Imperial League
Seaboard
1.West Virginia - Greg isn't going anywhere, yet. With a farm that keeps replenishing the bigs, Alleghenies is here to stay.
2. New Jersey - Is You and a more defensive minding infield to take advantage of our groundball heavy pitching enough to keep us moving upwards? I think so for now.
3. Hartford - Always cooking and have an up and coming scary rotation. Arlington's significant shuffle gives me pause that they will mesh enough with all the changes.
4. Arlington - Are they rebuilding, retooling, reshuffling, re-whichever the way the wind blows... I think it's more of a question of will McCoy and Raines go nuts waiting for that backup ever to come.
5. Manchester - Some interesting names waiting in the wings. I just feel Jeff may take one more year of rebuilding and good picks before bringing in Martinez and trying to build in prep for more of the prospects to follow.
Dixie
1. Florida - Ken, Jay, not sure it matters (not to take anything away from Jay). But Knopp, Roberts, van Wondel run that team, not the GM.
2. Kentucky - Liked the Kossan pick up, finally getting a chance to shine. Kentucky is just solid, consistent, as always.
3. Charleston - Might be time some of these youngsters start to learn some tricks in winning with Kun and Zhu primed.
4. New Orleans - Some retooling efforts in the rebuild are there, I can see the 4-5 being a dog fight.
5. San Antonio - Very focused on the rebuild, but some solid stop gaps brought in in the mean time. No complete laying over here.
Trans Atlantic
1. Scottish - Some risks taken this offseason, but I don't think it will slow them down. Risks are what's needed to take the team to the next level at times.
2. London - Another team making some nice moves, I expect the wild card to be a brawl this year.
3. Amsterdam - Only question mark is the rotation, otherwise love what the Lions have going.
4. Havana - Just hate always being down on the Leones, but it just never seems like enough is done to build around the Wizard and Ogre, but I always say this is the team that will bite my rankings in the ass and prove me wrong.
5. San Juan - Think the Coqui (one of my favorite logos) are just waiting for that excuse to go full rebuild and start fresh.
6. Gloucester - Not shy about wanting to rebuild through the draft, and I believe Andy will continue to do so until he feels he has the right mix of talent pumping through the minors.
IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Tomas Martinez - going into an option year, and requesting a very reasonable extension, time to ramp it up and drive his cost up...
Golden Arm Winner: Orlando Trujillo - he was robbed! He should have won! This year he points out why.
Wunderkind Winner: Ding-Bong Zhu - looking scary good, and coming out of a safe and solid spring.
Sovereign League
Great Lakes
1. Duluth - The pieces are there, their time for consistency is here.
2. Crystal Lake - Moves, moves, and more moves. I like the aggressiveness; I expect 1-2 to be a battle that could go either way.
3. Kalamazoo - 1-3 has shown to be a shuffle the past couple years, I don't expect K-zoo to give up either, just someone has to be listed #3.
4. Madison - I feel like we will see more of the rookies get a chance now under new leadership. Time to see what may or may not work and if the rebuild needs to continue to stretch, or it's time to start adding some pieces around the kids.
5. Fargo - Not a slouch with by any means, just this division is a battle for that mid-card title so to speak. All the teams aren't on the Rising Sun's level and are in the process of trying to put it together, but clearly this division is up for grabs and not at that elite level yet.
Desert Hills
1. Aurora - Mike finds a way always to make sure he's retooled quickly and staying near the top. I don't see him falling off, always a strong work in progress.
2. Tempe - Love what Brian has done with the Apollos, and so many of my old guys that I like to cheer for. Go Apollos!
3. Reno - Scott is always working, just it doesn't seem to click always. But how can't you be confident around Ojeda?
4. Bakersfield - I feel like the Bears are just waiting for the contracts to go away so they can properly retool and add to the team that is there waiting and trying to keep punching up.
5. Yuma - Bob is trying something other than drafting! I would have had them higher, but the blow to Sun will derail them one more season. Oh and Watson just likes the hospital too much to ever leave. Very Bob like.
6. Palm Springs - with questions at the top, I feel the Codgers are showing their age. Could surprise though.
Rising Sun
1. Toyama - Some gone, some back, retools well, I don't see them dropping much at all.
2. Niihama-Shi - Still extremely lethal and will continue to be a top contender.
3. Okinawa - Lots of solid moves, lots of my old Madison guys I love. Cheering for the Shisa and Matt.
4. Shin Seiki - Still strong, don't get me wrong, just this top four can go anyway and will be a battle.
5. Neo-Tokyo - rebuilding/retooling, more so because the rest of the Rising Sun just can't help push him down.
SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Pablo Ortiz - probably is a huge locker room cancer and pisses everyone off everywhere he goes. But damn is he a good ballplayer.
Golden Arm Winner: Rene Padilla - Capuchin! Duluth's ace to take the Great Lakes.
Wunderkind Winner: Ryozo Kouyama - O2 unleased.
Postseason
IL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
New Jersey over Kentucky in 5 games
Scottish over London in 5 games
SL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
Tempe over Duluth in 5 games
Niihama over Okinawa in 5 games
IL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
New Jersey over West Virginia in 7 games
Florida over Scottish in 7 games
SL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
Aurora over Tempe in 7 games
Toyoma over Niihama in 7 games
League Championship Series Winners
IL: Florida over New Jersey in 5 games
SL: Toyoma over Aurora in 5 games
PEC Winner
Toyoma over Florida in 7 games
I'll be honest, I have no idea with the playoffs