Tuesday September 11th 2012
The Olivet Killer Eagles have announced their 2012 Team Awards.
**All stats here are taken directly from the Team Log, which only includes stats for players when they are in the lineup**
Eagle's MVP: Yadier Molina
Even with the 3 week hiatus from the Eagles lineup, Molina was the heart and soul of this squad. In 103 games for Olivet he tallied 17 hrs and a batting average of 316. The close runner up was Jason Kubel
Eagle's Pitcher(s) of the Year: Yovani Gallardo and Vinnie Pestano
Not only were both pitchers model's of consistency but they were the only two Eagles to be in each and every lineup this season. Pestano set an eMLB record for holds while Gallardo led the squad in innings pitched, wins, and strikeouts.
Surprise of the Year: Ernesto Frieri
With 75 strikeouts in 45 innings for the Eagles, Frieri gets the nod. While in the lineup he recorded 12 saves and 7 holds. He wasn't utilized the last month or so of the season because of lack of opportunity but I believe he'll play a big role in the Eagles post season run
Dud of the Year: Ricky Romero
Romero started the season on track for a normal season for him but completely lost it after June. The damage was limited to 18 GS for the Eagles but the bastard used up a valuable roster spot when the team needed an extra (usable) arm
Free Agent Pickup of the Year: Carlos Gomez
Gomez was the kick in the ass the Eagles needed. In 40 games he scored 26 runs, stole 14 bases and somehow clubbed 7 hrs.
Best Trade Aqcuisition: Torii Hunter
There are a number of players that could be here, and I will list them below. But, given the fact the Eagles gave up only Sean Marshall for Hunter he wins this prestigious award. As an Eagle, Hunter went on a major hot streak hitting 358 with 28 runs, 31 rbi, and 6 sneaky stolen bases in 45 games.
Other notables:
Coco Crisp: 285avg 26r 7hr 19rbi 12sb in 35 games
Allen Craig: 326avg 20r 5hr 20rbi in 32 games
Garret Jones: 310avg 19r 7hr 23rbi 17bb in 33 games
Justin Morneau: 315avg 19r 6hr 29rbi in 39 games
Miguel Cabrera: 337avg 14r 6hr 18rbi 11 bb in 24 games
Luke Gregerson: 5 saves, 8 holds 1.23 ERA and 0.68 WHIP in 14.2 innings
*Kris Medlan: 5 wins 37k's in 39ip with an insane 0.46 ERA and 0.74 WHIP.
*The Doyle Alexander Award: Kris Medlan
Mistake Trade of the Year: Jason Heyward for Jarrod Parker and extension... Andres Torres for Gregor Blanco and Jason Bartlett
The Heyward trade was from strength as at the time the OF depth was looking pretty good while the team was in need of a pitcher. Parker was very good at times however and the extension was essentially dealt back to the Heat for Rafael God Betancourt.
The Blanco deal was made in an effort to get some consistent speed and BA in the lineup. Blanco inevitably slowed down while Bartlett got waived by San Diego which nulled his DL status, basically wasting another roster spot the Eagles desperately needed.
Stash of the Year: Brett Anderson
Was stuck on the DL as soon as the A's put him on there in Japan, and while was only used once in the regular season (a 6 inning 0 er Win) he'll be a part of the Eagles post season run
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
10 Weeks In... Team Report
Team Report
After the first 10 weeks of the season the Olivet Killer Eagles are perched comfortably atop the Great Lakes Division with a 67-44-9 record (3rd in eMLB) and are12.5 games ahead of the Gaylord Dingers. They also sport the 3rd best Division record in eMLB following only Hackensack and Oviedo. The biggest speed bump this season was running into Rochester who's hitting was masterful while the Eagles pitching was downright awful, creating the perfect storm which resulted in a 3-8-1 loss (Only the 3rd loss of the season, not that it matters). Week 11 is a matchup against the leagues worst record (Julian) then followed by the Mid-Michigan Tigers who are currently ranked 10th. These are two matchups the Eagles need to take advantage of because in Week 13 the Miracles come to town in what should be the "Matchup of the Week" pitting two of the top few teams in eMLB against each other.
Standouts
Yadier Molina: 28-8-32-5-16-330
I drafted Molina in hopes he could build upon a real nice 2011 season but he has already exceeded all expectations especially in the power department. I definitely feel justified in giving him a 2 year contract
Jose Bautista: 38-17-44-3-37-228
Joey Bats got off to an ice cold start but since early May the HRs have been flying out of Rogers Centre and every where else at a nice clip. The batting average is lower than I'd want but I didn't draft him for that.
Kelly Johnson: 33-9-29-7-31-250
Put him on the market during the winter meetings but I wasn't going to give him away, finally decided to keep him and he has been a solid all around contributer other than average (thats a trend with my team)
Ryan Dempster: 2w-63k-2.31era-1.03whip
Got Dempster for a 7th round pick and he has been the ace of the staff. The wins could easily be higher but thats out of his control.
Vinnie Pestano: 3w-15hlds-33k-2.19era-1.09whip
He's been as dominant as he was last season and is leading the charge for the relief core that was supposed to be "holds heavy" however situations have changed for several of the RP core.
Santiago Casilla: 1w-16sv-1.44era-1.12whip
Casilla was actually my last draft pick and almost considered dropping him after the first couple of weeks because he had only pitched a couple of innings. But, Brian Wilson got hurt and Casilla ran with the closer position. He has been lights out all year
Ernesto Frieri: 1w-5sv-5hld-51k-0.93era-0.93whip
He was ranked in the top 10 RP as of June 8th according to the eMLB site. I drafted him for the low ERA and high K totals but he has been unreal this season. Not sure why San Diego would have given him away but he's been placed in a much better situation with the Angels, now if only Scioscia could make up his mind on either him or Downs to close that would be great
Injury Reports/History
The Eagles have been fairly fortunate as far as injuries go, however it seems as though every week someone is bumped and bruised enough to lose at bats during the week.
David Robertson and Brett Gardner are the two biggest injuries so far this year. Robertson was someone the Eagles were going to rely upon for high holds and a great K rate as far as relievers go but has been sidelined for over a month with the oblique injury. Gardner's elbow has been on the fritz and is not looking like he'll be back anytime soon.
Chipper Jones took his annual trip to the DL which wasn't a major deal, except he was in my lineup that week and was supposed to be DTD. Such is life with a 40 year old 3b I suppose
Nolan Reimold was on a tear but has been out since late April, while Ted Lilly has missed some time since coming over in a trade with Michigan.
After the first 10 weeks of the season the Olivet Killer Eagles are perched comfortably atop the Great Lakes Division with a 67-44-9 record (3rd in eMLB) and are12.5 games ahead of the Gaylord Dingers. They also sport the 3rd best Division record in eMLB following only Hackensack and Oviedo. The biggest speed bump this season was running into Rochester who's hitting was masterful while the Eagles pitching was downright awful, creating the perfect storm which resulted in a 3-8-1 loss (Only the 3rd loss of the season, not that it matters). Week 11 is a matchup against the leagues worst record (Julian) then followed by the Mid-Michigan Tigers who are currently ranked 10th. These are two matchups the Eagles need to take advantage of because in Week 13 the Miracles come to town in what should be the "Matchup of the Week" pitting two of the top few teams in eMLB against each other.
Standouts
Yadier Molina: 28-8-32-5-16-330
I drafted Molina in hopes he could build upon a real nice 2011 season but he has already exceeded all expectations especially in the power department. I definitely feel justified in giving him a 2 year contract
Jose Bautista: 38-17-44-3-37-228
Joey Bats got off to an ice cold start but since early May the HRs have been flying out of Rogers Centre and every where else at a nice clip. The batting average is lower than I'd want but I didn't draft him for that.
Kelly Johnson: 33-9-29-7-31-250
Put him on the market during the winter meetings but I wasn't going to give him away, finally decided to keep him and he has been a solid all around contributer other than average (thats a trend with my team)
Ryan Dempster: 2w-63k-2.31era-1.03whip
Got Dempster for a 7th round pick and he has been the ace of the staff. The wins could easily be higher but thats out of his control.
Vinnie Pestano: 3w-15hlds-33k-2.19era-1.09whip
He's been as dominant as he was last season and is leading the charge for the relief core that was supposed to be "holds heavy" however situations have changed for several of the RP core.
