Final Division Standings:
1. Gaylord
2. Mid Michigan
3. Olivet
4. Charlotte
Team Observations:
Gaylord:
There is a lot of power here which should help them compete in home runs, runs and runs batted in all year. A general lack of speed will need to be addressed, as will what I expect to be a lack of overall production at third base. I'm not sure there is enough quality depth to overcome an injury or two, particularly at third or in the outfield.
I like Samardzija/Shields/Kennedy atop the rotation. There is a lack of depth in the starting pitching that will be a problem if Garza doesn't get healthy. I don't trust the bullpen, which is especially true of the closers. There is no telling how long Axford keeps his job and Rodney is a lock to regress.
Mid Michigan:
Again, a lot of power and run production here. This team should hit for a solid average from week to week. Not much speed here, which should be a point of focus later in the season. Not a lot of depth in the outfield, but otherwise a decent bench. I would expect Murphy to claim the UTL job sooner rather than later; I don't think Plouffe will come close to matching his power totals from 2012.
I'm not crazy about the starting pitching, mainly because I don't think you can trust Sanchez and Scherzer, who are the sole source of strike outs. Moving Champman to the rotation hurts more than it helps, assuming he makes the transition, because it eliminates a dominant closer and replaces him with a SP who is likely to be limited in terms of innings this year. A lack of starting pitching depth will need to be addressed.
Olivet:
I had a hard time picking a third place team in this division, but I went with Olivet because I think their offense will have better balance. There is promise (Craig, Lawrie, Cozart, Reddick), and a solid veteran presence (Doumit, LaRoche, Hart) on offense. Growth from Cain and a bounce back from Young improves the speed. There is just enough depth to weather a few injuries, so long as they aren't long term.
The rotation doesn't look great on paper, but I think it will outperform projections. I think Santana will rebound, he's too talented to continue pitching at that level. Friers seems likely to continue his growth and be a solid source of strikeouts. Cap is steady - keep an eye on Phelps as a breakout candidate. The 'pen should provide strike outs, holds and solid ERA/WHIP figures. He's light on saves, but that isn't an issue unless he contends late into the season. I like the SP depth.
Charlotte:
I'm not sure there is much to be excited about outside of Miggy, Harper, Mauer and Cespedes. There isn't much power outside of those four and there are a number of serious question marks. There isn't much speed, and many of these guys don't take many walks. There are a ton of major injury risks to worry about. The depth is OK, as long as he doesn't have to rely on any of them for an extended period.
The pitching is tough to trust from top to bottom. Dempster is going to struggle in the AL East and Johnson seems likely to be hurt at some point. Lester, while a head case, remains talented and could rebound unless he decides he doesn't like his new manager. Richard is steady, but doesn't miss many bats. Kuroda should be a steadying influence. The bullpen is atrocious. Outside of Hanrahan, everyone of them is a virtual gas can and major drain on ERA and WHIP.
Overall:
Wagner and Keith are the cream of the crop in this division, so activity will ultimately decide who wins the division. Wagner is always active in-season, hopefully Keith is ready to take that next step. Larry was able to lay the foundation of his team, but will need to make some trades and have a good draft next year to complete the rebuild. I never know what to make of Broskey's teams, mainly because they seem to change on a weekly basis. I think Broskey may be faced with trading what he considers core players during the season in order to turn over his contracts and prepare for next season.
1. Gaylord
2. Mid Michigan
3. Olivet
4. Charlotte
Team Observations:
Gaylord:
There is a lot of power here which should help them compete in home runs, runs and runs batted in all year. A general lack of speed will need to be addressed, as will what I expect to be a lack of overall production at third base. I'm not sure there is enough quality depth to overcome an injury or two, particularly at third or in the outfield.
I like Samardzija/Shields/Kennedy atop the rotation. There is a lack of depth in the starting pitching that will be a problem if Garza doesn't get healthy. I don't trust the bullpen, which is especially true of the closers. There is no telling how long Axford keeps his job and Rodney is a lock to regress.
Mid Michigan:
Again, a lot of power and run production here. This team should hit for a solid average from week to week. Not much speed here, which should be a point of focus later in the season. Not a lot of depth in the outfield, but otherwise a decent bench. I would expect Murphy to claim the UTL job sooner rather than later; I don't think Plouffe will come close to matching his power totals from 2012.
I'm not crazy about the starting pitching, mainly because I don't think you can trust Sanchez and Scherzer, who are the sole source of strike outs. Moving Champman to the rotation hurts more than it helps, assuming he makes the transition, because it eliminates a dominant closer and replaces him with a SP who is likely to be limited in terms of innings this year. A lack of starting pitching depth will need to be addressed.
Olivet:
I had a hard time picking a third place team in this division, but I went with Olivet because I think their offense will have better balance. There is promise (Craig, Lawrie, Cozart, Reddick), and a solid veteran presence (Doumit, LaRoche, Hart) on offense. Growth from Cain and a bounce back from Young improves the speed. There is just enough depth to weather a few injuries, so long as they aren't long term.
The rotation doesn't look great on paper, but I think it will outperform projections. I think Santana will rebound, he's too talented to continue pitching at that level. Friers seems likely to continue his growth and be a solid source of strikeouts. Cap is steady - keep an eye on Phelps as a breakout candidate. The 'pen should provide strike outs, holds and solid ERA/WHIP figures. He's light on saves, but that isn't an issue unless he contends late into the season. I like the SP depth.
Charlotte:
I'm not sure there is much to be excited about outside of Miggy, Harper, Mauer and Cespedes. There isn't much power outside of those four and there are a number of serious question marks. There isn't much speed, and many of these guys don't take many walks. There are a ton of major injury risks to worry about. The depth is OK, as long as he doesn't have to rely on any of them for an extended period.
The pitching is tough to trust from top to bottom. Dempster is going to struggle in the AL East and Johnson seems likely to be hurt at some point. Lester, while a head case, remains talented and could rebound unless he decides he doesn't like his new manager. Richard is steady, but doesn't miss many bats. Kuroda should be a steadying influence. The bullpen is atrocious. Outside of Hanrahan, everyone of them is a virtual gas can and major drain on ERA and WHIP.
Overall:
Wagner and Keith are the cream of the crop in this division, so activity will ultimately decide who wins the division. Wagner is always active in-season, hopefully Keith is ready to take that next step. Larry was able to lay the foundation of his team, but will need to make some trades and have a good draft next year to complete the rebuild. I never know what to make of Broskey's teams, mainly because they seem to change on a weekly basis. I think Broskey may be faced with trading what he considers core players during the season in order to turn over his contracts and prepare for next season.
