2024 Season Reviews

[Pat]

In 2021 we won 57 games.

In 2022 we signed Ulloa and Nieto, making a surprise run at a wild card with 87 wins. We lost in Game 3 of the Wild Card round to Batavia. Largely because we couldn't hit their lefty pitching.

In 2023 we were cashed strapped from the large bonuses given to the IFAs, but still made the Wild Card with 92 wins. We lost in Game 5 of the ILDS to Phoenix, largely because we couldn't again handle his LHSP.

In 2024, with a little more cash on hand, we added Goldsmith, Fajardo, Cravahlo, Urmson and trading for Hudson and Wilson. We won 97 games taking our first Bock Title since 2017. We lost CF Hudson and LF Urmson the last week of the season and in Game 1 of the ILDS, respectively. For Seattle, those two hit .278/.908 OPS and .284/.974 OPS against lefties. In the playoffs, their replacements hit .231/.564 OPS and .167/.554 OPS. Again, ultimately losing to Baltimore in the ILCS Game 7, largely because we couldn't hit his heavy LH rotation.

Still trending in the right direction and injuries happen to everyone, but ultimately frustrating losing for the third consecutive post-season in deciding gmaes for basically the exact same reason. As the season comes to a close the Pilots plan to cut costs and re-invest into Player Development and Scouting. Some big names including Ulloa are on the trade block and I can't help but feel like this short window, at least as a legit Brewmaster's contender, has closed. Urmson, Goldsmith, Fajardo and possible Ulloa will all be playing for new teams in 2025. We have in-house options to pick up the slack but we seem a few years away from more 90+ seasons and legitimate title contention.

Unless we sign Yonke.

[umd]

We all know you’re not investing in PD and Scouting lol. You’re clearing salary to strike in IFA and FA. Cmmmmmon maaaaaaaan.

[Pat]

We all know you’re not investing in PD and Scouting lol. You’re clearing salary to strike in IFA and FA. Cmmmmmon maaaaaaaan.

We have a lot of top prospects in AA and AAA. With or without Ulloa, or a big FA, I don’t think we will be much better in 2025. The smart play would be turning a large profit, invest in scouting/PD with an eye to 2026-2027.

[PaulC]

We have a lot of top prospects in AA and AAA. With or without Ulloa, or a big FA, I don’t think we will be much better in 2025. The smart play would be turning a large profit, invest in scouting/PD with an eye to 2026-2027.

Don't pay attention to the man behind the curtain... says the wizard!

[liquidcrash]

Washington Bats
106-56, 1st in Stout
Lost in Division Series

2024 was a highly successful regular season for the Bats. We won the Stout (and the top seed in the IL) for the 5th time in 6 years, won 100+ games for the fourth consecutive year and set a personal record with 106 regular season wins. Just like every other season during this run, we failed to back that up in the postseason and dropped a heartbreaker to Baltimore after winning the first two games of the divisional round.

Last offseason, we lost Jimmy Douglas and CJ Turnbow to free agency and traded away Dave Seibert. Somehow, the losses didn't seem to make much of a difference - we improved by 2 games while our run differential only saw a slight dip (+213 to +205). Free agent acquisitions Omar Baber, Ervin Ventura and RJ Cheek all had nice seasons. Rookies Dave Blackmon and Alexis Moran both proved to be very capable players at the BLB level. Awards haven't been announced yet, but the Bats have potential winners for Stout Slugger (Geoff Yonke), Pale Ale (Ed Carroll) and New Brew (Moran/Blackmon). Not sure if any of them will actually win, but they have to be considered among the top contenders.

This offseason could prove to be a very difficult one in DC. Yonke is perhaps the most valuable player in the league and he has opted out of the remaining three years on his contract. As of now, I'm still agonizing over the decision to pay him a king's ransom to stay in town or try to find some kind of replacement, though finding an equal player is an impossible task. Even with the league's highest budget, his contract demand is enormous. Outside of Yonke, the only important player potentially hitting free agency is CF Ernie Arbini, who did a good job in a platoon with Moran..

Looking ahead, it's hard to figure where this team is headed without knowing the final decision on one of the league's all-time greats. I still have high hopes for 1B Jimmy Harris and think he could be a potential New Brew candidate if he gets the time at 1B, but I'd likely need to move someone to give him a spot. Most of the other prospects I like are a bit too far down in the minors to expect big contributions in 2025.

[PaulC]

2024 Season Review

A complete disaster in California...

Although we are excited about Fiume and Redding for the coming season after breakout rookie seasons last year... and Mike Morla had another outstanding season as well.

Last offseason we overvalued a few targets and paid the price... but at least added a bunch of picks for the next two years' drafts!

This offseason will see us clear a tone of cap space and look to reload to hopefully gain a wildcard birth in the coming season.

Looking ahead... We'll wait and see what free agent bargains are to be had to snap our future.

