Ryan World Hardball Dynasty

NL/AL West S21 Preview

2011-08-15T12:14:00.001-07:00

NL WEST

Cheyenne Marmots- Starting to platoon many of the aging stars with the next generation of studs. Edgardo Lima, Ralph Terry and Del Granados Are no longer 500 Ab guys on this team but can still contribute. They might improve with time to catch their breathes. The Marmots overall are a solid offense and defensive team. In the field only Pedro Riveras fielding in center is a huge red flag where he had 4 – plays no plus plays and a .960 fielding average. He just isn't covering the area a centerfielder needs to do. AAA CF Rabbit Benton might be a solid addition to pick up the defense late in games. LF Eddie Slusarski and rookie Quilvio Cabrera along with veteran Travis Stokes make a solid core in Cheyenne and should cost a few pitchers their confidence in S21. The pitching staff will have its struggles in S21 Ace Eduardo Feliz isn't going to be ready every 5 days and will need extra rest during the season. He still can be one of the more dominate guys in the NL when he's rested right. Both Vicente Cruz and Brian Power tire quickly and if opponents increase their pitch counts the Marmots will be in trouble. If they can run a smooth game and keep their counts in check they can hold their own. Injury prone Phil Morgan has had so many issues with his elbow the past 2 seasons the Marmots have to wonder if he can be the same pitcher who went 15-5 with a sub-3 ERA in s18. If he can be that guy and stay healthy the Marmots will be sitting pretty. The pen struggled in S20 behind Babe Allen who had a poor season as the teams closer. He will be on a short leash this season being part of 19 decisions is too much for the go to closer. Cheyenne needs to be able to get him the lead and for him to hold it. Cheyenne needs to evaluate if there is another guy who can do this job better. AA Pitcher Brutus O'Keefe might be that guy, but the Marmot has been slow to move him up. More than likely we will see at some point AA relievers Harry Jones and re-tooled Everett Kennedy, both have potential.
Projected Finish: 77-85 4th Place
FA Rumors: need to look at the market for better bullpen guys.

Colorado Mile High Club- Not going to let Lucas Martin put on anyone else's uniform. Colorado blew 60M to ensure he is in Colorado through his prime. Very affordable at 10M a season. Martin is the centerpiece of a potent lineup with Frias, Pena and White all making up a strong center of the lineup. 1B Del Prieto is returning after sitting out the season with bad forearm. He is not able to play more than 250 AB anymore and Colorado will have to bring in other guys to hold down 1B. That guy might be AAA LF Aaron Walker who has the tools to play and still could grow into the role. Colorado has one of the best mixtures of Defenders and Offensive powered guys in the league, but has been unable to translate this into playoff success. You have to think this will be the season for that. The Rotation has Aces Steve O'Malley and Yorvit Vincente who both looked brilliant at time. Neither gets much respect in the way of hardware, but pitching in Colorado does do that to you. But they do an amazing job. #3 Pablo Javier is a proven veteran. Rounding out the rotation will be Scot Barnes and Damian Carter both have struggled and are wild cards when they have control of their pitches they can be among the best, but they are a crap shoot almost every night. You probably can do better than leaning on Torey Darnell as the closer, but he did save 41 last season, not always pretty, but he did accomplish that. He doesn't have to worry about the competition on the Ml roster there isn't much.
Projected Finish: 1st Place 98-64
FA Rumor: still need to improve the pen if they want to play ball with the top lineups, the back end of the rotation is too weak to lean on the Pen.

Colorado Springs Organizational Filler- Returned Pedro Cela late in FA, he is an asset for the team and should be able to hit this team to the top. He will need to find a new position with Santo Montero being paid top dollars to be the starter at SS. Look for him to play occasional CF or take over time at 3B where Walt Harris is still very good. Rookie Rickie Ray will be given a shot at 1B in the spring and by most account should win the job and compete for ROY. Ace Ismael Perez is coming off his worst season and should rebound . He leads a group on inexperience pitchers with Jim Gulan, Yusmeiro Mairena and Daniel Carson not even having a full season between them all. This will be a huge test for CSP to see if these guys can sink or swim. Veterans Dale Taylor and Everett Roosevelt will be waiting to get the call when and if these guys can't get it done. Closer by committee approach has been successful in CSP they have the right guys. Campos has been very good for many seasons, Santos Cedeno can be elite in the pen and the rest are all above average. They will be playing short and each should be worked hard.
Projected Finish 2ndt place 90-72
FA Rumor: love to see an upgrade at CF on the defense, but most likely this team can ride the way they are and trade at mid-season.

Salem Slammers: Salem is getting old fast. They still have high caliber players, but if they falter out of the gates they will be looking to move big contracts and older fading stars for a fresh start. They might be the most watched team by those looking for pieces to complete their playoff puzzle. Starters Orber Leon and Angel Mateo looked good at the top of the rotation and they kept Salem in games. Starter Charlie Johnson never seems to get his season together with shoulder troubles. Those seem to be still affecting him this spring where he looks hittable and struggles to get outs. LRP Hal Friend will be looked at to pitch Salem out of a lot of jams this season. Only his 2nd in the ML. Closer Alex Gonzales looked very hittable last season and will not be able to get away with as many mistakes this year. Salem might look to move to a closer by committee approach and just bring in the best pitcher for the situation instead of leaning on one man late in games. Minor League Closer stud Felix Tucker is still recovering from major arm surgery, when he's ready this pen will have a new look.
Projected Finish: 3rd Place 86-76
FA Rumors: they might want to sit and see where they land this season and then see if they want to add or subtract.

AL WEST

Salt Lake City Prospectors- Last season brought in Candy Zoltan to be the catalyst for the Offense and he seem to fit right in, but never dominated. Who needs to be a dominant force on this lineup when it is strong up and down with plus hitters who find a way to get the job done. Edgar Tarraga is the masher, and he is coming off a down season for production, if he steps his game up he will again drive this offense. On offense alone this team will be tops in the standing, but then you see the rotation and you really see what's going on here. Ryan Perry is 36 and still the best pitcher in the league. A future Hall of Famer, he controls and dominates games he pitches. Marty Hooper is a 3 time all-star but one of the best #2 guys in the league he is always capable of winning 18 games. Jack Coke is a solid option when he controls the pitch count, work him out of his rhythm and you get him out early. And Start working on the weaker bullpen Starter Hector Tarasco is a fan favorite, but probable not ever going to touch 22 wins again. Last season was a tough one, if he starts weak look for SLC to pull him quickly. The Pen has 3 plus arms. Trenidad Guerrero and Jose Lopez should only improve this season and be forces for the future. Wilson MacRae is a great stabilizing force. They work pretty low pressure behind a dominant starting corp.
Projected Finish: 104-58
FA Rumors: payroll is spending watch for them to let it ride.

Helena Mail Order Cowboys – Offense is in place with studs Juan Estrada and Jose Frias the rest of the guys all feature good power or plus wheels. The Defense is also close to perfect, this is an offense that can score runs and should score runs. AA Prospect Ebenezer Price could get a call up since he is just burning options in the minors and is ready to roll. The pitching will be the stumbling block again. SP Ronnie Leach is a capable starter when he is able to pitch, he no longer can throw 100 pitches and turn around and do it again 5 days later. You still need him in the lineup and he needs to return there. Jorel Stanton and Tony Rigby both walked more than they struck out. This will need to change if this staff is to get off the ground this season. Rex Plesac is not a capable ML starter and needs to go. LoA pitcher Tom Forrester might be an upgrade though he is strictly a 5 inning guy, but he is a huge upgrade to the rotation. AAA Santiago Nunez is another option for pitching. Fernando is a gem of a Rule 5 pick and should be solid this season in the pen and could be a feature in a few seasons. He is added to a group of strengths in Cody Millwood and Grant Waltman. AA pitcher Juan Cabrera is a 5M issue in AAA and should get another shot in the ML.
Projected Finish 4th 74-88
FA Rumors: need starters badly.

Kansas City McCoys – Team might be biding its time until the farm arrives. Kc is capable at the plate with Jose Uribe and D.J. Hoiles leading the charge. They brought up rookie Ron Washington to play 2B, but he might be too much of a defensive liability and end up playing more in LF/RF than at 2B. His bat is too good to pass on though. RF Claude Branson needs to use his wheels more than he has. A capable thief in the minors, he has yet to try to swipe one bag in the pros. Time for the green light on this guy. LF David Seanez is still around to tip his hat to the crowd more of a figurehead now, he still can swing the bat and hurt you if you challenge him. Starter Everett Ritz was a solid pick-up last season and was stability to the top of the rotation. Josias Martin and Aaron Shiell both are suffering from the Madison syndrome and are shell shocked after spending a season pitching in a bandbox. Martin hopefully has figured things out after his demotion to AAA and will return with a fresh mind and arm. Mark Cox is no longer a force after elbow surgery, but he is still a solid arm. The pen is the most grizzled bunch of former star relievers that anyone since Colorado has assembled. Stan Mason, Santiago Frias and Brad Maduro would all have been amazing to have together 5 seasons ago. They will try to shake off the rust and relive the glory days. This is a team waiting for super prospects 1B Tom Putnam (HiA) SS Billy Ray Rizzo(AA) LF Luis Furcal, and CL Cristian Hernandez(AAA)
Projected Finish: 84-78 3rd place
FA Rumors: 2B and another starter they aren't looking to spend long term money

Fresno Golden Falcons- Rodgers should be moved out of SS and into the outfield, he still has the bat to be a major factor, but no longer has the glove. Adding Nipsy Diaz and Footsie Long jumpstarts this offense. 3B Yorvit Gonzales and Long are both penciled in a 3B, most likely Yorvit Gonzales will move to CF where he is defensively capable. Johnny Stroud and Fergie Ryan were also both signed, one will move to 1B or DH. This is an offense that had no one outside of Rodgers coming back and has been completely retooled for the season. Walt Inge and Quilvio Javier return to the rotation with a whole new cast of secondary talent. Magglio Salinas struggled in the Nl and will look to reinvent himself in the Al with Fresno. Scouts feel he will be hit and miss, but shouldn't hurt the team with such a strong offense. Hugh Richardson won 23 games and 18 in the last, he is no longer that pitcher, but he can still pitch. 2nd Year man Wallace Lunsford will be the wildcard if he progresses the way he should this is a team on the rise. Newly acquired Closer Orlando Frias is one of the league's best backend talent. HE can challenge hitters and smoke them. He is part of a pen that could be one of the best in the AL.
Projected Finish: 89-73 2nd Place
FA Rumors: might be active in the trade market and move some congestion for another starter.

NL/AL South Season 20 Preview

2011-08-11T09:51:00.001-07:00

NL SOUTH

Memphis Amon-Ra - Add Aaron Fox and Vic Castilla to lead the lineup and they brought back the World Series trophy. Fox Struggled during the season batting a measly .225, his worst career year. He was a changed man in the post season batting .321 with 5 HR and 17 Runs, allowing the fans to forget his struggles during the season. . Still has not been a full season in the books for injury prone CF James Jefferies, if he puts in a full season this team will be a monster. Staff ace Osvaldo Azocar is coming off a down year where he couldn't buy a win and seemed to be tipping his pitches to opponents. The rest of the staff seems to adjust well to the rotation with Alvin Cameron, Mike Fitzgerald, Albert Hernandez and Albert Montanez taking regular turns in the rotation. Efrain Borland and Cesar Alfonzo have been easily excitable in long relieve and both tend to over throw the ball and miss the strike zone in tight games. Memphis might look here as an area to upgrade. The Pen returns most of their key members including Closer Bob Thome. Setup man Jack Floyd regressed last season and might be in jeopardy of losing his role in the spring. Watch for Memphis to audition a few free agents and bring in 1 more arm to upgrade the pen.
Projected Finish: 1st Place 94-68
FA Rumors: looking for a 3B and Setup help on a shoestring budget

Louisville Lions -Rookie CF Blade Duncan looked spectacular until an ankle injury sidelined

him for the last ¼ of the season. He is back and at full health starting this season. Add in youthful guys 2B Alex Kwon and C Juan Cervantes and you have a solid core to build around. There are deep holes at 3B; Where Louisville will give CF prospect Thom Rose a go at converting positions as he is blocked behind Duncan. The corner outfield positions are wide open competitions. Farm hands Julian Teheran, Steve Norton, and Steve Norton. Louisville could also bring back Damaso Mota to the ML. Most likely we will see a few Free agents brought in to solidify the lineup for the next few season since the farm is pretty bleak after Rose. The rotation is set 1 through 3 with Troy Carver, Eduardo Mercado and Calvin Coco. The rest of the rotation is tentatively Emilio Lee and, but both could be pushed by new comer Roy Ransom. Long Reliever Matt Fitzgerald could be a real asset if his work is controlled and he is not asked to over pitch on his fragile arm. The bullpen returns most of their arms with a huge upgrade at closer. Bringing in Benito Cortez on a 3 year contract to solidify the unit. Cortez commanded a large contract and signed early indicating the Lions might have overpaid for his services some, but if he can continue his late game heroics he will be worth every penny.
Projected Finish: 2nd Place 82-80
FA Rumors: Corner outfielders, upgrade at pitching long relief

Austin Knights- Last year they brought their cavernous holes into the regular season and they were grossly overmatched. This season Austin brings in major holes at Defensive positions SS and CF and offensive holes at 1B and LF/RF. . The farm seems to be void of positional ML talent, so Austin will have to fill most of these holes with their checkbook. There are a few pieces to build around such as superstar Julio Rios and Thomas Kipling to work with. The rotation is set at #1 and 2 with Ugueth Ortiz and Bruce Yarnall who should be solid again. After the top 2 the drop off in talent isn't too bad, but they will struggle to get extended innings out of Francis Charlton, Calvin Lucas and Benito Vazquez. All will be better set for long relief or spot starts. Austin might consider tandeming their starters. They could also give extended looks at Farm hands David James and Alan Keeler. Neither is going to have a long ML career, but they might be a solid stopgap for a few seasons. Add starting pitching to the need list in Free agency. Maybe a late pickup with some upside would be had for around 3-4M a season. The bullpen is some of the most flexible and rubber armed guys in the game, almost all of them are capable of pitching 100+ innings a season, which is good when the starters struggle to get 6 out of their arms consistently. 2nd Year guys Andrew Bacsik and Henry Terry are among the league's best at their positions. Farm hand Diego Calvo could be some trade bait or further enhance this strength.
Projected Finish: 3rd Place 72-90
FA Rumor: SS and CF need to be addressed first then adding pitching depth in the rotation if there is money left.

