2101 Inaugural NABF season team introductions. Do note that I have a foreign player limit of 16 players and due to the way I had to have player creation some nations have less players so their teams may lack some domestic players (plus OOTP AI likes to focus on foreign players in the draft for whatever reason)



Astoria Osprey. Situated along the Columbia river and the capital of Cascadia. The Osprey feature a medium blue and seafoam green colors to represent all of Cascadia. Playing in First Port Ballpark which is a relatively balanced stadium. Owner Cory Zin likes to win and spend money. 
Jerseys: Primary white jerseys with Expo style hats, mixing blue and seafoam green. Basic grey away jerseys. They have an alternate that is head-to-toe seafoam green.
Lineup: (since this is the first season I will be using the traditional 20-80 scouting scale instead of their stats)
C, Armando Garcia, 50, SUS
1B, Mike Harding, 40, CAS
2B, Matt Worden, 45, CAS
3B, Angelo Alonzo, 80, MEX
SS, Mario Hernandez, 45, VEN
LF, Hervé Barthélémy, 50, QUE
CF, Tyler Kilbarger, 75, SUS
RF, Josh Hernandez, 40, CAS
DH, Brad Fenimore, 80, RCK 
Pitchers:
1 Andrew Redepenning, 70, VRG
2 Adam Minke, 70, SUS
3 Bernie Rosado, 65, SUS
4 Dusty Moore, 45, CAS
5 Chris Andrus, 40, CAL
CL Angelo Juarez, 65, DOM 

Overall a fairly balanced approach with 2 aces and 2 great sluggers. However they do appear to lack lineup and bullpen depth which may impact them through the season. OOTP predicts them to finish 85-77 and second in the Pacific Conference. 



Baton Rouge Cajuns. Capital of Louisiana but also one of the smallest markets in the NABF. They hope that their spice can influence their play and bring a powerhouse to the bayou. They play at Cajuns Coliseum which is very slightly hitter friendly for righties but a large outfield wall in right helps keep balls inside. 
Jerseys: Read jerseys with white pants at home, basic grey road jerseys. They also have alternates with an off-white jersey and a yellow hat. They have multiple hats they can wear with their home/away jerseys, from all red, to all white, too yellow trim, as well as the alternate one mentioned.
Lineup: 
C, Casey Parks, 45, CAS
1B, Tony Cummings, 45, LOU
2B, Bobby Pelletier, 50, GL
3B, Jon Arias, 50, DOM
SS, Emilio Rodriguez, 75, PUR
LF, Antonio Garza, 80, DOM
CF, Bob Beals, 50, QUE
RF, Matthew Wagoner, 75, GL
DH, David Ortiz, 40, LOU 
Pitching
1 Ruberto Ticao, 80, VEN
2 Ahmed Mathis, 70, RCK
3 Brent Wilson, 50, NEG
4 Ben Dobert, 35, LOU
5 Masaaki Takahashi, 35, JPN
CL Ken Laubach, 75, VRG 

Similar to Astoria, they are fairly balanced however they sport an amazing bullpen with Rogelio Rodriguez, Jason Walker, and Mike Musick supporting Laubach. They are relatively young as well so I assume that they will be difficult to deal with for years to come. OOTP predictions 78-84, 5th in the Pacific Conference



Cheyenne Buffalo. Possibly the team I am most interested in. Cheyenne is the aeronautics and radio capital of the world due to its prime location. It is also the highest elevated team sitting at nearly 6,000ft above sea level (higher than Denver). Despite this, Rocky Exchange Bank Park is only slightly hitter friendly. Owner, Steven Ybarra hopes to grow a winner team in one of the largest markets in the NABF.
Jerseys: sand-colored primaries with black trim, similarly colored hats and pants. Basic road greys and an all black road jersey and hat.
Lineups: 
C, Eric Titus, 70,GL
1B, Eric Hughes, 50, NEG
2B, Sergio Arias, 50, DOM
3B, Franklin Hernandez, 45, CAL
SS, Mike McClary, 80, TEX
LF, Bobby Clark, 60, NEG
CF, Jim Lammers, 55, RCK
RF, Jedrick Zelasko, 45, POL
DH, Juan Lopez, 40, RCK 
Pitching:
1 Marty Hodge, 65, AUS
2 Jeffrey Simon, 65, DAK
3 Lee Ray, 55, DAK
4 Ismael Nieves, 45, DOM
5 Jesus Ochoa, 45, RCK
CL, Rogelio Victoria, 60, DOM (out for 2 months) 

A lineup mixed with young talent and veterans alike. I’m honestly not sure why the OOTP predicts them last in the Pacific (75-87). Though it could be because their 2 best pitchers are going to be starting the season in the minors. Rafael Santa Cruz and Jose Serrano appear ready to pitch but the team officials must see something different. 



Dakota Eagles. Another team located in the capital of their nation (Bismarck to be specific). Dakota looks to show why the Great Plains Metropolis is the best in baseball. Dakota National Fairgrounds is the largest retractable roof stadium in the NABF currently. Slightly batter favored as well.
Jerseys: White home jerseys with a mix of yellow and green trim, with green hats and yellow numbers (with green trim). Pretty basic grey roads but with green numbers for visibility. They have a special alternate they ware for their Independence Day which is a darker green jersey with yellow wheat-like stripes and gold numbers. 
Lineups: 
C, Scott Vander Ark, 40, DAK
1B, Gregg Gibson, 45, LOU
2B, Larry Adair, 80, ACF (Arctic Circle Federation)
3B, Carlos Ruiz, 55, PUR
SS, Ian Brinley, 75, TEX
LF, Jon Magallanes, 45, RCK
CF, Richard Kriegel, 45, RCK
RF, Scott Purkis, 50, DAK
DH, Wayne Moran, 40, DAK 
Pitching:
1 Felix Hernandez, 80, DOM
2 Ben Denman, 70, FLA
3 Steve Fortman, 55, FLA
4 Adam Harless, 50, GL
5 Steven Crossman, 45, CAL
CL Mike Kohn, 80, CAS

 OOTP predicts them at 90-72, which to me seems way too high. Yes they are comparable to the other Pacific teams, but they have only 4 bullpen arms, the rest of their team is a bunch of below-average hitters to help at the weaker positions. Unless I am crazy I don't see them breaking 90 wins



Eureka Redwoods. Originally I wanted to call them the Giants but SF exists. Either way they are settled in one of the largest ports in the California Republic, surrounded by one of the largest natural redwood forests in the world. One of the few pitcher friendly parks in the Pacific. Despite being in one of the larger markets their owner, Stephen Huckabee, seems more into making a profit than winning. 
Jerseys: white jerseys without much design, besides a thick burgundy stripe that goes down the side onto the pants. Their greys are slightly darker than normal and have burgundy numbers. Their hats are burgundy and a black-ish-grey brim. Their alternate is a burgundy jersey with white numbers and black pants.
Lineups:
C, Ernie Chavez, 45, DOM
1B, Mel Velez, 55, GUA
2B, Fernando Criado, 65, CAL
3B, Bobby Tippett, 45, CAL
SS, Fernando Solis, 50, DOM
LF, Nigel Cowell, 55, AUS
CF, Kevin Meyer, 60, RCK
RF, Rhett Aberle, 45, CAL
DH, Angel Rojas, 50, PUR 
Pitching:
1 Raul Crespo, 55, PUR
2 Jay Bloodworth, 40, NEG
3 Alfredo Valencia, 20, DOM
4 Ian Strauss, 40, SUS
5 Cheng-gong Bu, 50, TPE
CL David Pugh, 60, DAK 

Overall pretty underwhelming though much of that has to do with their 3 best pitchers (Justin Loeser, Damian Cresswell, and Josh Newcomer) all coming down with injuries prior to the season starting. Depending on how severe their injuries are will determine how good the Redwoods will be this year (though I still doubt they would be above .500 even with all 3)



Galveston Launch. The last team in the Pacific and one with possibly the most upside with #1 prospect Katsumi Canio, a Japanese-Brazilian contact-speed outfielder looking to potentially make a splash towards the end of the season which would create possibly the best outfields in the NABF. Galveston also plays in a hitter friendly ballpark, though paired with one of the scrooge-yest owners in the league. 
Jerseys: Yellow home jersey and hat, with white pants. Away jersey is a basic grey but has some dark blue accents rather than yellow. Alternate jersey is a Texas Republic jersey which is white with a red hem-stripe and hat, with blue pants.
Lineups:
C, Simon Krug, 45, GER
1B David Moran, 50, TEX
2B, D.W. Manning, 40, GRG (Georgia)
3B, Dave Rhein, 50, GL
SS, Ryan Irvin, 45, TEX
LF, Paul Butler, 60, RCK
CF, Dan Britton, 50, SUS
RF, Jake Herold, 70, CAL
DH, Philippe Thomas, 50, QUE 
Pitching
1 Juan Solis, 55, RCK
2 Walker Green, 50, GRG
3 Juan Manjarrez, 40, TEX
4 Antonio Castillo, 30, CUB
5 Aaron Chambers, 25, SUS
CL Kyle McMurphy, 70, RCK 

Overall they have one of the better offenses in the league, and that's not counting players on their reserve roster who could all be starters on other teams (Katsumi Canio, Ian Mosher, Jose Orozco, Avery Gibson). However, it's the pitching that may struggle against the highly balanced teams within the Pacific. Personally I believe they will make an interesting case for 2nd place along with Astoria and Baton Rouge while Dakota will most likely take the top spot in the Pacific. 

