2039 Predictions

[Sandgnats]

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 2 seeds get a bye
_____ over _____ in __ games
_____ over _____ in __ games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
_____ over _____ in __ games
_____ over _____ in __ games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
_____ over _____ in __ games
_____ over _____ in __ games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
_____ 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

[Lions]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. West Virginia - Did you know that Alejandro Luján is 40 years old?! 4 out of 5 of WV's starting rotation weren't in junior high yet when he debuted.
2. Hartford - Despite having yet posted an ERA over 3.00, I still have the feeling Aaron Goater hasn't quite figured it all out yet.
3. Arlington - I love me some James McCoy.
4. New Jersey - Don Washington has been wearing a Gordon Knopp costume but hitting like his old self this spring. Are the scouts insane? Don't think the pitching is there.
5. Manchester - They'll be a wild card winner in 2 seasons.

Dixie
1. Florida - A little weaker than you think, but still the best team on paper.
2. Kentucky - I'd pick them 1st if Knopp/Van Wonder/Roberts were merely very good.
3. Charleston - The hottest farm system for some time, it'll be interesting to see if they can disrupt the top two in the next few years. I don't think this is the year yet.
4. New Orleans - They're not good, but I do think they'll keep out of the bottom spot.
5. San Antonio - They have some interesting prospects on the way.

Trans Atlantic
1. Scottish - I think they had a great offseason and will be back on top of the division.
2. London - They're good enough to win the division again, and won't be happy if this is where they end up.
3. Havana - Better front end pitching than Amsterdam and a comparable offense. The bullpen is weak.
4. Amsterdam - Rotation, typically a franchise strong point, has been trending down.
5. San Juan - Don't have the high end talent of any of the teams ahead of them.
6. Gloucester - The one team not going for a wild card in the division, they'll be the least disappointed team outside of the division winner.


IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Gordon Knopp (FLA)
Golden Arm Winner: Jose Hernandez (LON)
Wunderkind Winner: Don Washington (NJ)

Sovereign League

Great Lakes - This division... I have no idea
1. Fargo - Worst to 1st?
2. Crystal Lake - Burroughs will not be great this year, but he will be good.
3. Kalamazoo - Offseason trades look like they're geared towards the future more than this year.
4. Duluth - Bartolo Mora's not as good as he once was.
5. Madison - I don't see much between Fargo and Madison. The Malts look well rounded but without the top end talent.

Desert Hills
1. Aurora - Brenden Clymo addition was signficant.
2. Tempe - They've got more talent that's just about ready and a trio of strong 1B/DH they can trade from to add elsewhere.
3. Reno - José Ojeda is coming off 2 straight Golden Arm seasons and yet to turn 24. Michel Provost pitched debuted with 1 start in his age 24 season.
4. Palm Springs - A lot of moves and a lot of reasons to be optimistic and a lot of ground to make up.
5. Yuma - I kind of want to put them ahead of the Codgers, but I don't think the depth is there. Plus, Pat Watson will play in fewer than 50 games.
6. Bakersfield - Mauro Mata is a 5-time All-Star through age 27 and a reason to watch the Bears in what will likely be a long season.

Rising Sun
1. Toyama - Whenever a team beats Florida, it feels like an upset, but Toyama is really that good.
2. Niihama-Shi - They'll push Toyama again, and once again fall just short.
3. Okinawa - This is the year Pedro Hernandez goes off.
4. Shin Seiki - One of the most well rounded teams in PEBA.
5. Neo Tokyo - Biggest standings gap between 4th and 5th place... I guess it's something to be proud of?

