an infielder and will have to be moved to the OF, but the Wildcats are giving him a shot there. Should be a decent hitter.
26. Huntington - Fred O'Neill - Hmmm...interesting selection. Great contact and power, but an awful lefty split and average righty split, but then a great batting eye. Can't wait to see what happens with him.
27. Portland - Rodney Hines - Hasn't signed and I didn't scout
28. Charlotte - Mateo Miro - (re-posted from Tar Heel Examiner) We were very pleased that Miro dropped to us at #28. Although his splits fell a little bit once he signed, we still have high hopes considering our high school scouting budget is so high. Projects to great control with 4 plus pitches will certainly help get the job done. Miro joins a deep stable of pitching prospects for the Heels.
29. Chicago - Francisco Cordero - Doubtful that his glove is good enough to play the 3B, but should be able to provide some pop from the corner OF/1B/DH positions.
30. Fargo - Rusty Stahl - Hasn't signed and I didn't scout
31. Iowa City (compensation from Little Rock for Mark Matthews ) - Hank Waltman - Quite possibly my favorite pick of the draft because it happened so late. How did Waltman not go earlier? Did the Hawkeyes scouts work a bit harder? They have to be really happy to grab Waltman after losing Matthews to the Razorbacks. Waltman should be a #2 start if he progresses well.
32. Anaheim - Don Hodges - Intriguing selection. Hopefully his glove will be good enough to play a legit 2B and if that happens and the Trojans can get a guy who plays 2B with an OBP close to or over .400 (with his awesome batting eyes) and steal some bases than Hodges is a steal.
33. Buffalo (compensation from Syracuse for Jose Barrios ) - Sammy Santana - Not too sure how great of a future Santana will have with average splits and only one good pitch. Maybe a decent innings eater.
1. Nashville - Trent Keefe - Unfortunately just got hit with a debilitating injury that will keep him out for this season and a good part of season 12. Luckily he is young and has a good shot to rebound, but he lost 7 OVR points and won't be able to gain any back until a full season from now. Unbelievable split and two plus pitch projections will make him a great pitcher if he can rebound. Questionable STA/DUR ratio is a concern.
2. Chicago - Brent Bukvich - Shutdown closer who should be ready sooner than later. There always seems to be a debate on if it makes sense to use such a high pick on a guy that will only pitch 100 - 120 Innings or so, but the Blue Demons got themselves a guy that can closer down the last two innings of a game and its hard to pass that up.
3. Iowa City - David Rodriguez - Love this pick. Can easily be a #1 starter. Great control, splits, and pitches, what is not to like? Also will be ready sooner than later as he is already 22. Downside is he probably won't hit those projections, but hopefully will come close.
4. Richmond - Eddie Padden - I think cm will keep Padden at SS even though he only projects to be average defensively there. He has a solid bat that it can make sense to deal with some errors. On the flip side, he could be a gold glover at 3B.
5. Helena - Efrain Nakano - Nice pick and I bet the Grizzlies were ecstatic to see Nakano available here as he projects to a top of the rotation type pitcher. An argument could be made that since he is only 20, he is the top pitcher taken so far.
6. Memphis (type D from Season 10) - Carter Stern - Currently pitching in rookie ball where he should dominate as he is probably ready for a spot a couple leagues higher. His righty split projection is a bit of a concern, but the rest of his ratings should make up for it and be a solid starter for a long time. Sooner than later as well.
7. Columbus - Carlos Encarnacion - Health is a concern, but another nice SP selection. This draft seems to have been pretty deep in SP prospects as we'll see them pop up throughout the first round. The Buckeyes are hoping he'll be ready sooner than later as he is coming out of a full stint in college.
8. Cincinnati - Joaquin Bautista - Should be a good to very good reliever once he matures. Awesome control and a dominating Sinker will have to make up for above average splits.
9. Boise - Bill Crosby - Could be a gold glove CFer eventually. Also has the ratings to be a prototypical leadoff guy. Should steal a bunch of bases.
10. Minnesota - Darrell Alexander - Really nice value here to round out the top ten. Great control, splits, and three above average pitches are a nice find ten picks deep in the draft.
11. Seattle - Ronnie Magee - Holding out right now
12. Charleston - Fred Keppel - Should be a solid pitcher for a long time with his nice splits and pitches including a powerful fastball. He should be able to rack up a lot of innings with his STA/DUR combo.
