Season 10 - AL Preview

With the litany of talent that changed hands in the offseason, year 10 looks to be one of change in Sharkey's World. The grading scale is harsh but I tried to say something positive about every team and hope nobody is offended. There is definitely some Kansas City bias so beware. Also Kalikgod was a major help in getting this thing put together so without further adieu, I give you the season 10 AL preview:

AL NORTH

1. New York Moon Shots

• Rotation: Willie Robinson, Mule Einertson, Charles West and Daniel Kozlowski makeup a solid group of starters that will eat innings and keep their team competitive. Einertson, the most talented of the bunch, has gone 28-17 over the past two seasons and posted a 3.63 ERA. Grade: C+
• Bullpen: Closer Juan Lugo converted 38 of 44 save opportunities last season, posted a 2.72 ERA and earned his third career All-Star appearance. Getting to Lugo may be a problem as the rest of the pen is pretty shaky. Grade: C-
• Lineup: William Martin is one of the ALs most promising young backstops. The 25 year old Martin hit .289 last year and drove in 75 runs. New York hit .271 as a team and was below the league average with just 210 home runs. Phenom Ray Dunn could be a late season call up and would instantly make an impact. Dunn raked at the AA level last year, hitting .352, 46 HR, 166 RBI and stealing 37 bags. Grade: C-
• Outlook: The defending AL North champs have a tough task ahead of them. Trenton and Fargo have closed the gap in a wide open division and the Moon Shots didn't really add anything of note. That being said, I still think New York can weather the storm and finish on top, largely due to the fact that they were the best fielding team in the ML last year with a .987 fielding percentage.

2. Fargo Nines

• Rotation: Pinky Whiteside and Larry Brumfield represent two top-of-the-rotation type starters. Both Whiteside and Brumfield posted sub 3.85 ERAs last season, however, the two only combined to pitch 307 innings. The severe lack of depth is a concern. Grade: C-
• Bullpen: Jack Koch is one of the ALs premier closers and should rebound from an un-Koch like ERA of 3.19. Fernando Veras, BC Nunez and Rule 5 draft pick Hideo Chen should make this unit strong despite the loss of elite relief pitcher Turk Huson. Grade: B+
• Lineup: Fargo ranked 7th in OB% last year led by 12 year veteran Dennis Flanagan's .390. Gone are the days of 71 HRs for former MVP Darin Kingland but his 37 long balls and 106 RBI were enough to lead the team in both categories. Mateo Vidal looks to be ready for the bigs and will help this offense a great deal. Grade: C+
• Outlook: The offense has enough depth to compete and doesn't rely on any one player too heavily. The extreme lack of innings in the starting rotation will be a problem come All-Star break and will prevent this team from making the playoffs unless another arm is acquired.
  

• 3. Trenton Terror
  Rotation: Clearly the weakness of the team is the starting rotation. Even if newly acquired Dennys Shin is deemed an SP, the staff lacks depth and innings. Trenton's team ERA ranked 27th in season nine with a 5.76. Jimmie Diaz's masquerade as an ML pitcher should end shortly. Grade: D
  Bullpen: The pen has some big talent with Ramiro Jimenez, Joe Hancock and Mr. Do Everything, Ricardo Gongora. Look for this trio of relievers to keep a lot of ballgames close. Look for Josias DeRojas to be called up sometime this season. Grade: B+
  Lineup: Trenton's offense led the majors with 305 home runs last season, 25 more than the next team. Happy Adkins, whose 47 HR led the team, will have to hit better than .252 if the offense expects to overcome the loss of Henry Cashman. Rookies Sergei Kerr and Wes Bryant should provide the Terror with some solid depth. Grade: B
  Outlook: Kingdean's offseason acquisitions of future HOFs Dennys Shin and Ricardo Gongora show that he is serious about making a run for the division title this year. However, because of the gaping holes in the starting rotation, the Terror are still a ways off.

4. Detroit Tigers

• Rotation: Dave Locke is this unit's leader and he went 6-15 last season with a 6.26 ERA. Nuff said. Grade: D-
• Bullpen: Speechless. Grade: F
• Lineup: Omar Castilla is a beast at first base. The 26 year old launched 38 bombs last year and hit .280 with absolutely no protection. Castilla could be an MVP candidate on other teams. "Shortstop" Fonzie Conway is just 24 years old and should begin to cash in on some of his potential. Rumors out of Detroit have management changing Conway's position to 3B due to his 45 errors at short last year. Grade: D
• Outlook: The #2 pick in the draft and a projected total of about $35 million in International money promises to fetch the Tigers at least two cornerstones for the future.