Santiago Casilla: 1w-16sv-1.44era-1.12whip
Casilla was actually my last draft pick and almost considered dropping him after the first couple of weeks because he had only pitched a couple of innings. But, Brian Wilson got hurt and Casilla ran with the closer position. He has been lights out all year
Ernesto Frieri: 1w-5sv-5hld-51k-0.93era-0.93whip
He was ranked in the top 10 RP as of June 8th according to the eMLB site. I drafted him for the low ERA and high K totals but he has been unreal this season. Not sure why San Diego would have given him away but he's been placed in a much better situation with the Angels, now if only Scioscia could make up his mind on either him or Downs to close that would be great
Injury Reports/History
The Eagles have been fairly fortunate as far as injuries go, however it seems as though every week someone is bumped and bruised enough to lose at bats during the week.
David Robertson and Brett Gardner are the two biggest injuries so far this year. Robertson was someone the Eagles were going to rely upon for high holds and a great K rate as far as relievers go but has been sidelined for over a month with the oblique injury. Gardner's elbow has been on the fritz and is not looking like he'll be back anytime soon.
Chipper Jones took his annual trip to the DL which wasn't a major deal, except he was in my lineup that week and was supposed to be DTD. Such is life with a 40 year old 3b I suppose
Nolan Reimold was on a tear but has been out since late April, while Ted Lilly has missed some time since coming over in a trade with Michigan.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
News, Notes, and Holy Nolan
Looking back on things, sometimes playing the hot hand really does pay off and this week it surely did with the additions to the lineup of Nolan Reimold and Jordan Schafer. The two combined for 10 runs 4 hrs 11 rbi 1 sb 2 bb and an average in the upper 300s. There were no regrets as Brett Gardner ended up on the DL mid week and Morales didn't really out hit anyone. The breaks seem to go the Eagles way and even though the outcome was an 11-0-1 victory it was somewhat closer than that with the Redbirds having a fine offensive week. For the second consecutive week the Eagles opponent couldn't muster much on the pitching side of things and was one wacky Casilla outing away from a 12-0 shutout. (I'm blaming YOU Bruce Bochy)
Mid-Week Trade: Earlier in the week the Eagles dealt for Cincinnati RP Sean Marshall and Dodgers veteran lefty Ted Lilly in exchange for Jeff Francoeur. The team saw the opportunity to get a strong reliever who has a closers job currently as well as a decent starting pitcher who was going to step into the 5th SP role until Hudson returned. Olivet has plenty of offensive options so Francoeur was expendable. Both parties felt this was a "trade from strength" deal.
Looking Ahead: The first divisional game is a week 4 matchup with the Charlotte Orios. Olivet will be without their early season ace Ryan Dempster who was placed on the DL recently. Ted Lilly takes his spot in the rotation for now, so Homer Bailey and Ricky Nolasco get at least one more week to keep their spot. Greg Holland was also placed on the DL but was already going to be replaced in the lineup by newly acquired Marshall. If Bochy figures out what he's doing the Eagles MAY just have a pair of closers, even if they're nothing flashy. The hitting lineup stays the same but a couple of guys are being watched and if they dont perform could be replaced next week. Travis Hafner has been tearing it up recently and was almost added to the lineup over Kelly Johnson but the Toronto schedule had an extra game this week and so far Johnson has justified the non-change by going yard on Monday.
What to watch for: Nick Swisher: Quietly this guy has 21 rbi on the season and has been the team's MVP. Can this hot hitting continue to fly under the radar?
Nolan Reimold: One of the hottest hitters in baseball looks to continue his tear this week but is battling neck spasms which held him out of a couple of games last week. Morales and Hafner are standing by just in case.
Ted Lilly: He's nothing to sneeze at but the way Dempster was pitching, he will be severely missed for at least this week and probably next. Lilly will need to be solid as Nolasco and Bailey are very volatile.
Sean Marshall: He's had a semi bumpy ride as closer early on, but once he settles down he could be as dominant as anyone. Look for him to save 3 games this week.
FREE AGENT ADDITIONS: Jared Burton was added Sunday as insurance for the RP staff which lost Holland to the DL. He's gotten 3 holds over the past week for Minnesota and could figure into a nice role if those continue to add up.
ON THE BUBBLE: Chris Nelson was added earlier in the week as well but he figures to be the first casualty if the team finds someone in FA to pick up. Mitch Moreland was a pre-season favorite of the Eagles front office to have a powerful "sleeper" season. So far he's been sleeping on the bench while Napoli and company continue to rake.
SURPRISE STAT OF THE SEASON: 6 stolen bases for Heyward.
Until next week... good luck Orios
Mid-Week Trade: Earlier in the week the Eagles dealt for Cincinnati RP Sean Marshall and Dodgers veteran lefty Ted Lilly in exchange for Jeff Francoeur. The team saw the opportunity to get a strong reliever who has a closers job currently as well as a decent starting pitcher who was going to step into the 5th SP role until Hudson returned. Olivet has plenty of offensive options so Francoeur was expendable. Both parties felt this was a "trade from strength" deal.
Looking Ahead: The first divisional game is a week 4 matchup with the Charlotte Orios. Olivet will be without their early season ace Ryan Dempster who was placed on the DL recently. Ted Lilly takes his spot in the rotation for now, so Homer Bailey and Ricky Nolasco get at least one more week to keep their spot. Greg Holland was also placed on the DL but was already going to be replaced in the lineup by newly acquired Marshall. If Bochy figures out what he's doing the Eagles MAY just have a pair of closers, even if they're nothing flashy. The hitting lineup stays the same but a couple of guys are being watched and if they dont perform could be replaced next week. Travis Hafner has been tearing it up recently and was almost added to the lineup over Kelly Johnson but the Toronto schedule had an extra game this week and so far Johnson has justified the non-change by going yard on Monday.
What to watch for: Nick Swisher: Quietly this guy has 21 rbi on the season and has been the team's MVP. Can this hot hitting continue to fly under the radar?
Nolan Reimold: One of the hottest hitters in baseball looks to continue his tear this week but is battling neck spasms which held him out of a couple of games last week. Morales and Hafner are standing by just in case.
Ted Lilly: He's nothing to sneeze at but the way Dempster was pitching, he will be severely missed for at least this week and probably next. Lilly will need to be solid as Nolasco and Bailey are very volatile.
Sean Marshall: He's had a semi bumpy ride as closer early on, but once he settles down he could be as dominant as anyone. Look for him to save 3 games this week.
FREE AGENT ADDITIONS: Jared Burton was added Sunday as insurance for the RP staff which lost Holland to the DL. He's gotten 3 holds over the past week for Minnesota and could figure into a nice role if those continue to add up.
ON THE BUBBLE: Chris Nelson was added earlier in the week as well but he figures to be the first casualty if the team finds someone in FA to pick up. Mitch Moreland was a pre-season favorite of the Eagles front office to have a powerful "sleeper" season. So far he's been sleeping on the bench while Napoli and company continue to rake.
SURPRISE STAT OF THE SEASON: 6 stolen bases for Heyward.
Until next week... good luck Orios
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
News, Notes, and Molina praises
"Now that's more like it" GM Baker said with a sigh of relief after a tremendous Week 2 victory over a quality Hackensack team. "Week one wasn't a bad showing but we were just caught in a Desert Swarm, pun intended. We know if we show up every week we will compete, and we showed that this week against the Bulls" The Eagles were fortunate to catch Hackensack during a week where two of his trio of aces had bad outings as well as Yu Darvish who was unspectacular in his two starts; however it took a late Sunday strikeout frenzy from Frieri to avoid a split of the pitching categories.
On the hitting side of things, the Eagles were as good as advertised on their way to a well balanced week helped out immensley by eMLB (nonKemp) hitter of the week candidate Yadier Molina. The Eagles catcher paced the way with 7 runs, 2 hrs, 9 rbi, and .381 avg, and still had time to steal a bag and walk 3 times. Everyone showed up this week except for 2012 #1 pick Jose Bautista, and 2011's 1st rounder Kendrys Morales. "Its scary to think we had such a MASTERFUL week while getting next to nothing from 1b and 3b" Baker laughed. "All in all a fine week, I'm sure the Bulls would have liked to have had a better showing but I get the feeling the next time we meet the stakes will be quite a bit higher than a week 2 showdown."
The Bullpen lived up to the hype in week 2, combining for 16 K's in 14 innings, a 1.00 WHIP and 1.93 ERA. Unfortunately a relief core built for holds only managed 1. Casilla was nearly waived early on in the week but will now possibly figure into the saves situation in San Francisco. Greg Holland hasn't done himself major favors yet but its only a matter of time before Broxton completely explodes (From eating too much or ending a game with two straight hits batters)
Looking Ahead to Dallas.
