1. (1, 82-35) New York Metropolitans: Despite a 3 game skid, they hold onto the top spot in the rankings. The Yankees may have more pitching this year, but the Mets have the advantage of a better balance of the two. Still, there's really not much that's separated the top two teams from each other all season long.
2. (2, 83-34) New York Yankees: Their team ERA is still a sparkling 2.78. To put that into context, only 6 pitchers that qualify for the ERA title have an ERA that low. Three of those pitch for the Yankees. Enough said.
3. (4, 77-40) Anaheim Anteaters: The best team without a legitimate MVP or Cy Young candidate. While the Mets, Yankees, Fatboys, and Isotopes all have superstars that contend for these awards every season, the Anteaters still manage to put out an outstanding pitching staff without an ace (3rd in run prevention) and an equally strong lineup without a true monster (tops in the NL in runs scored, 5th overall).
4. (3, 76-41) Minnesota Fatboys: Adding Max Leary has helped so far; they boast a 19-7 record after the addition, and Leary has won each of his 3 starts. The bats have also stayed hot; they're the only team with a SLG % over .500.
5. (6, 70-47) Albuquerque Isotopes: Offensively, no team other than the Fatboys can match the Isotopes offense. To put things in perspective, the Isotopes have scored 794 runs this season. The Fatboys have scored 793. The 3rd place Mets have scored 667. That's a huge gap.
6. (10, 70-47) Milwaukee Twindyans: Arguably the hottest team in baseball. They've won 23 of their last 28 games, turning a dead heat with the Gunslingers into a seemingly insurmountable lead.
7. (7, 71-46) Nashville Twang: They're set to make the playoffs for the first time in team history. However, there are some concerns that may surface once the playoffs start. The front of the rotation, for example, will match up poorly against almost any other team, and they have an offense that's merely good, not great. Still, it's been quite a season.
8. (8, 69-48) Chicago Jayhawks: Grover Rowand could become a nasty trump card during the playoffs. He lacks the stamina to go for more than 6 innings in any start, but still possesses the ability to completely shut down a good offense.
9. (5, 68-49) St. Louis Greys: Two 3 game losing streaks followed by a 6 game losing streak results in a four-spot tumble. If they don't shape up, the Comics and Twins might sneak up on them; with the way the Greys have been playing, it's certainly a possibility.
10. (9, 67-50) Tampa Bay Devil Rays: The Rays finally have some breathing room. They're 6 games ahead of the nearest competitor for the 2nd wildcard slot. That's good, because they'll need to rest Richard Maxwell as much as possible down the stretch; if he's not performing at peak capacity, the lineup doesn't look nearly as potent.
11. (13, 62-55) Buffalo Europeans: Before winning their last game 4-1, the European pitching staff gave up 9, 5, 18, and 9 runs against the Red Sox and Isotopes. Is this just a hiccup, or an ominous sign indicating an inability to slow down elite offenses?
12. (16, 61-56) Florida Cottonmouths: If they somehow manage to sneak into the playoffs, Ismael Molina deserves a raise. He's been by far the team's most valuable player; without him, they don't break .500.
13. (12, 60-57) Cheyenne Tackleberries: Closer Miguel Mendez has an ERA of 2.51. Starters Eugene Ramirez and Stump Jordan have ERAs of 3.30 and 3.04, respectively. The next lowest ERA, starter or reliever, on the entire team, is setup man Al Pena's 5.23. Few teams would have benefited more from a mid-season trade for a few competent relievers or starters. As it is, they don't look like good bets to win in the playoffs (that is, if they make the playoffs).
14. (17, 61-56) San Antonio Sting: Starting off as the 32nd team listed in the inaugural power rankings, the Sting have climbed all the way to the 14th spot, and are tied with the Cottonmouths for the last wildcard slot. Anyone who expected this, raise your hand. Put your hand down, usssalami. You're lying. All joking aside, they're the story of the season.
15. (15, 59-58) Boston Red Sox: Derrek Canizaro's pitching line this season at the ML level (2 2/3 innings, 12 hits, 13 runs, 43.88 ERA, 4.88 WHIP) is the stuff of legends. He'll get another shot; he's way too talented a player not to make it back to the show. For now, he's an example of what happens when a pitcher throws poorly and plays for the Red Sox: he gets eaten alive.
16. (11, 61-56) Iowa City Comics: Losers of 15 of their last 22 games, they're now on the bubble of the playoff picture. The Greys have played poorly enough to keep them in it; it'll take a couple of hot streaks before we can call them contenders again.
17. (20, 61-56) Oklahoma City Twins: They're in the same situation as the Comics (record-wise, at least), but they're even harder to take seriously as contenders, since they've gutted their team, replacing their veterans with Quad-A dreck. If they somehow find themselves in the hunt, it'll be a minor miracle.
18. (19, 60-57) Boise Mashers: They're on pace for their first season above .500. That's nice, but it's not getting them to the playoffs. The team's core offensive players are still young, and have played well this season; perhaps investing in some quality pitching could make them a more dangerous team next season.
19. (14, 58-59) Sioux Falls Gunslingers: Talk about a change of fortune: after pulling even with the Twindyans, the Gunslingers endured an 8 game losing streak, followed by a 7 game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Twindyans got red hot (see above). Now, they're 12 games back, below .500, and counting the days until the offseason. Funny how quickly things can change.
20. (21, 55-62) Philadelphia Phenomenauts: Macbeth King has to be nominated as a finalist for "Best Name in Gleeman World." There's really not much else exciting to mention; the team's not contending this year.
21. (22, 54-63) Kansas City Monarchs: GM sche0707 has officially announced that he will step down from his position at the end of the season. It's been a frustrating tenure for him; despite always being solid, placing 2nd in the division 3 times and winning as many as 87 games, they've never made the playoffs. Here's hoping that the next GM can get them over the hump soon.
22. (18, 56-61) Syracuse Fightin' Boeheims: They've lost 12 of their last 16 games, effectively quashing any hopes of reaching the playoffs this season. They're still talented enough to make a run next season; this upcoming offseason could prove to be very important to the future of the franchise.
23. (23, 47-70) Richmond Roustabouts: Nick Carter's 4.38 ERA actually leads the team, even without an innings requirement (save for Al Trajano, who's faced, and successful retired, one batter this season). He's only 25, but this might end up being the best season of his career; his ceiling is probably that of a #4 starter. And he's the best they have to offer.
24. (26, 48-69) Pittsburgh Pug Dogs: They made an interesting move, snatching Otis Upshaw off the waiver wire. It's unusual for a non-contending team to snatch up a player making that kind of salary, but the contract doesn't look awful, and it could end up being a nice gamble that helps the team move towards respectability.
25. (30, ) Monterrey Conquistadores: They've had a nice week; winning 12 of your last 22 games doesn't sound impressive, but it's still pretty good for a bottom-feeder. When you're 16 games behind 3rd place in your division, you've got to take what you can get.
26. (25, 45-72) Vancouver Vigilantes: The .170 ISO SLG% is solid, but few teams can get by while hitting .251, and the Vigilantes don't walk enough or have nearly enough pitching for that to work out. Hopefully they'll be able to convince a few stars to "get vigilant" during the offseason.
27. (24, 44-73) Montreal Grand Orange: Losing 6 in a row doesn't help their cause; neither did trading away catcher Josh Wagner. Making this team a winner might take a while; the ML team is clearly not championship caliber, and their prospects were ranked 2nd to last in the AL by benj13blue at the beginning of the season. A so-so draft did little to change the assessment.
28. (27, 46-71) Los Angeles Hangars: They've won their last 3 games. At least that gives them some separation from the division cellar, represented by the...
29. (28, 42-75) Santa Cruz Amigos: ...who have completely fallen apart this season. GM bosoxx05 has expressed his desire to step down after the season.
30. (30, 41-76)Washington D.C. Bureaucrats: They're bad, but at least they're cheap: the ML players have made a combined 19.3 million dollars this season, while the organization has handed out 26.5 million dollars in signing bonuses for prospects.
31. (31, 41-76) Colorado Springs Silver Stars: They've been really bad this season, but they've avoided the bottom spot for several weeks now. That's because of the worst team in baseball, which is still...
32. (32, 33-84) Tacoma Downpour: ...a team that's on pace to go 46-116 this season. Downpour fans can take solace in the fact that there's nowhere to go but up next season.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Where Are They Now? #3
Pete Skinner: Drafted 3rd overall out of high school by the San Diego Whales (now known as the Anaheim Anteaters), Skinner had immediate success at Rookie ball, putting up a 1.200 OPS in just over 100 at bats. However, his future with the organization was short-lived; in possibly the worst trade in Gleeman World history, he was dealt to the Twindyans along with (then) 22 year old SP Larry Williamson for Dennis Murata. Skinner didn't miss a beat with his new organization; skipping a level and starting Season 2 at High A, Skinner put up three consecutive outstanding seasons at progressively higher levels, culminating in a successful half-season at the ML level during Season 4, and making each league's respective All-Star team every season. During his first full season at the ML level, he did even better, hitting .300/.360/.561 en route to winning the All-Star Game MVP, and even finishing in the top 5 in the regular season MVP voting. This season, despite a surprise snub from the All-Star game, Skinner's been even better; his .611 SLG places him 4th in the NL, and he managed to improve his OBP and BA on top of that. Skinner's defense is exciting; his plus speed and excellent instincts have added up to 29 plus plays in CF in 304 games. However, his glovework is a bit suspect; the Milwaukee coaching staff expects him to improve on his lifetime .968 FLD%. Skinner's baserunning is also a bit raw. He's stolen 28 bases this season, but has also been caught 12 times. Unlike his glovework, his baserunning acumen doesn't project to improve much. Nevertheless, Skinner is a bona-fide superstar at 23; given his defense at a premium position along with his powerful bat, he's probably the favorite to be remembered as the best player from Season 1's draft.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Trouble in Texas
Fans were stung in San Antonio when top draft pick Tony Guerrero strained his left hamstring fielding a groundball in the 6th inning of yesterday's game. The injury occurred just one day after the organization promoted Guerrero to Low-A and the outfielder will miss about three weeks. The top draft pick hit .404/.500/.828 over 154 at bats at the rookie level before being promoted. He's expected to miss about 18 days.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Draft Recap: NL West
Anaheim
First Round: Quinton Snyder could quite easily turn out to be the best hitter in the draft, and it’ll be hard to find someone who disagrees with that. However, it’ll also be hard to find someone who thinks he’ll be able to rack up more than 375 PA’s in a season, especially as a pure DH on a National League team.Anaheim
Grade: B+
Boise
First Round: With the 11th pick of the draft, the Mashers tabbed Carl Moore. One of the more disappointing picks of the round, Moore looks to be a bit of a 'tweener, lacking the defensive abilities to stay at SS, and the bat to truly play at 3B full time.
Grade: D
Other Picks: In the 2nd and 3rd rounds however, Boise somewhat redeemed themselves in picking up Joaquin Cordero and Harry Benitez. While both slightly old in relation to their current level of play, if they develop quickly enough in pros, Cordero could easily stick as an everyday RF in the pros while Benitez could set up for a good few years. With not much else to speak of in the later rounds, the development of these two will come to define the draft as a whole in years to come.
Grade: C
Colorado Springs
First Round: With their first rounder, Karl Charleston, still unsigned, and a fairly unheralded prospect to begin with, the Silver Stars' first looks to be a bust.
