2032 Predictions!

[Borealis]

(Sorry for the delay, the 2031 results shall be arriving soon)

Time to see who can predict the outcome of the upcoming season! Place your votes!

Imperial League

Seaboard
1.
2.
3.
4.

Dixie
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Trans Atlantic
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.


IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner:
Golden Arm Winner:
Wunderkind Winner:

Sovereign League

Great Lakes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Desert Hills
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Rising Sun
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner:
Golden Arm Winner:
Wunderkind Winner:

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
_____ over _____ in __ games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
_____ over _____ in __ games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
_____ over _____ in __ games
_____ over _____ in __ games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
_____ over _____ in __ games
_____ over _____ in __ games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: _____ over _____ in __ games
SL: _____ over _____ in __ games

PEC Winner
_____ over _____ in __ games


Scoring Rules:
+1 point for each standings position you're off by
-1 point for each postseason series winner correctly identified
-1 point for correctly guessing the number of games team advance a postseason series (do not need the losing team accurate)
-1 point for getting the PEC winner
-0.5 points for identifying an end of season award winner
Lowest score wins

Past Winners:
2015 - Kevin (FLA)
2016 - Kevin (FLA)
2017 - Frank (CON)
2018 - Dan (ARL)
2019 - Denny (PS)
2020 - ?
2021 - Patrick (HAV)
2022 - Mike (AUR)
2023 - Mike (AUR)
2024 - Patrick (HAV)
2025 - ?
2026 - ?
2027 - ?
2028 - Denny (PS)
2029 - Dylan (TOY)
2030 - Greg (WV)

[Borealis]

Imperial League
Seaboard
1. West Virginia
2. Hartford
3. Arlington
4. Manchester
Much like last season, it's hard to see WV not winning this division by a substantial amount, but Hartford made it somewhat close, and we can imagine they'll be in the hunt again - and at least a PO team... Arlington is slowly approaching financial freedom, and patience may see them make a quick turnaround in the near future... Will the Maulers start to see some significant improvement?

Dixie
1. Kentucky
2. Florida
3. New Orleans
4. San Antonio
5. Charleston
Kentucky will continue their dominant play in the Dixie... New Orleans and Florida could finish in a tie, but it feels like Florida may have enough to push the T-breds and the Trendies don't... San Antonio made the biggest additions last year, and they were the biggest disappointment, with pitching continuing to be their Achilles Heel... Charleston has mostly been a patient team, and that patience should begin to pay off soon...

Trans Atlantic
1. Havanna
2. San Juan
3. London
4. Amsterdam
5. Scottish
Havana and San Juan should put on a spirited race, with the Champs having a shot at unseating the Leans... London put on a nice run last year and a repeat of their third place finish is likely... The Scottish 'all-in' push a few seasons ago will continue to haunt them this year, keeping Amsterdam out of the cellar - and I wouldn't be surprised if either the Underground or Lions pull off a Badger like run in 2032...

IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner:
Golden Arm Winner: Luppe
Wunderkind Winner: A wealthy Mexican pitcher who may end up in the IL...

Sovereign League
Great Lakes
1. Fargo
2. Crystal Lake
3. Madison
4. Kalamazoo
5. Duluth
Crystal Lake may find themselves with their largest deficit at season's end - Fargo looks that much better than the rest of the division, and with the improvement in Madison and Kzoo, a 'Gnat's 4th place finish isn't out of the realm... The bet here is Kalamazoo will take a step backwards this year...

Desert Hills
1. Bakersfield
2. Aurora
3. Reno
4. Palm Springs
5. Yuma
6. Tempe
This should be an interesting season, as no one team seems to have a distinct advantage. Bakersfield's young arms may well be the difference, especially with the uncertainty about the young rotation additions on The Front Range... The Codgers may have lost too much - with Willis bolting to the Hill's portion of the DH being a significant loss... Reno should bounce back - and once again, scoring a big arm for the Zephyrs could be a game changer.... Arizona speaks for itself...

Rising Sun
1. Shin Seiki
2. Toyama
3. Neo-Tokyo
4. Okinawa
5. Niihama-shi
I think this is the year Toyama becomes relevant, and sneak past the Akira - but The Evil Evas continue to be the class of the SL... The Ghosts have made a number of shrewd moves - that won't make a difference this year, but year 3...

