eMLB Preseason Power Poll: 9-12

Time to review the 9th-12th ranked teams in eMLB.

12. Charlotte Oreos

Offensive Outlook: Mediocre

I won't lie, there is some star power here (Votto, Utley, Hanley, Ichiro, Cruz). Unfortunately, the affore-mentioned star power is sort of dimmed by a collection of not-yet-ready-for-prime-time-players (Tabata, Maybin, Snyder, Weiters), and a glorified utility player (Polanco). My gut says this team will steal a ton of bases, be competitive in terms of power and RBI, but probably see its average dragged down by guys like Weiters, Maybin and possibly Snyder. That said, any wins this team gets will be a direct result of the offense.

Pitching Outlook: Agonizing

Let's see, there is Verlander....and, um....well, there is Verlander. Other than that, you're looking at a collection of injury-prone and inconsistent starting pitchers. This team will not compete in ERA, WHIP, W, or K's most weeks. The good news is he very well could have four closers to work with. The bad news is Farnsworth sucks and won't last long, Putz pitches for a lousy team, Lidge is an enigma, and Francisco pitches in a crowded bullpen. This team will struggle to record holds.

Depth Outlook: Thin

Reviews on Nishikoa are mixed. Mora pretty much sucks. Stewart's role is as yet undefined with guys like Lopez and Wigginton in town. Saunders probably won't play much. I doubt Dan Johnson produces much. He could get some decent value/production out of Narveson, Stauffer and Galarraga. I am not a believer in carrying extra MRP - especially bad ones (Gutierrez) - but that's me.

11. Mid Michigan Tigers

Offensive Outlook: Stagnant

It's hard to say any lineup with Cabrera in it will be stagnant, but this lineup looks thin to me They will steal a lot of bases and probably score runs at a decent clip, but beyond that it's fairly ugly. This is a lineup that will struggle to hit many HR outside of Cabrera, which means it will also struggle in the RBI department. I also think this team will struggle to draw walks and hit for average. Iannetta, Uribe, Scutaro, Brown and Berkman all represent potentially significant holes in this lineup.

Pitching Outlook: Promising

In the end, it was Keith's pitching that separated him from Larry and Broskey. Yeah...Lincecum, Lee and Danks are a deadly 1-2-3, and I actually like Santana and Sanchez. This team should fair well in ERA, WHIP, K, and W. The bullpen is decent, but not great. Moyland will get his holds, Guerrier is sold, and Brian Wilson is one of the better closers around. I have some concerns about Cordero and Jepsen and how they'll impact WHIP.

Depth Outlook: Thin

Will Barmes and Smith play regularly? And would it actually help Keith if they did? Thole is barely serviceable in real baseball. There is decent pitching depth.

10. South Texas Heat

Offensive Outlook: Above Average

I actually like the offensive core. There are a couple proven veterans (Fielder, Jeter), there are a couple youngsters with massive upside (Santana, Upton, Fowler), and there are a few bounce back candidates (Figging, Quentin, Granderson and Lind). Then there is the ever brittle Chipper Jones - which pretty much means Berg will need to play Casey Blake at third more than he'd probably like. There should be no shortage of power, RBI, and runs. I think the team will be light on average and walks. They should be competitive (middle of pack) in SB.

Pitching Outlook: Middle of the Road

I like Berg's starting pitchers because they are all durable and productive, but none of them are really go-to fantasy pitchers. He should be fairly competitive in ERA and Wins with this group, but might struggle some in the WHIP and K categories since none of these guys are really dominant. The bullpen is what will drag him down some. He will probably be very competitive in Holds, but his pen might drag down ERA and WHIP some. He will struggle in saves.

Depth Outlook: Questionable

There are a lot of question marks on the offensive bench. Will Chris Davis play? What can you expect from Espinosa? Has Alex Gordon fallen out of favor and when will Moustakas get called up? Only Cust and Blake figure to get regular playing time. I like him carrying Harang and Minor on the bench, and Coke could be a nice little sleeper, too.

