Post by Commissioner Erick on Mar 29, 2023 22:04:02 GMT -5
The 2030 NL East may be the weakest division in baseball. Not at the top, where the Philadelphia Phillies are a legitimate contender, but throughout the rest of the division. The Marlins have seen Angels-level ineptitude the last half decade, while the Mets haven't capitalized on surprise mid-decade success. Washington is still clawing out of financial hell, and Atlanta's owner is dead set on jumping in the pit with them.
1) Philadelphia Phillies
2029: 93-69, NL East Champion. Defeated Los Angeles Dodgers in NLDS 4-3. Lost to San Francisco 4-3 in NLCS.
Who They Were: The Phillies had an excellent offense. They were third in the league in OPS and homers, and fourth in runs. Considering the other NL juggernauts, that was still excellent. Luis Morales, Bobby Siegel, and Seth Beer each hit at least 43 homers and five players had at least a 140+ OPS. The starting staff was decent with five respectable arms, while the bullpen, led by A.J. Masucci, was second best in the league.
Offseason Review: With such a powerful offense, Philadelphia balanced its team, trading Isaiah High and letting Mickey Moniak explore free agency, while bringing in Cardinals young ace Luis Detres. Royce Lewis was brought in to play good defense at Shortstop, while Bobby Witt Jr. will likely slip to Third Base with Destiny Galemberti will play Second Base.
On The Farm: Kevin Gibson and Jose Quesada are solid mid-rotation arms who could be up at the start of the season, with Zach Luciani a mid-rotation arm maybe a half season behind. Jayden Mingo could move quick to provide outfield depth as a 21-year-old. There aren’t a lot of high-end prospects, and most of the hitters will take some time to develop,
Best Case Scenario: This time, the Phillies overcome the Giants in 7.
Worst Case Scenario: Philadelphia’s offense just isn’t quite good enough this year to take down the game’s best teams.
Key Questions: With High and Moniak gone, do you feel like your offense will suffer as a result?
Your bullpen has historically suffered, but was strong last year. Do you think you can repeat the performance this year?
2) New York Mets
2029: 76-86, 3rd Place NL East
Who They Were: The Mets built a good run prevention unit, but the offense never came around with it, finishing second to late in runs scored. A single player, Joe Rizzo, had an OPS+ above 101 and the team collectively hit for a .663 OPS. The defense was strong, propping up a middling rotation that needed the help. Moving to a more offensive unit may have compromised the staff.
Offseason Review: Infielders Matt Perry and Jacob Amaya have moved on with Gavin Lux and Willi Castro are in. Those should be upgrades. Some relievers have moved on as well, but the core of last year’s team should remain.
On The Farm: The Mets have the top system in the PBA, though it’s more built on quantity than quality with 10 players in the Top 60 and none in the Top 25. There are pitchers who are close and should form the backbone of an impressive rotation in a couple of seasons when they mature. The best offensive players look like major talents, but are in the low minors and will probably take time to develop.
Best Case Scenario: The young pitchers debut ahead of schedule and a good run prevention unit takes advantage of a weak division to win 78 games.
Worst Case Scenario: The offense is even worse this year than last year.
Key Questions: Your offense did not work last year. Do you expect it to be better this season?
You have a host of young pitching talent. How will you manage the pitchers currently in the majors, as well as some of your upper-minors prospects?
3) Atlanta Braves
2029: 85-77, 2nd place NL East
Who They Were: Atlanta pitched well and their corner infielders produced, but Atlanta didn’t have a ton of offensive depth and their defense struggled with Ronny Mauricio missing most of the year. Four players hit 30 homers allowing the team to win 85 games, but it wasn’t enough for a playoff berth.
Offseason Review: Julio Arroyo slashed the budget this offseason despite Atlanta having a solid 2029. Power hitters Steve Goode and Erik Benoit were traded away, as were their ace Pat Cypert, and good reliever Todd Buonadonna. Rhino Murrin gives them a good young pitcher back, Jake Sanfilippo gives them a budget slugger, and Juan Castro gives them depth in the outfield.
On The Farm: Atlanta has a pretty weak farm. Bob Adams is a good-looking prospect, but might be a reliever. Kyle Grimes and Rafael Lozano are closer to the majors, but look like back-end pitchers. There’s little in the way in position players. Combined with budget cuts, it’s bleak to think about the future.
Best Case Scenario: Mauricio returns and anchors a ground ball staff that posts a winning record.
Worst Case Scenario: Atlanta could be a fourth place team in a bad division.
Key Questions: You don’t have a lot of players with impressive hit tools. How do you expect to score runs this season?
You gave up some prospects to acquire Rhino Murrin and Jeff Peck. Why did you make that move?
