Kentucky Thoroughbreds 2040 Season Preview

[Thoroughbreds]

Despite having over 90 wins, 2039 was a disappointment for the Thoroughbreds. They missed the playoffs by 1 game for the first time in 5 seasons and more alarmingly they really struggled to compete with the best teams in the top heavy IL league. With not much money to spend, Kentucky was quiet in the offseason and they elected to make some minor tweaks. No rebuild as of yet, but if they struggle this year the management will be forced to take a hard look at the future of this team. With Florida in their division, once again they have lost the pennant race before the season has started and they will be fighting for one of the wild card spots.
Lets take a look at the opening day roster.

The concerning thing when you look at the infield is I don't believe there is much of a chance of improvement over last season. Kossan and Cruz had good years and probably hit their ceiling. shortstop Honma is definitely on the decline. There is no more Santos at 1b. Catcher is the only spot where there is a realistic chance at improvement.

Catcher - Yoshiyusi Takahashi - By bringing in the former all-star Takahashi last season the Thoroughbreds though they may have helped their future at catcher for many years to com. Takahashi is only 27 year's old he has some decent offensive talent and despite a below average arm he can handle pitching staffs extremely well. He was a disappointment last year though hitting .200, with a negative WAR. He will hit near the bottom of the lineup and the Thoroughbreds will need a better season from him if they want to challenge for the Wildcard. It is one of the few spots in this lineup where they can be better than last year.

First base - Kentucky tried hard to improve this position in the offseason, but seemingly fell a little short. They brought in rookie Lawrence Gorwyn, who hit .338 in AAA last season. He is a left handed batter who will get the nod on most days vs Right handers. He should hit for a decent average and always makes contact, but he does not have much power for a 1st baseman. He should be solid defensively as well. Another rookie, Willam Dingle was the surprise of spring training and pretty much out of nowhere made the team. The 22 year-old will start at 1b vs LH and should see some time at 3b as well.

Second Base - 33 year-old Luke Kossan has been great since he signed as a free agent in 2038. Last yeat he hit .298 and posted a WAR of 4.0. Along with this he has been one of the better defensive 2b's in the IL. Unfortunately he is going to spend the first two weeks on the IL before he can get the season started. Expect Kossan to bat in the #2 spot for most of the year. Kanai Aliimalu (.202 8 30) will start in his place while Kossan is injured.

Third Base - Juan Carlos Cruz resigned with the Thoroughbreds in the offseason so he will start at third for 6 straight year for the team. The 28 year old had arguably his best season last year, sporting a 3.2 WAR, with 46 extra base hits and 50 stolen bases. He will probably hit in the 6th or 7th spot to try and add some spark to the bottom of the lineup.

Shortstop - Naomi Honma has been great for this team, posting a WAR of 4.3 or higher in each of the 3 seasons he has been here. However at 34 he is showing signs of slowing down. Despite a quick start this year his bat has slowed and I wouldn't expect great numbers offensively. What makes Honma special is his defensive prowess, he is mentioned among the best defensive shortstops of all-time. He is still very good, but the stats are starting to show that he has lost a bit of range. Kentucky is desperately hoping to squeeze one more solid season from him. He will hit in the #9 spot.

Rightfield - Somewhat surprisingly She de Mu is back with the team after he accepted his 1 year qualifying offer. Mu is one of the best offensive players in team history but he is coming off a somewhat down year by his standards. At 35, could he be starting to slow down? Last year he still got on base at .350 clip and stole 75 bases. He will start as the leadoff hitter - this offense will rely heavily on him getting on base this season and making life tough for opposing pitchers.

Centerfield - Pedro Bermudez is the team's best all around position player. He is just hitting and he has made the all-star team the past 2 seasons. His war of 6.3 last season was the highest of his career. Bermudez is a true 5 tool player, who also is a positive influence in the clubhouse and a fan favorite. There will be a lot riding on his shoulders this season. Bermudez will most likely hit in the #3 spot in the lineup.

Leftfield - As a rookie hitting exclusively vs right handed pitching, Kyle Ferguson had a great year. He managed 34 homers and he got on base at a .360 clip. He will again return in that platoon role hitting in the #5 spot vs RH. Can he avoid the sophmore slump and duplicate last year? Sergej Van Den Adel will also be a very important piece in this outfield and lineup. Between platooning in leftfield he will also back up in the other outfield position. He should get plenty of at bats at first base as well. Between all of the duties he should be almost a fulltime player. He hit .271 in 91 games last season.

Designated Hitter - Dan Gore has been an all-star at DH in his first 2 full seasons in the big leagues. He has hit 72 homers and had 242 RBI over that span. He will be the clean-up man once again - last season Ferguson provided protection for him in the order and that should continue. Can Kentucky get enough people on base ahead of him?

Starting Pitching

#1 Ruben Rivera - stayed mostly healthy started 30 games and went 14-8 with a 3.02 ERA. His Whip of 0.96 was amongst the best in the PEBA. There are no questions about his ability, just his health. If he stays off the DL he does give this team a true ace.

#2 Dong Hak Yi - Yi went 14-11 with a 3.96 ERA last year. Solid, but extremely short of his golden arm numbers from a year before. Yi struggled against the better lineups in the IL - can he turn it around this season?

#3 Valke Petiet - Petiet has been very consistent over the past 3 seasons as a full time starter. He was 11-8 with a 3.52 ERA last season. The 26 year old came into camp in great shape and has looked excellent in the pre-season and the beginning of the year. He is throwing harder and he hasn't lost any movement. I think Kentucky is expecting even better numbers from him this year.

#4 Luis Jimenez - Jimenez gives the team a reliable albeit streaky starter at the #4 spot. He went 11-8 with a 3.92 ERA last year. JImenez has trouble against some of the big righty bats in the division.

#5 Sa-Yoor Chang - Chang is a bit of a wildcard. He has great stuff but poor control. In any given start he could go 2 innings and give up 8 runs or he could 2 hit the opponent. Each scenario is equally likely. It goes without saying that they will be looking for more consistency from him thus year.

Bullpen - The bullpen is one area that should be a little better than last season, there is a little more depth to it this year. After going 8-1 with 23 saves last season, 25 year-old Mike Travis returns as the team's closer. Mike has been excellent since he came up 2 seasons ago. After failing to become a starter, Edward Anderson has found a new lease on life in the bullpen. He has great stuff and he will be the teams primary setup man. The addition of Lou Long in the offseason adds some much needed depth to the middle relief of the team. Between him, Bickford and Benitez the Thoroughbreds should have an above average pen.

With 17 of their first 20 games on the road it will be important that Kentucky doesn't fall too far behind some of the big guns in the IL. Is there still enough talent on this team to compete for a wildcard spot?