Post by Commissioner Erick on Sept 13, 2024 12:39:22 GMT -5
The top of the AL East remains strong, with Boston, Baltimore, and Toronto all very talented teams with legitimate chances to win the division. The Rays have a lot of good prospects, but are still rebuilding, while the Yankees are a year away from cleaning up their books.
1) Boston Red Sox
2032: 105-57, AL West Champions. Lost to Kansas City 4-1 in ALDS.
Who They Were: Mike Ball continues to build a regular season monster. Boston led the AL in runs scored and was third in runs allowed. Five position players had 4.6 WAR or more, despite only one of the five playing more than 133 games, speaking to the quantity of top-quality players on the club. Eight players had at least 2.2 WAR, and all eight had an .800+ OPS. The rotation was strong with the first four starters all posting 3.6 WAR or more, and three posting an ERA of 3.74 or under. The bullpen was elite, with Steve Hartman anchoring the unit with 35 saves. Of course, Mike Ball is only allowed to win playoff series once a decade, so Boston bowed out of the ALDS in five games as John Lacy wasn’t around to rescue them.
Offseason Review: Boston lost some good pitchers. Genghis Khan himself, Josh Butler exited, as did plus reliever Viashi Buzoku, and solid starter Juan Alaniz. Elite arm Devasarasa Lalitesh replenishes the bullpen, Dale Messina slots into the rotation, and Juan Serrato, Danny Porter, and Roberto Uranga should add options to the bullpen. Mark Patterson is gone after a bad season. The rest of a deep team remains.
On The Farm: It’s not a deep farm. Luke Bush could maybe pass as a starting Third Baseman. He still needs time though before debuting. Fringy outfielders Gus Amador, Antonio Cadenas, Kevin Knutson, Curtis Peric, and Mike Puello are in the upper minors and shouldn’t embarrass themselves in the PBA, so Boston has tons of outfield depth in case of injuries. There aren’t any difference makers in the farm, but it’s not as much of a problem when you have a ton of difference makers on the actual roster.
Best Case Scenario: If Mike Ball can win one playoff series this year, you know they’ll win all the playoff series this year.
Worst Case Scenario: 110 wins still results in a five-game ALDS loss.
Key Questions: You lost a lot of bullpen talent. Do you feel the unit will remain exceptional this season?
You don’t have much in the way of backup Catcher. Do you think you have enough there to get you through the season?
2) Toronto Blue Jays
2032: 102-60, 2nd Place AL Central. Lost to Cleveland in AL Wild Card Game.
Who They Were: They sort of flew a little under the radar for a 100-win team, but the Jays had an exceptional staff. Danny Richardson continues to excel as staff ace, but Marc Eberle went 15-3 with a 2.95 ERA, his best mark since his NL-leading 2.38 in 2025 with Atlanta. Meanwhile, the pen was fantastic with three arms posting 1.5 WAR or more, including Curt Gemma’s 1.75 ERA and Todd Buonadonna’s 42 Saves. The offense saw some disappointing seasons from Ernesto Montemayor and Matt Aceto undermining a strong unit that was second in homers in fourth in runs. Four players hit at least 33 homers—Gordie Davis, Arturo Reineri, Mike Lomax, and Gustao Couraca, but the ninth best team batting average in the league relegated them to a Wild Card spot, where they lost to Cleveland.
Offseason Review: Aceto was let go after his poor year, and Yoelkis Cespedes was allowed to hit free agency as well, opening up spots on the roster. Devin Ortiz’ departure hurts the pitching depth, and Curt Gemma leaving is rough for Toronto’s pen. Felix Madrigal can help the pen as depth, but he’s not an elite arm. A lot of pressure will fall on Big B Jay Fosythe to work well in the rotation, for youngsters Chris Cobos and Jesus Lemos to reinforce the pen. Offensively, Seth Beer arrives, hoping to put a disappointing half season in San Francisco behind him and get back to being a superstar. Danny Knoch comes over from Cleveland to replace Aceto at Third Base, and Gilberto Celestino comes back to the Western Hemisphere from a two year tour in the Meridian to man a corner outfield spot.