13. New Orleans - Tomas Lucano - Definitely won't be/should not be a CFer in the bigs, but he could be an average fielding second baseman and with that bat, it could be worth it. Worst case, Lucano has a great bat to play a corner outfield position. Should hit for good average and OBP with pop.
14. Charleston (type D from Season 10) - Aurelio Navarro - After going with a SP two picks earlier, the Cougars decide to shore up their bullpen by selecting Navarro. He should be able to pitch a good amount of innings out of the bullpen and really help close out games.
15. Jackson - Charles Dickerson - Holding out right now
16. Memphis - Vladimir Quinones - Quinones doesn't get me too terribly excited due to his sub par glove. He is probably a corner outfielder and only have an average to slightly above average bat.
17. Dover - Joaquin Aceves - Not sure what to think about this pick either. He has a fantastic contact rating, but that is teamed with average power, righty split, and eye. Pretty interested to see how he develops.
18. Detroit - Keith Reese - Would be a really nice pick if his glove was a few points higher. Another interesting decision will have to be made with Reese. Do you deal with his below average fielding at SS to get his ok bat or do you move him to 3B or 2B?
19. Buffalo - Bill Johnson - I really like this selection which is a shame since the Bulls play in the NL East. Johnson projects to have very solid splits and average to above average pitches with good control which should translate into a productive pitcher one day.
20. Arizona - Thomas Obermueller - Love this selection as the Sun Devils get a very nice reliever as we enter the lbottom third of the draft. Could have gone higher and I wouldn't have been surprised.
21. Oakland - Chili Milton - I wish his batting eye was higher, but other owners have had success with below average batting eyes. His splits could make up for it rather nicely.
22. Louisville - Dustin Lefebvre - Another solid SP prospect goes off the board. The only question mark is sometimes SP's that only use three pitches can struggle from time to time, but there are plenty of examples of it working.
23. New York - Elmer Hodges - He should hit for a great batting average with his contact/splits combo. Unfortunately is a bit of a liability in the field and will have to play 1B/LF/DH, but that is one of the reasons he lasted this long.
24. Texas - Giomar Franco - Would be more excited about this pick if his control was higher as sometimes that can prove to be troublesome, but once you get this low in the first round, you have to start rolling the dice.
25. Kansas City - Tomas Ramirez - With his glove rating, almost certainly won't be an infielder and will have to be moved to the OF, but the Wildcats are giving him a shot there. Should be a decent hitter.
26. Huntington - Fred O'Neill - Hmmm...interesting selection. Great contact and power, but an awful lefty split and average righty split, but then a great batting eye. Can't wait to see what happens with him.
27. Portland - Rodney Hines - Hasn't signed and I didn't scout
28. Charlotte - Mateo Miro - (re-posted from Tar Heel Examiner) We were very pleased that Miro dropped to us at #28. Although his splits fell a little bit once he signed, we still have high hopes considering our high school scouting budget is so high. Projects to great control with 4 plus pitches will certainly help get the job done. Miro joins a deep stable of pitching prospects for the Heels.
29. Chicago - Francisco Cordero - Doubtful that his glove is good enough to play the 3B, but should be able to provide some pop from the corner OF/1B/DH positions.
30. Fargo - Rusty Stahl - Hasn't signed and I didn't scout
31. Iowa City (compensation from Little Rock for Mark Matthews ) - Hank Waltman - Quite possibly my favorite pick of the draft because it happened so late. How did Waltman not go earlier? Did the Hawkeyes scouts work a bit harder? They have to be really happy to grab Waltman after losing Matthews to the Razorbacks. Waltman should be a #2 start if he progresses well.
32. Anaheim - Don Hodges - Intriguing selection. Hopefully his glove will be good enough to play a legit 2B and if that happens and the Trojans can get a guy who plays 2B with an OBP close to or over .400 (with his awesome batting eyes) and steal some bases than Hodges is a steal.
33. Buffalo (compensation from Syracuse for Jose Barrios ) - Sammy Santana - Not too sure how great of a future Santana will have with average splits and only one good pitch. Maybe a decent innings eater.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Season 11 - AL South Prospect Report
Fargo, Minnesota, and Cincinnati were written by their respective owners. I did Portand's report so those players/reviews do not reflect his thoughts.