Mexico City Reds- New ownership might bring fresh life to a dismal team. Outside of rookie of the year SS Javier Ortiz, there are not many bright spots on the ML roster. 1B Fausto Rodriguez looked lost at 1B, but his bat might be too valuable right now to move him without an offensive replacement. Those replacement options might be in the minors with Clyde Kirby and Pascual DeLeon waiting in AAA. Someone is going to have to be traded to an AL team to get some value of these defensively challenged players. Dale Malone runs well enough to hold his position and should again return as the leadoff man and Bartolo Guzman (ML) is a fine defensive catcher, but the rest of the cabinet is bare. The minors have many 4A type players ready to go such as Peter Miles who features solid defense and speed, and LF Bubba Leonard who was recently added to the 40 man roster and could offer some pop to the lineup. The Reds might have to look at accelerating the timetable on AA phenom Miguel Blanco who can offer an offensive upgrade right now, but still have a lot of learning to do about hitting everyday ML pitching. This will be a tough challenge for the Reds in the Spring. The Rotation has its ace in Potvin, but there is little else right now. Closer Eddie Bruce is the only other notable pitcher, and he struggled in S20 and will continue to struggle with everyday closer responsibilities. The farmhands are at least 2 seasons away from being able to compete at an ML level. The reds can bring up and audition AA arms Jose Nunez and Frank Hammel, but neither is the answer. They could also rush Troy Corbin who is close, but still will struggle right now in prime time guys who can fill in for a 2 season window in Free Agency without blocking their prospects with huge contracts.
Projected Finish 4th Place 65-97
FA Rumor: Need to fill almost all positions without breaking the bank discount end of signing period pieces to make a lineup until the real talent arrives.

AL SOUTH

Houston Stone Cold Killers- Returns about the same team that won the Al last season. There is no surprise here; Houston has one of the top offenses in the league. Neil Robinson might be the best pure hitter in the league and he is surrounding by talent up and down the lineup. Defensively they get the job done. They will be even harder this season where they got swept out of the World Series by the more experienced Memphis. Watch for the a jump in the standings.Sweeny and Iwazaki both performed well as a 1-2 punch in the rotation, but they might be the product of this great offense which lets them pitch without much pressure. Add in Geoffery Frank and Winston Franco and the rotation is close to being set starting the 21st season. The Killers could look a number of places to fill the 5th spot. Farm Hands like Bruce Trammell and Darrin Connelly will both get looks in the spring and both could end up on the team come the start of the season. Dark Horse pitcher Brad Nelson could also turn some heads, but he is more than likely not going to be rushed into action with the solid rotation already in front of him. The Pen returns everyone including Closer Karim Espinosa; they will again be a tough group to hit on. The Killers are in a good position on the farm to deal away some pieces to bring in better arms and upgrade position for the future. CF prospects Milt Radmanovich (AAA) and Vern Meluskey (AAA) might not be superstars but they could be starting for another team and bring some return value for Houston. RF Lawrence Hutton might also be in that same situation.
Projected finish: 1st Place 99-63
FA Rumors: most likely will stay put might deal some pieces in the minors for younger farm talent.

San Juan Saints: Got to love the middle of the lineup with killer swatters Sven Kinkade and Glenn Lemon along with Kurt Morgan. This is a rounded lineup with a few holes in the outfield and possible a chance to upgrade at a few spots in the lineup. They should be fine without spending much bank as they should have a healthy Ivan Spehr back. Mike DeJean, Pedro James, and Neifi Lopez all will return to a solid rotation. Tito Chang should move to long relief or have less pressure on him to pitch more than 5 innings a game. He just wears out to quickly to be a starter anymore. Rookie SP D'Angelo Trinidad could get a shot at starting this season without much competition. Rookie RP Dwight Black could be the new closer if he can beat out Jim Small. Small though is going to fight for that position. Nothing wrong with having both in a great Bullpen Lineup.
Projected Finish: 91-71 3rd Place
FA Rumors: Utility help and another arm for the Rotation.

Texas Tornadoes: The lineup is veteran strong with a few young elite stars. 2B Enrique Alvarezis ready for a full season of action and should really show this season what he's worth. 9M star Edgardo Trinidad could be looking for another home if Alvarezis can win the job outright. 3B Jared Malone and Yadier Lopez both will be learning on the job, which should not be any issue or drop in talent. Ace Diego Gomez made huge strides in the rotation last season and should continue to be a dominating threat this season. Add in Vin Delgado, and Davey Gonzalez and the big 3 are top flight. The 4th and 5 slots might be up for grabs between incumbents Danny Young, Barney Russ, Yamil Servet and Bert Sosa with farm hands Lariel Limon and Andrew Workman. The losers of this competition might not go far end up in the pen as long relievers. Newly signed closer Diego Cruz will take over the closer duties and hope to rebound after a tough S20. He is joined by returning pen hogs Julio Arias and Armando Segui. Not sure this team can maintain their dominance, but they should be very good again.
Projected Finish: 98-64 2nd Place
FA Rumor: Pen help utility pretty complete team.

Monterrey Banditos – Offense has been improved, but there still are some offensive holes. An upgrade at CF would be nice as Wilkins might be a better role player where the team can still benefit from his speed. 3B is also a place where the team could use some fresh blood. Hatcher and Rose are both just shadows of what they were and are holding on to hopes of reclaiming their former glory. Offensively this team is one of the few which doesn't feature an everyday superstar. It will be difficult to get the offense going without that lean to bat this season. The Rotation has an ace in Javier Gonzalez, who should get a full season to show his skills. #2 men Ruben Alonso should also be able to resume his slid S20 with a mid-4 era and solid effort. The rest of the lineup will welcome in Achilles Perez and have an open competition for the final 2 spots. Between incumbent Stephen Smith, and any Free agent pickups. The Banditos need to address pitching through free agency.
Projected finish: 71-91 4th Place
FA Rumors: Need a 3B and starting pitching

NL North/ AL North S21 Preview

2011-08-05T18:51:00.001-07:00

NL NORTH

Boise Breeze: Outside of Valerio Guillen the offense has grown old and stagnant they need to add a few more bats. Rookie RF Quentin Lawrence will get a full year to show what he has to offer. He could be in the running for rookie of the year, if he is as good as advertised. Current 3B Arthur Worthington will most likely move across the diamond to the open 2B slot where is a better defensive fit for his arm. Rotation is set for the most part with 20M man Kiki Arroyo and his band of merry men in Cliff Moore, David Tavarez and Pablo Sosa. Darron Walker is the wild thing of this league with the right catcher and a generous strike zone he can be dangerous. He can also be a roller coaster with his lack of control. Closer J.P. Ordonez is one of the best in the game and one of the key reasons this team can win almost any close game. He is lights out shut down type materiel and has proven those fact years in a row. The middle relieve is average without much to tout about, but they can be serviceable.
Projected Finish: 88-74 2nd Place
FA Rumors: should be targeting another bat who can field at least 3B or a plus outfielder.

Montreal Expos They still have one of the best core hitting groups in the NL North in Harvey Carson, Oscar Baker, and Don Orosco. SS Matty Cela is a better fit at 3B maybe even in the outfield, but is a poor shortstop option and will cost the team more runs than he will produce. The Expos will be to shore up their defense if they hope to compete with the rest of the division. They need to find fielders in both SS and at CF, if they want to win. 7 year minor league pro Ken Quinn might be an option at SS, though he will not contribute much at the plate, he might not hurt too bad either. Another option might be Hi-A SS Felipe Flores who spent a season in Milwaukee in season 16 where he performed fine as a defensive specialist. LO-A RF Lenny Joseph looks pretty close to being ready and could break in to the lineup this season at 1B. The Expos have a surplus of starters who can pitch average or slightly better. No one can really stand up and lead the rotation here, but they have enough talent that they could trade away some mid-level arms to strengthen the farm or improve the bottom line. They might also add a key role player for the S21 team. SP Hal Orie has been kept out of the starting rotation for the past 4 seasons; he should make his return this season, along with #1 starter David Dominguez. The rest of the rotation will be an open competition between Johnny McGehee, Pascual Otanez(coming off knee surgery), Mariano Bonilla and Johnny Powell. The loser will join a crowed long relief field which features young Eduardo Pena and most likely an open competition between prospects Andres Brogna and Yuu Lee. Closer Preston Guerrero will potentially be showing the ropes to 7 year minor league pro Marcus Tucker who should get a look this season out of spring training.
Projected Finish: 84-78 3rd
FA Rumors: NEED SS NEED 3B.

Cincinnati Ramrod Hitting will not be a problem this season in Cinci. Cinci should have to been able to power their way to the top of the division, but instead middle their way around. A season of playing together with huge star Heath Peterman. Peterman and the rest of the crew Tony Bravo, Hector Fernandez, and Alex should meld together pretty well this season and be a tough unit to get through without being tagged. Prospect SS Juan Eusebio could find himself in a position to take over at 2B this season if he looks good coming out of spring training. The starting pitching is led by young ace Roland Bryant who looks ready to come of age this season and consistent under achiever Junior Martin, who might improve with a lower rotation spot this season. Amos Casey will be a solid #3 guy, but the rest of the rotation is in disarray . Leading contenders are incumbents Ronnie Banks and Yoo-Nah Huang. Huang has the potential, but just isn't there yet. Huang still is being penciled in at #5. The Ramrod could actively look for a #4 starter or turn to AAA prospect Jeromy Pride who arrived last season from a deadline deal with Madison. Former closers Tomas Rivas and Guy Bibby will compete for the privilege in the spring this season with the other being the key setup man. The pen is in very good shape coming into the season.
Projected Finish: 89-73 1st Place
FA Rumors: need a solid 2B and a starting pitcher.

St. Louis Twains- The lightest swinging bats in all of baseball outside of Desi Almonte the team does not drive the ball very hard, but they are fast. Easily could lead the league in stolen bases and would beat anyone in a foot race, but they are also prone to running errors, and poor judgment, This tendency has plagued Aaron Holt's career and keeps him from being in the conversation for elite leadoff man. The Twain does need to add at least 1 more guy who can drive the ball and clear the bases. Potentially an outfielder with some pop could be had at a discount. SP Yeico Chavez returns as probably the ace of the staff, he has23 career starts, but is by far the most skilled starter the twain feature. Harvey Harville and Wilson Dolan, Wilson Dolan and Eric Erikson should hold their rotation stops, but there are much more talented guys out there to look at and replace them with. Rookie Arthur Gwynn is already being written in as a ML starter this season, but he has yet to throw above a half season of AAA ball. Closers Arthur Wayne and Willie Estrada will headline an average pen. With prospects on the verge of being in the big time StL will not want to look at long term FA deals. SP Dario Chang and SS Larry Griffin (HiA) are right around the corner from dominating the league.
Projected Finish: 76-86
FA Rumors: power bat, another starter, reliever upgrade.

AL NORTH

Seattle Fainting Goats - brought in a bunch of mercenaries last season and they when they were way out of the picture traded most away for prospects. The lineup right now is piecemealed together around Dh Garret Hall (ML), 1B Torey Martinez (ML) and CF Sean Swan (ML), not much of a current offense, but if you drill down you will find a farm system choked with talent. , Seattle could bring in Storm Parrish who has cruised through the minors to take over at DH or the aging Hall. SS prospect Randall Borbon is also Ml ready and could be the everyday option at 3B. Also RF Miguel Navarro is probably a season away, but he looked hot in AA and could make the jump after a huge spring. The question in Seattle will be to wait on these young guns or roll some out this season. The rotation features trade deadline arm Buck Smith, who seem to adapt well to Safeco Field. He has his scary moments, but could be someone special in Seattle. Tony Maradona, Jaret Redman and Felipe Melendez all are coming off down seasons and should recover enough to retain their rotation places. The 5th spot will be an open competition between Jimmie Eusebio (struggled in S20) Donnie Coppolecchia (walked more than he struck out) and Tom Stahoviak (career 1.56 whip). Not one would excite too many people. AA Starter Matt Holder would be that guy, but he is probably a season away from claiming his rotation spot. The Pen should be fairly young around Cl Kenny Foster who entering his 3rd season as closer has been very successful. Should get an opportunity to see Prospects Bo Rothschild, and potentially Kenny Callaway before season's end=. Both would be upgrades in the pen Though Seattle might want to bring in some low cost filler to give these guys some more experience without the pressure.
Projected Finish: 71-91 4th Place
FA Rumors: not going to spend much to fill the holes the future is coming quickly..

