The Round Table: 2036 Season

[Apollos]

Opening Day Roster, 2036

Opening day is upon us and the Knights have finalized their 26 man roster for the 2036 campaign. Let's take a look at the highs and lows:

Rotation: 23 year old Juan Jaramillo fronts this year's rotation following a mostly positive rookie campaign in '35. Much will be expected of the young man making his second trip through the Sovereign League. Offseason FA acquisition Santiago Garcia will be in the #2 spot while last year's most successful starter Joe Russell will slot in as the third starter. In the big surprise out of camp, the #4 spot in the rotation goes to rookie Lewis Bedser who will be making his PEBA debut this year. Bedser was the team's first draft pick (10th overall in 2032) after returning to the PEBA and will finally get his shot to hold down a rotation spot. Truth be told, the expectations for Bedser's debut are limited though he was the team's best starter throughout spring posting a middling 4.40 ERA. The Knights will round out the rotation with journeyman Paul Watts who managed to cling to the #5 spot last season as well. Expect reinforcements for the rotation to arrive early and often for Tempe this year as a pair of young, heralded arms are knocking on the door in Chandler and figure to see action within the first half of the season, particularly if any of the arms that break camp with the team falter. The club's top pitching prospect, Will Taylor looks ready to make his debut this year as does Shojiro Goto, the 23 year old out of Japan and former trade acquisition. Should 2033 draft pick Tetsui Suzuki impress at Double A during the early stretches of the season, it remains possible that he could see a bump to the ML level as Suzuki remains a significant part of the team's future plans after having been drafted third overall.

Bullpen: Much of the pen returns intact from a solid 2035 season. Frontl-ined by Jason King, who showed some significant signs of control issues down the stretch in '35, it will be joined by fellow flamethrower Noboru Imai who spent last season in West Virginia. Carlos Muniz returns as one of the club's most successful arms from last year, and will likely see extensive action in a specialist/high leverage role given his surprisingly strong performance during the 2035 season. Veterans Kenny Crochet, Ron Wells, Victor Andres, and Gunner Carney break camp with the club and figure to provide the bulk of the middle and long relief innings with both Andres and Carney sharing swing man duties, as required. Rounding out the bullpen in something of a surprise is last year's minor league FA acquisition Eichiro Mizuno who followed up a strong 2035 minor league season with a stellar spring. He gives the Knights a second lefty out of the pen and figures to be eased into his role with more limited appearances as compared to his veteran teammates.

Infield: Budding start 2B Juan Rincon returns to lead the Knights infield into the 2036 campaign. As with previous years, the primary question remains if Rincon can stay healthy throughout the season. If so, expect significant production from the 23 year old who posted a 3.4 WAR campaign in 2035. Unfortunately, his fellow young gun 3B Tony Velazquez will begin the year on the IL after suffering a back injury during spring training. The club expects Velazquez to return in 2-3 weeks so taking his position until then will be Jesus "Superspreader" Gutierrez who impressed club officials during a limited callup last September. Gutierrez worked diligently during spring training to improve his defense at 3B and should be a capable fill-in until Velazquez's return, bidding for a long-term utility position with the big club. Mega star and offseason acquisition Luis Cedeno will man 1B for the first time in his career where he appeared at least capable this spring. The club is counting on a solid campaign out of Cedeno this year if they are to be competitive as he figures to be penciled into the #2 spot in the lineup. Veteran defensive wizard Tony Cuevas returns to assume SS duties after posting a stellar season in the field during 2035, though his performance with the bat was unsurprisingly mediocre. Second year man Alejandro Garcia will return to be the team's opening day starter at Catcher and appears to provide just enough production with the bat to be a possible long-term solution for the Knights. Veteran Roger Ellison, after jockeying with two other prospects during Spring, has emerged as Garcia's caddy and will once again see the lion's share of his AB's against right-handed pitching. Eng Hee Chin, the club's unquestioned offensive top performer during 2035 reprises his role as the team's DH and #3 hitter.