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Antonio Herrera (DUL)
Golden Arm Winner: Jose Ojeda (REN)
Wunderkind Winner: Misao Okada (MAD)

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
Kentucky over Havana in 3 games
London over Scottish in 4 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
Niihama over Fargo in 3 games
Tempe over Okinawa in 5 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
Florida over Kentucky in 5 games
West Virginia over London in 6 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
Niihama over Aurora in 6 games
Toyama over Tempe in 7 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: West Virginia over Florida in 7 games
SL: Niihama over Toyama in 7 games

PEC Winner
West Virginia over Niihama in 6 games

[Trendsetters]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. West Virginia. They are just one of those teams that you just don't bet against until AFTER they lose and their rotation has 4 out of 5 pitchers in the rotation entering their prime.
2. Hartford- Arlington is catching up but either team right now is really just trying to fight for 2nd place and Hartford has slightly better pitching and while neither team has great hitting, Hartford does have a few more mashers..
3. Arlington - This team may be just a season or two from being a wildcard team, but they are not there yet. They do have a future star in James McCoy and some solid depth at AAA, but the lineup still needs that one hitter that scares opposing pitchers.
4. New Jersey - Florida hasn't made many bad trades and Gordon Knopp is an all-time great, but Don Washington is going to be a stud and New Jersey will get a chance to see him wreck some of the opposition. An early front runner for ROY.
5. Manchester - There is less difference between 2nd and 5th in this division and Manchester just needs a few breaks to jump up in the standings and i would not be surprised to see them at .500 this year.

Dixie
1. Florida is a powerhouse and not much can knock the sheen off of an organization that competes for the title each and every year. They may have given up too soon on Don Washington, but the lineup is so stacked that they can afford to sacrifice a bat at SS for the incredible defense Felton will bring. The rotation is solid and young and Jay keeps revamping pieces every year. They are still a favorite to win it all.
2. Kentucky - The worst thing to ever happen to the Thoroughbreds was getting placed in the Dixie Division. They have won 100+ games for the last three years and never finish higher than 2nd.A great organization that would win almost any other division. The rotation can match anybody 1-3, Dan Gore in his first full season, matched the hype.
3. Charleston - This could be the year the Statesman pull the trigger. Charleston has had a plan and stuck to it; hold back prospects and promote them all at once to get the max window for a championship. This is the year we find out if it worked. I think they still wind up in 3rd, but I think Jason will use this offseason to finally spend some money on FA and improve even more.
4. San Antonio - San Antonio doers have some talent down on the farm and it looks like some of that talent will make it's leap to the PEBA this season. While they won't finish at .500 this year, I think they have an advantage in a couple of major league ready sluggers who will make the difference between 4th and 5th and give them hope for the future.
5. New Orleans - The Trendsetters and the Calzones are not playing to win. New Orleans spent last year dealing bullpen arms for draft capital and trying to build the organizational structure. The farm system is still pretty bare with only a couple of top prospects. They have a long way to go and good teams above them. Look for Gallard to shine this year.

Trans Atlantic
1. London - A very competitive division and injury here, a trade there and the standings could be reshuffled. I'll still pick London. They had a great season in 2038, Rocky Nichols is a top player and they have a solid rotation and bullpen. They will repeat.
2. Scottish - They may have one of the best 1-5 lineups in the PEBA and most are entering their prime except for Tomas Martinez and he is just fine plateauing at superstar, thank you very much. I give London the nod due to pitching as Connolly and Suarez may not reach their peak for another year or two. If they develop this year, look out for the Claymores.
3. Amsterdam - Yamamoto, Harada and Vis are solid, but after that there is a big drop-off in talent offensively and the pitching staff is above average, but that is about it outside of Takahashi who had a very solid 2038. The Lions do have some help on the way in AAA that could see time this year.
4. Havana - A pretty good young team. Many of their arms are being asked to develop at the big league level and manager Fellix Collazo has an excellent reputation for developing pitchers and PC Burt Johnson is also a good handler of young pitchers. Havana is pushing the prospects. We'll see how they respond. Especially SP Jack Sosa, the 1st Rounder from 2037.
5. San Juan - Some good pieces here, but it is far from developed. 21 game winner Rory Souter was a big pickup for the Coqui, but he is pretty much the only bright spot in the rotation. They will struggle to hold back teams 4 out of 5 games and once the bullpen takes over.
6. Gloucester - The Fisherman are in rebuild mode and no surprise they are heading for the bottom of the division. They have a good farm system, but the talent is a few years off. The one to watch is SP Norishige Ito. He had a nice debut last year in seven starts and looks like the real deal at 24.


IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Vito Van Wondel FLA
Golden Arm Winner: Juan Rodriguez - SCO
Wunderkind Winner: Don Washington - New Jersey

Sovereign League

Great Lakes
1. Kalamazoo - This division is tough to pick, but I have to go with Kalamazoo. They have some good pieces at the major league level and some players on the cusp at AAA. The starting lineup is beginning to get long in the tooth, and if those players begin to show their age, that could open the division for Fargo or even Crystal Lake.
2. Crystal Lake - The Sand Gnats will live and die by Carl Burroughs, The International FA who signed for a staggering 60 million (though the contract does go down in upcoming years). He is the cornerstone of the franchise and his performance will largely make or break Crystal Lake. The two best startes in the rotation are young and still could improve which helps. The bullpen is a concern.
3. Fargo's season could also depend on Carl Burroughs. If Burroughs is injured or underperforms, Fargo could easily waltz right in and compete, and this is with their top rated farm system ready to explode at AAA. If Fargo doesn't take the division this year, they may very well do it in 2040.
4. Duluth still has some talent, but that talent is starting to develop a receding hairline and their Geritol intake leads the league. They could give one good last gasp and compete, but if they don't, it's time to start the rebuild. Look for the Warriors to be sellers at the deadline if they are not leading the division.
5. Madison's rotation is not bad at all and compares favorably with the rest of the division. However their lineup shows very little pop. Madison is not in a bad position though. They don't have any bad contracts after 2039 and 41 mil committed. They could be right in in it with a couple of big FA next year.

Desert Hills
1. Aurora - Its got to be Aurora. They are solid top to bottom and while they may not have the best rotation, they have the hands down best bullpen. The core of their lineup is in their mid to late 20's and they just have to get the bullpen the lead to lock down a lot of games.
2. Tempe - Tempe has a lot. Good pitching, good starting lineup, you name it, but they are still a step behind Aurora and the Borealis bullpen makes the difference here. However, bullpens are historically tough to gauge and Tempe could surprise some people, I think they will at least nab a wild card.
3. Reno - The Zephys have an ace in the making in Jose Ojeda and a stopper not far from peak abilities in Anthony Soame. The rest of the rotation needs some help from an offense that is very solid. Paul Oglethorpe is always fun to watch but there is a reason he is on his 4th team in 5 years. He has a reasonable contract and could pay dividends.
4. Palm Springs - Where did the Codgers get this rotation? This may be the most underrated rotation in the division with the Yama Twins leading the way. The lineup is solid if unspectacular. The Codgers may surprise a few people this year and have an outside shot at a wild card slot, but they will need some things to break their way and a lot is expected of some yet undeveloped players.
5. Yuma - Yuma may have done just together enough to finish out of the basement this year. However, their best hitters are closer to AARP membership than their rookie year and CF Pat Watson is breaking down and the warranty has long expired.
6. Bakersfield - They still have about 40 million in bad contracts to get rid of before they can start the rebuild in earnest and you can bet your bottom dollar if Julio Jaramillo hits close to .200 AGAIN, he is picking up that 29 mil option in nothing flat. Not having a 1st round pick while your team loses 100 games had got to hurt last year.

