Hm, i'm invested.

I like how that alternate history is America but divided, I love the idea of seeing new states with different outcomes, I like the flags, gives them a charm.

And I also like the fact that you are using different cities with lower populations but are still kind of well known as capitals and cities with baseball teams, gives it something unique. Hope this series goes well!

Last edited by GoosetavoMan (1/22/2024 1:33 am)

2103 Pre-Season Preview

Pacific Conference:
last season 73-89, 5th in Pacific
12th ranked farm system (RF Russ Pettaway #12, RF Dave Sharpes #40, C Jorge Pulido #66)
Payroll $1,622,979 - 9th
Lineups and Pitching

C Armando Garcia, Susquehanna, .230/.292/.333 75OPS+
1B Ken Grant, Quebec, less than a dozen games played last year in Trois. Career 77OPS+
2B Juan Garcia, Venezuela, .283/.333/.362 in 32 games last year
3B Adam Moore, Virginia, .210/.259/.319 in 39 games last year
SS Kevin Jones, The Dakotas, .160/.231/.214 excellent defender though
LF John Stark, Cascadia, .175/.267/.277 in 65 games last year
CF Ryan Lowery, California, .243/.318/.307, 68SBs
RF Tyler Kilbarger, Susquehanna, .315/.346/.448, 36SBs won Deshayes award
DH Alex Estrada, Mexico, .241/.338/.357, 95OPS+ (closest to average hitter besides Kilbarger)

1 Andrew Redepenning, Virginia, 11-14, 3.22ERA, 176Ks
2 Eddie Weimer, Cascadia, 7-8, 4.43ERA
3 Rogelio Rodriguez, Cuba, 3.63ERA in 86 innings
4 Bill Van Auken, Susquehanna, 4.86ERA in 76 innings
5 sh-t Otani, Cascadia, 4-8, 6.46ERA (out for 2-3 months with injury)
CL Angelo Juarez, Dominican Republic, 32Saves, 2.49ERA, 9.6K/9
Other notable bullpen arms: Nick Ashley, Benjamin Platt, Rogelio Victoria

The front office says they are not rebuilding, but I see nothing but a rebuild. Juarez is a FA after this season, and with most of the pitching staff being relievers I wouldn’t be surprised if they lose 100 games. Kilbarger and Redepenning are locked up long term, but it may be for the best to trade them for pieces. 

last season 81-81, 3rd in Pacific
1st ranked farm system (3B Jayden Royal #1, LHP Jim Vogel #9, RHP Daniel Ojeda #30, CF Joseph Wallace #37)
Payroll $1,547,667 - 11th
Lineups and Pitching

C Kevin Edwards, Georgia, .223/.293/.299 won Deshayes and Castaneda last year
1B Tony Cummings, Louisiana, .233/.313/.365, 13HRs, won Deshayes in Huron
2B Emilio Rodriguez, Puerto Rico, .280/.402/.432, 134OPS+
3B Dave Chatwin, Maritimes, .277/.321/.380 96OPS+
SS Luis Rico, Venezuela, .164/.262/.228, 2.0WAR won Hernandez in Florida
LF Jake Herold, California, .278/.379/.509, 147OPS+, 31HRs with Galveston
CF Joseph Wallace, Rocky Mountains, no stats, rookie season. #37 ranked prospect
RF Matthew Wagoner, Great Lakes, .294/.362/.534, 149OPS+ won Frey award
DH Chris Edgar, The Dakotas, .270/.345/.357, 95OPS+ with Florida

1 Ruberto Ticao, Venezuela, 16-14, 3.83ERA, 143Ks
2 Ahmed Mathis, Rocky Mountains, 9-10, 4.46ERA, 116Ks 
3 Jason Skelly, Cascadia, 10-6, 4.44ERA, 3rd in Castaneda voting
4 Omar Saldana, Venezuela, 10-17, 4.28ERA, 181Ks with Florida
5 Joel Acrsio, Venezuela, missed season due to injury
CL  Ken Laubach, Virginia, 25 Saves, 1.47ERA, 12.1K/9, 269ERA+
Other notable bullpen arms: Graham Lawlor, Ryan Sumner, and Jason Walker

If things come together, they could really make a playoff push. But they still lack a lot of depth. Ticao and Mathis have both underperformed in their careers so far but both have ace potential. 2101’s 3rd Overall pick Ben Black is the 4th outfielder and has legitimate potential (though did lose the starting CF battle to rookie Joseph Wallace who is 4 years older). I see them being a around .500 team this year.

last season 87-75, 2nd in Pacific. Lost Pacific Series to Dakota
8th ranked farm system (RHP Jose Guerrero #7, 2B Ricardo Rodriguez #19, LHP Teyo Leon #22)
Payroll $1,895,958 - 7th
Lineups and Pitching 

C Eric Titus, Great Lakes, .337/.415/.519, 48Doubles, 161OPS+ won Frey award
1B Justin Adler, Quebec, .258/.328/.373, 95OPS+ with Trois Rivieres
2B Ricardo Rodriguez, California, no stats, rookie season, #19 ranked prospect
3B Edgar Morales, California, no stats, rookie season, #89 ranked prospect
SS Dan Harbin, New England, .238/.270/.326, 66OPS+
LF Bobby Clark, New England, .300/.350/.397, 109OPS+
CF Kevin Meyer, Rocky Mountains, .254/.349/.432, 34SBs, 118OPS+
RF Richard Kriegel, Rocky Mountains, .259/.368/.349, 102OPS+
DH Ken Jones, Rocky Mountains, .264/.375/.451, 131OPS+

1 Marty Hodge, Australia, 17-9, 2.90ERA, 1.08WHIP, 137ERA+ 3rd in Taylor voting
2 Steve Francen, Rocky Mountains, 17-9, 2.91ERA, 166Ks, 136ERA+
3 Jose Serrano, Dominican Republic, 5-3, 2.62ERA, 9.4K/9 in injury shortened season
4 Jeffrey Simon, The Dakotas, 12-10, 3.30ERA, 0.2HR/9
5 Beau Schulte, Cascadia, 12-13, 4.79ERA, 83ERA+ with Astoria
CL Ben Nickel, 16Saves, 3.99ERA, 100ERA+
Other notable bullpen arms: Warren Bourdon and Jose Guerrero make rookie debuts (ranked #28 and #7, respectively)

Pitching wise, The Buffalo continue to be a dominant force, even if the bullpen is lacking. Offensively they are still quite weak, but with lots of new blood could help break the mold. Without McClary they really seem to lack all pop. Could still be a playoff team but need a lot to go right. Especially with Rafael Santa Cruz likely out all season (again) 

last season 102-60, 1st in Pacific, won NABF Championship Series
4th ranked farm system (LHP Bobby Brooks #8, RHP Quan Hang #17, RHP Pat Dow #26)
Payroll $2,509,200 - 1st (salary cap is 2.5mil)
Lineups and Pitching

C Scott Vander Ark, The Dakotas, .267/.336/.362, 96OPS+
1B Larry Adair, Arctic Circle, .351/.456/.475, 162OPS+ won batting title and Frey award
2B Jesus Delgado, Cuba, .278/.364/.340, 99OPS+ 
3B Ji-hu Seol, California, .274/.356/.386, 109OPS+ won Frey award
SS Ian Brinley, Texas, .258/.344/.452, 122RBIs, 122OPS+ won Deshayes and Hernandez
LF Jon Magallanes, Rocky Mountains, .285/.375/.454, 132OPS+ won Deshayes award
CF Ron Young, The Dakotas, .247/.326/.339, 87OPS+
RF Scott Purkis, The Dakotas, .289/.356/.453, 126OPS+
DH Trevor Reardon, .286/.398/.422, 124Runs, 74SBs, 130OPS+ won Frey award

1 Felix Hernandez, Dominican Republic, 16-11, 2.22ERA, 277Ks, won 2 straight Taylor awards
2 Adam Harless, Great Lakes, 10-10, 3.79ERA, 105ERA+
3 Juan Donate, Mexico, 10-16, 4.76ERA, 84ERA+ with Plymouth
4 Doug McFarland, The Dakotas, 4.86ERA in 46 innings
5 Bobby Brooks, Texas, no stats, rookie season. #8 ranked prospect
CL David Pugh, The Dakotas, 25Saves, 1.64ERA, 241ERA+ 2nd in Gervais voting
Other notable bullpen arms: Mike Kohn, Eddie Hall, and Joel Martin, and prospect Pat Dow