AL EAST

1. Charlotte Knights

• Rotation: The biggest move in all of Sharkey this offseason was the Knights acquisition of seven time Cy Young award winner Chris Ramirez. Ramirez gives Charlotte the true ace that they have lacked in years past. Joining C-Ram is Billy Ray Poppell, Edgardo Trevino, Blade Ott and Spud Reed, a group that combined to win 58 games in season 9. Grade: B+
• Bullpen: CJ Counsell was a monster last year, posting a 9-1 with a 2.28 ERA. Willie Coronado notched 44 saves and won the AL Fireman of the Year award. This pen looks to be one of the ALs best. Grade: A
• Lineup: This lineup can mash. Ranking 5th in runs scored last year, Charlotte's lineup is stocked with young bats that you don't want to face. Horacio James barely missed a 30/30 season last year, cranking 28 homers and stealing 34 bases. James' .321 average was enough to earn him the Silver Slugger award at third. Johnnie West will be missed but in this lineup it shouldn't matter. Grade: A-
• Outlook: Dawgfan has done an impressive job with this franchise and is ready to start reaping the benefits. Bringing in Chris Ramirez to anchor the staff has other AL owners worried. The sky is the limit.

2. Atlanta City Slickers

• Rotation: Steve Giles' arrival in Atlanta gives the City Slickers staff veteran leadership and a rock solid #1 starter that should help the team ERA improve vastly from last year's 5.10 mark. Meanwhile, the much hyped youngster, Jamie Blackwell, although greatly improved, has yet to show he can pitch at the ML level. Grade: C
• Bullpen: Alejandro Rodriguez, Martin Martin and most likely aging superstar Willie Tapies will be good pitchers in relief situations but even with Tapies used as a RP the pen's depth is questionable. Grade: D+
• Lineup: Ronald Watson's 43 HR and 134 RBI led the team last year but don't be surprised if 23 year old DH Juan Beltre leads the team in power numbers in season 10. Anthony Lamb's .326 ob% isn't good enough for the type of five tool player that he is. Grade: B-
• Outlook: Atlanta heads into season 10 with a talented young offensive core and an aging pitching staff that should be enough to compete for a playoff spot.

3. Hartford Defenders

• Rotation: The callup of 21 year old Clay Sedlacek has created some excitement around Hartford. Sedlacek, a former fifth overall draft selection, features a nasty cut fastball and sinker ball combo that should keep hitters guessing. Last year in AAA, Sedlacek went 14-6 with a 3.96 ERA and made the All-Star team. The scary part is that he is still shooting up. Paired up with Sedlacek is 24 year old righthander Josh McConnell. Season nine was a forgetable one for McConnell but he will likely rebound. The irony in Hartford is that the "Defenders" committed 176 errors last year, the second most in all of baseball. Grade: C-
• Bullpen: The most surprising stat from last year is that Sam Mattingly converted 22/28 save opportunities while maintaining a 5.14 ERA. I don't see how any of these relievers can get the outs needed to compete. Grade: F+
• Lineup: John Mays hit 54 HR and drove in 120 runs in season nine. Mays' numbers are purely a product of the hitter's paradise that is Welch Park (2, 3, 1, 4, 4). This lineup has little to hang it's hat on. Grade: D-
• Outlook: The Defenders have done a fine job drafting talented pitching the past few years and that should pay dividends in the long run. Look for Hartford to pull down a much needed cornerstone offensively with this year's #5 overall pick.

4. Indianapolis Racers

• Rotation: This staff is expensive and old with mediocre talent. That being said, I have to believe that the rotation is better than the 6.15 team ERA (31st) it had last year. Torey Burks is probably the most talented pitcher on the team and he lost 15 games last year. Grade: D-
• Bullpen: My mother used to say, "If you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all." Grade: F
• Lineup: The loss of Darrell Cardona will be a big one for the Racers as he was their only true threat on the base paths. First baseman Josh Sexson came over mid-season in a trade with Rochester and will likely be a leader on offense. Grade: D-
• Outlook: This franchise is in disarray right now but I believe Cjwagner can right the ship. Indy has the fourth and seventeenth overall picks in this years draft with which to acquire talent. That coupled with a big international signing or two and the Racers will be on track.