Now for the Atlantic Conference teams


Chesapeake Admirals, situated in the large Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Chesapeake Metropolis which now hosts the capital of Virginia ever since the War of the Delaware razed down Richmond. The Admirals have some of the deepest pockets and deepest outfields in the NABF. Due to this they intend to overwhelm teams with their standout pitching rotation.
Jerseys: greenish/blue homes with a white chest stripe, reminiscent of Montreal Canadiens or Denver Grizzlies jerseys, with a sweeping "Chesapeake" wordmark in the stripe. With a similarly colored hat to go with. Relatively basic gray road uniforms.
Lineup:
C, Alex Respighi, 40, VEN (only catcher in entire organization)
1B, Ray Tolbert, 60, CAS
2B, Jose Montes De Oca, 55, CAL
3B, Brian Sky, 45, VRG
SS, Dave Gonzales, 55, PUR
LF, David Westland, 45, CAS
CF, Gary Urbanczyk, 75, SUS
RF, Tom Mackey, 55, GL
DH, Danny Hill, 45, SUS 
Pitching:
1 Roberto Gomez, 65, TEX
2 Brian Van Winkle, 55, TEX
3 Matt Richardson, 55, SUS
4 Julio Sanchez, 45, DOM
5 Nathaniel Dawson, 45, AUS
CL Jason Seals, 55,VRG 

Easily the most thorough pitching rotation and a lineup that is not half bad. Gary Urbanczyk at age 23 looks to be an easy MVP candidate at seasons end. OOTP predicts only 83-79 but I see them making a run at the Atlantic Crown. 
​


Florida Flamingos. I was going to mention something about “Florida Man” however this team took such a weird approach to team building. Instead of easily padding out depth, Florida instead features 5 primary Catchers and 4 primary 1st Basemen, each other position only hosts 1 at each. Despite that, I wouldn't call either of those positions strong for them. Also unlike what would make sense, their primary color is orange with pink left as a secondary. They are located in Tallahassee. Despite the capital being in Kissimmee, there are 3 cities larger than it in Florida: Tallahassee, Daytona, and Naples.
Jerseys: Primary orange jersey with orange hat and white pants. Road is fairly basic. They also feature 2 alternates, 1 is a white jersey which is used more as a clash or just whenever. The other is an all pink and black uniform used for occasional home games. 
Lineup:
C, David Tyson, 40, FLA
1B, Dan Sabella, 45, GRG
2B, Justin Adler, 50, QUE
3B, Chris Shepherd, 65, GL
SS, Jerome Shackelford, 35, FLA
LF, Doug Wasielewski, 45, CAS
CF, Jesse Haskins, 50, CAL
RF, Oscar Morales, 55, PUR
DH, Ashton Smith, 45, GRG 
Pitching: 
1 Ross Whitehead, 60, MRT
2 Alejandro Escarcega, 55, DOM
3 Jose Orozco, 40, DOM
4 Joel Acrsio, 45, VEN
5 Craig LeBlanc, 40, FLA
CL Ryan Sumner, 60, GRG 

OOTP has them losing 100+ games this season, the only team predicted to lose more than 87… I can see why. They have some decent prospects, mostly 1B Tyler Hammerich, so I assume they are entering the inaugural season looking to build from scratch for future seasons, definitely not what I expected a Florida team to do. 



Germantown Pretzels. The capital of the Susquehanna and one of the largest cities in the NABF. They also feature the most hitter friendly park in the league. Along with the most average owner, hopefully that is enough to capture some league titles. 
Jerseys: Basic whites and greys, with green hats with black trim. Their alternates are an off-white with green pinstriped vest over a black shirt. Goes along with an off-white hat with black trim.
Lineups: 
C, Keith Lopes, 50, CAL
1B, Oscar Fandino, 45, NEG
2B, David Millan, 50, MEX
3B, Jorge Martinez, 50, DOM
SS, Bobby Russell, 35, SUS
LF, George Powers, 65, QUE
CF, Ron Young, 50, DAK
RF, Sam Boyd, 45, GL
DH, Jesse Lund, 40, SUS 
Pitching:
1 Jose Lopez, 60, CAL
2 Rich Lowder, 50, HAW
3 Josh Dorshorst, 45, SUS
4 Doug McFarland, 45, DAK
5 Eddie Melanson, 40, CAL
CL Anton Latorre, 80, DOM 

Germantown picked last in the inaugural draft and that clearly impacted their picks. It appears they went for pitching depth and quick prospects to help out in seasons 2 and 3 rather than 1. RHP Jeremy Phillips, SUS, appears to become a future ace as well as SS, Ben Cintron from California both rank in the top 5 NABF prospects and will both have some starts sprinkled throughout this first season



Huron Gryphons. Situated in the combined metro of Port Huron and Sarnia sits the team named after the first ship to sail on the Great Lakes. Along with owner Jamari Simmons who is up for one of the largest wallets in the NABF. Duryea Motors Field is also slightly batter favored, just like the majority of the NABF stadiums. 
Jerseys: White vests with blue numbers and word-font, but appearing on the lower-right front of the jerseys is an almost gold-yellow number (akin to the Dodgers). Road greys emulate the same. Hats are blue. No alternate at the moment.
Lineups:
C, Kevin Magid, 45, RCK
1B, Bill Miller, 45, LOU
2B, Alexis Hernandez, 55, CUB
3B, Rio Carr, 50, NEG
SS Tom Phelan, 55, QUE
LF, Trevor Reardon, 65, DAK
CF, Robby Roberto, 50, TEX
RF, Ray Toth, 45, HAW
DH, Neal Sharman, 35, GL 
Pitching:
1 Mario Olmedo, 80, RCK (1st overall pick in the inaugural draft)
2 Jake Hale, 60, CAL
3 Francisco Chavez, 45, VRG
4 Beau Schulte, 40, CAS
5 Todd Luquette, 45, CAL
CL Jake Pawlowski, 75, CAL 

While only having 2 above-average starters, Huron bolsters one of the best bullpens and youth of any team. OOTP Predictions have them in the huge fight for 2nd place in the Atlantic. While i don’t see them quite up there yet, they definitely have a case for a bright future



Plymouth Pilgrims. The birthplace of New England. The Pilgrims begin with one of the most ravenous fanbases in the league, mostly due to their soccer and football success which they hope bleeds into baseball. They also look to end the curse of New England teams having massive droughts in every simulation (96 years, and 60+ for my main 2). Their stadium, Inaugural Grounds is also quite unique, it features the nearest left and right field poles coupled with a further than average CF. But large walls that begin at the poles which then thin out towards center leaving it to be a fairly balanced park.
Jerseys: As cursed as it may be, they wear red pinstripes on their home whites. They also wear what I like to call "dirty pinstripes" on the road, with dark blue pinstripes on grey. Both uniforms come with a blue hat. Their alternate is a white vest that features both "PLYMOUTH" and "PILGRIMS" wordmarks on it, along with a red hat.
Lineup: 
C, William Roehm, 35, NEG
1B, Edwin Reyes, 45, CUB
2B, Juan Garcia, 50, VEN
3B, David Young, 50, GL
SS, Luis Rico, 45, VEN
LF, Nick Parsons, 60, LOU
CF, Tom Paddock, 65, CAS
RF, Callum Blake, 45, AUS
DH, Brent Gomer, 50, NEG 
Pitching:
1 Vince Benbow, 70, AUS
2 Matt Mauck, 50, TEX
3 Juan Donate, 45, MEX
4 William Robertson, 45, NEG (oldest player in NABF at 42 years old)
5 Mike Adams, 35, NEG
CL Nick Hartle, 75, DAK 

Honestly, I see them as easily the second worst team in the league (behind only Florida), yet OOTP has them in the 2nd place fight. The Atlantic is shaping out to be much more chaotic than the Pacific this season



Trois Rivières Harfang. The capital of Quebec and named after the national bird (well sort of, technically it's “Harfang des neiges” but that is too long so I shortened it to Harfang which technically still means owl, but French has like 10 names for owls apparently). Either way, Trois features one of the few stadiums which heavily favors one side of the plate, this being lefties while righties tend to struggle. Quebec got hit the hardest by the weird way i had to generate players and have the least out of the starting nations, despite this they are seen as one of the favorites. 
Jerseys: basically exactly as you'd expect a Quebec team to wear. White with bright blue hat and accents. Their road jerseys are a more powder-y blue with white and black accents. It's hard to see, but they have small sublimated fleur-de-lis patterns hidden in their fabric along the jersey striping. They also have a Quebec specialty jersey which features a slightly darker blue with a fleur-de-lis on the bottom-left front of the jersey.
Lineups: 
C, Brian Warner, 45, FLA
1B, Kyle Thompson, 70, CAL (OOTP predicts him to hit 56HRs with the short porch in right)
2B, Valentin Martinez, 35, QUE
3B, Andy Rico, 55, VEN
SS, Jason Martin, 50, SUS
LF, Nelson Ruiz, 60, CUB
CF, Raul Arancibia, 50, TEX
RF, Franklin Boucher, 45, QUE
DH, Michael Lahaye, 45, QUE 
Pitching:
1 Steve Francen, 60, RCK
2 Leon Lopez, 60, PUR
3 Danny Avila, 50, COL
4 Omar Saldana, 45, VEN
5 Jesse Conway, 45, QUE
CL, Ryan Nixon, 60, CAS

With the most balanced rotation, and a monster bullpen featuring Graham Lawlor, Melvin Perez, Johan Mathiue, and Jaylin Wallace all graded at 55s, plus an average offense that is bolstered by the MVP favorite Kyle Thompson, it’s safe to say i understand why OOTP seems to favor Trois as the winners of the Atlantic. 