The defending champions come back looking quite the same, except missing their 2nd ace, Ben Denman. Without him their rotation definitely struggles, though Brooks could easily become his replacement. I expect them to make a run for the playoffs, especially since the offense that scored the most runs last year is essentially kept the same. 

last season 78-84, 4th in Pacific
2nd ranked farm system (C Ismael Mendez #6, RHP Tillman Tamayo #13, 2B Cor John #16, LHP Brian Shupe #24)
Payroll $2,445,698 - 2nd (salary cap is 2.5mil)
Lineup and Pitching 

C Ogai Hara, Japan, .226/.304/.274, in 51 games with Dakota
1B Mel Velez, Guatemala, .302/.369/.489, 139OPS+
2B Jorge Rodriguez, Dominican Republic, .224/.296/.352, 81OPS+ won Deshayes award
3B Bobby Tippett, California, .191/.241/.323, won Deshayes award
SS Fernando Solis, Dominican Republic, .251/.350/.399, 110OPS+
LF Antonio Garza, Dominican Republic, .327/.424/.660, 50HRs, 200OPS+ won Frey award
CF Bob Beals, Quebec, .287/.343/.409 110OPS+ in injury shortened season
RF Rhett Aberle, California, .253/.337/.356, 84OPS+ 
DH Ritter Ammann, Susquehanna, .267/.342/.420, 113OPS+

1 Ben Denman, Florida, 21-5, 2.81ERA, 7.1WAR 2nd in Taylor voting 2 straight years with Dakota
2 Jake Hale, California, 17-11, 3.53ERA, 112ERA+
3 Ian Strauss, Susquehanna, 12-15, 4.45ERA, 89OPS+
4 Raul Crespo, Puerto Rico, only played 5 games due to injury
5 Todd Luquette, California, 7-11, 4.19ERA, 95ERA+ with Huron and Florida
CL Jake Pawlowski, California, 40Saves, 1.60ERA, 13.1K/9, won Gervais award with Huron
Other notable bullpen arms: Oscar Torrez, Dave Meisel, Tim Dagesse

Now with a bona fide ace starter and lockdown closer in their midst the Redwoods look to finally strike the Pacific. They theoretically match up very well against Dakota, but matchups aren’t won on paper. As long as they can stay away from the injury bug that has historically hurt them, they should be fine. However, their salary is absurdly high, and with many prospects on their way up it could end up hurting them once payday rings.

last year 71-91, 6th in Pacific
3rd ranked farm system (RHP Rich Platte #4, LHP Paolo Barreau #11, RHP Greg Cone #25)
Payroll $1,686,476 - 8th
Lineups and Pitching

C Justin Harris, Texas, .185/.296/.240, 52OPS+
1B Dave Rhein, Great Lakes, .247/.388/.401, 122OPS+ won Deshayes award, entering age 42 season
2B David Millan, Mexico, .245/.323/.381, 96OPS+ won Deshayes award with Plymouth
3B Angelo Alonzo, Mexico, .310/.394/.487, 145OPS+ won Frey award with Astoria
SS Ryan Irvin, Texas, .181/.273/.295, 60OPS+
LF David Moran, Texas, .305/.370/.472, 135OPS+
CF Katsumi Canio, Brazil, .344/.387/.481, 232Hits (record), 73SBs, 10.1WAR won Deshayes, Frey, and Baxter
RF Paul Butler, Rocky Mountains, .290/.366/.476, 135OPS+

1 Jeremy Kiely, Susquehanna, 14-20, 4.68ERA, 85ERA+
2 Juan Manjarrez, Texas, 12-18, 4.95ERA 80ERA+
3 Johnny Martinez, Texas, 2.87ERA in 15 innings
4 Josh Berenson, Florida, 8-15, 5.14ERA, 77ERA+
5 Bobby Crocitto, Louisiana, 4.07ERA in 60 innings last years #4 prospect
CL Kyle McMurphy, Rocky Mountains, 25Saves, 1.30ERA, 306ERA+ won Gervais
Other notable bullpen arms: Alex Schepers, and prospects Greg Cone and Rich Platte

The LaunchSquad is back, this time with Frey winner Angelo Alonzo. The young Canio is coming off a historic season and Galveston has had the first to Baxter winners in the Pacific despite not making the playoffs. Last year their pitching was a HUGE weakness, this year really doesn’t look much better besides the addition of Schepers. But with 2 rookies and Crocitto’s first full season could come plenty of surprises. Irvin and Millan are both former Hernandez winners so even though they lack offense they make up for it with their gloves. Honestly, I don’t think even this offense can overcome their dismal pitching “core”.

Atlantic Conference
last season 80-82, 3rd in Atlantic
5th ranked farm system (RHP Matt Frizzell #5, RHP Keith Badey #10, RHP Geoff Bolen #35)
Payroll $2,183,200 - 4th
Lineup and Pitching

C Alex Respighi, Venezuela, .256/.324/.324, 81OPS+
1B Ray Tolbert, Cascadia, .302/.432/.488, 155OPS+ 
2B Corey Kruskamp, Rocky Mountains, .291/.353/.465 in 33 games
3B Brian Sky, Virginia, .258/.333/.347, 89OPS+
SS Ben Baier, The Dakotas, no stats, rookie season. #86 ranked prospect
LF Randy Golden, Virginia, .247/.314/.339, 82OPS+
CF Gary Urbanczyk, Susquehanna, .266/.385/.579, 27HRs in 79 games
RF Tom Mackey, Great Lakes, .316/.372/.515, 145OPS+
DH David Westland, Cascadia, .307/.397/.413, 125OPS+

1 Brian Van Winkle, 14-13, 3.72ERA, 109ERA+
2 Lee Ray, The Dakotas, 16-12, 4.67ERA, 86ERA+
3 Roberto Gomez, Texas, only pitched 4 innings last year due to injury
4 Matt Richardson, Suusquehanna, 14-11, 4.13ERA, 98ERA+
5 Danny Loyola, Dominican Republic, 9-8, 4.15ERA, 97ERA+
CL Steve Williamson, Virginia, 12saves, 3.93ERA
Other notable bullpen arms: none

Urbanczyk has played exactly 79 games each of the last 2 years, combining to a 10.1WAR. If he stays healthy, the Admirals may have a chance… well, that and 20 other things have to go right. I’m honestly surprised anyone can have a worse pitching situation than Galveston. At least they have prospects to hope for, Chesapeake doesn’t have any ready for at least another year, even then might be too soon. Tolbert, Mackey, Van Winkle, Westland, and Kruskamp are all FAs after next season, Urbanczyk the season after that. Only Lee Ray is locked up long term. For a team that has to win now, they really don’t look like they are trying.

last season 79-83, 4th in Atlantic
7th ranked farm system (LHP Mario Anguiano #14, RF Savion Jones #15, C John Alcock #34)
Payroll $1,498,458 - 12th
Lineup and Pitching

C Ashton Smith, Georgia, .220/.309/.288 in 63 games
1B Blake Caldwell, Great Lakes, played 8 games with Astoria and Florida
2B Juan Torres, Florida, .298/.350/.420, 113OPS+
3B Chris Shepherd, Great Lakes, .260/.405/.403, 125OPS+
SS Bill Ashton, Arctic Circle, .210/.317/.312, in 54 games
LF Jesse Haskins, California, .243/.339/.351, 37SBs, 92OPS+ won Deshayes award
CF Jerome Shackelford, Florida, .208/.274/.292, 57OPS+
RF Savion Jones, Georgia, no stats, rookie season. #15 ranked prospect
DH Mike McIntyre, Texas, played 18 games with Galveston

1 Steven Dorsey, Susquehanna, 9-12, 3.32ERA, 122ERA+ won Castaneda award
2 Alejandro Escarcega, Dominican Republic, 9-2, 2.71ERA in injury shortened season
3 Steve Fortman, Florida, 16-16, 4.23ERA, 96ERA+
4 Craig LeBlanc, Florida, 10-9, 3.84ERA, 103ERA+ with Dakota
5 Jose Orozco, Dominican Republic, 17-12, 4.30ERA, 94ERA+
CL Mike Hilger, Rocky Mountains, 35Saves, 1.72ERA, 16.4ERA+ 2nd in Gervais voting
Other notable bullpen arms: Harold Sykes, Pat Paul, and Philip Auricchio

