2020 Team Previews

[Pat]

Baseball? Is that what we are playing?: The 2020 Seattle Pilots



What's New? Coming up empty...sort of.

The Pilots entered the off-season with over $50M in budget room and were rumored to be major players in Free-Agency coming off their first non-playoff season in franchise history. Despite negotiating with numerous big names, Jaylen Mitchell, Edwin Carrasco, Danny Garcia, Alex Dominguez , the Pilots watched them all sign with other clubs.

The Pilots did sign a pair of veteran relievers in Tom Wood and David Rodrigues, as well as a starter in Lian Kincaid. They also signed infielder Alex Otero, a former Rule V selection back in Washington. All four should be regular contributors but they are a far cry from the big names the Pilots were expected to bring in during this Free-Agent period. For instance, the four signed for a total of $11M in 2020 salary.

Calling Card? Groundballs.

The projected 5-man rotation in Seattle this season all boast a groundball % over 60%, including two pitchers in the 70%'s. The positional strength ranks the Pilots rotation 22nd out of 26 teams, so this group will need a lot of help from an infield that is supposed to take a big step back without the glove of 3B Pat Vonada.


Kryptonite? A piss poor lineup.

Of the players with 200+ PA in 2019, the Pilots team leader in OPS was 1B Dave Monks with a .737 OPS. He is furious with management after demanding a trade last October. Of the players who qualified for the batting title based on ABs, 2B Rory Gray was the best on the team with a .227 average. According to the positional strength the best hitter on the team is 3B Otero, who ranks 11th at his position. However, their are rumors that multiple teams have already shown interest in trading for the veteran when he is eligible. This team might score the lowest runs of any BLB team in 2020.


In the System? Front-end SP

The Pilots top pitching prospects Tom King, Ron Lensini, CJ McVicker and Chas Brooks all rank in the Top 40 of BLB prospects. None however are projected to make the BLB this season but potentially in 2021.


Player to Watch? OF Dave Robinson

Acquired in a mid-season trade with New York in 2019, Robinson has an enormous amount of pressure on him. The former 3rd overall pick and Top 10 prospect, never lived up to projections as a major home run threat. Leaving New York for Seattle has given Robinson a chance to succeed in a park that more fits his swing. However, he needs a new contract and Seattle has been reluctant to start negotiations after posting career lows in 2019.


Magic 8-Ball Answers: Can Seattle have a .500 season? Seems unlikely Prediction: 74-88, 5th in Bock

Owner Keng Shui's has a priority on profit, and only wants a winning season in Seattle. However, with the strength of the Bock division and the teams inability to lure big name Free-Agents the Pilots seem likely to suffer as they did down the stretch of 2019. Seattle was a surprise team out of the gates but after two major injuries, the team decide to blow it up. With no impact talent since the fire sale, there is little reason for optimism.

Seattle is rebuilding and it should be a long year.

[liquidcrash]

Washington Bats

What's New? The old stars are gone.

The Bats said goodbye to Jamie Urmson and Dave Lippert this offseason. The two stars have been the faces of the franchise for the past 5+ seasons, combining for 10 All-Star appearances and numerous other awards. Urmson ranks 3rd in Batter WAR in franchise history, while Lippert is 4th among pitchers. It will be odd when the Bats take the field on Opening Day and neither player is in the lineup.

Perhaps all is not lost, however. Washington signed star free agent Jaylen Mitchell from Wilmington to fill the hole in the rotation, while former first round pick Tom Roseboom will take over in center field.

Starting second baseman Pat Wayman was shipped out to Indianapolis in the offseaon. Look for FA signings Wook-jin Lee an Sullivan Smart to fight it out for the spot there, with Tom Abrams perhaps filling in. Top prospect Kevin Langford might factor in as well.

In the bullpen, Frank Rico and Antonio Medina should provide depth to a group that pitched very well in 2019.

Calling Card? Depth

Similar to last season, the Washington lineup will look for contributions from every spot. Without a true star hitter, players like CJ Turnbow, Dave Schneider and Tristan Moody will have to continue to hit at the level they did last season. The team led the IL in runs scored last season and shouldn't see too large of a dropoff if things go right.