On The Farm: Sluggers Curacao and Montemayor will likely start the year in the minors, giving Toronto the luxury of a pair of power bats they can call upon if injuries strike or the offense is floundering. Forsythe is the only prospect worth his weight in the system though, and he’s likely starting the year with the big club. Toronto has budget space open, so they should be able to reinforce externally, as they shouldn’t find much internal talent improvements the next few years.
Best Case Scenario: 2021-2030 Seth Beer
Worst Case Scenario: San Francisco Seth Beer
Key Questions: Beer has had a Hall of Fame career, but fell off a big in 2031 and was dreadful last year. How confident are you that you can find a happy hour with the slugger performing at a level approximating peak Beer?
Forsythe had a good partial season for you, but he only has one off-speed pitch, and it’s not developed yet at the moment. Are you confident he can be an effective starting pitcher for you?
3) Baltimore Orioles
2032: 82-80, 3rd Place AL East
Who They Were: Baltimore was first in batting average, second in OPS, fourth in homers, third in runs, and finished nowhere close to the playoffs. Bad luck played a part of that, with Wessel Russchen straining his groin twice, but a team that finished third from the bottom in runs allowed was a bigger culprit. Baltimore’s bullpen was horrendous with a 5.04 ERA, last in the AL. The rotation wasn’t good either, but Tim Longo and Nate Capriglione were good at the top of the rotation. The disastrous pen truly sabotaged what should have been a playoff team.
Offseason Review: Baltimore signed Dan Giese and Hans Crouse, hoping the additions can stabilize the pen. However, one of the unit’s few good arms, Mark Warf, finds himself in Tampa Bay. Nivk Gordon and Jimmy Torres have moved on, but Jim Morgan was brought on from Atlanta to either play Third Base, stabilize the pen, or both, while Mike Siani and Juan Carrasco will compete for Right Field duties.
On The Farm: Oscar Davis is still a teenager, but he could be a franchise player. He has an explosive bat that should regular find him hitting .300 with 30 homers if things break out. Jean Bouet’s on a similar timeline as a 20-yar old pitcher, but with less upside. He looks like a mid-rotation arm. Jorge Moreno is closer, and he could be a second division First Baseman, but he needs to sell out a bit for his power, keeping him from being one of the better slugging prospects. There isn’t a lot of young pitching depth in the upper minors, which isn’t great considering the unit’s struggles last year.
Best Case Scenario: a more reasonable bullpen performance and better health for Russchen leads to a Wild Card Berth.
Worst Case Scenario: A repeat bullpen performance and some more groin strains leave the Orioles in awkward agony.
Key Questions: You didn’t really upgrade the pen. Are you looking for the unit to be better this year?
What role will Jim Morgan play this season?
4) Tampa Bay Rays
2032: 62-100, Last Place AL East
Who They Were: The Rays had a poor staff, and an impotent offense. The rotation was respectable, but only Tony Herrera had more than 1.7 WAR, as the staff was filled with guys who were merely okay. The middle relief was good with Octavio Lopez posting a 2.39 ERA, but Andy McCarthy was the worst Closer in baseball with a 6.61 ERA and a -0.8 WAR season. Only two hitters had double digit homers—Ronald Acuna with 11 and Juan Sorla with 13. There simply wasn’t enough firepower for the team to compete.
Offseason Review: Relievers Octavio Lopez, Rebel Ceja, and back end arm Keith Nield have moved on. Mark Warf and Curt Gemma should make the pen even better though, and Vince Dubin and Tony Gonzalez should be fine in the rotation. Luis Urias isn’t back as Third Baseman, with Chris Brewster over from Seattle to take his place. Andy McCarthy is gone as Closer, something talk radio is ecstatic about.
On The Farm: It’s a good farm in a weird place as most of the best prospects are ready for the majors. Ben Rivera was International League MVP last year and is ready to be a top flight slugger in the PBA. Black Cat Dave Gil is ready to provide bad luck to opposing pitchers as well as a Second Baseman, but he hasn’t played above A-Ball. He was the Midwest League MVP last year. Joseito Coleman was the Southern League MVP, and should be ready for a half decade hitting .290 with a ton of doubles, some speed, and some good defense. There isn’t nearly as much talent on the pitching side, though Greg Hughes should get enough strikeouts to be a force. Only 19, it will take some time until he hits the PBA.
