OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - The North American Baseball Federation, Reborn

ArquimedezPozo · 10-06-2023, 06:06 PM

The Eastern Conference
Coming into the All-Star break, the D1 East is up for grabs. And while the New York Giants still seem like the team to beat, they’re not in first: that position belongs to the season’s biggest surprise, the Boston Bees. The Bees, back in D1 for the first time since Cycle 9, have a two game lead on New York after spending the season’s first month in the cellar. The club ripped off eight straight wins between May 5 and May 12 before treading water the rest of the month, but it was in June that they really took off: 18-10 with another 8 game win streak. They’re 9-4 in July, seemingly only improving. The Whales, in fifth place looking up, may be regretting their decision to cut ties with Armando Orozco now, as he is a Pitcher of the Year contender for Boston - the 26 year old is 13-3 with a 2.56 ERA and 164 K in just over 137 innings. Young OF team Aaron Kelly (.306/.353/.567) and Adam Andersen (.284/.318/.499) each have 16 homers. This is a team that is suddenly turning heads.

The best run differential in D1, though, belongs to the Giants, to no one’s surprise. The Giants have had the game’s best offense for several years running, and with some luck could challenge the all-time single season team runs record of 895, set by… the 2026 New York Giants. 25 year old Luis Nazario is turning into a star before our eyes this year, with a .314/./.369/.632 line, 31 homers, and 85 RBI. He leads D1 in an array of categories, including SLG, OPS, hits, runs, Total Bases, and wOBA, in addition to RBI and home runs. That HR number, by the way, puts him right on pace to tie the D1 single season mark of 54, set by Francisco Carreno in 2011 and tied by Carson Prince last season. 2B Andrew Fitts has returned from a strained groin that put him on the shelf for six weeks, and hasn’t missed a beat, demolishing D1 pitchers to the tune of .347/.454/.785, a 1.289 OPS, in 39 games since his return. Alex Parga, Matt Wood, Jose Cruz, and Danny Loaiza all have OPS+ over 120. This team can flat out rake. Their problem, maybe surprisingly, lies in their pitching. Willie Rodriguez has solid underlying stats, but the on the field results haven’t followed due in part to a .304 BABIP. Jon Sayre, similarly, has been good but not great after a strong start. The rotation as a whole has given up runs at a rate higher than seven other D1 clubs, and the bullpen has been something of a mess below ace closer Ryan Ratliff. This will be an area Steve Vance will be taking a long look at as the trade deadline approaches.

The Tampa Tarpons spent some time in first during May and June, and still hover only a game and a half back of New York. The biggest reason for their success is Bill Vernon, who would probably be the Division MVP if the season ended today: Vernon has been electric out of the two hole, batting .340 with a .412 OBP while slugging .546 - nine homers, six triples, and 28 doubles, tied with teammate Willie Soto and behind only El Paso’s Joe Rison, who has 29. Coupled with his excellent defense, that hitting has earned him 4.9 WAR at the All-Star break, a pace of 8.4 - that would put him in the top 20 all-time in D1. While others in the Tampa lineup have hit fairly well, there’s no question that this team will go as Vernon goes this year - if he fades, they won’t get any higher than they are now. In large part that’s because their pitching has been subpar, with Drew Robinson (8-4, 3.31 ERA) their only reliable starter, and a bullpen that has struggled to close things out.

The Dodgers are still alive, but at 45-45 they need a big second half from a surprisingly quiet offense. Carson Prince’s season so far (.311/.372/.563) would be outstanding for anyone else, but for Brooklyn’s three-time D1 MVP it’s a down year. CF Adam Slagle has mountains of promise, but so far he’s been a foothill, while Dane Best is having his second straight pedestrian year two years after his breakout 2038. Getting RF John Brucia off the IL would improve things a great deal, but they’ll need more than that to catch the Bees and Giants.

Chicago (41-48) and Philadelphia (35-55) round out the East. Nothing has worked in Chicago, and it’s hard to pinpoint a reason. Both Corey Spry and Jason Hummell are on the IL until at least September, so the pitching has taken a hit, even with Eduardo Fernandez performing at ace-level and in the early Pitcher of the Year conversation. But even if the two injured aces suddenly returned, this is an offense that can’t stop being mediocre, and that’s not going to get it done. Philadelphia, too, has lost an ace, as Josh Argo is likely done for the season after surgery to relieve nerve compression in his elbow. After a great start, Pedro Luna has returned to earth as well, 5-9 with a 3.44 ERA. But Philly's offense is even worse than Chicago's, without any hope of improvement. They seem destined for a last place finish, and are a real threat for relegation for the first time in franchise history.