Outfield: Potentially the team's strength this year, captain Pat Barry returns for his third season in the scarlet and black. A pending free agent, Barry reported to camp in great shape hoping to extend his career despite the middling results from the previous two years. 25 year old Jacob Gill will attempt to right the ship after a disastrously wayward 2035 when he was expected to be a significant cog in the team's lineup. Gill posted the team's best spring performance by far from the dish, and there is optimism that he can carry that production forward into the regular season. 22 year old Roberto Gutierrez will make his full-season debut after spending last September with the big club, and officials are hopeful that he can be the long term answer at CF. Gutierrez brings an exciting combination of athleticism and skills to the roster. Second year utility OF Manuel Garcia rounds out the roster and figures to see significant time backing up all three OF spots following a strong rookie campaign.

[Apollos]

Will Taylor Makes Long Anticipated Debut

The long-awaited call to Chandler finally came from Tempe and the Knights top prospect was on his way to the major leagues. SP Will Taylor, originally picked 6th overall in the 2033 draft by the Duluth Warriors and acquired last offseason in the huge deal that saw Cooper Harris shipped out of Tempe, has made his first big league start. Ranked by OSA as the sport's #23 overall prospect, Taylor anticipated 2036 as the season he would finally get a taste of the majors, and it didn't disappoint. Appearing in front of more than 38,000 of the Knights' faithful at Gisolo-Duppa Field, Taylor took the mound and delivered one of the Knights best performances on the year. Across 7 1/3 innings, Taylor scattered 3 hits and allowed one walk while striking out 8 Zephyrs and propelling the Knights to a 5-1 victory in his debut. Taylor threw 99 pitches on the evening and looked every bit the part of the ace he's believed to be capable of.

Despite his relative youth, Taylor is likely to be anchoring the Tempe rotation soon as the Knights begin to transition their bevy of young arms to the major league level over the coming months. Accompanied by last year's call-up Juan Jaramillo - who has struggled mightily thus far in 2036 - and soon to be joined by fellow phenom Shojiro Goto, the first wave of Knights young arms are finally arriving on schedule at the big league level. The question will be whether they can replicate the same level of success they enjoyed at the minor league level against top flight competition. The team is expected to call up Goto in the coming weeks, particularly as 2034 Rule V pick Paul Watts has gotten off to a rocky start to begin the campaign.

In order to make room for Taylor, the Knights optioned fellow rookie SP Lewis Bedser to AAA Chandler. Bedser scuffled from the outset; a surprise pick to make the initial 26 man roster out of spring training, it was hoped that his performance would stabilize after being provided some leash, though that stability never materialized. The 25 year old groundballer will instead be sent back a level to reclaim the mechanics which saw him post a solid campaign last year in Chandler which was followed by a trip to Tempe's winter ball complex this offseason to perfect his still-developing changeup. Bedser made 5 starts before being sent down and pitched to an unseemly 8.34 ERA and 1.99 WHIP. Perhaps more worryingly, Bedser's BB/9 and K/9 rates were a level 4.4 apiece. Knights brass still maintains hope that Bedser can get back to strike throwing and help fill out a rotation that, with the free agent addition of Santiago Garcia, figures to be one of the league's youngest by year end.

[Apollos]

Knights Up and Down Season Continues in June

June 14: Tempe's volatile season continued into the start of the dog days as the Knights finished up a strong week going 4-2 in a pair of 3 game series against Yuma and Shin Seiki. This comes on the heels of a disastrous week wherein the Knights lost 3 out of 4 games at Reno and got swept by Bakersfield in a 3-game set. The 13 game road swing saw the Knights compile a 5-8 record and maintain their hold on 4th place in the Desert Hills division, though 1st place Bakersfield continues to pull away as the playoffs become a more and more distant hope as Tempe now sits 9.5 games back. The upcoming week will offer a number of difficult pitching matchups as the Knights return home to face Fargo in a 3 game set before facing the surging Niihama Shi Ghosts for another 3. The Knights will close out June heading back on the road, where the team will have played 21 of their 28 contests, to face Madison and Kalamazoo before heading to Okinawa in a series that will bring the club to July.

Pitching Continues to Struggle

No feature of the Knights' 2036 season has factored more heavily into their up and down play than the unpredictable performances of the club's starting pitching. The club sent down struggling Juan Jaramillo in hopes that he can regain the form which made him one of the league's top rookie starters in 2035. Jaramillo has endured significant setbacks in his development this season, seeing his ERA balloon to 7.05 through his first 12 starts which has been largely driven by an inflated walk rate of nearly 5 BB/9. The club put no timetable on Jaramillo's expected return but simply announced that he would be given significant time to re-establish his once excellent control before returning to the Knights' rotation. In Jaramillo's place the team moved Noboru Imai from the bullpen to a familiar role and Imai's first start did not disappoint as he threw 7 nearly flawless innings in his first start against the Evas, allowing only 2 hits and no earned runs.