After a surprise near .500 season the Orange Birds look to reach .500 just 2 seasons after losing 105 games. As always with many young players, this year highlighting Savion Jones, who is considered to be the future of Georgia baseball. Steven Dorsey, after winning the Castaneda award looks to lead this highly underrated rotation and bullpen in what could be a surprise playoff run. I would say they have more of a chance than Chesapeake… but honestly I don’t see either happening unless the unexpected happens. 

last season 63-99, 6th in Atlantic
10th ranked farm system (CF Jeremy Cooper #3, 1B Roger Huseinovic #32, LHP David Gonzalez #41)
Payroll $1,622,839 – 10th
Lineup and Pitching

C Keith Lopes, California, .289/.351/.464, 128OPS+ won Frey award
1B Howard Faxon, Arctic Circle, played 23 games last season
2B Brent Gomer, New England, .262/.354/.363, 102OPS+
3B Bobby Russell, Susquehanna, .229/.302/.350 83OPS+
SS Ben Cintron, California, .224/.271/.335, 70OPS+ (injured achilles, out 3-4 months)
LF George Powers, Quebec, .275/.389/.415, 127OPS+
CF Peter Keith, Florida, played 33 games last season
RF Sam Boyd, Great Lakes, .265/.314/.426, 107OPS+ won Deshayes award
DH Danny Hill, Susquehanna, .231/.297/.324 in 74 games with Chesapeake

1 Adam Minke, Susquehanna, 12-17, 4.46ERA, 89ERA+
2 Bernie Rosado, Susquehanna, 12-12, 4.06ERA, 98ERA+ with Astoria
3 Ross Whitehead, Maritimes, 20-10, 3.35ERA, 120ERA+ with Huron
4 Josh Dorshorst, Susquehanna, 9-18, 4.71ERA, 85ERA+
5 Rich Lowder, Hawaii, 6-13, 5.59ERA, 71ERA+
CL Anton Latorre, Dominican Republic, 27Saves, 1.55ERA, 17.7K/9
Other notable bullpen arms: Josh Burford and Walker Green

Germantown is in a surprisingly good spot for a quick rebuild. While they really don’t have a lot in terms of prospects, what they do have is money, young stars locked down (Minke, Rosado, Powers, Cintron, and Boyd all here for at least 4 more seasons) and plenty of good domestic talent. With domestic players locked up long term it allows the team to have more freedom to spend on FA foreigners to help bolster the lineups. Given another year or 2 once Cooper is playing they can make another run for it.

last season 90-72, 2nd in Atlantic, lost Atlantic Series to Trois Rivieres
11th ranked farm system (SS Ron Mudd #21, RHP Ivan Ramirez #39, RHP Eric Reed #43)
Payroll $2,392,076 - 3rd
Lineup and Pitching 

C Kevin Magid, Rocky Mountains, .244/.349/.357, 98OPS+
1B Jose Pineda, Louisiana, .250/.323/.425, 28HRs, 108OPS+ with Baton Rouge
2B Tom Phelan, Quebec, .290/.341/.385, 103OPS+ won Frey award
3B Rio Carr, New England, .217/.282/.322, 69OPS+ won Deshayes award
SS Mike McClary, Texas, .311/.384/.414, 124OPS+ with Cheyenne
LF Alexis Hernandez, Cuba, .273/.353/.362, 101OPS+
CF Robby Roberto, Texas, .238/.298/.377, 88OPS+
RF Ray Toth, Hawaii, .275/.379/.420, 123OPS+
DH Fernando Criado, California, .249/.339/.451, 120OPS+ in injury shortened season

1 Josh Newcomer, Great Lakes, 16-11, 3.25ERA, 123ERA+
2 Jaylin Wallace, Great Lakes, 11-13, 3.44ERA, 117ERA+
3 Julio Sanchez, 16-11, 2.75ERA, 146ERA+
4 Anthony Bunting, Great Lakes, 2.04ERA in 57 innings
5 Jaivin Cano, Louisiana, 5-10, 4.57ERA with Germantown
(ace  Mario Olmedo, is out the entire season)
CL Eric Reed, Susquehanna, no stats, rookie season, #43 ranked prospect
Other notable bullpen arms: Shane Carothers, Kevin McConnell, Sergio Villalta

Huron’s contract room is amazing to look at. Criado and McClary are locked up until the end of the decade, Newcomer, Sanchez, Robberto, Phelan, Magid, and Carr are here for 3-5 years. While 38 year olds Jaylin Wallace and Mario Olmedo who make $166k each are set to be FA this off-season taking a load off the books to help sign younger talent. Though, this means this is probably the end for Olmedo in Huron. They definitely have a shot at the who shebang even if the cards don’t fall.

last season 69-93, 5th in Atlantic
6th ranked farm system (RHP Matt Kenney #2, LF Matunde Simai #18, CF Jonathon Parsons #27)
Payroll $2,166,040 - 5th
Lineup and Pitching

C William Roehm, New England, .221/.297/.364, 84OPS+
1B Oscar Morales, Puerto Rico, .298/.375/.547, 37HRs, 153OPS+ won Frey with Florida
2B D.W. Manning, Georgia, .305/.405/.409, 128OPS+ with Huron
3B Matt Bentz, Virginia, .226/.272/.318, 65OPS+
SS Marty McDuffie, Susquehanna, no stats, rookie season. #78 ranked prospect
LF Nick Parsons, Louisiana, .313/.394/.491, 146OPS+
CF Jonathon Parsons, Great Lakes, no stats, rookie season. #27 ranked prospect
RF Tom Paddock, Cascadia, .298/.375/.460, 132OPS+ won Frey award
DH Eric Hughes, New England, .230/.353/.365, 101OPS+

1 Vince Benbow, Australia, 18-6, 2.50ERA, 0.1HR/9, 161ERA+
2 Matt Mauck, Texas, 15-14, 3.04ERA, 200Ks, 132ERA+
3 Brent Wilson, New England, 13-4, 2.65ERA, 150ERA+ with Dakota
4 Jay Bloodworth, New England, 8-12, 3.79ERA, 106ERA+
5 Ben Mann, Susquehanna, no stats, rookie season. Unranked and undrafted
CL Nick Hartle, The Dakotas, 29Saves, 2.04ERA, 197ERA+
Other notable bullpen arms: Bobby Barela and Christian Love

I’m not sure why OOTP ranks them so poorly this year. The additions of Morales, Manning, and Wilson are perfect for what they need. Jonathan Parsons looks to be a Castaneda candidate as well with Kenney potentially making appearances later into the season. I could easily see them fighting for the 2nd spot in the Atlantic regardless of luck.

last season 99-63, 1st in Atlantic, lost NABF Championship Series to Dakota
9th ranked farm system (RHP Eddie Salazar #20, CF Jon Buckley #23, SS Christian Dubois #29, RHP Jorge Franco #31)
Payroll $1,961,054 - 6th
Lineup and Pitching

C Gilbert Cove, The Dakotas, .181/.261/.235, with Eureka
1B Kyle Thompson, California, .322/.416/.684, 61HRs, 169RBIs, 202OPS+ won Frey and Baxter
2B Kyle Carlton, Susquehanna, played 2 games last year
3B Andy Rico, Venezuela, .292/.373/.470, 134OPS+ won Frey award
SS Jason Martin, Susquehanna, .280/.358/.422, 15Triples, 117OPS+
LF Hervé Barthélémy, Quebec, .305/.415/.621, 157RBIs, 185OPS+ won Frey award
CF Mark Chapman, Quebec, .313/.352/.447, 123OPS+ with Baton Rouge
RF Ron Peterson, Arctic Circle, .298/.373/.470 in 54 games, won Atlantic Series MVP
DH Joe Delli Santi, Virginia, no stats, rookie season. #68 ranked prospect

1 Leon Lopez, Puerto Rico, 18-6, 2.91ERA, 240Ks, 138ERA+
2 Danny Avila, Colombia, 21-8, 3.06ERA, 132ERA+ won Taylor 
3 Jorge Franco, Panama, no stats rookie season. #31 ranked prospect
4 Jesse Conway, Quebec, 15-12, 4.81ERA, 84ERA+
5 Jorge Garcia, Dominican Republic, 10-14, 5.02ERA, 79ERA+ with Galveston
CL Ryan Nixon, Cascadia, 40Saves, 1.85ERA, 218ERA+ 
Other notable bullpen arms: Bob O’Brien and Johan Mathieu

Coming off one of the best seasons ever, the Harfang do a quick retool. Trading Adler and signing Chapman. As well as bringing up prospects Delli Santi and Franco (and first full season for Peterson) adds more youth to the lineup at the cost of some depth, but that could be fixed by signing an unsigned veteran if needed. Speaking of, depth really is their main issue. Outside of their main stars they really don’t have much besides fringe backups and loose prospects. But with the 2-Headed Beast (Thompson and Barthélémy) it might never matter for a long time. 

