Post by Commissioner Erick on Mar 15, 2024 17:06:08 GMT -5
The NL Central division is a rock fight for the first time in its history. Instead of the Cubs, then the Brewers dominating the league, three clubs—the Cardinals, Cubs, and Brewers—have a chance at claiming the division, and all three could do damage in the postseason. It should make this season the most exciting NL Central regular season to date.
1) St. Louis Cardinals
2031: 103-59, NL Central Champions
Who They Were: The Cardinals were a very good team he first half of the year and a dominant team the second half of the year. Their all bullpen strategy fueled the number two pitching staff in the league last year, but their offense was stuck in neutral with Nomar Mazara and Alejandro Toral having disappointing years. St. Louis debuted a trio of rookies—Andy Stewart, Ethan Mikolajczyk, and Matt Stewart that combined for 9.2 WAR despite playing a combined 203 games. They charged into the postseason, but the kids were too young for the bright lights of the playoffs as the Brewers swept them in the NLDS in shocking fashion.
Offseason Review: The Cardinals lost some talent, with Kelyn Klatenburger, Nomar Mazara, Bob Beasley, and Willi Castro gone, though acquiring Gary Ford claws back a lot of the losses. A few pitchers departed, but the Cardinals’ pure bullpen strategy makes it easier to replace replaceable arms. The rookies that came up last year and dominated now have another year of experience, meaning the Cardinals should be even more powerful next year.
On The Farm: Nate Krout is the best prospect, a solid arm who can be a good member of St. Louis’ bullpen only strategy, but would be better served as a team that employs starting pitching. There’s a lot of depth in Triple-A with players signed to minor league deals with opt out clauses, but the star prospects have already arrived.
Best Case Scenario: St. louis sweeps Milwaukee out of the playoffs
Worst Case Scenario: The Cardinals score eight runs in four NLDS games again
Deciding Questions: Do you think your offense can repeat its success it had last year with Kelyn Klattenburger playing elsewhere?
Joe Mills has missed time each of the past three years. Do you feel you have the depth to replace him should he go down again?
2) Milwaukee Brewers
2031: 97-65, 2nd Place NL Central. Defeated Chicago Cubs in Wild Card Game. Defeated St. Louis 4-0 in NLDS. Lost to Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 in NLCS.
Who They Were: Milwaukee pitched and walked their way to the playoffs, finishing with the third best ERA in the league, and walking the most in the NL, leading to the team being second in the NL in OBP, despite being 12th in average. Nate Sprague’s RBI hit in the 7th inning of the NLDS got Milwaukee past Chicago in the Wild Card Game and their pitching suffocated the Cardinals in the NLDS. The team battled back from 3-0 down to force a Game 7 against the Dodgers, but couldn’t book a ticket to the World Series.
Offseason Review: Milwaukee had a quiet offseason. Defensive-oriented shortstop Zack Prajzner was allowed to walk, replaced by defensive-oriented shortstop Luis Garcia. Longtime slugger Luis Rivera is no longer aboard, with Andres Chapparo arriving to give the Brewers a right-handed option. Greg Jacks was also given permission to move on. The rest of Milwaukee’s core remains.
On The Farm: It’s a solid, unspectacular farm. The Brewers don’t have many spectacular prospects, but The King Ben Whited, Golder Sanchez, and Grandson of Wind Luis Enriquez all look like solid mid-rotation arms reasonably close to the PBA. The club has a lot of position player depth in Triple-A and should survive small injuries as a result.
Best Case Scenario: Sweeping St. Louis in the NLDS
Worst Case Scenario: Being Swept by Kansas City in the World Series
Deciding Questions: You have a lot of depth in Triple-A. How has that shaped your roster building this year?
Do you feel like Rudy James is good enough to be your starting Center Fielder this year?
3) Chicago Cubs
2031: 91-71, 3rd Place NL Central
Who They Were: Chicago got a special season from Calvin Mitchell, who hit .326 with 44 doubles, to lead the team back to the playoffs. Four players hit at least 32 homers, and Liam Thomas stepped up as an ace with 4.8 WAR and a 3.50 ERA. Chicago was too aggressive at the plate, finishing with the most strikeouts and third fewest walks, and they lacked impactful pitching behind Thoms leading to a road trip to Milwaukee in the Wild Card Game, where they fell short.