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Shane Willis, AUR
Golden Arm Winner: Zenko, TOY
Wunderkind Winner: Brian Clark, AUR

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner
San Juan over Florida in 5 games

SL Wild Card Winner
Aurora over Toyama in 3 games

IL Division Series Winners
West Virginia over San Juan in 6 games
Kentucky over Havana in 6 games

SL Division Series Winners
Bakersfield over Fargo in 6 games
Aurora over Shin Seiki in 7 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: Kentucky over West Virginia in 6 games
SL: Aurora over Bakersfield in 4 games

PEC Winner
Aurora over Kentucky in 7 games

[ScottH]

Time to see who can predict the outcome of the upcoming season! Place your votes!

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. Hartford
2. West Virginia
3. Manchester
4. Arlington

Dixie
1. Kentucky
2. New Orleans
3. Florida
4. San Antonio
5. Charleston

Trans Atlantic
1. San Juan
2. Havana
3. London
4. Amsterdam
5. Scottish


IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Alejandro Lujan WV
Golden Arm Winner: Enrique Vazquez WV
Wunderkind Winner: Tracy Young SJ

Sovereign League

Great Lakes
1. Crystal Lake
2. Fargo
3. Duluth
4. Kalamazoo
5. Madison

Desert Hills
1. Bakersfield
2. Reno
3. Palm Springs
4. Aurora
5. Yuma
6. Tempe

Rising Sun
1. Shin Seiki
2. Toyama
3. Neo-Tokyo
4. Okinawa
5. Niihama-shi

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Tomas Martinez N-T
Golden Arm Winner:Jorge Castillo SS
Wunderkind Winner: Manuel Velasquez CL

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
_WV____ over _NO____ in __ games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
_Neo-T____ over _Toy____ in __ games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
_SJ____ over _WV____ in __ games
_Hart____ over _Ky____ in __ games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
_SS____ over _Neo-T____ in __ games
_CL____ over _Bak____ in __ games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: _SJ____ over _Hart____ in __ games
SL: _SS____ over _CL____ in __ games

PEC Winner
_SJ____ over __SS___ in __ games

all post-season series are sweeps.

[Wind Dancers]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. West Virginia
2. Hartford
3. Manchester
4. Arlington

Dixie
1. Kentucky
2. Florida
3. New Orleans
4. San Antonio
5. Charleston

Trans Atlantic
1. Havana
2. San Juan
3. London
4. Amsterdam
5. Scottish


IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: 3B Alejandro Lujan WV
Golden Arm Winner: SP Enrique Vazquez WV
Wunderkind Winner: SP Duane Moss LON

Sovereign League

Great Lakes
1. Fargo
2. Crystal Lake
3. Kalamazoo
4. Madison
5. Duluth

Desert Hills
1. Bakersfield
2. Aurora
3. Reno
4. Palm Springs
5. Yuma
6. Tempe

Rising Sun
1. Shin Seiki
2. Neo-Tokyo
3. Toyama
4. Okinawa
5. Niihama

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: RF Tomas Matinez NT
Golden Arm Winner: SP Ernesto Martinez NT
Wunderkind Winner: SP Dave Dixon FAR

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Florida over San Juan in 4 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Neo-Tokyo over Toyama in 4 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
West Virginia over Florida in 6 games
Havana over Kentucky in 6 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Shin Seiki over Neo-Tokyo in 7 games
Fargo over Bakersfield in 6 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: West Virginia over Havana in 6 games
SL: Shin Seiki over Fargo in 5 games

PEC Winner
Shin Seiki over West Virginia in 6 games

[Hitmen]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. West Virginia
2. Hartford
3. Manchester
4. Arlington

Dixie
1. Florida
2. Kentucky
3. New Orleans
4. San Antonio
5. Charleston

Trans Atlantic
1. Havana
2. San Juan
3. Amsterdam
4. Scottish
5. London


IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Tom Patton (HAR)
Golden Arm Winner: Enrique Vazquez (WV)
Wunderkind Winner: Gordon Knopp (FL)