Rising Sun
1. Toyama - The reigning PEBA champions have all the pieces to repeat this year. A star laden lineup, solid rotation and a bullpen that can go toe to toe with Aurora. 23 year old Dave Costello makes the jump to the Wind Dancers and will likely take over the #1 role from Owen Barse in a couple of years. Toyama is the best of what is arguabley the best division in the PEBA.
2. Shin Seiki - There does not appear to be a weak spot in the lineup and the rotation and bullpen are both solid. The Evas underperformed last year and that will not happen this year. They are built to win in the regular season. They may lack a true standout like a Pablo Ortiz and anything can happen ina short series, but in the end the Evas will be in the mix.
3. Okinawa - While Shin Seiki is built to win over the grueling course of a season, the Shisa are built to win a short series and boy are they loaded for it as long as their top starters develop. Throw a fully developed Anya, Park, and Saitou in a 5 game or 7 game series, run Shirai Mori out there to close the game and they could break a lot of hearts.
4. Nihama - This may be an off-year for the Ghosties. They have solid hitting and pitching, especially in the pen, but the rotation is thin. If Luppe van Dam would eat a steak or drink a beer once in a while, maybe he wouldn't wind up on the IL so much.
5. Neo-Tokyo - This is probably the least talented PEBA level team in the league, but the Akira have some real talent at AA and AAA, including last years #1 overall pick, Jorge Salinas. A lot of people were surprised when Neo-Tokyo started Salinas in AAA in the bullpen, but it turns out GM Ron Hiscock knew what he is doing and Salinas may be ready for a call up before the 2039 season ends.

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Pablo Ortiz - Okinawa
Golden Arm Winner: Jose Ojeda Reno
Wunderkind Winner: Carl Burrough - Crystal Lake

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
KY over HAR in 4 games
SCO over LON in 5 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
KAL over SS in 4 games
OKI over TEM in 5 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
KY over WV in 6 games
FLA over SCO in 4 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
TOY over KAL in 5 games
AUR over OKI in 5 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: FLA over KY in 7 games
SL: AUR over TOY in 6 games

PEC Winner
FLA over AUR in 5 games

[Wind Dancers]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. West Virginia
2. Hartford
3. New Jersey
4. Arlington
5. Manchester

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

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


IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: CF Gordon Knopp, FLA
Golden Arm Winner: SP Aaron Goater, HAR
Wunderkind Winner: SP Ding-bong Zhu, CST

Sovereign League

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

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

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

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Pablo Ortiz, PS
Golden Arm Winner: Jose Ojeda, REN
Wunderkind Winner: Carl Burrough, CL

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
London over Hartford in 5 games
Kentucky over Scottish in 4 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
Reno over Kalamazoo in 5 games
Niihama over Shin Seiki in 4 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
Kentucky over Florida in 7 games
West Virginia over London in 6 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
Toyama over Reno in 7 games
Aurora over Niihama in 6 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: Kentucky over West Virginia in 6 games
SL: Aurora over Toyama in 5 games

PEC Winner
Kentucky over Aurora in 7 games

[Borealis]

Better late than never...

Imperial League
Seaboard
1. West Virginia
2. Hartford
3. New Jersey
4. Manchester
5. Arlington

New Jersey struggled last year despite lofty expectations, so this year the expectations are lowered, but they still look no better than third in the division... Arlington has swung back into rebuild mode again-again and it's hard to see them anywhere else, mostly because Manchester looks like young talent may be percolating upwards; Hartford has been making improvements and gaining on the Alleghenies - and if there is one thing Aurora has shown over the years, great pitching can always keep you close and relevant...

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

Kentucky continues to slowly lose talent - but are they keeping up internally? Their offense is aging (aside from Gore), but their pitching is youngish, but... speaking of percolating upward, Charleston has such talent (not bottom dwellers - they've traded virtually no one) and this is the year we get a taste - and it's very, very tempting to pick the Statemen as second in this division. If they play the T-breds and F-heads even on the year, I think they are a playoff team; The Calzones and Trendies will flip a bat for the basement honors...

Trans Atlantic
1. Scottish
2. London
3. San Juan
4. Amsterdam
5. Havanna
6. Gloucester

This is the toughest division to predict. The Scottish continue to be shrewd... Amsterdam surprised last year, Havana is maybe a season or two off from their own percolations... San Juan get's an instant boost with Soutar, and the F-men continue to be patient - maybe a step or two behind Charleston in that category.

