OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

Ruwisc · 01-06-2020, 05:05 PM

LAS VEGAS SCORPIONS
Projected: 99-61
Last Season: 108-52, 1st (#1 seed in AL)
Lost to Solons 3-2
Payroll: $160MM (11th)
Major Additions: none
Major Losses: C Ryan Jeffers
Top Players: RF Bryce Harper, CF Nick Schnell, 3B Bryson Stott

Las Vegas is the cream of the crop at this point - I think the best team in this 60-team league, and would be by far if not for the Yankees. The Scorpions have won 104 or more games in three straight years, been to the playoffs 4 straight years, and blitzed through the 2020 playoffs with a record of 15-4. They've lost no one of significance (Jeffers is a good player, but he was the backup on this team), have an above-average player at all nine spots in the lineup including 5 that I would call elite, and although the pitching staff isn't elite, it is definitely good. 99 wins as a projection might even be a little pessimistic.

OKLAHOMA OILERS
Projected: 84-76
Last Season: 80-80, 3rd, 28 GB
Payroll: $88MM (48th)
Major Additions: none
Major Losses: none
Top Players: SP/RF Shohei Ohtani, 3B Alex Bregman, C Nick Dalesandro

No major additions or major losses, but the Oilers will benefit just from health. Ohtani and Bregman each missed about half of last season due to injury, and more time from those two will give Oklahoma a shot at the playoffs. Bregman is not quite as big a star in this game as in IRL, but he still is considered an elite 3B. Ohtani, on the other hand, can do no wrong. He's a two-time MVP thanks to his contributions as a two-way player, and although he's really important to the Oilers as a hitter, he's maybe the best pitcher in the game when healthy and that's where he provides most of his utility for Oklahoma. The whole infield and rotation are strengths for this team (2B Ketel Marte, especially, is another quality player here). If the Oilers are in contention come July, I'd expect them to try to upgrade their patchwork bullpen.

TUCSON SAGUAROS
Projected: 80-80
Last Season: 69-91, 4th, 39 GB
Payroll: $99MM (43rd)
Major Additions: SP Jacob deGrom, CL Dellin Betances, 2B Vinny Garcia
Major Losses: RP Matt Barnes, RF Jimmy Herron
Top Players: LF Henry Gargus, SP Dallas Keuchel, C Steven Williams

Tucson is another team expected to take a leap forward in 2023. 80-80 would be the best record the team has ever recorded - they've never finished at or above .500. deGrom and Betances are really good additions to what was already a decent pitching staff - Tucson's struggles are all going to be in the batter's box. Gargus is a star in the making, already the team's best hitter at age 22 and the reigning Rookie of the Year, but unfortunately he will miss the first three months of this season after suffering a broken ankle in a spring game. It'll be up to Williams and RF Lewis Brinson to carry the offensive load until Gargus returns, because the rest of the lineup doesn't really look up to the task.

AUSTIN VIOLETS
Projected: 79-81
Last Season: 68-92, 5th, 40 GB
Payroll: $142MM (21st)
Major Additions: 1B Eric Hosmer, CF Lorenzo Cain, SP Carlos Carrasco
Major Losses: SS Brandon Crawford, 3B Taylor Hawthorne
Top Players: SP Luis Severino, 3B Chris Antrim, SS Travis Odom

Antrim isn't a real player, but he's one of the best players in the world by now - the 3rd overall pick by Austin back in 2020, he only played 11 minor league games before being rushed straight to the majors. He's coming off his first 20-homer season, but before that he had a 20-triple season in 2021! A really weird player with speed and gap power off the charts, he'll be the star of the first good Austin team, whenever it comes. The Violets haven't even won 70 games since the inaugural 2018 season, and just last year stopped their streak of finishing in last place, so they'd welcome a .500 season here in 2023. This team will miss Raisel Iglesias, possibly for the entire season, after elbow surgery, and C Alex Avila will miss at least the first month.

TEXAS RANGERS
Projected: 74-86
Last Season: 83-77, 2nd, 25 GB
Payroll: $202MM (8th)
Major Additions: SP Keylan Killgore, RPs Edwin Diaz and Keone Kela, 2B Whit Merrifield
Major Losses: LF Griffin Rivers, RPs Jose Alvarado, Luis Avilan, and Yusmeiro Petit
Top Players: C Raymond Torres, RF Aaron Judge, LF Tommy Pham

When healthy, this is the team whose bullpen comes the closest to rivalling Ottawa's, but they will really miss AJ Minter, who's out for almost the entire 2023 season with a shoulder injury and will be a free agent at season's end. Still, they've added Diaz and Kela to a staff that includes Jeurys Familia and a lot of other quality relievers. They'll need those guys to back up a rotation that will be without ace Johnny Cueto for the first month. Looks like the Opening Day starter will be Odrisamer Despaigne, which is not really what you want. The offense should be average or above, with Torres, Judge and Pham being backed by a diminished pair in Kyle Seager and Brandon Belt, as well as young CF Kristian Robinson.

COLORADO ROCKIES
Projected: 65-95
Last Season: 61-99, 6th, 47 GB
Payroll: $112MM (39th)
Major Additions: none
Major Losses: RP Sam Freeman
Top Players: SP Freddy Peralta, SP Mitchell Kilkenny, CF Kyle Jacobsen

This team is not too far removed from a playoff berth (2020), but a lot has gone wrong since then. 61-99 was actually enough to earn the Rockies the #1 draft pick for the upcoming season, so that's the thing they have to look forward to the most. Peralta and Kilkenny are more like #3 starters than aces, and they're considered Colorado's two best players by the game, so that tells you what kind of season they're in for. There are some recognizable names on this team - C Jorge Alfaro, SS Marcus Semien, 2B Robinson Cano - but none of them are really any good.