Sovereign League

Great Lakes
1. Kalamazoo
2. Madison
3. Duluth
4. Fargo
5. Crystal Lake

Desert Hills
1. Reno
2. Bakersfield
3. Palm Springs
4. Aurora
5. Yuma
6. Tempe

Rising Sun
1. Shin Seiki
2. Toyama
3. Neo Tokyo
4. Okinawa
5. Niihama-shi

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Tomas Martinez (NT)
Golden Arm Winner: Owen Barse (FAR)
Wunderkind Winner: Tony Mireles (FAR)

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Hartford over San Juan in 5 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Neo Tokyo over Toyama in 5 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Hartford over West Virginia in 6 games
Havana over Florida in 5 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Neo Tokyo over Shin Seiki in 7 games
Reno over Kalamazoo in 6 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: Havana over Hartford in 7 games
SL: Neo Tokyo over Reno in 6 games

PEC Winner
Neo Tokyo over Havana in 7 games

Should be a good season! Hoping this year is Madison's break out season, but we still won't make the playoffs. We will get much closer though!

[Ghosts]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. West Virginia - With the addition of Enrique Vasquez, nothing short of a half dozen critical, long term injuries will prevent the Alleghenies from capturing another division title.
2. Hartford - A clear playoff contender with a strong lineup, how far this team goes will depend a lot on how well the rotation deals with the loss of Shirai.
3. Manchester - The offense will come and go with the success of a few key bats while pitching... will do the same. Some talent here, but the coming years look brighter than the ML squad.
4. Arlington - An odd combination of aging arms, overlapping talent, and barren minors has Arlington faithful looking forward to the draft.

Dixie
1. Florida - Ex-Throughbred and divisional turncoat Bartolo Mora anchors a dynamic lineup while baby-faced superstar Luppe van Dam leads a deep pitching staff that has the talent to overcome Kentucky after their tough off-season.
2. Kentucky - While a close race is still to be expected, Kentucky lost a little too much talent to crown them preseason champs. Another division title is certainly possible, though.
3. New Orleans - Being stuck behind two perennial powerhouses is a challenge that New Orleans is used to, but while they have enough talent to potentially challenge one of Kentucky or Florida, it's hard to imagine them outpacing both and winning the division. An MVP season by Lima could change that, though.
4. San Antonio - A talent starved rotation will torpedo the top-heavy offense's ability to carry this team anywhere meaningful.
5. Charleston - A deeper team than their record last year suggests, this team still lacks the star power to win with any consistency. The rotation past Vega and Hsiao, as well as the back end of the bullpen, will probably result in the other kind of consistency.

Trans Atlantic
1. Havana - The loss of Vasquez and Plamondon are headliners, but this team is too talented and too deep to call them anything but divisional favorites. A fall from the elite, however, is a very real probability.
2. San Juan - The upstart champs were greeted with a budget reduction from their owner, and so their ability to elevate the team was hampered. Their path to a division title is clearer than it has been in a long time, but they'll need some of that 2031 fortune to carry over to ensure it.
3. London - The team invested heavily into the offense with Jones and Cervantes - their success will probably be the difference between winning and losing this year. The pitching staff is raw but the talent is undeniable. This is a team that will likely be worth watching deep into the season, one way or another.
4. Amsterdam - The loss of Kitamura is likely offset by the under-the-radar signing of Eric Elliot. It's hard to see free agent 2B Valdez finding offensive success in Stadium Urbanus, but leaps by Maruyama and Ford could carry this team to a Wild Card berth.
5. Scottish - A team somewhere between rebuilding and retooling - they are several tiers above some other teams but won't be able to make any noise at the major league level this season.


IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Alejandro Lujan
Golden Arm Winner: Enrique Vasquez
Wunderkind Winner: Antonio Canseco

Sovereign League

Great Lakes
1. Fargo - The emergence of Barse and a (knock on wood) full season from Pat Watson will lead this team to a division title maybe I don't know this division is a toss up.
2. Kalamazoo - Megavolt is a monster and Tony Parker is a nice addition to this offense, while Kenny Ashley and the underrated Sang-hyuk Pak could be some of the most key players in determining this division's outcome.
3. Crystal Lake - Not enough pitching to predict a division title, but they will do better than last season.
4. Madison - No longer a pushover, this team has real talent. Mountain Man will be the next superstar outfielder in the Great Lakes, but will it be this year or next?
5. Duluth - A competitive team but will suffer from a lack of pitching talent. Where does Trujillo end his season?