Grade: F
Other Picks: With the rest of the draft Colorado Springs picked several durable pitchers and robust bats, none with exceptional ability sadly. With most of the hitter playing poor defense, the best of the lot is probably Jacob Coolbaugh. Likewise, the most likely pitcher to have an impact in the back of the rotation is college senior Steven Morton.
Grade: D
Tacoma
First Round: Glenallen Simontacchi is exactly the kind of player you're looking for in the top 5 picks of any draft. Healthy, durable, a smart baserunner with all the tools to become a star, offensively and defensively. Despite a possible flaw with his batting eye, a great pick.
Grade: B+
Other Picks: Once into the later rounds it became clear what kind of player Tacoma was targeting. Both their 2nd and 4th round guys, Norm Webster and Wayne Franco, are fair replicas of Simontacchi. Although not quite up to Simontacchi's skillset, Webster in particular combines a very playable bat with well above average defensive skills at short. Other notable guys with big league futures include slap-hitting speedster Ismael Cordero and future 8th inning man Oswaldo Tavarez.
Grade: A-
First Round: Quinton Snyder could quite easily turn out to be the best hitter in the draft, and it’ll be hard to find someone who disagrees with that. However, it’ll also be hard to find someone who thinks he’ll be able to rack up more than 375 PA’s in a season, especially as a pure DH on a National League team.
Grade: B+
Boise
First Round: With the 11th pick of the draft, the Mashers tabbed Carl Moore. One of the more disappointing picks of the round, Moore looks to be a bit of a 'tweener, lacking the defensive abilities to stay at SS, and the bat to truly play at 3B full time.
Grade: D
Other Picks: In the 2nd and 3rd rounds however, Boise somewhat redeemed themselves in picking up Joaquin Cordero and Harry Benitez. While both slightly old in relation to their current level of play, if they develop quickly enough in pros, Cordero could easily stick as an everyday RF in the pros while Benitez could set up for a good few years. With not much else to speak of in the later rounds, the development of these two will come to define the draft as a whole in years to come.
Grade: C
Colorado Springs
First Round: With their first rounder, Karl Charleston, still unsigned, and a fairly unheralded prospect to begin with, the Silver Stars' first looks to be a bust.
Grade: F
Other Picks: With the rest of the draft Colorado Springs picked several durable pitchers and robust bats, none with exceptional ability sadly. With most of the hitter playing poor defense, the best of the lot is probably Jacob Coolbaugh. Likewise, the most likely pitcher to have an impact in the back of the rotation is college senior Steven Morton.
Grade: D
Tacoma
First Round: Glenallen Simontacchi is exactly the kind of player you're looking for in the top 5 picks of any draft. Healthy, durable, a smart baserunner with all the tools to become a star, offensively and defensively. Despite a possible flaw with his batting eye, a great pick.
Grade: B+
Other Picks: Once into the later rounds it became clear what kind of player Tacoma was targeting. Both their 2nd and 4th round guys, Norm Webster and Wayne Franco, are fair replicas of Simontacchi. Although not quite up to Simontacchi's skillset, Webster in particular combines a very playable bat with well above average defensive skills at short. Other notable guys with big league futures include slap-hitting speedster Ismael Cordero and future 8th inning man Oswaldo Tavarez.
Grade: A-
Draft recap: AL South, AL West, Washington
A look at the draft classes of the eight teams in the AL South and West divisions, plus Washington.
AL South
Nashville Twang
First round: No. 10 pick Tony Pascual looks like a star, as he has the potential to play excellent defense in center field and his projected top-notch patience combined with solid ability in every other offensive area should make him a nice offensive threat. The key will be his ability to stay healthy, which is a big concern. Julian Santos (pick No. 20 as FA compensation) has the potential to be a nice starter with outstanding control, OK splits and a nice array of pitches. And 33rd overall pick Mac Garcia is a top-15 talent who fell because of signability issues. He projects to be an excellent reliever with very good control, an excellent sinker and two other useful pitches. He'll be very tough on righties and solid against lefties. Of Nashville's four first round/supplement picks, only Clint Scarsone (subpar control and splits and unimpressive pitches) was a whiff.
Grade: A
Other picks: It's a good thing the Twang picked up three excellent prospects before the second round, because they didn't get anybody with ML potential from then on. Second-rounder Arnold Hamilton has good enough potential pitches, but his control and splits will drag him down. Same for third-rounder Hanley Watson. Nashville's fifth-, sixth- and seventh-round picks all have good projected control but don't bring anything else to the table.
Grade: D
Florida Cottonmouths
First round: The Cottonmouths didn't pick until No. 72 overall after losing their first-round pick when they signed Izzy Richard, who has been an OK but certainly not spectacular reliever.
Grade: F
Other picks: Florida's first three picks (Pepe DeSoto, Don Vanguri, Andy Peavy) all appear to have the same potential: backup third baseman/corner outfielder in the majors. None of them appears likely to hit well enough to stick in the starting lineup, but at least they do have a shot at reaching the majors.
Grade: C-
San Antonio Sting
First round: With their third consecutive No. 1 overall pick (and it appears their last for quite some time), the Sting selected their third consecutive elite position prospect. Tony Guerrero may have the best bat of the three as he has an outstanding projected contact/power combination and a good batting eye. He should be solid against righties and a terror against lefties. However, unlike Ronald Levrault and Jin-Chi Choi, Guerrero is a serious health risk. If he can avoid a major injury that sets back his development, he should become a multi-time All-Star and maybe even MVP. But that's an if you'd rather avoid with a No. 1 pick if possible.
Grade: A-
Other picks: Second-round pick Greg Webster has a bat that's nearly as good as Guerrero's, and he'll mash whether he catches or DHs. The problem is that he's not durable enough to provide more than 300 or so at-bats once he's developed, so San Antonio will need to have somebody who can share a position with him. Third-round pick Todd Howard looks more like a minor league rotation workhorse than a ML prospect, and reliever Vernon Hodges is probably too wild to succeed in the majors.
Grade: B
Richmond Roustabouts
First round: No. 3 overall pick Vic Martinez is an excellent prospect, but he doesn't appear to be quite as good as Nashville's Pascual, who went seven spots later. Martinez projects to be a very nice defender in center field or at second base, but he doesn't have the excellent eye Pascual has to offset the fact that he doesn't have great potential in either contact or power. He does have the potential to do quite well against righties. And while his health is a concern, it's not as big a concern as Pascual's. It looks like supplemental pick Freddy Rudolph isn't going to sign, which hurts this class. Still, it was probably a decent gamble using the No. 37 pick on somebody who may have projected to be a mid-rotation starter if he'd signed.
Grade: B
Other picks: Second-rounder Ross Riley could develop into a solid backup infielder, but he probably won't hit enough to start in the majors. Nobody else looks that intriguing, and Richmond hasn't signed three of its seven picks in the first six rounds (including Rudolph).
Grade: D+
AL West
Albuquerque Isotopes
First round: The Isotopes lost their first round pick to free agent compensation but picked up a supplemental pick (No. 42 overall) and used it on Willie Sanchez, who has great attributes and big flaws. A catcher, his arm accuracy is going to be a problem that may ultimately force him to DH. He may also struggle against right-handed pitching, but he'll be outstanding against lefties as he has a solid contact/power combination and a great potential batting eye. His other issue is that his health isn't great. He could be anywhere from a complete bust to an All-Star catcher.
Grade: B-
Other picks: Second-round pick Reginald Kelton is an intriguing DH for an organization that doesn't really need any more DHs. He has a nice projected contact/power combination and the potential to beat up on lefties. His patience isn't going to be great and he'll only be decent against righties. Third-round pick Jed Howington has the potential to be a decent reliever as he's got solid projections across the board. Fifth-round pick Luther Robinson is a long-shot to be effective in the majors, but he has a little potential.
Grade: B+
Cheyenne Tackleberries
First round: The Tackleberries will eventually need to decide whether they want him to be a good defensive left fielder or a poor defensive second baseman, but either way Felix McDowell will be a valuable player. The only area on offense in which he's not very good is his ability against lefties, and he's at least decent there. Getting a player of his caliber at No. 13 overall is the upside of taking a chance on a player whose signability is questionable.
Grade: A
Other picks: Second-round pick Sal Fryman may be able to make it to the majors, but he's going to struggle against lefties and he's not great against righties either. Still, excellent control may give him a shot. Chipper Murray could become a defensive replacement catcher in the majors, and there are worse players you could find in the sixth round. Nobody else has ML potential.
Grade: C-
Los Angeles Hangars
First round: The Hangars haven't been able to sign their first-round pick and his high demands may prevent them from ever doing so. If he signs, this grade can obviously change. Fortunately, Los Angeles did have two supplemental picks and used them well. Chris Martin projects to have outstanding control and a phenomenal changeup to go with two other decent pitches. He'll be very tough on righties and decent against lefties. He's a potential ace and should be a good No. 3 starter at a minimum. Craig Murphy isn't going to be able to carry a heavy workload in the bullpen, but his near-perfect projected control and three potential plus pitches should allow him to be effective when he does pitch.
Grade: C+ (losing the No. 12 overall pick hurts a lot)
Other picks: Second-round pick Wilt Blair has a chance to be a back-end starter, but not a great chance, and the same is true for third-rounder J.D. Goldberg. Fourth-rounder Ross Lofton could be a usable reliever, but even if he is he'll only be able to pitch 50-60 innings.
Grade: C+
Santa Cruz Amigos
First round: No. 24 overall pick Jamie Jackson is likely a wasted pick because of his low splits and unspectacular pitches, but there's an outside chance he could be decent. Supplemental pick Byung-Hyun Martin (46th overall) isn't going to be a star but he has solid potential across the board on offense and is a very good value at this point of the draft.
Grade: C
Other picks: Second-rounder Kelvim Takada has the potential to play somewhere in the infield against lefties, but his usefulness is limited by his lack of range and he may struggle to stay healthy. Nobody else seems likely to make any impact in the majors.
Grade: C-
NL East
Washington D.C. Bureaucrats
First round: With the No. 2 overall pick, the Bureaucrats picked up one of the two true potential aces in this draft in Garrett Lorraine. Lorraine projects to have excellent control, two outstanding pitches and equally strong performance against righties and lefties. The two concerns are that his health and durability are both on the low side, so he'll need good training to help him avoid injury and he may occasionally need an extra off day even in a five-man rotation.
Grade: A
Other picks: Second-rounder Bum Spehr has the potential to be a solid reliever, with very good control, a nice group of pitches and decent splits. Third-rounder Alex Patterson has a chance to develop into a big league starting pitcher, but it's a long-shot. And fourth-rounder Louie Mieses could turn into a pinch-hitter or spot starter against righties thanks to his power, but it's more likely that his terrible contact and mediocre patience will keep him in the minors.
Grade: B+
AL South
Nashville Twang
First round: No. 10 pick Tony Pascual looks like a star, as he has the potential to play excellent defense in center field and his projected top-notch patience combined with solid ability in every other offensive area should make him a nice offensive threat. The key will be his ability to stay healthy, which is a big concern. Julian Santos (pick No. 20 as FA compensation) has the potential to be a nice starter with outstanding control, OK splits and a nice array of pitches. And 33rd overall pick Mac Garcia is a top-15 talent who fell because of signability issues. He projects to be an excellent reliever with very good control, an excellent sinker and two other useful pitches. He'll be very tough on righties and solid against lefties. Of Nashville's four first round/supplement picks, only Clint Scarsone (subpar control and splits and unimpressive pitches) was a whiff.