The pitching staff is perhaps the deepest, most talented group in the league. The starting rotation includes three pitchers currently ranked in the OSA Top 20 list - Mitchell, Ron Robertson and Ed Carroll. That leaves Roger Villasenor, Jimmy Razza and perhaps CJ Thompson to round out a 6-man rotation.

Kryptonite? Lack of star hitting? Defensive falloff?

All of Washington's hitting success came crashing down in the postseason a year ago, as Batavia's pitchers had their way with the DC lineup. Will anyone step up to a be the difference maker this year if the Bats find themselves back in that situation?

For all of his talent, Tom Roseboom isn't the defensive player that Jamie Urmson was. There's a belief in Washington that he can be decent enough with the glove, but Urmson's absence may be felt most in the field.

The depth on the roster may also prove to be a curse if new manager Gene Legere can't handle the locker room. There's a lot of guys who think they should play prominent roles.


In the System? Top-end, BLB ready pitching

CJ Thompson and Dave Koehler are both Top 10 prospects (#6 and #10 on the OSA Top 100) and both are ready to pitch in the BLB. There may not be room for both on the roster to start the season, however.

Fellow top prospect Tom Mackey will start the season the AAA Richmond rotation. The Bats' final top ranked prospect, Kevin Langford, will be in Richmond in 2020.

Past those 4 highly ranked guys, Washington looks to have a falloff in talent, but time may prove otherwise if the team scout is correct.


Player to Watch? CF Tom Roseboom

Roseboom has big shoes to fill in center field. He's replacing a guy who went to six consecutive All Star games and won five straight Designated Drivers, as well as a DWI. Is he up to the task? Roseboom was the 18th overall pick in the 2018 draft and he's lived up to the billing ever since.

OSA ranks Washington #6 in the BLB in CF rankings. Roseboom expects to be in the starting lineup. The team scout thinks he has a sky high ceiling, so we'll see how it goes.

Magic 8-Ball Answers: Can Washington repeat as Stout Division Champion

Reply hazy, try again. Washington looks like a team capable of contending, at least in management's eyes. The pitching staff is loaded, both in the rotation and the bullpen. The lineup looks solid. Depth looks good.

The Bats have won 96 games in three consecutive seasons, so recent history suggests this team will contend. But, the rest of the Stout looks as tough as ever. Batavia is still filled to the brim with star talent. Philadelphia will still pitch and defend and be in the thick of the race. New York's young stars look ready to build on a playoff appearance. Baltimore made big moves this offseason and look like a much improved team. It won't be easy, but Washington should be right in the mix.

[Guest]

Indianapolis Baseball Club

What's New? - the pitching has been overhauled
Jimmy Cook and Kayden Walker are still the 1 and 2, respectively, and Scriber is closing the games, but pretty much everything else is different. Brendan Hurst and Pat Tortorici were brought in to stabilize the rotation, which was volatile last season. Jarrod Davidson, CJ Evers, Tom Bell, and Chang Ho were all acquired to give the bullpen more depth.

On the offensive side, Pat Wayman was acquired from Washington via trade. 2B was a black hole for us offensively last year, so a role player like Wayman is nice to have.

Calling Card - Bullpen depth and hitting the dick out of the ball
As alluded to above, the bullpen was massively overhauled this offseason and is expected to be a great strength. While Wes Johnson is gone, the offense is still full of guys who hit the ball a long way, most notably John Cardona. Izzy Briseno and Dave Davis return, who both exceeded 20 HR last year.

Kryptonite? - Lack of superstar talent
While we have a good collection of guys, none stand out when you're looking for players who are considered elite. Cardona could possibly take that next step this season, which would be huge for us.

In The System - Infield and bullpen reinforcements.
My BLB infield isn't great, but there's a lot of help coming. 1B Tommy Corr and 3B Johnny Hoffman are expected to receive spring training invites, but will begin the season in AA, as will 3B Ron Hammond. SS Ian Schneider is projected to be in the starting lineup on opening day.

After a shoulder injury last season, Joey Maurer is fully recovered and has been converted into a reliever. He will get a chance to close in AAA, but could be an early call-up. Also newly-converted RP Jamie Stillwell will start in AA, but seems to be on the fast track to the BLB. SP Dave Patterson will likely spend the entire year in the minors, but is another name to watch.