Desert Hills
1. Bakersfield - Another year, another probable playoff appearance for the Bears - but can they ever make it past the first round?
2. Reno - Learn the name Leonard Inman if you haven't. This team features a stacked offense and the pitching to push the Bears for a late run at the division title.
3. Aurora - Shane Willis was a steal. If Litterbug and Heath can find their form again, Aurora could sneak back into the playoffs.
4. Palm Springs - A few too many holes and an aging Xavier Gonzalez will likely mean another year caught a breath or two behind the division race.
5. Yuma - Heresy! Say what you will about history, but this Yuman team features a serviceable rotation and a remarkably stout defense. They won't win much but they should improve.
6. Tempe - A bad major league team, but they have some interesting pieces that could be very useful moving forward.

Rising Sun
1. Shin Seiki - The signing of Rivera catapults the perennial powerhouse to a new level, just ahead of Neo Tokyo.
2. Neo Tokyo - Another division title is certainly possible, but Neo Tokyo has to hate that Alfredo Gonzalez AND Roberto Rivera just landed in the Rising Sun.
3. Toyoma - This team is bursting with young talent and if they come even close to their potential, this division will feature three powerhouses.
4. Okinawa - A solid team in a division where solid is... insufficient.
5. Niihama - Easiest call in the league. The pitching staff is historically bad and the hitting is barely ahead of it. Biggest difference ever between a 4th and 5th place team?

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Tomas Martinez
Golden Arm Winner: Jeffrey Mendoza
Wunderkind Winner: Roberto Rivera

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Kentucky over San Juan in 5 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Neo Tokyo over Toyoma in 5 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
West Virginia over Kentucky in 6 games
Florida over Havana in 4 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Shin Seiki over Neo Tokyo in 7 games
Bakersfield over Fargo in 7 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: West Virginia over Florida in 4 games
SL: Shin Seiki over Bakersfield in 5 games

PEC Winner
Shin Seiki over West Virginia in 7 games

[Reg]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. West Virginia
2. Hartford
3. Manchester
4. Arlington

Dixie
1. Florida
2. New Orleans
3. Kentucky
4. Charleston
5. San Antonio

Trans Atlantic
1. San Juan
2. Havana
3. London
4. Amsterdam
5. Scotland


IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Alejandro Lujan, WV
Golden Arm Winner: Luppe van Dam, FLA
Wunderkind Winner: Antonio Canseco, KEN

Sovereign League

Great Lakes
1. Fargo
2. Kalamazoo
3. Madison
4. Crystal Lake
5. Duluth

Desert Hills
1. Bakersfleld
2. Reno
3. Aurora
4. Palm Springs
5. Tempe
6. Yuma

Rising Sun
1. Shin Seiki
2. Toyama
3. Neo-Tokyo
4. Okaokayayama
5. Niihama

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Tomas Martinez, NT
Golden Arm Winner: Zenko Okada, TOY
Wunderkind Winner: Manuel Velasquez, CL

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Havana over New Orleans in 4 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Toyama over Reno in 5 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
West Virginia over Havana in 6 games
Florida over San Juan in 7 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Shin Seiki over Toyama in 5 games
Bakersfield over Fargo in 6 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: West Virginia over Florida in 6 games
SL: Shin Seiki over Bakersfield in 7 games

PEC Winner
West Virginia over Shin Seiki in 7 games

[Alleghenies]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. West Virginia
2. Hartford
3. Arlington
4. Manchester


Dixie
1. Florida
2. Kentucky
3. New Orleans
4. San Antonio
5. Charleston

Trans Atlantic
1. Havana
2. San Juan
3. Amsterdam
4. London
5. Scotland


IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Alejandro Lujan, WV
Golden Arm Winner: Enrique Vazquez WV
Wunderkind Winner: Francisco Lucador, WV

Sovereign League

Great Lakes
1. Crystal Lake
2. Kalamazoo
3. Fargo
4. Madison
5. Duluth

Desert Hills
1. Bakersfleld
2. Reno
3. Aurora
4. Palm Springs
5. Yuma
6. Tempe


Rising Sun
1. Shin Seiki
2. Toyama
3. Neo-Tokyo
4. Okinawa
5. Niihama

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Tomas Martinez, NT
Golden Arm Winner: Zenko Okada, TOY
Wunderkind Winner: Mata, BAK