The Western Conference

This is Seattle’s conference to lose right now, as the Steelheads have rebounded from a disappointing 2039 to become the class of Division 1. They’re 57-33, a full ten games up on the Los Angeles Angels, and as good an all-around team as you’ll find. There are no real easy outs in this lineup, though Marcos Diaz has scuffled; still, star catcher Roger Alvarado has been outstanding and until a recent cold snap was a possible MVP candidate. The recent drop in his production has been replaced by that of Mike Hood, who has come alive after a slow start - he’s hit .333/.404/.595 in July. Greg Allen, who the club signed as a free agent before 2039 and who looked something like a bust in his first full season in the PNW, has been flat-out raking: he’s hitting .296/.359/.542 with 14 homers on the year, and has been the club’s best hitter for the last two months. The pitching has been just as good, with as good a 1-2-3 as you’ll find in Jeff Baltimore (9-1, 2.40), Travis Stewart (12-2, 2.44) and Toshio Nimiya (12-2, 3.20) leading the division’s best rotation. Look for the Steelheads to try to improve in the pen over the next couple of weeks - it’s their only real weakness.

The Angels have been solid, but haven’t mounted much of a challenge to Seattle yet. It’s been an odd year for the Halos, who boast two incredible aces in Paul Herrin and Doug Kluz, but who have an offense full of stars who simply haven’t produced many runs. Jon Segura is the biggest bright spot here: the young slugger is hitting .299/.336/.592 and challenging for the division lead in homers at 28. And Brian Weisman has in some ways been even better this year than in his incredible debut season, though he’s missed time to nagging injury. But beyond them, there’s been very little: Ryan Haymes has cooled off since a quick start and is now threatening to slide below average in terms of offensive production, while promising young 2B Jaheim Johnson has been underwater all season. And while the Angels are very high on young LF Matt McCoy, he has to make adjustments if he’s going to do what they believe he’s capable of.

Beyond Seattle and LA, no team in the West has a winning record. The defending titleholder Industriales haven’t been hitting; while it looked for a while like a uniform change had breathed new life into Benni Phillips, he has been essentially league average since mid-May. 2B David McConnell has been outstanding, making Chase Maze’s renaissance in Sacramento a little more palatable, but the club has lacked offensive consistency all season long, and while the rotation has largely done its job, it hasn;t been enough to get the club anywhere over .500. After briefly flirting with contention, the El Paso Sun Kings have slipped to fourth, and there’s reason for concern given the lack of production from sparkplug Joe Rison and former MVP Brian Castrovinci, neither of whom are living up to the standards they’ve set for themselves. Tijuana is still aiting for that rebuild to take hold, and Vancouver… well, right now, the Mounties are on pace to shatter the D1 record for fewest runs scored, currently held by the Potros, as they’ve scored just a bit more than 3 runs per game, a 477 run pace. Leo Rodriguez is only one man, and without him there’s no telling how bad things would be; as it stands, they’re on pace to lose 100 games.

First half MVP: Bill Vernon, LF, Tampa Tarpons - .340/.412/.546, 9 HR, 28 2B, 51 RBI, 171 wRC+, 4.9 WAR
Runners-up: Luis Nazario, 1B, New York Giants and Leo Rodriguez, 3B, Vancouver Mounties

First half Pitcher of the Year: Eduardo Fernandez, SP, Chicago Whales - 10-3, 1.90 ERA, 125 K in 127 IP, 3. WAR
Runners-up: Paul Herrin, SP, Los Angeles Angels and Jeff Baltimore, SP, Seattle Steelheads

First half Rookie of the Year: Tony Galvez, 1B, Philadelphia Athletics - .278/.323/.419, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 0.8 WAR

Milestones

Matt Wood socked his 300th career homer on July 11, only the second catcher to cross that mark after Hall of Famer Jose Molina. Molina’s all-time mark of 335 seems very much within reach for the Giants’ 34 year old captain.
T.J. Carcone broke the NABF career triples mark last year, and this year has become the only player in the history of the Federation with over 200 three-baggers. He enters the All-Star break with 201 in his career, four of which have come in 2040.
The Vancouver Mounties are on pace to break the Division 1 single season record for fewest runs scored, by a wide margin. The record, set by Tijuana in 2018, is 523; Vancouver is on pace to cross the plate just 477 times this year.