The Redbirds have struggled so far through a couple weeks yet find themselves only one game back in the Eastern Division. They will be without Jacoby Lessbury this week and you can say what you want about this lineup, it looks a lot better with him in it. Ellsbury has been replaced by Shelly Duncan who is off to a decent start in Cleveland
Olivet made a couple changes to their week 3 lineup, replacing Kendrys Morales with Nolan Reimold, while opting for Jordan Shaefer over Brett Gardner. "Just playing the hot hands right now. Shaefer has outplayed Gardner so far while Reimold has been on a tear. Gardner is our starter, just not this week. Morales will need to start producing more consistenly before he'll get back in to the lineup over guys hitting much better, like Nolan."
Reimold was a later round pickup the Eagles were happy to get after a strong finish in September last season and only Endy Chavez to beat out for everyday at bats. He earns the start this week after starting the season on a hot stretch.
Shaefer was picked up late in spring training after being waived by the Miracles. All the kid has done is steal bags and score runs so far, having gotten a lot of practice in recent memory running from police.
Hopefully there will be no 2nd guessing at weeks end, but Morales has already gone yard with 4 rbi as well on Monday. Reimold matched the HR at least with 2 rbi of his own. Time will tell there.
Should be an interesting matchup but I see another decent win over the Redbirds, as long as the pitching holds up their end of the bargain especially in the cumulative stats.
What to look for:
Reimold/Shaefer vs Morales/Gardner
Can Jose Bautista's sleeping bat arise this week?
We punted saves for holds, can we please get some??
FREE AGENT PICKUPS:
Arizona reliever Bryan Shaw as added earlier in the week as it appears Kirk Gibson has plenty of condifence in the youngster. He has stumbled into two saves already and with an injury prone Putz at closer (I love that name by the way) Shaw could find himself in a bigger and better role. Depending on what transpires in the SF bullpen he may replace Casilla in the Eagles Nest
Until next week..... Good Luck Mr Doyel
On the hitting side of things, the Eagles were as good as advertised on their way to a well balanced week helped out immensley by eMLB (nonKemp) hitter of the week candidate Yadier Molina. The Eagles catcher paced the way with 7 runs, 2 hrs, 9 rbi, and .381 avg, and still had time to steal a bag and walk 3 times. Everyone showed up this week except for 2012 #1 pick Jose Bautista, and 2011's 1st rounder Kendrys Morales. "Its scary to think we had such a MASTERFUL week while getting next to nothing from 1b and 3b" Baker laughed. "All in all a fine week, I'm sure the Bulls would have liked to have had a better showing but I get the feeling the next time we meet the stakes will be quite a bit higher than a week 2 showdown."
The Bullpen lived up to the hype in week 2, combining for 16 K's in 14 innings, a 1.00 WHIP and 1.93 ERA. Unfortunately a relief core built for holds only managed 1. Casilla was nearly waived early on in the week but will now possibly figure into the saves situation in San Francisco. Greg Holland hasn't done himself major favors yet but its only a matter of time before Broxton completely explodes (From eating too much or ending a game with two straight hits batters)
Looking Ahead to Dallas.
The Redbirds have struggled so far through a couple weeks yet find themselves only one game back in the Eastern Division. They will be without Jacoby Lessbury this week and you can say what you want about this lineup, it looks a lot better with him in it. Ellsbury has been replaced by Shelly Duncan who is off to a decent start in Cleveland
Olivet made a couple changes to their week 3 lineup, replacing Kendrys Morales with Nolan Reimold, while opting for Jordan Shaefer over Brett Gardner. "Just playing the hot hands right now. Shaefer has outplayed Gardner so far while Reimold has been on a tear. Gardner is our starter, just not this week. Morales will need to start producing more consistenly before he'll get back in to the lineup over guys hitting much better, like Nolan."
Reimold was a later round pickup the Eagles were happy to get after a strong finish in September last season and only Endy Chavez to beat out for everyday at bats. He earns the start this week after starting the season on a hot stretch.
Shaefer was picked up late in spring training after being waived by the Miracles. All the kid has done is steal bags and score runs so far, having gotten a lot of practice in recent memory running from police.
Hopefully there will be no 2nd guessing at weeks end, but Morales has already gone yard with 4 rbi as well on Monday. Reimold matched the HR at least with 2 rbi of his own. Time will tell there.
Should be an interesting matchup but I see another decent win over the Redbirds, as long as the pitching holds up their end of the bargain especially in the cumulative stats.
What to look for:
Reimold/Shaefer vs Morales/Gardner
Can Jose Bautista's sleeping bat arise this week?
We punted saves for holds, can we please get some??
FREE AGENT PICKUPS:
Arizona reliever Bryan Shaw as added earlier in the week as it appears Kirk Gibson has plenty of condifence in the youngster. He has stumbled into two saves already and with an injury prone Putz at closer (I love that name by the way) Shaw could find himself in a bigger and better role. Depending on what transpires in the SF bullpen he may replace Casilla in the Eagles Nest
Until next week..... Good Luck Mr Doyel
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
News, Notes, and Matt Kemp nightmares
After a couple of poor seasons the Eagles looked to jump ahead of the Great Lakes rivals right off the bat but unfortunately for Olivet, Matt Kemp and company Swarmed in and took care of business with the bats. Having results you would normally see in a full week there was no surpise Arizona took 5 of the 6 hitting categories and pitched just well enough to take a few of the pitching as well en route to an 8-3-1 victory.
Olivet wasn't dis-pleased with the hitting effort however as it would have paced nearly every other team in the league other than Arizona. 2b Kelly Johnson was the standout, scoring 5 runs, hitting 1 hr while driving in 1 with 4 bb to go with a nice .357 batting average. Apparently he likes hitting in front of Jose Bautista, who was so-so (for him) this week even with the dinger and 4 bbs. The other first round selection, Hanley Ramirez, didn't fare so well out of the gates but did end up with 2 runs, rbi, and bb with a hr and sb even with the 2 for 15 start.
On the pitching side of things, Dempster was great and Nolasco was better than expected while Gallardo got rocked and Romero ran into trouble against Cleveland. The bullpen was also shaky which most believe will be one of the best groups in eMLB.
Olivet matches up against Hackensack in Week 2 and will need to get a win under their belt to keep pace with the rest of the Great Lakes League.
What to look for:
Kendrys Morales wasn't expected to make the Eagles lineup until later on in the season but was hitting very well in Spring and started very nicely in week 1, hitting 417. However he failed to produce anything and will need to start doing so in order to stay in the lineup at 1st base.
The Johnson/Bautista combo. If Johnson continues to get on base at the clip he showed week 1, Bautista is inevitably going to produce monster numbers behind him. Look for them to rack up the stats in week 2
The SP Staff: Someone needs to step up in week 2 and help solidify the rotation beyond Dempster. Romero is no ace but if Gallardo is habitually a slow starter he'll be depended on to carry a big load until Yovani gets going. It definitely wont be Homer Bailey who already got hit hard on Monday (Only Yu Darvish did worse, so the playing field stays level heading into Tuesday)
Olivet wasn't dis-pleased with the hitting effort however as it would have paced nearly every other team in the league other than Arizona. 2b Kelly Johnson was the standout, scoring 5 runs, hitting 1 hr while driving in 1 with 4 bb to go with a nice .357 batting average. Apparently he likes hitting in front of Jose Bautista, who was so-so (for him) this week even with the dinger and 4 bbs. The other first round selection, Hanley Ramirez, didn't fare so well out of the gates but did end up with 2 runs, rbi, and bb with a hr and sb even with the 2 for 15 start.
On the pitching side of things, Dempster was great and Nolasco was better than expected while Gallardo got rocked and Romero ran into trouble against Cleveland. The bullpen was also shaky which most believe will be one of the best groups in eMLB.
Olivet matches up against Hackensack in Week 2 and will need to get a win under their belt to keep pace with the rest of the Great Lakes League.
What to look for:
Kendrys Morales wasn't expected to make the Eagles lineup until later on in the season but was hitting very well in Spring and started very nicely in week 1, hitting 417. However he failed to produce anything and will need to start doing so in order to stay in the lineup at 1st base.
The Johnson/Bautista combo. If Johnson continues to get on base at the clip he showed week 1, Bautista is inevitably going to produce monster numbers behind him. Look for them to rack up the stats in week 2
The SP Staff: Someone needs to step up in week 2 and help solidify the rotation beyond Dempster. Romero is no ace but if Gallardo is habitually a slow starter he'll be depended on to carry a big load until Yovani gets going. It definitely wont be Homer Bailey who already got hit hard on Monday (Only Yu Darvish did worse, so the playing field stays level heading into Tuesday)
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Olivet Power Ranks (9-3)
Just a continuation from before, will leave the final two for sometime later this week.