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Hartford over SJ in 4 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Toyama over Reno in 5 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
West Virginia over Hartford in 5 games
Florida over Havana in 6 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Toyama over SS in 7 games
Crystal Lake over Bakersfield in 6 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: West Virginia over Florida in 6 games
SL: Toyama over Crystal Lake in 7 games

PEC Winner
West Virginia over Toyama in 6 games

[Fishermen]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. West Virginia - Insane on both sides of the field. Their only concern is the injury debuff/curse. I mean, look at their "meet the team" page, they have nearly all blue in OSA ranking, no wonder their logo is heavily blue.
2. Hartford - Feel like the issue with SP quality will be a tough to leap barrier this season.
3. Manchester - They are still in rebuilding mode but I am excited to see what they will do in the next few seasons. Their farms are looking good but they still need some time. I do expect their current squads made up of trades and misc. pick-ups to do something this season.
4. Arlington - Their financial problem will take some time to solve and they still need to reform their farm. It's a slow grind for the Bureaucrats, a social class that don't really grind.

Dixie
1. Florida - I think they have depths on both sides and that usually leads to consistency over the long stretch of a season.
2. Kentucky - Very tough decision between Florida and Kentucky but I just think they are slightly lower on overall raw quality, like 49% vs Florida's 51%.
3. New Orleans - I think they would have a better season with more quality batters than their current lineup. I feel like their bullpen is going to suffer in one of the most batter-oriented parks in the league.
4. San Antonio - I think their lack of pitching quality hurts them on the long run.
5. Charleston - They still have some ways to go and this is a stacked division.

Trans Atlantic
1. Havana - Quality all across the field and Havana is still hot in the trails of playoff conquest, I don't expect them to do worst than making another run i playoff.
2. San Juan - Questionable pitching is my main concern here, but I think their excellent defense will minimize the issue there, but not enough to go over Havana.
3. Amsterdam - I think they are the grit and grine team of this division. I think they can go toe to toe with anyone and can produce surprising results with some Sim God's blessings.
4. London - My toughest team to predict. They have some bright spots on the roster but I find myself questioning on their overall production on the long run.
5. Scottish - I don't expect them to do a lot this season. The quality just isn't there but I am excited for their future.


IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Alejandro Lujan, WV - One of the greatest contact batters in the game right now. He will provides R, RBI, clutch smash and about everything you ever need besides homers.
Golden Arm Winner: Luppe Van Dam, FLA - it's either him or Enrique Vazquez, but I am leaning toward one of the young and rising ultimate ace.
Wunderkind Winner: Francisco Lucador, WV - One of the best raw hitting prospects.

Sovereign League

Great Lakes
1. Fargo - Among the Great Lakes team, I think they are the best on both sides of the field and I will stick to the "both sides = win" theory.
2. Kalamazoo - Another 50:50 for me between them and Crystal Lake, but after they splash for Tony Parker, I hope they get results.
3. Crystal Lake - I like their batting lineup, but not so much their pitching and depth.
4. Madison - I see them as a team that is retooling at the moment. I do like their young starters among all. Add some young batters and they will be a team to rock the world few years down the line.
5. Duluth - You don't expect a lot from a team with a $57M payroll in actual result, but you can expect them to be scary in the future when they find the best use of their money and go all-in. It's just training time for the Warriors for now.

Desert Hills
1. Bears - I think they have the quality to make things happen this season, like big things.
3. Aurora - I really like their pitching and I think their batters can do some serious work. A well-rounded team but I like Bears more.
3. Reno - Another quality team with exciting players on both sides. I have no idea why I put them 3rd except just raw feelings, like perhaps I just don't think they are above Aurora. I had them on either 2nd or 3rd.
4. Palm Springs - Pablo Ortiz is great but I feel like he needs some extra support in the next season or two to put Palm Springs into true contender status.
5. Yuma - Yuma's gonna Yuma. I will change my perspective after they actually do something.
6. Tempe - They are going to outtank the Yuma. It's a once in a century event for sure -- even though I expect it to happen again and again in the next few seasons.