Grade: A
Other picks: It's a good thing the Twang picked up three excellent prospects before the second round, because they didn't get anybody with ML potential from then on. Second-rounder Arnold Hamilton has good enough potential pitches, but his control and splits will drag him down. Same for third-rounder Hanley Watson. Nashville's fifth-, sixth- and seventh-round picks all have good projected control but don't bring anything else to the table.
Grade: D
Florida Cottonmouths
First round: The Cottonmouths didn't pick until No. 72 overall after losing their first-round pick when they signed Izzy Richard, who has been an OK but certainly not spectacular reliever.
Grade: F
Other picks: Florida's first three picks (Pepe DeSoto, Don Vanguri, Andy Peavy) all appear to have the same potential: backup third baseman/corner outfielder in the majors. None of them appears likely to hit well enough to stick in the starting lineup, but at least they do have a shot at reaching the majors.
Grade: C-
San Antonio Sting
First round: With their third consecutive No. 1 overall pick (and it appears their last for quite some time), the Sting selected their third consecutive elite position prospect. Tony Guerrero may have the best bat of the three as he has an outstanding projected contact/power combination and a good batting eye. He should be solid against righties and a terror against lefties. However, unlike Ronald Levrault and Jin-Chi Choi, Guerrero is a serious health risk. If he can avoid a major injury that sets back his development, he should become a multi-time All-Star and maybe even MVP. But that's an if you'd rather avoid with a No. 1 pick if possible.
Grade: A-
Other picks: Second-round pick Greg Webster has a bat that's nearly as good as Guerrero's, and he'll mash whether he catches or DHs. The problem is that he's not durable enough to provide more than 300 or so at-bats once he's developed, so San Antonio will need to have somebody who can share a position with him. Third-round pick Todd Howard looks more like a minor league rotation workhorse than a ML prospect, and reliever Vernon Hodges is probably too wild to succeed in the majors.
Grade: B
Richmond Roustabouts
First round: No. 3 overall pick Vic Martinez is an excellent prospect, but he doesn't appear to be quite as good as Nashville's Pascual, who went seven spots later. Martinez projects to be a very nice defender in center field or at second base, but he doesn't have the excellent eye Pascual has to offset the fact that he doesn't have great potential in either contact or power. He does have the potential to do quite well against righties. And while his health is a concern, it's not as big a concern as Pascual's. It looks like supplemental pick Freddy Rudolph isn't going to sign, which hurts this class. Still, it was probably a decent gamble using the No. 37 pick on somebody who may have projected to be a mid-rotation starter if he'd signed.
Grade: B
Other picks: Second-rounder Ross Riley could develop into a solid backup infielder, but he probably won't hit enough to start in the majors. Nobody else looks that intriguing, and Richmond hasn't signed three of its seven picks in the first six rounds (including Rudolph).
Grade: D+
AL West
Albuquerque Isotopes
First round: The Isotopes lost their first round pick to free agent compensation but picked up a supplemental pick (No. 42 overall) and used it on Willie Sanchez, who has great attributes and big flaws. A catcher, his arm accuracy is going to be a problem that may ultimately force him to DH. He may also struggle against right-handed pitching, but he'll be outstanding against lefties as he has a solid contact/power combination and a great potential batting eye. His other issue is that his health isn't great. He could be anywhere from a complete bust to an All-Star catcher.
Grade: B-
Other picks: Second-round pick Reginald Kelton is an intriguing DH for an organization that doesn't really need any more DHs. He has a nice projected contact/power combination and the potential to beat up on lefties. His patience isn't going to be great and he'll only be decent against righties. Third-round pick Jed Howington has the potential to be a decent reliever as he's got solid projections across the board. Fifth-round pick Luther Robinson is a long-shot to be effective in the majors, but he has a little potential.
Grade: B+
Cheyenne Tackleberries
First round: The Tackleberries will eventually need to decide whether they want him to be a good defensive left fielder or a poor defensive second baseman, but either way Felix McDowell will be a valuable player. The only area on offense in which he's not very good is his ability against lefties, and he's at least decent there. Getting a player of his caliber at No. 13 overall is the upside of taking a chance on a player whose signability is questionable.
Grade: A
Other picks: Second-round pick Sal Fryman may be able to make it to the majors, but he's going to struggle against lefties and he's not great against righties either. Still, excellent control may give him a shot. Chipper Murray could become a defensive replacement catcher in the majors, and there are worse players you could find in the sixth round. Nobody else has ML potential.
Grade: C-
Los Angeles Hangars
First round: The Hangars haven't been able to sign their first-round pick and his high demands may prevent them from ever doing so. If he signs, this grade can obviously change. Fortunately, Los Angeles did have two supplemental picks and used them well. Chris Martin projects to have outstanding control and a phenomenal changeup to go with two other decent pitches. He'll be very tough on righties and decent against lefties. He's a potential ace and should be a good No. 3 starter at a minimum. Craig Murphy isn't going to be able to carry a heavy workload in the bullpen, but his near-perfect projected control and three potential plus pitches should allow him to be effective when he does pitch.
Grade: C+ (losing the No. 12 overall pick hurts a lot)
Other picks: Second-round pick Wilt Blair has a chance to be a back-end starter, but not a great chance, and the same is true for third-rounder J.D. Goldberg. Fourth-rounder Ross Lofton could be a usable reliever, but even if he is he'll only be able to pitch 50-60 innings.
Grade: C+
Santa Cruz Amigos
First round: No. 24 overall pick Jamie Jackson is likely a wasted pick because of his low splits and unspectacular pitches, but there's an outside chance he could be decent. Supplemental pick Byung-Hyun Martin (46th overall) isn't going to be a star but he has solid potential across the board on offense and is a very good value at this point of the draft.
Grade: C
Other picks: Second-rounder Kelvim Takada has the potential to play somewhere in the infield against lefties, but his usefulness is limited by his lack of range and he may struggle to stay healthy. Nobody else seems likely to make any impact in the majors.
Grade: C-
NL East
Washington D.C. Bureaucrats
First round: With the No. 2 overall pick, the Bureaucrats picked up one of the two true potential aces in this draft in Garrett Lorraine. Lorraine projects to have excellent control, two outstanding pitches and equally strong performance against righties and lefties. The two concerns are that his health and durability are both on the low side, so he'll need good training to help him avoid injury and he may occasionally need an extra off day even in a five-man rotation.
Grade: A
Other picks: Second-rounder Bum Spehr has the potential to be a solid reliever, with very good control, a nice group of pitches and decent splits. Third-rounder Alex Patterson has a chance to develop into a big league starting pitcher, but it's a long-shot. And fourth-rounder Louie Mieses could turn into a pinch-hitter or spot starter against righties thanks to his power, but it's more likely that his terrible contact and mediocre patience will keep him in the minors.
Grade: B+
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Draft Recap: AL North, AL East
AL North
Minnesota Fatboys:
First Round: Bob Flaherty at #27 looks like a very strong pick. He projects to play an excellent 2B, and should also be able to play a fair CF. At the plate, Flaherty has a broad skill set, projecting as adequate to good at everything but excelling at nothing, although his power deserves note. Supplemental pick Brandon Roberts is a relief workhorse that excels against righties and holds his own against lefties. However, his 2nd pitch projects to be pretty average, and he lacks a third pitch. Nashville's Mac Garcia, picked 2 slots earlier, looks much better, although (obviously) Minnesota never had a shot at him, to be fair.
Grade: B+
Other picks: Horace Faulkner should start someday, despite the high offensive standards for 1B. It's unlikely to ever happen with the Fatboys, though; he probably has to be traded to get a shot. Mule Liverman and Rabbit Hackman are likely to find themselves on someone's bench in the future, and Joel Brown was a nice late-round find. Nothing special, but there's value here.
Grade: B+
Buffalo Europeans
First Round: Denny Abercrombie's bat and glove are both strong for his position (LF); he should make a couple of All-Star games in his prime. He signed for well over slot (4.66 mil), however, which is probably why supplemental pick Kevin North hasn't been signed. Even so, North lacks the power or plate discipline to start at 1B, and his glove isn't good enough to play anywhere else. Abercrombie is definitely talented, but getting nothing out of a supplemental pick hurts.
Grade: B-
Other picks: Buffalo's 2nd and 3rd round picks are unsigned, and 4th rounder Maximo Thomas is fringy, even as a bench player. There's nothing else of note here; no one else deserves to make an ML squad by merit. If Buffalo signs either their 2nd or 3rd round picks, this grade would rise. As it stands, however, this is as ugly as it gets.
Grade: F
Syracuse Fightin' Boeheims:
First Round: Thurman Pearson's bat won't be anything special, even for a 2B. His range is also lacking for someone who mans the keystone; if he can't play 2B, he's a bench player. Either way, he's not likely to have a long ML career; once his range and speed slip, he'll be out of a job. With the 21st pick, they could have done better.
Grade: D+
Other picks: Mitch Boudreau is good enough to start at 1B against lefties; he's not bad against righties, but one should be able to find someone better, given the abundance of 1B with excellent bats. Trevor Dunston might find his way to an ML bench as a pinch hitter and occasional fill-in at 1B against RHP. As a catch-and-throw guy that can start against LHP without killing you at the plate, you can do worse than Tony Wall. You could probably do better, too, but he's a strong pick for a 5th rounder.
Grade: B
Montreal Grand Orange:
First Round: Ray Lyons at #15 looks solid, if unspectacular. He looks like a Juan Pierre-type with a better arm: great contact skills, little power, very good speed and baserunning ability, and a solid glove in CF. You'd like to see someone with more star potential this early in the draft, but CF is a shallow position in Gleeman World.
Grade: C+
Other picks: Montreal's 2nd rounder priced himself out of the Grand Orange's budget. 3rd rounder Norman Greene will make a great pinch runner, and should hit ably against LHP, albeit without power. His range at 2B is excellent, but his glovework is questionable. The next 4 picks made little sense; all of them are minor-league rotation workhorses with little to no ML potential.
Grade: D+
AL East
New York Metropolitans:
First Round: Donnie Mottola has little upside; his middling stuff and struggles against LH hitters should relegate him to long-relief duty at the ML level. Granted, this is the 31st pick of the draft, but there were better players available. Ted Roberts and Javy Gomez, picked 36th and 40th respectively, both look like better bets to succeed at the ML level.
Grade: C
Other picks: Strangely, the Mets' first 11 picks were all pitchers. What really kills them is that past 2nd rounder Britt Gardner, who looks like a capable long relief option in the future, no one else projects as a legitimate ML player. Due to their late draft position, they're partially, but not entirely, excused.
Grade: C-
Boston Red Sox:
First Round: He may be stretched as a starter, but Jim Gonzales could be a great high-leverage reliever. He has excellent command, thrives against RH hitters without giving up much to lefties, and throws a mean sinker, helping him keep the ball in the ballpark. He's also already 21; he should move relatively quickly. Given the Sox's biggest team need (credible pitching, duh), this is a very good pick.
Grade: A-
Other picks: Otto Harriger and Octavio Wilfredo are both good defense-first catchers that can hit lefties well enough to merit some playing time. David Olivares is a credible long-relief option and a nice find in the 3rd round. Samuel DeJean probably can't hit enough to start at the ML level, and might not hit enough for even a bench role, but is still an interesting enough player to give a shot in the 7th round. Jeromy Robinson's control and GB rate will probably work against him at the ML level; he'll only be able to make it work in the most forgiving of circumstances. All in all, though, a very nice mix of talent.