Offseason Review: The Cubs had a quiet offseason and will bring back most of last year’s team. Surprise performer Luis D. Guzman is elsewhere and Keibert Ruiz will no longer be the club’s Catcher. Zack Prajzner will take over at Shortstop with Johnny Taguchi being the new Catcher.
On The Farm: Stanley Nieman is a good looking mid-rotation starter close to the PBA. He’s the only prospect currently in the Top 100 though, with Mike Myers the only other player in the minors who looks like he someday may be a starter. Chicago’s current core will have to do a lot of heavy lifting for the next few seasons.
Best Case Scenario: The pitching takes a step forward and the Cubs advance to the NLDS
Worst Case Scenario: Chicago wins in the high 80s and misses the playoffs
Deciding Questions: You didn’t have a great staff last year, but your starting rotation looks to be largely unchanged. Why did you decide to bring the same group back?
Why did you decide to give up a compensation pick to sign Zack Prajzner?
4) Cincinnati Reds
2031: 61-101, Last Place NL Central
Who They Were: The Reds had a team OBP under .300 and allowed the most homers in the league. The team had some power, but not enough guys reached, and the starting staff was abysmal. Four position players had half a season’s worth of games and negative WAR, while only two pitchers had more than 0.9 WAR.
Offseason Review: The Reds didn’t add any players despite losing a few. Low-average, high-power Mike Wright will be in Albania this year, while low-average, high-power R.J. Jarrett will be in Washington. Chris Schoepfilin will be in the Detroit minor leagues. They’ll be replaced internally by non-prospects graduating up.
On The Farm: Jason Spencer looks like a star. He was taken third overall last year and has big potential as a patient slugger who could hit 50 homers in his prime. The rest of the farm is barren though, disappointing for a franchise that hasn’t sniffed the playoffs in its entire existence.
Best Case Scenario: Fourth place.
Worst Case Scenario: The team sets the lowest single-season OBP mark of any PBA team not in Miami (.290)
Deciding Questions: You have three rookies predicted to begin the year as starters with the team. Do you feel Luis Murillo, Brian Crudale, and George Drake are ready?
Cortez Castaneda only had 22 home runs last year. How important is it for your team to get Castaneda to bump that total up this year?
5) Pittsburgh Pirates
2031: 71-91, 4th Place NL Central
Who They Were: The Pirates pulled the plug halfway through the year as the Sergio Navarro/Chris Donelson pitching core hadn’t accomplished what the Pirates had hoped for. The team had the fewest walks, and the second fewest homers, resulting in the 12th rated offense in the league despite the second highest batting average. Their pitching was third from the bottom in starting pitcher ERA, despite having the World Champions’ top two pitchers for a part of the season. It was an incredibly disappointing campaign.
Offseason Review: Pittsburgh is rebuilding again. Their last core disappointed, and the team didn’t have the finances to build around it. That means stellar players Brian Radcliff, Jacob Allred, Israel Cruz, Chris Myes, and Ron Dahl are all gone. Ofelky Peralta gives the team some pitching depth, and some retreads and career minor leaguers will plug into some open lineup spots, but the Pirates will be very rough this year.
On The Farm: The Pirates don’t have a blue chip prospect, but they have strong depth as a result of the trade with Boston last year. Eddie Rentmeester is a first class starting outfielder close to the majors, as is WCB MVP Luis Palafox. Chris Kozisek is further away, but has huge power potential, while the Pirates are desperately hoping Trevor Odom can stick as a star Third Baseman, instead of a good First Baseman. The pitching is weaker than the hitting, mostly because of Justin Christina’s knuckleball’s obsession with being hit 415 feet.
Best Case Scenario: If the prospects get called up this year, the Pirates could avoid the cellar.
Worst Case Scenario: The Pirates could finish with the worst record in baseball this season.