The full 2101 OOTP pre-season predictions:
Pacific Conference:
1 Dakota Eagles 90-72
2 Astoria Osprey 85-77
3 Galveston Launch 85-78
4 Eureka Redwoods 82-80
5 Baton Rouge Cajuns 78-84
6 Cheyenne Buffalo 75-87 

Atlantic Conference
1 Trois Rivières Harfang 95-67
2 Huron Gryphons 87-75
3 Plymouth Pilgrims 87-75
4 Chesapeake Admirals 83-79
5 Germantown Pretzels 75-87
6 Florida Flamingos 54-108 

Last edited by BDoof (1/20/2024 12:50 am)

Pacific Conference Championship Series
 vs 
Dakota has had an outstanding year, leading in pretty much every pitching category, but have struggled offensively, with no players hitting over .800OBS. Their 3rd starter, Steve Fortman (12-9, 3.14ERA) will also be out for this series, but may be able to play in the finals. Cheyenne has had one roller coaster of a season, with major and minor injuries to almost every player. However, they are mostly healthy in time for this series (only major injury being reliever Christian Love). Cheyenne is second in most pitching categories, but bolster one of the fastest and contact-est (is that a word?) offenses in the league. But don’t have a single hitter with over 20 home runs. I’m expecting a major pitching duel this series. 
Game 1:
CHY 2
DAK 3 

Game 2:
CHY 8
DAK 7 (3B C. Ruiz hit 2 home runs in the loss)

Game 3:
DAK 4
CHY 5

Game 4:
DAK 2
CHY 5 (Bobby Clark had 4RBI)

Game 5:
DAK 6 (Felix Hernandez 10 strikeout 2-hit complete game)
CHY 0

Game 6
CHY 4
DAK 3

Cheyenne takes a 4-2 series that felt way closer. With 4 games decided by 1 run. Series MVP goes to Bobby Clark who hit .417, scored 5 runs and 4RBIs. 


Atlantic Conference Championship Series
 vs 
The Hardang might be the best all-round team left in the playoffs, but are missing potential league MVP Kyle Thompson. The hole left by Thompson is especially felt as he had well more than double the home runs as their next highest (54 compared to 21). However, they have 4 starters with an ERA in the 3s, along with one of the best set-up/closer pairings with Graham Lawlor and Melvin Perez with closer Ryan Nixon. Only potentially beat by Germantown’s own bullpen with too many players to name, headlined mostly by Anton Latorre with his 18.3K/9 and 2nd highest WAR in the league. Batting wise, the Pretzels have a lot more pop and depth, leading in every offensive category, but struggle with contact as no one is hitting over .300. This series will most likely come down to whoever can score first as they will have the advantage in the bullpen battle.
Game 1:
TR 1
GER 8

Game 2:
TR 1 
GER 2 (10th inning, walk-off double by Dave Millan who was knocked in to tie it in the 9th)

Game 3:
GER 8
TR 2

Game 4:
GER 1
TR 6

Game 5: 
GER 3
TR 2

Pretzels take the series in a relatively easy gentleman sweep. C Keith Lopes took series MVP hitting .450, 2 homers, and 6 RBI. 



2101 NABF Championship Series
 vs 
During the regular season, Cheyenne won 8-7. During the last series, Germantown’s pitcher, Jose Lopez, reaggravated a knee injury and will keep him out of the finals. He didn’t pitch enough to qualify but would be leading the team in ERA and is considered one of their best starters. Personally, not sure if their rotation will be enough to match Cheyenne’s offense.

Game 1:
CHY 8
GER 6
A 5 run 3rd inning gave Cheyenne a lead they would never relinquish. C Eric Titus would go 4-6 with 2 doubles to continue his great postseason. 

Game 2:
CHY 2
GER 3
The Pretzels played small ball and after giving the ball to Latorre in the 8th, would only allow 1 baserunner for the rest of the game. 

Game 3: 
GER 2
CHY 0
A classic pitching duel between Lee Ray and Eddie Melanson, both would only surrender 4 hits. Ray just happened to surrender them all in the same inning. 

Game 4:
GER 3
CHY 5
Cheyenne’s rotation depth helped them out as Germantown’s 4th just couldn’t compare. Serrano got his 6th save of the playoffs.

Game 5:
GER 5
CHY 0
After a solo home run by Oscar Fandino in the first inning, Germantown looked to have control. However, in the 4th, Pretzel pitcher, Rich Lowder would come down with an injury and be replaced by Philip Auricchio, for the next 4.2 innings, only 1 Buffalo would get on base as he and Latorre shut them down. 

Game 6:
CHY 2
GER 0
Rafael Santa Cruz would throw a 3 hit gem, in order to force a Game 7 in the first ever Championship Series. 

Game 7 would see Cheyenne’s ace Lee Ray put against a rough and banged up Eddie Melanson, the 35 year-old has been dealing with the flu for the last few games, but would be penciled in to start regardless. Melanson would do his best, giving up 3 runs through 5 before manager John Lebeavois would take him out for Benjamin Platt, who despite being a top reliever in the regular season has had an ERA north of 5 in the post-season. Unsurprisingly, Platt would give up 3 in 2 innings before switching to Herbert before Latorre. Though, it likely wouldn’t have mattered as Lee Ray pitched a complete game, giving up only 1 run. Series MVP would go to C Eric Titus, who hit .300 with a home run and 3 doubles in the last 2 games, leading Cheyenne to be the first ever NABF Champions.
CHY 6
GER 1 

Last edited by BDoof (1/16/2024 3:17 pm)

With the inaugural season out the way and clear paths that each team is taking allows for the always interesting sophomore season. 


Starting, as always, with the Pacific Conference

last season 83-79, 5th in the Pacific
8th ranked farm system (SS Kevin Jones #20, 3B Adam Moore #37, RHP Kazue Tojo #42)
Payroll $1,866,192 - 3rd
Lineups and Pitching

C Armando Garcia, Susquehanna, .236/.295/.306, 60OPS+ (last seasons stats and awards)
1B Mike Harding, Cascadia, .195/.288/.341, 66OPS+ in 86 games 
2B Juan Garcia, Venezuela, .221/.333/.265, 71OPS+ in 33 games with Plymouth
3B Angelo Alonzo, Mexico, .293/.381/.446, 118OPS+
SS Kevin Jones, The Dakotas, no stats, #6 overall draft pick last year
LF Doug Wasielewski, Cascadia, .208/.268/.302, 59OPS+, Deshayes award with Florida
CF Tyler Kilbarger, Susquehanna, .305/.362/.469, 118OPS+, won Frey award 
RF Alex Estrada, Mexico, .347/.407/.612, only 19 games
DH Brad Fenimore, Rocky Mountains, .271/.378/.558 43HRs

1 Andrew Redepenning, Virginia, 16-8, 3.47ERA, 124ERA+
2 Bernie Rosado, Susquehanna, 17-8, 3.58ERA, 120ERA+
3 Beau Schulte, Cascadia, 5-13, 4.86ERA, 86ERA+ with Huron
4 Dusty Moore, Cascadia, 3-13, 5.83ERA, 74ERA+
5 sh-t Otani, Cascadia, 6.74ERA in 26.2 innings
CL - Angelo Juarez, Dominican Republic, 32Saves, 3.87ERA
Other bullpen arms of note: Rogelio Rodriguez, Bill Van Auken, Nick Ashley, Rogelio Victoria

Overall, they are a solidly above average team. They saw what Dakota and Germantown could do with a bullpen and completely overhauled it. However, they still have almost no offensive depth. I agree with OOTP and think they will be an above .500 team but not much of a playoff threat. 

last season 77-85, 6th in the Pacific
5th ranked farm system (CF Ben Black #6, RHP Daniel Ojeda #10, LHP Jim Vogel #24)
Payroll $1,474,856 - 10th
Lineups and Pitching

C Kevin Edwards, Georgia, no stats, rookie season
1B Jose Pineda, Louisiana, no stats, rookie season
2B Emilio Rodriguez, Puerto Rico, .271/.394/.442, 122OPS+ in 90 games
3B Jon Arias, Dominican Republic, .275/.335/.461, 20HRs
SS Philip Fievet, Quebec, .194/.281/.259, defensive keystone
LF Dave Chatwin, Maritimes, .247/.314/.441 only 31 games
CF Mark Chapman, Quebec, .265/.311/.371 18SBs
RF Matthew Wagoner, Great Lakes, .266/.335/.508 34HRs, 121OPS+ 
DH Bill Miller, Louisiana, .198/.309/.344, 17HRs with Huron

1 Ruberto Ticao, Venezuela, 15-12, 3.53ERA, 7.9WAR
2 Joel Acrsio, Venezuela, 7-22, 5.02ERA (torn UCL, out entire season)
3 Ahmed Mathis, Rocky Mountains, 6-11, 4.94ERA (torn UCL, will miss first month)
4 Ryan Sumner, Georgia, 4.91ERA in 22 innings in Florida
5 Jason Skelly, Cascadia, no stats, rookie season
CL - Ken Laubach, Virginia, 36Saves, 1.89ERA, 227ERA+
Other bullpen arms of note: Graham Lawlor, Alex Schepers, Jason Walker)

Baton Rouge is… well unfortunate. Along with Acrsio and Mathis, bullpen arms Mike Musick, Nick Flynn, and Jim Vogel will all miss significant time. That bullpen though, Laubach, Lawlor, Schepers, Walker, and Musick combined for a sub 2.50 ERA… but with only Ticao being above league-average for a starter means pitching will be a struggle all season. Especially with their relatively weak offense. Wagoner and Laubach both have 2 seasons before they reach free agency, it may be in their best interest to trade both of them for prospects. While I expect them to be bad… I don’t know what crack OOTP is snorting to think they will only win 12 games. 