Grade: A-
Philadelphia Phenomenauts:
First Round: Rafael Diaz projects to have very good stamina and control, and should be very good against righties. However, he doesn't do nearly as well against lefties, doesn't have an out pitch, and lacks the durability to eat that many innings. He's a decent pitcher, and should slot in comfortably as the #3 or #4 pitcher on a team. However, for the #9 overall pick, that feels a bit disappointing.
Grade: C-
Other picks: There's not a whole lot to look at; out of their 2nd to 10th rounders, only two players (the 2nd and 6th rounders) signed. Paul Black throws two fastballs that both grade as plus pitches, and mixes in a usable changeup. He also has a rubber arm; he should be able to give the Phenomenauts 100+ innings in relief. Clem Moran projects to be your classic Quad-A player, with a bat that just isn't good enough to play at 3B, and too little range to ever escape his fate as a 4-corners guy.
Grade: C
Pittsburgh Pug Dogs:
First Round: Wolf Lockhart can hit for both average and power, doesn't have a significant platoon split, and is very durable. Defensively, he positions himself well and gets good jumps on the ball, making up for his lack of speed. His glovework projects to be playable, if not particularly good. His arm is certainly strong enough to make the throw from the hole. Now for the bad news: his throws from SS have been described as "Dalkowskian," and his batting eye conjures up memories of Pudge Rodriguez (Detroit edition). The jury's out on whether this is going to be a successful player or not; a risky #9 pick.
Grade: C+
Other picks: Daniel Franco looks more like an innings eater at AAA than a true ML pitcher; for a second rounder, that's not very impressive. Julio Mercado looks like a bench player for life; he cost well over slot (nearly $3 million), making the pick look a bit frivolous. No one else projects as a major leaguer.
Grade: C-
Minnesota Fatboys:
First Round: Bob Flaherty at #27 looks like a very strong pick. He projects to play an excellent 2B, and should also be able to play a fair CF. At the plate, Flaherty has a broad skill set, projecting as adequate to good at everything but excelling at nothing, although his power deserves note. Supplemental pick Brandon Roberts is a relief workhorse that excels against righties and holds his own against lefties. However, his 2nd pitch projects to be pretty average, and he lacks a third pitch. Nashville's Mac Garcia, picked 2 slots earlier, looks much better, although (obviously) Minnesota never had a shot at him, to be fair.
Grade: B+
Other picks: Horace Faulkner should start someday, despite the high offensive standards for 1B. It's unlikely to ever happen with the Fatboys, though; he probably has to be traded to get a shot. Mule Liverman and Rabbit Hackman are likely to find themselves on someone's bench in the future, and Joel Brown was a nice late-round find. Nothing special, but there's value here.
Grade: B+
Buffalo Europeans
First Round: Denny Abercrombie's bat and glove are both strong for his position (LF); he should make a couple of All-Star games in his prime. He signed for well over slot (4.66 mil), however, which is probably why supplemental pick Kevin North hasn't been signed. Even so, North lacks the power or plate discipline to start at 1B, and his glove isn't good enough to play anywhere else. Abercrombie is definitely talented, but getting nothing out of a supplemental pick hurts.
Grade: B-
Other picks: Buffalo's 2nd and 3rd round picks are unsigned, and 4th rounder Maximo Thomas is fringy, even as a bench player. There's nothing else of note here; no one else deserves to make an ML squad by merit. If Buffalo signs either their 2nd or 3rd round picks, this grade would rise. As it stands, however, this is as ugly as it gets.
Grade: F
Syracuse Fightin' Boeheims:
First Round: Thurman Pearson's bat won't be anything special, even for a 2B. His range is also lacking for someone who mans the keystone; if he can't play 2B, he's a bench player. Either way, he's not likely to have a long ML career; once his range and speed slip, he'll be out of a job. With the 21st pick, they could have done better.
Grade: D+
Other picks: Mitch Boudreau is good enough to start at 1B against lefties; he's not bad against righties, but one should be able to find someone better, given the abundance of 1B with excellent bats. Trevor Dunston might find his way to an ML bench as a pinch hitter and occasional fill-in at 1B against RHP. As a catch-and-throw guy that can start against LHP without killing you at the plate, you can do worse than Tony Wall. You could probably do better, too, but he's a strong pick for a 5th rounder.
Grade: B
Montreal Grand Orange:
First Round: Ray Lyons at #15 looks solid, if unspectacular. He looks like a Juan Pierre-type with a better arm: great contact skills, little power, very good speed and baserunning ability, and a solid glove in CF. You'd like to see someone with more star potential this early in the draft, but CF is a shallow position in Gleeman World.
Grade: C+
Other picks: Montreal's 2nd rounder priced himself out of the Grand Orange's budget. 3rd rounder Norman Greene will make a great pinch runner, and should hit ably against LHP, albeit without power. His range at 2B is excellent, but his glovework is questionable. The next 4 picks made little sense; all of them are minor-league rotation workhorses with little to no ML potential.
Grade: D+
AL East
New York Metropolitans:
First Round: Donnie Mottola has little upside; his middling stuff and struggles against LH hitters should relegate him to long-relief duty at the ML level. Granted, this is the 31st pick of the draft, but there were better players available. Ted Roberts and Javy Gomez, picked 36th and 40th respectively, both look like better bets to succeed at the ML level.
Grade: C
Other picks: Strangely, the Mets' first 11 picks were all pitchers. What really kills them is that past 2nd rounder Britt Gardner, who looks like a capable long relief option in the future, no one else projects as a legitimate ML player. Due to their late draft position, they're partially, but not entirely, excused.
Grade: C-
Boston Red Sox:
First Round: He may be stretched as a starter, but Jim Gonzales could be a great high-leverage reliever. He has excellent command, thrives against RH hitters without giving up much to lefties, and throws a mean sinker, helping him keep the ball in the ballpark. He's also already 21; he should move relatively quickly. Given the Sox's biggest team need (credible pitching, duh), this is a very good pick.
Grade: A-
Other picks: Otto Harriger and Octavio Wilfredo are both good defense-first catchers that can hit lefties well enough to merit some playing time. David Olivares is a credible long-relief option and a nice find in the 3rd round. Samuel DeJean probably can't hit enough to start at the ML level, and might not hit enough for even a bench role, but is still an interesting enough player to give a shot in the 7th round. Jeromy Robinson's control and GB rate will probably work against him at the ML level; he'll only be able to make it work in the most forgiving of circumstances. All in all, though, a very nice mix of talent.
Grade: A-
Philadelphia Phenomenauts:
First Round: Rafael Diaz projects to have very good stamina and control, and should be very good against righties. However, he doesn't do nearly as well against lefties, doesn't have an out pitch, and lacks the durability to eat that many innings. He's a decent pitcher, and should slot in comfortably as the #3 or #4 pitcher on a team. However, for the #9 overall pick, that feels a bit disappointing.
Grade: C-
Other picks: There's not a whole lot to look at; out of their 2nd to 10th rounders, only two players (the 2nd and 6th rounders) signed. Paul Black throws two fastballs that both grade as plus pitches, and mixes in a usable changeup. He also has a rubber arm; he should be able to give the Phenomenauts 100+ innings in relief. Clem Moran projects to be your classic Quad-A player, with a bat that just isn't good enough to play at 3B, and too little range to ever escape his fate as a 4-corners guy.
Grade: C
Pittsburgh Pug Dogs:
First Round: Wolf Lockhart can hit for both average and power, doesn't have a significant platoon split, and is very durable. Defensively, he positions himself well and gets good jumps on the ball, making up for his lack of speed. His glovework projects to be playable, if not particularly good. His arm is certainly strong enough to make the throw from the hole. Now for the bad news: his throws from SS have been described as "Dalkowskian," and his batting eye conjures up memories of Pudge Rodriguez (Detroit edition). The jury's out on whether this is going to be a successful player or not; a risky #9 pick.
Grade: C+
Other picks: Daniel Franco looks more like an innings eater at AAA than a true ML pitcher; for a second rounder, that's not very impressive. Julio Mercado looks like a bench player for life; he cost well over slot (nearly $3 million), making the pick look a bit frivolous. No one else projects as a major leaguer.
Grade: C-
Power Rankings
1. (1, 68-25) New York Metropolitans: Red Wainhouse has bounced back nicely with a 1.92 era so far this season. That injury had to have the Mets worried Red has proved so far he's back and better than ever.
2. (2, 68-25) New York Yankees: For the second week in a row it's New York and New York on the top of the power rankings and it's for the same reasons pitching and more pitching but in the past the Yankees haven't had a big time masher and now they do in Bernard Rhodes.
3. (3, 58-35) Minnesota Fatboys: Max Leary gives Minnesota 2 legit shut down Aces in their rotation along with Cliff Becker. One of the two is probably past their prime and the other just entering his.
4. (5, 61-32) Anaheim Anteaters: Anaheim has been a model of how to turn a bad situation in to a good one in a short amount of time. Their pitching staff in deep and while there isn't a real true ace they don't have a starting pitching I would consider worse than number 3 either.
5. (4, 57-36)St. Louis Greys: Since being called up Vladimir Pichardo hasn't exactly been the monster at the plate he was considered with a .758 OPS but he's still the 4th best hitter on the Greys and there is a lot of projection left in his bat.
6. (6, 57-36) Albuquerque Isotopes: Normally a 4.80 ERA wouldn't be a good thing but it's good enough for the 'Topes because they can flat out hit leading the league in Runs scored by 24 over Minnesota.
7. (8, 55-38) Nashville Twang: The Twang are on pace to win 96 games after losing 89 last season which would be a huge turn around. That would also set a team record for wins in a season.
8. (11, 54-39) Chicago Jayhawks: I remember when when the Jayhawks were as feared as a Tiger in the jungle now it's more like that cat that hisses at you when you walk past.
9. (10, 54-34) Tampa Bay Devil Rays: As the trade dead line nears it doesn't take much to figure out what Tampa Bay needs with a 5.10 team era they need pitching bad.
10. (7, 51-42) Milwaukee Twindyans: They actually were knocked out of first place for a couple of games last week and were as many as 2 games back before a four game winning streak put them back on top but Milwaukee is not as safe as they would like to be.
11. (12, 52-41) Iowa City Comics: As usual Ed has mixed and matched until his found something that worked and is 7-3 in his last 10 just two games out of a playoff spot with plenty of time left.
12. (9, 53-40) Cheyenne Tackleberries: Now that Cheyenne is in a race will they make a bold move to spark and run into the playoffs? The biggest need I see is pitching but is there any left on the market?
13. (13, 49-44) Buffalo Europeans: Buffalo has the sixth best run prevention in the league so they are one of the few fringe contenders that actually has pitching.
14. (18, 49-44) Sioux Falls Gunslingers: For a short time Sioux Falls was atop the NL North and that has to be encouraging. In my opinion though their ability to reach the playoffs is more likely to be determined by whether Milwaukee lets them in then Sioux Falls making it in.
15. (17, 48-45) Boston Red Sox: Boston is just a game back of the playoffs and they made a move to pick up some more pitching which they always seem to need.
16. (16, 47-46) Florida Cottonmouths: If you told me that Florida would be tied with the next team after the All-star break before the season I wouldn't have believed you.
17. (20, 47-48) San Antonio Sting: But thanks to a quick to the point rebuilding job it has just as much to do with how good San Antonio has been as how far Florida has fallen.