Best Case Scenario: These prospects are really good. They legit have the upside to lead Tampa Bay to a playoff berth if everything clicks.
Worst Case Scenario: The prospects aren’t great right away or stay in the minors. The rest of the roster is weak and the Rays lose another 100 games.
Key Questions: Will you debut your prospects at the start of the year, midway through the season, or give them another year of service time with a weak supporting cast?
You let some of your better relievers move on. Why did you cut bait on Lopez and Ceja?
5) New York Yankees
2032: 67-95, 4th Place AL East
Who They Were: Shockingly, the Yankees were worse on offense than pitching, finishing with the worst offense in the league. Years of mismanagement led to an old, overpaid, depressing roster. Yunior Severino had a surprising positive year with 3.5 WAR, but Xander Bogaerts had -1.3 WAR, Francisco DeJesus started in one game, and Shane Shifflett slugged .302. Severino and Justin Campbell were the only players with more than 168 plate appearances with above average WAR. Such a weak offense led the Yankees to lose 95 games.
Offseason Review: The Yankees let Xander Bogaerts walk, and didn’t lose any other players of note. Destiny Galimberti comes over from the Phillies to man an infield spot, while Man Ta adds to the pen. Otherwise, it will be a similar roster to last year. Roughly $60 million comes off the books after this year, so the Yankees are trying to keep their books clean.
On The Farm: The Yankees haven’t had a winning record since 2023, yet they have one of the worst farms in the league. Parson O’Bryan could hit for an empty average in a couple of seasons as a corner outfielder. David Nieto is close to being able to hold his own as a slugging First Baseman, while Kevin Carson and Josh Phillips are a couple of years away from nailing spots at the back of the rotation. For how bad the system has been though, it’s a disappointment the Yankees don’t have a better farm.
Best Case Scenario: Destiny Galimberti hits a little bit, and the Yankees win 70 games.
Worst Case Scenario: The Yankees lose 100 games for the first time ever
Key Questions: You’re a new GM taking over New York. Who do you like on this roster long term?
Who will be your starting Second Baseman, Chad Woods or Shane Shifflett?
1) Boston Red Sox
2032: 105-57, AL West Champions. Lost to Kansas City 4-1 in ALDS.
Who They Were: Mike Ball continues to build a regular season monster. Boston led the AL in runs scored and was third in runs allowed. Five position players had 4.6 WAR or more, despite only one of the five playing more than 133 games, speaking to the quantity of top-quality players on the club. Eight players had at least 2.2 WAR, and all eight had an .800+ OPS. The rotation was strong with the first four starters all posting 3.6 WAR or more, and three posting an ERA of 3.74 or under. The bullpen was elite, with Steve Hartman anchoring the unit with 35 saves. Of course, Mike Ball is only allowed to win playoff series once a decade, so Boston bowed out of the ALDS in five games as John Lacy wasn’t around to rescue them.
Offseason Review: Boston lost some good pitchers. Genghis Khan himself, Josh Butler exited, as did plus reliever Viashi Buzoku, and solid starter Juan Alaniz. Elite arm Devasarasa Lalitesh replenishes the bullpen, Dale Messina slots into the rotation, and Juan Serrato, Danny Porter, and Roberto Uranga should add options to the bullpen. Mark Patterson is gone after a bad season. The rest of a deep team remains.
On The Farm: It’s not a deep farm. Luke Bush could maybe pass as a starting Third Baseman. He still needs time though before debuting. Fringy outfielders Gus Amador, Antonio Cadenas, Kevin Knutson, Curtis Peric, and Mike Puello are in the upper minors and shouldn’t embarrass themselves in the PBA, so Boston has tons of outfield depth in case of injuries. There aren’t any difference makers in the farm, but it’s not as much of a problem when you have a ton of difference makers on the actual roster.
Best Case Scenario: If Mike Ball can win one playoff series this year, you know they’ll win all the playoff series this year.
Worst Case Scenario: 110 wins still results in a five-game ALDS loss.