8. Gaylord Dingers
Any team returning Albert Pujols is already a step ahead of the rest. The move to the American League should only benefit the big guy as he’ll get to play some DH to get a breather here and there. Pujols should rebound from his poor 2011 season where he only hit 37 homers and drove in 99 runs. Rickie Weeks was drafted in the 2nd round in hopes of a healthy season, one that has escaped Weeks his entire career save one season. The left side of the infield is manned by Aramis Ramirez and Derek Jeter. Ramirez stayed healthy last year and put up his best season in several years and now will be protecting Herpes Braun in Milwaukee. Jeter was useless for most of the first half of last season but turned it around in the 2nd half, so there is at least a little bit left in the tank. As long as he’s hitting atop of the Yankee’s lineup he’ll be useful in runs and should be in the mid double digits for steals however his productive days are well behind him. Wieters was the Dingers other 2nd round pick and I was a fan of it. He put up numbers similar to McCann last year and is only going to get better. I would expect him to be at least in the conversation of top C in fantasy after this season. David Ortiz is plugged into the UTIL spot and he has just kept on hitting. No qualms here. The problem for Gaylord will be depth. Weeks is an injury waiting to happen while Ramirez and Jeter are aging vets. Raburn, Furcal, Prado, and Wigginton will likely be flung into infield action at various times this year, hopefully the weeks in which he plays the Eagles. The outfield is highly suspect from Crawford down to Pierre. After being one of the highest regarded players last year after signing with Boston, Crawford took a nose dive only Adam Dunn could have rivaled. Not only was it a bust season for him but he is likely to miss the first part of 2012. I’d expect a rebound but playing in Boston is a much different animal than Tampa. Markakis is also coming off an injury and has proven to be nothing more than a 4th outfielder the past few seasons. The bright side is he won’t necessarily hurt the Dingers in any category. Bourjos seems like the Dingers type of player as does Fowler and both will need to have better than expected seasons. Prado, Raburn, Rivera, and Pierre round out the bench.
The SP is led by newly acquired ace Zack Greinke. There weren’t many pitchers better than he was down the stretch last year and will shoulder the burden of carrying the Gaylord SP in 2012. There aren’t any other big name guys in the rotation but there is a lot to like with Bud Norris. He won’t win many games while an Astro but will be an asset in K’s and has improved his indicators each of the past two years. Floyd and Jackson are pitchers cut from the same cloth, being dominant at times but very hittable other times. Niese looks to start the season as the #5 but doesn’t do anything impressive. Gaylord is likely hoping McDonald or Paulino takes a step forward this year. The relief core is led by new Boston closer Andrew Bailey, and Grant Balfour. Bailey hasn’t been able to stay 100% healthy but is a stud when he is. Balfour has never held down a closer job before and there is no guarantee 2012 will be any different, however he’s proven to be a valuable arm to have on an eMLB fantasy roster. Francisco K-Rod Rodriguez was dealt to Milwaukee and seemed to be reborn into his old role as setup man. He should rack up the holds in front of Axford but is always a trade away from being a closer. Rex Brothers will make a name for himself this year and I think will be one of the top MR this year. The 5th spot will be a WW rotation until someone sticks.
While nothing other than the infield sticks out as being a plus on this team, Gaylord has put together a team that is balanced. This will be the year he looks up in the Great Lakes standings though.
7. Michigan Miracles
In somewhat of a surprising move the Miracles dealt their lottery selection for Prince Fielder. Looking back I don’t think they expected Gonzalez to slip to #3 but the new Tiger will have 4 strong years for them. Ben Zobrist will man 2b and will help across the board other than a middle of the road batting average. These two will be counted on to carry the load as the rest of the infield is questionable. Ryan Roberts came seemingly out of nowhere last year to put up a great season as a 30 year old. His grit will likely keep him on Gibby’s good side so he’ll get every chance to repeat. At SS Ian Desmond is basically a one trick pony and is a spot the Miracles may look to upgrade at some point this year. His lacking stats in all other categories are a high price to pay for 25 steals. Doumit isn’t a real good option for C and in Minnesota will see his little power regress. Daniel Murphy and Marco Scutaro will backup the infield and will be ok options if called upon. Adam LaRoche was taken late as a flier selection and could end up being the team’s utility if he can come back from his shoulder issue. The outfield has three very balanced players in Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence, and Shin-Soo Choo, whom is coming off an injury filled year but if healthy he’s as good as any. There’s a lot to love about having those guys in the outfield. Josh Willingham is the 4th option and is coming off a career year in Oakland. Moving to Minnesota he’ll look to repeat and if he can stay healthy he should come close. Seth Smith is currently slotted in as the UTIL but will be better served to be a backup in the OF. Moving to Oakland from Colorado will sap some of his power and is likely to sit against lefties. Schafer and Borbon(remember him?) are buried down the depth chart but could be used if steals are needed.
Matt Cain slipped to the team in the 3rd round and will be counted on as the ace of the staff. He isn’t as flashy as some of the aces across the league but there aren’t many other options as consistent as he is although you have to wonder when he’ll get more than 3 runs of support per game and win 18 times. Beachy was extremely dominant last year posting a stellar K/9 ratio and will possibly end up as the ace of this staff by the time summer rolls around. Luebke will help solidify a very strong rotation and was excellent upon his move to the Padres rotation last summer. These 3 may not be the big names of some other teams but they will be about as good as any, health allowing. Ted Lilly and Tim Stauffer are fine options to complete the rotation as even though neither are above average in any one category but will not hurt any of them. Behind the starting 5 this team has capable fill ins with Chris Capuano and RA Dickey. Henderson Alvarez is stashed here but I wouldn’t expect him to play a major role while he’s still learning the ropes in the majors. The bullpen is the team’s biggest strength with 5 studs. They will win saves each week almost for sure and should keep up in holds with Marshall and Romo leading the way there. One has to wonder if Michigan really needed the 3rd closer having Rivera and Bell already but getting two top setup men made it work out alright. In weeks he wont need the 3 closers you’ll probably see him plug Dotel in for Heath Bell.
While this team was built for balance, there are enough question marks around to keep them on the cusp of the playoffs but still looking in. I don’t foresee three teams from the same division making into the championship playoffs and for now Michigan may be the odd team out in theirs.
6. North Texas Rangers
Sometimes I get the feeling that his being a homer is all just a ruse. Nevertheless, North Texas managed to draft (then later trade for) nearly an entire infield of Rangers. Napoli was drafted in the 2nd round and looks to build upon his career year last year. The average should drop but the power has always been there and he should continue to be the best catcher in fantasy in 2012. Votto will man first and is just coming into his own for the Reds and will probably be seeing his best seasons ahead of him. Ian Kinsler, Adrian Beltre, and Elvis Andrus complete the infield which is the best in eMLB. There’s a lot of power here and the two MI will give the team plenty of steals each week. In case of injury however the team will be forced into using Chone Figgins, Trevor Plouffe, and Mat Gamel. At least with Gamel there is plenty of upside and should get every opportunity to play everyday with Prince out of town. The outfield just got a huge jolt after Braun won his hearing against the MLB and will not have to serve the 50 game suspension. He and Nelson Cruz will have to shoulder a major portion of weeks because Alejandro De Aza is an unproven commodity and Ben Revere is a complete waste across the board other than steals. Nate Schierholtz is plugged in as the utility and is a decent 4th OF but not your commonplace utility player. As every season goes by it seems like the same story with the Rangers. Load up on the star players and hope they carry the weaker players and a fairly non-existent bench. Typically that’s enough for a playoff birth but not much more.
On the pitching side of things you have Roy Halladay and his band of flunkies. He’s about as dominant as anyone has been in our era and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, so 2012 will be another stellar season. After Halladay it gets choppy. Josh Tomlin, Rick Porcello, and Kyle Lohse are all the same type of pitcher. They’ll strike out very few, give up a ton of hits while eking out wins playing for decent teams. Edinson Volquez will need to step up in San Diego and turn into the #2 pitcher for North Texas. The RP core is actually not that bad, even without a front line closer. Francisco will have the job for the Mets and has always done ok with it but has a history of injuries. Alexi Ogando will be moved back into a setup role and is probably better suited in it so he can just let loose and throw that fastball. He should be a top holds guy if he doesn’t wear down later in the year. Bastardo was lights out last season and should get plenty of opps in front of Papelbon, while Lidge and Broxton try to regain some of their previous year’s brilliance. Luke Gregerson will try to regain his form from 2010 but is coming off a semi-lost season. McLellan, Takahashi, and Devine round out the rest of the pitching.
