Post by Commissioner Erick on Sept 16, 2023 19:38:06 GMT -5
The AL East has been one of the most competitive in baseball and last year’s battle for the division came down to the final week. The Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Orioles once again look like they’ll duke it out for the division with the Yankees talented enough to crash the party.
1) Boston Red Sox
2030: 92-70, 3rd Place AL East
Who They Were: A mediocre September saw the Red Sox fail to snag a playoff berth, missing the postseason by a single game. The offense was great as Boston led the league in OPS as their three hitters with the most plate appearances, Joe Taylor, Brock Paradiso, and Joel McCabe, each had a 146 wRC+, 30+ homers, and over 100 RBIs. The starting staff was okay, but was better in FIP than ERA. Five pitchers made all the starts and all five had 1.9 WAR or more, but only one had an ERA under 4.64.
Offseason Review: Boston has made a few changes. Jhoan Duran is no longer part of the rotation, and Osiris German is no longer in the pen. A heavy-defense infield of Joerlin de los Santos, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Arturo Reineri will no longer be the infield either. T.J. Zeuch and Josh Butler wlll take a spot in the rotation, while Bobby Spong will add to the bullpen. Rookie John Pfeiffer will play Shortstop, Joel McCabe will move from First Base to Second Base, and Alan Medina will have more of a role as the team’s Third Baseman.
On The Farm: Boston maintains an amazing farm. Luis Palafox looks like a major hitter, he should spend a year in Triple-A and be on the scene in 2032. Eddie Rentmeester also has what looks to be a giant bat. He has a little more defensive chops than Palafox and could man an outfield spot successfully. John Lacy is a third bat with huge power and questionable defensive skills, but we can see him as soon as this year. Eric Carillo is the best of a group of solid arms. He keeps the ball away from the sweet spot of bats, and could be up as early as next year.
Best Case Scenario: Mike Ball’s customary end-of-season collapse takes place in October, not September.
Worst Case Scenario: The team’s defense struggles and Boston misses the playoffs in a tough division.
Key Questions: You’ll have a completely new infield. Are you confident the group will hold up?
Who will be your fifth starter and why?
2) Baltimore Orioles
2030: 93-71, 2nd Place AL East. Lost to Cleveland in Wild Card Game
Who They Were: The Orioles hit well, posting the best average in the league, but their pitching was rough, leaving the team vulnerable last September. From there, they lost their final eight games, including five to Toronto, to punt away the division in the final week, and couldn’t rally in the Wild Card Game to beat Cleveland and advance to the ALDS. Wessel Russchen did the best he could with a .325 average and 28 homers, but no starter had an ERA better than 4.73.
Offseason Review: Baltimore swapped out Luis Garcia with old friend Luis Paez at Shortstop, but also lost relievers Circus Dusing, Dan Yancey and Holden Christian from last year’s team. Jarod Dethridge is competing with Juan Carasco for the Right Field job, and Mike Taylor was brought aboard from the Giants organization to be a key part of the bullpen.
On The Farm: The key members of the Orioles farm are pitchers close to the majors. Erik Bowers pitched 12 innings last year to a 1.50 ERA. He’ll likely begin the year in the minors, but may see action breaking camp. Tim Longo is a mid-rotation arm with three good pitches. He also may break camp with the team. Aside from them, there’s good depth in the organization, but little in the way of players with major upside.
Best Case Scenario: The team holds on just one more week and captures the AL East
Worse Case Scenario: In a rough AL East, Baltimore can miss the playoffs entirely.
Key Questions: Your staff wasn’t very good last year. Do you expect improvement this year?
Who will man Right Field for you and why?
3) Toronto Blue Jays
2030: 94-68, AL East Champions. Lost to Texas 4-2 in ALDS.
Who They Were: Toronto was an elite slugging unit, leading the AL in homers. They paired that with a great starting rotation to win the AL East, winning nine of 10 heading into the season’s final day, and then watching Baltimore lose to clinch the division. While Toronto slugged, their offense was only eighth in runs, a product of some bad luck and the fact the team struck out the third most times in the AL. While their offense was strong in the playoffs, bad luck with an exhausted bullpen cost them a shot at advancing to the ALCS.
Offseason Review: The middle infield is remade with Taylor Walls and Jelfry Marte turning into Miguel Hiraldo and Xavier Edwards. Dan O’Rourke improves the pen, but some secondary power hitters have moved on with Hector Jimenez, Rogelio Mendizibal, and Cortez Castaneda having new addresses for 2031.