Key Questions: You lost a lot of bullpen talent. Do you feel the unit will remain exceptional this season?
You don’t have much in the way of backup Catcher. Do you think you have enough there to get you through the season?
2) Toronto Blue Jays
2032: 102-60, 2nd Place AL Central. Lost to Cleveland in AL Wild Card Game.
Who They Were: They sort of flew a little under the radar for a 100-win team, but the Jays had an exceptional staff. Danny Richardson continues to excel as staff ace, but Marc Eberle went 15-3 with a 2.95 ERA, his best mark since his NL-leading 2.38 in 2025 with Atlanta. Meanwhile, the pen was fantastic with three arms posting 1.5 WAR or more, including Curt Gemma’s 1.75 ERA and Todd Buonadonna’s 42 Saves. The offense saw some disappointing seasons from Ernesto Montemayor and Matt Aceto undermining a strong unit that was second in homers in fourth in runs. Four players hit at least 33 homers—Gordie Davis, Arturo Reineri, Mike Lomax, and Gustao Couraca, but the ninth best team batting average in the league relegated them to a Wild Card spot, where they lost to Cleveland.
Offseason Review: Aceto was let go after his poor year, and Yoelkis Cespedes was allowed to hit free agency as well, opening up spots on the roster. Devin Ortiz’ departure hurts the pitching depth, and Curt Gemma leaving is rough for Toronto’s pen. Felix Madrigal can help the pen as depth, but he’s not an elite arm. A lot of pressure will fall on Big B Jay Fosythe to work well in the rotation, for youngsters Chris Cobos and Jesus Lemos to reinforce the pen. Offensively, Seth Beer arrives, hoping to put a disappointing half season in San Francisco behind him and get back to being a superstar. Danny Knoch comes over from Cleveland to replace Aceto at Third Base, and Gilberto Celestino comes back to the Western Hemisphere from a two year tour in the Meridian to man a corner outfield spot.
On The Farm: Sluggers Curacao and Montemayor will likely start the year in the minors, giving Toronto the luxury of a pair of power bats they can call upon if injuries strike or the offense is floundering. Forsythe is the only prospect worth his weight in the system though, and he’s likely starting the year with the big club. Toronto has budget space open, so they should be able to reinforce externally, as they shouldn’t find much internal talent improvements the next few years.
Best Case Scenario: 2021-2030 Seth Beer
Worst Case Scenario: San Francisco Seth Beer
Key Questions: Beer has had a Hall of Fame career, but fell off a big in 2031 and was dreadful last year. How confident are you that you can find a happy hour with the slugger performing at a level approximating peak Beer?
Forsythe had a good partial season for you, but he only has one off-speed pitch, and it’s not developed yet at the moment. Are you confident he can be an effective starting pitcher for you?
3) Baltimore Orioles
2032: 82-80, 3rd Place AL East
Who They Were: Baltimore was first in batting average, second in OPS, fourth in homers, third in runs, and finished nowhere close to the playoffs. Bad luck played a part of that, with Wessel Russchen straining his groin twice, but a team that finished third from the bottom in runs allowed was a bigger culprit. Baltimore’s bullpen was horrendous with a 5.04 ERA, last in the AL. The rotation wasn’t good either, but Tim Longo and Nate Capriglione were good at the top of the rotation. The disastrous pen truly sabotaged what should have been a playoff team.
Offseason Review: Baltimore signed Dan Giese and Hans Crouse, hoping the additions can stabilize the pen. However, one of the unit’s few good arms, Mark Warf, finds himself in Tampa Bay. Nivk Gordon and Jimmy Torres have moved on, but Jim Morgan was brought on from Atlanta to either play Third Base, stabilize the pen, or both, while Mike Siani and Juan Carrasco will compete for Right Field duties.
On The Farm: Oscar Davis is still a teenager, but he could be a franchise player. He has an explosive bat that should regular find him hitting .300 with 30 homers if things break out. Jean Bouet’s on a similar timeline as a 20-yar old pitcher, but with less upside. He looks like a mid-rotation arm. Jorge Moreno is closer, and he could be a second division First Baseman, but he needs to sell out a bit for his power, keeping him from being one of the better slugging prospects. There isn’t a lot of young pitching depth in the upper minors, which isn’t great considering the unit’s struggles last year.
