Post by Commissioner Erick on Mar 10, 2024 11:55:05 GMT -5
Cleveland has fallen off slightly, and Kansas City keeps getting stronger, meaning it will be an upset if the Royals aren't 2032 champions. Cleveland should contend for a playoff berth, while the Twins and Tigers could be in the mix.
1) Kansas City Royals
2031: 109-53, AL Central Champions. Defeated Texas 4-1 in ALDS. Lost to Boston 4-1 in ALCS.
Who They Were: The Royals had a dominant regular season, with the second best run prevention and third best offense in the AL. Roderick Dalton essentially mirrored his 2030 season, while Jorge Vargas led the league with 151 RBIs. Luis Nunez was huge in a supporting role with a .292 average, 36 doubles, and 21 homers. Ryan Beyer anchored a deep rotation that fueled a run to the ALCS, but nobody could stop John Lacy and Kansas City fell in the ALCS.
Offseason Review: The Royals essentially replaced their entire infield as Harland Guenette, Luis Garcia, and Arturo Reineri were replaced. Long time standout Humberto Camacho will also spend 2032 elsewhere. Jason Fulton was acquired from the Padres to play Shortstop, Bob Beasley was acquired to play Third, and Spring Training will decide a four-way fight for Second Base. Tyler Schneider was acquired from Houston to be a power hitting outfielder, while Elijah Cabell has speed and plays great defense. With Nunez moving over to Center Field full time, Schneider and Cabell will look to team up to replace Camacho’s production.
On the Farm: Despite being an elite contender, the Royals have the second best farm in the league. Michael Laffont has been a frontline pitching prospect for years and should step into the rotation without missing a beat. Jorge Ortega has a chance to stick as a starter, but if not, he could be a frontline multi-inning reliever. Jayden Harris and Caleb Macclellan are a year away from being cheap mid-rotation arms. There isn’t as much position player talent close to the majors, but there are a pair of elite international finds in the deep minors. Jesus Galindo looks like an elite bat and a plus Left Fielder if he pans out, while appropriately nicknamed Carlos Torres has the offensive package to justify his nickname of La Maquina.
Best Case Scenario: Mike Ball goes 12 more years without winning a playoff series.
Worst Case Scenario: Another ALCS defeat. It’s hard to see the Royals losing before the ALCS.
Deciding Questions: How do you feel about your remade infield?
You’ve thrived with a strategy of emphasizing defense everywhere but First Base. Tyler Schnider is not a good defender. Why did you go against type and acquire him?
2) Cleveland Indians
2031: 93-69, 2nd Place AL Central. Lost to Texas in Wild Card Game
Who They Were: Cleveland managed to turn in the sixth best offense in the AL, which was about expected, but their pitching fell to fourth as Ernesto Ortega, an All-Star the prior two years and 2029 Cy Young Award Winner, suddenly became homer prone. Ape Montiel moved to the rotation and was ineffective, and outside the best arms, the bullpen was a little weaker. It was enough to relegate Cleveland to the Wild Card Game where they were shut down by Trout Taylor.
Offseason Review: The duo of Jake Bauers and Danny Tammaro is elsewhere, as is midseason acquisition Amed Rosario, and underwhelming First Baseman Julian Infante. Jacob Allred fills into an outfield spot, and Jason Thompson and Randy Mitchell were claimed on waivers from the Rays to compete for starting Second Base and utility infield positions. The team is overbudget so a subsequent move will likely be made.
On The Farm: It’s not a great farm as the best talent is in the deep minors. Jerk Oh, Travis Pennock, should jerk a few homers when he reaches the PBA in a half decade, if he’s not being a jerk to his teammates. Garrett Freiman is another potential potent bat who can hold his own in the outfield, but his haircut is a crime against humanity. There’s very little closer to the PBA, but there are a few depth outfielders. The less said about the state of the pitching prospects, the better.
Best Case Scenario: Ortega rebounds, the team doesn’t sacrifice too much in its salary shedding—or ignores it—and Cleveland wins the Wild Card Game
Worst Case Scenario: A pitcher gets traded and an underwhelming lineup regresses. Cleveland could finish in the low 80s in wins.
Deciding Questions: You still have to fill out the last spots of your bullpen. Who will be your 11th, 12th, and 13th arms?
Who gets the starting Second Base job?
3) Detroit Tigers
2031: 74-88, 4th Place AL Central
Who They Were: Detroit had no power whatsoever, leading the team to a 13th place finish in runs despite being sixth in average and second in steals. Their 96 homers was a league worst. They used a pure bullpen strategy, leading the club to a sixth place finish in runs allowed.