As the club begins the next week of play, Manager Jason Campbell - who is enduring heavy speculation that he may be on the hot seat - announced that the club will skip rookie Lewis Bedser's upcoming start and instead allow fellow rookie Shojiro Goto to open the upcoming series with Fargo. Bedser, who has already been demoted once this year but was promptly recalled following the injury to fellow starter Santiago Garcia, has continued to get pounded by ML hitters. His ERA stands at a robust 8.12 on the season with a concerning K/BB ratio of nearly 1. It is expected that the club will likely send Bedser back to AAA Chandler when Garcia returns from the IL, likely later this week.

Offense Surprises

While the Knights pitching has been unexpectedly disastrous this season, the offense has pleasantly surprised and is now 6th in the SL in runs scored. The pacemakers for the team's production have been table setter and young star 2B Juan Rincon, who capped off the most recent week of action being named the SL PoTW. His batting line on the season stands at an impressive .300/.390/.483 and he is maintaining a near 4 WAR pace for the campaign. The most surprising contributor to the team's offensive success thus far has undoubtedly been CF Roberto Gutierrez. Called up late in the 2035 season following several seasons of below replacement level play from Knights CF's, Gutierrez has been an absolute hitting machine this season for the club. Through the most recent stretch of the season, Gutierrez's line now stands at .323/.378/.474. While there is no expectation that Gutierrez will develop long-term power, his ability to get on base and use his compact swing to generate gap-to-gap extra base power, means he has likely firmly established himself as a future core piece despite the waves of outfield talent currently climbing their way through the Knights' organizational ladder.

[Apollos]

Knights 2036 Draft Class

Round 1, Overall Pick 2 (1.2): The Knights selected the highly touted CF Li Caporn out of Outback State University in Australia. The pick, acquired from the Yuma Arroyos in exchange for taking on the $46 million contract of veteran Luis Cedeno, follows the selection of LF John Reeves at 1.5 last year and continues the stockpiling of a significant concentration of talent in their minor league outfields. Caporn is a legitimate five tool talent with the ability to play all three outfield positions at a high level. Though there have been a few questions concerning his hit tool, Caporn possesses a sharp eye, legitimate 25-30 HR power, and eye-popping speed. It is believed that Caporn will report to either Single A Calexico or Double A Quebec City after signing as he is one of the more advanced prospects to be drafted in recent years.

1.8: With their second top 10 pick the Knights selected another Australian CF, opting for Rowan Guao out of Curtin University. Guao possesses a similar albeit different skillset than Caporn. With a heavy emphasis on his prodigious and easily projectable power, the 21 year old is also considered elite defensively and may in time usurp Caporn as the Knights' centerfielder. Guao's bat does have questions about his long-term ability to make consistent contact, but he ended his college career slashing .292/.357/.651 and is also a likely quick-to-the-bigs selection. Guao quickly signed with the club following the draft for a well below slot value of $1.375 million and was assigned to Calexico where he will immediately step into the starting lineup.

3.76: As the club traded their 2nd round selection to Yuma as part of the deal that brought the 2nd overall pick, the Knights continued their focus on drafting developed college players in a break from previous years' trends. Reliever Burton Hudson was the pick at 76 overall and easily projects as a solid middle innings piece who features excellent command of his two pitch arsenal which includes a fastball that consistently sits in the mid-90's and a plus slider. Hudson signed quickly for $161,500 and was assigned to Tempe's short season affiliate in Whitehorse where he is likely to spend a couple weeks ramping up before an expected promotion to Calexico.