Best Case Scenario: a more reasonable bullpen performance and better health for Russchen leads to a Wild Card Berth.
Worst Case Scenario: A repeat bullpen performance and some more groin strains leave the Orioles in awkward agony.
Key Questions: You didn’t really upgrade the pen. Are you looking for the unit to be better this year?
What role will Jim Morgan play this season?
4) Tampa Bay Rays
2032: 62-100, Last Place AL East
Who They Were: The Rays had a poor staff, and an impotent offense. The rotation was respectable, but only Tony Herrera had more than 1.7 WAR, as the staff was filled with guys who were merely okay. The middle relief was good with Octavio Lopez posting a 2.39 ERA, but Andy McCarthy was the worst Closer in baseball with a 6.61 ERA and a -0.8 WAR season. Only two hitters had double digit homers—Ronald Acuna with 11 and Juan Sorla with 13. There simply wasn’t enough firepower for the team to compete.
Offseason Review: Relievers Octavio Lopez, Rebel Ceja, and back end arm Keith Nield have moved on. Mark Warf and Curt Gemma should make the pen even better though, and Vince Dubin and Tony Gonzalez should be fine in the rotation. Luis Urias isn’t back as Third Baseman, with Chris Brewster over from Seattle to take his place. Andy McCarthy is gone as Closer, something talk radio is ecstatic about.
On The Farm: It’s a good farm in a weird place as most of the best prospects are ready for the majors. Ben Rivera was International League MVP last year and is ready to be a top flight slugger in the PBA. Black Cat Dave Gil is ready to provide bad luck to opposing pitchers as well as a Second Baseman, but he hasn’t played above A-Ball. He was the Midwest League MVP last year. Joseito Coleman was the Southern League MVP, and should be ready for a half decade hitting .290 with a ton of doubles, some speed, and some good defense. There isn’t nearly as much talent on the pitching side, though Greg Hughes should get enough strikeouts to be a force. Only 19, it will take some time until he hits the PBA.
Best Case Scenario: These prospects are really good. They legit have the upside to lead Tampa Bay to a playoff berth if everything clicks.
Worst Case Scenario: The prospects aren’t great right away or stay in the minors. The rest of the roster is weak and the Rays lose another 100 games.
Key Questions: Will you debut your prospects at the start of the year, midway through the season, or give them another year of service time with a weak supporting cast?
You let some of your better relievers move on. Why did you cut bait on Lopez and Ceja?
5) New York Yankees
2032: 67-95, 4th Place AL East
Who They Were: Shockingly, the Yankees were worse on offense than pitching, finishing with the worst offense in the league. Years of mismanagement led to an old, overpaid, depressing roster. Yunior Severino had a surprising positive year with 3.5 WAR, but Xander Bogaerts had -1.3 WAR, Francisco DeJesus started in one game, and Shane Shifflett slugged .302. Severino and Justin Campbell were the only players with more than 168 plate appearances with above average WAR. Such a weak offense led the Yankees to lose 95 games.
Offseason Review: The Yankees let Xander Bogaerts walk, and didn’t lose any other players of note. Destiny Galimberti comes over from the Phillies to man an infield spot, while Man Ta adds to the pen. Otherwise, it will be a similar roster to last year. Roughly $60 million comes off the books after this year, so the Yankees are trying to keep their books clean.
On The Farm: The Yankees haven’t had a winning record since 2023, yet they have one of the worst farms in the league. Parson O’Bryan could hit for an empty average in a couple of seasons as a corner outfielder. David Nieto is close to being able to hold his own as a slugging First Baseman, while Kevin Carson and Josh Phillips are a couple of years away from nailing spots at the back of the rotation. For how bad the system has been though, it’s a disappointment the Yankees don’t have a better farm.
Best Case Scenario: Destiny Galimberti hits a little bit, and the Yankees win 70 games.
Worst Case Scenario: The Yankees lose 100 games for the first time ever
Key Questions: You’re a new GM taking over New York. Who do you like on this roster long term?
Who will be your starting Second Baseman, Chad Woods or Shane Shifflett?