If it were complete bias I would not have this team this high in the rankings. I think they’ll likely compete for the playoffs but ultimately fall short because of a lack of depth. Like I said before it’s the same old song and dance with the Rangers, almost to a comedic level at this point. Hitting will carry this team to wherever it goes because other than Halladay and a few decent relievers there is nothing promising about this team’s pitching staff.
5. Rochester Red Sox
Rochester will head into 2012 as the favorite in their division and will look to build it into a Championship. Chris Iannetta will get the nod behind the plate but I don’t think he’ll stay there for very long. He had a nice year for Colorado last year but also hit .172 on the road with no pop. Paul Goldschmidt was a high draft pick and is going to be expected to continue his torrid pace from late last season where he hit 8 hrs in about 150 Abs. All signs point to a guy who will hit for power right away while his batting average is likely to suffer. Brandon Phillips is the most stable player on the infield for Rochester and is really a poor man’s Pedroia other than lower BB levels. Jhonny Peralta is coming off a career year so it’ll be interesting to see if he can repeat those levels. I would guess he’ll have a down tick in avg but the RBI ability has always been there. The team will know what its getting out of Mark Reynolds however, as bad as he is hitting he does make contact once every 15 at bats for a homer. At utility is Jesus Montero who is really being counted on even though he’s never had an extended chance to play in the big leagues. Everybody thinks he’ll be a hitting machine but can you really count on him to be a major cog in a lineup right now? That’s one of a few question marks this team will face. This is also another team that didn’t do much for depth. Stephen Drew needs to get healthy but will be a fine backup if he can, same with Brian Roberts. The problem is it really defeats the purpose if your backups are already injured if your stars get hurt. Jesus Guzman will have to fight for Abs in SD while Jimmy Paredes is an unknown commodity for Houston. The outfield is led by Carlos Gonzalez who had a somewhat of a down year because of missed time but is a top 3 OF when healthy. Michael Morse is coming off a surprising career year and will have to repeat in order for Rochester to keep up pace. Desmond Jennings is bound to have bumps in the road and isn’t likely to earn that first round pick this season (probably soon in the future). Angel Pagan rounds out the outfield and looks to regain some of his 2010 magic this year in San Francisco. Gentry, Hesisey, and Presley are the OF backups and none are guaranteed playing time quite yet. I believe the outfield is good enough all around to make up for a couple of the shortcomings on the infield, but the offense will depend heavily on Goldschmidt, Montero, and Jennings who have not even played a full season in the bigs yet.
The pitching staff should be very good, especially if Josh Johnson can stay healthy. Clayton Kershaw is coming off one of the best seasons in recent history and might be just cracking the surface of his potential. He will team with a hopefully healthy Johnson to be the top 1-2 punch in eMLB. Dan Haren continues to put up unheralded seasons and will serve as a top 3rd SP but could be pushed up if Johnson gets hurt yet again. Max Scherzer has shown flashes of brilliance but hasn’t put it all together yet, while Jhoulys Chacin seems to be teetering as well. Mike Minor and Trevor Cahill are more than capable guys to plug in if needed. This club boasts two of the best RP arms in baseball with Craig Kimbrel and Jonny Venters. They were used a ton last season but if they do not wear down this will be a hell of a holds/saves duo. John Axford almost gets forgotten here as the teams 2nd closer. He erased doubts of a fluke by having an even more dominant season than his fine 2010 campaign. Jim Johnson may end up closing for Baltimore but has been rumored for about 36 different roles since last year ended. Scott Downs will rack up holds as a lefty specialist
The key pieces seem to be in place for Rochester but I think in order for the team to get over the final hump they’ll need a lot of things to go their way including breakout seasons for Montero, Jennings, Goldschmidt, and another from Morse. The pitching should keep them in every week while the hitting figures out its identity.
4. Arizona Desert Swarm
Coming off an improbable run to the eMLB championship in their inaugural season the Swarm return with a legitimate shot at repeating. Alex Avila played a big role last season and should be among the top catchers again this year hitting in a better spot in the Tigers order. First base is a question mark for the Swarm, depending on if he wants to use Carlos Lee or Gaby Sanchez there. Neither is a great option compared to most in the league but wont hurt too badly. Ackley will be the 2b of the future for Arizona but was a definite reach in the draft. He’ll have to improve his hitting at Safeco this year but overall he’ll be about average for a 2b with some upside. At 3b is Evan Longoria who is the best at his position not counting Jose Bautista and will carry this offense at times. His batting average was low but was very unlucky so it should return to previous levels this season. Given another healthy season he’ll be a monster and at age 26 we haven’t seen his best years yet. JJ Hardy and Dee Gordon were drafted pretty close together in the draft, right now Gordon is listed as the team’s utility but I think he’ll be swapped in and out depending on if the team needs power or speed. It’s a nice option to have actually but I think Hardy will see the most time in the lineup with Arizona having speed in the OF. Omar Infante will be the backup or plug in for Ackley while Gordon, Bonifacio will be the SS/3b depth. Helton, Smoak, and Beckham will play if needed but I don’t believe that’ll be very likely. In the OF the team has the #1 fantasy player in 2011, Matt Kemp. He claims he’s going to go 50/50 this season. I expect last season to be his peak but even a regress is better than all other outfielders. Adam Jones has been very consistent and seems to be getting just slightly better and better each season. He’ll need to be somewhat better because it is very unlikely Melky Cabrera repeats his career year in San Francisco this year. Bonifacio will provide speed and runs in bunches this year, hitting between Reyes and Hanley, with Stanton waiting in the wings to knock him in. Reddick, Sands, and newcomer Cespedes round out the OF and its curious to see what the Cuban dude can do in MLB. He could be a wild card for this team’s success.
The pitching is led by aces Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee, with secondary ace Chris Carpenter the wingman. When it all comes down to it, Cliff Lee was probably the steal of the draft. Carpenter is someone to keep an eye on having pitched over 470 innings the past two seasons and will be 36 this year. If he can stay healthy he’ll provide wins with a decent ERA and WHIP. Felix Hernandez may be the best all around pitcher in the American League however he’ll need to get out of Seattle for anyone to see it. As it is currently he’ll be a stud in everything but wins. Following the big three will be injury prone Cueto, and underachieving Clay Buchholz. Both have shown flashes of brilliance in the past but neither was able to complete 2011. Vogelsong is the only handcuff but should be a nice option when called upon due to his era/whip ability. The bullpen should be decent considering who’s in it. Hard to figure out what Farnsworth is going to bring to the table but he looked lights out last season. The problem will be Maddon’s usage of closers has been odd, and 30 saves seems unlikely regardless. Ryan Madson got a nice contract from Cincinnati and will be counted on to be the teams top closer. Holds will be an issue for Arizona, Aceves will probably not be pitching in hold situations and could see time in the rotation as well. Uehara was awful after being traded to Texas and I read somewhere that he actually cried when he found out he was dealt. (Somewhere Tom Hanks is fuming) When on however he was one of the better relievers in baseball but will likely be a swing man in Texas’ bullpen. Fautino de los Santos has an electric arm but hasn’t been able to stay healthy until last year. He could work his way into pressure situations this year and without a true closer he could get a late season trial there as well. It’s not how you start but how you finish, and those types of roles are the ones that win championships.
3. Hackensack Bulls
The Bulls are coming off a great draft and will be leaning heavily on Mike, err, excuse me what is it…. Giancarlo? Whatever. Stanton. The infield will be very good overall but a lot hinges on Buster Posey coming back from that Scott Cousin’s knockout. He’s never had one full season in the bigs but will get PT at 1b when he’s not in the lineup at C. Eric Hosmer s the man at first base and is coming off a fine rookie campaign. I wouldn’t expect lights out numbers out of him just yet but the average should be very good and will be an asset for steals as a 1b. Dustin Pedroia is the best fantasy 2b by far, and if Ellsbury keeps getting on base Pedroia will keep getting plenty of RBI opportunities. He’s one of the few 6 category men in eMLB and the bonifide captain of Hackensack. Even though the Bulls claim they hate the Red Sox they have two in the infield alone. Youkilis was drafted to be the teams 3b but is coming off two injury shortened seasons. If healthy he’ll help in 4 categories. Starlin Castro was a 2011 draft selection that many questioned but the Cubs SS proved doubters wrong. He looks to be the new Jeter type of hitter and could develop some more pop in time. They have some unspectacular backups in Cozart and Uribe though; I would think an injury to Youk will cause some big problems. The utility spot will be held down by the likes of Mike Carp until Ryan Howard comes back from injury. The outfield is a question mark beyond Stanton, who is going to be counted on a monster season being, drafted #2 overall. Brennan Boesch is coming off a thumb injury and another 2nd half where he wasn’t hitting very well. He’ll be 2nd in the batting order in front of Cabrera and Prince this year so he’ll likely get plenty of fastballs. Lucas Duda is a breakout candidate in New York and I think will be one of the better picks of the draft looking back on it. Not much can be said for Alfonso Soriano except if the team needs some cheap pop they’ve got it. He won’t provide much else. Raul Ibanez and Eric Thames along with Mike Carp provide a little depth. I have them about average in runs, and punting SBs but near the top in the rest of hitting.
