1946 Season Preview
León are favorites to win their second Ullamaliztli title after coming in second place last year. They're a solid team across all positions and the addition of 5x Teyaotlani 1B Mario Morales adds more punch to their lineup. Israel Álvarez is ready to lead their rotation for the second year in a row. Speaking of the rotation, this year will see the debut of #18 prospect Alejandro "Tepito" Hernández, who threw to a 1.24 ERA across 189 innings with Irapuato last year.
1944 Champions San Luis will be the closest competitors for the title with a very strong lineup. They might have downgraded offensively at 2B but the addition of 1940's best newcomer Alberto Campana brings more speed, power and defense to their lineup. Three-time Atlatl Roberto Mestre, now aged 34, will lead the Tunas rotation as he has since his age 24 season. The Tunas' rotation might be the weakest it's been since the league began 10 years ago, but they're still a very capable team.
Tampico are still chasing their first title, and they'll trust a mostly homegrown team to do so. They've brought outfielders José Contreras and Edwin Esparza from Mérida, with the latter being a 2x Tlatoani. They continue having the best rotation in the league with USA's John Nestle and Rich Faircloth at the helm. Will adding Esparza solve their run-production issue and aid their pitchers to a title?
The Cardinals were the last place team last year, but the experts predict them to have a rebound year for some reason. Their stars in C Guillermo Meraz and 2B César Loaiza will need to carry what looks like a pretty rough lineup. Raúl Romero is looking like a pretty good pitcher as he enters his prime. Romero was ranked as the 5th best starter in the league after a pretty solid 1945 season. We'll also see the debut of the 6th best prospect: LF Manuel Ramírez, despite the questions that arose after he hit .221/.284/.289 in the reserves last year.
Mérida look like underdogs once again after being predicted to come in right in the middle of the table. Losing key players, particularly Tlatoani Edwin Esparza seems to be the reason why they're classed as a mid-table team once again. Their lineup is still stacked with talent: C José Trujillo, 2B Oziel Rojas, 3B Carlos Renderos, LF Manuel Vargas and RF Héctor Ramírez are all top 2 players at their positions. Their rotation remains the same as last year, with Manuel Jiménez and his durability concerns leading the way for a rotation that's not the best but good enough to fight for a title. We'll also get to see a full season in the rotation out of Omar Huerta, who was the #4 prospect and pitched a 2.75 ERA in 16 relief appearances last year. #10 prospect José Barrios is also part of the pitching staff this year, though as a bullpen option as the Howlers are waiting to see how he develops his secondary pitches before giving him a stint in the rotation. #22 prospect Armando Cortés might also make his debut, once he recovers from a fractured hand he suffered in the final games of preparation.
Aguascalientes are also set to improve on last year's 8th place season, though them and Monterrey have done nothing to justify the expansion going into their 7th year in the league. A young core of CF Ricardo Santos (19), 3B Néstor Rentería (20) and former #5 prospect 2B Orlando Rosas (26) are raring to go alongside league legend Antonio Monterrosa, now covering the first base. Lefty Felipe Osorio will prove himself once again after being snubbed for the Atlatl award despite a 1.80 ERA and 1.21 WHIP last year, while a 37 year old Jacinto Santos will prove he still has some left in the tank after signing a 2-year deal with the Gophers. Aguascalientes are looking like an improved team, though still far from competitive.
It's a surprise to see the current champions ranked so far behind. Jaguares are predicted to have a losing season for the first time since 1942. They have the looks of a dynasty however, with Gabriel Barrón (now at 1B), 3B William Middleton, SS José Serrano, LF Antonio Cervantes RF Santiago González, and a rotation that includes Carlos Casillas, Pablo Hinojosa and Omar Sánchez, still considered the best of the best at their positions. If we take a look at their reserve, they also have the best 3 prospects, with P Ricky Repollet and Antonio Juárez ready to step up after 1.37 and 1.50 ERAs with Naucalpan last year. The Jaguars are still one of the best teams in the league, and they're hoping having the highest payroll will bring them another trophy.
The Águilas roster is looking pretty rough once again, will they ever have a winning season? They made no impact signings, but lefty David Guevara will make his debut out of the bullpen this year. The #4 prospect had a 2.09 ERA after 103.1 innings last year.
Rookie manager Celestino de la Rosa has his work cut out for him in Puebla. Their lineup looks solid after the additions of SS Heraclio Rincón, LF Jordán García, CF Manuel Escobedo and RF David de la Rosa. Their rotation looks pretty rough on the other hand, but the addition of Roberto Mestre's henchman Félix Alemán might give them a boost on that front.
Finally, Guadalajara seem to be ready to hit rock bottom, at least according to the experts. They took positive steps, signing CF Walter Harrington and Guatemalan newcomer 3B Mateo Castañeda. They might be better than they look at first glance, though you can't expect them to compete this year.
North of the border it seems like a tight affair, with Ft. Worth and San Diego looking like they're headed towards the first ever Desert Series. With the Desert League being more focused on power, with taller and stronger players than in Mexico, it will be a fantastic show for all those willing to pay a dollar-fifty. Owners are expecting crowds of around 10 thousand, just a tad bit bigger than Mexican crowds.