3.82: Acquired from the New Jersey Hitmen in exchange for OF Kil-Hyun Yi during the prior offseason, the Knights used this pick to acquire the very intriguing SS Cullen Palmer, their first high school selection in the 2036 draft. Palmer, a two-way superstar for the Benedictine Prep Infantrymen features a howitzer for a right arm and has consistently been clocked at over 100+ mph in bullpen outings. He lacks command as many pitchers do at the tender age of 17, but throws four pitches which all grade out as plus or better consisting of a fastball, slider, changeup and splitter. On the offensive side, Palmer also starred as his HS shortstop though his bat remains more projection than anything else at this point. Pundits believe Palmer can develop an above average offensive game to complement his pitching potential and it is believed he will likely spend at least two seasons developing his game at the club's rookie league affiliate in Sejong, South Korea.

4.111: The Knights selected another HS Shortstop, opting for the well-regarded Benny Tucker out of Immaculata HS. Tucker is likely to be a glove first SS early in his development but does have some projection in his bat which could see him turn into an everday big leaguer with above average contact ability, gap-to-gap power, and decent plate discipline. Tucker's most electric tool at this early stage is his speed and the potential exists that Tucker could also be moved to the centerfield role if he eventually fails to develop at SS.

4.132: Tempe took another college reliever opting for the electric but slightly erratic Jesus Gonzalez out of Atletico Castille in the ICBA. Gonzalez also possesses a cannon arm throwing a wipeout four seam fastball with late movement that consistently sits in the upper 90's. Most impressively, Gonzalez was nearly unhittable in college and produced two out of his seasons with a FIP of 0 (his junior campaign featured a FIP of 0.60)! Gonzalez has been assigned to Whitehorse and will be evaluated for a future late-inning role with the club.

5.143: The first starting pitcher selected by the Knights, Steve Williams, a 21 year old left hander out of Michigan State. Williams remains a work in progress despite having started 36 games with the Persians. His primary numbers throughout his college career were excellent, though scouts believe there is a significant untapped potential in Williams' game. The nearly 22 year old from Maugansville, MD features a four pitch mix fastball, curveball, changeup and forkball and generally throws in the low-to-mid 90's. Williams is likely to also begin his professional career in Whitehorse and has reportedly asked for a significant bonus in the range of $1 million.

[Apollos]

July 2036 - News and Notes

As expected, the team continued its shuffle in the rotation this week as they recalled Juan Jaramillo from AAA Chandler following a near month-long stint with the club's highest minor league affiliate. It appears as though Jaramillo may have regained some of his previously dominant form while with the Waxers after posting 3 starts and accumulating an ERA below 0.50 in just over 21 innings. Jaramillo responded to the recall throwing 6 1/3 innings against the Malts, allowing 7 hits and 2 earned runs while striking out 11. Paired with a strong week of pitching performances, the club is outwardly hopeful that they can put the struggles of the season's first half behind them from the bump as three of their top pitching prospects are now fronting the rotation. Along with the return from the IL of Santiago Garcia and the successful transition of former long man Noboru Imai to the rotation, the Knights have the makings of a strong, albeit youthful starting staff.

Minor Moves

The signings and subsequent debuts of two top 10 picks from the 2036 draft have elevated the club to 1st place among OSA's ranking of PEBA minor league systems. While it's likely that ranking will not hold given the impending "graduations" of starters Will Taylor and Shojiro Goto, the Knights have unquestionably amassed one of the deepest minor league systems in the majors following a thorough five year rebuild. Fellow top 50 prospect, SS Guoncallo Carvalhas is expected to make his debut in the coming weeks - perhaps as soon as the All-Star break - and will likely be the last of the team's top prospects to make his ML debut in 2036.

Speaking of those top picks, Li Caporn has debuted in RF for the AA Quebec City Frenchies and performed reasonably well considering the elevated level of competition for the 21 year old. In his first 13 games Caporn is hitting .208/.321/.500 for the Frenchies and has probably confirmed the suspicion that despite his advanced development, will likely need a year of seasoning prior to making his ML debut. Similarly, the club's second top 10 pick in the most recent draft, Rowan Guao, has debuted with Single A Calexico and played a stellar CF for the Reins. In his first 21 games, Guao has gone .221/.303/.618 posting 7 HR's to go with 18 RBIs and a steal. It is likely that Guao will join Caporn in Quebec City prior to season's end as the team looks to synchronize the development of their future outfield.