Rising Sun
1. Shin Seiki - I know the predictions on both Statslab and BNN index are anti-Evas on top of Rising Sun, but I will bet on the evil empire as they are just too well-rounded to not be on top. They have so much talents that half of them can choke this season and they will still be ahead of the curve.
2. Neo-Tokyo - A star-studded team that I expect the broadcasters to put a lot of their games on TV based on raw name value. If their starters can stay consistent throughout the season, the 2nd place should be them, with a slight chance at first place.
3. Toyama - Toyama is the balanced team with talents across the board but no superstar players. I think baseball is one of the least star-dependent team sports, but I also think that stars do have high impact to a team. If Toyama is able to go over Neo-Tokyo, it's going to be most of the stars playing badly for Neo-Tokyo this year, but I will bet against that.
4. Okinawa - I think they are still in the retooling phase. They need a hard carry or two on their team to kickstart a dominant period is how I feel. For now, they will play some good baseball but not overly great.
5. Niihama-Shi - I think it's very interesting to have a baseball team in an industrial small-sized city. But like their name, they aren't supposed to make any impact in this season. It's their ghost season, as per usual with expansion teams. They are really there so more of the fringe players can tell their family this with pride: "Hey XXX, I am a big league player now.", "Papa gotta make you proud, my dear, watch me on TV." and so on. I am happy for them though, it's always great to see players fulfilling their big league dream, even in a virtual universe. I will be cheering for Ed Black and Miguel Maldonado who are both ex-Harpoon.

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Tomas Martinez, NT - He has to carry hard for Neo-Tokyo to have a bright season and I expect him to be the light for that team. He will be the one charging in front of the squad against the evil Evas. He had matured, and it's time for him to dominate.
Golden Arm Winner: Roberto Rivera, WV - Read below
Wunderkind Winner: Roberto Rivera, WV - What do you expect from one of the most contested youngsters? It's him or Alfredo Gonzales of Toyama, but I will bet on the evil empire.

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Harford over Kentucky in 4 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Neo-Tokyo over Aurora in 3 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
West Virginia over Hartford in 5 games
Florida over Havana in 7 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Shin Seiki over Neo-Tokyo in 7 games
Bears over Fargo in 6 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: West Virginia over Florida in 6 games
SL: Shin Seiki over Bears in 5 games

PEC Winner
West Virginia over Shin Seiki in 7 games

[Lions]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. West Virginia
2. Hartford
3. Manchester
4. Arlington
The one division I didn't even bother looking at the rosters. West Virginia walks away with this one.

Dixie
1. Florida
2. Kentucky
3. San Antonio
4. New Orleans
5. Charleston
Kentucky lost some big names over the offseason. I think San Antonio's offense will be better than last year. I could easily see New Orleans finishing as high as 2nd.

Trans Atlantic
1. San Juan
2. Havana
3. Amsterdam
4. London
5. Scottish
I feel like San Juan finishing ahead of Havana is extremely unlikely, but where's the fun in predicting Havana to finish in 1st place again? I don't see much to differentiate Amsterdam and London, so I'm going optimistic!

IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Lujan (WV)
Golden Arm Winner: Van Dam (FLA)
Wunderkind Winner: Canseco (KEN)

Sovereign League

Great Lakes
1. Fargo
2. Kalamazoo
3. Crystal Lake
4. Madison
5. Duluth
Fargo should win this. Kalamazoo adding Kenny Ashley was big. I think they will find an upgrade during the season at a position of need. Sandgnats roster looks top heavy, which means they could also make a trade to fight for a postseason spot.

Desert Hills
1. Bakersfield
2. Reno
3. Aurora
4. Palm Springs
5. Yuma
6. Tempe
Toughest division to predict the top 4 teams, IMO. I can see an argument for any of them winning. I think this will be about depth, a timely trade, and who gets lucky. The same could probably be said about the battle for 5th place between Yuma and Tempe.

Rising Sun
1. Shin Seiki
2. Neo-Tokyo
3. Toyama
4. Okinawa
5. Niihama-Shi
Shin Seiki is the class of the SL and that isn't going to change anytime soon. Neo-Tokyo has some holes. Toyama has the best catching tandem in the league and could easily trade one for help to get into the playoffs. Okinawa is a good team, just in a strong division.