Madison Massa's - The hitting is still intact led by Brett Sanders and Lee Liverman. New leadoff last season in Alex James seems to fill in fine for the traded Marcus Thompson. Defensively this is a stronger team than 1 season ago, but they still need to find a better platoon partner for Jeromy Sele than Pedro Chavez . The lineup is younger than in the past and has more potential which bodes well for Madison in the Standings. The rotation is also pretty close to set with Ray Wright and Hideo Tamura playing a strong 1-2 punch and Trade deadline adds Albert Maurer and Rob Black (who went 9-1 in a Massa uniform). The 5th spot is up for grabs between Jesus Azocar and William Gibson who have both experienced the long relief and starting roles on this team last season. The pen is showing its age with Neil Young being elite closer and his band of top notched setup men. With no one under 30 they are the now unit. Many
Projected Finish: 92-70 2nd Place
FA Rumors: Tandem starter for SS pitching depth

Burlington Ice Storm (AL) three very similar Catchers could open one up for a trade. The storm need to add an upgrade at 2B and their Catcher depth might facilitate that. Burlington is strong across the lineup. With young studs David Johnson, Earl Boswell, Benny Sherman, and Alex Lucano. Many came to the league early and have plenty of on the job learning. The storm should be in a position to hit their way toward the top of the AL. Sp Josias Cortez is the ace in waiting, but he is still a few seasons away from commanding games, right now he is just a young guy with loads of potential. Current starters Patrick Foster and Jody Olsen both are coming of great seasons, expect them to come down to Earth some. SP Alfredo Andujar is also a guy who is playing before his time, he will have his ups and downs. Pitcher Donaldo Gonzalez is most likely on the hot seat and could have competition both from FA and from last season's #6 pick Victor Lopez. He like most of the storms pitching isn't ready, but hell he's full of talent. The best choice might be AAA pitcher Johnny Smart who can play now at a high level, but might require a few extra days off during the season. The Pen is made of 2 top end arms in Miguel Mondesi and Reagan McQuillan but the rest of the pen will struggle and lost the storm some games. Burlington might be able to turn 7 year pro SS Hunter King into a reliever with interest from other teams. Still think the pitching is at least 1 year away from being eaten alive by the rest of the division, but they should realize 500 this season
Projected Finish: 82-80
FA Rumors: Pitching help for the Pen maybe a short term deal for the rotation as an upgrade.

Minnesota Wobegon's Best hitting team in the division when Healthy. Herm Young, Jose Ayala, Murray Woolf and Bo Glanville all return to the center of the lineup. LF Tsubasa Kojima looks healthy for the 1st time in 2 seasons and could be hitting closer to .300 than .250 this season. This is a very capable hitting squad who should be able to make the game fun and be the team to beat in the North. But this has been the case for 3 seasons and huge injuries and bad luck have dimmed the dreams of the Wobegon's. Pitching is incredible deep with top end starters Damaso Martinez, Sterling Daniels, Antonio Lankford, and Steven Adcock. They should be the toughest in the AL, once they realize their talents..
Projected Finish: 94-68 1st Place
FA Rumors: Utility players on the cheap end.

S21 NL South/ AL South

2011-08-04T17:35:00.001-07:00

NL EAST

Norfolk Train Wrecks: Inexpensive and talented group who will be building on last season's success. You have to love the middle of the lineup featuring the likes of 1B Max Bennett, 2B Bobby McClain and clean-up man Gustavo Figureoa. SS Al Encarnacion came in strong for his rookie campaign but also showed that he wasn't as durable as Norfolk hoped tiring 3/4^th through the season. Norfolk will need to bring in a comparable glove and bat to rest him more or be willing to rest Al more for his defensive replacement Tike Shelley, who has a history of struggles and is up for arbitration. Norfolk also needs to find another guy to plant on top of their batting order who can be a base threat other than Encarnacion. Norfolk should also be shopping around for upgrades at 3B where Felipe Campo just exists, but doesn't seem to excel at any one thing. OF Duffy Hudek could get some spring time reps at the hot corner. The farm is still choked full of talent with 2B Del Hyun getting a spring audition, but still a season away. Of prospect Hector Purcell should get plenty of notice in the spring as well and could crack the team as a 4^th outfield, he will be competing with Frank Kulik. No reason Prospect SP Joshua Quinn isn't in Norfolk in the spring, he dominated the farm splitting time between AA and AAA last season, and has nothing left to prove. Adding him to the top of the rotation will give Norfolk a huge 1-2-3 punch with O'Donnell and Henry. The 4^th and 5^th rotation spots are a bit of a tossup veterans Samuel Jackson and Wayne Clark both have not shown much to have faith in handing the rock to every 5^th day. Rule 5 pick-up Fred Boucher seems to be a better fit for long relieve, but did perform solidly in his brief starts. Also in the mix for the final spots might be international Prospect Matty Tatis who commanded 22.8M in bonus money last season. He will not be in the minors for long at that sum and should see if he can make the break this spring. Also in the mix is AAA pitcher Matty Tatis who showed some command issues last season in AAA, but is said to have work out his mechanics this winter and is looking sharp off the mound. The Pen should get a full season of newly touted closer Larry High who looked in control in his 9 appearances in season 20. He will be joined by setup men Charles Bang, rule 5 season 20 and former closer Frank Jackson. The Pen should be a position of strength for Norfolk in Season 21. Norfolk still could invest some capital in finding a strong FA starter and give Tatis another year to season. They might also be able to swing an upgrade for 3B and Defensive specialist to round out the team.

Projected Finish: 92-70 2nd place
FA Rumors: NEEDS LEAD OFF HITTER, PITCHING UTILITY HELP all get some consideration.

New York Dolls- Once again the Dolls will be the team to beat in the NL East. From top to bottom they have the most potent offense to work with. -1B Kenneth Springer is a consistent threat to hit 50 home runs. And Shayne Owens has found his stroke lead off this offensive juggernaut. The bench and defense might be a little undersized and on off days for the starters this team could be vulnerable. Bart Hogan and Christopher Joseph both will compete to be Ben Hogan's backup at catcher. Neither offers much behind the dish, but both can be offensive threats. Hogan himself also lacks a lot of catching finesse. Utility man Moises Bonilla seems to offer speed off the bench, but he finds himself struggling in the key defensive positions of Shortstop and Centerfield where he is a defensive downgrade over the starters. AAA SS Ernest Sutcliffe could be a fine replacement and a low cost alternative in the utility role this season. AAA 2B James Pribanic will also garner a few extra reps to see if he can offer some speed and defense for the bench as well in the spring. The pitching staff is developing flaws that other teams seem to be eating up. Shayne Nagy has struggled with his control and is looking increasingly hittable the past 2 seasons, although he still has the potential to dominate any game. Starter Dick Lewis also finds himself looking at the plus side of 4 the past few seasons, a rare experience for NY starters. A lot of hope is riding on Alex Alomar's arm this season. He has been a bust so far in his career and seems to be getting compared to other high potential prospects that never seemed to carry that potential into the ML. This will be his make or break season. The pen will be able to hold most any lead given to them and should serve as the nail on many NL team's coffins. The 5^th starter spot competition is wide open with a few long relievers who could capable step u. NY also has a few arms that have nothing left to prove in AAA in Juan Belliard and Vic Cruz; both could be in NY uniforms at some point in the season or be playing elsewhere. Neither is going to win a Cy Young, but they might be solid 5^th starter investments. NY could also try to make a splash and land another top end starter and further separate themselves from the pack or even bring back FA-to-be Allen Roundtree.

Projected Finish: 99-63 1st Place
FA Rumor: bottom end starter on a 1 year contract Defensive utility guy. Defensive Catcher.

Hartford Whalers- New Ownership might mean a new direction for a team which has many holes on the offense and defense. Catcher still stands as a position of need. Marcus Thompson a trade deadline acquisition is a professional lead-off hitting machine, but he is blocked in the field by the superior Larry Perry. His best move might be to take over at 1B and upgrade that position of need. The middle of the lineup is strong with the aforementioned Perry, Thompson and CF Midre Jordan. The rest of the lineup is very pedestrian and could use another bat to tighten up the offense in a tough division. The starting pitching is above average at the top of the rotation with Parrish and Crosby, but takes a big dip in the middle with Alberto Rodriguez and John Jensen. Rodriguez seems to underperform and might prove a quality innings with more seasoning right now he has been hit or miss with each start. The Whalers should be in the running for a flasher starter to add to the rotation. The bullpen can hold its own with Joe Coleman and closer Howard Neal. Both are coming off tough seasons, but should bounce back this year. Neal is starting to let his mileage show but he still can be one of the better relievers in the game any given day. Luis Perez should probably he looking for work elsewhere and would be an easy reliever to upgrade on. Not much to look for on the farm yet. To fill their holes they will have to find those answers through trade or Free Agency. If Hartford gets to worried they could look to bring back both Schultz and Estrada as part-time platoon partners to fill the gaps in the offense.
Projected Finish: 76-86 4th Place
FA rumors: need to add a catcher and one more offensive weapon.

Atlanta Braves- Give this teams an everyday 1st and 2B that can produce consistently and you could have one of the better offensive teams. The mid-season trade that landed them C Santiago seems to have worked out well giving the Braves a solid 1-2 behind the dish. Grace, Tartabull, Nunez, and Post are all 30 this year, so it gives the season a now or never vibe. The team will miss the offense of Tim Sutton, but his price will be quite restrictive and might better serve the team as a Compensation Pick. Young Stud Woodie Gross though gives the future a nice glean. The pitching rotation is seasoned well and should hold their own in S21. They tire very easily though and will depend heavily on the pen to throw a lot of innings. Atlanta might want to look for a workhorse starter to give the pen a rest on occasion. Atlanta does have Ricardo Martinez and Ivan Johnson in the pen both are capable of 100+ out of the pen and both throw quality innings. Not enough ready on the farm to fill the holes in the lineup and rotation, Atlanta will have to make smart moves in Free agency or through trades.
Projected Finish: 78-84 3rd Place
FA Rumors: Looking at 1B, 2B and a workhorse starter.

AL East

Toledo Mudhens - Huge hole exists at CF. Rhodes is at best a part time starter at 2B and SS Cesar Carreras has 284 career at bats in 11 seasons of pro ball. The offense has a number of huge contracts on that the new ownership will have to tip toe around, while filling holes in the lineup. The offense still has plus weapons in Pedro Osuna, Jose Park and Dan Kashmir. Al Frazier is a solid bench player at this point in his career. And should get a good number of at bats . Former ace Alex Wang looks worn-down after last season and might to be able to give the Hens a quality 6 innings this season. He is still a guy you need to get into the game and his best contribution might be as a setup guy. Starters Juan Escuela and Joel Perry should bookend the rotation, but the middle of the rotation will be up for grabs. Candidates included last season acquisition Edwards who went 5-0 in 5 starts down the stretch, but is considered overmatched in a full season of work. Jim McMahon who is a former high end starter who just seems to disintegrate in late inning work with a worn arm . Also in the mix is former starter now at AAA Trent Boone who has huge control issues, but loads of talent. Prospect reliever Fernando Valdez should get action this season in the pen and could allow the Mudhens at least 1 chip to trade to fill other holes. Coming off one of the worst years in franchise history they should rebound quickly in S21 with the right moves, but they will need to do so in a cap conscious manner. Might want to see if SP Don Shelby (R) or Victor Perez (L) wish to return at a discount. FA to be Max Mills might get a return nod, but his cost might be too restrictive at this juncture for the team.
Projected Finish: 73-89 4th Place
FA Rumors: Rotation help and a part timer at 2B

Chicago Wolves- Chicago has built a team to rival all teams. They have a strong 4 man rotation , each capable of Cy Young potential. Clarence Morgan, Cristobal Jacquez,, and Luis Candelaria are former all-stars and C Davey Santana has been ranked as one of the 10 best catchers in Ryan History. This is an offense that can crush you while the pitchers blaze the ball by you. The Wolves might need to add one more proven arm for the pen and maybe have another guy in the reserves for the rotation in case of injury. 2 of their own FA might get calls to see their price tags in Doug Evans (R) and Al Riveria. If the price is right these guys only make this rotation that much more lights out. A few Utility guys would not hurt to hold in AAA, if they can be had cheaply. Prospect OF Kevin Takada could provide nice punch for the bench, but will allow for a break for the starters without a lot of drop off in production.
Projected Finish 100-62 1st Place
FA Rumors: late mover in FA they might just bring in a few bargain pieces if they can find them, they will not need to overpay for talent..

Durham Bulls - A.J. Rollins has a new 3B to work with in Bonk Wells, both should be the catalyst for the offense in Durham. Add in young starters Emmanuel Horton and Frank Yamamoto and you have the making of a solid young core to build around. There are still plenty of holes, but they might be easily to fill and could be done cheaply. !b and Catcher both need upgrades on the offense AA prospect SS Joey Taft could get a lot of attention in the spring and could skip AAA.
The Pitching has played some of the worst innings ever recorded for the skill level of the starters. To be blunt they just have underperformed. Hurst, Wight and to a lesser extent Martin all seem to be pitching to long in outing, pitching tired and end up throwing with dead arms. Their pitch counts need to be dropped and the coaches need to be ready to pull them when they no longer have their pitches. If cared for these guys should be closer to the mid 4 ERA range instead of plus 6 ERAs. Granted this will mean bringing in a few stretched arms to pitch the 4-6th innings on occasion and maybe investing in a few more inning eaters, but this should come cheaply. SFA SP Phil Chapman might be given another year to make up for his bloated ERA in Season 20. There is no reason as a team Durham can't shave a full run off their team ERA without much effort.
Projected Finish: 77-85 2nd Place
FA Rumors: Needs a 1B C and Pitching Depth.

Boston Redsox - Offense is well intact with a solid murders row in Fergie Ryan, Juan Cervantes, and David Gardner. The rest of the lineup shows flaws and can be exposed in games.. It shouldn't be too hard to find upgrades at 2B and 3B and possibly a 4th outfield without breaking the bank this season. SS Prospect Julio Mota has been fast tracked, but is still a season away from making an impact and will not benefit riding the bench this year in the ML versus starting at AAA. The rotation is in flux behind Ace Omar Ramirez. The talent level is a steep drop off with Christian Lim, Orber Bonilla, and Adam James better set to compete in a spot starting role then an every 5th day choice. FA Preston Walker will almost have to be brought back to help this rotation. Boston will have to invest in a few arms and open their wallet if they hope to compete. SP Guy Costello sits down at AA, but he is more than likely looking at 1 more season before a call-up. If things do go great in Free Agency he might be the one in Red and White in the Summer though. Demoted starter Hugh Richardson has the experience, but many fear his career is washed up, a spring audition will answer that question. AAA pitcher Vic Pena might be another cheap option., but he has notably struggled against right handed hitting. The pen is right now bear with the only guy worth the paper it's written on is CL Diego Cruz who is coming off a down season, but should be back this season after playing strong in winter ball. Projected Finish: 74-88 3rd Place
FA Rumors: Needs pitching @b and 3 B upgrades Relievers.