4) Washington Nationals
2029: 70-92, 4th Place NL East
Who They Were: Washington had a respectable offense, but their pitching was a disaster—last in virtually every pitching category aside from strikeouts. Eric Pena had a solid year, but wasn’t as otherworldly as he was in prior years. Franklin E. Perez had a second straight horrid year and the bullpen had 21 pitchers passing through it on the way to the worst bullpen ERA in the league. Rookie Manuel Ortiz debuted and hit .301 with 33 homers in a bright spot for the offense.
Offseason Review: A number of relievers were let go, as well as backend starter Denyi Reyes. Mitch Cavanagh and Josh Carlson should bolster the rotation, and the team hopes Eric Pena will go back to being one of the league’s best pitchers. No changes were made to a decent lineup. The year is a bit of a transition year as the team is expected to have a lot more budget room for the 2031 season.
On The Farm: Bob Fry is the only Top 100 prospect in the system, and he ultimately may be a relief pitcher. Shigeru Yamauchi is a big offensive prospect, but will take a half decade of development or more before he’s PBA-ready. All the team’s other good prospects join Yamauchi in the deep minors.
Best Case Scenario: With the team’s offense and Eric Pena, there’s a realistic chance the team has a winning record.
Worst Case Scenario: Any dips in key offensive players will cripple the team, especially since the middle-infielder should be ghastly offensively.
Key Questions: Who will start at Second Base and Shortstop for you?
What went wrong for your starting staff last year, and do you think your rotation will be better this go around?
5) Miami Marlins
2029: 53-109: Last Place NL East
Who They Were: The Marlins had the best zone rating in the NL last year, proving how little defense alone matters to a baseball team. The pitching was bad, but respectable, but the offense was hideous. The team hit just 91 homers, had a .228 average, and averaged just 3.3 runs a game. Inacio Manta had the highest OPS+ at 87.
Offseason Review: Defense first outfielders Jo Adell and Joe White have moved on, with relievers Tim Cate, Joe Batchelder, and Micah Miniard moving on as well. Victor Robles and Joshua Lowe should give the club an offensive boost, and Omar Lara and Miggy Haramoto give the club top-notch relief pitchers.
On The Farm: As bad as Miami has been the past few years, they don’t have a great farm. They do have JV Jennings, a future all-star and last year’s top overall pick, and Stacey Prins looks like a major bat as well. They don’t have much else close to the majors, so the outlook for the future isn’t much better than the outlook for this year.
Best Case Scenario: Victor Robles makes the team easier to watch
Worst Case Scenario: Shuhei Tsukamoto is the only player on the team with more than a .400 slugging percentage last year at any level. They could have another disastrous offense and a worse pitching staff than last year’s.
Key Questions: With all the holes on the team, why did you focus on relief pitching?
Robles and Lowe should be a huge help in the lineup, but how do you plan on getting the depth so they aren’t your only potent hitters?
1) Philadelphia Phillies
2029: 93-69, NL East Champion. Defeated Los Angeles Dodgers in NLDS 4-3. Lost to San Francisco 4-3 in NLCS.
Who They Were: The Phillies had an excellent offense. They were third in the league in OPS and homers, and fourth in runs. Considering the other NL juggernauts, that was still excellent. Luis Morales, Bobby Siegel, and Seth Beer each hit at least 43 homers and five players had at least a 140+ OPS. The starting staff was decent with five respectable arms, while the bullpen, led by A.J. Masucci, was second best in the league.
Offseason Review: With such a powerful offense, Philadelphia balanced its team, trading Isaiah High and letting Mickey Moniak explore free agency, while bringing in Cardinals young ace Luis Detres. Royce Lewis was brought in to play good defense at Shortstop, while Bobby Witt Jr. will likely slip to Third Base with Destiny Galemberti will play Second Base.
On The Farm: Kevin Gibson and Jose Quesada are solid mid-rotation arms who could be up at the start of the season, with Zach Luciani a mid-rotation arm maybe a half season behind. Jayden Mingo could move quick to provide outfield depth as a 21-year-old. There aren’t a lot of high-end prospects, and most of the hitters will take some time to develop,
Best Case Scenario: This time, the Phillies overcome the Giants in 7.
Worst Case Scenario: Philadelphia’s offense just isn’t quite good enough this year to take down the game’s best teams.
Key Questions: With High and Moniak gone, do you feel like your offense will suffer as a result?
Your bullpen has historically suffered, but was strong last year. Do you think you can repeat the performance this year?
2) New York Mets
2029: 76-86, 3rd Place NL East
Who They Were: The Mets built a good run prevention unit, but the offense never came around with it, finishing second to late in runs scored. A single player, Joe Rizzo, had an OPS+ above 101 and the team collectively hit for a .663 OPS. The defense was strong, propping up a middling rotation that needed the help. Moving to a more offensive unit may have compromised the staff.
Offseason Review: Infielders Matt Perry and Jacob Amaya have moved on with Gavin Lux and Willi Castro are in. Those should be upgrades. Some relievers have moved on as well, but the core of last year’s team should remain.