01-06-2020, 05:05 PM	#7
Ruwisc All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: southwestern Illinois Posts: 808	2023 AL Central Preview LAS VEGAS SCORPIONS Projected: 99-61 Last Season: 108-52, 1st (#1 seed in AL) Lost to Solons 3-2 Payroll: $160MM (11th) Major Additions: none Major Losses: C Ryan Jeffers Top Players: RF Bryce Harper, CF Nick Schnell, 3B Bryson Stott Las Vegas is the cream of the crop at this point - I think the best team in this 60-team league, and would be by far if not for the Yankees. The Scorpions have won 104 or more games in three straight years, been to the playoffs 4 straight years, and blitzed through the 2020 playoffs with a record of 15-4. They've lost no one of significance (Jeffers is a good player, but he was the backup on this team), have an above-average player at all nine spots in the lineup including 5 that I would call elite, and although the pitching staff isn't elite, it is definitely good. 99 wins as a projection might even be a little pessimistic. OKLAHOMA OILERS Projected: 84-76 Last Season: 80-80, 3rd, 28 GB Payroll: $88MM (48th) Major Additions: none Major Losses: none Top Players: SP/RF Shohei Ohtani, 3B Alex Bregman, C Nick Dalesandro No major additions or major losses, but the Oilers will benefit just from health. Ohtani and Bregman each missed about half of last season due to injury, and more time from those two will give Oklahoma a shot at the playoffs. Bregman is not quite as big a star in this game as in IRL, but he still is considered an elite 3B. Ohtani, on the other hand, can do no wrong. He's a two-time MVP thanks to his contributions as a two-way player, and although he's really important to the Oilers as a hitter, he's maybe the best pitcher in the game when healthy and that's where he provides most of his utility for Oklahoma. The whole infield and rotation are strengths for this team (2B Ketel Marte, especially, is another quality player here). If the Oilers are in contention come July, I'd expect them to try to upgrade their patchwork bullpen. TUCSON SAGUAROS Projected: 80-80 Last Season: 69-91, 4th, 39 GB Payroll: $99MM (43rd) Major Additions: SP Jacob deGrom, CL Dellin Betances, 2B Vinny Garcia Major Losses: RP Matt Barnes, RF Jimmy Herron Top Players: LF Henry Gargus, SP Dallas Keuchel, C Steven Williams Tucson is another team expected to take a leap forward in 2023. 80-80 would be the best record the team has ever recorded - they've never finished at or above .500. deGrom and Betances are really good additions to what was already a decent pitching staff - Tucson's struggles are all going to be in the batter's box. Gargus is a star in the making, already the team's best hitter at age 22 and the reigning Rookie of the Year, but unfortunately he will miss the first three months of this season after suffering a broken ankle in a spring game. It'll be up to Williams and RF Lewis Brinson to carry the offensive load until Gargus returns, because the rest of the lineup doesn't really look up to the task. AUSTIN VIOLETS Projected: 79-81 Last Season: 68-92, 5th, 40 GB Payroll: $142MM (21st) Major Additions: 1B Eric Hosmer, CF Lorenzo Cain, SP Carlos Carrasco Major Losses: SS Brandon Crawford, 3B Taylor Hawthorne Top Players: SP Luis Severino, 3B Chris Antrim, SS Travis Odom Antrim isn't a real player, but he's one of the best players in the world by now - the 3rd overall pick by Austin back in 2020, he only played 11 minor league games before being rushed straight to the majors. He's coming off his first 20-homer season, but before that he had a 20-triple season in 2021! A really weird player with speed and gap power off the charts, he'll be the star of the first good Austin team, whenever it comes. The Violets haven't even won 70 games since the inaugural 2018 season, and just last year stopped their streak of finishing in last place, so they'd welcome a .500 season here in 2023. This team will miss Raisel Iglesias, possibly for the entire season, after elbow surgery, and C Alex Avila will miss at least the first month. TEXAS RANGERS Projected: 74-86 Last Season: 83-77, 2nd, 25 GB Payroll: $202MM (8th) Major Additions: SP Keylan Killgore, RPs Edwin Diaz and Keone Kela, 2B Whit Merrifield Major Losses: LF Griffin Rivers, RPs Jose Alvarado, Luis Avilan, and Yusmeiro Petit Top Players: C Raymond Torres, RF Aaron Judge, LF Tommy Pham When healthy, this is the team whose bullpen comes the closest to rivalling Ottawa's, but they will really miss AJ Minter, who's out for almost the entire 2023 season with a shoulder injury and will be a free agent at season's end. Still, they've added Diaz and Kela to a staff that includes Jeurys Familia and a lot of other quality relievers. They'll need those guys to back up a rotation that will be without ace Johnny Cueto for the first month. Looks like the Opening Day starter will be Odrisamer Despaigne, which is not really what you want. The offense should be average or above, with Torres, Judge and Pham being backed by a diminished pair in Kyle Seager and Brandon Belt, as well as young CF Kristian Robinson. COLORADO ROCKIES Projected: 65-95 Last Season: 61-99, 6th, 47 GB Payroll: $112MM (39th) Major Additions: none Major Losses: RP Sam Freeman Top Players: SP Freddy Peralta, SP Mitchell Kilkenny, CF Kyle Jacobsen This team is not too far removed from a playoff berth (2020), but a lot has gone wrong since then. 61-99 was actually enough to earn the Rockies the #1 draft pick for the upcoming season, so that's the thing they have to look forward to the most. Peralta and Kilkenny are more like #3 starters than aces, and they're considered Colorado's two best players by the game, so that tells you what kind of season they're in for. There are some recognizable names on this team - C Jorge Alfaro, SS Marcus Semien, 2B Robinson Cano - but none of them are really any good.