Season 20 2nd Power Rankings

2011-06-08T12:10:00.001-07:00

1(1) Chicago Wolves – 37/59 in quality starts to go with top 10 era, whip and strikeouts.

2 (5) Texas Tornadoes - Aurelio Espada has picked up where he left off last season batting a ludicrous .357 with 19hr and 7SB. He is an absolute animal this season.

3(3) Salt Lake City Prospectors- SLC is the best combination team out there they have a great 3 man rotation, good speed and solid hitting, not one guy dominates either the pitching or the hitting, the sis a well-built team top to bottom. Outside of Hector Tarasco, I hate Hector Tarasco.

4 (6) New York Dolls -
struggling at home with only a 13-13 record, they need to shake off the new York Raspberries and start playing to the home crowd advantage.

5(8) Memphis Amon-Ra - CL Bob Thome has 2 all-star appearances, but no Fireman of the year awards what does this guy got to do to be respected in this league. He has been near unhittable for 4 seasons.

6(7) San Juan Saints - San Juan would be easily the team to beat if they could pick up their fielding issues. 59 error is 21 more than the league average.

7 (4) Colorado Springs Organizational Filler- Rookie SP Jim Gulan got his 1^st start of the season this week. Posting a respectable no decision in 5 innings of working giving up 6 hits walking 1 and striking out 3. He still has work to do, but scouts expect more out of him.

8(14) Pittsburgh Pirates – Closer Dizzy Wynn was been shut down in his sophomore season complaining about pain in his forearm. Doctors suspect nerve damage and don't want him on the mound for 6 months. It will be late next season before we will see Wynn again. Huge lose for a closer who was posting a 1.99ERA.

9 (9) Minnesota Wobegon's - SP Damaso Martinez could be the best rookie pitcher this league has seen in a while, strike that he could be the best pitcher this league has seen in awhile

10(10). Colorado Mile High Club- RF Harry Rojas is making the most of his playing time in a monster lineup, seeing the cookie better than ever and driving it over the fences, he is on pace for more than 45 HR this season.

11(12) Dover Doves – Huge Blow for Dover as they lose Matt Chouinard for the season with a neck injury. Matt was on his way to a career year at the plate, and scouts feel this injury might be career threatening. Only time will tell, but he is signed for 2 more seasons.

12(24) Atlanta Braves - Rookie Woodie Goss appears to be the real deal, leading all rookies in batting average with a .336 with 9 hr and 11sb. Should be the front runner for rookie of the year.

13(2) Madison Massa's – 6 complete games and 3 shutouts for Madison a team who finished 3^rd from the bottom in pitching in season 19. Pitching doesn't seem to be the problem this year in Wisconsin.

14 (22) Houston Stone Cold Killers – CF J.C. Stokes has been an incredible threat on the base paths. When he gets on he is almost guaranteeing a stolen base. The problem has increasingly become his inability to get hits, Houston has watched his average fall the past 4 seasons without signs of life.

15(25) El Paso Massacre at Two Pines - +42 in the field along with low error totals and great overall acrobatics keeps El Paso in the games, but they just lack all the other tools to keep hope alive.

16(30) Seattle Fainting Goats –Seattle is starting the climb out of the basement with a .547 EXP win % they show good promise to make a run at a weakened AL North division.

17(16) St. Louis Twains – RP Del Escobar pitched in 1 ML game to 3 batters gave up 2 hits walked 1 and recorded no outs for his 1^st career decision (loss) that will be his career line as he is now unemployed.

18 (15) Charleston Cougars - Should get an offensive pick me up from the return of Carlos Carrasco He should be a better option in Rf over Stu Taylor and Ernest Bailey.

19(19) Burlington Ice Storm- DH David Johnson is playing himself out of a job, when your only job is hitting the ball you should probably bat better than .114 in 70 at bats.

20(20) Anaheim strasfigor- it has to be only a matter of time before LF/1B Clay Cambridge gets a shot to return to the ML batting better than .330 in AAA he has a greater skill set than 1B Hank Norris currently starting for LA.

21(23) Norfolk Train Wrecks – Norfolk is learning very quickly that ST. Louis dropped SP Samuel Jackson for a reason.

22(13) Cincinnati Ramrod – Gary Jenkins and Hugh Samardzija were part of a big pitching shakeup. The Ramrods are looking for anything to put a spark in this bullpen. These 2 showed nothing in their ML time.

23(26) Salem Slammers- LF Carson Sauer is back in the Ml after a short stint in the minors to correct an issue with his swing. While his bat has not returned to force he is hitting the ball harder and driving it much cleaner. Salem has to hope this will result in more hits eventually this season.

24(21) Cheyenne Marmots – 2B Travis Stokes seems to have regressed after 5 strong seasons, he has struggled to find his swing this season and as a result Cheyenne finds themselves looking at possibly their 1^st losing season in 4 seasons.

25(11) Charlotte knights - SS Sam Miller is done for the season with a major neck injury, this puts a huge hole on top of the Knight offense, but will give Charlotte the opportunity to audition some the farm hands.

Season 20 1st Power Rankings

2011-05-25T12:44:00.001-07:00

1 Chicago Wolves - Former #2 pick Todd Olerud (S15) looks start in his rookie season. "He showed us a lot in the spring, holding batters to under .200 BAA and his 4 Minor league Cy Young Awards probably are a little telling. We knew he could find success, but he has been a rock to lean on" said Bench Manager Felipe Julio.

2 Madison Massa's - The acquisition of Ray Wright has turned around the Massa rotation from last year's dismal performance. With Wright at #1 it allows them to pitch Tamura down in the rotation where he has excelled out of the spotlight.

3 Salt Lake City Prospectors- SLC has been a monster on the base paths with 27 stolen bases and only being caught 2 times. With inexperienced 1^st and 3^rd base coach who struggled in their playing days making good base running choices, this is hard to believe it will continue.

4 Colorado Springs Organizational Filler- Struggling this season to get pitches in the right place and hitters to swing and miss. 1^st year Lee Sherman who coached AAA last season has been trying to get his finger on these guys all season.

5 Texas Tornadoes - Starting pitchers Diego Gomez and Vin Delgado are 2^nd and 3^rd in the league in strikeouts this season. They might be the dynamic duo in a tough hitter's park.

6 New York Dolls - HOF'er to be Mat Shave looks worn and it is becoming more difficult to find him time in the lineup with his .188 batting average a no power.

7. San Juan Saints - 10-3 on the road makes them the best road team. Only 3-3 at home shows they need to find that groove for the home crowd.

8. Memphis Amon-Ra - The Amon-Ra spend nearly 17M on bringing in Aaron Fox for 3 years and he looks every bit of 34 this season. He has been sluggish in the field and seems to be just hacking at the plate.

9. Minnesota Wobegon's - another season with a huge season ending injury to a big star, this time Sterling Daniels goes down with a major elbow injury. He will be shelved until season 21. Huge blow for a team that will be looking for a deep playoff run.

10. Colorado Mile High Club- 9 time all-star Del Prieto's spring training injury is most likely career threatening and will cost him any shot of getting 3ooo hits for his career. Sad end to a possibly a great Hall of Fame career.

11. Charlotte knights - LF Jimmie Miranda seems to be getting the green light again, if he keeps is batting average up he should beat his career high in Stolen bases this season.

12. Dover Doves – the 2 longest hitting streaks of the season belong to Dovers Matt Chouinard(16 games) and Valerio Guillen(17 for 17 games). Hitting has been impressive.

13. Cincinnati Ramrod – steady reliever Jeff Watson looks like he has lost something off his fastball and curve. Hitters seem to be reading him, league scouts believe he might be tipping his pitches by cheating in his stance to compensate for some lost velocity.

14. Pittsburgh Pirates – 3^rd year starting pitcher Richie Hurst has responded well to pitching coach Felipe Dominguez's off-season workout regimen. His fastball looks unhittable to far this season. The team's ERA is a lead leading 2.86

15. Charleston Cougars - RP David Itou wasn't able to get anything started this season after a solid spring, he seemed to lose all confidence and was waived. Better luck in Cleveland.

16. St. Louis Twains – SP Eric Erickson continues to amaze me with his 4 years as at least average pitching. He has been able to keep St. Louis in all his games this season. Still waiting for the wheels to fall off this guy.

17. Helena Mail Order Cowboys - The cowboys are a combined record 9-63 in the minors. Cowboys need to take a look at the farm and protect some of their future investments. At least use Simmy.

18. Cleveland Spyders – After a down power year in S19 Jose Park seems to have reclaimed his swing already nailing 8 dingers in 18 games.

19. Burlington Ice Storm- DH David Johnson is playing himself out of a job, when your only job is hitting the ball you should probably bat better than .114 in 70 at bats.

20. Anaheim strasfigor- Fans in Anaheim are blowing up talk radio all over California about Everett Rodgers's fielding at SS, he just isn't getting to the hole quick enough and his throws are an adventure.

21. Cheyenne Marmots – P Dale Taylor has slid each year since his career year in S17. He struggled in spring training, but in his first 4 starts he was been beyond awful to the tune of 35 hits in 13 innings with an ERA of14.54. He will be skipped in the rotation until his mechanics are worked out.

22. Houston Stone Cold Killers – Houston fans are at a loss on what happened to steady setup man Livan Campos's arm. Some in the media are speculating he is hiding an injury and trying to pitch through it. The results have been awful, a .400 BAA and an ERA north of 11.

23. Norfolk Train Wrecks – SP Rudy Henry has had a tough start to the season, getting rocked in 3 of his 4 starts.

24. Atlanta Braves - 2B Robert Lundquist who has played sparingly through 4 seasons has broken out on the scene this season. Batting a league leading .429 after a spring where he batted .778. Playing like its little league for him. Experts point to his high strikeout total as an indicator his bubble might be short lived.

25. El Paso Massacre at Two Pines - RP Kelvin Shaw's season ended before it started in spring training, most scouts thought he was ML caliber before the injury and will wait to see how he bounces back before commenting on his future, but many proven Major leaguers would struggle to come back from that type of elbow injury and pitch at an ML level again.

26. Salem Slammers- Ace Angel Mateo's shoulder issues from S19 seem to be long since over as he has dominated the NL this season and has been the X factor for the Slammers.

27. Durham Bulls – 2^nd year hitting coach Freddy Blauser spend the off season and the spring retooling CF Frank Yamamoto's swing to move Frank from concentrating on hitting for the fences to working more on contact and putting the ball in play. The results are lower power numbers and a .351 batting average to lead the Bulls.

28. Tampa Bay Guls - bullpen is getting a heavy workload pitching 43% of the innings this season in Tampa. They need to get the starters on track or there will be long range issues in August.

29. Philadelphia Stars - SP Johnny Powell has pitched well the past 2 seasons, but fan are getting frustrated that he's only going 4-5 innings a start. The Stars need to check on how to keep him in games longer to put less stress on the pen.

30. Seattle Fainting Goats –Starting rotation has an ERA of more than 6.50. Not going to last long for a rebuilt team.

31. Kansas City McCoys - I refuse to acknowledge that losing Mike Cox to injury in spring training is why this team can't win, but his replacements in the rotation have been stinking up the place pretty bad……so maybe.

32. Richmond James Gang – Pitching coach Banana Upshaw is trying to figure out why ace reliever Lonny Uribe is plunking guys to the tune of every 8 batters. Uribe seems to be guarding the plate like he is pitching in the 40's.

NL North/ AL North S20 Preview

2011-05-09T14:03:00.001-07:00

NL NORTH

Dover Doves: 6M over the cap coming into the season is not a position any team wants to be in. They might have to trade away a contract or transfer budget to make this team work as it stands. Defensively this is one of the better teams in the NL and should be able to make the pitching staff look better every day. They should be able to get away with a few more hanging curves than other teams can. The Offense has a few holes in the batting order, but they still feature former MVP Valerio Guillen and solid #5 guys Albert Oquist. Recently signed Footsie Long adds a whole other bag of tricks to the lineup and should offer a strong bat to the lineup. The pitching staff is wild at times with poor control over most of the starting staff. They will need to hope the defense can erase some of the extra base runners to make innings smoother.
Projected Finish: 86-76 2st Place
FA Rumors: Need to get their budget number down might do addition by subtraction or the Ai will do it for them.

Philadelphia Stars Offensively this is the best hitting club in the NL North and should be able to score runs easily. They might have issues in the field that will erase their offensive skill set. George Frazier is not a capable CF'er and might be better suited for 3B, but there is a log-jam at 3B capable players. Overall there is a nice corp of hitters to work with. A nice collection of starters mixed with 4A type pitcher for long relief. The Pen is going to need to get things sorted out to give Preston Guerrero a better company to work with. Those guys are littered in AAA with Preston Guerrero, and Andres Brogna and AA pitcher Charles Bang not even getting a look right now and sitting off the 40 man roster.
Projected Finish: 82-80 3rd Place they need to straighten out the prospects and bring up the right guys and this team has a new look
FA Rumors: Talent is in place they need to promote from within.