All of the player names are "clickable" to their player profile.
Fargo
1. Doug Sullivan - He was a gamble when drafted, his signability was definately in question. he should be an absolute monster at the plate and hopefully a perennial MVP candidate. he was probably the steal of season 10 draft at pick 11. he has elite power and batting eye, very good splits, and high contact. he will be an average RF defensively. he is expected to make his ML debut at the end of season 12 or possibly the start of season 13.
2. Albert Garza - Signed as an international FA in season 10, he should be a very good hitter and below average defensive 2b or well above average LF. he has a very good eye, good speed, great baserunning, good power and high contact. he is expected to make his ML debut in season 13.
3. Mark Glover - Signed as an international FA in season 8. he should be a nice LH SP with 4 good pitches, with good control and very tough on lefties. he is expected to make his ML debut at the end of season 11 or start of season 12.
4. Erubiel Ordaz - Traded for in season 11 offseason. he will be a slightly above average LH SP with good control, above average splits, and good durability. he is expected to make his debut at the start of season 12, however he is ML ready now and could be called up in case of injuries or ineffectiveness.
5. Shairon Houston - Drafted in the second round in season 8. he should be a very nice addition to the Fargo bullpen next season, and if needed he could come up this season to help if we run into some problems.
Minnesota
1. Jay Rhodes, RP (s9, draft #5, AAA): Rhodes doesn't have the profile of a typical stud reliever. His greatest skill is his ability to pitch nearly everyday. Should pretty easily be able to pitch 150+ innings per year. He projects to have elite control and splits (especially vR), but the rest of his profile leaves a lot to be desired. The lack of velocity, groundball ability, and pitches will probably hold him back, but worse case scenario right now seems to be a 4.00 ERA. A pitcher that can appear in 100 games and pitch 150 innings while posting a 4.00 ERA is still plenty valuable and there is a great deal of hope in Minnesota that Rhodes will be able to best all of those numbers.
Projected Debut: This season if the team remains competitive and the need arises, otherwise s12 at the latest.
2. Bucky Arnold, SP (s10, draft #13, AA): Arnold is similar to Rhodes in that he lacks the elite pitches to make him a true ace. However, also like Rhodes his control and splits combined with his ability to pitch a lot of innings (approx 220) makes him a valuable commodity. Arnold might be better suited for a bigger park than Minnesota, since he is an extreme flyball pitcher. Despite all the flaws, Arnold still projects to be at worst a #4 starter with the possibility he grows all the way into a #2 with maybe even an All-Star appearance or two.
Projected Debut: Looks like s13, although if everything falls right s12 isn't out of the question.
3. Augie Suzuki, SP (s10, IFA $12M, HiA): Similar type pitcher to Arnold, with perhaps a little more upside (due to his elite vR rating), but with more question marks. His lack of durability will most likely prevent him from pitching more than 200 innings. Slightly more likely than Arnold to become a #2, but also has a greater probability of stalling out at a #4. Golden Gopher fans remain cautiously optimistic.
Projected Debut: s13.
4. Robert Frederick, IF (s10, draft #19, HiA): Frederick will definitely make the majors in some capacity, but his role is as of yet undefined. Best case scenario would be a slightly below average defensive SS, who could compete for the Silver Slugger at that position. More likely though, he will settle in as a 3B or 2B due to defensive limitations, but this would hurt his value substantially as his bat isn't really good enough to be All-Star quality at those positions. Worst case scenario, he ends up as a super-utility type player. His best offensive skills will be his ability to get on base (aprroximately .360 OBP) and should be a plus on the basepaths. The type of player every team needs, but not a cornerstone build your franchise around.
Projected Debut: Since glove seems to take longer to develop than other skills he most likely doesn't see the majors until s14, but s13 is certainly still a possibility.
5. Mateo Guzman, RP (s9, draft #126, AA): With a clear dropoff between 4 and 5, Guzman was in close competition for this spot without about a half a dozen others who could all be role/platoon players on a contending team. What separates Guzman from those guys is his upside. A former DITR, Guzman has made big gains in his ratings since last year's All-Star break. He will never be a control pitcher, but his splits and pitches could end up good enough for him to settle into a SetupB role. Ideally his stamina would be greater, but when it comes to DITRs beggars can't be choosers and the fact he has a chance to make the majors is in and of itself a huge bonus.
