Trendsetters wrote: ↑Thu May 25, 2023 10:41 pm
Imperial League
Seaboard
1. West Virginia – Like the Patriots with Tom Brady, you just don't bet against them until they actually lose.
2. New Jersey – They may not have 95 wins in them, but they still have the next best mix of pitching and hitting.
3. Hartford - They may have the best young staff in the league, but the lineup still needs work. They are hoping Ocasio blitzes through the minors.
4. Arlington – Pros: They made some good solid inexpensive signings and got out from under Joe Arnold's contract. Cons: Joe Arnold was overpaid, but still a solid starter. They may struggle against lefties.
5. Manchester - Of all five starting pitchers, only three winning seasons among them all. As for the lineup, not a single starter hit over .250 last year except SS, Hector Lopez and that was in just 31 games.
Dixie
1.Florida – Just like West Virginia, they are too used to winning to start losing now. A ridiculous rotation and a stacked lineup. The only thing that can stop them is a virulent strain of malaria. They are in Florida, so there is a sliver of hope,
2. Kentucky. Solid pitching and hitting. Some of the lineup is starting to get long in the tooth. If they can stay healthy they will likely punch a wild card ticket.
3. Charleston – They are getting better as the rebuild progresses, but may be another season or two away. The pitching is developing nicely with Zhu, Goto and Kun comprising a solid core. The bullpen is a bit more of a worry.
4. New Orleans – The Trendsetters rebuild will likely not start til next year. They have a joke of a farm system. The saving grace will be that almost all big contracts end this year. Arnold is a solid starter who will lose a lot of 2-0 games.
5. San Antonio – Much like New Orleans, they are tearing it down. Also like New Orleans, almost all of their big contracts expire except for Chris Brown, who will be 38 before they can even think about shedding his salary.
Trans Atlantic
1. Amsterdam – This team is on the rise. Good young lineup and a good young rotation.
2. Scottish – This team has a good young core of hitters who are only getting better and they may have one of the best bullpens in the league. The rotation is a bit of a worry.
3. Havana – This team is starting to get old and they have to rely on players near the end of their prime to stay healthy to compete. They could very well pull it off or finish around .500.
4. Gloucester – Benigno Canseco is a solid prospect who is growing into his 6'4” frame and should produce more power this year. He will anchor this club. The rest will have to wait for the well-stocked farm system to produce,
5. San Juan – SS Gerald Contaldo will be a superstar, but not this year and the pitching is pretty much a wasteland of old, average arms. They do have a good farm system so the future is looking up.
IL Awards Winners:
Royal Raker Winner: Vito Van Wondel FLA
Golden Arm Winner: Roberto Rivera, KTY
Wunderkind Winner: Dan Gore, KTY
Sovereign League
Great Lakes
1. Duluth – Solid all around. The age of their best hitters is a worry, Duluth could see their playoff hopes disappear onto the DL. If they stay healthy the division is theirs.
2. Kalamazoo – Good rotation that will keep them in the race. I predict Adam Geake to be a breakout star.
3. Fargo – With the young arms and bats they have coming up through the system they could rule atop the division for a few years, but that reign will not start until 2039 or 2040. Definitely a team to watch out for.
4. Madison – A young and developing team that is still a year away from contention for a wildcard.
5. Crystal Lake – They may not finish last, but they wont finish first and this team is old at the top. A two year deal for Castaneda was too much money, but its off the books in two years.
Desert Hills
1. Tempe - This may be a stretch, but Tempe has three good young arms on the cusp of stardom and a solid lineup with depth on the bench.
2. Aurora – A well rounded team with an excellent lineup, but it will have to make up for the lack of a star #1 starter.
3. Reno Aces – Solid up and down the lineup, but the staff is not very deep and an injury to Jose Ojeda would doom their season
4. Yuma – They have one or two hitters that make them better than Palm Springs and Bakersfield, good enough for the divisional “Best of the Rest” Award.
5. Bakersfield Bears. A lot of average players. This team is so average they could split a three game series.
6. Palm Springs Codgers – Yamamoto will be a difference maker for this team. But not this year. The rest are pretty much spare parts.
Rising Sun
1. Toyama – The lineup is just too good. While the pitching staff is not great, it is not weak and they could win a lot of 10-5 games.
2. Nihama-Shi – They will come closer to the division title than people expect. A solid lineup just entering their prime and a gaggle of pitchers that may break out this year
3. Okinawa – The best parts of their rotation are a year or two away and I predict Pablo Ortiz will start to see a decline.
4. Shin Seiki – While not a top talent team they are solid with very few weaknesses. They could easily finish above .500 and beat out Okinawa for 3rd place.
5. Neo-Tokyo – Too many bad contracts for players on the back end of their careers. Those contracts will look even worse as the season wears on. They need to restock the system and prepare for a few lean years.
SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Pablo Ortiz OKN
Golden Arm Winner: Adam Geake, KAL
Wunderkind Winner: Doug Knox, SHI
Postseason
IL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
KTY over SCO in 4 games
AMS over NJ in 5 games
SL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
KAL over DUL in 3 games
AUR over NIH in 5 games
IL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
FLA over KTY in 6 games
WV over AMS in 4 games
SL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
DUL over TEM in 7 games
TOY over AUR in 5 games
League Championship Series Winners
IL: WV over FLA in 5 games
SL: TOY over DUL in 4 games
PEC Winner
WV over TOY in 6 games