Cincinnati Ramrod currently carrying 16 pitchers on a NL team. This is about 3 to many for the NL in my Opinion and cuts the bench short, limiting what Cinci can do at the plate. The core base of hitters is solid with both good defenders and elite level hitters, there are definite holes at CF and they could use one role player off the bench. Using some 0of the excess pitching and packaging it could land that starter or bench player. There are still a number of guys in Free Agency that fill that need as well. There isn't much of a farm ready guy to lean on to fill either role right now.
Projected Finish: 88-74 1st Place
FA Rumors: CF Heath Peterman (L) or a poor man's version Jason Tankersley (L) would be of interest

St. Louis Twains the Twain has a numbers of guys coming down the pipe, but more than likely are at least 1 season away from regular ML action. The offense is fast, but very light hitting outside of FA acquisition , The Pitching staff is sub-standard and will struggle in a tough NL and be eaten alive with Al hitting. This is a team that is just biding its time until all its top picks starting cashing in.
Projected Finish: 72-90
FA Rumors: have the money to target another bat and maybe an upgraded arm for both the starters and the pen, they just need to shuffle the roster some to make room, night is a move or 2 during spring training.

AL NORTH

Seattle Fainting Goats - Have to like the aggressive take on free agency they brought in talented 2B Mendy Barfield , and a few key veterans in 3B Tony Jacquez and CF Sean Swan. The help they need now is all on the pitching side, they have a serviceable starting rotation, but it has weakness toward the backend and a solid 8-9th inning punch, but they lack the meat in the middle of the pitching staff. AA pitcher Bo Rothschild might fill part of that need. The free Agency frenzy does one good thing small term contracts that leave room for the future to step into starting roles next year and the year following without having a veteran block the road.
Projected Finish: 80-82 3rd Place
FA Rumors: Might try to land 1 more cheap end long reliever and an insurance starter such as Ralph Ainsworth , Vince Sheets or Brandon Roosevelt.

Madison Massa's Lost a number of bench players along with ½ last season's starting pitching corp, yet this team might have improved through the subtraction. A new corp of pitchers were brought in with Ray Wright taking the #1 spot, Hitting will take a bit of a slide with the aging of key veteran Craig Cooper. The Massa's need to find a starting SS or look to Jeromy Sele who is coming off a huge injury and has no ML experience. Pitching should have improved enough to keep Madison in the conversation another season
Projected Finish: 88-74 2nd Place
FA Rumors: Has to be looking at bringing back SS Daniel Young or another high caliber option, Could use another pitcher for insurance.

Burlington Ice Storm (AL) Swing for the fences type lineup in a big park, they are all or nothing batters, mixed in with some young guns. Alex Lucano seems rushed this season after only 1 year in the minors, I would have liked to see him get more seasoning before the call-up but he does have ML skills to offer right now. With only 9 pitchers on the team and 6 open spots they have the space to make some nice FA ads. They need to target 1 more starter and a few more dependable bullpen arms. I more consistent hitter would not hurt the team either.
Projected Finish: 70-92
FA Rumors: LRP Roy Robinson, RP Ricardo Lee or RP Howard Neal should all get looks

Minnesota Wobegon's Like Madison this is a team that can hit, but they can also pitch with young home grown talent like , Damaso Martinez, Sterling Daniels, Antonio Lankford, and Steven Adcock this could be the toughest rotation in the Al. They should have won the Al North last season, but injuries derailed the team and allowed Madison to slip ahead. I would not expect this to happen again. Both injuries the team still carries should be cleared early in the season. When that's done expect the Wobegon to be unstoppable and all this for under 50M not to bad.
Projected Finish: 90-72 1st Place
FA Rumors: Should be quiet might move aging talent to make room for the young guns to get more Abs

NL and AL EAST S20 Preview

2011-05-08T17:20:00.001-07:00

NL EAST

Norfolk Train Wrecks: Incredible depth on the farm proves the future will be bright in Norfolk. They should be able to bring up a few guys this season such as SS Al Encarnacion who should take over the SS duties. There are a few other positional guys who might challenge for a role in the future or be solid trade pieces to bring in a few top end arms. Prospect SP Joshua Quinn might be ready now to wow the Norfolk crowds with his amazing stuff and RP Larry High is equally as talented and ready. They would join a formidable rotation combo of Trenidad O'Donnell and Rudy Henry. Norfolk still needs to invest in free agency or by trade in one more top end arm for the rotation and a few fillers to round out the pitching staff. Next season this team might be the one to beat with the right moves.

Projected Finish: 75-87 3rd place

FA Rumors: Could be looking at Angel Mateo (R), or Jesus Azocar

New York Dolls- should have to make many moves to stay on top of the division this season. They have talent across the boards and already have a thick payroll which they might be cautious to add to. They might actually try to cut the bloated contract of Matt Shave who is at most a figurehead in this league now, but bundling him with a young guy might bring in a lot of value for the future. The pitching staff is still one of the top 3 in the NL, but is getting long in the tooth. Look for New York to make a few minor moves in Free agency to shore up the backend, but nothing to life changing in Free agency. They have a loaded AAA with pitchers that New York needs to make decisions on or let their value waste away.

Projected Finish: 95-67 1st Place

FA Rumor: might target a few middle end relievers or a bottom end starter on a 1 year contract.

Pittsburgh Pirates- The starters are pretty close to being settled and just could be upgraded when they have the right fit to do so. Holes at C and in the bullpen could be filled with relatively low cost and short-term contracts. The farm has a few arms ready to offer some service in the short-term. Overall the starters are flawed, but can be serviceable as they get replaced by better players. The pitching staff is helmed by one of the best young talents in the NL in Lew Crosby 72/86

Projected Finish: 78-84 2^nd Place

FA rumors: Have to be looking at bench help to make their corps stronger, might be late Free agency frenzy on good players looking for 1 year deals. Should also take a flyer on RP's Tarrik McGee (L), Howard Neal (R), and Albert Rincon

Atlanta Braves- One of the better pitching staffs in the league that get no respect. They can do almost everything that is asked of them and then some. Also a plus is most are young and only getting better. The offense is a mixed bag there are some solid guns in the lineup such as the outfield trio of Edgar Nunez (speed) Dickie Tartabull( 5 tool guy) and Theodore Grace( 5 tool guy) along with Bonk White. The issue is Bonk really shouldn't be at shortstop and where do you play him with the outfield blocked at 5 other players who fight for time between 2^nd and 3. Atlanta is going to have to take a serious look at bringing in one of the Shortstop free agents and accessing the rest of the lineup to get this area straightened out. 1 more starter would also complete the rotation. Doing this all on 10M might be a challenge, they might instead rush Buck Smith to the ML, he is pretty close to being ready and the increased competition might get him there.

Projected Finish: 74-88 4th Place

FA Rumors: SS Aaron Fox, Paul Murata, and Daniel Young have all visited recently

AL East

Cleveland Spyders - Don't have the money in the budget to bring back both Al Frazier and Heath Peterman, but there is no heir apparent either. This bigs a huge hole in the center of a onetime killer offense. With only 20 million to work with Cleveland will probably go after the younger Peterman and look to plug in replacement parts at SS. The Spyders also have to fill in chucks in the rotation and in the bullpen to be able to compete at a high level. I think this will be a down year where they might have too much to overcome to make a go of it. Time to sell off the valuable pieces and retool for the future.

Projected Finish: 81-81 3rd Place

FA Rumors: Have been in contact with both Frazier and Peterman, also scouting out cheap options for SS and the pitching staff. Should be active in trade talks.

Chicago Wolves- Top rated Offensive juggernaut this team is fit from top to bottom with only small cracks to fill around the edges. Lost only minor bullpen guys who should be easily replaced by either minor league talent or a minor talent trade. Chicago has little cap room to work with and might have to swing a creative trade to ease some of their salary burden and field a competitive team. One injury could wreak havoc on this team.

Projected Finish 100-62 1st Place

FA Rumors: More likely to swing a trade packaging Jacquez or Lee for cheaper options.

Durham Bulls - Plenty of money to fill their holes and build around the young pieces already on the team. SS Woodie Gross and A.J. Rollins along with superstar left fielder Emmanuel Horton. They have a solid pitching core, but could use a few more dependable starters to complement the staff. The farm has a learning curve and they don't have a lot of pitching help so to free agency they will turn. Would like to see at least a pair of arms brought in to compete with existing starters and maybe push them back into the minors.

Projected Finish: 84-78 2nd Place

FA Rumors: SP Royce Hurst or Jeremy Linden would be cheap fits

Charleston Cougars- Hugh Richardson had a tough season last year only putting up 10 starts and spending most of the season on the DL. He is joined with a weak starting rotation who will struggle they need to find a way to get Omar Ramirez into the rotation. CF Oswaldo Jacquez might be the only defensive guy on this team. It's going to be tough to watch this team flop around the field after the ball. In truth there are 5 guys who could be low level catchers or 1B men. This is a team that can do damage at the plate, but combine a poor pitching staff with a sub-par defense and this will be dreadful. SS Prospect Julio Mota can't get here soon enough.

Projected Finish 69-93 4^th Place

FA Rumor: SS Daniel Young remains unsigned in a bidding war. CF Heath Peterman (L) would upgrade 2^nd Base SP Angel Mateo (R) and Brandon Roosevelt (R) would be interesting picks and upgrades.

NL/AL West Preview

2011-05-06T06:32:00.001-07:00

NL WEST

Cheyenne Marmots- a year older and many of the veterans are starting to slip considerably. With a division chalked full of young talent they might find themselves struggling to slip into the playoffs again. That being said Cheyenne is still featuring one of the better pitching staffs in the NL and if I have learned anything from NL play it's having a great pitching staff will put you near the top. Still this is the downward swing of a mighty team and they might find themselves on the wrong side of a tough division. They have a lot of ready talent on the farm both in pitching with the likes of SP Jimmie Perez and RPs Vicente Cruz and Javier Fernandez. They also have a few clutch hitters to look at in RF Quilvio Cabrera (AAA) 1B B.J. Leach (AA) and 1B Donaldo James (AAA). They could translate into fine players for Cheyenne in the future.
Projected Finish: 90-72 4th Place
FA Rumors: should spend a little time to pluck up a middle of the road reliever on the cheap to solidify one more run or stay put and draw from a stocked farm system.

Colorado Mile High Club- One of the better NL Hitting clubs, they take advantage of the Colorado air to power across their runs. Not a team that's shy about bringing up prospects early, Colorado is known to throw their stars to the fire at first chance to maximize their value for the big club. With this strategy come some growing pains as players learn their positions, o how to pitch on the job. This might be the 1st season where this all some together with elite feel. They have elite hitters in Lucas Martin, Terry White, Jose Pena and Delino Frias. Along with Ace Yorvit Vincente they have a good chance of sticking close and letting the offense take over early. Colorado does have a misfit bullpen that will need to find a few steadier hands. In the past they have had success plucking old veteran relievers to fill this void.
Projected Finish: 2nd Place 94-68
FA Rumor: Sp Damian Carter (L) Might be insurance, RP's Benny Miller, Orlando Martinez, Bruce Spencer, and Ellis Watson should send flyers.

Colorado Springs Organizational Filler- Similar to Colorado in Offense, but more refined. Their top end might not be as high, but they do well at what they bring to the table. Defensively this is a subpar unit with some major deficiencies in the starting unit. The pitching staff can hide many of these issues with the pure domination that Valdez can be. CSP also features one of the most dominating Bullpens in the league. If anyone struggles I'm sure the Fillers have no worries when the bullpen gets the call.
Projected Finish 1st place 96-66
FA Rumor: Could make a play at oft-injured CF Sean Swan or Defensively minded Brad Finnessey and still land an insurance pitcher.

Salem Slammers: losing a lot of starters to FA this season and will have fill holes at SS,3B and OF along with gaping holes in pitching. The good news is most of this can be handled internally with SS Edinson Maradona and RF Jacob DiFelice close to being ready. Add in a farm system which is loaded with bullpen help and a few shining stars in the starting ranks, Orber Leon, and in reality Salem might need to go after 1 or 2 starters.
Projected Finish: 3rd Place 90-72
FA Rumors: SS Aaron Fox's number is in the rolodex already if they can get him at the right price. Might make a run at SS Daniel Young, but SP Ray Wright seems the most logical fit.

AL WEST

Salt Lake City Prospectors- World Series champions don't need to add much to stay near the top. The offense is set with the exception of Right Field which will be an open competition between Farm talent RF Len Willis and CF Rafael Rosario or a Free agent veteran. The pitching staff is one of the best in the Al Led by back to back CY Young winner Ryan Perry and a crew of capable starters. Most of the league is still waiting for the bubble to burst on Hector Tarasco, but he has averaged no less than a 3.9 Era with 17 wins a season in Salt Lake. Damn Mormon Prayers!
Projected Finish: 99-63
FA Rumors: Carlos Feliz, Mendy Barfield, or Tony Jacquez

Helena Mail Order Cowboys - Find themselves a pair of aces short in the rotation with the potential exit of both Ray Wright and Max Estrada. They need to fill those holes who even though they played in S19 still only guided this team to a below .500 record. Not bringing much up from the farm to help in the field or on the mound. They will need to gather at least one more hitter to compliment the combo of Vic Castilla and Jose Frias if they want to bring success to Helena. They will also need to score at least 1 pitcher to solidify the rotation. Not a lot of cap room to do all that
Projected Finish 2nd 77-85
FA Rumors: Ray Wright or Max Estrada both has homes in the Area, but Jeremy Linden might be a short term fix until a direction is found. Might entertain an idea to give Carlos Hernandez or Minnie Coleman a shot to compete on the cheap.

