Post by Commissioner Erick on May 17, 2022 7:40:39 GMT -5
Boston appeared ahead of schedule last year to comfortably win the AL East. They’re the favorites again this year, but the Orioles and Blue Jays retain strong talent bases and can give the Sox a run for their money. The Yankees appear to be exiting the trough of their rebuild, while the Rays are just entering it.
1) Boston Red Sox
2027: 101-61, AL East Champions. Lost to Detroit 4-0 in ALDS.
Who They Were: Boston was a regular season juggernaut. They were second in runs, first in run-prevention, and won 101 games. They lost pitchers Derrick Heins, Pat Strand, and Marcus Stroman in September though, plus Center Fielder Juan Inzunza, and didn’t have the arms to handle Roderick Dalton and the Tigers in the playoffs.
Offseason Review: Boston lost outfielders Adam Haseley and Bryan Martelo, plus infielder Willi Castro. Jeter Downs and Luis Torribio will help replace Castro, with Luis Villareal set to move into a full time role, offsetting the need for Haseley or Martelo. Boston will run it back with the same crew that won the AL East and hope that better injury fortune will allow them to compete for a title.
On The Farm: Boston has a fantastic farm, filled with top-tier talent. Most of Boston’s top prospects are still in the mid-minors so they won’t be able to help out this year, but if needed, Boston can trade for superstars. Joel McCabe is the one player who can help out this year. He’s a power bat with a decent glove, who could be an All-Star Second Baseman.
Best Case Scenario: Better September injury luck springs a Boston title.
Worst Case Scenario: Boston’s September injuries and Spring Training injuries continue into 2028 season injuries.
Key Questions: will Joel McCabe see the majors this year?
What role do you expect Jeter Downs to play this season?
2) Baltimore Orioles
2027: 86-76, 2nd Place AL East
Who They Were: The Orioles had the best offense in the AL last season, but finished 10 games worse than their Pythagorean record and missed the playoffs. Five hitters hit at least 30 home runs and drove in 99 men or more. Wessel Russchen hit .338 with 44 homers, 21 steals, and he put up 9.9 WAR in a monster campaign. Sam Carlson, Darwinzon Hernandez, and Tommy Stanfield continued to be a solid trio fronting the rotation. Larry Price was awful in his stint as closer though, setting Baltimore back, and the team had rough infield defense. They hope with better luck to return to the playoffs.
Offseason Review: The Orioles lost Francisco DeJesus, Yunior Severino, and Mike Siani, making no major efforts to replace them externally due to budget constraints. Baltimore has the depth and the internal talent to fill their losses internally, with prospect Corey Thornton perhaps set to take an infield spot, but losing DeJesus and Severino still leaves a large void. The team is starting to get expensive and will need a deep run to provide an influx of cash.
On the Farm: There’s decent depth in the upper minors, especially among relievers and impatient sluggers, but the system is starting to dry up with elite talent. Danny Grant is the one prospect who can be more than a reliever and is over the age of 16, but he’s already 23 and coming off an abdominal injury. The depth will help in case of injuries, but with the team getting expensive, the farm won’t provide much future talent replenishing, which will be tough on the Orioles.
Best Case Scenario: The team performs up to its Pythagorean record and wins the AL East.
Worst Case Scenario: The loss of talent and age-based decline result in an 86-win team both in reality and geometry.
Key Questions: With DeJesus elsewhere, who will be your starting First Baseman this year?
Your past teams have had an overflowing amount of depth, something that’s not the case this year. Why haven’t you stocked your backups with the same kind of talent you had in the past?
3) Toronto Blue Jays
2027: 85-77, 3rd Place AL East
Who They Were: Toronto finished second in the AL in homers and fourth in runs scored, but their staff allowed too many homers and they missed the playoffs. Only two arms had more than 2.0 WAR, and nobody had more than 2.4. Offensively, Vladimir Guerrero had good surface stats, but he hit only 10 doubles in 136 games, killing his slugging numbers, while Jake Burger struck out a bunch, limiting his effectiveness, despite a .789 OPS.
Offseason Review: Toronto let fringy pitchers Adonis Medina, Sixto Sanchez, and Franklyn Kilome walk in Free Agency, plus backup outfielder Taylor Trammel. The team will bring back a solid core, but the team has won in the mid 80s the past few years, and hasn’t upgraded. With the team overbudget, this may be the last season many of the players remain Blue Jays.