CC Sabathia and Tim Lincecum are the aces of the staff and both should be counted on for 230 innings pitched so the counting stats will be there for sure. I am curious about CC’s arm; he looked dead in the ALDS against Detroit and has pitched a million innings over the past 5 years. Lincecum hasn’t been the dominant pitcher he was during his first few seasons but is still among the best in the league. Yu Darvish is an unknown commodity but was given a ton of money by Texas so he’ll be needed in real life and in fantasy. Stephen Strasburg is the best pitcher the Bulls have but will be limited by the Nats this year and by the time the playoffs roll around he’ll be shut down. If he can stay healthy I don’t know if any pitcher will put up the crazy numbers he will. Mike Leake will be the #5 and is a player who will help keep the team’s ERA/WHIP in order while not hurting anything. The K’s are on the rise, but department stores beware. Who knows what to expect from Hughes, Zambrano or Hochever. Three guys who have been dominant at times, but none you’d want to depend on. Out of the three I think Hochever is probably the best. The Bulls will be punting holds after drafting 19 closers in nice Broskey fashion. Wilson will lead the way while Soria will look to rebound after a piss poor season. Jason Motte is coming off a stellar late season run as closer as well as playoff. Those three should keep the team ahead of the game in most weeks other than against Michigan. Wilton Lopez will probably be the top setup man for Brett Myers in Houston and you have to figure out of the 48 games they win, most will be by a run or two. Aaron Crow is rumored to be tried in the rotation but showed brilliance for KC when healthy. Addison Reed is a wild card whom I believe will end up closing sooner than later in Chicago.
8. Gaylord Dingers
Any team returning Albert Pujols is already a step ahead of the rest. The move to the American League should only benefit the big guy as he’ll get to play some DH to get a breather here and there. Pujols should rebound from his poor 2011 season where he only hit 37 homers and drove in 99 runs. Rickie Weeks was drafted in the 2nd round in hopes of a healthy season, one that has escaped Weeks his entire career save one season. The left side of the infield is manned by Aramis Ramirez and Derek Jeter. Ramirez stayed healthy last year and put up his best season in several years and now will be protecting Herpes Braun in Milwaukee. Jeter was useless for most of the first half of last season but turned it around in the 2nd half, so there is at least a little bit left in the tank. As long as he’s hitting atop of the Yankee’s lineup he’ll be useful in runs and should be in the mid double digits for steals however his productive days are well behind him. Wieters was the Dingers other 2nd round pick and I was a fan of it. He put up numbers similar to McCann last year and is only going to get better. I would expect him to be at least in the conversation of top C in fantasy after this season. David Ortiz is plugged into the UTIL spot and he has just kept on hitting. No qualms here. The problem for Gaylord will be depth. Weeks is an injury waiting to happen while Ramirez and Jeter are aging vets. Raburn, Furcal, Prado, and Wigginton will likely be flung into infield action at various times this year, hopefully the weeks in which he plays the Eagles. The outfield is highly suspect from Crawford down to Pierre. After being one of the highest regarded players last year after signing with Boston, Crawford took a nose dive only Adam Dunn could have rivaled. Not only was it a bust season for him but he is likely to miss the first part of 2012. I’d expect a rebound but playing in Boston is a much different animal than Tampa. Markakis is also coming off an injury and has proven to be nothing more than a 4th outfielder the past few seasons. The bright side is he won’t necessarily hurt the Dingers in any category. Bourjos seems like the Dingers type of player as does Fowler and both will need to have better than expected seasons. Prado, Raburn, Rivera, and Pierre round out the bench.
The SP is led by newly acquired ace Zack Greinke. There weren’t many pitchers better than he was down the stretch last year and will shoulder the burden of carrying the Gaylord SP in 2012. There aren’t any other big name guys in the rotation but there is a lot to like with Bud Norris. He won’t win many games while an Astro but will be an asset in K’s and has improved his indicators each of the past two years. Floyd and Jackson are pitchers cut from the same cloth, being dominant at times but very hittable other times. Niese looks to start the season as the #5 but doesn’t do anything impressive. Gaylord is likely hoping McDonald or Paulino takes a step forward this year. The relief core is led by new Boston closer Andrew Bailey, and Grant Balfour. Bailey hasn’t been able to stay 100% healthy but is a stud when he is. Balfour has never held down a closer job before and there is no guarantee 2012 will be any different, however he’s proven to be a valuable arm to have on an eMLB fantasy roster. Francisco K-Rod Rodriguez was dealt to Milwaukee and seemed to be reborn into his old role as setup man. He should rack up the holds in front of Axford but is always a trade away from being a closer. Rex Brothers will make a name for himself this year and I think will be one of the top MR this year. The 5th spot will be a WW rotation until someone sticks.
While nothing other than the infield sticks out as being a plus on this team, Gaylord has put together a team that is balanced. This will be the year he looks up in the Great Lakes standings though.
7. Michigan Miracles
In somewhat of a surprising move the Miracles dealt their lottery selection for Prince Fielder. Looking back I don’t think they expected Gonzalez to slip to #3 but the new Tiger will have 4 strong years for them. Ben Zobrist will man 2b and will help across the board other than a middle of the road batting average. These two will be counted on to carry the load as the rest of the infield is questionable. Ryan Roberts came seemingly out of nowhere last year to put up a great season as a 30 year old. His grit will likely keep him on Gibby’s good side so he’ll get every chance to repeat. At SS Ian Desmond is basically a one trick pony and is a spot the Miracles may look to upgrade at some point this year. His lacking stats in all other categories are a high price to pay for 25 steals. Doumit isn’t a real good option for C and in Minnesota will see his little power regress. Daniel Murphy and Marco Scutaro will backup the infield and will be ok options if called upon. Adam LaRoche was taken late as a flier selection and could end up being the team’s utility if he can come back from his shoulder issue. The outfield has three very balanced players in Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence, and Shin-Soo Choo, whom is coming off an injury filled year but if healthy he’s as good as any. There’s a lot to love about having those guys in the outfield. Josh Willingham is the 4th option and is coming off a career year in Oakland. Moving to Minnesota he’ll look to repeat and if he can stay healthy he should come close. Seth Smith is currently slotted in as the UTIL but will be better served to be a backup in the OF. Moving to Oakland from Colorado will sap some of his power and is likely to sit against lefties. Schafer and Borbon(remember him?) are buried down the depth chart but could be used if steals are needed.
Matt Cain slipped to the team in the 3rd round and will be counted on as the ace of the staff. He isn’t as flashy as some of the aces across the league but there aren’t many other options as consistent as he is although you have to wonder when he’ll get more than 3 runs of support per game and win 18 times. Beachy was extremely dominant last year posting a stellar K/9 ratio and will possibly end up as the ace of this staff by the time summer rolls around. Luebke will help solidify a very strong rotation and was excellent upon his move to the Padres rotation last summer. These 3 may not be the big names of some other teams but they will be about as good as any, health allowing. Ted Lilly and Tim Stauffer are fine options to complete the rotation as even though neither are above average in any one category but will not hurt any of them. Behind the starting 5 this team has capable fill ins with Chris Capuano and RA Dickey. Henderson Alvarez is stashed here but I wouldn’t expect him to play a major role while he’s still learning the ropes in the majors. The bullpen is the team’s biggest strength with 5 studs. They will win saves each week almost for sure and should keep up in holds with Marshall and Romo leading the way there. One has to wonder if Michigan really needed the 3rd closer having Rivera and Bell already but getting two top setup men made it work out alright. In weeks he wont need the 3 closers you’ll probably see him plug Dotel in for Heath Bell.
While this team was built for balance, there are enough question marks around to keep them on the cusp of the playoffs but still looking in. I don’t foresee three teams from the same division making into the championship playoffs and for now Michigan may be the odd team out in theirs.