OOTP Pre-Season Predictions
Pacific Conference:
Eureka Redwoods 95-67
Galveston Launch 91-71
Cheyenne Buffalo 90-72
Dakota Eagles 82-80
Baton Rouge Cajuns 76-86
Astoria Osprey 74-88

Atlantic Conference:
Huron Gryphons 95-67
Trois Rivieres Harfang 93-69
Florida Flamingos 80-82
Chesapeake Admirals 74-88
Plymouth Pilgrims 64-98
Germantown Pretzels 60-102

Darknes wrote:

Seems interesting, definitely curious on what sort of event would cause the whole of North America to fracture in such a way.

So I don't have all the lore figured out, but there wouldn't be a singular event to cause it like one may expect. My current running idea is that after the American Revolution, many of the 13 Colonies couldn't adapt to one another and either elected to become their own country (Georgia, Virginia) or combined with a few fellow states (New England, Susquehanna). So from about 1790-1950 everything would be completely different; Manifest Destiny wouldn't be as impactful, Canada fights a war against everyone else, and the French and Spanish colonies last much longer before getting their own independence (California, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and sorta the Rocky Mountains). And most of present time to 2100s where this takes place is pretty normal, the only other country I added was the East African Federation but i doubt they will show up at all besides maybe some dual-citizenships with Georgia. I may go more into detail with countries during the World Cups or when talking about expansion teams. 

2103 Playoffs

Pacific Conference Series
 vs
First time the Eagles don’t have to face the Buffalo in the Conference Series. The defending champs (Dakota) feature the highest scoring offense in the entire league and the triple crown winning, record-setting ace, Felix Hernandez. Other than Hernandez, their rotation is a little weak, Adam Harless and Juan Donate have ERA in the low 4s, while rookie Bobby Brooks has a 3.60. However, their bullpen is essentially a who’s who. Pat Dow, Eddie Hall, Mike Kohn, Josh Burford (since in Dakota), and David Pugh all have an under 3 ERA. Eureka features the best pitching in the Pacific (according to runs against), led by Ben Denman and Jose Lopez. With an equally as good bullpen with Jeff Caron, Oscar Torrez, Xiao-yan Kang, and the Butcher, Jake Pawlowski. Despite the Eagles leading the NABF in runs, their HR leader is Ian Brinley with 21, Eureka has 3 players above that total (Velez 37, Garza 31, Krug 22). 

Game 1: EUR Ben Denman (25-5, 2.26) vs DAK Juan Donate (12-10, 4.54)
Eagles would score first, against their former ace, with an RBI triple by Trevor Reardon. But Donate would begin to fold as Eureka kept hitting RBI doubles against him. The Eagles could not mount a comeback.
EUR 7 - 3 DAK

Game 2: EUR Jose Lopez (8-6, 2.78) vs DAK Felix Hernandez (25-3, 1.33)
In the 4th the Eagles would score 6, on the back of a Brinley 3 run home run. Which was plenty enough for ‘El Rey’ Hernandez. He would only allow 1 run on 5 hits with an NABF record 12Ks in a dismantling of the Redwoods.
EUR 1 - 9 DAK

Game 3: DAK Adam Harless (10-9, 4.15) vs EUR Jake Hale (12-14, 4.00)
After trading blowouts, the series finally calmed down. A 1-1 pitchers duel entering the 7th. Harless would give up 2 home runs (Garza and Beals). Then entered the 8th and gave up 3 runs without an out. Harless would get pulled and Pawlowski would come into the 9th and secure the win for Eureka.
DAK 1 - 7 EUR

Game 4: DAK Bobby Brooks (13-7, 3.60) vs EUR Todd Luquette (13-7, 3.35)
Dakota would score early with a 3-run homer by Brinley. But in the 4th, Brooks would completely collapse, a bases loaded hit by pitch and 4 other runs would score that inning. A home run by Garza in the 7th would seal the game for the Redwoods, now only 1 win away from their first championship series.
DAK 4 - 8 EUR

Game 5: DAK Doug McFarland (8-11, 5.30) vs EUR Ben Denman (25-5, 2.26)
Many were speculating that Hernandez would pitch on 4 days rest, but instead Dakota would use McFarland who had been their 5th arm in the rotation. Many criticized the move, but McFarland would enter the 8th without giving up a run. And due to a Ron Young sac fly the Eagles were up 1-0. Normally, you would think Dakota would switch in a reliever or even CL Pugh for a 6 out save, but no they kept McFarland out and… he got the first 2 outs. But then surrendered 2 straight singles. So now this is when you would bring in the closer… nope. Ritter Ammann would hit a go-ahead 2-run double. All the Redwoods needed to do was send Pawlowski out for the 9th, and he cleaned house. Eureka wins and goes to their first ever Championship Series. 1B Mel Velez would win series MVP.
DAK 1 - 2 EUR



Atlantic Conference Series
vs
Rematch of the previous season. Trois has made the Conference Series in all of their seasons, but has not been able to win the title yet. Despite the Harfang winning more games, the Gryphons have won the season series 9-6. Both feature the 1st and 2nd ranked Offense/Defense in the league. Huron has the rotation of nightmares in the playoffs, their “worst” starter is Steven Crossman with a 3.27ERA, the rest are all below 2.65. Their mid-season acquisition of CL Alex Garcia has paid dividends, the Colombian is throwing 1.64ERA with 11.7K/9 rate since joining. However, they are facing injuries to Mike McClary, Jorge Baez, and Mario Olmedo. The latter of which has missed the entire season. Trois will out Ron Peterson and Jesse Conway. Though the Snow’Birds don’t have the notoriety of Huron’s rotation, they have former Taylor winner Danny Avila, plus Atlantic strikeout king Leon Lopez, and rookie Jorge Franco. However, it is their bullpen of real note. CL Ryan Nixon has given up only 5 runs all season, with an ERA+ of 672. He is flanked by Bob O’Brien, Johan Mathieu, Dale Peterson, and Farid Garcia. I don’t think I have to elaborate on their offense? Led by the 2-Headed Beast of Kyle Thompson and Hervé Barthélémy, who have combined for 205HRs over the last 2 seasons. Paired with strong rookie performances from C Josh Lemon, SS Christian Dubois, 2B Kyle Carlton, and DH Joe Delli Santi make for a venomous lineup with ageless potential. 

Game 1: HUR Julio Sanchez (20-9, 2.65) vs TR Leon Lopez (22-6, 2.69)
The table would be set, fans in attendance, the only thing missing would be the food. Don’t worry Julio Sanchez would bring all the meatballs. Barthélémy would hit 2 homers (2 more than last playoffs) and score 4 runs. Thompson would have a homer of his own, while Delli Santi had a bases loaded, base clearing double. Rico, Martin, and Dubois would record RBIs of their own in an absolute blowout. Lopez and Garcia would combine to only allow 4 hits all game.
HUR 0 - 12 TR

Game 2: HUR Jaylin Wallace (17-10, 2.64) vs TR Danny Avila (11-17, 4.40)
The 39-year old southpaw would match last year’s Taylor winner. Both pitched 8 innings only allowing 4 hits and 1 walk. However, Wallace happened to give his up seemingly in the same inning. With rookies Dubois and Carlton hitting back to back RBIs singles to squeeze out a win.
HUR 0 - 2 TR