On The Farm: It isn’t a great system, and the top talents are a few years away. Cortez Castenada is the best talent of the group—a slugger with huge power—but the Dominican First Baseman offers nothing on the bases or field, and will strikeout, putting pressure on the power. Alex Torres has great stuff, but a wildly inconsistent set of mechanics leads to a random number generator of results where anything can happen. Art Gomez doesn’t have a lot of national publicity, but may be the best player in the group as a power arm who throws five pitches, four for strikes at any time. He should be up next season.
Best Case Scenario: Toronto played a lot of weird lineups last year. A more stable approach could provide an improved record.
Worst Case Scenario: Toronto needs to conduct the same kind of teardown they underwent a decade again.
Key Questions: Eric Drouet bounced around a number of positions last year. Where will he play this season?
Is Thomas Szapucki good enough to be the ace of the staff, or is he more of a mid-rotation arm at this point of his career?
4) New York Yankees
2027: 67-95, Last Place AL East
Who They Were: The Yankees weren’t terrible, but were still taking their financial medicine, leading to a 95-loss campaign. The prospects continued to get hurt, which was the worst result from the season. Some of the veterans were able to hit, Hyo-Jun Park was able to run and catch, but nobody was able to pitch and the team didn’t have enough offensive depth to carry an underwhelming staff.
Offseason Review: The Yankees made a few major changes, adding Wilmer Flores and Yunier Severino to the infield, Jon Carter and Silvino Bracho to the pen, and signing star import Yushi Harada to a long term contract. Jered Kelenic and Corey D. Ray are gone, as is Gleyber Torres, with the Yankees poised to rely on youngsters to fill the outfield corners. Harada’s the best pitcher the Yankees have had in years, and if the staff stays healthy, the Yankees will be equipped to make a playoff run.
On the Farm: Most of the Yankees’ best prospects have reached the major-league injured list, leaving the farm a little empty. Bill Gomez has pedigree, but scouts are increasingly worried he’s just a reliever, though he’d be the best of an exciting crop of relief arms. The Yankees used to have a stellar bullpen until the finances ballooned, but the potential is there for an unstoppable pen in the 2030s. The other position where the Yankees have depth is Center Field. Bobby Land could be up next season as a speed-and-defense outfielder with enough of a bat to make a difference, with Tso-I Zhao a speedy slugger who may be able to play a plus Center Field in a few years.
Best Case Scenario: The offense is good enough to be a force, and Harada stabilizes the rotation. The Yanks can win 84 with some breaks.
Worst Case Scenario: The pitching continues to be brutal and the Yankees lose 90 games.
Key Questions: Luis Contreras has struggled mightily whenever he’s been asked to pitch in a starting role. Will he be in your rotation to begin 2028?
Who do you expect to play Right Field this season?
5) Tampa Bay Rays
2027: 70-92, 4th place AL East.
Who They Were: The Rays were very competitive for most of last season, until an end-of-year tank job saw the Rays sink in the standings. A few hitters showed they could be strong performers, but Josh Bell and Christian Arroyo struggled mightily, keeping Tampa Bay from having an offense it needed to compete. The rotation only had three players with more than 1 WAR though, and the bullpen was brutal with a league worst 5.48 ERA.
Offseason Review: Tampa Bay is beginning to lean into its rebuild, not bringing in veterans and letting a number of veterans go. Gerrit Cole, Jeremiah Estrada, and Ian Anderson are gone from the staff, while Christian Arroyo and Josh Bell are out from the corners. A number of part time players from last year will be pressed into bigger roles, like Estevan Floriel, Livan Soto, and Ryan Lillard, and the rotation will be filled out by prospects like Tim Grove.
On The Farm: The Rays don’t have a great farm, especially once hard throwing righty Jerry Dixon makes the majors, which should be the beginning of next season at the latest. The Rays just don’t have a lot of high end prospects, especially among position players. It should take them some time to undergo their rebuild without the farm to accelerate things.
Best Case Scenario: The Rays could field one of the best defenses in the league, and that could be enough to escape the cellar.
Worst Case Scenario: The offense could be competitive, but it won’t be dangerous, and the staff is barren. This could be a 100-loss team.