AL SOUTH

1. Jacksonville Juggernauts

• Rotation: Reigning Cy Young Award winner Alex Olmeda has become the ace he was projected to be when he was selected number one overall by Jacksonville out of Auburn University. Olmeda has gone 42-11 the past two seasons and is still very much in his prime. Jacksonville lost Steve Giles to free agency but just yesterday acquired Max Hernandez via trade to lock up that number two spot in the rotation. Dude Johnson and Felipe Concepcion round out a deep pitching staff. Grade: B+
• Bullpen: Kevin Nakano and Orber Stokes are two of the finest setup men in the game. Combined, the two won 15 games last season and logged over 223 innings. Closing the door on the opposition is Jimmie Gentry. Gentry had a career year in season nine, saving 35/39 games and doing so with a 2.44 ERA. This pen may be the best in Sharkey. Grade A+
• Lineup: The Juggernauts scored 1040 runs last season which was good enough for the 7th most all time. Driving in 142 of those runs was third baseman Julio De La Vega. De La Vega is joined by four time AL MVP Nicholas Bryant, gold glove second baseman Ricardo Diaz and gold glove center fielder Sam Gonzales. Rookie Sidney Terrell is a sure fire ROY candidate and could very well make this offense even better than it was a year ago. Grade A
• Outlook: Jacksonville was one game away from winning the past three World Series titles but instead had to settle for a measley two. Unless the team plane disappears like an Air France jet, the Juggernauts have an excellent shot at another World Series trophy.

2. Houston Aggies

• Rotation: 33 year old righthander Kevin Seung led the team in wins (13) and strikeouts (178) last year. Michael Walters is probably the Aggies most talented pitcher but only logged 20 starts in season nine. Andrea Rivera is a decent addition from Huntington but he should get pounded by lefties. Grade: C
• Bullpen: Houston spent $37 million on Kansas City's former closer Benito Rosario. Rosario has 119 career saves, a 3.46 career ML ERA and should add some much needed depth to a previously thin bullpen. Grade: C-
• Lineup: Former #1 overall pick Esteban Rincon has matured into one of the best five tool players in the game. As a rookie last year Rincon hit 32 HR, drove in 121 runs, stole 18 bases and hit .301. The 23 year old Rincon also plays Gold Glove caliber defense at second base. Luke Romero led the team with a .309 average while hitting 31 homers and driving in 114 runs. Grade: B
• Outlook: The Aggies came up just short of the second wild card in season nine. They should be in the running again this year but may not have added enough to compete with the other big spenders in the AL.

3. Monterrey Cervezas

• Rotation: After Buddy Bako this staff gets thin in a hurry. Bako is the only top of the rotation starter in the group. That said Bako will provide them with many quality starts and and give the pen some much needed rest. Grade C-
• Bullpen: Benji Alverez is the kid in the pen at age 29. In fact the average age of the entire staff is 31, and only 3 guys have a durability over 50. Alverez should bounce back and have a better year, but the group is going to be hard pressed to find enough innings. One injury and this pen could be in shambles. Grade D+
• Lineup: The bats are a an decent group ordinary hitters. A few guys with a little pop, but no 50 HR guys. A few guys with good foot speed, but no real base stealers. The lineup will struggle against top pitchers in the league. Defense is where this group gets scary. I don't remember "weak up the middle" being an old baseball adage. The pitchers won't be sitting on the same end of the bench with these guys. Grade D
• Outlook: Unfortunately for Monterrey, they are not in a division where they could steal a title with 87 wins if they get hot. This will be a year to keep stocking the minors. The good news is there are some real good gloves in Ivan Pinzon and Don Felsen developing in the minors.

4. Little Rock Big Rocks

• Rotation: This is a solid staff that is extremely young, Crespo is only 20! While there isn't a Cy young type pitcher, they send out a good pitcher every day to give them a chance to win. Time is definitely on the side of this staff and a couple of them should see progression even at the ML level. Grade B
• Bullpen: Walters is a good closer with two big pitches, but getting to him might be tricky. A quality setup man would improve this team by 10 wins. Grade C-
• Lineup: Again the theme is youth here, no players are older than 27. This is a real good lineup top to bottom with a couple studs in Coco and Samuel. They will definitely score runs. But then they forget to grab their gloves when they hit the field. This defense is in absolute shambles. I think the DH is even going to commit an error on this team. This team will lead the league in unearned runs. Grade B-
• Outlook: Keep looking. Down the road, with the addition of a few pieces to plug the holes, this team will head to the playoffs often. For now, look for another big international splash.

AL BEST

1. Kansas City Shuffle

• Rotation: Sal Freeman and his $39 million contract join the Shuffle with high hopes. Kansas City's staff lost a ton of talent last season by dealing away Dennys Shin, Chad Jones and Paul Cooper. Remaining from the glory years is 32 year old Rob Aldridge who boasts a career 136-54 record. Youngsters Gerald McConnell, Manuel Romero and Edguardo Sosa round out a solid rotation with a big upside. Grade: B+
• Bullpen: Despite losing Ricardo Gongora, Scott Whiten and Benito Rosario, the bullpen should be a strength for the Shuffle this season. Rookie Curtis Blalock will take over the closer's role while Julian Hearn and newly acquired Brad O'Toole will pitch in the setup spot. Grade: A-
• Lineup: Danys Castillo and Billy Hernandez were acquired via free agency and trade respectively. Castillo and Hernandez are two of the most dominant offensive players in all of Sharkey. Rookies Andres Ortiz, Javier Chavez and Ron Fisher all should make a huge impact in what looks to be the best offense in the majors. Grade: A+
• Outlook: The AL Best has been the toughest division in the league for several seasons now and looks to remain that way. Kansas City's 25 man roster will feature 18 new faces this season, many of which are first or second year MLers. If the Shuffle's rotation can stay healthy this team could win their 9th AL Best title.