Projected Debut: No sooner than s13, however it will likely depend on need and this team has a bunch of young relievers, so could easily be pushed back to s14 or even s15.
Cincinnati
1. Omar Andujar - 21 yr old catching prospect with 3 years' minor league experience. Above avg. defensively with way above avg. offense for a catcher. High marks in health/attitude, not so high in durability. Will go to the dance this season.
2. Brent Stankiewicz - 22 yr old middle infielder with 4 yrs. in the minors. Aove avg. defensively with good middle infielder offense. Will debut this season at second.
3. Brandon Gragg - 20 yr. old pitcher beginning his 3rd minor lg. season. Control, splits, and velocity are outstanding. Pitch rating could be better. Great health and attitude, expected to debut in season 19.
4. Phil Yoshii - 19 yr old lf/1b with all-around offense potential. No skills jump-out at you; but, when you look at the whole picture his all-around abilities are obvious. May not ever be an all-star; but, will be a solid long time major leaguer. Will probably debut in season 20 or 21.
5. Marino Terrero - The Bearcats best prospect is the real 5 tool player. His defense could be better, but is good enough to play a solid right field. His offense will be superb, all-star, MVP type. The 19 yr. old will make it to the big time sooner than most because of excellent health/attitude ratings, most likely in season 20.\
Portland
1. Gary Frey - Top of the rotation prospect. Great control, splits, and pitches. he should be ready in the next couple seasons.
2. Earl Levrault - Probably doesn't have the range to be an everyday CFer, but could be a gold glover at 2B. Also should be ready by next season.
3. Felipe Concepcion - Definitely does not have the glove to play SS at the major league level, but could be a nice 3B or 2B. Decent bat, but nothing special. Should be in the bigs next season.
4. Giovanni Reese - Not too much to get super excited about here, but could be a decent bat in LF/1B/DH. Should be ready by next season.
5. Todd Morris - Not sure why he hasn't been promoted past Low A as he has the ratings to contribute sooner than later on the big stage. His righty split and eye ratings are good enough now to help out.
All of the player names are "clickable" to their player profile.
Fargo
1. Doug Sullivan - He was a gamble when drafted, his signability was definately in question. he should be an absolute monster at the plate and hopefully a perennial MVP candidate. he was probably the steal of season 10 draft at pick 11. he has elite power and batting eye, very good splits, and high contact. he will be an average RF defensively. he is expected to make his ML debut at the end of season 12 or possibly the start of season 13.
2. Albert Garza - Signed as an international FA in season 10, he should be a very good hitter and below average defensive 2b or well above average LF. he has a very good eye, good speed, great baserunning, good power and high contact. he is expected to make his ML debut in season 13.
3. Mark Glover - Signed as an international FA in season 8. he should be a nice LH SP with 4 good pitches, with good control and very tough on lefties. he is expected to make his ML debut at the end of season 11 or start of season 12.
4. Erubiel Ordaz - Traded for in season 11 offseason. he will be a slightly above average LH SP with good control, above average splits, and good durability. he is expected to make his debut at the start of season 12, however he is ML ready now and could be called up in case of injuries or ineffectiveness.
5. Shairon Houston - Drafted in the second round in season 8. he should be a very nice addition to the Fargo bullpen next season, and if needed he could come up this season to help if we run into some problems.
Minnesota
1. Jay Rhodes, RP (s9, draft #5, AAA): Rhodes doesn't have the profile of a typical stud reliever. His greatest skill is his ability to pitch nearly everyday. Should pretty easily be able to pitch 150+ innings per year. He projects to have elite control and splits (especially vR), but the rest of his profile leaves a lot to be desired. The lack of velocity, groundball ability, and pitches will probably hold him back, but worse case scenario right now seems to be a 4.00 ERA. A pitcher that can appear in 100 games and pitch 150 innings while posting a 4.00 ERA is still plenty valuable and there is a great deal of hope in Minnesota that Rhodes will be able to best all of those numbers.
Projected Debut: This season if the team remains competitive and the need arises, otherwise s12 at the latest.