On The Farm: The Mets have the top system in the PBA, though it’s more built on quantity than quality with 10 players in the Top 60 and none in the Top 25. There are pitchers who are close and should form the backbone of an impressive rotation in a couple of seasons when they mature. The best offensive players look like major talents, but are in the low minors and will probably take time to develop.
Best Case Scenario: The young pitchers debut ahead of schedule and a good run prevention unit takes advantage of a weak division to win 78 games.
Worst Case Scenario: The offense is even worse this year than last year.
Key Questions: Your offense did not work last year. Do you expect it to be better this season?
You have a host of young pitching talent. How will you manage the pitchers currently in the majors, as well as some of your upper-minors prospects?
3) Atlanta Braves
2029: 85-77, 2nd place NL East
Who They Were: Atlanta pitched well and their corner infielders produced, but Atlanta didn’t have a ton of offensive depth and their defense struggled with Ronny Mauricio missing most of the year. Four players hit 30 homers allowing the team to win 85 games, but it wasn’t enough for a playoff berth.
Offseason Review: Julio Arroyo slashed the budget this offseason despite Atlanta having a solid 2029. Power hitters Steve Goode and Erik Benoit were traded away, as were their ace Pat Cypert, and good reliever Todd Buonadonna. Rhino Murrin gives them a good young pitcher back, Jake Sanfilippo gives them a budget slugger, and Juan Castro gives them depth in the outfield.
On The Farm: Atlanta has a pretty weak farm. Bob Adams is a good-looking prospect, but might be a reliever. Kyle Grimes and Rafael Lozano are closer to the majors, but look like back-end pitchers. There’s little in the way in position players. Combined with budget cuts, it’s bleak to think about the future.
Best Case Scenario: Mauricio returns and anchors a ground ball staff that posts a winning record.
Worst Case Scenario: Atlanta could be a fourth place team in a bad division.
Key Questions: You don’t have a lot of players with impressive hit tools. How do you expect to score runs this season?
You gave up some prospects to acquire Rhino Murrin and Jeff Peck. Why did you make that move?
4) Washington Nationals
2029: 70-92, 4th Place NL East
Who They Were: Washington had a respectable offense, but their pitching was a disaster—last in virtually every pitching category aside from strikeouts. Eric Pena had a solid year, but wasn’t as otherworldly as he was in prior years. Franklin E. Perez had a second straight horrid year and the bullpen had 21 pitchers passing through it on the way to the worst bullpen ERA in the league. Rookie Manuel Ortiz debuted and hit .301 with 33 homers in a bright spot for the offense.
Offseason Review: A number of relievers were let go, as well as backend starter Denyi Reyes. Mitch Cavanagh and Josh Carlson should bolster the rotation, and the team hopes Eric Pena will go back to being one of the league’s best pitchers. No changes were made to a decent lineup. The year is a bit of a transition year as the team is expected to have a lot more budget room for the 2031 season.
On The Farm: Bob Fry is the only Top 100 prospect in the system, and he ultimately may be a relief pitcher. Shigeru Yamauchi is a big offensive prospect, but will take a half decade of development or more before he’s PBA-ready. All the team’s other good prospects join Yamauchi in the deep minors.
Best Case Scenario: With the team’s offense and Eric Pena, there’s a realistic chance the team has a winning record.
Worst Case Scenario: Any dips in key offensive players will cripple the team, especially since the middle-infielder should be ghastly offensively.
Key Questions: Who will start at Second Base and Shortstop for you?
What went wrong for your starting staff last year, and do you think your rotation will be better this go around?
5) Miami Marlins
2029: 53-109: Last Place NL East
Who They Were: The Marlins had the best zone rating in the NL last year, proving how little defense alone matters to a baseball team. The pitching was bad, but respectable, but the offense was hideous. The team hit just 91 homers, had a .228 average, and averaged just 3.3 runs a game. Inacio Manta had the highest OPS+ at 87.
Offseason Review: Defense first outfielders Jo Adell and Joe White have moved on, with relievers Tim Cate, Joe Batchelder, and Micah Miniard moving on as well. Victor Robles and Joshua Lowe should give the club an offensive boost, and Omar Lara and Miggy Haramoto give the club top-notch relief pitchers.
On The Farm: As bad as Miami has been the past few years, they don’t have a great farm. They do have JV Jennings, a future all-star and last year’s top overall pick, and Stacey Prins looks like a major bat as well. They don’t have much else close to the majors, so the outlook for the future isn’t much better than the outlook for this year.
Best Case Scenario: Victor Robles makes the team easier to watch
Worst Case Scenario: Shuhei Tsukamoto is the only player on the team with more than a .400 slugging percentage last year at any level. They could have another disastrous offense and a worse pitching staff than last year’s.
Key Questions: With all the holes on the team, why did you focus on relief pitching?
Robles and Lowe should be a huge help in the lineup, but how do you plan on getting the depth so they aren’t your only potent hitters?