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

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

K-zoo has been Uber-busy this offseason and it'll keep them on top, but the biggest question in this division will be how much the $60,000,000 Man will help the 'Gnats this season - hard to imagine he'll hurt, but will it be enough to sneak into what might be the third wild card spot?... I like Fargo - they've some young talent that made noise last year - and I think they'll out battle Duluth for third - just barely, and if Crystal Lake doesn't support the 2039 version of Lee Majors, then it's Fargo finishing second...

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

Reno will be looking for a third straight playoff spot, but Tempe has built a very tough looking team that could finish 1st or third - so I'll split the difference, but don't be surprised if the Apollos put Tempe on top for the first time since - well, since their WIL days, as their lone championship came as a wild card team back in the Joe Biden Days of 2012 - when Markus Hancock and Conan McCullogh anchored their staff... The Borealis tried to add some power - and Kowalski and the deadline addition of Macias did just that? The addition of Clymo (and the subtraction of Gonzales) is a big add to a rotation that is beginning to show some grey... The only thing keeping this division from 2-3 playoff teams will be the Rising Sun - and the top three beating each other up... Yuma's young arms have been making noise, and Palm Springs has made a lot of moves to at least be relevant - which makes a 4th place finish a win for the Codgers... That leaves the Bears in the basement...

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

This division will look a lot like last year - a blood bath... The Ghosts had a bit of a down year - if 105 wins can be considered a down year. Okinawa is a power-laden team in the mould of their division brethren Evil Evas, who despite a lot of offseason tooling, my miss the playoffs again as the in-fighting in this division is the fiercest in the PEBA... Poor Neo-Tokyo...

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner:
Golden Arm Winner: Clymo - AUR
Wunderkind Winner: Burrough - CL

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner
Scottish over London in 4 games
Hartford over Kentucky in 5

SL Wild Card Winner
Okinawa over Niihama-shi in 5 games
Tempe over Kalamazoo in 5 games

IL Division Series Winners
Hartford over Florida in 7 games
West Virginia over Scottish in 6 games

SL Division Series Winners
Toyama over Tempe in 6 games
Aurora over Okinawa in 7 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: Hartford over West Virginia in 7 games
SL: Aurora over Toyama in 7 games

PEC Winner
Aurora over Hartford in 6 games - it took 24-seasons to extract our revenge - but... DONE!

[Warriors]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. West Virginia Alleghenies x
2. Hartford Harpoon x
3. Arlington Bureaucrats
4. New Jersey Hitmen
5. Manchester Maulers

Dixie
1. Florida Farstriders y
2. Kentucky Thoroughbreds x
3. New Orleans Trendsetters
4. Charleston Statesmen
5. San Antonio Calzones of Laredo

Trans Atlantic
1. Scottish Claymores y
2. London Underground x
3. Amsterdam Lions
4. Havana Leones
5. San Juan Coqui
6. Gloucester Fishermen

IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Vito van Wondel, Florida
Golden Arm Winner: Juan Rodriguez, Scottish
Wunderkind Winner: Ding-bong Zhu, Charleston

Sovereign League

Great Lakes
1. Kalamazoo Badgers x
2. Fargo Dinosaurs
3. Duluth Warriors
4. Crystal Lake Sandgnats
5. Madison Malts

Desert Hills
1. Aurora Borealis y
2. Tempe Apollos x
3. Reno Zephyrs x
4. Yuma Arroyos
5. Bakersfield Bears
6. Palm Springs Codgers

Rising Sun
1. Toyama Wind Dancers y
2. Shin Seiki Evas x
3. Nihama-shi Ghosts
4. Okinawa Shisa
5. Neo-Tokyo Akira

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Antonio Herrera, Duluth
Golden Arm Winner: Jose Ojeda, Reno
Wunderkind Winner: Griff Aspinwall, Reno

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
Kentucky over Hartford in 4 games
West Virginia over London in 5 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
Shin Seiki over Reno in 4 games
Tempe over Kalamazoo in 5 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
Florida over Kentucky in 6 games
Scottish over West Virginia in 7 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
Toyama over Tempe in 6 games
Shin Seiki over Aurora in 7 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: Florida over Scottish in 6 games
SL: Toyama over Shin Seiki in 7 games