Kansas City McCoys - The McCoys have money to burn and lot of holes to fill. Without fear of losing a 1st round pick they might make a huge splash in Free Agency. They have holes almost everywhere though. , but primarily they might target a top end starting pitcher and an elite level hitter and defender. Still there are too many players on the wrong side of 30 and not enough money or farm hands to cover everything this season. The farm does have a few talent ready guys in RF Gregg Washington and SP Darron Gross who should get plenty of ML time. If KC can make a big signing, they could climb but the standings and play around .500 ball.
Projected Finish: 70-92 3rd place
FA Rumors: Big push for CF Heath Peterman and 2B Mendy Barfield. SP's Angel Mateo, Ray Wright and Everett Ritz Classic's in KC Blue might also get some love such as Jeremy Linden

Anaheim strasfigor- They have hitting talent, but many of their best hitters stare at the wrong side of 30 and are on the decline. All-Star Everett Rodgers struggles in the field at SS and needs to move and open up the position for someone who can field it. The real problem is the pitching who season after season struggles to get the ball consistently over the plate, with an average skilled pitching staff location means the difference between a slow grounder and a whopping homerun. The defense doesn't do the pitching staff any favors when the ball is put into easy play. Without 1 or 2 more solid pitchers this team will again struggle to see .500
Projected Finish: 68-94 4th Place
FA Rumors: SP Angel Mateo or Royce Hurst would look solid.

NL/AL South Preview

2011-05-06T06:25:00.001-07:00

NL SOUTH

Memphis Amon-Ra- returning basically the same team from season 19 minus 2 starters in Eugene Walker and Jimmy Christiansen. Both 5 years ago would have been huge losses at this point it is time to look elsewhere in Memphis. It will not take a lot of cash to plug the holes and make this team a near 100 win team. Watch for them to use some of the freed up Walker money (18.1M) and go after a big name to protect oft-injured CF James Jefferies. The pitching staff somehow always gets the job done, though they lack a natural ace and should look a lot worse on the mound than they do, credit the coaching for putting these guys in the right place to win.
Projected Finish: 1st Place 99-63
FA Rumors: CF'ers Heath Peterman and Candy Zoltan could be a good fit

El Paso Massacre at Two Pines- Hi Telgheder looked solid in mixed relief last season, but at $20M you hope to have him starting and winning. Hi isn't that player anymore and his best use might be out of the pen throwing flames after the 5th inning and closing games. The pitching staff in general is veteran talent, but really needs another Hi to tandem him with to complete the rotation puzzle. C Eddie Duncan is not elite, but is a nice role player who should be resigned. The offense is a solid group and with some tweaking could be very competitive in the NL.
Projected Finish: 2nd Place 84-78
FA Rumors: SP Ray Wright and Everett Ritz could get a couple looks El Paso also should take a flier on closers Albert Rincon and Neil Young

Charlotte Knights- one of the better intact pitching staffs with a combination of veteran skill and up-and-coming talent. They have a number of offensive and defensive holes which will need to be addressed in the off-season. Look for Charlotte to make a run at one of the elite CF free agents such as Candy Zoltan or Heath Peterman. One of those guys will change the look of this offense in an instant. Also look for Charlotte to give a pair of kids a shot at starting this season with both LF/1B Thomas Kipling and Rp Andrew Bacsik ready to go. Kipling could be an above average option at 1B and eventually replace Miranda at LF.
Projected Finish: 3rd Place 80-82
FA Rumor: Peterman, Zoltan and Catchers Yorvit Cortes, or Wascar Solano would be nice pieces.

Tampa Bay Guls- the Tampa Bay Guls are not as bad as last season's record indicated. They have a better pitching staff than last season's league worst ERA and record indicates, though they are far from upper half of the league. Tampa sits at the crossroads of baseball they can go big and try to burst out of the hole, or they can play for the future with a chip on their shoulder for the future. Looking at their talent level and farm system, it might be best to crack out the lipstick and apply it to this pig. A few short-term fixes and a long range plan would turn this franchise around in 2-3 seasons and put this team on the map again.
Projected Finish: 4th Place 68-94
FA Rumor: shortterm contracts nothing more than 2 years fillers to get the team through the rough patch

AL SOUTH

Houston Stone Cold Killers- Plenty of firepower to outman the competition. Houston had an unexpected early exit from the playoffs after winning 99. Young and fit the offense can do almost everything that is asked of them at any given situation. The pitching staff is helmed by a pair of inexperienced hurlers Tony Sweeney and Brian Iwazaki, both would be better off being down a spot in the rotation and having another guy ahead of them to lean on in the huge games. Pitching itself in Houston is holier than Swiss cheese. Although there isn't one weak player there is a very definite lack of depth to work with. A big decision needs to be made about Daisuke Yoon's future after spend a season in AAA to work out mechanics issues. Is he a guy who can help in the pen or still a huge head case?
Projected finish: 1st Place 96-66
FA Rumors: SP Ray Wright or Everett Ritz might be in the mix, but they could settle for cheaper option Willie Hamill

San Juan Saints: Not a lot of room in payroll to make many moves if any of significant. Lost a few role players and one starter in Brian Mouton, but all the parts are replaceable. They are going to miss Sean Swan and his bandaged knees on the bench, because someone will take a chance on those rickety knees and give him a shot for value. San Juan will need to somehow find at least an insurance pitcher and 1 more defensive guy for the bench at almost no cost; they could look to the farm and bring up Utility SS Tyler Boyd who held a similar role in S18 for their World championship team.
Projected Finish: 95-77 2nd Place
FA Rumors: Going to look for a last minute bargain pitchers to have just in case, going to back and see who falls to them.

Texas Tornadoes: Looks to return mostly the same team and should give Texas roughly the same results. The team has elite hitters in the heart of the order led by 3B Aurelio Espada and SS Jared Malone. But there is a lot of youth that are growing into their positions including Malone. There are also a lot of defensive black holes in the field that will make the young and growing pitchers look worse on paper than they might with an average defensive team. The pitching staff could develop to be one of the top 5 in the AL very soon.
Projected Finish: 86-76 3rd Place
FA Rumor: They have to have their eyes on a closer like Neil Young to move Benito Cortez out of the role where he struggled in S19 and back to the setup role he has thrived in.

Richmond James Gang- have to be considering bringing make2B Joe Norton or have another option at 2B or CF in mind. This will be a very huge hole in the defense if they can't find the right guy. There is a need for this guy to be able to drive in runs and offer a little damage at the plate. Scott Rose is also a ghost of a player and might be offer a better legacy off the bench than as the starter at 3B. Losing C/DH Johnnie Richie might be a huge loss for another team, but in Richmond it is a position of strength. They might look to resign him if they do a sign and trade with another team. Pitching in Richmond has been a train wreck. Beyond Ruben Alonso the rotation is piecemeal. There will be moments of brilliants from a few, but mostly disappointment. Last season's experiment with Ubber reliever Lonny Uribe had mixed results. He started 56 games and pitched well but averaged only 3 innings a start and didn't seem to make a lot of difference. His biggest asset might be coming in from the 6-8th inning and closing the door. Richmond will have to invest in starters for that to be a reality. Uribe is more of a luxury that they have teams love than a player a have-not team works around. His value may never be higher and his best asset might be being traded away for the pieces this team does need. A lot of farm decisions to make with guys sitting in AAA who might be able to contribute now but are blocked. Love to see RP Tony Matos get his spotlight this season.
Projected finish: 74-88 4th Place
FA Rumors: they can afford to go after any of the top starters, but might settle on fillers as they have a few farm hands that will be ready to roll in 1-2 seasons. Led by S17 #3 picks Javier Gonzalez. Look for them to make minor moves for 3B Carlos Feliz (R) CF Sean Swan (R) 2B Max Leary (L) SP Jeremy Linden (L) SP Pablo Javier (R)

Ryan's Best and Brightest

2011-04-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

NL West Draft Review S19

2011-03-18T09:49:00.001-07:00

Cheyenne Marmots

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	29	Moose Ingram	CF	18	HS	$1,380K	Good speed and contact combo on a player who could step into a starting 2B role in a few seasons. He doesn't have great power but could be a valuable leadoff man
2	85	Cliff Gibson	RP	22	COL	$550K	College closer who was the career saves leader at Armstrong Atlantic state. He is considered weak against right handers but does have 2 elite pitches and good control. He will have a tough time proving his worth in the ML with his weak right handed split.
3	117	Fernando Perez	SP	18	HS	---	Pure fly ball pitcher who induces almost all popups with his flame throwing arm. He 3 plus pitches and above average control. He should be close to his projections and will need to be with his slightly above average splits.
4	149	Houston Flores	2B	18	HS	$350K	All speed and contact is Flores, he is a below average 2B. Scouts project him to top out at AAA with his average splits and if he's lucky slips into the Ml for a cup of coffee
5	181	Michael Williams	3B	18	HS	$250K	Slightly above average power hitter. He is a solid fielder and projects out to be a solid ML'er. He is known to be a little lazy and it might take time to get his value out of him, if at all.

SUMMARY: When you are picking at the bottom of each round, you just look for value picks. Many of these picks will have some flaws and others are deep sleepers. The Marmots pulled strongly from each category. Ingram will have a solid Ml career, but is not for everyone's taste. Gibson and Perez are both sleeper picks. Williams is a great pick in the 5^th round.

Grade: B

Colorado Springs Organizational Filler

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Contract	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	31	Butch Brantley	SP	18	HS	MILB	$1,190K	Lacks the control to be an elite pitcher, but does have 4 ML pitchers and he's almost unhittable against right handers. I think he will be an all-star a few times in his career similar to Kiki Soto.
1	50	Bryan Villone	RP	21	COL	MILB	$600K	Great reliever with all the tools to be successful, but he needs to rest more than the average reliever. Played correctly he's an all star
1	55	Al Martin	RP	18	HS	MILB	$600K	3 pitches average control and solid splits should get him a shot in the league. He's not a superstar, but he is a solid player.
2	87	Louie Olivares	3B	18	HS	MILB	$550K	Slightly above average hitter. Olivares might not do one thing good enough to get him Ml playing time, but he does everything well enough to always be in the conversation.
3	119	Fred Carter	RP	18	HS	MILB	$425K	2 pitch power reliever with solid control and splits. Got to like this pitcher in the 4^th.
4	151	Juan Chavez	RP	18	HS	MILB	$360K	Low durability reliever who has 3 legit pitches average control and above average splits. With the proper GM he could be a valuable guy for 40 innings a season.
5	183	Damaso Prieto	C	18	HS	MILB	$250K	Better suited as a DH, He is power hitter who projects to be a .250 batter with 30Hr and 110K. Good pick up late in the 5^th.

SUMMARY: 3 bottom of the 1^st round picks and they got the next Kiki Soto In the making. Not a bad guy if he can fill those shoes. Villone and Martin are the kind of relievers who teams either love or find themselves frustrated with; I love them in the bottom of the 1^st round. I love late round gems Carter, Chavez and Prieto. Very strong draft for the Fillers.

Grade: A

Colorado Mile High Club

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	26	Charles Remlinger	2B	18	HS	---	Slightly below average in the field, but he does offer a solid bat with plus power. Remmy has the potential of a 35+ homerun guy in Colorado. He is not extremely fast but could sneak in 10 bases a season without too much trouble. He is not a game changer but could be a nice stud to have on the farmhand given regular at bats too. He probably will not sign though.
1	47	James Ainsworth	3B	18	HS	---	Poor Runner with solid speed trumps this slightly above average batter with excellent splits. He really can't see the ball at all and if signed needs to be fitted for glasses.
2	82	Bruce O'Rourke	LF	18	HS	---	Speedy LF with great baseball splits and a solid batting eye. He is an average hitter who is destining to be a .240 hitter with 30+ stolen bases. If he played anywhere else in the field he might be a ML lock, but in LF he's a maybe.
3	114	Ben Kelly	RF	18	HS	---	NOY SCOUTED seeking 6.5M
4	146	Denny Fikac	RF	18	HS	$580K	With great power come great strikeouts. Fikac is a smart hitter when he gets a hold of the ball. He will miss it a lot but when he does get a hold of it expect 40 Hr and 120 strikeouts.
5	178	Walter Jackson	SP	18	HS	$250K	Great 5^th rounder with ML potential as a long reliever. He does have solid splits with great control, but only 1 ML pitch in his slider. As a soft thrower he's not going to be great but probably average.

SUMMARY: Again Colorado went after the guys with the signing issues and again they might come out of the draft next to empty handed. They need to at least get a type D compensation out of Remlinger to make this draft have some value. Colorado has to hope to do the next draft better. Right now the roster is very young so risks can be taken but you don't want to get the farm get to far ahead of you.

Grade: C-

Salem Slammers

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	19	Barney Rizzo	SS	22	COL	$2,320K	Average college hitter. Rizzo has a great glove and is a solid fielder, but some point to his suspect range as forcing him a move to 3B. A huge reach with a top 20 pick in Rizzo. Not sure if he will be more than a ML footnote.
1	20	Rick Bukvich	RP	22	COL	$2,220K	Could be an all-star reliever with 3 good pitches nice control and stamina. This guy should be able to take control of the late innings
2	76	Mike Benard	SP	19	JC	$550K	Great control and stamina but really no dominant pitches or splits. He is a career minor leaguer
3	108	Charlie Hearn	3B	19	JC	$425K	Average in every way. Maybe slightly better hitter but still balanced by his likeliness to strikeout.
4	140	Reid Warner	SP	20	JC	$350K	Not much to see here but an inning eating for the minors
5	172	Bob Grissom	LF	22	COL	$250K	Power 1B with solid skills. At 22 he is very developed, but his average splits might leave him behind in AAA, but he would be a cheap ML option when he does get a shot.

SUMMARY: Again Salem reaches for a number 1 pick. Rizzo doesn't have SS range and will not provide enough offense to cover his defensive hole. He will be an ML'er just not a huge impact one. Bukvich is a better pick and could be a sure thing reliever. Other than him, Salem struck out until the 5^th round in Grissom.