On The Farm: Guastao Couraca is on a slow development track, but he has immense power and could be a 50-homer slugger in time. Only 21, it wouldn’t be too surprising if he debuts this year. Mike Robles looks like a Center Fielder who can steal bases, run a high average, and hit 25 homers. He has a bright future. Cody Davis and Andreas Switzer are in the upper minors and have big power potential, reasons Toronto was willing to send some of their secondary sluggers packing.
Best Case Scenario: The power remains, the pitching remains, and the luck improves on the way to 98 wins and a second straight crown.
Worst Case Scenario: The team’s offense takes a step back and Toronto falls to fourth in the division.
Key Questions: Who will be your outfielders this year and why?
You’ve moved on from some power hitters. Are you concerned your offense will take a step back as a result?
4) New York Yankees
2030: 75-87, 4th Place AL East
Who They Were: The Yankees hit homers, and had some high end performances, but too many holes led to too many losses. Yunior Severino, Shane Shifflett, and Austin Shenton combined for -3 WAR as an utterly disastrous trio. Six pitchers started for the Yankees and had a WAR of 0 or worse. On the plus side, Angelo Santana finally blossomed the second half of the year into the megastar he hinted he could become. He had a .934 OPS and played solid defense, but hit .394 and .387 the season’s final two month. He’ll lead the team into 2031.
Offseason Review: New York only made small moves, adding Bobby Bynum as a rotation depth piece and letting overachieving Mark Ward, backups Justin Cooke and Miguelangel Sierra, disappointing Austin Shenton, and reliever Juan Carrizales leave this offseason. Elite prospects Skyler Nash and Justin Campbell will be up this year, Justin Simmons and Brandon Boissiere will have the opportunity to lock down corner outfield spots, and Joe Montalaba’s roller coaster will ride in the Yankee bullpen.
On The Farm: It’s a great farm with Nash and Campbell alone making it the fourth best farm in baseball. It falls off hard after that though, with undeveloped Center Fielders far away, Quad-A First Basemen a little closer, and nothing on the pitching side to be seen.
Best Case Scenario: If the Yankees can avoid giving so many rough players so much playing time, they can make the playoffs, especially with their young core.
Worst Case Scenario: The veterans can’t back up the youth, the pitchers get hurt too much, and the Yankees remain in fourth place.
Key Questions: Will we see Justin Campbell right away, or will he work on getting his tool a touch better in Triple-A before debuting?
Joe Mantalaba has a big Cutter that he’s hyperaggressive with, leading to a ton of strikeouts, but also a ton of homers. What made you take a chance on him?
5) Tampa Bay Rays
2030: 69-93, Last Place AL East
Who They Were: Tampa Bay stripped things down, and tried to assemble a roster on the cheap. The defense was okay, the pitching was decent, and it kept Tampa Bay respectable despite a lack of offensive talent. Jahmai Jones and Elijah Cabell were the only players who had more than 2 WAR. Jones fetched a pair of low-level prospects at the trade deadline, while Cabell was waived in August. Ryan Waters was the only player to play at least 100 games and have a wRC+ over 100.
Offseason Review: Tampa Bay didn’t pay to hold on to relievers, seeing Eric Pardinho, Jason Guion, and Blayne Enlow leave. Jaimer Candelario and John Schwartz were waived. Fernando Tatis Jr. is aboard to anchor the defense, and he showed a little with the bad for Boston last year as well. Jim Rogers is another excellent defensive addition, while Nick Vesti and Jhoan Duran are solid arms. Juan Sorla, Juan Rivera, and Bob Allison are buy low candidates, while Jonathan Guzman will man Shortstop. With a respectable staff and a lack of potent hitters, the defense should make Tampa Bay games, the most boring ones in the league.
On The Farm: Tampa Bay is rebuilding a previously moribund farm. Ben Rivera, last year’s fifth overall pick, is an exciting slugging prospect who can be a franchise-altering hitter, or if Tampa Bay prefers, a solid middle reliever. The Black Cat Dave Gill can play all over the field—poorly—but he’ll hit the ball all over the field, and sometimes over the fence too. Adam DiBattista was only drafted last year, and in the third round no less, but looks like he can contribute solid innings as soon as the second half of this year. Silverback Jody Davis looks like he can work as a second division power hitter. Considering where the farm was before Jimmy Wood took over, seeing the high-end talent is impressive, though the depth will need to be improved as well.
Best Case Scenario: Tampa Bay’s brand of boring baseball wins them 70 games.
Worst Case Scenario: With the offensive talent, it’s easy to see 100 losses.