last season 88-75, 2nd in Pacific and won the NABF Championship
11th ranked farm system (2B Dan Harbin #16, RHP Warren Bourdon #22, C Armando Munoz #67)
Payroll $1,648,776 - 6th
Lineups and Pitching

C Eric Titus, Great Lakes, .316/.377/.483, 127OPS+, won Frey award
1B Bobby Clark, New England, .317/.386/.454, 122OPS+ (out for first month with thumb injury)
2B Dan Harbin, New England, no stats, rookie season
3B Tim Norris, Rocky Mountains, .180/.291/.192, in 66 games
SS Mike McClary, Texas, .354/.435/.500, led league in hits. Won Frey award, 2nd in Hernandez, and 3rd in Baxter
LF Ken Jones, Rocky Mountains, .174/.307/.210, in 58 games
CF Kevin Meyer, Rocky Mountains, .293/.385/.461, 53SBs, with Eureka
RF Richard Kriegel, Rocky Mountains, .237/.328/.381, 88OPS+ with Dakota
DH Jedrick Zelasko, Poland, .245/.334/.375, 88OPS+

1 Rafael Santa Cruz, Florida, 9-6, 3.04ERA, 142ERA+
2 Marty Hodge, Australia, 14-11, 3.65ERA, 180Ks
3 Steve Francen, Rocky Mountains, 14-12, 3.61ERA, 117ERA+ with Trois Rivieres
4 Jose Serrano, Dominican Republic, 25Saves, 2.60ERA
5 Jeffrey Simon, The Dakotas, 15-11, 3.83ERA, 0.2HR/9s
CL - Ben Nickel, Rocky Mountains, 12-13, 4.58ERA with Huron

Essentially the same team, CF Keyer replaces Lammers and SP Francen replaces Lee Ray. A full year of Santa Cruz and Serrano should make the scariest rotation in baseball. Only downsides are their lack of power (Sergio Arias led the team with 18, and he is no longer on the team) and their below average bullpen. I wouldn’t be surprised if they put Serrano back as their closer after a few months. 

last season 94-68, 1st in the Pacific, lost to Cheyenne in the Conference Series
10th ranked farm system (CF Ryan Leonard #21, RHP Yen-nien Szema #26, CF Ivan Najera #41)
Payroll $1,945,216 - 1st
Lineup and Pitching

C Scott Vander Ark, The Dakotas, .302/.374/.410, in 86 games
1B Greg Gibson, Louisiana, .239/.347/.402, 98OPS+
2B Larry Adair, Arctic Circle, .311/.405/.389, 38SBs (will miss first month due to thumb injury)
3B Ji-hu Seol, California, .232/.336/.358, in 40 games with Eureka
SS Ian Brinley, Texas, .265/.350/.403, 4.0WAR
LF Jon Magallanes, Rocky Mountains, .289/.349/.420, 103OPS+ won Deshayes award
CF Ron Young, The Dakotas, .252/.310/.386, 97OPS+ with Germantown
RF Scott Purkis, The Dakotas, .274/.334/.393, 92OPS+
DH Trevor Reardon, The Dakotas, .293/.403/.460, 71SBs, 143OPS+ with Huron

1 Felix Hernandez, Dominican Republic, 19-5, 2.34ERA, 270Ks, 184ERA+ won Taylor award
2 Ben Denman, Florida, 18-9, 2.52ERA, 171ERA+, 2nd in Taylor award, won Deshayes
3 Adam Harless, Great Lakes, 12-13, 4.62ERA
4 Lance Ragas, The Dakotas, 8-15, 4.19ERA with Plymouth
5 Craig Lablanc, Florida, 6-15, 6.06ERA with Florida
CL - David Pugh, The Dakotas, 41Saves, 2.38ERA won Gervais award with Eureka
Other notable bullpen arms: Mike Kohn, Joel Martin

After finishing best in the Pacific, they continue to be heavy favorites. With the addition of Reardon, their average offense should finally have enough to threaten any team. Pugh and Kohn make a potent 1-2 at the end of games that should save them from the weak end of their rotation. Barring major injuries, I see them appearing in the Conference Series again. 

last season 84-78, 4th in Pacific
2nd ranked farm system (RHP Tillman Tamayo #4, 2B Cor John #12, RHP Trent Pullin #13, LHP Justin Loeser #25)
Payroll $1,758,689 - 5th
Lineup and Pitching

C Gilbert Cove, The Dakotas, .269/.361/.331, in 52 games with Dakota
1B Mel Velez, Guatemala, .295/.373/.479, 26HRs
2B Jorge Rodriguez, Dominican Republic, played 1 game last season
3B Bobby Tippett, California, .201/.307/.397, 23HRs won Deshayes award
SS Fernando Solis, Dominican Republic, .261/.353/.414, 103OPS+
LF Antonio Garza, Dominican Republic, .300/.404/.634, 54HRs, 141RBIs won Frey award with Baton Rouge
CF Bob Beals, Quebec, .236/.316/.343, 23SBs with Baton Rouge
RF J.D. Linde, Louisiana, .276/.356/.433, 24SBs 109OPS+
DH Ritter Ammann, Susquehanna, .314/.374/.449, 117OPS+ with Astoria

1 Raul Crespo, Puerto Rico, 5-4 3.05ERA, only started 12 games due to injury
2 Jake Hale, California, 15-10, 3.72ERA, 137Ks with Huron
3 Ian Strauss, Susquehanna, 12-9, 5.55ERA
4 Steven Crossman, California, 16-6, 4.68ERA with Dakota
5 Eddie Melanson, California, 18-4, 3.39ERA with Germantown
CL - Cheng-gong Bu, Taiwan, 2Saves, 3.72ERA, 116ERA+
Other notable bullpen arms: Christian Love and Mel Leiva

Despite losing almost all their main talent, Eureka ended up building a solid core and a solid farm system. I don’t think they can challenge Dakota and Cheyenne, but with that farm system they will be ready shortly.

last season 87-76, 3rd in Pacific (lost game 163 to Cheyenne)
1st ranked farm system (LHP Paolo Barreau #1, LHP Bobby Crocitto #5, 3B Jose Orozco #8)
Payroll $1,597,032 - 7th
Lineups and Pitching

C Justin Harris, Texas, .270/.352/.365 in 46 games
1B Dave Rhein, Great Lakes, .255/.376/.393, won Frey award at third base
2B Bryce Cleveland, Texas, .292/.370/.349 in 40 games
3B Conor Rosenzeig, Texas, .273/.377/.429, 114OPS+ in 76 games
SS Ryan Irvin, Texas, .208/.294/.330, 66OPS+ but won Deshayes and Hernandez for defensive skill
LF Paul Butler, Rocky Mountain, .276/.361/.505, 31HRs
CF Katsumi Canio, Japan/Brazil, .313/.339/.451, 32SBs won Deshayes and the Castaneda
RF Jake Herold, California, .308/.392/.650, 53HRs, 172OPS+ won the Willie Baxter award
DH David Moran, Texas, .340/.419/.568, 53Doubles, 160OPS+ won Frey award at 1st

1 Walker Green, Georgia, 8-6, 3.51ERA (torn UCL, out 5 months)
2 Johnny Martinez, Texas, 4-2, 2.90ERA in 83 innings (torn flexor tendon, out 2 months)
3 Juan Manjarrez, Texas, 16-15, 4.30ERA
4 Jason Seals, Virginia, 3.15ERA in 74 innings with Chesapeake
5 Jeremy Kiely, Susquehanna, no stats, rookie season
CL - Kyle McMurphy, Rocky Mountains, 32Saves, 2.51ERA

Overview, the Boomsquad is back, with easily the most potent offense in the league. Even without Krug and Manning (who are still FAs somehow) they look to impose their offense. Naturally, their pitching is quite weak, especially since their 2 top arms are injured and their bullpen is also having issues. They might have to look for a trade in order to compete (maybe Ticao or one of Baton Rouge’s many bullpen arms?)

 


Now for the Atlantic Conference
last season 68-94, 5th in the Atlantic
6th ranked farm system (RHP Matt Frizzell #3, RHP Geoff Bolen #18, CF Charlie Symmonds #36)
Payroll $1,923,080 - 2nd
Lineup and Pitching

C Alex Respighi, Venezuela, .109/.153/.121, 296Ks, -22OPS+
1B Ray Tolbert, Cascadia, .292/.452/.473, 128BBs, won Deshayes award
2B Chris Conway, Virginia, .312/.364/.484 in 50 games
3B Brian Sky, Virginia, .230/.326/.329, 84OPS+
SS Dusty Hopp, Georgia, no stats, rookie season
LF David Westland, Cascadia, .3128.403/.460, 142OPS+
CF Gary Urbanczyk, Susquehanna, .248/.353/.510, 140OPS+ in 78 games, won Deshayes award
RF Tom Mackey, Great Lakers, .328/.389/.576, 22HRs in 108 games. Won Frey award
DH Randy Golden, Virginia, .237/.315/.367 91OPS+

1 Lee Ray, The Dakotas, 18-10, 2.76ERA, 7.4WAR with Cheyenne
2 Roberto Gomez, Texas, 10-15, 4.56ERA
3 Brian Van Winkle, Texas, 12-16, 4.51ERA, won Deshayes award
4 Matt Richardson, Susquehanna, 12-15, 4.55ERA
5 Danny Loyola, Dominican Republic, no stats, rookie season
CL - Josh Burford, Susquehanna, 24Saves, 3.44ERA

After a devastatingly disappointing season (mostly due to injuries and overworking C Respighi), the Admirals look to rewrite the ship with ace Lee Ray, with a healthy season their lineup could be the best in the Atlantic… but staying healthy is the hard part.