10-06-2023, 06:06 PM	#11
ArquimedezPozo Minors (Triple A) Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 228	First Half Recap - Division 1 The Eastern Conference Coming into the All-Star break, the D1 East is up for grabs. And while the New York Giants still seem like the team to beat, they’re not in first: that position belongs to the season’s biggest surprise, the Boston Bees. The Bees, back in D1 for the first time since Cycle 9, have a two game lead on New York after spending the season’s first month in the cellar. The club ripped off eight straight wins between May 5 and May 12 before treading water the rest of the month, but it was in June that they really took off: 18-10 with another 8 game win streak. They’re 9-4 in July, seemingly only improving. The Whales, in fifth place looking up, may be regretting their decision to cut ties with Armando Orozco now, as he is a Pitcher of the Year contender for Boston - the 26 year old is 13-3 with a 2.56 ERA and 164 K in just over 137 innings. Young OF team Aaron Kelly (.306/.353/.567) and Adam Andersen (.284/.318/.499) each have 16 homers. This is a team that is suddenly turning heads. The best run differential in D1, though, belongs to the Giants, to no one’s surprise. The Giants have had the game’s best offense for several years running, and with some luck could challenge the all-time single season team runs record of 895, set by… the 2026 New York Giants. 25 year old Luis Nazario is turning into a star before our eyes this year, with a .314/./.369/.632 line, 31 homers, and 85 RBI. He leads D1 in an array of categories, including SLG, OPS, hits, runs, Total Bases, and wOBA, in addition to RBI and home runs. That HR number, by the way, puts him right on pace to tie the D1 single season mark of 54, set by Francisco Carreno in 2011 and tied by Carson Prince last season. 2B Andrew Fitts has returned from a strained groin that put him on the shelf for six weeks, and hasn’t missed a beat, demolishing D1 pitchers to the tune of .347/.454/.785, a 1.289 OPS, in 39 games since his return. Alex Parga, Matt Wood, Jose Cruz, and Danny Loaiza all have OPS+ over 120. This team can flat out rake. Their problem, maybe surprisingly, lies in their pitching. Willie Rodriguez has solid underlying stats, but the on the field results haven’t followed due in part to a .304 BABIP. Jon Sayre, similarly, has been good but not great after a strong start. The rotation as a whole has given up runs at a rate higher than seven other D1 clubs, and the bullpen has been something of a mess below ace closer Ryan Ratliff. This will be an area Steve Vance will be taking a long look at as the trade deadline approaches. The Tampa Tarpons spent some time in first during May and June, and still hover only a game and a half back of New York. The biggest reason for their success is Bill Vernon, who would probably be the Division MVP if the season ended today: Vernon has been electric out of the two hole, batting .340 with a .412 OBP while slugging .546 - nine homers, six triples, and 28 doubles, tied with teammate Willie Soto and behind only El Paso’s Joe Rison, who has 29. Coupled with his excellent defense, that hitting has earned him 4.9 WAR at the All-Star break, a pace of 8.4 - that would put him in the top 20 all-time in D1. While others in the Tampa lineup have hit fairly well, there’s no question that this team will go as Vernon goes this year - if he fades, they won’t get any higher than they are now. In large part that’s because their pitching has been subpar, with Drew Robinson (8-4, 3.31 ERA) their only reliable starter, and a bullpen that has struggled to close things out. The Dodgers are still alive, but at 45-45 they need a big second half from a surprisingly quiet offense. Carson Prince’s season so far (.311/.372/.563) would be outstanding for anyone else, but for Brooklyn’s three-time D1 MVP it’s a down year. CF Adam Slagle has mountains of promise, but so far he’s been a foothill, while Dane Best is having his second straight pedestrian year two years after his breakout 2038. Getting RF John Brucia off the IL would improve things a great deal, but they’ll need more than that to catch the Bees and Giants. Chicago (41-48) and Philadelphia (35-55) round out the East. Nothing has worked in Chicago, and it’s hard to pinpoint a reason. Both Corey Spry and Jason Hummell are on the IL until at least September, so the pitching has taken a hit, even with Eduardo Fernandez performing at ace-level and in the early Pitcher of the Year conversation. But even if the two injured aces suddenly returned, this is an offense that can’t stop being mediocre, and that’s not going to get it done. Philadelphia, too, has lost an ace, as Josh Argo is likely done for the season after surgery to relieve nerve compression in his elbow. After a great start, Pedro Luna has returned to earth as well, 5-9 with a 3.44 