Game 3: TR Jorge Franco (20-7, 3.35) vs HUR Josh Newcomer (19-7, 2.43)
The Trois rookie would be phenomenal, only mistake was beaning Ray Toth would come around to score. Which would tie the game 1-1 entering the 9th. Huron would put in CL Alex Garcia to send it to extras, he would give up a leadoff single to Andy Rico who would be pinch ran by rookie Jon Buckley. Within 4 pitches, Buckley would be standing on third. A single from pinch hitter Fabrice Jean would score Buckley to take the lead. Jean would also come into score following a fielding error and another single. In all the rookie Franco would toss 8.2 innings, only giving up 5 hits. Once again, the Harfang are looking to destroy Huron to reach the championship.
TR 3 - 1 HUR

Game 4: TR Jorge Garcia (13-8, 4.71) vs HUR Steven Crossman (4-6, 3.27)
Heading into game 4, the story was how Huron had only mustered 1 run this entire series. While the loss of SS McClary was sure to be a damper to their offense, it was not expected to cause this much damage, or lack thereof. They would score at least 1 thanks to a solo shot by Ray Toth in the first. Followed by 3 more solo shots in the 6th and 7th (Magid, Sharman, and Criado (first hit of the series)). Which would give the Gryphons a 4-2 lead heading to the 8th. They would hand the ball over, once again, to Alex Garcia. With a roughly 80% chance of winning, pinch hitter Fabrice Jean would launch a 2-run jack to tie the game. Naturally, the Harfang would put in their closer, Ray Nixon. Nixon would strike out leadoff hitter Roberto. Then get Cook to ground out. Rio Carr would get a double thanks to an outfield bobble. Tom Phelan would crank a screaming line drive to right, but Serrato would be able to grab it to end the inning. Garcia back on the mound in the 9th. He would get Barthélémy to ground out. But walked Rico on 4 pitches. Martin would get a single and Rico easily got to third. With 1 out and runners on the corner, rookie C Josh Lemon would come to the plate. In a 1-1 count, Garcia would shank a slider so far it nearly rolled into the Gryphons dugout, Rico would score easily. Nothing else would happen that half-inning. Now it is all down to the Gryphons offense. Nixon had not given up a run since August. Huron would lead it off with a single up the middle by Weber. Criado would then fly to center, 1 out. Thomas would fly to left on the first pitch, 2 out. Jose Pineda would strikeout on 3 pitches to end the game and advance Trois Rivieres to their second straight finals appearance. Barthélémy would win the series MVP. (despite Garcia’s chokes this series. Gryphons would sign him to a 2 year extension the following week)
TR 5 - 4 HUR


2103 NABF Championship Series

 vs
The Harfang outscored and allowed less runs than the Redwoods did during the regular season, and won the season series 9-5. They were the favorites entering into the series. But so far no Atlantic team has been able to win the Championship. 

Game 1: EUR Jose Lopez (8-6, 2.70) vs TR Leon Lopez (22-6, 2.69)
Eureka would have 3 home runs in the opening match, however, they were all solo shots and were the only runs they could muster. While Trois would score 10 off 7 total bases for Chapman, 2 doubles for Dubois, and a Thompson home run. Leon Lopez would tie the NABF record for strikeouts in a playoff game with 12. 
EUR 3 - 10 TR

Game 2: EUR Jake Hale (12-14, 4.00) vs TR Danny Avila (11-17, 4.40)
Eureka would take a 1-0 lead after the first inning and hold it until the 7th when they rocked Danny Avila for 6 runs. The Harfang would not be able to mount a comeback against Hale who threw a complete game.
EUR 8 - 2 TR

Game 3: TR Jorge Franco (20-7, 3.35) vs EUR Ben Denman (25-5, 2.26)
Both teams would trade 1 run innings in the second and third. The rookie and the veteran would take hold of the rest of the game before handing it to their closers in the 8th. Heading into the 10th inning. Harfang’s Carlton would fly out. Then Chapman would reach on an error. Chapman would advance all the way to third after a Delli Santi single. With runners on the corners, 1 out, Thompson and Barthélémy due up. Thompson would ground out to first (Delli Santi to second), would not be able to score Chapman. The Redwoods elect to intentionally walk Barthélémy, bringing Andy Rico up with 2 outs. Rico would rocket a single to right, easily scoring Chapman to take a lead in the 10th. Next batter would strikeout to lead into the bottom of the 10th. Eureka’s leadoff hitter, Kachmar would strike out. SS Tipton smacks a soft grounder to 1st. With 2 outs, Velez would get walked on 4 pitches. Ritter Ammann would strikeout to end the game, a thrilling victory for the Harfang.
TR 3 - 2 EUR

Game 4: TR Jorge Garcia (13-8, 4.71) vs EUR Todd Luquette (13-7, 3.35)
Barthélémy and Martin would each hit a solo home run in the 2nd to take a 2-0 lead. Eureka would bounce back with 3 runs in the next 2 innings. In the 5th, with the bases loaded Barthélémy would get hit by a pitch to drive in a run. Game would be tied 4-4. In the 7th, Mel Velez would demolish a ball for a 3 run home run to take the lead. Redwoods would bring in Pawlowski who would shut the Harfang down; he has not allowed a run in 9 postseason innings so far.
TR 4 - 7 EUR

Game 5: TR Leon Lopez (22-6, 2.69) vs EUR Jose Lopez (8-6, 2.78)
The battle of the Lopez’ would end up being an offensive showcase for Garza, Ammann, and Rico. Each of them having 3 hits a piece. Garza would have 2 two-run home runs. In the 7th, down by 3, Trois had the bases loaded with 1 out, but RF Jason Martin would ground into a double play. Into the 9th, still down by 3. Leading off would be Thompson, who would smoke a linedrive single on the first pitch. Barthélémy would be walked. Andy Rico grounds into a fielder’s choice, Thompson on 3rd. Martin flies out on the first pitch. 2 outs now, C Josh Lemon would smash a double down the right-field line, but could only score 1. Danny Serrato would come to pinch hit, and would get walked. Gilberto Moreano would come to pinch hit but would fly out, Redwoods win, and are 1 game away from their 1st Championship.
TR 4 - 6 EUR

Game 6: EUR Jake Hale (12-14, 4.00) vs TR Danny Avila (11-17, 4.40)
In a do or die series for Trois, they would go down early and well stay down. California native Jake Hale would lock down the Trois batters, besides a solo shot from Thompson, Hale would only allow 4 hits the entire game. Before handing the ball to fellow Californian Jake Pawlowski who would lock down the 8th and 9th sealing the championship for the Redwoods. Ritter Ammann would get series MVP.
EUR 6 - 1 TR 

Eureka Redwoods win their first Championship Series and put the Pacific up 3-0 all time.

2104 Pre-Season Preview
Pacific Conference:

last season 71-91, last in Pacific
7th ranked farm system (RF Russ Pettaway #7, CF David Wesfall #16, RHP Oscar Barrera #36)
Payroll $1,829,743 - 8th
Lineup and Pitching

(no showing ages as well)
C, 33, Armando Garcia, Susquehanna, .294/.360/.403, 113OPS+ in 57 games
1B, 34, Ray Tolbert, Cascadia, .285/.399/.477, 147OPS+ and won Deshayes award with Chesapeake.
2B, 22, Dustin Coghill, Virginia, no stats, rookie season. #99 ranked prospect
3B, 29, Brian Sky, Virginia, .219/.313/.326, 81OPS+ with Chesapeake
SS, 25, Kevin Jones, The Dakotas, .221/.282/.348, 75OPS+ won Deshayes award
LF, 27, Hervé Barthélémy, Quebec, .332/.445/.670, 212OPS+ won Baxter award with Trois Rivieres
CF, 28, Ryan Lowery, California, .264/.333/.357, 53SBs, 92OPS+
RF, 30, Tyler Kilberger, Susquehanna, .316/.372/.458, 131OPS+
DH, 23, Adam Moore, Virginia, .216/.290/.353, 79OPS+

1 28, Andrew Redepenning, Virginia, 14-7, 2.71ERA, 173Ks, 147ERA+
2 34, Rogelio Rodriguez, Cuba, 9-8, 5.06ERA, 79ERA+
3 29 Joel Acrsio, Venezuela, 4-9, 4.07ERA, 98ERA+ with Baton Rouge
4 23 Eli Lawson, Texas, no stats, rookie season. #98 ranked prospect
5 37, Eddie Melanson, California, 3.41ERA in 29 innings with Germantown
CL, 36, Ken Laubach, Virginia, 38Saves, 3.43ERA, 116ERA+ with Baton Rouge
Other notable bullpen arms: Nick Ashley, Melvin Perez, and #90 ranked prospect Dusty McCord.