Key Questions: Which new acquisition of yours are you most excited for?
You have a little bit of money below budget. Any plans on what you want to do with the extra budget room?
1) Boston Red Sox
2030: 92-70, 3rd Place AL East
Who They Were: A mediocre September saw the Red Sox fail to snag a playoff berth, missing the postseason by a single game. The offense was great as Boston led the league in OPS as their three hitters with the most plate appearances, Joe Taylor, Brock Paradiso, and Joel McCabe, each had a 146 wRC+, 30+ homers, and over 100 RBIs. The starting staff was okay, but was better in FIP than ERA. Five pitchers made all the starts and all five had 1.9 WAR or more, but only one had an ERA under 4.64.
Offseason Review: Boston has made a few changes. Jhoan Duran is no longer part of the rotation, and Osiris German is no longer in the pen. A heavy-defense infield of Joerlin de los Santos, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Arturo Reineri will no longer be the infield either. T.J. Zeuch and Josh Butler wlll take a spot in the rotation, while Bobby Spong will add to the bullpen. Rookie John Pfeiffer will play Shortstop, Joel McCabe will move from First Base to Second Base, and Alan Medina will have more of a role as the team’s Third Baseman.
On The Farm: Boston maintains an amazing farm. Luis Palafox looks like a major hitter, he should spend a year in Triple-A and be on the scene in 2032. Eddie Rentmeester also has what looks to be a giant bat. He has a little more defensive chops than Palafox and could man an outfield spot successfully. John Lacy is a third bat with huge power and questionable defensive skills, but we can see him as soon as this year. Eric Carillo is the best of a group of solid arms. He keeps the ball away from the sweet spot of bats, and could be up as early as next year.
Best Case Scenario: Mike Ball’s customary end-of-season collapse takes place in October, not September.
Worst Case Scenario: The team’s defense struggles and Boston misses the playoffs in a tough division.
Key Questions: You’ll have a completely new infield. Are you confident the group will hold up?
Who will be your fifth starter and why?
2) Baltimore Orioles
2030: 93-71, 2nd Place AL East. Lost to Cleveland in Wild Card Game
Who They Were: The Orioles hit well, posting the best average in the league, but their pitching was rough, leaving the team vulnerable last September. From there, they lost their final eight games, including five to Toronto, to punt away the division in the final week, and couldn’t rally in the Wild Card Game to beat Cleveland and advance to the ALDS. Wessel Russchen did the best he could with a .325 average and 28 homers, but no starter had an ERA better than 4.73.
Offseason Review: Baltimore swapped out Luis Garcia with old friend Luis Paez at Shortstop, but also lost relievers Circus Dusing, Dan Yancey and Holden Christian from last year’s team. Jarod Dethridge is competing with Juan Carasco for the Right Field job, and Mike Taylor was brought aboard from the Giants organization to be a key part of the bullpen.
On The Farm: The key members of the Orioles farm are pitchers close to the majors. Erik Bowers pitched 12 innings last year to a 1.50 ERA. He’ll likely begin the year in the minors, but may see action breaking camp. Tim Longo is a mid-rotation arm with three good pitches. He also may break camp with the team. Aside from them, there’s good depth in the organization, but little in the way of players with major upside.
Best Case Scenario: The team holds on just one more week and captures the AL East
Worse Case Scenario: In a rough AL East, Baltimore can miss the playoffs entirely.
Key Questions: Your staff wasn’t very good last year. Do you expect improvement this year?
Who will man Right Field for you and why?
3) Toronto Blue Jays
2030: 94-68, AL East Champions. Lost to Texas 4-2 in ALDS.
Who They Were: Toronto was an elite slugging unit, leading the AL in homers. They paired that with a great starting rotation to win the AL East, winning nine of 10 heading into the season’s final day, and then watching Baltimore lose to clinch the division. While Toronto slugged, their offense was only eighth in runs, a product of some bad luck and the fact the team struck out the third most times in the AL. While their offense was strong in the playoffs, bad luck with an exhausted bullpen cost them a shot at advancing to the ALCS.
Offseason Review: The middle infield is remade with Taylor Walls and Jelfry Marte turning into Miguel Hiraldo and Xavier Edwards. Dan O’Rourke improves the pen, but some secondary power hitters have moved on with Hector Jimenez, Rogelio Mendizibal, and Cortez Castaneda having new addresses for 2031.