PEC Winner
Florida over Toyama in 7 games

[Hitmen]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. West Virginia - Still a well-oiled machine that even if Greg is more on auto pilot due to life, the team will continue to crush our souls.
2. New Jersey - Burroughs who?? How about the other 'Don', Mr. Washington! But no, seriously... I think we are a better team this year, but not as good/lucky as 2 seasons ago when we won 95. Good enough for 2nd though.
3. Hartford - Amazing pitching, but as I said on the PodCast, the bats just don't do it for me. Looks like an AA/AAA squad at the plate which is all that is holding them back.
4. Arlington - Constant shifting and shaking of the team, I think it might just be too much movement.
5. Manchester - The pipeline looks solid but will be a couple seasons at minimum unless some massive free agency/trade movement is expected.

Dixie
1. Florida - I think they actually got better... sigh...
2. Kentucky - Just a solid club, hard to imagine anyone is ready to dethrone them in the two spot.
3. Charleston - Finally time for Zhu to stay up full time? Or will I select him for an award again and he will be in AAA? But seriously, if it's go time, I think they are an easy shoe in for 3rd, who knows, may surprise us.
4. San Antonio - Got those rebuild gloves on, don't expect too much at this time but enjoying to watch the talent grow.
5. New Orleans - Retool/rebuild going on. Active in the market, but I think they are happy to build and grow as well. 4&5 can easily swap.

Trans Atlantic
1. Scottish - I think it's their year to overtake London this year, was happy with their free agency.
2. London - Still a solid team, sometimes not making the big moves works just as well. But will it be enough this year?
3. Amsterdam - Think they are solid enough, I've never been good at gauging Amsterdam because the Trans Atlantic is tough. But I've always loved Vis.
4. Havana - Ogre and Wizard, with some growing pitching still in the works. Might need a few arms but will be relevant .500ish.
5. San Juan - I want to be excited, but I am left more scratching my head for San Juan. May just be outgunned, but I think a larger retool/rebuild might be the best cure for them.
6. Gloucester - Happy to build from within. I would time it all to Oday and ride off into the sunset that way.

IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Gordon Knopp (FLA) - Usual... or Roberts.
Golden Arm Winner: Juan Rodriguez (SCO) Solid arm, should be exciting to watch.
Wunderkind Winner: Don Washington (NJ), Burroughs who???

Sovereign League

Great Lakes
1. Madison - This is it boys, Thad you glorious bastard, you are going to finally bring them to the promised land. I feel it in my bones. Okada! Kim! Dare I say back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners in Madison??
2. Kalamazoo - Still solid enough to be #2.
3. Crystal Lake - Burroughs, just jump on the bandwagon. Giddy up.
4. Fargo - Just barely losing out to 4, the tailwinds from Burrough's hype are just too strong.
5. Duluth - Tough decision as this division is tight amongst the 5, not any super stud teams, but a solid brawl all throughout.


Desert Hills
1. Aurora - Liked some of the moves, recently the largest salary team in PEBA (no longer), they are consistent.
2. Reno - Not only breaks the every other year curse, but gives Aurora a run for their money.
2. Tempe - Have been building up over years, 1-3 will be tough.
4. Palm Springs - Enjoyed all the efforts to retool and be relevant. If they get close to .500, I would call that a huge win for PS.
5. Bakersfield - No body wants their aging stars!
6. Yuma - Until I see results, will be hard for me to bet for them.


Rising Sun
1. Toyama - Just another one of those built teams you admire.
2. Niihama-Shi - Well built team, still in the hunt.
3. Okinawa - So many bats, so many bats. They have to strike eventually right?
4. Shin Seiki - 4th here is easily 2nd elsewhere some would say. But at the same time, they got edged out last year. Could we see it 2 years in a row?
5. Neo Tokyo - Rebuild! Send them your picks and prospects!

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Pablo Garza (OKA) upset he lost to the other Pablo.
Golden Arm Winner: Misao Okada (MAD) I'm on the wagon, let's go boys!
Wunderkind Winner: Misao Okada (MAD) I'm on the wagon, let's go boys!