2. Fresno Fire Dragons

• Rotation: Chad Jones, Paul Cooper and Geronimo Limon make up one of the best one through threes in the majors. Jones had a career year in season 9, going 21-8 with a 3.16 ERA. Grade: B+
• Bullpen: Quinn Cedeno comes over from a deal with Little Rock and should be a force. Closer Victor Simmons has 271 career saves which ranks 3rd all time in Sharkey. Grade: B
• Lineup: Juan Carrasco is one of the best players in Sharkey and at age 24 could be on the road to winning multiple league MVPs. The loss of Danys Castillo will hamper the top of the order some but Fresno clearly has the bats to score a ton of runs. Grade: A-
• Outlook: Fresno made the moves it takes to win a championship in season nine but came up short. They aren't far behind the Shuffle in my opinion and could just as easily win this division and a World Series title.

3. Cheyenne Chilipeppers

• Rotation: Felipe Soto and Sammy Cordero remain as rock solid starters. Losing Jim Standridge however, weakens this staffs depth quite a bit. Grade: C
• Bullpen: The pen features several very good arms and is led by closer Ichiro Nakamura who recorded 26 saves in season nine. Grade: B-
  
• Lineup: Former MVP Pat Tamura should do the AL a favor and just retire. Tamura continues to be an elite hitter who plays almost everyday. Pat The Bat's career .313 average and 324 homers make him a sure fire Hall of Famer at the age of 28. Joing Tamura is another former MVP, Jose Rodriguez and several other very talented hitters. Grade A-
• Outlook: Unfortunately Cheyenne didn't add much in Sharkey's historical offseason and may suffer because of it. Never count Snarfuller out though as he is known to be a crafty owner with a few tricks up his sleeve.

4. Scottsdale T's

• Rotation: Hello Jason Owen. He gets a warm welcome to the town as they now have a real nice 1-3 with Robinson and Amaro. Owen was the perfect fit for this team to post big innings pitching totals and give the middle relief some days off. After the big three it gets a little rough, but those guys won't see innings in the playoffs. Grade B+
• Bullpen: Closer extraordinaire Brad Tankersley, is one of the best in the business. He was a perfect 26/26 last season. They just need to get him more opportunities. Myette and Gardner give them the ability to matchup against righties and lefties in the setup role. One more quality arm in the pen here would help bridge the gap on days when they are fatigued. Grade B
• Lineup: The lineup is solid with Pete West anchoring them as an everyday catcher that can mash the ball. They might struggle hitting for average consistently, but they can compete against the best pitching. They are missing the big home run bat that could put the offense over the top. Defensively they have a big hole at SS where Max Cortez is looking to move to another position. CF is also an issue, Norm Swann just can't cover the ground that he used to. Grade C+
• Outlook: This could be the year that they finally crack the 90 win mark....and finish last in the division again. The team is built well for a playoff run ala Rochester last year, but they need to go out and buy a couple pieces to get there.

Predicted Playoff Seeding

1. Kansas City Shuffle
2. Jacksonville Juggernauts
3. Charlotte Knights
4. New York Moon Shots
5. Fresno Fire Dragons
6. Cheyenne Chilipeppers

Round 1

• Charlotte over Cheyenne
• Fresno over New York

Round 2

• Kansas City over Fresno
• Jacksonville over Charlotte

Round 3

• Jacksonville over Kansas City

Award Predictions (No particular order)

MVP Candidates

1. Juan Carrasco (FR)
2. Louie Samuel (LR)
3. Juan Beltre (ATL)
4. Pat Tamura (CHY)
5. Pete West (SCOT)
6. Ronald Watson (ATL)
7. Sidney Terrell (JAX)
8. Billy Hernandez (KC)
9. Horacio James (CHAR)
10. Andres Ortiz (KC)

CY Young Candidates

1. Alex Olmeda (JAX)
2. Chris Ramirez (CHAR)
3. Sal Freeman (KC)
4. Jayson Owen (SCO)
5. Chad Jones (FR)

ROY Candidates

1. Andres Ortiz (KC)
2. Ron Fisher (KC)
3. Sidney Terrell (JAX)
4. Kenny Bennett (FR)
5. Horacio Gonzales (FAR)

Fireman Candidates

1. Brad Tankersly (SCO)
2. Jimmie Gentry (JAX)
3. Willie Coronado (CHAR)
4. Juan Lugo (NY)
5. Jack Koch (FAR)