Key Questions: Who will be your five starters this season and why?
Garrett Mitchell couldn’t hit last year. What role do you expect him to play this season?
1) Boston Red Sox
2027: 101-61, AL East Champions. Lost to Detroit 4-0 in ALDS.
Who They Were: Boston was a regular season juggernaut. They were second in runs, first in run-prevention, and won 101 games. They lost pitchers Derrick Heins, Pat Strand, and Marcus Stroman in September though, plus Center Fielder Juan Inzunza, and didn’t have the arms to handle Roderick Dalton and the Tigers in the playoffs.
Offseason Review: Boston lost outfielders Adam Haseley and Bryan Martelo, plus infielder Willi Castro. Jeter Downs and Luis Torribio will help replace Castro, with Luis Villareal set to move into a full time role, offsetting the need for Haseley or Martelo. Boston will run it back with the same crew that won the AL East and hope that better injury fortune will allow them to compete for a title.
On The Farm: Boston has a fantastic farm, filled with top-tier talent. Most of Boston’s top prospects are still in the mid-minors so they won’t be able to help out this year, but if needed, Boston can trade for superstars. Joel McCabe is the one player who can help out this year. He’s a power bat with a decent glove, who could be an All-Star Second Baseman.
Best Case Scenario: Better September injury luck springs a Boston title.
Worst Case Scenario: Boston’s September injuries and Spring Training injuries continue into 2028 season injuries.
Key Questions: will Joel McCabe see the majors this year?
What role do you expect Jeter Downs to play this season?
2) Baltimore Orioles
2027: 86-76, 2nd Place AL East
Who They Were: The Orioles had the best offense in the AL last season, but finished 10 games worse than their Pythagorean record and missed the playoffs. Five hitters hit at least 30 home runs and drove in 99 men or more. Wessel Russchen hit .338 with 44 homers, 21 steals, and he put up 9.9 WAR in a monster campaign. Sam Carlson, Darwinzon Hernandez, and Tommy Stanfield continued to be a solid trio fronting the rotation. Larry Price was awful in his stint as closer though, setting Baltimore back, and the team had rough infield defense. They hope with better luck to return to the playoffs.
Offseason Review: The Orioles lost Francisco DeJesus, Yunior Severino, and Mike Siani, making no major efforts to replace them externally due to budget constraints. Baltimore has the depth and the internal talent to fill their losses internally, with prospect Corey Thornton perhaps set to take an infield spot, but losing DeJesus and Severino still leaves a large void. The team is starting to get expensive and will need a deep run to provide an influx of cash.
On the Farm: There’s decent depth in the upper minors, especially among relievers and impatient sluggers, but the system is starting to dry up with elite talent. Danny Grant is the one prospect who can be more than a reliever and is over the age of 16, but he’s already 23 and coming off an abdominal injury. The depth will help in case of injuries, but with the team getting expensive, the farm won’t provide much future talent replenishing, which will be tough on the Orioles.
Best Case Scenario: The team performs up to its Pythagorean record and wins the AL East.
Worst Case Scenario: The loss of talent and age-based decline result in an 86-win team both in reality and geometry.
Key Questions: With DeJesus elsewhere, who will be your starting First Baseman this year?
Your past teams have had an overflowing amount of depth, something that’s not the case this year. Why haven’t you stocked your backups with the same kind of talent you had in the past?
3) Toronto Blue Jays
2027: 85-77, 3rd Place AL East
Who They Were: Toronto finished second in the AL in homers and fourth in runs scored, but their staff allowed too many homers and they missed the playoffs. Only two arms had more than 2.0 WAR, and nobody had more than 2.4. Offensively, Vladimir Guerrero had good surface stats, but he hit only 10 doubles in 136 games, killing his slugging numbers, while Jake Burger struck out a bunch, limiting his effectiveness, despite a .789 OPS.
Offseason Review: Toronto let fringy pitchers Adonis Medina, Sixto Sanchez, and Franklyn Kilome walk in Free Agency, plus backup outfielder Taylor Trammel. The team will bring back a solid core, but the team has won in the mid 80s the past few years, and hasn’t upgraded. With the team overbudget, this may be the last season many of the players remain Blue Jays.