Huge splashes in free agency, but almost no depth. The offense may be able to pull them along but the pitching is looking to be an anchor despite how good Redepenning and Laubach are.

last season 72-90, 5th in Pacific
5th ranked farm system (RHP Roth Reiter #13, CF Milt Scovell #15, RHP Daniel Ojeda #22)
Payroll $1,606,138 - 10th
Lineup and Pitching

C, 26, Kevin Edwards, Georgia, .209/.285/.281, 59OPS+ 
1B, 29, Matt Thompson, California, .263/.356/.445, 123OPS+ with Eureka
2B, 34, Emilio Rodriguez, Puerto Rico, .273/.384/.371, 112OPS+
3B, 21, Jayden Royal, Florida, .189/.256/.287, 52OPS+ (last years #1 ranked prospect)
SS, 24, Philip Fievet, Quebec, .233/.293/.313, 69OPS+
LF, 26, Matthew Wagoner, Great Lakes, .289/.352/.572, 46HRs, 129RBIs, 154OPS+ won Frey award
CF, 24, Joseph Wallace, Rocky Mountains, .262/.324/.361, 91OPS+ won Castaneda award
RF, 21, Ben Black, Georgia, 5OPS+ in 41 games last year. Former #6 ranked prospect.
DH, 30, Jake Herold, California, .293/.401/.612, 50HRs, 180OPS+, won Frey award

1 28, Jason Skelly, Cascadia, 8-14, 5.23ERA, 76ERA+ (injured, out 14 months)
2 29, Jaivin Cano, Louisiana, 6-6, 4.87ERA with Huron
3 36, Ruberto Ticao, Venezuela, 10-15, 4.11ERA, 97ERA+
4 30, Josh Eastman, Louisiana, 8-12, 5.74ERA with Trois Rivieres
5 23, Chris Munden, The Dakotas, no stats, rookie season. #95 ranked prospect
CL, 30, Angelo Juarez, Dominican Republic, 27Saves, 2.22ERA with Astoria
Other notable bullpen arms: Farid Garcia, Philip Auricchio, Eddie Hall, Jason Walker, and prospects Jim Vogel and Léo Marie.

Another year of the rebuild for the Cajuns. The Herald contract continues to look like a weird decision; they continue to not sign anyone to help him. They have plenty of NABF ready hitting prospects but both Reiter and Ojeda look to be in the minors for several more seasons. #FreeHerald&Wagoner.

last season 80-82, 3rd in Pacific
12th ranked farm system (RHP Carlos Padillo #24 and 1B Valentin Pernot #26)
Payroll $1,681,934 - 9th
Lineup and Pitching

C, 26, Eric Titus, Great Lakes, .367/.448/555, 179OPS+ 3 consecutive Frey awards
1B, 28, Dave Chatwin, Maritimes, .288/.351/.458, 124OPS+
2B, 23, Dan Harbin, New England, .234/.291/.332, 74OPS+
3B, 22, Edgar Morales, California, .198/.260/.263, 47OPS+
SS, 22, Dean Monahan, Cascadia, no stats, rookie season. Unranked
LF, 30, Ken Jones, Rocky Mountains, .258/.342/.379, 101OPS+
CF, 32, Kevin Meyer, Rocky Mountains, .252/.327/.410, 38SBs, 105OPS+
RF, 35, Richard Kriegel, Rocky Mountains, .199/.307/.266, 62OPS+ won Deshayes award
DH, 23, Ricardo Rodriguez, California, .196/.307/.287, 67OPS+ in 73 games

1 26, Rafael Santa Cruz, Florida, 2-3, 3.30ERA, 120ERA+ hasn’t been able to stay healthy for a whole season yet
2 27, Marty Hodge, Australia, 14-8, 2.87ERA, 225Ks, 139ERA+
3 28, Jeffrey Simon, The Dakotas, 6-4, 2.92ERA, 136ERA+
4 36, Steve Francen, Rocky Mountains, 4-5, 3.17ERA, 125ERA+ (out for first 2-3 months recovering from Tommy John)
5 24, Jose Serrano, Dominican Republic, 5-3, 3.15ERA, 126ERA+
CL, 23, Warren Bourdon, Quebec, 10Saves, 4.45ERA, 89ERA+ first full closer season
Other notable bullpen arms: veteran Mario Olmedo and knuckleballer Jose Guerrero

Bad news, they really only have pitching (that can’t stay healthy). Good news, they are extremely young. Meyer and Titus will really have to scratch and claw to give them a shot, especially if they continue to have injury issues like they have had the last few seasons. Despite that, I expect them to make a dominant playoff push.

last season 102-60, 1st in Pacific, lost Pacific series to Eureka.
6th ranked farm system (2B Alex Campos #20, LF Nestor Rivas #27, RHP Quan Hang #29)
Payroll $2,433,054 - 3rd
Lineup and Pitching

C, 30, Scott Vander Ark, The Dakotas, .244/.331/.358, 93OPS+
1B, 29, Trevor Reardon, The Dakotas, .250/.372/.409, 62SBs, 118OPS+ 
2B, 38, Larry Adair, Arctic Circle, .308/.406/.401, 126OPS+ won Deshayes award at first base
3B, 34, Chris Shepherd, Great Lakes, .276/.417/.380, 127OPS+ won Frey award with Florida
SS, 33, Ian Brinley, Texas, .290/.378/.463, 134OPS+ won Baxter award
LF, 29, Jon Magallanes, Rocky Mountains, .293/.370/.451, 128OPS+ won 3 consecutive Deshayes awards
CF, 31, Ron Young, The Dakotas, .279/.337/.411, 108OPS+
RF, 33, Scott Purkis, The Dakotas, .289/.366/.444, 126OPS+
DH, 30, Jose Zarate, Venezuela, .258/.346/.398, 108OPS+

1 23, Bobby Brooks, Texas, 13-7, 3.60ERA, 111ERA+ 2nd in Castaneda voting
3 31, Adam Harless, Great Lakes, 10-9, 4.15ERA, 96ERA+
3 32, Doug McFarland, The Dakotas, 8-11, 5.30ERA, 75ERA+
4 30, Andy Blanchard, Quebec, 1-11, 8.76ERA idk how he got a job
5 20, Danny Tatman, Great Lakes, no stats, rookie season. #52 ranked prospect (actually played 3 years in the minors unlike a lot of these other rushed prospects)
CL, 27, Mike Kohn, Cascadia, pitched 3 innings due to injury, had 294ERA+ in last full season
Other notable bullpen arms: Ryan Leonard and Pat Dow enter sophomore seasons after having impressive rookie showings.

Unfortunately, they lost both Denman and Hernandez in the last 2 seasons. But they rebounded by building one of the best all around offenses in the league. While I admit that I think they should’ve signed a pitcher instead of Shepherd during the off-season, he is still one of the best third basemen in the league and could be enough to push them further.

last season 100-62, won NABF Championship 
1st ranked farm system (RHP Dustin Cloud #3, RHP Tillman Tamayo #4, 2B Cor John #11, C Ismael Mendez #17, RHP Trent Pullin #25)
Payroll $2,613,267 - 1st (technically over the salary cap, not sure what they will do)
Lineup and Pitchers

C, 27, Ogai Hara, Japan, .243/.347/.347, 95OPS+
1B, 37, Mel Velez, Guatemala, .297/.368/.536, 37HRs, 150OPS+ won Frey award
2B, 28, Ritter Ammann, Susquehanna, .304/.375/.449, 129OPS+ won Frey award
3B, 27, Bobby Tippett, California, .204/.301/.345, 80OPS+
SS, 23, Jamie Tipton, California, .237/.320/.335, 89OPS+ in 70 games
LF, 29, Jesse Haskins, California, .248/.359/.353, 102OPS+ with Florida
CF, 25, Jonathan Humphrey, California, -1OPS+ in 78 games where he was mostly a defensive replacement
RF, 24, Ken Kachmar, Maritimes, 50OPS+ in 61 games where he was mostly a defensive replacement
DH, 31, Antonio Garza, Dominican Republic, .273/.380/.524, 150OPS+ his “worst” career season