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
New Jersey over Kentucky in 5 games
Scottish over London in 4 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
Niihama over Madison in 4 games
Okinawa over Reno in 5 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
Florida over New Jersey in 4 games
Scottish over West Virginia in 6 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
Okinawa over Aurora in 6 games
Toyama over Niihama in 7 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: Florida over Scottish in 7 games
SL: Toyama over Okinawa in 7 games

PEC Winner
Florida over Toyoma in 6 games, ah the good old back and forth...

[Claymores]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. WV
2. NJ
3. Hartford
4. Arlington
5. Manchester

I don't see any team in the Seaboard overtaking WV this year...or next, but I expect the battle for the #2 spot in the division to be exciting. I'm going to take NJ over Hartford though, I just don't see how Hartford is going to replicate the HR/Runs they produced last year. But hey, maybe my scout and I are both way off? I don't think Manchester is really trying to take that next step yet, but they're starting to have some of their prospects make the jump to PEBA. Arlington on the other hand appears to be trying to compete(maybe?), but I don't think they're at the level of NJ or Hartford.

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

It's Florida, and then everyone else in the Dixie (and PEBA for that matter). I think Kentucky holds off Charleston, but it will be interesting to see what having three teams that look like they can compete will do in that division. Does that open up an opportunity for someone to pass Florida as the #1 seed? I doubt it, but it's an interesting thought. Going New Orleans at 4 and San Antonio at 5 solely based on New Orleans is actively filling their roster and lineups while San Antonio is rocking 10 pitchers and is missing a lineup spot.

Trans Atlantic
1. Scottish
2. London
3. SJ
4. Amsterdam
5. Havana
6. Gloucester

Losing SP Juan Rodriguez to injury last season hurt any chance at catching London in the division race, but he's baaaaack! This will be the most complete team I've put together since taking over the Scottish midway through the 2035 season. London isn't going anywhere and I expect them to be right in the thick of the division race as well, most likely a wild card behind Kentucky would be my best guess. I think San Juan could surprise some and battle for a wildcard spot after their active off-season.


IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Vito Van Wondel (FLA)
Golden Arm Winner: James McCoy (ARL)
Wunderkind Winner: Don Washington (NJ)

Sovereign League

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

I think this division could be tight, but I'm going with Kalamazoo this year. I don't think another team will make the playoffs from this division, but the improvement here could reduce the rest of the leagues win totals.

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

Aurora is still the team to beat, but I think Tempe makes a jump past Reno and possibly a playoff spot.

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

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Pablo Ortiz (OKA)
Golden Arm Winner: Jose Ojeda (REN)
Wunderkind Winner: Misao Okada (MAD)

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
Scottish over NJ in _4_ games
London over Kentucky in _5_ games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
Tempe over Kalamazoo in _5_ games
Toyoma over Okinawa in _5_ games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
Florida over London in _6_ games
Scottish over WV in _7_ games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
Niihama-shi over Tempe in _6_ games
Toyoma over Aurora in _6_ games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: Florida over Scottish in _6_ games
SL: _Niihama-shi over Toyoma in _7_ games

PEC Winner
Florida over Niihama-shi in _6_ games

[Ghosts]

Imperial League

Seaboard
1. West Virginia
2. Hartford
3. New Jersey
4. Arlington
5. Manchester

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

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

IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Gordon Knopp (FLA)
Golden Arm Winner: Hen-to Tse (FLA)
Wunderkind Winner: Juan Borges (SJ)

Sovereign League

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

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

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

SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Jin Song Zambrano (NII)
Golden Arm Winner: Fernando Valdez (NII)
Wunderkind Winner: Carl Burrough (CL)

Postseason

IL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
Hartford over Kentucky in 4 games
Scottish over London in 4 games

SL Wild Card Winner - Top 2 seeds get a bye
Toyoma over Shin Seiki in 5 games
Okinawa over Kalamazoo in 4 games

