Ghosts Evanesce After Record Season

[Ghosts]

Niihama, Japan – 26 October, 2037

The defending champion Niihama-shi Ghosts had every bit of momentum, luck, health, and opportunity in front of them. After a record-smashing 110-win season – 13 games better than last year and even 11 games better than their LRS peak – the Ghosts managed a single win over the battered and battle-weary Toyoma Wind Dancers. The Wind Dancers may have lost the regular season to the Ghosts, but they dominated in the divisional, and will now attempt to prove once again that the second best in the LRS can best the rest. Despite the trauma of this abrupt defeat, the Ghosts wish the Windies good health on their way to a Rising Sun victory at the game’s highest levels.

New faces were few but exceptionally impactful for the ’37 Ghosts. Trade acquisition Carmelo Lamberti led the RS in innings pitched and posted 4.0 WAR in his age 26 debut for the Ghosts. Free agency blockbuster signing CF Angel Franco blasted 32 home runs, stole 30 bases, and led the team with 5.1 WAR. 2B Esteban Rodriguez, newly minted starting 2B for the Ghosts, won the batting title en route to a 4.9 WAR season. 2036 first round pick CF Hyo-Sang Park may have started the season in AA, but he ended it with a .316/.367/.590 slash in 130 PAs for the Ghosts. 3B/DH Santiago Aranda, a rule 5 pick, slashed .284/.386/.507 in 337 PAs.

The Ghosts are expected to move on from 3B Adrian Fuentes, but otherwise have the ability to return the bulk of the young, division winning Ghosts in 2038. Veterans Pedro Flores and Steve McDonald remain under contract for next season and appear to still be highly capable (4.9 and 2.6 WAR, respectively), though with the glut of outfielders in the Ghosts system, Niihama may field offers for the veteran star.

With both Alfredo Gonzalez and Roberto Rivera on the brink of free agency, the Ghosts appear to be in the most stable situation of the four competing Rising Sun teams. Each appears to have some pending budget room, but the Evas and Wind Dancers may be looking to replace big time arms. With PEBA’s compensatory pick system still in place, and Rivera and Gonzalez both likely looking for massive long-term deals, history suggests that few teams will be bidding on such costly arms. Their original teams may get them back at a substantial discount without the risk of losing their top draft pick, a boon for two of PEBA’s top five revenue teams.

With the rumor-mill spreading discussion over expanding the playoffs to include an additional wild card and with Okinawa’s continue rise, the 2038 Rising Sun may look to be the first division with four playoff teams – an absurdity underscored by PEBA’s recent pivot toward division-heavy scheduling and the Rising Sun’s five team roster. While Neo Tokyo may not enjoy being forced into a rebuild, they can at least enjoy the top pick in an excellent 2038 draft class as their losses within PEBA’s most bloodthirsty division accumulated at an unprecedented rate. This was Neo Tokyo’s losingest season ever by a wide mark, and while they were not shy about taking good trades for their remaining talent, no one can accuse them of tanking. They still feature Eric Montoya and Garry Charron, for instance, alongside a host of other quality players.

The Ghosts are disappointed in 2037’s outcome, but the future still appears bright for the green pinstripes. With such historically intense competition both within the division and across the Sovereign League, however, nothing is guaranteed for 2038.