The club purchased the contract of LF Elton Dwennon from AAA Chandler following the injury to starting LF Jacob Gill this week. Gill, who appeared to finally be getting on track in 2036 will be stuck on the IL for at least 5 weeks as he recovers from a fractured thumb sustained after being hit in the hand by an errant fastball during Tuesday's 9-2 win over Okinawa. Dwennon, a 24 year old left handed hitting Englishman out of Birmingham was the club's 4th round selection in the 2033 draft and has impressed throughout his time in the club's organization. Thus far in 2036, Dwennon has posted a .275/.355/.523 line for the Waxers.

In a final move to the club's organizational outfield alignment and development, it's been reported that Eduardo Arellano, OSA's #57 overall prospect, has recently been taking an increased number of reps at 1B. It is likely that the team is attempting to expand the long-term options given their glut of top-end OF prospects, and Arellano possesses a frame which was long projected to outgrow his original position of CF.

[DrewV]

Bad luck for Gill, who I have always liked.

Good move with Arellano learning a new day job (reminiscent of my favorite Moneyball scene).

Speaking of Arellano, I wonder if I have been over-valuing Avoid K in my batters. His success, along with others I have noted in PEBA since I returned, makes me want to re-evaluate my approach. Especially since Duluth is so good at getting on base and then not scoring.

[Borealis]

Especially since Duluth is so good at getting on base and then not scoring.

Sounds too familiar...

[Apollos]

Into the Dog Days

Tempe began August playing much the same as it did in the Summers' earlier months, though their place in the standings looked significantly different. Owing mainly to a scorching hot July played by the Reno Zephyrs, the Knights have largely fallen from contention in the Desert Hills and now trail the division leaders by a full 14 games. While the Knights had closed to within 5 games of the division lead as recently as early July, they continued to play near .500 ball, finishing the month of July at 11-13. August sees the Knights spend almost the entire month playing within their division, save for a 4-game set at Niihama Shii, and thus Tempe will play 25 of 31 games against their DH rivals. The second half schedule is particularly loaded with games against Aurora as the two teams will see eachother for 9 games in August followed by two more series in September and October to close out the season. Despite dropping 2 of 3 to the Borealis in the pairs recently concluded series, the Knight have begun August on a winning note thanks to a 3 game sweep of Yuma last week. Pythagoras suggests the Knights should be a .500 team so their current standing on 50-60 points to a team is either unlucky or finding ways to lose games which has been something of an open critique of Manager Jason Campbell's tenure in the desert....

Whither Campbell...

That early optimism when it looked as if the Knights might compete for the Desert Hills as early as this season, coupled with the team's recent underperformance, has led to rumors that Campbell's job may be in jeopardy during the offseason. The 40 year old Campbell was famously handed the keys to the franchise after having never managed a game in his young career, which many analysts suggested was a shortsighted move given the youth within the organization. Many of those critics were silenced last season when the Knights were surprisingly competitive for the bulk of the campaign, but with the spate of recent promotions from the organization's minor leagues, coupled with a down year across the DH from their rivals, it was believed that Tempe could push for a division lead well into the Summer months. While that competition has not materialized, most Tempe followers - fans and critics alike - believe the team will be primed to compete in 2037 (the least year of Campbell's contract), and thus there will no longer be any excuses available if the team cannot muster a strong push for the top of the division. Whether or not the Front Office entrusts Campbell to guide that effort will likely be determined over the season's final month and a half.

[Apollos]

Wrapping up 2036

The Knights concluded the 2036 campaign with a whimper, getting swept by Aurora following an otherwise strong September-October that saw them claw back towards .500. Ultimately the team finished the year at 76-86, a 4-win improvement from last season, but still a far cry from the winning club that owner Chirs Van Hauter had demanded at the outset. In light of Van Hauter's demands, it is unclear if any changes will be made to the front office or dugout staff, but there continues to be speculation that Manager Jason Campbell could be released prior to the Rodriguez Cup, as he would otherwise enter a lame duck season with the Knights.

With Hitting Coach Sumitomo Aoki recently re-signed to a 5 year contract and Pitching Coach Clay Pittman entering a walk year following the 2037 season, there remains a fair degree of uncertainty surrounding the Knights coaching staff as their contract renewals, along with the recent addition of Bench Coach Taizo Sugano, have not shown any signs of synchronization. Indications from inside the front office indicate that scouting director Mark Wood is likely safe as Van Hauter has repeatedly sought opportunities to praise the Knights scouting staff, though an unbiased analysis of their performance indicates that they continue to fall short of expectations on the international front with no noteworthy signings despite the club having spent considerably in the market.