18. (15, 46-47) Syracuse Fightin' Boeheims: Thanks to the fact that after the division leaders in the AL there isn't really a elite team Syracuse is still in the race despite going 3-7 in the last ten.
19. (19, 47-46) Boise Mashers: But Boise almost is 7 games back of the WC this late in the season isn't easy to overcome and Boise has been making noise about selling not buying as we near the trade deadline.
20. (14, 47-46) Oklahoma City Twins: The rebuilding process has defiantly started in OKC as Max Leary is gone and OKC is 3 and 7 in the last 10.
21. (22, 42-51) Philadelphia Phenomenauts: There is still hope for Philly, which you usually can’t say this far, down the list but they are only six back of the WC. Personally I'm rooting for you Philly.
22. (21, 43-50) Kansas City Monarchs: It's been disappointing in KC but at least Dale Rooney is back and he's been doing better as of late his Era is down to 3.82. What makes it more frustrating is the despite scoring 25 more runs than giving up and having a higher Expected winning % than Sioux Falls KC is still 7 games under .500.
23. (25, 40-53) Richmond Roustabouts: Hey someone has to have the worst Whip in the league at 1.57 in case you didn't know that's you Richmond.
24. (24, 37-56) Montreal Grand Orange: They have lost their last 10 in a row man that went south fast didn't it?
25. (23, 36-57) Vancouver Vigilantes: They have won just two of their last ten games and have once again taken their spot at the bottom of the NL North.
26. (28, 34-59) Pittsburgh Pug Dogs: For being this low on the list a 5.18 era isn't bad, but when your era starts with a five that's never good either is it?
27. (27, 34-59) Los Angeles Hangars: LA isn't actually at the bottom of the AL West and that is thanks to....
28. (29, 34-59) Santa Cruz Amigos: Remember who won the AL West last year? It was these guys ... we think.
29. (26, 34-59) Washington D.C. Bureaucrats: Andy Page can't be really living up to the expectations Washington had for him but it's just his first year and as the team improves so should he.
30. (30, 33-60) Monterrey Conquistadores: At least Monterrey is equally bad at home (18-32) as they are on the road (15-28).
31. (31, 30-63) Colorado Springs Silver Stars: Remember when we thought Colorado would never leave the 32nd spot well now they have been out of it for 2 weeks in a row.
32. (32, 24-69) Tacoma Downpour: Think about this for a second as good as the Yankees and Mets have been this season that's how bad Tacoma has been. Yeah that bad.
2. (2, 68-25) New York Yankees: For the second week in a row it's New York and New York on the top of the power rankings and it's for the same reasons pitching and more pitching but in the past the Yankees haven't had a big time masher and now they do in Bernard Rhodes.
3. (3, 58-35) Minnesota Fatboys: Max Leary gives Minnesota 2 legit shut down Aces in their rotation along with Cliff Becker. One of the two is probably past their prime and the other just entering his.
4. (5, 61-32) Anaheim Anteaters: Anaheim has been a model of how to turn a bad situation in to a good one in a short amount of time. Their pitching staff in deep and while there isn't a real true ace they don't have a starting pitching I would consider worse than number 3 either.
5. (4, 57-36)St. Louis Greys: Since being called up Vladimir Pichardo hasn't exactly been the monster at the plate he was considered with a .758 OPS but he's still the 4th best hitter on the Greys and there is a lot of projection left in his bat.
6. (6, 57-36) Albuquerque Isotopes: Normally a 4.80 ERA wouldn't be a good thing but it's good enough for the 'Topes because they can flat out hit leading the league in Runs scored by 24 over Minnesota.
7. (8, 55-38) Nashville Twang: The Twang are on pace to win 96 games after losing 89 last season which would be a huge turn around. That would also set a team record for wins in a season.
8. (11, 54-39) Chicago Jayhawks: I remember when when the Jayhawks were as feared as a Tiger in the jungle now it's more like that cat that hisses at you when you walk past.
9. (10, 54-34) Tampa Bay Devil Rays: As the trade dead line nears it doesn't take much to figure out what Tampa Bay needs with a 5.10 team era they need pitching bad.
10. (7, 51-42) Milwaukee Twindyans: They actually were knocked out of first place for a couple of games last week and were as many as 2 games back before a four game winning streak put them back on top but Milwaukee is not as safe as they would like to be.
11. (12, 52-41) Iowa City Comics: As usual Ed has mixed and matched until his found something that worked and is 7-3 in his last 10 just two games out of a playoff spot with plenty of time left.
12. (9, 53-40) Cheyenne Tackleberries: Now that Cheyenne is in a race will they make a bold move to spark and run into the playoffs? The biggest need I see is pitching but is there any left on the market?
13. (13, 49-44) Buffalo Europeans: Buffalo has the sixth best run prevention in the league so they are one of the few fringe contenders that actually has pitching.
14. (18, 49-44) Sioux Falls Gunslingers: For a short time Sioux Falls was atop the NL North and that has to be encouraging. In my opinion though their ability to reach the playoffs is more likely to be determined by whether Milwaukee lets them in then Sioux Falls making it in.
15. (17, 48-45) Boston Red Sox: Boston is just a game back of the playoffs and they made a move to pick up some more pitching which they always seem to need.
16. (16, 47-46) Florida Cottonmouths: If you told me that Florida would be tied with the next team after the All-star break before the season I wouldn't have believed you.
17. (20, 47-48) San Antonio Sting: But thanks to a quick to the point rebuilding job it has just as much to do with how good San Antonio has been as how far Florida has fallen.
18. (15, 46-47) Syracuse Fightin' Boeheims: Thanks to the fact that after the division leaders in the AL there isn't really a elite team Syracuse is still in the race despite going 3-7 in the last ten.
19. (19, 47-46) Boise Mashers: But Boise almost is 7 games back of the WC this late in the season isn't easy to overcome and Boise has been making noise about selling not buying as we near the trade deadline.
20. (14, 47-46) Oklahoma City Twins: The rebuilding process has defiantly started in OKC as Max Leary is gone and OKC is 3 and 7 in the last 10.
21. (22, 42-51) Philadelphia Phenomenauts: There is still hope for Philly, which you usually can’t say this far, down the list but they are only six back of the WC. Personally I'm rooting for you Philly.
22. (21, 43-50) Kansas City Monarchs: It's been disappointing in KC but at least Dale Rooney is back and he's been doing better as of late his Era is down to 3.82. What makes it more frustrating is the despite scoring 25 more runs than giving up and having a higher Expected winning % than Sioux Falls KC is still 7 games under .500.
23. (25, 40-53) Richmond Roustabouts: Hey someone has to have the worst Whip in the league at 1.57 in case you didn't know that's you Richmond.
24. (24, 37-56) Montreal Grand Orange: They have lost their last 10 in a row man that went south fast didn't it?
25. (23, 36-57) Vancouver Vigilantes: They have won just two of their last ten games and have once again taken their spot at the bottom of the NL North.
26. (28, 34-59) Pittsburgh Pug Dogs: For being this low on the list a 5.18 era isn't bad, but when your era starts with a five that's never good either is it?
27. (27, 34-59) Los Angeles Hangars: LA isn't actually at the bottom of the AL West and that is thanks to....
28. (29, 34-59) Santa Cruz Amigos: Remember who won the AL West last year? It was these guys ... we think.
29. (26, 34-59) Washington D.C. Bureaucrats: Andy Page can't be really living up to the expectations Washington had for him but it's just his first year and as the team improves so should he.
30. (30, 33-60) Monterrey Conquistadores: At least Monterrey is equally bad at home (18-32) as they are on the road (15-28).
31. (31, 30-63) Colorado Springs Silver Stars: Remember when we thought Colorado would never leave the 32nd spot well now they have been out of it for 2 weeks in a row.
32. (32, 24-69) Tacoma Downpour: Think about this for a second as good as the Yankees and Mets have been this season that's how bad Tacoma has been. Yeah that bad.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Where Are They Now? #2
Dennis Cohen: Drafted 2nd in the inaugural draft by the Boise Mashers, he was immediately assigned to their Low-A affiliate, mildly surprising considering Cohen was an 18-year old kid just out of high school. Despite his age, Cohen pitched very well, posting an ERA of 3.31 and striking out a batter an inning through just over 80 innings (combined between Low-A and High-A). Cohen started off Season 2 at High-A, but Boise aggressively pushed him all the way to AAA by the end of the season. It wasn't without merit; Cohen posted ERAs in the low 3's at High A and AA before putting up a very respectable 3.86 ERA at AAA as a 19 year old. However, Cohen was shut down near the end of the season with elbow tendinitis. Perhaps on a related note, Cohen dealt with on-field adversity at the pro level for the first time during his 3rd season; playing at AAA for the entire season, his ERA ballooned to 5.35, and his K/9 rate dropped from close to 9 to something around 6.40. Not surprisingly, Cohen repeated AAA the following year; his K rate dropped even further, but he halved his home run rate, dropping his ERA under 4. Cohen was called up to the big club during midseason; he responded by giving the Mashers 120 very solid innings. Cohen's first full season at the ML level was a similar success. His ERA stayed under 4 again, and he allowed just 16 homers in 174 innings, due to his good command and heavy sinker. However, Cohen was shut down towards the end of the season again; arthroscopic surgery revealed substantial damage in his elbow stemming from Season 2's injury. The injury appears to have taken a toll on Cohen this season; his ERA is close to 7, and hitters are crushing him to the tune of .339/.404/.563. Just 23, Cohen is much too good to not rebound. The injury bug is always going to be a factor, but if Cohen can avoid any more catastrophic injuries, he should deliver as a solid #2 or #3 pitcher for the next decade or so.
Breaking News: March 20, 2008
36 year old star closer Rick Goodwin is done for the season. Coming in the 9th inning of last night's PM2 sim, Goodwin retired the first two batters he faced. On the first pitch to Lonny Mendoza, Goodwin "heard something in his elbow pop." Trainers rushed out to the field, Goodwin was pulled, and Kevin Lee came in to finish the game off. Doctors found a large tear in an elbow ligament; he's scheduled for Tommy John surgery on the 22nd. Sources say he should be back by Opening Day, although at this point, nothing is certain. Goodwin has had a history of injury problems; just last year, he ended his season early with a partially torn labrum. Goodwin signed a two year deal with the Anteaters at the beginning of the season for 2 years and $8.8 million. Early reports indicate that Trevor Peterson is the favorite to inherit the closer position from Goodwin, although it's possible that they may seek a trade instead.
Boxscore
Boxscore
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
A look at AL offense
With season 5's league-leading offense way off pace in season 6, some questions have arisen about whether offense is down in general in the American League.
Through 83 games, the answer is no. Last season's AL team's averaged 5.25 runs per game. This season, they're averaging a nearly identical 5.21 runs per game.
Those runs are, however, being distributed very differently. Six teams are on pace to score at least 65 runs fewer than they did last season and six others are on pace to score at least 55 more runs than a season ago.
The offenses going backward with the projected number of runs they'll lose:
Boston -167
Montreal -163
Santa Cruz -89
Los Angeles -79
Syracuse -73
Florida -68
And the offenses that are improving:
Albuquerque +124
Nashville +100
Cheyenne +92
N.Y. Mets +79
Minnesota +63
San Antonio +58
The offense that's been the steadiest from season 5 to season 6 is Philadelphia's, which is on pace to score just four runs fewer than a season ago.
Through 83 games, the answer is no. Last season's AL team's averaged 5.25 runs per game. This season, they're averaging a nearly identical 5.21 runs per game.