On The Farm: Guastao Couraca is on a slow development track, but he has immense power and could be a 50-homer slugger in time. Only 21, it wouldn’t be too surprising if he debuts this year. Mike Robles looks like a Center Fielder who can steal bases, run a high average, and hit 25 homers. He has a bright future. Cody Davis and Andreas Switzer are in the upper minors and have big power potential, reasons Toronto was willing to send some of their secondary sluggers packing.
Best Case Scenario: The power remains, the pitching remains, and the luck improves on the way to 98 wins and a second straight crown.
Worst Case Scenario: The team’s offense takes a step back and Toronto falls to fourth in the division.
Key Questions: Who will be your outfielders this year and why?
You’ve moved on from some power hitters. Are you concerned your offense will take a step back as a result?
4) New York Yankees
2030: 75-87, 4th Place AL East
Who They Were: The Yankees hit homers, and had some high end performances, but too many holes led to too many losses. Yunior Severino, Shane Shifflett, and Austin Shenton combined for -3 WAR as an utterly disastrous trio. Six pitchers started for the Yankees and had a WAR of 0 or worse. On the plus side, Angelo Santana finally blossomed the second half of the year into the megastar he hinted he could become. He had a .934 OPS and played solid defense, but hit .394 and .387 the season’s final two month. He’ll lead the team into 2031.
Offseason Review: New York only made small moves, adding Bobby Bynum as a rotation depth piece and letting overachieving Mark Ward, backups Justin Cooke and Miguelangel Sierra, disappointing Austin Shenton, and reliever Juan Carrizales leave this offseason. Elite prospects Skyler Nash and Justin Campbell will be up this year, Justin Simmons and Brandon Boissiere will have the opportunity to lock down corner outfield spots, and Joe Montalaba’s roller coaster will ride in the Yankee bullpen.
On The Farm: It’s a great farm with Nash and Campbell alone making it the fourth best farm in baseball. It falls off hard after that though, with undeveloped Center Fielders far away, Quad-A First Basemen a little closer, and nothing on the pitching side to be seen.
Best Case Scenario: If the Yankees can avoid giving so many rough players so much playing time, they can make the playoffs, especially with their young core.
Worst Case Scenario: The veterans can’t back up the youth, the pitchers get hurt too much, and the Yankees remain in fourth place.
Key Questions: Will we see Justin Campbell right away, or will he work on getting his tool a touch better in Triple-A before debuting?
Joe Mantalaba has a big Cutter that he’s hyperaggressive with, leading to a ton of strikeouts, but also a ton of homers. What made you take a chance on him?
5) Tampa Bay Rays
2030: 69-93, Last Place AL East
Who They Were: Tampa Bay stripped things down, and tried to assemble a roster on the cheap. The defense was okay, the pitching was decent, and it kept Tampa Bay respectable despite a lack of offensive talent. Jahmai Jones and Elijah Cabell were the only players who had more than 2 WAR. Jones fetched a pair of low-level prospects at the trade deadline, while Cabell was waived in August. Ryan Waters was the only player to play at least 100 games and have a wRC+ over 100.
Offseason Review: Tampa Bay didn’t pay to hold on to relievers, seeing Eric Pardinho, Jason Guion, and Blayne Enlow leave. Jaimer Candelario and John Schwartz were waived. Fernando Tatis Jr. is aboard to anchor the defense, and he showed a little with the bad for Boston last year as well. Jim Rogers is another excellent defensive addition, while Nick Vesti and Jhoan Duran are solid arms. Juan Sorla, Juan Rivera, and Bob Allison are buy low candidates, while Jonathan Guzman will man Shortstop. With a respectable staff and a lack of potent hitters, the defense should make Tampa Bay games, the most boring ones in the league.
On The Farm: Tampa Bay is rebuilding a previously moribund farm. Ben Rivera, last year’s fifth overall pick, is an exciting slugging prospect who can be a franchise-altering hitter, or if Tampa Bay prefers, a solid middle reliever. The Black Cat Dave Gill can play all over the field—poorly—but he’ll hit the ball all over the field, and sometimes over the fence too. Adam DiBattista was only drafted last year, and in the third round no less, but looks like he can contribute solid innings as soon as the second half of this year. Silverback Jody Davis looks like he can work as a second division power hitter. Considering where the farm was before Jimmy Wood took over, seeing the high-end talent is impressive, though the depth will need to be improved as well.
Best Case Scenario: Tampa Bay’s brand of boring baseball wins them 70 games.
Worst Case Scenario: With the offensive talent, it’s easy to see 100 losses.
Key Questions: Which new acquisition of yours are you most excited for?
You have a little bit of money below budget. Any plans on what you want to do with the extra budget room?