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Ortiz (PS)
Golden Arm Winner: Suitani (SS)
Wunderkind Winner: Rivera (SS)

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Havana over Haertford in 4 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Reno over Neo-Tokyo in 4 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Florida over Havana in 7 games
West Virginia over San Juan in 4 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Shin Seiki over Reno in 5 games
Fargo over Bakersfield in 6 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: West Virginia over Florida in 5 games
SL: Shin Seiki over Fargo in 6 games

PEC Winner
West Virginia over Shin Seiki in 6 games

[Leones]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. West Virginia
2. Hartford
3. Manchester
4. Arlington

Dixie
1. Kentucky
2. Florida
3. San Antonio
4. New Orleans
5. Charleston

Kentucky and Florida are pretty much a coin toss.

Trans Atlantic
1. Havana
2. San Juan
3. Amsterdam
4. London
5. Scottish


IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: 3B Luis Cedeno SA
Golden Arm Winner: SP Enrique Vazquez WV
Wunderkind Winner: LF Paul Oglethorpe HAV

Sovereign League

Great Lakes
1. Fargo
2. Kalamazoo
3. Crystal Lake
4. Madison
5. Duluth

Desert Hills
1. Bakersfield
2. Palm Springs
3. Aurora
4. Reno
5. Tempe
6. Yuma

This division looked the tightest at the top. BAK and PS are almost another toss up with AUR nipping at their heels.

Rising Sun
1. Shin Seiki
2. Neo-Tokyo
3. Toyama
4. Okinawa
5. Niihama-shi

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: CF Pat Watson FAR
Golden Arm Winner: SP Owen Barse BAK
Wunderkind Winner: SP Alfredo Gonzales TOY

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Florida over Hartford in 5 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Neo Tokyo over Palm Springs in 5 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
West Virgina over Florida in 7 games
Kentucky over Havana in 5 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Shin Seiki over Neo Tokyo in 5 games
Fargo over Bakersfield in 7 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: West Virgina over Kentucky in 7 games
SL: Shin Seiki over Fargo in 6 games

PEC Winner
Shin Seiki over West Virginia in 6 games

[MikeB]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. West Virginia
2. Hartford
3. Arlington
4. Manchester

Dixie
1. Florida
2. Kentucky
3. New Orleans
4. San Antonio
5. Charleston

Trans Atlantic
1. Havana
2. San Juan
3. London
4. Amsterdam
5. Scottish
wouldn't be fun if it was expected

IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Alejandro Lujan
Golden Arm Winner: Enrique Vazquez
Wunderkind Winner: Antonio Canseco

Sovereign League

Great Lakes
1. Fargo
2. Crystal Lake
3. Madison
4. Duluth
5. Kalamazoo

Desert Hills
1. Bakersfield
2. Reno
3. Palm Springs
4. Aurora
5. Tempe
6.

Rising Sun
1. Shin Seiki
2. Neo-Tokyo
3. Toyama
4. Okinawa
5. Niihama-shi

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Tomas Martinez
Golden Arm Winner: Owen Barse
Wunderkind Winner: Dave Dixon

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
San Juan over Kentucky in 5 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Neo-Tokyo over Crystal Lake in 5 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
West Va. over SJ in 6 games
Florida over Havana in 6 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Shin Seiki over Neo Tokyo in 6 games
Fargo over Bakersfield in 7 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: West Va. over Florida in 5 games
SL: Shin Seiki over Fargo in 5 games

PEC Winner
West Va. over Shin Seiki in 6 games

[KenH]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. WV
2. Hartford
3. Manchester
4. Arlington
Hartford, Manchester and Arlington are all fun teams to watch. WV will win the division handily but maybe some of the other teams can start making hay soon.

Dixie
1. Florida
2. Kentucky
3. San Antonio
4. New Orleans
5. Charleston
I don't think it's fair to say San Antonio's going to be sneaky good due to their offensive talent, but I think they will surprise many people with a 3rd place finish this year as the giant signings of 2030 start to glom together. Their weak point is their pitching, but they can put up a lot of runs and find themselves playing meaningful games deep into September.