1 30, Felix Hernandez, Dominican Republic, 25-3, 1.33ERA, 328Ks, 300ERA+ won triple crown and Taylor award
2 31, Ben Denman, Florida, 25-5, 2.26ERA, 175Ks, 176ERA+ only 2nd to Hernandez
3 33, Jose Lopez, California, 8-6, 2.78ERA, 143ERA+
4 30, Jake Hale, California, 12-14, 4.00ERA, 99ERA+
5 25, Jeff Caron, California, 2.47ERA over 98 innings 
CL, 28, Jake Pawlowski, California, 35 Saves, 1.54ERA, 259ERA+
Other notable bullpen arms: Ryan Sumner, Benjamin Platt, Todd Luquette, Dave Meisel, and #25 prospect Trent Pullin

The defending champs undeniably got WAY better. Haskins adds speed that they were missing and Hernandez is easily the best pitcher in the NABF. And they have the #1 farm system? They definitely have a number of questions in terms of their salary as most of their highest paid players are locked up long term (Tippett, Ammann, and Velez are the only notable FAs after this season who rank 8-10th in terms of most paid). But nonetheless, should easily be the Pacific champs this year.

last season 75-87, 4th in Pacific
4th ranked farm system (LHP Paolo Barreau #5, LF Oscar Aguilar #19, CF John Bunkley #28)
Payroll $1,444,356 - 11th
Lineup and Pitching

C, 24, David Kleinschmidt, Virginia, played 5 games last year
1B, 23, Jose Orozco, Dominican Republic, played 20 games last year
2B, 28, Bryce Cleveland, Texas, played 3 games last year
3B, 32, Angelo Alonzo, Mexico, .285/.374/.454, 131OPS+ won Frey and Deshayes awards
SS, 29, Ryan Irvin, Texas, .198/.283/.291, 61OPS+ one of the best defenders in the league
LF, 32, David Moran, Texas, .301/.371/.498, 141OPS+
CF, 24, Katsumi Canio, Brazil, .347/.380/.476, 138OPS+ won Frey and Deshayes award
RF, 20, Melvin Navarrete, California, played 37 games last year
DH, 30, Ian Mosher, Georgia, .271/.336/.394, 104OPS+

1 28, Jeremy Kiely, Susquehanna, 2-7, 5.52ERA, 72OPS+
2 23, Rich Platte, New England, 6-19, 5.65ERA, 70ERA+
3 33, Juan Manjarrez, Texas, 16-14, 5.44ERA, 80ERA+
4 31, Josh Berenson, Florida, 11-15, 5.73ERA, 69ERA+
5 29, Dale Cremers, Virginia, 8.49ERA in 35 innings with Chesapeake
CL, 26, Kyle McMurphy, Rocky Mountains, 41 Saves, 0.56ERA, only given up 1 home run ever, 709ERA+ won Gervais award
Other notable bullpen arms: Alex Schepers and Johnny Martinez. Also former top prospects Alain Thomas, Bobby Crocitto, and Greg Cone

An obviously difficult team to predict. One of the best hitting cores surrounded by a whole bunch of unknowns. But with a pitching staff who’s best ERA is 5.44, I don’t think it will matter much. With most of their top prospects not being NABF ready and with David Moran and Angelo Alonzo both wanting out, the situation in Texas could get a whole lot messier before it gets better.

Atlantic Conference:
last season 76-86, 3rd in Atlantic
8th ranked farm system (SS Douggie Clarke #12, RHP Geoff Bolen #30)
Payroll $1,944,556 - 6th
Lineup and Pitching

C, 29, Alex Respighi, Venezuela, .230/.301/.290, 68OPS+
1B, 25, Chris Conway, Virginia, .217/.305/.288, 69OPS+
2B, 27, Ramiro Ruiz, Colombia, no stats, rookie season. Unranked
3B, 31, William Tworek, Virginia, .235/.284/.332, 72OPS+ with Eureka 2 years ago
SS, 22, Douggie Clarke, Virginia, no stats, rookie season. #12 ranked prospect
LF, 28, Mike McIntyre, Texas, .235/.346/.396, 21HRs, 109OPS+ with Florida (first time hearing of this dude lol)
CF, 26, Gary Urbanczyk, Susquehanna, .263/.386/.599, 43HRs, 175OPS+ won Frey and Deshayes awards
RF, 30, Tom Mackey, Great Lakes, .300/.360/.487, 138OPS+ won Frey award
DH, 31, David Westland, Cascadia, .318/.391/.417, 129OPS+

1 31, Lee Ray, The Dakotas, 16-14, 3.31ERA, 120ERA+
2 31, Brian Van Winkle, Texas, 13-16, 3.29ERA, 121ERA+ won 3 consecutive Deshayes awards
3 37, Roberto Gomez, Texas, 10-15, 4.66ERA, 85ERA+
4 31, Matt Richardson, Susquehanna, 11-9, 3.49ERA, 114ERA+
5 29, Brent Wilson, New England, 11-19, 5.29ERA, 75ERA+
CL, 22, Keith Badey, Great Lakes, 4.31ERA across 64 innings, former top 10 prospect
Other notable bullpen arms: Chris Spomer, Sergio Villalta, and Charlie Symmonds who looks to be a 2-way player

The Admirals are the team that confuse me the most. They have a lot of top players but lack a lot of crucial depth. They look to be great… honestly nowhere. The top 4 batters and the top 3ish pitchers all look good but there really isn’t much behind that. Even the bullpen is just average. One thing they definitely lack is native talent, something that Eureka, Dakota, Trois, and Cheyenne have all used effectively. Hopefully Clarke will fix some of that.

last season 65-97, 6th in Atlantic
2nd ranked farm system (LHP Dan Miles #2, LHP Mario Anguiano #6, RHP Oscar Noriega #23, RHP Ted Bass #31)
Payroll $1,294,858 - 12th
Lineup and Pitching

C, 31, Ashton Smith, Georgia, .289/.389/.415, 127OPS+ in 86 games, won Deshayes award
1B, 29, Ken Grant, Quebec, .218/.319/.347, 86OPS+ with Astoria
2B, 33, Juan Torres, Florida, .272/.332/.368, 98OPS+ won Deshayes award
3B, 23, Chris Bachert, Louisiana, .248/.319/.343, 87OPS+ in 84 games
SS, 22, Tom Helms, Rocky Mountains, no stats, rookie season. #63 ranked prospect
LF, 24, Zachary Clement, Florida, no stats rookie season. Unranked
CF, 32, Jerome Shackelford, Florida, .238/.2989/.343, 81OPS+
RF, 23, Savion Jones, Louisiana, .258/.288/.378, 58SBs, 87OPS+ won Deshayes award
DH, 30, Cameron Johnston, Maritimes, played 24 games with Galveston

1 25, Jose Orozco, Dominican Republic, 11-18, 3.91ERA, 101ERA+
2 24, Steven Dorsey, Susquehanna, 9-21, 5.28ERA, 75ERA+ 
3 22, Bill Mowry, Susquehanna, no stats, rookie season. #38 ranked prospect
4 39, Steve Fortman, Florida, pitched 2 games last year, 96ERA+ in 2102
5 26, Ricky McDonald, Great Lakes, 4-16, 6.78ERA, 59ERA+
CL, 28, Mike Hilger, Rocky Mountains, 22 Saves, 0.59ERA, 674ERA+ won Gervais award
Other notable bullpen arms: Pat Paul, Matt Johnston, and Harold Sykes

After leading the Atlantic after the first month of last season, they fell all the way to be tied in last. Good news is a lot of their prospects are only 2 seasons away, bad news. They are all pitchers. Their top hitting prospect is their 8th overall prospect, Tom Helms. They still have Tyler Hammerich who is only 20, but has been riding the bench for 3 years and even if he does suddenly develop he will only be under contract for 2 more seasons. Another rebuild, hope for a top hitting prospect.

last season 67-95, 4th in Atlantic
10th ranked farm system (LF Ernest Mott #8, C Han-seung Park #40)
Payroll $2,070,561 - 4th
Lineup and Pitching 

C, 38, Keith Lopes, California, .253/.321/.351, 93OPS+ 
1B, 31, Bobby Russell, Susquehanna, .229/.312/.387, 100OPS+
2B, 31, Brent Gomer, New England, .264/.344/.352, 100OPS+
3B, 22, Derrick West, Cascadia, no stats, rookie season. Unranked
SS, 26, Ben Cintron, California, .259/.307/.413 105OPS+ in 48 games 
LF, 26, George Powers, Quebec, .339/.455/.623, 207OPS+ in 93 games
CF, 22, Jeremy Cooper, Georgia, .199/.273/.337, 74OPS+
RF, 29, Sam Boyd, Great Lakes, .195/.266/.308, 65OPS+
DH, 24, Howard Faxon, Arctic Circle, .227/.297/.413, 102OPS+