Summing up the 2036 Knights, it was a season of ups and downs, but one of progress nonetheless as the Knights edge ever closer to competitiveness. The club followed suit in increasing their offensive output - rampant speculation about juiced balls notwithstanding - several players enjoyed break out years in the desert in 2036; including 2B Juan Rincon. The budding star at 2B hit personal highs in almost every offensive category this season posting a .300/.387/.481 line to go along with 18 HR's and 20 SB's. Rincon has firmly established himself as one of the best second basemen in the league and a mainstay atop the Knights lineup at the age of 24. Along with Rincon, second year CF Roberto Gutierrez had a strong season living up to some of his initial promise and posting a .295/.342/.432 line while playing a solid center. Along with the arrivals of SS Gouncallo Carvalhas and a host of outfielders - including 1st round pick Li Caporn who made his debut in September - the Knights appear poised to have a strong, young core of bats ready for 2037.

2036 Offensive MVP: Despite the aforementioned performances from some of the Knights young stars, this award goes to the venerable silver slugger Pat Barry who turned in a sterling performance at the age of 38 in his walk year from the club. Barry excelled down the stretch in particular, winning the September player of the month award in the Sovereign League, and posted a .266/.361/.519 line on the year with 36 HR's and 107 RBI's in the middle of the Knights lineup. It's been reported that some discussions have taken place between Barry and the Knigts brass, but given his reported interest in pursuing a multi-year contract coupled with likely near-term arrival of several prospects to the Tempe outfield, it seems most likely that Barry will allowed to leave at the conclusion of the season.

2036 Pitcher of the Year: The Knights pitching staff left much to be desired this year with their starters ending the season last in the Sovereign League in starters ERA. Despite that, there were signs of improvement, particularly in the second half of the season, and none performed better than rookie of the year candidate Will Taylor. The 24-year-old Taylor arrived in Tempe in May and despite the usual rookie travails performed well. Taylor ended 2036 having thrown 152 innings in 28 starts and posting a 4.31 ERA with 149 K's and showing tremendous room for growth as he refines his command. Taylor was a top-20 prospect for the two years preceding his arrival and having arrived just before fellow rookie Shojiro Goto, and paired with Juan Jaramillo who also showed positive signs of progress in the second half, should give the Knights a formidable top of their rotation heading into 2037.

[Apollos]

Unconfirmed Rumors of Change Swirl in Tempe

Recent reports out of the Tempe front office indicate that a major announcement, timed to coincide with the upcoming 2036 Winter Meetings, is on the horizon. Speculation has been rampant for weeks of a possible front office shakeup following the Knights disappointing 2036 season which saw them finish 6 games below .500, and there have been reports that Manager Jason Campbell could be on the chopping block - though officials with knowledge of the situation indicated a change at Manager likely would have been announced in the immediate aftermath of the season, rather than delayed to the winter meetings.

To go along with the unconfirmed rumors, it has also been reported in some circles that the Knights are considering further upgrades to Gisolo-Duppa Field in light of recent attendance and an anticipated demand for seating in 2037. As Tempeans have increasingly flocked to GD Field to see the Knights, the club has attempted to keep pace, churning out upgrade after upgrade to bring total seating capacity at the four-year-old facility to 46,000. Combined with a mere 2% flat price increase on tickets for 2037, Knights brass is anticipating hot demand for seating and may seek to make further changes to the previously extended left field grandstand to accommodate further walk-up guests as they continue to expand their revenue pools.

It has also been reported that the club may be considering adding an Assistant GM to the front office, a move which current GM Hazelwood has long described as "not in the best interests of the club". Perhaps persuaded by the success of fellow 2032 expansion Niihama-Shi Ghosts who recently hoisted the Rodriguez Cup and have risen to prominence under the stewardship of a power GM/AGM combo in their front office, or as directly proscribed by owner Chris Van Hauter, the addition of an Assistant GM would mark a dramatic shift in the direction of Knights leadership.

[Borealis]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm... after a third place finish, Tempe is going to mix it up??

[Sandgnats]