GRADE: C-

NL North S19 DRAFT REVIEW

2011-03-17T17:47:00.001-07:00

Philadelphia Stars

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Bonus	Pro Yrs
1	7	Lenny Joseph	RF	20	JC	$3,440K	Most scouts might have never saw Joseph play at Gogebic Community College, so he might have slid on a few boards. He is a top rank hitter with solid power and speed he could challenge a 30/30 season on occasion. He is a great Right fielder and could be a gold glover there in Ryan. He is very developed and might only have a short stay in the minors before he makes his debut.
2	64	Rip Parrish	SS	20	JC	$550K	Rip showed flashes of his plus glove at Cincinnati State Technical & CC where he also showed a solid bat and good speed. His bat and speed will be tempered in Ryan, but still expect a guy capable of hitting left handers with some great defense and 10-15 bags a season.
3	96	Chris Avery	SP	22	COL	$425K	SEC pitcher of the year. He has 4 plus pitches and solid splits. His control can be an issue at times. He slid to the 3^rd round because of concerns about his velocity and ability against right handed hitters. He should be able to prove his detractors wrong with a solid Ml career.
4	128	Victor Sampson	2B	21	COL	$350K	At Ferris State University he tore up the base paths and got away with a number of easy hits. He will not be so luck in Ryan. He has the skills as a base runner, but he will find his above average contact and average splits will not be enough to get him a regular job in the big Leagues here.
5	160	Zeus Eiland	2B	22	COL	$250K	Slightly above average hitter with a poor batting eye. He struggled at 2B for the University of Memphis and might be better suited for LF. He isn't going to win many award for his grittiness.

Summary: Solid draft that brought in a very college flavored draft board. There are a number of role players, but landing Joseph at 7 has to have Star fans very happy.
GRADE: B+

Pawtucket Patriots

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Bonus	Pro Yrs
1	22	Chip Winn	SS	18	HS	$2,040K	Defensive minded shortstop. He should platoon against right handers and shows solid promise at the plate with some solid contact. He isn't going to hit everything and sometimes struggles to see the ball in the zone. Known to swing at almost anything close to the plate.
1	36	Esmailyn Melendez	RP	20	JC	$880K	Showed an excellent bulldog attitude at Queensborough Community College. His strikeouts were legendary, but so were his control issues. He projects to get his mechanics tweaked enough to have average control with his killer splits and sinker/slider combo he should be a solid Big leaguer.
2	78	George Hamilton	SP	19	JC	$550K	Average splits and low control are a deadly combination. He has 4 above average pitches to work with and might sneak into the Ml for a brief cup of coffee.
3	98	Kenneth Mayne	RP	18	HS	$425K	He is probably good for 15 pitches every 3^rd day with his stamina/durability combo. Considering is documented struggle to get the ball over the plate this might be a challenge to get to many guys out. When he is able to keep his sinker from grounding out or his fastball from soaring into the stands he might strike a guy out.
3	110	Houston Michaels	SS	18	HS	$425K	Defensive stud with one of the best understandings of the game for a guy who has absolutely no hitting skill. He will strikeout 120+ times and maybe hit .220 in his ML time. His defense just make him a ML sure thing.
4	142	Bernie Espinosa	P	18	HS	$350K	Strikeout reliever with an amazing fastball and a good split finger. He has pinpoint control, but his pitches can be timed and predicted easier than an established pitcher. If you study him long enough you can beat him at his game.
5	174	Edgardo Durazo	RP	20	JC	$250K	2 pitches solid splits and control. He is good for 1 inning a game and should be a no-hum reliever. but a no-hum reliever with ML possibilities.

Summary: A couple of low control pitchers to go with a defensive minded shortstop, sounds a lot like role players to me. Not a single everyday guy to be found on the Patriot draft board.
GRADE: C

Cincinnati Ramrod

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	23	Larry Boyd	SP	20	JC	$1,940K	3 plus pitches and solid control, he is weak against right handers and might struggle more than you would like out of an everyday starter. He does have a solid shot to play on a weak rotation as a #4 or 5 guy.
1	45	Lonnie Reed	SP	20	JC	$600K	Average control and splits will make it hard for him to rise above AAA. He does have 2 good pitches to work with, but without the rest of the package he might be in trouble.
1	53	Kevin Potvin	RP	22	COL	$1,032K	Excellent sinker/fastball combo with ideal velocity for a closer. He have average splits which will limit his appearances in meaningful games. He is only slightly above average with control.
2	79	Freddie Gray	SP	18	HS	$1,850K	Potential control issues dropped Gray down most draft boards; he has solid splits and 2 plus pitches to work with his good stamina. If he drops a pitch from his selection I think his value might actually rise.
3	111	Philip Perez	SP	22	COL	$425K	Playing in the Spacious confines of University of Bridgeport, Perez was able to get away with high fly ball tendency. He has a very soft approach to the plate which leads to a lot of contact. He has 2 plus pitches to work with and Ml quality control and splits.
4	143	Luis Guerrero	RP	19	JC	$350K	Great Specialist reliever. He is the type of pitcher who enters the game to get that 1 critical out then sleeps the rest of the game. He would have went higher in the drat with his excellent splits and 3 pitch selection if he could throw more than 10 pitches an outing.
5	175	Nate Maddox	SP	19	JC	$250K	Great screwball with killer velocity, but no control of it. Lost 2 mascots in his last JUCO game. Not sure if anyone will give him a shot outside of the minors.

Summary: Drafted 7 pitchers in the first 5 rounds and not one is a sure ML player. Add a few flawed pitchers, no one that will be a game changer in any good way. I like Guerrero, but would love him more if he found a way to add 20 more pitches to his count. Overall this was a very average draft class without much to dance about.
GRADE: C

St. Louis Twains

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Contract	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	3	Hank Silva	SS	18	HS	MILB	$3,820K	Went 1^st but he was ranked on many boards as the 3^rd best overall Shortstop candidate. He has great power and splits and can field well enough to be an everyday guy. He has 30/30 potential; I will never scoff at that. Just expect him to strikeout 100 times a season.
2	59	Vin Romero	CF	18	HS	MILB	$550K	All speed and defense, he could be a gold glover in CF and a 50+ base stealing threat. He doesn't have much power, but can find the hole through the infield or sneak on base by outrunning the throw. He struggles against strong left handed pitching which might scare some teams into platooning him.
3	92	Cole York	SP	18	HS	MILB	$5,428K	Good control and stamina but below average splits with keep his career in check. He has 3 solid pitches which allowed him to dominate high school competition, but his other flaws will keep him grounded to AAA in Ryan.
4	124	Norman Hampton	2B	20	JC	MILB	$350K	Good speed, but lacks the batting splits to be a ML player. He has good contact but not enough power to overcome his shortcomings.
5	156	Sal Campbell	SP	18	HS	MILB	$250K	Crafty pitcher with 2 above average pitches. He has excellent splits for a 5^th rounder, but has less than ideal control and hitters could find his pitch right in their sweet spot at times. With only 2 pitches it is hard to see him in the starting rotation and without more zip on his pitch selection it's hard to see him with a regular job in the pen. He still is a prospect to watch in the minors just in case.

Summary: added some good depth to the minors with this draft. I like Silva just he should have slid to 10^th or 11^th with one of the more established guys going here. But what is done is done and Silva should be a solid star in St. Louis for years to come. Romero is a solid leadoff guy for the right team.
GRADE: B

NL South S19 Draft Review

2011-03-17T12:43:00.001-07:00

Memphis Amon-Ra

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	17	Christopher Madson	P	18	HS	$2,500K	Soft thrower with elite control and splits. He has 3 plus pitches and keeps the ball down. He will benefit from a good defense and should be a quality #2 guy. He slid to the 17^th pick only because of his soft throwing arm.
1	30	Adam Bradford	2B	18	HS	---	Has the power to be a solid 30 home run threat season after season. He has a hacking swing which when it hits the ball sends it sailing. He has a tendency to swing and miss as all power hitters do. Expect at 265 hitter with 35 home run and 90 strikeouts. Could be a great 6 man in the lineup.
1	37	Jake Young	CF	19	JC	$840K	Defensively he was rated very high coming out of high school but questions about his bat and motivation had many teams ignore him last year. After a season of JUCO he showed he could defend at the next level and featured his deceptive speed, His bat and motivation are still big question mark, but he showed he could get a hold of the ball
2	86	Jerry Morton	RP	19	JC	$550K	Great fastball reliever, his control and durability are ideal for a Ml reliever. His biggest weakness is a lack of a strong out pitch.
3	118	Claude Paramore	P	21	COL	$425K	Solid splits and 2 plus pitches to go with good control. Paramore was a solid 6 inning start in his college career, but never seem to be able to extend that in college, it will be tougher in Ryan to do and most likely his stamina issues will lock him into a relief role.
4	150	Stuart Berry	C	18	HS	$1,660K	Projects to be a solid defensive catcher with good pop in his bat. He hits well against left handed pitching, but struggles against everything else. He is going to struggle to make those projections, if he does he should be a sure fire Ml'er
5	182	Kenneth Garko	C	21	COL	$250K	San Jose State Junior who handles the pitching staff adequately and doesn't hurt the team to much at the plate. He slipped to the 5^th round because he is just average at best. He will be a solid minor league catcher.

SUMMARY: Add another starter in the first round with Madson who should prove his worth in no time. Also add a few quality relievers to strengthen the pen in the future. I think the best pick might have been Berry in the 4^th who should be a coy defender who could be an amazing value pick down the road.
GRADE: B+

Montgomery Biscuits

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	12	David Villalona	SS	18	HS	---	With the 12^th pick you hope to get the whole package, instead Villalona is an incomplete superstar. He has the fielding to be a superstar in the field and runs very well, he has shown the makeup to become a very powerful hitter who can drive the ball, but he often is easily tricked at the plate. He struggles to follow a good curve ball and seems to be caught looking on almost every changeup thrown his way. If pitchers challenge him with their fastball he will eat them alive, I have a feeling this will not be the case in Ryan.
1	35	Cla Brewer	P	22	COL	---	4 pitches with plus control and stamina. He will struggle at times against right handed batting, but he is very much capable of setting the pace of games. He would be a quality #1 or 2 guy in Montgomery very soon.
1	42	Matty Balboa	CF	18	HS	---	High end defender with plus speed and great base running. He is a selective hitter with little power. His batting splits are below average and he projects to bounce a lot of balls to defenders.
2	69	Joe Truman	LF	18	HS	---	Average hitter with great speed, his below average splits and poor defense should limit him to a career minor leaguer.
2	72	Bart Hemingway	CF	20	JC	---	Plus defender with great speed, but a weak bat, he has ml quality splits just don't do much with the ball when he makes contact.
3	101	Don Munoz	1B	18	HS	---	Above average hitter with good power, he has speed and can run well enough to be dangerous. He is being heavily scouted to play pro hockey. It might take more than his value to get him signed.
4	133	Chase Foster	RP	18	HS	---	Solid Relief option with 2 plus pitches and excellent splits and control. Foster should be able to work his way up to the ML and be a regular in 4 or 5 seasons of development. He might even get a few all-star nods.
5	165	Greg Schmidt	SP	20	JC	---	3 pitches with average to below average splits. He was a solid college pitcher, but most scouts don't believe his success to transfer to much beyond AAA

SUMMARY very solid draft class outside of the reach for Villalona. Villalona might be able to get his glove to a place where Montgomery will overlook his batting whoa. I like Brewer at the end of the 1^st round and even love Foster in the 4^th round. Overall a number of talented players to work with in the minors.
GRADE B+

Monterrey Metros

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Contract	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	21	Andre Shumaker	P	18	HS	MILB	$2,130K	Combines splits, control and 3 plus pitches into a great late 1^st round selection. He should be able to move through the minors and pick up the experience which will make him a quality #3 start in Ryan.
2	77	Eddie Brown	RP	19	JC	MILB	$550K	There is no doubt, he has a gun for an arm and has ML quality splits and pitches, but he has shown the ability to only get 75-80 pitches off his arm without losing effectiveness in a start. He might be a solid mop-up or long relief option.
3	109	Terry Latham	SP	18	HS	MILB	$425K	He throws the rock like he means to kill someone, but he is just that a thrower without ML quality splits he has 4 above average pitches to work with if, the scouting director can teach this kid to pitch in the next 4 seasons.
4	141	Kenny Carey	CF	21	COL	---	---	Fairmont state will probably have their starting CF back has Carey has shown that he was the speed and defense to be an asset to the league; he just doesn't have the bat or splits to be a factor.
5	173	Vic Perez	SS	19	JC	MILB	$250K	Low end defender at short with a below average bat and speed. He isn't going to do much justice past AA.

SUMMARY Brought in a couple of projects to go with solid Ml prospect Shumaker. Metros did a great job of picking for their needs as well as not reaching and choosing the value pick in each round
GRADE B

Santa Fe BUTCHERS

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	18	Edge Tracy	P	22	COL	$2,410K	Killer fast ball with 4 other average pitches helped him climb to the 1^st round. He has both the splits and the control to be ML material. Scouts do have concerns about his lack of velocity and tendency to let the hitter sky the ball.
1	44	Yovani Rivera	3B	21	COL	$600K	Below average in the field and at the plate. He does have some speed and should steal 10-15 bases on a good season. I just don't see that opportunity ever arising Ryan.
2	75	John Wilkerson	SP	19	JC	$550K	Could be a great pitcher if it wasn't for his below average to average splits. He has inning eating stamina and great control to go with his 2 plus pitches. He wills flameout in AAA.
3	107	Brian North	CF	20	JC	$425K	He can run might be a subpar fielder at CF or 2B, and can put the ball in play. He does strikeout more than a speedster ever should and he is at best a .230 hitter
4	139	Arthur Gamel	3B	20	JC	---	Determined to finish his career in medical terminology at Atlantic Community College. I wouldn't blame him he can't play baseball.
5	171	Lew McClellan	3B	20	JC	$250K	All power and do substance. He will hit 40+ home runs a season at points in his minor league career.