Those runs are, however, being distributed very differently. Six teams are on pace to score at least 65 runs fewer than they did last season and six others are on pace to score at least 55 more runs than a season ago.
The offenses going backward with the projected number of runs they'll lose:
Boston -167
Montreal -163
Santa Cruz -89
Los Angeles -79
Syracuse -73
Florida -68
And the offenses that are improving:
Albuquerque +124
Nashville +100
Cheyenne +92
N.Y. Mets +79
Minnesota +63
San Antonio +58
The offense that's been the steadiest from season 5 to season 6 is Philadelphia's, which is on pace to score just four runs fewer than a season ago.
Mid-Season Review: Mets
Now that we are at the mid-season point, and having just read the breaking news item below, I thought I'd share a mid-season review on the Mets team to date. And what better way to do it, that to create awards out of it:
The "We expected good things, but not THIS good" AWARD:
Geoffery Bates: Batting .337/.395/.645 is very good, but doing it while playing half ones games at Shea is exceptional. With 9.62 RC/27 and 89 RBI in 79 games, Bates has elevated his game to a previously unheard of level in this borough, and is paying huge dividends for GM sickchangeup.
The "Thank God you are back and healthy" AWARD:
Red Wainhouse: "The House" is back, and so is his Cy Young form. 11-1 in 19 starts, 7 1/3 innings per start, .208/.265/.306 against and a 2.04 ERA. Life is good for Red, who is almost certainly going to have his once criticized $15 million option picked up by the team next year.
The "Time for GM sickchangeup to stop sucking his own ...." AWARD:
Trent Gordon: What does a good GM get in exchange for one of the brighest up and coming pitchers in the game in a pitching bonkers trade market? How about a LF batting .258/.322/.375 who's bill is coming due next year? Genius! While GM sickchangeup did secure a phenomenal CF prospect for the next generation of Mets, no one in NY particulary gives a crap about some kid called Bip right now.
The "If this guy really got his shit together, y'all are in trouble" AWARD:
Gerald Tomlinson: Once regarded as the best pitching prospect in the game (about 1 week into season 1, everyone saw him as projected to be 100 overall, which seemed to impress everyone at the time), Tomlinson has disappointed to some extent in his first 3 years, despite arriving in the bigs at the tender age of 21. But this year he's delivering 8 innings per game, a .224/.292/.369 against line and a 3.20 ERA, going 12-4 through 18 games. A lucky hot streak, or a sign of things to come?
The "I'm reminding you of what could have been" AWARD:
Don Masato: Could Kelvin Sullivan have been the central piece in a deal for "The Don"? Given the volatility of the ownership team in Chicago, famous for once having waived half it's team on a whim, a well timed offer could have ensured the Metropolitan faithful of a 1-2 punch as good as any in the history of Gleeman World. Until Masato chokes in the playoffs once more at least!
The "We expected good things, but not THIS good" AWARD:
Geoffery Bates: Batting .337/.395/.645 is very good, but doing it while playing half ones games at Shea is exceptional. With 9.62 RC/27 and 89 RBI in 79 games, Bates has elevated his game to a previously unheard of level in this borough, and is paying huge dividends for GM sickchangeup.
The "Thank God you are back and healthy" AWARD:
Red Wainhouse: "The House" is back, and so is his Cy Young form. 11-1 in 19 starts, 7 1/3 innings per start, .208/.265/.306 against and a 2.04 ERA. Life is good for Red, who is almost certainly going to have his once criticized $15 million option picked up by the team next year.
The "Time for GM sickchangeup to stop sucking his own ...." AWARD:
Trent Gordon: What does a good GM get in exchange for one of the brighest up and coming pitchers in the game in a pitching bonkers trade market? How about a LF batting .258/.322/.375 who's bill is coming due next year? Genius! While GM sickchangeup did secure a phenomenal CF prospect for the next generation of Mets, no one in NY particulary gives a crap about some kid called Bip right now.
The "If this guy really got his shit together, y'all are in trouble" AWARD:
Gerald Tomlinson: Once regarded as the best pitching prospect in the game (about 1 week into season 1, everyone saw him as projected to be 100 overall, which seemed to impress everyone at the time), Tomlinson has disappointed to some extent in his first 3 years, despite arriving in the bigs at the tender age of 21. But this year he's delivering 8 innings per game, a .224/.292/.369 against line and a 3.20 ERA, going 12-4 through 18 games. A lucky hot streak, or a sign of things to come?
The "I'm reminding you of what could have been" AWARD:
Don Masato: Could Kelvin Sullivan have been the central piece in a deal for "The Don"? Given the volatility of the ownership team in Chicago, famous for once having waived half it's team on a whim, a well timed offer could have ensured the Metropolitan faithful of a 1-2 punch as good as any in the history of Gleeman World. Until Masato chokes in the playoffs once more at least!
Breaking News: March 18, 2008
35 year old ace Vic Alfonzo complained of "a strange pinching sensation" in his pitching shoulder in the 8th inning of a critical matchup against the Anaheim Anteaters. Up 2-1, Alfonzo retired Juan Candelaria before allowing a bloop single to Preston Grieve on a high changeup. However, Alfonzo did not return to the mound, instead beckoning to the dugout while gingerly massaging his throwing shoulder. Twindyan trainers immediately hurried to the mound; after a short discussion, Alfonzo exited the game. X-rays came back negative. He's expected back in 2-3 weeks; expect him to hit the disabled list soon. This will be a significant blow to the rotation; worse yet, the Twindyans were forced to bring a fatigued Pat Bowen into the game. After retiring Alexander Stowers, Bowen gave up a single up the middle to pinch-hitter Donatello Paul, followed by a 3-run shot to Stan Lambert on a hanging curve well out of the reach of Pete Skinner. Anaheim closer Rick Goodwin came in and shut the door in the 9th. That's Milwaukee's 4th loss in a row; the Gunslingers are a mere 2 games back.
Box Score
Box Score
Friday, March 14, 2008
Power Rankings: March 16
1. (2, 58-20) New York Metropolitans: Winners of 18 of their last 20 games, the Mets have established themselves as the best team in the American League. They're second in run prevention, and third in run scoring. They currently have 7 players projected to play in the All-Star game. Needless to say, they're dangerous.
2. (1, 57-21) New York Yankees: The class of the National League. Unlike the Mets, they don't possess a dynamic offense. What makes them so great is their top-tier pitchers; the Yankees' 3 best starters have ERAs of 1.07 (Towers), 2.24 (Silva), and 2.40 (Cosby). Their closer (Brian Murata) has an ERA of 1.22.
3. (5, 50-28) Minnesota Fatboys: A 6 game winning streak propels them up the rankings this week. Their offense is arguably the best in the league, but unlike the other top 5 teams in these rankings, they lack an elite pitching staff. There are rumors that the Fatboys are looking to add an ace by the deadline.
4. (3, 51-27)St. Louis Greys: John Carroll has been the rock of the rotation; he's completed nearly half (8/18) of the games he's started, and he's certainly produced (2.26 ERA). The offense is only 21st in runs scored, however. It wouldn't surprise anyone if they look to add a bat before the deadline.
5. (7, 50-28) Anaheim Anteaters: 3B Juan Candelaria (.309/.368/.633) has been a pleasant surprise, and rookie 2B Haywood Gipson looks like a legitimate ROY candidate despite his late call-up. Stan Lambert's production has been lackluster, however; a .300 OBP from a 1B won't get it done.
6. (4, 48-30) Alburquerque Isotopes: They've scored more runs than any other team in Gleeman World. One could attribute part of that to park effects, but the pitching staff has managed to be about league-average.
7. (6, 46-32) Milwaukee Twindyans: Losing 3 of their last 4 against the Anteaters drop them down here. They'll get another shot at them this Tuesday.
8. (14, 47-31) Nashville Twang: The Twang have consistently ranked lower than one may expect because of their comparatively low expected winning percentage. But thanks to their strong play (and the mediocrity of the rest of the division), every team in their division is at least 8 games back. They're a safe bet for the postseason.
9. (8, 45-33) Cheyenne Tackleberries: Thumper Neagle has to be one of the most appropriately named players in the league. Few teams could benefit more from a solid #3 starter, however; past Stump Jordan and Eugene Ramirez, the rotation has been awful.
10. (13, 44-34) Tampa Bay Devil Rays: The team can hit (.358 team OBP, .455 team SLG), but the rotation has a lot of question marks after Miguel Abreu.
11. (9, 44-34) Chicago Jayhawks: They still have a good shot at the postseason, but without Seth Adams (TJ surgery, gone for the season), the rotation looks a lot more vulnerable. If Mo Greer comes back down to earth and 39 year old Erubiel Sanchez starts showing his age, this could get ugly.
12. (10, 43-35) Iowa City Comics: Chipper Velandia is on pace to record his career worsts in batting average, OBP, and SLG. They're still only one game out of a playoff spot. If Velandia explodes in the 2nd half, the team's performance should follow.
13. (15, 42-36) Buffalo Europeans: The pitching has been excellent, but the offense has been so-so at best. For starters, they might be well-served to find an alternate to Miguel Miro.
14. (11, 41-37) Oklahoma City Twins: They've declared that they're ready to rebuild, which is strange, considering that they're just a mere 3 games out of a playoff spot. Still, GM garlogic does have some legitimate concerns that might have triggered the decision; the team is very expensive (payroll of $99.7 million), and the farm system is devoid of any real talent.
15. (17, 41-37) Syracuse Fightin' Boeheims: The Orangemen might not be in the Tourney this year, but the Fightin' Boeheims are still contenders. If Albie Maduro and Sting Berger can revert back to last year's form, the offense will look far more dangerous.
16. (12, 39-39) Florida Cottonmouths: The Cottonmouths have fallen on lean times; losers of 6 straight, they're now in danger of falling out of the race. Interestingly, Ray Carson is still on the big league team; pitchers with double digit ERAs don't tend to last very long.
17. (19, 39-39) Boston Red Sox: The Sox have allowed or scored at least 8 runs in 10 of their last 12 games. Such is the nature of this team; they've moved up to 6th in runs scored, but are now dead last in the league in ERA.
18. (18, 40-38) Sioux Falls Gunslingers: Another team that's close enough to a playoff spot to be called contenders, but far enough where they're not seen as serious threats. They might be forced to make a move soon, whether the move is to retool and sell off their veterans, or to trade some of the future to make a serious run at the playoffs.
19. (20, 39-39) Boise Mashers: They're .500, but they're 11 games back of the divison and have a tough road ahead for the wildcard. Thus, the Mashers have recently decided to rebuild; check back next season.
20. (16, 38-40) San Antonio Sting: They've been a pleasant surprise; while they may not be serious contenders this season, they could finish 2nd in the division. The Sting have been the best team in baseball at stealing bases; they've stole 123 of them while getting caught only 15 times, for an amazing 89.1% success rate.
21. (22, 36-42) Kansas City Monarchs: Much has been made of their offseason moves; while Dale Rooney and Rob Matthews have been solid, neither have been all that great, and Ben Cox has been an abject failure. The team just hasn't hit this season; a .314 team OBP and .419 team SLG won't cut it for a contender.
22. (21, 35-43) Philadelphia Phenomenauts: The team has hit well; Brent O'Donnell (covered in the first "Where Are They Now?") has been excellent, and Lee Roundtree has been solid as well. Heck, even Troy Stern has a .347 OBP. However, the pitching has been disappointing. New face Otis Upshaw has bombed, and the rotation has an ERA well above 5.