Offseason Review: Detroit lost a lot of pitchers who are mostly starting pitchers, helping Detroit lean further into their pure bullpen strategy. Blake Hunt and Orlando Arcia will be elsewhere. Detroit brought aboard some power with Luis Villareal, Luis Morales, and playoff hero John Lacy imported. Sean Mendoza will bring some defense to the team.
On The Farm: Detroit has some high end prospects. Sparky Perrera could be a special offensive player who also runs well and plays excellent defense. He’s currently the league’s third prospect. Carlos Adame’s barely a Catcher, but he looks like he could be a powerful slugger when he develops. Vinnie Zhang gives up homers—four in 14 WBC innings this year—but could be a good number three starter otherwise.
Best Case Scenario: The team wins 83 Games behind a better offense and a pitching strategy with another year of refinement.
Worst Case Scenario: It’s going to be hard for the team to have a high average and the pitching strategy masks a lot of talent. They could finish fourth.
Deciding Questions: You’re running an all-bullpen strategy. Why haven’t you gone after a few elite relievers to anchor the strategy?
Who is your starting Third Baseman this year?
4) Minnesota Twins
2031: 80-82, 3rd Place AL Central
Who They Were: The Twins achieved year five of near perfect mediocrity, finishing one win away from a .500 record. Gabe Bonilla had another huge year with 45 homers, nine triples, and a .354 OBP. Ignacio Tonche and Frazer McWhir gave Bonilla some backup in the lineup with strong offensive years. Tim Newbold had a great year in the pen, and Jose Guerra and Eric Halbach had strong seasons in he rotation as well. However, the team’s depth wasn’t there. Nine pitchers had negative WAR, and the team lacked some power from key positions. Joe Jennings hit .244 with eight homers at First Base. Adam Espinoza had a .312 OBP and six homers as Designated Hitter, and Second Baseman had just five homers in 519 Plate Appearances.
Offseason Review: The team lost key outfielders Andy Fleck and Jim Sattler, plus star infielder Ignacio Tonche. Tony Ryan will replace Tonche’s defense and Humberto Camacho was brought aboard to play Center Field. Those players will help the defense, but Minnesota is losing a lot of power.
On The Farm: It’s a good farm, though the best prospects are still in the low minors. Eric Peterson and She Dai look like strong pitchers, but they need a few years. Vapor Lock Josh Bonham looks like a hitter with some good pop, but he still needs at least one more year in the minors. John Fox looks like a good Second Baseman with a good bat, but is also at least a year away. Vic Dethridge and Jeremy Young looks like starting outfielders, but they’re a year away. It hints at a Twins team that could be pretty good in 2035 or 2036.
Best Case Scenario: It’s easy to see the Twins taking a small step back with little power in the lineup, meaning 79 wins is their ceiling.
Worst Case Scenario: The team has a high floor, meaning 72 wins is their worst case scenario.
Deciding Questions: Do you feel like your team has enough power to compete for a playoff spot this year?
Why did you target Camacho in Free Agency instead of other outfielders?
5) Chicago White Sox
2031: 58-104, Last Place AL Central
Who They Were: An offensive disaster, Chicago was the worst offensive team in the league last year. Only two players had at least 100 Plate Appearances with a wRC+ over 100. Ten position players had negative WAR. 26 pitchers pitched for the team, including 1-16 Uleki Apona who produced, appropriately, -1.6 WAR. The team just didn’t have the talent to compete.
Offseason Review: Chicago onboarded Igancio Tonche, Adam Hall, Michael Green, Taylor Walls, Ricky Valencia, Raul Beracierta and Circus Dusing to bring in more talent. Decent youngsters Volker Heinz and Kevin Magyar were given up, but Chicago should be more respectable this year.
On The Farm: The White Sox still have a stew of young players. Quinn Chamberlain looks like a future All-Star who is close to the PBA, while Andres Perez is a future slugger who could steal 20 bases, also close to the PBA. There’s also a lot of pitching close to the majors with Tristan Oliver, Wally Wieland, and Xavier Hendricks all looking like strong arms. There’s hope that the worst part of their rebuild will be over soon with young talent approaching soon.
Best Case Scenario: The team wins 70 games in a perfectly respectable year.
Worst Case Scenario: A poor rotation could drag Chicago to 102 losses.
Deciding Questions: You have a lot of young talent close to the majors. Why acquire so many PBA players instead of one more year of developing?