Deciding Questions: Year one of a heavy rebuild, how do you think that rebuild is looking before your first season?
Right now you have Dan Delay in the minors. Do you plan on keeping him in the minors all season?
1) St. Louis Cardinals
2031: 103-59, NL Central Champions
Who They Were: The Cardinals were a very good team he first half of the year and a dominant team the second half of the year. Their all bullpen strategy fueled the number two pitching staff in the league last year, but their offense was stuck in neutral with Nomar Mazara and Alejandro Toral having disappointing years. St. Louis debuted a trio of rookies—Andy Stewart, Ethan Mikolajczyk, and Matt Stewart that combined for 9.2 WAR despite playing a combined 203 games. They charged into the postseason, but the kids were too young for the bright lights of the playoffs as the Brewers swept them in the NLDS in shocking fashion.
Offseason Review: The Cardinals lost some talent, with Kelyn Klatenburger, Nomar Mazara, Bob Beasley, and Willi Castro gone, though acquiring Gary Ford claws back a lot of the losses. A few pitchers departed, but the Cardinals’ pure bullpen strategy makes it easier to replace replaceable arms. The rookies that came up last year and dominated now have another year of experience, meaning the Cardinals should be even more powerful next year.
On The Farm: Nate Krout is the best prospect, a solid arm who can be a good member of St. Louis’ bullpen only strategy, but would be better served as a team that employs starting pitching. There’s a lot of depth in Triple-A with players signed to minor league deals with opt out clauses, but the star prospects have already arrived.
Best Case Scenario: St. louis sweeps Milwaukee out of the playoffs
Worst Case Scenario: The Cardinals score eight runs in four NLDS games again
Deciding Questions: Do you think your offense can repeat its success it had last year with Kelyn Klattenburger playing elsewhere?
Joe Mills has missed time each of the past three years. Do you feel you have the depth to replace him should he go down again?
2) Milwaukee Brewers
2031: 97-65, 2nd Place NL Central. Defeated Chicago Cubs in Wild Card Game. Defeated St. Louis 4-0 in NLDS. Lost to Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 in NLCS.
Who They Were: Milwaukee pitched and walked their way to the playoffs, finishing with the third best ERA in the league, and walking the most in the NL, leading to the team being second in the NL in OBP, despite being 12th in average. Nate Sprague’s RBI hit in the 7th inning of the NLDS got Milwaukee past Chicago in the Wild Card Game and their pitching suffocated the Cardinals in the NLDS. The team battled back from 3-0 down to force a Game 7 against the Dodgers, but couldn’t book a ticket to the World Series.
Offseason Review: Milwaukee had a quiet offseason. Defensive-oriented shortstop Zack Prajzner was allowed to walk, replaced by defensive-oriented shortstop Luis Garcia. Longtime slugger Luis Rivera is no longer aboard, with Andres Chapparo arriving to give the Brewers a right-handed option. Greg Jacks was also given permission to move on. The rest of Milwaukee’s core remains.
On The Farm: It’s a solid, unspectacular farm. The Brewers don’t have many spectacular prospects, but The King Ben Whited, Golder Sanchez, and Grandson of Wind Luis Enriquez all look like solid mid-rotation arms reasonably close to the PBA. The club has a lot of position player depth in Triple-A and should survive small injuries as a result.
Best Case Scenario: Sweeping St. Louis in the NLDS
Worst Case Scenario: Being Swept by Kansas City in the World Series
Deciding Questions: You have a lot of depth in Triple-A. How has that shaped your roster building this year?
Do you feel like Rudy James is good enough to be your starting Center Fielder this year?
3) Chicago Cubs
2031: 91-71, 3rd Place NL Central
Who They Were: Chicago got a special season from Calvin Mitchell, who hit .326 with 44 doubles, to lead the team back to the playoffs. Four players hit at least 32 homers, and Liam Thomas stepped up as an ace with 4.8 WAR and a 3.50 ERA. Chicago was too aggressive at the plate, finishing with the most strikeouts and third fewest walks, and they lacked impactful pitching behind Thoms leading to a road trip to Milwaukee in the Wild Card Game, where they fell short.