23. (25, 33-45) Vancouver Vigilantes: All in all, it's been a pretty successful season in Vancouver. The lineup actually has some serious pop; 7 players with at least 12o at bats are slugging at least .480, and the team's 119 homers are 6th in Gleeman World.
24. (23, 34-44) Montreal Grand Orange: Their recent trade for Fred Risley is a bit perplexing; they aren't contenders, and Risley is 33 years old, having the worst season of his career, and no longer even a mediocre 2B.
25. (24, 31-47) Richmond Roustabouts: The pitching staff needs to be completely overhauled. Nick Carter is the only pitcher on the entire staff that's been significantly better than league average this season.
26. (29, 29-49) Washington D.C. Bureaucrats: If the Cubs didn't already take it, their slogan could just be "wait 'till next year."
27. (31, 29-49) Los Angeles Hangars: A recent "hot streak" saw the Hangars win 8 of their last 13 games, keeping them out of the NL West cellar. Not that it's really a race to watch.
28. (28, 26-52) Pittsburgh Pug Dogs: They've lost 9 of their last 10, yet they don't drop in the power rankings. The teams behind them have been that bad.
29. (26, 26-52) Santa Cruz Amigos: It's been a while since I've remembered a division winner falling this far this fast.
30. (30, 23-55) Monterrey Conquistadores: At least their expected winning percentage suggests that they might be a better team than their record indicates, unlike...
31. (32, 24-54) Colorado Springs Silver Stars: ...this team, which is actually managing to win more than expected. This team would be last, if it weren't for the extraordinary efforts by...
32. (27, 20-58) Tacoma Downpour: ...these guys. As of the PM2 sim, they've lost 15 straight. That is really hard to do.
2. (1, 57-21) New York Yankees: The class of the National League. Unlike the Mets, they don't possess a dynamic offense. What makes them so great is their top-tier pitchers; the Yankees' 3 best starters have ERAs of 1.07 (Towers), 2.24 (Silva), and 2.40 (Cosby). Their closer (Brian Murata) has an ERA of 1.22.
3. (5, 50-28) Minnesota Fatboys: A 6 game winning streak propels them up the rankings this week. Their offense is arguably the best in the league, but unlike the other top 5 teams in these rankings, they lack an elite pitching staff. There are rumors that the Fatboys are looking to add an ace by the deadline.
4. (3, 51-27)St. Louis Greys: John Carroll has been the rock of the rotation; he's completed nearly half (8/18) of the games he's started, and he's certainly produced (2.26 ERA). The offense is only 21st in runs scored, however. It wouldn't surprise anyone if they look to add a bat before the deadline.
5. (7, 50-28) Anaheim Anteaters: 3B Juan Candelaria (.309/.368/.633) has been a pleasant surprise, and rookie 2B Haywood Gipson looks like a legitimate ROY candidate despite his late call-up. Stan Lambert's production has been lackluster, however; a .300 OBP from a 1B won't get it done.
6. (4, 48-30) Alburquerque Isotopes: They've scored more runs than any other team in Gleeman World. One could attribute part of that to park effects, but the pitching staff has managed to be about league-average.
7. (6, 46-32) Milwaukee Twindyans: Losing 3 of their last 4 against the Anteaters drop them down here. They'll get another shot at them this Tuesday.
8. (14, 47-31) Nashville Twang: The Twang have consistently ranked lower than one may expect because of their comparatively low expected winning percentage. But thanks to their strong play (and the mediocrity of the rest of the division), every team in their division is at least 8 games back. They're a safe bet for the postseason.
9. (8, 45-33) Cheyenne Tackleberries: Thumper Neagle has to be one of the most appropriately named players in the league. Few teams could benefit more from a solid #3 starter, however; past Stump Jordan and Eugene Ramirez, the rotation has been awful.
10. (13, 44-34) Tampa Bay Devil Rays: The team can hit (.358 team OBP, .455 team SLG), but the rotation has a lot of question marks after Miguel Abreu.
11. (9, 44-34) Chicago Jayhawks: They still have a good shot at the postseason, but without Seth Adams (TJ surgery, gone for the season), the rotation looks a lot more vulnerable. If Mo Greer comes back down to earth and 39 year old Erubiel Sanchez starts showing his age, this could get ugly.
12. (10, 43-35) Iowa City Comics: Chipper Velandia is on pace to record his career worsts in batting average, OBP, and SLG. They're still only one game out of a playoff spot. If Velandia explodes in the 2nd half, the team's performance should follow.
13. (15, 42-36) Buffalo Europeans: The pitching has been excellent, but the offense has been so-so at best. For starters, they might be well-served to find an alternate to Miguel Miro.
14. (11, 41-37) Oklahoma City Twins: They've declared that they're ready to rebuild, which is strange, considering that they're just a mere 3 games out of a playoff spot. Still, GM garlogic does have some legitimate concerns that might have triggered the decision; the team is very expensive (payroll of $99.7 million), and the farm system is devoid of any real talent.
15. (17, 41-37) Syracuse Fightin' Boeheims: The Orangemen might not be in the Tourney this year, but the Fightin' Boeheims are still contenders. If Albie Maduro and Sting Berger can revert back to last year's form, the offense will look far more dangerous.
16. (12, 39-39) Florida Cottonmouths: The Cottonmouths have fallen on lean times; losers of 6 straight, they're now in danger of falling out of the race. Interestingly, Ray Carson is still on the big league team; pitchers with double digit ERAs don't tend to last very long.
17. (19, 39-39) Boston Red Sox: The Sox have allowed or scored at least 8 runs in 10 of their last 12 games. Such is the nature of this team; they've moved up to 6th in runs scored, but are now dead last in the league in ERA.
18. (18, 40-38) Sioux Falls Gunslingers: Another team that's close enough to a playoff spot to be called contenders, but far enough where they're not seen as serious threats. They might be forced to make a move soon, whether the move is to retool and sell off their veterans, or to trade some of the future to make a serious run at the playoffs.
19. (20, 39-39) Boise Mashers: They're .500, but they're 11 games back of the divison and have a tough road ahead for the wildcard. Thus, the Mashers have recently decided to rebuild; check back next season.
20. (16, 38-40) San Antonio Sting: They've been a pleasant surprise; while they may not be serious contenders this season, they could finish 2nd in the division. The Sting have been the best team in baseball at stealing bases; they've stole 123 of them while getting caught only 15 times, for an amazing 89.1% success rate.
21. (22, 36-42) Kansas City Monarchs: Much has been made of their offseason moves; while Dale Rooney and Rob Matthews have been solid, neither have been all that great, and Ben Cox has been an abject failure. The team just hasn't hit this season; a .314 team OBP and .419 team SLG won't cut it for a contender.
22. (21, 35-43) Philadelphia Phenomenauts: The team has hit well; Brent O'Donnell (covered in the first "Where Are They Now?") has been excellent, and Lee Roundtree has been solid as well. Heck, even Troy Stern has a .347 OBP. However, the pitching has been disappointing. New face Otis Upshaw has bombed, and the rotation has an ERA well above 5.
23. (25, 33-45) Vancouver Vigilantes: All in all, it's been a pretty successful season in Vancouver. The lineup actually has some serious pop; 7 players with at least 12o at bats are slugging at least .480, and the team's 119 homers are 6th in Gleeman World.
24. (23, 34-44) Montreal Grand Orange: Their recent trade for Fred Risley is a bit perplexing; they aren't contenders, and Risley is 33 years old, having the worst season of his career, and no longer even a mediocre 2B.
25. (24, 31-47) Richmond Roustabouts: The pitching staff needs to be completely overhauled. Nick Carter is the only pitcher on the entire staff that's been significantly better than league average this season.
26. (29, 29-49) Washington D.C. Bureaucrats: If the Cubs didn't already take it, their slogan could just be "wait 'till next year."
27. (31, 29-49) Los Angeles Hangars: A recent "hot streak" saw the Hangars win 8 of their last 13 games, keeping them out of the NL West cellar. Not that it's really a race to watch.
28. (28, 26-52) Pittsburgh Pug Dogs: They've lost 9 of their last 10, yet they don't drop in the power rankings. The teams behind them have been that bad.
29. (26, 26-52) Santa Cruz Amigos: It's been a while since I've remembered a division winner falling this far this fast.
30. (30, 23-55) Monterrey Conquistadores: At least their expected winning percentage suggests that they might be a better team than their record indicates, unlike...
31. (32, 24-54) Colorado Springs Silver Stars: ...this team, which is actually managing to win more than expected. This team would be last, if it weren't for the extraordinary efforts by...
32. (27, 20-58) Tacoma Downpour: ...these guys. As of the PM2 sim, they've lost 15 straight. That is really hard to do.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Where Are They Now? #1
"Where Are They Now?" is a new series that reflects on the career accomplishments and futures of players drafted in the first round of Season 1's draft. We'll start with the first player drafted in the history of Gleeman World:
Brent O'Donnell: Drafted #1 overall by the defunct Norfolk Ironclads (now known as the Philadelphia Phenomenauts), O'Donnell was seen as the best pure hitter in the draft. He signed for slot money ($4,000,000) immediately and enjoyed a fine season, hitting posting an OPS over 1.000 over 60 games in Rookie ball as an 18 year old, fresh out of high school. New management in Philly promoted him straight to High-A at the start of Season 2; O'Donnell struggled a bit, but still managed a solid season, hitting .281/.362/.493. Despite having a season some may call disappointing, the Phenomenauts chose to promote him to AA to start Season 3; O'Donnell responded with a breakout season, clubbing 29 homers and posting an excellent .420 OBP, although inexplicably attempting (and failing) to steal a base 4 times. He's never attempted another steal since. He was rewarded with a cup of coffee at the ML level, where he struggled badly in 30 at bats. Feeling that he wasn't quite ready, the organization started him at AAA the next season; he responded by slugging .773 in 119 at bats, forcing a call up to the majors, where he continued to mash (.313/.371/.554 in 451 at bats). He followed that up with an even better sophomore season by slugging 40 points higher, matching his previous season's OBP and batting average, and playing in a career high 148 games. Just 23, he's continued to improve, bettering all of his rate stats from last season, and posting an almost 1:1 BB/K ratio. O'Donnell's defense is nothing special, despite his Gold Glove from Rookie ball. He's only an average athlete, and doesn't get good jumps on the ball. He does have a very strong arm, however, and has improved his throwing accuracy quite a bit (5 assists so far this season in RF). He's a star player, and a strong bet for the Hall of Fame in 20 years.
Brent O'Donnell: Drafted #1 overall by the defunct Norfolk Ironclads (now known as the Philadelphia Phenomenauts), O'Donnell was seen as the best pure hitter in the draft. He signed for slot money ($4,000,000) immediately and enjoyed a fine season, hitting posting an OPS over 1.000 over 60 games in Rookie ball as an 18 year old, fresh out of high school. New management in Philly promoted him straight to High-A at the start of Season 2; O'Donnell struggled a bit, but still managed a solid season, hitting .281/.362/.493. Despite having a season some may call disappointing, the Phenomenauts chose to promote him to AA to start Season 3; O'Donnell responded with a breakout season, clubbing 29 homers and posting an excellent .420 OBP, although inexplicably attempting (and failing) to steal a base 4 times. He's never attempted another steal since. He was rewarded with a cup of coffee at the ML level, where he struggled badly in 30 at bats. Feeling that he wasn't quite ready, the organization started him at AAA the next season; he responded by slugging .773 in 119 at bats, forcing a call up to the majors, where he continued to mash (.313/.371/.554 in 451 at bats). He followed that up with an even better sophomore season by slugging 40 points higher, matching his previous season's OBP and batting average, and playing in a career high 148 games. Just 23, he's continued to improve, bettering all of his rate stats from last season, and posting an almost 1:1 BB/K ratio. O'Donnell's defense is nothing special, despite his Gold Glove from Rookie ball. He's only an average athlete, and doesn't get good jumps on the ball. He does have a very strong arm, however, and has improved his throwing accuracy quite a bit (5 assists so far this season in RF). He's a star player, and a strong bet for the Hall of Fame in 20 years.