9. Oviedo Knights

Offensive Outlook: Average

There is a decent balance of youth and veterans here. You figure guys like Lee, Ortiz, Hart, and Bautista will provide solid production; even if Hart and Bautista seem likely to regress this season. I really like Neil Walker at second base (could be good for 15 HR and 15 SB), and there is a great deal of promise in Pedro Alvarez. This team will struggle to compete in walks this season and will probably have a below average batting average, but should be more than competitive in HR, RBI, SB and R.

Pitching Outlook: Average

I'm not in love with the starting pitching here. Obviously, Oswalt is very good; but I wonder if his struggles late in the post season are an indication of some regression. After that there are some questions - Cueto, Morrow and McDonald could torpedo WHIP and ERA any given week. The bullpen looks very good on paper. Perez is a closer on the rise, Adams is nasty, and Motte is working his way into a closer role. Dotel is a gas can. I'd be concerned about Broxton I think this team is likely to struggle to compete in WHIP, K's, and saves could be a problem depending on what happens with Broxton. They will be pretty competitive in W and H.\

Depth Outlook: Thin

I think the depth is questionable. There is no telling what to expect from Sizemore, Blanks won't play much before July (if at all), Fukudome sucks. I like Kendrick and Arencibia. No telling what to expect from Kila. The pitching depth is very thin. Chris Young's right shoulder is mush, Luebke is not a lock for a rotation spot. Duensing is OK, but nothing special. He could have the Dodgers' next closer in Jansen.

eMLB Preseason Power Poll: Lottery Bound

I started doing my divisional breakdowns and realized they are very time consuming, so I figured I'd take a different approach this season. I'm going to publish a series of power polls this year, starting from the bottom of the league and working my way to the top. So here is the first installment: Teams 13-16

16. Arizona Desert Swarm

Offensive Outlook: Grim

In my estimation, this team figures to struggle mightily hitting for average, producing power, driving in runs, and drawing walks. Their primary strengths figure to be speed and scoring runs, but that's really just a relative comparison to where I expect them to struggle. This team figures to be at or near the bottom of virtually every offensive measurable all season. What happens if Ackley fails to break camp with the big club?

Pitching Outlook: Solid

The real strength of this team is its starting pitching. Few teams have five starters as good as the unit Josh has assembled. They should be extremely competitive in W, ERA, WHIP, and K. It's my believe that having only one closer is akin to slapping a band-aid on a slit wrist - it only prolongs the agony. There is really no telling what to expect from any of his relievers outside of Nunez based on either inexperience or spotty track records. There will be a ton of turnover in his pen in my opinion.

Depth Outlook: Non-existant

He has three OFers on his bench who will either start the year in AAA, ride the pine, or split time at best. There is no telling where Doumit will wind up or where he'll play (less value in the OF). How much will Izturiz play? Only Derek Holland to fill in if Carpenter's elbow explodes again.

15. Atlantic Surge

Offensive Outlook: Average

There isn't what I'd call an explosive offensive core here, but there are some decent players. Napoli, LaRoche, Weeks, Hunter, and Kubel provide the power. Pagan provides the speed. This team will be roughly middle of the pack in terms of AVG, but will really struggle with SB and BB. He needs a big rebound season from Sandoval and continued growth from Colvin.

Pitching Outlook: Average

Not crazy about the pitching here. He reached for Hudson who seems unlikely to maintain a WHIP of 1.00 in a full season. Lackey and Pelfrey struggle to miss bats and work with lots of men on base - I wouldn't expect Pelfrey to have an ERA under 4 this season. Nolasco is pretty solid, and he needs some growth out of Scherzer. He'll be competitive in saves, particularly when Aardsma returns. Lindstrom and Walden figure to hurt the WHIP. I'd expect

Depth Outlook: Minimal

There is no telling what to expect from Moustakas, Wallace, Young or Moreland this season. I'd expect considerable regression from Buck. Callaspo is solid. I would expect Edwin Jackson and Jair Jurrjens to make major contributions, eventually replacing Pelfrey and Lackey before the All-Star break.