Offseason Review: The Cubs had a quiet offseason and will bring back most of last year’s team. Surprise performer Luis D. Guzman is elsewhere and Keibert Ruiz will no longer be the club’s Catcher. Zack Prajzner will take over at Shortstop with Johnny Taguchi being the new Catcher.
On The Farm: Stanley Nieman is a good looking mid-rotation starter close to the PBA. He’s the only prospect currently in the Top 100 though, with Mike Myers the only other player in the minors who looks like he someday may be a starter. Chicago’s current core will have to do a lot of heavy lifting for the next few seasons.
Best Case Scenario: The pitching takes a step forward and the Cubs advance to the NLDS
Worst Case Scenario: Chicago wins in the high 80s and misses the playoffs
Deciding Questions: You didn’t have a great staff last year, but your starting rotation looks to be largely unchanged. Why did you decide to bring the same group back?
Why did you decide to give up a compensation pick to sign Zack Prajzner?
4) Cincinnati Reds
2031: 61-101, Last Place NL Central
Who They Were: The Reds had a team OBP under .300 and allowed the most homers in the league. The team had some power, but not enough guys reached, and the starting staff was abysmal. Four position players had half a season’s worth of games and negative WAR, while only two pitchers had more than 0.9 WAR.
Offseason Review: The Reds didn’t add any players despite losing a few. Low-average, high-power Mike Wright will be in Albania this year, while low-average, high-power R.J. Jarrett will be in Washington. Chris Schoepfilin will be in the Detroit minor leagues. They’ll be replaced internally by non-prospects graduating up.
On The Farm: Jason Spencer looks like a star. He was taken third overall last year and has big potential as a patient slugger who could hit 50 homers in his prime. The rest of the farm is barren though, disappointing for a franchise that hasn’t sniffed the playoffs in its entire existence.
Best Case Scenario: Fourth place.
Worst Case Scenario: The team sets the lowest single-season OBP mark of any PBA team not in Miami (.290)
Deciding Questions: You have three rookies predicted to begin the year as starters with the team. Do you feel Luis Murillo, Brian Crudale, and George Drake are ready?
Cortez Castaneda only had 22 home runs last year. How important is it for your team to get Castaneda to bump that total up this year?
5) Pittsburgh Pirates
2031: 71-91, 4th Place NL Central
Who They Were: The Pirates pulled the plug halfway through the year as the Sergio Navarro/Chris Donelson pitching core hadn’t accomplished what the Pirates had hoped for. The team had the fewest walks, and the second fewest homers, resulting in the 12th rated offense in the league despite the second highest batting average. Their pitching was third from the bottom in starting pitcher ERA, despite having the World Champions’ top two pitchers for a part of the season. It was an incredibly disappointing campaign.
Offseason Review: Pittsburgh is rebuilding again. Their last core disappointed, and the team didn’t have the finances to build around it. That means stellar players Brian Radcliff, Jacob Allred, Israel Cruz, Chris Myes, and Ron Dahl are all gone. Ofelky Peralta gives the team some pitching depth, and some retreads and career minor leaguers will plug into some open lineup spots, but the Pirates will be very rough this year.
On The Farm: The Pirates don’t have a blue chip prospect, but they have strong depth as a result of the trade with Boston last year. Eddie Rentmeester is a first class starting outfielder close to the majors, as is WCB MVP Luis Palafox. Chris Kozisek is further away, but has huge power potential, while the Pirates are desperately hoping Trevor Odom can stick as a star Third Baseman, instead of a good First Baseman. The pitching is weaker than the hitting, mostly because of Justin Christina’s knuckleball’s obsession with being hit 415 feet.
Best Case Scenario: If the prospects get called up this year, the Pirates could avoid the cellar.
Worst Case Scenario: The Pirates could finish with the worst record in baseball this season.
Deciding Questions: Year one of a heavy rebuild, how do you think that rebuild is looking before your first season?
Right now you have Dan Delay in the minors. Do you plan on keeping him in the minors all season?