IL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
Florida over Hartford in 4 games
Scottish over West Virginia in 7 games

SL Division Series Winners - Top 2 seeds vs. Wild Card winners
Niihama over Okinawa in 6 games
Toyama over Aurora in 6 games

League Championship Series Winners
IL: Florida over Scottish in 5 games
SL: Niihama over Toyama in 6 games

PEC Winner
Niihama over Florida in 7 games

[Arroyos]

I'm sorry to report that after spending 3 days developing and writing my usually reliable predictions about the coming season, the website decided to crash, or take a coffee break, and everything was lost. Maybe it's fitting, since I was writing about the Great Flood of 2039 and its devastating effect on coastal PEBA cities. But now we will never know which teams survive the flood and have winning seasons. Maybe the Fates are hinting at an even greater disaster than the one I was predicting. Maybe the entire PEBAverse will be wiped out by a meteor crashing into the earth this season. Maybe ... and maybe not. I guess we'll see.

[Hitmen]

I'm sorry to report that after spending 3 days developing and writing my usually reliable predictions about the coming season, the website decided to crash, or take a coffee break, and everything was lost. Maybe it's fitting, since I was writing about the Great Flood of 2039 and its devastating effect on coastal PEBA cities. But now we will never know which teams survive the flood and have winning seasons. Maybe the Fates are hinting at an even greater disaster than the one I was predicting. Maybe the entire PEBAverse will be wiped out by a meteor crashing into the earth this season. Maybe ... and maybe not. I guess we'll see.

This is sad to hear, I always look forward to the Nostradamus like prognostication out of Yuma.

[Lions]

I'm sorry to report that after spending 3 days developing and writing my usually reliable predictions about the coming season, the website decided to crash, or take a coffee break, and everything was lost. Maybe it's fitting, since I was writing about the Great Flood of 2039 and its devastating effect on coastal PEBA cities. But now we will never know which teams survive the flood and have winning seasons. Maybe the Fates are hinting at an even greater disaster than the one I was predicting. Maybe the entire PEBAverse will be wiped out by a meteor crashing into the earth this season. Maybe ... and maybe not. I guess we'll see.

I, for one, am quite glad we get at least one extra season to avoid the flood. There's no chance Amsterdam survives that.

[Borealis]

I'm sorry to report that after spending 3 days developing and writing my usually reliable predictions about the coming season, the website decided to crash, or take a coffee break, and everything was lost. Maybe it's fitting, since I was writing about the Great Flood of 2039 and its devastating effect on coastal PEBA cities. But now we will never know which teams survive the flood and have winning seasons. Maybe the Fates are hinting at an even greater disaster than the one I was predicting. Maybe the entire PEBAverse will be wiped out by a meteor crashing into the earth this season. Maybe ... and maybe not. I guess we'll see.

This is sad to hear, I always look forward to the Nostradamus like prognostication out of Yuma.

I'm so with you, Mikey #1 - Maybe Bob will find the Spirit of '39 once more and grace us with his prose!!

[Arroyos]

I'm sorry to report that after spending 3 days developing and writing my usually reliable predictions about the coming season, the website decided to crash, or take a coffee break, and everything was lost. Maybe it's fitting, since I was writing about the Great Flood of 2039 and its devastating effect on coastal PEBA cities. But now we will never know which teams survive the flood and have winning seasons. Maybe the Fates are hinting at an even greater disaster than the one I was predicting. Maybe the entire PEBAverse will be wiped out by a meteor crashing into the earth this season. Maybe ... and maybe not. I guess we'll see.

This is sad to hear, I always look forward to the Nostradamus like prognostication out of Yuma.

I'm so with you, Mikey #1 - Maybe Bob will find the Spirit of '39 once more and grace us with his prose!!

He's working on it. As an article, not a prediction. But he could be slowed by the arrival of the proof copy of his novel. Should be available soon!

[Borealis]

He's working on it. As an article, not a prediction. But he could be slowed by the arrival of the proof copy of his novel. Should be available soon!