On The Farm: It isn’t a great system, and the top talents are a few years away. Cortez Castenada is the best talent of the group—a slugger with huge power—but the Dominican First Baseman offers nothing on the bases or field, and will strikeout, putting pressure on the power. Alex Torres has great stuff, but a wildly inconsistent set of mechanics leads to a random number generator of results where anything can happen. Art Gomez doesn’t have a lot of national publicity, but may be the best player in the group as a power arm who throws five pitches, four for strikes at any time. He should be up next season.
Best Case Scenario: Toronto played a lot of weird lineups last year. A more stable approach could provide an improved record.
Worst Case Scenario: Toronto needs to conduct the same kind of teardown they underwent a decade again.
Key Questions: Eric Drouet bounced around a number of positions last year. Where will he play this season?
Is Thomas Szapucki good enough to be the ace of the staff, or is he more of a mid-rotation arm at this point of his career?
4) New York Yankees
2027: 67-95, Last Place AL East
Who They Were: The Yankees weren’t terrible, but were still taking their financial medicine, leading to a 95-loss campaign. The prospects continued to get hurt, which was the worst result from the season. Some of the veterans were able to hit, Hyo-Jun Park was able to run and catch, but nobody was able to pitch and the team didn’t have enough offensive depth to carry an underwhelming staff.
Offseason Review: The Yankees made a few major changes, adding Wilmer Flores and Yunier Severino to the infield, Jon Carter and Silvino Bracho to the pen, and signing star import Yushi Harada to a long term contract. Jered Kelenic and Corey D. Ray are gone, as is Gleyber Torres, with the Yankees poised to rely on youngsters to fill the outfield corners. Harada’s the best pitcher the Yankees have had in years, and if the staff stays healthy, the Yankees will be equipped to make a playoff run.
On the Farm: Most of the Yankees’ best prospects have reached the major-league injured list, leaving the farm a little empty. Bill Gomez has pedigree, but scouts are increasingly worried he’s just a reliever, though he’d be the best of an exciting crop of relief arms. The Yankees used to have a stellar bullpen until the finances ballooned, but the potential is there for an unstoppable pen in the 2030s. The other position where the Yankees have depth is Center Field. Bobby Land could be up next season as a speed-and-defense outfielder with enough of a bat to make a difference, with Tso-I Zhao a speedy slugger who may be able to play a plus Center Field in a few years.
Best Case Scenario: The offense is good enough to be a force, and Harada stabilizes the rotation. The Yanks can win 84 with some breaks.
Worst Case Scenario: The pitching continues to be brutal and the Yankees lose 90 games.
Key Questions: Luis Contreras has struggled mightily whenever he’s been asked to pitch in a starting role. Will he be in your rotation to begin 2028?
Who do you expect to play Right Field this season?
5) Tampa Bay Rays
2027: 70-92, 4th place AL East.
Who They Were: The Rays were very competitive for most of last season, until an end-of-year tank job saw the Rays sink in the standings. A few hitters showed they could be strong performers, but Josh Bell and Christian Arroyo struggled mightily, keeping Tampa Bay from having an offense it needed to compete. The rotation only had three players with more than 1 WAR though, and the bullpen was brutal with a league worst 5.48 ERA.
Offseason Review: Tampa Bay is beginning to lean into its rebuild, not bringing in veterans and letting a number of veterans go. Gerrit Cole, Jeremiah Estrada, and Ian Anderson are gone from the staff, while Christian Arroyo and Josh Bell are out from the corners. A number of part time players from last year will be pressed into bigger roles, like Estevan Floriel, Livan Soto, and Ryan Lillard, and the rotation will be filled out by prospects like Tim Grove.
On The Farm: The Rays don’t have a great farm, especially once hard throwing righty Jerry Dixon makes the majors, which should be the beginning of next season at the latest. The Rays just don’t have a lot of high end prospects, especially among position players. It should take them some time to undergo their rebuild without the farm to accelerate things.
Best Case Scenario: The Rays could field one of the best defenses in the league, and that could be enough to escape the cellar.
Worst Case Scenario: The offense could be competitive, but it won’t be dangerous, and the staff is barren. This could be a 100-loss team.
Key Questions: Who will be your five starters this season and why?
Garrett Mitchell couldn’t hit last year. What role do you expect him to play this season?