Player to Watch - 1B John Cardona
Easy pick for me. This could be the season he transitions to elite BLB hitter or cements himself as a solid/above average guy.

[PaulC]

2020 Kodiak Team Preview

Wild Card Here We Come?!: The 2020 California Kodiaks

What's New? Defense

The Kodiaks entered the off-season at a bit of a crossroads. After finally finishing at 0.500 for the first time in 15 years, they appeared to be very close to turning the corner. Armed with the #1 farm system (due to previous years’ terribleness) and some major holes in center and short stop, the Kodiaks decided to deal from their strength to shore up their weaknesses. Saying goodbye to a 2nd rounder and three top tier prospects brought in Erik Hudson and C.J. Wilkinson to tighten up the defense and add consistency to an offence that was often shut down, especially by left handers.

Calling Card? Pitching… Hopefully

The last few years saw too many games won by mashing the ball by an inconsistent Filar and the rest of his all or nothing cronies. After letting Filar and his $16 million walk in free agency, the Kodiaks focused on improving their rotation bullpen, both from within, and in free agency. The rotation looks to add 2019 AAA Outstanding Pitcher T.J. Broughton (top prospect #5), and possibly Sylvian Brouwer (top prospect #3) as well to a rotation that already features Todd Taylor and Colin Robbins. The bullpen returns the 2019 Last Call Relief winner Travis Gerlach, and added setup man Terry Krause (career WHIP of 0.94) to partner with former top prospect A.J. Ingle. Hopefully the pitching keeps the Kodiaks in games long enough to provide room for an offence that has many good hitters, but lacks a truly great hitter.

Kryptonite? Offensive Consistency… Again

The 2019 Kodiaks continued their recent trend of winning games in bunches and losing games in smaller bunches, ending up at 0.500. With the youngsters (Morla, Farber) having arrived, with the apparent jump of Tom McGee (29 HR and 102 RBI), and with newcomers Wilkinson and Hudson the offence will hopefully place pressure on the opponents pitching staff on a more consistent basis. Left-handers also proved to be a large problem for the Kodiaks last year. The offence now appears to be more balanced with the addition of switch hitting B.J. Brazeel to compliment the right handed batters in signed through free agency.


In the System? Not as much as there used to be…

The Kodiaks #1 system will certainly take a hit with the trading of top prospects Thomas, Dodier, and Colovos, and the apparent callup of Broughton and Brouwer, but the farm still has a few prospects to get excited about. Leading the way is catching prospect Ron Hillert (3rd overall pick in 2018). Also late bloomer Erik Place, first base prospect Dave Rizer, and corner infielder Ron DeCicco round out the offensive upgrades in the minors.

Player to Watch:

The player to watch this year is newcomer C.J. Wilkinson. After unloading the farm to acquire the slick fielding, top of the order Wilkinson, it will be key that he anchors the offence and defense in a big way this year. It will also be interesting to watch the continued development of the young pitching staff and to see how Mike Morla and Tom McGee continue their offensive ascension.

Magic 8-Ball Answers: Wildcard?!?! This seems like a real possibility Prediction: 89-72, #7 in the IL.

Hope springs eternal in California and this is hopefully the year that the long and arduous rebuild finally bears fruit for the Kodiaks and their fans!

[Hank]

Morgantown Mohawks

2020 Preview

Things don't look promising for the 2020 version of the Morgantown Mohawks.
In 2015, the Mohawks qualified for the postseason for the first time in franchise history.
Morgantown would go on to make the playoffs for three consecutive seasons before taking a step-back in 2018 and an even bigger step back in 2019 with an 81-win season; Good enough to tie the California Kodiaks, aka...

What's New? - Besides, the smell? Nothing.
Gone is longtime Mohawk Jimmy Cooney. The former 1st-round pick never developed into what the Morgantown brass was hoping when they drafted him 8th overall in 2009.
He signed with the Batavia Muckdogs after GM Henry Dyck told him to "F**k off" when his contract expired.

Calling Card - Signing players to long-term contracts, then immediately regretting it.

Kryptonite? - the baseball.