Will we see your youngsters this year or will you look to limit their service time in a season you’re unlikely to make the playoffs?
1) Kansas City Royals
2031: 109-53, AL Central Champions. Defeated Texas 4-1 in ALDS. Lost to Boston 4-1 in ALCS.
Who They Were: The Royals had a dominant regular season, with the second best run prevention and third best offense in the AL. Roderick Dalton essentially mirrored his 2030 season, while Jorge Vargas led the league with 151 RBIs. Luis Nunez was huge in a supporting role with a .292 average, 36 doubles, and 21 homers. Ryan Beyer anchored a deep rotation that fueled a run to the ALCS, but nobody could stop John Lacy and Kansas City fell in the ALCS.
Offseason Review: The Royals essentially replaced their entire infield as Harland Guenette, Luis Garcia, and Arturo Reineri were replaced. Long time standout Humberto Camacho will also spend 2032 elsewhere. Jason Fulton was acquired from the Padres to play Shortstop, Bob Beasley was acquired to play Third, and Spring Training will decide a four-way fight for Second Base. Tyler Schneider was acquired from Houston to be a power hitting outfielder, while Elijah Cabell has speed and plays great defense. With Nunez moving over to Center Field full time, Schneider and Cabell will look to team up to replace Camacho’s production.
On the Farm: Despite being an elite contender, the Royals have the second best farm in the league. Michael Laffont has been a frontline pitching prospect for years and should step into the rotation without missing a beat. Jorge Ortega has a chance to stick as a starter, but if not, he could be a frontline multi-inning reliever. Jayden Harris and Caleb Macclellan are a year away from being cheap mid-rotation arms. There isn’t as much position player talent close to the majors, but there are a pair of elite international finds in the deep minors. Jesus Galindo looks like an elite bat and a plus Left Fielder if he pans out, while appropriately nicknamed Carlos Torres has the offensive package to justify his nickname of La Maquina.
Best Case Scenario: Mike Ball goes 12 more years without winning a playoff series.
Worst Case Scenario: Another ALCS defeat. It’s hard to see the Royals losing before the ALCS.
Deciding Questions: How do you feel about your remade infield?
You’ve thrived with a strategy of emphasizing defense everywhere but First Base. Tyler Schnider is not a good defender. Why did you go against type and acquire him?
2) Cleveland Indians
2031: 93-69, 2nd Place AL Central. Lost to Texas in Wild Card Game
Who They Were: Cleveland managed to turn in the sixth best offense in the AL, which was about expected, but their pitching fell to fourth as Ernesto Ortega, an All-Star the prior two years and 2029 Cy Young Award Winner, suddenly became homer prone. Ape Montiel moved to the rotation and was ineffective, and outside the best arms, the bullpen was a little weaker. It was enough to relegate Cleveland to the Wild Card Game where they were shut down by Trout Taylor.
Offseason Review: The duo of Jake Bauers and Danny Tammaro is elsewhere, as is midseason acquisition Amed Rosario, and underwhelming First Baseman Julian Infante. Jacob Allred fills into an outfield spot, and Jason Thompson and Randy Mitchell were claimed on waivers from the Rays to compete for starting Second Base and utility infield positions. The team is overbudget so a subsequent move will likely be made.
On The Farm: It’s not a great farm as the best talent is in the deep minors. Jerk Oh, Travis Pennock, should jerk a few homers when he reaches the PBA in a half decade, if he’s not being a jerk to his teammates. Garrett Freiman is another potential potent bat who can hold his own in the outfield, but his haircut is a crime against humanity. There’s very little closer to the PBA, but there are a few depth outfielders. The less said about the state of the pitching prospects, the better.
Best Case Scenario: Ortega rebounds, the team doesn’t sacrifice too much in its salary shedding—or ignores it—and Cleveland wins the Wild Card Game
Worst Case Scenario: A pitcher gets traded and an underwhelming lineup regresses. Cleveland could finish in the low 80s in wins.
Deciding Questions: You still have to fill out the last spots of your bullpen. Who will be your 11th, 12th, and 13th arms?
Who gets the starting Second Base job?
3) Detroit Tigers
2031: 74-88, 4th Place AL Central
Who They Were: Detroit had no power whatsoever, leading the team to a 13th place finish in runs despite being sixth in average and second in steals. Their 96 homers was a league worst. They used a pure bullpen strategy, leading the club to a sixth place finish in runs allowed.