2. Bucky Arnold, SP (s10, draft #13, AA): Arnold is similar to Rhodes in that he lacks the elite pitches to make him a true ace. However, also like Rhodes his control and splits combined with his ability to pitch a lot of innings (approx 220) makes him a valuable commodity. Arnold might be better suited for a bigger park than Minnesota, since he is an extreme flyball pitcher. Despite all the flaws, Arnold still projects to be at worst a #4 starter with the possibility he grows all the way into a #2 with maybe even an All-Star appearance or two.
Projected Debut: Looks like s13, although if everything falls right s12 isn't out of the question.
3. Augie Suzuki, SP (s10, IFA $12M, HiA): Similar type pitcher to Arnold, with perhaps a little more upside (due to his elite vR rating), but with more question marks. His lack of durability will most likely prevent him from pitching more than 200 innings. Slightly more likely than Arnold to become a #2, but also has a greater probability of stalling out at a #4. Golden Gopher fans remain cautiously optimistic.
Projected Debut: s13.
4. Robert Frederick, IF (s10, draft #19, HiA): Frederick will definitely make the majors in some capacity, but his role is as of yet undefined. Best case scenario would be a slightly below average defensive SS, who could compete for the Silver Slugger at that position. More likely though, he will settle in as a 3B or 2B due to defensive limitations, but this would hurt his value substantially as his bat isn't really good enough to be All-Star quality at those positions. Worst case scenario, he ends up as a super-utility type player. His best offensive skills will be his ability to get on base (aprroximately .360 OBP) and should be a plus on the basepaths. The type of player every team needs, but not a cornerstone build your franchise around.
Projected Debut: Since glove seems to take longer to develop than other skills he most likely doesn't see the majors until s14, but s13 is certainly still a possibility.
5. Mateo Guzman, RP (s9, draft #126, AA): With a clear dropoff between 4 and 5, Guzman was in close competition for this spot without about a half a dozen others who could all be role/platoon players on a contending team. What separates Guzman from those guys is his upside. A former DITR, Guzman has made big gains in his ratings since last year's All-Star break. He will never be a control pitcher, but his splits and pitches could end up good enough for him to settle into a SetupB role. Ideally his stamina would be greater, but when it comes to DITRs beggars can't be choosers and the fact he has a chance to make the majors is in and of itself a huge bonus.
Projected Debut: No sooner than s13, however it will likely depend on need and this team has a bunch of young relievers, so could easily be pushed back to s14 or even s15.
Cincinnati
1. Omar Andujar - 21 yr old catching prospect with 3 years' minor league experience. Above avg. defensively with way above avg. offense for a catcher. High marks in health/attitude, not so high in durability. Will go to the dance this season.
2. Brent Stankiewicz - 22 yr old middle infielder with 4 yrs. in the minors. Aove avg. defensively with good middle infielder offense. Will debut this season at second.
3. Brandon Gragg - 20 yr. old pitcher beginning his 3rd minor lg. season. Control, splits, and velocity are outstanding. Pitch rating could be better. Great health and attitude, expected to debut in season 19.
4. Phil Yoshii - 19 yr old lf/1b with all-around offense potential. No skills jump-out at you; but, when you look at the whole picture his all-around abilities are obvious. May not ever be an all-star; but, will be a solid long time major leaguer. Will probably debut in season 20 or 21.
5. Marino Terrero - The Bearcats best prospect is the real 5 tool player. His defense could be better, but is good enough to play a solid right field. His offense will be superb, all-star, MVP type. The 19 yr. old will make it to the big time sooner than most because of excellent health/attitude ratings, most likely in season 20.\
Portland
1. Gary Frey - Top of the rotation prospect. Great control, splits, and pitches. he should be ready in the next couple seasons.
2. Earl Levrault - Probably doesn't have the range to be an everyday CFer, but could be a gold glover at 2B. Also should be ready by next season.
3. Felipe Concepcion - Definitely does not have the glove to play SS at the major league level, but could be a nice 3B or 2B. Decent bat, but nothing special. Should be in the bigs next season.
4. Giovanni Reese - Not too much to get super excited about here, but could be a decent bat in LF/1B/DH. Should be ready by next season.
5. Todd Morris - Not sure why he hasn't been promoted past Low A as he has the ratings to contribute sooner than later on the big stage. His righty split and eye ratings are good enough now to help out.
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