Trans Atlantic
1. Havana
2. San Juan
3. Amsterdam
4. Scots
5. London
This may be the most fluid division in the IL. To me, Havana is clearly the team to beat here but I can see any of the other 4 ending up 2-5. As of writing this, London is off to a slow start, but I really like their staff. The Scottish are rebuilding but the late signing of Alex Bothwell could be the shot that the team needs to exceed expectations. Amsterdam is working on building a world class rotation. San Juan, the reigning champs, need Harley Schneider, Roberto Salazar, and Mike Rose to all be at their best this year.

IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Ricardo Mateo (HAV)
Golden Arm Winner: Luppe van Dam (FLA)
Wunderkind Winner: Francisco Lucador (WV)

Sovereign League

Great Lakes
1. Fargo
2. Kalamazoo
3. Crystal Lake
4. Madison
5. Duluth
Fargo seems to be the team to beat, but Kalamazoo is considering themselves a spoiler and for good reason. They have a great lineup touting Tony Parker, Claudio Perez, and Juan Carlos Ornelza -- the question for that squad is all about the pitching. They acquired Kenny Ashley this offseason to anchor a young rotation, but the bullpen is suspect at best. Crystal Lake has some ways to improve but they may hold pat -- especially since their team was so disappointing last year. Madison is an interesting club who I could see as high as second this year if things fall well for Pablo Garza who I think will not only compete for Wunderkind but also Royal Raker. Duluth seems to be doing a bit of PEBA detox and are currently sitting on a horde of unspent cash and a farm team that looks ready to break out.

Desert Hills
1. Bakersfield
2. Reno
3. Aurora
4. Palm Springs
5. Tempe
6. Yuma
1-4 are difficult here. I like all the teams and think that all 4 could end up coming away with the division. That will be important since I think only the winner of the division makes the playoffs with the two wildcard teams coming from the Rising Sun. Should be a fun race to watch.

Rising Sun
1. Neo-Tokyo
2. Shin Seiki
3. Toyama
4. Okinawa
5. Niihama-shi
Neo-Tokyo finally overtakes the evil empire. Kevin has a great ballclub, but I think Neo-Tokyo's is a little better. Toyama's time has come and I think even they hold Shin Seiki's feet to the fire. I expect all three of these clubs to win over 100 games. Okinawa is a really solid team and has some good talent -- they just don't have the firepower that the other three teams ahead of them have.

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Antonio Santos (SS)
Golden Arm Winner: Owen Barse (FAR)
Wunderkind Winner: Pablo Garza (MAD)

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Kentucky over San Juan in 4 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Shin Seiki over Toyama in 3 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
WV over Kentucky in 5 games
Florida over Havana in 5 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Bakersfield over Fargo in 6 games
Shin Seiki over Neo Tokyo in 7 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: Florida over West Virginia in 7 games
SL: Bakersfield over Shin Seiki in 6 games

PEC Winner
Florida over Bakersfield in 5 games

[Bears]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. West Virginia*
2. Hartford*
3. Arlington
4. Manchester

Dixie
1. Florida*
2. Kentucky
3. New Orleans
4. Charleston
5. San Antonio

Trans Atlantic
1. San Juan*
2. Havana*
3. London
4. Amsterdam
5. Scottish


IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: A. Lujan WV
Golden Arm Winner: Van Dam FL
Wunderkind Winner: D. Moss SP LON

Sovereign League

Great Lakes
1. Fargo*
2. Crystal Lake
3. Madison
4. Kalamazoo
5. Duluth

Desert Hills
1. Bakersfield*
2. Reno
3. Aurora
4. Palm Springs
5. Yuma
6. Tempe

Rising Sun
1. Neo-Tokyo*
2. Toyama*
3. Shin Seiki*
4. Okinawa
5. Niihama-shi

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: T. Martinez NEO
Golden Arm Winner: J. Mendoza BAK
Wunderkind Winner: D. Dixon FAR

Postseason

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Hartford over Havana in 4 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Shin Seiki over Toyama in 4 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
West Virginia over Florida in 6 games
San Juan over Hartford in 6 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Neo-Tokyo over Shin Seiki in 7 games
Fargo over Bakersfield in 7 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: West Virginia over San Juan in 6 games
SL: Neo-Tokyo over Fargo in 5 games

PEC Winner
West Virginia over Neo-Tokyo in 6 games

[Akira]

PEC Winner
West Virginia over Neo-Tokyo in 6 games

Got that one right. Spot on.