ERA. But Philly's offense is even worse than Chicago's, without any hope of improvement. They seem destined for a last place finish, and are a real threat for relegation for the first time in franchise history. The Western Conference This is Seattle’s conference to lose right now, as the Steelheads have rebounded from a disappointing 2039 to become the class of Division 1. They’re 57-33, a full ten games up on the Los Angeles Angels, and as good an all-around team as you’ll find. There are no real easy outs in this lineup, though Marcos Diaz has scuffled; still, star catcher Roger Alvarado has been outstanding and until a recent cold snap was a possible MVP candidate. The recent drop in his production has been replaced by that of Mike Hood, who has come alive after a slow start - he’s hit .333/.404/.595 in July. Greg Allen, who the club signed as a free agent before 2039 and who looked something like a bust in his first full season in the PNW, has been flat-out raking: he’s hitting .296/.359/.542 with 14 homers on the year, and has been the club’s best hitter for the last two months. The pitching has been just as good, with as good a 1-2-3 as you’ll find in Jeff Baltimore (9-1, 2.40), Travis Stewart (12-2, 2.44) and Toshio Nimiya (12-2, 3.20) leading the division’s best rotation. Look for the Steelheads to try to improve in the pen over the next couple of weeks - it’s their only real weakness. The Angels have been solid, but haven’t mounted much of a challenge to Seattle yet. It’s been an odd year for the Halos, who boast two incredible aces in Paul Herrin and Doug Kluz, but who have an offense full of stars who simply haven’t produced many runs. Jon Segura is the biggest bright spot here: the young slugger is hitting .299/.336/.592 and challenging for the division lead in homers at 28. And Brian Weisman has in some ways been even better this year than in his incredible debut season, though he’s missed time to nagging injury. But beyond them, there’s been very little: Ryan Haymes has cooled off since a quick start and is now threatening to slide below average in terms of offensive production, while promising young 2B Jaheim Johnson has been underwater all season. And while the Angels are very high on young LF Matt McCoy, he has to make adjustments if he’s going to do what they believe he’s capable of. Beyond Seattle and LA, no team in the West has a winning record. The defending titleholder Industriales haven’t been hitting; while it looked for a while like a uniform change had breathed new life into Benni Phillips, he has been essentially league average since mid-May. 2B David McConnell has been outstanding, making Chase Maze’s renaissance in Sacramento a little more palatable, but the club has lacked offensive consistency all season long, and while the rotation has largely done its job, it hasn;t been enough to get the club anywhere over .500. After briefly flirting with contention, the El Paso Sun Kings have slipped to fourth, and there’s reason for concern given the lack of production from sparkplug Joe Rison and former MVP Brian Castrovinci, neither of whom are living up to the standards they’ve set for themselves. Tijuana is still aiting for that rebuild to take hold, and Vancouver… well, right now, the Mounties are on pace to shatter the D1 record for fewest runs scored, currently held by the Potros, as they’ve scored just a bit more than 3 runs per game, a 477 run pace. Leo Rodriguez is only one man, and without him there’s no telling how bad things would be; as it stands, they’re on pace to lose 100 games. First half MVP: Bill Vernon, LF, Tampa Tarpons - .340/.412/.546, 9 HR, 28 2B, 51 RBI, 171 wRC+, 4.9 WAR Runners-up: Luis Nazario, 1B, New York Giants and Leo Rodriguez, 3B, Vancouver Mounties First half Pitcher of the Year: Eduardo Fernandez, SP, Chicago Whales - 10-3, 1.90 ERA, 125 K in 127 IP, 3. WAR Runners-up: Paul Herrin, SP, Los Angeles Angels and Jeff Baltimore, SP, Seattle Steelheads First half Rookie of the Year: Tony Galvez, 1B, Philadelphia Athletics - .278/.323/.419, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 0.8 WAR Milestones Matt Wood socked his 300th career homer on July 11, only the second catcher to cross that mark after Hall of Famer Jose Molina. Molina’s all-time mark of 335 seems very much within reach for the Giants’ 34 year old captain. T.J. Carcone broke the NABF career triples mark last year, and this year has become the only player in the history of the Federation with over 200 three-baggers. He enters the All-Star break with 201 in his career, four of which have come in 2040. The Vancouver Mounties are on pace to break the Division 1 single season record for fewest runs scored, by a wide margin. The record, set by Tijuana in 2018, is 523; Vancouver is on pace to cross the plate just 477 times this year. Attached Images Last edited by ArquimedezPozo; 10-06-2023 at 06:07 PM.