In The System - After siphoning from the scouting and development departments in order to sign or trade for big-name free agents, the farm has looked as baron as the collective sperm count of the Indianapolis Clowns.
Things look to be on the rise with the Mohawks sporting the BLB's 8th strongest system.
CF W. Londono (10th) , P E. de Alba (18th) , P J. Gelinas (65th) , P T. Workinger (91st) , SS F. Newkirk (92nd) round-out a strong core of prospects to build around.
*Noteable prospects; RF Ze-min Huang, P Dave Biggs and CL Malik Clark.

CFer, JJ Moore looks like he'll make the big-league roster this year as Morgantown's utility OFer, before eventually taking the reigns from longtime CF'er Antonio Ontiveras.

Player to Watch - Nobody.
Without any major signings in the off-season, and with Willie Londono realistically a season away from joining the big club, the 2020 Morgantown Mohawks slogan will be "Come watch the stars of today and tomorrow...when they come play your Mohawks".

Outlook - If a player can hit, they probably can't defend. If they can defend, they probably can't hit.
Pat Waigand will once again start the season as the Mohawks shortstop.
While the Minnesota native is better suited as a second-basemen, he's had very good defensive numbers while plugging the 6-hole.
His glove will have to make up for his weak bat.
Dave Bound had a break-out season at the plate and a -9.4 ZR in RF, prompting dashing GM, Henry Dyck, to sign former Mohawk, and human-fan, Pat St.Thomas to patrol RF so Bound can take his cuts as their everyday DH.

The Mohawks hope they can remain competitive throughout the 2020 campaign, but making the postseason is a pipe-dream.
They're starting rotation is weak, with only Erik Parham serving as a legitimate front-end starter.
When you're not sure if 75% of your arms are starters or relievers you're in for a long season.
Rebuilding while Maintaining Dignity will be the motto of the Virginia M's for the next season or two.
Morgantown brass hopes the collection of mouthbreathers they call fans will stick around for the ride.

[Delandis]

Spoiler

Morgantown Mohawks

2020 Preview

Things don't look promising for the 2020 version of the Morgantown Mohawks.
In 2015, the Mohawks qualified for the postseason for the first time in franchise history.
Morgantown would go on to make the playoffs for three consecutive seasons before taking a step-back in 2018 and an even bigger step back in 2019 with an 81-win season; Good enough to tie the California Kodiaks, aka...

What's New? - Besides, the smell? Nothing.
Gone is longtime Mohawk Jimmy Cooney. The former 1st-round pick never developed into what the Morgantown brass was hoping when they drafted him 8th overall in 2009.
He signed with the Batavia Muckdogs after GM Henry Dyck told him to "F**k off" when his contract expired.

Calling Card - Signing players to long-term contracts, then immediately regretting it.

Kryptonite? - the baseball.

In The System - After siphoning from the scouting and development departments in order to sign or trade for big-name free agents, the farm has looked as baron as the collective sperm count of the Indianapolis Clowns.
Things look to be on the rise with the Mohawks sporting the BLB's 8th strongest system.
CF W. Londono (10th) , P E. de Alba (18th) , P J. Gelinas (65th) , P T. Workinger (91st) , SS F. Newkirk (92nd) round-out a strong core of prospects to build around.
*Noteable prospects; RF Ze-min Huang, P Dave Biggs and CL Malik Clark.

CFer, JJ Moore looks like he'll make the big-league roster this year as Morgantown's utility OFer, before eventually taking the reigns from longtime CF'er Antonio Ontiveras.

Player to Watch - Nobody.
Without any major signings in the off-season, and with Willie Londono realistically a season away from joining the big club, the 2020 Morgantown Mohawks slogan will be "Come watch the stars of today and tomorrow...when they come play your Mohawks".

Outlook - If a player can hit, they probably can't defend. If they can defend, they probably can't hit.
Pat Waigand will once again start the season as the Mohawks shortstop.
While the Minnesota native is better suited as a second-basemen, he's had very good defensive numbers while plugging the 6-hole.
His glove will have to make up for his weak bat.
Dave Bound had a break-out season at the plate and a -9.4 ZR in RF, prompting dashing GM, Henry Dyck, to sign former Mohawk, and human-fan, Pat St.Thomas to patrol RF so Bound can take his cuts as their everyday DH.