Top 10 Third Basemen
The series looking at the top players in the league at each position continues:
10. Bono Hughes, Minnesota Fatboys: After an ill-advised promotion to the majors in season 1, Hughes went back to the minors for two seasons before returning as a significantly better player. Despite that terrible early stint, he has his career line up around .275/.345/.445 thanks to very solid campaigns in seasons 4 and 5, and he's right around his career numbers this season. Hughes has mediocre contact skills, but he's good (although not great) in all four other areas on offense.
Defensively, Hughes is around average across the board, a little bit above in range and arm accuracy and a little below in arm strength. Hughes certainly isn't a star fielder, but his performance in the field the last 2.5 seasons has definitely been adequate.
9. John Hardy, New York Metropolitans: Hardy isn't a great hitter, as his career line is around .280/.350/.440. He's been better than that so far this season, posting very respectable numbers for his position. Hardy's contact and power are both so-so or worse, but he has a good batting eye and good ability against both righties and lefties.
Defensively, Hardy has an amazingly sound glove and a very accurate arm and his range is a bit above average, but his arm strength is well below average. He won the season 5 Gold Glove award with excellent numbers that included 11 + plays and 0 - plays. And while he hasn't been that strong in + plays this season, he's still done nice work with the leather.
8. Tony Cortes, Chicago Jayhawks: Cortes is struggling with the bat this season, but he's been solid throughout his career with a line around .300/.360/.470 and he's coming off consecutive seasons with a .380-plus OBP. Cortes has good contact ability, but his power and batting eye are both so-so. He's solid against lefties and very good against righties.
Cortes is well above average in all areas on defense, particularly his outstanding glove, which is to be expected of a converted middle infielder. In his first season at third base, he has a 2/0 +/- total and is playing solid defense overall.
7. Don Monroe, New York Yankees: Monroe's a very solid hitter, posting a career line around .290/.355/.500, although his power has been down a bit so far this season. Monroe has very good contact, so-so power and a solid batting eye. He's solid against righties, a bit worse against lefties.
Defensively, Monroe is above average everywhere except his arm strength, which has taken a big hit. His arm was an asset before he suffered forearm nerve irritation last season. His fielding stats have fluctuated from season to season, but he's generally at least been acceptable with the glove.
Monroe's biggest problem is his health. He's been on the DL five times in 5.5 seasons, and there's always the concern that he'll go out for an extended period and force you to scramble to find a replacement.
6. Chris Kirkland, Sioux Falls Gunslingers: Kirkland sometimes struggles to reach base a lot, but there's no doubting his power. He has a career line around .275/.330/.550 and he's been better than that so far this season. Kirkland's contact skills are mediocre, but he has very good power and a decent batting eye. He's solid against righties and pretty good against lefties.
Defensively, he's almost exactly average across the board. For some reason, however, he's really cut down on his errors the past 2.5 seasons despite the fact that his defensive skills haven't changed much and he has a solid 10/3 total for +/- plays in his career.
5. Brandon Sheffield, Vancouver Vigilantes: Sheffield is another player who doesn't have great on-base ability but has nice power. His career line is around .285/.335/.520 and he's been even better this season. Sheffield doesn't have a single weakness on offense, but he doesn't have a tremendous strength either. Just a nice, well-rounded hitter.
Defensively, Sheffield's glove and arm accuracy are still recovering from spending season 3 with the worst fielding instructor in the world. His range is above average and his arm strength is nearly average. He is having his best season with the glove, as he's made just three errors and his fielding percentage for this season is about 60 points higher than his career fielding percentage.
4. Sid Fleming, Montreal Grand Orange: Fleming's struggling a bit this seasons, but he's coming off two very nice offensive seasons and has a career line around .295/.340/.535. Fleming's batting eye is poor, but he has a very good contact/power combination. He's solid against lefties and good against righties.
Defensively, Fleming is above average across the board, well above in range, glove and arm accuracy. He's played all over the field in the majors, but he's been very good on defense when he's played third base.
3. Sting Berger, Syracuse Fightin' Boeheims: Berger made his big league debut in season 5, hitting .299/.355/.561 in 79 games. He's been unable to come close to matching that so far this season, but there's no reason to expect that he won't start hitting again any day. Berger's contact skills are mediocre, but he has great power, a good batting eye and he's good against both righties and lefties.
Defensively, his range is above average, his arm strength is about average and his glove and arm accuracy are both below average. He's cut down on the errors this season from his season 5 debut, and he's generally been an acceptable fielder, though certainly not great.
2. Darron Jenkins, Boston Red Sox: As with many third baseman this season, Jenkins is struggling at the plate a bit. Still, he has a career line around .310/.360/.550 and he's coming off back-to-back seasons with a .940-plus OPS. Jenkins has so-so contact and patience, but he has very good power and he's very good against righties and great against lefties.
Defensively, Jenkins has below average arm accuracy and he's above average everywhere else. He's been a fine fielder in his career, but he's not likely to ever win a Gold Glove award.
1. Ronald Garcia, Santa Cruz Amigos: Garcia is having the best season of his career at the plate, which is saying something for a player with a career line around .295/.360/.555. He has mediocre contact, but very good power and a solid batting eye. He's very good against righties and great against lefties.
Defensively, Garcia's range is a bit below average, but his arm accuracy is solid and his glove and arm strength are both above average. He's only made nine errors since the start of season 5, for a nice .980 fielding percentage during that time. His +/- total of 5/4 in his career is pretty much a wash.
10. Bono Hughes, Minnesota Fatboys: After an ill-advised promotion to the majors in season 1, Hughes went back to the minors for two seasons before returning as a significantly better player. Despite that terrible early stint, he has his career line up around .275/.345/.445 thanks to very solid campaigns in seasons 4 and 5, and he's right around his career numbers this season. Hughes has mediocre contact skills, but he's good (although not great) in all four other areas on offense.
Defensively, Hughes is around average across the board, a little bit above in range and arm accuracy and a little below in arm strength. Hughes certainly isn't a star fielder, but his performance in the field the last 2.5 seasons has definitely been adequate.
9. John Hardy, New York Metropolitans: Hardy isn't a great hitter, as his career line is around .280/.350/.440. He's been better than that so far this season, posting very respectable numbers for his position. Hardy's contact and power are both so-so or worse, but he has a good batting eye and good ability against both righties and lefties.
Defensively, Hardy has an amazingly sound glove and a very accurate arm and his range is a bit above average, but his arm strength is well below average. He won the season 5 Gold Glove award with excellent numbers that included 11 + plays and 0 - plays. And while he hasn't been that strong in + plays this season, he's still done nice work with the leather.
8. Tony Cortes, Chicago Jayhawks: Cortes is struggling with the bat this season, but he's been solid throughout his career with a line around .300/.360/.470 and he's coming off consecutive seasons with a .380-plus OBP. Cortes has good contact ability, but his power and batting eye are both so-so. He's solid against lefties and very good against righties.
Cortes is well above average in all areas on defense, particularly his outstanding glove, which is to be expected of a converted middle infielder. In his first season at third base, he has a 2/0 +/- total and is playing solid defense overall.
7. Don Monroe, New York Yankees: Monroe's a very solid hitter, posting a career line around .290/.355/.500, although his power has been down a bit so far this season. Monroe has very good contact, so-so power and a solid batting eye. He's solid against righties, a bit worse against lefties.
Defensively, Monroe is above average everywhere except his arm strength, which has taken a big hit. His arm was an asset before he suffered forearm nerve irritation last season. His fielding stats have fluctuated from season to season, but he's generally at least been acceptable with the glove.
Monroe's biggest problem is his health. He's been on the DL five times in 5.5 seasons, and there's always the concern that he'll go out for an extended period and force you to scramble to find a replacement.
6. Chris Kirkland, Sioux Falls Gunslingers: Kirkland sometimes struggles to reach base a lot, but there's no doubting his power. He has a career line around .275/.330/.550 and he's been better than that so far this season. Kirkland's contact skills are mediocre, but he has very good power and a decent batting eye. He's solid against righties and pretty good against lefties.
Defensively, he's almost exactly average across the board. For some reason, however, he's really cut down on his errors the past 2.5 seasons despite the fact that his defensive skills haven't changed much and he has a solid 10/3 total for +/- plays in his career.
5. Brandon Sheffield, Vancouver Vigilantes: Sheffield is another player who doesn't have great on-base ability but has nice power. His career line is around .285/.335/.520 and he's been even better this season. Sheffield doesn't have a single weakness on offense, but he doesn't have a tremendous strength either. Just a nice, well-rounded hitter.
Defensively, Sheffield's glove and arm accuracy are still recovering from spending season 3 with the worst fielding instructor in the world. His range is above average and his arm strength is nearly average. He is having his best season with the glove, as he's made just three errors and his fielding percentage for this season is about 60 points higher than his career fielding percentage.
4. Sid Fleming, Montreal Grand Orange: Fleming's struggling a bit this seasons, but he's coming off two very nice offensive seasons and has a career line around .295/.340/.535. Fleming's batting eye is poor, but he has a very good contact/power combination. He's solid against lefties and good against righties.
Defensively, Fleming is above average across the board, well above in range, glove and arm accuracy. He's played all over the field in the majors, but he's been very good on defense when he's played third base.
3. Sting Berger, Syracuse Fightin' Boeheims: Berger made his big league debut in season 5, hitting .299/.355/.561 in 79 games. He's been unable to come close to matching that so far this season, but there's no reason to expect that he won't start hitting again any day. Berger's contact skills are mediocre, but he has great power, a good batting eye and he's good against both righties and lefties.
Defensively, his range is above average, his arm strength is about average and his glove and arm accuracy are both below average. He's cut down on the errors this season from his season 5 debut, and he's generally been an acceptable fielder, though certainly not great.
2. Darron Jenkins, Boston Red Sox: As with many third baseman this season, Jenkins is struggling at the plate a bit. Still, he has a career line around .310/.360/.550 and he's coming off back-to-back seasons with a .940-plus OPS. Jenkins has so-so contact and patience, but he has very good power and he's very good against righties and great against lefties.
Defensively, Jenkins has below average arm accuracy and he's above average everywhere else. He's been a fine fielder in his career, but he's not likely to ever win a Gold Glove award.
1. Ronald Garcia, Santa Cruz Amigos: Garcia is having the best season of his career at the plate, which is saying something for a player with a career line around .295/.360/.555. He has mediocre contact, but very good power and a solid batting eye. He's very good against righties and great against lefties.
Defensively, Garcia's range is a bit below average, but his arm accuracy is solid and his glove and arm strength are both above average. He's only made nine errors since the start of season 5, for a nice .980 fielding percentage during that time. His +/- total of 5/4 in his career is pretty much a wash.
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