57-105, last in the Atlantic
4th ranked farm system (RHP Steven Dorsey #2, LHP Mario Anguiano #11, RHP Harold Sykes, #19) (also last year's #3, Tyler Hammerich, only played 2 games but isn’t considered a prospect anymore but should be)
Payroll $1,353,585 - 12th
Lineups and Pitching

C David Tyson, Florida, .251/.343/.325, 2.3WAR won Deshayes award
1B Jose Aragon, Mexico, .238/.284/.381 in 24 games with Baton Rouge
2B Juan Torres, Florida, .308/.357.394, won Frey award with Plymouth
3B Chris Shepherd, Great Lakes, .288/.404/.447, 138OPS+, won Frey award
SS Luis Rico, Venezuela, .202/.280/.291, great defense, with Plymouth
LF Jesse Haskins, California, .237/.334/.381 100OPS+
CF Jerome Shackelford, Florida, .223/.311/.321 2nd in Castaneda
RF Oscar Morales, Puerto Rico, .269/.362/.464m 130OPS+
DH Tyler Hammerich, Florida, only 3 at-bats last season

1 Steve Fortman, Florida, 12-9, 3.14ERA, 137ERA+ with Dakota
2 Alejandro Escarcega, Dominican Republic, 9-18, 4.22ERA, 1.4BB/9 (led conference)
3 Jose Orozco, Dominican Republic, 13-18, 4.80ERA
4 Omar Saldana, Venezuela, 13-10, 5.00ERA with Trois Rivieres
5 Luke Rush, New England, no stats, rookie season
CL - Mike Hilger, 20Saves, 1.19ERA, 356ERA+
Other notable bullpen arms: Steven Dorsey, was the #1 Overall draft pick last year

If everything comes together this year, they could be great. But that likely won’t happen, but they shouldn’t lose 105 games this year at least. 

last season 91-71, first in Atlantic (lost NABF Championship Series)
12th ranked farm system (RF Peter Keith #28, RHP Jeremy Phillips #39)
Payroll $1,485,120 - 9th
Lineup and Pitching 

C Keith Lopes, California, .298/.346/.479, 133OPS+ won Frey award
1B Bobby Russell, Susquehanna, .250/.351/.413, 117OPS+
2B Brent Gomer, New England, .236/.321/.305, 78OPS+ with Plymouth
3B Daniel Burks, Susquehanna, no stats, rookie season
SS Ben Cintron, California, .241/.305/.362, 32SBs won Castaneda award
LF George Powers, Quebec, .293/.426/.524, 31HRs, 169OPS+ won Frey award
CF Lance Carter, Susquehanna, less than a dozen at–bats with Eureka
RF Sam Boyd, Great Lakes, .272/.357/.450, 129OPS+ won Deshayes award
DH Oscar Fandino, New England, .272/.330/.475, 38Doubles, won Frey award

1 Adam Minke, Susquehanna, 16-9, 3.16ERA, 1.09WHIP, 7.2WAR with Astoria
2 Jose Lopez, California, 5-2, 2.52ERA in 64 innings
3 Rich Lowder, Hawaii, 7-0, 3.67ERA, in injury shortened season
4 Jaivin Cano, Louisiana, 10-6, 4.97ERA with Baton Rouge
5 Josh Dorshorst, Susquehanna, 12-12, 5.05ERA
CL - Anton Latorre, Dominican Republic, 37Saves, 1.47ERA, 18.3K/9, won Gervais and 2nd in Taylor award
Other notable bullpen arms: Benjamin Platt, Melvin Perez, Philip Auricchio

For the second time, OOTP thinks very low of the Pretzels, honestly, with the addition of Minke I see them being able to win the Atlantic again this year. Their only weakness is contact, but they make up for it with baserunning and on-base. Maybe I’m just biased as they are my home-town team.

last season 78-84, 4th in Atlantic
9th ranked farm system (CF Melvin Navarrete #7, RHP Ivan Ramirez #30, RF Bob Heath #31)
Payroll $1,852,052 - 4th
Lineups and Pitching

C Kevin Magid, Rocky Mountains, .230/.317/.341
1B Tony Cummings, Louisiana, .235/.331/.389, won Deshayes award
2B Fernando Criado, California, .287/.372/.516, 33HRs won Frey and Deshayes awards with Eureka
3B Rio Carr, New England, .241/.326/.342, won Deshayes award
SS Tom Phelan, Quebec, .343/.403/.453, 142OPS+ won Frey award
LF Alexis Hernandez, Cuba, .275/.347/.366, 17SBs
CF Robby Roberto, Texas, .228/.305/.384, great defender
RF Ray Toth, Hawaii, .240/.342/.386
DH Oscar Diaz, Dominican Republic, .233/.327/.321 with Dakota

1 Mario Olmedo, Rocky Mountains, 13-4, 2.53ERA, 1.08WHIP
2 Jaylin Wallace, Great Lakes, 14-8, 3.22ERA, 131ERA+ with Trois Rivieres
3 Josh Newcomer, Great Lakes, missed last season due to injury (with Eureka)
4 Todd Luquette, California, 9-12, 4.10ERA, 
5 John Howard, Rocky Mountains, no stats, rookie season
CL - Jake Pawlowski, California, 32Saves, 1.36ERA, 309ERA+
Other notable bullpen arms: Mike Anderson and Oscar Torrez

The 2102 Huron Gryphons are a mystery, just like Josh Newcomer. Last year they did poorly despite being a great team on paper. Regardless of this season's outcome, they need to resign Pawlowski and Phelan who have 1 and 2 years of arbitration left respectively. With Olmedo and Wallace near the end of their careers, this could be their last chance for a while.

last season 79-83, 3rd in Atlantic Conference
3rd ranked farm system (2B Matt Bentz #9, CF Gustavo Espinoza #14, LF Matunde Simai #15, 1B Jonathon Padilla #23)
Payroll $1,365,360 - 11th
Lineups and Pitching

C Philip Cordrey, Great Lakes, .262/.336/.408 in 61 games
1B Eric Hughes, New England, .222/.338/.337 with Cheyenne
2B David Millan, Mexico, .211/.257/.324, won Deshayes and Hernandez with Germantown
3B Fabrice Jean, Quebec, .225/.336/.325, in 46 games with Trois Rivieres
SS Alex Perez, Dominican Republic, only 2 games with Galveston
LF Nick Parsons, Louisiana, .320/.426/.488, 158OPS+
CF Tom Paddock, Cascadia, .334/.417/.496, 37SBs, 157OPS+ won Frey award
RF William Barberena, New England, no stats, rookie season (undrafted)
DH Clive Ward, New England, .226/.288/.395 in 78 games 

1 Vince Benbow, Australia, 21-8, 2.25ERA, 212Ks, 9.5WAR, won Matt Taylor award
2 Matt Mauck, Texas, 14-11, 2.84ERA, 211Ks, 3rd in Taylor voting
3 Jay Bloodworth, New England, 6-5, 4.48ERA in 88 innings with Eureka
4 Juan Donate, Mexico, 10-18, 5.54ERA
5 Matt Prunier, Georgia, 2.23ERA in 48 innings
CL - Nick Hartle, The Dakotas, 28Saves, 2.17ERA, 193ERA+

Lots of new faces this season, Cordrey won the starting job after an impressive rookie season. Millan and Jean are both wizards with the glove while maintaining the speed that Plymouth has made themselves known for. However, this probably isn’t their season. The good news, Benbow, Mauck, Paddock, Parsons, and Cordrey are locked in until 2105, and with that farm system they will likely be a terror by then.

last season 87-75, 2nd in Atlantic, lost to Germantown in Conference Series
7th ranked farm system (LF Ron Peterson #17, C Josh Lemon #29, CF Jeff Marsh #32)
Payroll $1,565,610 - 8th
Lineups and Pitching 

C David Gonzales, Venezuela, .300/.339/.350 in 39 games
1B Kyle Thompson, California, .291/.381/.700, 54HRs, 199OPS+ won Frey and Baxter
2B Justin Adler, Quebec, .241/.322/.330 with Florida
3B Andy Rico, Venezuela, .249/.335/.410, 21HRs
SS Jason Martin, Susquehanna, .271/.338/.393, 4.0WAR
LF Hervé Barthélémy, Quebec, .307/.407/.570, 34HRs, 123Runs, won Frey with Astoria
CF Gilberto Moreno, Venezuela, .234/.322/.407, 104OPS+ in 97 games
RF Franklin Boucher, Quebec, .321/.375/.392, 116OPS+ in 93 games
DH Dan Sabella, Georgia, .228/.342/.355, with Florida

1 Leon Lopez, Puerto Rico, 15-10, 3.38ERA 240Ks
2 Danny Avila, Colombia, 10-18, 4.73ERA
3 Jesse Conway, Quebec, 4.46ERA in 42 innings
4 Ricky Hernandez, 4.08ERA in 35 innings
5 Billy Jones, Rocky Mountains, no stats, rookie season
CL - Ryan Nixon, Cascadia, 32Saves, 2.62ERA

Headlined by the 2-headed beast of Thompson and Barthélémy, but good performances by underrated players like Gonzales, Rico, Moreno, Boucher, and Avila could help propel them to the playoffs for their second straight year. Similar to Plymouth, they have their 2-headed beast locked up for the next 7-8 years. Personally I would trade prospect Ron Peterson for some bullpen help as Peterson is NABF ready and has no spots to play in. 