Offseason Review: Detroit lost a lot of pitchers who are mostly starting pitchers, helping Detroit lean further into their pure bullpen strategy. Blake Hunt and Orlando Arcia will be elsewhere. Detroit brought aboard some power with Luis Villareal, Luis Morales, and playoff hero John Lacy imported. Sean Mendoza will bring some defense to the team.
On The Farm: Detroit has some high end prospects. Sparky Perrera could be a special offensive player who also runs well and plays excellent defense. He’s currently the league’s third prospect. Carlos Adame’s barely a Catcher, but he looks like he could be a powerful slugger when he develops. Vinnie Zhang gives up homers—four in 14 WBC innings this year—but could be a good number three starter otherwise.
Best Case Scenario: The team wins 83 Games behind a better offense and a pitching strategy with another year of refinement.
Worst Case Scenario: It’s going to be hard for the team to have a high average and the pitching strategy masks a lot of talent. They could finish fourth.
Deciding Questions: You’re running an all-bullpen strategy. Why haven’t you gone after a few elite relievers to anchor the strategy?
Who is your starting Third Baseman this year?
4) Minnesota Twins
2031: 80-82, 3rd Place AL Central
Who They Were: The Twins achieved year five of near perfect mediocrity, finishing one win away from a .500 record. Gabe Bonilla had another huge year with 45 homers, nine triples, and a .354 OBP. Ignacio Tonche and Frazer McWhir gave Bonilla some backup in the lineup with strong offensive years. Tim Newbold had a great year in the pen, and Jose Guerra and Eric Halbach had strong seasons in he rotation as well. However, the team’s depth wasn’t there. Nine pitchers had negative WAR, and the team lacked some power from key positions. Joe Jennings hit .244 with eight homers at First Base. Adam Espinoza had a .312 OBP and six homers as Designated Hitter, and Second Baseman had just five homers in 519 Plate Appearances.
Offseason Review: The team lost key outfielders Andy Fleck and Jim Sattler, plus star infielder Ignacio Tonche. Tony Ryan will replace Tonche’s defense and Humberto Camacho was brought aboard to play Center Field. Those players will help the defense, but Minnesota is losing a lot of power.
On The Farm: It’s a good farm, though the best prospects are still in the low minors. Eric Peterson and She Dai look like strong pitchers, but they need a few years. Vapor Lock Josh Bonham looks like a hitter with some good pop, but he still needs at least one more year in the minors. John Fox looks like a good Second Baseman with a good bat, but is also at least a year away. Vic Dethridge and Jeremy Young looks like starting outfielders, but they’re a year away. It hints at a Twins team that could be pretty good in 2035 or 2036.
Best Case Scenario: It’s easy to see the Twins taking a small step back with little power in the lineup, meaning 79 wins is their ceiling.
Worst Case Scenario: The team has a high floor, meaning 72 wins is their worst case scenario.
Deciding Questions: Do you feel like your team has enough power to compete for a playoff spot this year?
Why did you target Camacho in Free Agency instead of other outfielders?
5) Chicago White Sox
2031: 58-104, Last Place AL Central
Who They Were: An offensive disaster, Chicago was the worst offensive team in the league last year. Only two players had at least 100 Plate Appearances with a wRC+ over 100. Ten position players had negative WAR. 26 pitchers pitched for the team, including 1-16 Uleki Apona who produced, appropriately, -1.6 WAR. The team just didn’t have the talent to compete.
Offseason Review: Chicago onboarded Igancio Tonche, Adam Hall, Michael Green, Taylor Walls, Ricky Valencia, Raul Beracierta and Circus Dusing to bring in more talent. Decent youngsters Volker Heinz and Kevin Magyar were given up, but Chicago should be more respectable this year.
On The Farm: The White Sox still have a stew of young players. Quinn Chamberlain looks like a future All-Star who is close to the PBA, while Andres Perez is a future slugger who could steal 20 bases, also close to the PBA. There’s also a lot of pitching close to the majors with Tristan Oliver, Wally Wieland, and Xavier Hendricks all looking like strong arms. There’s hope that the worst part of their rebuild will be over soon with young talent approaching soon.
Best Case Scenario: The team wins 70 games in a perfectly respectable year.
Worst Case Scenario: A poor rotation could drag Chicago to 102 losses.
Deciding Questions: You have a lot of young talent close to the majors. Why acquire so many PBA players instead of one more year of developing?
Will we see your youngsters this year or will you look to limit their service time in a season you’re unlikely to make the playoffs?
