- MANAGER: Tony LaRussa
- HOME PARK: Sony Field
- TOP POSITION PLAYER: 1B Albert Pujols (5)
- TOP PITCHER: Tom Seaver (3)
- TOP PROSPECT: CF Stan Musial (25)
- 26TH MAN: Trevor Story
One of the more evenly-balanced squads in the league, and I expect them to be pretty consistent and competitive throughout. Pujols leads the offence, and with Kent and Longoria also peaking early this should be an exciting team to watch. (Not sure how the experts have come to predict them to score the least runs in the SE.) Their pitching, anchored by Tom Terrific and the mighty Chief Bender, will eventually be similarly equal-weighted. But in these early years it is this facet of their game that will hinder the Panthers’ performance, with a lot of late-bloomers among them. Defensively, they are one of the better units, with only catcher and 2B looking thin. What Aparicio will lack with bat in hand he’ll make up for with the glove, same goes for Willie Davis in CF. I’m not sure they’ll ever win a Championship in this league, but nor do I think they’ll finish out of the running too many times.
1961 PREDICTIONS
RECORD: 83-85, 3rd in South, 10 GB
HITTING: .245 / 125 HR / 686 R / 123 SB
PITCHING: 3.75 ERA / 801 K / 707 R / 526 BB