Full OOTP Pre-Season Predictions
Pacific Conference
1 Dakota Eagles 105-57
2 Cheyenne Buffalo 95-67
3 Eureka Redwoods 87-75
4 Galveston Launch 84-78
5 Astoria Osprey 83-79
6 Baton Rouge Cajuns 12-150 (yes you read that right… I think OOTP simulated this while they only had 7 batters due to injuries the day before, but this is still hilarious, they expect them to score less than 1.1 runs a game)

Atlantic Conference
1 Huron Gryphons 106-56
2 Trois Rivieres Harfang 84-78
3 Chesapeake Admirals 83-79
4 Florida Flamingos 82-80
5 Germantown Pretzels 81-81
6 Plymouth Pilgrims 72-90

2102 Playoffs (this time I reworked how I write them… meaning I’m doing them the way I should’ve done last year as this is how I did it in my last series) 

Pacific Conference Championship Series
 vs
Despite Dakota winning 102 games, they actually lost the season series 8-7. This is their second meeting in a row, and looks to be a major rivalry for the future of the NABF. Dakota ranks 1st in offense and defense while Cheyenne ranks 2nd in each. Both teams are suffering from injuries, Dakota pitchers Mike Kohn and Adam Harless will be out until partway through 2102. While Cheyenne is down pitcher Jose Serrano and RF Jedrick Zelasko, pitcher Rafael Santa Cruz also came down with an elbow reconstruction surgery that may have him miss all of next season as well. Both teams still have enough to win it all, but I believe Dakota’s bullpen will help them move on.

Game 1: CHY Steve Francen (17-9, 2.91) vs DAK Felix Hernandez (16-11, 2.22)
In the bottom of the first, Dakota would jump to an early lead after back-to-back hits by Purkis and Adair to lead off the inning. However, Francen would lock it down and not give up a single hit for the rest of the game. Cheyenne’s Kevin Jones would hit 2 RBIs singles in the 6th and 8th to give the Buffalos a lead and win the opening match.
CHY 2 - 1 DAK

Game 2: CHY Marty Hodge (17-9, 2.90) vs DAK Ben Denman (21-5, 2.81)
A 4-run 6th innings by Dakota, led by a 2 run blast by CF Ron Young. Despite an effort by the Buffalo they couldn’t mount a comeback after that. Dakota would win alongside a complete game by Denman,
DAK 7-2 CHY

Game 3: DAK Brent Wilson (13-4, 2.65) vs CHY Jeffrey Simon (12-10, 3.30)
Dakota would score 5 through the first 3 innings, from base clearing doubles from Reardon and Magallanes. Cheyenne would battle back with the help of a 3-run homer by C Titus. In the 8th, Cheyenne would bring in closer Ben Nickel, who would give up a run that same inning. Dakota would bring in Pugh who struck out 2 in the 9th to barely win the game.
DAK 6 - 5 CHY

Game 4: DAK Craig LeBlanc (10-9, 3.84) vs CHY Jose Cervantes (5-5, 5.77)
In a crucial game 4 bullpen game for Cheyenne, they would choke it all away. Dakota’s LeBlanc, Gonzalez, Ragas, and Martin would combine for 3 hits, 0 walks, and 10 strikeouts. While the Eagles batters would dominate Cervantes, 4 batters having multiple hits. Dakota is now 1 win away.
DAK 6 - 0 CHY.

Game 5: DAK Felix Hernandez (16-11, 2.22) vs CHY Steve Francen (17-9, 2.91)
A rematch of game 1 on the mound. Dakota would strike first but Cheyenne clapped back with a bases loaded double by RF Zona. Both teams would then trade scores but the Buffalo would always be on top.
Dakota 2 - 5 Cheyenne

Game 6: CHY Marty Hodge (17-9, 2.90) vs DAK Ben Denman (21-5, 2.81)
The series would return to the Great Plains and to the largest crowd ever recorded in the NABF. Unfortunately, the hometown fans would not be witnessing a win. Despite giving up 5 runs, Denman stayed in until 1 out in the 9th. RF Scott Purkis would sprain his wrist running into the outfield wall. Purkis has been one of Dakota’s unsung heroes this season.
Cheyenne 5 - 1 Dakota

Game 7: CHY Jeffrey Simon (12-10, 3.30) vs DAK Brent Wilson (13-4, 2.65)
Eagles look to escape embarrassment as not only have they relinquished a 3-1 series lead, this could be the second straight time they won the Conference but lost to a “weaker” Buffalo squad. 
1-0, Eagles, going into the 5th when Magallanes would score 2 on a double. Cheyenne RF Zona would hit another clutch 2 run shot in the 8th to close the gap, but it wouldn’t matter as the weak Buffalo bullpen would allow 3 runs in the 8th. Dakota would finally trounce their rivals and make it to their first NABF Championship Series. 2B Larry Adair with his 3 hits and 2 steals in game 7. would win series MVP
Dakota 7 - Cheyenne 2. (Dakota wins series 4-3)



Atlantic Conference Championship Series
vs 
Both teams are down a few depth pieces but all the big hitters are here. Huron ranks 4th in offense and 1st in pitching. The Harfang are 1st in offense (by a lot) and 3rd in pitching. The latter has also won the season series 9-6. While it may not be an easy series, I expect the Harfang to make it to their first championship series easily.

Game 1: HUR Mario Olmedo (2-2, 2.23) vs TR Leon Lopez (18-6, 2.91)
Lopez would throw 8 scoreless innings with 9 strikeouts. Olmedo was able to silence the 2-Headed Beast of Trois, not allowing them to get a single hit… but Kyle Thompson still was able to hit a sac fly to give the Harfang a lead.
HUR 0 - 3 TR

Game 2: HUR Josh Newcomer (16-11, 3.25) vs TR Danny Avila (21-8, 3.06)
Huron’s Tom Phelan would lead off with a double and come around to score. In the second Trois’ Andy Rico would hit a 2-run blast. Huron’s mid-season signing of D.W. Manning would come around to tie it up in the 6th. Heading into the 9th tied, both teams would elect to use their closers. Huron’s Jake Pawlowski and Trois’ Roy Nixon. With 2-outs in the top of the 9th, Huron’s Alexis Hernandez would drop a dribbler that would be handled and wildly miss-thrown by C Josh Lemon, allowing pinch runner Nate Cook to score. Going to the bottom of the frame, Pawlowski who is likely to win the Gervais award this year came to close it out. He started off by giving up a single to 2B Adler, then walked CF Moreno on 5 pitches. This left C Lemon to pay his dues… well Lemon did nothing. But now with 1 out the lineup turns over. Rookie RF Peterson steps up and barely beats out a single, but Huron’s defense kept the runners from scoring. Bases loaded with 1 out. Quebec native DH Franklin Boucher would smoke a ball deep into the CF/RF gap… it would barely get between Hernandez and Roberto and 2 would score leaving the hometown hero with a walkoff. What a thriller.
Trois Rivieres 4 - 3 Huron

Game 3: TR Jesse Conway (15-12, 4.81) vs HUR Ross Whitehead (20-10, 3.35)
Whitehead, who has been a touching story all season, after leading the league in losses last year was unsigned to start the season. After an early season injury to Olmedo, Huron took the chance on the 6’7 pitcher from the Maritimes. With a rough style and multiple scuffles through the season, he has become a favorite in Huron. However, it wouldn’t matter as Trois put up 5 runs in the first and never even had to try after that. The Snow Owls are 1 win away from the Championship series.
TR 5 - 1 HUR

Game 4: TR Josh Eastman (8-12, 5.74) vs HUR Julio Sanchez (16-11, 2.75)
The Harfang are willing to take the risk on a bullpen game in a potential clinch. While Huron is using one of their unsung heroes throughout the season. At first it seemed to backfire, Kyle Thompson hit a 3-run bomb in the first, followed by 2 more for the birds. However, starting in the second, the Gryphons would score 8 runs in 5 innings to take a 6-5 lead. Bad defense on both sides would be the story as both would have 3 errors a piece. In the 8th, Gryphon Hernandez would double to score 2 more to close out the game. Gryphons stay alive,
HUR 8-5 TR

Game 5: TR Leon Lopez (18-6, 2.91) vs HUR Mario Olmedo (2-2, 2.23)
Prior to the game, Harfang manager Rob Noble was overheard telling his players that if they can’t beat these $!@% that they should all shave their heads in shame. The media and fans took this in many ways. Fans at the park held signs saying “We them $!@%ers”. The energy would help the Gryphons score a run in the first. But slowly quieted down as Trois would score 3 with the help of rookie and series MVP Ron Peterson. Both Peterson and Adair (Pacific Series MVP) are both from the Arctic Circle, just a neat coincidence as there are only a few in the NABF. Trois would win the game 3-1 and advance to their first championship series with heads full of hair. 
TR 3 - 1 HUR (Harfang win series 4-1)



2102 NABF Championship Series

vs
Truly a matchup of an unstoppable object against an immovable force. Though, the 2-Headed Beast of Thompson and Barthélémy have been relatively quiet this off-season, with only 1 total home run between them. In the season series Dakota won 8-6, in those 14 games, Thompson hit 11 home runs, something Eagles fans don’t want to think about going into the series. 

