NeTo NoTes: An Akira Blog 2031

[Akira]

Neo-Tokyo's roster underwent significant changes following the 2030 campaign. Most notable was the departure via free agency of 3B Guillermo Justavo and SP Julio Diaz. Other departures were SP Luigi Bright, 1B Koshiro Nakashima, C Atsmori Kichida, RP Conner Hurst and OF Ramiro Reynoso. Major free agent acquisitions were OF Sean Peters and SP Jonathon Sherwin. Peters was picked up to replace the gapping hole left when Justavo (24 HR/89 RBI) rejected a 2 year offer in favor of a long term deal with Amsterdam. The starting pitching staff is also undergoing a major overhaul. A last minute attempt to resign Diaz failed when he was scooped up by Aurora. Bright signed with New Orleans when there was no attempt made to resign him. Of concern is Alfonso Ramos, a 2nd overall pick in 2025. A significant shoulder injury in 2029 has progressively affected his stamina to the point he is unable to endure the demands of a starter. It's hoped he can be a dominate arm out of the bullpen. Sherwin was signed as a stop gap on a one year deal and NeTo turned to their minor league system to fill the remaining holes. Ernesto Martinez picked up 8 wins as a late season call up in 2030. Colin Hopps had an exceptional minor league career and will be thrust into the spotlight as a starter right out of the gate. CF Jason Box was acquired via trade as an upgrade to the OF both offensively and defensively. With these major lineup changes it is to be expected that it will take time for the team to gel and for young stars adapt to the big leagues. The question surrounding this team is if and how long will it take for that to happen. A 12-12 spring training provided no answers other than it was not quite there yet.

April: The Akira open the season at Crystal Lake with an extra inning loss. 35 year old closer Julio Gonzalez is in a contract year and while he has been reliable in his 4 seasons with the team, there will have to be a decision made on an extension. A blown save on opening day did nothing to instill confidence for the long term deal he's looking for. The rotation lives up to expectations but the bullpen appears weak and the offense is finding its sea legs. As a result the team staggers to a 9-12 month which places them last in the Rising Sun division, 6.5 GB of Shin Seiki. Digging an early hole could make any chance of a playoff spot unlikely. While Gonzalez stabilizes, Ramos is a growing concern and finishes the month 0-2 with a 10.38 ERA. Will the #2 overall pick prove to be a bust?
Offensively, Tomas Martinez is off to a relatively slow start, finishing April batting .244 and only 3 HR. He will need to ramp up if he is to add to his 30+ HR streak, currently at three. Jeff Grier enters May batting .241. He needs to be the spark plug at the top of the lineup. On a positive note Sean Peters is living up to expectations as he ends the month batting .302 with 6 HR 17 RBI. Manager Kata Hayagawa is optimistic that the team is gelling and is confident that things will rebound after a somewhat expected slow start.

[Akira]

May: The month begins ominously with a 9-6 loss to- again- Crystal Lake as they drop the 2 game set. But Hayagawa's confidence is soon rewarded. A two game win streak, a 5 game win streak followed by a 3 game streak put the Akira at 10-3 for the month. They reach .500 on May 9th and don't look back. Only back to back losses to the 11-25 Yumans dampen the enthusiasm. Yet that brief hiccup is soon forgotten as NT ends May by reeling off 11 straight victories. A 21-5 record for May puts them at 31-17 on the year, a dramatic turn around considering the question marks surrounding the team through April. That run vaulted them to second place in the division, 2.5 GB of SS and within range of a wildcard spot. The team is running like the well oiled machine they could only have hoped for in the spring.
Leading the charge was RF Tomás Martínez. The slugger turned it on in May by hitting .368 with 10 HR, 25 RBI and 21 RS. Those numbers earned him Sovereign League Batter of the Month. But it was a team effort. Peters added 19 RBI, Grier hit .320 with 14 SB, Naomi Honma batted .337, contributing 16 RBI, Jason Box .321 and 17 RBI, and even the normally docile BJ Gassaway batted .309. It was what the front office envisioned when constructing this roster. Not relying too much on a few bats but getting a contribution from anyone in the lineup on any given day.
The pitching was no less impressive. Colin Hopps is beginning to make a name for himself and he did it by posting a 5-0 record and a 0.53 ERA for May. That spectacular performance earned him Pitcher (and Rookie) of the Month. On the season he is 6-1 with a 1.14 ERA. But like the offense he did not do it alone. Ernesto Martinez (3-0, 1.45 ERA), Jonathon Sherwin (4-1, 3.16 ERA) and Jose Fernandez (3 wins) rounded out a formidable rotation. Even Alfonso Ramos (1-0, 2.08) had a bounce back month. Closer Julio Gonzalez solidified the bullpen with 8 saves. It was an incredible month that gave the team confidence that it could once again be a contender after a down year in 2030.

[Akira]

June: What could possibly top their 21-5 record in May? How about a 22-5 June. Trying to prove their recent run was no fluke Neo-Tokyo continued their hot play for a second consecutive month and it propelled them into first place in the Rising Sun division. As the calendar turned a page the Akira were riding an 11 game win streak and they were able to extend that to 13 with wins over Duluth and Fargo until finally succumbing to the Dinosaurs on June 4th. Undaunted they reel off win streaks of 3, 6 and 10 games until losing the final game in June to Kalamazoo. The formula was the same: Outstanding starting pitching and timely if not overpowering hitting.

Notable performances from the mound: Colin Hopps followed up his spectacular May with another fine month (4-1/ 2.18 ERA) which earned him a second consecutive Rookie of the Month award. Ernesto Martinez topped that with his own impressive May (5-0/ 1.96 ERA) but even that performance was outdone. Jose Fernandez (5-0/ 1.03 ERA) captured Pitcher of the Month honors for the third time in his career. Lost in those numbers but no less valuable, Jonathon Sherwin pitched in his own fine effort (4-1/ 3.69 ERA). At months end those four starters had 9+ wins each. The bullpen had its own standouts: Julio Gonzalez had 8 saves behind a 1.00 ERA and 34 year old veteran Adrik Glindzich is quietly having an outstanding season (1 ER for the year, 0.54 ERA)

Offensively, Tomas Martinez and Sean Peters had relatively quiet months (3 HRs combined but 11 RBI each) however the slack was picked up elsewhere. Most notably by CF Jason Box, who batted an unbelievable .398 for the month (with 21 RBI) which propelled him into the Sovereign League batting title lead. Box is having a breakout year and already has a career best in RBI while providing a much needed defensive upgrade in CF. BJ Gassaway continued his rebound season, batting .312 with 5 HR and 18 RBI in June, reminiscent of his 2028 season that earned him his current contract. His .289 BA would be a career high. Yamamochi Kobayashi is also having an up year (13 HR/ 42 RBI to date) as he looks for a long term deal. Not to be forgotten was Jeff Grier (.311/ 26 SB in May) who is, um- running away with the the SL SB crown and is second in RS. As of this writing NT leads the PEBA in team BA.

At months end the Akira were in a virtual tie for 1st place in the Rising Sun division, percentage points ahead of the ever present Evas. July will test the fortitude of this team as they play 22 of 28 games within the division, which boasts a combined winning pct of .624.