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Two-Platoon’s 2037 Preseason Predictions

Ye Zhuo: Welcome along, Rip and Carl, to our Opening Day special. And a very special welcome to our guest analyst, the one-and-only Jarrod Guerin.

Jarrod Guerin: Thanks, Ye. Nice to be here.

Vinnie Egan: Don’t worry, we don’t haze the rookie around here.

Carl Spruijt: Though we will try to mention home run records as often as possible.

JG: Hey, at least I hit some.

CS: *laughs* Touché.

YZ: Okay, lads, let’s get into it. Jarrod, seeing as you’re our very special guest -

VE: Emphasis on ‘special’...

YZ: Aim higher, Rip. I’m sure you can do it. Anyway, Jarrod, who are you picking to win the Southwest this year?

JG: Um, okay, right. You told me pre-show you’d come to me last.

YZ: I say a lot of things pre-show.

CS: He really does.

JG: *shuffles through notes* Okay. Southwest, I reckon Canberra. Adding Hutchinson to their lineup has really made them a scary prospect for pitchers. They’ve got Ashley Snijders, who’s only going to get better, Pi-ao Ming, who I think is going to have a .320/.400/.500 season, Alistair Mildren, and we know how good he is. Then add Hutchinson to that list and they’re going to hit a lot of dingers, and get on-base a bit too.

VE: Even Hagerty, if he plays every day, is probably good for 20+ homers.

CS: Low average and OBP, though.

YZ: Thanks, Jarrod. Rip?

VE: While I like the Cavalry too, and reckon they’ll be the most fun hitting team to watch, I don’t know if their pitching will be good enough to take them the distance. For me, it’ll be the Venom in a tight one. I still think Adelaide are in decline, and I can’t see them winning the Championship this year, but I think they’ll win the division and scrape into the playoffs.

YZ: Carl?

CS: While Jarrod makes some really good points about Canberra, I think I’ll have to go Venom as well. I can’t see anybody else in the division challenging, though Perth might surprise, particularly if the young guys at the top of their lineup step up. But I don’t think they have the depth to cover injuries. For that matter, I’m not sure Adelaide does, either, but the core of that team doesn’t ever seem to get hurt.

YZ: Cool. Right, Carl, Northeast?

CS: This will be the liveliest of the divisions, in my opinion. If the Roos stay healthy they’ll take the flag. I think Leo Jiang will finally break out this year, and if Bransington doesn’t get hurt, watch out!

YZ: Jarrod?

JG: I think the Thunder. I don’t know what it is about them, but they’re tenacious. They should change their name to Honey Badgers. It doesn’t matter the size of the opponent, they just rip in. I mean, Limeburner won 20 games last season - off the back of great defense, granted - and he’s named as 3rd in their rotation. And they’ve got this kid who made a handful of starts last year, Luigi Kinnear, who I think will be one to watch. They won't hit that well, but they don't need to. That’s how good their pitching and defense is.

VE: You’re both way off. Brisbane went and bought 3 good starting pitchers in the offseason: Juarez, DeJong, who managed 2 16-win seasons playing in Hobart, and Carlo Schwer. Their rotation is great and their bullpen is stacked with guys who’d probably be starting on any other team. Like the Thunder, their hitting is weak, but I don’t think they’ll need to score lots of runs to win games.

YZ: Jarrod, out of interest, how long until Wilkins hits homerun number 409?

JG: No later than mid-October.

VE: Clock’s ticking, Jay-Gee. You’ll have to stop wearing your necklace with the big gold 408 on it.

JG: But it’s all I have!

*laughter*

YZ: Okay, the NZ. Rip?

VE: Cowboys all the way. They’ve got Beau Riseley hitting cleanup to start the season, which I know has raised a few eyebrows around here, I mean who is this guy, but I think he’ll do a cleanup job.

CS: *groans*

VE: Quiet on the bench. The Cowboys don’t have any pure power guys, but everybody in their lineup can contribute, and their pitching is always dependable. So yep, Christchurch to win the NZ by 10 games.

CS: Not a chance. The Fury are playing Drew Geoghegan, who hit .300 last year, in the 9-hole, which gives an indication of their hitting, and while their pitching isn’t super-strong, it’s good enough to work with their offense.

YZ: Jarrod?

JG: Yeah, I’m going Wellington, too, though I think the Metros will surprise after the last couple poor seasons. I reckon Jerry Meehan will strike out 250 this year.

YZ: Righto. Who’ll win the Championship, then? Start with you, Carl.

CS: Roos, Fury in the Championship, with the Roos to make it number 5.

VE: Cowboys, to finally get that monkey off their back.

JG: Canberra. Just too many hitters in that lineup for even the best staff.

YZ: Thanks, guys. Now, onto the individual stuff. First, Slugger of the Year. Rip?

VE: Bit leftfield, perhaps, but I think Rex Rees will bounce back after his difficult year last year and be hands down the best hitter in the game. Whangarei have put some power below him in the lineup so pitchers won’t be able to throw it outside the zone as much, hoping he gets impatient. Bradley Hibbert should be good for 30 homers again, and I’m interested to see how this guy from Old Canada, or New Quebec, or whatever they’re calling it at the moment, with the name I can’t pronounce so well, will go.

JG: Olivier Despres?

VE: Yeah, that guy. Maybe it’s a lack of depth seeing as the Sluggers are so new, but reportedly they paid good money for him and he’s going straight into top flight, so let’s hope he sets the league on fire.

YZ: Jarrod?

JG: Bill Bransington. I think he can be the 1st guy to break 50 homeruns if he stays fit all season. 50 homers plus 100 walks and 100 runs would be quite something, wouldn’t it?

CS: Richard Lewis again. He was beyond phenomenal last season and he’s only 25.

YZ: So who’s up for Hurler of the Year? Jarrod?

JG: Edward Delaney. He’s so good every year, but because he plays for the perennially underachieving Blue Sox he barely gets a look in. This year, though, I think he’ll get it done.

CS: Brendon Vernon. He’ll finally break 20 wins and be one of the central cogs in Newcastle’s Championship run.

VE: I want to say Dylan Cully, but he’s overdue for another big injury, so I’ll go Jorge Juarez. Don’t know if he’ll win 18 again, but I think he’ll lose less than 5.

YE: Excellent chat, guys. Now let's move onto other things. Like this new All Star format...

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And that’s where we’ll leave it. The official OotPB TV Preseason Predictions are below.