Game 1: TR Leon Lopez (18-6, 2.91) vs DAK Felix Hernandez (16-11, 2.22)
Larry Adair would open the series with a run-scoring triple before being batted in himself. It looked to be a pitching duel until the 5th when the SnowBirds would mount a comeback, a solo-shot by Peterson and an RBI triple from SS Martin. However, 4 consecutive hits for the Eagles in the bottom of the inning would gain them the lead, 5-4. From then on both teams reached into their bullpen and no runners would even get on base until the game ended. 
Dakota 5 - 4 Trois

Game 2: TR Danny Avila (21-8, 3.06) vs DAK Craig LeBlanc (10-9, 3.84)
Due to the length of the Pacific Series, Dakota would have to risk a game 2 bullpen game, at first it looked to be paying off as they had a 2-run lead after 4. But then Thompson, Rico, and Adler would each hit home runs, the Harfang would take game 2
TR 6-3 DAK

Game 3: DAK Ben Denman (21-5, 2.81) vs TR Jesse Conway (15-12, 4.81)
Thompson would finally wake up, he would have 5 hits and 7 RBIs plus a 9th innings 421ft home run in a career game. Tack on multi-hit performances from Peterson and Boucher and it should be an easy win for the SnowBirds… except the Eagles tee’d up Trois’ pitching staff. Conway didn’t even last the first inning. Relievers Kang and Shirk gave up 3 each in a massive scoring explosion by both teams.
Dakota 12 - 8 Trois Rivieres

Game 4: DAK Brent Wilson (13-4, 2.65) vs TR Josh Eastman (8-12, 5.74)
Thompson would once again hit a home run. But once again, Dakota would have the ball rolling from the start with blasts by Adair and Brinley in the first and another by Young in the 6th. Brent Wilson would throw a complete game with his only mistake being the solo-shot by Thompson. Dakota is 1 win away from a championship.
DAK 7 - 1 TR

Game 5: DAK Felix Hernandez (16-11, 2.22) vs TR Leon Lopez (18-6, 2.91)
To open the game, hometown hero, Hervé Barthélémy would reportedly receive flack from manager Rob Noble as he’s hitting .105 in the playoffs. Hervé reportedly said he would keep his head bald for the duration of his contract in Trois Rivieres if they lost this series. A big bet considering they are down 3-1 and he has 7 years left. While Barthélémmy would strike out 3 times and go hitless again, that doesn’t mean it was all over for the SnowBirds. Trois would score 3 in the first, and would be matched when SS Ian Brinley hit a 3-run shot in the 3rd. Both teams would trade runs until the 9th. Both closers would come into a tied game. TR Nixon would blow the tie after allowing pinch hitter Young-jin Kim to score after a lead-off double. Dakota looked like they would take the series before their own David Pugh would allow a solo-shot by 3B Andy Rico to tie the game in the 9th. Somehow, both Pugh and Nixon would stay out there until the 12th. RF Purkis, who had sprained his wrist roughly a week prior, would get a lead-off double. Two batters later, Trevor Reardon would smash a double to score Purkis to take a go-ahead lead. 2 more would score in the 12th to make it a 8-5 ballgame. Smartly, Dakota would replace Pugh, who had pitched 4 innings, with a well rested Eddie Hall. Hall had been a solid middle-relief man throughout the season and has pitched 4 scoreless innings in the playoffs so far (and 4 last year as well). The righty would have to face a trio of lefties from Trois. Boucher, Thompson, and Barthélémy in fact. Boucher would hit a weak grounder to third. Thompson would fly out to the catcher on the first pitch. And well, you probably know where this is going, Barthélémy would strikeout to end the series.
Dakota 8 - 5 Trois Rivieres. (Dakota wins series 4-1)

Dakota wins their first NABF Championship Crown, with Larry Adair winning series MVP.

Last edited by BDoof (1/21/2024 2:13 pm)

Awards:  (decided to start putting things in spoilers to save space and help with readability while scrolling)

Jean Frey Awards (silver slugger equivalent)
Pacific: 
C - Eric Titus, .337/.415/.519, 14HRs, 101RBIs, 6.6WAR (CHY) 2nd in career
1B - Larry Adair, .351/.45.475, 44SBs, 168wRC+ (DAK) 
2B - Angelo Alonzo, .310/.394/.487, 21HRs, 6.5WAR (AST) 
3B - Ji-hu Seol, .274/.356/.386, 107wRC+ 2.2WAR (DAK)
SS - Mike McClary, .311/.384/.414, 110Runs, 122wRC+ (CHY) 2nd in career
LF - Antonio Garza, .327/.424/.660, 50HRs, 115RBIs, 7.6WAR (EUR) 2nd in career
CF - Katsumi Canio, .344/.387/.481, 73SBs, 140wRC+, 10.1WAR (GAL) 
RF - Matthew Wagoner, .294/.362/.534, 33HRs, 5.6WAR (BR)
DH - Trevor Reardon, .286/.398/.422, 74SBs, 124Runs (DAK)

Atlantic: 
C - Keith Lopes, .289/.351/.464, 18HRs, 128wRC+ (GER) 2nd in career
1B - Kyle Thompson, .322/.416/.684, 61HRs, 149Runs, 169RBIs, 202OPS+ (TR) 2nd in career
2B - Tom Phelan, .290/.341/.385, 7HRs, 16SBs (HUR) 2nd in career
3B - Andy Rico, .292/.373/.470, 21HRs, 138wRC+ (TR)
SS - Jason Martin, .280/.358/.422, 15Triples, 92Runs (TR)
LF - Hervé Barthélémy, .305/.415/.621, 48HRs, 157RBIs, 8.7WAR (TR) 2nd in career
CF - Tom Paddock, .298/.375/.460, 17HRs, 133wRC+ (PLY) 2nd in career
RF - Oscar Morales, .298/.375/.547, 37HRs, 110RBIs (FLA)
DH - Oscar Fandino, .250/.330/.496, 42HRs, 131wRC+ (GER) 2nd in career


Laurent Gervais Award (reliever award)
Pacific - GAL Kyle McMurphy - 25 of 31 Saves, 1.30ERA, 8.7K/9, 1 home run against. 
David Pugh was 2nd with 2 votes

Atlantic - HUR Jake Pawlowski - 40 of 43 Saves, 1.60ERA, 13.1K/9, 249ERA+. Unanimous win


Sidney Ross Award (manager award)
PC - Cameron Wellman of Dakota, best in Conference and won NABF Championship Series, 2nd win for Wellman.
AC - Rob Noble of Trois Rivieres, best in Conference and won the pennant.


Dimitri Deshayes Awards (gold glove equivalent)
Pacific Conference:
P - Jeff Caron (Eureka)
C - Kevin Edwards (Baton Rouge)
1B - Dave Rhein (Galveston) 
2B - Jorge Rodriguez (Eureka)
3B - Bobby Tippett (Eureka) 2nd of career
SS - Ian Brinley (Dakota)
LF - Jon Magallanes (Dakota) 2nd of career
CF - Kastumi Canio (Galveston) 2nd of career
RF - Tyler Kilbarger (Astoria)

Atlantic Conference: 
P - Brian Van Winkle (Chesapeake) 2nd of career
C - David Tyson (Florida) 2nd of career
1B - Tony Cummings (Huron) 2nd of career
2B - David Millan (Plymouth) 2nd of career
3B - Rio Carr (Huron) 2nd of career
SS - Luis Rico (Florida)
LF - Jesse Haskins (Florida)
CF - Robby Roberto (Huron)
RF - Sam Boyd (Germantown) 2nd of career


Raul Hernandez Award (platinum glove)
Pacific - SS Ian Brinley, Dakota
Atlantic - SS Luis Rico, Florida

Pedro Castaneda Award (rookie award)
PC - Baton Rouge, C Kevin Edwards .223/.293/.299 and won Deshayes award. 6 1st votes
Galveston’s Jeremy Kiely 4 1st votes
Baton Rouge’s Jason Skelly 2 1st votes

AC - Florida, RHP Steven Dorsey, 9-12, 3.32ERA, 109Ks in 200 innings. Unanimous


Matt Taylor Award (Cy Young equivalent)
Pacific:
1st - Felix Hernandez, 16-11, 2.22ERA, 277Ks (record), opponents hit .163 against (DAK) 2nd straight Taylor award, unanimous
2nd - Ben Denman, 21-5, 2.81ERA, 3 shutouts, 154Ks (DAK) 2nd straight 2nd place
3rd - Marty Hodge, 17-9, 2.90ERA, 197Ks, 1.08WHIP (CHY)

Atlantic:
1st - Danny Avila, 21-8, 3.06ERA, 178Ks, 7.0WAR (TR) 9 1st votes
2nd - Vince Benbow, 18-6, 2.50ERA, 188Ks, 9.0WAR (PLY) 3 1st votes (idk how he didn’t win)
3rd - Leon Lopez, 18-6, 2.91ERA, 240Ks, 6.5WAR (TR) (honestly, Lopez was better than Avila)


Willie Baxter Award (Hank Aaron equivalent)
Pacific:
1st - Katsumi Canio, .344/.387/.481, 232Hits (record), 73SBs, 10.1WAR (GAL) 6 first place votes
2nd - Antonio Garza, .327/.424/.660, 50HRs, 200OPS+, 7.6WAR (EUR) 5 first place votes
3rd - Eric Titus, .337/.415/.519, 14HRs, 48Doubles, 160OPS+, 6.6WAR (CHY) 1 first place vote
(only 2 points separated Canio and Garza)

Atlantic:
1st - Kyle Thompson, .322/.416/.684, 61HRs (record), 169RBIs, 9.8WAR, triple crown (TR) unanimous, 2nd in career
2nd - Hervé Barthélémy, .305/.415/.621, 48HRs, 157RBIs, 8.7WAR (TR)
3rd - Ray Tolbert, .302/.432/.488, 23HRs, 119BBs, 6.8WAR (CHS)

2102 Draft (will cover just 1st round)

1st Overall, Germantown Pretzels select, CF Jeremy Cooper from Georgia out of college
2nd Overall, Plymouth Pilgrims select, RHP Matt Kenney from Rocky Mountains out of college
3rd Overall, Galveston Launch select, RHP Rich Platte from New England out of college
4th Overall, Astoria Osprey select, RF Russ Pettaway from Georgia out of high school
5th Overall, Eureka Redwoods select, LHP Brian Shupe from Texas out of high school
6th Overall, Florida Flamingos select, CF Savion Jones from Louisiana out of college
7th Overall, Chesapeake Admirals select, RHP Keith Badey from Great Lakes out of college
8th Overall, Baton Rouge Cajuns select, 3B Jayden Royal from Florida out of high school
9th Overall, Cheyenne Buffalo select, RHP Jose Guerrero from Florida out of college (knuckleball pitcher)
10th Overall, Huron Gryphons select, SS Ron Mudd from Florida out of college
11th Overall, Trois Rivieres Harfang select, CF Jon Buckley from Great Lakes out of college
12th Overall, Dakota Eagles select, LHP Bobby Brooks from Texas out of college

2102 International Signings
1 C Ismael Mendez, Puerto Rico. Signs with Eureka. 
2 SS Hughie Roman, Belize. Signs with Dakota. 
3 SS Victor Cabral, Brazil. Signs with Plymouth.
4 C Kwan-wuk Ka. South Korea. Signs with Baton Rouge. 
5 RF Antonio Soriano, Cuba. Signs with Germantown. 