[funclown]

Pawtucket 101-61

1st Place Ale. #1 League attendance!!! (Yes I value our fans)

2024 we saw us back on top of the Ale for the 15th time in Franchise history second only to Maine (16, were catching up). We made some moves for vets this last offseason acquiring 2B Douglass, CL RJ Green, resigning Setup lefty Reeves and later in the year made trades for SP Dave Baldwin & SS Ted Miller. For whats it worth, the guys came together great holding off some really good teams in Pitt & Tor down the stretch run. Solid fielding and outstanding pitching first in several categories lead the way while the offense drew walks, hit for power and stayed in the top 3rd of runs per game most of the season.

Still, In my heart we knew this wasn't one of those super teams we had from the early 90's and most of last decade. No this feels more like the 2002-2004 era where we are good for sure, but flawed. Were gonna need a few lucky dice rolls to get back to the Brewmaster. Like 2002 this wasn't one of those times. We got up early in game1 to Pitt 4-0 and then our pitching which was solid all season died it in the later innings as we fell 8-5. We bounced back in game2, but in Game 3 Marco Carrasco who at the time just cracked the top 20 pitchers list faltered in a major way. Einhorn actually pitched well, but the bullpen got into the act in extra innings as Reeve's couldnt hold down the Pitt offense. Bottom line : Pitt out hit us and Reeve's wont be coming back.

So 2025 preview: Gone will be aging veterans, C Flores, SU Reeves and 3B Playing out of mind Jamie Davis. All 3 have played a key role in our resurgence in 2003 & 2004. While we think we have an in house answer at catcher were going to have to do some thinking about SU and 3B. We won't have a ton of money especially at the onset of free agency, but as our season tickets improve (its assumed) we might be able to snag some late season deals. We also still carry a top 10 system something we've been proud of without the real use of top 10 picks as poker chips if we think we can swing a deal or two. Still, we dont want the financial crash we had to start this decade to expect Pawtucket to be patient even if this means taking a small step back this up coming season. The core is still young enough to compete, its just not gonna be the same as the old days.

Summary: Great season, slightly disappointing ending , were not broke and happy to be competing.

[Delandis]

Baltimore Bulldogs
84-78, 3rd in Stout
Lost in Brewers League Championship Series

This was by far the most epic ride for a Baltimore team in 40 years. We all know the story by now. Started the season 2-20. We contemplated blowing it up then but there was not a reasonable market for the players we wanted to move. Another big motivator for us to turn it around was not allowing DVS to get a good pick from our struggles.

After a quite a few demotions and promotions, we finally got a good mix of players who didn't bitch about losing, just wanted to win games and played their asses off. For the first half of the season we were carried nearly single-handedly by 23 year old, CJ Stripling. By the All-Star break we scraped and clawed ourselves out of the gutter and just a shade outside of the final playoff spot. The tell might have been the fact that we sent 4 guys to the All-Star game despite being that terrible in the 1st half of the season.

Fast forward to the second half of the season, a pair of rookies (Bruno Damours and Storm Johnson) start to pick up the slack for a tired and fading Stripling as we go on a tear in the second half catapulting us to the 5th spot in the IL playoffs. We go on to sweep Carolina, beat the IL favorite, Bats in a nail-biting 5 game series, then follow it up with an equally impressive 7 game series win over the favored Pilots. We couldn't compete with the Comets who demolished us in a four game sweep, but we have nothing to hold our heads about. This was just one of those magical seasons that you know shouldn't happen but just looks inevitable. An 84 win team that started with 2 wins out of their first 22 games and led offensively by three guys under 24? One of which won DD for his position and came in 3rd in SS and the other two came in 1st and 3rd in IL New Brew.

This was a wonderful season in our book, 7 days a week and twice on Sundays.

[umd]

That’s fine. 1.16 looks great for Lanoie so don’t you worry too much about us.

[Delandis]

Lanoie played well for us and Pawtucket last year. He was a big boost in the playoffs for the Patriots this year. Plus, he turned into Storm Johnson for us and only cost a mid-first.

Win-win for everyone involved.

[umd]

Lanoie played well for us and Pawtucket last year. He was a big boost in the playoffs for the Patriots this year. Plus, he turned into Storm Johnson for us and only cost a mid-first.

Win-win for everyone involved.

He belonged in the DL.

[funclown]

Lanoie played well for us and Pawtucket last year. He was a big boost in the playoffs for the Patriots this year. Plus, he turned into Storm Johnson for us and only cost a mid-first.

Win-win for everyone involved.

He really struggled this season. Got off to a slow start, then lost his job to Hines in RF after he got hurt and became our 4th outfielder. Kind of expensive for a 4th OF, but seems righty power hitting OFers are beginning to be the exception versus lefty power hitters. Weird have it shifts like that.

2025 he will be DH/ RF versus lefties. Coady and Hines can also use a bit more rest.