The Mohawks hope they can remain competitive throughout the 2020 campaign, but making the postseason is a pipe-dream.
They're starting rotation is weak, with only Erik Parham serving as a legitimate front-end starter.
When you're not sure if 75% of your arms are starters or relievers you're in for a long season.
Rebuilding, while maintaining dignity will the motto of Virginia M's for the next season or two.
Morgantown brass hopes the collection of mouthbreathers they call fans will stick around for the ride.

I almost woke up the family laughing at this, this morning. Nice preview.

[Hank]

I almost woke up the family laughing at this, this morning. Nice preview.

LOL! Thanks, glad you liked it.
I was hoping it'd be as humerous as the 2020 Mohawks will be. ;)

[Sharkn20]

Dallas Sharks

What's New? Few young prospects have their chance.

Our Draft and Develop first philosophy continues this year, Tommy Gantt, Tom Stewart, Jamie DeShon (brought from Pittsubrgh), Roberto Romero, Tom Riechers, O.P. Williams and Tom Clark. 7 new names, all of them young, 5 of them VERY young. While Gantt and Williams are in the Top-100 Prospect list, some other prospects whom flew under the radar will join the Sharks aiming to make an inmediate impact in order to have a long career in the BLB.

Calling Card? Pitching, Defense and Running the bases.

The "PDR" philosophy also will continue in Dallas, all of our Young players have one thing in common, they are outsanding defenders, they also can put the ball in play, we are not fireworks like The Millers, The Guides or The Cats, but we expect to keep playing elbow to elbow with them.


Kryptonite? The long ball, inconsistency.

Only 3 of the 9 players in our Lineup are HR Threats (Salazar, Williams and Gómez) at this point. While we expect to get some pop from Grafing (The eternal would be Star), Romero and Williams. We donīt expect to many home runs, and when our Pitchers donīt have the day, we just canīt answer a high scoring game.


In the System? Few.

With all the young names already in the BLB, we only have Williams and Landrum with High Level BLB expectancies. There is some more names like Okamoto, Cavallo and Leiden whom can be contributors as a role players, but we have to see how they develop. This Draft will be crucial for our future, fortunately is well loaded with talent.


Player to Watch? SP Pat Cinelli, OF O.P. Williams.

After a devastating injury and a setback all the eyes are on Cinelli, if he comes back healthy and lethal as he use to be by the summer, the Sharks will be a Contender again with an Elite Top-4 Rotation.

All the days are in Williams, he has a huge shoes to fit, Herrera was a great contributor for the last years but the youngster had a great September and ST, will he be ready for the Challenge? There is no questions about his Elite Range and Glove, but will his bat be ready to play with the Veterans? He still have some more muscle to develop and Eye to develop, but we are confident.


The Sharks are loaded and ready to go, while our Owner expect us to play .500 Ball (Like last year), nothing less than winning the division and reach the Conference Series will be a disapoint for this great group.

[Z]

The 2020 Maine Guides



What's New

Not much -- and that's a good thing. The core group from 2019 returns.

Highly regarded youngsters such as Zachary Smith, Joey Long, and Tom Johnson look to take on significant roles in 2020, adding to the team's nucleus.

Former Wilmington catcher Norm Deiwert makes the intradivision trek to join Maine, where he will share catching duties with Voodoo Davila and J.D. Willis.

Calling Card

Pitching and defense, the longstanding Guides formula.

The team begins the 2020 season with a six-man rotation and former starter Dave Haugh occupying the closer's role.

With the 20 year old Smith taking extra reps in left field to prepare for this season, the club's defense looks strong at every position between the white lines.


Kryptonite

The ticking clock.

Though the supplemental youngsters and veterans in their prime look to keep the window open indefinitely, the fact remains that the faces of the team are on the greater side of 35.

Maine will need players young and old clicking for this engine to power the team to its first Ale Division title since 2009.


In the System

A little bit of everything.

Top prospects Long, Johnson, and Smith are here.

Former first and second round picks Edwin Reta, Ron Gooch, Willie Olivas, and Micah York make strides on their way to Old Port.

A sparse selection of high picks recently has by no means led to an empty cupboard here.

Player to Watch

Second baseman Jarrod Rowles earned a big payday with his performance last season. A repeat output in 2020 -- or possibly even another step forward -- would go a long way in the team's offense proving sufficient.