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One question for every team: The biggest concerns for every BLB team and division.
When will the Stout be back on top?
Ask the casual baseball fan, who the best division is in baseball right now, they might say the Stout. Historically, that might be accurate, but recently, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Despite boasting some of the very best teams every season, and recently a continued dominance over the Bock in representing the Brewmaster's, the Stout doesn't hasn't had a current Championship winner since 2012 Washington. Remember, that GM is now in Seattle. Since then Washington, Batavia and Philadelphia have all made the Brewmaster's to lose to the Domestic League. In 2015, Morgantown won it all, but they are no longer in the Stout, or IL for that matter. This year there appears to be even more strength in the division but until they take home the trophy, Stout isn't what it once was.
Will a former foe help this group get over the hump?
The Muckdogs have the feel of the same team almost every year for about a decade. After 2007, the year they won 104 games and their 2nd Brewmaster's, the Muckdogs have hovered between 82-99 wins, with seven post-season trips. No 100+ win seasons. No titles. At 50-37, it looks like more of the same. They are lead by a group of sluggers who can mash with anyone and a bullpen that continues to be one of the leagues best despite losing talent over the years. They win the close games, are great at home and when the game goes into extras they are a league best 9-1. This has been their recipe to success for over a decade. One reason to believe this year could be different, is CF Jamie Urmson. Batavia gave the veteran slugger a one-year, late into FA deal that has already paid off huge. Urmson, who left rival Washington in the process, is an All-Star this year and gives Batavia a major strength in a position they usually consider a weakness. That's a lot of pressure to fall on a fragile CF who will turn 35 before the playoffs begin but Umrson was the last Stout player to win a Brewmaster's on that 2012 DC team.
Is Baltimore this years Indianapolis? Or do they have even higher goals?
In 2019, the Baltimore Bulldogs went 67-95. At the mid-way point, they are 50-38 and on pace for their best season since 2016. At the start of the off-season, no one would have predicted this. By the end of it, a lot of teams saw this coming. Baltimore made huge splashes in Free-Agency and now have the largest run differential in the Import League. The rotation and bullpen has a good mix of righties and lefties, and while the lineup is always lefty heavy, this years team actually has quite a few switch and right handers go change it up when they are on the road facing a lefty. There is serious optimism in Baltimore, the highest it has been probably since the early 2000s. This team is good, young and deeper than it has been in a long time. Delandis has Baltimore back among the BLB's best and they might be here to stay for awhile.
Is mellow Geoff Yonke a winner?
To help a struggling lineup the Bats made headlines by trading for Amigo's infielder Yonke just a few weeks ago. The 27-year-old is the best 2B in baseball and one of the top 10 players in the league, but is he a winner? During his previous five seasons he has made the playoffs once, and Los Alamos was one and done in the Wild Card Round. None around the league to "not get excited about too much" Yonke is not known for his intelligence or his work ethic. He just goes out there and plays the game he loves and doesn't take it too seriously. However, in DC, baseball is fucking serious and you better give it your all to try and win! This is a city of winners! And they haven't been doing enough winning lately in Washington! Despite the addition of Yonke's two-way talents, the defense and lineup are only projected to move to above average in the IL ranks as they are currently 9th in runs scored and 9th in defense. The teams strength is the rotation and bullpen, both among the leagues elite. The Bats have five starters that give them a chance to win every night and the bullpen group of Rodrigues, Rico, Lawrence and Ochoa, are all high leverage type pitchers.
Should we start taking this Knights team seriously?
The New York Knights were one of baseball's best stories in 2019. After 12 straight seasons without making the post-season, they broke through as the 6th seed to make the Wild Card in 2019. This year, they are on pace to finish as the 4th seed, home field in the Wild Card Round. At 47-40, they would actually be the division leader in the Bock. Considering they face the much tougher schedule in the Stout that appears five teams deep, should the rest of the IL be worried about them come playoff time? The Knights are 2nd in the IL in ERA and 1st in defense. That park/pitching/defense combination can be lethal if you don't have an elite lineup. They are 30-19 at home, but just 17-21 on the road. For the Knights to have a deep post-season run, home field advantage would go a long, long way. Only three games back of the Stout, and the #1 IL seed, it's well within range. A lot of writers and opposing teams have written the Knights off in recent years as a non-threat in the IL race but if they can at least get to .500 on the road, they might surprise more than a few teams come playoff time.
Has the change in identity been a good move?
When you think of Philadelphia, what do you think of? Cheese-steaks, sports fans and the Liberty Bell. When you think of the baseball team, you think of pitching and defense. Years, and years of the pitching and defense formula has made the Freedom one of the BLB's most successful teams over the last 10 years. This season, the Freedom have flipped the script by trying to score more runs than usual by making sacrifices to the defense and the rotation (bullpen still top notch). In the off-season, the Freedom brought in OF Taylor Thomas from Morgantown, who has been a great addition at the top of the lineup but is below average in LF. Even further, fan favorite 2B Jimmy Kidwell has hit the "veteran wall" and doesn't seem agile enough to play infield anymore. The Freedom rank 5th in runs scored, 6th in ERA and 6th in defense. This new philosophy has them just 44-43. However, that's saying a lot after going 5-15 in April. Sources around the league have said the Freedom are looking to make changes via trade to improve their defense and go back to Philadelphia-style baseball in the 2nd half. Only 1.5 back of a playoff spot, the Freedom might increase their post-season run to five straight.
What is the biggest reason for optimism in Carolina?
The Tobs are 40-47. To most teams, that's not a good thing. For the Tobs, who have increased their win total every year since 2016, and on pace to this season, that's just one reason for optimism. Another positive down in Carolina, will be the departure of pricey veteran IFs Dave Nelson and David Santoyo, who make a combined $30M+ in salary. After 2021, SP Dave Honea's $18.5M comes off the books. Maybe best of all, the Tobs have the 5th ranked Minor League System and should have another fairly high draft pick in 2021. When you are in last place in a division this deep, it's not always easy to be optimistic.
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