14. San Antonio Fire Ants

Offensive Outlook: Grim

This is an offense that figures to most closely resemble a pop gun. Sure, there are a couple stars (A-Rod, Tulo), but after that it's pretty much league average players - at best. Ultimately, Sankey will not get enough power/run production out of his C, 1B, OF, or DH to hang with most clubs week to week. He figures to be competitive in AVG, BB and R most weeks, but will struggle with HR, RBI and SB. He's going to struggle to find a solution at C and UTIL all season.

Pitching Outlook: Average

On paper his starters look pretty solid. You have to like Halladay, Lilly and Johnson. Arroyo will soak up innings and keep him in games. I'm not a believer in Dickey over a full season. What will he get out of Santana? He's going to post good ERA, WHIP and W totals. Arroyo and Dickey will drag down his K totals. Bell and Papelbon anchor the pen. I think he will have turnover among his set-up men.

Depth Outlook: Thin

His offensive depth is nothing to speak of. No depth in the middle infield, only Helton to back up Butler, and a league average catcher to start when he realizes Martin won't play enough. He does have some pitching depth with Wolf and Braden on the bench and Santana on the DL.

13. Olivet Killer Eagles

Offensive Outlook: Average

There is a ton of power here in VMart, Dunn, Morales, Swisher, Stubbs and Vlad, which means plenty of RBI, too. That said, I think there are two guys currently starting who could mitigate the impact of the afore-mentioned guys but offering below average production for their positions (Cuddyer and Cabrera). There is also some question as to Scott's role and playing time. This team will probably not be much better than league average in AVG and BB, and will struggle to compete in SB week-to-week.

Pitching Outlook: Below Average

Ricky Romero is a stud in the making, but there are four other guys who are hard to gage. Piniero is durable but inconsistent and doesn't miss bats. Happ is also inconsistent. Carrasco is inexperienced. Shields seems like a candidate for a bounce back, but has a ton of innings in that right shoulder. There is a similar collection of question marks in the 'pen. This team will probably struggle with nearly all pitching categories all year.

Depth Outlook:

The offensive depth is solid if unspectacular. Rodriguez, Nady, Hawpe, Encarnacion and Hardy could all prove valuable in spot duty. The pitching depth is a different story - Harden and Capuano are made of glass and Bailey is something of an enigma.

Preseason Predictions

I will also be writing preseason predictions for each division and team. Not sure when I will get to them, but I will try to write at least one review per month between now and the end of Spring Training.

Javelina Working Hard on Contract Negotiations

With the eMLB draft having been completed late last week, the Julian Javelina worked feverishly through the weekend in an effort to lay the ground work for new contracts for four of their recent draftees. The team is expected to offer contracts to Ryan Dempster, Kelly Johnson, Gio Gonzalez and Ike Davis prior to the start of the 2011 season. For his part, GM Jamie Hoyle played host to all four players on an individual basis over the weekend, inviting each to join him at his green-side corporate box at TPC Scottsdale's famous 16th hole. The general consensus is all four players enjoyed themselves and are open to signing with the team.

"I wouldn't say we had any formal discussions at the tournament," opined Hoyle. "Having said that, I enjoyed getting to know our new players and feel confident something will get done with each of them."

Though it hasn't been confirmed, there have been rumors that one of the players - most probably Ike Davis - was arrested during Tuesday's practice round after jumping out of the corporate box and streaking the 16th green in an effort to mock a player who had missed what he considered 'a freakin' gimmie' of a birdie putt.

"I'm not going to comment on rumors," said Hoyle with a wry smile and a wink. "But if that were true - and I'm not saying it is - one could say such an incident might give us a little leverage in negotiations."

It's believed all four players will be offered 2-year contracts to sign with the team.