Roster Moves:

Losses: RHP Bernie Rosado 4.0WAR, LF/DH Brad Fenimore 3.6WAR
Waived 2B Angelo Alonzo, 6.5WAR, for some reason. Honestly really confused by this move, as the Osprey aren’t rebuilding nor are they in need of budget cuts.

Overall, I'm really unsure what GM was thinking this off-season. It looks like they were trying to start a rebuild but were also scared to rebuild so instead they did less than nothing? And with the worst farm system too. 

Losses: CF Mark Chapman 3.5WAR, 1B Jose Pineda 2.0WAR, 3B Jon Arias 1.8WAR, RHP Chris Andrus 1.7WAR
Extended RF Matthew Wagoner, 3 years with AAV of $128k. The Laker has really grown into one of the leaders for this young Cajuns team. 
Signs LF/RF Jake Herold, 8 years with AAV of $284k. The Californian won the 2101 Baxter award with Galveston, a huge splash for a small market team.
Waived reliever Alex Schepers, another weird waiver move, Schepers has been one of the best relievers in the league.

For a small market team, extending your star and signing the biggest free agent is a win any off-season. Waiving Schepers is weird, but the Cajuns still have one of the best bullpens in the game. 

 

Losses: CL Josh Burford 3.8WAR, RHP Mike Anderson 1.1WAR
Extended CF Gary Urbanczyk, 3 years with AAV of $167k. Despite only playing in 79 games in each of the last 2 seasons, the Susquehanna native has put up MVP numbers while healthy.

They did the bare minimum… really not much else to say.

Losses: SS Mike McClary 6.9WAR, 1B Shigochiyo Higashi 3.0WAR, OF/1B Jedrick Zelasko 1.5WAR
Traded 2 prospects (#80 and unranked) to Trois Rivieres for 2B Justin Adler had 2.0WAR last season with 1 more year under contract.
Signs DH Brad Fenimore, 1 year $158k. The 39-year-old hit 82 home runs in his time with Astoria. 

Tough losses, while Fenimore and Adler are good, I really don’t see them fixing their holes, especially with both of them only signed for 1 year.

Losses: LHP Ben Denman 6.7WAR, RF Scott Purkis 3.4WAR, RHP Brent Wilson 2.8WAR, LHP Craig LeBlanc 2.3WAR
Resigned 2B/1B Larry Adair, 2 years with AAV of $222k. Has been one of the best hitters in the league when healthy, but will be 38 next season.
Traded backup C Ogai Hara and #45 prospect SS Marquis Kaba to Eureka for 2B Jose Zarate, Zarate played well as a backup but had no room in Eureka.
Resigned RF Scott Purkis, 3 years with AAV of $184k. The Dakota native was a key part of their championship run.

They lost quite a lot, but were able to resign almost all of them (not mentioned were Pugh, Ragas, and Hall). But now they sit at the Salary Cap, this could either be the start of the dynasty or just another regular team.

Losses: RHP Steven Crossman 1.6WAR, RF J.D. Linde 1.3WAR, RHP Eddie Melanson 1.2WAR
Traded backup 2B Jose Zarate to Dakota for C Ogai Hara and #45 prospect SS Marquis Kaba.
Signs RHP Ben Denman, 7 years, with AAV of $260k. The Floridian has placed 2nd in the Taylor 2 years in a row. 
Signs CL Jake Pawlowski, 1 year $63k. The Cali native won the Gervais last year in Huron

Minimum losses, maximum gains. Redwoods needed an ace and a closer and got both. I wouldn’t be crazy to expect big things out of them next season.

Losses: RF Oscar Morales 5.2WAR, RHP Omar Saldana 3.0WAR, C David Tyson 2.1WAR, SS Luis Rico 2.0WAR
Signs RHP Philip Auricchio, 2 years with AAV of $90k. Auricchio has been one of the best relievers over the last 2 years
Signs LHP Craig LeBlanc, 1 years $92k. The Floridian southpaw won the Championship with Dakota last year, but has been an average starter.

I thought the rebuild might be over, but huge losses this season. Tyson and Rico were amazing defenders in premium positions that will be hard to fill. 

Losses: RF Jake Herold 4.2WAR, LHP Jorge Garcia 1.1WAR
Claimed 2B Angelo Alonzo off waivers, the 31-year-old has totaled 11.3 career WAR with Astoria and has 2 years left on his contract.
Claimed LHP Alex Schepers off waivers. The southpaw has 2 more years on his contract and will slot in easily into their bullpen.
Signed 2B David Millan to a minor league deal. Millan won the Hernandez award in 2101 but has always been poor with the bat.
Trades 1B Philippe Thomas to Huron for 2 prospects-CF Melvin Navarrete #2 and 3B Cameron Bean unranked. Thomas has potential of his own but wasn’t getting playing time due to Rhein and Johnston. Though, Navarrete will have just as hard of a time finding a spot in the crowded outfield with Moran, Canio, and Butler who combined for 18.4WAR last season.

After a season to forget, the Launch come back with 2 waiver steals and a trade for a NABF-ready top prospect. Though their starting pitching could’ve used a look.

Losses: 1B/DH Oscar Fandino 3.4WAR, LF Danny Rubio 3.3WAR, RHP Jose Lopez 2.3WAR, 3B Franklin Hernandez 1.4WAR, RHP Philip Auricchio 1.4WAR
Signs RHP Bernie Rosado, 6 years with AAV of $164k. Rosado is native to Susquehanna and looks to be a solid middle rotation guy for a long time
Signs RHP Ross Whitehead, 1 year $82k. The Maritimer still can’t get a long term contract.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place. Despite having so many stars locked up they still can’t seem to get it together. Rosado is good but that's a lot of commitment for a guy who’s career ERA is 3.82. 

 

Losses: RHP Ross Whitehead 5.3WAR, CL Jake Pawlowski 5.0WAR, LHP Josh Newcomer 4.9WAR, LHP Jaylin Wallace 3.6WAR, 2B/SS D.W. Manning 3.3WAR, 1B Tony Cummings 0.9WAR
Resigned SS Tom Phelan, 3 years with AAV of $148k. Had a tough season but is still one of the best hitters in the league.
Resigned LHP Josh Newcomer, 4 years with AAV of $186k. The Great Lakes native looks to return after a great outing.
Resigns LHP Jaylin Wallace, 1 year $166k. The 38-year old Laker comes back for another season.
Extends C Kevin Magid, 3 years with AAV of $158k. Magid has a career OPS+ of 92, which is good for catchers.
Signs SS Mike McClary, 8 years, with AAV of $288k. The Texan has been one of the best hitters and defenders in the league. Gryphons look to use Criado as DH next season.
Trades 2 prospects (CF Melvin Navarrete #2 and 3B Cameron Bean unranked) to Galveston for 1B Philippe Thomas. Thomas looks to add some power to a rather contact/speed lineup. 

Gryphons brought back almost every pitcher and signed one of the biggest stars to a long deal. This could be the Gryphons big year finally.

Losses: 2B David Millan 4.2WAR
Signs RF Oscar Morales, 4 years with AAV of $210k. Morales has been extremely underrated in Florida and is in the middle of his prime. Adds power the Pilgrims severely lack.
Signs 2B D.W. Manning, 5 years with AAV of $238k. The 21-year-old had a comeback season and helped fuel the Gryphons to a playoffs. 

Their biggest issue has been power, the most home runs a Pilgrim has hit has been 18. Morales put up 37 last year. I would not be surprised if he breaks an RBI record with Parsons, Paddock, and Manning hitting in front of him.  

 

Losses: LF Franklin Boucher 2.0WAR
Resigned LHP Jesse Conway, 2 years with AAV of $84k. He is a 35 year old Quebec native, hasn’t put up outstanding numbers but having native talent is always a blessing. 
Traded Quebec native 2B Justin Adler to Cheyenne for prospects: 2B Omar Ramos #80 and unranked C Ryan Woodrow
Signs CF Mark Chapman, 5 years with AAV of $180k. The Quebec native put of decent numbers in Baton Rouge last season.

Chapman is a solid piece to help cope with the Boucher loss. Though, the Adler trade I’m not sure about. Trading a native player for a box of scraps with no real backup is odd. The team continues to be very left-handed with 5 of their first 6 batters being lefties.

Just like last year a few FAs remain unsigned going into 2103. 
C Simon Krug, still unsigned since 2101
DH Oscar Fandino, 3rd in the Atlantic in home runs
1B Shigochiyo Higashi, had a breakout year in Cheyenne
3B Jon Arias, an average hitter and good defender in a premium position

Last edited by BDoof (1/21/2024 2:12 pm)