6. North Texas Rangers
Sometimes I get the feeling that his being a homer is all just a ruse. Nevertheless, North Texas managed to draft (then later trade for) nearly an entire infield of Rangers. Napoli was drafted in the 2nd round and looks to build upon his career year last year. The average should drop but the power has always been there and he should continue to be the best catcher in fantasy in 2012. Votto will man first and is just coming into his own for the Reds and will probably be seeing his best seasons ahead of him. Ian Kinsler, Adrian Beltre, and Elvis Andrus complete the infield which is the best in eMLB. There’s a lot of power here and the two MI will give the team plenty of steals each week. In case of injury however the team will be forced into using Chone Figgins, Trevor Plouffe, and Mat Gamel. At least with Gamel there is plenty of upside and should get every opportunity to play everyday with Prince out of town. The outfield just got a huge jolt after Braun won his hearing against the MLB and will not have to serve the 50 game suspension. He and Nelson Cruz will have to shoulder a major portion of weeks because Alejandro De Aza is an unproven commodity and Ben Revere is a complete waste across the board other than steals. Nate Schierholtz is plugged in as the utility and is a decent 4th OF but not your commonplace utility player. As every season goes by it seems like the same story with the Rangers. Load up on the star players and hope they carry the weaker players and a fairly non-existent bench. Typically that’s enough for a playoff birth but not much more.
On the pitching side of things you have Roy Halladay and his band of flunkies. He’s about as dominant as anyone has been in our era and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, so 2012 will be another stellar season. After Halladay it gets choppy. Josh Tomlin, Rick Porcello, and Kyle Lohse are all the same type of pitcher. They’ll strike out very few, give up a ton of hits while eking out wins playing for decent teams. Edinson Volquez will need to step up in San Diego and turn into the #2 pitcher for North Texas. The RP core is actually not that bad, even without a front line closer. Francisco will have the job for the Mets and has always done ok with it but has a history of injuries. Alexi Ogando will be moved back into a setup role and is probably better suited in it so he can just let loose and throw that fastball. He should be a top holds guy if he doesn’t wear down later in the year. Bastardo was lights out last season and should get plenty of opps in front of Papelbon, while Lidge and Broxton try to regain some of their previous year’s brilliance. Luke Gregerson will try to regain his form from 2010 but is coming off a semi-lost season. McLellan, Takahashi, and Devine round out the rest of the pitching.
If it were complete bias I would not have this team this high in the rankings. I think they’ll likely compete for the playoffs but ultimately fall short because of a lack of depth. Like I said before it’s the same old song and dance with the Rangers, almost to a comedic level at this point. Hitting will carry this team to wherever it goes because other than Halladay and a few decent relievers there is nothing promising about this team’s pitching staff.
5. Rochester Red Sox
Rochester will head into 2012 as the favorite in their division and will look to build it into a Championship. Chris Iannetta will get the nod behind the plate but I don’t think he’ll stay there for very long. He had a nice year for Colorado last year but also hit .172 on the road with no pop. Paul Goldschmidt was a high draft pick and is going to be expected to continue his torrid pace from late last season where he hit 8 hrs in about 150 Abs. All signs point to a guy who will hit for power right away while his batting average is likely to suffer. Brandon Phillips is the most stable player on the infield for Rochester and is really a poor man’s Pedroia other than lower BB levels. Jhonny Peralta is coming off a career year so it’ll be interesting to see if he can repeat those levels. I would guess he’ll have a down tick in avg but the RBI ability has always been there. The team will know what its getting out of Mark Reynolds however, as bad as he is hitting he does make contact once every 15 at bats for a homer. At utility is Jesus Montero who is really being counted on even though he’s never had an extended chance to play in the big leagues. Everybody thinks he’ll be a hitting machine but can you really count on him to be a major cog in a lineup right now? That’s one of a few question marks this team will face. This is also another team that didn’t do much for depth. Stephen Drew needs to get healthy but will be a fine backup if he can, same with Brian Roberts. The problem is it really defeats the purpose if your backups are already injured if your stars get hurt. Jesus Guzman will have to fight for Abs in SD while Jimmy Paredes is an unknown commodity for Houston. The outfield is led by Carlos Gonzalez who had a somewhat of a down year because of missed time but is a top 3 OF when healthy. Michael Morse is coming off a surprising career year and will have to repeat in order for Rochester to keep up pace. Desmond Jennings is bound to have bumps in the road and isn’t likely to earn that first round pick this season (probably soon in the future). Angel Pagan rounds out the outfield and looks to regain some of his 2010 magic this year in San Francisco. Gentry, Hesisey, and Presley are the OF backups and none are guaranteed playing time quite yet. I believe the outfield is good enough all around to make up for a couple of the shortcomings on the infield, but the offense will depend heavily on Goldschmidt, Montero, and Jennings who have not even played a full season in the bigs yet.
The pitching staff should be very good, especially if Josh Johnson can stay healthy. Clayton Kershaw is coming off one of the best seasons in recent history and might be just cracking the surface of his potential. He will team with a hopefully healthy Johnson to be the top 1-2 punch in eMLB. Dan Haren continues to put up unheralded seasons and will serve as a top 3rd SP but could be pushed up if Johnson gets hurt yet again. Max Scherzer has shown flashes of brilliance but hasn’t put it all together yet, while Jhoulys Chacin seems to be teetering as well. Mike Minor and Trevor Cahill are more than capable guys to plug in if needed. This club boasts two of the best RP arms in baseball with Craig Kimbrel and Jonny Venters. They were used a ton last season but if they do not wear down this will be a hell of a holds/saves duo. John Axford almost gets forgotten here as the teams 2nd closer. He erased doubts of a fluke by having an even more dominant season than his fine 2010 campaign. Jim Johnson may end up closing for Baltimore but has been rumored for about 36 different roles since last year ended. Scott Downs will rack up holds as a lefty specialist
The key pieces seem to be in place for Rochester but I think in order for the team to get over the final hump they’ll need a lot of things to go their way including breakout seasons for Montero, Jennings, Goldschmidt, and another from Morse. The pitching should keep them in every week while the hitting figures out its identity.
4. Arizona Desert Swarm
Coming off an improbable run to the eMLB championship in their inaugural season the Swarm return with a legitimate shot at repeating. Alex Avila played a big role last season and should be among the top catchers again this year hitting in a better spot in the Tigers order. First base is a question mark for the Swarm, depending on if he wants to use Carlos Lee or Gaby Sanchez there. Neither is a great option compared to most in the league but wont hurt too badly. Ackley will be the 2b of the future for Arizona but was a definite reach in the draft. He’ll have to improve his hitting at Safeco this year but overall he’ll be about average for a 2b with some upside. At 3b is Evan Longoria who is the best at his position not counting Jose Bautista and will carry this offense at times. His batting average was low but was very unlucky so it should return to previous levels this season. Given another healthy season he’ll be a monster and at age 26 we haven’t seen his best years yet. JJ Hardy and Dee Gordon were drafted pretty close together in the draft, right now Gordon is listed as the team’s utility but I think he’ll be swapped in and out depending on if the team needs power or speed. It’s a nice option to have actually but I think Hardy will see the most time in the lineup with Arizona having speed in the OF. Omar Infante will be the backup or plug in for Ackley while Gordon, Bonifacio will be the SS/3b depth. Helton, Smoak, and Beckham will play if needed but I don’t believe that’ll be very likely. In the OF the team has the #1 fantasy player in 2011, Matt Kemp. He claims he’s going to go 50/50 this season. I expect last season to be his peak but even a regress is better than all other outfielders. Adam Jones has been very consistent and seems to be getting just slightly better and better each season. He’ll need to be somewhat better because it is very unlikely Melky Cabrera repeats his career year in San Francisco this year. Bonifacio will provide speed and runs in bunches this year, hitting between Reyes and Hanley, with Stanton waiting in the wings to knock him in. Reddick, Sands, and newcomer Cespedes round out the OF and its curious to see what the Cuban dude can do in MLB. He could be a wild card for this team’s success.
The pitching is led by aces Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee, with secondary ace Chris Carpenter the wingman. When it all comes down to it, Cliff Lee was probably the steal of the draft. Carpenter is someone to keep an eye on having pitched over 470 innings the past two seasons and will be 36 this year. If he can stay healthy he’ll provide wins with a decent ERA and WHIP. Felix Hernandez may be the best all around pitcher in the American League however he’ll need to get out of Seattle for anyone to see it. As it is currently he’ll be a stud in everything but wins. Following the big three will be injury prone Cueto, and underachieving Clay Buchholz. Both have shown flashes of brilliance in the past but neither was able to complete 2011. Vogelsong is the only handcuff but should be a nice option when called upon due to his era/whip ability. The bullpen should be decent considering who’s in it. Hard to figure out what Farnsworth is going to bring to the table but he looked lights out last season. The problem will be Maddon’s usage of closers has been odd, and 30 saves seems unlikely regardless. Ryan Madson got a nice contract from Cincinnati and will be counted on to be the teams top closer. Holds will be an issue for Arizona, Aceves will probably not be pitching in hold situations and could see time in the rotation as well. Uehara was awful after being traded to Texas and I read somewhere that he actually cried when he found out he was dealt. (Somewhere Tom Hanks is fuming) When on however he was one of the better relievers in baseball but will likely be a swing man in Texas’ bullpen. Fautino de los Santos has an electric arm but hasn’t been able to stay healthy until last year. He could work his way into pressure situations this year and without a true closer he could get a late season trial there as well. It’s not how you start but how you finish, and those types of roles are the ones that win championships.
