August finds the Warriors unexpectedly in a pennant race in the Great Lakes Division. During the past year, numerous transactions intended to improve the talent level in the minor league system have been executed. The new front office team has worked tirelessly to assess strengths and weaknesses, shed players who show minimal potential, and replace them with young prospects with more, if only minimally more, potential. On field results seem to be validating the approach and effort. Let’s take a closer look at the organization.

Position Players

The batting order is led by a foursome that has been fun to watch, for the fans and coaches alike. The electric LF Juan Valasquez sparks the offense. He is on pace for another season of 100+ SBs, an OPS north of .800, and a WAR near 7.0. DH Bartolo Mora continues to rattle opposing pitchers with his combination of speed and power while batting in the number 2 hole. At 38 years old, he is on pace to steal 50+ bases, club near 30 HRs, and generate an OPS of near .850. The two table-setters currently lead the Sovereign League in runs scored. Driving them home are often two of the top run producers in the SL in 3B Antonio Herrera and rookie RF Dave Docherty. The two are among the league leaders in RBI. Herrera is on track to register 30+ big flies, 120+ RBI, an OPS near .900, and a WAR of 6.0 or more. Docherty has stepped into the starting role to contribute at a rate that should produce 30+ HRs and 100+ RBI. The injection of power he is providing has been a welcome addition in the heart of the order.

The formidable four are supported by an adequate cast, but the front office staff will be seeking improvement in several areas over time. Most surprising has been the play of C Dominic Culpepper, who is playing well enough to have been named to the 2039 all-star team.

Overall, we are pleased that the team is among the leaders in most offensive categories. Even more importantly, we are pleased that we have a core group of talented, young players to build around as we move forward.

Pitching Staff

Rene Padilla continues to demonstrate that at 25 years old he is the ace of the staff and one of the top pitchers in PEBA. This season he is on pace to win close to 20 games pitching well over 200 innings and maintaining an ERA near 3.00. Joining him at the top of the rotation is Michael Doyle, who after several down years seems to have recaptured the effectiveness he exhibited before being traded from Kentucky to the Warriors. These two workhorses are shouldering the work load and leading the way. The remaining starters generate unpredictable results.

Collectively, the performance of the bullpen staff has been underwhelming. Two who have pitched very well are Guo-fang Hsi and Melchior Lohse. However, the others have provided unreliable support. To upgrade, the Warriors front office recently acquired talented Shirai Mori to man the closer role and add depth in the pen. These three young and talented relievers should improve our chances in close games.

Despite the fact that the Warriors pitching staff ranks in the lower tier of Sovereign League teams, we find ourselves unexpectedly deep into season and battling for the division title. If we falter, the odds are that a failure of the pitching staff to win key games will be the source of our downfall.

Minor League Organization

One year ago, the organization was ranked last in PEBA. Several of our teams were having difficulty winning even 25% of their games. Quite simply, the organization was in shambles. The new front office team launched a massive initiative intended to upgrade the talent at all levels. Scores of players at each level were released and replaced with prospects with greater potential. The incremental increase in talent may have been slight, but the effort seems to be paying dividends.

On the field, our teams are winning with greater frequency. Each team is competitive with won-lost records close to .500 or better. Suwon (R) is winning two-thirds of their contests! Kailua (S A) has improved from a winning percentage of about .250 last year to .550 today!

We have a long way to go to build a strong organization, but we are making progress.

Financial Position

We are pleased that fan interest has increased since last year. It has fueled an increase in attendance that currently is averaging close to 47,000 per game. The front office staff avoid placing much emphasis on the whims of our owner, but these two improvements do align with his goals. Together they are driving revenue growth that has us in a profitable position. Our finances are in order and healthy.

Looking ahead to 2040, we expect to free up around $25 million of payroll. This should provide us with the flexibility to invest in development and/or upgrades at weak positions.

Moving Forward

The front office team believes in building a strong organization to feed the parent club. We need to continue to build upon the progress realized during this past year. Currently, however, the Warriors are contenders. We will focus on winning at the PEBA level until it becomes evident that we must circle the wagons around our young talent and rebuild. The decision to rebuild always is a difficult one. We hope we knock down many more wins before we are faced with that decision.

Go Warriors!