1 30, Adam Minke, Susquehanna, 14-15, 3.02ERA, 129ERA+
2 34, Ross Whitehead, Maritimes, 12-18, 3.66ERA, 107ERA+
3 31, Bernie Rosado, Susquehanna, 10-16, 3.43ERA, 114ERA+
4 35, Ben Nickel, Rocky Mountains, 7-7, 9 Saves, 4.21ERA with Cheyenne
5 32, Steven Crossman, California, 4-6, 3.27ERA with Huron
CL, 30, Josh Burford, Susquehanna, 3.96ERA across 63 innings with Germantown and Dakota
Other notable bullpen arms: Robby Barela, Eric Reed, Bob Molina, Juan Medel

Still struggling to stay relevant after a Championship appearance 3 years ago. They fully overhauled their pitching, but their success will depend on if Boyd, Cooper, and Lopes can have bounce back seasons. Their only good decisions is keeping Mott and Park in the minors to actually develop instead of rushing them like some other rebuilding teams (cough Galveston cough)

last season, 94-68, 2nd in Atlantic, got swept in Atlantic Series
9th ranked farm system (RHP Brad Vedder #14, SS Ron Mudd #18, RHP Ivan Ramirez #33)
Payroll $2,507,308
Lineup and Pitching 

C, 30, Kevin Magid, Rocky Mountains, .205/.316/.295, 75OPS+
1B, 29, Philippe Thomas, Quebec, .268/.354/.428, 122OPS+
2B, 28, Tom Phelan, Quebec, .292/.358/.378, 110OPS+ 
3B, 29, Rio Carr, New England, .267/.331/.390, 105OPS+ 3 consecutive Deshayes awards
SS, 29, Mike McClary, Texas, .332/.392/.473, 145OPS+ won Frey and Deshayes awards
LF, 22, Diego Lopez, California, no stats, rookie season. Unranked
CF, 31, Robby Roberto, Texas, .260/.337/.367, 101OPS+
RF, 28, Nick Cook, Great Lakes, played 38 games last season
DH, 28, Fernando Criado, California, .280/.384/.530, 38HRs, 158OPS+ won Frey award

1 26, Josh Newcomer, Great Lakes, 19-7, 2.43ERA, 162ERA+
2 39, Jaylin Wallace, Great Lakes, 17-10, 2.64ERA, 149ERA+
3 29, Julio Sanchez, Dominican Republic, 20-9, 2.65ERA, 148ERA+
4 34, Alex Garcia, Colombia, 18 Saves, 1.70ERA in 79 innings with Huron and Germantown (not sure why they moved him from closer)
5 31, Jose Cervantes, California, 3.23ERA in 86 innings with Dakota and Plymouth
CL, 31, Oscar Torrez, Great Lakes, 1.45ERA in 43 innings with Eureka
Other notable bullpen arms: none

Huron continues to bolster their team. Though, they severely lack bullpen depth with moving Garcia to the rotation. Though both Vedder and Ramirez could be called up to help if needed. Their strong offensive core and debatably best rotation should easily carry them to at least a playoff spot if not further with Trois being weakened

last season 65-97, 5th in Atlantic
3rd ranked farm system (RHP Mike Kulbeth #1, 1B Matunde Simai #9, RHP Felike Ipo #21, Roberto Corral #37)
Payroll $1,928,947 - 7th
Lineup and Pitching 

C, 28, William Roehm, New England, .207/.312/.286, 71OPS+
1B, 30, Oscar Morales, Puerto Rico, .266/.349/.503, 35HRs, 140OPS+
2B, 22, D.W. Manning, Georgia, .295/.443/.387, 138OPS+ won Frey award
3B, 23, Matt Bentz, Virginia, .224/.292/.330, 77OPS+
SS, 29, Chris Edgar, The Dakotas, .316/.363/.388, 110OPS+ with Baton Rouge
LF, 37, Bobby Clark, New England, .275/.339/.393, 104OPS+ with Cheyenne
CF, 23, Jonathan Parsons, Great Lakes, .225/.296/.317, 40SBs, 75OPS+
RF, 36, Tom Paddock, Cascadia, .263/.341/.415, 38SBs, 114OPS+
DH, 31, Nick Parsons, Louisiana, .297/.367/.504, 146OPS+

1 35, Vince Benbow, Australia, 9-13, 3.87ERA, 102ERA+
2 30, Matt Mauck, Texas, 11-3, 3.06ERA, 129ERA+ (out entire season with Tommy John)
3 22, Mike Kulbeth, Louisiana, no stats, rookie season. #1 ranked prospect
4 22, Matt Kenney, Rocky Mountains, 4-13, 5.22ERA, last years #2 ranked prospect
5 23, Roberto Corral, Curaçao, no stats, rookie season. #37 ranked prospect
CL, 24, Dan Wells, Texas, 4.08ERA in 17.2 innings
Other notable bullpen arms: none

Definitely stuck between the old guard and the young guns. They would easily have a chance, but with the worst bullpen, I really don’t think that’s gonna be possible. They could sign some of the unsigned reliever free agents and be a surprise. Kulbeth, Kenney, and Corral could make for an interesting show for the future. Plymouth’s biggest weakness is the lack of good New Englanders in the league, possibly the weakest country right now.

last season 105-57, first in Atlantic, lost Championship Series to Eureka.
11th ranked farm system (RHP Eddie Salazar #10, 3B Tom Newman #35)
Payroll $2,004,854 - 5th
Lineup and Pitching 

C, 24, Josh Lemon, Great Lakes, .264/.341/.370, 102OPS+ won Castaneda and Deshayes awards
1B, 31, Kyle Thompson, California, .316/.412/.693, 208OPS+ won Frey award
2B, 28, Jason Martin, Susquehanna, .278/.341/.403, 110OPS+
3B, 30, Andy Rico, Venezuela, .240/.338/.438, 119OPS+ 
SS, 24, Christian Dubois, Quebec, .238/.303/.349, 84OPS+
LF, 25, Ron Peterson, Arctic Circle, only played 14 games due to injury
CF, 23, Jon Buckley, Great Lakes, .195/.244/.249, in 71 games
RF, 30, Mark Chapman, Quebec, .324/.383/.438, 132OPS+
DH, 24, Joe Delli Santi, Virginia, .270/.378/.377, 115OPS+

1 26, Leon Lopez, Puerto Rico, 22-6, 2.69, 257Ks, 147ERA+ won Taylor award
2 31, Danny Avila, Colombia, 11-17, 4.40ERA, 90ERA+
3 24, Jorge Franco, Panama, 20-7, 3.35ERA, 118ERA+
4 29, Beau Schulte, Cascadia, 8-8, 5.08ERA with Cheyenne
5 37, Jesse Conway, Quebec, 20-7, 3.28ERA, 120ERA+
CL, 34, Ryan Nixon, 36 Saves, 0.59ERA, 668ERA+ (out 3-4 months with a back injury)
Other notable bullpen arms: Johan Mathieu, Bob O’Brien, Dale Patterson, and Graham Lawlor (who will be the closer until Nixon comes back)

Despite losing the Baxter winner, Barthélémy, I wouldn’t say that the Harfang look lost. Maybe that’s due to the explosion of rookie talent they had last season and the comeback of Ron Peterson. I expect them to once again, win the Atlantic. 

OOTP Pre-Season Predictions
Pacific:
Eureka Redwoods 106-56
Cheyenne Buffalo 96-66
Dakota Eagles 91-71
Astoria Osprey 89-73
Baton Rouge Cajuns 60-102
Galveston Launch 54-108

Atlantic
Trois Rivieres Harfang 95-67
Chesapeake Admirals 86-76
Huron Gryphons 86-76
Germantown Pretzels 76-86
Plymouth Pilgrims 76-86
Florida Flamingos 60-102

Reminder, next season in 2105 there will be 2 new teams! A full announcement and expansion draft post will follow the end of the playoffs. Be prepared for the Alaska Avalanche and the Rome Gladiators!