3. Hackensack Bulls
The Bulls are coming off a great draft and will be leaning heavily on Mike, err, excuse me what is it…. Giancarlo? Whatever. Stanton. The infield will be very good overall but a lot hinges on Buster Posey coming back from that Scott Cousin’s knockout. He’s never had one full season in the bigs but will get PT at 1b when he’s not in the lineup at C. Eric Hosmer s the man at first base and is coming off a fine rookie campaign. I wouldn’t expect lights out numbers out of him just yet but the average should be very good and will be an asset for steals as a 1b. Dustin Pedroia is the best fantasy 2b by far, and if Ellsbury keeps getting on base Pedroia will keep getting plenty of RBI opportunities. He’s one of the few 6 category men in eMLB and the bonifide captain of Hackensack. Even though the Bulls claim they hate the Red Sox they have two in the infield alone. Youkilis was drafted to be the teams 3b but is coming off two injury shortened seasons. If healthy he’ll help in 4 categories. Starlin Castro was a 2011 draft selection that many questioned but the Cubs SS proved doubters wrong. He looks to be the new Jeter type of hitter and could develop some more pop in time. They have some unspectacular backups in Cozart and Uribe though; I would think an injury to Youk will cause some big problems. The utility spot will be held down by the likes of Mike Carp until Ryan Howard comes back from injury. The outfield is a question mark beyond Stanton, who is going to be counted on a monster season being, drafted #2 overall. Brennan Boesch is coming off a thumb injury and another 2nd half where he wasn’t hitting very well. He’ll be 2nd in the batting order in front of Cabrera and Prince this year so he’ll likely get plenty of fastballs. Lucas Duda is a breakout candidate in New York and I think will be one of the better picks of the draft looking back on it. Not much can be said for Alfonso Soriano except if the team needs some cheap pop they’ve got it. He won’t provide much else. Raul Ibanez and Eric Thames along with Mike Carp provide a little depth. I have them about average in runs, and punting SBs but near the top in the rest of hitting.
CC Sabathia and Tim Lincecum are the aces of the staff and both should be counted on for 230 innings pitched so the counting stats will be there for sure. I am curious about CC’s arm; he looked dead in the ALDS against Detroit and has pitched a million innings over the past 5 years. Lincecum hasn’t been the dominant pitcher he was during his first few seasons but is still among the best in the league. Yu Darvish is an unknown commodity but was given a ton of money by Texas so he’ll be needed in real life and in fantasy. Stephen Strasburg is the best pitcher the Bulls have but will be limited by the Nats this year and by the time the playoffs roll around he’ll be shut down. If he can stay healthy I don’t know if any pitcher will put up the crazy numbers he will. Mike Leake will be the #5 and is a player who will help keep the team’s ERA/WHIP in order while not hurting anything. The K’s are on the rise, but department stores beware. Who knows what to expect from Hughes, Zambrano or Hochever. Three guys who have been dominant at times, but none you’d want to depend on. Out of the three I think Hochever is probably the best. The Bulls will be punting holds after drafting 19 closers in nice Broskey fashion. Wilson will lead the way while Soria will look to rebound after a piss poor season. Jason Motte is coming off a stellar late season run as closer as well as playoff. Those three should keep the team ahead of the game in most weeks other than against Michigan. Wilton Lopez will probably be the top setup man for Brett Myers in Houston and you have to figure out of the 48 games they win, most will be by a run or two. Aaron Crow is rumored to be tried in the rotation but showed brilliance for KC when healthy. Addison Reed is a wild card whom I believe will end up closing sooner than later in Chicago.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
2012 Expected Eagles Contracts
The Olivet Killer Eagles plan on signing 6 contracts this season in order to get 3 extensions, not sure if they'll use all 3 or not but it seems like a nice thing to have come trade deadline. The way the draft went more players were taken with 2012 in mind than 2013 but over the years it's never a bad thing to go into the winter meetings with bodies to trade. No matter what, a 26th round selection could be had for ANYONE. So here are the speculated contracts, subject to change before the first pitch of the season after roles are determined in spring training.
5 year: Hanley Ramirez
This is putting faith in a return to form for Ramirez, but I trust he will. Wont ever go 30/50 but 20/30 is likely, and hitting 3rd in the lineup his RBI opps will definitely be there with Reyes running around the bases, and runs should be plentiful hitting .300 in front of Stanton.
3 year: Jose Bautista
The debate is whether or not Jose Bautista has 5 strong years in him at age 31. Its likely that he does, however if that is the case he'll still get 4 years with the team counting the extension, and will be a lot easier to trade if he doesn't.
3 year: Yovani Gallardo
To get 3 extensions I have to sign at least two 3 year contracts because I only have three 2 years available. Ive said time and time again that I wouldn't sign a pitcher to a 3 year deal but at least he's only 26 and should improve. I hope I don't regret this one.
2 year: Yadier Molina
Not a typical contract, but makes sense for a couple of reasons. 1.) Every good catcher was drafted this year and will be given a contract so this will give me the option to not draft one next year, who would probably be worse than Molina anyhow 2.) I expect his bat to continue to catch up to his glove. Catchers peak years are in their 30s, its not crazy to think he'll be able to repeat 2011.
2 year: David Robertson
Could have taken the Broskey route and given him a 3 year, however I don't think thats a good idea. I would have contracted him either way but it sounds like Girardi has all but decided its Robertson's job to lose if Rivera goes down this year and next year after Rivera is likely to retire.
2 year: Jeff Francoeur
Another iffy one, but i have faith that he'll be able to hit well enough to justify a contract for at least one more season. We sometimes forget he hit 29 homers and drove in 100 runs for Atlanta only a few years ago.
Honorary Team Captain: Chipper Jones
Chipper was a nickname given to me as a sophomore in High School by my Varsity baseball coach. He wanted me to move over to 3b from SS and I balked at the idea but once he convinced me that "Chipper did it" I was open to the move (Hey, are you listening Hanley?) After that and throughout high school I was called Chipper by everyone and now it comes full circle with Chipper ending his career with the Olivet Killer Eagles, hopefully getting him an eMLB Championship Ring as a parting gift
5 year: Hanley Ramirez
This is putting faith in a return to form for Ramirez, but I trust he will. Wont ever go 30/50 but 20/30 is likely, and hitting 3rd in the lineup his RBI opps will definitely be there with Reyes running around the bases, and runs should be plentiful hitting .300 in front of Stanton.
3 year: Jose Bautista
The debate is whether or not Jose Bautista has 5 strong years in him at age 31. Its likely that he does, however if that is the case he'll still get 4 years with the team counting the extension, and will be a lot easier to trade if he doesn't.
3 year: Yovani Gallardo
To get 3 extensions I have to sign at least two 3 year contracts because I only have three 2 years available. Ive said time and time again that I wouldn't sign a pitcher to a 3 year deal but at least he's only 26 and should improve. I hope I don't regret this one.
2 year: Yadier Molina
Not a typical contract, but makes sense for a couple of reasons. 1.) Every good catcher was drafted this year and will be given a contract so this will give me the option to not draft one next year, who would probably be worse than Molina anyhow 2.) I expect his bat to continue to catch up to his glove. Catchers peak years are in their 30s, its not crazy to think he'll be able to repeat 2011.
2 year: David Robertson
Could have taken the Broskey route and given him a 3 year, however I don't think thats a good idea. I would have contracted him either way but it sounds like Girardi has all but decided its Robertson's job to lose if Rivera goes down this year and next year after Rivera is likely to retire.
2 year: Jeff Francoeur
Another iffy one, but i have faith that he'll be able to hit well enough to justify a contract for at least one more season. We sometimes forget he hit 29 homers and drove in 100 runs for Atlanta only a few years ago.
Honorary Team Captain: Chipper Jones
Chipper was a nickname given to me as a sophomore in High School by my Varsity baseball coach. He wanted me to move over to 3b from SS and I balked at the idea but once he convinced me that "Chipper did it" I was open to the move (Hey, are you listening Hanley?) After that and throughout high school I was called Chipper by everyone and now it comes full circle with Chipper ending his career with the Olivet Killer Eagles, hopefully getting him an eMLB Championship Ring as a parting gift
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