SUMMARY Pick up a quality first round pitcher who will have a mixed career in Ryan. He will have times of sure brilliance and times he will be just rocked in the first inning. He might be the only ML quality the Butchers picked up though.
GRADE C

AL WEST S19 Draft Review

2011-03-15T12:26:00.001-07:00

Kansas City McCoy's

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Contract	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	8	Billy Ray Rizzo	SS	18	HS	MLB	$3,350K	Have all the tools to be a ML all-star with 30/30 potential and the ability to field at least averagely at SS. He could benefit from a move to 3B.
2	65	Tom Hogan	SP	22	COL	MILB	$550K	Showed at Stetson University he could be a quality arm taking Stetson to the Division II regional game. Not a hard thrower he has plus splits and 3 Ml quality pitches and control. He projects to be a #3 or 4 starter.
3	97	Enrique Soria	RP	19	JC	MILB	$425K	Reliever with a top flight cut fastball, solid splits and control and average durability. He has Ml potential.
4	129	Chad Johnstone	RF	18	HS	MILB	$350K	Probably has a future at 1B over anywhere else. He has 25-30 HR potential with good splits he could be a regular .265 hitter with his power. He does have periods where he will slump, but he should be a solid 4^th round pick that has Ml potential.
5	161	Dan Youkilis	RP	18	HS	MILB	$250K	Like many of his 5^th round predecessors in KC draft history a solid reliever with average splits and 2 top quality pitches. He has the control to get the ball where he wants it, but lacks the velocity and durability to be more than a flickering flame in Ryan.

SUMMARY: KC is dancing in the streets with their first round selection. Rizzo looks like the really deal. Rumors persisted that Billy Ray might have had illicit activity with a number of farm animals which caused his stock to drop. KC known to have a very liberal and open policy with sexual deviants welcomes him with open arms. Again KC loads up on a number of limited relievers who have the potential to be a strong bullpen for the future.

Grade: A

Anaheim strasfigor

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	11	Jim Bonilla	3B	20	JC	$3,070K	Huge reach for the 11^th overall. Bonilla has an average bat with average speed and a below average batting eye. He doesn't bring enough to the table to even crack out of the minors.
1	34	Arthur Gwynn	P	18	HS	---	NOT SCOUTED seeking 5.5M
2	66	Greg Randa	CF	21	COL	$2,000K	Contact hitter who at the university of Alabama led all the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in stolen bases last season. He should continue to steal bags in Ryan, but with no power he will find it increasing difficult to push the ball out of the infield than in college. He is a solid plus hitter who is crafty enough to find a way to do it.
2	68	Bob D'Amico	SS	18	HS	$550K	One of the best pure fielders in the draft, some projected him to go as high as the late 1^st round, but questions about his swing and struggles at the plate against better competitions dropped him down to mid-2^nd. His bat projects to be average quality, but he almost completely struggles against left handed hitting.
3	100	Andrew Harville	CF	19	JC	$425K	Below average hitter with a plus glove and speed. He isn't going to burn you at the plate, but he will if he can get on base or when you are hitting. He might be a borderline Ml player for the right team.
4	132	Teddy Osbourne	C	22	COL	$350K	Showed to handle the pitching staff as a true pro at Iona College. He constantly gets praise from pitchers and coaches a like about his battery skills. He has at best an average bat and almost no ability to hit against left handed pitching.
5	164	Jim Lee	CF	19	JC	$250K	Poor splits on an average hitter should be enough to doom him to a career in the minors. Add in the fact he can't field outside of LF and you further compound the issue. In addition his only asset is his speed, but he is nothing more than average on the bases.

SUMMARY: Didn't get enough talent to keep up with the rest of the division who found value in their picks. Anaheim must have owed someone a favor in picking Bonilla #1, or they know something the rest of the league doesn't. It's hard to prove you are the smartest guy in the room when your team is just barely keepings head above water. Randa might be their best pick and he was found in the 2^nd round.
Grade: C-

Salt Lake City Prospectors

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	39	Phil Jefferson	SP	20	JC	$760K	Soft tosser with 4 pitches to work with. He has solid stamina and control and should be a solid Ml prospect. He will struggle against quality right hand hitters. He also has a lot of balls put into play against him without a strong defense he could look pretty bad.
1	52	Ken Campbell	SS	18	HS	$600K	Below average in the field and only an average bat will limit his play in the Ml. He doesn't offer enough to be anything more than a AAA lifer. Probably a reach for the position.
2	61	Walt Carpenter	SS	18	HS	$550K	Great defense with solid speed. He has next to no bat to offer. He could be a solid defensive sub or base running upgrade, but outside of an occasional start will be limited in his role.
2	89	Danny Poole	LF	19	JC	$550K	Showed in JUCO that he could slap the ball in play and outrun the throw to 1^st. Poole is an incredible base runner with mind blowing speed; he has no power and depends on his speed to get himself on base. He has shown weakness versus left handed pitching, but with his speed he should be able to limit his exposure.
3	121	Ralph Thompson	C	22	COL	$2,690K	1^st of 2 college catchers, SLC took in this draft. Thompson is an average backstop with an average bat. He is a smart hitter and will put the ball in play and sees to hit the ball where the fielders aren't on occasion. He projects to be a .260 hitter with 10 hr.
4	153	Stuart Downs	SP	22	COL	$350K	Average splits and control and outside of a dominant fastball, really throws nothing special. Downs isn't going to challenge many ML records with his pitching style but he could be a cheap every fifth day option for a team in need.
5	185	Bruce Key	C	21	COL	$250K	Harding university Junior who showed more than anything he can hit at the ML level. In college he batted .398 with 10 HR in a season of action. He is a liability in the field, but would be a solid ML DH. He does at times swing through the ball and might challenge 100 strikeouts a season.

SUMMARY: With only 2 late 1^st round picks to work with, Salt Lake City did not have much wiggle room to work with to get any surefire prospects. Jefferson should be a solid ML prospect and has the potential to be a long term ML'er. Campbell is next to worthless. The rest of their picks seem to be where SLC excessed. They brought in a number of 2 star guys who could land roles on ML clubs and most should come with bargain price tags.
Grade: B+

Tucson Mail Order Cowboys

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	13	Magglio Cano	P	18	HS	---	Strongly believes in college over pro ball. He probably heard reports from scouts who say he doesn't have the stamina to be a full time ML starter and doesn't have the durability to be a full time reliever. What he does have is 4 legitimate pitches, killer velocity and movement on his pitches which will baffle ML hitters. If he signs he would be a great closer.
2	70	Michael Cortes	LF	19	JC	$550K	Fast running 1B with great baseball splits, His overall bat shows a number of holes and he brings very little power to the table. He would be a solid 7 or 8 hitter for a short period of time. Most of his career will be in the minors.
3	102	Chris Crawford	2B	19	JC	$425K	Slightly above average speed and base running, but a below average bat with fielding skills better suited for LF than 2B. Not much hope of getting out of the minors with Crawford.
4	134	Sarma Pryce	SP	19	JC	$350K	Solid splits for a 4^th rounder, he has a good fastball and 2 other average pitches to work with. His low velocity and poor control will keep him in the minors.
5	166	Edgar Cairo	CF	20	JC	$250K	Speedy 2B option that has almost no bat to offer. 1 Tool isn't going to get you far in this league.

SUMMARY: Cano most likely will not sign, what will put Tucson back a season, he is a quality player, but his role would be a mystery for all involved. The others might not be much for the you and most won't see the ML, but they have a few tools to offer a team in need and could be ML players in a pinch.

Grade: C

Al North S19 Draft Review

2011-03-14T18:44:00.001-07:00

Seattle Fainting Goats

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	10	Randall Borbon	CF	22	COL	$3,160K	Awesome pick at 10 with elite speed, and great power bat. He's developed and could be a huge factor in 2 seasons or quicker. This guy could be a legit 40/40 threat a number of times in his career. Anytime you get this type of player at the 10^th pick you have to be excited.
2	67	Craig Kirwan	1B	21	COL	$550K	Solid 2^nd rounder who could be an adequate 1B in the league. His bat offers 30 home run power and he has the skills to be a .290 hitter in his career. He should be a good option at 5 or 6 in the lineup.
3	99	J.D. Marshall	P	21	COL	---	He has all the tools except average splits. If he DITR's his splits and has a break through expect him to jump up the depth chart with his great control and Fb/Curve combo. He should still eat inning in the minors.
4	131	Roy Rapp	CF	20	JC	$350K	Solid fielder and runner, but a poor hitter. He might never prove his worth out of AA.
5	163	Alvin Plant	2B	19	JC	$250K	Average unspectacular hitter. Better suited for the outfield. He has solid power. Expect a .260 batting average with 25 home runs in the minors.

SUMMARY: You have to love Bourbon at 10 in this draft. He is a game changers and instantly makes the goats better. Kirwan also was a smart pick in the 2^nd round. The Goats saw some gems and mined them out of this draft. Goats look to move quickly up the standings with these picks.
Grade: A

Madison Massa's

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	24	Gregg Henderson	SS	18	HS	$3,071K	Better fit is at 3B for this power swinging masher. Similar to last season's #1 pick White, Henderson is almost a perfect clone. He does have a fair amount of speed to go with his hitting props and will strikeout more than scouts like at around 80-90 times a season.
1	46	Sherman Lofton	P	18	HS	$600K	Super rubber arm reliever. Serman could pitch 100 innings in relief. With a fb and curve he's quite talented. He needs to get his strikeout numbers out to be an all-star.
1	54	Brutus Ellis	P	18	HS	$600K	Has a ML fastball and that's about all he can throw. He throws slightly above average and induces mostly groundballs. He has a shot at being a #5 guy in Madison.
2	80	Adam Minor	LF	22	COL	$550K	Scouts think what they saw at Buthune-Cookman College is about all you are going to get out of him. He is close to fully developed already as an above average runner, but a weak bat relative to his position.
3	112	Bud Stein	1B	22	COL	$425K	Monster bat on an otherwise average prospect. He puts the ball in play which is good, but probably will not get far out of AA in his career.
4	144	Scott Miller	1B	20	JC	---	Like Stein a super powered prospect that showed in college that he can make contact with the ball. The issue is most of that contact ends up in the fielder's glove. He himself does not have much of a glove.
5	176	Jimmie Hernandez	RF	19	JC	$250K	Fields fine enough to be in the Ml but don't do anything else worth even AA.

SUMMARY: Adding Henderson was a value pick as he is depth in an already deep position in Madison. The better pick might be Lofton who could offer some value in the rotation in a few seasons
Grade: B

Burlington Ice Storm

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	6	Alex Lucano	LF	22	COL	$3,540K	One of the best college players available in this season's draft. He combines speed, power and a good batting eye into a complete package. He has average base running. Already close to ready for the big show, should see him soon.
1	41	David Matos	SP	18	HS	---	The Movement on Matos pitches are so extreme that most of the time no one knows where they will go even Matos. His curve is projected to be ace quality and his slider and sinker are solid out pitches. At 18 there is a lot of time for him to find some control, but scouts don't think there will be enough for Ml success.
2	63	Hawk Merritt	P	21	COL	$550K	Led a solid Junior campaign at U of Illinois, but he has never shown much is the line of dominant pitches and still struggles heavily versus quality left handed hitting.. His riffle for an arm is his saving grace which teams will covet.
3	95	Ken Mann	P	19	JC	$425K	Mann's cut fastball is his bread and butter, but is the only pitcher he has. He has the tools to have success in the league to play with the big boys, but lacks both a power arm and a groundball style which hurts his stock and allowed him to fall to the 3^rd round.
4	127	John Wynn	P	22	COL	$350K	At eastern New Mexico he had his fair share of control issues; he brings those with him to Burlington. Critics point to his strong arm for those control issues and don't see away to improve his control without damaging the rest of his stock. All and all he's not a bad pitcher to have in the minors as a sleeper pick.
5	159	Mike Lambert	P	18	HS	$250K	Solid 5^th rounder with an outside chance at the big leagues. He has the velocity and pitch selection, but has very low average stamina and splits for a starter. Only in High school he still projects to walk a lot of batters when he gets his head on straight.

SUMMARY: Taking Lucano adds enough bat that could be ML ready very quickly. Burlington again took a number of high ranking college players. They also took a couple high risk/ high reward types. Matos is a puzzle if he learns to harness his pitches he could be a huge pick up in the late 1^st round. I fear a DITR treatment might be his only hope though.
Grade: B

Minnesota Wogeban's

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Bonus	SUMMARY
1	25	Reid Stone	SP	18	HS	$1,630K	Already developed well for an 18 year old he projects to have 2 great pitches to compliment his elite control and stamina. He doesn't throw hard, but is a precision pitcher who carves out the plate for hitters. His forkball projects to be one of the best in the league. He's a great pick at the bottom of the 1^st round
2	81	Cooper Simmons	SS	19	JC	$500K	He is fast. Can't hit and is just an average shortstop in the league. Did II mention he's fast? At 19, he is very developed and might exceed a projection.
3	113	Carmine Traynor	C	18	HS	$375K	Best suited for DH than in the field, he seems to lack any baseball fielding fundamentals, but he has hitting down pretty pat. Potentially a 20 home run threat with .270-.280 batting chops. He will also bring in an average of 100 strikeouts a year.
4	145	Eddie Tremie	C	18	HS	$320K	Light hitting defensive catcher. He smacks the ball into play a lot and would be more valuable if he had any type of speed. As he stands he is a defense only option. He swings at next to every pitch thrown.
5	177	Arthur Leach	1B	22	COL	$227K	Power hitting 1B with a Stanford education. Leach can whale on the ball and has a solid batting eye, but tends to pop the ball up more than you want in your big bat. His splits indicate a career minor leaguer right now.

SUMMARY: Stone is going to be a solid ML'er and should plow right through the minors with his jump started talent. Tremie should draw some interest from the coaching staff on how he responds to the minors and if he could be a ML'er in the future. Wogeban continues to add pieces to a team that is getting loaded with talent.
Grade: B+